It's WCW in early 1994. We're now working up the hype for the eventual debut of Hulk Hogan to the company. This seems like the final last gasp of what WCW was prior to Hogan's debut with the company. Tonight, we are getting WCW World Champion Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat 5 years after their classic feud (covered on UnWrest Focus earlier). We are also getting International World Champion Ravishing Rick Rude vs. Sting. We also have Steve Austin defending his U.S. Championship against The Great Muta! And Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne go to war with The Nasty Boys in a Chicago Street Fight.
Here we go!
Mean Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the show as fireworks go off. We're in the Rosemont Horizon in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Aaron Neville sings the National Anthem holding on to as many harmonies and vowels as he can.
Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan put over the main event.
1) Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (w/ Diamond Doll)
Badd comes out dressed like a cowboy you'd see at a local single gender establishment. And DDP is walking out with his Diamond Doll (Kimberly) with about 10 different gimmicks going. This is also pre-yoga DDP.
DDP attacks early on before the bell. The bell rings. Badd catches him in a rollup for 2. DDP gets sent out, and Badd brings him back in. DDP gets the advantage back. Hook-under back suplex by DDP to Badd, but Badd gets DDP in a hammerlock. Badd continues to work on his arm. Back and forth maneuvers by both men, but Badd gets DDP down with an arm drag. DDP keeps rolling Badd over for 2 counts. Jumping snapmare by Badd and a dropkick for a 2. But DDP sends Badd head first into the corner.
DDP continuing to assault Badd in the corner. Back suplex by DDP. Gutbuster by DDP. Suplex for a 2. Reverse chinlock now. The crowd is making noise. (Good sign.) Badd tries to fight out. A back suplex by Badd.
Badd gets a right hand in on DDP. Inverted Atomic drop by Badd. Back body drop now. Flying head scissors by Badd. Left hand connects by Badd, sending DDP to the floor. Badd goes over the top, connecting with a flying crossbody on DDP. Back in the ring, Badd hits a flying victory roll on DDP. 1-2-3.
Winner: Johnny B. Badd.
Match Grade: C+. This match wasn't the greatest technical masterpiece in the entire world, but they both were working hard out there given their limited in-ring skills at the time. And they kept the crowd hot. That's a successful opener.
Mean Gene and Jesse Ventura are on screen today. Ventura is talking about feeling like "a million bucks" today. This is right after Ventura won a big lawsuit against the WWF for royalties due to him for using his likeness and voice. They run down several matches on the card.
2) WCW World Television Championship
Lord Steven Regal (c) (w/ Sir William) vs. Flyin' Brian Pillman
Michael Buffer does the ring introductions for both men as they come out to the ring. Looks like Nick Patrick is the referee.
The bell sounds. Brian gets the advantage immediately taking the attack to Regal, working on him in the corner. Regal tries a leg dive, but Pillman reverses it into punches. Regal kicks out of a couple pin attempts. Regal is begging, but Brian wants nothing to do with that. Regal eats an armdrag takeover, and he rolls outside. Regal catches Brian to attack him outside, but Pillman reverses it and chases Regal back in the ring. Pillman pulls Regal's arm over the top rope. Pillman takes Regal into the corner and gets him into a hammerlock. He pulls the arm to the corner and whips it against the ring post.
BIG CHOP by Pillman. Hair pull by Regal and an European uppercut. Arm drag by Regal, followed by a wristlock. Chop by Pillman breaks it up. More uppercuts by Regal. Regal catches Pillman trying to leapfrog him and sends him flying back in a suplex for a 2 count.
Regal continues to punch and attack the back of Pillman. Regal has Pillman on his shoulder for a backbreaker, but Pillman reverses it into a rollup for a 2 count. Regal slings Pillman in a leghold and transitions to an STF in a great wrestling sequence. (The crowd is again clapping. Wrestling wins again.) Uppercut by Regal. Regal grabs Pillman by the chin and rolls him back on Regal's knees in a nice spot. Regal loses the hold, and Brian starts unloading chops. And seconds later, he reverses another overhead backbreaker attempt into a hurricanrana. 2 count.
