Clash of the Champions XXXV
Nashville, Tennessee - August 1997
CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan is WCW World Champion, the United States Championship is held by Jeff Jarrett, the Television Champion is the Ultimo Dragon, the Cruiserweight Champion is "The Lionheart" Chris Jericho, and the Outsiders are the reigning WCW World Tag Team Champions.
COMMENTARY: Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes, and Bobby Heenan
Clash of the Champions XXXV opens with a recap of the J.J Dillon/Sting angle, where WCW's top official demanded that the Stinger finally announce his intentions. On an episode of Nitro, The Franchise didn't speak, but he did show up and point to the countless signs demanding Sting get a crack at the Hulkster. It's a nice video package that points to the direction the company was heading now that Lex Luger had had his brief run with the title ended at Road Wild.
The United States Championship is on the line in the opening match - Jeff Jarrett defending against the man whose wife he stole, Mongo McMichael. I enjoyed the Jarrett & Malenko vs. McMichael & Benoit match from Road Wild, mostly because of how good the character work was - Jarrett doing everything he could to avoid actually having to wrestle McMichael and Mongo looking like he was seeing red from the first minute of the match. Somehow, what we get here is a bungled opportunity to continue to tell the same dramatic story, Jarrett doing some good shtick to begin with but Mongo wrestling the match with the same passion he'd wrestled countless others before instead of taking his intensity to the level the feud demanded. The inexplicable involvement of Eddie Guerrero (at least I don't recall there being much explanation and the commentators don't help) further waters down what could've and should've been a serious grudge match that involved Debra McMichael more. (1.5/5)
"Mean" Gene Overland welcomes Alex Wright for a heel promo. "Das Wunderkind" is fantastic here, showing more charisma in this 60 second interview than pretty much every one of his other matches combined. After a quick commercial break, we come back and get some words out of TBS' Paul Gilmartin, host of Dinner and a Movie, the network's long-running cooking-themed movie show. Did you know it ran until 2011? I didn't, though, like most Dinner and a Movie fans, the show kinda lost me when they Annabelle Gurwitch left. Anyway, Network Nugget of Awesomeness point awarded for these two segments. (+1)
Raven wrestles his WCW debut match (if you forget his run as Scotty Flamingo in 92'-93') against his "groupie" Stevie Richards next. Before the match can start, Raven makes it a No DQ bout, a not-so-subtle nod to the character's ECW roots and the character's reputation as a rule-breaking ne'er-do-well. Richards gets minimal offense in (a statement I feel could be made for about 90% of Richards' matches) and Raven comes out of it looking like a bully, so, the objective is met even if the match itself isn't worth tracking down. (2/5)
A commercial for the WCW Power Plant airs followed by a video package chronicling the history of Ultimo Dragon (no longer known as "Ultimate" Dragon) to hype his upcoming match against Alex Wright. We then come to tonight's Television Title match-up, Ultimo Dragon vs. Alex Wright. This might be the best Wright match I've reviewed on my site and it is remarkable how much more character he brings as heel compared to his very vanilla babyface work. Similarly, Dragon, who tended to just throw move-after-move at the audience when he worked as a dominating heel, is more interesting having to make comebacks and use his technical skills and high-flying as hope spots. What hurts the match is its length. There's a number of good sequences and both guys execute beautifully...but as the match wears on, things almost get tedious. A quality finish wraps it up, but this match needed an editor. (2/5)
Chris Jericho defends his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Eddie Guerrero next. I expected to enjoy this match more than I did, though, its easy to see that this is really just a "Chapter 1" to a rivalry and not designed to be a definitive battle between the two. Guerrero is finally a heel (and does a good job of showing it in not only his changed appearance, but also in how he carries himself in the ring) while Jericho is still stuck in his generic good guy role. Shorter than the previous match (a good thing), but less interesting in terms of mat work and maneuvers. (2/5)
