Hello and welcome to another edition
of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the
internet that has weirder beliefs than Brian Kendrick, we are officially in the
Bill Watts’ Era of WCW so strap in for this tag team addition of The Clash. Not
thrilled about it to be honest as I feel they could have done a lot of things
better than a tag team tournament but we shall see how things go on this night,
some big names in this tournament.
The Malenkos vs
Ricky The Dragon Steamboat & Nikita Koloff
Joe Malenko and Steamboat trade holds,
both men showcasing their abilities. Test of strength between Joe and
Steamboat, Steamboat bridges up before Joe lands a knee and a monkey flip and
they trade pin-falls and head-scissors counter before Steamboat arm-drags and
clamps on an arm-bar. Both men try hip-tosses, hip-toss from Steamboat. Lock-up
into a wristlock from Steamboat, blind tag from Dean Malenko but Steamboat is
too quick for Dean. Two arm-drags and a
wristlock with a kick to the face. Tag to Nikita, wristlock and kicks. Irish
whip to the buckle and a bearhug, Dean is on the top rope and flips out of an
arm-drag. Nikita shoulder thrusts Dean over and over but Dean slides out of the
corner splash. Diving crossbody from Dean, Joe lands a dropkick to aid Dean but
only gets a two. Nikita presses Dean to the floor with the pin attempt, Dean
kicks low and lands a massive dropkick.
Snap suplex from Dean, Nikita is right
back on his feet. Dean backs off, clubbing blows by Nikita. Dean avoids the
O’Connor roll, flapjack by Nikita and tag to Steamboat. Wristlock and
hammerlock from Steamboat, an elbow drops Steamboat but the tag to Joe does not
work as Steamboat takes out Joe with a drop toehold into an arm-bar. Joe brings
Steamboat to the corner, knees and European uppercuts from Joe. Side headlock
from Steamboat, shoulder block by The Dragon. Dean and Nikita are having words,
Joe counters a head-scissors and Steamboat is in the Malenko corner. Belly to
back suplex and bulldog combination for two, tag to Dean. Roll-up for two, Bow & arrow like hold from Dean, Joe is
in now and lands a short-arm clothesline for two.
Steamboat walks into a scoop slam for
two, Nikita gets the hot-tag and clubs everything in sight, not a great hot-tag
but there are some meaty elbows in there. Flying shoulder block, Joe gets
caught in an inverted atomic drop. Russian Sickles and it’s over!
Well when Steamboat was in there doing
technical stuff with The Malenkos, it was interesting as all of those three are
great at that style of wrestling, The Malenkos and Steamboat are no stranger to
Japan also, I believe they all worked in AJPW for periods of time so it comes
off crisp here and they know what they are doing, Nikita does fine clubbing
everything and I am happy to have more starpower in the company but I need
explosive short matches from Koloff, not so sure about watching him in tags.
Marcus Bagwell
& The Z-Man vs Ravishing Rick Rude & Stunning Steve Austin W/ Medusa
God how beautiful Medusa was during
this era, Austin and Rude are still together which is nice, the dominance of
the faction may be over but they still hold their championships and they still
team together so it is not all doom and gloom at this point. Rude lands knees
and clotheslines, in comes Austin. Bagwell meets the buckle, rights and lefts
from Austin before Bagwell lands a middle rope axe handle and in comes Z-Man.
Austin wants a test of strength, the crowd warns Z-Man of this manoeuvre.
Austin brings Zenk to the buckle, here comes Rude. Forearms to the face, dropkick
from Rude. Vertical suplex from Rude for two, tag to Austin. Stomps in the
corner and elbows to the back of the head, small package counter by Zenk for
two.
We have a clean break on a lock-up, we
have Bagwell coming into the ring now. Austin lands a knee and clubs Bagwell
who fires back with forearms and chops, Bagwell whips Austin to the buckle and
Bagwell meets the boot of Austin. Tag to Rude, throat thrusts from Rude.
Clubbing blows from Rude, belly to back suplex and Rude ducks his head on an
Irish whip. Boot by Bagwell and tag to Zenk, Zenk eats a face-buster and a
pile-driver for a close two. Austin comes in and decks Bagwell, Zenk is dropped
across the top rope for two. Bagwell argues with the referee while Rude and
Austin double clothesline Zenk, Rude works the spine of Zenk. Zenk escapes a
scoop slam and lands a superkick, tag to Bagwell who kicks everything in sight.
Back body-drop on Austin, Austin eats a flying crossbody for two.
