WCW Great American Bash 99'

WCW Great American Bash 99'

Baltimore, MD - June 1999

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Kevin Nash is the reigning WCW World Champion, the US Championship is held by Scott Steiner, his brother Rick Steiner is the TV Champion, Rey Mysterio is the Cruiserweight Champion, and the team of Chris Benoit and Saturn are the WCW Tag Team Champions.

COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

Master P and the No Limit Soldiers arrive in a limosuine and are welcomed by Curt Hennig, who pretends he's a fan of the band before breaking their CD apart. Its unclear why the Soldiers, who outnumber him 6-to-1 don't just beat him down, but Hennig certainly showed guts insulting them to their face. No wonder he'd end up getting cheered by the end of this storyline. This is the kind of crap I love. (+1)

A video package goes over the build to tonight's main event and, again, I'm just amazed at what WCW was building their company around at this point. Randy Savage and Kevin Nash's feud isn't too dissimilar to the worst stuff WWE has done, its just striking that all these awful tropes exist within a single feud - and that it also involved a contortionist in a leading role and that Kevin Nash was dumb enough to believe that Mach's harem was doing anything other than leading him into a trap. 

In the ring, things start off with a hardcore bout pitting Knobbs (now reunited with Jimmy Hart) against Hak. Based on some of the signage in the arena, Hak is fairly over, but once the bell rings, there's not really any heat for this match. It doesn't help that the action is so one-note, essentially just weapon shots and Hak prat falling into a ladder. On the one hand, Knobbs and Hak wrestling an obviously safer style (the ridiculous chair shots to the skull from their first match are nowhere to be found) was a necessary step in preventing countless injuries in the future, but if the one thing that their previous contest had going for it was ultra-violence, the tameness of this match makes it a disappointment (and the crowd itself makes note of it through incessant "table" chants). I'm not going to say that not giving Hak any sort of personality was a major mistake, but it certainly doesn't help in a scenario like this, where giving us a reason to like him might help the audience care about his post-match fate. Sub-average match between two uninteresting characters. (1.5/5)

Backstage, Buff Bagwell thanks Roddy Piper for booking him in a "big match" against Disco Inferno. There was a time when Marcus Alexander Bagwell seemed like, at the very least, a US Title-level star, so the feud with Inferno definitely felt like a step down for Buff more than a step up for Disco.

Van Hammer vs. Mikey Whipwreck is next. This match has some surprisingly clever spots in it, though general sloppiness and the lack of either guy being very over prevents it from being considered anything more than passable. Whipwreck is a legendary bumper, at good at selling near-death as anyone, and he puts that skill to good use here. There's a great moment when Hammer lifts Whipwreck up in body slam position and then climbs to the steel steps only to drop him next first onto the guardrail that should've led to a countout finish but didn't. I'm not sure I'd seen that particular move before but with better camera work it would've been even nastier. Van Hammer's finishing move isn't too bad either. Whenever I wonder why Hammer never got a run in the WWE despite a great look and years of experience, I remind myself that those years of experience never resulted in him ever being smoother than sandpaper and it makes sense. Squash matches like these are not squashy enough to really elevate the guy getting the push. (1.5/5)

Buff Bagwell takes on Disco Inferno in the next match-up. Bagwell has some crowd support and Inferno has decent enough heat but for this match to be billed as the first step Bagwell is taking towards being regarded as a "serious" challenger seems bizarre when he was feuding with the far more legitimate and credible Scott Steiner before this. To make matters worse for Bagwell, Inferno owns him for large portions of the match, at one point almost winning by an embarrassing count-out. Over-selling neck damage, it almost seems like Bagwell is playing possum - which would've been stupid, but would've at least shown the Buff Daddy to actually have a strategy coming into the match - but instead, he just hits a routine comeback that makes him look like the better wrestler but not by much. I'm a Disco fan and Bagwell isn't nearly as bad a worker as the haters like to paint him, but this was not good. (1/5)

A video package airs hyping the Konnan/Curt Hennig feud which led to the contest that follows - Curt Hennig and Bobby Duncum Jr. ("The West Texas Rednecks") squaring off against Konnan and Rey Mysterio Jr. This match earns a bonus point just for featuring Hennig's amazing "Rap is Crap" theme song, maybe the single greatest thing WCW did in 1999. Master P is shown at ringside before Konnan cuts his usual pre-match promo. For no apparent reason, Mysterio is sporting a gas mask on his head. Was that hip in urban circles at the time? Even before the bell rings, the babyfaces are on attack, pleasing the crowd and cutting Hennig off from further insulting the No Limit Soldiers. This one doesn't run very long and the in-ring action isn't too shabby either, no surprise considering half the equation is Curt Hennig and Rey Mysterio Jr. Even Konnan, who I find, even at his best, is no better than slightly annoying, is much more tolerable in a tag scenario. The crowd comes alive whenever the faces dominate and Hennig and Duncum wisely never bog things down with rest holds or too much cutting the ring in half. The final stretch is fun, though one has to wonder how the West Texas Rednecks having the last laugh is supposed to make the No Limit Soldiers (who run off in rather cowardly fashion) come off as tough guys. Good enough to be the best match of the show thus far. (2.5/5)

Ernest "The Cat" Miller and his manager Sonny Onoo make their way down the aisle for the next bout. The Cat was doing a James Brown gimmick at the time and his entrance music is comically corny. His advertised opponent was Scott Norton, but Horace Hogan shows up because he has unfinished business with Miller from screwing him over on Nitro or Thunder that week. I, like most everyone in the arena, would've preferred to see the powerhouse Norton in action. Miller and Hogan proceed to put on a passable wrestling match that, like Bagwell/Inferno, inexplicably goes 50/50 when it would've been far more effective in getting The Cat over to have him soundly beat his bigger, stronger opponent. The best thing about this, aside from The Cat's music, is that it doesn't last too long. (1.5/5)

In a fight for the Presidency of WCW - Ric Flair, the President of WCW, takes on Roddy Piper, the Commissioner of WCW. Its important to remember that, in the build-up to this, Chris Benoit and Dean Malenko essentially quit the Horsemen and supported Piper, who promised to let younger talent (like Buff Bagwell) get their shot in the spotlight. Flair, meanwhile, is seconded by Arn Anderson and Asya. The crowd is hot for this despite the fact that is in a complete joke of a match, Flair flopping around from Piper's awful "boxing" strikes for minutes on end. At least its obvious they're going for comedy and not credible grappling, the two past-their-primers busting out all the prat falls they can think of (including Flair very nearly exposing himself to thousands of people on a sunset flip spot). Eventually, Flair strikes Piper with a pair of brass knucks and locks in the figure four. Arn Anderson assists him, but before Piper can tap, Buff Bagwell shows up to make the save! Like an idiot, though, Buff climbs in the ring and goes after Flair, costing Piper the match. Piper, instantly realizing that Bagwell has inadvertently screwed him, joins Double A and Flair in beating down on him as the crowd cheers. This was, I believe, designed to jumpstart the "New Blood" angle, but Buff Bagwell's actions are so moronic that it'd be impossible to get behind him after this (and the fans didn't, at least in this arena). A half-point for Arn Anderson's spinebuster. (0.5/5)

Sting vs. Rick Steiner is next. Sting is in tremendous shape at this point, which is a shame because I'm not sure his stock in the company had ever been lower. This Sting, motivated and healthy, is the one that would've been the Dream Match opponent for the Undertaker. Steiner, meanwhile, is just generic - he's ditched the headgear and the colorful singlet and though he still throws a mean suplex, he's about as interesting in this context as Road Warrior Animal was in 2006. Sting hits a huge splash at one point, literally doing everything he can think of to make this more interesting than it is, while Steiner works a surfboard knee to the back to make sure the audience doesn't enjoy this one too much. The Stinger hits two Stinger Splashes and locks in the Deathlock in what should've been a clear, clean victory, but the Gremlin is able to grab the ropes to survive. Sting tosses him to the outside and Schiavone reminds us that pinfalls count anywhere...even though that stipulation hasn't mattered at all until now and common sense would tell you that Sting basically had the match won within the ropes. Sting hits him with a suplex on the floor as they make their way backstage, where Tank Abbott, Sting, and a pack of dogs (yes, dogs!) attack the Stinger. WCW production here is just unbelievable - honestly, it can not be accurately put to words what watching the 15-second angle is like. "Must watch" doesn't quite do it justice because it is just so, so stupid and maybe too poorly produced and brief to really be worth seeking out. We don't see Sting take a pinfall (because he's presumably being attacked by a doberman) but the Steiners make their way down the aisle and proclaim victory via a meandering-but-somewhat-entertaining promo. I don't know how to rate a match like this, but I will say, for about 15 seconds, it is an incredible piece of wrestling. (3/5)

