Catus Is A Nut, Jake Is A Bastard, and Dustin Takes A Lot of Pain

Cactus Jack v Dustin Rhodes (Main Event 30/8/92)

--Hell of a brawl. It literally took them six or seven minutes (and the match went about nine) for them to get in them to get in the ring (falls count anywhere). Piss and vinegar Dustin Rhodes makes a special appearance, and Foley's doing his WCW trademarks like the off-apron sunset flip and the kissing/biting the chair after using it shtick. When he grabbed the chair it had an electrical cord around it and he looked really pissed that he couldn't get it off. Then he stopped trying and jerked some headphones in his direction. Then he laid waste to Rhodes. Thought the transition spots in this were pretty much perfect; really loved the outside-bulldog being turned into Dustin running into the ring post. Dustin's revenge with the chair near the end was great even if he didn't win. These two NEEDED a lengthy match.

Jake Roberts v Dustin Rhodes (Saturday Night 26/9/92)

--God this was great. Rhodes had a little too much shine at the beginning working Snake's arm, but it all looked really good and Jake's leg tapping and hand-biting is what I want in this sort of selling. It all came full circle once Roberts did the ol' "fake a leg injury" job and tosses Dustin out and does squats to mock him. He takes his sweet time tearing Dustin apart. Dustin going back to the arm whenever he was in trouble was terrific, and Jake being a wily prick to win was better.

Guess Which Company And Year These Matches Are From.

No, not 2010 TNA.

Cactus Jack v Dustin Rhodes (Main Event 30/8/92)

--These two should have had a lengthy mid-card feud in 1997 WWF. Pretty sure 'Dust was the face at that point, and Mick could've still kept heel Mankind around. Unless you're missing the point; this was good. Felt like a real home-bred boy vs. nut-job-made-in-a-science-lab-somewhere match; Rhodes could only do so many punches to the face without Cactus smiling and squealing like a shithead. Foley looked good and maniacal on offense and I liked how it eventually got to the point of Rhodes laying him out on that blue carpet and drop-kicking him just to get him down. Messy finish sets up the no DQ (or falls count anywhere, Idr) match and it rules. I kept thinking the whole match how great a 15 minute Clash of the Champions or PPV match between these two would in 1994 (or even then). And then I got sad because it never happened. Ah.

Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat (Clash of the Champions 2/9/92)

--Before this started they had some 11 year old girl from Tulsa (who looked at least 14) sing the America National Anthem. Only reason I'm mentioning that is because Paul E. Dangerously was talking is Austin's ear throughout and I thought that was a deliciously scumbaggy thing to do. Then they put him in a cage above the ring. For a reason I don't remember, I didn't really get this on the first watch. I didn't think it was anything less than good, but I didn't *truly* think that it was anything above good. Fuck. That. Loved it, and again, Austin impressed the hell out f me compared to the rest of his WCW run up until that point. This may actually be his best singles match with the company come t think of it, and I can't think of a better performance from him. He on that (originally) taped rib/back like a mother, and Steamboat's selling was as per Steamboat. Meaning it didn't suck. But really, Austin's attacks look so sweet; the abdominal stretch, the knees, and he did this top-rope throw that I ever remember seeing before. For a long time I always thought "Steve Austin could have been a major player in WCW" was an overstatement, but when you're in there making Ricky motherfucking Steamboat look like he wasn't the better guy in the match- you fucking rock. They didn't make the no DQ rule too handy, but the finish had Dragon coming off of the top (which was a disqualification in that time and promotion) after crawling through the bottom of the ring (which was AWESOME). Actually, I think originally I may have been annoyed that this seemed no-DQ for no good reason, but that's the sort of thing I can overlook when I'm having this much fun. This is *really* good.

WCW's 1992= Good?

Maybe.

Ricky Steamboat/Nikita Koloff v Brian Pillman/Jushin Liger (Great American Bash 12/7/92)

--Steamboat's the guy I peg for runner-up worker of the world in 92 behind Arn, but shit, I have to really look at Liger when going through everything because he could be number one. I thought he was just as good as Dragon here, and he was good in the Clash XIX tag, he has a great match with Pillman at SuperBrawl, a classic with El Samurai, great matches with Benoit and Norio Honaga. Yeah, looking forward to venture through him in 92. This match, obviously, did not suck, but it wasn't something I'm chucking "great" at either. Basically plays how you'd think it would with Liger and Pillman going more airborne and Koloff getting the shoulder blocks and yelling at the ref in the corner. Liger & Pillman actually work the arm of Koloff as some kind of attempt to throw off the game of Nikita, and it was sweet watching that mesh into Liger finally getting a successful shoulder block on him. , I don't like a babyface vs. babyface tag match, though, and I rarely see them work out really well. One guy always does something that was meant to be taken by a heel team. Here, Steamboat pulled Pillman and Liger both into the ring and clocked their heads together, which I think is really something to be left for a Dangerous Alliance pairing. Actually, Steamboat wasn't his awesome self in this; without making him look or sound bad, he didn't seem like the guy to throw into a babyface v babyface match. He had some awkward looking stuff with Pillman that went more and more downhill as the sequence went. Ah, every wrestler has their flaws. This is worth a watch for sure.

Rick Rude/Steve Austin v Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes (Great American Bash 12/7/92)

--Everyone rocked here. There isn't much that would separate this from a regular Dangerous Alliance v Sting and Pals tag match, but a regular Dangerous Alliance v Sting and Pals tag match is a great fuckin' match. Austin struck me as being better than ever (at that point and time) here; the most of the year he kind of looked like a mid-card rookie guy on the team seemingly pushing his weight, but he comes off here as one of the veterans who'll rally fuck you up. His offense ruled during Windham's face in peril slice, actually all the cheap shots and cut-offs from he and Rude were all great. Dustin's hot tag explosion house o' fire was as good as it gets.

Rick Rude v Nikita Koloff (Worldwide 25/7/92)

--I hate myself for not remembering practically any of this because I really, really enjoyed it. I remember Rude selling really well and making Nikita look really good, and I had this silly grin when he went to hit Nikita over and over to no reward. The look on his face was amazing. Um, yes, watch this too.

WCW. From 1992.

Brian Pillman v Tom Zenk (WrestleWar 17/5/92)
--Liked this a lot, especially for a former partner match where neither guy is full-fledged heel. Zenk seemed to be the guy that was going heel; by the time Pillman had the majority of the match he'd go to the lnegths of faking injury. Pillman had the leg worked and Zenk would fall in a pile when he tried an Irish whip, so Pillman goes airbourne to finish him off. Zenk was milking it and he comes off as a bit of a dick. Which was great since babyface Zenk isn;t my (or anyone else's, from what I gather) cup of tea. Nothing to shove on a ballot for me, but another gem in the belt of WCW's '92 year.

The Steiner Brothers v Tatsumi Fujinami/Takayuki Iizuka (WrestleWar 17/5/92)
--This was better than Pillman/Zenk, if even basically a glorified spotfest. I thought there were enough nifty transitions and ground-and-pound for this to sidle away ever-so-slightly from the territory of a "spotfest", but what you remember about this one is the spots. And there were some really good spots. I particularly liked the one where Fujinami & Iizuka were attempting some sort of doomsday device with Rick on top, only for Rick to counter it with a suplex. It was a little sloppy, which is unsurprising given the move actually pulled off, but it made for a hell of a visual regardless. Iizuka's nose exploded somewhere in there, and i thoguht that added to whatever role he was playing...which I saw as "underdog". Sort of. Won't put this on the list either, but it goes in that '92 WCW belt.

