Sage Cortez
Bill Watts joining WCW was going to make things a whole lot more interesting. I mean, the promotion was already interesting, but he had a list of rules that all the wrestlers needed to follow. Let’s start listing. Use of the ring barricades and post were forbidden. Low blows were disallowed. No-shows were also considered a termination offense, something that needed to happen far sooner. Heels and babyfaces were not allowed to talk in public. TV tapings would become much shorter. Top rope moves were banned. The padding on the floor was removed. Ole Anderson was introduced as a referee that ENFORCED THE RULES. That’s just absurd, really. Some of those were good and some were not. Those rules started on June 1st. Let’s see the results.
– Taped to air May 23rd, 1992, on Worldwide, from the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida
WCW NINTENDO CHALLENGE QUARTERFINALS: Larry Zbyszko (w/Madusa) vs. Dustin Rhodes
There was a first round match between Steve Austin and Ron Simmons that I could not find, but Ron Simmons won that. There’s also a semifinal match between Ricky Steamboat and Steve Austin that was fought to a draw. So, sorry for not being able to find those. This is a quality matchup anyway, and given everyone in this tournament, it would be hard to believe that one of the matches wouldn’t be good. Sadly, this was joined in progress, so I can’t give it a full review. The way this match was done, it was with the purpose of furthering along Zbyszko’s Dangerous Alliance departure. So, Dustin Rhodes used a small package to pick up the win.
– Taped to air May 23rd, 1992, on WCW Saturday Night, from Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia
Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, and Larry Zbyszko (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, and Nikita Koloff in a 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH
Pre-Match Thoughts: The two out of three gimmick doesn’t stop here, and this does appear that it could be one of the best uses of it. I don’t give one damn about how long this match may be. WCW’s guest host this week was Dave Casper of Oakland Raiders fame. No idea why they picked him. This match came about because Ricky Steamboat pulled down Paul E.’s pants. I’m fairly certain that Zbyszko will take the falls in this match. He must, right?
Fall #1: Steamboat and Eaton will start this by locking up, and Eaton takes Steamboat down with a headlock. He holds that headlock for a while, and when they get up, he drops Steamboat with an inverted atomic drop. Eaton goes for a slingshot suplex, but Steamboat gets out of it and clotheslines Eaton to the apron. Eaton tries to come in with a sunset flip, but Steamboat locks him in a Boston crab. Steamboat then catapults Eaton into the corner and rolls him up for 2, then goes to an arm drag. Zbyszko tags in and Steamboat arm drags him, then he tags in Dustin Rhodes. Dustin takes Zbyszko down and leg drops the arm, holding onto an armbar. Arn gets in there, uses a fireman’s carry, and Dustin gets up to his feet with a big right hand as a counter. Steamboat tags in, then Arn knocks Dustin off the apron for fun. Arn ducks to the outside to avoid Steamboat, but Dustin is out there and clocks him. He gets back in there, and Steamboat gives him an atomic drop. Eaton runs in and gets his clock cleaned, and everyone’s been cleared from the ring. Paul E. regroups with his troops, and Arn is able to get after Steamboat. Steamboat makes a tag to Koloff, and Arn looks a bit scared. That’s a sign of an amazing wrestler. Eaton tags in because he’s ready for this, and he suplexes Nikita only for Nikita to no-sell it. Nikita hits Eaton with a dropkick to knock him out to the apron, then he suplexes Eaton back in. Zbyszko tags in there, and Nikita kicks his ass. Zbyszko dishes out a back suplex, then Arn tags in there. Arn drops a knee for 2, and uses a neck vice for a bit. Nikita fights out, and Arn makes a blind tag to Zbyszko. Nikita makes a blind tag to Steamboat as well, who flies off the top with a cross body on Zbyszko that wins the fall after about 12 minutes of great wrestling.
