Sage Cortez
I’ve been wanting to get to this show for a long time, as it was a clear sign that WCW was turning the corner and heading in a positive direction. With as many new people as WCW brought in during 1991, it was simply a matter of course that they didn’t air great television. However, everything was finally coming together, and with new additions like Rick Rude and Vader, WCW was about to get a hell of a lot better. There are also some big angles coming up. On this particular show, we have three big matches. The Enforcers defend their tag team titles, Rick Rude challenges Sting for his US Championship, and Rick Steiner finally gets a world title shot at Lex Luger!
– November 19th, 1991, from the Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia
The opening video goes through the title matches, which apparently include PN News vs. Steve Austin and Johnny B. Badd vs. Brian Pillman in addition to what I’ve already mentioned. The latter sounds pretty good! Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are the hosts, and Sting is going to receive another gift box. What could be inside of that? Eric Bischoff and Missy Hyatt are working backstage, and Missy is going to be interviewing MARCUS ALEXANDER BAGWELL later in the show. Oh no.
Thomas Rich (w/Alexandra York) vs. Big Josh in a LUMBERJACK MATCH
Pre-Match Thoughts: The lumberjacks for this one are the newly heel Young Pistols, Richard Morton, Terrence Taylor, Todd Champion, the Freebirds, and Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker. This sure does sound like a curtain jerker. Couldn’t think up a match with lower status myself. Look at the quality of the lumberjacks out there.
Match Review: Rich goes on the attack to start, ambushing Josh when he gets in the ring. He beats Josh up for a while, hitting him with elbows to the head. Rich tries to leave the ring when Josh makes it to his feet, but Josh chops him down instead. An atomic drop follows that, and there’s a belly to belly suplex. Time for Josh to roll the log, and he hits Rich with some big lefts. Rich rolls to the heel side, but the three babyfaces at ringside rush over and put him back in the ring. Josh backdrops Rich, drops an elbow on him, and covers for 1. Josh gets thrown to the outside and beaten up, then thrown back in. Another throw to the outside leads to the same, then when Josh gets in, Rich clotheslines him. Rich chokes Josh with some tape, and follows with a back elbow for 2. Rich goes back to the tape, and Steve Armstrong chokes Josh too. That’s cheating shit right there. Rich suplexes Josh for 2, and Josh misses a charge after a reversed whip. Rich heads up top, but Josh gets up and slams him down. Josh suplexes Rich for a 2 count, then they do a criss-cross. For some reason, Taylor trips Rich! Butt splash follows from Josh, and that gets the pin at 6:03.
My Thoughts: I am utterly confused by that finish, but this was a good way to open the show. Crowd was into it, it just seemed like the right mix. I mean, the match wasn’t excellent or anything like that, but they worked hard and took good bumps. No stalling, no rest holds, and no complaints. **. I’m interested to see why Taylor tripped Rich, I’m sure that will be followed up on at some point.
Firebreaker Chip (WCW US Tag Team Champion) vs. Bobby Eaton
Pre-Match Thoughts: Now this is confusing. Eaton hadn’t been turned heel yet, and hadn’t joined the Dangerous Alliance yet. The Dangerous Alliance didn’t exist yet either. Why is this match on here? I don’t even know. I wonder if Eaton can carry someone who doesn’t really belong in such a prominent spot. At least this dork is wearing pants now!
Match Review: They shake hands, and it’s time to wrestle. They break clean after a failed lock up, then Eaton hip tosses Chip. Chip takes Eaton down with a headlock, and when Eaton gets up, Chip nearly destroys himself with a dodge of a corner charge. Chip flies off the top with a cross body, but it only gets 2. Eaton tries to fight out of a headlock, but gets taken down again. Eaton gets out, dodges a charge to the corner, and Chip winds up on top for a flying clothesline that gets 2. The guys lock up yet again, and Eaton trips Chip as he goes to a hammerlock. Chip reverses, then picks Eaton up only so Eaton can hit him with a hard clothesline. Eaton follows that with a backbreaker that gets 2, then Chip reverses a cross body for 2. Chip takes Eaton down with a backslide that gets 2, then flies over Eaton and cradles him up for 2 again. When Eaton kicks out, he sends Chip into the buckle, and takes Chip down with a back suplex and bridge that gets 3 at 4:51.
