This diary has been a lot of things, but one of the biggest stories I’ve been trying to gauge and tell is the firsts and lasts of anything. Debuts, retirements, deaths, departures, concepts, you name it. Starting from scratch has definitely opened my eyes to the litany of historical occurrences that happen even within the first 8 years of wrestling PPVs.
WCW SuperBrawl I is no exception.
This show, which became a big deal over the next several years, will feature a landmark farewell (albeit temporarily) of the biggest star in the company in the midst of a unprecedent debuts of outlandish characters. Some other individuals will disappear, others will rise to significant prominence and it’s almost on a throwaway show.
Historical significance is a big part of this process and I’m excited to experience for better or worse. That phrase, for better or worse, might be the tagline for WCW 1991.
PAY PER VIEW NUMBER 40-WCW SUPERBRAWL I
Written on 7/14/20
THE FIRST THING YOU SEE: Some action shots and the U.S. flag split with the old Japanese flag over that jazzy SuperBrawl theme. We go live to some shitty pyro and GMC introducing Brandy Brown to sing America the Beautiful. Is this the new WrestleMania? She’s apparently a national recording artist and I’m not buying it because she’s almost as bad as the rewind sound and graphics that inexplicably appear on the screen. WCW 1991!
-Jim Ross and Dusty Rhodes welcome us to a show featuring 12 matches, 4 of them for titles. Dusty points out he won the world title from Harley Race in this building before passionately building up Ric Flair vs Tatsumi Fujinami. He’s another MVP on the headset early.
-GMC introduces the match for the vacant U.S. Tag Titles. DDP, Big Daddy Dink and the Freebirds enter and Page has a live mic via headset. There’s just too much going on with this whole set up. If I remember correctly, the Birds lost the World Tag Titles to the Steiners in a TV taping before they actually won them from Doom. Some grainy camera work before the Young Pistols enter with brighter outfits and more stirrups. DDP is still talking for some reason. He leaves as the current LVP.
MATCH NUMBER ONE: VACANT U.S. TAG TITLE MATCH- The Fabulous Freebirds w/Big Daddy Dink vs The Young Pistols
-Steve Armstrong and Michael Hayes start and the latter is more interested in strutting. That’s probably for the best. The nosebleeds look empty.
-Steve clotheslines both Birds and Dink on the floor. I didn’t know he bumped!
-Dink trips Steve and Brad Armstrong enters from the crowd to complain, take his jacket off and get in the ring. The ref kicks him as well as Dink out. Hayes lets out an audible “goddamn it” on camera.
-The camera misses highspots left and right because the Pistols are too fast. Garvin and his Beefcake wannabe tights eat a double shoulder tackle.
-Tracy takes a shot into the rail behind the ref’s back as the Birds take over. He likes taking that back bump off the apron into the barricade.
-The crowd chants “Badstreet” and JR explains it away. Steve claps along like a deaf idiot.
-Tracey gets some good spots including a superkick before tagging Steve in. A brawl ending with a double missile dropkick attempt that both Birds avoid breaks out. This one has a good ebb and flow.
-The heels get double clotheslined over the top rope (no DQ for that?) and Steve dives to the floor onto both.
-The Pistols hit their finish twice, but knock the ref down on the second one.
-Some fluffy masked dude with a shirt that reads “Fantasia” comes in and gives both Pistols a second rope DDT. That Brad Armstrong is a quick-change artist! The ref is up…
WINNERS: The Fabulous Freebirds in 10:19 to win the titles when Michael Hayes pins Tracy Smothers after Fantasia’s second rope DDT
FINAL WORD: The best Freebirds match we’ve had thanks to the underrated Not Southern Boys. Speaking of names, they really didn’t think Disney would notice?
-GMC introduces Ricky Morton on his own. JR tells the biggest lie he’s ever told by calling him “pound for pound one of the best athletes in WCW.” Dusty brings up some recent controversy with him and I’m guessing that foreshadows his York Foundation run. Danny Spivey from random ass Odessa, Florida comes out to an odd theme and a good reaction.
