-From Phoenix, AZ
-Hosts are JR, & Dusty, with special appearances by Tony Schiavone.
-Tony proclaims that there's a capacity crowd, which is contradicted by crowd shots, especially in the upper sections.
-Match 1 for the WCW 6 Man Tag Team Championship: Tommy Rich, Ricky Morton, & The Junkyard Dog [c] VS The State Patrol (Buddy Lee Parker & James Earl Wright) & The Big Cat
-Holy shit, didn't realize this title still existed. This might have been news to everyone, as the champions don't have any title belts. Wright looks like a white Chavo Guerrero Jr. Champions dominate the first few minutes. Crowd goes to sleep until Morton fights off the State Patrol and tags in JYD. Big Cat actually gets a two count on JYD after an elbow drop. JYD has no interest in selling for Parker. Morton becomes the face-in-peril (shocking, I know). JR & Dusty note that Arn Anderson has been injured, and will not be in the War Games, to be replaced by Larry Zybysko.
Big Cat catches Morton in mid-air, and hits a back breaker for two. Morton makes the hot tag to JYD, who hits the Thump powerslam on Parker. Big Cat breaks up the cover, and Morton makes the cover in JYD's place, and the ref makes the blatently illegal three count, and the champions retain. Horrible choice for a PPV match, let alone the opener.
-Match 2: Brad Armstrong VS Bobby Eaton
-This would have been a much better choice for the opener. Eaton gets the jump on Armstrong to start, but Brad quickly turns the tide. Eaton sends Armstrong outside, but can't take advantage, as Brad rams Bobby's head into the guardrail, then the ring post. Armstrong follows that up with...an arm bar. Eaton wins a test of strength, but Armstrong gets out of it, and locks in...an arm bar. Armstrong fights off a slingshot suplex and locks in... an arm bar. JASON HERVEY IS HERE! Eaton floors Armstrong with a clothesline for two. Eaton drops an elbow right on Armstrong's forehead for two. That must have felt wonderful.
Great Muta is in the crowd. JR notes he will wrestle Sting at the WCW/New Japan Supershow. Armstrong fights out of a rear chinlock, but Eaton hits a sweet slingshot back breaker for two. Eaton kicks Armstrong outside, then drops him chest-first onto the guardrail. As Armstrong gets back in the ring, Eaton locks in a ropes-assisted abdominal stretch. Eaton misses...something in the corner, and Armstrong finally shows some fire, hitting a nice drop kick and a Russian leg sweep for two. Eaton hits a swinging neck breaker, and finishes with the Alabama Jam to a big pop (in so much as a pop can be big with this crowd). Damn, this could have been a lot better, but every time the match threatened to get exciting, Armstrong would lock in an arm bar, or Eaton would lock in a rest hold.
-Tony is with Missy Hyatt, who is going into the locker room to get an interview.
-Match 3: Buddy Landell VS Dustin Rhodes
-Landell is going full out with his Flair impression, getting a cheap looking robe to complete his look. Landell gets a slap and an EVIL LAUGH, which Dustin counters with some punches and a dropkick for two. Dustin pounds on Landell, and the crowd gets behind him a little bit. Dustin slams Landell off the top. Landell responds to some crowd jeering with a huge snot rocket. They fuck up an Irish whip. Dustin clotheslines Landell out over the top. I think this is the first time I've seen a pro wrestling mat wrinkle up when someone touches it. Dustin finishes with a bulldog. This will not be on Dustin's career highlight reel.
-Tony sends it TO THE DRESSING ROOM and Missy Hyatt. Missy goes in, and runs into the worst possible person: Stan Hansen. Hansen quickly sends her back out. Tony can't contain his laughter.
-Match 4: Stan Hansen VS Big Van Vader
-So odd to see Vader as a babyface at this point in time. Hansen dives at Vader, who drags him out onto the runway. Hansen takes control, and gets Vader back into the ring. Hansen charges into a nasty clothesline. Vader drops an elbow for two. Vader smothers Hansen, who fights out with a belly-to-back suplex for two. Hansen drops an elbow for two. Hansen kicks Vader outside. They trade chair shots right by the announce table.
They go back outside, and Vader slams Hansen stomach-first onto the guardrail. Back in the ring, they trade headbuts. Randy Anderson tries to get in between them, and gets tossed aside, so he throws the match out. The fight continues after the bell. Vader hits a clothesline off the top. Hansen tries to choke Vader out with the bull rope. Vader reverses it, and drags Hansen down the runway. The fight continues all the way to the back. Match was a fun brawl while it lasted.
-Match 5 for the WCW United States Championship: Lex Luger [c] VS Dan Spivey
-Luger wins a slug fest, and hits a couple shoulder blocks followed by a running clothesline. Luger blocks an atomic drop, and hits a belly-to-back suplex for two. Spivey hits a tombstone (wink wink, nudge nudge) for two. Spivey hits a hangman's neck breaker for two. Spivey hits a DDT for two. Spivey hits a clothesline for two. Luger gets a rollup for two. Spivey hits an awkward elbow drop from the top for two. Spivey hits a piledriver for two. Spivey hits a belly-to-belly suplex for two.