My Thoughts: Despite their best efforts, the blown leap by Chip at the beginning of the match took me completely out of it. The finish also didn’t look right because Chip appeared to get his shoulder up. That wasn’t what he was supposed to do either. Maybe I’m wrong and the camera angle was confusing. Right guy won, of course. Still don’t know why two babyfaces faced off here. *1/4.
The Starrcade 1991 commercial actually advertises the PPV very well. Sums up the concept for the Lethal Lottery and all of that. A bit surprised by how well that went.
Now it’s time to see what’s in the final box for Sting! Sting actually walks out there, because he’s a fucking idiot of sorts. Get attacked by two guys in boxes and show up to see the third, that’s awfully smart. A bunch of bodybuilders carry out a, um…chariot to the ramp. I do not know how else to describe this. Out of that comes a very hot looking Madusa. Guess it’s my lucky day. She gets on her knees, so I guess it’s Sting’s lucky day. What is it with implied fellatio in 1991 wrestling? She starts massaging Sting, and tells him to follow her. Well, wouldn’t you? Out of the chariot comes LEX LUGER! He clips Sting’s left knee out from under him, and smashes the leg up against the ramp. To make the save, here comes the lower card babyfaces from the back. IT WAS LUGER WHO HAS SENT THE BOXES.
The Diamond Studd vs. Tom Zenk
Pre-Match Thoughts: For some reason this has been chopped out of the WWE Network version of this show. Can’t figure out why.
Match Review: Oh, that’s why. It started during the commercial, and Studd kicks Zenk in the face. After a bulldog from the top rope by Studd, he covers for 2. Now, in the back, we see Sting being put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance. Zenk pulls Studd’s nuts into the post as that’s going on, and sunset flips him from the top for 2. Studd clotheslines Zenk, takes him to the buckle, and after that Zenk superkicks him. Crucifix by Zenk, and he has the Diamond Studd pinned at 1:40.
After the match, Hall chokeslams Zenk and follows with the DIAMOND DEATH DROP.
My Thoughts: This match was nothing to speak of, really. They went quick, but only a portion of it was on the larger part of the television screen and I don’t know why they didn’t just halt the show and take this match off it. *. I’d say they could do better with more time, but I saw them have a longer match, and it wasn’t much better.
PN News vs. Steve Austin (w/Lady Blossom) for the WCW Television Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: Time for this long-running feud to come to an end, I suppose. It was off and on but these two had matches with each other for some time. I think everyone was tired of PN News to some degree. The raps stopped being funny or novel. There is a 15 minute time limit on this, but I find it unlikely we’ll get anywhere near that. News said he wasn’t rapping, so that’s shit. Somebody’s mad about jobbing is my assumption.
Match Review: Austin attacks News from behind, and goes to work on him with big rights. News comes back with a choke lift, and throws Austin down hard. News splashes Austin in the corner, and follows that with a clothesline to the back. News bodyslams Austin, drops an elbow on him, and Austin rolls to the outside. Austin kicks News, but News throws Austin hard into the rail. Austin goes for a bodyslam, and News falls on top for 2. News gives Austin a suplex and folds him up in the ropes, then covers for 2. Austin dumps the fat guy out to the ramp, and News backdrops him into the ring when he follows. News gives him a belly to belly suplex, it also gets 2. News focuses his attention on Blossom because she put Austin’s foot on the ropes, and that allows Austin to dive over the top and drive News into the railing. Never seen Austin do something like that. Back into the ring, News misses a splash in the corner, and Austin covers him with his feet on the ropes for the victory at 4:21.
My Thoughts: This wasn’t awful, but PN News really annoys me and Austin had a hard time working with the guy. There was a spot where News kicked Austin in the chest, and it looked like it should have been a dropkick if not for News being unable to leap off the canvas. I also didn’t like that News became so focused on chasing Blossom around the ring when he was so close to winning the match. *3/4.