Sting v Cactus Jack (Beach Blast 20/6/92)
--Watched this again because I thought it's drop a few places, and while it did, it's still awesome. I think I've seen this like 6 times now since first watching it 2008, and pretty much every time it holds up way better than I thought it would. Cactus takes more concrete bumps than I had remembered, the vertical suplex within the crowd barriers and the backdrop suplex where his head connects with the legs of the railing look nastier with each viewing. That sunset flip from the apron to the floor does as well. Totally makes him look like the looney shit-smahser that will do anything to inflict pain. him rubbing the chair after swinging it was bone-chillingly great as well, and I think he even apologized to it. Sting was pretty great in this, as well. I loved when Cactus had a leg-scissors around his waist and he was fighting off the crossfaces and giving a really good Herculean comeback. By the end of it it really felt like he had endured a flat out fight to the end. Shit's still awesome.

Bit o' Clash XIX

Brian Pillman/Jushin Liger v Chris Benoit/Beef Wellington (Clash of the Champions 16/6/92)
--I've seen this overrated to hell but otherwise it's good. Benoit is pretty great even at a stage this early in his career. Not "Pretty great" in the sense where he's the best wrestler having the best matches, but I don't remember seeing a guy play a young lion while also looking like a guy who others would shit their pants to get in the ring with because he's going to grind at your face with his knuckles. Wellington seemed fine, he looked like the resthold guy for this which was cool in a match built mainly around the sensationalism of Pillman and Liger's flying spots (hope it doesn't sound like I'm knocking that). The dives were cool and if I have the right match I remember a pretty nasty outside bump by Benoti or Wellington. The announcers really don't shut up about there not being any mat covering on the concrete floor either, and Jesse Ventura lost his mind for Liger's Asai Moonsault. This wasn't a great match, but I wouldn't have a problem watching it right now; it was good.

Steve Williams/Terry Gordy v The Steiner Brothers (Clash of the Champions 16/6/92)
--When watching the Beach Blast main event with the same match-up, I honestly thought it was this one until Jim Ross said "We hope you're enjoying Beach Blast," so it blew my mind to think they could have a better match out there (from opinions I'd heard, anyway). I pretty much thought there was no way I'd prefer this one to that one in the end. Note to self: BULLLLLLSHIT. This was excellent, and basically the Beach Blast with a lot of the fat of the mat restholds and stuff trimmed off with a better crowd. I think it went a max. of 15 minutes, and without that downtime you have Doc and Gordy basically dropping control segments with restholds in favour of control segments with bullldozing killing. This still had the Williams/Rick mat work, and what was done of that was really good, but it's basically a more focused version of bombfest that gets me loving this. Actually the Gordy/Scott stuff may have been better. They worked this bridging segment, and by the looks of it Gordy could legitimately not lift himeslf up and collapsed each time. That might be called a "botch", but watching what was Scott (kayfabe) not being able to get a guy in a bridge was amazing. The suplexes her threw around were obviosuly great as well. Williams blowing of all of the mat work in favour of a slap to the face was beautiful and really got this going to the eleventh number. MVC did NOT relent on that leg either and the finish with the chopblock was sweet. This is my highest 2-on-2 tag right now and unless my re-watches of MX/Southern Boys and MX/RnR hit my sweet spot like this did, it's staying there.

Comparative Thoughts; Rick Rude v Brian Pillman

This "comparative" thing was basically an idea I had where I take what I wrote about a match, however long ago, and write something new, kind of comparing what I thought about it previously, and this time. Whether I agree, disagree, missed something, etc.

Rick Rude v Brian Pillman (WCW 15/2/92)

--Out of all the “Rude squashes an inferior wrestler without actually squashing him” matches, this has to be by far the best one. Rude goes for a handshake like in the match with Zenk, but Pillman doesn’t accept, and that don’t fly well with Rude who’s got Pillman’s fuzzy little head in a headlock following that. Pillman’s all about his “Flyin’” quickness and that all that so he’s running around and eventually gets to Rude’s leg. Jim Ross calls it “Pillman confusing Rude”, which in turn confused me because I think if you’re the smaller guy going for a leg is good, but whatever, he’s Jim Ross :P. One thing I’ve mentioned before about these Rude “squash” matches is how Rick makes the guy almost looks like he can win, he leaves way for all of his signature “got this in the bag” moves like Air Pillman and all that, and you get the feeling it could be a short while before they give you a Razor Ramon/123 Kid-lioke upset or something. They DON’T, obviously, but you get the feeling it could happen. 

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Rick Rude v Brian Pillman (Pro 15/2/92)

--{{Out of all the “Rude squashes an inferior wrestler without actually squashing him” matches, this has to be by far the best one.}} That, I don't agree with at all. This is a really good match, but the Dustin Rhodes one Worldwide from May is *a lot* better. Otherwise, I probably liked this more than last watch. Still, I think I can still find 100 matches I want on a list more than it. Reading what I wrote before, it sounds like I didn't dig the leg work as much as I did a few days ago, and I have no idea why. It was awesome. Pillman really grinds into working over the leg and Rude has to have one of the greatest limps in the history of acting. I thought he was actually overselling a little, especially before Pillman went the ring post, but there was a time when I literally thought to myself "what if he's actually been hurt?" For a pro wrestler to make me think that; the guy sold terrifically. I absolutely stand my ground on thinking that Pillman could have pulled out a win, and I bought it more this time after watching a lot of his 1991 and seeing he was more of big deal in WCW than I thought. Th final moments were a really awesome hot-streak period, and post-match had Rude holding the belt in the air in a small heap of exhaustion with this "I earned this, motherfucker" look. To have this great smugness through the open period, then after possibly not even ten minutes have the aura of the victor of a hard-fought battle, really says something about a guy. I said this already; this won't make my list, but I'll be damned if it isn't really fucking good and a clear-cut example of how peak Rick Rude could be as good a wrestler as anyone on the planet. I could get the sense that this gets better with every wtach because it definitely did on watch #2.

'92 WCW. Yep.

The '92 and '93 Yearbooks came in the mail, so I'm going through what, based off of what I've read, could make my top 100 list. Going to re-watch things that I think look too high or low, too (maybe).

Big Van Vader/Mr. Hughes v The Steiner Brothers (Clash of the Champions 21/1/92)
--Fun sub-ten minute bomb-fest. Actually this had less bombs than I was expecting, but a Steiners vs. Fat Boys match without bombs is like....what's the point? I'm not huge fan of Vader being dominated in the openings of matches, but the Steiners are practically all about that. Mr. Hughes reminded me of this giant guy I saw on the Mid-South set...Kareem... Abdul... Mohammed...something. A really big guy who looks like he could beat the shit out of you at any moment, yet gets almost zero offense in any match. In fact all I remember him doing was a hip-lock, and I can't even say it was him that did it. He'd spend most of him getting thrown in suplexes, which all looked awesome, and meant a lot more than the regular Steiner suplexes since these guys are fatasses. I watched this like four days ago, so I'm struggling to picture anything else but Vader's punches and Jim Ross going pretty giddy for a Steinerline, but this was a good match.

