WCW Slamboree 1993 Review!

 

Hello and welcome to another edition of Seanomaniac Wrestling Reviews, the only wrestling review series on the internet that reeks of more desperation than a wrestling company stan account on Twitter! It’s time for WCW Slamboree 1993: A Legends’ Reunion featuring matches from WCW Talents and also Legends of the past. How could that possibly go wrong? We have Sting vs The Prisoner? The Hollywood Blondes are the tag team championships because why have the change on PPV right? The Blondes are facing Dos Hombres? Who could they be? I wonder but the main event is none other than Davey Boy Smith challenging Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Will that deliver? It could go both ways if I am honest so we shall see!

 

 

2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Bagwell vs Chris Benoit & Bobby Eaton

Discouraged by how Eaton has fallen down the roster but we have a continuation of the feud between Scorpio and Benoit as Scorpio squeezed out a victory against Benoit at the prior PPV. Side headlock from Scorpio, shoulder block before some nice dodges from both men. Scorpio lands a massive dropkick and arm-drag, crowd loves that. Benoit distracts Bagwell which allows Eaton to sneak attack Scorpio, Scorpio dodges both men before we have double dropkicks from team babyface.

 

Eaton comes in, Scorpio works the arm and tags in Bagwell. Wristlock from Bagwell, shoulder block by Bagwell. Benoit smacks Bagwell from the apron but Bagwell sends Eaton to the floor and Benoit into Eaton. Dropkick from Bagwell and the heels powder once more, Bagwell and Eaton are the legal men now. Hammerlock from Bagwell, shove off from Eaton and Benoit nails Bagwell with a clothesline to the back of the head. Benoit distracts the referee as Eaton throws Bagwell over the top rope to the floor. Scoop slam by Eaton, Eaton climbs high and lands his diving knee drop, tag to Benoit. Vicious clothesline from Benoit, Bagwell is fighting back too.

 

Scoop slam and middle rope leg drop from Benoit, two for Benoit. Tag to Eaton, right hand to the ribs. Middle rope choke by Eaton, Benoit chokes Bagwell behind the referee’s back. Tag to Benoit, snap-mare into a figure four head-scissors on Bagwell. Eaton lends a hand behind the referee’s back, Benoit misses his diving splash as Bagwell blocks with the knees. Tag to Scorpio, jabs and right hands. Eaton is bounced off the buckle into the ring, back body drop on Benoit. Scorpio goes high, twisting splash for two as Eaton breaks up the pin. Benoit batters down Scorpio, Eaton lands a right hand on Benoit by mistake. Bagwell bundles Eaton to the floor and Scorpio lands The Tumbleweed for the win!

 

Not a bad tag team match, Eaton and Benoit do well together cheating while Scorpio continues to be a tremendous talent, nice to see Bagwell with a little direction in his WCW career. The matching gear is a good sign, Scorpio crushes Benoit’s face with the finish but it does look good. Sad for the lack of direction for Bobby Eaton but the best of his career booking-wise is over and I simply have to accept that.

 

Winners: Team Scorpio over Team Benoit via Tumbleweed!

 

Van Hammer vs ???? W/ Colonel Rob Parker

Colonel Parker was not a fan of Van Hammer so he brought in somebody who is going to make this a lot more interesting: Sid Vicious is here! Fresh off his run as Sid Justice in the WWF, that is a big acquisition for WCW. Vicious clotheslines and kicks down Hammer, Powerbomb and this is over! Great to have Sid back, Sid has grown by leaps and bounds since working in WCW and this could make the main event scene even more interesting in the company.

 

Winner: Sid Vicious over Van Hammer via Powerbomb!

 

Dick Murdoch/Don Muraco/Jimmy Snuka vs Wahoo McDaniel/Blackjack Mulligan/Jim Brunzell

Snuka and Brunzell to start, clean break from Snuka. Hammerlock reversals from both men, drop toehold from Brunzell. Tag to Mulligan, Dick Murdoch attacks Mulligan with elbows from the apron. Side headlock from Murdoch, hip-toss from Mulligan. Mulligan continues to batter Murdoch, tag to Muraco and Wahoo. Chops from Wahoo, scoop slams by Wahoo. Wahoo is brought to Murdoch’s corner, they rough up Wahoo. Odd to see Snuka as a heel, Wahoo tags in Brunzell. Side headlock from Brunzell, shoulder block but Murdoch lands a hip-toss and a flying head-scissors. Arm-drag into an arm-bar from Brunzell. Sleeper hold by Brunzell, Murdoch backs Brunzell into the corner. Powerslam and leg drop by Muraco, make it two leg drops.