Austin rakes the eyes, back-breaker by
Austin for two. Tag to Rude who lands forearms and clubbing blows, sunset flip
from Bagwell but the referee is with Medusa, Bagwell misses the dropkick while
Austin and Zenk brawl so Rude lands The Rude Awakening for the win.
Alright, I am not sure what to do with
Zenk at this stage, I think it would be best for him to continue his feud with
Brian Pillman while Bagwell needs some sort of gimmick or partner change
because he is just a babyface with no sizzle to his steak while Rude and Austin
work well together, Rude is fantastic as a character inside of that ring while
Austin is working tremendously inside of that ring.
Winners: The
Dangerous Alliance over The Z-Man & Marcus Bagwell via Rude Awakening!
The Miracle
Violence Connection vs The O’Days
Larry and Gordy to start, side
headlock by Larry. Gordy shoves off Larry, drop toehold into a single leg
Boston crab, in comes Jeff to battle Williams who lands a Backdrop Driver on
Jeff. In comes Gordy, corner clothesline from Gordy. Sunset flip from Jeff for
two, Gordy is pushed to the O’Day corner. In comes Larry who tries right hands
before Gordy lands a Backdrop Driver. In comes Williams, double shoulder block
to Larry. Oklahoma Stampede and it is over. Squash city!
Winner: Steve
Williams & Terry Gordy over The O’Days via Oklahoma Stampede!
Dustin Rhodes
& Barry Windham vs Bobby Eaton & Arn Anderson
Windham to start with Anderson,
lock-up and clean break from Windham. Anderson pushes Windham to the ropes,
left hand shots into a side headlock takedown but Windham has a counter every
time. Anderson runs into a right hand that staggers the life out of Anderson,
forearms and a whip to the buckle. Anderson blocks with a knee, Windham
dropkicks Anderson who was on the top rope to the floor. In comes Rhodes and
Eaton, Eaton lands an elbow. Rhodes meets the buckle, Eaton lands a massive
right to the ribs and a knee to the head. Bionic Elbows from Rhodes and a boot
to the floor, Eaton drags Rhodes to his corner and in comes Anderson.
Atomic drop from Rhodes, right hand by
Windham and a right from Rhodes. Anderson is brought to the babyface corner, in
comes Windham with a massive right. Anderson whips Windham and Eaton lands a
knee to the back from the apron, Eaton goes to work on Windham. Back body drop
for two, Anderson and Eaton work the ribs of Windham. Irish whip but Anderson
lowers his head, Windham kicks off the head of Anderson and tags in Rhodes.
Right hands, elbows and a flying clothesline, Paul E. Dangerously is on the
apron. Anderson wants the DDT, Rhodes blocks but Eaton lands that lethal right
hand. Massive right on Rhodes, Rhodes tries a flying crossbody but misses and
spills to the floor. Paul E. Dangerously lands a telephone shot to the back of
Rhodes, Eaton lands a snap-mare and climbs high, diving knee drop for two.
Anderson comes in looking for a
sleeper, jaw-breaker counter from Rhodes. Eaton lands a running bulldog for
two, Eaton tries it again but Rhodes
sends Eaton to the buckle. Eaton cannot stop the tag but Anderson distracted
the referee, Windham snaps and batters Eaton on the floor. Anderson lands the
spinebuster on Rhodes in the ring, Eaton crawls back in and gets a close two.
Eaton climbs high, Alabama Jam misses and Rhodes plants Eaton with his Running
Bulldog for the win!
Despite it being brief, this was
another great showcase for all involved, I love the team of Windham and Rhodes
while you know that I adore The Dangerous Alliance and no matter which members
of the alliance are in the ring, the matches are good. Very happy with this
match and I cannot wait to see Windham vs Austin for the Television Title.
Winners: Team
Windham & Rhodes over The Dangerous Alliance via Running Bulldog!
The Silver Kings
vs The Fabulous Freebirds
The match starts with Freebirds trying
to attack The Silver Kings, Silver King 1 dropkicks Hayes. Silver King 2
missile dropkicks Silver King 1 by mistake, tag to Garvin. Silver King 1
reverses the hold and tags in Silver King 2, Garvin runs away from that and
misses the dropkick. Silver King 2 lands a right hand to the face of Garvin,
scoop slam and Silver King 2 climbs high. Diving senton misses from the top
rope, Garvin covers for two. Garvin brings Silver King 2 to the corner, Hayes
tags in and batters Silver King 2. Tag to Silver King 1 after an eye-rake,
slingshot splashes, snap suplex into a diving elbow drop for two. More quick
tags, double chops and spinning heel kicks, Silver King 1 eats a chop and a
back body-drop. Hayes takes down Silver King 1 and tags in Garvin, snap-mare
into the reverse chin-lock.
