Andrew Lutzke
- Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff had a meeting in early June. It was there that Turner gave WCW a Monday night TV show for the fall. Turner was apparently miffed at letters Vince McMahon had sent Turner asking him to fold WCW due to it’s occasional scandals and whatnot.
- K-1 and WCW have a tentative shoot fighting PPV scheduled for September called “Mortal Challenge” . WCW is trying to sign Dan Severn to face Sgt. Craig Pittman.
- Ric Flair booked Alex Wright to win the TV title from Arn Anderson at Slamboree, Hogan vetoed the plan and had Renegade put in place to win it at the Great American Bash.
- Renegade continues to have squash matches that go so poorly that they never make air.
- Long time ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta was let go in a cost cutting move. WCW still plans on paying Micheal Buffer 5 figures to announce one match a month. Because WCW.
- Brad Armstrong was rumored to be returning with a “Captain Planet” gimmick, but Eric Bischoff denied anything of the sort.
- Ric Flair has penciled himself to main event every PPV and Clash from August til October. He plans on feuding with Vader and eventually Arn Anderson.
- Musician Little Richard is negotiating to appear on PPV in Johnny B Badd’s corner.
- The Rock and Roll Express was asked to come in as glorified jobbers but they balked at the role and pay offered.
- Ron Reis has been training at the WCW Power Plant and now his brother, who is of near equal size, is also training in hopes of forming a “giant” tag team.
- The “Dungeon of Doom” vignettes began to air from a cave in Parts Unknown, GA.
- Marcus Bagwell will miss his match at the Great American Bash due to his calf implant leaking. Apparently calf implants are common in body builders.
- Road Warrior Hawk vs. Bunkhouse Buck was also suppose to go down at this PPV but that was changed.
The Great American Bash ’95
Tony Schiavone and The Brain (wearing silly old man glasses) run down the evening events.
“Flying” Brian Pillman vs. Alex Wright
They shake hands to establish their both faces. They trade some counter wrestling to show parity. The fans are firmly behind Pillman. Pillman’s big gimmick refresh is that he moved to California. They are keeping things slow by trading lots of headlocks and other restholds. Wright tries a bow and arrow but blows it, Pillman gets flustered after a few near falls and slaps Wright. Flyin’ Brian works aggressively, firing away with chops. Wright responds with European uppercuts.
A gutbuster hurts Wright but he suplexes Pillman to the cement floor (great looking bump by Pillman) and planchas on him. Wright nails a flying dropkick back in the ring before things spill out to the floor where Pillman misses a top rope splash. Wright misses one of his own back in the ring. Pillman goes for a superplex, Wright blocks it and sends Pillman crashing to the mat. Pillman feigns a knee injury only long enough to sucker Wright in for a big dropkick. Pillman tries a cradle but finds himself on the bottom as Wright sits down and sneaks out a win at 15:23. Good match but nothing you wouldn’t forget about by the end of the show.
Arm Wrestling Challenge: Dave Sullivan vs. “Diamond” Dallas Page
Dave Sullivan’s rabbit Ralph is up against a date with Kimberly. Sullivan’s music is now just the first few beats of “I want to be a Hulkamaniac” played endlessly. Kimberly gave Dave the rabbit as a means to make him feel better after Vader and Flair put a beating on him. Maxx tries to cheat but Kimberly accidentally bumps into Maxx who bumps DDP and that allows Sullivan to win. DDP snaps on Maxx Muscle and Kimberly after the fact. Just an angle to set up some comedy and bad matches to come.
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman
They scuffle to start. Pittman tries to grapple and Duggan fights him to a stalemate. Pittman takes a big bump to the floor after some stalling. The Pitbull gets fired up from this and begins to try and dismantle Duggan’s knee. They roll around the mat indiscriminately before Hacksaw is trapped in a knee bar. Duggan fights his way out but succumbs to a double leg take down and finds himself in another kneebar. Duggan manages to fight back with punches in spite of his knee being shot. Duggan winds up in an arm bar that Pittman switches to his “Code Red” armlock. Sarge then refuses to release it when Hacksaw makes it to the ropes. The ref counts to five and calls for the DQ at 8:13. The move remains locked on as the ref tries to regain order. Duggan is selling his arm as being broke. He manages to get his 2X4 and send Pittman fleeing. This was a dull styles clash featuring one guy doing fake MMA with another who just wanted to throw bombs.
Lord Steven Regal calls the Nasty Boys “Low breds” and “gutter snipes”. I laugh.
Harlem Heat vs. Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck
Heat attack right away, still angry over Col. Parker kissing Sherri forcefully during the pre-show. Stevie Ray is wearing a T-shirt to cover up scars from a recent motorcycle crash. Heat controls with kicks and punches. Thrilling. Restholds follow. Tags are made, nothing changes just more slow paced brawling mixed with headlocks. T gets a small package, Col. Parker rolls Buck on top, Sherri rolls T back on top and he hangs on for the win at 8:11. Awful stuff from all involved.
