Fall Brawl: This is the third installment of Fall Brawl for WCW and takes place in Asheville, North Carolina. The show advertises two title matches and two main events. In hyping up Flair vs Arn they say it is the "The match you always wanted to see but never thought you would." Very interesting billing but not necessarily wrong. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Tony Schiavone are on the call for tonight. They mention that The Giant ran over Hogan's motorcycle before the show as a way to further the Dungeon of Doom angle for the main event. Enough about that, it's time to jump into the action!
Flyin' Brian vs Johnny B. Badd
It's mentioned on commentary that these two are friends and know each other very well. Pillman comes out with a very serious demeanor and a straight face. He means business. Johnny B. Badd on the other hand, very flamboyant and in your face as he always is. This match is to see who will become #1 Contender for Sting's United States Title. High stakes and a big match for both men. Also, it bears mentioning that there is a War Games match tonight so there is a two-ring set up that all competitors are free to use.
Johnny B. Badd hypes up the crowd by throwing frisbees in the crowd, he botches a throw and hits the turnbuckle. The crowd is eating up everything he's doing, it's clear he's the fan-favorite in the beginning. Early signs of honor as Pillman extends his hand to Johnny and he accepts. An exchange of standing switches between the two as they try and feel each other out early on. Off the ropes and Johnny B. Badd does a very interesting roll under to evade and they do the duel dropkick spot to signify they are equals.
Lots of evasive tactics as the two escape every hold the other puts them in. Johnny B. Badd with a La Magistral but it's too close to the ropes as Pillman extends his leg and can break the count. Pillman tries his hand at a sneaky pin but Johnny can kick out. Headscissors out of the corner by Pillman into a victory roll pin but Johnny again can escape. Somewhere in the past couple of minutes, Johnny B. Badd got cut open a bit.
Brian was working a Boston crab but releases it for a straight punch in the face. Brian begins to heel it up, shouting at the camera "Who's the bad man now?" Big tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Johnny B. Badd for a two count. Johnny gets Brian in a modified surfboard hold as he gets to work on the back of Flyin' Brian. After a bit of struggle, Brian can get his hand on the rope and break the submission. Punches in the corner send Brian to the outside in retreat. Pillman bites the bloodied face of Johnny B. Badd. He better hope that he doesn't have Hep C.
Johnny B. Badd comes back into the ring with a springboard legdrop across the face of Flyin' Brian for a two count. The two competitors collide in the center of the ring, Johnny's chin connecting with Brian's face. They are both down as the ref begins a 10 count. They both get up after some time just to be brought back down as Brian headbutts Johnny B. Badd and they both collapse back to the mat. Pillman is to his feet first as he sends Johnny into the turnbuckle. Michael Buffer the ring announcers announces that there are 5 minutes left of the 20-minute time limit. It honestly hasn't felt like it's been that long, this has been a super solid match.
Johnny and Brian battle on the apron before Johnny B. Badd launches him over the ropes and to the outside. Heenan mentions he was close to hitting his back on the apron and breaking his back. Good to know they were pushing the hardest part of the ring narrative even back then. Johnny meets him outside with a flying crossbody over the rope. Sending Brian back into the ring, Johnny B. Badd looks to the top rope and dives before getting hit with a huge dropkick from Brian. Flyin' Brian lazily falls into the cover but it only garners a two count.
Powerbomb in the center of the ring from Johnny B. Badd but no, that isn't even enough as 3 minutes remain in this match. Tombstone from Brian and no! Still not enough. Brian signals for the tornado DDT but Johnny can stop it and fling Brian to the mat. Pin but another two count looks like this is going down to the wire. Brian hits a Russian leg sweep into a koji clutch/abdominal stretch type submission. One minute left as Brian continues working over the rib area of Johnny B. Badd. Tutti Frutti from Johnny B. Badd which is what he called his left hook. He goes for the cover with under 30 seconds to go but Flyin' Brian is under the bottom rope. Flyin' Brian with a springboard lariat as Buffer counts down from ten. It was not enough as the time limit has expired.
Since Sting must have a challenger, the referee states that the match will go to sudden-death overtime. Brian goes for a top rope dropkick but Johnny B. Badd has it scouted as he meets him with a dropkick of his own. Brian sinks in a sleeper hold and almost puts Johnny out but he gets his hand up at the third drop. Johnny B. Badd locks in a sleeper of his own now, but Brian counters with a back suplex. Johnny B. Badd hits a top rope sunset flip pin combo but only gets a two. This match is crazy. Brian attempts a crucifix but Johnny reverses it for a sit-out pin but again only a two. Johnny B. Badd with the Badd Day (Super Frankensteiner) sadly for another two count. He just can't put away Flyin' Brian. Brian finally hits the tornado DDT but a delayed pin allows Johnny to kick out. Brian climbs the rope but Johnny B. Badd crotches him and launches him to the outside chest first on the metal barricade.