 

Front chancery from Muraco, Brunzell pushes to the corner and tags in off Wahoo but the referee missed the tag. Snuka holds Brunzell, Muraco clotheslines Snuka by mistake. Murdoch comes in, neck-breaker for two. Murdoch climbs high, knee in the back and drives Brunzell into the mat. Elbow drop for two, tag to Muraco. Irish whip and Brunzell ducks and lands the flying crossbody for two. Tag to Snuka, scoop slam and falling headbutt misses for Snuka. Small package by Brunzell for two,  Muraco holds Brunzell but Snuka chops Muraco by mistake. Match breaks down, Wahoo and Snuka are brawling and the referee calls for a DQ.

 

A DQ after all that? Seriously? What a shit-show, fans shit on it appropriately. If you are going to go that long and have the legends out there, who cares if someone does the job.

 

No Winners!

 

Ivan Koloff & Baron Von Raschke vs Thunderbolt Patterson & Bullet Bob Armstrong

Where is Bullet Bob? Bullet Bob is not here so Thunderbolt is here alone, Koloff and Raschke shit all over The Armstrongs before Brad Armstrong comes down and says let’s do this. Big right hands all around, Koloff and Armstrong roll around before Armstrong dropkicks Koloff to the floor. Raschke is throwing chairs at ringside, Koloff is pissed. Thunderbolt beats up Koloff before Armstrong comes in, Koloff chokes and batters Armstrong. Raschke gets The Claw on Armstrong, Armstrong escapes and Thunderbolt comes in and cleans house. Armstrong has the ten punches in the corner, Thunderbolt lands a throat thrust for the win. That was rough, let’s move on from that!

 

Winners: Thunderbolt Patterson & Brad Armstrong over Team Koloff via Throat Thrust!

 

Dory Funk Jr. vs Nick Bockwinkel

Two men who could put bangers on in their day, Bockwinkel with the right opponent probably still could during this time but Dory? I don’t think so, it was a little rough every time I saw Dory in AJPW in the 90s so this is going to be painful. Both men try working the arm but they both continue to slip away from one another, stiff uppercuts and forearm shots before Dory grabs a hammerlock. Bockwinkel counters into his own hammerlock, Funk counters with a cravate hold. Figure four head-scissors from Bockwinkel, Dory tries kicking out of the hold before eventually twisting out of the hold with the crowd applaud half-heartily.

 

Dory asks for advice from his cornerman Gene Kiniski, Bockwinkel talks to Verne Gagne. Arm-bar form Bockwinkel, both men scoop slam one another before Dory powders to the floor. Arm-bar from Bockwinkel, elbow from Dory. Uppercut from Dory, Bockwinkel is knocked to the canvas with a foot on the ropes keeping Bockwinkel alive in this one. Reverse chin-lock from Dory, Bockwinkel lands forearms to the head of Dory. Dory has been staggered, Bockwinkel looks for a cover but we are by the ropes.

 

A little breather before Bockwinkel looks for the Boston crab, Dory counters and applies the arm-bar. Surfboard like stretch from Dory, Bockwinkel reverses the hold. More side headlocks before Bockwinkel slaps on a reverse chin-lock, Dory brings Bockwinkel to the ropes and is smacked with an uppercut. Bockwinkel is on the apron and staggered by the uppercuts, Dory wants the suplex into the ring and Dory lands it for two. Bockwinkel dodges the double-arm suplex, backslide by Bockwinkel for two. Elbow by Dory, Spinning Toe Hold! Bockwinkel reverses the toe hold for a small package, two for Bockwinkel. Figure four leg-lock before Gene Kiniski kicks Bockwinkel in the head but there is no DQ and it goes to a draw.

 

15 years earlier this would have been a great treat for the fans but here, it’s more sad than anything else. The crowd didn’t crap on the duo but it was getting close at times and I am still trying to understand why this concept of Legends Reunion could not be limited to one match and the hall of fame ceremony as there is so many more things they could have done with the WCW talent that would have been better than this garbage.

 

Time-Limit Draw!

