WCW Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl 91 Review!

 

Hello and welcome to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet with more heat than Reby Hardy! It’s time for WCW Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl 91! All about a light heavyweight tournament, a championship made for the smaller stars of the WCW roster. We also have The Enforcers taking on Rick Steiner and Bill Kazmeier while Stunning Steve Austin defends his Television Championship against The Z-Man. Looks like a bad Clash card, let’s hope that I am wrong.

 

Georgia Brawl Battle Royal!

Z-Man pulling double duty the poor bastard, we also have Thomas Rich as Rich joined The York Foundation? Ranger Ross is here, Bobby Eaton is here. Tracy Smothers is here and Oz is here too with a new haircut. PN News is here too, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker too. Stunning Steve Austin is here too, Dustin Rhodes is in this match too as well as Terrence Taylor. Big Josh and Barry Windham too, One Man Gang and El Gigante.

 

Going to be difficult enough to call this because I do not care about most of the acts inside of that ring, everyone pairs off in corners trying to get the advantage. Surely Windham has to be one of the favourites? Having challenged for the world championship at the prior PPV. Cannot believe Tommy Rich became Thomas Rich, they took all the stale acts and put them in The York Foundation, I have to admire the determination to make that work. Heels are smacking heels as well as babyfaces smacking one another. So we are going on for at least 5 minutes now without a single elimination which is shocking. Everyone is performing like a God in this until we have three people dumped out at once as Big Josh takes out himself, Ranger Ross and Terrence Taylor.

 

Windham clubs out Buddy Lee Parker, Thomas Rich is eliminated? He is on the floor, Z-Man has been eliminated somewhere. Oz and PN News are brawling which is peak WCW obviously, Austin back-drops Smothers to the floor. Unfortunately, Bobby Eaton and PN News are eliminated next as well as Stunning Steve and Windham, will they feud next? Seems like a step-down for Windham who seems to have gotten his mojo back as a rejuvenated babyface. We have a final four of Oz, One Man Gang, Gigante and Rhodes. Rhodes is squished in the corner, Gigante is brawling the big two and it’s brutal. Rhodes is dumped out by the two giants, Gigante is staggered but he clotheslines both One Man Gang and Oz over the top rope.

 

How do you make a match like a battle royal boring? Well just watch this piss-poor attempt at making a battle royal interesting. Garbage all the way around.

 

Winner: El Gigante!

 

(Light Heavyweight Title Tournament Semi-Final Match) Flyin’ Brian Pillman vs Badstreet

Thankfully, that Yellow Dog shtick is done. Pillman is back and this could be some good stuff considering the two that are in the ring. Side headlock by Pillman, shoulder block by Pillman. Badstreet lures in Pillman for a cheap-shot, Pillman counters with a head-scissors out of the corner, victory roll for two into a deep arm-drag into an arm-bar. Badstreet backs Pillman to the corner, shoulder thrusts from Badstreet. Pillman is elevated to the apron, springboard sunset flip for two. Dropkick to the apron, Pillman wants the suplex. Badstreet suplexes Pillman to the floor, Badstreet chokes Pillman on the top rope and boots PIllman into the guardrail. Pillman brawls his way back into it, they are both on the apron and Badstreet pulls Pillman into the ring-post!

 

Badstreet poses in the ring, neck-breaker for two. Badstreet climbs high, dropkick from Pillman which sends Badstreet to the floor. Suicide dive from Pillman, both men attempt a dropkick and they fall to the mat. Badstreet tries an Irish whip but Pillman lands a face-buster for two. Pillman lowers his head off an Irish whip, DDT by Badstreet for two. Pillman counters the neck-breaker for a back-slide for two, crucifix attempt by Pillman is countered for a Samoan drop by Badstreet. Badstreet has Pillman on the middle rope, headbutts knock down Badstreet and Pillman lands the Diving Crossbody for the win.

 

Very fun match made better by the crowd who are on fire on this night, Pillman and Badstreet tear it up with high-flying and solid work inside of the ring. Guessing the tournament and championship was made just for Pillman to shine, I have no problems with that!

 

Winner: Brian Pillman over Badstreet via Diving Crossbody!

 

Sting vs Johnny B. Badd W/ Teddy Long

Sting had been attacked by Abdullah The Butcher from a box, this was prior to this match so Badd has little to do with what is going on with Sting currently, Badd is undefeated though so this should be interesting. Leapfrogs and drop-downs before a back body-drop by Sting, scoop slam and Sting misses a middle rope splash. Does not matter as Sting keeps going until a middle rope elbow drop misses, diving sunset flip by Badd for two. Sunset flip by Sting for two, we reset again with Badd frustrated by Sting’s wrestling. Wristlock from Sting, Badd reverses and works the arm. Sting is in trouble here, Sting is sent to the buckle but dodges Badd who has his arm worked by The Stinger.