Cut to a video promo hyping the next match - the World Tag Team Champions, Benoit and Saturn defending the straps against the Jersey Triad's Diamond Dallas Page and Kanyon. Bam Bam Bigelow is in his team's corner, giving them a distinct advantage in the match. Finally, a match wrestled competently by everyone involved. A bit more reminiscent of the type of tag matches we get in the WWE today than any sort of "classic southern tag," Page and Kanyon are at least wise enough to know their role is to cut corners and cheat at every tunr and they do so effectively throughout. Benoit and Saturn, meanwhile, do a solid job of stringing together hope spots but wrestling from underneath the whole time, never dominating but also never slipping so far behind that they're out of the match entirely. Getting the basics right means that the crowd's interest never really lulls, even when Kanyon locks in a front facelock for a stretch. That being said, there's an unfortunate repetitiveness to some of the sequences, the constant breaking up of pinfalls seeming to irritate the crowd more than impress them. Benoit ends up landing a headbutt from the top as Page hits a Diamond Cutter simultaneously, but neither men can make the cover. Malenko comes down the aisle to try to even the playing field but ends up distracting the referee as Bam Bam Bigelow gets involved again and he and Page hit a two-man Diamond Cutter to wrap things up. Lots of good action here but maybe a touch too over-booked for its own good. (3/5)

Main event time - Randy Savage challenging Kevin Nash for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Michael Buffer is out to welcome the combatants because WCW were still in the money-burning business as well as the pro-wrestling business. Savage is accompanied by a bevy of beautiful including Madusa. Nash controls early as Mike Tenay reminds us that Savage's top rope elbow drop is legal again. Savage, with help from his harem, is able to get the upperhand as this match lurches on with very little action and neither guy looking good at all. Say what you will about the Undertaker's workrate or how basic Steve Austin and Mick Foley's movesets were around this same time, Vince at least had the good sense to double down on the gimmicky stuff (announce table spots, in-the-crowd brawling, screwjobs and bird-flipping) in order to keep the crowd interested. Here, and throughout the show, the most frequent transition seems to be a kick to the balls. Madusa's kicks to Nash's arm and ribs are the best maneuvers perfomed all night, though Mach's elbow drop isn't bad (its just the rest of his performance thats hard to watch). Eventually we get a schmozz ending featuring the return of Sid Vicious to an (unsurprising) pop. Sid had a real knack for coming into promotions and getting a huge ovation because he was almost always inserting himself into arguably stale situations (for example, as the anti-Hogan during the tail end of Hulk's feud with Sgt. Slaughter or even, oddly enough, in the HBK/Deisel feud of 95'). Sid hits a fairly garish powerbomb on Nash to drive his message home and then exits with Team Savage. With about a 10-minute runtime and very little good wrestling, this could be considered an all-time bad main event if WCW hadn't already had so many main events over the course of its run that were even worse. All the points earned in this match go to Madusa and Sid and maybe a touch for Nash's effort in trying to sell enough to give the match a story. Sadly, Savage was so past his prime here that he actually made Flair and Piper look better comparatively. (1/5) 

With a pitiful Kwang Score of 1.83-out-of-5, Great American Bash 99' is the worst show I've ever reviewed, but its close. Its few saving graces are so minor and brief that its impossible to recommend, though if you're a fan of WrestleCrap, there's probably a YouTube playlist out there that would include some of the highlights related to the No Limit Soldiers in WCW, Sting getting attacked by dogs, and the ridiculousness of the Randy Savage/Kevin Nash feud. The only good wrestling on the entire 2+ hour show come from the places you'd most expect - Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, DDP - with the biggest disappointment being that Sting, in the best shape and fighting with the most spirit he had in at least a year or two, has to be involved in such a terrible, terrible angle. Mostly unwatchable.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

WWE Survivor Series 2017

WWE Survivor Series 2017

Houston, TX - November 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Brock Lesnar is the WWE Universal Champion, while AJ Styles holds the ever-so-slightly less prestigious WWE Championship. The United States Champion is Baron Corbin, The Miz is the Intercontinental Champion, the RAW Tag Team Titles are held by Sheamus and Cesaro, the SmackDown Tag Team Titles are the property of the Usos, Charlotte Flair holds the SmackDown Women's Championship, and Alexa Bliss is the RAW Women's Champion. The only title not featured on tonight's show is the Cruiserweight Championship held by Enzo Amore. By the way, did you know Rich Swann held the title for 2 months? I didn't. 

COMMENTATORS: Booker T, Tom Phillips, Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton

The New Day start off the show with a needless promo, which has become something of an unfortunate trope for SmackDown pay-per-views. In the ring, The New Day consistently bring the goods and even their worst promos tend to have at least some originality thrown in between the catchphrases, but these events are long enough that their promos are just unnecessary. For some reason a video package plays highlighting what led to their match against The Sheild and we're 10 minutes into the show and not a single wrestling hold has been applied. Thankfully, once the bell rings, everyone seems to have their workboots on, arguably the WWE's most successful stables of the past decade eager to try to steal the show early. As most expected, this was two teams with lots of signature offense busting out everything they could against each other including some never-before-seen variations on the classics. The crowd was very into the proceedings, though Reigns did get some slight jeers at times. The shifts in momentum weren't too jarring, a pet peeve of mine that is sometimes hard to ignore (especially in Ambrose matches as he "death sells" a little too much for my liking), and I liked how both sides played it relatively "tweener," taking advantages and liberties at times, but never blatantly cheating. Just a really well-worked, well-produced battle that checked off every box it needed to. My biggest gripe might be that Reigns might've gave too much at points, though, in the context of the match, him selling for Xavier Woods, for example, made more sense than it would in a 1-on-1 TV match. I'm not sure it will make my Top 10 list for 2017, but it could sneak in as an honorable mention. (4/5)

Backstage, Stephanie McMahon gives a pep talk to the RAW squadron of female talent. 

In the ring we go for our first Survivors Match of the night - Becky Lynch, Carmella, Naomi, Tamina,  Charlotte, and Beth Phoenix of SmackDown taking on Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alicia Fox, Nia Jax, and Asuka. Lynch, the Blue Brand's captain, was the first lady out, disappointing a large, vocal portion of the audience. The somewhat odd booking would continue from there as the majority of the minutes and spotlight seemed to go to SmackDown's Tamina Snuka despite her general sloppiness. I didn't watch the entirety of the Mae Young Classic but has the WWE actively sought larger "monster" type females that have been adequately trained the way they've gone after other body types? If Nia Jax needing more time in NXT is a valid criticism, I think one could just as accurately say Tamina needs a time machine to relive the EIGHT YEARS of experience she's supposed to have. To be sure, it was an off night for one of my personal favorties Alicia Fox as well, the sometime-valet/sometime-grappler showing serious ring rust in her exchanges with Naomi. In the past, I've raved about Fox's character work (maybe 2014 when she was playing an unhinged maniac) and I would continue to cite her as an underutilized talent, but like Tamina and to a lesser degree Jax, she's not a polished enough worker and hasn't had a well enough defined character to add much to these matches. While multi-man matches are usually designed to hide the flaws of the competitors, this time around, their worst attributes were front and center as miscommunications, blatant spot-calling, and poor timing became the recurring themes of the match. Even when things boiled down to Banks and Asuka vs. Carmella, Natalya, and Tamina and it became obvious that the match was leading towards Asuka being the sole survivor, the match didn't pick up and Asuka's predictable victory played out with little inventiveness. On the plus side, Natalya showed great fire, really stiffing the hell out of the former NXT Women's Champion, and Asuka got a big response for her victory. Also, kudos to whoever sent them out with the clear directive of SmackDown being the clear heels and RAW fighting from underneath. That dynamic gave the match the structure it needed, even if the execution was imperfect. (2/5)

Backstage, Stephanie talks trash to Daniel Bryan. 