 

Dustin Rhodes & Kensuke Sasaki vs Ravishing Rick Rude & Paul Orndorff

Well Rick Rude is your United States Champion, we did not get to see the championship change on PPV so I guess that must have been nice for the fans on TV while Paul Orndorff is your Television Champion? That’s a wild one! Where is Cactus Jack? NJPW talent in WCW has been mostly a disaster so I cannot see Sasaki bringing his A game to this match. Rude and Sasaki will start, Rude talks shit to Sasaki and shoves Sasaki before posing for the NJPW star. Sasaki looks Rude up and down before shoving Rude back to the corner, Rude is not happy at all. Boot and clubbing blows from Rude, throat thrust from the US Champ. Irish whip but Sasaki ducks the clothesline and works the arm, Rude screams out in pain. Rude is on his knees begging for mercy, Orndorff tags into the match and gets his arm wrenched before Sasaki tags in Rhodes who works the arm. Uppercuts to the arm from Rhodes, Orndorff is down.

 

Sasaki and Rhodes continue to work the arm of Orndorff, hammerlock into a snap from Sasaki. Elbows to the arm and a tag to Rhodes, Orndorff brings Rhodes to his corner and in comes Rude. The two men feuding for the championship are in the ring now, the two slug it out with Rhodes winning that exchange. Back body drop, Irish whip to the buckle. Knee counter by Rude, massive right hand. Knee counter from Rhodes, Rhodes misses a clothesline and ends up on the floor. Orndorff sends Rhodes into the guardrail as Sasaki is arguing with the referee, swinging neck-breaker from Rude for two. Rude poses and steps on the fingers of Rhodes, Orndorff tags in and sends Rhodes into the buckle. Irish whip and elbow by Orndorff, tag to Rude. Shoulder thrusts from Rude, Rhodes avoids the piledriver and tombstones Rude for a close two.

 

Orndorff sends Rhodes into the buckle after a tag from Rude, both men bang heads as Orndorff charged Rhodes out of the buckle. Tag to Sasaki who lands a shoulder block and a middle rope clothesline, inverted atomic drop and lariats all around. Rude begs for military press slam by Sasaki. Noggin-knocker by team babyface, Sasaki climbs to the top rope. Orndorff shoves Sasaki off the top rope and Rude lands The Rude Awakening for the win.

 

Very average tag team match, you would expect more from the WCW talent in the ring but not to be on this night, I am not really sure of the storyline reason Orndorff would be in this match. I know Rude has beef with both these men but the commentators mention how Ron Simmons is chasing the TV championship but whatever, WCW is not really lighting my world on fire with this PPV.

 

Winners: Team Rude over Team Rhodes via Rude Awakening!

 

Sting vs The Prisoner

 

Nailz is here, I mean The Prisoner. The Prisoner chokes Sting and I am shocked he would go to his finish so quickly, Prisoner chokes Sting with his boot and chokes him again in the corner. Irish whip to the opposite buckle, Prisoner misses a splash. Sting punches and kicks back at The Prisoner, Prisoner rakes the eyes. Sting is tossed to the floor, camera cable choke from The Prisoner. Sting ducks a clothesline in the ring, clothesline by Sting. Back body drop by Sting, whip to the opposite buckle. Stinger Splash, two for Sting. Scoop slam, Prisoner avoids the elbow drop. Prisoner grabs the referee which allows Sting to climb the top rope and nail a diving clothesline for the win. That was shite, why is this guy in WCW? Name value from WWF? Come on this is awful how is this what we have Sting doing after war with Vader?

 

Winner: Sting over The Prisoner via Diving Clothesline!

 

(WCW World Tag Team Championship Steel Cage Match) The Hollywood Blondes © vs Dos Hombres

Hold on a second here, the announcer refers to The Hombres as Steamboat and Douglas so we are acknowledging that these are The Hombres, there is no suspense or surprise so they are wearing these outfits just to fuck with Austin and Pillman? Ok… Do as you wish WCW.

 

Austin starts with Steamboat, Austin sends Steamboat into the buckle and rips at the mask before the chops rock Austin. Tag to Pillman who gets caught in a drop toehold and an arm-bar. Pillman backs Steamboat to the corner and elbows him, Steamboat blocks being sent into the cage and Pillman backs away from The Dragon. Knee and clobbering blows from Pillman, shoulder block by Pillman. Steamboat lands an arm-drag before Pillman eye-rakes Steamboat. Austin comes in and has his arm worked by the duo with arm-bars and knees to the arm. Both men avoid being sent into the cage, Austin is sent back-first into the cage as Douglas dances around the ring.

