Bash at the Beach '94

Legacy Review

Bash at the Beach '94

July 17, 1994 from the Orlando Arena in Orlando, FL

Commentary: Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

This is another renamed PPV rather than a whole new one, as Beach Blast becomes Bash at the Beach. It still has the same logo, with the wave forming a flexing arm that I love so much. All time favorite PPV logo list for sure. After making his in arena debut at the last Clash, Hulk Hogan wrestles his first WCW match tonight. And they're putting him right in against Flair for the world title.

Before we continue, I have a rant about WCW PPVs I've been wanting to get down for a while, and now is as good a time as any. One of '90s WCW's big issues, in my mind, was that unlike WWF with Wrestlemania they didn't have a single tentpole show they could point to and say with zero doubt "This is our biggest show of the year". During the Jim Crockett years it was clearly Starrcade as that was the original and oldest show, but then in the early '90s under Jim Herd and Bill Watts Starrcade was partially supplanted by Superbrawl (the Roman numerals are a dead giveaway) and Great American Bash. Starrcade itself was also devalued during those years with a run of gimmick based shows (the Iron Man tournament, Lethal Lottery/Battlebowl). Then as we get into the Bischoff years, the argument could definitely be made for Bash at the Beach given the massive events that occurred on some of those shows, while at the same time they were trying to pump Starrcade back up with big shows in '96 and especially '97. That's the problem, it could be any of them. No matter how many PPVs WWF started, they always made sure Wrestlemania was superior to them all. WCW didn't, and I think in the long run that hurt them. Anyway, rant over, back to the show.

 

The raised entrance ramp is once again gone after being back for most of Bischoff's run so far. The stage has a full beach setup. Presentation wise, it's really becoming what would become familiar over the next few years as we get into the Nitro and NWO era. Hogan vs Flair is hyped, pretty fairly, as the match of the century.

WCW World Television Championship: Lord Steven Regal (c) (w/Sir William) def Johnny B Badd in 10:40- This was originally supposed to be Sting challenging but he suffered an eye injury during the final build for Hogan vs Flair. Legit or story, I'm not sure. I mean, this spot is a waste of Sting but as I've said before after Hogan came in Bischoff had no idea what to do with him until Crow Sting. Badd's shooter gets glitter discs all over the ring. Normally it's just the ringside area that's trashed, but tonight it's everywhere. What a mess. Usual Regal disgust before the lockup. Arm wringer tradeoff. Regal maneuvers out into a headlock and we get a clean corner break. Regal grounds Badd with a hair pull and tries for leverage pins, then monkey flips Badd while still holding the knucklelock. They go speed and Badd hits a Japanese armdrag. Regal hides in the corner. He tries for a cravat but ends up with a basic headlock. Another Badd Japanese armdrag. Regal hits forearms. Badd counters a facelock and Regal's shoulder jams on the mat. He rolls out to recover, clearly favoring the arm. Back in Regal hits some European uppercuts but Badd quickly wrestles him down and stays laser focused on the arm. Regal back elbows out of a hammerlock. Badd blocks a suplex. A Regal headbutt rocks Badd. Dropkick from Regal! Didn't see that very often. Badd gets a fireman's carry takedown and goes back to the wounded arm. More forearms from Regal but Badd stays on the arm. Badd dropkick for 2. Flying headscissors. He hits the Tutti Fruiti punch but Regal rolls out. Badd with a plancha! William got taken down in that too. Badd sunset flips back in. Regal tries to use William's brolly as leverage. The ref cuts that off, but Regal then stacks Badd up and that gets the pin. Decent opener. Badd's improvement continues to show. I sure hope the ring gets cleaned out before the next match. **1/2

More Hogan/Flair hype. Mean Gene is in the ring with the visiting Antonio Inoki, who just kicked off his retirement tour in Japan (check out my reviews of the January 4th Tokyo Dome shows from the period for more). Okerlund mentions his House of Counselors election win and presents him with a plaque for his lifetime achievements in professional wrestling. Regal interrupts. He's sick of all these bloody legends, he's already taken one down (Larry Zbyszko) and is willing to do it again. Regal mentions he just did a tour in Japan, beat everyone there and Inoki was "nowhere to be seen". Inoki responds but has trouble finding the mic where Okerlund places it, so he settles for the universal sign of wanting to fight by taking his jacket off. Regal retreats, still complaining about bloody useless legends. This would lead to a match at the next Clash as Inoki checked off "wrestled for WCW" on his retirement tour list.

