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[jvpw]

'WCW WORLDWIDE' 01.02.93 - Steamboat & Douglas vs. Windham & Pillman, THREE Dustin Rhodes Appearances

AIRDATE: January 2, 1993 COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone & Jesse “The Body” Ventura

The inaugural Worldwide of 1993 features a Unified Tag Team Championship main event as Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas defend against Barry Windham & Brian Pillman. Also on the show Erik Watts takes on Bobby Eaton in a Bounty Match and Dustin Rhodes wrestles not once, not twice, but THREE times.

CHAMPIONS

WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Big Van Vader

WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “Ravishing” Rick Rude

WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: Scott Steiner

WCW/NWA UNIFIED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat & Shane Douglas

LINEUP

Dan Spivey vs. Scott Allen (SQUASH)

Dustin Rhodes vs. Danny Deese (SQUASH)

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Chris Sullivan (SQUASH)

BOUNTY MATCH: Erik Watts vs. Bobby Eaton (*1/2)

Dustin Rhodes vs. Dan Spivey (*3/4)

Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas [c] vs. Barry Windham & Brian Pillman for the WCW/NWA UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/2)

*****

-LAST WEEK: A brawl breaks out between Ricky Steamboat, Shane Douglas, Barry Windham, & Brian Pillman leading to this week’s main event for the Unified Tag Team Titles.

–

“Dangerous” Dan Spivey vs. Scott Allen

Spivey dominates right from the bell, clubberin’ and clobberin’ and putting Allen out of his misery in short order with a DDT.

Dan Spivey defeated Scott Allen via pinfall (1:22)

JON’S RATING: SQUASH

–

-Eric Bischoff hosts this week’s WCW Magazine segment about the booming tag team division in WCW, showcasing a music video for up and coming team Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce. HELL YEAH BABY, IT’S GODWINNS TIME.

-Ventura welcomes Tony Atlas to the interview stage. Atlas asks when Van Hammer is going to accept his arm wrestling challenge (it’s happening January 13th at Clash of the Champions but I guess the Power Hour crew doesn’t talk to the Worldwide crew).

–

“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes vs. Danny Deese

Ventura mocks Rhodes’ theme song, saying studies have shown cities where “goat-roping” music is popular have higher suicide rates. Made me laugh but also YIKES. Not much to the match, Rhodes wins with a Bulldog.

Dustin Rhodes defeated Danny Deese via pinfall (1:45)

JON’S RATING: SQUASH

Schiavone welcomes the victorious Rhodes to the interview stage. Rhodes tells Barry Windham to watch his back because he’s going to finish what Windham started. Dan Spivey interrupts and challenges Rhodes TONIGHT, Rhodes agrees. Yeah alright, lessgooo.

–

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Chris Sullivan

Sullivan surprisingly is all offense to start, including a slap that sends Scorpio flying off the apron, but Scorpio quickly regroups and gets the win with a slingshot 450 Splash.

2 Cold Scorpio defeated Chris Sullivan via pinfall (1:19)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Chris Sullivan is billed from Hawaii but looks like a bus driver from Ohio. Go outside once in awhile dude YOU LIVE IN HAWAII. Scorpio switching it up with a slingshot 450, which is somehow even more impressive than his regular one. How did WCW ever get a wrestler so damn cool and innovative as 2 Cold back in the early-90s? You’re right, it was money. (SQUASH)

–

-Eric Bischoff is here with the second WCW Magazine segment of the night, this time focusing on the feud between Erik Watts and Rick Rude. Rude beat Watts on last week’s Saturday Night but Watts got the shine by beating the count after Rude tried to put him out with a Rude Awakening on the floor. Watts is in action next!

-EARLIER TODAY: Arn Anderson is upset that he has to relinquish his shot at the bounty on Erik Watts’ head due to injury but his partner Bobby Eaton is going to take his place. They’re the dirtiest players in the game and Watts will be the sacrificial lamb.

–

BOUNTY MATCHErik Watts vs. “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton [w/ “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson]

Eaton attacks Watts in the aisle, Watts sends him flying with a backdrop and enters the ring. Anderson gets in his face, Watts sends him packing with a right and goes back to Eaton, connecting with a monkey flip and series of rights. Watts goes for the STF, Eaton quickly scurries to the ropes to force a break and bails to the ground. Ventura announces that Rhodes/Spivey WILL be happening after this match. Cool. Watts bounces Eaton off the concrete floor and follows up with a 3 Point Stance lariat. Anderson distracts Watts, Eaton wipes him out from behind. Anderson gets a shot in, Ventura applauding him for returning the favor from earlier because he’s the fairest commentator of all-time. Eaton connects with a neckbreaker and comes off the top with the Alabama Jam, Anderson distracting the ref so he doesn’t get DQed (top rope moves are banned in WCW at this point still), and covers for the 1…2…WATTS KICKS OUT. Anderson intervenes, Watts double noggin knocks the dastardly duo and locks in the STF on Eaton for the win!