 

Arm-bar and in comes Steamboat with a diving axe handle, Steamboat back-drops Austin against the rope and into the cage. Atomic drop and Austin meets the cage, Austin hits the cage wall hard. In comes Douglas for a diving axe handle, eye poke by Austin. Pillman uses his boot to hurt Douglas before bouncing Douglas off the buckle, Pillman tries a middle rope crossbody and they mess things up but Pillman begs for mercy before eye-poking Douglas. Choke by Pillman, snap-mare but Pillman misses the elbow drop. Arm-bar from Douglas, Steamboat comes in and works the arm. Military press slam by Steamboat into the cage wall, Pillman begs for mercy and pulls Steamboat into the buckle. Austin comes in and tries a scoop slam but his back is too damaged to apply the hold, Steamboat suplexes Austin into the tree of woe position using the cage. Double crossbodies into Austin, Austin dodges the second crossbody kind-of and tags in Pillman.

 

Pillman chokes and rips at the mask of Douglas, tag to Austin who mocks Douglas. Chop by Austin, elbow takes down Douglas. Snap-mare and Austin climbs high, middle rope elbow for two. Pillman and Austin put the boots to Douglas, elbows to the face by Austin. Pillman chokes Douglas in the corner, Austin covers but Douglas has his foot on the ropes. Austin drops all his weight on the foot, Pillman comes in off the tag. Snap-mare and Pillman climbs high, Pillman’s splash is blocked by Douglas. Austin comes in and eats a vicious dropkick, Austin stops the tag with a massive spinebuster. Scoop slam and Pillman goes for the rocket launcher but Pillman eats knees on the manoeuvre. Steamboat receives the tag and chops everything in sight, Austin meets the cage.

 

Pillman is sent into the cage, Austin tries escaping but an electric chair drop is Austin’s fate. Pillman tries the same but gets crotched on the top rope, noggin-knocker from Steamboat. Ten punches in the corners from the challengers, The Blondes collide after an Irish whip. Austin and Douglas meet the cage wall, Steamboat climbs to the top of the cage and lands a Diving Crossbody for two. Steamboat DDTs Austin for two, Steamboat DDTs Pillman for two. Double dropkick by the challengers for two,  Austin reverses an Irish whip and Stun-Guns Douglas while Pillman DDTs Steamboat. Austin pins Douglas for the win!

 

Very good tag team match here, Steamboat continues to be awesome in WCW. Such a shame about the blown finish, would have been a great spot to end it on but the timekeeper jumped ahead but they recovered well and delivered a really fun tag team match that had the crowd going nuts by the finishing stretch with The Blondes squeaking out with the victory. Was it the right call? The Blondes are very good together so I would like to see more of the duo together having great championships and Steamboat and Douglas can live to fight another day. Great match on a card that has been sorely lacking anything of interest thus far.

 

Winners: The Hollywood Blondes over Dos Hombres via Stun-Gun!

 

(NWA World Championship Match) Barry Windham © vs Arn Anderson

Windham was on a roll since turning his back on Dustin Rhodes, we have not gotten the feud I expected to see between the two but Windham is a world champion, this seems like an interesting match because it is not like Anderson is a very likeable babyface but we do have the history between the two from their Horsemen days. Anderson almost pins Windham with a shoulder block and belly to belly suplex for two, Windham tells Anderson to calm down. Right hands from Windham, Anderson sends Windham to the buckle and lands a back body drop for two. Right hand by Windham rocks Anderson, DDT by Windham and the champion tries to punish Anderson, Anderson sends Windham into the ring-post but Windham lands a clothesline as Anderson tries an axe handle from the middle rope. Another DDT from Windham and an elbow drop for two, Windham hurls Anderson to the floor. Elbow by Windham, Anderson slowly enters the ring but Windham is pulled to the floor.

 

Left hand from Anderson, Windham is bleeding after meeting the guardrail. Knee to the face from Anderson, Windham is raked across the rope and begs for mercy. Small package for two, snap-mare into left hands right to the cut of Windham. Knee drop from Anderson, Anderson climbs to the top rope. Windham dropkicks Anderson who drops to the floor, Windham lands a diving clothesline from the top rope. Massive knee-drop to the back of the head for two, elbow and left to the throat from Anderson. Clubbing blows, Windham blocks the suplex for his own suplex for two. Anderson reverses an Irish whip and lands a Spinebuster but Windham rolls to the floor.

 

Windham has his championship in his hands, Windham begins to walk up the ramp. Anderson shoves down the referee, Anderson is in pursuit. Windham is thrown back into the ring, whip to the buckle. Anderson lands left after left, shoving down the referee. Anderson’s emotions have gotten the better of him, Anderson’s lapse in concentration costs him as Windham decks him with the championship for the win!

 

It was alright, great colour from Windham but it is just an awkward match-up considering Anderson’s nature is to be a heel and The Horsemen have not really been established as babyfaces here so to go against The Lone Wolf Barry Windham who has been doing some great heel work makes for a tough match for the fans to choose who to cheer in this one.

