WCW Bash at the Beach 1994

For 1994 WCW took its slightly altered ‘Beach Blast’ concept (changing the name to the more familiar ‘Bash at the Beach’) and did something they rarely did during the promotions run: pull something off better than the WWF did. After signing Hulk Hogan to a big money contract, WCW immediately gave fans the dream match they were waiting for (and the one the WWF failed to deliver in 1992), pitting Hogan against WCW Champion Ric Flair in a pay per view main event – going as far as billing Hogan as a former ‘five time WWF Champion’ to truly capitalize on the situation. The show was marketed on the strength of that main event alone, and people tuned in: drawing WCW’s biggest numbers ever (to that point), and more importantly, outdrawing the WWF’s King of the Ring from the month before.

While Hulk Hogan’s involvement in WCW would directly lead to the highest of highs (the nWo) and the lowest of lows (bankruptcy), they made a big mainstream splash, and were off to a great start before the mismanaging began. Personally, the signing of Hulk Hogan was a pivotal moment in my becoming a WCW fan. I had barely heard of WCW before (I would occasionally see it on if flipping past Saturday Night, but never actually got into it), but when I heard of Hogan’s arrival, it immediately became must-see TV for me.

From Orlando, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, and Jesse Ventura.


Opening WCW Television Title Match: Steven Regal v Johnny B. Badd: Regal is worried Badd will muss his hair (guy looks like he would likely bust out rollers and a blow-dryer instead) and tries to hide in the ropes, but Badd gets him in a wristlock. Regal manages to counter and wrestle him to the mat for a couple of two counts in a test-of-strength, but Badd cradles him for two, and Regal backs off again. Criss cross goes Badd's way with a Japanese armdrag, but trying to trade holds again with Regal gets him hooked in a headlock. Badd tears at the arm again to break it up, and Regal decides 'fuck it, let's bail' and threatens walking out. Back in, Regal with a series of uppercuts, but Badd gets him in a hammerlock, so Steven starts throwing backelbows to break. Suplex, but Badd counters into an armbar, so Regal gets more direct with his counters, and starts punching him in the face to break. Badd with a dropkick, and he takes Regal down with a headscissors, followed by a backdrop. Big left hand sends Regal to the floor again, but this time Johnny doesn't give him the chance to think about bailing - diving after him with a plancha. Sunset flip back in, but Regal reverses on the mat, and pins Badd at 10:40 to retain. Odd ending (they had trouble executing the reversal), but as usual, Regal could be counted on to work a psychologically sound (if occasionally dull) match - Badd game to hang. *

Vader v The Guardian Angel: This was an interesting feud, if only because The Angel (Ray Traylor) was literally stripped of his gimmick in the middle of it (kayfabe for attacking Vader, really because of legal issues), which has to be some sort of first. Angel goes after Vader manager Harley Race before the bell, but that just gets him a series of body shots, and a spinheel kick. Angel fires back with a release side suplex, and a bodyslam has Vader bailing to break the momentum. Angel is right on him, but Harley Race earns his money with a distraction, and Vader leaves him flat on the floor to take the count. He manages to beat it in, but is welcomed back with more body shots, and a bodyblock. 2^nd rope flying sunset flip, but Angel buttsplashes him - only to get a short-clothesline as he makes the mistake of playing to the crowd. Vader with an anklelock, but Angel gets uppity, so he slams him, and gives him a Vaderbomb to shut him up. Flying moonsault hits, but it takes as much out of Vader, and he can't capitalize. That draws Harley Race is again, but Angel starts VIGILANTING UP!! Clothesline! Suplex! Shoulderblock! Nightstick! - but the referee sees it, and disqualifies the Angel at 7:58. Fun power match, with a weak ending to prolong the feud. * ¼