 

Vader (w/Harley Race) def The Guardian Angel by DQ in 7:58- The ring has been somewhat cleaned out but there's still a huge mess on the floor. Jesse Ventura is in for Heenan. He's got very little to say on camera before the match, looking almost checked out. In fact he'd be gone from WCW soon after this, either fired by Bischoff for falling asleep during a TV taping or leaving because he couldn't work with Hogan again depending on who's telling the story. This is a rematch of Angel's last match as The Boss before he was forced to change gimmicks. Before the bell Angel punches Race and tosses him to the floor. What did Race do to you? Vigilante justice at its worst. Vader uses the opening to attack from behind. Spinning kick from Vader! He fell down doing it but still, that was new. Angel hits a standing back suplex and pulls Vader's mask off. He scoops Vader up, walks him around a bit and slams him. Clothesline from Angel and the fight goes to the floor. Angel gives Race another unprovoked shot and again Vader attacks from behind. I'm noticing a flaw in the strategery there. While Angel is on the floor recovering Race teases getting his own back but takes the high road instead. Corner slugfest back in. Vader tackle. Sunset flip off the second rope. Angel counters with a butt splash. Short clothesline from Vader and he decides to work a little ground submission game on Angel's leg. Tony mentions Vader's extensive Japan experience, including wrestling Inoki. Angel hits some gut shots and uppercuts. Vader counters with a slam. Vader bomb! No cover. Race tells him to go up top. VADERSAULT! There was no discernible counter but both guys are down. Race goes up top. Angel slams him off Flair style, clotheslines Vader 360 to the floor, and tosses Race out. Vader is suplexed back in from the apron. There's a collision and the ref goes down. Race hands Vader a retractable nightstick. Angel gets it off of him before he can use it. The ref gets back up, sees Angel holding the nightstick and Vader down in the corner, and calls for a DQ. Man, that was a quick bell. This ref could never work for New Japan. They were cruising along OK before the weak finish. **

Mike Tenay sighting! The Professor is in the back working the Hotline. We get a recap of the ever expanding Rhodes/Stud Stable feud. After that is some footage of a dark/preshow match that took place featuring some local radio guys, and just from the 30 seconds we get looks like one of the most horrible things that's ever taken place in a wrestling ring. Take that match footage and burn it before it's all unleashed upon the world.

 

Bunkhouse Buck and Terry Funk (w/Col. Robert Parker and Meng) def "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson in 11:15- Meng (Haku) had just signed with WCW and is working as the Stud Stable's bodyguard figure. Buck and Arn start. Lockup stalemates. The crowd wants Dustin and Arn obliges. Immediate slugfest. Buck retreats and tags. Dustin knocks Funk to the floor. Funk does a crazy flop off the apron. Back in Funk hits some chops. Slam exchange. Buck runs in and Dustin slams him. Both heels are tossed over the top to the floor. When they get back in Dustin atomic drops both of them. Snap mare and elbow drop on Funk. Funk hits a back suplex and tags. Buck dodges a crossbody and Dustin rolls all the way out to the ramp, looking like he hit the stairs on the way down. Funk follows and gives him some rail shots. Dustin goes face in peril in the ring. Funk neckbreaker for 2. Piledriver. Arn breaks the pin up. Midring collision with another crazy Funk flop sell. He gets the tag to Buck while Dustin didn't even look to be trying for a tag. Dustin gets caught in the heel corner. After a facelock and some war drums to the back Dustin fights out with punches and bionic elbows. Again he doesn't try for a tag, and again he easily takes out both heels for an extended period of time. This match layout is all kinds of weird. Lariat on Funk. Parker takes a shot. Finally Dustin tags Arn, and we immediately see why the match was laid out this way. Arn grabs Dustin and gives him a DDT! He was working for Parker all along! I mean, Dustin should have known what he was getting into asking for help from Arn Anderson. Funk covers for the pin. After the bell the assault continues with Arn taking apart Dustin's arm. Officials run in to chase the heels off and we get a Greg Gagne sighting. They were just killing time before the angle at the end. *1/4