We see clips of Vader threatening Eric Bischoff and Nick Bockwinkel. This prompts Commissioner Bockwinkel to make a cage match with Vader and Hogan for the next PPV, which he can’t remember the name of without help.
TV Champion Arn Anderson vs. The Renegade
Arn bumps all over the place for the Renegade to try and shield the fact that the challenger is horrible. Renegade works his wide array of headlocks to show off his move set. Anderson kicks him in the head, but that’s no sold. Arn takes a walk to regroup. Renegade locks on a sleeper but a back suplex frees The Enforcer. The champ drills him with a spinebuster but Renegade kicks out. Anderson tries a top rope move but is caught and hit with a fallaway slam followed by a splash from the top rope to secure the upset at 9:08. Well Arn tried but there was nothing to work with. Paul Wight is in the front row and he stares on ominously. After failing to grab Jimmy Hart, Wight leaves.
World Tag Champs The Nasty Boys vs. Lord Steven Regal and Earl Robert Eaton
The Nasties turn things into a brawl right away. Regal is whipped with a leather jacket as Eaton is mugged in the aisle. Regal is doubled up on as Eaton recovers on the floor. Regal’s face is introduced to a “Pit stop” and Eaton is then given the same treatment. Things break down further as all four men throw down. Eaton is dropped ass first onto a folded chair in a neat spot. Regal and Eaton show that they too can work a roughneck style and spend several minutes grinding Saggs into the mat and keeping him down with knees and elbows. Eaton hits a flying knee from the top rope. The Blue Bloods maintain their control until Knobbs can tag in and go wild. This draws out Harlem Heat, who hit Knobbs with a Harlem Hangover. Eaton tries a top rope move but T accidentally shakes the ropes and causes him to fall off. Saggs scales to the top and drops an elbow for the win at 15:08. Quite the fun chaotic brawl in a match that I expected to have been a train wreck styles clash.
US Title Tournament Finals: Sting vs. Meng
Meng bull rushes Sting into the corner and blasts him with chops and fists until Sting crumbles to the mat. He grabs Sting’s throat and tries to squeeze the life of the Stinger. Meng no sells our hero’s offensive and continues to claw, hack and chop into Sting. Meng takes things to the floor and drives his opponent into the railing. A sit down powerbomb and shoulder breaker earn Meng a pair of near falls. The Tongan eats up some time with a Nerve Hold of Extreme Discomfort.
Sting connects with a flying elbow out of desperation but Meng no sells it and delivers a diving headbutt onto his opponent. Sting finally gets fired up and delivers a series of clotheslines that wobble the monster before finally knocking him off his feet. Meng and Sting fly to the floor in a heap. Sting attacks Col. Parker before Meng attempts a sneak attack but he instead runs his own head into the ringpost. Sting takes advantage and locks on the Scorpion Death Lock but Meng powers out. A flying clothesline downs Meng, followed by a flying splash that shockingly earns a two count. A DDT ends it in a somewhat anti-clamatic manner right after at 13:36. Really fun match, as Sting utilized his magic formula that made his matches with Vader so entertaining and shared it with Meng.
Randy “Macho Man” Savage vs. Ric “Nature Boy” Flair
Macho brings Angelo Poffo to the ring with him. Flair can see the crazy in Savage’s eye and runs as the bell sounds. Savage assaults Flair in the ring, then chucks him to the floor where he greets Flair with a double axe handle from the top rope. Flair manages to ram him into the steel post to stop the momentum. Flair then takes joy in chopping and stomping away at Savage. Macho snaps again and goes after Flair with fists a plenty. Flair manages to climb to the top turnbuckle, only to be slammed off. Flair is then thrown to the floor, where he takes a cheap shot at Angelo. That only serves to piss Macho off further but Flair uses his crazed mentality against him and takes control. Savage’s knee is draped over the guard rail. Flair gleefully abuses the knee as Savage fights off his back desperately. A figure-four further damages the leg back in the ring.
Macho manages to escape the move and then dodge a flying knee. Savage ignores his damaged knee and drops the big elbow onto Flair. He elects not to go for the pin and instead seeks to find a ring bell to attack Flair with in a nice callback to the Steamboat/Savage angle. The ref stops that plan, so Savage attempts a double axe handle on the floor, but Flair moved and Savage crashes into the railing. Flair assaults the dazed Macho Man with fists before Angelo gets involved and tries to choke Flair with his cane. Flair fights his way free, stealing the old man’s cane as he does so. Savage checks on his dad, then walks towards Flair and gets cracked with the cane for the tainted pin at 14:40. Tremendous hate filled brawl!
Final thoughts: The mid-card is still brimming with useless workers who are taking up time and space from others but the last hour plus of the was all fun stuff. Next time we head to the beach for surfing, sun tans and steel cages!