Back to the ring we go for United States Champion Baron Corbin vs. Intercontinental Champion The Miz. This match was better than most people expected, The Miz proving his Twitter claim that he is able to elevate others - though I'm not sure he does it better than anyone else on the roster. What The Miz might do better than anyone else on the roster, though, is build his matches around a basic story - this time it was a damaged knee - to keep the audience engaged from beginning to end without gratuitous, insane spots. Corbin, meanwhile, had one of his better nights, his inconsistency maybe being his most consistent factor. For a heel/heel match, the crowd seemed into the proceedings too. While I wouldn't call this match "great," it was no worse than average. (2.5/5)

Paul Heyman cuts a brief backstage promo hyping the match I'm most excited for - AJ Styles vs. Brock Lesnar.

Time for the two Tag Team Champions to do battle - RAW's Cesaro and Sheamus vs. SmackDown's Usos. Like the prior match, this is another heel/heel combo, only this time around, the expectations are relatively high because both teams have been consistently great for awhile now. The crowd seemed a little quiet early on, though one could hear a sprinkling of chants for both teams at different times. I'm not sure how they could do it, but it'd be fun if they could figure a way to split the crowd into "blue" and "red" with the winning side, depending on ticket color or something, getting a free chalupa. Might seem like a silly idea, but I've been to Cavs games where the crowd erupts when we get to 100 on garbage points in a blowout loss. Just a thought....Fundamentally, the match delivered all the sound back-and-forth that anyone could've expected, but in a year full of really great, exceptional tag team matches, this one lacked the fan enthusiasm it needed to place it in that rarified air. The nastiest spot of the match might've been a ridiculous back body drop by Jay Uso that sent Cesaro into the corner and looked like it could've broken his neck. The Usos couldn't capitalize on it, though, Cesaro fighting back and with some extra help from Sheamus, applying the Big Swing-into-the-Sharpshooter right in the middle of the ring. At this point someone mentioned the end result of last year's 10-on-10 Tag Survivors match, a note that I would've loved for them to play up earlier as I'd completely forgot about it. As the false finishes starting stacking up, the crowd got more invested and the violence ramped up as well, Jimmy Uso eating the middle rope in a scary moment reminiscent of the way Enzo got injured some time back. Great Tower of Doom-esque spot with Jimmy Uso hitting Sheamus with a Samoan Drop while sitting atop Cesaro's shoulders. A quiet "This is Awesome" chant started but fizzled out. One of the best finishing stretches in a tag match in a long time, this one could've been a Top 10 Match of the Year if it had started with the heat that it ended with. (3.5/5)

Jason Jordan is backstage, noting that he's "100% behind his teammates" except for Triple H, who stole his spot on the show. In-ring, Jason Jordan has impressed me, but I'm definitely on the side that believes this entire "Angle's Son" gimmick has become a hole that Jordan, Angle, WWE Creative, and now seemingly Triple H are unable to dig themselves out of (but continue to try to). Maybe a quick switch to the Blue Brand could allow them to start from scratch with Jordan?

Charlotte vs. Alexa Bliss in a Battle of Womens' Championships was next. Charlotte was one of the best heels in the company, male or female, a few years back and I'm praying that they are building her for a heel turn and feud with Becky Lynch for WrestleMania as that is where the money's at right now on the Blue Brand. Bliss, meanwhile, has become my favorite female talent on the entire roster, her obnoxious arrogance impossible to tolerate but her in-ring craftiness equally impossible to ignore. Finally a match with a somewhat clear heel/face dynamic (though Charlotte is not nearly as good a babyface as she was a heel). I really liked 90% of this match from an in-ring standpoint as Charlotte and Bliss worked very well together, all the transitions in control made sense, and this looked like a legit fight at every point. My biggest gripe came in the closing segments as at no point in the match had Charlotte targeted Bliss's knee which made the Figure 8 finish frustratingly inappropriate. The exact same result after a second Natural Selection and I'd notch this one up another half-point, but the inattention to details at the climax of what was a very spirited and well-crafted match kept this from being as great as it could be. (3.5/5)

The match that most fans were waiting for was next - Brock Lesnar, the reigning WWE Universal Champion, taking on AJ Styles, the reigning WWE Champion. Styles only recently captured the title from Jinder Mahal, arguably the worst WWE Champion of all time, when Vince McMahon finally came to his senses and realized that the goal of his company should be to maximize profits, not minimize them. Whoops. Lesnar dominated early, the commentators noting the familiarity of his dominance here with the beating he put on John Cena in at SummerSlam 2014. Fortunately, AJ Styles was able to withstand the Beast's initial onslaught and cut Lesnar down to size by going after his knee. The psychology here was really sound too as Styles continued to distance himself from his adversary and strike using his agility and speed, connecting with dropkicks, Pele Kicks, and Phenomenal Forearms both in the ring and out. Only when Styles unwisely attempted some of his other signature moves (a Styles Crash, for example) did his strategy fail him, Lesnar easily outpowering him whenever they drew close. There was an absolutely great Calf Crusher sequence in the closing minutes of the match that, sadly, went a few minutes too short to really contend for Match of the Year honors. Lesnar countered a final ditch Phenomenal Forearm attempt into an F-5 to gain a decisive victory but I definitely wouldn't mind seeing Styles and Lesnar tear it up again as this was easily the best Lesnar match in quite some time, the Beast's best qualities on full display thanks to Styles' enthusiastic bumping and, to his credit, Lesnar's own somewhat shockingly varied offense. I'd have to run back through the database, but I'm thinking this was the best 1-on-1 Lesnar match of the year and another must-see performance out of AJ Styles. (4/5)

Main event time - Team RAW (Kurt Angle, Finn Balor, Samoa Joe, Triple H, Braun Strowman) taking on Team SmackDown (Shane McMahon, John Cena, Shinsuke Nakamura, Bobby Roode, and Randy Orton). The match began brightly with Braun Strowman tossing Shane-O like a bag of trash across the ring before we got a series of crowd-pleasing pair-ups featuring Balor, Nakamura, Triple H, and Roode. The first elimination came after Nakamura put on a clinic taking out the entire RAW brand by himself with a dazzling array of signature offense before succumbing to a big Strowman powerslam. Nakamura marks will cry "Burial!" but if you're going to go down, you might as well go down to the biggest, baddest mofo in the match. Roode would meet the same fate moments later, putting RAW in control of the match from here on in. Surprisingly, this is when John Cena would finally step into the ring, teaming with Randy Orton to go after Strowman. I was genuinely surprised we didn't get a real "moment" between Cena and Strowman considering, as far as I know, they haven't had a major stare-down or anything since Braun became a bona fide main eventer. Hell, we didn't even get much out of the commentators regarding the fact that Cena and Orton were putting aside a career-long rivalry to work together. Anyway, Team Blue (including Nak and Roode) banded together to suplex Strowman through an announce table and the big man wouldn't come back for over 10 minutes. Back in the ring, Joe and Cena locked up for a little bit and showed some real chemistry. After eliminating Joe with two AA's (at least it wasn't just one), the remaining RAW team members took an inordinate amount of time deciding who would face John Cena. Oddly, this non-wrestling stretch was somehow less awkward and more watchable than the 3-4 minutes that followed it as Kurt Angle came in to bring the match to a crawling pace as the crowd quieted, giving absolutely no shit about the history between the two. Even Cena's dependable "U Can't See Me" earned only a mild response. What a surprise - John Cena wrestling at half-speed to accommodate the clearly gassed Angle isn't as compelling as seeing fresher talent like Joe, Nak, and Strowman tear it up in 2017. Balor helped eliminate Cena (though it was Angle that inexplicably got the pin) in what I would consider the first real sign that this match was pointed to and now heading in the direction of a toilet. Balor continued to run roughshod over Orton until he ate an RKO to put him out of the commission and we were left with a 3-on-2 situation built around 4 guys that have no business being in the main event spotlight and Braun Strowman. To make matters worse for the Blue Brand, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens showed up to beat on Shane McMahon even more, though, thanks to a chair an RKO, they were sent to the back, essentially jobbed out in a match they weren't even in for no reason at all. Soon after, Strowman got up from his slumber and took out Randy Orton to make things 3-on-1, the audience on their feet expecting someone, anyone, maybe Undertaker (?), to save this match. Sadly, the "savior" would end up being Triple H, who selfishly pedigree'd Kurt Angle to break up the Ankle Lock Submission he'd applied to Shane McMahon, only so he could be the one to get the win for the RAW brand. The ending of this match was like the worst possible Mad Lib selections for the worst possible way to end a Survivor Series match - just truly beyond terrible. During the post-match celebration, Triple H got laid out by two Braun Strowman powerslams in what I'm thinking Creative thinks will further cement Strowman as someone worth cheering, but while that may be true, they sure took a really unentertaining, disappointing route to get there. I mean, Strowman would be cheered for powerslamming a bag of puppies at this point so its not like he gained anything by being the sole survivor of a terrible match. This match delivered what it needed to in the first act, but the middle saw the elimination of nearly every interesting character involved, and the third act exposed Kurt Angle as being much more worn down than he seemed at TLC (where he at least had the benefit of getting to rest for 10+ minutes during the middle of the match with a feigned injury). Also, compared to several of the other multi-man main events this year, this one was surprisingly light on the chaos and brawling, which is disappointing because when you've got Braun, Shane, Orton, and Triple H involved, you kind of expect shards of table and other debris to be left around the ring. I'm not saying this would've been a better match with a dozen ladder and table spots tossed in, but when you got to Burger King, its okay to be disappointed if your order of fries doesn't include an errant onion ring. Worst WWE main event of the year? (1.5/5)


