Clash of the Champions XXIII

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions XXIII

June 16, 1993 from the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, VA

Commentary; Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura

"The All American" Ron Simmons def "Dirty" Dick Slater (w/Paul Orndorff) in 3:56- This was scheduled to be Simmons vs Orndorff for the TV title, which was still listed in the opening rundown, but Orndorff had just been injured in a car accident. The whole "Paula" thing was going full steam at this point and the crowd goes nuts chanting it at Orndorff. Simmons gets a shot in on a corner break and hits an atomic drop. He rolls through power moves and Slater rolls out. Back in Slater counters a sunset flip with a slap to the face. That sets Simmons off. Orndorff grabs Simmons' foot and Slater kinda nudges him in the top of the head. Swinging neckbreaker. Simmons gets a foot on the rope but the heels think it's 3 and celebrate. Simmons hits a .7 powerslam for the win. Sloppy last second thrown together mess. 1/2*

Eric Bischoff is on the host stage with Larry Zbyszko. Zbyszko's tie looks like Tetris. Bischoff brings in Michael Buffer, making his WCW debut tonight. Oh great. I honestly thought he didn't come in until later. Greatest ring announcer of all time.....at getting himself over.

 

Lord Steven Regal (w/Sir William) def Marcus Alexander Bagwell in 6:18- Regal joined WCW early in '93 as a babyface of all things, but quickly turned to his natural heel self. This is his first appearance on a major show. That weight is 18 stone Capetta, not 18 "stones". Surprised Regal didn't grab the mic and correct him on the spot. Regal does his superb disgusted at the world look and takes forever to lock up. After a Regal leg takedown they trade off arm holds, with Regal doing some wonderful British style escapes but Bagwell always getting the edge back through sheer power. Bagwell flips Regal over by the arm with a fantastic Regal sell. Regal hits some European uppercuts and clips Bagwell's knee. Most of the rest of the match is airtight psychology from Regal, always getting back on the knee no matter what. Commentary mentions that Cactus Jack is still missing and maybe they'll find him in Cleveland on regular TV this week. Oh hell, that's a legendary piece of absolute shit. Don't watch it. But watch it. Bagwell rolls Regal up. Regal reverses it, they have a lot of trouble positioning right, and finally Regal gets a handful of tights for the 3 count. Not bad thanks to Regal, I wish they'd gotten more time. I love British catch as catch can style almost as much as Japanese strong style. *3/4

Bischoff is with Maxx Payne, who stole Johnny B Badd's Baddblaster and is scheduled to have a match with him tonight. Payne calls Badd out and says he'll give him back the blaster now. Badd comes out, and Payne shoots him in the face with it! Who didn't see that coming? It was pretty damn sick looking though. Payne: "Consider it returned". Badd writhes in agony on the floor as we go to break. After commerical Payne declares victory by forfeit in the ring. Tom Zenk runs out, jumps Payne, and does OK for a bit but eventually gets stuck in the Paynemaker and the refs have to get him out.

 

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Barry Windham (c) def 2 Cold Scorpio in 12:53- Buffer intros his first ever WCW match, and in super special ring announcing style after both guys are already in the ring. Man, Big Gold still looks great on Windham. Windham's still getting 50/50 reactions despite his heel status. Full on cocky Windham mode to start. A Scorpio dropkick makes him think for a second. After some Windham pounding Scorpio leaps over in the corner and gets a leg takedown. Nice sequence where both guys duck punches, so Windham fakes a punch then kicks Scorpio. Windham lariat off the top rope! He can fly too, Scorpio. Well, drop at least. That got a big pop as well. Delayed suplex with a floatover for 2. Scorpio misses a dropkick. Windham DDT! Slow arrogant cover and Scorpio kicks out. Windham tries a slam but Scorpio wraps up a flash small package for 2. Windham gutwrench suplex for 2. He really put some extra oomph on that one, pushing Scorpio hard to the mat. Windham's hitting everything with a little extra sauce tonight. Scorpio hits a standing dropkick. Windham cuts him off with a tackle and tosses him to the floor. Scorpio comes back in with a slingshot tackle! Windham hits a standing dropkick! Nice. Windham Samoan drop for 2. A back suplex gets a long 2. Windham sets up for the superplex. Scorpio fights it off. Splash off the top rope! Windham kicks out! Hurricanrana from Scorpio. Slingshot splash! Another near fall. Scorpio missile dropkick. He tries for another slingshot but Windham pops him in midair. Leaping DDT! Good night Scorpio. Good stuff, with a very smart layout of the veteran Windham always staying cool, calm and in control, and Scorpio getting his spunky flurry at the end to try to pull off the upset. ***1/4

 

