Clash of the Champions XXXIII

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions XXXIII

August 15, 1996 from the Denver Coliseum in Denver, CO

Commentary: Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Mysterio Jr (c) def Dean Malenko in 12:07- As usual for the cruisers Mike Tenay joins the booth. I think this is Malenko's second or third rematch since dropping the title to ReyRey. Is it just me or are both these guys' music the same thing? Not that much of WCW's music was very distinctive anyway. Malenko jumps Mysterio from behind while the ref is sticking the belt in the camera as WCW liked to do. Quick suplex. Mysterio slides out and plays keep away with Malenko. A springboard dropkick knocks Malenko off the apron. Baseball slide into a flying headscissors on the floor. Crazy speed/counter run back in with Mysterio hitting a moonsault for 2. A spinning kick sends Malenko back to the floor. Mysterio loads up a dive but Malenko removes himself from the target area and we get the 619 spin before it was a thing. Malenko gets back in and runs right into a drop toe hold. Ripcord knee from Malenko and he hot shots Mysterio. Brain buster for 2. Mysterio springs around and gets a cradle for 2. Malenko says enough of this malarkey and grounds Mysterio for a bit. After Mysterio escapes Malenko gets what I guess is a glancing blow on his leg and we go to commercial. Good news fans: Hog Wild t-shirts and Hog Wild DENIM JACKETS are still available! Back to the match with Malenko in control. He goes for another mile high hot shot but Mysterio lands feet first on the ropes, then slips out of a suplex, grabs a waistlock, and Malenko counters into a clutch for 2. Crazy counter run there. Slam from Malenko and he puts on a leg bar. Mysterio takes a rope break. Malenko tosses Mysterio up and straight back down again. Heenan goes into a funny bit where he thinks Mysterio is flying higher because of Denver's altitude. Like how the Rockies jack so many home runs at home, it's not because any of them can hit. Mysterio momentums Malenko down to the floor. Senton plancha! Mysterio does a moonsault off the guardrail! He launched badly and damn near landed on his head on the floor on that. Springboard missile dropkick back in for 2. Springboard hurricanrana. Malenko rolls into the ropes. Mysterio goes up top. Malenko fights up with him and gets Mysterio on his shoulders. The super gutbuster hits! The ref counts 3, but Mysterio got a foot on the rope at 2! The bell rings and Malenko gets the belt but the ref waves it off and says it was 2. Mysterio victory rolls Malenko from behind and gets the pin! Another great cruiserweight opener, slightly hurt by the commercial and a few rough patches. I think they've got something with this division. It's also easy to see how Mysterio quickly became huge, he was doing things no one had seen at the time, at least in the US. ***1/2

Glacier promo! We've moved on from just the (pretty cool) logo to shots of the man himself doing martial arts things. In another few months he might actually have a match.

 

VK Wallstreet def "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan in 3:48- Two guys very much past the sell by date at this point in their careers. Duggan charges with the 2x4 and Wallstreet bails. Arm wringer exchange and Wallstreet hides in the ropes. Duggan uses that to pummel him with buckle shots. After a hip toss and clothesline Duggan gets in a 3 point stance and Wallstreet bails again. He looks under the ring for some reason. Probably trying to find someone in Little People Land to audit. He snaps Duggan over the top rope and goes right to Rotunda Rest Hold 1B: the chinlock. After a bit Duggan jawbreakers out. Spin slam. Duggan gets wrist tape out and unspools a bunch with the ref trying to stop him. Wallstreet rolls him up, gets a handful of tights and gets the pin. Low end Nitro match. 1/2*

The Nasty Boys get a TV spot to say they're ready to get back into the tag title picture. Fortunately, they wouldn't.

 

Konnan def Ultimo Dragon (w/Sonny Oono) in 2:57- Tenay is in again for this one. WCW still can't decide if it's Ultimo or Ultimate, it changes by the minute. It's a weirdly put together matchup this, because Dragon, a natural face, is a default heel here because Oono is managing him, but Konnan was in the process of turning heel since losing the US title. He cheated to beat Chavo Guerrero on the last Nitro. Cautious start and Konnan jaws with some fans. Mat stalemate. Konnan hits a straight right that drops Dragon hard and looked more than a little on the snug side. He puts Dragon into some kind of Paradise Lock variation (no way Konnan knows the actual Paradise Lock, way above his wrestling IQ) and tugs on Dragon's leg while he's in it. Shoulderblocks from Konnan along with some mocking. Dragon rolls out to confer with Oono. Speed run back in and Dragon dropkicks Konnan's back to send him out. Oono gets kicks in! Konnan doesn't like that at all, but Dragon uses the opening to jump him from behind. Moonsault from Dragon back in, into a magistral cradle for 2. German suplex. Konnan reverses into a cradle, pulls tights and gets the pin. Same finish two matches in a row. Half the crowd still doesn't get it and cheers Konnan. *

Ice Train is in the Compuserve room chatting when Scott Norton attacks him! He saw Train was about to click a clear malware link in an email.