 

We reset again after an arm-bar, we have a gift-box being delivered down the ramp as Sting wrestlers Badd who collapses to the mat. Whip to the buckle, Long pulls Badd out of the way of The Stinger Splash, Badd lands a massive left hook to the ribs. Badd thinks the box is for him, Teddy Long explains the box is not for Badd. They are off here as Sting spots it too, both men stop and stare at the box. The match resumes into a small package, fuck me this sucks but we have Cactus Jack emerge from the box and land an elbow to the ribs of Sting.

 

This match was garbage but that finish was really brutal, Badd stood there waiting for some kind of a roll-up that never came so when that finish eventually happened, it was really bad.

 

Winner: Sting over Johnny B. Badd via Small Package!

 

(Light-Heavyweight Title Tournament Semi-Final) Mike Graham vs Richard Morton

 How is Graham still around in 1991? Dude looks right at home in 1981, haven’t seen him since the NWA days but WCW spares no expense for this big tournament right? Morton has somewhat changed his gear to fit his gimmick change, Graham lands a massive shoulder block. Lock-up and side headlock into a takedown but Morton pulls the hair to have a head-scissors. Graham applies another headlock, ugly roll-through Boston Crab by Morton. Graham reverses and they trade pins, more mat-wrestling in this high-flying light heavyweight tournament. Morton is frustrated from Graham’s technique inside that ring.

 

Graham backs Morton to the buckle, uppercut and whip to the opposite buckle by Graham. Knee by Morton, Morton tries to climb high but Graham lands a German suplex for two. Morton asks for a time-out, right hand to the ear from Morton. Graham is bounced off the buckle while Morton moves to choking Graham with the rope, Graham takes the leg and applies the figure four but Morton is in the ropes. Lots of stops and starts here, I cannot imagine a world where Graham was super over. Knees to the arm from Graham, Morton uses the hair for leverage. Graham apples a drop-toehold into an Indian Death-lock manoeuvre. Inverted atomic drop from Morton, scoop slam from Morton. Graham avoids an elbow drop, Oklahoma roll from Graham for two. York and Patrick are speaking as Graham rolls up Morton but Graham is sent into the buckle and Morton rolls up Graham with a handful of tights for the win.

 

Rough stuff, nobody buys Morton as a heel, too small to pull it off even with similar sized wrestlers while Graham is one of the worst looking babyafecs in 1991, could they not have brought in more interesting people for this tournament? Brutal stuff!

 

Winner: Richard Morton over Mike Graham via Handful of Tights!

 

The Fabulous Freebirds vs The Patriots

They are not fighting The Young Pistols? I am shocked, they are fighting The Patriots, one man is a soldier and one man is a fireman. They look way too big to be your regular jobbers, Haye continues to stall even with these jobbers. Side headlock and dropdowns with Chip coming back in the ring fast, right hands by Chip. Powerslam from Chip, Garvin is yanked off the top rope and Chip lands a big dropkick. Garvin comes in and lands massive rights to Chip, Chip reveres the Irish whip and lands a dropkick. Sleeper from Chip, Hayes comes in and gets caught in the sleeper. Chip has the wristlock on Garvin, sunset flip but Garvin kicks out at two. Arm-drag into the arm-bar, eye-rake from Garvin.

 

Inverted atomic drop is blocked but Hayes lands his left-hook as Garvin kicks out of the O’Connor roll, Irish whip but Chip ducks the clothesline and slams Garvin to the mat. Tag to Big Todd, back body-drop and scoop slams all around. Noggin-knocker, flying reverse elbow but Garvin makes the save. Irish whip and Todd lands a double clothesline, tag to Chip who lands a diving clothesline. Todd and Chip land a double elbow on Hayes, double back body-drop to Garvin. Double clothesline too, Chip has the pin but Hayes lands a diving elbow on Hayes and Garvin pins for the win. Decent squash match.

 

Winners: Fabulous Freebirds over The Patriots via Diving Elbow Drop!

 

Ron Simmons vs The Diamond Studd

Looks like it could be the end of the push for Diamond Studd as WCW wants to continue pushing the big and bad Ron Simmons, Studd jumps Simmons to start. Clubbing blows to the neck, Simmons begins firing up with rights and lefts. Eye-rake from Studd, chokeslam from Studd. Two for Studd, Simmons runs into a knee and eats a diving bulldog, two for Studd. Simmons tastes right hands in the corner, Simmons sends Studd to the buckle. Simmons trips Studd and pulls him into the ring-post. Inverted atomic drop is blocked but atomic drop and clothesline connects. Studd eats a massive spinebuster and a flying shoulder tackle and it’s over! Squash right here

 

Winner: Ron Simmons over The Diamond Studd via Flying Shoulder Tackle!