MATCH NUMBER TWO: Ricky Morton vs Danny Spivey
-Spivey nails some LOUD and STIFF shots in the corner to start. Morton answers with some worked shots and little selling. He keeps getting thrown to the floor and getting right back in as well.
-Spivey hits a DDT 50 seconds in. He doesn’t give a fuck! He snaps off a stiff lariat, too.
-Now Dan busts out a Razor’s Edge as a transition move! He’s the man!!! Morton tries a cross body and gets caught with a fallaway slam. I can’t believe Dan Spivey is the MVP again!
-Morton gets a couple hope spots with a roll up and a Japanese arm drag.
-Botch on an Irish whip and Spivey says “fuck it” and takes Morton up no matter what. Naturally, Ricky has to kick out right at three.
WINNER: Danny Spivey in 3:11 with a powerbomb
FINAL WORD: That’s surprising considering how well protected Morton has been so far, but fuck him!
-Tony Schiavone is with Missy Hyatt and the Z-Man, who has been out with an injury. His promo indicates his brain and mouth are also hurt. The fans have voted for Missy Hyatt to back into the locker room 60 percent to 40 percent. She moans and groans, but not in her usual way, into an LVP status with her delivery. The replay of Missy’s run-in with Stan Hansen at WrestleWar airs and Tony and Zenk laugh. Missy complaining and advocating for women in wrestling gets booed and the camera cuts to a fat guy in the front row with a Bart Simpson shirt sucking an imaginary dick. 1991!
-The bloated, shitty blones continue with Tommy Rich. He’s wearing peach tights, so Shane Douglas must have let him borrow them. No theme for Nikita Koloff as he enters to a mixed reaction because he’s a badass and working boring ass Tommy Rich.
MATCH NUMBER THREE: Tommy Rich vs Nikita Koloff
-One sad, little girl in the crowd has a Wildfire sign. She’s probably illegitimate.
-Dusty is great at putting his former partner over, not knowing his intentions and being inaccessible since his return.
-Rich gets too much offense before it’s finally stuffed out with a missed elbow in the corner, causing it to hit the post.
-JR, stop lying! Tommy Rich is NOT in great shape!
-Nikita, on the other hand, is jacked. He looks photoshopped and able to lift Emma Stone up. A Crazy, Stupid, Love reference challenge? Sure.
-Before you know it, this one is done-zo.
WINNER: Nikita Koloff in 4:07 with a Russian Sickle.
FINAL WORD: An enhancement match without the pettiness of Ricky Morton and the explosiveness of Danny Spivey.
-Schiavone with a very special interview: Johnny B. Badd and Teddy Long. Big debut here! Badd enters with a purple boa, pink tights, earrings and all of Dusty’s enthusiasm on commentary. This was definitely his idea. The crowd seems very unamused and are presumably offensive. Badd’s first words are gravelly and bad. Teddy should talk more here and that’s rare. He primps, preens and this is AWFUL. It’s a miracle this becomes decent at some point. This is an LVP level introduction with some bad lines and delivery about being a bad man and how he should have been born as a girl. He’s going to feud with PN News who has also debuted by now. We are in the thick of WCW 1991!
-GMC intros Dustin Rhodes to a good reaction. He had a meeting with the York Foundation and turned them down. The Q1 Board of Directors are onstage AKA a bunch of yuppie white boys. Alexandra York has finally been upgraded to Executive Director and she enters with Mr. Hughes in the gimmick he will die in. Terrence Taylor walks to the ring and gets pyro that surprises and confuses him. Dustin is undefeated and 21?!?!?! Good lord.
MATCH NUMBER FOUR: Dustin Rhodes vs Terrence Taylor w/Alexandra York and Mr. Hughes
-Some truly awful looking St. Petersburg residents with white tees and bad glasses chant for Dustin.
-Taylor powders and pushes constantly. Dusty has a good line about stopping to intimidate Dustin at age nine.
