Brian Pillman

‘WCW SATURDAY NIGHT’ 01.02.1993 Recap + Review – U.S. Title Tournament Quarterfinals, Hollywood Blondes Form

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AIRDATE: January 2, 1993
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko

Saturday Night this week focuses on the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Title/U.S. Title #1 Contender’s Tournament, with Ricky Steamboat taking on Dan Spivey in the main event and Johnny B. Badd battling Barry Windham in a match whose closing moments has been burned into my brain since I first watched the show live. Also Brian Pillman & Steve Austin start their tag team journey this week but that probably won’t lead anywhere, definitely not to the best tag team of the year or anything, and we get a rundown of the Clash of the Champions card that is very subject to change. 

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

  • Z-Man & Tommy Gunn vs. Cactus Jack & The Barbarian (*3/4)
  • Erik Watts vs. Mustafa Saied (COMPETITIVE SQUASH)
  • U.S. TITLE #1 CONTENDER’S TOURNAMENT – QUARTERFINALS: Dustin Rhodes vs. Vinnie Vegas (**1/4)
  • Brian Pillman & Steve Austin vs. Ricky Nelson & Larry Santo (**)
  • U.S. TITLE #1 CONTENDER’S TOURNAMENT – QUARTERFINALS: Van Hammer vs. Tony Atlas (*)
  • U.S. TITLE #1 CONTENDER’S TOURNAMENT – QUARTERFINALS: Johnny B. Badd vs. Barry Windham (**3/4)
  • U.S. TITLE #1 CONTENDER’S TOURNAMENT – QUARTERFINALS: Ricky Steamboat vs. Dan Spivey (**3/4)

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‘WCW WORLDWIDE’ 01.02.1993 Recap + Review – Rhodes vs. Spivey, Steamboat & Douglas vs. Windham & Pillman

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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)

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‘WCW POWER HOUR’ 01.02.1993 Recap + Review – Armstrong & Bagwell vs. Pillman & Windham, New World Champion Announced

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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)

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‘WCW BEACH BLAST 1993’ Recap + Thoughts – Superpowers vs. Masters of the Powerbomb, Flair vs. Windham

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DATE: July 18, 1993
VENUE: Mississippi Coast Coliseum (Biloxi, MS)
COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone & Jesse “The Body” Ventura

WCW Beach Blast 1993 features a tag team main event as Sting & Davey Boy Smith join forces against Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious aka The Masters of the Powerbomb. The NWA World Heavyweight Championship is also on the line as Barry Windham defends against “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair and Dustin Rhodes defends the United States Heavyweight Championship against “Ravishing” Rick Rude in an Iron Man Match. 

BUT FIRST, a movie:

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‘WCW THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1995’ Recap + Review – Savage vs. Flair, Sting vs. Meng, Hacksaw vs. Pitbull

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DATE: June 18, 1995
VENUE: Hara Arena (Dayton, OH)
COMMENTATORS: Tony Schiavone & Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
VIEWING METHOD: Peacock

The Great American Bash returns to the WCW PPV lineup with this 1995 edition, headlined by the blood feud between Randy Savage and Ric Flair. A new United States Heavyweight Champion is also crowned as Sting & Meng battle waddle for the vacant wacant title witle, and Arn Anderson defends the World Television Title against The Renegade.

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‘WCW BEACH BLAST 1992’ Recap + Review – Steiners vs. MVC, Sting vs. Cactus, Steamboat vs. Rude

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DATE: June 20, 1992
VENUE: Mobile Civic Center (Mobile, AL)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Jesse “The Body” Ventura

Just four days removed from Clash of the Champions XIX, WCW presents its first-annual Beach Blast live from the summer capital of the world: Mobile, Alabama! This show features one of the greatest World Championship matches in WCW history, the Tag Team Championship main-eventing a PPV for I think the first time ever, and a 30 minute Iron Man match. Let’s see how it holds up.

CHAMPIONS

  • WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Sting
  • WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “Ravishing” Rick Rude
  • WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: “Stunning” Steve Austin
  • WCW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “Flyin” Brian Pillman
  • WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott Steiner)
  • WCW UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael “P.S.” Hayes & Jimmy “Jam” Garvin)

LINEUP

  • Brian Pillman [c] vs. Scotty Flamingo for the WCW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/4)
  • Ron Simmons vs. The Taylor Made Man (*1/2)
  • Marcus Bagwell vs. Greg Valentine (*1/4)
  • FALLS COUNT ANYWHERE: Sting [c] vs. Cactus Jack for the WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (****1/4)
  • IRON MAN CHALLENGE: Ricky Steamboat vs. Rick Rude (****1/2)
  • Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, & Nikita Koloff vs. The Dangerous Alliance (**3/4)
  • The Steiner Brothers [c] vs. The Miracle Violence Connection for the WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)

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[PPV Review] ‘WCW HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1992’ – Spin the Wheel Make The Deal, Simmons vs. Barbarian, Steamboat vs. Pillman

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DATE: October 25, 1992
VENUE: Philadelphia Civic Center (Philadelphia, PA)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Jesse “The Body” Ventura

Spin the wheel, make the deal. Spin the wheel, make the deal. SPIN. THE. WHEEL. MAKE. THE. DEAL. SPIIIIIIIIIN THEEEEE WHEEEL MAAAAKE THE DEEE-okay you get my point.

