Clash of the Champions XXIX

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions XXIX

November 16, 1994 from the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, FL

Commentary: Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

At the time of this show Jacksonville was being hit by a late season tropical storm named Gordon. The show must go on but it's referenced a bunch of times. Mean Gene brings out Col. Robert Parker (and Meng) for a show open promo. Parker says he's got a contract signed for his team of Bunkhouse Buck and Arn Anderson to challenge the winner of the tag title match on TV this week.

WCW World Tag Team Championship: Stars & Stripes def Pretty Wonderful (c) in 9:20- Two teams that just can't quit each other. It's not like any of their previous matches have set the world on fire either. They've been there, that's about it. As if Parker's challenge wasn't enough of a dead giveaway on what was happening here, the Patriot's mask is also on the line if S&S lose. Heenan says the Patriot wears the mask because he suffered "radiation burns to the face" while serving in the Gulf War. Hold up, hold up. *Radiation* burns? Did someone set off a nuke during the fighting and no one noticed? Or was he on a naval vessel that had a reactor leak that somehow affected only him? Also, if he got dosed by radiation I think a lot more than his face would be affected. Anyway. Orndorff has some words with the crowd before we start. There's a guy in the front row that riles up almost all the heels tonight. A real fan, not Blacktop Bully or some other plant. Eventually Bagwell and Orndorff start. Orndorff gets a quick edge and Bagwell gets pummeled early. After some tit for tat corner dodges Roma hits a crossbody off the second rope for 2. Bagwell responds with a hip toss, clothesline and dropkick. Patriot cuts Orndorff off running in and the faces clear the ring. Reset with Orndorff and Patriot. Lots of caution. Patriot armdrags out of a lockup and hits a hip toss. Both guys dodge elbow drops. On a speed run Orndorff gets a knee to the gut. Roma does his triple backbreaker. Fist drop off the top rope. Bagwell breaks the pin up. Another speed run. Patriot catches Roma leapfrogging and gives him an inverted atomic drop. Thesz press from Patriot for 2. That was new. Roma hot shots Bagwell, with Orndorff double teaming and pushing Bagwell all the way down to the floor. Bagwell goes in peril. He takes the dreaded Orndorff boogie woogie elbow. Roma dropkick and powerslam. Bagwell blocks an Orndorff snap mare and turns it into a backslide. Roma breaks the pin up. Bagwell gets a sunset flip and Roma makes another save. Donnybrook! Stop me if you've heard this before in a WCW tag match but the finish is a mess. The heels go for their finisher. Patriot knocks Roma off the top rope. Meanwhile, after hitting a regular suplex Orndorff and Bagwell are just lying there. The ref goes over to count with all four shoulders down, Bagwell gets a shoulder up and S&S are declared the winners and new champions. The camera work did that no favors. We're officially into title hotshotting territory as this is the third time in about a month and a half these two teams have swapped the titles. The match was borderline decent, but these teams desperately needed a break from each other. *3/4

 

WCW World Television Championship: Johnny B Badd (c) def The Honky Tonk Man by DQ in 6:10- Another rematch from Halloween Havoc. Honky Tonk immediately hides in the ropes after the bell. They trade some arm work and Honky bitches about a phantom hair pull. After a Badd hammerlock Honky cranks up his '80s heel offense. Badd hits an atomic drop and musses up Honky's hair. Punch and Honky rolls to the floor. Back in Honky gets a cheap shot in the corner over the ref. Slam and fist drop off the second rope for 2. Chinlock! Man, even with a chinlock he's barely bothering to hook it on right. Badd backdrops out of a shake, rattle and roll attempt. Buckle shots, inverted atomic drop and mounted punches from Badd. Honky pushes Badd into the ref and we have a ref bump. Guitar shot! The ref still saw it and calls for the DQ. Different finish aside, if you saw their Halloween Havoc match you saw this one too. Honky was fired soon after this. In his book Bischoff called his firing of Honky his favorite of all his WCW firings so you know they got on just great. 1/2*

The Three Faces of Fear cut a promo for the main event with sinister darker lighting. Brutus Beefcake/Brother Bruti and Earthquake have their new WCW legal department approved names: the Butcher and Avalanche. Avalanche calls Tropical Storm Gordon his brother which is chuckle worthy. Kevin Sullivan's portion of the promo sounds like second rate Undertaker material.

