Andrew Lutzke
Since this event is taking place a mere few weeks after the “Capital Combat” PPV, there’s not much news to report but here’s what did happen:
After making his surprise return at the PPV, JYD was given a series of non-title single and tag team matches with World Champion Ric Flair. JYD proceeded to pin Flair at most of these events. JYD announced his intentions to become the first black NWA World Champion and was awarded a title match at the Clash.
Rocky King, JYD’s jobber buddy was beat down by the Horsemen until Sting, JYD and the recently returned Paul Orndorff saved him. The announcers dubbed these men (and Lex Luger) “The Super heroes”. A few shows later Sting announced they actually wanted to be known as “The Dudes with Attitudes”.
Woman was removed from the active roster (I believe this would last until 1996 when she returned in January on Nitro.) Having an illegal weapon at Capital Combat while at ringside with Flair was used as the excuse.
The Rock and Roll Express, having beaten The Midnight Express at Wrestle War, were awarded a US Tag title match at the Clash against Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane.
In addition to Paul Orndorff making his return, booker Ole Anderson also convinced his old buddy STAN “THE LARIAT” HANSEN to come to WCW. Hansen is awesome and I’m going to soak in as much of his goodness as I can over the next 6 months of his run!
And as alluded to in my Capital Combat review, the Road Warriors did indeed quietly exit WCW and prepared to sign with the WWF. WCW probably should have pushed DOOM’s World tag title win back a month or two and had the Warriors put the Steiners over at Capital Combat.
June 13th, 1990
Former Georgia announcer Freddie Miller does the intro’s. I was surprised to hear his voice, but a quick google search tells me he was with WCW until his death in 1992.
Bob Caudle and Jim Ross call the action.
Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong dress as Confederate soldiers and promise to do more damage to the Freebirds than the chaos of the Civil War did. Quite the babyface promo.
The Wild Eyed Southern Boys vs. Michael Hayes and Jimmy “Jam” Garvin
The Birds attack the hicks from behind and that quickly goes sour for them and they end up bailing after taking the measure of the boys. Smothers is double teamed but he manages to sneak away and Armstrong nails both heels with a flying crossbody. Armstrong controls Hayes until Garvin interferes and gives the “World’s greatest rock band” the advantage again. Tracy Smothers is showing great fire in the corner while celebrating Steve’s moves or rallying the fans to inspire a comeback.
Hayes is slammed off the top rope to finally buy Steve enough time to make a tag. Smothers flings flying elbows into both degenerates but Tracy is caught with a big clothesline and is sent through the air in a 360. Jimmy Jam tries for a pin but Armstrong leaps off the top rope and connects on a diving headbutt and that’s enough to earn a win for the youngsters.
Fairly up-tempo and kept brief enough that the Birds didn’t have time to bore me to death with restholds. A perfectly acceptable opener.
Tommy “Wildfire” Rich vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
A Memphis Wrestling dream match! Bigelow chucks Rich around and shakes off a series of punches. A second flurry dazes Bigelow a bit. Rich slows things down with an armbar. Bigelow misses a charge and absorbs more fisticuffs. Bigelow dumps Rich on his knee and then press slams Wildfire. Bigelow starts to choke Rich and he refuses to release the move and is DQ’d. What a lame finish. The match barely got going.
We get a video package for BIG VAN VADER!!! CAN’T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!
El Gigante comes down for a special interview…in Spanish… He and JYD are teaming up at the next PPV. The two worst workers on the roster will be facing the Horsemen.
“Captain” Mike Rotunda and Tom Zenk vs. Tama and Fatu
Quick tags abound early as all four men get a taste of what the other has to offer. The Samoans switch off without a tag and start beating down Rotondo with basic chops, kicks and clotheslines. Fatu uses a nerve hold and Tama slams him on the concrete.