 

Terrence Taylor W/ Alexandra York vs Van Hammer

Hair-Metal/Power-Metal be damned as Van Hammer comes down to the ring, Taylor bashes Hammer with the computer, Hammer keeps walking forward and scoop slams Taylor time and time again, clotheslines batter Taylor. Front suplex and Hammer has the We Will, We Will Rock You going in the arena. Diving knee drop to the spine and it’s over. Van Hammer Established!

 

Winner: Van Hammer over Terrence Taylor via Diving Knee Drop!

 

(WCW World Television Championship Match) The Z-Man vs Stunning Steve Austin © W/ Lady Blossom

The more I see of early Austin, the more I cannot help but laugh. From Hollywood California, Stunning Steve looks ridiculous in his gear and his thinning blonde hair. I wonder will they have a new championship considering they still use the NWA version, they lock-up but we will get a clean break from Zenk. Austin backs Zenk to the corner, side headlock from Austin. Transition to the hammerlock, Zenk reverses for a hammerlock of his own. Snap-mare into a reverse chin-lock by Austin but Zenk slips out and applies the hammerlock with some knees to the arm. They are up to their feet, shoulder block by Austin. Side headlock from Zenk, shoulder block by Zenk that knocks the stuffing out of Austin.

 

Austin is not happy with this, shoulder block from Zenk. Kick to the ribs from Austin, they are tied up in the ropes. Clean break, what is with all the stops and starts on this night? It’s starting to wear me down, side headlock from Austin. Zenk counters with an arm-drag into the arm-bar, Austin gets to his feet and escapes. Shoulder block and Zenk lands a superkick, back body-drop for two. Austin rolls to the floor, Zenk flies onto the ramp with a crossbody and Zenk climbs high, diving crossbody misses for Zenk. Snap-mare into a reverse chin-lock, Zenk fights out and gets caught with The Stun-Gun. Small package by Zenk for a close two, Austin is reversed and is caught in The Sleeper. Lady Blossom hands Austin brass knuckles as he edges to the ropes, Zenk ducks the first punch but when trying a belly to back suplex, Austin lands a shot to the head for the win.

 

A competitive match on this card? What a shock! Still somewhat pushing Zenk despite his lack of charisma are we WCW? I suppose I cannot be too mad considering their main event for Halloween Havoc will be Ron Simmons and Lex Luger! Still in shock over that one, poor Windham does not get another shake? Anyways, Stunning Steve Austin looks quite good so let’s hope the roster smoothens out because they could do with it badly.

 

Winner: Stunning Steve Austin over The Z-Man via Brass Knuckles!

 

(WCW World Tag Team Championship Match) The Enforcers vs Rick Steiner & Bill Kazmaier

Earlier in the night, Kazmaier was battered when showing his strength by The Enforcers and is all taped up, Rick Steiner starts hot and slams Anderson and Zbyszko, Anderson and Zbyszko combine to rough up Rick Steiner. Arm-bar from Zbyszko. Anderson comes in and works the arm of Rick, Zbyszko comes in and works the arm too. Front chancery from Zbyszko, Rick Steiner reverses Anderson but Zbyszko is back in, Rick cannot really tag out so the punishment continues for The Dog-Faced Gremlin. Anderson and Zbyszko eat Steinerlines and kicks respectfully. Anderson is propped onto the top turnbuckle, Zbyszko saves Anderson as Anderson lands a diving clothesline. Kazmaier comes in and shoulder blocks both, scoop slams and a military press slam is stopped as Anderson lands a left to the ribs and Zbyszko covers for the win. What a joke of a main event.

 

Winners: The Enforcers over Rick Steiner & Bill Kazmaier via Left To The Ribs!

 

That was WCW’s Clash of The Champions XVI: Fall Brawl 91 and it was a terrible show from WCW once again, nothing special on this card except for Cactus Jack’s return to WCW, Cactus Jack had one hell of an angle on his hands with Sting now so that should be interesting if Cactus can be protected and not just fed to The Stinger. Lots of squashes and not a lot of build for Halloween Havoc, I am concerned considering Flair is gone and Luger is left to carry the company and his first main event is against Ron Simmons who has not been a singles star for very long. Feels like Sting, Luger has been setup to fail. We shall see but this show was nothing special, thanks for reading and remember: there’s always another night!