Cactus Jack v Van Hammer (Clash of the Champions 21/1/92)

--Mick Foley in a falls-count-anywhere environment usually won't miss, but the ultimate level of suck known as "Heavy Metal" Van Hammer drags this down. This was clearly only interesting when Cactus had control, and even then Van Hammer seemed like a lazy scared little sack when selling a clothesline. Actually, Hammer's physicality was way worse than anything else; he'd actually do a nifty little sequence, like a classic WCW 90s clothesline > powerslam > middle rope jump thing, but those ten seconds won't make a match. Him being really unwilling to take any sort of good bump while Mickles was plastering his own arse into the concrete for the sake of a good bump really annoyed me. The highlight of Hammer's entire offense might have been he first move where he launched some of that...stuff from his stupid looking guitar at Foley. Foley's sweet revenge is awesome in the back, he's laying stuff into Hammer's head and making him feel that shit. I don't remember what exactly he hit him with, but I remember thinking it was a prop used in the Finlay/Regal parking lot brawl. Probably wasn't. Still, that tier #2 in this match only behind Abdullah the Butcher hobbling in and dumping people (including one Missy Hyatt) into what I think was a pig water trough. Good match? Average match? No idea. It's something I'd be fine with wasting eight or so minutes on right now, so, yeah.

Them Philly Crowds, Man

Dustin Rhodes v Barry Windham (WCW 29/12/92)

--If this was on a TV episode with a super cutesy pro-babyface crowd instead of being a handheld in the annoyingly crowd-split Philly, I get the feeling I would have thought it was a really good match. There's these bunch of fans near the person holding the camera in particular backing Windham (the heel) that are especially annoying.  It's a shame because like I said, this had some really, really good stuff. Windham is a sizeable opponent for Rhodes' babyface shtick and even though the two look like giant blobs with white heads on the handheld camera, i could see Dustin rolling in pain at certain points and I was ***dying*** to catch a closer look. Windham was being pretty dicky, taking cheap shots and teasing chair-usage and such, and the hope spots Dustin put in were perfect for the ten minutes they got. There's a ref bump and it would have been really great to see the crowd lose their shit when Dustin hit the Bulldog after that. A lot of the crowd actually barracked for Dustin, but I'm looking a little less forward to the tag with Liger and Steamboat from the same live event for no other fact than the negative reaction. God I really don't like Philly wrestling crowds. Scratch that, I *hate* Philly wrestling crowds.

'DEM BIG BOYS PLEH BUT 'DEY DON'T PLEH NICE~

Scott Steiner/Rick Steiner v Steve Williams/Terry Gordy (WCW 20/6/92)
--Sort of went into this expecting something great. Forget "great", man; this was fantastic. Almost seemed like a dream match between the two teams who had all the power and mat presence in the world, and it came off like that Rock vs. Brock vibe you WANT. Obviously not as big or anticipated, but it's something to take seriously. Doc and Gordy are Japan tourists of sorts, and it has that same deal as when Vader was brought in at the Great American Bash a month later. Point is; it's no regular tag match. Scotty Steiner being the mat wrestler of the bunch outclasses Gordy's attempts at building some kind of offense. Williams at one point is yelling his bloody head at Gordy to keep hold of a leg while in a submission himself, and Gordy's tugging on that thing for his life. The Rick/Doc parts in particular felt like the big this-is-the-motherfucking-load showdown stuff. It gets the Varsity Club history mention from Jim Ross, and he says he's been waiting on this one. Williams has that football past and he's bulldozing Rick like an elephant mother who's had her child attacked. Rick eats like three shoulder-blocks to the thigh area and when Williams rampages him for the third he pulls a Steinerline out of his arse and Doc's completely wiped. Doc gets thrown with a belly-to-belly and he sold it excellently, he gets out of the ring and tries to weed it off and in turn is putting the suplex over as a really big deal. I seriously dig that kind of smallish stuff. It gets to the point where they're channelling their inner-puroresu and bombing each other with the mother-set of suplexes. These aren't regular US suplexes either, they're those motherfucking AHHHHHHH suplexes you'd want parading an All Japan main event. Gordy was getting planted on his head in a mad heap of arse and elbows. Totally level ballgame; Steiners can wrestle, MVC can wrestle, Steiners can throw, MVC can throw, and that's more little shit points I dig. One thing Steiners have that trouble doing is getting Doc and Gordy down for longer periods of time, which Doc and Gordy themsleves master. There's this really terrific grounding part where MVC are literally not letting Scott get past the middle of the ring. I felt the hot tag was almost a mistake, though. Williams had a Boston Crab and Scott's scurrying towards his corner to get to Rick, and when he actually hits the tag the referee goes to look at Gordy in the MVC because he was probably supposed to interfere or something. I'm not making no complaint, though; house-o'-fire Rick Steiner isn't something you want to miss. WCW around this time could be notoriously shitheaded with bullshitting time limits, so when they ht the 30 minute draw the time's really clocking in at about 25 or less, but they shove in all the really cool nearfall stuff you see when the announcer's counting down on his mic. Scott gets his Frankensteiner in once he counts to one and you could tell he wanted the pin despite keeping those big ol' belts. Time limit draw only helps the level ballgame deal and sets up a possible re-match between two teams that have that SCORE TO SETTLE. I would've been perfectly settled with this being the only match they had, though. Seriously exceptional and maybe a top five WCW match of 1992. Forty seven fuckin' stars.

And I Still Didn't Do It Justice

Rick Rude/Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko/Steve Austin v Sting/Ricky Steamboat/Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes/Nikita Koloff (WCW 17/5/92)