-Wonderful recovery as Dustin goes for an elbow and Taylor goes for a cross body, but they fall down into a headlock. Smooth professionals.
-Taylor spends more time on the floor and computer than David Hasselhoff at 4 AM ordering pizza online.
-Dustin is still green and rough at times. It works with his character, though. He misses a crossbody and rolls to the ramp as Terry takes over.
-Dustin comes back quickly and hits one hell of a leaping clothesline on Terry’s throat that he somehow manages to bump on his face for.
-Dustin hits the bulldog and York distracts the ref. Hughes gets on the apron and does nothing. He finally grabs Dustin, puts a black glove on and Dustin ducks. Terry eats it instead.
WINNER: Dustin Rhodes at 8:05 after a punch from Mr. Hughes’ loaded glove
FINAL WORD: Despite the good action, that was such a lopsided and silly contest. Jeez, you think someone’s dad is the booker?
-JR talks up Big Josh and his pet bears as Black Bart is announced as the replacement for Larry Zbyszko due to injury/not wanting to job. He has way too gentle and TV show-esque of a theme. What is happening? I KNOW WHAT’S HAPPENING AND IT IS BIG JOSH WALKING TO THE RING WITH BEARS ON THEIR HIND LEGS. GMC calls them a couple of buddies. Future Doink is a mega-face with dancing bears. Unbelievable. The commentators put him over as Tommy Rich’s hunting buddy as well as a tough and unorthodox individual.
MATCH NUMBER FIVE: Black Bart vs Big Josh
-Josh hits the log roll AKA stepping on Bart’s tummy a few times.
-A minute in and we’ve already broken down to chops, clubs and sloppy brawling.
-How far away are we from not seeing guys like Black Bart in wrestling? Are we even there in 2020?
Weird and weak arm takedowns by Josh and then the finish.
WINNER: Big Josh in 3:46 with a big butt drop
-They must have gone home early because Josh talks to the camera about bears after the bell and then just flat out says “good-bye.” That’s so odd.
-The replay confirms Josh’s finish is Matt Borne being obsessed with butt drops.
FINAL WORD: Five matches deep under one hour. Yes, that match sucked.
-GMC introduces a special edition of the Danger Zone and the only true cowboy from NYC: Paul E. Dangerously. He enters in a pink shirt, khaki shorts and a “cowboy” hat. He experiences mic problems over and over, so he takes the chance to bash Florida. Stan Hansen gets into the ring before his music hits and Paul can announce him. He has so…much…chaw in his mouth. Stan calls Dustin Rhodes out, says he isn’t wrestling tonight and angrily leaves. Paul recaps with tobacco on the microphone, shits on General Norman Schwarzkopf and runs down some of the men upcoming on the show. The sound goes in and out again, then Paul quits. Not even Heyman can save this mess.
-SPEAKING OF MESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got straight from that to OZ! A green strobe, bad backdrop and music makes me go gaga. “Tell me when” is heard on a hot mic. Fucking brilliant. The Great Wizard is on the ramp with Dorothy and friends. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOs and cat calls. “WELCOME TO OZ!!!” Over and over and over again. Too much smoke. A monkey! Like, this might be why I like bad movies and Mystery Science Theatre 3000. This is ultimate cheese. Kevin Nash delivers a worthless V.O. promo. Some pyro goes off, music that doesn’t fit any of this plays and Kevin Sullivan continues to belt “WELCOME TO OZ!!!” Dusty’s socks are knocked off. That’s such a stupid mask and such a stupid hat and such a stupid outfit and GODDAMNIT I LOVE THIS.
Now there is too much microphone feedback. The mask is off and his Brillo hair is revealed. The jobber runs at him and he’s a fucking jacked yokel with bad hair and a moustache.
MATCH NUMBER SIX: Oz w/The Great Wizard vs Tim Parker
-One slam and god, that finish must suck to take.
-The Wizard: “WELCOME TO OZZZZZZ!!!!” on the pin. He never left the ring!!!! LVP!!!!