Johnny follows it up with the Badd Mood (Somersault Plancha). Rolling Brian back into the ring, Johnny goes for a springboard twisting press but Brian gets the knees up. A near fall as Brian covers after the knees up. Brian hits an insane suicide dive as he covers so much distance. After getting back in the ring, Brian tries to go after Johnny B. Badd with some sort of corner springboard but Johnny ducks, and Brian crotches himself. They both run the roped and hit a double crossbody but Johnny B. Badd keeps control and pins, Brian, for the win. The crowd absolutely loses it, big pop and man was it well deserved. What a damn match.
Match Rating: 10/10
Flair goes backstage and cuts a promo with Mean Gene. He talks about how Arn and he were closer than two men could be. They did everything together and bonded through similar life experiences. He mentions that this show is taking place in North Carolina, Horsemen Country. Instead of walking out side by side, they will be opponents.
Cobra vs Sgt. Craig Pittman
I don't know anything about these two dudes so I had to look up who they were and apparently, Cobra is Jeff Farmer, aka Fake Sting. That is...certainly something that happened. His theme song appears to be in Morse Code and it is very odd. Looking up Pittman it seems he was a legitimate veteran who just got into wrestling. At this time he is on a bit of a winning streak as his only loss coming to Jim Duggan via DQ after he failed to release his submission hold. So he still has not been pinned or submitted.
As Pittman is supposed to make his entrance, he doesn't come out. Instead a private of some sorts come out. He begins to distract Cobra as Pittman repels from the ceiling and down to ringside. Stealthily crawling into the ring, Pittman detaches his sash of bullets from his chest and chokes out Cobra. The ref rings the bell and starts the match I guess. Pittman dumps Cobra to the outside and hits him with a diving single stomp to the back. Pittman gets launched headfirst into the turnbuckle via Irish whip from Cobra. Cobra climbs the top rope and goes for a dive but Pittman swats him down. Pittman applies his Code Red submission hold which is just an armbar and Cobra taps.
Match Rating: 1/10
Diamond Dallas Page vs The Renegade (c) WCW TV Championship Match
Diamond Dallas Page was far from being one of the biggest babyfaces in the company at this point in his career. Actually, he was quite the opposite. He was a loudmouth, brash heel. The Renegade was WCW's failed Ultimate Warrior look-a-like. He was enjoying a nice run as TV champion until the real Ultimate Warrior basically said it wasn't him and WCW halted all his momentum.
Renegade runs into the ring and scares DDP into the corner but he goes to his own corner and taunts while the bell rings, Page begins the attack on Renegade. Page launches Renegade into the turnbuckle, hits a Russian leg sweep, and transitions into the pin. Renegade kicks out at a strong one count. Looks like The Renegade has the same genetics as a Samoan, DDP headbutts him but does more damage to himself then he did Renegade. In his daze from the headbutt, Page rolls to the outside and hits his head on the turnbuckle. He falls into the lap of the front row as Renegade starts off after him.
Standing lariat from The Renegade for a near fall. The Renegade goes off the ropes and looks for a big move but DDP ducks and sends him face-first into the ropes in a nasty looking bump. Spinning neckbreaker from DDP as he goes for the pin but calls for a very irritated Diamond Doll to hold up a 10 sign. Page dumps Renegade to the outside but he quickly jumps back to his feet as DDP starts to talk to Diamond Doll. DDP notices The Renegade getting to his feet and knocks him back off the apron.
The Renegade goes for a sunset flip back into the ring but DDP just falls atop him and uses the ropes for leverage. Two count before Renegade reverses into a pin of his own. Dallas Page kicks him in the head and escapes the pin. Spear to the gut in the corner by DDP as the commentators make mention of this being the longest match Renegade has had up to this point. DDP goes for another spear in the corner but Renegade escapes and sends Page crashing into the corner hard. A pair of lariats by The Renegade before he pulls off a move you'd never see the actual Warrior ever hit, a cartwheel back elbow.
Double ax-handle off the top rope for a very close near fall. DDP looks for the Diamond Cutter but Renegade shrugs him off and into a roll-up. It wasn't enough to put away Page though. One of the members of Page's ringside crew, Max Muscle gets on the rope to knee Renegade but it backfires as Renegade launches DDP into Max and sends him flying. Big powerslam from Renegade as he begins to climb to the top rope. Looks like he's going for a splash on Page but instead hits a diving lariat on the outside to Max Muscle. As Renegade gets into the ring, Max Muscle holds his leg and allows for DDP to hit the Diamond Cutter while the referee's back was turned. Pin and the win, DDP is your new Television Champion.