Regal catches Brian on his shoulders and hits a Regal Roll for a 2 count (Rolling Samoan Drop). Regal again goes for a stretch on the ground on Pillman. Regal transitions into a crossbow, putting his knees in the back of Pillman. Pillman punches his way out. But Regal again catches Pillman's leg and locks in a half crab with his knee on Pillman's neck. Then he transitions into a side STF. 10 minutes have passed. 5 left.
BIG CHOP by Pillman as he gets out of the hold. Regal with a kick, but Pillman chops him down. Regal rolls up Pillman with a handful of tights. Regal goes back to an STF type maneuver. 4 minutes left. Bryan gets out and starts attacking Regal with punches and chops. Regal responds with strikes of his own. A headbutt by Pillman rocks both men. 3 minutes are left.
Uppercut and forearm strikes by Regal. Dropkick by Pillman! Regal catches Pillman dropkicking him, but Pillman flings him off. 2 minutes remain. Enziguri by Pillman to Regal's head. Pillman goes to do a corner flip on Regal, but Regal just pushes him off. 60 seconds left. Regal comes off the ropes, and Pillman catches him with a dropkick! Pillman is coming alive at 45 seconds!!! Back body drop!!! 30 seconds left. Pillman unloading on Regal. Pillman gets caught by Regal and both men get flung over the top rope. He suplexes Regal back in as time expires.
Winner: Draw; Regal retains the TV Championship.
Match Grade: B. I know some might not care for this type of finish or match, but I loved it. Pillman and Regal were busting their butts out there for 15 minutes and worked logical matches. Pillman doing his aerial and aggressive attacks. Meanwhile, Regal used his European and technical style wrestling style to work the clock and keep Pillman grounded. Good match.
Col. Robert Parker and Bunkhouse Buck hype up the Bunkhouse Match with Dustin Rhodes later tonight.
3) Chicago Street Fight/ Falls Count Anywhere
The Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack/Maxx Payne
And the brawl is on!!!! Payne spinebusters Saggs in the ring. Knobbs is attacking Jack. Saggs gets thrown into a rail. Jack attacks Knobbs with a pool stick! Cactus CLOTHESLINE over the top to the floor. Saggs just nailed Maxx with the stick. Cactus Russian Leg Sweeps Knobbs into the rail. There's TOO MUCH GOING ON! It's a literal war!
Saggs and Jack are in the ring. A pole stick gets smacked against the freshly bad ear of Jack (Jack had just lost the ear in Germany not long before this). Knobbs and Payne fighting up near the entrance way. Saggs just clotheslined Jack over the top rope to the floor. Knobbs and Payne are destroying a merchandise stand near the entrance way. Trashcan to the head of Payne. Jack gets backdropped over the rail onto concrete near ringside!
Smack! Bang! Pop! Payne picks up Knobbs and SLAMS HIM THROUGH THE MERCHANDISE TABLE!!!!!!! He's using a shirt to try to gag Knobbs! Saggs is coming back to help his partner apparently. Knobbs is getting assaulted with a remnant of the table. Saggs whips Jack back over the rail onto concrete again by the other two now! THIS IS INSANE! SAGGS USES A FREAKING TABLE AND JABS JACK OVER THE HEAD MULTIPLE TIMES UNPROTECTED! GOOD GOD! THIS IS W.. CW?!
Saggs and Jack continue to brawl on the entrance ramp now. Swinging neckbreaker. JACK TAKES THE TABLE AND SUPLEXES IT ON TOP OF A LAYING SAGGS!!!!! JACK GETS HIT BY A SHOVEL BY KNOBBS!!!! PAYNE TAKES IT FROM HIM AND ASSAULTS KNOBBS!!!! SAGGS PILEDRIVES JACK THROUGH THE TABLE!!!!! SHOVEL TO THE HEAD OF PAYNE! JACK GETS SENT DOWN INTO THE RAIL ONTO THE CONCRETE FLOOR! SAGGS TAKES THE SHOVEL AND DRIVES IT INTO THE FACE OF JACK ON THE CONCRETE! 1-2-3!