Fall #2: Zbyszko and Steamboat start the next fall, and the Dangerous Alliance won’t stop arguing with each other. The two in the ring do a TEST OF STRENGTH, but Steamboat gets out and arm drags Zbyszko. Zbyszko makes a quick tag to Arn, who gets put in an abdominal stretch. Arn hip tosses his way out, but misses an elbow drop and Steamboat gives him an arm drag. Nikita tags back in, and he works on the arm too with a wristlock. Dustin tags in next, and Arn goes to work with headbutts. Arn blocks a charge to the corner, then heads up top only for Dustin to slam him down. Dustin puts Arn in a FIGURE-FOUR, then Steamboat puts Eaton in one. Next up, Nikita puts Zbyszko in one! I love this spot. All of the holds are eventually broken, and Eaton pairs off with Dustin. Eaton blocks a monkey flip, but Dustin hits him with BIONIC ELBOWS and a right hand knocks him over the top. Arn tries to head up top, but Dustin hits him and crotches him. Haha. Now everyone’s brawling on the outside, and Dustin accidentally clotheslines the post. Eaton throws him into the post again, then sends him in for Arn to go back to work. Arn gives Dustin a HAMMERLOCK SLAM, then drops a knee on the arm. Eaton tags back in and covers for 2, then he uses a hammerlock slam. Eaton heads up top, and down he comes with a FLYING ELBOW for 2. Arn pairs off with Nikita because he broke the cover up, and now the phone’s in the ring. Dustin nails Zbyszko with it, which gets him disqualified at the 19 minute point.
Fall #3: Zbyszko is mad about getting hit with the phone, but Paul consoles him and everything’s alright. Dustin takes Eaton down by the left arm and works on it with elbow drops, then Nikita tags in to pull on the arm and stuff. Arn makes the tag in anyway, and Nikita dodges the triple team that was headed his way. Arn takes Nikita down for a knee drop, then heads up top only for Steamboat to shake the ropes and cause him to fall down. Nikita and Steamboat hit Arn with a double back elbow, but Arn plants Steamboat with a DDT in response. Zbyszko knees Steamboat in the face, messing up the broken nose. Now Arn rips the tape off and punches him, which causes Steamboat to leave the ring. Zbyszko rams him into the apron, and sends him back inside. Arn stomps on the nose, then sticks his fingers in there and rips at it. Eaton comes in off the top with a punch, then slams Steamboat and drops an elbow. Eaton drops Steamboat with a neckbreaker, then Zbyszko gets in there for one of his own that gets 2. Zbyszko drops Steamboat with a shoulder-breaker for 2, then Eaton switches in. Steamboat drops Eaton with a DDT, and there’s the tag! Nikita comes in like a house of fire, and poor Arn takes most of the punishment. Nikita backdrops him, then takes him to the corner for some punches. Nikita hits Arn with a flying shoulder for 2, then Zbyszko and Dustin get in there. Arn holds Nikita in place for a shot from Zbyszko, who accidentally hits Arn. Nikita hits Arn with the RUSSIAN SICKLE, and that’s going to be it after about 27 minutes of fantastic wrestling. I noticed while watching another match and seeing a replay that Arn pretty much corpsed after getting clotheslined.
After the match, Paul throws his jacket off, and Zbyszko starts getting physical with people. Arn gets in his face, and now we have a STAREDOWN. YES. Unfortunately, nothing happens…yet.
My Thoughts: This was absolutely fantastic, I’m glad I decided to check it out. Steamboat in particular was great in the third fall, the way he sold everything was excellent. Arn Anderson had to be the star performer of the whole match. He’s one of the best wrestlers there’s ever been, and if you see this, you see why. He just did so much right. Nikita doesn’t do a whole lot in this match, but his role is well-defined and he fit in as the powerhouse. All of the finishes were well done, with Zbyszko coming out as the loser in each one, even the one that the Dangerous Alliance won. Wrestling wise, just about everything in WCW was going right. ****1/4. The match was also the right length. Now, by contrast, there was a match between Brad Armstrong and the Great Muta the next week that went just about this long. It’s also apparently not a good match. I’m not watching it.
– Taped to air May 30th, 1992, on Worldwide, from the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida
WCW NINTENDO CHALLENGE FINAL: Rick Rude (WCW US Champion, w/Madusa) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Pre-Match Thoughts: This pairing became a little bit overused, but at this point they hadn’t done anything together. Given that this is a final of a tournament WCW claimed to be important, you’d think this match will get some time. Rude’s routine doesn’t quite get Milwaukee level heat, but the reaction was very loud.
