RATING LEVELS:
Curt Hennig – A
“GOAT” show, as Perfect as possible
Watch It – A
consistently good show worth watching in its entirety
Watch It…With Remote
in Hand – 3 or more above-average ratings
High Risk Maneuver –
Mostly filler, inessential, but 1-2 good matches
DUDleyville –
Zero redeeming qualities, chore to watch
CLASH OF THE
CHAMPIONS XXII – January 93’
Milwaukee,
WI
CHAMPIONSHIP
BACKGROUNDS: Heading into tonight’s show, Vader is the WCW World
Heavyweight Champion, having regained the title from Ron Simmons at the end of
December. The Great Muta holds the NWA World Championship after defeating
Masahiro Chono in Japan. The WCW/NWA Unified Tag Team Champions are Ricky
Steamboat and Shane Douglas. Having suffered an injury that kept him from
defending the US Championship at Starrcade the previous month, Rick Rude was
stripped of the belt and the title was put up in a tournament that Dustin
Rhodes won two days prior to this show. At this point, the Television
Championship had been vacated when champion Scott Steiner left with his brother
Rick for the WWE.
COMMENTATORS: Jim
Ross and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
11 months before this show, Milwaukee’s Mecca hosted what
has been called the best WCW pay-per-view of all time: SuperBrawl II (reviewed on this very blog!). The crowd
was red hot that night raising the question of whether or not WCW would provide the loyal Wisconsinites another night of legendary
wrestling or would they be subject to the uneven booking and unfulfilled
promises that hurt Starrcade 92'?
Unfortunately, we get our answer fairly quickly when the
show kicks off with WCW executive Bill Watts announcing that Van Hammer will be
unable to compete tonight in either of his two spotlight matches – the
Thundercage main event OR the arm wrestling challenge against Tony Atlas. But
that’s not all, folks – Watts also announced that his son, Erik, is suspended
from action and will not take on Cactus Jack as advertised.
Instead, Cactus Jack takes
on Johnny B. Badd in our opening
contest. The announcers do a nice job of providing back story to this match as
the two had been paired in the Lethal Lottery and lost their BattleBowl
qualifying match due to miscommunication. Ventura also makes mention of Jack’s
increasing popularity, noting the number of fans in attendance with signs
supporting the wildman from Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. He’s not blowing smoke
either – the loudest pop of the match comes when Jack does his “Bang! Bang!”
exclamation. Part of Jack’s popularity no doubt comes from the sympathy he got
after he was viciously attacked by Vader, Harley Race, and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul
Orndorff on WCW Main Event a few weeks (?) before this event. As
for this match, there’s not much too it. In fact, the shocking pinfall
comes so early there’s really nothing to love or hate about it. I’d
probably complain if I were a bigger Badd fan and felt he honestly deserved
better, but I’m not and I don’t. (2/5)
After a commercial break, we get a music video hyping WCW
newcomer 2 Cold Scorpio. This video
is so 90s, it should come with a coupon for Crystal Pepsi. This video is so
90s, it’s wearing Bugle Boys. This video is so 90s, Jaleel White and Alf make
cameos. This video is so 90s…well, you get the picture. Very funny stuff here that you don't even the Network to view thanks to YouTube. Check it out here. (4/5)
From there, we are back in the ring for 2 Cold Scorpio vs. Scotty Flamingo. Obviously, this one will be
most interesting to fans of ECW, where these two performers really took off.
From the get-go, the crowd is into this match, welcoming Flamingo with a
"Scotty Sucks" chant. Unfortunately, in the opening minutes there are
some noticeable miscues, including Scorpio not connecting on a big kick and
Flamingo delivering an awkward high crossbody to the outside. Still, when
Scorpio does take control and start performing his high-flying splashes, things
turn around. Scorpio's hang time is simply incredible and arguably unparalleled
by any other aerial specialist. This match is a nice reminder that, when
ranking the best high flyers of the 90s, Scorpio deserves to be near the top of
the list because, while there are countless guys who can perform moonsaults and
450s, there might not be anyone who could perform them with such breathtaking,
time-altering beauty. (3/5)
A video package recaps how Harley Race landed on "Mr.
