Souled Out - 2000

2000

Souled Out 2000 took place on January 16, 2000 from the Firstar Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The originally scheduled card was heavily changed, due to the serious injuries of Bret Hart and Jeff Jarrett. Hart, who was scheduled to wrestle Sid Vicious, suffered a severe concussion at Starrcade, which forced him to vacate the WCW World Heavyweight title, and eventually retire nine months later. Jarrett, who was scheduled to wrestle Chris Benoit in a Triple Threat Theater series (Dungeon Rules, Bunkhouse, Caged Heat), suffered lingering headaches from Benoit's diving headbutt off the top of the steel cage on the January 10 episode of WCW Monday Nitro, which forced him to vacate the WCW United States Heavyweight title. Benoit was instead moved to take Hart's place against Vicious and the Triple Threat Theater series was contested between Billy Kidman and three separate wrestlers.

• Billy Kidman defeated Dean Malenko (with Shane Douglas) in a Catch-as-Catch Can match (2:36)
  • Kidman won when Malenko accidentally touched the floor; the match rules stated that a wrestler could win by either pin, submission, or by having his opponent's feet touch the floor.
  • This was Match 1 of the Triple Threat Theater.
  • This was also Malenko's last match in WCW.
• Vampiro defeated David Flair (with Daffney) and Crowbar in a Triple Threat match (10:32)
  • Vampiro pinned Flair after a Nail in the Coffin.
  • Originally, it was scheduled to be a WCW World Tag Team title match between Flair & Crowbar and Vampiro & a partner of his choosing; when Flair and Crowbar jumped Vampiro during a backstage interview, Vampiro wanted to take them on himself.
• Big Vito and Johnny the Bull (with Disco Inferno) defeated The Harris Brothers (Ron and Don) (9:33)
  • Vito pinned Ron after a Clothesline.
• Oklahoma defeated Madusa (with Spice) to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship (2:56)
  • Oklahoma pinned Madusa with a roll-up.
• Brian Knobs defeated Fit Finlay, Norman Smiley and Meng in a Fatal Four-Way match to retain the WCW Hardcore Championship (6:11)
  • Knobs pinned Smiley after hitting him with a police shield.
• Billy Kidman defeated Perry Saturn (with Shane Douglas) in a Bunkhouse match (10:05)
  • Kidman pinned Saturn after a Bulldog.
  • This was Match 2 of the Triple Threat Theater.
  • This was Saturn's last match with WCW.
• Booker T (with Midnight) defeated Stevie Ray by disqualification (6:30)
  • Stevie Ray was disqualified when Big T made his debut and attacked Booker.
• Tank Abbott defeated Jerry Flynn (1:39)
  • Abbott knocked Flynn out.
• Buff Bagwell defeated Diamond Dallas Page in a Last Man Standing match (11:19)
  • Page couldn't answer the 10-count after missing a Diamond Cutter.
• The Wall (with Shane Douglas) defeated Billy Kidman in a Steel cage match (5:03)
  • Wall pinned Kidman after a chokeslam.
  • This was Match 3 of the Triple Threat Theater.
• Kevin Nash (w/ Chris Dinkins) defeated Terry Funk in a Hardcore match to become the new WCW Commissioner (7:59)
  • Nash pinned Funk after a Jacknife Powerbomb onto a steel chair.
• Chris Benoit defeated Sid Vicious (with Arn Anderson as special guest referee) to win the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship (14:53)
  • Benoit forced Vicious to submit with the Crippler Crossface.
  • Benoit was stripped of the title the next night when it was shown that Sid's leg was under the rope when he tapped (in reality, Benoit had quit WCW to join the WWF).