Match Review: Rude decides to show Dustin his muscles, and the crack WCW production team shows us a Rick Rude poster instead of what’s going on in the ring. Rude and Dustin lock up, and Rude puts a hammerlock on the kid, who reverses it and takes him down. Rude nails him with an elbow, but eats a boot on a charge to the corner. Dustin clotheslines him for 2, then suplexes him. Dustin takes Rude from corner to corner with whips, then slams him. Dustin takes Rude down for a toe-hold, then chinlocks him. Dustin’s intermittent hip swiveling is amusing. Dustin tries to jump on Rude’s back, but Rude turns over and gets the knees up. That…hurt. Rude picks Dustin up for an inverted atomic drop, then does the hip swivel only to start selling his back. I LOVE that. Rude double shots Dustin’s throat, then gives him a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Rude goes to his own chinlock, which Dustin gets out of only to have a monkey flip blocked. Rude drills Dustin with a clothesline, then heads up top for an elbow that gets 2. Dustin nails Rude with some elbows, then Rude drops down and hits him in the nuts. Rude picks Dustin up for a TOMBSTONE PILEDRIVER, which Dustin fights out of an reversed to his own dangerous version that gets 2. The crowd thought that would be the end. Dustin takes a charge at Rude and flies over the top, so Madusa gets in some kicks on the Natural. Dustin comes in with a sunset flip that gets blocked by Rude, but Rude punches the canvas. Dustin uses a jawbreaker, then hits him with a clothesline for 2. Rude puts his head down, so Dustin turns him around and BULLDOGS him. Madusa distracts the referee, but Rude gets clotheslined over the top anyway. Madusa hands Rude his title belt, then Dustin throws the referee down like a moron. Rude clocks him with the belt, picks Dustin up, and drops him with the RUDE AWAKENING for the win at 12:30.
My Thoughts: This started slow, but it got better and better the longer it went. I was getting HYPED by the end of it. The build to the finish was basically perfect. The crowd was buying every false finish, and the tombstone reversal got a major reaction. Don’t be startled by all the chinlocking at the beginning of the match. ***1/2 easy. These two had great chemistry and it’s easy to see why they’d be programmed together for so long in 1993.
– Taped to air May 30th, 1992, on WCW Saturday Night, from UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Steve Austin (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Larry Zbyszko
Pre-Match Thoughts: The hits don’t stop coming. I find the choice of Austin for this to be quite interesting. Riki Rachtmann was the co-host on this week’s show. Sounds like he actually watched the programming too. Before this begins, Paul grabs a microphone. He said that the whole Dangerous Alliance wanted Zbyszko out. He wanted to give Zbyszko a chance to prove himself, then Paul called him trash. Zbyszko gets the microphone, and here’s what he thinks of the Dangerous Alliance…he slaps Paul!
Match Review: Austin attacks Zbyszko, so the match begins. The crowd is HOT. Austin knocks Zbyszko out of the ring, and sends him into the rail. Back in they go, and the crowd is BEHIND Zbyszko. Zbyszko pulls Austin to the outside, sends him into the rail, and then the apron. Back inside, Zbyszko rams Austin into the buckles. They botch a clothesline where Austin hits Zbyszko, then repeat the spot with an Austin knee to the gut. Austin and Zbyszko blow another one, and Zbyszko puts him in a FULL NELSON. Austin breaks it in the corner, then Zbyszko puts a sleeper on him. Both guys tumble to the outside, and Austin tries to PILEDRIVE Zbyszko on the floor, only for Zbyszko to reverse to a backdrop. In they go, and Zbyszko hangs Austin up in the corner for some stomps. Zbyszko drops Austin with a swinging neckbreaker for 2, and follows with a backbreaker for 2. Austin comes back with a short clothesline for 2, then he takes Zbyszko over with a suplex for 2. Austin applies a chinlock, and uses the ropes for cheating. Paul won’t stop screaming that Larry’s been fired. I think we get it. Zbyszko gets out of the chinlock and boots Austin in the chest, then they blow yet another spot where Austin wanted to backdrop Zbyszko. Austin drops an elbow instead for 2, then chinlocks him again. A karate kick by Zbyszko knocks Austin out of the ring, but he brings him back in anyway. Zbyszko rams Austin’s face into the mat for 2, then applies an armbar. Zbyszko tries an abdominal stretch, but Paul gets on the apron. Zbyszko drags him into the ring, but Austin attacks from behind. Paul keeps the ref occupied, as Zbyszko drops Austin with a PILEDRIVER. Eaton runs down to the ring, drops a knee on Zbyszko’s head, and Austin covers Zbyszko for 3 at 8:41.
