WCW Clash of the Champions XXIII

Can the Horsemen achieve gold by defeating the Blonds? Will Scorpio become NWA World champion? How will Sting, Smith, and Rhodes handle Vader, Rude, and Sid? Let’s find out!

Match 1: “Dirty” Dick Slater (w/ “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff) versus Ron Simmons

Slater substituted for the injured Orndorff.
While Simmons made his entrance, Schiavone shilled WCW Slam Jam and Simmons’ theme song.

According to Schiavone, Orndorff suffered a groin injury.
Simmons gave Slater an atomic drop and followed with a monkey flip.
When he slammed Slater, Simmons delivered a flying shoulder block for 2.
Simmons then attempted a sunset flip, but Slater slapped him.
As Simmons hip-tossed Slater, he prepped for a three-point stance clothesline.
Suddenly, Orndorff tripped him. How dastardly!
Slater then hit a swinging neckbreaker for 2.
After Simmons gave him a scoop powerslam, he pinned Slater.

Summary: With the injury substitution, this became a showcase match for Simmons.

Eric Bischoff and Larry Zbyszko share some words before introducing ring announcer Michael Buffer who’s making his WCW debut.

Regal clipped Bagwell who got up clutching his left knee.
As Schiavone shilled WCW Saturday Night, Cactus Jack was still MIA.

C’mon, Mick, that’s not until ‘96. No spoilers!
Bagwell rebounded with a reverse enziguri and a back drop.
When he hip-tossed Regal, Bagwell got 2.
He then hooked a backslide for another 2.
After he clotheslined Regal, Bagwell attempted a roll-up.
Regal countered it with one of his own and pinned Bagwell.

Following a commercial break, Bischoff interviews Maxx Payne who has Johnny B. Badd’s Badd Blaster. Payne offers to return the Blaster to Badd, but when Badd appears, Payne shoots it right in his face. OUCH! Due to Badd’s injury, he was forced to forfeit to Payne. Suddenly, Z-Man hits the ring and defends Badd. He then superkicks and dropkicks Payne. Ultimately, Payne applies the Payne-killer until officials break it up.

Match 3 for the NWA World title: Barry Windham (champion) versus 2 Cold Scorpio

Buffer rambled instead of rumbled.

When Scorpio dropkicked Windham, he followed with a slam.
Windham then gave Scorpio a cross corner whip followed by a corner clothesline.
As Windham gave him a second cross corner whip, Scorpio floated over to avoid him.
He then reversed a cross corner whip but ate a knee much to the delight of the Norfolk faithful.
After he mounted the top turnbuckle, Windham delivered a lariat.
He then slammed Scorpio and followed with a knee drop.
When he suplexed Scorpio, Windham got 2.
He then hit a DDT for another 2.
As Windham attempted a second slam, Scorpio countered with an inside cradle for 2.
He then gave Scorpio a gutwrench suplex but couldn’t get 3.
After Scorpio dropkicked him, Windham responded with a shot to the midsection.
He then guillotined Scorpio with the top rope.
From the apron, Scorpio delivered a Thesz press for 2.
Windham then hit a standing dropkick followed by a Samoan drop for 2.
When he gave Scorpio a belly-to-back suplex, Windham got another 2.
He then attempted a second Samoan drop, but Scorpio countered with a sunset flip for 2.
As Windham clotheslined him, Scorpio rebounded with his own belly-to-back suplex.
Windham then placed Scorpio atop the top turnbuckle, joined, but Scorpio countered with a front suplex.
Upon mounting the top turnbuckle, Scorpio delivered a splash.
Do we have a new champion?
1-2-NO!
Scorpio then leap-frogged Windham before executing a huracanrana.
When he hit a superkick, Scorpio hooked a roll-up for another 2.
Scorpio then slammed Windham, went to the apron, gave him a slingshot somersault splash, but couldn’t pin Windham.
As he mounted the top turnbuckle, he delivered a missile dropkick.
That’s gotta be a title change, right?
1-2-NO!
Windham then sent Scorpio to the floor and nailed him during another slingshot maneuver.
After he hit an implant DDT, Windham pinned Scorpio.
Windham retained.

Summary: Despite Scorpio’s best efforts, Windham survived with the NWA title intact. Great match, guys!

Match 4 (six-man): Sting, the “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith, & the “Natural” Dustin Rhodes versus WCW World champion Big Van Vader, Sid Vicious, & “Ravishing” Rick Rude (w/ Harley Race & Col. Parker)

Sting reversed an Irish whip and backdropped Rude.
As he military-pressed Rude, Sting tossed him to Vader and Sid.
Rude then tried to slam him, but Sting countered with an inside cradle for 2.
When Rhodes tagged in, he gave Rude a bionic elbow.
Vader tried to interfere but splashed Rude instead of Rhodes.
After tags were exchanged on both sides, Smith leap-frogged and pinballed Sid in the babyface corner.
He then slammed Sid who tried to escape to the apron.
As he made it halfway, Sting crotched him with the second rope. OUCH!
Smith then delivered a flying shoulder block and tagged in Rhodes.
When Vader tagged in, Rhodes suplexed him.
He then hit a series of elbow drops, split the uprights, and clotheslined Vader.
Upon mounting the top turnbuckle, Rhodes missed a flying elbow drop.
Vader then clotheslined Rhodes who provided a 360° sell. Woohoo!
As Vader mounted the second turnbuckle, he gave Rhodes a Vader bomb for 2.
Rude tagged in and delivered a gourdbuster to Rhodes for another 2.
When he made a second attempt, Rhodes blocked it and hit a gourdbuster of his own. Arn would be proud.

