WCW Clash of the Champions XXIV (August 1993)

Original Airdate: August 18, 1993

From Daytona Beach, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura.


Opening NWA & WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Steve Austin and Steven Regal v Arn Anderson and Paul Roma: If you're thinking, 'man, I don't remember Austin and Regal as tag champs' you're not alone. They never were. The Hollywood Blonds were the champions at this point, but Brian Pillman sustained an injury, so WCW threw Regal out there to defend his half of the title since they already had taped footage of Anderson and Roma as champions, and needed to get the belts onto them before it aired, regardless of who actually wrestled. Austin starts with Anderson and goes to a stalemate out of the initial lockup, but has better luck with a criss cross and snapmares Anderson for a two count. A pair of pointed elbowdrops piss Anderson off, and he hooks Austin into a slingshot - over the top rope onto the apron. Steve charges back in, but Anderson is ready, and backdrops him over the top - this time out onto the floor. They brawl out there for a bit before Austin heads back in and begs off with a tag to Regal. Arn responds by tagging Roma, but he makes the mistake of trying to wrestle Regal, and loses a pair of reversal sequences before firing back with a bodyslam and a dropkick. Austin trips Paul up from the apron to turn the tide, and tags in with a 2^nd rope forearm, as the Non Blonds cut the ring in half. Roma manages to catch Austin with a stungun to allow the tag to Anderson, but Regal has the referee distracted, and manages to switch with Austin to keep the beating going. An enzuigiri finally allows him to get to Anderson, and Arn's a house of arson to trigger a four-way brawl - the champs going for the kill, but miscommunicating, and allowing Anderson to schoolboy Austin for the titles at 9:51. This has often been cited as one of the best examples of the chaos created by WCW's pre-taping schedule (and for good reason), though at least this one didn't result in a negative title reign. As a match, it was disappointing before even the opening bell, but all four guys worked hard to keep a good pace, and it was entertaining despite the booking. ** ¼

2 Cold Scorpio v Bobby Eaton: Eaton wisely tries to wrestle in the early going, and dominates Scorpio through collar-and-elbow tie-ups, but a wristlock allows Scorpio to flip-flop free, and a slingshot sunset flip gets him two. Eaton slows him down with a kneelift to the face, but misses a charge into the corner, and Scorpio hits a flying bodypress for two. Dropkick sets up a mat-based side-headlock, but a bodypress misses, and Scorpio eats canvas. Eaton follows up with a hammerlock to try and keep Scorpio grounded, but ends up on the top turnbuckle, where Scorpio dropkicks him off to the floor (though the move missed by a good two feet). Scorpio follows with a plancha, and rolls him in for a few chops, but walks into a swinging neckbreaker (on the second try, as they botched the first attempt). Bobby hits a well executed flying elbowdrop for two, but Scorpio starts BOTCHING UP!! Fists of Fury! 450 Splash! 5:26! Scorpio was his usual sloppy self, but the match was quick and harmless. ¼*

Mask v Guitar Match: Johnny B. Badd v Maxx Payne: Badd is under a mask here, after Payne shott him in the face with a confetti gun at Clash XXIII, and if he loses, he mustt unmask to show Payne the extentt of the damage to his face. If he wins, Badd gets Payne's guitar. Underwhelmingg stipulations to say the least. But it's STILL REAL TO PAYNE, apparently, as he jumpss Badd at the bell and startss throwing elbowdrops. Sidewalk slamm allows him to rip off the mask, but Badd has another one underneath, and uses the distractionn to catch Maxx with a headscissorss takedown. Payne responds with a hammerlock slamm, but a 2^nd rope splashh misses, and Badd wins the preciouss guitar at 2:41. Payne looked to be working stiffer than usual here, but this wentt nowhere - though thankfully didn't take more thann three minutess. ¼*

A Flair for the Gold: Ric Flair has special guests Sting and Davey Boy Smith out to discuss glittery robes and hair tips, but Sid and Harlem Heat interrupt - Harlem Heat apparently upset at Davey leaving them with nappy hair with his bad cornrow tips. Davey and Sting tell them to fuck off, or face their new partner for Fall Brawl - The Shockmaster! A flash of fire hits the stage, and Shockmaster bursts through the set in a glittery storm trooper helmet... only he trips, and face plants as he makes his entrance, losing the helmet. It turns out Shockmaster is Fred Ottman (the WWF's Typhoon/Tugboat), and he has the Black Scorpions voice distortion box to say mean things to the heels about their hair. This is a pretty infamous segment, as Shockmasters debut has been mocked by everyone from WrestleCrap to the people involved, and is easily one of the more embarrassing debuts ever - not only to watch as a fan, but for the promotion. It's like that episode of The Office where Michael promises a bunch of kids that he'd pay for their college education, and then has to admit to them that he has nothing. Like that episode, this is so cringe worthy and awkward that it's almost hard to watch. Almost.