Winners: The Nasty Boys
Match Grade: A. I know that seems high, but THIS WAS A STREET FIGHT in every sense of the phrase. You wanted action, brutality, and hardcore violence? You got it. It was the best Nasty Boys match I've ever seen, and it's one of the most memorable hardcore brawls I've ever seen Mick Foley involved in.
After the match, Payne gets destroyed with a piece of the broken table.
Johnny B. Badd tells Jesse Ventura that he's a bad man, and he wants a shot at the winner of Muta-Austin for the U.S. Championship.
4) United States Championship
Stunning Steve Austin (c) (w/ Col. Robert Parker) vs. The Great Muta
Again, Michael Buffer is calling the ring introductions for us. My God, this is a great show already. Now, we're getting Austin vs. Muta.
The bell rings. Tie up, but Austin gets to the ropes to break it up. Tie up again. Muta gets Austin in a headlock. Austin trying to power out, but he's unsuccessful. Austin gets to the ropes. "MUTA" chant. Austin gets Muta down and starts attacking. But Muta gets up, catches Austin running off the ropes, and locks in an abdominal stretch. Austin gets out, but Muta catches him with an elbow. A break in the action now.
Muta with a rollup for 2. Headlock back in on Austin. Austin tries to suplex him, but Muta rolls him back into the headlock. Back suplex finally connects by Austin. 1 count. Suplex by Muta! Elbow drop to Austin. Side headlock again by Muta. 5 minutes have gone by. Austin flings Muta off, but after a few seconds, Muta gets him with a dropkick. Austin gets out of ANOTHER headlock by Muta and gets a leg scissors on Muta's head. Muta gets out, and Austin rolls out. (This match is not going well so far. Too many headlocks, and Muta and Austin are not meshing well.)
Austin comes back in the ring. Austin hooks the tights in a rollup for 2. Hammerlock now by Muta. He angles Austin into a rollup for 2, but he keeps the hold in on Austin. Austin gets up, and Muta locks in another headlock. Muta gets tripped up by Parker on the ropes, and Austin sends him to the floor. Parker starts choking Muta. Austin forearms Muta in the back off the apron and sends Muta's head against the apron. Muta goes after Parker, but Austin cuts him off. Muta sent into the guardrail. Muta gets back in the ring, and Austin jumps on him with stomps and strikes. He drops an elbow on Muta for a 2 count. Abdominal stretch by Austin now. Austin grabs the ropes to get more pressure behind the referee's back. After a good 2 minutes, Muta finally flips Austin out of the move.
Muta starts striking and attacking Austin. But a dropkick gets avoided by Austin. Austin goes to the middle rope and nails him with an elbow drop for a 2. 3 more pin attempts only get more 2 counts. Austin chokes Muta on the bottom rope with his foot, and Parker attacks Muta while the referee is distracted. Muta blocks a turnbuckle shot, and he gives one to Austin. Muta now attacks Austin. Back body drop by Muta. Suplex by Muta. Standing Dropkick by Muta. Muta climbs the top rope, but he misses another dropkick off the top rope. Hollywood & Vine (Inside Toe Hold) by Austin is avoided. Austin GETS STUN GUNNED BY MUTA!!!!! The crowd erupts! Muta sends Austin into the corner, and Muta connects with the handspring elbow attack! Muta puts Austin on the top of the corner, and he nails a top rope hurricanrana! The crowd erupts again! Muta is on fire with this crowd! Parker gets on the apron, and Muta kicks him down. Austin runs at Muta, but he backdrops him over the top rope. And the referee calls for the bell. Muta is DQed for sending Austin over the top to the floor. Damn it. I hate early 1990s WCW sometimes.