Wonderful" Paul Orndorff to replace Rick Rude on Vader's team later
tonight. This series of clips is really useful for viewers, like myself, who
didn't know the specifics around this storyline, especially how it relates to
Cactus Jack. Basically, Race has Orndorff and Jack wrestle to decide who gets
to join Vader's team, but Jack ends up turning on Harley. This causes Vader to
come down and, together, the three destroy Cactus.
Chris Benoit vs. Brad
Armstrong is our next contest and, again, modern viewers will probably find
this most interesting because of Benoit's present-day notoriety as well as his
reputation as one of the sport's best technicians of all time. Jim Ross notes
that Benoit was trained in Stu Hart's dungeon, but pays equal respect to
Armstrong's pedigree.
Benoit had debuted the previous June in the Tag Team Championship tournament,
but as far as I know, this is his first major singles match in WCW. At the
start, Benoit and Armstrong cut a blistering pace, but then go into an extended
hammerlock/armbar segment that loses the audience a bit. The truth is, this
sort of technical wrestling is impressive, but not necessarily what the live
crowd was clamoring for from a relatively unknown combatant like Benoit. When
the high spots do start kicking in, the crowd pops big, especially as Benoit
starts showing off his suplexes. It is a bit difficult to watch Benoit miss on
his trademark headbutt from the top, especially when this maneuver seems to not
only have had a negative effect on his health but may have been a major
component in Daniel Bryan's unfortunate injuries and string of concussions in 2014 and 2015, but at the time,
these workplace hazards were in no one's mind. The finish here is particularly well-executed, as expected, but as much as Ventura and Ross sell Benoit, one
does notice that, even compared to former Light Heavyweight Champion Armstrong,
he looks pretty undersized. Overall, a really interesting match worth seeking out if you're as interested in the rise (and fall) of Chris Benoit as I am. (3.5/5)
Before our next match, we get a video package about the
reunited Rock n' Roll Express, who
have recently won the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Championships. Ross
plugs how they will be a part of SuperBrawl III and then we get some video
footage of the two in action against Stan Lane and Tom Pritchard (managed by
Jim Cornette) from the "new regional wrestling association," SMW.
While I understand the purpose of this video segment, it missed the mark with
me. For starters, the match is shown in clip form, but the clips don't reveal
anything remarkable about the Rock n' Rollers, in fact, by showing the finish
of the match first, you are basically just watching the "spots"
without any of the suspense or build-up necessary to give them meaning. WCW
would have been better served showing clips of the Rock n' Roll Express in
their actual prime or, here's a novel concept, building up their return by way
of some sort of "mystery" angle or having them run-in against a heel
team. As Ricky Morton had last been seen working as a heel, you could've even
had Robert Gibson getting outnumbered only for Morton to make the save. This
would've explained why they were reuniting and given them a solid feud to
return to. I'm not a mega fan of the Rock n' Roll Express, especially not as the 90s wore on, but one
does have to admit that while there was money to be made with their reunion,
this sort of lukewarm hype didn't capitalize on it. (.5/5)
Jesse Ventura Arm Wrestling Invitational Tournament winner
Van Hammer was supposed to be compete in the next contest - an arm wrestling
match - but as Bill Watts explained earlier, he is injured. In his place comes Vinnie Vegas, who was able to get into
this contest based on claims that as he is left-handed, he was at a
disadvantage during the actual tournament. His opponent is Tony Atlas (who was not in the tournament at all). Is there anything worse
than a worked arm wrestling match? This gets a point from me for its comedic
merit. (1/5)
The next contest is, thankfully, an actual wrestling
match, with The Wrecking Crew (Rage
and Fury) taking on Tom "The
Z-Man" Zenk and Johnny Gunn. Z-Man and Gunn had been profiled on a
previous installment of Clash of the Champions in a 5-star video of them
shopping that is sadly unavailable on YouTube or DailyMotion. This match is The
Wrecking Crew's debut and arguably their highest profile match in the US, despite Fury being the brother of Joe "Road Warrior Animal" Laurenaitis and John "Johnny Ace" Laurenaitis ("Rage" was journeyman Al Green, known to super fans as "The Dog" in the final years of WCW). This is the sort of match that fits in more on
an episode of Power Hour or Main Event as there is really nothing special on display, aside from a
very good double clothesline delivered from Gunn to the outside. A missed spot
from Fury in the closing third of the bout hurts the progress right when the
match is on the brink of being decent. The definition of filler. (1.5/5)
