WCW Clash of the Champions XXV

WCW newcomer “Mean” Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the show. Call the hotline to vote for the manager of year:

Sir William (Lord Steven Regal)
Missy Hyatt (Nasty Boys)
Harley Race (Vader)
Teddy Long (Marcus Alexander Bagwell & Too Cold Scorpio)

Gene throws it over to our hosts Tony Schiavone and Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

Match 1 for the WCW International World title: “Ravishing” Rick Rude (champion) versus Road Warrior Hawk

Early in the match Hawk no-sold a head shot to the turnbuckle then gave Rude some of his own medicine. Deca, perhaps?
Vertical suplex from Hawk got a 2 count.
Backbreaker from Rude allowed him to head to the top rope, but when he leaped he ate a pair of boots to the face.
Clothesline from Hawk sent Rude over the top rope to the floor.
They kept fighting on the outside until referee Randy Anderson counted them both out.

Summary: Obviously Rude retains his title. What was the point of that match? Since Hawk had no credibility as a singles wrestler it was obvious he wasn’t going to take this one, but the DCOR finish is just obnoxiously terrible. Let’s hope the next match has a better outcome.

Oh no! Can I watch the last match again instead of this dreck?
Heel shenanigans from the Equalizer dominated the early portion of the match.
Belly-to-back suplex from Equalizer got a 2 count.
Shockmaster no-sold a clothesline.
Bearhug slam from Shockmaster secured the pin.
Thank God it was short.

Summary: Friends of Dusty, or in the case family, get a slot on the big shows. In spite of Jesse’s making fun of him on commentary the Shockmaster continues to win. Thus far this show isn’t looking good.

Okerlund interviews Colonel Rob Parker. Parker states that he dropped Sid Vicious as a client and obtained the services of…”Stunning” Steve Austin. Meanwhile he claims that he also has a restraining order against Sid so he won’t be here tonight. Considering Sid may have still been recovering from the stab wounds and under suspension from WCW he wouldn’t be able to make even a token appearance. More later on this situation.

Match 3 for the World Television title: Lord Steven Regal (champion w/ Sir William) versus Johnny B. Badd

Back on July 9 during the infamous Disney tapings (broadcast 11/6/93) Regal defeated Badd by nefarious means. Therefore, Tony referred to this match as a “return bout.”
Badd brought the workrate and matched Regal hold for hold early in the match.
Jesse took Badd’s attire to task. Make-up and garter belts, seriously Marc?
Badd missed a flying body press and clotheslined himself on the top rope.
Ya gotta love those European uppercuts from Regal!
According to Tony “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith issued a challenge to “Ravishing” Rick Rude for the WCW International World title.
Badd knocked Regal cold with a left hand prompting Sir William to get on the apron to complain.
As Badd attempted the pin Sir William placed Regal’s boot on the bottom rope.
As Badd was distracted Regal snapped out of it, rolled Badd up, and got the pin with a handful of tights.

Summary: Since this match went at Badd’s pace rather than Regal’s I enjoyed this match much more than I expected. I can only hope that this match is the only one with a distraction finish.

Match 4: “Flyin’” Brian Pillman versus “Stunning” Steve Austin (w/ Colonel Rob Parker)

