Date: March 19, 1995
Venue: Tupelo Coliseum (Tupelo, MS)
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan
The first-ever Uncensored set the tone for the soon to be annual PPV event, featuring a whole host of matches considered ‘unsanctioned’ by WCW. That meant no rules, no mercy, and NO TITLES ON THE LINE. It was a cool idea on paper but this is WCW we’re talking about so the execution left a lot to be desired. Like “a lot” a lot. I’ve never watched this one before after reading so much bad press around it but you know what? I’m game to give it a shot. What’s the worst that could-wait Jim Duggan is competing in a MARTIAL ARTS match? And this is the debut of THE RENEGADE? Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no.
Champion Roll-Call
- WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan
- WCW United States Champion: Vader
- WCW Television Champion: Arn Anderson
- WCW World Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray)
The Lineup
- King of the Road Match: Dustin Rhodes vs. The Blacktop Bully (*3/4)
- Martial Arts Match: Jim Duggan vs. Meng (DUD)
- Boxer vs. Wrestler: Johnny B. Badd vs. Arn Anderson (*1/4)
- Randy Savage vs. Avalanche (*1/2)
- Sting vs. Big Bubba Rogers (*1/2)
- Texas Tornado Match: The Nasty Boys vs. Harlem Heat (**)
- Strap Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader (DUD)
*****
Pyro and ballyhoo as Tony Schiavone welcomes the home audience. Cut to the stage where Schiavone is joined by broadcast partner Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan and also Mike Tenay, who is going to be doing stuff on the OFFICIAL WCW Hotline. Heenan, as he’s wont to do, declares that tonight will be the end of Hulk Hogan. Tenay hypes Hulk Hogan’s “Ultimate Surprise” that will be in his corner: the man infamously known as The Renegade. Oof that poor guy. Oooo I can get the first minute free if I call the Hotline!
—
King of the Road Match
‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes vs. The Blacktop Bully
Rhodes and Bully had a feud so intense it can only be settled in a match that takes place in the back of an 18-wheeler truck. It’s caged off with bales of hay everywhere, and the winner is the one who can blow the horn. They actually shot this one a few days before the event but shhh it’s live as far as the humanoids know.
Rhodes and Bully do some rudimentary brawling, Bully climbs towards the horn but gets a fence post to the gut for his troubles. Rhodes, who is apparently busted open, connects with a piledriver and peppers Bully with rights as the editing team tries to desperately avoid the blood as much as possible. On a show labeled Uncensored. WCW, y’all. Bully goes on the offensive with a suplex then starts choking Rhodes with a rope that’s connected to the cage. Of course there’s a rope, WHY NOT. Bully is now busted open as well and Rhodes hits him with a pail of water. The truck makes a turn and speeds up which sends Rhodes crashing off the cage and back to the, uh, floor I guess? Truckbed? I don’t know. Rhodes with a belly-to-back suplex, I gotta commend these guys still trying to throw wrestling moves in this ridiculous situation. Bully almost sounds the horn but the truck slows down to make another turn, sending him falling off the beam he was standing on to reach. Rhodes grabs a wooden crate and cracks Bully in the head then they both go down thanks to FIGHTING ON THE BACK OF A MOVING 18-WHEELER. A piece of wood falls out of the truck and the camera catches the wheels running it over. That was more interesting than the match to be fair. The truck goes by a trailer park and Heenan mocks them, calling them ‘Mississippi Condos’. At least we got a good Heenan quip out of this one. Bully stacks hay to stand on but he ends up tumbling and Rhodes hits him with a trough (!!!). The truck makes a stop thanks to a church bus (YEEHAW THE SOUTH). Truck starts up again and Bully is hanging halfway on the other side, YIKES. Rhodes pulls on the leg to crush the family jewels of The Blacktop Bully. This is going on longer than I would have expected so far. Rhodes almost gets to the horn, Bully pulls him down but gets tossed across the bed. Bully throws a water pail at Rhodes and connects with a series of rights. Bully lunges at the horn but keeps missing, Rhodes climbs up next to him. Rhodes rakes the eyes, Bully decks him and pulls the horn, ending this insanity.