--It’s War Games and it’s one of the fieriest matches ever. I’ve never *really* seen the 1991 War Games as a match that’s really a super classic or anything, but this sure as hell was and I hope it got me warmed up for yet another 1991 re-watch (which I’ve watched probably four or five times). Maybe the build up to 1991 will help since I got a ton of the references in this one because of the rest of the Dangerous Alliance set. Austin starts for the Alliance and that prompts Sting’s team to get Windham in their since they’re feuding over the TV Title and Windham would love to get Austin alone in a cage to tear him apart. And he does, using that taped fist he’s had the whole year from being crushed with a car door, running Austin’s head into the cage and chewing on Austin’s bleeding face for five really quick minutes. I was thinking the whole beat down how cool it would be if the Alliance get desperate and set Rude in their early, and to my damned surprise they did, and Jim Ross’ reaction was great; “aw the heavy hitter; it’s the Unites States Champion”. It’s obvious the heels were getting the coin toss but for Rude to come in was just perfect. They obviously even the playing field as well. Well, 2-on-1 isn’t even, but Austin’s on the floor trying to gather himself so it works. Rude’s nailing away at Windham who’s still got enough fire power to strike back at certain points but there’s not enough he can do to keep them both down when Austin gets up. You get what’s expected after the next two minute period, Steamboat comes to *literally* even the playing field and is running through both Rude and Austin and then Windham recovers himself and the crowd just swallow every second of it. Enter Arn Anderson, who I thought was pretty much the star player in this thing, he comes in and DDT’s Windham and plants Steamboat and, naturally, the DA are in control again. Arn and Rude have a cool-looking double Boston Crab on Steamboat and then Dustin’s in and of course he’s whooping everyone and swapping the control over, there was an awesome spot where he gives Austin an atomic drop and Austin’s head hits the roof. Crowd were still burning hot and the two minute periods don’t give them much time to cool down. Zbyszko’s next and he’s having trouble with the rest of the Alliance, and that’s a terrific angle going into this, along with “Is Nikita really one of us; what will he do?”, and it’s so far so good until everyone’s in the ring. I’m not exactly sure where the part where Madusa got up on top of the cage was, but I remember Sting following her up there so it was before he got in. Either it was tremendous. She drops a phone down to Arn and he starts beating it on people’s heads. That phone got lost in the mix somewhere and I don’t know how, but it wasn’t seen from again after that. Sting getting in was particularly awesome, he picks up Rude in the gorilla press and pushes him upward continuously into the cage roof. Nikita’s the final guy for Sting’s team after Eaton comes in with a Madusa-taped fist, and after clocking a couple of DA’s guys, he looks Sting square in the face and you get this certain teased hostility that’s just unspeakably brilliant. Paul E’s yelling something in the background and he seems super excited that Nikita might be a turncoat. Then Arn and Austin try to get Sting from behind and Koloff pushes Sting out of the way so they hit him instead. Koloff still knocks those two over and then goes to Sting and instead of teased hostility we get hand clasping and hugging and a fiery, fiery crowd. So everyone’s in and it’s like your natural battle royal but there’s tons of blood, two rings, two cages, people coming off the tope rope, and spots like Arn’s head being put between the two rings by Windham and bounced up and down. Rude actually gets his head shoved there as well and he’s getting his legs pulled in different directions like a pair of scissors. I loved the spot where Zbyszko was throwing punches and he gets so exhausted that after getting the guy down he just collapses himself. The Dangerous Alliance spend some amount of time trying to take out one of the turnbuckles, and when they eventually get it off, you get Zbyszko holding the metal rod of it and Eaton holding Sting for Larry to hit him. And with Zbyszko having heat with the Alliance already, you KNOW what’s coming. Sting sways and Eaton’s arm gets plastered. Larry’s down and Sting makes Eaton submit with the armbar. With all the shit going on the crowd don’t even realise it until the announcement that Sting’s team won was made. The Dangerous Alliance are riding Zbyszko’s arse for costing them the victory and he gets shoved by a couple of people a couple of times, and Dangerously even goes to strike him from behind before Larry turned around. When it comes right down to it I’d probably have some matches above this one that other won’t, but that takes nothing away from the fact that this is an excellent, excellent match and arguably the best match for a company in a year where they were the best company in the world. Words won’t do this sort of match justice.

Starrcade has two R's and I have three write-ups

Ricky Steamboat/Shane Douglas v Barry Windham/Brian Pillman (WCW 28/12/92)
--First five/seven minutes of this are a little...weird, I guess. I don't want to complain about anything they did, because it isn't anything complainable, but they almost put Windham in a hot tag role (he and Pillman were heels). Babyfaces getting offense at the beginning of a tag match is given, but it was different here. Again, nothing to complain about but I didn't think it *really* picked up until after Douglas was trying to get the hot tag on Steamboat. And when it picked up it motherfuckin' PICKED UP. Douglas isn't my cup of tea, and truthfully I can't stand him, but he's fine and dandy in a babyface role with three great wrestlers, and he played a really, really good FIP. Pillman caught my eye a fair bit, and the match made me re-consider  Pillman as a heel worker (re-consider him for....nothing, really), because everything he did here was awesome, he pretty much directed the cheating and double-team stuff with Windham and he was busting out some babyface-looking stuff without looking for a babyface reaction. When the ref had his back turned he'd chuck someone over the top rope or hang them in he ropes. The transistion spot from babyface offense to heel offense was really good as well; a top rope dropkick to the outside is about a lethal and dangerous move as you'll get in a 92 WCW tag match. Hope spots were excellent, I especially loved when Steamboat got fired up and whacked Windham with a chair, which would make you think Douglas would have enough time to tag himself out, but he's stays in for longer and I thought that was such a terrific teased tag. The eventual hot tag seemed "all for nothing" or something since Steamboat ending up giving Douglas a hot tag, but it was all built tremendously with all the intereferences and Steamboat's crossbody on Windham leading to him holding Winhdam down so he couldn't interrupt the final three count. Always loved this and it won't ever go down, fantastic match.

Dustin Rhodes v Steve Austin (WCW 27/12/93)
--Man Austin's hair is so distracting here, it looks so goofy and stupid how it just flopsand wiggles atop his head like a mohawk pushed to one side. About the match, I have honestly never liked it very much at all. Dustin Rhodes vs. Steve Austin in 1993 with 2/3 falls sounds awesome, but this? Eh. I can't call this a bad match because they did enough to make me think it wasn't, and even though I contemplated skipping this half way through I wanted to see the rest, so that counts for something. This still does almost nothing for me and I think it's just..*too* basic, I guess. Dustin wants revenge for get hit with...something, at some point earlier in the feud, and Austin getting out the ring because he can't take it is great, but I kind of,  I don't know, waited for something great to happen and it didn't. The first fall goes like 15 minutes and the finish was good, with Dustin sending Austin into his manger, making Austin go over the top rope, but the second fall was just pointless really. Dustin busts him up before it starts, and can't put him away, so Austin gets this cheap win with the tights pulled, and I didn't really, you know, "care". The only thing I can say I really, really liked about this was Dustin sending Austin over the crowd railing and Austin give a dazed look as if he doesn't know how that could've happened. I should really watch Halloween Havoc 91 again because I remember liking that a lot more.

Rey Misterio Jr. v Jushin Liger (WCW 29/12/96)
--Wasn't expecting to think much of this because the past times I've watched it I thought it was disappointing for a Rey vs. Liger match, but shit, I really enjoyed it. Liger had a brain tumour operation four months before this and I can attribute him being slower to that, but if you're going to be slow in any match it should be in a match opposite Rey. I think Liger wanted the fans to kind of be 50/50 or something, and when they weren't, he goes "fuck it; Monster Killer Heel Liger time", and Monster Killer Heel Liger was awesome. Spends a chunk of time punishing Rey, and not "I need to win this match with these moves" punishing, he opts for "you little shit I like seeing you cringing" punishment. He's complainign to the ref about how Rey gave up in a surfboard and giving a Shawn Michaels-pose when dunking him and stuff. The Rey of 96 isn't the best Rey but he was great at taking stuff, especially powerbombs where he'd be holding his head and giving this high-pitched whelping. Liger's first powerbomb was a son of a botch of a powerbomb as well, and it gets annoying when the crowd are so crappy. I seriously would have settled for a 2011 SmackDown crowd over this, it was awful. They popped for Liger catching Rey in a mid-air dropkick and gave some "Rey" and "USA" chants, but during Rey's comebacks they were as hot as...something cold. Like ice cream.

Missed Dangerous Alliance

I had a feeling I'd forget to post something. And I've probably forgot something after this. Anyway 3 matches from SuperBrawl II, which was btw a hell of a show.