Rotunda buys himself an out by catching the Samoans with a double clothesline and the Z-Man tags in and hits a plethora of dropkicks. Zenk attempts a double noggin knocker but that doesn’t work on minorities. The Samoans drop Zenk with a double headbutt instead and the Z-Man eats a splash off the ropes. Rotonda switches places with Zenk (not even wearing the same color tights mind you) and acts injured long enough to sucker Fatu in close enough to wrap in a small package for the pin. Formulaic but far more watchable than the Rich/Rotunda vs. Samoans match at Capital Combat.
Brian Pillman vs. “Mean” Mark Callous
Callous gets the jump on Pillman to start but Brian gets spunky and eats a big elbow for his troubles. Pillman then is booted off the ring apron and he takes a nasty looking fall onto the railing. Brian tries to use speed to mount a comeback but he is caught and slammed into the turnbuckle. Pillman tries to chop the much bigger man and Mark drops him with a side slam in response. Callous misses a charge but maintains control. He nails a power slam but misses the follow up leg drop.
Even after that Pillman still can’t get control as Mean Mark absorbs a dropkick without going down and then tosses Pillman over the ropes. Brian skins the cat back in and climbs to the top and nails a flying dropkick and that finally takes Callous off his feet! Mark catches Brian on a follow up crossbody attempt and stun guns him for the pin. Heck of a little match here. Good thing WCW didn’t sign this young mobile giant to a long contract…have to make room to push El Gigante I guess.
The Rock and Roll Express vs. US Tag Team Champions Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane
The WWE Network makes a oops here and does not edit out “The Chase” theme music for the Midnight Express, immediately making their entrance much better. Bob Caudle says Robert Gibson’s parents were “deaf and dumb”.
Gibson and Eaton start out. Gibson gets the best of Eaton with a head scissors and an armbar and Eaton is flustered. Lane tags in and takes Gibson apart with his karate kicks. The final kick is delivered by Gibson though and it’s an enziguiri connecting to Lane’s skull. Morton comes in and takes turns out wrestling both heels. Gibson tags in and drives Lane and Eaton together. Eaton’s fists finally allow the heels to take control briefly but Morton leaps out of a superplex attempt and that leads to a four way brawl. Cornette orders a regroup.
Lane catches Morton and Eaton hits a neck breaker type of move on Morton. This gives the heels a chance to grind away at Morton for a bit before Gibson is tagged in and another 4 way breaks loose. Eaton is flung into the railing by Morton but the faces accidentally collide. Gibson locks on a sleeper but Eaton sneaks in and nails a flying attack to set up what I bought as the finish. Gibson however kicks out. Eaton eats a double dropkick and Stan Lane attacks the ref for the ultra lame finish. Match was moving at a good pace and the chemistry was a tight as ever…and then we get that finish. Yuck.
Doug Furnas vs. Barry Windham
Furnas looks MUCH thicker than when I first saw him in the WWF 7 years after this. Furnas shows off his agility early with leaps frogs and such. He flips over Windham and PRESS SLAMS Barry! Windham is shellacked with a clothesline but Furnas runs into a knee and is sent head over heels with a lariat. Barry tries a pin after a suplex but Doug presses Windham off and sends him flying through the air. Furnas hits a crisp belly-to-belly suplex and a power slam. Barry is dropkicked to the floor but Windham uses the ropes to roll up Furnas for the pin as he makes his way back in the ring. Fun match. Why was Furnas not used more??? Oh WCW…
US Champion Lex Luger vs. Sid Vicious
Luger attacks Ole Anderson and Sid to start. Sid claws at Lex’s face but Luger catches him with a clothesline and gets the pin in 30 seconds. What? I’d love to know more about what happened here. Time constraints? I guess it looks fluky enough that Sid doesn’t lose too much heat, but your monster heels probably shouldn’t be doing sub one-minute jobs on TV…or ever.