The Blacktop Bully defeated Dustin Rhodes (TIME NOT RECORDED)
- I’m not going to tell you this is a great match because it’s two guys trying not to die on the back of an 18-wheeler for almost fifteen minutes. But while it wasn’t particularly interesting on that end I have to admit the sheer balls and ridiculousness of the gimmick won me over a little bit. It was a bust, no doubt, but I respect the idea. Too bad WCW didn’t respect the two involved; Rhodes and Bully would be fired immediately after this show due to bleeding (a big no no in the company at the time), and Rhodes would hightail it to the WWF to begin his legendary run as Goldust. Things happen for a reason, I guess. Anyway this is worth a curiosity watch but it does go on longer than it should, no doubt. (*3/4)
—
Cut to Tenay who’s backstage with The Stud Stable (Col. Robert Parker, Arn Anderson, and Meng). Anderson isn’t concerned with Johnny B. Badd, as he gets to wrestle while Badd is stuck wearing boxing gloves. Okay so it’s not a full-on boxing fight. Phew. Parker hypes Blacktop Bully’s win (he’s also a Stud Stable member, they can’t all be winners) saying he’s now worth the money it took to bail him out of jail. Parker then speaks for Meng, saying his man is going to show Jim Duggan nine forms of martial arts in their match tonight and continues rambling until Tenay cuts him off. It’s tremendous though, I could listen to Robert Parker talk nonsense all day. We then get a brief video recapping the feud between Duggan and Meng, Meng transitioning from bodyguard to wrestler just last month after attacking Duggan at SuperBrawl.
—
Martial Arts Match
‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan vs. Meng [w/ Col. Robert Parker]
A martial arts match featuring two guys who don’t actually know martial arts? SURE WHY NOT. Sonny Oono is the special guest referee for this one as he’s a legitimate martial artist (and also one of the best managers in WCW history). Duggan is coming to the martial arts match in blue jeans because AMERICA. Meng is rocking some Road Warriors-style facepaint.
Oono wants Duggan to bow, a martial arts tradition, but he’s a big dumb brute and wants nothing to do with this nonsense. Duggan finally bows and Meng kicks him right in the face, which Oono allows because Duggan is a douche. Duggan fights back with his taped fists, Meng responds with thrust chops and kicks. I didn’t hear a bell so take the match time with a grain of salt. Duggan takes his own boot off and uses it on Meng but Meng gets rid of it. Meng applies a NERVE HOLD (blehhhh), Duggan takes his other boot off and stubs his toe to break the hold. Now he’s gotta wrestle in socks like some sort of dork. Duggan no sells some shots and rips his shirt so he can choke Meng with it but Meng doesn’t sanction the buffoonery and fights him off, going back to another nerve hold. I AM IN HELL. Heenan makes ‘Sonny Bono’ jokes about Sonny Oono because of course he does. Meng chokes Duggan on the bottom rope, Oono forces him back. Duggan cheap shots, Meng rakes the eyes and chops him to the mat. Lots of empty seats in the Tupelo Coliseum, TIME TO QUICKLY CHANGE CAMERAS. Cool, another nerve hold. Parker gets involved as well, choking Duggan with his handkerchief. All he’s missing right now is a mint julip. Duggan dodges elbow drops (very martial arts) and hits some corner mount right hands…to the shoulder? Duggan teases throwing Oono, the referee mind you, out of the ring. Meng hits the three-point stance clothesline, Meng pops right back up. Parker climbs the apron, Duggan decks him. Parker grabs his arm while Oono grabs the other trying to pull him off the manager, leaving Duggan open to a savate kick and Meng gets the pinfall.
Meng defeated Jim Duggan via pinfall with a savate kick (6:57)
- No martial arts to speak of, bad everything else to boot. Literal hell in wrestling match form. (DUD)
—
Tenay is in the locker room with Johnny B. Badd and his trainer Rock Finnegan (WHAT A NAME). Badd says he’ll be at a disadvantage because he’s in boxing gloves but Arn Anderson will be going to ‘Dreamland’ soon enough. Dreamland is the name of his left hand. That’s cool. We then go into a vignette of Anderson talking about how tough he is. He’s so tough he drives a TRUCK.