Larry Zbyszko/Steve Austin v Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes (SuperBrawl 29/2/92)
--I think my favourite thing about Barry Windham is how he's the greatest of all time at making himself look a lot smaller than he actually is. Being 6'5"/245+ it has to be hard to look like a great face in peril without making every bit of offense from a small whineboat like Zbyszko look good, but he does it. I think that's one of the things I really like about current day Chris Masters, as well. It's obviously a lot easier when he's dealing with someone as big or bigger, but I can always buy the fact that those two are actually in trouble whenever they portray to be. Dustin's another guy who's great at it (6'5" as well IIRC), but he's not the FIP here so that's beside the point. (Or he might've been, they probably both were at some point. Hazy memory and all that. ) I've probably said many many times before but a handful WCW matches of this time go from a really simple formula of babyface-dominant brawling -> slight heel comeback -> babyface dominant wrestling -> FIP -> babyface comeback. And fucker it works every time. A good time's spent on the ramp (they should bring that thing back) and there's some MONSTER clotheslines taking place, I remember one in particular taken by Zbyszko that I still remember. Honestly I think of Windham as practically an all time great but I always think to myself how he only had a few good years in the 80s while always managing to forget how good he after coming back from WWF. I'm not actually sure there's anything separating NWA/Florida Windham from WCW Windham. totally awesome on control when throwing out lariats and really making you believe he hates the son of a bitch (Zbyszko) for breaking his arm. Then he goes ahead and shoves Austin into Austin's OWN corner just so he can tag Zbyszko in. And I've been waiting to see someone do that spot forever. Moving out of the ring after Rhodes & Windham lost control, Zbyszko plants Windham's coconuts on the guardrail and it looks nasty, hell even Madusa said "ow". And she has no coconuts. I had to point that just in case no one got it (you know, for HER to say "ow", it's like... yeah. Ow.). I may have to watch this again but I'm making sure it isn't falling off. If for anything for the Windham-shoving-Austin-into-his-own-corner spot alone.

Bobby Eaton/Arn Anderson v Scott Steiner/Rick Steiner (SuperBrawl 29/2/92)
--I really get into scenarios where the Champions (Arn & Eaton) are really billed as underdogs coming into a big match, and that kind of thing almost always leads to the underdog(s) pulling a victory somehow. But the underdogs are the underdogs so they're starting by not getting much in, and I loved how they did it here. Every time Eaton got some offense in, Scott would reverse it, counter it, or just plough through it, and Eaton would back into a corner putting on a "what in heyell am I gonna do?" face. He decides what in heyell he's going to do is tag in Arn, and Arn's demanding Rick gets in here so get the two bigger power guys and you get the crowd giving that "oooohhhhh" thing going. Arn lays on the floor after an Irish Whip and Rick lays beside him and if i remember right he just gives him a totally fake warm smile. Or he smashes him. Either way one suplex later and The DA are conversing on the outside about what they're going to do next and Paul E's in panic mode. They get back to going and I loved how they still couldn't get a good offensive stream going, if this was TV match they might have, but on a PPV they have enough time to build this thing more. I actually love that about short WCW TV matches, I mean they're terrific as just matches, but when you compare them to a PPV match the PPV match seems a lot longer and bigger. I also love how Eaton had to resort to low blow to get the upper hand in this eventually, and then Arn works on the abdomen to try to trick the ref. Would've been amazing had he worked on the groin, but it's "illegal" and "immoral" and stuff. Rick becomes the FIP and I thought it was good but the hot tag to Scott was, well, "cold", I guess. Maybe it was just the crowd, but I didn't feel it. Scott becoming the new FIP kind of made up for it since they got to "right the wrong" of the cold tag (well, in my eyes, anyway. ;D). I liked this hot tag better, mainly for Arn almost looking like he was going to shit his pants when Eaton was going to be pinned by Rick. Hilarious turn of events where Rick gets salt (or some white stuff) gets thrown in his eyes by Arn so in confusion and blindness he gives a belly-to-belly to the ref. Awesome stuff.

Rick Rude v Ricky Steamboat (SuperBrawl 29/2/92)
--Steamboat brings his ninja!!!!!! That's enough to put this in the top ten. I mean, it's A NINJA. This is a US Title match and the atmosphere is bigger than a lot of World Title matches I've seen. The heat Rude gets is off the charts as well. It was great how they played off of the big atmosphere too, they didn't start this with anything more than collar and elbow with brawling, and it gets the crowd going nuts, they didn't want these two to do anything specific, just as long as they were touching each other (I know what you're thinking after reading that. Forum full of sickos. ). Steamboat gets in control with his armdrags and such, and moves on to Rude's to not give the Rude Awakening so much effect. Rude was unbelievable on selling that arm, even when on offense he had it bent and would gradually extend it as time went on. They clash into each other in a sort of a double crossbody spot, and I think the whole "even playing field" deal is spot-on perfect for a match with a big atmosphere and it's the kind of thing that makes a good crowd hold their piss in until the match is over with. Steamboat's ninja turns on him and it turns out it was Paul E. who was banned from ringside. That clever chicketty. Man I swear half of the matches on my list will probably be from 1992 by the time this thing's done (2024).

Every member of The Dangerous Alliance is your father and Madusa gave birth to you

Arn Anderson v Dustin Rhodes (WCW 4/1/92)

--I totally expect to have this higher than anyone else because I damn LOVE IT. Pretty much everything in here’s basic and there’s no defining moments of the match or anything but I adore the way it’s built and everything. Rhodes keeps cutting Anderson’s attempt at offence off with a little bit of arm work that isn’t too heavy so it makes you think it’s a long-term thing, but you can tell it isn’t painless and useless either. Arn creates probably the best possible counter for a hammerlock, backing Rhodes into a corner and head butting some hairs off of his head. None of AA’s attempts pay off and Dustin decides he’s given him too much offence and goes to the leg instead, banging it against pole and everything, the whole shebang. I can only think of Kawada in the ‘93 AJ tag and Kobashi in the ‘95 tag as being more favourable leg sells then what Anderson’s doing here as well, especially for the figure four Dus put on. Paul E’s expression of pure hopelessness on the outside are a thing of beauty as well (would word that differently but whatever) because he looks like he’s thinking there’s not a hope Arn will get back from all this. Eventually does, obviously, with a fuck of a spinebuster. Got to note how he takes a short while to actually show signs of improvement in his leg as well, he doesn’t just hop up and sell the leg the same the rest of the match and then just “decide” it’s okay. He gradually sells it less and less. Paul figures this all isn’t enough so when the right time comes he blasts Rhodes with his chunky arse 1992 telephone on the outside. AA throws Dustin’s shoulder into the post and goes to the shoulder, and uses pretty much the “classic Anderson strategy” of targeting a part until the wrestler is half dead. During this entire part you don’t see a sign of Dustin using anything that might put him at an unfair advantage, Anderson can use Paul E, he can rake the eyes, use the ropes, Dustin wants to win this fairly.  Match is ruled a disqualification anyway once we get a thousand interferences and a TV cut off from WCW’s trustiness, but the whole “Dustin never cheated” thing was a cool little side-story. Don’t expect to like this more than I do, folks.

Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat (WCW 18/1/92)

--Ten minute time limit and these two don’t fuck around so this should be real fun, and it was. Five star stare-down after Steamer’s collar & elbowed into a turnbuckle, then a six star set of pin holds when Steamboat tries to end it early. And this is all real fast, Steamer’s coming from every direction like he’s his own army and Austin’s all by himself trying to dodge a million bullets. SEVEN STARS. After eight or ten Steamboat gets tired of it himself and using his “aerial tactics” as some like to call it. And this is all fast, totally damn fast, like Jeff-Hardy-match-on-fast-forward fast. Neither guy makes a screw-up either and both guys are in-sync to THE MAX. Steamboat isn’t giving Austin a milligram of offense either (the good way not the Liger vs. Otani 9/2/97 way). They pack it in after a ref push, a Madusa interference, Austin actually using some attack and a time limit draw. Just way too fun for a ten minute TV match, and to think this was the norm in WCW around this time is just……damn.

Bobby Eaton/Rick Rude/Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat/Sting/Marcus Bagwell (WCW 18/1/92)

--Not even Bagwell can stop these matches from being fun (and he really fucking blows). He obviously isn’t the centre point of this or really any of the matches, but I obviously would’ve preferred Dustin Rhodes or Ron Simmons be in there. Match is real good with piles of re-watch value (like just about anything in 92 WCW). These matches rarely start off slowly either, this one was no different with Steamboat ducking Rude to get to the other DA members and clock the both of them. He then gets the shit on Rude and Rude’s selling an armbar and an atomic drop just incredibly. Bagwell comes in and gets punished for existing. Well lookey there he is good for something. I said Bagwell was obviously not the main focus, and here comes the main focus; Sting vs. Rude. Rude tries to go directly for him and you have the other members holding him back, there’s a huge big fight environment and everyone in the arena NEED to see them go at it. You just KNOW after Steamboat’s FIP that he’s tagging in Sting so he and Rude can blow it up. Too bad he tagged in Bagwell instead and created the most disappointing moment in tag team history. Still one fuck of a nine minute match, yeah that was all in nine minutes.

Bobby Eaton/Steve Austin v Sting/Marcus Bagwell (WCW 18/1/92)

--Eaton starts this one by slapping Bagwell’s face. God I love Bobby Eaton. Bagwell punches him in return which I thought was actually kind of neat...I guess. For Bagwell. My hate for Bagwell then sky rockets when he puts on the worst looking headlock I’ve ever seen. The FUCK do you not know how to put on a headlock?!?!? I’ve probably never even seen a worse headlock at my high school. It was just flat out BAD. *breathes out*….Ok Sting gets in and the match got a whole lot better (fucking Bagwell, man). Not long before Bagwell’s back in only to tag Sting in again. Sting gets caught in what looks like will be an FIP segment, but he thinks realistically that the top babyface in the company tagging in Bagwell isn’t going to look so good so he stops Austin’s offence and tags in Bagwell. Austin goes to start an FIP on him and of course Bagwell screws it up. Screwball. The other three try to save it but Bagwell eventually becomes the guy who gets a “hot” tag (wasn’t exactly “hot” but they wanted it to be, I blame Bagwell. Screwball). Bagwell’s shittyness aside this wasn’t terrible.

Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko v Dustin Rhodes/Barry Windham/Ron Simmons (WCW 21/1/92)

--Windham’s over-anxiety and thirst for revenge costs him control at the beginning and I loved how it was already shaping out. No Marcus Bagwell this time either. The whole “Windham lost control” part was thrown out the window after the babyfaces get a triple figure four spot but I’m not complaining, I could watch this all day. Rhodes using a lariat to send Eaton over the top rope so he lands on that ramp-way thing was particularly great. Bobby is one of the top “heels getting chewed up by babyfaces” guys ever so this is all of course better than the Bagwell matches already. Watching this Dangerous Alliance stuff makes be shocked at how many babyface-chews-up-heels spots and segments can be done as well, and how these guys manages to mix it up wrestling more than once a week (and I’m sure they use some different stuff at love events as well). I love that “vintage” stuff as well (shut up I had no other word for it), like Windham’s flying lariats which he uses to level everyone. Complete disaster until Eaton takes one fuck of a fist before losing. Watching guys in tights touch each other just shouldn’t be this fun.

Rick Rude/Steve Austin v Sting/Ricky Steamboat (WCW 21/1/92)

--Rude slaps Sting in the face and you just WANT them to explode into a brawl. Rude played the hesitant role really really well here too, and Sting mocking Rude’s sexy pose might be the highlight of his career. Well, it was awesome anyway. Watching the Alliance freak the hell out when Steamboat and Sting start revenging there way by cheating and no-tagging was just a sight to behold. Pretty basic match apart from that, but I’d still rather watch this over mostly anything that’s happened in wrestling over the past four years. DA destroy security post-match.

Arn Anderson v Dustin Rhodes (WCW 25/1/92)

--Another match that doesn’t exactly have too much going for it in terms of being really great, but it’s just too fun to leave out. I don’t have any intention of writing about every match on the Dangerous Alliance set, and I haven’t, but there’s just *those* matches you can’t miss out. They keep it real simple to begin especially, then Anderson has enough of trying to shove on an unsuccessful headlock and now has a new goal of forcing some teeth out of Rhode’s mouth. Rhodes was nice here trying to keep it ground-based, and even when it gets a little faster Arn resorts to fake-blowing out his knee so Paul E. can call a time-out and he can fuck Dustin over. Plants a DDT on him and stomps on him just because. These matches tend to end with a Dangerous Alliance interference but they’re not important title matches or anything so more power to WCW.

Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko v Rick Steiner/Scott Steiner (WCW 25/1/92)

--Eaton gets Zbyszko as a partner after Austin can’t wrestle because of a Barry Windham assault during the Anderson/Rhodes match (looked pretty nasty btw). Bobby’s the man, I liked his work in The Midnight Express before I *truly* sunk my teeth into DA, and he was probably better there, but something like failing to outclass Scotty Steiner on the mat then scurrying for the ropes and complaining about a hair pull is still must-see TV. The Steiners are two guys who to me need the right opponent otherwise they’re just okay. Believe me Eaton and Zbyszko are the perfect whiny little shits for them. The show of giving their opponent limited offence in a “we’re babyfaces and we love out fans and they hate you so we gonna whoop you up for them”. Eaton and Zbyszko sell the “can’t get the upper hand” stuff good, obviously. I remember them getting pretty pissed when Rick gives a Steiner-Line on the outside when he isn’t the legal guy and the way they complain in this or any match just gives you rewind button a hefty using. Another disqualification finish.

Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton v Brian Pillman/Mike Graham (WCW1/2/92)

--Graham tries to hit the Figure Four from the get-go (he’s one of the 46829 people they call “The Master of the Figure-Four”), and when not trying it he tried a more “finesse” style, and Anderson is opposite to that (good mat worker, though) and goes for straight out sluggy FORCE. Turns into one of the bounce off the ropes sprint wars until Graham tags in Pillman without AA knowing and Pillman comes in with a flying lariat which I though was great. He doesn’t exactly have a Barry Windham flying lariat, but watching him catapult himself to get that extra “oomph” to the move is great. Eaton’s in and Anderson demands to be back in to get sweet revenge on Pillman’s arse. This is 1992 WCW so of course it isn’t too long until Pillman does something like a head-scissors which prompts Anderson to make the greatest surprise face of all time. A super FIP section and some referee-distraction stuff ends a really fun piece of work. Arn Anderson, peoples.