WINNER: Oz in 0:29 with a tilt-a-whirl crucifix slam
-Dusty talks about how awesome this all is. The crowd, I swear on my child’s life, is TOTALLY SILENT. That finishing move was 10 years ahead of its time and it still got no reaction because of how bad the lead up was.
FINAL WORD: They were going for “ahhhs” but they got ounces of people interested instead. I rewound this whole segment. It’s the best and worst ever.
-Now Missy Hyatt is going into the locker room. What an epically bad run on this PPV. She asks for the Z-Man or Brian Pillman, but find Terrence Taylor. She gets some questions in, but is more interested in the man singing in the shower. Of course, it’s Stan Hansen in his boxers. The live crowd pops and he spanks her with his hat. She squeaks like a mouse and this reoccurring bit has peaked especially with Dusty’s sweaty recap and story of his plumbing daddy and his big shorts. Dusty reclaims MVP from Spivey.
-We finally get some seriousness with the Taped Fist match. GMC introduces Flyin’ Brian. It’s always odd that they start on the ramp, then get a pop for walking down the ramp. Cool Theme Barry Windham comes out looking focused and into what’s going on for once. Dusty calls him the greatest in the business at the moment.
MATCH NUMBER SEVEN: TAPED FIST MATCH- Flyin’ Brian Pillman vs Barry Windham
-Tackles, a hip toss and some fist shots by Brian to start. This is where the famous cover of that trivia book Highspots throws in for free is from.
-Pillman dropkicks Barry off the top to the floor, then dives onto him with a punch. They brawl on the floor and Brian gets sent into the post. Both guys are busted open less than three minutes in.
-Are there any rules? Windham drops Brian from the ramp throat first onto the rail below. Barry gets some chants and he is pretty badass here.
-Brian is resilient with a spinning heel kick and some LOUD, sweaty chops. How many shitty shows are these two going to save? They are both MVP right now.
-Pillman squeaks ahead with his chops and bumps. Both men’s heads crack on a collision. Pillman rebounds with a suplex, heads to the top rope and Barry gets in a low blow.
-There’s a reason why Barry Windham’s is considered the best in the business! What a high angle from the second rope. It’s somehow more impressive than others.
WINNER: Barry Windham in 6:08 with a superplex
-Windham continues to pound away after the bell.
FINAL WORD: That was way too short, but damn good at the same time. In other words, it was way too good and damn short.
-DDP tells us to please shut up as some bad early 90s rock music plays for the Diamond Mine or Exchange or whatever. Page asks if they are live, which means they are and goes into the only spiel he has. He tells us PS Hayes means Purely Sexy and I’m not sure if I knew that or not already. There are some more audio cue issues before it cuts to a video of Lex Luger and Sting cutting a promo. Why is DDP handling this?
-DDP’s outfit is the epitome of good GOD! He introduces “twisted steel and sex appeal” in the Diamond Studd. Scott Hall enters to no reaction. It’s crazy that Hall and Nash’s big re-debuts in DOA gimmicks happen on the same show. It’s fitting. He still has the toothpick. The Diamond Dolls get bad synchronized lines and DDP can’t be more off here. He’s positively an LVP threat.
-GMC announces the Battle of the Giants loser leaves on a stretcher. Sid Vicious enters with a five o’clock shadow, pyro and fanfare. El Gigante enters and pulls the stretcher with him. He fails at doing that, so he just picks it up and carries it with him. Not a good start.
MATCH NUMBER EIGHT: STRETCHER MATCH- Sid Vicious vs El Gigante
-Sid is so fucking small compared to Gigante. They collide, lock up twice and Sid gets shoved each time.
-Dusty tries to claim Gigante can move and do the Rhodes shuffle.
-All of the punch sells and clotheslines are SO FUCKING BAD. When Sid is doing his best, you have a problem.
-Sid kicks the big legs and the selling is abysmal. LVP LVP LVP.
-Sid is caught with a kick in the corner and he’s down on the mat in the claw. Man, he must have left on bad terms.