World Tag Team Champions DOOM vs. The Steiner Brothers
Simmons and Scott slug it out to start and both heels are felled by Scott’s reverse powerslam. Scott nails a Russian sickle to the back of Simmons head and that convinces him to tag out. Reed clubs away and Scott doesn’t bother selling that much. Scott gets bored kicking so much butt and gives Rick a chance to have some fun.
Rick belly-to-belly suplexes Simmons and Ron takes a powder. Reed drops the Dog Faced Gremlin with a big clubbing clothesline. Rick is trapped in the heel corner and just out punches both men to escape. Things spill to the floor and Rick is dumped onto the concrete to finally give the champions the advantage. Reed nails a violent clothesline and a double axehandle from the top rope. A double underhook suplex continues the beating. Scott finally makes the tag after Reed misses a charge. Scott tosses Simmons around as all four men brawl. Scott hits a superplex but Reed hits him with an “international object” and Simmons earns the tainted pin. Prime Steiners = good stuff.
JYD says “I’m going to beat Flair like I own him.” I’m sure the Wild Eyed Southern Boys agree with that sentiment.
TV Champion Arn Anderson vs. Paul Orndorff
I like Orndorff but I don’t buy him as a “Dude with Attitude”. Can’t fault WCW for trying to restock the upper card I suppose. This is non-title for whatever reason. They do a feeling out process and Paul uses his boots to rake Arn’s eyes. Orndorff out punches Anderson and they trade sleeper holds. Mr. Wonderful locks the Enforcer in a figure four. Arn makes it to the ropes. Anderson buys himself some time with a spinebuster. Arn hits some nice looking punches but Paul yanks down Anderson’s shorts on a sunset flip and that flusters Anderson enough that he has to take a break. Mr. Wonderful is locked in an abdominal stretch and then a chinlock. They bonk heads during an exchange and both men go down. Orndorff fires off with his fists and a solid looking forearm. Paul foolishly goes for a splash and lands on Anderson’s knees. Arn uses a small package but Orndorff reverses it for the pin. Technically solid match but I wasn’t feeling it for whatever reason. Maybe it’s simply the miscasting of Mr. Wonderful as a babyface.
Junkyard Dog vs. World Champion Ric Flair
This is infamous for being one of, if not the worst match of Flair’s career – let’s see if it lives up to the reputation. JYD is shown jiving with a New Orleans jazz band and it looks like the Adam Rose Exotic Express.
Flair slaps JYD and Dog drops him with a slap of his own. JYD chucks Flair down several times off a lock up and Jim Ross tries to sell JYD’s obesity as “thickness” (strength). JYD out smarts Flair as The Nature Boy drops down and JYD greets him with a head butt on all fours. That’s enough to send Flair scurrying to the ramp for a “Flair flop”. Flair chops away but JYD no sells that and unloads with punches. Ric gets some punches in but JYD no sells a knee drop. He no sells more chops for good measure.
Flair goes to the eyes and hits JYD with a chair. JYD no sells that too. JYD dishes out more punches and flips Flair over the turnbuckle. Ole climbs up on the ring and JYD is distracted long enough to absorb a knee to the back. JYD gets up from that right away too and slams Flair off the top rope. Ole has seen enough and attacks JYD to save the title on a DQ.
Windham, Arn and Sid join in the beatdown until Sting, Lex Luger and Mr. Wonderful run in for the save. Jobber Rocky King gets to cut a promo on the Horsemen. Sting begs Flair for a World title shot in 4 weeks at the Great American Bash. The Horsemen charge back down and Sting kicks Flair’s butt while the faces hold back Flair’s running mates.
I didn’t hate this match in the least, Sting and Luger both do the same no sell everything routine with Flair too. JYD just lacked any variety in his move set. I enjoyed it for what it was. Being a JYD mark probably doesn’t hurt.
Final thoughts:
A 2 hour event with lots of matches meant a quicker paced show and I am fine with less long matches if it means a better tempo and a lot of variety in the participants. Overall a fun show! Next up is the Great American Bash~!