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader, "Ravishing" Rick Rude and Sid Vicious (w/Harley Race and Col. Robert Parker) def Sting, "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith and "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes in 10:59-  Five guys who absolutely rule, and Sid. Vader left the belt at home. Rude has a briefcase that's supposedly got the US title belt in it. That title was still officially held up because of the controversial finishes in his and Dustin's matches. Vader and Sid had just formed an official tag team called The Masters of the Powerbomb. Sting is all kinds of fired up. So is the crowd. Rude and Sting start, a feud we should have gotten a lot more of. After a headlock test of strength Rude hits a back elbow in the corner. Sting backdrops him, then presses him up and throws him into Sid and Vader! Dustin unloads on Rude. Vader accidentally splashes Rude! Sid gets bounced around in the face corner. He straddles the middle rope and Sting pulls it up into his crotch! Of course being Sid he barely sells it. Dustin goes absolute fists of fury on Vader! I mean he beats the shit out of him in the corner the way Vader usually does to everyone else. Dustin suplex on Vader! He goes for an elbow off the top but Vader dodges it. Vader bomb for 2. Rude pounds Dustin's back and hits a front suplex. "You ain't shit, Rhodes!". Not PG. Dustin blocks and hits a front suplex of his own. Sid kips up out of a Dustin headscissors and kills him with a clothesline. Vader tries coming off the second rope but Dustin catches and powerslams him! Rude goes for a tombstone but Dustin reverses and plants Rude with one. They do the ref didn't see the tag bit but screw it, everyone in the pool! Sting and Vader fight on the floor. Vader dodges and Sting Stinger splashes the guardrail! Vader gets the briefcase, whacks Dustin with it, and Rude covers for the pin. Helluva sprint. ***1/2

 

2 out of 3 Falls Match for the Unified WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championship: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and Arn Anderson def The Hollywood Blondes (c) by DQ in 20:45- This is Flair's first match back in WCW after his WWF no-compete expired. Austin and Pillman did their famous "A Flair for the Old" promo in the build to this. Mocking Flair and Arn's age in 1993. If they'd only known how many more years Flair would keep wrestling. 

FIRST FALL- Arn and Pillman start. Pillman mocks him with some slick Ric, then backs Arn into the corner and gives him the camera crank. Arn says screw this and dumps him to the mat. Flair struts on the apron. Pillman slaps Arn and that really sets him off. Pillman begs off as cover to get in an eye poke. Arn should have seen that coming. He kicks Pillman into the heel corner and orders Austin to tag in. They start working, but Arn hears the huge "We want Flair" chant from the crowd, stops, and reaches out to tag Flair. Flair gives Austin the real slick Ric. The crowd is molten. Chops! Flair backdrops Austin then flips Pillman in the ring by the hair! Early insanity with action everywhere. Austin eye pokes Flair and scrambles to the floor for a breather, but as soon as he gets back in gets pounded down again. Arn works his arm a bit in true Anderson fashion. Hammerlock slam. Flair hits the kneedrop and smoothly rolls over to the heel corner and chops Pillman! While Arn's cranking Austin's arm Flair and Pillman almost come to blows on the apron. While ref Nick Patrick gets Flair back Pillman chokes Arn with his towel, a classic Blondes maneuver. Excuse me, VINTAGE Blondes. Arn goes Horseman in peril. He tries to fight out of the corner with chops and headbutts. DDT on Austin! Tags. As he's getting out of the ring Pillman clips Arn's chronically bad knee. Flair runs right to the top rope and hits a double ax handle. Inverted atomic drop and mounted punches on Pillman. Austin comes in from behind and the Blondes double team. Arn grabs Austin's boot, and Flair hits Pillman with a flying forearm and gets a pin! As they're going to break Buffer has a massive Lillian Botch and starts announcing the Horsemen as the new champs. Did he pay any attention at all to any of the prep? He reads the stuff his staff prepares for him less than Kamala Harris.

SECOND FALL- Pillman and Flair have a full on cannon shot chop exchange. So fantastic. Flair Flip! He lands on the apron and chops both Blondes! Pillman pushes and Flair splats on the floor. Austin suplexes Flair on the floor! More Pillman chops outside. Flair gets run into and dropped on the guardrail. Flair Flop! Back in Austin gives Flair more chops while Pillman chokes him with the towel. Austin hits a superplex! Flair chops back out of the corner but collapses. Another Pillman/Flair chop exchange. Never gets old. Midring collision. Tags! Arn backdrops Austin. World's Greatest Spinebuster! Pillman saves the pin. While the ref's pulling Flair back Pillman clips Arn's knee again! Austin covers. Kickout! The Blondes start picking Arn's knee apart. He can't even stand after an Irish whip. Pillman hooks in a single leg crab. Arn enzuguri outta nowhere! Austin cuts off the tag. More knee work. Pillman comes off the second rope but Arn gets a boot up! Tag to Flair! Chops for everyone. Pillman gets thrown over the top to the floor. Back suplex on Austin. Figure four! Barry Windham runs in, jumps on Flair off the top rope and draws the DQ. Screw attacking Flair, I'm booing the hell out of Windham just for ending that match. Paul Roma comes in from the crowd and everyone brawls in the ring until the heels run off. What an absolutely phenomenal match. Stick a clean finish on it and it's the full monty, no question. ****3/4

Flair jumps Windham during an interview and they brawl again to close the show with Tony yelling "We're out of time folks!", something that would become a fun cliche during the Bischoff era.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- This is a hell of a pleasant surprise hidden in what's otherwise a very rough year. Once again the unified tag title match steals the show, as it did a lot during the unified title run, but all of the top three matches are more than worth the time.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A-