NWA (WCW) Clash of the Champions XII: Mountain Madness/Fall Brawl '90 (September 1990)

Original Airdate: September 5, 1990

From Asheville, North Carolina; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Bob Caudle.


Opening Match: The Fabulous Freebirds v The Southern Boys: No, that's not a typo - these two teams did open the previous Clash against each other too. This was actually booked as a six-man tag involving Buddy Roberts and Brad Armstrong, but Roberts showed up in no condition to perform (those wacky Roberts'!), and they switched to another straight tag match instead. Well, as 'straight' as can be with the Freebirds involved, anyway. God, no wonder advertisers didn't want to be involved with professional wrestling... four men in this match, four tights covered in Confederate Flags. Plus three men with their faces pained to match. Anyway, Michael Hayes gets destroyed by Tracey Smothers in the early going, and passes to Jimmy Garvin - who promptly walks into a superkick. The Freebirds decide to try a double-team to turn the tide, but walk into a series of roadblocks in the forms of flying bodypresses and dropkicks from the Southern Boys. The Boys get cocky with their high flying, however, and Smothers gets dumped out of the ring by Hayes while attempting to springboard to the top rope - where Garvin is waiting with a clothesline. The Freebirds cut the ring in half on Smothers, but Tracey manages to slam Garvin off of the top rope to finally get the tag to Steve Armstrong, and they waste no time getting into a four-way brawl - the Boys taking it with stereo sunset flips at 8:34. The stalling was kept at a minimum to work with the time constraints, but nothing notable otherwise. ½*

Mike Rotunda v Buddy Landel: How many people named 'Buddy' are on this show? God, Vince McMahon would have an anal fissure. Landel tries a headlock in the early going, but Rotunda powers out to hook a mat-based side-headlock of his own - Landel bitching to the referee about hooking the tights. Rotunda tries an armbar instead, but Landel blows him away with a big clothesline, and hooks a rope-assisted abdominal stretch. Oh, the irony! Landel's attempt at a 2^nd rope axehandle doesn't go as well though (see: it goes horribly), and Rotunda drops a leg for two. Landel makes another attempt to turn the tide with some rope leverage, but Mike's having none of it, and hooks a backslide for the pin at 5:39. Just your basic early 90s TV match. DUD

The Master Blasters v Brad Armstrong and Tim Horner: This is the debut of the Master Blasters - which also makes this Kevin Nash's debut, playing Blaster 'Steel.' Steel starts with Horner, and man, that does not go well for Timmy - Kevin Nash already getting himself used to squashing smaller guys. He's also used to being lazy though, and tags Iron in after only a couple of clotheslines. The Blasters take turns dismantling Horner (looking super sloppy, and missing moves by miles) before Armstrong manages to get a tag. He doesn't get more than a couple of token shots off before the Blasters kill him, and a last ditch effort by Horner ends in the Blasters hitting a double-shoulderblock for the pin at 4:52. The Blasters were a clear attempt by WCW to try and recreate the Road Warriors (the tights, the haircuts, the face paint, the move set), but these two were just horrible - blowing moves left and right, and looking generally sloppy. In fact, Iron was let go just a few weeks later, and they probably only kept Steel around because Kevin Nash had 'the look' and was worth keeping at it with. Horrible debut effort, either way. DUD

The Nasty Boys v Terry Taylor and Jackie Fulton: Brian Knobs starts with Fulton, and it doesn't take long for Jackie to outsmart Brian with an armdrag. Ah, and so begins a long, not-so-great tradition of Brian Knobs getting outsmarted. He tags to Jerry Sags, but Fulton is all uppity for a jobber, and actually takes them both down with Japanese armdrags. Tag to Taylor, but anyone who used to ask you to call him 'Red Rooster' while he strutted around a wrestling ring can't be counted on to outsmart anyone, and the Nasty's dump him to the floor for some abuse. Inside, the Nasty's work to cut the ring in half, but Taylor manages to pass to Fulton. He unloads dropkicks, but a flying bodypress gets caught by Knobs with a powerslam, and Sags finishes with a flying elbowdrop at 7:11. Not a classic by any means, but the Nasty's looked energetic and ready to work, as opposed to their resthold filled later years. ½*

Tommy Rich v Bill Irwin: They don't even wait for the bell to start going at it, and Rich (wearing his best Ralph Lauren wrestling tights, from the looks of it) hits a side suplex for two. Mat-based side-headlock allows the fans to start heading for the concession stands (they should have booked this lineup year round - would have made millions on t-shirt sales alone), but Irwin fires back with a sidewalk slam and a forearm puts Rich on the floor. Irwin drags him back in to finish, but Tommy starts firing off closed fists, and catches Irwin with a Thesz press to finish at 3:55. Glad I didn't miss this. DUD

LPWA Title Match: Susan Sexton v Bambi: Sexton tries a headlock in the early going, but Bambi won't play along, so Susan takes her down with a droptoe-hold, and hooks a mat-based version. Bambi counters with a headscissors, but Sexton goes to an anklelock, countered by Bambi into a wristlock. Sexton reverses and shifts into an overhead wristlock, but Bambi is right there with another headscissors to counter. Both back off and regain a vertical base - Sexton coming at her with a shoulderblock, but unable to follow-up. Bambi goes to the mat with a side-headlock, but Sexton power up, and they try a test-of-strength. Bambi gets frustrated and starts unloading closed fists, but Sexton backdrops her and hits a bodyslam for two. Another backdrop, but Bambi cradles her to counter, so Sexton reverses and gets the pin at 4:10. Well worked back-and-forth wrestling match - the ending a nice play on the multiple reversals from earlier, as the frustrated Bambi ran out of counters. * ½