Cactus Jack vs. Van Hammer
Pre-Match Thoughts: Poor Cactus getting stuck working with this guy. Yes, I’ve read Mick Foley’s books, so I have a general idea of what happens here. Cactus has a massive blade gash on his forehead, and it’s not taped up. He looks hilarious. The difference between this and his last WCW run is that they treated him far more seriously, like an accomplished professional. This Van Hammer video during his entrance is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. I read a good story about him getting ribbed by the boys, where they loosened his guitar strap and when he did that stupid shit where he swung it around his neck, the guitar hit him in the head. At least Van Hammmer had a good opponent to wrestle here.
Match Review: Cactus hits the guy from behind, and starts pulling at his face. Good way to start. Hammer comes back with a back suplex, then dropkicks Cactus to the outside. Hammer follows that with a dive and double axehandle, and throws Cactus right back in. Hammer big boots Cactus, and follows with a bodyslam. A leg drop lands, but only gets 2. Cactus throws Hammer into the corner and bulldogs him, then follows with the CACTUS CLOTHESLINE! That spot is so incredible. Cactus sets Hammer up, and down he comes from the second turnbuckle with a FLYING ELBOW! Cactus continues to punish this poor guy, then throws him back in the ring. They trade punches for a bit, until Hammer gives Cactus a major concussion with a clothesline to the back of the head. Hammer heads up top, comes down with a knee drop, and Cactus kicks out at 2! The two collide with each other and Cactus tumbles to the outside, and Cactus hits Hammer with his own guitar! Referee didn’t see it, so Cactus covers for 3 at 4:06!
Cactus tries to keep beating up Hammer, but Hammer nails him with a clothesline and throws Cactus out of the ring. Hammer follows him to the ramp and gives him a slingshot suplex, then a flying shoulderblock. I dig this action. The punching to the back was hilarious looking.
My Thoughts: I really liked this match, don’t care how short it was. Both guys went all out and aimed to impress. Foley had spots that made other people look good by proxy, and that’s certainly part of this, but both guys looked strong. Hammer picking up his first loss was a good thing, as obviously WCW had figured out this was not going to get over the way they wanted it to. **1/2.
Eric Bischoff has a report on Sting, and is on the phone with Jim Ross. Bischoff said the injury wasn’t as severe as everyone thought, but the knee is swollen. I guess he’ll be back later in the show.
Before the next match, it’s time to talk about Barry Windham being severely injured. They show him being attacked by the Enforcers at Halloween Havoc, which seems like a perfect lead-in to what is about to take place. They also showed the bulldog on which Windham broke his wrist.
Dustin Rhodes and a MYSTERY PARTNER vs. The Enforcers for the WCW Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: Who could possibly be the mystery partner? I mean, realistically, nobody would have expected what WCW was about to do. The Enforcers walked out to the ring like they were going to be in a handicap match, full of self confidence. Barry Windham walks down to the ring with Dustin, but he has a cast and street clothes on. Windham tells the crowd he will not be wrestling here, but they had a plan. The partner is a guy who walks down to the ring with a dragon mask on his head, he is…
RICKY STEAMBOAT!