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: "Stunning" Steve Austin (c) def Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat in 20:06- Heenan's back for the rest of the show. Commentary brings up the fact that it was Steamboat that ended Austin's long TV title reign a couple of years ago. Austin's got "Dragon Slayer" on his trunks tonight. Nice. Quick Austin start right at the bell and he goes for Steamboat's knee. Steamboat chops back. Austin gets back on the knee. He goes for a figure four, but Steamboat's push out sends him flying all the way shoulder first into the post. Steamboat knucklelocks Austin and does an Undertaker-style rope walk and ax handle drop. Corner slugfest. Austin hops to the second rope. Steamboat dropkicks him off and Austin dangles upside down off the top rope by his knees! He takes the opportunity to get a few shots in. After Austin gets out Steamboat hits a hook kick and DEEP armdrag, working the arm for a bit. Speed run. Austin "hurts his knee" landing after a leapfrog. He backs into the corner and asks for a time out while Tony says this is an old Hollywood Blondes trick. Well, specifically an old Brian Pillman trick. Steamboat lays back in with a hip toss and dropkick that send Austin to the floor. Well that plan didn't work. Austin drags Steamboat out and they exchange chops. After a chase around and into the ring Steamboat hooks on a sleeper. Austin tries to counter by running Steamboat into the corner, but Steamboat counters the counter by pushing Austin into the corner and rolling him up for 2. Back to the arm. Austin gets up, positions the ref and hits a sneaky style (copyright Rocky Romero) low blow. Short clothesline. Back suplex. More clotheslines but Steamboat won't stay down. Finally he tumbles through the ropes to the floor. Austin suplexes him back in for 2. Steamboat slips out of another back suplex, grabs a two handed choke, slams Austin and cradles him for 2. Another DEEP armdrag and back to the arm. They hit the jets again and have a bad collision. I think Austin was thinking Thesz press but Steamboat was going for something else and they legit ran into each other. Bad miscommunication. Steamboat recovers to do a jackknife cover for 2. Austin hits a hard Alabama slam. That got a nice gasp from the crowd as they start to get into it. Kneedrop off the second rope from Austin and he mocks Steamboat's martial arts pose. Fantastic. Steamboat gets up and wants more. Double leg takedown and Steamboat slingshots Austin into the post and cradles him off the ricochet for 2. Austin pops up with a huge clothesline. Backdrop and swinging neckbreaker. Austin fights for a pin. Steamboat bridges and Austin gets crotched. He catches Austin running and gives him a hot shot. Stun gun, whatever. Slugfest on the apron. Steamboat gets thrown down onto the guardrail. Austin gets posted. Steamboat hits the chop off the top rope back in and does some ground and pound. Chops for 2. Steamboat skins the cat, ducks Austin clotheslines, and hits chops and buckle shots. Austin backdrops him over the top but Steamboat skins the cat again and gets a rolling cradle for 2. Small package for 2. They do a long series of tombstone reversals with Steamboat finally hitting it. He goes up top with the crowd really going nuts now. Austin tries to pull the ref in the way. Steamboat sees and bails out. The ref tries to DQ Austin but Steamboat stops him! Pissed off Steamboat tackle on Austin. He ducks Austin clotheslines, hits a crossbody, but Austin rolls through it, gets his feet on the ropes and gets the pin! Big Austin celebration after the win. That match flew by. It had a couple of hiccups, but overall was two of the best ever doing what they do. Austin's matured and developed a ton since their TV title matches. ****

Mean Gene crashes the Stud Stable's victory party. I think Terry Funk is legit drunk. Arn says that Dustin asked for the old Arn Anderson and got what he asked for. Actually, I think everyone in that room is legit drunk except Arn and Okerlund.