The next scheduled match is Meng vs Randy Savage. Meng makes his way in, but Savage no-shows. The NWO had beat him down on Nitro, including Hogan laying the chair to him, so Meng wins the match by forfeit. Afterward Mean Gene is in the ring with the slightly updated Dungeon of Doom. Why they hell they're still around post-NWO, you've got me. Kevin Sullivan wants credit for seeing through Hogan right from the start. I think we'd call that "right by accident". There's a frakking leprechaun running around on the floor during the promo. I.....I've got nothing, folks. I don't remember that at all and it's so random it's one of those things that you aren't sure you're really seeing what you're seeing. It almost feels like I'm watching the show while concussed. Plus, there's no such thing as leprechauns. Buffy rules.

 

Medusa def Bull Nakano (w/Sonny Oono) in 2:42- This is a rematch from Hog Wild, minus the attempted motorcyclecide. Medusa gets the early shots but Nakano dodges a dropkick and does the hair tosses. Oono distracts the ref and Nakano gets some nunchuck shots in. Clothesline and weak splash. Horrible springboard reverse crossbody from Medusa, she almost completely missed Nakano and almost landed on her head. A twofer. Slingblades for 2. Nakano counters a sunset flip with a butt splash for 2. She gets on the second rope but Medusa dropkicks her to the floor. Medusa comes off the top rope. Nakano moves and Oono takes it. Nakano uses the opening to jump from behind. Attempted heel double team and Oono kicks Nakano. Medusa rolls her up (without tights so it's slightly different than the last two finishes) and wins. The heels hug after the bell so they're still good. Sadly that's better than their Hog Wild match. *1/4

 

Eddie Guerrero def Diamond Dallas Page in 4:20- This match is for DDP's "Battlebowl title". Not the "Lord of the Ring" ring, he doesn't have that with him and it's not mentioned. Did WCW lose it? I hope WCW lost it, that would be the most WCW thing ever. DDP wins the lockup but Guerrero kips right back up. Speed run. Guerrero gets a flying headscissors and dropkick. DDP dodges and Guerrero posts his shoulder. DDP stomps Guerrero not on the shoulder. Heenan gets antsy on commentary, screaming at DDP to go after the hurt shoulder. I have to agree. Instead, it's a gutwrench gutbuster from DDP. Side suplex for 2. Long chinlock with rope leverage. Finally Guerrero armdrags out. Slugfest. Guerrero hits a heel kick. Springboard senton for 2. DDP hits a jawbreaker. Powerbomb for 2. They fight on the top rope. DDP falls back in. Frog splash! Guerrero gets the quick pin! Commentary says he wins the "Battlebowl title", laughingly calling it Guerrero's first WCW title. DDP offers a handshake....and hits Guerrero with the Diamond Cutter! He tosses the ref aside. Running Diamond Cutter! Chavo Guerrero runs in to try to save his uncle. DDP fights him off. SUPER Diamond Cutter! I think DDP's made his point. Pretty decent match considering the time and that half the match was a chinlock. There's definitely a really good match in here. **

 

The Giant (w/Jimmy Hart) def Chris Benoit (w/Woman and Elizabeth) in :23- Woman's having trouble getting Benoit's vest off and that's trapping him in the corner. Giant runs in with a dropkick! Chokeslam and it's already over! Just a quick squash to get Giant back on track after losing the World title. Commentary speculates on whether Woman did that on purpose or not. Of course WCW chooses Benoit as the Horseman to eat the squash instead of Mongo. NR

 

