Legacy Review
Clash of the Champions XXII
January 13, 1993 from the MECCA in Milwaukee
Commentary: Jim Ross (in his final major WCW appearance) and Jesse Ventura
Bill Watts shows up right at the top of the show confirming he's still here, but moves were already underway to oust him. He and Tony confirm his son Erik was (kayfabe) arrested after an altercation with Arn Anderson and is suspended pending investigation. That huge sigh of relief was the audience realizing they wouldn't have to watch him wrestle tonight. The phrase "card subject to change" gets a hell of a workout tonight.
Cactus Jack def Johnny B Badd in 2:50- Badd is subbing for the suspended Watts. Jack gets a pretty big pop. The start of his face turn happened the last week on TV when he was attacked by Vader, Harley Race and Paul Orndorff during a match to determine who was going to be in tonight's main event. These guys were Lethal Lottery partners at Starrcade that didn't get along so at least there's something to work off of here. Badd wrestles, Jack brawls, Badd tries to box. Jack grabs the ropes to stop from running into a Badd punch, gives us a "BANG BANG" and gets a nice reaction for it. Badd dodges in the corner and gets a rollup for 2. More Jack forearms. Badd gets a boot up in the corner and a small package for barely 1. Jack dodges the sunset flip off the top, drops an elbow, and gets the pin. Bare bones thrown together basic. They didn't even try to do any of Foley's big spots on the floor. The headline here is definitely Jack's instant embrace by the fans after the first hint of a face turn. 3/4*
Tony mentions The Great Muta defeated Masahiro Chono for the NWA world title at the Tokyo Dome on 1/4, footage to come later this weekend. That was one hell of a match. After that is a hype video for 2 Cold Scorpio that absolutely has to be seen to be believed. Pure Rifftrax short gold. The look on the face of the fat white kid (I was a fat white kid, I can say that) as the camera goes over him to simulate Scorpio "jumping" over him is the definite highlight.
2 Cold Scorpio def Scotty Flamingo in 4:13- Ref Bill Alphonso looks like he was cosplaying as Chono during the recent Japan trip. Scorpio rolls through some flippydo basics. After a .5 hip attack midring collision that I'm not sure was 100% planned Scorpio barely taps Flamingo with a big boot, and Flamingo FLIES all the way across the ring and halfway up the aisle! Holy shit that was absolutely hilarious. Serious Shawn Michaels overselling Hogan at Summerslam '05 levels. I had to pause the show to stop laughing before I could continue. Scorpio teases a plancha but hits an ax handle off the apron instead. Back in Flamingo dropkicks Scorpio in the back to send him to the floor. Flamingo hits a plancha! Scorpio with a flash small package for 2, rolls through some moves, and hits a splash off the top for 2. Flamingo dodges a Stinger splash and rolls Scorpio up for 2. Scorpio hits a reverse kick, nails the 450, and it's over. Flashy spotfest. **
Chris Benoit def Brad Armstrong in 9:13- After a soft intro in the NWA tag tournament during the summer of '92 this is Benoit's official singles WCW debut after cutting (and losing) his teeth as a top junior heavyweight in New Japan. His tights look like Zumbas. Nice counter/counter counter/counter counter counter run to start. Benoit kips up out of an armbar but runs right back into an armdrag. Commentary really pushes Benoit as a big effing deal, especially his time training in Stu Hart's Dungeon. Both guys bridge up out of a mat test of strength. Armstrong suplexes Benoit over. Hammerlock reversals. Armstrong momentums Benoit to the floor. Benoit tries the same trick but Armstrong blocks it. Benoit hooks Armstrong up for a suplex but just drops him over the top rope gut first. Springboard clothesline over the top rope by Benoit! That got the crowd interested. Snap suplex for 2. Armstrong comes back with a kneelift. Benoit gets a hard slam and goes up top. Armstrong dodges the top rope headbutt and hits a swinging neckbreaker. Dragon suplex from Benoit! That gets the pin. Fine match, but these guys were capable of so much more. It was forever before they got out of first gear, and Benoit looked like he was still getting comfortable and making adjustments to the WCW style. **3/4
Tony informs us of the reunion of the Rock N Roll Express in a new company called Smokey Mountain Wrestling, complete with footage of their SMW tag title win over Jim Cornette's SMW Midnight Express replacements, the Heavenly Bodies. That's underrated NWA/Crockett alum Bob Caudle on the play by play. The RNR have been signed to wrestle at Superbrawl III, marking their WCW return.
Arm Wrestling Match: Vinnie Vegas def Tony Atlas- Vegas is replacing an injured Van Hammer, who had won the Jesse Ventura invitational arm wrestling tournament thingy I can't be bothered to look up the real name no one cares. Vegas says he lost in the tournament because he's a lefty. Atlas agrees to a left handed match, saying he doesn't care if Vegas uses his "left arm, right arm or center arm". There's probably Korean or Japanese websites dedicated to "center arm" wrestling but that's an area of Al Gore's interwebs I'm sure as hell not going to. It's arm wrestling. Vegas shockingly wins clean and that's it. Nothing segment. For some reason Bill Watts had a center arm for arm wrestling.
