Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce vs. Thunder/Lightning
Interview: Brian Pillman
Shockmaster vs. Mike DiBacco
Steven Regal (WCW TV Champion) vs. Scott Sandlin
Interview: Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce
Max Payne/Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma
This is the same show as the 1994-01-02 Worldwide with Terry Taylor instead of Jesse Ventura so I have just copied my thoughts here
Brian Pillman vs. Denny Brown
I like that Brian still has the Blondes trunks on
Tony and Jesse are our announcers and Jesse really didn’t care at this point and said what he wanted I think
Interesting to see the official with a bandage on his hand
I wonder if this is the same Denny Brown that was a lightweight champion in Georgia Championship wrestling
Wow Tony and Jesse are really knocking JR and talking midget clowns
This match is a little long in the tooth as Pillman shouldn’t be struggling against this guy as much as he is
Finally finishes it off with a flying splash that was not quite super
Interview: Thunder/Lightning
Mike Graham is an all-time great?
Put some paint on that Lightning guy and he would look a lot like Sting...
Boy wrestlers loved to tie those ropes on their arms
Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce vs. Thunder/Lightning
The idea of having these tapings at Disney was interesting. The crowds were always loud which added to some of these matches
I always liked Tex and Shanghai. Liked them in WCW and then again in WWF as the hog farmers and I really thought Southern Justice was a good gimmick for them prior to Shanghai breaking his neck
Lightning later becomes Cobra and then nWo Sting, I don’t know what happened to Thunder. He seemed solid in the ring
A quick search of the googles didn’t give me any info on Thunder
A shocking victory for the Texicans especially considering we had the interview earlier!
Interview: Brian Pillman
Mean Gene is back to talk to Flying Brian
I didn’t really care for the Col. Sanders/Col. Parker storyline.
Shockmaster vs. Mike DiBacco
I think I have said this before but good grief poor Uncle Fred’s music was awful
Shockmaster was in pretty good shape at this point of his career, he always carried his weight well but looked really good. Perhaps it was not being in the singlet
I was just about to say this match was going to long and he locked in that weird bearhug slam for the win
Steven Regal (WCW TV Champion) vs. Scott Sandlin
Here comes the highlight of WCW for several years in my opinion, his Lordship
The fans either hate Regal, the UK or really understood the queue signs they had to cheer or boo.
Regal, much like Jarrett on other shows this week, made you actually think they were going to lose
Regal using the butterfly suplex for the win and as always looked great!
Max Payne/Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma
Three really good wrestlers and Max Payne
Payne just wasn’t good in the ring here and sadly he handled most of it
I wonder if Cactus was hurt during this time or had a nagging injury
I know people give Roma bullshit about being in the Horsemen, and with good reason, but he was a solid hand and was great for these few years are Pretty Wonderful
Hate the finish and I was glad when they got rid of the over the top rope rule. It was good to occasionally use it but it never made sense to me. Middle rope fine top rope match over.
A basic syndicated show that really had nothing going for it as they hadn’t started the push to their next show, which I believe would be Superbrawl or possibly a Clash. It is fun to listen to Ventura not really care about anything and say what he wanted and I feel like this is when Tony was at his best as well, playing off someone like Jesse or Bobby Heenan. Then came Mark Madden and well if you ever watch a WCW Show with Madden or Stevie Ray or Juvi know you have reached the bad years, much like when Geordi is in a red shirt or Riker without a beard!
Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce vs. Thunder/Lightning
Interview: Brian Pillman
Shockmaster vs. Mike DiBacco
Steven Regal (WCW TV Champion) vs. Scott Sandlin
Interview: Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce
Max Payne/Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma
Brian Pillman vs. Denny Brown
I like that Brian still has the Blondes trunks on
Tony and Jesse are our announcers and Jesse really didn’t care at this point and said what he wanted I think
Interesting to see the official with a bandage on his hand
I wonder if this is the same Denny Brown that was a lightweight champion in Georgia Championship wrestling
Wow Tony and Jesse are really knocking JR and talking midget clowns
This match is a little long in the tooth as Pillman shouldn’t be struggling against this guy as much as he is
Finally finishes it off with a flying splash that was not quite super
Interview: Thunder/Lightning
Mike Graham is an all-time great?
Put some paint on that Lightning guy and he would look a lot like Sting...
Boy wrestlers loved to tie those ropes on their arms
Tex Slazenger/Shanghai Pierce vs. Thunder/Lightning
The idea of having these tapings at Disney was interesting. The crowds were always loud which added to some of these matches
I always liked Tex and Shanghai. Liked them in WCW and then again in WWF as the hog farmers and I really thought Southern Justice was a good gimmick for them prior to Shanghai breaking his neck
Lightning later becomes Cobra and then nWo Sting, I don’t know what happened to Thunder. He seemed solid in the ring
A quick search of the googles didn’t give me any info on Thunder
A shocking victory for the Texicans especially considering we had the interview earlier!
