The Bizarre Tale Of The Misfits In WCW

Steve “Doctor Death” Williams was a legitimate hard man who had made the rounds of North American wrestling territories and starred for All Japan Pro Wrestling. His big break was supposed to be in 1998, when the WWF planned to use the ill-conceived “Brawl For All” tournament as a launching pad to send Williams into a top-level feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin. Instead, he tore his hamstring in the shoot-fight tournament, missed time rehabbing the injury, and bumped around the midcard before being released.

He arrived in WCW in the middle of November of 1999, and appeared to take out his frustrations on Jerry Only.

Former WWF and now WCW writer Ed Ferrera, who appeared under the name Oklahoma, accompanied Williams to the ring. The Oklahoma character was a parody of announcer Jim Ross, who had managed Williams in WWF, and incorporated a cowboy hat, bottle of barbecue sauce, and an offensive grimace that mocked the partial facial paralysis Ross suffered as a result of Bell’s palsy.

Only, in his professional wrestling debut match, was going to face Doctor Death inside a steel cage.

Vampiro could see the disaster that was coming. He explained in an interview with Fight Network how Only’s hyperactive personality and penchant for touching people was rubbing the other wrestlers the wrong way, and how Williams, a serious tough guy, was going to hurt him. Only was apparently unconcerned, convinced he would do just fine. He was very wrong, and although he made a good effort at the beginning of the match, fans were treated to watching Williams using Only for power slam practice. After completely battering him, Williams slung Only across the ring and into the door of the cage, where the stunned bass player slithered out to an escape victory. His impact with the cage door resulted in a 14-stitch cut, and his band-mates, who had been busy beating up and pouring sauce on Oklahoma, had to help him make it to the back.