Triple Double A

Arn Anderson v Ronnie Garvin (NWA ?/4/86)
--Not even David Crockett's abysmal commentary could stop this from being a small bucket of fun. Only last around eleven minutes, but Arn's so awesome at getting you interested in what he's doing, and the match turns out pretty great in that short time. A good chunk of the match is basically slow & power-struggle...."y", but they do build it up into some captivating title chase parts. Oddly enough though the best parts in the match were the slow parts, and i'd give 100% of the credit to Anderson. At one point they're in an arm lock power struggle and Arn's losing so he complains about hair pulling, then the ref goes to check if Garvin's actually doing & AA does it behind his back & jerks Garvin to the mat in a headlock. Then Garvin pulls AA's hair in retribution so he looks like the cheater. DQ finish with Tully probably set up a good little feud so it's forgivable. Anderson's also the greatest ever at "drunk-punching".

Arn Anderson v Bobby Eaton (WCW 19/5/91)
--Probably about as good as a midcard 12 minute TV Title match gets. The whole thing going in was the fact Eaton was a tag wrestler his whole career, and was looking for his big break as a singles performer (TV Title was pretty big), while Arn was viewed as maybe the greatest TV Champion ever. It was great. Anderson started off being the "crafty veteran singles wrestler", trying to really squash Eaton and get it done quickly. My favourite part was him shoving Eaton off of the top turnbuckle into the ramp they used to have. Bobby looked like he could've fucked his knee if he landed one second earlier. Anderson works on the leg the most of the rest of the match and eaton had some pretty great comebacks. Bobby getting the win was great too.

Steven Regal v Arn Anderson (WCW 20/2/94)
--Goes nearly a half hour so of course it was great, but there was something missing, and I can't put my finger on it. Nothing to complain about overall, seeing Regal with his face only a mother could love grinding Anderson's body parts where the bones stick out is about as good as it gets. I'm going on a ledge and saying Regal's one of my favourite sellers too. I love how he scrunches his face when in certain predicaments and yells out an "AOWH" at times like when he gets caught in a leg scissors. This match was really Regal trying to keep his TV Title by going the full half hour since he figured he couldn;t beat Arn cleanly, and he didn't. His manager helped him with a cheapshot win at the end with like eight seconds remainding in the time limit. Regal having a taped leg the whole match was weird considering Anderson hardly ever touched it until the end, but whehn he did the crowd went nuts, but they didn't really...build it off from that. Awesome match though, these two are becoming two of my favourites to watch ever.

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.

Surprise Surprise, Some Good Dangerous Alliance

Arn Anderson v Big Josh (WCW 2/5/92)

--“Hey guess what.” “What?” “Arn had another good match in 1992.” “Get the fuck outta here.” “Ok I’m lying; Arn had another MOTHERFUCKING AWESOME match in 1992.” Yeah this is MOTHERFUCKING AWESOME and while it’s not exactly the total Double A you know who’s making you hooked. Big Josh is Matt Borne who’ve I’ve always liked, but he’s never the guy I’d say has had a lot of great career performances or matches, and I can’t call this an excellent performance or anything, but he did absolutely nothing to deter from how great this was. It’s 2/3 falls with like forty minutes so they get a shit ton of time to do stuff. First fall ends up being Josh basically cutting off any offence Arn tries to give, then going for Arn’s back (who I can say might be one of the best sellers ever at this point) only to get screwed by AA holding the ropes down for a pin. Second fall has Josh trying to get to Arn’s back straight away, and it turns into Arn targeting Josh’s arm, after a ducked clothesline-onto-ringpost spot. And targeting body-part Arn might be better than selling a body-part Arn. Josh ultimately wins by pulling the tights as a bit of a “screw you”, and I thought it was excellent how he wouldn’t get his hand raised because his arm was hurting that much. Third fall has a lot of “either guy could win”, and I love spots where they both get put down and you have Paul E. pounding the mat until his hands are purple so Arn can wake up. Add that in with Arn throwing woozy punches like only he can and winning with a spinebuster and this is MOTHERFUCKING AWESOME. Listed like a bitch.

Bobby Eaton v Dustin Rhodes (WCW 8/5/92)

Bobby Eaton v Dustin Rhodes (WCW 9/5/92)

--Oh YES these were great. Not “great” great, but like “eight minute lose your shit” great. I bundled them together since they have spots which I don’t remember came from which match, but either way you’re going to want to watch them both. They both have Eaton failing to get the upper hand, but they’re different aside from that. I remember Eaton getting fed up and trying to ram Dustin’s head into the ring post, only for it to be reversed and have Dustin armdrag him into the entrance way and dropkick and lariat him right there. Dustin’s terrific in selling the leg in one of them too, Eaton goes for an Irish Whip and he just collapses because he can’t take moving at that pace. Um…I recall thinking Bobby Eaton is awesome at taking punches and going over the top rope after one of those spots where he bounces back and forth on the same set of ropes, Dustin hitting a ring post somewhere, some interferences, and Dangerously yelling “DOES IT HURT DUSTIN? OH BOO. OH BOO HOO. DOES IT HURT DUSTIN? DOES IT HURT?”. Uh…yeah. Idk, just….watch them.

Steve Austin v Barry Windham (WCW 9/5/92)

--Much better than their last 2/3 falls match, which I still enjoyed and they actually kind of played off of here. Austin spends a lot of the first fall keeping a snug headlock on and Windham does what he can to try to break it, and Austin still keeps in on after a backdrop, but loses his grip the second time around. Windham trying to end the fall with a suplex was great since he won the first fall of their last 2/3 falls match that way. Thought it was even greater that he had to resort to a superplex to actually put that fall away. I’m actually having trouble remembering the second fall at all since I watched this nearly 24 hours ago (and I’m surprised I remembered even that much about the first), but Austin wins it. So there. Third fall was almost all Austin until Windham picks up the victory after Austin’s assistance from Paul E and busting open Windham fails. Windham winning sets a fuse in Dangerously’s head off and he gets on the ramp way and yells at Austin to pummel Windham with the Title he just lost. Not something I loved but it was real good.

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.