Silver King 2 comes in and kicks
Garvin in the back of the head, we reset with Hayes and Silver King 2, Silver
King 2 works the hamstring and lands a dropkick. Irish whip and a missile
dropkick off a blind tag, Garvin eats a spinning heel kick for saving Hayes.
Garvin lands a knee from the apron, left-hand from Hayes. The match breaks
down, The Freebirds run into one another. Double dropkick to the floor, plancha
by Silver King 1. Hayes knocks out Garvin by mistake, Silver King 2 wipes out
Silver King 1 with a missile dropkick and Hayes rolls one of them into the ring
for a small package win.
Some rough moments and
mis-communications, not like I expected The Freebirds to give me a clinic, they
seem less mobile with each map I see them in when they are in the ring, can we
end the team of The Freebirds yet?
Winners: The
Fabulous Freebirds over Team Silver King via Small Package!
Flyin’ Brian
Pillman & Jushin Liger vs Chris Benoit & Biff Wellington
Two rivals team up while we have the
first WCW appearance of Chris Benoit, Benoit would be heavily pushed as The
Pegasus Kid and Wild Pegasus in NJPW before eventually signing with WCW after a
stint in ECW. Liger and Benoit to start, wristlock from Benoit but Liger
counters for his own. Underhook slam from Benoit, test of strength. Underhook
slam from Liger, side headlock from Benoit. Shoulder block but an arm-drag from
Liger, make it two. Liger avoids dropkicks but so does Benoit, in comes Pillman
and Wellington. Shoulder block by Wellington, monkey flip and dropkick to the
floor from Pillman. Wellington is sent to the floor, Pillman is met with a
springboard clothesline by Wellington. Snap suplex from Wellington, Pillman
suplexes Wellington to the floor.
Tag to Liger who kicks at Wellington
before Wellington works the leg, drag to the corner and tag to Benoit.
Wishbone-split, Benoit lands a massive lariat on Liger. Side headlock and
shoulder block from Benoit, enzuigiri from Benoit. Tag to Wellington, Liger is
dumped over the top rope. Pillman rightly complains but the referee missed it,
Wellington tries a plancha but Liger dodges. Whip to the buckle, monkey flip
from Liger and a tag to Pillman. Side headlock from Pillman, Benoit is brought
in as Pillman is in the Canadian corner. Shoulder block by Benoit, Benoit is side-stepped
and ends up on the floor. Benoit is on the top rope, Pillman brings down Benoit
with a belly to back superplex. Missile dropkick from Pillman, Benoit is on the
floor and gats caught with an apron diving crossbody.
Wellington and Liger are legal now,
Wellington misses a corner clothesline and spills to the floor, diving
crossbody from Liger to the floor. Wellington counters Liger and this allows
Benoit to come in, Benoit wants the belly to back superplex but Liger makes the
adjustment in mid-air and lands on Benoit. Spinning heel kick from Liger and an
Asai Moonsault to the floor from the NJPW Junior Heavyweight Ace. Benoit rolls
back in, forearm shot to Pillman. Pillman wants an O’Connor roll but Wellington
lands a boot to the head from the apron, scoop slam and Wellington climbs high.
Missile dropkick misses big time, tag to Liger. German suplex on Wellington,
Pillman and Benoit brawl.
Wellington attacks Liger in the
corner, Pillman and Benoit brawl on the ramp. Wellington chokes Liger in the
corner, in comes Pillman and Benoit. Benoit and Wellington collide, Pillman
dropkicks Benoit to the floor while Liger lands a back-breaker and Diving
Moonsault for the win.
Just a little glimpse of the talent of
these men, Liger and Benoit have great chemistry which is no surprise
considering their feud in NJPW and Pillman continues to be great in his role as
the Ace of The Light Heavyweight Division. Fans go from cold going into the
match to loving it by the time the referee counts the three so I would be very
happy if I was involved in this match.
Winners: Team
Liger over Team Benoit via Diving Moonsault!