—
Boxer vs. Wrestler
Johnny B. Badd [w/ Rock Finnegan] vs. ‘The Enforcer’ Arn Anderson [w/ Col. Robert Parker]
Here’s the structure: ten 3-minute rounds with a 1-minute rest between rounds. Win by pin, submission, or KO. Badd is the face here but considering he’s representing boxing in a wrestling ring I think they might have gotten things twisted. Rock Finnegan is the best, I wish he stuck around.
ROUND 1: Badd takes a jab at Anderson while Schiavone and Heenan are asking about the whereabouts of Hogan’s manager Jimmy Hart. FOCUS GUYS. Badd with more jabs in the corner, sending Anderson crashing out to the floor. Parker advises his charge to take Badd’s legs out, which is great advice. Anderson with a knee to the breadbasket but Badd responds with even more jabs and The Enforcer bails to the corner until forced out by the ref. Anderson goes for the leg, Badd easily dodges. Round ends with Badd pummeling Anderson to the mat. ONTO THE REST PERIOD and Parker goes full corner man with water and a towel.
ROUND 2: Anderson backs Badd to the corner and focuses on the midsection with shoulderblocks and a knee. Badd responds with rapid-fire jabs and down goes Anderson. Ref administers the count, Double A back up at 8. Crowd is either really enthralled or super bored. Anderson finally sweeps the leg but misses an elbowdrop and Badd drops him with more jabs. Anderson gets to his feet at 7, ready to go. Badd brings Anderson to the corner and hits more jabs, mostly to the midsection, before delivering a final blow that sends Anderson back to the mat. Anderson gets up at 8, even though this is technically a TKO in boxing. Badd’s already won, just not officially.
REST PERIOD: Bell sounds for the rest period and Anderson hits a DDT, then later attacks him in the corner and tosses him out to the floor as the bell sounds for the next round.
ROUND 3: Parker gets in some cheap shots and Badd rolls in, Anderson raking at the eyes and using every dirty tactic he can manage to take advantage of the situation. Badd with midsection jabs, Anderson with a knee and an eye rake across the top rope. Parker puts Anderson’s stool in the corner and Anderson whips Badd into it. Finnegan sees enough and jumps on Anderson’s back to pop the crowd but ultimately his interference means nothing. Badd with a flurry of blows, Anderson tosses him out to the floor and Parker puts the boots to him.
REST PERIOD: Anderson whips Badd into Finnegan. Finnegan cuts the tape around Badd’s left glove to loosen it up. Anderson slams Badd and mocks Finnegan.
ROUND 4: Finnegan puts a metal bucket on Anderson’s head, Badd cracks him with his taped left hand, knocking him out and winning the match.
Johnny B. Badd defeated Arn Anderson via KO (9:29, Round 4)
- Well that was certainly something I watched with my eyes. Not as bad as the match before it, not even close, but still weird convoluted nonsense. Honestly I’ll take this over the fake boxing stuff from WrestleMania 2 and Slamboree 1999. I’m trying to come up with some positive stuff, man. (*1/4)
—
After a vignette hyping ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage, we cut to Mike Tenay in the locker room who’s standing by with the man himself. Savage says no more mister nice guy and threatens to knock everyone out on the way to the ring, including Tenay himself. AMAZING.
—
‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage vs. Avalanche
Savage joined WCW in late-1994 looking to extend his in-ring career as the WWF had all but sentenced him to one-offs and commentary duty. He immediately hooked up with Hogan to reform the Mega Powers (not under the same name though obviously) and became one of the biggest babyfaces on the roster almost instantaneously. Avalanche is John Tenta, the man formerly known as Earthquake in the first of THREE gimmicks during his brief time in WCW. He’s also somewhat new to the scene at this point, another person Hogan was chummy with brought over to appease the company’s new head honcho. Avalanche even has a rip-off of his old WWF theme. I love it. Schiavone makes it a point to mention how this is ‘Anything Goes’ like the rest of the card. Remember that folks, it’s important for this one.