Spivey keeps the pressure on Luger. Spivey charges, but Luger manages to hot shot Spivey ribs-first onto the top rope. Luger hits a flying clothesline as the crowd REALLY gets into Luger's comeback. Double clothesline puts both men down. Luger goes up top. Spivey tries to slam Luger off the top, but Luger hooks him and rolls through for the pin. Really good match with Spivey throwing everything he had at Luger, only for Luger to comeback and pull off a really nifty move to retain.
-Tony, Grizzly Smith, and Nikita Koloff (and his do rag), present the new U.S. title belt. Nikita presents the belt to Luger by smacking him in the face with it. Nikita uses the Terry Funk defense, as the WCW championship commitee told Nikita he couldn't have a world title match after being retired for two years and that Nikita will have to prove himself. Nikita figures what better man to prove himself against than the man who stole the U.S. title from him four years ago.
-Match 6 for the WCW World Tag Team Championship: Doom [c] (w/Teddy Long) VS The Freebirds (w/DDP & the Diamond Dolls)
-DDP rhymes and says "good god" a lot while bringing out Big Daddy Dink, the new "road boss" of the Freebirds. Simmons hits Hayes with a spine buster for two. Hayes comes back with a bulldog for two. Garvin calls out Reed, and manages to get a sunset flip on him for two. Reed hits Garvin with a back breaker, then follows up with a butterfly suplex for two. Simmons works over Garvin, but when Reed gets in, he immediately takes a DDT. Simmons hits Garvin with a vicious spine buster for two.
Match breaks down. Teddy tosses Reed a foreign object. Reed accidentally KO's Simmons, and Dink pushes Garvin on top for the pin and the titles. Match was decent while it lasted.
-Simmons pushes Teddy down, so Reed, with Long's encouragement, destroys Simmons with brass knuckles.
-JR interviews the winner of a sweepstakes to attend this show. The kid's favorite team is Doom. Oops.
-JR & Dusty preview the main event.
-Match 7: The 4 Horsemen (WCW World Champion Ric Flair, Barry Windham, Sid Vicious) & Larry Zybysko VS Sting, Brian Pillman, & WCW United States Tag Team Champions The Steiner Brothers
-Windham starts for the Horsemen. Pillman takes it upon himself to start for the babyfaces. Pillman's left shoulder is taped thanks to a Horseman attack the day before. Pillman owns Windham, kicking him in the nuts and ramming him into the cage. Pillman rakes Windham's head across the mesh, busting him open. There are small rods sticking out of both rings. Anyone know why that is? Pillman completely destroys Windham, going after his knee. Pillman blocks a piledriver and works Windham over as the period ends.
Horsemen win the coin toss (naturally). Flair rushes in and trades chops with Pillman before Windham is able to recover and make it 2-on-1. Flair's right leg is heavily taped. Flair & Windham work over Pillman's injured shoulder as the period ends.
Sting gets in, and goes right for Flair. Sting hits bulldogs on Flair & Windham as Pillman recovers. Windham crotches Pillman on the top rope. Sting & Flair battle it out as Pillman knees Windham in the nuts. Sting hits Flair with a Stinger splash as the period ends.
Pillman locks Windham in a figure 4 and Sting goes for the Scorpion Death lock as Zybysko enters. Zybysko pounds on Sting as Flair saves Windham.
Rick enters to even up the odds. Rick hits Flair with a belly-to-belly suplex and rams him into the cage. Rick rakes Flair's face across the mesh, busting Flair open.
Sid gets in and holds Rick for a kick to the nuts from Flair. Sid drops Sting with a clothesline. Rick fights everyone else on the Horsemen side as Windham and Pillman pair off again. Sting rams Flair into the cage.
Scott gets in to start "The Match Beyond". Scott cleans house, hitting Zybysko with a Tiger driver. Sting hits a Stinger splash and locks in a sloppy Scorpion death lock on Flair. Sid works on Pillman's injured shoulder. The faces get simultaneous figure 4 leg locks on all the Horsemen & Zybysko. Sting military presses Flair into the top of the cage before slamming him down. Rick tries to take a flip bump off a Sid clothesline, and lands right on his head.
Sid & Windham hit a double clothesline on Rick, who does a spinning sell off that. Pillman & Flair exchange some STIFF chops. Scott fucks up a DDT on Windham. Sid tosses Pillman into the top of the cage. Sid then almost kills poor Pillman with two powerbombs, with the first knocking Pillman out when his feet hit the top of the cage, and Pillman lands right on his neck. The second is slightly less fucked up.
El Gigante rushes out, breaks open the cage door and talks Nick Patrick into stopping the match because Pillman may be dead. Wild main event with a memorable (even if it's for the wrong reasons).
-JR gets a word from Nick Patrick, who does not regret stopping the war games. JR & Dusty back him up. They replay Nikita hitting Luger with the U.S. title belt to kill a little time before the PPV ends.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: The first half was terrible, but the second half was pretty good. Vader/Hansen, Luger/Spivey, and War Games are all well worth checking out if you haven't seen them.
No comments:
Post a Comment