WINNER: El Gigante in 2:13 with the claw
-Fuck the stretcher, huh? I know he’s leaving, but I guess Sid won’t do that. Before I can breathe, the One Man Gang and Kevin Sullivan enter. How? Why? They have weird eye make-up while I hear possibly the first “Na Na Na Na” song chant for Sid. Gigante almost kills OMG trying to slam him on the gurney. Now there is some powder thrown into faces, shots with the stretcher and belt whips. The giant gets up, angry, and the heels scamper.
FINAL WORD: One of the worst five minutes in wrestling history. How can you be worse than the debut of OZ?!?!?!?!
-The Thunderdoom cage is already down! Jeez, that had to be an edit! GMC introduces the cage. Butch Reed enters with the same Doom theme and black trunks. Teddy Long enters to the same music and fights off being put into a cage that won’t stop anything. WCW is such a mess, but they had so many cables and cages that could’ve broke, but never did. The Doom theme keeps rolling for Ron Simmons in his usual gear. He gets a good pop and JR regurgitates the same facts about FSU and Burt Reynolds.
MATCH NUMBER NINE: THUNDERDOOM CAGE MATCH- Butch Reed vs Ron Simmons
-I have a crazy photographic memory. I remember my mom made me a milkshake before this show, I threw up and the next thing I remember is this match starting.
-Simmons has a cut on his head a minute in after a missed tackle into the cage.
-Reed rams and drags his opponent’s face into the cage several times.
-Butch is mostly in control to little heat. Ron is cut off several times with a missed dropkick or pulled into the cage and getting his butt exposed.
-Reed hits a piledriver and Ron sells his throat?
-A chant of “go, Ron, go” starts in a chinlock. Why are there so many yuppie douches with sunglasses in the crowd? Oh right…1991.
-A top rope shoulder block by Reed gets a two count because Ron gets his foot on the rope…in a cage match.
-Simmons fires up after a blocked splash. He gets cut off for the ninth time and there’s a double down clothesline.
-Teddy throws a chain into the ring. Reed gets it, swings, misses and loses.
WINNER: Ron Simmons in 9:39 with a spinebuster
FINAL WORD: That wasn’t for me. It was 95% Reed and it wasn’t that exciting.
-Dusty and JR preview The Steiners vs Lex Luger and Sting. Dusty’s analysis might put him out of the MVP chase. He says nothing of note like Bob Caudle except that they’re friends. Then, we get a special video package! Finally! It’s just sappy music and slo-mo of the four men walking to the ring, posing and holding titles in past clips. There’s no voiceover, no words and no story. In other words, this was a WASTE OF TIME. The match already feels special because of the participants and the stakes. The package ends with some nice action shots, but still…why?
-GMC introduces the challengers to Sting’s theme. Some nerdy woman in the crowd is shown holding the Galoob figures of everyone but Scott Steiner. Bitch! The Steiners enter and all four guys get muted reactions based on the face vs face dynamic.
MATCH NUMBER TEN: TAG TITLE MATCH- Lex Luger and Sting vs The Steiner Bros (Champs)
-Handshakes before Lex and Rick start. Power grappling and lock-ups follow.
-Look at these two chain wrestling! And it wasn’t clumsy! Rick bounces off Luger with a tackle and takes a big powerslam. He answers back with a dope release German suplex and a Steinerline.
-Lex turns Rick inside out on a clothesline, then hammers him with a press slam. So good. Sting comes in with a clothesline over the top, then takes a running leap over the top rope EASILY clearing it. This is HYPE.
-Rick Steiner no sells a bulldog and gets an Oklahoma Stampede. Sting misses a splash and Scott finally gets a tag. His first move is a Tiger Bomb that drills Sting and Scott yells his ass off. Then, a beautiful titl-a-whirl slam. HOLY SHIT THIS IS ELECTRIC. Bang bang bang back and forth.
-Scott is in the MVP hunt with a top rope overhead belly-to-belly on Sting and some crazy intensity. He misses a shot in the corner and lands on the commentators. JR is so fucking good here.
