NBR: Clash of the Champions 2

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XII: September 5, 1990

NWA U.S. Heavyweight Title
Lex Luger (Champion) .vs. Ric Flair

Luger’s intro includes a clip from a cage match with Flair. Much better choice than his cage match with Bruiser Brody.

JR’s always big on talking up a guy’s college stats, but this is a first: Luger graduated with a 3.7 GPA.

I won’t say Flair is carrying Luger here, but … uh … reference to a thing that carries things.

Stan Hansen kicks the hell out of Luger to end the match.

** 1/2

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XV: June 12, 1991

Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin) & Badstreet w/ Big Daddy Dink, Diamond Dallas Page and a “Diamond Doll” .vs.
The Young Pistols & Z-Man

I don’t know who Badstreet is, other than some jabroni in a mask and a dumb outfit. And without Googling, I don’t know who the Young Pistols are, except that they’re announced as “Steve and Tracy.” Tracy Smothers, perhaps? Was there a Steve Armstrong? I need to Google that. (No, JR confirms that I have those names right.)

Boy, for all the flash the Freebirds have, there’s not much “there” there. Hayes worked best as the talker alongside Gordy and Buddy Roberts. And you’ve got two managers and a lady outside.

That damn WCW ring is too small. It was always too small.

JR tells us that PN News has Salt n’ Pepa with him tonight. Now, THAT I wish I could see.

A three-way sunset flip ends up, with the Pistols and Zenk victorious. Yipes.

1/2 *

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XVI: September 5, 1991

BATTLE ROYALE: El Gigante, PN News, Big Josh, Barry Windham, One Man Gang, Z-Man, “Stunning” Steve Austin, Dustin Rhodes, Bobby Eaton, Tracy Smothers, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Tommy (Thomas) Rich, Terry (Terrence) Taylor, Ranger Ross and The Great and Powerful Oz

I’m getting the names as best I can. The only entrance they showed was El Gigante’s.

This is my first live-action look at PN News. He is a blob of … stuff. What possessed them to give him a push, I haven’t a clue.

El Gigante wins. As far as he goes … you’d think a company with all of Ted Turner’s money would understand the concept of a sunk cost. You’ve blown millions on bringing this man to the US as a basketball player. That money is gone. It will not come back. Foisting him upon a wrestling company does nothing to help. I guess the concept of Gigante as a wrestler isn’t odious, but once it’s clear that he has no talent, you should just get rid of him.

The only thing worse would be if someone with no financial stake in the man would give him more money after he had clearly shown his inability to help a wrestling company in every possible manner. No who would be that stupid? Hint: he dressed him in a Slim Goodbody-ish nude bodysuit.

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XVII: November, 19, 1991

WCW US Heavyweight Title
Sting (Champion) .vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude w/ Paul E. Dangerously

Rude’s WCW music was even more porno-rific than his WWF tune.

Sting was evidently attacked earlier in the evening, enabling him to make a heroic return just in time for the main event, bad leg and all.

Rude should have gotten a fair shot at the WWF Title.

Rude hooks the tights and wins. Eh. I hope the return match gave these guys a real chance to shine.

* 1/2

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XXIII: June 17, 1993

WCW World Tag Team Championship
2 Out of 3 Falls
Ric Flair & Arn Anderson .vs. The Hollywood Blondes

Full disclosure: I might have something of an erection right now.

Austin mocks Anderson, miming a big gut. This guy was ust magic. “We Want Flair” chant begins. BIG pop when Flair tags in. It’s so unusual to see Austin sell like a cowardly heel. He really could do anything.

Thanks for your lawsuit, Jesse Ventura; now we have to listen to Tony Schiavone and awkward silence.

We don’t even get to the heat until about eight minutes in. How weird does Arn Anderson feel getting the heat put on him?

Yeah, the crowd is right there with them in this match. Fall #1 goes to the Horsemen.

Fall #2 is a bit more methodical than I would like. Even worse, it ends with a DQ when Barry Windham interferes, but the title can’t change hands on a DQ, blah blah blah.

What these guys could have done in a real blow-off barn-burner.

** 1/2

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XXV: November 10, 1993

Flyin’ Brian Pillman .vs. “Stunning” Steve Austin w/ Col. Rob Parker

Yet another match with 50% commentary. Sounds like a conspiracy …

Disappointing.

CLASH of the CHAMPIONS XXVI: January 27, 1994

WCW Television Title Match
Lord Steven Regal (Champion) w/ Sir William .vs. Dustin Rhodes

My problem with Regal’s heel wrestling style at this point in his career is that it involves so much stalling. Yes, that’s typical for your snotty heel, but it really doesn’t work as well on TV. It also doesn’t complement his deliberate in-ring style, which is high-quality, but gets overly deliberate very quickly. I will note that I feel like Regal adapted his style much better during his WWF stint in the early 2000’s.

You know, that Steven Regal is a real man’s man.

Yessir … deliberate.

Time limit draw.

* 1/2

Elimination Tag Team Match
Sting & Ric Flair .vs. “Ravishing” Rick Rude & Big Van Vader w/ Harley Race

Vader appears to be wearing a white mink coat. Or is that ermine? It’s a touch out of character for Vader.

Flair is the WCW Champion, whereas Rude is the International Champion. It’s a long story … well, not really long; just stupid.

When Vader starts bouncing a man’s head off his forearms, it’s really sick in a darkly enjoyable way. It actually doesn’t look as good as a big punch, but I bet it hurts like a motherf*cker. I seem to recall Mick Foley expressing that opinion.

Flair and Vader get counted out, which kinda sucks the big one. There’s a nice exchange between Vader and Race on one hand and new WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel, who stops Vader from taking a chair in the ring.

There seem to be several near-misses and confused half-measures in this match. Not at all what I expected from these pros.