Erik Watts defeated Bobby Eaton via submission (3:40)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Erik Watts was set up to fail by his father, who ran WCW at the time he made his professional debut. Just cruel to put his son’s feet to the fire in such a high profile way. He ended up being pretty okay in the end but it didn’t end up mattering, sadly. ANYWAY the match itself was alright, Anderson & Eaton did what they could. Not sure why there’s a bounty or what the bounty is, it was only mentioned on commentary and not by the ring announcer. (*1/2)

–

“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes vs. “Dangerous’ Dan Spivey

Spivey attacks Rhodes right at the bell, leveling him with a clothesline. Rhodes stuns Spivey with a bionic elbow and sends him scurrying with a pair of dropkicks. Rhodes follows him out and gets his head rammed into the apron for his troubles. Rhodes catches Spivey with a kick and rides him to the canvas with a lariat. Rhodes works Spivey’s arm, Spivey backs him into the corner but misses a running elbow and Rhodes takes him back to the canvas with an armdrag. Spivey yanks Rhodes’ bad arm (he’s got a cast on thanks to an attack from Barry Windham last year) and goes on the offensive, slamming Rhodes on it for the 1…2…Rhodes kicks out and Spivey gator rolls the arm over the apron, snapping it on the hardest part of the ring. Rhodes charges, Spivey connects with a Japanese armdrag and covers for the 1…2…Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes counters Spivey with a belly-to-back suplex and catches him with another lariat for the 1…2…Spivey kicks out. Rhodes and Spivey knock the wind out of each other with a double clothesline, Rhodes gets to his feet first and heads to the top. Spivey tries to slam him off, Rhodes hangs on and turns it into a cover for the 1…2…3!

Dustin Rhodes defeated Dan Spivey via pinfall (5:27)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Disappointed, to be honest. I don’t know WHAT I was hoping for necessarily but that wasn’t it. Liked the finish though. (*3/4)

–

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat & Shane Douglas [c] vs. Barry Windham & “Flyin” Brian Pillman for the WCW/NWA UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Both teams continue their brawl from last week, Steamboat putting Windham into the lights with a backdrop followed by a double axhandle and double chop. Douglas tags in and grabs a side headlock. Windham counters out with a drop toehold and makes the tag to Pillman. Pillman & Douglas trade shots, Douglas fights out of the heel corner and grabs a wristlock, Steamboat tags in and slams Pillman on his now bad arm. Pillman begs off, Steamboat gives no f*cks and connects with another hammerlock slam. Douglas tags in and the champs hit a double back elbow. Pillman blinds Douglas and tags Windham, the challengers connecting with a double clothesline. Windham cleans Douglas’ clock with a right hand, Douglas reverses a whip and connects with a powerslam for the 1…2…Windham kicks out. Windham regains momentum with a flying forearm followed by a scoop slam. Douglas tries to make a tag, Pillman keeps the legs tied up and tags Windham who attacks Douglas. Douglas gets tossed over the top rope behind the ref’s back, Pillman rams him into the side of the apron. Windham snaps off a suplex, floating over into a lateral press for the 1…2..Douglas kicks out. Windham covers again, Steamboat stops the count. Pillman tags in and distracts the ref, Windham chokes Douglas and Steamboat runs over to put a stop to it. Douglas has Pillman pinned but the ref is too busy trying to send Steamboat back to his corner. DAMMIT DRAGON. Pillman slows it down with a chinlock, Windham giving his partner extra leverage by grabbing his legs. Windham tags in and bounces Douglas’ head off the top turnbuckle for the 1…2…not yet. Windham follows with a lariat for the 1…2…Douglas kicks out once again! Pillman tags in, Douglas counters a flyin Brian with a kick to the teeth.

Windham tags in but SO DOES STEAMBOAT AND IT’S DRAGON TIME BOYS! Double chops and slams to Windham and Pillman, Steamboat sends Windham to the floor with a chop. Steamboat pummels Pillman, Windham takes Douglas out of the match with a DDT ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR. Hope Douglas took it better than Steamboat did back in ‘86. Windham launches Pillman onto Steamboat for the 1…2…STEAMBOAT KICKS OUT. Windham tags back in and connects with a belly-to-back suplex for the 1…2…not yet. Dustin Rhodes runs out and checks on Douglas but he’s out of it. Steamboat tags Rhodes in, WHICH THE REF ALLOWS FOR SOME REASON, who pummels the hell out of Windham. Pillman attacks Rhodes from behind, Steamboat attacks Pillman but gets sent to the apron. Rhodes fights off Pillman and nails Windham with his cast for the 1…2…3!

Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas/Dustin Rhodes [c] defeated Barry Windham & Brian Pillman via pinfall to retain the WCW/NWA UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (11:52)

JON’S THOUGHTS: I’m with Ventura, Rhodes interjecting himself and taking over as Steamboat’s partner was unfair and should not have happened! MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE, A PLAGUE UPON THEIR HOUSES, etc. and so forth. Good match overall, Steamboat being the consummate babyface while acting like a sh*tbag heel is the best. (**1/2)

–

-It’s Eric Bischoff again with the third and supposedly final WCW Magazine segment of the episode, taking it to Van Hammer who accepts Tony Atlas’ arm wrestling challenge. 

-Schiavone and Ventura interview Barry Windham & Brian Pillman, who are still steaming about their loss. Pillman says he’s been participating in organized athletics since he was a child and has never experienced such a despicable display. Windham vows to paint Rhodes’ rear yellow as the odds are never even when they battle.

*****

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you’re into Dustin Rhodes then you’re gonna love this episode of Worldwide. Three matches in the span of an hour? Somebody in the office likes this guy. Good episode, lots happening start to finish and Bobby Eaton being the consummate professional by helping make Erik Watts look pretty damn good out there.

[jvpw]

'WCW POWER HOUR' 01.02.93 Recap + Review - Bagwell & Armstrong vs. Windham & Pillman, Big World Title Announcement

AIRDATE: January 2, 1993 COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone & “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko

WCW begins their New Year with Power Hour, featuring a tag team main event pitting Brad Armstrong & Marcus Alexander Bagwell against Barry Windham & Brian Pillman, plus some big news as a new World Champion has been crowned…at a house show in Baltimore during the week.

CHAMPIONS

WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Big Van Vader

WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “Ravishing” Rick Rude

WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: Scott Steiner

WCW/NWA UNIFIED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat & Shane Douglas

LINEUP

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Joe Cruz (SQUASH)

Scotty Flamingo vs. Keith Cole (*)

Brad Armstrong & Marcus Alexander Bagwell vs. Barry Windham & Brian Pillman (**1/2)

*****

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Joe Cruz

Right at the bell Schiavone announces some huge news: Big Van Vader is World Champion once again, having defeated Ron Simmons on Wednesday in Baltimore. More to come later today on Saturday Night. Cruz has the weight advantage but not much else and Scorpio easily dispatches him with various aerial moves, including a skin the cat into a slingshot splash and finally a 450 Splash to win.

2 Cold Scorpio defeated Joe Cruz via pinfall (2:44)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Scorpio out here casually busting out 450 Splashes in 1993, turning the crowd into that exploding head guy from Scanners. Love it. (SQUASH)

–

-Schiavone and Zbyszko hype the next Clash of the Champions, scheduled for January 13th, which will feature an Arm Wrestling contest between “Heavy Metal” Van Hammer & Tony Atlas.

-CLIP (12/19/92 Worldwide): Van Hammer defeats Ron Simmons to win WCW’s Strongest Arm competition put on by Jesse “The Body” Ventura. Hammer’s ceremony is interrupted by Tony Atlas, who says he was too late to enter the contest but HE’S the one with the strongest arm in WCW. 

-PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATION PAID FOR BY THE FOLLOWING: Zap Pack’s video game trading cards, GI Joe action figures, and Predator 2 for Sega Genesis and Game Gear.

–

Scotty Flamingo vs. Keith Cole

Cole overpowers Flamingo to start, keeping control with a side headlock until Flamingo finally stuns him with a belly-to-back suplex. Cole counters an abdominal stretch with a hip toss, Flamingo goes back on the offensive with a series of kicks and a bearhug. Cole won’t stay down though, kicking out of Flamingo’s  pinfall attempts and fighting back with lefts and a clothesline. Flamingo catches a charging Cole with an elbow and finishes him off with an airplane spin into a Samoan Drop for the 1…2…3.