My Thoughts: You can tell these guys had never wrestled before. This could have been a really special moment, but these two couldn’t keep blowing their spots. I’m a bit confused as to why they didn’t tape it on another show given that promotions did those things so often. *1/2, but the start of this with Paul getting slapped was close to perfect. Strong breakup angle, weak match. It happens.
– Taped to air June 6th, 1992, on WCW Saturday Night, from UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Arn Anderson (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Barry Windham for the WCW Television Championship in a 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS MATCH
Pre-Match Thoughts: This one in particular sounded intriguing to me. Sounds like an awesome title defense for Windham. The time is a bit of a barrier, I’m not going to lie. If you don’t have 30 minutes to sit down, don’t bother watching any of these matches. This being a promotion where Arn Anderson wrestled in those matches, for me, they’re hard to resist. Jim Ross was quick to point out these guys were former partners, without mentioning the Horsemen. He doesn’t have any help on the broadcast either.
Fall #1: After lots of taunting from Arn, we’re underway with Windham arm dragging him. Windham follows with a shoulderblock for 2, and Arn bails to the outside. Arn takes some time to re-enter the ring, then Windham takes him down with a headlock. Arn reverses to a head-scissors, but Windham gets out and slugs him. Arn takes Windham down with his own headlock, and Windham reverses it the same way. Arn gets out of it, then drops an elbow on Windham, who slugs him again. This taped hand gimmick Windham is working is a good one. Arn bails out to the floor, but he tells Windham he’s coming back to the ring. Don’t worry, son. When he does, he knocks Windham down to size and tosses him to the floor. Arn follows, but misses a clothesline and hits the post. Windham wraps the arm around that post, then gets in the ring and continues the work. Arn breaks free, then hits Windham with an elbow to knock him down. Arn sells his arm very well. Windham blocks a backdrop, then it’s back to the arm with an armbar. Arn knees his way out of a hammerlock, but Windham arm drags him down. Arn seems to finally break free for good, but Windham puts him in a sleeper instead. Arn gets out with a jawbreaker, and drags him over to the post to send the ankle into it. Arn works on the leg with knee drops and trips, but Windham’s able to fight back. Windham decides to go up top, but Arn gets over to him and tries a SUPERPLEX, only for Windham to knock him down. Windham jumps off the top with a flying clothesline, and that’s going to get the fall at 13:14.
Fall #2: Arn starts the second fall with a leg trip, but misses an elbow drop. So, Windham can go back to work on the arm. Arn misses a back elbow, so Windham knocks him to the apron. Arn tries to suplex Windham out of the ring, but of course Windham suplexes him back in. That’s the first big bump of the whole match. Windham drops a knee for 2, then bodyslams Arn. Another knee to the arm gets 2, then Windham goes back to the armbar. Windham lets go and charges at Arn, flying over the top when Arn ducks out of the way. Paul acts like he’s going to deal with Windham, and thanks to that distraction, Arn attacks Windham with a big left from behind. Windham gets up to the apron and Arn knocks him down, then Paul finally gets in a CELL PHONE shot to the back. Arn slams Windham, then goes to a chinlock. Windham picks Arn up on his shoulders, then rams him face-first into the buckle. Windham goes for a slam, but Arn falls on top for 2. Arn uses a body-scissors, and is able to cheat in the process by holding onto Paul’s hand. Windham gets out with elbows, but eats a boot on a charge to the corner. Arn heads up to the second rope, and comes down with a double axehandle to the back. Arn then locks on a Boston crab, but Windham powers out of it. Arn tries an abdominal stretch, and cheats with the middle rope. Windham hip tosses his way out, but misses an elbow drop and Arn gives him the SPINEBUSTER for the fall at 23:58.