Match Review: Steamboat and Anderson will start this, and Steamboat works Arn over. Arn goes to the eyes, and Steamboat has to fight out of the corner. All four guys are in the ring, and the babyfaces clear it. They follow, and continue to beat them up to massive applause. Arn gets thrown into the post, and Zbyzsko gets back in the ring with Steamboat, who throws him into the buckle. Steamboat hits Zbyzsko with a flying back elbow, and Arn gets dropkicked to the outside! Steamboat and Zbyzsko resume the action after a bit, and Steamboat takes him over with a headlock. Dustin tags in, takes Zbyzsko down, and puts an armbar on him. Zbyzsko tries a bodyslam, but Dustin holds on and makes the tag out. Steamboat comes in with a flying chop from the top, and follows that by ramming Zbyzsko’s left arm into the post. Dustin gets back in there, knee drops the arm, and keeps the work going. Arn makes his way in after a tag, lands big lefts, and works Dustin over. Arn blocks a charge to the corner, heads up top, and he hits Dustin with a double axehandle. Surprised he hit that move. Arn misses his own charge to the corner, and eats a BIONIC ELBOW. Dustin takes Zbyzsko out with another BIONIC ELBOW, and clears the ring again! Steamboat tags in, kicks Zbyzsko in the gut, and they trade hard slaps. Oh boy. Steamboat chases Larry around the ring, he makes a blind tag, and Arn attacks Steamboat from behind. Zbyzsko hits Steamboat with a double axehandle to the back, then suplexes him for 2. Arn tags back in, throws Steamboat hard into the corner, as he’s now selling his back. Arn goes for a backdrop, but Steamboat sunset flips him, only for it to turn out Zbyzsko made a tag in. He gives Steamboat a bodyslam, and puts him in an abdominal stretch. Arn illegally switches back in, elbows Steamboat, and uses a back suplex that gets 2. Steamboat gets in offense by smashing Arn’s face into the mat, but Arn clutches to his foot and makes a tag out. Zbyzsko kicks Steamboat’s back and covers for 2, then gives him a backbreaker for 2 again. Steamboat tries a bodyslam and Zbyzsko falls on top for 2, then a tag is made to Arn. He puts a bear hug on Steamboat, then takes him to the canvas for a Boston crab. Zbyzsko makes a switch in and puts that hold on too, and as he has it on, the referee doesn’t see Steamboat make a tag. Arn switches in, misses a charge to the corner, and Steamboat hits him with an atomic drop. After that move, Arn and Steamboat collide with each other, but Arn gets up first to climb to the top. Arn eats a boot on his way down, and Steamboat makes the big tag out!
Zbyzsko runs in for punishment from Dustin, getting destroyed by a clothesline. Arn gets slammed, then both guys eat right hands from the Natural. Dustin BULLDOGS Arn, but he made a tag out to Steamboat. Zbyzsko throws Steamboat over the top, but Steamboat gets up to his feet and climbs up top. Down he comes with a cross body on Arn, and we have NEW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS after 14:48!
My Thoughts: This is an absolute top match. Steamboat’s face in peril section was really as good as it gets. His selling, the work the Enforcers did, everything was great at garnering heat from the crowd. Dustin was treated almost like a secondary part of the match, like a young stud who would come in to beat the fuck out of these old dudes when Steamboat got a chance to let him go. His aggressiveness was also shown in the spot where he would dive into the corner and miss an early charge. Everyone did their part here. Arn and Zbyzsko were so good, everything they did in this had a point. Zbyzsko’s way of selling things and grunting while applying holds was really funny and makes the match feel quite real. ****1/2 and recommended for the whole thing. If you haven’t seen this, you have to. Biggest pop in WCW since Sting won the title in 1990.
Time for a Jushin Liger hype video! He’s there to eventually challenge the winner of the Light Heavyweight Championship match between Brian Pillman and Johnny B. Badd. The video shows Liger’s big spots, and he’ll be there at the very end of the year.
Marcus Alexander Bagwell’s skit with Missy Hyatt has been removed from this. I’m not complaining.
Now Jim Ross is with Paul E. Dangerously, who is here to talk on behalf of Rick Rude. He says that there’s a contract for this match, so it’s going to happen. If it doesn’t, Sting will forfeit! Ross didn’t like that at all! This was more serious than they had ever had Paul E. look before. Eric Bischoff was on the phone after this, and it sounds like Sting is on his way back to the arena! He stole an ambulance!
Johnny B. Badd (w/Teddy Long) vs. Brian Pillman for the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: This sounds like it could be really good. Both these guys being young, they’re far more likely to look to impress. That’s exactly what we need in a match for a title in a new division. For some reason, the wrong music came on, so Johnny B. Badd had to stand on the ramp until the right music played in the arena. This is his most gay looking outfit yet. I’m not a bigot or anything. Just saying. Head in hands at women putting dollar bills in this garter belt that Badd was wearing. THEY’VE GONE TOO FAR NOW. Good storyline with Badd having to MAKE WEIGHT heading into this match, wonder if it will come up again during the match.
