Hello and welcome to another edition
of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the
internet that continues to baffle the people more than a Wrestling Stan
Account! It’s time for WCW Clash Of The Champions IX: New York Knockout! This
seems like the biggest Clash in quite some time as we have a I Quit Match
between Funk and Flair as our main event, we also have Luger vs Pillman in a
rematch from Halloween Havoc and some interesting tag matches to round out the
card, could this be a good clash? I think the clash could have a similar record
to In Your House at this point, far more uninteresting ones compared to
interesting ones but we are only 9 shows in so I guess I won’t judge too
quickly but let’s do this!
The Road Warriors
W/ Paul Ellering vs The Fabulous Freebirds
This is what I want to see, LOD
smashing people who can bump for them. Hayes and Hawk to start, Hayes dodges
the right hand from Hawk but Animal brings Hayes back into the ring. Hawk
clotheslines both, I think we are going to have lots of stalling here. Military
press slam by Hawk, Animal smacks Hayes around. Flying shoulder tackle from
Hawk, Hawk lands a dropkick on Garvin. Double elbow on Garvin, Garvin rakes the
eyes and clubs Animal. Suplex connects and Animal pops right back up, massive
clothesline by Animal who poses for the fans. Hayes lands an elbow but Animal
does not move, clothesline and the flying shoulder tackle. Tag to Hawk, Hawk
wrenches the arm of Hayes. Clothesline by Hawk, tag to Animal.
Animal and Garvin are in, Animal
misses a corner splash. Hayes hurls Animal to the floor, stomps by Hayes. Tag
to Garvin, they batter Animal. Hawk is with the referee, right hands by Garvin.
Hayes chops and chokes Animal, choke with the ropes and more double-teaming
before Hawk tosses the referee and batters The Freebirds. We have a DQ, what a
hot start eh?
Never really got going, the match
being thrown out is quite disappointing but I guess that is what they thought
would be a good idea to open a show.
Winners: The
Fabulous Freebirds over The Road Warriors via DQ!
Doom W/ Woman vs
Eddie Gilbert & Tommy Rich
Gilbert seems to have slid down the
card, possibly due to his heat with Ric Flair as Gilbert considered himself a
big star like his big personality but it was not meant to be unfortunately,
Woman continues to manage her men in black and this looks like it will be a
squash.
Gilbert and Simmons to start, Simmons
throws down Gilbert. Side headlock from Gilbert but Simmons tosses Gilbert across
the ring. Simmons poses, O’Connor roll from Gilbert. Gilbert lands a
face-buster before strutting, tag to Rich. Diving axe handle from Rich, Rich
works the arm with elbows before Simmons goes low with a right hand. In comes
Reed, Reed gets caught in an arm-bar before drilling Rich with forearms.
Leapfrogs before Rich lands a hip-toss, stand-off between the two as Gilbert
tries firing up the crowd. Tag to Gilbert who drills Reed, side headlock before
Reed grabs the hair. Sidewalk slam from Reed, suplex from Reed and a tag to
Simmons.
Simmons tosses Gilbert around the
ring, big axe handles from Simmons. Tag to Reed, massive knee to the ribs. Reed
lands closed fists to the head of Gilbert, swinging neck-breaker from Reed for
two. Gilbert escapes to tag in Rich, elbows from Rich. Gut-shot and back
body-drop, we have a brawl now with everyone in the ring. Tag team atomic drop
and diving clothesline combination by Doom for the win.
Another brief match to put over this
impressive new tag team, fine by me but not exactly super interesting to
review!
Winners: Doom
over Eddie Gilbert & Tommy Rich via Diving Clothesline!
The Dynamic Dudes
vs The Midnight Express
The Dudes were being managed by
Cornette as a thank you for saving Cornette when Paul E. Dangerously knocked
out Cornette with his cell-phone. This led to tension between the two teams as
Cornette was seen as neglecting his Midnight Express. The Midnight Express have
given Cornette an ultimatum: choose which team you will continue to manage. It baffles
me that I have not seen The Midnight Express near those tag team championships
considering how good they are inside of that ring.
Cornette stands in a neutral corner
for this match, Douglas and Eaton to begin the match. Clean break from Eaton,
lock-up. Side headlock from Eaton, abdominal stretch from Douglas but Eaton
escapes before being caught in an arm-drag. Douglas takes out Eaton and Lane,
arm-drag on Lane. Shoulder block by Douglas before Lane drop toeholds Douglas
but Douglas slips out with a hammerlock. Lane counters the hold by pulling the
hair and works the arm, Douglas lands a drop toehold into a wristlock. Lane
pulls the hair, schoolboy by Douglas for two. Little shoving, Ace wants to
brawl. Lane misses an enzuigiri, Ace ducks the manoeuvre.