CHAMPIONS

  • WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The All-American” Ron Simmons
  • WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “Ravishing” Rick Rude
  • WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: Scott Steiner
  • WCW/NWA UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham

LINEUP

  • Shane Douglas, Tom Zenk, & Johnny Gunn vs. Michael Hayes, Arn Anderson, & Bobby Eaton (**)
  • Ricky Steamboat vs. Brian Pillman (***1/4)
  • Big Van Vader (on behalf of Rick Rude) [c] vs. Nikita Koloff for the WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/4)
  • Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham [c] vs. Steve Williams & Steve Austin for the WCW/NWA UNIFIED WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**3/4)
  • Masahiro Chono [c] vs. Rick Rude for the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (1/2*)
  • Ron Simmons [c] vs. The Barbarian for the WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (**)
  • SPIN THE WHEEL MAKE THE DEAL: Sting vs. Jake Roberts (*3/4)

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[PPV Review] ‘WCW HALLOWEEN HAVOC 91’ – Chamber of Horrors, Luger vs. Simmons

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DATE: October 27, 1991
VENUE: UTC Arena (Chattanooga, TN)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Tony Schiavone

The 1991 edition of Halloween Havoc features the infamous CHAMBER OF HORRORS, the crowning of the first Light Heavyweight Champion, a Ravishing Halloween Phantom, and 2 out of 3 Falls Match for the World Title.

CHAMPIONS

  • WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Total Package” Lex Luger
  • WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Sting
  • WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: “Stunning” Steve Austin
  • WCW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: Vacant
  • WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Enforcers (“The Enforcer” Arn Anderson & “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko)
  • WCW UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Patriots (Firebreaker Chip & Todd Champion)

LINEUP

  • CHAMBER OF HORRORS: Sting, El Gigante, & The Steiner Brothers vs. Cactus Jack, Abdullah The Butcher, The Diamond Studd, & Big Van Vader (*)
  • PN News & Big Josh vs. The Creatures (*1/4)
  • Bobby Eaton vs. Terrence Taylor (***)
  • Jimmy Garvin vs. Johnny B. Badd (**)
  • Steve Austin [c] vs. Dustin Rhodes for the WCW WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)
  • Bill Kazmaier vs. Oz (*1/2)
  • Van Hammer vs. Doug Somers (SQUASH)
  • Brian Pillman vs. Richard Morton for the vacant WCW LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (**3/4)
  • Tom Zenk vs. WCW Halloween Phantom (SQUASH)
  • The Enforcers [c] vs. The Patriots for the WCW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (*3/4)
  • 2 OUT OF 3 FALLS: Lex Luger [c] vs. Ron Simmons for the WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)

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[PPV Recap] ‘WCW Halloween Havoc ’89: Settling the Score’ – THUNDERDOME, Road Warriors vs. Skyscrapers, Luger vs. Pillman

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DATE: October 28, 1989
VENUE: Philadelphia Civic Center (Philadelphia, PA)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Bob Caudle

The inaugural Halloween Havoc features the debut of the REAL Thunderdome of professional wrestling as Sting & Ric Flair look to settle the score with Terry Funk & The Great Muta. Also on the show Lex Luger defends the U.S. Title against newcomer Brian Pillman, The Road Warriors slap meat with The Skyscrapers, the VERY MYSTERIOUS masked duo of Doom makes their debut, and…Tommy Rich regrets ever agreeing to wrestle in Philadelphia. At least until ECW happens.

CHAMPIONS
  • NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
  • NWA UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Total Package” Lex Luger
  • NWA WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: The Great Muta
  • NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael “P.S.” Hayes & Jimmy “Jam” Garvin)
LINEUP
  • Tom Zenk vs. Mike Rotunda (**1/4)
  • Steve Williams & The Midnight Express vs. The Samoan SWAT Team (**3/4)
  • Tommy Rich vs. The Cuban Assassin (*1/2)
  • The Fabulous Freebirds [c] vs. The Dynamic Dudes for the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (**1/2)
  • The Steiner Brothers vs. Doom (***)
  • “The Total Package” Lex Luger [c] vs. Brian Pillman for the NWA UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (***1/2)
  • The Road Warriors vs. The Skyscrapers (***1/4)
  • THUNDERDOME CAGE MATCH: Sting & Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk & The Great Muta (***1/2)

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[TV Recap] ‘WCW Clash of the Champions XI: Coastal Crush’ – Flair vs. JYD, Orndorff vs. Anderson

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DATE: June 13, 1990
VENUE: McAlister Field House (Charleston, SC)
COMMENTATORS: Jim Ross & Bob Caudle

The 11th edition of Clash of the Champions features the World Title on the line as Ric Flair defends against…The Junkyard Dog?!? That’s a match I’d never thought I’d see. Also on the show Doom defends the World Tag Team Titles against The Steiner Brothers in a Capital Combat rematch, Lex Luger collides with Sid Vicious, and…Paul Orndorff battles Arn Anderson? Are we sure this is  a real show?

CHAMPIONS
  • NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
  • NWA UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION: “The Total Package” Lex Luger
  • NWA WORLD TELEVISION CHAMPION: “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson
  • NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: Doom (Ron Simmons & “Hacksaw” Butch Reed)
  • NWA UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: The Midnight Express (“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton & “Sweet” Stan Lane)
LINEUP
  • The Wild-Eyed Southern Boys vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (***)
  • Tommy Rich vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (*3/4)
  • Tom Zenk & Mike Rotunda vs. The Samoan SWAT Team (**1/4)
  • Brian PIllman vs. Mean Mark (***)
  • The Midnight Express [c] vs. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express for the NWA UNITED STATES TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (***)
  • Doug Furnas vs. Barry Windham (**3/4)
  • Lex Luger vs. Sid Vicious (NR)
  • Doom [c] vs. The Steiner Brothers for the NWA WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (***)
  • Paul Orndorff vs. Arn Anderson (***)
  • Ric Flair [c] vs. The Junkyard Dog for the NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (**)

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