Interview: Brian Pillman
Mean Gene is back to talk to Flying Brian
I didn’t really care for the Col. Sanders/Col. Parker storyline.
Shockmaster vs. Mike DiBacco
I think I have said this before but good grief poor Uncle Fred’s music was awful
Shockmaster was in pretty good shape at this point of his career, he always carried his weight well but looked really good. Perhaps it was not being in the singlet
I was just about to say this match was going to long and he locked in that weird bearhug slam for the win
Steven Regal (WCW TV Champion) vs. Scott Sandlin
Here comes the highlight of WCW for several years in my opinion, his Lordship
The fans either hate Regal, the UK or really understood the queue signs they had to cheer or boo.
Regal, much like Jarrett on other shows this week, made you actually think they were going to lose
Regal using the butterfly suplex for the win and as always looked great!
Max Payne/Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma
Three really good wrestlers and Max Payne
Payne just wasn’t good in the ring here and sadly he handled most of it
I wonder if Cactus was hurt during this time or had a nagging injury
I know people give Roma bullshit about being in the Horsemen, and with good reason, but he was a solid hand and was great for these few years are Pretty Wonderful
Hate the finish and I was glad when they got rid of the over the top rope rule. It was good to occasionally use it but it never made sense to me. Middle rope fine top rope match over.
A basic syndicated show that really had nothing going for it as they hadn’t started the push to their next show, which I believe would be Superbrawl or possibly a Clash. It is fun to listen to Ventura not really care about anything and say what he wanted and I feel like this is when Tony was at his best as well, playing off someone like Jesse or Bobby Heenan. Then came Mark Madden and well if you ever watch a WCW Show with Madden or Stevie Ray or Juvi know you have reached the bad years, much like when Geordi is in a red shirt or Riker without a beard!
A nice rundown of tonights show to tell us what to expect
Kalisto vs. Lio Rush
How annoying is Lucha House Party and the same can be said about Lio Rush
At least Kalisto looks like a grown man where Rush looks like a high school freshmen safety
It is interesting that we see Kalisto wrestle on both shows. I think because it is believable that he can fight where Rush I wouldn’t believe fighting a high schooler
However, Rush is really good on the mic and being annoying
They should get a midget to ref Rush matches so the ref isn’t taller than him, hell throw Kalisto in that idea!
Damn that was a hell of a springboard move by Kalisto especially since I think Rush was in the wrong place
Was that a tornado Tomikaze? Wow!
Seriously? The noise makers are distracting him?
I like that Rush was trying to get Lince to hit him, such a sleazy move and he is sleazy!
Nice match and good win for Kalisto. I doubt him winning at the Rumble but the fans do enjoy the LHP
Interview: Drew Gulak/Jack Gallagher
Drew Gulak is so underutilized. I am shocked that Vince hasn’t brought him up to the main roster yet if as nothing else a mouth piece like Rush
Akira Tozawa vs. Drew Gulak
Is Tozawa still a member of Titus Worldwide? Does Titus Worldwide even still exist? I can’t remember the last time I saw Titus on TV
“You ask him if he can hear” - Gulak after ripping at Tozawa ear
I have to say I enjoy the noises Tozawa make as wrestling
Very different match then I expected here, much more ground and pound even when Tozawa was in charge
Both of these guys are good but every time I see Drew I wonder why he isn’t on Monday or Tuesday night
Tozawa is lasting too long in the Gu-Lock in my opinion. That is the kind of submission that should end it quickly once he locks it in
I think Drew needs to shave and go back to the suit wearing guy but who can go in the ring, kind of like IRS back in the day. Shoud even wrestle in suit and tie I think
A missile head first dive, nice from Tozawa!
I like that the announce crew has talked about how many times these guys have wrestled and how it is affecting the match
I like the story that Gulak tried something new and it cost him when he went to the top to try that superplex
Sad that Gulak isn’t going to get the shot however as he should get a run with the title
As always the show has great wrestling but the storytelling is lacking on the show. They need to have some sizzle with the steak to paraphrase JR. They have plenty of in ring talent but lack that entertainment in sports entertainment. I think it is because they are a one hour show and get two matches. I think they either need to get some enhancement type matches or throw a match on Raw each week and give them time to show what they can do!
Billy Gunn/Bart Gunn vs. Bam Bam Bigelow/Bastion Booger
Jeff Jarrett vs. John Chrystal
Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Brian Walsh
Segment: Paul Bearer/Undertaker
I always liked it when Taker spoke few words
Recap: Interview: Jim Cornette/Mr. Fuji/Yokozuna (WWF Champion)
I could listen to Corny read the phone book I think
Yoko had great facials for rarely speaking, you understood what he was thinking, something missing at times today
Yokozuna (WWF Champion) vs. Dan Dubiel
Johnny Polo was great at the “sound byte” that they loved back in the day
It is shocking that Yoko didn’t hurt anyone with that massive weight especially with the leg drops and Bonzai drop
Dear lord I think I would have soiled myself seeing Yoko coming down at me like that.