Lane brings Ace to the ropes, dropkick
counters from Ace. Scoop slam and Lane backs up, tag to Eaton. Side headlock
from Eaton, shoulder block too before Ace lands more dropkicks. Douglas dives
onto Eaton, crowd reacts somewhat positively. They lock-up with Douglas
grabbing a headlock, Lane delivers a belly to back suplex. Douglas dodges the elbow
drop and lands an arm-drag, in comes Eaton but Eaton eats an arm-drag. Eaton
pushes Douglas to the ropes, massive punch by Eaton. Eaton wants a superplex, Douglas
slips out and lands an O’Connor roll for two, diving crossbody for two. Ace is
in now, hip-toss and monkey flip.
Ace wanted the head-scissors but Lane
smashed Ace from the apron. Karate kicks from Lane, snap-mare into a Russian
leg-sweep. Tag to Eaton, Rocket Launcher and Ace counters with his knees. Tag
to Douglas, right hands all around. Back body-drop from Douglas, Olympic Slam
from Douglas but in comes Lane. We have a brawl, Eaton has something in his
wrist. Cornette takes the chain and tells Douglas to go after Eaton and with
Douglas’ back turned, Cornette waffles Douglas with the racket for the win.
Solid tag team match with an ending
that makes me happy because The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette are meant to
be, that’s the way it should always be. Ace and Douglas have been solid as a
tag team but their gimmick is dying a slow death and I am not sure how they
will recover, the future does not look bright. Luckily for Douglas and Ace, ECW
and AJPW were going to come calling to revive their careers after WCW.
Winners: The Midnight
Express over The Dynamic Dudes via Racket!
Super Destroyer
vs Dr. Death Steve Williams
Jack Victory in his Midnight tights
again, little effort to hide Victory at this point. He’s been destroyed more
times than I can count, Destroyer gets a shot or two in before Williams destroys
Super Destroyer with a military press slam and The Oklahoma Stampede!
Winner: Dr. Death
over Super Destroyer via Oklahoma Stampede!
The Skyscrapers
W/ Teddy Long vs The Steiner Brothers
Meaty tag team matches! Spivey and
Rick to start, Spivey clubs Rick. Rick ducks and wants a German, Spivey is
tossed in a brutal German suplex. Steinerline to the floor, that’s fucking
sick. Spivey drills Rick with a tombstone, Rick elbows back at Spivey and lands
another Steinerline. In comes Scott, Frakensteiner on Spivey and fallaway slam
on Sid Vicious. Sid and Scott are in there, whip to the buckle but Scott dodges
Sid and works the arm. Same spot we saw from the previous match with LOD,
Spivey and Sid land a dropkick/clothesline combination. Powerslam from Spivey,
big boot too. Scott blocks the suplex and Scott suplexes Spivey, Steinerline on
Spivey.
In comes Rick, rights and lefts from
Rick. Steinerline on Spivey, powerslam with Sid eating a double clothesline
from The Steiners. In comes Doom, belly to belly suplex on Spivey. We have a DQ
as Doom come to ringside and batter The Steiners, Woman is here to batter Rick
with her heel. Rick shakes it off and Rick says there will be a belly to belly
suplex. We have a bodyguard in the ring, a beatdown ensues before LOD come to
ringside and it’s a brawl that pops the crowd.
More of an angle than anything else
but man it is fun to watch Steiners throw people around the ring. Especially
when it is Spivey because Lord knows I love Sid and Spivey is such a
disappointment when standing next to Sid Vicious.
Winners: The
Steiner Brothers over The Skyscrapers via DQ!
(NWA United States
Heavyweight Championship Match) Lex Luger © vs Flyin’ Brian Pillman
These two had quite the good match at
Halloween Havoc, showcasing the strengths of both men. WCW decided hey why not
do that again? So here we are with Luger taking on Pillman II. They lock-up,
clean break from both. Luger looks hesitant to get in there with Pillman, they
lock-up again. Luger continues to create distance between the two, Luger looks
to the crowd and tells them to shut-up. Luger chants around the arena, Luger
talks more trash to the fans. Knee from Luger, elbows to the spine. Right hands
from Luger, Pillman eats a shoulder block but leapfrogs Luger and nails two
beautiful dropkicks. Luger powders and talks more trash, an irate Luger is on
the floor. Lock-up, right hands by Luger who waffles the challenger, Irish whip
with Pillman leapfrogging Luger and Luger is clubbed down and powders once
more.
Luger calls for a time-out, Luger
shoves Pillman to the corner. Cheap-shots from Luger, Luger poses for the fans.
Chops from Pillman, belly to back is countered and Pillman skins the cat after
missing a clothesline. Big kick staggers Luger, Luger calls for another break. Missile
dropkick from Pillman for two, chops rock Luger. Pillman wrenches the arm of
Luger, Luger begs for mercy as Pillman lands the hot-shot. Pillman works the
arm off the ring-post, Luger meets the guardrail too. In the ring, Luger brings
Pillman to the corner and lands some massive rights. Whip to the opposite
buckle and a belly to back suplex from The Total Package. Irish whip and a
military press slam with Luger calling for the finish, military press drop from
Luger.