Winner: Stunning Steve Austin (by DQ) (still United States Champion)
Match Grade: D. I wanted to like this match, but there were too many rest holds and headlocks for me to really give this much more than a D. Austin and Muta just didn't have great chemistry in the ring, and it was just a basic match without anything really memorable in it. I did enjoy Muta's offense in this match towards the end, but I've seen both men have better matches. Disappointed.
After the match, Muta flies over the top rope onto both Austin and Parker.
Jesse Ventura interviews. Dustin Rhodes. That's right. Goldust/Dustin Rhodes has been wrestling for a long time, and he's been awesome for a long time.
5) WCW World International Championship
Sting vs. Ravishing Rick Rude (c)
Rude goes to give his "What I'd Like to Have Right Now..." line, but he gets interrupted by Harley Race who says Vader wants the winner of this match. Race goes to attack Sting, but Sting fights him off. Then he starts attacking Rude and sends him flying up ridiculously high with back body drop! Rude gets clotheslined over the top rope. The match has started. A suplex on the floor by Sting! Rude still has his robe on, and they're back in the ring. Rude disrobes for a second, but Sting continues to press the attack to Rude. Whip into the corner by Sting. Rude back suplexed by Sting. 1 count. Sting continues the attack. Front face-lock by Sting. Standing slam by Sting followed by a couple big elbow drops. A 3rd one hits Rude in the back! That's foreshadowing. 1 count. Sting goes back to the front face-lock. Rude gets up on his feet and tries to fight out of the move. They've been in this move for about 2 minutes now, but Rude gets out by putting Sting on the top rope and clotheslining him to the floor.
Rude goes outside after Sting and hits his head against the apron and the entrance aisle way. Sting is sent back in the ring. Rude goes to work on the back of Sting with a lot of forearms. Big back suplex by Rude. 1-2-kickout. Rude poses for the crowd. Chinlock on Sting by Rude (almost into a Camel Clutch position). Rude jumps on Sting's back and poses to the crowd. He goes back into the chinlock. Rude again jumps on Sting's back a couple times and plays to the crowd. HEEL HEAT! This crowd is reacting strong.
Fist drop by Rude for a 2. Back to the chinlock, sitting in deeper this time. The crowd is getting hyped up. Sting puts Rude on his shoulders and stands up. They trade a series of victory rolls for 2 counts. Forearms by Rude to Sting. Rude gets a sleeper hold on Sting. Sting falls down in the move, and Rude is right on top of him. The arm drops twice, but RUDE lets go of the hold?! He goes in back after Sting with punches to the face and to the back.
But Sting is getting psyched up. STING PULLS RUDE'S TIGHTS DOWN, and we almost get a different kind of show here. An atomic drop DESTROYS Rude (Rude always sold that move like death itself), and after missing another atomic drop, Sting lifts him up to deliver ANOTHER ONE to make up for that. Lol. Clotheslines by Sting, who is on fire. BIG BACK BODY DROP by Sting, and Rude lands awkwardly. . That's not a great way to take the move. Yikes. Rude gets thrown into the corner and into the referee. STINGER SPLASH TO BOTH! Sting puts the Scorpion Deathlock on Rude.
Here comes Harley Race to get thrown around. Vader is in the ring, and Sting fights off both Vader and Harley sending them to the floor. Rude chopblocks Sting's knees. This crowd is going nuts!!! Rude Awakening is blocked by Sting. Rude continues to attack Sting. Race comes back in the ring with a chair, but he nails Rude by accident over the back with it. Sting fights off Race and covers Rude! 1-2-3! THIS CROWD ERUPTS!!!!!!!!
Winner: Sting (New WCW World International Champion)
Match Grade: B+. The crowd was invested as hell in this match, and that elevates this match a good letter grade or more alone. Rude was a great heel here doing his greatest hits (including the full moon spot). And Sting had to overcome a LOT of obstacles to get the victory in storyline. This was a very fun and good World Championship match.