Ahem. May I have your attention please? Let us all please observe a moment of silence and mourn the loss of one of the best tag teams ever in WCW—the Hollywood Blonds.
…
Thank you.
On the October 30 episode of WCW Saturday Night Colonel Parker informed Pillman that Austin was his new client. After Parker insulted Pillman for being injured Brian attacked Parker. Subsequently Austin ambushed Pillman.
Pillman, already in the ring and wearing his Blond jacket, attacked Austin as he entered the ring.
After Parker jumped on the apron Pillman chased him around the ring. Austin, lying in wait, clotheslined Pillman as he made his way toward the near side of the ring.
Upon the reversal of an Irish whip Pillman made Austin taste the steel. Needs horseradish.
Flying headscissors from Pillman.
Austin attempted a piledriver on the ramp, but Pillman countered with a back drop.
After climbing to the top rope Pillman leaped but ate boot on the way down.
Austin then tossed Pillman into the steel railing. More horseradish please!
Slingshot body press from Pillman from the apron onto Austin got a 2 count.
Austin then pressed Pillman into a modified stungun.
Ventura badmouthed Sid on commentary.
Single leg crab by Austin with some assistance from the ropes.
Flying back elbow to the head from the second rope by Pillman.
Slowly Austin made his way to the top rope, but Pillman caught him thus crotching Austin.
As Austin leaped from the top rope Pillman dropkicked him.
Austin tried another piledriver, but Pillman countered into a huracanrana.
Slingshot by Pillman countered into a powerslam by Austin.
DDT by Pillman.
Crucifix by Pillman countered into a Samoan drop by Austin.
Austin missed a splash from the top rope.
Oklahoma roll by Pillman got a 2 count.
Austin missed the stungun leaving Pillman on the apron.
Pillman tried another slingshot maneuver, but Parker caught his ankle.
Austin rolled him up for the pin.

Summary: Wow! I could watch these guys wrestle each other all night. Had the match been longer (7:44) it could have reached five stars. These two should have had a rematch at Starrcade.

After the match Pillman knocks Austin to the floor and corners Parker. Much to his chagrin Parker escaped without a scratch.

Okerlund is in the WCW Battlebowl Control Center. Forty names of the top WCW competitors are thrown into a “hopper.” Thirty-two names are selected at random for eight tag team matches. Afterwards each winning team competes singularly in an over-the-top-rope battle royal to determine the winner. To entice our desire to buy the PPV Paul Orndorff cuts a promo followed by 1991 Battlebowl winner Sting.

Match 5 for the US title: “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes (champion w/ “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes) versus “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff (w/ the Assassin)

Dusty’s not even wrestling and he’s already “funky like a monkey.”
The crowd chanted “Dusty!”
Each competitor initially worked on his opponent’s arm.
Belly-to-back suplex from Orndorff set up the shaky elbow drop.
Backslide from Rhodes got a 2 count.
Cross-corner whip from Orndorff followed by a clothesline.
Cross-corner whip from Rhodes set up the bulldog, but Orndorff ducked.
Rhodes countered an Orndorff piledriver attempt.
Orndorff missed the knee drop from the top rope.
Rhodes then hooked the inside cradle for the pin.

Summary: Very pedestrian match between these two wrestlers. The “seconds” didn’t even get involved in the match.

After the match Orndorff clotheslines Rhodes to the floor. Then the Assassin rams Dustin into the ring post. To retaliate, Dusty gives the Assassin a bionic elbow much to the crowd’s delight. He then tosses the Assassin into the ring, hits two more bionic elbows, and threatens to unmask him. Unfortunately for Dusty, Orndorff nails him preventing said unmasking. As Orndorff held Dusty the Assassin wallops Rhodes with the US title belt. Orndorff attempts to piledrive Dusty, but Dustin comes off the ropes with a clothesline scattering the ruthless duo to the floor. The post-match stuff was 10x better than the match!

Okerlund promises us an update on the “British Bulldog’s” challenge for Rude’s title. Call the hotline! Starrcade is scheduled for Monday, December 27.

Match 6 for the World tag team titles: The Nasty Boys (champions w/ Missy Hyatt) versus Sting and “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith

Ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta referred to Missy Hyatt as the “nastiest lady in WCW.” Did he know this firsthand?
Just like Missy liked it the action was hot and heavy at the outset with Sting dominating Knobbs in the ring and DBS manhandling Sags on the ramp.
In the meantime Rick Rude crawled on the floor adjacent to the ramp in order to sneak attack DBS. He then gave DBS a Rude Awakening . Immediately Road Warrior Hawk chased him back to the dressing room.
Sting checked on DBS and carried him back to the ring?
The bell rung and Sting took on the Nasty Boys by himself.
Tony mentioned Rude’s use of a “foreign” object. Jesse questioned how Rude imported it. Funny stuff.
While Knobbs occupied Patrick’s attention Sags tossed Sting over the top rope. Since Patrick didn’t see it a disqualification could not be rendered.
As Knobbs held Sting in a bear hug DBS sprung to life and egged him on in the corner.
Sting countered the bear hug into an overhead belly-to-belly suplex.
He then countered a rear chinlock into an electric chair.
Hot tag to DBS.
A pair of powerslams on the Nasty Boys followed by a pair of dropkicks.
600lbs of clotheslines and DDTs from DBS.
DBS pressed Sting overhead then tossed him onto both Nasty Boys.
Powerslam from DBS received no count due to referee Nick Patrick’s directing traffic.
Sags mounted the top turnbuckle and clobbered DBS. Knobbs made the cover and the Nasty Boys retained their titles.

Summary: Typical Nasty Boys match with a pair of quality opponents. Almost all of the excitement in the match happened after the hot tag. Although a match between DBS and Rude was filmed on 11/30 for WCW Saturday Night for the 12/18/93 airing the match would not be shown. In turn DBS was also scheduled to face Rude at Starrcade but he was fired beforehand.

Match 7 for the WCW World title: Vader (champion w/ Harley Race) versus “Nature Boy” Ric Flair (w/ Fifi)

Back in the dressing room Colonel Parker spoke with Flair. Parker stated that Austin will challenge the winner of this match. He’s quite confident that Austin could defeat Flair. Flair’s rebuttal was a right cross to the jaw.
Buffer rumbled.
Joined in progress after commercial Flair had Race set up for the figure four leg lock in the center of the ring.
As Flair applied the hold to Race Vader splashed Flair.
Short-arm clothesline from Vader.
Gorilla press slam from Vader.
Vader bomb hit but no cover.
Flair chopped Vader down like a cherry tree.
Flair Flip to the floor.
Race made Flair taste the steel. Dammit! Where’s that horseradish?
Vader jumped from the apron towards Flair but ate the steel railing.
Flair drops the forearm from the top turnbuckle to the floor.
Second rope elbow drop from Vader missed.
Flair slapped on the figure four.
As Vader reached the ropes Race raked Flair’s eyes.
Vertical suplex and a splash earned Vader a 2 count.
Vader mounted the second turnbuckle again but got powerslammed for 2.
Flair sprinted to the top rope and nailed Vader with another forearm.
Flair flip over the buckle landed him on his feet. Thereafter he mounted the turnbuckle and hit another forearm shot.
Ref bump.
Flair jumped from the top turnbuckle again but got caught by Vader.
He then gave Flair a superplex.
Vader positioned Flair for the moonsault but missed it.
Referee Randy Anderson counted three! We have a new champion!
Cappetta announced that Anderson disqualified Vader. WTF?
Jesse explained that Anderson DQ’d him because he ran into him. LAME!

Summary: Incredible match with a horrible ending. Flair got robbed! Thanks Dusty for that god-awful finish. Hopefully a rematch will be signed. The good news is the crowd was eager or better yet thirsty for a title change.

After the match Colonel Parker and “Stunning” Steve Austin hit the ring to ambush Flair. Vader and Austin try to double-team Flair, but Dustin Rhodes and the Shockmaster come to Flair’s rescue. As the crowd chants “Whoomp, there it is” Okerlund enters the ring. Flair interrupts and challenges Vader and Austin to a tag match with him and Sid on WCW Saturday Night(taped 10/11/93). This match marked the last Sid appearance in WCW until the Great American Bash in 1999.

Conclusion: The Blonds’ match and the main event make this show a must-see. WCW may have been drawing flies at this point in wrestling history, but their product wasn’t the reason behind it. If there was only one thing I would have changed I’d have gotten rid of these finishes.