With a Kwang Score of 3.00-out-of-5, Survivor Series 2017 was one of the better overall shows the WWE has produced this year outside of the NXT brand. In fact, only Great Balls of Fire and the Rumble scored better, though, its impossible to fully recommend this show when the main event was maybe the most disappointing match of the year. Considering the talent involved, there was almost no way the WWE could mess it up - but in a sad attempt to microwave a decades-stale rivalry between Triple H and Kurt Angle and presumably utilize John Cena as nothing more than a "live gate bumper" (meaning, once the tickets are sold, he's used only in a cameo role), that is exactly what they did. On the positive side, there were no less than 4 really good-maybe-great matches on the rest of the show, including a very fun 6-man opener, two great Champion vs. Champion matches in Bliss/Charlotte and The Bar/Usos, and arguably the best 1-on-1 Brock Lesnar match of the year. Too bad the WWE seems to be more interested in protecting Kurt Angle, Shane McMahon, and Triple H's legacy than actually delivering on the promise of the fresher talent that clearly shined throughout the show (namely Big E, The Usos, AJ Styles, and Braun Strowman).

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

WCW Clash of the Champions XIII: Thanksgiving Thunder

The guy in charge of naming the Clash of the Champions series around was a genius.

WCW Clash of the Champions XIII: Thanksgiving Thunder

Jacksonville, Florida - November 1990

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, Sting is the reigning WCW World Champion, Stan Hansen holds the United States Championship, Arn Anderson is the TV Champion, and Doom are the World Tag Team Champions. The Steiners, meanwhile, hold the United States Tag Team Championships. 

COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross and Paul E. Dangerously

Before we break down Clash XIII, I should note that I enjoyed the hell out of Halloween Havoc 90', the show that preceded this one, giving it a somewhat rare "Watch It All" rating (though I can't seem to find the actual review on my blog). I rated both Luger/Hansen and Sting/Sid as solid 3-star matches and went even higher for the brutal Steiners/Nasties match, the heat-filled Doom/Horsemen bout, and a classic southern tag pitting Tommy Rich and Ricky Morton against The Midnight Express. Haters can hate all they want too, but The Black Scorpion angle with Sting is a heaping helping of some of the best wrestlecrap ever too. So, with that in mind, I'm coming into this show with somewhat high expectations for a decent blend of in-ring action and cheese-tastic storylines.

On with the show...


The show begins with The Fabulous Freebirds, Bobby Eaton, and "Little" Richard Marley (somewhat-notable NWA star Rocky King) making their way down the aisle to take on The Southern Boys. El Gigante was advertised for the match but was, according to the commentary, taken out by the Freebirds so the match turns into a basic 2-on-2 tag bout. Sadly, Bobby Eaton, easily the best worker out there, is the one sent to the back instead of anyone else on the heel side and thus this match now has a ceiling of average. At just 6 minutes, the Freebirds (wisely) don't overstay their welcome as their in-ring deterioration was nearing completion by this time. (2/5)

Sting is interviewed and we get some more mind games from Black Scorpion. Yes, more please. This Black Scorpion stuff is gold. (+1)

Brian Pillman vs. Buddy Landell is next. There was a time I could get behind Landell a little bit as he is one of the most loathsome heels there could ever be, from the look to the mannerisms to the cowardice - he's just a perfect punching bag. Unfortunately, Landell had documented "personal demon" issues during the 80s and, from what I understand, even up to this point in his career, which hurt his in-ring work to a noticeable degree. Here, Pillman has to wrestle at about 70% of the speed he obviously wants to because Landell is either gassed early on or his head is just not in the game for some of Pillman's more ahead-of-its-time offense. The best spot of the match (and maybe the night) is a crossbody Pillman pulls off into the guardrail that we may see all the time in 2017, but certainly weren't seeing regularly in 1990. Decent enough TV match that showcases how good Pillman was in his prime and how much bigger of a star he would've been had he come up in the business in the mid-90s rather than the late 80s. (2.5/5)

Next up, Big Cat vs. "The Candyman" Brad Armstrong. The addition of Dangerously to the broadcast team was a huge improvement over the somewhat colorless everyman Bob Caudle and this match is a fine example of why. Dangerously puts the Big Cat (who longtime fans will recognize as the future Mr. Hughes, the bodyguard to what feels like at least a half dozen guys in the 90s) over on commentary enough that one could actually see him as a potential future star. In the ring, Armstrong does an even stronger job at making the Big Cat, very limited in what he could do then, shine as well with his bumping. Curtis Hughes will not top anyone's list as an all-time great worker, but what he did, he did okay even this early in his career. Not a bad squash match, but nothing more than that. (2/5)

Dick the Bruiser cuts a promo about, as a guest referee at Starrcade 90', he will make sure there is a winner. It'd be helpful if you told us in what match, grandpa. 

Back in the ring, "Prime Time" Brian Lee gets soundly defeated by the popular Z-Man. Inoffensive sub-4 minute match that peaks with Z-Man's terrifically annoying entrance theme. Was there a time when Clash of the Champions shows were actually meant to promote big shows and really impress the audience...? I ask because at this point in the show, I'm not sure what WCW thought was going to be appealing about what they're presenting. (1/5)

After a commercial break, Michael "Don't Call Me Rotundo" Wallstreet and his new manager Alexandra York (Terri Runnels) cut a brief, surprisingly entertaining promo. It is remarkable how much better this gimmick is compared to the "Captain" character and how fitting it is for the rugged Syracuse standout. His opponent tonight is The Star Blazer (NWA journeyman Tim Horner under a mask) who gets a surprising amount of offense in considering one would assume this match was designed to put over Wallstreet and York's flawless, computer-generated strategy. Another sub-5 minute match that, at times, seems to be working against itself by not effectively highlighting the talent it should. (1/5)

Gordon Solie runs down the top 10 tag teams and singles competitors in WCW and we also get a brief video package hyping the Pat O'Conner Memorial International Tag Team Tournament (and its 7-foot trophy prize). 