Terry Funk and Bunkhouse Buck v Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson: Dustin had been feuding with Colonel Parker's 'Stud Stable' for months, and ended up recruiting Arn Anderson of all people for a tag showdown. Buck and Anderson start, and they go to a couple of stalemates out of lockups, so Buck calls for Arn to tag Dustin. The faces oblige, and he doesn't even bother with a lockup - going right at both heels with fists of fury. The dust settles on Funk and Rhodes, and Terry slams him, so Rhodes responds by slamming Funk over the top to the floor. Back inside, Dustin with an atomic drop on both Studs, but Funk catches him with a side suplex, and tags back to Buck. Criss cross sees Dustin take a nice bump to the floor off of a missed bodypress, and Funk wastes no time meeting him out there with a shot into the rail - right next to Anderson, who doesn't seem interested in intervening. Inside, Buck hooks a reverse chinlock, but Dustin gets uppity, so Buck tries an abdominal stretch next, and Funk gives with a neckbreaker for two. Piledriver gets two when Arn saves, so the Stable start blatantly double-teaming in their home corner. Rhodes fires off elbowsmashes to get out of the wrong corner, and tags Arn - only to get immediately DDT'd by Anderson, who then throws Funk on top for the pin at 11:15. They do the obligatory beat down afterwards, then head into the night to find the hookers they have waiting backstage. This was pretty much a handicap match well before Arn turned on him - and it worked well that way, as it allowed them subtle bits like Arn going to collar-and-elbow stalemates with Buck (where as Rhodes didn't even bother, and got right to brawling), or not helping Dustin as he got beat down on the floor right next to his home corner. *

WCW United States Title Match: Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat: Austin barely lets the bell ring before plowing Steamboat into the corner, and going ballistic on his knee with stomps. To the center of the ring for a figure four, but the Dragon shoves him into the post, and hits a super-impressive ropewalk forearm - walking from one turnbuckle to the other. Slam, but Austin railroads him into the corner again - only to get dropkicked into a tree of woe. Steamboat with a savate kick, and an armdrag takes Austin into an armbar. Criss cross sees Austin land badly to hurt his knee, but Steamboat sees through the attempt at catching a breather, and stomps him in the corner. Dropkick sends Austin to the outside, so he drags Steamboat out with him to break the count - only to make the mistake of trying to exchange chops. Chase ends with Steamboat hooking a sleeper on the way back into the ring, and a schoolboy gets two. Back to the armbar, so Austin fights to a vertical base, and uses a mule kick to break the hold. Side suplex and a backelbow leave Steamboat punch-drunk, and he falls to the floor before Austin suplexes him back in for two. Another side suplex, but Steamboat somersaults into a cradle to counter, and takes him back to the mat with the armdrag/armbar combo. Criss cross sees a botched leapfrog (though Steamboat saves it nicely with a cradle), and they try it again - this time with Austin hitting a spinebuster as originally planned. 2^nd rope kneedrop, but Steamboat keeps coming with a slingshot - only to walk into a lariat. Austin with a backdrop and a swinging neckbreaker for two, but a reverse chinlock sees Steamboat power into an electric chair - only for Austin to see that frequent Steamboat counter coming, and nail him with a closed fist. Austin with a series of failed pinfall attempts, but a blind charge gets him stungunned, and they spill to the floor for Ricky to post him. Flying tomahawk chop on the way in allows the Dragon to unload mounted punches, and he hits a backdrop for two. Austin rakes the eyes, but Steamboat skins the cat when Steve tries to dump him, and sneaks over with a magistral cradle for two. Inside cradle gets two, and a somersault cradle for two - so the dazed Austin tries a tombstone, triggering an impressive three alarm reversal sequence ending in Ricky hitting the move. Flying bodypress, but Austin throws the referee in the way, and begs him to disqualify him. Steamboat talks him out of it, however, and hits a bodypress - only for Austin to roll through, and stick two feet on the ropes for the pin at 20:10. While well worked, it was kind of aimless for a while, until it really heated up towards the end, with fantastic reversal sequences, and a great finish. Steamboat would end up getting the title from Austin the next month - though he would suffer an unfortunate career ending injury in the process. ** ¼