Pillman is on one knee brawling back into
this one, Luger pulls Pillman to the floor. Luger slams Pillman on the floor, Luger
suplexes Pillman back into the ring. Only two for Luger, Pillman schoolboys for
two. Irish whip from Luger into the powerslam, Luger calls for The Rack.
Pillman schoolboys Luger for two again, they are trading blows. Right hands and
chops, flying clothesline by Pillman. Irish whip and a back body-drop, Pillman
climbs high. Diving Crossbody but the referee is wiped out again, chop down
from Pillman. Luger clubs Pillman, Pillman lands an O’Connor roll but there is
still no referee. Dropkick with Luger rolling to the floor, Pillman tries
waking the referee. Luger grabs the chair, Pillman does not see the chair and
Luger waffles Pillman and picks up the win. After the match, Sting makes the
save as we built towards Starrcade.
This was a great match between these
two, Luger at his best as a massive douchebag heel who believes he is better
than everyone. Luger is happy to bump around for Pillman, Pillman gets two
visual pin-falls over Luger too showing that one day we might revisit but more
importantly, there are very high on Pillman. Great finish from Luger too and
angle afterwards, Luger says Sting finally has the guts to face him only to
turn and run when given the chance to face Sting. Great heel work from The
Total Package!
Winner: Lex Luger
over Brian Pillman via Chair To The Head!
(I Quit Match) Ric
Flair vs Terry Funk W/ Gary Hart
A fantastic angle began with Terry
Funk being upset that Ric Flair would not accept his challenge for the world
championship, Funk proceeded to almost break the neck of The Nature Boy. This
led to a heated contest between the two, intensity that we had not seen from
The Nature Boy in quite some time but that was not enough, they continued their
feud with Funk almost suffocating Flair with a bag over his head. They got it
on at Halloween Havoc but apart from the finish, it was not enough for me but
an I Quit Match tonight will settle the score. Terry Funk has been tremendous
since joining WCW and I am sad to see him go but Funk would never truly retire.
Funk being the badass that he is, Funk
gives Flair one chance to quite before we begin. Lock-up, clean break. Another
lock-up, Funk misses the chop and is chopped to the floor. Funk threatens the
fans, chops from Flair. Whip to the buckles, chop and Funk is down again. Funk
almost attacks a camera guy showcasing that he is rocked, Funk is so awesome.
Funk powders, jabs from Funk but they have little effect. Shoulder block by
Funk, Flair goes for the leg and chokes Funk. Funk rakes the eyes, stomps to
the head. They are on the apron here, right hand floors Flair. Headbutt rocks
Flair, Flair chops back at Funk. Funk drills Flair with a left hand, elbow to
the skull. Flair is dumped to the floor, Flair meets the guardrail. Left hands
batter Flair, microphone to the head from Funk. Flair throws pick right hands
to get back into the match, Flair chants are strong here tonight. Ten punches
in the corner, Funk eats an inverted atomic drop. Neck-breaker from Funk
staggers Flair, Flair chops back again with Funk spilling to the floor. Flair
sends Funk to the guardrail, Flair shoves Gary Hart. Flair is distracted by Gary
Hart and Funk takes advantage. Swinging neck-breaker, Funk wants a piledriver.
Texas-sized Piledriver from Funk, Funk begins working the neck and face. On the
floor, Funk piledrives Flair on the concrete. Funk is getting sadistic now.
Funk slams Flair off a table before
taking the table for himself, what is the plan here? Flair is battling back out
of desperation, right hands too. Funk’s head meets the table, Funk is tossed
across the table before Flair goes after Gary Hart. Inverted atomic drop and
Flair is going to work the leg, Flair drops all his weight on the leg over and
over. Chops and right hands, Funk is trying to run away but Flair tackles Funk
to the ground and lands a shin-breaker. Flair suplexes Funk into the ring, Funk
kicks and fights to block the hold and thumbs the eye of The Nature Boy. Funk is
suplexed to the apron, Flair applies The Figure Four Leg-Lock. Funk quits after
being locked in the hold, I thought that was a little less dramatic than I
thought it would be. Gary Hart turns on Funk and Muta goes after Flair. Sting
makes the save but Luger comes here too, Sting is waffled before Flair makes
the save.
This was a great match in my eyes,
Funk sets the tone by asking Flair if he wants to quit before he lays this
beating on him. The bell rings and these two scrap it out, beating one another
all over the ring. Flair goes for the leg, Funk piledrivers Flair on the floor
to bring up the neck injury again and I am getting flashbacks, the piledriver
on the concrete is just vicious and it’s incredible. Funk on the mic is great
and Funk saying he will never great only to have to utter those words to save
his leg from being broken, great stuff and a strong angle heading into
Starrcade although I have heard bad things about Starrcade so let’s say I am a
little worried but we had two big blow-offs on this show with The Midnight
Express vs The Dudes and Flair vs Funk coming to an end. A solid Clash of
Champions for WCW despite the jobber matches and DQs that filled the early parts
of the show!
Winner: Ric Flair
over Terry Funk via I Quit!