Savage attacks Avalanche right away, peppering with jabs in the corner. Savage with a side headlock, Avalanche is unfazed by a running shoulderblock. Savage tries again with the same result, then slaps Avalanche when he starts jaw jacking. Savage sends him out to the floor, following up with a crossbody from the top rope. Into the post and steps the big man goes as Schiavone once again brings up how it’s anything goes in this one. Savage tries a slam but flies too close to the sun and Avalanche easily falls on top for a two-count. Avalanche drops an elbow and a leg but arrogantly covers and once again the Macho Man kicks out. Avalanche with a release belly-to-belly suplex, which is ignored by the commentators who are still talking about the missing Jimmy Hart. Avalanche with a DROPKICK of all things but can’t get the pin as Savage gets his foot on the bottom rope immediately. Savage dodges an elbowdrop and the crowd tries to cheer the life back into him. That’s quickly stopped though as Avalanche tosses him out to the floor with so much velocity that his head cracks the safety rail. Avalanche mocks Savage as he climbs the apron, then drops a series of forearms across the sternum before shoving him back to the floor. He tries to suplex Savage back in but Savage blocks it and drops him throat-first across the top rope. Savage heads to the top turnbuckle and hits a crossbody/axhandle something or another but Avalanche immediately throws him off to avoid getting pinned. Clotheslines from the Macho followed by a sunset flip but that’s easily countered with a seated splash. Standing splash but Savage manages to kick out in the time. Avalanche with another slam, then signals for the EARTHQ-err AVALANCHE DROP but Savage quickly rolls away before it can happen. Savage belts Avalanche with a back elbow and rolls him up for a two-count.
Savage to the top but Avalanche catches him on the way down and squashes him into the turnbuckles. Avalanche with another falling splash, then heads to the middle buckle. He takes too much time gloating though and Savage rolls out of the way of a splash. Savage to the top for his finish, Avalanche rolls out so he readjusts and hits a flying axhandle instead. Savage continues beating up Avalanche until a MYSTERY LADY shows up and starts beating up Savage. The ‘WOOOO’s from the crowd give it away: it’s the still ‘retired’ Ric Flair. Flair takes the wig off to make it official and Avalanche hits his Avalanche Splash on Savage. Hulk Hogan runs in and chases the heels away. The ref makes a ruling and the announcer lets us know: Savage wins…VIA DISQUALIFICATION. IN AN ANYTHING GOES MATCH.
Randy Savage defeated Avalanche via DQ (11:43 or so)
- I stopped the timer when the ref pointed at Savage as the victor, so like the match before it take the time with a grain of salt. A boring match with an absolutely STUPID finish that pretty much goes against everything Uncensored was supposed to stand for. How the hell do you win a match without any rules by Disqualification? Stick to the gimmick y’all forced yourselves into, WCW. Goddamn. (*1/2)
Hogan continues checking on Savage while Flair raises Avalanche’s hand in victory. Flair really went all out on his drag attire, he’s even got lipstick on. I respect the hustle.
—
Mike Tenay is standing by with Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri. Stevie Ray says there ain’t nothing to it but to do it and tonight they’re gonna get it done against The Nasty Boys. Booker T says this redneck town will be ‘obliviated’. That’s a real word?!? Man I didn’t pay attention in English class. Sherri says that tonight they will leave The Nasty Boys laying and continues talking while Tenay segues back to Schiavone and Heenan. Sherri gives him a death stare which you can see through her sunglasses. Cut to a video highlighting the feud between Sting and Big Bubba Rogers. Bubba used to be Sting’s friend under his ‘Guardian Angel’ gimmick but turned on him at Clash of Champions last month.
Cut to Tenay in the locker room with The Stinger. Sting says words cannot describe the mood he’s in and tonight he will end Bubba. WOOOOO and whatnot.
—
Sting vs. Big Bubba Rogers
This one is also ‘Anything Goes’ but considering the last match ENDED IN A DQ I don’t trust anything anymore. Rogers is Ray Traylor’s first gimmick in mainstream pro wrestling and his THIRD gimmick change since joining WCW in late-1993. He’s still got two more to go, too. WCW everybody! Sting is still rocking his bleach-blonde spiked hair but that’s going to change over the next year and I’m already mourning the loss.