JIP: Lex Luger vs. Jacques (WWF Tag Team Champion)
Go back to my review of 1994-01-01 Superstars
But I love Polo being 1994 wrestling personality!
Interview: Lex Luger
What is with Flexy Lexy’s hair?!
Lex wasn’t great at interviews and it was weird he wasn’t sure where to look during this interview. Do I look at Vince or the camera?
Billy Gunn/Bart Gunn vs. Bam Bam Bigelow/Bastion Booger
I think I have mentioned it before but how did ANYONE think that Bastion Booger was going to get over?
How good was Bam Bam. I never understood why he isn’t included in the best of the big man conversation
Poor Mike Shaw, another big man who could move in the ring but never got a fair shot in the US
Not only did Shaw get a horrible gimmick it was then all about his “hump”
Billy and Bart get the win which shouldn’t surprise anyone but who thought we needed to see Booger vs. Bam Bam?
Jeff Jarrett vs. John Chrystal
I love first run Jeff Jarrett outfits with all the ribbons and streams and what not
They sure didn’t do much to get Double J over early on with him having issues with the enhancement talent
Segment: Marty Jannetty/1-2-3 Kid/Johnny Polo
I miss Polo, I think I liked that character better than Raven, and I really enjoyed Raven
Uggg, I have never liked Waltman’s voice and he just got worse over the years
Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) vs. Brian Walsh
Loved having Jacques on the phone during the match talking about the title match
How smooth was Michaels? I mean it is amazing!
It is so weird to see Raw mostly being squash matches. It wouldn’t be that way in about a year! For Raw to basically be an hour infomercial for the PPV is so interesting, things sure changed once Nitro started
Segment: Paul Bearer/Undertaker
Recap: Interview: Jim Cornette/Mr. Fuji/Yokozuna (WWF Champion)
Yokozuna (WWF Champion) def. Dan Dubiel
JIP: Lex Luger def. Jacques (WWF Tag Team Champion)
Interview: Lex Luger
Video: Sparky Plugg
Billy Gunn/Bart Gunn def. Bam Bam Bigelow/Bastion Booger via Countout
Royal Rumble Report
Jeff Jarrett def. John Chrystal
Recap: Johnny Polo def. Marty Jannetty
Segment: Marty Jannetty/1-2-3 Kid/Johnny Polo
Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) def. Brian Walsh
Finally giving him the title here seems to be a little too little to late in my opinion. Mania is where it should have happened at the height of Rusev Day
Remember when Lana was the hottest thing in WWE? Yeah me neither
Interesting idea of hurting Lana to further to storyline
Naomi vs. Mandy Rose
I just don’t care about either of these two
I feel like Rose is a step back for the division
Wait, it is DeVille and Naomi, I do care about DeVille! I am a big fan of DeVille
Wait that pic in a towel upsets Naomi? The beach pics are more revealing
Segment: Randy Orton
Segment: Randy Orton
Segment: Mustafa Ali
All about the Fatal Five Way, I like that they are all after the title
Segment: New Years Resolutions
Was that Shelton Benjamin? Where has he been?
Segment: Samoa Joe
Again the title is what is important and I like that about Smackdown
Segment: John Cena
John Cena is slowly morphing into Ernest P Worell and JBL
I still can’t get over Cena’s hair! It makes his face expressions even goofier
I do enjoy Cena and his interviews and jabs at himself and others
IT’S THE MAN BECKY LYNCH!
For the record, even before she became the man, I have always loved me some Becky Lynch!
How great is Zelina!
John Cena/Becky Lynch vs. Zelina/Andrade Cien Almas
Why did Zelina have her gear on? She doesn’t usually wrestle
Much like the Rock, having Cena off TV made me miss him and want him back on TV
Also how great is Cory at the desk?
Almas is slowly growing on me. I’d like to see him in a true long term feud
I hate the “new” thing of running into one corner hard and then charging your opponent. If you can run yourself into the corner without pain why does it hurt if thrown in? Almas, Wyatt, Bryan all do it and I hate it
Love Becky’s character, why wouldn’t you want to be the best!
Segment: Shane McMahon/Miz
I am not sure about this idea of Miz becoming a good guy
Pointless segment building up challengers that we already knew
AJ Styles vs. Rey Misterio vs. Randy Orton vs. Mustafa Ali vs. Samoa Joe
I am not sure about the idea of pushing Mustafa Ali but I am willing see where they go
It is interesting to see a more aggressive Styles, even though I don’t think it fits him personally
These 5 really are good in the ring, like amazingly good
I hate the masks Misterio has been using lately with the stupid mohawk
Uggg, the Spanish Fly is such a stupid move
Love that it was without a finish, even if the 450 from Styles was slightly sloppy (not that I could do better mind you). While I love finishers the matches don’t have to always end it, just don’t kick out finishers constantly!
A better than expected New Years day show. It is weird to think that the New Days segment is the worst part of a show but it just didn’t fit. I really think they need to go back on Raw where it is more about the sizzle than the steak in my opinion. Leave the wrestling to Smackdown and the Sports Entertainment to Raw.