Match Rating: 4/10
Harlem Heat vs Buck & Slater (c) WCW Tag Team Championship Match
I would be dumb to not mention it but man Harlem Heat had to have one of the best tag themes of all time no? That shit is such a banger. Apparently, Sherri (manager of Harlem Heat) and Col. Robert Parker (manager of Buck & Slater) are in some sort of a love interest angle. We'll see how that affects this match. Early pre-match antics Buck & Slater as they throw their jackets at Harlem Heat and have some words with them before being backed into their respective corners.
The match starts off with Booker T and Dick Slater. After some corner stuff, Booker sends Slater into the corner and hits a strong lariat that causes Slater to catch his breath for a moment. Booker showing off a bit of technical prowess as he escapes a choke and tags out to Stevie Ray. Stevie puts the boots to Slater and goes for a pin, it was only a two before the ref notices Slater's foot on the rope. Some more teamwork allows for Booker to be tagged back in quickly.
Slater drives Booker into the ropes, allowing for Bunkhouse Buck to tag in. Booker does the same, driving Buck into his corner and tagging in Stevie. A lot of feeling out and quick tags early on in this contest. Stevie starts choking and punching away at Buck on the ground. Booker gets tagged in and hits a nice heel kick.
The commentators mention how Harlem Heat is trying to play Buck and Slater's game and not using their usual high paced offense. Harlem Heat has cut off the ring with frequent tags, Stevie Ray back in but before he can get his hands on him he rolls back to his corner and tags in Slater. Dick Slater and Stevie share strikes before Stevie backs him into a corner and lays some more punches on him. Slate fights out of it by hitting an atomic drop but doesn't get all of it. Swinging neck breaker by Slater and a pin for the two on Stevie. Booker gets tagged in but proceeds to get dumped outside by Slater and as the ref is distracted Buck hits him with a big body splash.
Slater and Buck work over a nice double team on Booker as Buck gets tagged in. Slater drops Booker with a piledriver but he gets caught in the ropes so the time spent dragging him out allows for Booker to kick out. Booker looks for some sort of diving attack in the corner but Buck sidesteps him and sends him crashing into the turnbuckle. Slater gets tagged in and he antagonizes Stevie on the apron causing the ref to be distracted. Belly to back suplex by Slater for a two count on Booker.
Frequent pins by Slater as he works over the chest and shoulders of Booker but each time he kicks out. Frequent tags and pins on Booker T continue from Buck and Slater. Booker is taking all the heat here. Booker finally finds an opening as he lands the Axe Kick. Crawling to his corner, Booker finally gets the tag to Stevie. Stevie Ray starts on his flurry of offense, power slamming Bunkhouse Buck for a two count before Slater breaks it up. Sherri and Parker kiss in the second ring as the Nasty Boys come in during a ref distraction and attack Dick Slater with his own boot and allow Harlem Heat to win the match and the Tag Team Titles.
I don't know anything about these two dudes so I had to look up who they were and apparently, Cobra is Jeff Farmer, aka Fake Sting. That is...certainly something that happened. His theme song appears to be in Morse Code and it is very odd. Looking up Pittman it seems he was a legitimate veteran who just got into wrestling. At this time he is on a bit of a winning streak as his only loss coming to Jim Duggan via DQ after he failed to release his submission hold. So he still has not been pinned or submitted.
As Pittman is supposed to make his entrance, he doesn't come out. Instead a private of some sorts come out. He begins to distract Cobra as Pittman repels from the ceiling and down to ringside. Stealthily crawling into the ring, Pittman detaches his sash of bullets from his chest and chokes out Cobra. The ref rings the bell and starts the match I guess. Pittman dumps Cobra to the outside and hits him with a diving single stomp to the back. Pittman gets launched headfirst into the turnbuckle via Irish whip from Cobra. Cobra climbs the top rope and goes for a dive but Pittman swats him down. Pittman applies his Code Red submission hold which is just an armbar and Cobra taps.
Match Rating: 1/10
Diamond Dallas Page vs The Renegade (c) WCW TV Championship Match
Diamond Dallas Page was far from being one of the biggest babyfaces in the company at this point in his career. Actually, he was quite the opposite. He was a loudmouth, brash heel. The Renegade was WCW's failed Ultimate Warrior look-a-like. He was enjoying a nice run as TV champion until the real Ultimate Warrior basically said it wasn't him and WCW halted all his momentum.
Renegade runs into the ring and scares DDP into the corner but he goes to his own corner and taunts while the bell rings, Page begins the attack on Renegade. Page launches Renegade into the turnbuckle, hits a Russian leg sweep, and transitions into the pin. Renegade kicks out at a strong one count. Looks like The Renegade has the same genetics as a Samoan, DDP headbutts him but does more damage to himself then he did Renegade. In his daze from the headbutt, Page rolls to the outside and hits his head on the turnbuckle. He falls into the lap of the front row as Renegade starts off after him.