Scotty Flamingo defeated Keith Cole via pinfall (4:46)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Flamingo may have gotten the win but Cole looked like the stronger man here, kicking out of every other pinning attempt in rapid fashion. Also it has to be said: Keith Cole has the GREATEST mullet I have ever seen on a human being. It is amazing, the perfect level of trash. Knowing the trajectory of Flamingo’s career in the 90s I have no idea what he’s got left to do in WCW under the gimmick. Could be a Michael Wallstreet circa 91 situation where he just suddenly…vanishes. (*)

–

-Teddy Long hypes up the 8-Man ThunderCage scheduled (SCHEDULED) to main event January 13th’s Clash of the Champions special. Clips aplenty play showing the major feuds going into the match (Ron Simmons/Rick Rude, Sting/Big Van Vader, Dustin Rhodes/Barry Windham, Van Hammer/The Barbarian, the final grouping having no real beef with each other but we paired everybody else off so whatever).

-Schiavone and Zbyszko discuss January 13’s scheduled (SCHEDULED) Bounty Match between Erik Watts and Cactus Jack then take it to footage from Jack’s match at last year’s show, a Falls Count Anywhere contest against Van Hammer from the 1.21.92 Clash. It’s a helluva thing mostly thanks to Jack’s bumps but sadly the show does not give us the whole thing, instead cutting to Missy Hyatt mid-move for the next segment. Booo.

-Missy Hyatt wants Erik Watts to make her his manager, as he needs someone to guide him. Cut to a clip from Saturday Night in 1992 where Rick Rude snaps off a Rude Awakening on the concrete floor. Watts makes it to the apron and Rude suplexes him back in…and now we’re back to Hyatt who continues pleading her case for becoming his manager.

–

Brad Armstrong & Marcus Alexander Bagwell vs. Barry Windham & “Flyin” Brian Pillman

Windham muscles Armstrong into the corner, Armstrong quickly fights his way out to reset. Armstrong drops Windham with a shoulder tackle followed by a dropkick into a side headlock takeover. Windham counters with a headscissors, Armstrong kicks his way out and a shoving match breaks out before the ref is forced to intervene. Schiavone brings up Armstrong & Windham’s history, the two having battled over the U.S. Heavyweight Championship at the second-ever Clash of the Champions. Pillman, Armstrong’s former Light Heavyweight Championship rival, tags in and gets dropped with an enzuigiri. Pillman misses one of his own, Bagwell tags in and goes after Pillman’s leg to ground the high-flier. Windham tags in, Bagwell surprises him with a dropkick and back body drop. Bagwell brings Windham to the canvas with a side headlock, Windham escapes but eats a pair of dropkicks followed by an armdrag into an armbar. Pillman sneaks a tag in and traps Bagwell in a side headlock. Bagwell catches a flying Pillman with a shot to the midsection followed by a dropkick and armdrag. Pillman sends Bagwell into Windham’s knee, Windham tags in and drives an elbow to the back of the neck. Bagwell fires back but misses a clothesline and Windham puts him into the canvas with a DDT, popping the crowd.

Windham connects with a belly-to-back suplex, Pillman tags in and comes off the buckles with  an elbowdrop for the 1…2…Bagwell kicks out, Pillman settles into a chinlock. Pillman tosses Bagwell to the floor behind the ref’s back, avoiding a DQ. Bagwell catches Pillman with a crossbody but Windham ties up the ref too long and only ends up with a one-count at best. Pillman traps Bagwell in an abdominal stretch, Windham pulling on the arm for extra leverage just out of the ref’s view. Bagwell escapes with a hip toss and crawls under Pillman’s legs to make the hot tag to Armstrong. All four men battle in the ring, ref forces Bagwell out and Windham & Pillman hit a proto Total Elimination (Pillman clipping the knee, Windham connecting with a lariat), Pillman covering Armstrong for the 1…2…3!

Barry Windham & Brian Pillman defeated Brad Armstrong & Marcus Alexander Bagwell via pinfall (9:22)

JON’S THOUGHTS: Having jumped from 1991 to 1993 in my WCW lookback I was a little surprised to see Pillman & Windham as a heel tag team given how heated their feud was back in the day, taped fist matches and the like. They worked really well together and I liked the finish a lot. Schiavone bringing up Armstrong’s history with Windham was a nice way to give some flavor to this one and I want to go back and watch that match now. (**1/2)

–

-Schiavone and Zbyszko hypes tonight’s Saturday Night, where a tournament will begin to get a shot at Rick Rude’s United States Heavyweight Championship.

*****

FINAL THOUGHTS

Disappointing that we didn’t get the full Van Hammer/Cactus Jack match from last year’s Clash, but besides that Power Hour was a breeze to get through. Main event tag team match was fun, loved seeing 2 Cold Scorpio in action, and the tease about Big Van Vader regaining the World Championship during the week did a good job hyping Saturday Night for later in the day.