For no apparent reason beyond getting the tournament over, we get a qualifying match between two teams from Africa - Sgt. Kreuger and Col. DeKlerk (of Johannesburg) and the team of Kalua and the Botswana Beast (from just plain ol' Africa according to Capetta). I didn't catch it till I looked it up, but Colonel DeKlerk was actually Rocco Rock of Public Enemy fan and was not from Africa at all and Kreuger was Ray Apollo (who became the babyface Doink) and is also not from Africa. Kalua and the Beast, meanwhile, were enhancement guys with very non-notable careers in the indies according to what I could find online (which was very little). Almost instantly the crowd turns on this match, "boring" heckles delivered steadily from start to finish. Kalua and the Beast are green, awful, and uncoordinated while Kreuger and DeKlerk are comparatively competent (I believe it is DeKlerk/Rocco Rock who controls the entire match, performs any and all decent spots, and blatantly calls it aloud inside the ring). The irony of calling this a "qualifying match" when I don't think any of these four technically qualified as actual pro-wrestlers at the time should not be lost on anyone. Terrible match. (0/5)

I'm going to review the next segment/match as a whole because the target here is to cement the fact that Lex Luger is an absolute fearless bad ass (which the crowd seems to already be completely sold on). First, he's confronted by Big Cat, who he shuts up almost effortlessly. Then, he makes his way down the aisle for his match against The Motor City Madman (only to get half-attacked by Big Cat, who doesn't really get the better of him before they're split apart). I'm guessing the feuds with Big Cat and the Madman were designed to give him placeholder enemies while US Champion Stan Hansen (who he dropped the title to at Halloween Havoc a month prior) split his time between the NWA and Japan. Once the actual bout starts, the Madman tries to use his size to take out the Total Package, but Luger won't stay down, cutting him off at every turn and eventually scoring a fairly easy pinfall after a clothesline. Considering he had significant trouble getting the Madman up in a vertical suplex, trying to hoist him up for the Torture Rack was probably not going to happen. Extra half-point for the absurd vignette in which Motor City Madman is discovered by Paul E. Dangerously and his face is hidden for over 80% of the video because this was how WCW opted to establish how big he was. Overall, effective and, while this sort of stuff wouldn't really fly in the WWE today, the crowd eats all of it up because Luger was super popular. (2.5/5)

The Nasty Boys take on The Renegade Warriors next. This show is messing with my head because, while I know its a 2-hour show, this feels like hour 6 or 7 by now. Another "nothing" match for what I believe was maybe the last Nasties appearance in WCW for awhile? I think its really telling that the Renegade Warriors never got "the call" from the WWE despite wrestling for over a decade in the states and internationally. Their look was unimpressive, their in-ring work was unimpressive, they didn't seem to have any swagger or charisma, its just a total fail. When the Nasty Boys are wrestling circles around you, its a sign you may never measure up. Half-point for the Nasties maybe being in the best shape of their careers during this run. (0.5/5)


Just like Lex Luger got a bit of a showcase earlier, Sid Vicious gets one through a match against The Night Stalker (aka Bryan "Wrath" Clark). Vicious is now working as a babyface because, well, its never really clear - but beyond the fact that the crowd loves him, he actually shows vulnerability, which is something new from the big guy. When this happened it had the reputation of being one of the worst matches of all time, but that seems like quite a statement to make about a match this short and meaningless. I mean, what was anyone expecting? Bryan Clark may be one of the most consistently cited "bad wrestlers" ever thanks to this one and the Kronik vs. Brothers of Destruction match a decade earlier. I'm giving it a point because, while the match isn't good, features plenty of gaffes, and involves the single worst use of a battle axe in the history of steel, Sid not only gets great reactions but even delivers a few of his own in a newfound role as a fan favorite. (1/5)

The Fabulous Freebirds cut a promo running down El Gigante, but, big surprise, The Southern Boys show up with none other than the giant Brazilian himself. If Gigante was around the whole night, why wasn't he there for the opening match? Oh, because they knew even filling a ring with seasoned veterans like the Freebirds and Bobby Eaton and the Southern Boys wouldn't be enough to mask Gigante's terribleness? Makes sense. 

The Steiner Brothers squash Magnum Force next in some booking seriously out of Extreme Warfare Revenge. After destroying Magnum Force in well under 5 minutes, the Nasties try to run them out of the ring but get sent packing almost instantly too. So, I stand corrected, this was the last appearance of the Nasties in WCW for awhile. Nothing really to see here except maybe the Frankensteiner. (0.5/5)

Ric Flair and Arn Anderson join Tony Schiavone to cut a promo. Flair is on as usual, the Nature Boy doing what he does so damn well - stringing together catchphrase after catchphrase but making every one sound original and brilliant. It truly is a gift. I wish this could've just played on a loop instead of the last couple of matches.

Yes! A recap of the Black Scorpion angle in all of its bizarre and cheesy glory! The Black Scorpion segment from Halloween Havoc 90' is one of my favorite things ever but I had not seen some of the other developments (including his "voiceover attack" in what I'm guessing was probably, at the very least, an average match with Bobby Eaton). (+1)

Here we go - Paul E. Dangerously welcomes the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting to the Danger Zone for an advertised one-on-one encounter with the Black Scorpion himself. Sting is decked out in a Canadian tuxedo with Venice Beach flair and demands that the Scorpion show up. Music plays and the Black Scorpion appears on the ramp. He pulls a "fan" out of the audience and proceeds to perform a rudimentary magic trick on him like some sort of evil Amazing Jonathan. He brings the poor sap into a cage and turns him into a leopard for good measure, all the while Paul Dangerously's hooting and hollering drowns out Ole Anderson's voiceover. The Black Scorpion disappears behind a curtain and once again I'm left speechless by what WCW believed was going to effectively bring in buys from a general wrestling audience. (+1)

Before our main event we get another video recap - this time of the feud between Doom and the Horsemen. I hadn't seen much of this footage before so I was unaware that there were some stakes involved (aside from the WCW World Tag Team Championships) - namely Flair's Rolls Royce and Teddy Long's pride (if Doom lose their match at Starrcade, Long would have to be their personal chauffeur for a day). 

A coin toss is held, but I don't think anyone thought Arn Anderson was going to main event this show. Flair vs. Butch Reed is a fun Flair-by-numbers match but nothing really beyond that. The crowd is pro-Horsemen, but both sides are technically rulebreakers so at no point does Flair go out of his way to elicit sympathy from the audience, cutting corners (with help from Double A) just as much as Doom does. The crowd is fully into this, despite it being just a somewhat lean Greatest Hits version of better Flair main events - the agonized hollering, the Flair flop, a slightly-modified over-the-turnbuckle-onto-the-apron bit (this time into a Ron Simmons clothesline), headlock takedowns and working the knee are all there, but it comes off as a match that Flair could've had in his sleep at this point and doesn't really add anything interesting in the context of the feud itself, which was kind of the point. (2.5/5)


Clash of the Champions XIII was nominated (and may have even won) "Worst Show of the Year" in the Wrestling Observer in 1990 and its hard to argue against it. There's not a single match here that is above average or worth watching even once. I love WCW's production around this time - the music, the vignettes, the gimmicks - for how cheesy it is, but shows like Halloween Havoc 90' from a few weeks prior show that when paired with great wrestling, the result is why I became a fan in the first place. This show offers nothing beyond a handful of good laughs and its score of 1.68-out-of-5 puts it well out of "passable" range.

FINAL RATING - DUDleyville

NXT Takeover: War Games

NXT Takeover: WarGames

Houston, TX - November 2017

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into tonight's show, Drew McIntyre is the reigning NXT Champion, the NXT Womens' Championship is vacant (but will be decided tonight), and the NXT Tag Team Champions are SaNiTy.