Fall #3: Arn and Windham trade shots at the start of this one, then Windham goes up for some punches in the corner that get 2. Windham picks Arn up with a CRADLE PILEDRIVER that gets 2, thanks to Paul putting the foot on the ropes. Arn grabs the left again and starts kicking it, then takes Windham over with a suplex. Arn applies a FIGURE-FOUR, which Windham eventually reverses. Arn grabs the ropes to break it, then takes Windham down with a snap mare for a pump splash that misses. Windham knocks Arn over the top with some punches, but brings him back in for more of them. Windham hits Arn with a clothesline that gets 2, then sets him up for the SUPERPLEX. Before he can deliver it, out comes Steve Austin for the disqualification at 30:11. Arn and Austin team up on Windham and stomp a mudhole in him, until officials come out to stop it.
My Thoughts: That was an absolutely horrendous finish to a good match. To go 30 minutes only to see it end in that way feels like a major rip. I don’t think this is a great match, but it’s good. They worked a really old school style, possibly even too old for the time period. There were only a few big bumps, but each one of them mattered. Lots of mat work as well. Why would the Dangerous Alliance spend 30 minutes on something only for Arn not to even have a chance to win the title? Makes absolutely no sense to me. ***1/4. It was too long to have that kind of finish.
– Taped to air June 13th, 1992, on Worldwide, from UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Steve Austin (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Barry Windham for the WCW Television Championship
Pre-Match Thoughts: I suppose this was bound to happen given the way the last match finished. No complaints about this particular match. Austin also would finally be getting his rematch for the belt that was taken away from him. Austin looks awfully calm. Maybe the Dangerous Alliance had a plan. Jesse hinted strongly at Austin winning this title during the entrances. I’m impressed with Windham working two matches like this on a TV taping.
Match Review: Windham chases Austin around the ring for a while, and when they get back in there he levels Austin with his taped fist. Windham goes to a hammerlock, and they hold that for some time until Windham nails Austin with a short clothesline. Austin eats the boot next, then gets back suplexed by Windham. Austin tries to suplex Windham to the outside, but Windham brings him back in. Austin uses a drop toe-hold, but Windham reverses to a hammerlock again. Austin backdrops him, but Windham keeps holding the arm. Windham punches Austin in the corner, as Ventura keeps complaining about the taped fist. Austin clotheslines Windham over the top, then works him over on the apron, only for Windham to pull him to the outside. Windham misses a clothesline and flies onto the padding, then Austin hits him with a double axehandle from the apron. Back in they go, and Windham heads up top after another right hand. Austin gets up to slam him down, which gets 2. He follows up with a backbreaker, then picks Windham up for a BEAR HUG. Windham bites his way out of it, but Austin goes back to the hold. Windham uses a belly to belly suplex to break it this time, but Austin gets up first only to miss an elbow drop. Windham goes for a piledriver, but Austin reverses it to a backdrop for 2. Austin throws Windham hard to the corner, then tries a rolling clothesline only to hit the post on a charge to the other side. They trade punches for a bit, until Windham backdrops Austin across the ring. Windham levels Austin with a kick for 2, then hits him with a flying forearm. Now Windham leg drops the back of the head, and Bill Alfonso counts 3, but he sees the foot on the ropes. Windham decides to go for the SUPERPLEX, but Paul runs into the ring to stop that. Austin rolls to the outside and has the TV title, which he then hits Windham with. Over for the cover, and Austin has regained his title after 12:53!
My Thoughts: This was a little sloppy, but I’m glad to not have watched another two of three match. Getting a little burned out on that concept. The finish was perfectly executed and done in a way that the referee couldn’t have seen the belt shot even though he was standing right in front of it. Austin looked a lot better than he did in his first match on this taping. Windham didn’t have much of a chance to hold this title, but I think to some degree he was above it anyway. ***.
