WCW Clash of the Champions XXXI

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WCW Clash of the Champions XXXI

Live from Daytona Beach, FL

Airdate: August 6, 1995

Attendance: 4,039

Hosted by Tony Schiavone and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan

Match 1: Sting and Road Warrior Hawk versus Meng and Kurasawa (w/ Colonel Parker)

Highlights:

Michael Buffer opened the show introducing the first match.
Hopefully Sting and Hawk perform better here than their last tag match together at Starrcade ’93.
Running shoulderblock from Hawk to Kurasawa.
Inverted atomic drop from Sting to Kurasawa.
Kurasawa missed a high knee in the corner.
Vertical suplex by Sting.
Running clothesline by Meng to Hawk, but Hawk no-sold it.
Outside the ring Kurasawa delivered an over-the-shoulder slam on Hawk.
Swinging neckbreaker by Hawk to Meng.
After a slam Hawk mounted the top turnbuckle and gave Kurasawa a splash.
Powerbomb by Hawk to Kurasawa.
Sting mounted the top turnbuckle and delivered a top rope clothesline to Meng.
Jumping DDT by Sting to Meng, but they’re not the legal men in the match.
Clothesline in the corner by Hawk followed by a Stinger splash to Meng.
Doomsday Device by Hawk and Sting to Kurasawa.
Hawk then pinned him.

Rating: ***

Summary: Is it me or was Hawk under the influence here? Regardless Sting and Hawk (mostly Sting) brought the goods and made this worthwhile.

After the match Meng makes Sting eat the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Super Burgers at the Brickyard Lounge. Kurasawa then grabs Hawk’s arm and bends it THE WRONG WAY! YEE-OUCH!

Tony mentions the match on the Main Event preceding the show between Hulk Hogan and Kamala. We then see highlights from the end of the match as the members of the Dungeon of Doom attempt to destroy the Hulkster. In addition to Kamala and the Taskmaster both the Zodiac and Shark (the recently repackaged Avalanche) get involved. Sting and “Macho Man” Randy Savage come to Hogan’s aid. Tony then promises that Hogan will enter the Dungeon of Doom.

Backstage “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews Colonel Parker and his Stud Stable. A quick eye notices that Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater are wearing the World tag team belts. How and when did that happen? On 7/22 (taped 6/21) they defeated Harlem Heat on WCW Saturday Night.

Wait a minute! So Harlem Heat defended the titles at Bash at the Beach (7/16) in spite of their loss three weeks prior. While I understand not waiting until PPVs and Clashes for title changes the taping schedule was completely skewed when attempting to follow true title reigns. As I said in my BatB recap WCW Monday Nitro fixed this issue.

After Buck describes himself as smelling as ripe as an unkempt barn during a heat wave Slater threatens Sister Sherri with a “Good night Irene” shot. Gene then questions whether or not there is a romantic interest between Parker and Sherri. Parker’s “ready for romance.”

Match 2: “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright versus Diamond Dallas Page (w/ the Diamond Doll)

Highlights:

Wright came to the ring sans techno music.
After DDP shoved Wright down, he told the crowd that it scored a 10. Meanwhile Wright got up and rolled him up for a 2 count.
A claim of pulling the tights by DDP cost him another roll-up for 2.
Dropkick by Wright.
Make that 2.
Plancha by Wright.
Wright flipped and performed a cartwheel to escape an arm bar.
After a cross-corner whip Wright did a back flip from the top rope sailing over DDP.
He then delivered a dropkick.
Springboard splash by Wright.
High cross-body block by Wright.
Backbreaker stolen from the archives of Superstar Billy Graham by DDP.
He converted that into a gutbuster which earned him a 10 from the Diamond Doll.
Swinging neckbreaker by DDP.
Backslide by Wright.
Leg lariat by Wright.
High knee by Wright.
Missile dropkick by Wright. DDP barely kicked out.
German suplex with a bridge by Wright only got 2.
Cross-body block by Wright sent DDP outside the ring.
Plancha by Wright missed.
DDP rolled Wright back in and pinned him.

Rating: ***

Summary: DDP’s execution combined with Wright’s aerial moves made this match very entertaining. Once again Wright’s lack of experience cost him the victory.

Backstage Gene interviews Arn Anderson and Ric Flair. Great promo by these two as always.

Promotional consideration provided by the following: Judge Dredd and Slim Jim.

Match 3 for the WCW World TV title: The Renegade (champion w/ Jimmy Hart) versus “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

Highlights:

Lord, please make this match better than their Bash encounter.
Clothesline by Renegade.
Powerslam by Renegade.
Like a lunatic Renegade was standing on the middle turnbuckle catering to the fans (not fans of his, mind you) so Orndorff grabbed him and gave him a belly-to-back suplex.
All the while Orndorff still wore his robe and Renegade wore the championship belt.
Shaky-shaky elbow drop by Orndorff.
Clothesline by Orndorff.
After tossing Renegade outside the ring Orndorff delivered knees to prevent him from returning.
Springboard cross-body block by Renegade got the pin!