Standing lariat from The Renegade for a near fall. The Renegade goes off the ropes and looks for a big move but DDP ducks and sends him face-first into the ropes in a nasty looking bump. Spinning neckbreaker from DDP as he goes for the pin but calls for a very irritated Diamond Doll to hold up a 10 sign. Page dumps Renegade to the outside but he quickly jumps back to his feet as DDP starts to talk to Diamond Doll. DDP notices The Renegade getting to his feet and knocks him back off the apron.
The Renegade goes for a sunset flip back into the ring but DDP just falls atop him and uses the ropes for leverage. Two count before Renegade reverses into a pin of his own. Dallas Page kicks him in the head and escapes the pin. Spear to the gut in the corner by DDP as the commentators make mention of this being the longest match Renegade has had up to this point. DDP goes for another spear in the corner but Renegade escapes and sends Page crashing into the corner hard. A pair of lariats by The Renegade before he pulls off a move you'd never see the actual Warrior ever hit, a cartwheel back elbow.
Double ax-handle off the top rope for a very close near fall. DDP looks for the Diamond Cutter but Renegade shrugs him off and into a roll-up. It wasn't enough to put away Page though. One of the members of Page's ringside crew, Max Muscle gets on the rope to knee Renegade but it backfires as Renegade launches DDP into Max and sends him flying. Big powerslam from Renegade as he begins to climb to the top rope. Looks like he's going for a splash on Page but instead hits a diving lariat on the outside to Max Muscle. As Renegade gets into the ring, Max Muscle holds his leg and allows for DDP to hit the Diamond Cutter while the referee's back was turned. Pin and the win, DDP is your new Television Champion.
Match Rating: 4/10
Harlem Heat vs Buck & Slater (c) WCW Tag Team Championship Match
I would be dumb to not mention it but man Harlem Heat had to have one of the best tag themes of all time no? That shit is such a banger. Apparently, Sherri (manager of Harlem Heat) and Col. Robert Parker (manager of Buck & Slater) are in some sort of a love interest angle. We'll see how that affects this match. Early pre-match antics Buck & Slater as they throw their jackets at Harlem Heat and have some words with them before being backed into their respective corners.
The match starts off with Booker T and Dick Slater. After some corner stuff, Booker sends Slater into the corner and hits a strong lariat that causes Slater to catch his breath for a moment. Booker showing off a bit of technical prowess as he escapes a choke and tags out to Stevie Ray. Stevie puts the boots to Slater and goes for a pin, it was only a two before the ref notices Slater's foot on the rope. Some more teamwork allows for Booker to be tagged back in quickly.
Slater drives Booker into the ropes, allowing for Bunkhouse Buck to tag in. Booker does the same, driving Buck into his corner and tagging in Stevie. A lot of feeling out and quick tags early on in this contest. Stevie starts choking and punching away at Buck on the ground. Booker gets tagged in and hits a nice heel kick.
The commentators mention how Harlem Heat is trying to play Buck and Slater's game and not using their usual high paced offense. Harlem Heat has cut off the ring with frequent tags, Stevie Ray back in but before he can get his hands on him he rolls back to his corner and tags in Slater. Dick Slater and Stevie share strikes before Stevie backs him into a corner and lays some more punches on him. Slate fights out of it by hitting an atomic drop but doesn't get all of it. Swinging neck breaker by Slater and a pin for the two on Stevie. Booker gets tagged in but proceeds to get dumped outside by Slater and as the ref is distracted Buck hits him with a big body splash.
Slater and Buck work over a nice double team on Booker as Buck gets tagged in. Slater drops Booker with a piledriver but he gets caught in the ropes so the time spent dragging him out allows for Booker to kick out. Booker looks for some sort of diving attack in the corner but Buck sidesteps him and sends him crashing into the turnbuckle. Slater gets tagged in and he antagonizes Stevie on the apron causing the ref to be distracted. Belly to back suplex by Slater for a two count on Booker.
Frequent pins by Slater as he works over the chest and shoulders of Booker but each time he kicks out. Frequent tags and pins on Booker T continue from Buck and Slater. Booker is taking all the heat here. Booker finally finds an opening as he lands the Axe Kick. Crawling to his corner, Booker finally gets the tag to Stevie. Stevie Ray starts on his flurry of offense, power slamming Bunkhouse Buck for a two count before Slater breaks it up. Sherri and Parker kiss in the second ring as the Nasty Boys come in during a ref distraction and attack Dick Slater with his own boot and allow Harlem Heat to win the match and the Tag Team Titles.