-Scott blocks the torture rack with a leg sweep. Rick gets a blind tag and catches Lex from behind with a second rope bulldog.
-Sting comes off screen with a missile dropkick. Tempers flare and some brawling starts.
-Too much momentum and impact cause Rick and Lex to collide. Have I stressed how good this is yet? Sting and Scott each get hot tags.
-Sting counters a Tombstone attempt into his own!!! He’s barely able to cover, Rick breaks it up and Lex brawls with him, entangling the ref. They are now on the floor while Sting hits the Stinger Splash.
-Nikita Koloff comes down with his chain. He aims for Luger, but Sting saves him and gets hit instead.
WINNERS: The Steiner Brothers in 11:09 when Scott Steiner pins Sting after a Nikita Koloff chain shot
-Sting blades and we’ve had too much of that now.
FINAL WORD: That was the rare dream match that lived up to the hype. They went crazy on each other. That match decided to be better than the Gap. Nobody lost anything.
-Lex and the Steiners help Sting after the bell. Schiavone interviews Nikita backstage. He says Sting was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Sting catches him and they brawl out back and outside of the building in the rain. Both men get a chair, but they just threaten with them before Nikita bails. Good angle that JR and Dusty recap.
-GMC has more mic issues as he introduces Bobby Eaton. The commentators stress he is all on his own. Arn Anderson enters as the TV Champ. People complain about some title reigns, but we’ve never seen him defend this belt on PPV. He’s called the greatest TV Champ by JR and Dusty and I wouldn’t know it based on this process! A “Bobby” chant has already started in this battle of the underrated.
MATCH NUMBER ELEVEN: TV TITLE MATCH- Bobby Eaton vs Arn Anderson (Champ)
-Great, quick takeovers and chain wrestling is ended by a hard, right hand by Bobby. Arn sells it wonderfully.
-Arn is now an MVP candidate after displaying great cockiness, then getting nailed with a clothesline and selling it like death.
-Arn throws Bobby face first onto the ramp from the top rope. OUCH! That is followed by a back body drop on the ramp by Eaton as Arn can never get the momentum 100 percent.
-Anderson runs the leg and knee of his opponent into the post and Eaton sells it like bloody murder.
-Dusty breaks down a leg hold and JR says he needs a telestrator. Dusty agrees: “I need to draw on this thing, I’m just pointing with my finger!”
-Arn’s wobbly legs on Eaton’s punches are magnificent.
-Eaton also sells gorgeously. He safely struggles suplexing Arn and drops him while showing his strength isn’t there.
-Arn tries for a Vader Bomb, but Eaton gets the bad knees up. Anderson rebounds with a spinebuster, but Eaton kicks out.
-Bobby hits a wonderful neckbreaker and goes to the top with a bad wheel. Barry Windham comes down, but Brian Pillman helps run him off. That makes the camera miss the three count.
WINNER: Bobby Eaton in 11:50 to win the title after an Alabama Jam
-Eaton sells wonderfully, jumping for joy and hugging the ref. He’s so genuine and likable.
FINAL WORD: Two pros having a pro wrestling match.
-Schiavone is outside of Tatsumi Fujinami’s dressing room. He recaps the Supershow controversy before the Japanese contigent with Mr. Saito and Hiro Matsuda leave. Matsuda gets a typical one sentence promo that’s worthless.
-GMC announces the main event. Flower girls come out and several fans are shown with Japanese signs cheering for Fujinami before he enters with a corner person I don’t recognize. The IWGP Title gets a lot of love and a decent pop. Not 2001 plays for Ric Flair and he’s accompanied with a butler, chef, maid and flapper girl. He takes his Rolex off and places it on a tray. I hate his hair here. Herd has fucked him already. Again, poor Sting. One of those dudes on the ramp is definitely named David Lindhagen (and we got there on the references). This match has two refs: Tiger Hattori and Bill Alfonso DADDY.
