Plus, I loved how there was no count-down to see which wrestler would be the next entrant like in a Royal Rumble as all sixty men entered the ring at the beginning of the match. No fanfare. No individual entrance themes. No pyro. Just Diamond Dallas Page walking to the ring, sandwiched in between Villiano V and some karate guy that Goldberg beat around sixty-eight times.
Unlike the first year of the WCW World War 3 PPV, the winner of the 60-man battle royal didn’t automatically receive the WCW World Heavyweight Championship belt. Instead, the guarantee of a title match against the champion was on the line, and this would be the bout that led to the infamous main event of Starrcade 1998 that involved cattle prods and other nWo goofiness.
The WCW World War 3 1998 PPV card in its entirety:
- Wrath vs Glacier
- Stevie Ray (with Vincent) vs Konnan
- Ernest Miller and Sonny Onoo vs Perry Saturn and Kaz Hayashi
- WCW Cruiserweight Champion Juventud Guerrera vs Billy Kidman
- Rick Steiner vs Scott Steiner (with Buff Bagwell)
- WCW World Television Champion Chris Jericho (with Ralphus) vs Bobby Duncum, Jr.
- World War 3 Three Ring, 60 man Battle Royal for shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: List of entrants included: Chris Adams, Chris Benoit, Bobby Blaze, Ciclope, Damien, El Dandy, Barry Darsow, The Disciple, Disco Inferno, Bobby Duncum, Jr., Bobby Eaton, Mike Enos, Scott Hall, Héctor Garza, The Giant, Glacier, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., Eddy Guerrero, Hammer, Kenny Kaos, Kaz Hayashi, Horace Hogan, Barry Horowitz, Prince Iaukea, Chris Jericho, Kanyon, Billy Kidman, Konnan, Lenny Lane, Lex Luger, Lizmark, Jr., Lodi, Dean Malenko, Steve McMichael, Ernest Miller, Chip Minton, Rey Misterio, Jr., Scott Norton, Kevin Nash, La Parka, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Psychosis, Scott Putski, Stevie Ray, The Renegade, Scotty Riggs, Perry Saturn, Silver King, Norman Smiley, Scott Steiner, Super Caló, Johnny Swinger, Booker T, Tokyo Magnum, Villaño V, Vincent, Kendall Windham, Wrath and Alex Wright
- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page vs Bret Hart