COMMENTATORS: Mauro Ranallo, Nigel McGuiness, and Percy Watson

Kicking things off, Kassius Ohno took on the monstrous Lars Sullivan. From what I could dig up on wikipedia, Sullivan is only a few years into the business, so pairing him up with an indy vet like Ohno in his first major outing was a good idea. That being said, Sullivan may have looked even more impressive against someone he could actually lift as there were a couple times when it was obvious he didn't have 100% control when he took Ohno off his feet. Great sequence of Ohno striking Sullivan repeatedly in his face with Sullivan just begging for more. It bordered on Road Warrior-style no-selling (which I'm not usually a fan of) but Lars' facial expression showed that the hurt was registering and simultaneously firing him up. Sullivan's finisher was a disappointment, but overall, this wasn't perfectly fine as an opener. (2.5/5)

Several UK stars were shown at ringside, including Tyler Bate. They get a decent ovation from the crowd, but not as big as the one for the guy who competes next - Aleister Black. Black's opponent tonight was The Velveteen Dream, a hip-shaking Prince-like figure who refuses to be ignored by the ultra-serious Black. Dream added even more fuel to the fire by showing up in airbrushed tights, drawing a sizable "Velveteen" chant from the crowd. I really liked the exchange of wrestling holds to start things off, Velveteen coming in with a strategy to avoid strikes but Black proving he can chain wrestle just as well as he can throw kicks. Great moment of character work with Black and the Dream trying to intimidate each other with their signature taunts. Again, the crowd response seemed a little weird as a "Say His Name" chant broke out in support of the Dream. Velveteen took control for the next stretch, which I did not expect, especially after he overconfidently blew a chance to hit a recuperating Black with a splash on the outside. In a nod to the build-up to this match, Black got tied up in the ropes and Velveteen demanded he say his name, but instead Black struck him with a kick straight to the face. Black hit a series of strikes in rapid succession from every possible angle, the thing he may do better than anyone else in the WWE today. The Dream wouldn't stay down though, eventually even hitting a big Death Valley Driver on Black for two. Velveteen went for a DVD from the top, but Black was able to escape and hit him with a knee to the head. Velveteen once again reversed the momentum, though, hitting a Sister Abigail-into-a-DDT sorta-combo that I'm not sure I've seen before. The Dream went for an elbow drop but got caught in the jaw by Black's boot, sending him into the ropes (where he got tied up). Black struck him with a devastating kick, but Dream countered with a superkick of his own before Black hit another big running knee. In a wonderful closing moment, the Dream demanded Black say his name, but the Dutch Devastator responded with a nasty kick to the skull to finally put him down for good. Good post-match moment too, though I do kind of hope they keep the Dream heelish instead of just rushing him into being a babyface (as I'm sure the crowd reactions to him are making them consider today). The first "must see" match of both of these guys' NXT run as far as I'm concerned and maybe a dark horse for a Top 10 WWE match of the year. (4/5)

Asuka, Funaki, and Finn Balor are all shown in the audience. 

The backstory to this match is that Asuka stepped down as NXT Womens' Champion after a 500+ day reign, leaving the title vacant. Meanwhile, Kairi Sane won the first ever Mae Young Classic, lending her the credibility needed to earn a chance to win the gold. Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Ember Moon also qualified for an opportunity to take home the belt despite all, at one point or another, failing to win the strap from Asuka. I mention this because, as Asuka never dropped the title, whoever won this match was going to have a little bit of a credibility issue - even the Pirate Princess, whose gimmick is so weird that I kinda like it despite the hokeyness. The match began with all four women in the ring exchanging shots and no one having the clear advantage over anyone else. More than a couple good Ember Moon spots early - a big splash on Cross to the floor, then hitting a big dive on Sane and Royce soon after, followed by a powerbomb on Cross to the floor. Sane took over in the ring, though, as the crowd broke into dueling "Let's Go Ember/Let's Go Kairi" chants. Royce impressed too, though, tying up Sane in a tarantula-esque maneuver in the ropes. A good Tower of Doom spot followed, eliciting an NXT chant while Nigel wondered aloud where Nikki Cross was (still selling a powerbomb to the floor, I believe). Right on cue, the SaNity member came flying off the top rope, recharged and ready to take the fight to anyone she could get her hands on. Cross hit her nasty swinging fisherman neckbreaker, but Moon stopped the count at two. Royce hit a fisherman suplex on Cross soon after and Sane was just a tad late on the pin break-up, the crowd letting the ref have it with brief chants of "That was 3!" Sane saved the moment with an Alabama Slam that planted Royce atop Cross and then her patented elbow drop. Moon broke up the pin again, all of this leading to Ember Moon somehow hitting the Eclipse Stunner on both Cross and Royce to take home her first Womens' Championship. It was a tad bit of a convoluted finish, but it looked as good as it could ever look. Asuka came into the ring to award the title to Moon and I couldn't have been the only person wondering if she'd clock her in the face with a spin kick to ruin the moment for the hometown hero. The division is going to need some real rebuilding after having such a dominant champion on top and never resolving Asuka's run the way it needed to resolve, but Cross is terrific in her role, there's certainly places to go with Kairi Sane, and there are some females on the current house show roster that could be plugged in relatively quickly to build up the division (Abbey Laith, legit shootfight Shayna Baszler, and, if Ricochet does sign with the WWE in 2018, maybe even Tessa Blanchard). Good, not great match. (3/5)

Andrade Almas and his business manager, Zelina Vegas, came out next to challenge Drew McIntyre for the NXT Championship. I'm a bigger fan of Almas than McIntyre, so I went into this one hoping that he'd take home the title. I still think there's a piece missing in the Almas character, but Vegas has been a great addition to his act. McIntyre, ostensibly the face, didn't get much bigger of a reaction than Almas, though I wouldn't necessarily say things were split 50/50 - just that both guys got 30% positive reactions. I wouldn't even be surprised if some of the fans in attendance regarded this NXT Title Match as the bathroom break. As far as in-ring abilities go, both guys are technically sound and even have some nifty signature offense, but McIntyre, with his look and intensity, is impossible to sympathize with and Almas could stand to fight even dirtier to make up for size differentials in matches like this. Almas hit a tremendous moonsault off the top rope to the arena floor in the first great spot of the match, but again, I'm not sure a heel should be popping the crowd so much when the goal should be to cement your character as unlikable. Almas controlled for the next few minutes, but McIntyre wouldn't stay down, eventually fighting back with a big sit-out powerbomb. McIntyre hit his Future Shock DDT but Almas kicked out of that as well, the challenger proving his mettle. McIntyre attempted a fireman's carry on the top rope, but Almas escaped and hit an absolutely devastating double-knee strike into the corner that I would've loved to see him repeat a couple of times to really drive the nail into the coffin. Escaping to the outside, we finally got some heel tactics out of Almas as he distracted the ref to allow Vegas to come in and hit a hurricanrana on the champ. A DDT from Almas followed, but it wasn't enough. McIntyre miraculously hit a massive running big boot (the Claymore) that turned Almas inside out - but Cien got his foot on the rope (with some assistance by Vegas) to stop the count at 2. The crowd now seemed fully behind Almas, or at least the portion of the audience that was most vocal about this match did. Almas landed a stiff DDT from the top rope to secure the win and the NXT Championship. This is booking in the right direction as there remains a "fan connection" problem in the McIntyre package that can't be ignored and Almas and Vegas are the undeniably better act. I'd love to see them build Gargano as a challenger for the night before WrestleMania as he's arguably the most over babyface they have and has great chemistry with Almas. Oddly, McIntyre's disappointment in the ring (which was probably partially kayfabe and part reality as he suffered a legit injury it seemed) might be the best moments of character work he's ever done. Not a must-see match necessarily, but maybe the best these somewhat one-dimensional characters could be expected to deliver in front of a crowd that was at least a quarter indifferent when the bell rang. (3/5)