Rogers points at Sting, Sting BITES HIS FINGER and goes on the offensive, dropping the bigger man with a running right. Sting puts on Rogers’ fedora and chokes him with his own coat before dropkicking him out to the floor. Sting dares Rogers to come and get his hat, then LEGDROPS IT and tosses it into the crowd. Surprisingly Rogers didn’t turn into dust when that happened. Sting keeps it going, stomping and kicking and buckle shots oh my. Sting sends Rogers out to the floor once again, Rogers sweeps the legs and tries to use the post but Sting uses his leg strength to send him into the steel instead. Sting with a splash followed by a good ol’fashioned slap to the face. Rogers bails to the floor, Sting chases him back in and hurts his knee during a leapfrog attempt. Rogers goes to work on the left knee, the same one that he had surgically repaired back in 1990. Nice continuity, actually. Sting fights back with a backhands but Rogers puts an end to that quickly by kicking out his leg. Rogers with an uppercut followed by his signature leg lariat on the middle rope.
The slow pace continues, Rogers with a toehold-like submission, dropping to one knee to increase pressure and maybe catch Sting off-guard long enough for a pinfall. Heenan amuses himself with jokes, Schiavone no-sells them. WCW really didn’t deserve a man as good as The Brain on commentary, and I say that as a part-time WCW apologist. The crowd is quiet, Heenan tries to cover saying they’re shocked at what’s happening. THE CARNAGE OF ALL OF THESE LEG SUBMISSION, BY GAWD. Rogers heads to the top AND HE FALLS OFF HAHAHAHAHA. Sting climbs to the top himself and hits an axhandle but comes down on his hurt knee and takes a second to regroup. Sting with a sleeperhold and the crowd actually pops huge. Tupelo loves sleeperholds but Rogers doesn’t and escapes with a jawbreaker. Sting ducks a right hand and hits a release German suplex, then heads to the top for a SUPERFLY SPLASH. A dazed Rogers eats a back elbow and falls right into Sting’s hurt knee, accidentally clipping it to his advantage. JIMMY HART IS STILL MISSING EVERYONE, KEEP PANICKING. Sting tries another slam but his knee gives out and Rogers covers for the 1…2…3!
Big Bubba Rogers defeated Sting via pinfall (13:44)
- Well that was a match. Sting tried to keep it entertaining with theatrics like pulling Rogers’ shirt over his head and crushing his prized fedora but overall it didn’t have a lot of fire to it. Just a whole lot of leg-based submissions, pretty tame for an ‘Anything Goes’ match. Admittedly it is pretty cool, and a little bit shocking, that Rogers got the clean win here though. So there’s that. (*1/2)
—
Schiavone hypes their next PPV, Slamboree, scheduled for May, then segues into a video recapping the feud between Harlem Heat and The Nasty Boys. Cut to Mike Tenay who’s in the locker room with The Nasty Boys themselves. Brian Knobbs yells nonsense about nasty sensations and headbutts lockers to show how INTENSE and CRAZY he is, Jerry Sags vows to beat Harlem Heat to a pulp and stuff them in a trash can. Okay then. We then get a vignette to hype Harlem Heat.
—
Texas Tornado Match
The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) vs. Harlem Heat (Booker T & Stevie Ray) [w/ Sister Sherri]
Sherri makes his way out to the Harlem Heat theme, carrying the WCW Tag Team Championship belts around her shoulders. She repeatedly tries to call them out but are nowhere to be, so she heads to the ring anyway. Nasty Boys make their way out, Sags carrying a (plastic) trash can. No weapons though, just garbage. Texas Tornado means all four men at once AND falls count anywhere to boot. CHAOS AND ANARCHY.