 

Winner: Barry Windham over Arn Anderson via Championship to the Head!

 

(WCW World Championship Match) Vader © W/ Harley Race vs The British Bulldog

So as 1992 ended and 1993 began, it looked as if it would be Cactus Jack here battling Vader for the championship but Davey Boy Smith is the shiny new toy in WCW and has this championship match only months into his WCW run. Good thing or bad thing? Well, Vader can hit hard and likes to be hit hard but Bulldog apart from his match with brother-in-law Bret Hart, has not been lighting the world on fire in recent months so can Bulldog deliver in a main event?

 

They circle one another before locking up, clean break as neither man loses their advantage. Short-arm clothesline but Bulldog does not move, this might be the only man that Vader has battled that is as big and as strong as the champion. Vader lands a gut punch and a Vader splash does nothing to Bulldog, Vader re-evaluates as Bulldog poses and says “Come On”. Vader clubs down Bulldog in the corner with a flurry of punches, Bulldog is choked against the middle rope. Race lands a cheap-shot on Bulldog, Vader picks up steam but misses a splash against the guardrail. Bulldog picks up Vader and slams him outside of the ring, Bulldog suplexes Vader in the middle of the ring.

 

Ridiculous power from Davey Boy, crowd comes alive in the arena. Vader blocks a running Bulldog with a boot, Vader is on the middle rope but Bulldog counters for a powerslam. Clothesline to the floor, Vader is down. Crucifix attempt from Bulldog but Vader counters for a Samoan drop, elbow from Vader. Another elbow to the groin, Vader Bomb for two. Massive shot floors Bulldog, kick to the ribs. Scoop slam and Vader climbs to the middle rope, middle rope clothesline from Vader. Vader lands blows to the ribs and head in the corner, Vader asks “Who’s the man”? Vader places Bulldog on the top rope, Bulldog suplexes Vader to the mat face-first and Bulldog lands a diving headbutt.

 

Vader applies a side headlock, atomic drop style counter from Bulldog for two. Massive clothesline from Vader, Vader misses a sit-down splash and Bulldog covers for two. Another scoop slam by Vader, Vader climbs high once more. Diving top rope splash connects, Vader screams out in pain. Bulldog is up first, Vader blocks with a boot to the ribs. Vader throws Bulldog to the floor, knee-drop by Race on the floor. More corner blows by Vader, Vader sits down on Bulldog. Camel clutch by Vader, Bulldog fires up and lands a clothesline for two. Bulldog is sent to the buckle, Vader tries a splash but Bulldog counters into The Running Powerslam! 1…..2… Race grabs Bulldog by the hair so Bulldog decks Race but Vader clocks Bulldog with the chair and the match is over.

 

So there were certainly parts of this match that I liked, the two big bastards hitting one another is good stuff, lot of really good spots with the clotheslines, the splashes and the suplexes. Big fans of all that, it does get dull in the middle with not much giving me a reason to rally behind Bulldog. The Powerslam spot was very impressive but its like the crowd saw it as a normal slam, not Bulldog’s finish which hurt it a little but then again, he did slam Vader about 4 times throughout the match so I imagine unless Bulldog powered him up there, the fans weren’t ging to recognize the difference. The finish is weak, it brings that match down for me obviously I am not a fan of DQ in PPV main events. Then again, I don’t know what WCW’s vision is as I feel like they are buying time before having Sting beat Vader, the conclusion of the PPV definitely has that feel to it with Sting saving Bulldog from further assault so is new star Bulldog just a sacrificial lamb? Couldn’t Bulldog lose to the dominant champion? Would it really have hurt Davey Boy to lose to Vader?

 

Winner: British Bulldog over Vader via DQ!

 

WCW Slamboree: Legends’ Reunion 1993 is a rough watch as a PPV. Usually, I can power through these PPVs in a day or two but this took me a long time as you can tell from the gaps from the previous posts, this was just difficult so sit through. I am not a fan of the concept PPVs that WCW have tried, I still think the Battle Bowl is a horrific idea that should have never been greenlit in the first place. The legend matches on this card suck the life out of the arena. DQs in legends matches, time-limit draws in legends matches just drag me down and tire me out. Why was this here on a WCW card? Why not a nice Hall of Fame ceremony and then move on? The tag team match in the cage is a lot of fun and enjoyable, the main event is alright in places. Sting vs The Prisoner is bad, the tag match is not very interesting and I just want to move on from this PPV. If this is 1993 WCW, it’s going to be another year filled with ups and downs.