6) Bunkhouse Match
Bunkhouse Buck (w/ Col. Robert Parker) vs. Dustin Rhodes
Dustin RUNS THE RAMP AND DIVES AT BUCK! The match is on. He pounds on Buck. Big lariat by Rhodes. (Rhodes looks like Sandman in this match.) Buck is on the apron, but Rhodes suplexes him back in the ring for a 2 count. Big back drop by Rhodes. Buck goes flying to the floor after a punch by Rhodes. Both men are brawling on the floor. Then they come back in the ring. Strikes by Rhodes knocks down Buck. Rhodes misses a dive, and he goes flying to the floor. Parker attacks Rhodes, and Buck uses a 2x4 (or a 1x2 as Schiavone called it) and HE CRACKS THE THING OVER RHODE'S BACK SENDING PART OF IT INTO THE AUDIENCE! Now, he hits him in the face with the board. Dustin is bleeding profusely from the head. (He really does look like Sandman now.)
Rhodes and Buck are on the entrance ramp. Rhodes eats a clothesline and does the inverted flip sell on the ramp. Buck flings Rhodes back in the ring and goes on the attack. A bodyslam in the ring by Buck. Stomps to the bleeding forehead. Buck drags Dustin by the foot to the apron, and he throws his leg against the apron and the ring post. Dustin kicks Buck away from his leg and grabs powder. Powder to the eyes of Buck in the ring! Buck whips Rhodes IN THE HEAD WITH A BELT!!!!!! OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN! Buckle to the forehead. Buck continues to attack viciously at Rhodes. Kick to the underpart of the knee by Buck. He now has Dustin in the corner and continues to strike at him. Running boot to the ribs by Buck. Another running boot to the chest/chin area by Buck. Dustin moves out of the way of a 3rd one. Buck is still caught on the top rope, and Dustin goes to the attack. He hangs him on the top of the corner and delivers in a bunch of kicks to the body of Buck. Elbow to the head now. Belt comes off. Rhodes wraps it around his hand, and Buck eats a punch by Rhodes. Buck is bleeding now. Rhodes continues the attack!
Rhodes has his cowboy boot off. He goes to the middle rope, and he drops the heel of the boot on Buck! He puts Buck on the ropes, opens up the back of his shirt, and begins whipping Buck with the belt to the back! ELBOW to the head of Buck. Clothesline over the top rope to the floor by Rhodes! Buck is reaching in his pocket, and he loads the glove. Atomic drop by Rhodes. Elbows from the middle rope on a standing Buck. 10 to be exact. Clothesline in the corner. Bulldog! Parker is on the apron, and Rhodes suplexes him back in! He's got the belt and WHIPS PARKER!!!! He throws him out of the ring. A rollup almost pins Rhodes. They exchange punches and blows. Dustin delivers several unanswered blows for a 2 count.
Parker gives Buck something, and he NAILS Rhodes! 1-2-3!
Winner: Bunkhouse Buck
Match Grade: B+. Wow. I did not expect this to be this good. It was the very definition of a hardcore brawl. One might think this is overkill considering what came earlier, but this was a different kind of hardcore match (an 80s style hardcore match more than anything). Very good performances by both (or 3 if you count Parker) men.
Backstage, Jesse Ventura interviews Rick Rude who blames Race and Vader for not being champion. Vader comes in, and the brawl and pull apart is on with the heel wrestlers trying to break them up.
7) Grudge Match
The Boss vs. Vader (w/ Harley Race)
The storyline: The Boss and Vader had an altercation at SuperBrawl in 1994 when The Boss was the Special Guest Referee for his match with Ric Flair. Since then, these guys have been building up towards this match.