Harlem Heat finally show up, attacking The Nasty Boys from behind, Stevie Ray dropping Knobbs with a clothesline and Booker hitting a superkick on Sags. Ray whips Knobbs into the ropes and Booker hits him with a leg lariat. Booker then goes to work on Sags on the floor, throwing him full force into the post. Back in the ring Harlem Heat hit Knobbs with a spike piledriver. They turn their attention to Sags on the floor, Ray hitting him with a big boot. Sags hulks up and rams Booker into the guardrail before slamming him on the floor, then rolls in and helps Knobbs double-team Ray. Sherri climbs the apron and they bring her in as well. They remove her coat and send her to PITY CITY until Harlem Heat breaks it up. Sags dumps the trash can contents on Ray, then belts him with something or another (a stick? I’m not sure) while Knobbs sends Booker to the floor. All four men fight up the aisle, Sags and Ray fighting into the concession stand THAT TOTALLY ISN’T HERE JUST FOR THIS MATCH. Sherri chokes Sags with a belt and Ray smothers him with a rack of cotton candy (?!?). Knobbs hits Ray with a plastic tub then slips on the liquid that’s now all over the floor (Heenan: ‘SAFE!’). Harlem Heat gets covered in mustard and Knobbs slips again while hitting one of them with a giant stick. THIS IS HILARIOUS. Knobbs starts walking off, sick of falling down all the time but Booker brings him back and throws him into the funnel cake stand. Heenan doesn’t know what a funnel cake is, the poor sweet summer child. Sherri is doing pretty well maintaining balance on the wet floor while wearing heels. Lots of crash boom banging as the funnel stand crumbles into nothing and Knobbs manages to slam Booker on top of it for the 1…2…3?
The Nasty Boys defeated Harlem Heat when Brian Knobbs pinned Booker T (8:38)
- Was this bad? Yes. But was it stupid enough to still be entertaining? HELL YES. The TOTALLY REAL concession stand area was tremendous and bless their hearts both teams tried to make it work despite the floor being way too slippery to do anything meaningful on it. I laughed a lot at the match and Heenan’s quips so I’ll consider this a win. I need one with this goddamn show. (**)
—
Cut to Tenay backstage who’s joined by Vader. Vader immediately pushes him away and takes over the interview, yelling that Hogan has no place to run or hide and must pay for his stupidity. We zoom out from Vader where Ric Flair materializes to yell about Hogan some more. Lots of yelling. All of the yelling, WOOOOOO. We then go to footage summarizing the various happenings between Hogan, Vader, and Flair beginning at SuperBrawl V. Hogan teases an ‘ULTIMATE SURPRISE’…which is not the ULTIMATE SURPRISE they were alluding to.
Back to the ring for Michael Buffer’s main event introductions. Vader and Flair are out first, Flair crumpling a fan’s sign on the way to the ring like the heel he is. Jimmy Hart is apparently still missing according to the commentary team. OH MY GOD I DON’T CARE. Hulk Hogan makes his way out next, Buffer making sure we know he’s charismatic and popular by saying how charismatic and popular he is. Vader and Flair close in on Hogan, who’s still pretty damn over pre-Dungeon of Doom nonsense. All of a sudden the NOT WARRIOR THEME AT ALL hits and out runs The Renegade who clears the ring of the heels by running around. He leapfrogs flatfooted to the floor and chases Flair up the aisle while the match I guess has begun?!?
—
Strap Match
Hulk Hogan [w/ The Renegade] vs. Vader [w/ ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair]
The only way to win this one is by touching all four corners of the ring. Keep that one in mind as well, if you can do me this kindness. No bell has rung but after Renegade’s music dies we go to ringside and they’re already attached at the strap and brawling so whatever let’s go with it. Flair makes his way back to ringside, Renegade not being as intimidating as he probably wanted to be. Hogan almost immediately rips off Vader’s mask and bites him on the forehead. Flair teases getting involved, Renegade stalks him to stop it. Flair rolls in, Hogan whips him and he bails. The Renegade chases him into the aisle once more.