– Taped to air June 13th, 1992, on WCW Saturday Night, from Center Stage Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia
Diamond Dallas Page vs. Sting (WCW Champion)
Pre-Match Thoughts: On this episode, they had introduced Bill Watts in his new role, and Ole Anderson in his new role. I think this match I’m about to watch is far more likely to be fun than anything else, hence the inclusion. Before this match, Cactus Jack did a great promo on Sting in which he headbutted a wooden crate. He’s on commentary too!
Match Review: DDP tries to attack Sting, but Sting tosses him across the ring a few times with hip tosses and arm drags. Sting picks DDP up and slams him, then heads up for a reverse splash that DDP blocks. DDP picks Sting up and slams him, but misses an elbow drop. Sting starts his comeback with a backdrop, then dropkicks DDP. A facebuster follows that, then locks on the SCORPION DEATHLOCK for the win at 1:42.
My Thoughts: I just wanted to hear the promo and the commentary from Foley. I don’t rate squash matches.
Arn Anderson and Steve Austin (WCW TV Champion, w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. The Steiner Brothers (WCW Tag Champions)
Pre-Match Thoughts: This is yet another match with the potential to be excellent. Bill Watts is on commentary for it, as he’s going to hype up the match where the Steiners face Steve Williams and Terry Gordy at Beach Blast. In addition to that, Ole Anderson is the referee. That seems more demeaning than it actually was. Arn and Austin are probably going to take all sorts of bumps in this one, can’t wait to see it.
Match Review: Scott trips Arn quickly, but Arn makes the ropes. A fireman’s carry by Scott follows that, then Arn goes to a wristlock. Scott powers out, and drops Arn with a tilt-a-whirl slam. Scott goes to a half crab, then Rick Steiner tags in there. Rick takes Arn down with a powerslam, so Arn tags out of there. Austin shoulderblocks Rick down a couple times, then gets drilled by a STEINERLINE. Scott tags in again, and takes Austin over with a headlock. Arn tags back in too, and forces Scott to miss a dropkick. Scott then goes for a charge and falls on the stupid un-padded floor, so Austin brings him in for a bodyslam from Arn. Arn tags back out, and Ole covers extremely slowly on Austin’s cover. For fuck’s sake. Austin takes Scott down with a gutwrench suplex for 2, then Arn tags in for a bear hug. Sadly, the action goes to a commercial.
When they come back, Austin has Scott in a chinlock, then knees him down low for 2. Arn tags back in and uses the ropes to choke, then Scott blocks a charge to the corner. It’s time for a sleeper, but Arn gives him a back suplex to stop that. Austin tags in and blocks Scott’s tag, but Scott cradles him up for 2. A knee by Austin follows that, then he goes to a chinlock. Scott gets up, gets kicked, but takes Austin down with a backslide that gets nothing thanks to terrible Ole. Ole also stops Arn from jumping off the top. Scott wrecks Austin with a TIGER BOMB, and makes the tag out. Rick comes in with a big powerslam of Austin, then STEINERLINES him. Austin blocks an elbow drop, then shit gets sloppy. Scott tags in and Ole doesn’t see it, so Arn runs in on the attack. Ole kicks Arn out of the ring, then Rick flies in from the outside with a sunset flip on Austin that gets the win at 15:22.
My Thoughts: This wasn’t a very good match, and it was made worse by how bad Ole was in this role. Not only that, but the rule restrictions regarding top rope moves were stupid, as was his enforcement of them. I couldn’t quite get over it. **1/4, not even remotely what I expected. I could start to feel like losing hope on WCW based on that.
So, let’s talk about the other goings-on. Kip Allen Frey was outraged by Watts being hired over him and had quit the promotion, so his bonuses and the positive direction with him in charge was gone. There was one video I couldn’t get, which was Nikita Koloff denying an invitation to join the Dangerous Alliance. Oh well. They hyped the NWA Tag Team Championship tournament for Clash of the Champions far more than Beach Blast, I thought. I can only name a few of the matches at Beach Blast. I’m looking forward to them all just about equally. That’s next up for me!
Best: Dangerous Alliance vs. Steamboat, Koloff, and Rhodes. This was so good.
Worst: Sting wasn’t really a focal point of the programming, even though he was the champion.