Interview: Jim Cornette/Mr. Fuji/Yokozuna (WWF Champion)
Mabel/Mo vs. Reno Riggins/Louie Spicolli/
IRS vs. Mike Khoury/
Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) vs. John Santana
Tatanka vs. Ton Devito
My copied joined this match in process but what you’d expect from this time, a complete squash
Gorilla and JR talk about Tatanka coming back from his recent injury at the hands of Yokozuna and Ludvig Borga
Devito was a good hand in the ring. If he was a little taller I think he could have a decent lower midcard run
I believe he ended up being one of the Baldies in ECW now that I think about as that lower midcarder
Tatanaka ended it with a chop from the top, not his usual finisher which was interesting
Special report is next and is all about the Royal Rumble
Alfred Hayes was such an interesting person to run this with his proper English voice and pronunciations.
I love that we would see some of the same segments on all shows since not everyone saw the same shows. It is interesting to see where wrestling was some 20+ years ago
Samu/Fatu vs. Russ Greenberg/John Crystal
Rikishi sure looked like his kids back during these days! US – OH!
I remember watching the Headshrinkers as a kid and thinking they were actually just beating these guys up. Always looked stiff in the ring. Believable!
Always makes me laugh when JR or Gorilla randomly say stuff about the enhancement talent, made it interesting
Face to Face
Time for some Face to Face. I actually liked this concept for when shows were going to be in the local area. Better than the event center but not as good as when Mean Gene or someone would just do standups
Diesel talks about the New York Royal Rumble and sure wasn’t the Nash that we have grown to love. He was just starting to come into his own.
Shawn Michaels also talks about the NYRR and he was good as that cocky heel....but you have to wonder was he acting or was he just being himself?
Doink vs. Duane Gill
I really liked the original heel Matt Bourne Doink. Then Doink became a good guy then we got Dink and I was over it.
One thing about however was in the Doink makeup they were always really good in the ring.
Good grief Dink was annoying!
Quick squash for the clowns
Interview time!
Yokozuna, Mr. Fuji and Jim Cornette interviewed by Stan Lane
I wonder how much fun Stan and Corny had together doing things like this. I was disappointed that they rarely referenced Stan’s career as a wrestler as an announcer
How bad was Stan’s hair?
Also how great was and is Corny?
Mabel/Mo vs. Reno Riggins/Louie Spicolli
I never got Men on a Mission, especially with Oscar
But the fans really loved them so who am I to argue
Neither were really great in the ring at this point, Viscera, as I will always think of him as, would get better
I think Riggins and Spicolli were better performers than MOM even though we never saw the late Spicolli in the ring
Video Package for Sparky Plugg
This video was HARDCORE! (get it...hardcore...holly....I am sorry)
IRS vs. Mike Khoury
I love the idea that he had Razors gold in the case even though he knows the camera will try to look into it!
How great was IRS in the ring?
I think Money Inc was one of my favorite teams
Second match this week that didn’t end with the stars usual finisher. IRS used a snapped belly to back suplex instead of the clothesline or samoan drop. Very interesting and I think I like it!
Royal Rumble Report
His weird little jabs at the guys still make me chuckle
“Mabel from MOM, Scott Steiner from his Mom”. Ha ha
“Fatu from the Headshrinkers, Samu from the Headshrinkers, Shamu from Seaworld”
Shawn Michaels vs. John Santana
Shawn has the IC belt but wasn’t recognized. This obviously was building toward the famous ladder match
Shawn was always so smooth in the ring till his back injury.
Interesting to see Shawn finish with the elbow from the top ala Randy Savage who was still with the company.
Yet another non-finisher finish even though he used the superkick earlier in the match
I don’t know if he was using Sweet Chin Music as his finisher her or still using the suplex
Face to Face
Crush and Randy Savage continue to build their feud here. Nothing special
This match reminded me how good the in ring action was at this time if the characters and storylines were great. IRS, Shawn Michaels, Doink, Gill, Spicolli, Riggins, Tatanka and DeVito were all good to great. Sad that this time isn’t remembered for the good in ring but instead for the bad gimmicks and storylines.
Tatanka def. Tony DeVito
Special Report: Paul Bearer/Undertaker
Samu/Fatu def. John Crystal/Russ Greenberg
Face to Face: Diesel/Shawn Michaels
Doink def. Duane Gill
Interview: Jim Cornette/Mr. Fuji/Yokozuna (WWF Champion)
Mabel/Mo def. Reno Riggins/Louie Spicolli
Video: Sparky Plugg
Segment: IRS
IRS def. Mike Khoury
Royal Rumble Report
Shawn Michaels (Intercontinental Champion) def. John Santana
Start off with Stan Lane and Vince McMahon but they throw it over to Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon for our first match
Start off with Stan Lane and Vince McMahon but they throw it over to Jim Ross and Gorilla Monsoon for our first match
Jacques (WWF Tag Team Champion) vs. Lex Luger
They are playing off Lex Luger knocking out Pierre prior to the Survivor Series
A little bit of stick time for Jaques before the match playing off the steel plate in Lugers arm
Jacques says he isn’t wrestling because there is no doctors note....but here comes Timmy White and Danny Davis saying otherwise
He comes Flexy Lexy in his Red White and Blue
I think Lex’s biggest problem was always his selling. He was fine on offense but when in trouble he just wasn’t always believable.