Match Rating: 4/10
Arn Anderson is backstage for a promo but first, we get a little video package to hype up Flair vs Arn. They mention that due to Hogan coming in, Flair has been on a quest to be the top wrestler in WCW and it has caused strains in his personal relationships. His friendship with Arn Anderson of course being at the forefront. Arn tells Mean Gene that he always has kept it straight and tonight he nervous because he has to face someone he holds closest to his heart. Arn promises to give it his all and promises that after tonight he will respect himself and Ric Flair will respect Arn Anderson. I know it doesn't help to be in a group with Ric Flair but man does Arn not get the respect he deserves on the mic. Every word he says you believe, that's a skill so many people lack nowadays.
Ric Flair vs Arn Anderson
This match is being treated like a huge deal as it should, they show shots of the crowd with some WCW talent sprinkled in. The likes of The American Males, Flyin' Brian, Col. Robert Parker, and Big Bubba Rogers are all on hand to see this legendary encounter. They circle each other for a few moments, the commentators push the importance once more as they compare it to Yankees/Dodgers and Cowboys/49ers. I have to remember this is 1995 when the Cowboys were actually good.
They finally lock up, Off the ropes, they go before Flair hits Arn with a shoulder tackle. Back up quickly to counter Flair into a drop toe hold is Arn. A nice counter has Arn feeling good as he lets out a celebratory "Woo". Arn shows his strength early on with pushes and slaps, the crowd is really into it. Anderson begins to surgically work on the arm of Ric Flair. Flair starts to realize what he's in for and tries to step up, just to get swatted down by Arn once again. Everything Flair does, Arn seems to have a counter for.
After some work on the ground by Arn, Flair escapes and hits a big chop to the chest of Anderson. Both men are wearing knee pads but none of the pads even cover their knees. What's the fucking point of wearing them then? Anyways, Arn tries to lock in a sleeper hold but Flair backs into the corner to break it. Arn doesn't allow him long to recoup though as he dives knee first off the middle rope into the back of Ric Flair. Arn Anderson drags Flair to the corner and begins to smash his injured arm against the turnbuckle. The point being pushed on commentary is while Flair is an 11 time World Champion, ever since Hogan joined WCW he hasn't been the same. This lends credibility to the idea that Arn very well could come out the victor here tonight.
Flair does his classic corner Irish whip bump and it leads him onto the apron where Arn meets him but he pulls the rope down and Anderson crashes to the outside. Flair comes off the top rope with an ax handle for Arn on the outside. Heenan compares this match to the Civil War, that's gonna be a yikes from me chief. Flair puts the boots to Arn as he lays under the bottom rope. Flair pins Anderson as he uses the ropes for leverage but the ref does not see it, lucky for Arn he gets the shoulder up each time. Arn rocks Flair with punches in the corner before launching him over his head with a back body drop. Ric Flair tries to work over Arn on the outside but gets dropped with another back body drop. Flair drops Anderson with a big suplex onto the outside, the thud it made was gross. Back in the ring now, Flair begins again with a nice delayed vertical suplex. Both men are winded and down for a while, battling for advantage as they seem to be in a deadlock. Sunset flip attempt by Arn but Flair doesn't fall, Ric tries to punch Anderson's face but misses and allows for him to escape.
Flair goes for the Irish whip bump once more but catches his leg in the top turnbuckle and is trapped in the tree of woe. Anderson doesn't hesitate to put the boots to him in the corner. Arn calls for the DDT and goes to hook Flair but he holds onto the ropes and escapes. Celebrating escaping a near loss he does a classic Flair flop. Flair tries to lock in the Figure Four but Arn holds one leg which doesn't allow Flair to fully lock in the submission. Ric finally locks in the hold and tries to get Arn to tap. In reality, Flair barely worked the legs so I don't see why Arn should be too worried about losing here but who knows. Arn's shoulders hit the mat while trapped in the submission but gets a shoulder up in time. Flair spits in the face of Arn Anderson before Arn basically says "fuck you" and reverses the hold. Well, in theory, he does but flipping over onto your stomach during the Figure Four has and never will relieve the pressure. It's one of my most hated wrestling tropes. Flair sees a hobbled Arn and goes right after the knee with a chop block. Flair goes for the Figure Four again but Arn counters into a small package for the two. Flyin' Brian jumps onto the apron as he gets in Flair's ear. He decks Flair with a punch and Flair returns the favor before Pillman hits Ric with a kick to the back of the head and allows Arn to hit a DDT for the three. Fans are audibly unhappy and everyone is confused.