WCW Television Title Match: Paul Orndorff v Ricky Steamboat: Half the crowd has apparently pissed themselves laughing after the last segment and retreated to the bathrooms, as the arena has darkened significantly. Steamboat goes right for a side-headlock at the bell, as the crowd taunts Orndorff with 'Paula' chants. A criss cross ends up Steamboat missing a bodypress to send him crashing out onto the elevated ramp way, and Orndorff follows him out there with a few kicks to the ribs. Back in, Orndorff hits a flying elbowsmash for a series of two counts, and hooks a chinlock. Faceslam sets up another series of two counts in an effort to wear the challenger down, but Steamboat fires back with a turnbuckle smash, and a flying tomahawk chop for two. Side suplex gets two, and a series of chops put Paul on the floor - Steamboat following him out with a plancha. Orndorff tries to turn the tide with a slingshot splash on the way back in, but Steamboat counters a piledriver with a backdrop - triggering a bridging reversal sequence that ends in a Steamboat backslide for two. To the top, Ricky hits a flying bodypress, but Orndorff rolls through for two. Paul with a slam, but Steamboat hangs on, and cradles him for the title at 8:32. Solid match, that got especially good towards the end with all the near falls and reversals. * ¼

Ric Flair and Sting v The Colossal Kongs: The Kongs can't get so much as a move in before Sting starts dropkicking and bodyslamming them, quickly finishing with the Stinger Splash and a flying splash at 2:14 - Flair never even tagging in. Just a squash. A complete and total squash. DUD

Dustin Rhodes and Hawk v Rick Rude and The Equalizer: Hawk acts as Rhodes' mystery partner, bringing Animal with him, and making the Road Warriors' return to WCW for the first time since 1990 - though they wouldn't actually make a splash until leaving and returning again a few years later. Hawk starts with Rude and immediately overpowers the Ravishing One, and Rick passes to Equalizer, who takes a dropkick and bails. Hawk gives chase, but a neckbreaker is blocked, so Hawk hits a fistdrop instead. Blind charge misses, and Equalizer clotheslines him, as the crowd quickly starts dying. Tag to Rude for a reverse chinlock, but Hawk powers up into an electric chair, and Dustin comes off the top with a flying clothesline to turn it into a Doomsday Device. Rude takes his sky kissing backdrop, but manages to block Rhodes coming into the corner, and clotheslines him - Dustin selling it with a somersault. Rude with a flying forearm, and he tags Equalizer to help cut the ring in half - which is sort of an odd thing to have someone named 'Equalizer' do, but whatever. Equalizer ends up clotheslining Rude to allow Rhodes the tag, but the referee misses it. Not that it stops Hawk, though, as he comes in and destroys both heels despite the referees increasingly frantic protests. The whole thing turns into a four-way brawl, and Hawk shoves Rhodes onto Equalizer for the win at 7:42. Pretty sloppy stuff, Hawk and Equalizer looking especially bad, and especially especially bad when in together. If this had gone over ten minutes, it would have likely become a train wreck, but as is, it was rough, but not horrible. ¼*

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Vader v Davey Boy Smith: If Davey wins by DQ, he wins the title - booked after their Slamboree match ended in a deliberate disqualification to save Vader's title. They brawl onto the ramp way to start, Smith initially controlling, but quickly getting fucked up 'cause it's VADER. Vader with a suplex on the ramp, but Davey reverses with a visually impressive hanging vertical suplex on the ramp before clotheslining Vader back in for a slingshot splash. He hurts his knee though, and Vader is quick to capitalize with a series of forearms to the head and body in the corner. To the floor, Vader tries an avalanche against the guardrail, but Davey sidesteps, and suplexes Vader onto the rail - a fan then hilariously shoving Vader off. Back inside, Smith drops him like a Samoan for two, but a shoulderblock does him more harm than good. In control, Vader returns the favor with a Samoan drop of his own, and a flying splash for two. Buttsplash, but Davey Boy dodges, and hooks the leg for two. Vader responds by launching Smith into the corner with a vicious somersault, and then splashing him for good measure. Davey blocks another Samoan drop with a crucifix for two, but now Vader's annoyed, and starts clobbering him with forearms to the head and body as only Vader can. Vaderbomb hits for two, but a 2^nd rope bodypress is countered with a powerslam for the pin - but the referee is down after getting in Vader's flight path. Smith tries the Running Powerslam, but Vader manager Harley Race runs in to clip the knee, and Vader topples him to retain the title at 11:00. I liked the Slamboree match a better (this one was slower), but certainly another hard hitting power main event from these two. It needed a bit more knee work after the initial injury to really make it psychologically sound, but what it lacked in psychology it made up for in brutality. * ¾

BUExperience:  Maybe not the best Clash, wrestling-wise, but it does feature the infamous debut of the Shockmaster, two title changes (including the infamous end to the Blonds’ run), and the return of the Road Warriors after a three year absence. Worth checking out, as a curiosity, at least. **