Same goes with Jacques, but it was more the more cartoony selling of the 80’s I think. Lots of floppying around
I haven’t mentioned Johnny Polo on the outside. As big as Raven became, I would have liked to see more Polo personally
Nice attempt at “twin magic” there but of course it doesn’t work
Pierre gets knocked out and counted out so it is over...wait Jacques is arguing and the match continues till he gets knocked out!
I think Polo is going to get one for good measure!
It's nice to see that the WWF always buried their tag champs for their top stars, I would hate to think that they weren’t constant in their thinking
It is weird to see PPV on days other than Sunday. Starrcade was on Monday and the Royal Rumble is on Saturday!
Face to Face is up which is local promos and they are doing a NYC Royal Rumble. I believe this is the one that Owen ends up winning
Razor Ramon telling me not to pollute my body....is that the definition of irony?
Time for the Headshrinkers to face Tim McNeany/Mike Khoury
Samu always looked wild....Fatu however was kind of normal
Stan Lane never really fit in as an announcer. Much like Terry Taylor he was okay but nothing great
Not a lot to say about this match, a typical squash with no offense from the enhancements
Next up Raymond Rougeau is going to interview Razor Ramon
This was all about Razor missing his chains, taken by IRS. I know that gets me excited about a match between these two!
Good grief I am going to have a birthday during this interview. If there was ever an interview that needed “What” chants this is it!
Bastion Booger vs. Tony Roy
Poor Mike Shaw, he could actually wrestle but how was this gimmick going to get over?
Another quick squash and again poor Mike
Its time for a Sparky Plugg promo!
Owen vs. Barry Hardy
Look at that hair cut on Barry Hardy!
None of the Hart Family really look like each other which is weird
How great was Owen, seriously I know I just wrote that but it is true. I actually would say Owen was better than Bret but that is me
Time for Todd Pettengill and the Royal Rumble Report
Todd was annoying but he did seem legit excited anytime you saw him
I miss Paul Bearer! I couldn’t understand a thing he said but you knew it was bad for Yokozuna!
Ludvig Borga vs. John Crystal
Borga should have had a bigger career in WWF. I am not sure exactly what happened with him
He ticked every box that Vince likes and he wasn’t HORRIBLE (wasn’t good either) in the ring either
Borga wins with the torture rack
Back with another Face to Face about Jarrett taking on Razor
A typical syndicated show with a little storyline movement with Lex Luger to continue his quest to get another shot at the title. Meanwhile we see the continued push of Razor Ramon who honestly from day one was a top guy but never THE guy.
Segment: Jacques (WWF Tag Team Champion)
Lex Luger def. Jacques (WWF Tag Team Champion)
Face to Face: Jim Cornette/Tatanka
Samu/Fatu def. Tim McNeany/Mike Khoury
Interview: Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion)
Bastion Booger def. Tony Roy
Video: Sparky Plugg
Owen Hart def. Barry Hardy via Submission
Royal Rumble Report
Ludvig Borga def. John Crystal via Submission
Face to Face: Jeff Jarrett/Razor Ramon (Intercontinental Champion)
Steven Regal (WCW TV Title) vs. Terry Taylor for the Title
Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma vs. Scott Studd/Brady Boone
Johnny B. Badd vs. Tony Zane
Cactus Jack/Max Payne vs. Robbie Eagle/Mark Kyle via Submission
King Kong/Awesome Kong vs. Ben Jordan/Scott D’Amour
Shockmaster vs. JL Sullivan
Brian Pillman vs. Buddy Lee Parker
Marcus Bagwell/Too Cold Scorpio vs. Pat Rose/JD Wolfe
Steve Austin (US Champion) vs. Sting via DQ
We start off with Mean Gene, Tony and Jesse Ventura
Next we have a video package for Ric Flair, his history with WCW
Funny to see at this point he was the man for the company...yet a few months down the line that will shift brother
I hated that WWF looking WCW World Title. I was glad they merged the titles into the Big Gold Belt
I am looking forward to this! Terry Taylor against Steven Regal for the TV Title
Regal is easily one of my favorites and Taylor was always underrated thanks to being the Red Rooster
Yeah those ladies in fancy dresses weren’t plants...nope not at all
I don’t remember this “comeback” for Taylor. I remember the 92 run with the Hammer and then returned briefly to WWF in 93 but this one I don’t remember.
If I could only watch one wrestler for the rest of my life I think I’d pick Regal. Especially this era and the Blue Bloods with Bobby Eaton
I always liked the TV Title and the time limit involved. I miss the time limits
Nice move with Regal hooking the trunks but not talked about. It’s the little things that Regal did that made me like him
Oh Col Parker, what a great character! Love him talking and Austin just looking smug
Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma, a staple for the next couple of years, take on Scott Studd and Brady Boone
Is that Scotty Riggs? It sure is!