 

Harlem Heat def The Nasty Boys in 10:36- It's been a while since we've seen Harlem Heat on a major show (February at Superbrawl), but they've slowly but surely been improving on weekly TV and were now poised for their first big push. Their names have finally been changed from Kane and Kole to what would stick: Stevie Ray and Booker T. They've got a new gimmick going where they call a mysterious person on their mid-'90s cell phone for advice and nearly always win their matches with it. Ray is on the phone during their entrance. And then the WCW graphics department goes and blows the whole surprise by having "with Sensuous Sherri" on their intro graphic. Then we get a botch on top of a botch, as the Nasty Boys also get Harlem Heat's graphic still with the spoiler on. Booker and Knobbs start with some jawing and shoving. The "is this guy serious" look on Booker's face before laying in some punches is great. Knobbs hits a back elbow out of the corner and a clothesline. He slams both heels and Sags runs in with a double clothesline. Avalanches on both heels from the Nastys and they roll out to regroup. Booker doesn't want to tag out but Ray talks him into it. He goes back and forth with Sags before getting trapped in the face corner and beat down by the Nastys. Make a wish double team from the Nastys. Commercial. Back from break with Booker superkicking Knobbs to the floor. Apparently Heenan went for a potty break during commercial and is back late. Booker holds Knobbs for a Ray bicycle kick. Flying clothesline from Ray and spinning kick from Booker. Kobbs dodges Booker coming off the second rope and tags. Sags cleans house. Powerslam on Booker. Both Ray and Booker try to make the call on their phone but Knobbs cuts them both off. We then cut to Sherri at the entrance curtain, holding a phone. Gasp shock Sherri is the one that's been helping them out! As anyone who caught the graphic spoiler would have guessed. The camera is so focused on Sherri we miss what happens in the ring but Harlem Heat get the pin. This was just the start what would be a long feud. After her not so great partnership with Ric Flair (no one's fault, they just weren't a good mix), Sherri would be an excellent addition to Harlem Heat, helping them get to the next level. *

 

Vader (w/Harley Race) def "The Natural" Dustin Rhodes in 11:43- A fresh matchup! Both these guys were moving on from long feuds that had consumed most of the year. Vader backs Dustin into the corner in the lockup and gives him a STIFF slap. Another lockup and another stiff slap! Vader trash talk. He spits on Dustin! Dustin charges out of the corner with a takedown and goes crazy, slapping Vader all over the place and ripping his mask off! Dustin hits the ropes, ducks a couple of clotheslines and hits a crossbody for 2. He clotheslines Vader 360 to the floor. Dustin follows and continues the beatdown, then turns around and gives Race a shot. Vader takes his time getting back in, less from stalling and more from he was just plain hurting. Dustin gets right back on him, pounding Vader down in the corner. Vader looks like he doesn't know what hit him. Dustin suplexes Vader! Vader rolls out again to have a think. When he gets back in Dustin charges but bounces right off a Vader tackle. Corner potato time. Vader shouts "Get up!". Dustin dodges an avalanche and rolls Vader up for 2. Vader punches and Dustin 360 sells it. More stiff Vader shots. He tries another avalanche. Dustin catches and powerslams him! Sunset flip, Dustin dodges a butt splash counter, and hits a diving lariat. He goes for the bulldog. Vader lifts him up and swings him over the top rope down to the floor! Stiff Vader clothesline back in. Vader bomb! Dustin refuses to let him even try a pin so Vader scrapes a couple of hard shots across Dustin's jaw. Vader bomb 2! Dustin kicks out! Vader comes off the second rope and Dustin powerslams him. Slugfest. Dustin gets the edge but Vader won't go down. Dustin lariat off the top for 2. He sets Vader up top, maybe thinking superplex, but goes for an avalanche DDT instead. Cover for 2. Bulldog! Race gets on the apron to distract everyone. Dustin goes for him. Vader charges and squashes Dustin between himself and Race! Wheelbarrow slam! That's a new one. Vader covers for 3. See, sometimes it really is as simple as throwing two of your best workers together, giving them decent time and letting them have at it. ***3/4