The Boss is basically The Big Boss Man in black. They start the match on the ramp! Race holds up The Boss, but he ducks and Vader flies into Race. Boss with strikes to Vader. Vader clotheslined into the ring (not a typo). More strikes by The Boss. Big boot now. Another strike sends Vader over the top to the ramp. Boss goes out and continues the attack on Vader, but Vader starts answering back. Clothesline puts The Boss down. Vader slams The Boss onto the mat. Vader runs down the ramp and LEAPS OVER THE TOP ROPE ONTO THE BOSS WHO HAD THE KNEES UP!
The Boss takes advantage of this and attacks Vader. Vader again is sent to the floor and Boss follows him. Vader is thrown HARD over the top of the rail into the fans and down onto concrete! Dang! Boss puts Vader ribs first on the rail! Boss goes into the ring. Vader is bleeding from the mouth. Boss and Vader back in the ring. More strikes by Boss. Avalanche splash in the corner by Boss. Bodyslam by The Boss. Strikes and blows by Vader now to The Boss. Vader lifts up The Boss onto the ropes, and he falls to the floor. Race gets a few kicks in behind the ref's back. The Boss gets on the apron, and Vader suplexes him back into the ring.
Running Vader Splash for a 2. Vader presses the attack with more strikes in the corner. Boss answers back with shots of his own, and Vader gets him with another. Back suplex by Boss. Vader is bleeding from the eye! He's looking really messed up around his right eye. Big clothesline by The Boss. Vader catches him running in with a boot and gets him with an uppercut. Vader goes on the corner, but Boss is alerady up and throws Vader on his shoulder. Damn. Vader is put on the top rope. Boss climbs up and hits a DDT from the corner. 2 count. Vader gets up. This is extremely dangerous. Boss goes to the top ropes and dives at Vader. Both men collide in the ring, and Vader just crumbles down for a 2. Again, this is getting a little hard to watch. Boss comes off the top rope at Vader, but Vader catches him with a powerslam! Boss is out. Vader drags him to the corner. Vader Bomb! 1-2-KICKOUT! Vader goes back up to THE TOP ROPE! VADERSAULT! AND HE HITS ALL OF IT! 1-2-3!
Winner: Vader
Match Grade: B-. Again, this is for the effort of the two men rather than the actual match itself. Several of those moves were HARD to watch, and Vader took a vicious blow to his eye. However, the crowd continued to be hot during the match, and this was a fun big man match with some cool moments.
After the match, Harley has the handcuffs and nightstick. But Boss takes it and viciously attacks both Vader and especially Harley Race. Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel steps in to stops the assault.
Mean Gene shills the hotline.
Jesse is with The Boss and Nick Bockwinkel. Bockwinkel basically un-WWF's The Boss, taking away the handcuffs, nightstick, and the name The Boss from Ray Traylor.
Main Event
WCW Heavyweight Championship
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
This is it. The rematch from 1989 in Chicago. That night, Steamboat won the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Can lightning strike twice?
The Dragon comes out with the fire-breathing gimmick. Flair comes out to a LOUD ovation from Chicago. Michael Buffer does our introductions.
The bell rings. And here we go!!! Drop toe hold by Flair, but Steamboat slides out and away. Another tie up. Arm drag by Flair, but Steamboat gets Flair to the ropes. Another tie up. Side headlock by Flair into a head scissors by Steamboat. Flair gets out. Another standoff. Tie up. Shoulder block takedown by Steamboat. Flair backs into the corner. Another tie up in the center of the ring. Mat transitions by both men trying to lock in a hold. Both men continue to jockey for position. Flair pushes Steamboat in the corner. Steamboat fires back and slaps him in the face to add to it!
Tie up. A good series of underneath and leap frogs lead to a PRESS SLAM, TWO FLYING HEAD SCISSORS, AND TWO DROPKICKS BY STEAMBOAT! Flair gets sent to the outside. Steamboat rolls him back in. Steamboat jumps off the top rope and hits the chop off the top for a 2. Flair rolls back to the floor to get a break. Flair takes his time and walks around ringside before getting back in the ring. Flair gets Steamboat down by pulling the hair, but Steamboat kips up. Chops being exchanged by both men! FLAIR GETS KNOCKED DOWN by a Steamboat chop. Slaps exchanged! Flair goes on the apron to get a breather.