They are using the wrong corners...weird
Riggs looks so young, it's amazing what a year or two will do for appearance
Starrcade Control center is next
We see footage of Austin against Rhodes for the US Title
We also see Flair winning the title and an interview with Sting and Flair
We come back from break and it is time for Johnny B. Badd against Tony Zane
Wow the fans LOVE Badd! Honestly they were all on their feet which is shocking
I miss enhancement talent like Zane, those you know who have no chance just by looking at them
One thing about Badd, he was quite athletic and the fans loved him
Interview: Johnny B. Badd/Shanghi Pierce/Tex Slashenger
His interview weren’t that good though were they?
Wait...he had a tag team partner?
Michael PS Hayes teamed with Badd? I don’t remember this
I do like Tex and Shanghi however!
Cactus Jack/Max Payne vs. Robbie Eagle/Mark Kyle
Kyle was working for Smokey Mountain and WCW at this point? Interesting. Maybe Kyle had left SMW at this point
Payne never did it for me. He was okay with Cactus here but honestly he wasn’t anything special
Payne and Jack win with the Payne killer
I honestly would rather have seen Kyle and Jack as a team, I really thought Kyle was a good hand
Interview: Cactus Jack/Max Payne
I never liked Jack as an interview prior to ECW because of the way he spoke. That little vibrato he put in his interviews bothered me at times
Payne had a decent voice but was just missing that one thing. I think this team needed a manager to speak for them. Should have had Kevin Sullivan and Jack do the talking and Payne make weird faces
Colossal Kongs vs. Ben Jordan/Scott D’Amour
I believe Ben Jordan had a run in the GWF and of course Scott is the team captain of Team Canada
That match is over and exactly what it should have been, a complete squash
Shockmaster vs. JL Sullivan
Poor Tugboat being stuck as the Shockmaster and having to wear a construction helmet
Tugboat is going to squash this guy
I will say Tugboat looked in pretty good shape at this point
Never understood his theme music though
Brian Pillman vs. Buddy Lee Parker
Never understood the love WCW had for Buddy Lee
I thought they said on Pro that Pillman was facing Col Robert Parker no Buddy Lee
Buddy Lee was average at best and probably the rest that most of the Power Plant guys are out of the business
Pillman is giving Buddy Lee way too much offense.
Jesse just asked why do they always stop punching at ten...one reason I kind of liked Jesse at this point. He didn’t care and would just say random stuff
Interview: Brian Pillman
He has a chicken suit!
Pillman was much better as a heel plain and simple
Marcus Bagwell/Too Cold Scorpio vs. Pat Rose/JD Wolfe
Bagwell is another guy, like Pillman, that was much better as a heel. Mostly because just looking at him you could tell he was a douche so why not embrace it.
I understand the company keeping him a face as much as possible as the female fans loved him
Scorpio never got a fair shot in WCW to be a player in my opinion
Interview: Marcus Bagwell/Too Cold Scorpio/Teddy Long
Giving this team Teddy as a manager made sense because neither of the other guys could really talk at this point
Every time I hear Bagwell talk all I think of is Piper embarrassing him on Nitro live
Sting vs. Steve Austin (US Champion)
It's weird to think a few years later that Stunning Steve would be the biggest star of all time
These two always meshed well in the ring, its easy to forget that Austin as once a great technician
A very interesting hair style Sting has too, like a mix between the LOD and Rattail Sting. Maybe because he was teaming with Hawk
Nice way to keep both guys strong and makes sense from a storyline standpoint with Pillman interferring
Interview: Robert Parker/Steve Austin
Basically setting up what appears to be a tag match next week against these three and Rick Rude
One thing about WCW, the in ring action was always solid. Look at who was on this show. Pillman, Austin, Sting, Scorpio, Cactus, Orndorff and Regal. While some of the storylines were bad and the announcing at time was painful the in ring action was always good.
Video Package: Ric Flair
Steven Regal (WCW TV Title) def. Terry Taylor for the Title
Segment: Robert Parker/Steve Austin (US Champion)
Paul Orndorff/Paul Roma def. Scott Studd/Brady Boone
Starrade Control Center
Johnny B. Badd def. Tony Zane
Interview: Johnny B. Badd/Shanghi Pierce/Tex Slashenger
Cactus Jack/Max Payne def. Robbie Eagle/Mark Kyle via Submission
Interview: Cactus Jack/Max Payne
King Kong/Awesome Kong def. Ben Jordan/Scott D’Amour
Shockmaster def. JL Sullivan
Brian Pillman def. Buddy Lee Parker
Interview: Brian Pillman
Marcus Bagwell/Too Cold Scorpio def. Pat Rose/JD Wolfe
Interview: Marcus Bagwell/Too Cold Scorpio/Teddy Long
Steve Austin (US Champion) def. Sting via DQ
Interview: Robert Parker/Steve Austin (US Champion)
PG-13 was a decent team for Memphis. When they got to the WWF they were just too small like so many before them. I mean Dave Brown is taller then they are!