Sorry, Arn. Please don’t DDT me.
Sid tagged in, nipped up, clotheslined Rhodes, but couldn’t get 3.
After Vader tagged in, he mounted the second turnbuckle, leaped, but Rhodes powerslammed him.
Rude tagged in, attempted a tombstone piledriver, but Rhodes reversed and hit it.
As a false tag occurred, all six wrestlers were in the ring.
Outside the ring, Sting placed Vader against the steel railing, charged, but ate it himself. It must have tasted like the Gwynn’s Island sandwich at Captain Groovy’s.
Vader then grabbed Rude’s Haliburton and CLOBBERED Rhodes with it.
1-2-3.
Rude, Sid, and Vader won.

Summary: Sizzling hot match where the heels got to showcase themselves en route to victory.

After the match, Sid and Vader powerbomb Smith while Sting steals the Haliburton to chase away the heels.

Match 5 for the WCW/NWA World tag team titles (2 out of 3 falls): The Hollywood Blonds (champions) versus “Nature Boy” Ric Flair & the “Enforcer” Arn Anderson

Buffer rumbled.
This match marked Flair’s WCW in-ring return.
When Arn reversed a cross corner whip, he caught Pillman mid-floatover and guillotined him with the top rope.
Austin tagged in while the Norfolk faithful chanted “We Want Flair.”
As they got their wish, Flair gave Austin a cross corner whip followed by a back drop.
While Flair captured referee Nick Patrick’s attention, Arn rammed Austin’s left leg into the ring post.
Flair then gave Pillman a cross corner whip followed by a back elbow.
After Arn tagged in, he gave Austin an Anderson slam.
Flair tagged in and delivered a knee drop to Austin.
When Arn tagged in, Pillman baited Flair to distract Patrick so that the Blonds could double-team Arn. Crafty!
On the other hand, it backfired because Arn guillotined Pillman with the top rope again.
Austin then distracted Patrick so that PIllman could choke Arn with a towel. SNEAKY!
As Pillman tagged in, he hit a jawbreaker on Arn.
Austin tagged in and suplexed Arn.
After Austin WHIFFED on a running guillotine, Arn delivered a DDT.
Flair then made the hot tag, but Pillman clipped Arn.
Speaking of Flair, he mounted the top turnbuckle and nailed Pillman.
He then gave Pillman a cross corner whip followed by an inverted atomic drop.
When Flair delivered a back elbow to him, he sent Austin over the top rope to the floor.
Flair then gave PIllman a ten-punch count-along until Austin interfered.
As Arn tripped Austin, Flair hit Pillman with a flying forearm.
1-2-3.
The Horsemen led 1-0.
Mistakenly, Buffer didn’t realize it was a best of three falls match and named the Horsemen NEW tag champions. Oops.

Pillman gave Flair a cross corner whip that resulted in a Flair flip.
After Flair regained his feet, he chopped each Blond consecutively.
Pillman then knocked Flair down to the floor where Austin suplexed Flair.
GET OUT THE SPATULA!
When Flair dragged him out to the floor, Pillman made Flair taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Rickety-Cricket at Jack’s Beer and Burger Joint.
Austin then guillotined Flair with the steel railing, and a Flair flop ensued.
As Austin tagged in, he distracted Patrick again so that Pillman could use the towel on Flair. Nefarious!
Austin then placed Flair atop the top turnbuckle and delivered a superplex for 2.
After Pillman tagged in, a mid-ring collision occurred.
Hot tag Arn.
When he backdropped Austin, Arn delivered a SPINEBUSTER.
Do we have new champions?
No, Pillman made the save.
As Patrick placed Flair back into the babyface corner, Pillman clipped Arn’s knee again.
Austin then got 2.
After Pillman tagged in, he worked on Arn’s knee.
He then tried to give Arn a cross corner whip, but Arn sputtered down to the mat.
When Pillman hooked an Austin-assisted single-leg crab, Arn somehow hit an enziguri.
Austin then distracted Patrick so that Pillman could ram Arn’s leg into the apron.
As Pillman tagged in, he mounted the second turnbuckle, leaped, but ate boot.
Hot tag Flair.
Speaking of Flair, he tossed PIllman over the top rope, but Patrick didn’t see it.
He then gave Austin a belly-to-back suplex and attempted a figure-four leg lock.
Abruptly, Windham stormed the ring, mounted the top turnbuckle, and nailed Flair.

Patrick then called for the bell, and the Horsemen won 2-0.
Conversely, since the second fall was a victory by DQ, the Blonds retained.

Summary: Incredible match with NUCLEAR heat. If only the match had a clean finish...

After the match, Windham nails Flair while the Blonds double-team Arn. Immediately, “Pretty” Paul Roma jumps over the steel railing to assist his fellow Horsemen.

At ringside, Schiavone interviews Windham who runs down Flair. All of a sudden, Flair attacks him, and a brawl arises.

Conclusion: Are you ready for Beach Blast ‘93? Several of the matches involved feuds that will culminate at the upcoming PPV. Besides the main event, definitely check out Windham-Scorpio as well as the six-man tag match.