The Wrecking Crew def Johnny Gunn and "The Z Man" Tom Zenk in 6:06- The Wrecking Crew are making their debut. They look like a couple of Steiner wannabes now the Steiners are in the WWF and there's nothing distinctive about them. They're called RAGE and FURY and one of them was in the Master Blasters so that should tell you how well this is going to go. Zenk schools Rage to start, refusing to break a headlock and punching out of a press slam. Rage dodges and Zenk goes over the top and lands on the apron. He springs to the top rope and hits a crossbody. Zenk is doing a hell of a job wrestling himself. He dropkicks both Crew to the floor. Gunn with a tope suicida on both Crew! Gunn dodges and Rage takes out Fury. Zenk stands and waits for Fury to figure out what the smeg he's trying to do before Fury rolls through some power moves. Rage catches a Zenk crossbody and slams him. Zenk superkicks Rage as he's coming off the second rope and tags. Gunn has bodyslams for everyone. Fury and Gunn do a sad slow motion whip sequence. Rage hits Gunn from behind, the Crew do a very Steiners' like double team, and that gets the win. A debut that was a failure on pretty much every level. 1/2*
Sting comes out to talk with Tony. This is also when his music changed, from awesome to awful. Sad day. Yeah those opening riffs in his original music are almost identical to the Ultimate Warrior's, but it's so damn cool. Perfect crowd pumping music. He accepts Vader's "White Castle of Fear" challenge for Starrcade, whatever that is. No one knows. Afterward the heel team for the main event is backstage. Harley Race fires the Barbarian because he's too close to Jack, negating their 4 on 3 advantage.
Unified WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championship: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and Shane Douglas (c) def "Stunning" Steve Austin and "Flyin'" Brian Pillman in 13:39- Austin and Pillman had megastardom written all over them. Of course it was in a language WCW couldn't read so they got thrown together in a random tag team instead (despite Austin being promised a run with the US belt after dropping the TV title). These guys being these guys, they took it and made it legendary. This is the genesis of it all. The other two guys are pretty good too. Steamboat and Austin start. Austin jumps out quick. Steamboat wraps up a small package and goes through some rapid fire covers. EARLY DONNYBROOKING! The faces fight the heels off. After the reset Austin suckers Steamboat in with an insincere handshake. Big Pillman chops. Steamboat gets a dropkick and DEEP armdrag. The faces quick tag Pillman's arm. Pillman tweaks his knee on a leapfrog landing and rolls to the apron. I think we've seen this trick from him recently......yup, it's a RUSE! But Douglas is onto it! He catches and powerslams Pillman for 2! Douglas outwrestles Austin and runs through some Steamboat-like quick covers. Steamboat press slams Douglas onto Austin! Then press slams Pillman onto Austin! Austin pulls Steamboat into his corner where a Pillman forearm is waiting. He suckers Douglas in and throws Steamboat over the top to the floor. Steamboat gets slammed on the floor. Back on the apron Steamboat tries to suplex Pillman out to the floor, but Austin cuts it off with a kick to the ribs. Excellent job of subverting smart fan expectations there, as Pillman had been doing that spot nearly every match lately. Pillman suplexes Steamboat back in instead. Chop exchange. Steamboat gets a sunset flip but the ref is distracted. A heel double team attempt backfires, but Austin cuts the tag off with a back suplex for 2. He hooks Steamboat in a Canadian backbreaker. Pillman goes for a springboard clothesline, but takes out Austin instead! As Steamboat is literally an inch away from tagging Pillman stops him. Steamboat flips out of a back suplex and hits his own! Both guys are down. Steamboat crawls over and tags! Hot tag Douglas run. Everyone in the pool! Douglas hits a belly to belly. Austin comes off the top rope to break up the pin and Pillman covers. But the ref takes an extra few seconds to get Austin out, and Douglas kicks out! Douglas rolls Pillman up. Austin comes in and whacks him with a title belt, drawing the DQ. Douglas is busted open and they work him over a bit more after the bell. Brilliant tag match that only needed a definitive finish to make it near legendary. Pillman and Austin showed instant, effortless chemistry as partners. ****1/4
Next up is footage of Vader winning the world title back from Ron Simmons just before the turn of the year. Simmons crashes Vader's interview to trigger another brawl. Vader and Race destroy Simmons, taking him out of the main event which is now down to 3 on 2 after originally being booked as 4 on 4. Card subject to change.
Thundercage Match: Sting and "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes (and Cactus Jack) def WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader, "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff and Barry Windham in 11:22- The match where Dustin won the vacant US title had been taped but wouldn't air on TV until the following weekend. Vader watches while the other four guys open up brawling. They settle in with old tag partners turned bitter enemies Dustin and Windham. Mounted punches and lariat from Dustin. Blind tag to Sting, who hits a press slam. Vader comes in for the big showdown. He and Sting work a little looser than normal. Sting hits an inverted atomic drop and DDT. Stinger splash! Vader flip in the corner! Vader bounces back with a tackle off the top rope. Sting dodges a splash off the second rope. A clothesline sends Vader 360 and out. Orndorff suplexes Sting from behind to take over. Windham suplex for 2. Vader avalanche! Press slam. Windham sets up the superplex. Sting fights it off. Tag! Dustin runs wild. Cactus Jack is out! He cuts the lock off the cage (unlike new NXT Paint Splatter Champion Bronson Steiner, he knows how to use bolt cutters) and joins the fray on the face side! He whacks everyone on the heel team with his boot! The crowd loves it. It's total chaos. Orndorff tries to hit Dustin with a piledriver. Jack hits him with his boot off the top rope and covers for 3! **1/2
OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: Once again the unified tag title match completely steals the show. The rest is mostly watchable, though a bit disjointed as this is one of those Clashes heavy on promos and long video packages. Overall it's a decently solid show to open up what would become another year of transition for WCW in '93. Watts would formally be evicted soon after this and replaced by one Eric Bischoff. JR, unhappy at having to report to a former subordinate, made tracks for the WWF soon after.
OVERALL SHOW GRADE: C
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