Several months ago, I wrote about a "lucha rules" multi-man match that I adored on the last Clash of the Champions special. That match featured Chris Jericho and Konnan, but what I remembered most about it was the work of La Parka, the figure whose presence, more than even Jericho and K-Dawg, was really needed to make the next match special. Instead, it's a pretty unremarkable 8-man pitting Psicosis, the Villainos, and Silver King vs. Super Calo, Juventud Guerrera, Lizmark Jr., and Hector Garza. While the participants get adequate opportunities to hit their signature high spots, the crowd is mostly indifferent and the spots seem inconsequential, not built up to generate any sort of suspense. Another sub-average match for a show that, on paper, seemed like it could've been considerably more enjoyable. (1.5/5)
The next segment isn't just a Nugget of Network Awesomeness, it is one of the best wrestling-related things I've seen in months - Paul Gilmartin and the chef from Dinner and a Movie turning heel on "Mean" Gene, joining the nWo (with an extra special appearance from Randy Savage), and proceeding to cower in fear once their fun is spoiled by WCW's popular avenger, Diamond Dallas Page. Calling it "WrestleCrap" would be an insult to the brilliance of this segment. (+1)
Ric Flair teams up with Curt Hennig to take on Syxx and Konnan next. At well under 10 minutes, this is more of a set-up for the upcoming Fall Brawl show than an actual wrestling match. Still, credit should be given to Hennig here who shines in a difficult role when you consider his storyline going into (and the eventual outcome of) the War Games match ahead. (2/5)
Main event time - Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger taking on Scott Hall and Randy Savage in an impromptu WCW World Tag Team Championship match. I'm on the fence regarding Kevin Nash's pre-match declaration that the titles would be on the line. On the one hand, it adds some suspense to the match and, like The Freebirds or the New Day today, isn't a completely unheard-of concept. On the other hand, it makes absolutely no sense why Nash would put the straps up when the nWo has had to continually cheat and deceive just to hold onto them. Still, the raised stakes seem to get the crowd even more engaged in the match's story, DDP playing the face-in-peril as Hall and Savage attack his ribs. Luger's eventual hot tag is thrilling and, while the finish is dangerously close to the same turn of events that fans had seen in the previous match, it is much better executed here and effectively makes the Diamond Cutter look like the most devastating finisher in wrestling. Wrestling aficionados may not agree, but this is easily the match of the night to me. (3/5)
After a quick commercial break, the nWo (sans Hollywood Hogan) make their way down the aisle to celebrate their one year anniversary (though, to be sure, the timeline is a bit off as the nWo technically formed, at the earliest in May 96' [when Hall debuted] and, at very latest, in July 1996 [when Hogan turned heel at Bash at the Beach]). Like many of the nWo's best moments, what Bischoff and WCW produces here is spectacular, sheets and sheets of nWo propaganda covering the crowd as the Outsiders and their ilk get garbage thrown at them in the ring. It is the kind of scene that the WWE has frankly never had the guts to produce, even at the respective peaks of their own heel factions like the Hart Foundation, the Corporate Ministry, or the Nexus. The nWo's birthday bash is spoiled, however, by the appearance of Sting in the rafters, staring ominously at the villains with a vulture on his arm and a small child's voice reciting a bizarre lyric about vengeance and justice. The lights go out (for almost an inordinate amount of time) and when they come back on, the vulture is on the ropes and the nWo are justifiably terrified. Like the Dinner and a Movie scene, calling this "WrestleCrap" would be an insult to the awesomeness of the moment, a segment that illustrates just how hot the Sting/nWo feud was in the fall of 96' and how restraint, patience, and a dedication to aura above all else can create brilliant drama. Yet another bonus point awarded. (+1)
Clash of the Champions XXXV will not win you over with its wrestling. This would seem untrue just by looking at the assortment of talents involved: Jericho, Ultimo Dragon, Eddie Guerrero, Juventus Guerrero, Psicosis, Jarrett and Syxx in their prime, Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger at their most over, Scott Hall sober and motivated, the list goes on. But, aside from the slightly-better-than-average main event, not a single match is worth digging up. So how did this show manage to snag a passable 2.43-out-of-5 on the Kwang-o-Meter? The pre-match, post-match, and between match segments are just that damn entertaining. For certain fans, watching Paul Gilmartin turn heel and sitting through arguably irrelevant video packages would hinder a show, but in this instance, they're highlights. The final 5 minutes may not feature any actual "wrestling," but they're better "sports-entertainment" than anything we've seen the WWE produce this calendar year. If you're not into that aspect of the genre, this Clash ain't for you...but if you are, these 2 hours won't disappoint.
FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver
Chris Jericho defends his WCW Cruiserweight Championship against Eddie Guerrero next. I expected to enjoy this match more than I did, though, its easy to see that this is really just a "Chapter 1" to a rivalry and not designed to be a definitive battle between the two. Guerrero is finally a heel (and does a good job of showing it in not only his changed appearance, but also in how he carries himself in the ring) while Jericho is still stuck in his generic good guy role. Shorter than the previous match (a good thing), but less interesting in terms of mat work and maneuvers. (2/5)
Several months ago, I wrote about a "lucha rules" multi-man match that I adored on the last Clash of the Champions special. That match featured Chris Jericho and Konnan, but what I remembered most about it was the work of La Parka, the figure whose presence, more than even Jericho and K-Dawg, was really needed to make the next match special. Instead, it's a pretty unremarkable 8-man pitting Psicosis, the Villainos, and Silver King vs. Super Calo, Juventud Guerrera, Lizmark Jr., and Hector Garza. While the participants get adequate opportunities to hit their signature high spots, the crowd is mostly indifferent and the spots seem inconsequential, not built up to generate any sort of suspense. Another sub-average match for a show that, on paper, seemed like it could've been considerably more enjoyable. (1.5/5)
The next segment isn't just a Nugget of Network Awesomeness, it is one of the best wrestling-related things I've seen in months - Paul Gilmartin and the chef from Dinner and a Movie turning heel on "Mean" Gene, joining the nWo (with an extra special appearance from Randy Savage), and proceeding to cower in fear once their fun is spoiled by WCW's popular avenger, Diamond Dallas Page. Calling it "WrestleCrap" would be an insult to the brilliance of this segment. (+1)
Ric Flair teams up with Curt Hennig to take on Syxx and Konnan next. At well under 10 minutes, this is more of a set-up for the upcoming Fall Brawl show than an actual wrestling match. Still, credit should be given to Hennig here who shines in a difficult role when you consider his storyline going into (and the eventual outcome of) the War Games match ahead. (2/5)
Main event time - Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger taking on Scott Hall and Randy Savage in an impromptu WCW World Tag Team Championship match. I'm on the fence regarding Kevin Nash's pre-match declaration that the titles would be on the line. On the one hand, it adds some suspense to the match and, like The Freebirds or the New Day today, isn't a completely unheard-of concept. On the other hand, it makes absolutely no sense why Nash would put the straps up when the nWo has had to continually cheat and deceive just to hold onto them. Still, the raised stakes seem to get the crowd even more engaged in the match's story, DDP playing the face-in-peril as Hall and Savage attack his ribs. Luger's eventual hot tag is thrilling and, while the finish is dangerously close to the same turn of events that fans had seen in the previous match, it is much better executed here and effectively makes the Diamond Cutter look like the most devastating finisher in wrestling. Wrestling aficionados may not agree, but this is easily the match of the night to me. (3/5)
After a quick commercial break, the nWo (sans Hollywood Hogan) make their way down the aisle to celebrate their one year anniversary (though, to be sure, the timeline is a bit off as the nWo technically formed, at the earliest in May 96' [when Hall debuted] and, at very latest, in July 1996 [when Hogan turned heel at Bash at the Beach]). Like many of the nWo's best moments, what Bischoff and WCW produces here is spectacular, sheets and sheets of nWo propaganda covering the crowd as the Outsiders and their ilk get garbage thrown at them in the ring. It is the kind of scene that the WWE has frankly never had the guts to produce, even at the respective peaks of their own heel factions like the Hart Foundation, the Corporate Ministry, or the Nexus. The nWo's birthday bash is spoiled, however, by the appearance of Sting in the rafters, staring ominously at the villains with a vulture on his arm and a small child's voice reciting a bizarre lyric about vengeance and justice. The lights go out (for almost an inordinate amount of time) and when they come back on, the vulture is on the ropes and the nWo are justifiably terrified. Like the Dinner and a Movie scene, calling this "WrestleCrap" would be an insult to the awesomeness of the moment, a segment that illustrates just how hot the Sting/nWo feud was in the fall of 96' and how restraint, patience, and a dedication to aura above all else can create brilliant drama. Yet another bonus point awarded. (+1)
Clash of the Champions XXXV will not win you over with its wrestling. This would seem untrue just by looking at the assortment of talents involved: Jericho, Ultimo Dragon, Eddie Guerrero, Juventus Guerrero, Psicosis, Jarrett and Syxx in their prime, Diamond Dallas Page and Lex Luger at their most over, Scott Hall sober and motivated, the list goes on. But, aside from the slightly-better-than-average main event, not a single match is worth digging up. So how did this show manage to snag a passable 2.43-out-of-5 on the Kwang-o-Meter? The pre-match, post-match, and between match segments are just that damn entertaining. For certain fans, watching Paul Gilmartin turn heel and sitting through arguably irrelevant video packages would hinder a show, but in this instance, they're highlights. The final 5 minutes may not feature any actual "wrestling," but they're better "sports-entertainment" than anything we've seen the WWE produce this calendar year. If you're not into that aspect of the genre, this Clash ain't for you...but if you are, these 2 hours won't disappoint.
FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver
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