Rating: DUD

Summary: Um, no. This match was kept short (thankfully) but was terrible.

Gene interviews Vader.

After the commercial break Gene shills Fall Brawl on September 17. A video package on the Stud Stable/Harlem Heat feud follows.

Match 4: Bunkhouse Buck, “Dirty” Dick Slater, and Colonel Parker versus Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri

Highlights:

If Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri win they will earn a tag team title rematch.
Bunkhouse Buck mounted the top turnbuckle but got caught by Booker T.
Booker T then dropkicked him to the apron.
A missed elbow drop allowed Booker T to perform the spinaroonie.
Immediately he followed with a forearm to Buck’s head.
Leg lariat by Booker T.
During the Harley-Davidson giveaway ad the winner will be announced on…the premiere episode of WCW Monday Nitro on 9/4. I’m ready, are you?
Stungun by Buck to Booker T.
Dropkick by Buck. Holy horned frogs, Batman! Never have seen him do that before.
Bear hug by Buck.
Slater tagged in and clamped on a bear hug.
Colonel Parker tagged in.
Stevie Ray tagged in and both members of Harlem Heat suplexed Parker.
Sherri tagged in. The crowd cheered.
She mounted the top turnbuckle and delivered a high cross-body.
She mounted the top turnbuckle again but missed the splash.
Afterwards she laid motionless on the canvas.
She put the lip lock on Parker and pinned him.

Rating: **1/2

Summary: This match was put together strictly for the love angle between Sherri and Parker. Sherri did supply the high-flying for the match, so I’ll give her credit for that.

After the match Sherri chases Parker down the aisle and to the back.

Gene interviews Hulk Hogan with Jimmy Hart. Hogan’s aware of “Andre the Giant’s son.” He even makes a McMahon reference.

After the commercial break Gene shills the MDA and welcomes Tomas Diaz. Tomas is short on words, but “Macho Man” Randy Savage comes out to shake his hand.

Video package on Randy Savage.

Call to win a Harley-Davidson motorcycle as well as a trip to Halloween Havoc.

Down in the Dungeon of Doom King Curtis and the Taskmaster are ready to destroy Hulkamania. Hogan then appears. From behind the Giant rips Hogan’s chain off and chokes him down. The entire Dungeon of Doom attack him until Vader appears out of nowhere to rescue him. Vader, really? And Paul Wight’s wrestling career begins.

Promotional consideration paid for by Hot Pockets and Big A Auto Parts.

Promo for Fall Brawl on September 17.

WCW Monday Nitro will debut on TNT at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN on 9/4.

Match 5: Vader versus “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson

Highlights:

Vader wore his mastodon mask when he emerged through the curtain.
Buffer rumbled.
Vader received a decent face pop.
Inverted atomic drop by Vader to Arn.
He then clotheslined Arn over the top rope to the floor.
Short-arm clothesline by Vader to Arn.
Spinebuster!
Gorilla press slam by Vader to Flair.
Make that 2.
Cross-corner whip led to the Flair flip.
Vader then clotheslined Flair on the apron sending him to the floor.
Behind referee Randy Anderson’s back Arn clipped Vader’s knee. Personal foul. #0 Defense. 15 yards. 1st down.
DDT by Arn.
Flair tagged in and applied the figure-four leg lock.
After Vader broke the hold by getting to the ropes Flair mounted the top turnbuckle only to come down the hard way.
Back body drop by Vader set up the Vader splash.
Top rope splash by Vader. Poor Flair got SQUISHED!
After clotheslining both Arn and Flair Vader gave Arn the powerbomb.
1-2-3 Vader won.

Rating: ***1/2

Summary: The face turn of Vader is cemented. I wonder what WCW has in store for him next.

After the match Flair shows his disappointment to Arn. Before Flair can leave the ring Arn stops him. Sensing discord with his best friend Flair heads for higher ground.

At the entryway Gene gets interrupted by Hogan, Savage, and Sting. Hogan notes the similarity between Andre’s ripping the cross from his neck and the Giant’s. Vader sticks his nose in to say they have familiar foes and wants to fight. To end the show Hogan declares war on the Dungeon of Doom.

Conclusion: Only having five matches in a two-hour show can be a chore to watch but the two opening matches along with the main event made the show worthwhile. Unfortunately one of the main event players would lose his playing card shortly after this show.

Regardless this show served two purposes--to shill Fall Brawl and WCW Monday Nitro. I can recall watching WCW Saturday Night during this time period and eagerly awaiting the arrival of Nitro.

TV Rating: 3.00

Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).

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