Also Morton and Michaels should NEVER be given a live mic
Todd Morton/Chris Michaels def. Wolfie D/JC Ice for the USWA Tag Team Titles
Morton and Michaels come off so much like a rip off of the RNR Express that it is painful especially with the video earlier
Bert really needed a better hair cut...and jacket...but I’m sure that USWA wasn’t paying real well
Interview: Ron Harris/Don Harris
Wow you can clearly see on of their SS tats....wonder why they thought that was a good idea
Ron Harris/Don Harris def. TD Steele/Skip Morris
The Harris boys just beat people up. Most looks safe but good grief it looks stiff
Interview: Jerry Lawler (Unified World Champion)
Wow Lawler is addressing the accusations on live TV?!?!
Sadly I don’t have the full interview but what a thing to do, brilliant!
USWA TV was so random. You have some great interviews like when The King was out there then you had PG-13. Perhaps it is looking back on what today is but that PG-13 stuff was painful and don’t get me started on Cory Macklin was an announcer! It was also interesting to get pretty much 30 minutes of the Lawlers and Gilberts at the beginning.
Highlights: Brian Christopher def. Buddy Landell (USWA Champion) for the Title
Highlights: Doug Gilbert/Eddie Gilbert def. Brian Christopher/Jerry Lawler via DQ
Highlights: Battle Royal
Segment: Brian Christopher/Jerry Lawler
Music Video: Robert Gibson/Ricky Morton
Segment: Eddie Marlin
Segment: Eddie Gilbert/Doug Gilbert/Killer Kyle/Buddy Landell
Highlights: Unknown def. George Brown
Chris Michaels/Todd Morton def. Mad Dog/Scott McKeever
Segment: Wolfie D/JC Ice
Highlights: Ron Haris/Don Harris def. Jeff Gaylord/Mike Anthony
Rick Rude (World Heavyweight Champion) vs. Frankie Lancaster
Paul Roma/Paul Orndorff vs. Kendall Windham/Leroy Howard
Flashback to 1988 Great American Bash
Ric Flair (WCW Champion) vs. King Kong
Starts off with The Living Legend and Chris Cruise talking about Ric Flair winning the Title for the 11th time
Ron Simmons vs. Brad Armstrong
Ron is still a fan favorite here so it is weird to have a face vs. Face match here. I believe this is during Ron’s heel turn but I am not sure.
Starts off with Ronnie refusing a handshake so my assumption of a heel turn is true
It really is too bad that Brad never got a sustained push, he was so smooth in the ring
The announcing with Terry Taylor is not good, I don’t remember this time period but whoever thought to put Taylor in the booth was not a good choice
Sloppy there at the end and I feel like it is because Brad was wrestling and Ron never was what I would call a smooth wrestler.
We come back and it is time for the Starrcade control center with Mean Gene
Talk about Ric Flair and Steve Austin winning the World and US Champions
Next up Larry and Chris talk about the Sting and Hawk unable to dethrone the Nasty Boys and we go to the ring
Sting vs. Bill Tyree
I thought it was Axl Rotten in the ring with the hair cut
Tyree is a big man but sloppy big
This match has already gone too far
Thankfully it is time for the Scorpion Deathlock and it is over...that was painful!
Sting vs. Steve Austin and Terry Taylor vs. Steve Regal tonight on Saturday Night was talked, both of those could be really good matches!
I have to say some of these old school commercials are awesome
Chris and Larry talk about Rick Rude against the Boss at Starrcade
Rick Rude, the World Heavyweight Champion vs. Frankie Lancaster
This was a time where we had a WCW Champions and the NWA World Champions
Frankie was always a nice hand in the ring and almost always had a good showing
And lets be honest, Rick Rude was one of the best in the ring, he could have a good match with a broom as the old saying goes
I wish Rude hadn’t been hurt later in 1994, he could have been a HUGE star during the attitude era in my opinion or even before.
Rude Awakening and that is it for Mr. Lancaster!
Back to Larry and Chris for more talk about Starrcade. Cruise was underrated for the time. He didn’t fit when they got a little more “real” but for the time he was good
We are going to the Highlight Zone? Oh it is a video package for Starrcade....weird....WCW was weird back in this time
Pretty Wonderful...wait they aren’t pretty wonderful yet vs. Kendall Windham/Leroy Howard
Kendall has a beard and really looks like his Barry here, just not a big/bulky
I know Roma gets a bunch of crap online but he was always solid. Not Four Horsemen solid but was never bad
2nd greatest piledriver of all time and this match is over!
More Larry and Chris and we are going to the Flashback
1988 Great American Bash: Arn Anderson/Tully Blanchard (NWA Tag Team Champions) vs. Sting/Nikita Koloff
The fans back then were always HOT, especially for big shows and anytime the Horsemen were involved
I never understood showing matches like this especially when they couldn’t have matches like this at the time. It is like reminding people what their shows used to be like!