Main event time - SAnity vs. Strong and the Authors of Pain vs. The Undisputed Era in a War Games Match (or should I say War Games style match because this was not really a War Games match at all). Starting things off were Eric Young, Adam Cole( who got a pretty loud "Adam Cole Baby" pop upon his entrance), and Roderick Strong (who was sporting AOP gear in a cool little change-up from his generic babyface get-up). The start of the match was your basic triangle start, no one really dominating. Compared to the other matches of the night, the crowd was somewhat dead for the start, possibly from natural fatigue but also because of the fact that none of the competitors involved in this match are real "Superstars" yet, even in the NXT Universe. In another change from the traditional War Games rules, Bobby Fish and Kyle O'Reilly came out at the end of the first 5-minute round, Young and Strong now at the mercy of the Undisputed Era for the next 3 minutes (I think it was). After crushing their opponents against the cage with repeated running hip attacks, the Era basically left their opponents alone, showing no real urgency (though, to be fair, at this point in the match, the "war games" had not yet begun so its not like they should've trying to get someone to submit). The Authors of Pain came in next and immediately the tables turned, Akam and Rezar tossing mofos around with relative ease (including their own partner at one point). In a cool spot, the Authors struck down all 4 of their opponents by tossing two guys into corners and then driving another two guys into them with fireman's carries. Wolfe and Dane came in last, Wolfe showing up with a weapon in hand. Dane, meanwhile, tossed in some more "plunda" as Dusty might've called it, including some chairs, some garbage cans, a chain, and a Singapore Cane. The crowd chanted "We Want Tables" in unison and Dane brought two out to the biggest cheer of the night thus far, sliding one into the ring for Wolfe to set up in the corner. With weapons all over the place, there was now some real drama in the match, Dane driving the "no escape" point home by swallowing the key to the cage door lock. Dane then took out the AOP with a senton dropkick that connected with both guys (one with the senton and one with the dropkick into the corner) before taking out a handful of guys with a splash from the top rope. Cole tried to strike him down with the cane, but ended up nearly chokeslammed for his efforts before he was rescued by Fish. Great counter out of Dane that saw him hit a Michinoku Driver on Cole onto Fish on the mat! Dane hit a much less flashy fallaway slam/samoan drop combo on Strong and O'Reilly next before going toe-to-toe with Rezar in a great exchange. Akam hit a powerslam on the Beast from Belfast and attempted a pin, which I didn't think were acceptable in this match but whatever, the old War Games rules were thrown out from the very start anyway. After fending off an attack from Wolfe, O'Reilly grabbed a chain and went to work on the SaNity member, wrapping him up in it before applying the crossarm breaker. Eric Young made the save with a huge elbow drop, only to end up the victim of a Bobby Fish moonsault. With every single competitor in the match down, the crowd tried to revive em' with a "We Want Tables" chant. Super Collider on FIsh and Reilly with Dane smushed in the middle for two! Dane ended up busted open in the milieu, though I'm not exactly sure how. Young showed considerable strength by Death Valley Driving one of the AOPs into the other, though he was only able to get a two count of it. Strong took over from here, taking out nearly everyone in the ring with a variety of backbreakers and strikes (and even hitting an Olympic Slam on Dane for good measure!). Again, a "We Want Tables" chant broke out, the fans seemingly not impressed with all the mayhem they'd already been witness to. Really cool and innovative middle-of-the-cage moment leading to an insane double Tower of Doom spot that left Cole to gloat in the middle unharmed. The Authors of Pain would change that rapidly, though, crotching him on the top turnbuckle and then setting up a pair of tables for his next landing. The AOP looked like they were going to attempt some sort of double back suplex through the tables, but Wolfe stopped their progress as Cole climbed further atop the cage. Wolfe then hit a german suplex on one of the AOP through a table, the move not quite getting the attention it deserved due to bad camera work. Wolfe was busted open in the process, gushing from the back of his head. Strong and Dane continued to fight it out in the middle of the first ring as Cole continued to take a powder atop the cage wall. In relative control, Dane set up Kyle O'Reilly in the corner and hit a HUGE Coast to Coast on him! Hmmm, I wonder what Shane-O thinks of that. Anyway, the move essentially took just as much out of the 300-pounder than it did Reilly, leaving Cole to enjoy a moment in the sun atop the cage. Strong climbed up to take him out, the two fighting it out at the very top of the cage wall as the crowd chanted "Please Don't Die." In a great moment of production work, Strong hit Cole with a superplex from on top of the cage into every other wrestler in the match (their presence was unrevealed until the last second). Cole miraculously kicked out at two, though. The Authors of Pain hit one of their signature double-teams on Dane but before they could go for the cover, Fish and O'Reilly attacked. Meanwhile, a bloody Wolfe and Young would strike as well, the match soon boiling down to the original three men. Cole hit Young with a big kendo stick shot, but Young grabbed onto a chair, the weapon unfortunately working less like a shield than he'd hoped. Adam Cole came out with his hand raised, but I wouldn't necessarily say he stole the match let alone the show. Things started off a little unremarkable but turned really fun once SaNity came in. Cole got his cowardly heel role over but I wouldn't be in too much of a rush to push him into the title picture as Almas and Vegas seem to be doing fine in a not-too-dissimilar role as crafty villains. Dane, meanwhile, came off as an unstoppable monster and someone that I could see the fans getting behind just as easy as they seem to have turned the corner on the Authors of Pain. I'm not going to call this a "must see" just because I don't think it had the star power or the stakes needed to make it feel like anything more than just a fun, crowd-pleasing, "popcorn" match. (3.5/5)

Once again, the NXT brand defied my somewhat lowered expectations and delivered a really strong, easily digested show. While the "highs" of this show didn't quite touch the same peaks as previous shows, when the worst match of the night is at least average (and arguably above average depending on how big a Lars Sullivan you are), you're doing something right from a booking and presentation standpoint. There's been writers and fans eager to take the brand down a notch for its lack of recognizable, bankable indie stars at the level of a Samoa Joe, Nakamura, and Sami Zayn, but tonight, a number of guys took huge steps in establishing their own name as being top prospects, most notably the Velveteen Dream, Aleister Black, Adam Cole, and Killian Dane. While the veterans like Ohno, Young, and Strong may never get the pushes their biggest supporters might have dreamt for them, their experience and talents certainly aren't being wasted based on their positioning and performances on this show. Survivor Series doesn't have to be perfect to be a better show than this, but the main roster stars will have to work hard to deliver something as consistently enjoyable.

FINAL RATING - Watch It...With Remote in Hand

WCW Clash of the Champions XII: Mountain Madness: Fall Brawl 90'

WCW Clash of the Champions XII: Mountain Madness: Fall Brawl 90'

Asheville, North Carolina - September 1990

CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN: Coming into the show, the WCW World Champion is Sting, the United States Champion is held by his best bud Lex Luger, the World Tag Team Champions are Doom, the US Tag Team Champions are the Steiner Brothers, and Arn Anderson holds the TV Title. 

COMMENTATORS: Bob Caudle and Jim Ross

Yes, you read that correct, the title of this show was WCW Clash of the Champions XII: Mountain Madness: Fall Brawl 90'. 

The first third of the music video for "Baddstreet USA" by the Fabulous Freebirds starts the show signaling the arrival of Michael "P.S" Hayes, Jimmy "Jam" Garvin, and the injured Buddy Roberts. Their opponents tonight are The Southern Boys accompanied by "Bullet" Bob Armstrong. The match was going to be a 6-man originally, but turned into a regular ol' tag match before the show. The Southern Boys are super over with their crowd and Armstrong's high-flying gets a tremendous pop. Armstrong and Smothers don't always get the recognition they deserve as they do so many little things right and actually have some pretty clever, fun spots that bring to mind The Rock n' Roll Express and their contemporaries, The Rockers. Its worth mentioning that both teams are sporting Confederate gear just because it is a bit glaring, but then again, pro-wrestling wasn't about subtlety in the early 90s any more than it is now. Really strong finishing stretch with great involvement from "Bullet" Bob and Roberts in quick enough succession that the pinfall feels like it is happening at the highest moment of crowd frenzy. Strong opener that didn't overstay its welcome like some Freebirds matches from this era could. (3/5)

The United States Tag Team Champion Steiners are backstage. Scott's command of the mic is not yet there, but Rick takes over and does a touch better. Not the best promo these guys ever cut.

Buddy Landell is up next, sporting a Skid Row tattoo. That's a bonus point. Then its the winner of the Burger King Ringmaster Contest Cindy Anderson accompanying "Captain" Mike Rotunda. That's another point. The contest was won by writing poetry according to Jim Ross. Holy christ. This match could be the shittiest of shitty matches and I'd still probably recommend watching the first minute. The match itself is unremarkable, but inoffensive. Rotunda has never been my favorite in-ring talent, though I'll admit I haven't revisited much of his IRS run when maybe he was a far better heel than face? Landell has some good matches under his belt, but this one doesn't go anywhere special enough for us to see his classic heel mannerisms on full display. I'm still calling this above average for the Nuggets of Awesomeness embedded into the start of the contest. (3/5)

The Freebirds cut a promo and then air a video of themselves in Hollywood. I'm not sure what the purpose of the video was aside from just showing that they like hot dogs.