Triangle Match for the WCW World Tag Team Championship: Harlem Heat (c) (w/Sister Sherri and Col. Robert Parker), The Steiner Brothers and Sting & Lex Luger no contest in 13:22- Parker comes out by himself after all the other entrances and argues a bit with Sherri early in the match, but it never goes anywhere, at least not tonight. Everyone stares down before Booker and Scott start. Scott gets the first shots. Booker hits him with a hook kick. He goes up top but Scott throws him down and crotches him. Luger clotheslines Booker while he's straddling the top rope! He recovers a bit on the floor. Scott tags Luger in. Ray and Luger go back and forth for a bit. Rick blind tags Luger. Steinerline! Steinerline! He hits the bulldog off the top rope! Luger breaks the pin up. Rick's not happy about that and they shove. Ray uses the opening to hit Rick with a superkick. Commercial. We're back with Rick powerslamming Booker. Sting blind tags in much to Rick's dismay. Sting hiptosses Booker over the top to the floor. Back in Sting press slams Booker. Man, every time I see those two in there together I wish for that peak Sting/peak Booker singles match. There's just a different energy when it's those two in there. Sting and Luger work Booker over a bit. Ray comes in to save and Booker tags him. After a bit of beatdown on Sting Scott blind tags in on Ray. Sting and Scott reset and lock up. Scott works Sting's arm a bit. Sting nails him with a hot shot. Clothesline off the top for 2. Rick breaks the pin up and he and Luger argue again. Scott hits Sting with a reverse DDT. Double underhook powerbomb. Now Luger breaks the pin up and he and Rick argue again. Tags and now Rick and Luger are legal. Back and forth pounding. HIGH angle release German suplex from Rick! Scott tags in and hits a belly to belly suplex. He tries coming off the second rope. Luger catches him and tries to work him around into the Torture Rack. Rick clips Luger's knee! DONNYBROOK! Booker and Scott fight in the ring while everyone else goes at it in the aisle. The Outsiders come out and get involved in the aisle fight but never get close to the ring. Scott hits the Frankensteiner on Booker! Ref Nick Patrick counts two....then sees the Outsiders and calls for the bell! He throws the match out due to "outside interference". Scott is furious. There's some moments, but this match only existed to continue to advance the heel referee Nick Patrick angle. Like at Hog Wild I'm still puzzled by WCW's refusal to put the tag belts on the Outsiders. *3/4

Mean Gene stops Patrick and asks for an explanation. Patrick cuts what's actually a fairly good heel promo, explaining himself in a way that's clearly wrong but he believes it. As Patrick's leaving Okerlund tries to ask him where he got all those nice suits he's been wearing recently. Patrick walks off without answering.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: WCW United States Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (w/Woman and Elizabeth) def Hollywood Hogan (c) by DQ in 8:23- Flair's got that sweet white ice robe from Hog Wild again. Love it. Hogan makes a show of taking his bandana off and mocking Flair's "Slick Ric" with his bald head. Flair answers with the real thing. Unlike Hog Wild no epic stall from Hogan tonight. Flair works a headlock for a bit. Hogan hits a shoulderblock followed by some more mocking. Another Flair headlock. This time Hogan lifts him onto the top rope. Flair slaps Hogan! That sets Hogan off. Lockup and Hogan does his little chain wrestling piece. Flair ducks a clothesline and hits chops. Hogan rolls out. Flair follows and hits a double ax handle off the apron. Hogan stalls on the floor and reset. Test of strength knucklelock. Flair bites Hogan's hand! They fumble around a bit. Flair Flip down to the floor! Hogan follows with a rail and post shot. The back rake! Back in Flair does the flip again, but this time ducks a clothesline on the apron and floors Hogan with a punch. Flair delayed suplex. Hogan hulks up! Heel Hogan hulking up? Yup. The whole bit. Point. 3 punches. Big boot. Flair dodges the legdrop! Figure four! Hogan tries to reverse but Flair rolls through it to get back on top. Hogan pulls the ref down. Here comes the Outsiders. They attack Flair. The Horsemen, Sting and Luger all run out and chase them off. Commentary for some reason thinks Hogan gave up in the figure four, but Flair wins by DQ. Very flat finish that the crowd didn't react to at all outside the run ins. I think they (WCW, not the crowd) realized that Hogan doing the full hulk up as a heel was a very bad idea, but they were still figuring this heel Hogan thing out. *1/2

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- The Clash as a Contractual Obligation Show in the Nitro/monthly PPV era continues, though there was some effort made in this one to make it seem more important. Still, nothing of note happens except maybe some incremental movement in the Nick Patrick angle, and the only match worth watching (Mysterio/Malenko) has better versions elsewhere.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: D+