The Steiner Brothers v Maximum Overdrive: Scott Steiner starts with Hunter - quickly taking him down for some abuse on the mat. Hunter breaks a crabhold by grabbing the ropes, as Scott looks ready to legit tear his head off for whatever goofy Scott Steiner reason he has. He settles for hiptossing Hunter, and gives him a backdrop followed by a series of armdrags. Silencer runs in to try and turn things around, but Rick Steiner clobbers him with a clothesline, and the Steiners clean house. Tag to Silencer to bring him in all official-like, but Scott's on him with a German suplex, and he tags Rick in to get his licks. Rick gets down on all fours and barks like a dog, which somehow doesn't work, and he gets decked and then slammed by Silencer. Clothesline gets two, but Rick wins a criss cross with a powerslam, and Silencer bails back to Hunter. He gets murdered with a lariat, and the Steiners finish with bulldog off of the top rope at 6:25. The crowd loved seeing the Steiners destroy these two goobers, but there's nothing to see here outside of that. It was short enough, at least. ¼*

Stan Hansen v Z-Man: Hansen jumps Z-Man as he climbs into the ring, but Z-Man is a fighter (not a lover), and... fights back. It spills onto the floor for Hansen to kill him good, and Stan rolls him in for an elbowdrop, getting two. Hansen headbutt follows, and a side suplex follows. Z-Man counters a cross corner whip with a series of dropkicks, but he misses his own cross corner clothesline, and gets shoulderblocked before Hansen blasts him with a lariat at 3:18. Just a squash for Hansen ahead of his US Title win at Halloween Havoc. DUD

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Ric Flair: Luger dominates with power to start, so Flair tries to outsmart him with a cheap shot out of a test-of-strength - only to have Luger start no-selling when he tries chops. Lex with a press slam to leave Flair bailing to the outside, but Ric's not the defending champion this time around, and countouts aren't going to save him. Flair takes his time re-entering (killing Luger's momentum in the process), but his barrage of chops just gets no-sold again, and Luger delivers another press slam. A big clothesline sends Ric tumbling over the top, but this time Luger follows with a running clothesline on the floor before Flair can try and disrupt the momentum. Back inside, Lex press slams his challenger, but a leaping elbowdrop connects only with the canvas - Ric finally managing to slow him down. Flair with a series of chops, but Luger counters a cross corner whip with another thunderous clothesline, and Flair is actively begging off now. It's all a ploy, of course, and Ric blasts Luger with a closed fist, and dumps him to the outside for a hard shot into the rail. Ric styles and profiles as Luger tries to get back into the ring, and once he does, Flair is right there to meet him with a series of boots to the midsection. Back to the floor, Flair nearly breaks skin with some knife edge chops, and he teases trying to steal a chair from a shocked security guard seated at ringside to finish the job. Flair starts targeting the knee as they go back inside, but Luger's power advantage allows him a backslide for two. More chops and kicks at the knee, but Luger's now officially CHOKING UP!! Ten-Punch Count! Clothesline! Slam! Flair Flip! Clothesline! Press Slam! Powerslam! Superplex! Fists of Fury! They spill out to the floor again, but this time Stan Hansen runs out, and attacks Luger to cause a disqualification at 14:26. I could have done without the ending, but this was the usual well paced Flair/Luger match: repetitive, but entertaining and well worked. ***

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Sting v The Black Scorpion: This is Scorpion's in ring debut, after about a month of taunting Sting and being generally creepy. Tonight, it's Al Perez under the mask. Sting comes in ready to fight, but Scorpion is in full mind games mode, and stands like a statue - staring Sting down from under his hood and mask. It works, as Scorpion is able to take control at the bell with a flurry of fists, but Sting fires back with chops, and tries to choke the Scorpion out in the corner. They spill to the floor to trade more punches and kicks, as the crowds interest wanes once realizing the mysterious Scorpion is just a bad wrestler with a black mask. Inside for more Scorpion choking (in more ways than one...), as portions of the crowd start to clear out of the arena. Onto the elevated ramp way, Sting recovers from a slam and tries to go for the mask, but Scorpion blocks. Sting with a dropkick and a press slam, followed by a flying bodypress for two. He blocks more Scorpion choking with a clothesline, and the Stinger Splash gets the pin to retain the title at 7:12. Sting goes for the kill by ripping off the mask, but Scorpion's got another mask underneath. Sting doesn't think to rip that one off, too, but it doesn't matter because now the 'real' Black Scorpion is standing in the aisle - taunting him. Tune in next time, kids! Horrible match, and I'm surprised they actually kept at it with this feud (to headline the biggest show of the year, no less) after the crowds disinterest once the bell rang. DUD

BUExperience: This show did strong ratings at the time on the intrigue of Sting facing off with the mysterious Black Scorpion, but over twenty years later the intrigue has faded to nothing, and all you are left with is a good Luger/Flair match (though far from their best – not even their best of 1990), and the historical significance of Kevin Nash’s debut. *