Match Rating: 7/10
Dungeon of Doom vs Hulkamaniacs: War Games
We get a hype package for the main event, reviewing the main points including Luger's involvement. The big thing going into this match is, of course, the doubt going into the match and if Luger can be trusted. Hogan says he and his team drank a gallon of Agent Orange, which from what I read is a herbicide used in the Vietnam War? This dude was on some other shit. From someone who only watched the WWE version of Wargames, this is a bit different. The only way to win is submission or surrender. No pins, count outs, or DQ's. It is announced that if the Hulkamaniacs win then Kevin Sullivan has to face Hogan 1 v 1 in the cage tonight.
Sting is the first in for the Hulkamaniacs while Shark is the first member of the Dungeon of Doom. Shark begins a deliberate beat down on Sting, punching away and stepping on his chest. Sting was looking for the Stinger Splash but Shark ducks away to the second ring. He doesn't let them stop him from getting his hands on Shark though, while Shark's back was turned, Sting jumped to the second ring with a body splash. Using all his strength, Sting hoists Shark up and bodyslam him to the mat. He looks for it again but Shark falls atop Sting in what would usually be a pinning situation but there are no pins in this match.
Sting's back is aching from the bodyslam and the Shark is like well...a shark when it smells blood and applies a bearhug. Sting finally escapes the hold after a long struggle. The Shark looks gassed already, lord help him. He tries to launch himself to the other ring but gets stuck between the two rings, strung across the top ropes. Sting gets in the middle area and begins to kick away at Shark's gut. Tossing Sting to one of the rings, Shark taunts but Sting is able to slip his leg and crotch him on the top rope.
Sting locks in the Scorpion Deathlock as the time ticks down to a new entrant. It appears that Dungeon of Doom has won the coin toss and now owns the advantage in War Games. Zodiac is the next entrant. Sting holds onto the top of the cage and kicks off the Zodiac a few times before he finally falls. Sting locks in the Deathlock on Zodiac now but it is quickly broken up by Shark. Some double team offense on Sting before he is able to break away with a clothesline on the both of them. Zodiac fell but Shark stayed on his feet as gets back to work on Sting.
Macho Man is now in the match and he is electric. He goes right after Zodiac and Shark, punches, and ax handle's galore from Savage. Savage goes for a Boston Crab on Zodiac but Shark is right there. As they work on Savage, their teammates work over Sting's arm by pulling it from under the bottom of the cage. Zodiac and Shark are controlling Savage and Sting with ease as Meng and Kamala work over Savage's leg like they did Sting's arm earlier.
Kamala is the next entrant for the Dungeon of Doom. Kamala enters with a big Mongolian chop to the chest of Sting. Savage is working on Zodiac in the corner with punches but Shark comes up from behind and hits him with an atomic drop. Sting begins to fight back with punches, able to fight off Kamala before quickly being wrapped around by the big arms of Shark.
Luger is the third man in for the Hulkamaniacs. He levels Zodiac and then decks both Kamala and Shark with a double lariat. Savage and Luger send Zodiac crashing into the cage and all of a sudden the Hulkamaniacs have new life in WarGames. Luger goes for a lariat on Zodiac but he ducks away and Luger hits Savage instead. Macho Man is not happy about it at all, he and Lex begin to scrap as Sting tries to separate them.
Meng enters the match and the Hulkamaniacs are in control but they might not be for long as they wait a long two minutes for the arrival of their final member, Hulk Hogan. Meng single-handedly takes out the members of the Hulkamaniacs with headbutts and thrust kicks. Zodiac and Kamala work over Sting in the corner while Meng chokes out Luger in another. Hogan runs in and blinds Kamala, Meng, and The Zodiac with some sorta white powder, shout out Mr. Fuji.
Fists reigning down from Hogan onto Shark. Hogan punches Zodiac back and forth as he bounces between the two rings. Zodiac's head gets smashed repeatedly into the top turnbuckle by Hogan. Luger and Hogan team up to send the Ugandan giant crashing headfirst into the cage. Hogan puts the camel clutch on Zodiac and Zodiac gives up. That felt very abrupt.
As a part of the stipulation, Kevin Sullivan must now get in the cage with Hogan. He tries to escape but security plus Hogan's teammates are able to get him in the ring. Hogan just whips his ass, hits all his shit. Right as he goes for the leg drop, The Giant comes down the ramp. He does a bunch of jumps to show off his athleticism and the commentators lose their shit. The Giant snaps his neck and Luger and Savage run down to the ring to check on him. The screen fades to credits as the paramedics are called.