I sure hope the rattail haircut doesn’t come back....EVER!
One thing that seperated WCW and WWF back in 1988 was the camera work. Such weird cuts for WCW that you would NEVER see Vince and company make
The WCW 1994 calendar full of Missy Hyatt...that isn’t a bad thing! It was before the bad surgeries
More Larry and Chris, this time kicking it to Flair against King Kong
Ric Flair (WCW Champion) vs. King Kong
The Colossal Kongs were a decent job team back in the day of WCW. Always treated like a threat but never really did anything
I like that they were still using Harley Race at this time, he added something as a manager I thought
This spinning ring thing at Disney was different and different which is good to separate each show
Lots of shots from Harley from the floor. Strange to see so much on what is almost a “C” show
Kong just kicked him with his left leg, don’t see that a lot
OH MY GOD! Ric just did the upside flip run to the other buckle thing and it worked! Well he is a good guy right now so it makes since but it is still weird to see
Figure Four and that is it boys and girls
A slam on Harley after the match for good measure
One more time to Larry and Chris to wrap the show up.
Overall a solid show to start the new year! WCW always had decent matches but the storylines weren’t great. To start off we saw some good matches and with Sting, Austin, Rude and Flair 1994 in ring is going to be good. Lets see what the creative team can give us!
Ron Simmons def. Brad Armstrong
Starrcade Control Center
Sting def. Bill Tyree via Submission
Rick Rude (World Heavyweight Champion) def. Frankie Lancaster
Video Recap: Ric Flair vs. Vader (WCW Champion)
Paul Roma/Paul Orndorff def. Kendall Windham/Leroy Howard
Flashback to 1988 Great American Bash
Ric Flair (WCW Champion) def. King Kong via Submission
Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan vs. Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel
Interview: Johnny Saint/Sid Scala
Jinny vs. Candy Floss
Mark Coffey/Wolfgang vs. Trent Seven/Tyler Bate
Travis Banks vs. Jamie Ahmed
I will be honest, this is my first NXT UK show that I am watching
I have seen Banks on other UK shows but Ahmed is an unknown to me
I like Banks, he has a good look, Ahmed needs something to get me excited for him upon first look
Banks, for seemingly being a babyface, needs to scowl less. The smiling babyface is missing in wrestling and he could fit the model
Segment: Travis Banks/Jordan Devlin
Devlin is weird looking, something about his mouth
History: Tag Team Main Event
Nice history package especially for new users
Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel vs. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan
Anytime a team doesn’t come out together I assume they will eventually fight and aren’t a real team
Barthel is German? Why isn’t he dancing ala Alex Wright?
That is not a tag! You have to tag each other not someone’s shoulder, I hate that!
The fans are into Jordan dancing but I am into the cross-throat chop!
Is Aichner a long lost Basham brother?
Uggg, why would a heel play to the crowd like that?
That was a HORRIBLE hot tag to Williams, Barthel seemed lost
Don’t quite get that finisher, think they need to find a better double team finisher but all four looked good minus that hot tag
Interview: Toni Storm/Deonna Purrazzo
Purrazzo is not natural on the mic yet, that is for sure
Interview: Johnny Saint/Sid Scala/Joe Coffey
One thing that people will struggle with is the accents and Coffeys is thick!
Wow Saint is dismissing people!
Candy Floss vs. Jinny
Candy Floss reminds me of early Alexa Bliss in NXT
I have seen both of these girls and they are both good in the ring especially since Floss is so young
Jinny would be excellent as the evil queen next to a king so to speak
One thing I have never liked was when most women hit. They always look to be hitting with the wrist and seems to be a weak point often
Not the best finisher for Jinny as it is hard to time it correctly. Really good match but I think I would look for a better finisher
Trent Seven/Tyler Bate vs. Mark Coffey/Wolfgang
I have seen three of these guys and I have heard that Coffey is good in the ring so I am excited for this
Uggg, I hate the fans at NXT and British wrestling
I like it, similar look and gear. A true tag team in the mountain boys
What was Seven looking at instead of watching Bate back?
Seriously shut up fans, you are not the show!
Nice old school style tag team work here by both teams
Very vocal, very loud and very annoying NXT UK audience in my opinion
What is with the color of the officials face?
Great catch by Wolfgang to make sure Bate didn’t hurt himself or someone in the audience
Why chant for NXT and not Bate? I don’t understand fans!
I don’t get that shoulder dive into the ropes
Really good match with great story line, work and dare I say psychology?!
Segment: Pete Dunne (UK Champion)
Typical champion I am coming for you challenger promo
A really good show. I realize that WWE realize how to put together a great NXT show they have been doing it for a while down in Florida now but it also is a reminder of what wrestling could be. Nothing too silly. Men and women having athletic matches
Travis Banks def. Jamie Ahmed
Segment: Travis Banks/Jordan Devlin
History: Tag Team Match
Fabian Aichner/Marcel Barthel def. Kenny Williams/Amir Jordan
