-From Gainesville, GA
-Hosts are JR, and the returning DUSTY!
-Match 1 for the WCW Tag Team Championship: Doom [c] VS United States Champion Lex Luger & Sting
-Teddy is not at ringside. JR & Dusty speculate on where he is. Challengers work Reed over for a few minutes before he tags in Simmons. Simmons & Luger trade shoulder blocks. Simmons hits a hot shot, and tags in Reed as we go to commercial.
Back from break, Simmons is working over Luger, hitting a powerslam for two. Luger is face-in-peril for a bit. Reed hits a flying shoulder block off the top, but Luger still makes the tag. Dan Spivey (who will challenge Luger for the U.S. title at Wrestle War) attacks Luger as Sting cleans house. The ref is bumped, but it doesn't matter as he is able to catch Reed dumping Sting over the top for a DQ. Challengers clear the ring after the decision. Match was disappointing, and I don't see the need for that DQ finish. Give your tag champs a win in what would essentially be a handicap match at that point.
-Missy Hyatt announces that TV Champion Tom Zenk has won a "WCW's Sexiest Wrestler" contest. Coincidently, that leads right into...
-Match 2 for the WCW Television Championship: Tom Zenk [c] VS Bobby Eaton
-Eaton's entrance music, with "Bobby" chants piped in is tremendous. Slow start after a shoving match. Zenk dropkick sends Eaton to the outside. Zenk wins a test of strength, but takes a nasty shot to the chops as the hold is broken. Eaton goes up, but gets caught and slammed down. Eaton comes back with a knee drop off the top, but gets caught with a small package for two. Eaton catches Zenk with a swinging neck breaker for two. Zenk gets the pin with a backslide out of nowhere. Ugh. Match looked to be getting good before that finish. Replay shows Eaton got out before the three count.
-Alexandra York says that later tonight, the York Foundation will announce their latest member.
-Match 3: Tommy Rich & Allen Iron Eagle VS The Fabulous Freebirds
-Rich gets the advantage on both Freebirds. Iron Eagle reminds me of Joe Gomez. Eagle gets taken down by...something from Garvin. Hayes hits a bulldog on Eagle, and poses. Big "Freebirds Suck!" chant as Hayes works Eagle over. Hayes suddenly gets testy, taking Eagle outside and chopping him good. Garvin accidentally gets himself tied to the Tree of Woe. Match breaks down, and the ref misses Eagle pinning Garvin, and moments later tagging Rich. Freebirds take advantage and spike Eagle with a double DDT for the win. Not bad, all-in-all.
-JR Dusty throw it to Tony & Paul E. Dangerously, the self-professed "Inter-Gender Arm Wrestling Champion". Dusty essentially calls Paul gay. Dusty gets on Paul's case about him possibly losing an arm-wrestling match to Missy Hyatt.
-Match 4: Joey Maggs VS Sid Vicious
-Sid's spotlight entrance is awesome. Dusty puts it best when he says Maggs' best moment was when he came to the ring. Sid finishes quickly with the powerbomb, then throws Maggs off the stretcher when Sid's personal EMTs rush out to bring Maggs to the back.
-Tony is with Sid, and apparently very excited about it. Sid says in 1991 there will be no doubt that Sid rules the world.
-Match 5: Ricky Morton VS Terry Taylor
-Taylor is "The Computerized Man of the 1990s". What does that even MEAN? Morton controls with arm drags early. Morton hits a cross body for two, and we go to commercial.
Back from the break, Taylor has control with a hammerlock until Morton counters with a chin breaker. Taylor is getting increasingly frustrated as the match progresses. Alexandra York makes her way to ringside, distracting both men. Taylor takes the opportunity to attack Morton from behind. The announcement from York comes via an inset interview, where she announces that Taylor is the new member. That's an...interesting way to turn someone heel.
Taylor hits a bulldog for two. Taylor tries a Vader bomb, but meets knees. Morton counters an inverted atomic drop, and hits a suplex for two. Morton dives at Taylor, but hits the ropes, and Taylor gets the pin off that, even though Morton landed right on him. Stupid, stupid finish. York should have gotten involved.
-Video hypes the appearance of some female Japanese wrestlers at Wrestle War.
-Video shows Bill Apter giving the PWI Wrestler of the Year Award to Sting.
-Dusty goes nuts, cutting a "USA! USA! USA!" promo about Operation Desert Storm.
-Match 6: Ranger Ross VS El Cubano
-Holy fuck, Ross is still alive? OK, what white guy is playing Cubano? Someone let off a WMD once the bell rang, because the crowd DIES. Really basic and uninteresting match until Ross actually pulls out a nice kick combination. Ross finishes with a sunset flip. NEXT!
-Match 7: The Renegade Warriors VS Arn Anderson & Barry Windham
-The Horsemen's cover of "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing" is sweet. JR tries to sell this as a legit feud, but really, who gives the Youngbloods a chance here? Warriors control the first few minutes, really pissing off AA. AA finally manages to turn the tide with a big spine buster. Windham hits an awkward DDT for two. Warriors turn the tide, and one of them hits a bicycle kick on AA. Windham hits one with a clothesline and a superplex, then hols the other so Arn can get the pin. Match was sound, but again, who gave the Youngbloods a chance here?
-Tony introduces a video showing highlights from Vader VS Hansen in Japan, as there will be a rematch at Wrestle War. Hansen says Americans want pretty boys, while in Japan, they want real men. It will be no DQ at Wrestle War.
-Match 8: Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker VS Brian Pillman
-Pillman gets a crucifix for two. Parker smacks his head on the floor off a Pillman headscissors. Sweet move as Parker tries to slingshot Pillman in the ring off the apron, but Pillman land on his feet. Parker goes out onto the runway, so Pillman hits a dive to follow him out. Pillman hits a cross body from the top for the pin. Not much here.
-Match 9: Paul E. Dangerously VS Missy Hyatt [Arm Wrestling]
-Paul might as well have a "NO MA'AM" shirt. Missy keeps stalling, irritating Paul. Missy strips down to a bodysuit, and catches Paul staring at her chest to get the win.
-Video shows the Horsemen partying with Lawrence Taylor. Who did more coke that night, Flair or LT?
-Match 10 for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair [c] (w/harem of ladies) VS Scott Steiner (w/Rick Steiner)
-Flair does not come out to "also sprach zarathustra". Hiro Matsuda is there, in advance of the first WCW/New Japan Super Show, as is the World's Largest Athelete
Not surprisingly, Scott dominates the first few minutes. I never liked Flair's short haircut. Flair finally gets something in, countering corner punches with an inverted atomic drop. Flair keeps the pressure on as we go to commercial.
Back from the break, Steiner locks in a figure 4 on Flair. Match goes outside, and Flair starts working on Scott's leg with a shin breaker. Ric locks in a ropes-assisted figure 4, and the crowd goes nuts because Rick keeps accidentally distracting the ref. Scott manages to reverse the hold to save himself, after quite a long time in it. Steiner hits a Rude Awakening. Scott counters a figure 4 attempt with a small package attempt for two.
Scott clotheslines Flair out over the top, but does not get DQ'd. Flair comes back with a snap mare and a knee drop. Flair tries to get the pin by using the ropes for leverage, but it doesn't work. Scott turns the tide, but doesn't move with any urgency as the time limit ticks down. Scott does hit a belly-to-belly suplex, but the time runs out.
Match was OK (certainly no Flair/Sting), but I LOATHE that finish.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: Nothing particularly memorable about this show. Flair/Steiner is worth a look for curiousity sake, but there's not much else.
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