Before our next match, we get a bunch of quick interviews
with Brian Pillman & Steve Austin, Sting, and Harley Race hyping the rest
of the evening's matches. What is most consequential is that, during Harley's
interview (with Vader, Orndorff, Barbarian, and Windham), the heels
inexplicably turn on The Barbarian, thus evening the sides for tonight's
Thundercage match. No real explanation is given as to why they are giving up a
4-3 advantage in tonight's main event, a point that is raised by Ventura on
commentary. While I want to give this whole series of segments a 0 score based
on the inexcusably stupid booking of Barbarian getting beaten down by his own
team 30 minutes before they were going to outnumber the faces, I'll be kind and
award it a point for Brian Pillman's brief promo hyping the Tag Title Match,
which is short, sweet, and effective. (1/5)
Speaking of the Tag Titles match, it is next - champions Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas defending against Brian Pillman and "Stunning" Steve Austin. While Steamboat and
Douglas always came off as a weird pairing to me, mostly due to Steamboat's
incredible success and experience as a singles star and Douglas' youth, that's
not to say they weren't capable of very good matches. Early on, they show some
impressive teamwork with a series of quick tags, leading to Pillman begging off
and playing possum, only to go back-and-forth with Douglas. The best stretch of
the match may be Austin and Douglas reversing each other's pinfall attempts,
though it is Steamboat who plays the face-in-peril to great effect in the second half of the
contest. I've noted it before but I loathe Austin's backbreaker submission, the
kind of maneuver that looked torturous when applied by a guy the size of Sid
Justice, but looks like a half-finished powerbomb when Austin utilizes it.
Admittedly, this may have more to do with my own programming as a modern fan
who sees someone hoisting their opponent onto their shoulder and expects it to
be followed through with a slam of some kind. The closing minutes of this match
are great stuff with a very well-executed false finish involving Shane Douglas'
Belly-to-Belly finisher and Steve Austin capitalizing on a distracted ref. The
actual finish is disappointing in the best way possible as it really makes you
want to see a rematch. Viewers looking for a definitive
ending to a great match will no doubt want to look elsewhere, but for those of
us who can see the beauty in Act 1 of a multi-act play, this is an
absolutely awesome bout. (4/5)
Before the main event, Jesse Ventura shows the tape of Vader
regaining the WCW World Championship from Ron Simmons. This leads to an in-ring
brawl between Simmons and Vader, with Vader eventually getting the upper hand
on the outside and hitting Simmons with a devastating shoulder-breaker, the
same move he used to win the title. While I initially questioned why this move
was being spotlighted, it actually made sense to me once Ross played up
Simmons' nagging shoulder injury. With Simmons hurt on the outside, his status
for Thundercage is questionable, adding more intrigue to the main event. (3/5)
Things will be 3-on-2 now, with Dustin Rhodes and Sting taking on Vader, Barry Windham, and Paul Orndorff in the Thundercage
showdown. Oddly, this one is still being fought under classic tag team rules,
which means this won't just be a lopsided beatdown of the faces as one might expect.
Sting plays the face-in-peril for much of the match in which the cage doesn't really
come into play at all. Vader performs a Cesaro-esque press
slam-into-a-uppercut-to-the-midsection that is really cool to see as I'm not
sure I'd seen anyone else use this sort of move prior to Cesaro. Cactus Jack
makes his way to the ring towards the end, immediately attacking the heels and
evening the sides with the aid of his cowboy boot. This leads to a fairly rapid
finish, though, not one that makes particular sense. (3/5)
After the match, Cactus Jack cuts a promo on Harley Race's
clients, Vader and Paul Orndorff. When it comes to deranged psychos, Mick Foley
might've perfected the role. There's not much to this promo, but it does end
with a great visual of Foley climbing up the Thundercage, bang banging and
looking like an absolute lunatic to end the broadcast.
With an average score of 2.68-out-of-5, this show is hard to love and easy to
loathe. Benoit/Armstrong is fun, but is mostly interesting because of its historical significance. The Tag Titles match is a hidden gem and, according to some wrestling writers, a sleeper Match of the Year candidate. Aside from that, though, the only reason
to check this show out would be the jaw-droppingly kitschy 2-minute video
vignette for 2 Cold Scorpio. The main event is a bit of a bore until Cactus
Jack shows up and there are several matches and segments that outright stink.
For those reasons, this show lands firmly in the category of…
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