Hiroshi Hase
& Akira Nogami vs The Headhunters
A team of Jobbers against Hiroshi Hase
and AKIRA, two NJPW talents. Hase would be a legendary competitor in NJPW
winning tag team championships with the likes of Keiji Mutoh and Kensuke Sasaki
while having wars with all your favourites while AKIRA was a constant presence
on the Junior Heavyweight roster. AKIRA lands dropkicks on Headhunter 2 before
Headhunter 1 comes in and lands a stun-gun. Back-breaker for two, Hase comes in
and roughs up The Headhunters before missing a diving knee drop. Sidewalk slam
by Headhunter 2 for two, it eventually leads to a German suplex and a Northern
Lights suplex for the win for Team NJPW. Quite boring!
Winners: Team
NJPW over Headhunters via German Suplex!
The Miracle
Violence Connection vs The Steiner Brothers
The match that could not wait! Big
meaty bastards hitting one another can’t you just see this going that way? Rick
Steiner and Gordy to start, Rick blocks the single leg takedown. Gordy
continues to try and take down Rick but Rick is too strong, Scott comes in and
Gordy continues to be difficult to move. They try a bridge spot and it just
does not come together before Scott lands a massive Exploder Suplex. In comes
Williams, they try to out-wrestle one another with Williams taking down Scott
before Scott rolls out and Williams goes to the ropes. They continue to hold
one another, Williams pulls down Scott Steiner but Scott takes down Williams.
Very interesting wrestling battle here between these two big bears.
Scott headlocks Williams to the
corner, in comes Rick Steiner. Belly to belly suplex from Rick, Williams
powders to the floor. We go again with more grappling, to the ropes we go with
Williams looking for a hold. Neither man gains control, Rick is on the ropes
and Williams shoves The Dog-faced Gremlin. Rick Steiner takes down Williams,
they begin to wrestle with Rick landing some big shots but Williams is up and
slaps Rick Steiner, Rick snaps and takes down Williams and pummels him with
right hands. Williams had a plan though, Williams out-manoeuvres Rick and lands
a forearm before a massive lariat. Tag to Gordy, massive lariat for two.
Gordy lands a corner clothesline but
Rick lands a belly to belly suplex, tag to Scott. Scott Steiner lands a back
body drop and a clothesline, tiger-driver. Clothesline for Williams, Gordy
avoids the frankensteiner and Gordy clamps on the STF. Scott reaches the ropes
but Williams comes in with big elbows, back-breakers from Williams for a close
two. Scott fires back with kicks before a trip from Williams, tag to Gordy who
lands a running powerslam. Heel hook from Gordy, Scott begins to crawl to Rick.
Gordy yanks back Scott, tag to Williams. Irish whip and a double shoulder
block, two for Williams. Williams grabs the leg but gets kicked in the face
from Scott Steiner, can Scott make the tag? Scott pulls and pulls towards the
corner, tag to Rick.
Right hands and a Steinerline to the
floor, Gordy and Rick are brawling. Rick is winning that war, Williams attacks
from behind. Knees and kicks to the head, Gordy goes after Scott Steiner on the
floor. Rick powerslams Williams but apparently Scott Steiner is the legal man.
Everyone is on the floor, Williams measures and chop-blocks Scott Steiner who
crumbles in a heap. Rick and Gordy continue brawling but Rick is not legal as
established already, they continue to brawl as Scott tries to re-enter the
ring. Military press slam on Scott for two, Williams is irate. Scott blocks a
clothesline and wants a belly to belly suplex but Gordy clips the knee and Williams
covers for the win.
Good way to establish Gordy and
Williams if they are going to continue as a team in WCW, interesting way to
kick things off with all four men showcasing their wrestling credentials, I was
a fan when I use to watch Angle and Benoit do it years later and I am a fan
here also as it’s a little different from everything else that I have seen on
the card. What I also like about this match is they are just throwing massive
bombs at one another, no spot goes by without someone looking like they have destroyed
their opponent, big fan of all four men and looking forward to seeing how this
develops!
Winners: The
Miracle Violence Connection over The Steiner Brothers via Chop-Block!
That was Clash of The Champions XIX
and it was rather poor, a tag team tournament means no variety on the card and
the teams are rather dull like the O’Days etc, it reminds me of the tag team
tournament they ran previously with random teams representing various nations,
it is just not for me. I am not a major fan of the classic Survivor Series
cards due to the very same reason, tag team match after tag team match just
wears me down. This is the beginning of The Bill Watts era though as they emphasize
the no-mats and he makes an appearance on this night so we will see how it goes
but I am not holding my breath thus far, thanks for reading and remember: there’s
always another night!
No comments:
Post a Comment