Match Rating: 2/10
Overall Rating: 5/10
The show was interesting to say the very least, It opened very hot but failed to keep the momentum throughout the rest of the show. Pillman and Johnny B. Badd blew my mind and my mood was immediately brought down by Cobra vs Pittman. The Tag Title match and TV title matches weren't bad but they didn't do much for me. Arn and Flair definitely lived up to the expectations and sets up something for tomorrow night with the Pillman stuff. That main event was the most boring thing ever, it seemed like it went back and forth between who had momentum each time a new person came in. I thought when Hogan came in it would pick up and it did for a minute and boom, over just like that. The post-match stuff was cool but not enough to redeem the match.
Ric Flair vs Arn Anderson
This match is being treated like a huge deal as it should, they show shots of the crowd with some WCW talent sprinkled in. The likes of The American Males, Flyin' Brian, Col. Robert Parker, and Big Bubba Rogers are all on hand to see this legendary encounter. They circle each other for a few moments, the commentators push the importance once more as they compare it to Yankees/Dodgers and Cowboys/49ers. I have to remember this is 1995 when the Cowboys were actually good.
They finally lock up, Off the ropes, they go before Flair hits Arn with a shoulder tackle. Back up quickly to counter Flair into a drop toe hold is Arn. A nice counter has Arn feeling good as he lets out a celebratory "Woo". Arn shows his strength early on with pushes and slaps, the crowd is really into it. Anderson begins to surgically work on the arm of Ric Flair. Flair starts to realize what he's in for and tries to step up, just to get swatted down by Arn once again. Everything Flair does, Arn seems to have a counter for.
After some work on the ground by Arn, Flair escapes and hits a big chop to the chest of Anderson. Both men are wearing knee pads but none of the pads even cover their knees. What's the fucking point of wearing them then? Anyways, Arn tries to lock in a sleeper hold but Flair backs into the corner to break it. Arn doesn't allow him long to recoup though as he dives knee first off the middle rope into the back of Ric Flair. Arn Anderson drags Flair to the corner and begins to smash his injured arm against the turnbuckle. The point being pushed on commentary is while Flair is an 11 time World Champion, ever since Hogan joined WCW he hasn't been the same. This lends credibility to the idea that Arn very well could come out the victor here tonight.
Flair does his classic corner Irish whip bump and it leads him onto the apron where Arn meets him but he pulls the rope down and Anderson crashes to the outside. Flair comes off the top rope with an ax handle for Arn on the outside. Heenan compares this match to the Civil War, that's gonna be a yikes from me chief. Flair puts the boots to Arn as he lays under the bottom rope. Flair pins Anderson as he uses the ropes for leverage but the ref does not see it, lucky for Arn he gets the shoulder up each time. Arn rocks Flair with punches in the corner before launching him over his head with a back body drop. Ric Flair tries to work over Arn on the outside but gets dropped with another back body drop. Flair drops Anderson with a big suplex onto the outside, the thud it made was gross. Back in the ring now, Flair begins again with a nice delayed vertical suplex. Both men are winded and down for a while, battling for advantage as they seem to be in a deadlock. Sunset flip attempt by Arn but Flair doesn't fall, Ric tries to punch Anderson's face but misses and allows for him to escape.
Flair goes for the Irish whip bump once more but catches his leg in the top turnbuckle and is trapped in the tree of woe. Anderson doesn't hesitate to put the boots to him in the corner. Arn calls for the DDT and goes to hook Flair but he holds onto the ropes and escapes. Celebrating escaping a near loss he does a classic Flair flop. Flair tries to lock in the Figure Four but Arn holds one leg which doesn't allow Flair to fully lock in the submission. Ric finally locks in the hold and tries to get Arn to tap. In reality, Flair barely worked the legs so I don't see why Arn should be too worried about losing here but who knows. Arn's shoulders hit the mat while trapped in the submission but gets a shoulder up in time. Flair spits in the face of Arn Anderson before Arn basically says "fuck you" and reverses the hold. Well, in theory, he does but flipping over onto your stomach during the Figure Four has and never will relieve the pressure. It's one of my most hated wrestling tropes. Flair sees a hobbled Arn and goes right after the knee with a chop block. Flair goes for the Figure Four again but Arn counters into a small package for the two. Flyin' Brian jumps onto the apron as he gets in Flair's ear. He decks Flair with a punch and Flair returns the favor before Pillman hits Ric with a kick to the back of the head and allows Arn to hit a DDT for the three. Fans are audibly unhappy and everyone is confused.
Match Rating: 7/10
Dungeon of Doom vs Hulkamaniacs: War Games
We get a hype package for the main event, reviewing the main points including Luger's involvement. The big thing going into this match is, of course, the doubt going into the match and if Luger can be trusted. Hogan says he and his team drank a gallon of Agent Orange, which from what I read is a herbicide used in the Vietnam War? This dude was on some other shit. From someone who only watched the WWE version of Wargames, this is a bit different. The only way to win is submission or surrender. No pins, count outs, or DQ's. It is announced that if the Hulkamaniacs win then Kevin Sullivan has to face Hogan 1 v 1 in the cage tonight.