After the bell Vader wants to do more damage but Jim Duggan comes out to make the save. He and Vader stand off but Race holds Vader back and they leave.

 

WCW United States Heavyweight Championship: "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan (c) def "Stunning" Steve Austin by DQ in :54- Before they can do much of anything Vader runs back in and attacks Duggan, drawing the DQ. I guess the show was running long. Duggan chases him off with the 2x4. Austin was nothing but a hanger on for this as he continues to slowly be pushed into obscurity despite the fantastic work he'd consistently been doing for several years. But Hogan said he'd never draw and Bischoff agreed, so we can't have him here. NR

 

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, Sting and Dave Sullivan (w/Jimmy Hart) def The Three Faces of Fear in 10:55- Mr. T is guest reffing this once again, this time in his pajama ref stripes and nightcap. That look for some reason makes me think of a character on an NES game cover but I'll be damned if I can remember what it was. Hogan's team are all in yellow and red and both he and Dave have Sting facepaint on. Well, Dave has his Eugene-like version. The brawl starts almost immediately but Buffer still has to get his line in. Hogan and Kevin are in the ring while everyone else fights on the floor. Hogan with a corner clothesline and he runs Kevin into Sting's boot. Sting tags in and hits a backdrop, dropkick and elbow drop. Dave's wandering around talking to the crowd and not even paying attention to the match. Butcher and Avalanche have had enough, run in and triple team Hogan. All 6 guys get in to fight while T tries to get some control. Avalanche splashes Dave's arm and he's hurt. A trainer helps him to the back and now it's a handicap match. With Dave in there it pretty much was to start with anyway. Avalanche beats Hogan down in the ring. Hogan tries a slam and fails. The heels keep Hogan in peril. Hogan dodges an Avalanche, er, avalanche but doesn't tag. Instead he tries again for a slam and Avalanche falls on him for 2. Sullivan hits chops off the second rope. Hogan ends up in the heel corner again. Avalanche locks in a bear hug to kill a couple of minutes. Hogan punches out, hits a shoulderblock and clothesline but Avalanche doesn't go down. Butcher trips Hogan. Avalanche hits his powerslam. Hogan dodges a splash and tags Sting. Stinger Splashes on Avalanche. He presses Kevin into Avalanche. Avalanche catches Kevin and uses him to back Sting into the opposite corner. Kevin gives Sting a kneedrop off the second rope and a double stomp. Avalanche powerslam and legdrop. Cover, Hogan breaks the pin up. Sting slams Kevin off the top rope. Tag to Hogan. With Butcher the legal man in the ring. Theoretically this is what everyone wants to see. Theoretically. It quickly turns into a DONNYBROOK. Kevin gets Hart's megaphone. He goes to hit Hogan with it but T cuts him off. Kevin goes down and Hogan covers him for 3. Did he hit himself with the megaphone or something? That made no sense. We're 3 for 3 in ugly finishes in tag matches tonight, even by WCW standards. That was not what I would call hot build for a major PPV. 3/4*

After the bell the heels resume the attack. Kevin hits Hogan with the megaphone and Butcher slaps his sleeper on Hogan. Some doofuses from the face locker room try to make the save but get taken out. Finally security gets Butcher off Hogan after the sleeper had been on long enough for commentary to worry about long term damage. Hogan is coming to as the show ends.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- The Vader/Dustin match is a surprising little gem in a sea of shit, but you gotta row through a lot of shit to get to it. It's not enough to make the rest of the listlessness of this show worth watching.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+