 

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Pretty Wonderful def Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan (c) (w/Dave Sullivan) in 20:10- Evad's got a Hulkamania shirt on. Sullivan and Orndorff start. Physique bragging by Orndorff. He gets an armdrag out of the lockup and celebrates. Jack tags in. So does Roma, and of course he has to show how much better he looks than Jack does. Waistlock and leg takedown by Roma. Jack laughs. More Roma outwrestling and bragging. Jack doesn't care. Jack bites Roma! Roma dodges Sullivan but runs into a Jack headbutt. Jack pads the corner for Sullivan on a corner whip. Orndorff tries to do the same for Roma but it doesn't go according to plan. Orndorff forearms knock Jack to the floor. Jack blocks a rail shot and all four guys brawl on the floor. Jack loads up an apron dive but Orndorff moves away. That looked more like Orndorff for real not wanting to do it than a planned counter. Sullivan chops Orndorff down in the corner. Double noggin knocker on the heels. Jack puts on a hammerlock. A wrestling hold from Jack! Heenan's stunned. Sullivan stomps Orndorff's hand. Orndorff counters a Jack backdrop. He hits knees to the gut and tags Roma. Roma lets loose with knees and stomps in the corner. Jack blocks an Orndorff suplex and hits it. Tag to Sullivan. He gives the heels simultaneous buckle shots. Orndorff runs into a Jack back elbow and Sullivan bites him. The crowd starts doing the wave, showing how much they care about this match. Jack and Orndorff kill the match with a facelock while they wait for the crowd to get it out of their system. Orndorff eye rakes Sullivan and tags. Corner slugfest and all four guys are in yet again. Orndorff piledrives Sullivan. Cover but Sullivan gets a foot on the rope. Jawbreaker from Sullivan. Roma slips trying to go up to the top rope, recovers, and hits an elbow for 2. Orndorff hooks on a sleeper. Sullivan backs him into the corner. Roma elbow drop for 2. Sullivan does a horrible armdrag, charges into Orndorff with a running headbutt, but can't tag and ends up in the heel corner. More Sullivan in peril work follows. Roma goes for a splash off the top but Sullivan dodges and tags. Jack works over Orndorff and we have one last DONNYBROOK. Double underhook DDT on Orndorff. The ref is distracted with everything else going on. Evad and Sullivan do....something. I don't know. I don't think they knew. Roma holds Jack's foot down from the floor and Orndorff covers him for the pin and the titles. If they kept this at a 10 minute sprint it might have turned out OK, but this was twice as long as it needed to be. Not a single crazy Foley bump to be seen in the entire 20 minutes either. 3/4*