Match Review: The match starts with the two teasing a boxing match, until Badd works Pillman over in the corner. Pillman comes back with heavy chops, and backdrops Badd as well. A dropkick sends Badd onto the ramp, and Pillman follows with AIR PILLMAN! He goes for a piledriver, but Badd backdrops him. Now Badd throws Pillman from the ramp to the rail, and waits for Pillman to get back to the apron. Pillman comes in with a cross body that gets 2, and follows that with a powerslam. Up top he goes, and down with a big splash that misses. Badd hits Pillman with a back elbow, and covers for 2. Badd bodyslams him, goes up top, and comes down with nothing as Pillman hits him with a dropkick! Pillman hits Badd with a clothesline, a spinning wheel kick, and that gets 2. Badd comes back with his own clothesline, goes up top, and there’s his absurd sunset flip. Long gets on the apron and distracts the referee, I can’t figure out why. Badd misses the big left hand, Pillman pushes him into Long, and Pillman rolls Badd up for the victory at 4:20.
After the match, Badd and Long continue to argue, until Badd gets cheered by knocking Long out.
My Thoughts: This was too short, but it was just fine. Not going to get much better out of a match of this length. Badd’s sunset flip still looks ridiculously dangerous, and I didn’t like the angle at the end. Good action otherwise, so I’ll give this **1/4. On the positive side, at least they can make Badd’s character even weirder and try to make the crowd react positively. That’s quite progressive of them. Long was on his way out, by the way.
Rick Rude (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Sting for the WCW United States Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: This was a match that seemed like it should be paced to be a classic, but in actuality WCW was starting to run short of time on this show. This was an amazing matchup too. The thing is, they needed to get Sting into a feud with Lex Luger more than they needed to have him feud with Rick Rude. It’s really that simple, isn’t it? Of course, it’s funny how everything worked out in the end. Dangerously gets on the microphone and cuts a promo on Sting, saying he won’t be able to show up. Now they put him in a split screen, because STING IS ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE ARENA. He tries to find his way in the arena, and some babyfaces are telling him how to get in the arena. HERE HE COMES.
Match Review: Rude meets Sting in the aisle, so here we go! He picks Rude up, and press slams him on the ramp! Sting’s left knee is wrapped up, pants are torn, but he’s here to fight. They get in the ring, and Rude goes right to the eyes. He heads up top, and gets hit on the way down. Sting goes to work, backdrops Rude high in the air, and knocks him down with a big right hand. Rude goes into the ropes, and Sting clotheslines him onto the ramp! Rude grabs Sting and wraps his leg around the post, so that might be it for poor Sting. Rude heads up top, and comes down with a clothesline to the back of the head. He goes for the RUDE AWAKENING, BUT STING BLOCKS IT. Rude pokes his eyes, but Sting fires off some punches and knocks Rude into the ropes…but Rude falls into Sting’s knee. NOW DANGEROUSLY CRACKS STING OVER THE HEAD WITH THE CELL PHONE, sounded like it hurt. Rude rolls over for the cover, shoots the half, and Sting kicks out at 2! Sting plants Rude’s head into the canvas with a DDT, and grabs onto Paul, which allows Rude to clip Sting from behind. Rude pins Sting and grabs the tights, and is the NEW UNITED STATES CHAMPION after 4:53! The way the broadcast cut to commercial as the announcers were disgusted was perfect.
My Thoughts: As far as short, story-driven matches go, you won’t find many, if any better than that one. That was basically perfect for the time allotted. The crowd was absolutely on fire, they cared about everything going on here. Rude had immense heat, and Sting had the full backing he didn’t have during his world title reign. Because of Luger’s contract, they needed to do Sting/Rude house show matches as Luger’s dates for those were up. Hence all of this. Great stuff as far as I’m concerned. Look at all the capitalized words. ***.
Tony Schiavone is with our new US Champion, Medusa, and Paul E. too. Paul says this was all his conspiracy TO TAKE OUT STING. DANGEROUS ALLIANCE MENTION! Nice to see Rude get speaking time. Schiavone hypes Starrcade 1991 at the end, which is strange because WCW has great feuds going that don’t really require this lethal lottery format, but whatever.
Jim Ross is with Ron Simmons, who has a broken wrist and is unable to participate here. He has a cast on, and while I’m hoping for somebody to attack him, it looks like that isn’t going to happen. Simmons also proclaimed he was going to be the first black world champion. He wasn’t wrong!