Flair is back in the ring. Tie up in the center of the ring. Side headlock takedown by Steamboat. Steamboat climbs the ropes and rolls Flair back in the center of the ring with the headlock still on. Shoulder block by Steamboat, and he catches Flair on the mat with yet another headlock. Steamboat shoulder tackles Flair again for a 2 count and relocks in the headlock on Flair. Flair gets up and gets Steamboat in the corner. CHOP. Arm Drag. Flying head scissors, and another headlock by Steamboat. (Big difference between this and Muta/Austin is that they keep transitioning in and out of the headlock with fast paced action that ADDS to the story.)
Both men on their feet. Shoulder tackle by Steamboat x2. Flair sends Stemaboat over the top. He "skins the cat" by pulling himself up. Rollup for a 2. Headlock back in. Steamboat continues to work in the attack of draining Flair. Rollup by Flair for a 2 count, but he's back in the position after Steamboat kicks out. Flair gets up with Steamboat still holding on. Flair tries an atomic drop, but he gets a knee in the midsection to break it up. Steamboat catches Flair coming off the ropes, and again, Steamboat applies a headlock. Flair gets him in the corner. Shoulder attacks to the stomach of Steamboat. Flair gets back body dropped by Steamboat, but Flair dodges the dropkick of Steamboat. CHOP and a fist in the corner by Flair. More chop and fists in another corner by Flair. Snapmare by Flair. Knee Drop by Flair. Steamboat selling pain on the mat. 15 minutes have passed.
Chop in the corner by Flair. Snapmare and Knee Drop by Flair. 1-2-Kickout. Multiple pin attempts by Flair. (Again, logical wrestling by Flair here. Multiple pin attempts trying to catch Steamboat and cause him to wear out.) Back elbow to Steamboat. 1-2-Kickout. Again, Flair going for multiple pin attempts. Flair with chops in the corner to Steamboat. More chops. Steamboat answers back with one. Flair begs off. Flair dives at Steamboat, and both men go tumbling over the top rope to the floor!
Flair goes for the piledriver on the floor, but Steamboat reverses it into a back drop. Chop by Steamboat, but he misses a big running dive at Flair sending him ribs first into the guard rail. Steamboat gets rolled back in. Flair climbs up. Steamboat catches him and starts attacking Flair on the corner. He climbs up. BIG SUPLEX OFF THE MIDDLE ROPE TO THE MAT! 2 count. Flair gets flipped over the top of the corner and gets chopped down to the floor. Ricky Steamboat climbs the middle of the ropes and hits a judo chop off the top rope to the floor on Flair. Both men are back in the ring. Flair begs off. 20 minutes have passed.
Steamboat climbs the middle rope with Flair in the corner. 10 punches from the middle rope on a standing Flair. A series of vicious chops on Flair! FLAIR FLOP!!! FLAIR FLOP! FLAIR FLOP! Flair catches Steamboat, and he sends him to the floor. Steamboat tries to victory roll Flair coming back into the ring, but Flair catches him with a punch to the face. Flair tries to drop the knee again, but Steamboat catches him coming down and LOCKS IN THE FIGURE FOUR LEG LOCK ON RIC FLAIR!!!! The crowd is cheering all of this! Flair is begging and screaming "NO!" Bobby Heenan, on commentary, is yelling "GET TO THE ROPES, RIC! NO! NO! NO! COME ON RIC!!!!" Flair keeps teasing getting to the ropes, but Steamboat keeps dragging him back in. An eye poke to Steamboat breaks the hold. Steamboat goes outside to get himself right while Flair gets up. Flair catches Steamboat on the apron, and he goes for the delayed vertical suplex. But Flair's knees buckle. Steamboat gets a 2 count when he falls on Flair. Flair floats over on Steamboat. Bridge up by Steamboat. Backslide fight by both men. Steamboat gets the advantage! 1-2-FLAIR BARELY KICKS OUT! Inside cradle by Steamboat. 2 count. Flair: NO!!!! Steamboat will have none of it. Flair gets Steamboat in the corner. CHOPS by Flair. Steamboat is firing back ALL OVER THE RING! Flair runs into a double chop! 25 minute mark.