One last bit of hype from commentary for the main event. Tony calls it....wait for it....you know what's coming.....THE GREATEST MATCH IN THE HISTORY OF OUR SPORT. And really, he's not wrong, but something about the way it was rushed together makes it seem not as HUGE as it should have been. WWF did a warm up feud for Flair with Roddy Piper when he first came over, WCW would have been smart to do the same with Hogan. The Orlando Magic's Shaquille O'Neal is here to present the belt to the winner.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Hulk Hogan (w/Jimmy Hart and Mr. T) def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) (w/Sensuous Sherri) in 21:54- Unlike Hogan's Clash debut not much wobble room in the crowd tonight, it's pretty pro-Hogan. Michael Buffer goes full Buffer and compares this match to, of all things, the *moon landing*. Never, ever go full Buffer. Both guys are fired up during intros. Cautious start after the bell to let the atmosphere soak a little, followed by jawing and shoving. Flair charges into Hogan and gets knocked down. Hogan tosses him out of a lockup and Flair's frustrated. Flair ducks out of a lockup and struts. The pro-Flair element in the crowd likes that. Now Hogan ducks a lockup and does his own strut! OK, that's good. Flair wrestles Hogan down with a hammerlock takedown, then goes to the good old fashioned hair pulls. Hogan reverses and does his own hair pull. He transitions into an arm wringer in a nice piece of chain wrestling. From Hogan? Did we suddenly go to Japan and not tell anyone? Flair rolls out and hides behind Sherri. Reset lockup. Hogan gets a hammerlock takedown and a little more mat wrestling. Flair gets pissed, charges, Hogan dodges and Flair runs into the corner. Hogan follows with punches. Now this is the Hogan we know. Corner clothesline. Flair begs off. He sees the big boot coming, bails to the floor, and hides behind Sherri again. Flair gets his first chops in. Snap mare. Hogan dodges the kneedrop and pops right back up. Mounted punches (with a bite) and pillar to post beating. Sherri grabs Hogan's boot and Flair gets a knee to the gut. A chop sends Hogan 360 to the floor. Sherri gets a chair. Jimmy Hart runs over and takes it away. Flair gives Hogan a rail shot. Ax handle off the top rope. The kneedrop hits. Corner chops wake Hogan up and he chops back. Flair does a double leg takedown and tries a rope leverage pin but Hogan quickly escapes. Hogan clothesline for 2. Flair snap mare into a chinlock. That he holds for a while. They do the arm drops and Hogan jumps right back up. Shoulderblock. Flair Flip! Hogan cuts him off on the apron with a clothesline and Flair falls to the floor. Hogan ducks a punch and back suplexes Flair on the floor! He then suplexes Flair back in the ring. Hogan calls for the pin. Flair dodges the legdrop! Hogan hurt his hamstring on the landing. Flair goes for the figure four. Hogan small package for 2! Flair tries a couple more times to hook the figure four on but Hogan keeps fighting him off. Delayed suplex from Flair. Mini Hulk Up. 3 punches, big boot, cover. Sherri pulls ref Randy Anderson out! Hart comes over and Sherri takes him out while Flair chop blocks Hogan. Sherri splash off the top on Hogan. Spare ref Nick Patrick runs in to take over. Figure four! Hogan, frankly, doesn't bother selling it much and slowly crawls over to grab a rope. Sherri chokes Hogan with her stocking. Hogan's knee is still wobbly. More Flair chops which Hogan starts to shrug off. Finger point. Hogan corner whip but he runs into a Flair back elbow. Sherri goes up top again in full view of the ref. Hogan dodges another splash from her, then slams Flair off the top. Hogan clotheslines Flair and in the same run slaps Sherri aside. Hogan hooks on a figure four! He never learned how to put that on right. Sherri gets on the apron and he lets go. Mr. T grabs Sherri and drags her away. Flair gets a pair of knucks out and nails Hogan with them. Cover. I think everyone knows what's coming. Hulk Up, 3 punches, big boot, legdrop, good night new champ. Welcome to the new WCW. Big pop for Hogan's win. So. Good? Yes. Great? No. The crowd gave it a pretty epic atmosphere, but the match itself wasn't as epic. Both guys worked their match and they didn't gel that well. If this was any indication of what Wrestlemania 8 was going to be like I'm really glad WWF switched gears and did Flair vs Savage instead, one of my all time favorite matches and feuds. There was also way too much Sherri in this. A match this historically significant needed to be Flair and Hogan straight up one on one without all the shenanigans. ***1/2

Back to commentary and Heenan's devastated. Cameras follow Hogan in the back and we can see Brutus Beefcake and Jim Duggan with him. The Friends of Hogan are coming in to take over, and they won't be the last. Finally Hogan gets to a lounge in the arena where Mean Gene is waiting for him. A long but standard Hogan promo follows. The best part is seeing Brian Pillman in the background with a "I can't believe this shit" look on his face. Back to commentary and Heenan says Hogan started a war with Flair that he's destined to lose, slams his headset down and storms off.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A bit hit and miss on the whole, but it gets a bump due to its historical significance. The US title match is must see, and Flair vs Hogan for the first time on TV was going to be must see no matter what but WCW does a good job of making it the major match that it was even if they rushed into it too much. There's also a *ton* of dead time on this PPV that really hurts the flow, they really should have had another match or two on the card to beef it up some.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-