Rick Steiner (w/Scott Steiner) vs. Lex Luger (w/Harley Race) for the WCW Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: After the angle prior to this event, I’m really looking forward to this match. It may not be that good, but I don’t really care. They sold me on the show very well. Plus, with the stuff that’s already been on this show, I’m even more hyped. In addition to that angle, they showed Steiner pinning Mr. Hughes, and beating up Harley Race after that match until Luger ran out and clotheslined him from behind. A bit confused as to why Scott is wearing leather pants and cowboy boots with a tanktop. Hughes gets ejected from ringside quite quickly, which isn’t surprising.
Match Review: Steiner and Luger lock up, and have to break nearly immediately. Steiner takes Luger down, but Luger makes the ropes. Another takedown occurs, and now fans are throwing trash into the ring. Guess they hate Luger. Steiner takes Luger down with a shoulderblock, and follows that with a powerslam that gets 2. A Steinerline knocks Luger to the outside, and it takes some time for Luger to get back in there. Luger hits Steiner with some elbows, and a turnbuckle shot does nothing. Steiner gives Luger a backdrop, so Luger goes to the eyes. Steiner gives him a GERMAN SUPLEX, it only gets 2. Luger crotches Steiner on the top rope after knocking the referee out of the way, and follows with some big clotheslines. Luger keeps raking the eyes over and over again, and he goes for a suplex only for Steiner to reverse it. Luger gets up, fires off a bodyslam, and elbows Steiner for 2. Luger throws Steiner to the outside, and it looks like Harley is going to go to work with some kicks. Scott Steiner runs over there, but it’s just too late. Luger rams Rick into the stairs, and sends him back in for a count of 2. Steiner comes back with another powerslam, and Luger kicks out at 2 again. He heads up top, and bulldogs Luger for 2. Steiner then puts Luger on the top turnbuckle, and there’s a big belly to belly throw! Scott Steiner and Mr. Hughes start fighting on the ramp, and Scott backdrops Hughes into the ring. There’s the FRANKENSTEINER! Rick gives Luger another belly to belly suplex, then goes over to suplex Harley. After that, Luger has the title belt, clocks Rick with it, and covers for the victory at 11:31.
My Thoughts: This was solid, no better than that. It wasn’t the best match for Luger, even though the finishing sequence was really hot. I also don’t like that Luger had to win in this way when he had been beaten fairly by Steiner in the first place. Shouldn’t he win fairly in return? Instead he looks like a weak champion, and look at Lex Luger’s body, that’s not how he should look. Scott Steiner actually looked like the strongest person in the match. Maybe that was the intention all along. At least this wasn’t a bad match, and closed the show well enough. **1/2.
Before the show ends, Jim Ross says fans need to call the Wrestling Hotline to find out if Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat will actually be allowed to keep their newly won championships. That’s scummy.
WCW did have a scare with regard to whether or not they should use Ricky Steamboat, with the WWF faxing them right before the show and claiming he was still under contract with them. Yet he was fired. As far as the show goes, I loved it. Everything here was really well done, and despite a main event that wasn’t spectacular, it was an excellent show. As such, the terrible era of WCW was over, and they were on to better things. The talent they added to the company was a huge boost. Even the guys like Steve Austin and Johnny B. Badd who were added far earlier were starting to pay dividends. Sting/Rude is a new personal favorite for me as far as short matches go, I could watch that a few times right now. The tag team match and angle was of course excellent. One of the absolute best tag team matches in this country. Next up is Survivor Series 1991, and it’s fair to say nothing will measure up to that. Despite that, it’s one of my favorite shows.
Wrestling Time: 56:33. That’s a lot of wrestling, but not a lot for a Clash with all the angles here. That’s totally okay. I couldn’t care less, given that all the angles were good!
Best: The Enforcers vs. Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat. Hard to find many better segments on any show. The reveal and everything was perfect. I also noticed I didn’t say anything about Dustin’s undeserved push here. That’s how good it was.
Worst: The Diamond Studd vs. Tom Zenk. To air this during the Sting ambulance angle seems pointless.
Card Rating: 9/10. Yeah, it really is. Watch the show if you don’t believe me, I loved it.