Flair went outside on the entrance ramp!!! Steamboat tries to suplex Flair back in. Flair reverses, but Steamboat lands on his feet and clotheslines Flair back in the ring. Flair is again sent over the top of the corner and this time crashes on the floor. Steamboat goes off the apron to attack Flair, but Flair gets the foot up. Flair goes back into the ring. Steamboat walks around the ring, and he gets back on the apron. They are exchanging shots. Flair gets knocked down! Steamboat climbs the top rope! BIG CROSSBODY OFF THE TOP BY STEAMBOAT! 1-2-KICKOUT! Clothesline by Flair knocks Steamboat back down. Snapmare by Flair. Flair climbs the top of the corner. Steamboat catches him and THROWS Flair back to the center of the ring. Stemaboat FLIES ACROSS THE RING AT FLAIR, but he misses and hurts his knee. (I think you know where this is going.)
Flair grabs the leg, and he locks in the Figure 4. Steamboat holds up Flair's leg as long as he can, but Flair eventually gets the second leg into position! (Great moment to build up the move.) Steamboat is screaming in agony while being attacked in the move by Flair. Steamboat can't reach the ropes initially, but he does eventually. Kick to the knee by Flair. Snapmare. Flair gets rolled up going for the Figure 4, but he gets out at 2. 30 minutes have gone by.
Backslide by Steamboat for a 2. Chops by Steamboat on Flair! Steamboat puts Flair on the top of the corner. Steamboat goes on the very top rope. SUPERPLEX ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE MAT!!!!!! Wow! After a few seconds, Steamboat finally gets a pin attempt for a long 2 count. Steamboat inadvertantly gets Flair into the referee, sending him to the outside. Steamboat has the three count in a rollup, but the referee is not in position. He comes back in. 1-2-Kickout. DOUBLE CHICKEN WING BY STEAMBOAT ON FLAIR! They fall back down on the mat! 1-2-3!!!!! Two referees are in the ring. Nick Bockwinkel is on the apron. Both men were down for the count of 3. Therefore, it's a draw, and Ric Flair retains the championship!
Winner: Draw (Ric Flair is STILL WCW Champion)
Match Grade: A+. They did it again. Steamboat at 41 and Ric Flair at 45 were able to have a match that deserved to be mentioned alongside their other great matches. I loved the pace of this particular match with the offensive flurry by Steamboat in certain spots being in particular spectacular. Flair playing the natural heel of this match was right on for not only the match dynamic but for what was happening in the larger WCW at the moment. The match also had great wrinkles in the match formula that we saw both men use during their classic 1989 feud. I know this doesn't get remembered as fondly as those matches, but this was an equally great (in its own way) contest and a great way to use the draw to build something. It wouldn't be a Steamboat-Flair match if there wasn't at least a little bit of a controversy in the finish.
Show Grade: A+. This is probably my favorite show in WCW's history. I still can't believe that the worst match on this show was between Muta and Austin who are both great legends and icons in the wrestling business. It just wasn't their night, but it seemed to be for everyone else. I absolutely love this show. Hardcore wrestling? You got it. Great in-ring action? You got it. Two big guys clobbering each other? Yep. That's here too. A babyface overcoming all odds to win a championship? Got you covered. The bottom line is WCW Spring Stampede 1994 will always be the measuring point in which I look at WCW events when I look back on them. Great work, action, and booking.
I hope you enjoyed this look back at a great event. You have another show you want covered? Send me a comment here or on Twitter @cdub1898.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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