Sting is the first in for the Hulkamaniacs while Shark is the first member of the Dungeon of Doom. Shark begins a deliberate beat down on Sting, punching away and stepping on his chest. Sting was looking for the Stinger Splash but Shark ducks away to the second ring. He doesn't let them stop him from getting his hands on Shark though, while Shark's back was turned, Sting jumped to the second ring with a body splash. Using all his strength, Sting hoists Shark up and bodyslam him to the mat. He looks for it again but Shark falls atop Sting in what would usually be a pinning situation but there are no pins in this match.
Sting's back is aching from the bodyslam and the Shark is like well...a shark when it smells blood and applies a bearhug. Sting finally escapes the hold after a long struggle. The Shark looks gassed already, lord help him. He tries to launch himself to the other ring but gets stuck between the two rings, strung across the top ropes. Sting gets in the middle area and begins to kick away at Shark's gut. Tossing Sting to one of the rings, Shark taunts but Sting is able to slip his leg and crotch him on the top rope.
Sting locks in the Scorpion Deathlock as the time ticks down to a new entrant. It appears that Dungeon of Doom has won the coin toss and now owns the advantage in War Games. Zodiac is the next entrant. Sting holds onto the top of the cage and kicks off the Zodiac a few times before he finally falls. Sting locks in the Deathlock on Zodiac now but it is quickly broken up by Shark. Some double team offense on Sting before he is able to break away with a clothesline on the both of them. Zodiac fell but Shark stayed on his feet as gets back to work on Sting.
Macho Man is now in the match and he is electric. He goes right after Zodiac and Shark, punches, and ax handle's galore from Savage. Savage goes for a Boston Crab on Zodiac but Shark is right there. As they work on Savage, their teammates work over Sting's arm by pulling it from under the bottom of the cage. Zodiac and Shark are controlling Savage and Sting with ease as Meng and Kamala work over Savage's leg like they did Sting's arm earlier.
Kamala is the next entrant for the Dungeon of Doom. Kamala enters with a big Mongolian chop to the chest of Sting. Savage is working on Zodiac in the corner with punches but Shark comes up from behind and hits him with an atomic drop. Sting begins to fight back with punches, able to fight off Kamala before quickly being wrapped around by the big arms of Shark.
Luger is the third man in for the Hulkamaniacs. He levels Zodiac and then decks both Kamala and Shark with a double lariat. Savage and Luger send Zodiac crashing into the cage and all of a sudden the Hulkamaniacs have new life in WarGames. Luger goes for a lariat on Zodiac but he ducks away and Luger hits Savage instead. Macho Man is not happy about it at all, he and Lex begin to scrap as Sting tries to separate them.
Meng enters the match and the Hulkamaniacs are in control but they might not be for long as they wait a long two minutes for the arrival of their final member, Hulk Hogan. Meng single-handedly takes out the members of the Hulkamaniacs with headbutts and thrust kicks. Zodiac and Kamala work over Sting in the corner while Meng chokes out Luger in another. Hogan runs in and blinds Kamala, Meng, and The Zodiac with some sorta white powder, shout out Mr. Fuji.
Fists reigning down from Hogan onto Shark. Hogan punches Zodiac back and forth as he bounces between the two rings. Zodiac's head gets smashed repeatedly into the top turnbuckle by Hogan. Luger and Hogan team up to send the Ugandan giant crashing headfirst into the cage. Hogan puts the camel clutch on Zodiac and Zodiac gives up. That felt very abrupt.
As a part of the stipulation, Kevin Sullivan must now get in the cage with Hogan. He tries to escape but security plus Hogan's teammates are able to get him in the ring. Hogan just whips his ass, hits all his shit. Right as he goes for the leg drop, The Giant comes down the ramp. He does a bunch of jumps to show off his athleticism and the commentators lose their shit. The Giant snaps his neck and Luger and Savage run down to the ring to check on him. The screen fades to credits as the paramedics are called.
Match Rating: 2/10
Overall Rating: 5/10
The show was interesting to say the very least, It opened very hot but failed to keep the momentum throughout the rest of the show. Pillman and Johnny B. Badd blew my mind and my mood was immediately brought down by Cobra vs Pittman. The Tag Title match and TV title matches weren't bad but they didn't do much for me. Arn and Flair definitely lived up to the expectations and sets up something for tomorrow night with the Pillman stuff. That main event was the most boring thing ever, it seemed like it went back and forth between who had momentum each time a new person came in. I thought when Hogan came in it would pick up and it did for a minute and boom, over just like that. The post-match stuff was cool but not enough to redeem the match.
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