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan v Pretty Wonderful: Sullivan starts with Paul Orndorff, and Paul really plays up the 'Paula' nickname with a series of effeminate taunts. He manages to take Sullivan down with a pair of armdrags, so Kevin doesn't even bother, and decides to bring in the psychopath. Orndorff doesn't want any part of him either, though, so he quickly passes to Paul Roma - who plays to the crowd until Jack bites him. Tag to Sullivan for a shoulderblock, but he fails to cut the ring in half, and Roma scurries back to Orndorff - only for both Pauls to get overwhelmed in a four-way brawl. The dust settles on Cactus and Orndorff, and Paul gets the best of a criss cross, but runs into a barrage of right hands and dumped. Back in, Jack and Sullivan cut the ring in half with arm work, but Orndorff manages to dodges Jack long enough to tag Roma, and he stomps a mud hole. The challengers also blow their advantage by failing to cut the ring in half, and Sullivan tags in to beat them up. Double Stomp on Orndorff gets two, and Jack hooks a front-facelock, as the bored crowd starts amusing themselves by doing the wave. For a while, too, as Orndorff tagging to Roma does nothing to excite them. Sullivan destroys him in a slugfest anyway, so they try a four-way brawl to re-engage the crowd - Orndorff piledriving Sullivan for two. Roma with a sloppy flying elbowdrop for two, but a double-team draws the ire of Cactus Jack, and it doesn't take long for a four-way brawl to break out from there. The champs dominate, but the referee misses Cactus' double-arm DDT, and Orndorff pins him when Roma hooks the leg from the floor at 20:11. No surprise in who took the fall there, as Cactus Jack was in major hot water for showing up on ECW TV (there as part of a bit of cross promotion with WCW – which, not surprisingly, didn't last long) and spitting on the tag title belt. The match was far too long for the lazy, directionless punch-kick affair it was – not helped by the disinterested crowd, and Jack being in no mood to bump around and save it. ½*

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Ric Flair v Hulk Hogan: This is effectively Hogan's WCW debut - as he had appeared on programming, but not yet wrestled prior to this. Shaq is the guest time keeper, and Hogan brings Mr. T for moral support. Flair tries a meek shove out of the staredown, but gets blasted with a shoulderblock off the ropes, and Hogan throws him across the ring when they lockup. Flair starts playing mind games by sidestepping the Hulkster a few times, and takes Hogan to the mat in a hammerlock. He shifts into a wristlock as Hogan starts to fight back to a vertical base, and ends up getting reversed onto the mat. Flair with a casual cheap shot to break, and he bails to the floor to hide behind manager Sherri - though that's not very sound strategy when you consider how many beatings Hogan has given her over the years. Inside, Hulk hammers him, and hits a cross corner clothesline - but Flair dodges the big boot by slipping to the floor again. He lures Hulk into a chase to turn the tide, and unloads chops back in the ring. Shindrop misses, however, and Hogan unloads a ten-punch count before blasting him with a clothesline - only to have Sherri trip him up to allow Flair a kneelift from behind. Sherri with a chair, but Hogan manager Jimmy Hart steps in, so Flair does the job himself by tossing Hulk into the rail. Ric with a flying axehandle on the way back in, and this time Hogan is too dazed to dodge the shindrop. Chinlock, as WCW sets a record for crowd shots in a single match - apparently really excited that actual PEOPLE have showed up for their wrasslin' show. Hogan does the seizure shake escape, and Flair Flips to the floor, where Hogan side suplexes him. Hulk makes sure to break the count before Flair can retain, and suplexes the champ back in for the Legdrop - but Ric rolls out of the way. Smelling blood, Flair goes right after the knee with the Figure Four but Hogan cradles him for two. Second try gets him shoved off, as does a third - so Flair gives him a hanging vertical suplex to soften him up. Hogan does the Hawk pop-up, however, and hits the big boot for two - when Sherri pulls the referee out. That distraction allows Flair to clip the knee, and Sherri adds a flying splash for good measure. Meanwhile, WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel apparently doesn't give a shit about the blatant cheating, as he just sits at ringside nodding. Figure Four gets locked on now that Hogan is lady-splash weakened, but no amount of boobies smooshing onto him can stop a HULK UP!! Slam off the Top! Clothesline! Figure Four! - so Sherri passes Flair a pair of knux to finish him. It's a HULK UP!! however, so no go. Stupid Flair. Brass knux? A gunshot wouldn't slow him down at this point. Fists of Fury! Shoulderblock! Big Boot!  Legdrop! 21:51! Not quite as good as I remember it originally, but a solid match - though the booking made Flair look far too weak for a guy at his level. Regardless, it gave the majority of fans what they wanted (and brought in new fans along the way), and it was suitably epic for the great job WCW did of making it seem like an important, history making, dream match. Still, I would have liked to see this at WrestleMania VIII instead. ** ¼

BUExperience: Unquestionably up there with Bash at the Beach 1996 or Starrcade 1997 as one of WCW’s most historically important and significant shows, this got the Hogan era off with a big bang, and set records for the promotion. Overall, the show comes off as solid (if unspectacular), but the hot crowd (with the notable exception of the horrible tag title match – which no one can blame them for sitting on their hands for) providing a nice atmosphere. **