Steve Austin v Barry Windham (WCW 1/2/92)
--Windham’s got the hurt arm and thanks to Barry himself Austin has a hurt leg. It takes about three WCW in 1992 matches to realise the babyface is getting the offence first so obviously Windham goes straight for that leg before Austin has a chance to do anything. Ain’t nothing pretty about a pissed off Barry Windham but he manages to keep it less “evil vicious” and more “rightfully revengeful vicious”. Austin on the other hand needs no one in the crowd behind him so he’s all about the steel rail and apron usage when going straight for that arm. He undoes the bandages on the arm which gets Barry madder so he follows suit and undoes Austin’s bandages. Austin’s offence may be great but while taking the crap he put in this brilliant spot where Windham goes for an Irish Whip and he just falls over because of the leg instead of running limply. I swore I saw Windham look at him like “this kid knows what hes doing” after that. Austin was just that good in the five or whatever minutes that had to make this thing and it shows when he’s flopping everywhere like Ric Flair and the crowd of course love that stuff. Dangerously flipping out on the outside adds to any match that it’s included in so I have a hell of a time watching that as well. If some guy who’d never watched wrestling before put this on mute and watched it not knowing who’s who, they’d probably think Windham was a big a dick bully as there is.

Rick Rude v Tom Zenk (WCW 1/2/92)

--Rick. Friggin. Rude.  Man he was great, he shook Zenk’s hand, broke clean on a power struggle into the ropes, hit totally open-handed hits and was as fair as the bluest babyface. Totally reminded me of Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio from June 2005 where you could just tell this going to turn into something different and the heel’s just shoving mind-games everywhere. It doesn’t start to change when Rude’s eating a dropkick and armdrags, it takes him to nearly lose a test of strength for him to get so annoyed he’s just gotta pull that hair to win it. The match isn’t very long but it’s all about Zenk’s back following that and I thought Zenk was pretty damn good complaining about how hurt it was. Rude was Rude.

Bobby Eaton v Dustin Rhodes (WCW 1/2/92)

--I don’t know how most people rank Bobby Eaton but he just keeps climbing higher and higher on a best wrestlers list for me, and he does those little touches better than almost anyone I can think of. It takes a special kind of wrestler to come up with punching his opponent directly in the face and then shaking his valet’s (in this case Madusa’s) hand following it. He obviously took a punch for that but it’s still that little touch that’ll give your rewind button a nice exercise. Eaton’s a guy who’ll slap you so you can run after him only to be poked in the eyes as well. That doesn’t pay off either but it leads to him clubbing Dustin while being caught in an armbar. No fancy twists, no leg cut offs, no cartwheels, just a club. Paul E.’s got the idea to referee-distract so Bobby and Madusa can do all sorts of illegal things to Rhodes (yes I said that), jabbing him in the throat and all that. I like it when Eaton teases using the Alabama Jam (top rope leg drop) and uses and elbow instead. Turns out to be a mistake when he tries a swinging neckbreaker only for Dustin to hold the ropes and Bulldog his face into the floor. If I had to put any less than six minute match on my list it would be this one.

Arn Anderson/Larry Zbyszko v Marcus Bagwell/Sting (WCW 1/2/92)

--Arn Anderson might be the best ever at swallowing babyface punishment. When you make Mucus Bagwell’s offence even slightly entertaining you’re the best in the world. There’s no piece of offence in here from the faces worth mentioning in particular but I just have to note that. Zbyszko’s no slouch either but ARN ANDERSON. Larry slaps Bagwell and that prompts Bagwell to want to get in and when he does he starts acting all dominant as if he fits in or something. Anderson’s hitting a DDT on his worthless arse and says “BRAINS OVER BRAWN ALL THE TIME” into the camera. **********5/6. That DDT sets up my favourite part of the match where DA torture Mucus. With Mucus being the worthless piece of dung he is, Anderson needs to over-showboat and stall for Fagwell to nearly get a tag. Dumbass Bagwell doesn’t know how to sell a snapmare either. Screwball. Blind Sting tag but who cares all I have to know is Bagwell got plastered with a telephone courtesy of one Paul Heyman.

Larry Zbyszko v Ricky Steamboat (WCW 8/2/92)

--Steamboat has some masked guy out with him that’s supposedly a ninja. Okey dokey. Zbyszko sees him and yells at Steamboat to “get that piece of crap outta here” with Madusa bitching about how he has to have a licence. Madusa doesn’t even want to get down off of the apron and stand on the same floor as the guy and he’s moving less than Chyna when she was HHH’s bodyguard. Anyway Zbyszko is the best whinging baby ever, complaining about the tights being pulled afyer a backslide and having this smug look on his face while having a headlock like a little kid who has the bestestest trading card on the whole playground. He even blames the ninja for ruining his concentration when things don’t go his way. He’s on the outside and says to a crowd “you obnoxious fat slob keep your mouth shut”. I was in awe by this point. I can’t write a hefty amount on the actual “wrestling” part of the match but this was the shit.

Arn Anderson/Larry Zbyszko v Ricky Steamboat/Barry Windham (WCW15/2/92)

--The four guys involved alone was reason enough alone to be excited about this, throw in the fact they brought the ninja and that anticipation goes way high up (NINJA :mark:). There’s a good amount of talk whether Anderson or Rude was the best in WCW (or the world, for that matter) in 1992, but I have to say I’ve lead towards Arn the whole time. It’s juts a combination of everything he does in there while keeping the same formula and mixing it up, all the same time throwing in those things like pointing to his head to indicate how smart he is and then widening his eyes as far as they can go when he gets caught off guard. Rude has all of that too (not those specific things, exactly), but I think Arn was just that bit better. He’s pretty much been the star of every match I’ve seen him in here too, even if Rude’s involved. Anyway this is pretty much a standard tag from this time, as in, standard actions not standard quality. Then again the s

Rick Rude v Brian Pillman (WCW 15/2/92)

--Out of all the “Rude squashes an inferior wrestler without actually squashing him” matches, this has to be by far the best one. Rude goes for a handshake like in the match with Zenk, but Pillman doesn’t accept, and that don’t fly well with Rude who’s got Pillman’s fuzzy little head in a headlock following that. Pillman’s all about his “Flyin’” quickness and that all that so he’s running around and eventually gets to Rude’s leg. Jim Ross calls it “Pillman confusing Rude”, which in turn confused me because I think if you’re the smaller guy going for a leg is good, but whatever, he’s Jim Ross :P. One thing I’ve mentioned before about these Rude “squash” matches is how Rick makes the guy almost looks like he can win, he leaves way for all of his signature “got this in the bag” moves like Air Pillman and all that, and you get the feeling it could be a short while before they give you a Razor Ramon/123 Kid-lioke upset or something. They DON’T, obviously, but you get the feeling it could happen.

Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko/Rick Rude v Sting/Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes/Ricky Steamboat (WCW 22/2/92)

--On paper this is the greatest tag team match of all time, not quite there when it comes down to it but it’s really a ball of a match. You have to love it when the babyfaces sense the crowd could have an explosion and go for the heels before the bell rings so they’ll be all hot and everything. It eventually waters down to Eaton vs. Windham but after Eaton takes a little they’re back to a little insane bulldozer segment. I’m not too a big a fan of when multi-man tags al have their own separate little feuds and all that, but when you have one big main one, namely Sting vs. Rude which the crowd is really fiery for, I can dig that a lot. Dustin Rhodes becomes the face in peril after a bit of cheating and stuff. DA working a body part over is always fun (hitting the leg this time), because they usually pull a fast one like Anderson faking a tag so Sting can come in and turn the ref’s attention onto himself while they all swarm Rhodes like a flock of Pikmin on a Red Bulborb. Hot tag was superb, Rhodes gets Steamer in while IN an atomic drop. Crowd loses their heads, I lose my head. Not taking this one off.

Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko/Cactus Jack v Sting/Marcus Bagwell/Rick Steiner/Scott Steiner (WCW 22/2/92)

--I may look at Bagwell as poison but when he does something like hitting a slap in retaliation to a slap, I have to admit he isn’t a bad babyface. Just a screwball. I prefer Rick Steiner cleaning everyone up with Lariats and belly-to-bellies. You’d have to be nut to think this went any other way in the openings than faces steam-rolling heels until a cheat put them in front. Cactus menaces Scott Steiner for that, and while I think Scotty recovered a bit too early, I thought it was all right when it lead to Bagwell being dropped on his head for the pin. Yayz.

Arn Anderson/Bobby Eaton/Larry Zbyszko v Brian Pillman/Tom Zenk/Marcus Bagwell (WCW 7/3/92)

--I was hoping DA would spend the whole match wrenching Bagwell’s neck (which was in a brace…..:mrgreen:), and when I saw Arn Anderson mock Bagwell by holding his own neck, I lost my shit. Brian Pillman makes for a good hot tag guy, but he was FIP here and I prefer him in that, especially being the vanilly rookie who loves everyone and points towards the SKY. Probably my favourite parts of the whole FIP segment were Arn tagging Eaton in while in the middle of Pillman’s backslide hope spot, and tagging in Zbyszko while in a sunset flip hope spot. Bagwell’s the hot tag, and talking as an unbiased observer, I thought that was a real head-scratcher given he had a broken neck. It would have been horrible anyway because you know, Bagwell’s the hot tag, but Bagwell with a broken neck? Fuhgettaboutit. At least he got his neck dropped on the ropes for the finish. :) I’d watch this again for sure.

Arn Anderson v Ricky Steamboat (WCW 21/3/92)

--There’s those under ten minute matches that are “surprisingly good for the time given”, and then there’s *those* under ten minute matches that I’d gladly call a great fucking match compared to anything. This is one of *those* and probably my favourite >ten minute match ever. And Arn Anderson’s my favourite shtick ever. Maybe. I adore how he thinks he has the upper-hand in a match and does something to make you think he knows he’s smart, like point to his own head, and be met with a wake up call. And Ricky Steamboat’s my favourite Hawaiian ever, he’s awesome at hope spots because a lot of what he does is just that simple but effective. You can believe a chop is going to stop someone in their tracks, but it won’t derail them completely. He takes a fuck of a shoulder bump as well, and I remember the greatest sunset flip balance I’ve ever seen as well. Man for ten minutes they got a HUGE ton of back and forth stuff (and it wasn’t the “your turn, my turn” deal that I’m not fond of) in and I love how it ends swiftly with Anderson’s lifting his knees on a crossbody. Built some very good “anybody’s ballgame” stuff too. I was in awe of the spinebuster and then looked over at Paul E. and he was in awe of it and I was in awe of him being in awe of it. Little later he tries to interfere and Steamboat does the deal where he looks around the crowd asking whether he should dice him or not (he does). Disqualification wasn’t a problem at all because it came a time where I thought the match was taking a more hectic turn and Rude coming in adds to that hectic…ness…icity. Honestly ten minutes or not I’d gladly call this a “great” match. So, great match.

Bobby Eaton v Ricky Steamboat (WCW4/4/92)

--I think the match itself went four or six minutes, but it’s really the post-match stuff you want here. The match is great for however long it was, the timing and execution was just perfect, and Steamboat selling a top rope knee drop by crunching his face and shivering and vibrating his arms was just uber-awesome. The ref bump is where shit really goes down. You have Madusa being a complete bitch to Steamboat, slapping him and stuff, and Steamboat gives a demented psycho Bruce Lee look and slaps her one back. Wasn’t two seconds before she was crying like a whiny hypocritical little shit baby and Steamboat apologising his absolute arse off realising he just hit someone with boobs. That distracts him enough for the rest of the Alliance to come in and wipe him left and right, they get to the concrete area and the babyfaces come to Steamboat’s aid when he’s bleeding. WCW around this time had a no-no on televised blood so they blurred it, and I have to say I kind of liked that because it made it look more violent and it gave you the feel that this was something to really be concerned about, not “hey look it’s BLOOD GUYS BLOOD ECWECWECWECWECW”. There’s blood dripped on the concrete as well and Sting’s unsurprisingly the guy to ultimately save Steamboat. Not much of a match, or nomination, but this as a whole was just glorious.

Steve Austin v Tom Zenk (WCW4/4/92)

--Andy’s disdain for Zenk is well documented and I’ve seen Craig him a cunt a few times over, and I’m not one who’s willing to defend him in something like “Tom Zenk vs. The World” or anything, but I think he can be good, and a lot better than someone like, I don’t know, Bagwell? Just pulling a name out of the hat there. He’s “bleh” and everything but he’s the sort of guy who I think is carry-able in a match like this instead of being the guy who’d pull a match down. With that noted he was pretty garbage here. The match as a whole isn’t bad, and Austin did what he could, but if I had to choose one match to not watch on the Dangerous Alliance set ever again it might be this. It’s 2/3 falls and I thought the first fall was done well, and I would’ve been content with a one fall match and it ending there. It was basically wrestling with Austin getting the fall from pulling Zenk’s tights and being helped by Paul E’s distracting. Second fall had a teenee tiny sub-story of Zenk coming back, and Austin worked over the arm so I thought the blow-off could have been great. What was blown off was Austin’s arm work. He took Zenk to the pole and barricade and all that and Zenk basically goes into an armlock of his own, and for whatever reason goes to Austin’s arm. Huh? Austin tries to get back to Zenk’s arm but again Zenk blows it off and gets the second fall from who knows where. Huh???? Zenk’s taken a fair bit of punishment by the end of the third fall and Austin’s taken a lot less, but Zenk gets a lot more of the upperhand and sells a lot less. HUH!?!??

Arn Anderson/Rick Rude/Steve Austin v Barry Windham/Dustin Rhodes/Ricky Steamboat (WCW 4/4/92)

--You know THOSE matches that you have no idea what write about but they need to be here? There’s really nothing separating this from a regular tag match but it’s just the structure and execution of the whole thing. Normally when writing about a great match I’d mostly mention the stuff I haven’t or have rarely seen, the little additions and that. There really isn’t much I can write about here without stating the obvious or being really redundant. It’s really basic, babyface’s dominate, hot tag, Paul E’s there, he’s doin’ stuff, heels cheat, disorder, yadda yadda yadda. I’m not even trying to make it sound bad because it was fucking great and I wouldn’t have taken it any other way. I just really wanted to write something about this and had no idea what. So there.