David Arquette's Final WCW Appearance

I figured we’d have a little fun on this latest piece for TheBigBangMay6.com.

Now, we all know that one of wrestling’s most infamous moments took place during WCW’s final year of operation, when David Arquette, Hollywood actor and star of Ready To Rumble, won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on April 25, 2000 during a Thunder taping. 

He pinned Eric Bischoff in a tag team match where the World Title was on the line and the first person to get a pinfall or submission would be the winner and champion (World Champion Diamond Dallas Page and Jeff Jarrett were also involved in the match).

For the short term, at least publicity-wise, the title change was excellent. The USA Today even had a blurb about it in the Life section on May 1, 2000 which read as the following:

“Arquette displays neat mat finish

David Arquette, star of the wrestling movie Ready to Rumble, captured the World Championship Wrestling heavyweight championship last week by pinning Eric Bischoff in a tag-team match. He defends the title tonight on TNT’s WCW Monday Nitro Live! (8 ET/PT).”

USA Today [May 1st, 2000]

(Credit to WCWWorldwide.com for finding and transcribing the blurb)

Long term, especially to die-hard WCW fans, the Arquette title win was looked at as sacrilege, especially to the credibility of the championship. Many believe that title change was the true death blow to the company. 

I disagree, as I felt that it was a last-gasp effort towards bringing eyeballs to the WCW television product. Did it ultimately work? No. But from my mindset, you can’t fault the company for trying an outside-the-box idea.

After a twelve-day title reign, including one successful defense over shoot fighter Tank Abbott, Arquette lost the title at Slamboree on May 7, 2000, to Jeff Jarrett in the first ever Triple Cage match, inspired from the Rumble movie. Arquette pulled off a giant Swerve, clocking DDP from the top of the third cage with a guitar, causing him to fall back and allowing “the Chosen One” to regain his championship.

The following night on Nitro, Arquette, Jarrett, Eric Bischoff, and DDP’s estranged wife Kimberly gave their explanation in the ring on why everything transpired in the sequence it did. Arquette admitted to using Page to have a few matches in WCW, based on discussions on the Rumble movie set, and used his method acting to manipulate him, leading to the betrayal at Slamboree. 

Furthermore, Arquette and Jarrett used “Career Killer” Mike Awesome to throw Page’s best friend Kanyon off of the cage and onto the entrance ramp below, forcing him to go to the hospital with a serious injury.

DDP couldn’t take it anymore and proceeded to make a beeline down to the ring, taking out Awesome, Ernest “the Cat” Miller, and then, to the delight of the Nitro crowd, took out Arquette with a vicious Diamond Cutter.

Many felt that with that one move, Arquette’s time in WCW was completed, and he’d be going back to Hollywood, never to be seen again in a wrestling setting.

ENTER THE JUDY BAGWELL ON A FORKLIFT MATCH.

—--

On August 13, 2000, at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, WCW hosted the New Blood Rising pay-per-view event. The event has been known throughout the years for Goldberg refusing to “follow the script” in a three-way match involving Kevin Nash and Scott Steiner, and the homecoming of WCW United States, Hardcore, and Cruiserweight Champion Lance Storm, who had the figurative torch passed to him by Canadian great Bret “Hit Man” Hart after his victory.

It was also known for one of the wildest matches ever created.

Remember when I mentioned that Kanyon was thrown off the Triple Cage at Slamboree? Well, at The Great American Bash, he actually cost DDP a victory in an Ambulance match against Awesome, claiming that Page was just too much of a selfish individual.

Losing his friend, his wife, and his confidence in short fashion, Page finally had enough and quit the company on the following Nitro. In a tribute to his “friend”, Kanyon began to spoof and mock the DDP persona, becoming “Positively” Kanyon.

It got to the point where Kanyon flat-out stole Page’s finisher, unleashing his “Kanyon” Cutter to everyone in sight. No one was safe, whether it be in the ring, the locker room, the interview area, or even the parking lot. Everyone felt the suddenness of the Kanyon Cutter.

Surprisingly, people really began to enjoy “Positively” Kanyon’s exploits. One person that wasn’t enjoying it? Judy Bagwell.

The mother of Buff Bagwell had been repeatedly hassled by “Positively” Kanyon to become his “Kimberly”, which was rebuffed at every opportunity. In turn, Kanyon would Kanyon Cut her, as well as Buff. 

It reached its crescendo at New Blood Rising, as Buff and Kanyon would battle in a “Judy Bagwell on a Pole” match. If Kanyon won, he would gain the services of the former WCW World Tag Team Champion as his manager.

And yes, I mean Judy Bagwell. 1998 was also a wild year.

Before the match began, Buff was on a chase, trying to find his mother, who was missing from their locker room. As it turned out, Kanyon kidnapped Judy and bound her to a forklift. He then drove said forklift to the ring, and raised the forks in the air, leaving Judy trapped.

“Positively” Kanyon took it one step further and stated that since Judy was too big for a pole, the grudge match at New Blood Rising would now be billed as a “Judy Bagwell on a Forklift” match.

Got that?

Incensed, Buff made a beeline to the ring, and the fight was on.

In a true war, Bagwell dominated, defending his mother’s honor with vigor and poise. However, late in the match, Kanyon reversed a back body drop and caught Buff with a Kanyon Cutter. Buff kicked out at two. And then, “Self High Five” hit the PA system. Could it be? Was DDP back for revenge?