MATCH NUMBER TWELVE: WCW TITLE MATCH- Tatsumi Fujinami vs Ric Flair (Champ)
-A handshake at the bell and some good chain wrestling to start. Flair lets out a loud and confident WOOOOO on the first stalemate.
-No coordination as both guys are in black trunks. Flair starts chopping early and Fujinami can dish them out, too.
-Cool bow and arrow by the challenger and I can see a nasty cavity in Flair’s mouth.
-Flair hits a rare monkey flip into a pin. Fuji avoids and gets a Boston Crab soon afterwards. This has been a great technical affair as Fujinami gets the Indian Deathlock cinched in as well. Dusty says that submission will hurt your “buttkus and neckus”. Flair’s rare fisherman suplex distracts me from whatever Dusty just said.
-The crowd is sadly quiet for this. Tatsumi botches a running headbutt over the top rope. Flair crotches him on the rail to a pop.
-The focus becomes Tatsumi’s legs as Flair locks on the Figure Four after eight minutes. Flair slaps him in the face twice. Fujinami reverses and Flair’s face ends up in the ropes. WCW is so much better presenting Japanese wrestling compared to the WWF’s awful attitude.
-Fujinami shows some personality before locking in the Scorpion Death Lock. Belly to back suplexes are traded and both guys look gassed in a good way.
-Tatsumi can’t do a bridge out of a pin three times. Tiger could have counted twice. Either he’s selling exhaustion or he legit couldn’t do it.
-Flair’s head hits the rail and it almost looked legit. He’s naturally busted open. Dusty is back in charge with all of this gigging! Flair is mad and busts out a rare shop to the back! Fuji strikes him down and focuses on the cut.
-Flair tries for La Magistral, but totally whiffs. He’s hurt badly and does a Flair flop on the floor. I can’t tell what’s a legit screw up or just selling.
-Flair goes to the top and gets caught with a one-handed slam off the top. All-time record: 9 for 21. Fujinami locks on the Octopus as some boo birds start for him.
-The ref checks Flair’s cut before more palm strikes and Flair flops. They collide on an Irish Whip and just collapse with exhaustion.
-Fujinami gets a really close two count on a body slam attempt block, then another with an inside cradle.
-On that cradle kick out, Fujinami’s head hits Tiger’s. Alfonso comes into the ring for Flair’s pin attempt and doesn’t see the tights.
WINNER: Ric Flair in 18:39 with a roll up holding the tights
-Fujinami’s chest shows the battle scars of chops. He’s mad and GMC finally announces the winner and pyro goes off on stage.
FINAL WORD: That was a war in almost all the right ways. It’s crazy that this is all we get of Tatsumi and it’s crazy that this is Flair’s last WCW PPV match for the next two years.
-JR and Dusty recap the show. Dusty puts over the tag match huge and JR starts all the way at the beginning with the Freebirds’ victory. The replay of the main event is finally shown, but it avoids the tights pull. One fat fan behind the commentators looks like Mass Transit. They sign off and the credits roll.
THE LAST IMAGE: Dusty Rhodes, Jim Ross and a reminder that we will see them next time at the Great American Bash OH NO.
THE WRAP UP
FINAL MVP of PPV: I’m going to get called a homer, but Scott Steiner tipped the scales in a classic match with his explosiveness and passion. He may win 141 and 2/3rds of these awards.
FINAL LVP of PPV: I can’t believe El Gigante surpasses the hype that he has as the worst wrestler ever.
MY FAVORITE MATCH: The Steiner Brothers vs Lex Luger and Sting
MY LEAST FAVORITE MATCH: El Gigante vs Sid Vicious
FINAL THOUGHTS: What a fucking dichotomy. That first hour was atrocious with stretches of pure banality. The second half, however, was very good with some amazing matches. It’s WCW 1991 in a nutshell. The bad is SO BAD that you have to see it in the midst of the great. I haven’t had the “so bad it’s good” factor impacting my decision before, but here we are. MULLET RECOMMENDS
NEXT TIME: The Great American Bash 1991. This isn’t fun anymore.