Randy
Posts : 48
Join date : 2012-07-16
Age : 33
Location : Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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tf: sm klr
 | | Subject: Clash of the Champions XXV Sat Oct 13, 2012 1:15 am | |
| Opening Match, WCW International Heavyweight Title: Rick Rude vs. Road Warrior Hawk.
Yep, the "Big Gold Belt" is curtain-jerk fodder… and Road Warrior Hawk is the challenger. Hawk, may he rest in peace, is not a good singles wrestler. He was okay killing jobbers, but he needed someone else – Animal – to take up the considerable slack. Power moves. Power moves. Hawk clotheslines Rude to the floor, and they both get counted out at 5:40. Barely qualifies as a match, let alone a title match. In fact, it was only here to set up a match at Starrcade (and not a good one). 1/4*
Shockmaster vs. Equalizer.
Shockmaster is Fred Ottman, aka Tugboat/Typhoon. Equalizer is Robert McCall, a former secret agent who offers his services to the downtrodden… wait, wrong Equalizer. Too bad. This is the one who would go on to be Evad Sullivan. This match is too short to be overly offensive. Equalizer beats on Shockmaster but runs into the bearhug flop at 2:23. 1/4*
Col. Parker says he's got a restraining order on Sid Vicious, but he's traded up to Stunning Steve anyway.
We're told something is going on in the back as the British Bulldog has challenged Rick Rude.
WCW TV Title: Lord Steven Regal (w/Sir William) vs. Johnny B. Badd.
Hey, this should be better, unless they go for the TV time limit. Badd locks in a headlock, triggering a "boring" chant from the crowd. Well, there goes that good will. Regal drops him on the top rope and starts working him over. Badd comes back with a left hook that knocks Regal silly. ONE, TWO, TH-William puts Regal's foot on the ropes. Badd goes after William and gets rolled up at 6:33. They're capable of much more. Badd was at least leaning more towards his Marc Mero persona than the "I'm so pretty" Badd of his debut. *1/2
Stunning Steve Austin (w/Col. Rob Parker) vs. Brian Pillman.
From The Legacy of Stone Cold Steve Austin disc. The Blonds were dominant for several months until WCW decided to break them up. Sadly, because of the infamous Orlando tapings, the continuity was all screwed up. WCW had filmed weeks' worth of footage in one big block to cut costs. Unfortunately, they filmed the Nasty Boys with the belts when the Blonds hadn't even lost them yet. Disaster struck when Brian Pillman got injured, and the Blonds were unable to drop the titles, which led to a silly stipulation where Steven Regal was subbed for him, and they lost the titles. This is a bit plodding and lifeless for what should have been a hot blowoff. Brian knocks Austin to that ramp that WCW used to use, but Austin gets a boot up and tosses him onto the barricade. Back in, Austin heels it up with a rope-assisted half-crab, but Nick Patrick catches him. Pillman crotches him on the top, but his superplex is blocked. Austin tosses him to the apron, and when Pillman tries to springboard back in, Parker trips him up. That allows Austin to get the pin at 9:12. Disappointing considering the talent these guys had. **1/2
We pause to get interviews with the Battlebowl participants.
U.S. Title: Dustin Rhodes (w/Dusty Rhodes) vs. Paul Orndorff (w/The Assassin).
The Assassin… let's just say he doesn't look good as his pasty skin is spilling out from the mask. Jesse jokingly calls him svelte. You probably know his son, referee Nick Patrick. The match seems to take a backseat to a past feud between the Assassin and Dusty Rhodes. They do some wrestling that doesn't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Orndorff calls for the piledriver, but Rhodes backdrops out of it and small packages him for the win at 12:07. After the match, the Assassin posts Dustin, drawing the ire of Dusty. Dusty smacking the Assassin around gets the biggest crowd pop of the night. Orndorff joins in and they lay Dusty out with the belt. **
WCW Tag Team Titles: The Nasty Boys (w/Missy Hyatt) vs. Sting & Davey Boy Smith.
Rick Rude attacks Davey Boy on the ramp before the match even starts. That leaves Sting to go it alone (and also sets up Sting & Hawk as a team at Starrcade). Sting holds his own until Knobbs shoves him off the top rope. Knobbs drops him with a SICK tilt-o-whirl gutwrench suplex. I don't think that was supposed to happen like that, but it looked cool. Davey Boy finally makes it to his feet and calls for the tag. If it was Rick Martel, he'd turn heel. Actually, Sting versus Bulldog would have been pretty cool. Bulldog finally gets the hot tag. RELEASE THE HOUNDS! Bulldog hits a double DDT and tosses Sting onto the Nasties. The referee wrangles Sting to the apron, and that allows Sags to drop the elbow on the Bulldog for the win at 8:30. Outside of Steamboat, Sting is the one guy who could feasibly wrestle a two-on-one like this, get in enough offense to keep it interesting, and maintain sympathy. This worked pretty well. **1/2
WCW Heavyweight Title: Vader (w/Harley Race) vs. Ric Flair (w/Fifi).
Before the match, Col. Parker challenges the winner on behalf of Stunning Steve and gets pasted by Flair. Race distracts Flair, allowing Vader to attack from behind. It looks like it's going to be a short match as Vader hits the pump splash. Flair fights back with chops, and it starts to play like a preview of their Starrcade classic. Flair's only real offense is his defense. He does get the figure-four at one point, but Race reaches in and rakes his eyes. Vader nails the ref on a swing. SUPERPLEX BY VADER! The Vadersault misses, though, and Flair covers for the pin (and the biggest pop in MONTHS!) at 9:20. The ref reveals he was just disqualifying Vader for that swing earlier, but the pop pretty much justified Flair regaining the title. This was a shorter, less epic version of their Starrcade match. ***1/4
WCW was in total disarray at this point, but they'd come out of it for the better. The main event is a precursor to one of Flair's greats, but it's not quite enough to save the show. Everything, including the Blonds' blowoff, was disappointing or categorically awful.
Thumbs down.
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