There’s a match going on at the same time, I promise. Hogan knocks Vader to the floor, Renegade rolls him back in. A tug of war for the strap ensues, Vader catches Hogan with a right hand to take control. Vader flattens Hogan with a Vader Bomb, Flair climbs the apron as does Renegade. They, uh, don’t do anything. Well actually Renegade yells a lot so there’s that I guess. Vader chokes Hogan with the leather strap, trying to knock him out. The strap, no longer attached to Hogan’s wrist, is in the possession of Vader who starts the whippin’ process. Meanwhile a beaten up Jimmy Hart finally makes his way to ringside to cheer his man on. The fight goes to the aisle and Vader grabs a chair. Hart distracts Vader long enough for Hogan to get the chair, and he repeatedly cracks Vader across the head (very gingerly). Hogan hooks himself back up to the strap and goes a whippin’ and a chokin’ and MY GOD THIS MATCH IS BORING. Hogan pulls the strap, sending Vader into the post three times and uses the chair once more to bounce off the big man’s head. Flair ends up in the ring for no reason and Renegade gets in as well. Flair tries a shoulderblock but it doesn’t faze the weirdo and we get more ringside stalking.
Hogan whips Vader a few times in the ring then tosses him back out for a slam on the floor. Hogan drags Vader around the floor, touching two posts but Vader breaks the momentum and sends Hogan crashing into the guardrail. A very southern-sounding ‘HOWGAN’ chant does nothing for the champ. Vader belts Renegade, who no-sells it, then rolls Hogan into the ring. Vader with a chokeslam followed by a splash and a nice vertical suplex that Vader overshoots enough to almost land on his head. Hogan immediately gets back to his feet and whips Vader, followed by a big boot and the Legdrop. One corner, two corners, three corners, Vader grabs the bottom rope and holds him at bay. A Masked Man shows up and hits Renegade with a wooden chair, then Flair hits Hogan with a wooden chair as well. Brief 2 on 1 attack then Flair hits Renegade with a wooden chair once more to (hopefully) keep him down. Vader gets to three corners, Flair jumps in and puts the chair under Hogan’s head, telling Vader to splash him instead of hitting the fourth corner. Vader does a goddamn kindergarten tumble into the chair as Hogan moves out of the way. Flair pulls Vader out then grabs a new wooden chair, breaking it across Hogan’s back. Hogan no-sells it though and HULKS UP. Big boot, legdrop, whole lot of whippin’. He then DRAGS FLAIR TO ALL FOUR CORNERS AND WINS THE MATCH WHAT THE FUUUUU-
Hulk Hogan defeated Vader by dragging Ric Flair to all four corners WHAT (18:16)
- An absolutely dreadful main event with a stupid finish of FLAIR TAKING THE LOSS FOR THE GUY WHO WAS ACTUALLY WRESTLING. I hated every minute of it, even Flair’s attempts to salvage things by being his usual entertaining self. Goddamn. What a shitshow this was. I can’t believe I wasted two plus hours on this PPV. (DUD)
Vader and Flair immediately double-team Hogan, Hogan hits them with a double clothesline. Renegade hops into the ring and starts threatening everyone with a chair. The Masked Man then runs back in for Vader and Flair, also holding a chair. Arn Anderson, wearing the Masked Man outfit, comes out tied up trying to get Flair’s attention. The Masked Man hits Flair and Vader with the steel chair and unmasks himself to reveal: RANDY SAVAGE. Renegade didn’t even get to make the BIG save at the end hahahahaha. What the hell. Hogan and his cronies celebrate as this show mercifully comes to an end.
*****
Overall Thoughts: WCW tried something new and there’s something to be said for that, but while this seemed like an okay idea on paper in execution this is one of the worst mainstream wrestling PPVs I ever seen, perhaps even the worst. The King of the Road match (for its weirdness) and the Harlem Heat/Nasty Boys match were the only saving graces and even those weren’t especially great, they just weren’t as bad as the rest of the card. Add in an awful main event with a BUGNUTS STUPID finish (even for WCW) and this isn’t even worth a curiosity watch. I should have heeded the reviews that came before me and ignored this one, but nooo I had to be a completionist. I regret everything.
- Best Match: The Nasty Boys vs. Harlem Heat
- Worst Match: Jim Duggan vs. Meng & Hulk Hogan vs. Vader (TIE)