Tim Horner and Brad "The Candy Man" Armstrong are in the ring to take on a brand new team of monsters - The Master Blasters - Steel (Kevin Nash) and Iron (Cory Pendarvis). Nash, who looks to be in the best shape of his entire career, starts things off against Horner and dominates him with ease. Iron comes in soon after and continues the onslaught with some basic offense of his own. Interesting fact - this is Pendarvis' only match as he would be replaced by Al Green and, according to the internet, never wrestled another match for WCW or any other company. When you're the lesser worker between yourself and a rookie Kevin Nash, though, maybe calling it quits is the right idea. I was expecting this to be a total squash, but the babyfaces actually get some offense before getting taken out. Nothing special here aside from getting to see a very young and green Nash. (1.5/5)

Brian Pillman is backstage with Tony Schiavone. They discuss a new WCW gimmick - "The Gauntlet" - whereby a wrestler has to fight three nights in a row against three different opponents and, if they win, they can take home an extra $15,000. I miss gimmicks like these.

Missy Hyatt introduces her guest - "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Flair cuts a classic, albeit brief promo. Good stuff that always earns an extra point in my book. (+1)

The Nasty Boys vs. Jackie Fulton and Terry Taylor is next. Something tells me that Fulton and Taylor are about to eat some serious punishment from the unruly Nasties. Minutes into the action, though, and its actually the babyfaces who are kicking ass, especially the ever-proficient Terry Taylor. Taylor is really impressive, his strikes sharp and his fire easy to rally behind. Each time the Nasties do seem to get the upperhand, his hope spots come off as natural and get a great reactions from the crowd. Fulton is less smooth, but he's got a ton of energy and some surprising strength (at one point he hits a perfect german suplex on Sags). Knobbs hits a huge elbow drop from the top rope to get the clean win. Better than average tag outing. (3/5)

Sid Vicious stands with Tony Schiavone. Vicious was awesome at this point. 

Back in the ring, "Wild" Bill Irwin stands awaiting his opponent, Atlanta's own Tommy Rich. Irwin catches Rich was a super slick big knee to start the match, but Rich comes back strong, hiptossing Irwin over the top rope and onto the arena floor (which was illegal, but is allowed by Randy Anderson). The workrate for the start of this match is pretty incredible as Rich and Irwin wrestle with speed and precision until Rich slows things down with a well-worked headlock. I was not expecting to enjoy this one, but Rich and Irwin work pretty hard and it pays off in creating a match that feels much more personal and heated than it seemed it would be initially. A few minutes in, Rich takes an absolutely great bump into the guardrail neck-first that I'm not sure I've seen done in this exact way as before. Unfortunately, its not treated as a big deal when I think you could've built the rest of the match around the spot. Back in the ring they go and Rich doesn't sell any damage at all, eventually catching Irwin with a Lou Thesz Press for the win. (2/5)

The WCW Top Ten is posted next. I forgot that not only did they do a Top Ten for singles, but they also did one for tag teams. 

 Stan Hansen, dripping with tobacco juice, calls out Sting and Luger next. 

The WCW Womens' World Championship (did you know there was one?) is on the line next with Bambi taking on Susan Sexton from Australia. Bambi gets face pops and Sexton is booed, but I'm not necessarily sure Sexton was a heel based on her outfit and general demeanor. No disrespect to the combatants, both of whom are technically proficient, but this match was heatless and needed a clear face/heel dynamic to get over with the crowd. As these two are very generic in their outfits and offense, there was pretty much no way that this match was going to get over as anything other than a bathroom break. (1.5/5)

Maximum Overdrive are in the ring when we come back from commercial, gearing up to take on the uber-popular Steiner Brothers. This might be the first Maximum Overdrive match I've reviewed, so I had to look them up - the team was comprised of J.W Storm and Tim Hunt ("The Silencer" and "The Hunter"). Storm, in particular, looked to have been a prospect for a brief time, even working for the WWE in 92', but never did amount to anything beyond a lower, lower card guy. Anyway, the match these two teams have is nothing special save for the Steiners' choice of finisher, which looks it was just waiting to break somebody's neck one day. I wasn't expecting much out of this, so its not like it was a huge disappointment, just nothing more than sub-average. (1.5/5)

Stan Hansen makes his way down the aisle for his match against Tom "The Z-Man" Zenk. Zenk gets quite an ovation from the females in the audience but has little time to enjoy it before Hansen goes right after him. Z-Man gets a little bit of offense in, but Hansen keeps up with Zenk's pace and effectively shuts him down with his trademark lariat in under 5 minutes. Nothing match. (1/5)

After a recap of one of their previous bouts, Lex Luger cuts a somewhat rushed promo about his challenger tonight, Ric Flair. As an understated, cool face, Luger could deliver a solid promo, but whenever he'd get super-excited, it always seemed like he'd lose his train of thought after a minute or so. 

The United States Championship is on the line next when Lex Luger defends against Ric Flair. As I haven't actually seen many (or any?) of the Luger/Flair matches considered truly great, I wasn't surprised to read that this match is considered one of the lesser-but-still-very-good matches from their rivalry. As one might expected, this match is fought at a brisk pace and the traditional "heat" and "shine" segments are thus shorter than you would probably get if they were working a full 20+ minute affair. That being said, as far as TV matches go, it is near flawless in its effectiveness (though, the psychology may be just a touch off as Flair, the challenger, doesn't necessarily wrestle any different than he would as the champion). A red hot crowd really helps things too, as this match gets a bigger reaction than almost anything the WWE offers these days (Lesnar appearances included). Even the screwy finish is shot wonderfully, keeps everyone involved looking strong, and effectively transitions Luger into his next major feud right on time for Halloween Havoc. (3/5)

Main event time - The Black Scoprion making his debut against WCW World Champion Sting. I unapologetically like The Black Scorpion angle for its all corniness and this match, while not the peak of it (that may be the Halloween Havoc 90' segment or the following Clash), is still an integral part of the angle. Here, we have Al Perez, a jobber in his brief WWE run (and nothing more than that in WCW for that matter), decked out in the Black Scorpion gear and holding his own against the Stinger but definitely nothing more than that. At least he's in impressive shape. As the match wears on, the Champ takes control and works to remove the mystery man's mask. Having eventually pinned him, the Stinger is shocked to see that under his mask is...another mask! Then, the "real" Black Scorpion shows up on the entrance way and continues to taunt the champ! I wouldn't call this an all-time great swerve or anything, but its at least somewhat of a cliffhanger. As a match, this isn't much more than a decent TV main event. (2/5)

After a quick commercial break, Sting cuts a promo admitting that he failed himself by not discovering the true identity of the Black Scorpion. He is interrupted by Sid Vicious, though, who demands a title shot (he'd get one at Halloween Havoc) and eventually attacks the Stinger on the entranceway when he's told to "take it up with the Championship Committee." A better post-match angle would've seen Sid actually level him with his mega-over powerbomb finish as Sting and Sid were over enough to get tremendous heat for their feud but probably needed something more than just your typical beatdown to really cement their title match as a must-see David vs. Goliath story. 


Clash of the Champions XII isn't through-and-through enjoyable (or even watchable thanks to some of the "talents" who get screen time), but it isn't without its moments. The opening contest, hilarious Landell/Rotundo match, Nasty Boys bout, and Luger/Flair are all better-than-average segments. Unfortunately, the rest of the card is pretty boring, even the peak-era Steiners match not delivering enough stiffness to make it quality "car crash" wrestling like some of their other squash matches from the time. With a Kwang score of 2.25-out-of-5, Clash XII is impossible to recommend as a whole, but there are certainly worse two-hour blocks on the Network and if you enjoy your "wrestlecrap" just as much as your 5-star match quality, there's plenty here to satiate your hunger for the cheesy stuff.

FINAL RATING - High Risk Maneuver


Oh, and just in case you were wondering whether a show like this actually garnered many viewers - it drew a 5.0 rating according to Wikipedia, which would be something 5-7 MILLION VIEWERS. Granted, the landscape was less competitive, but still, it just goes to show how even the non-mainstream wrestling product of the time had some serious eyes on it.