WCW Clash of the Champions XXXI (August 1995)

Original Airdate: August 6, 1995

From Daytona Beach, Florida; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan.


Opening Match: Sting and Hawk v Meng and Kurasawa: Ring announcer Michael Buffer makes me laugh right away by introducing Sting as the 'United States heavyweight champion... of the world.' Simple mistake, or Jane Fonda withholding sex until Ted Turner satisfies her with political commentary through his wrestling promotion? I think we all know the answer there. I think we all know. Big brawl to start, Sting and Hawk cleaning house, and the heels bailing to the floor to regroup with manager Colonel Robert Parker. The dust settles on Hawk and Kurasawa, and Kurasawa fires off lightning kicks - all of which Hawk promptly no-sells. Tag to Sting with an inverted atomic drop and a series of knife edge chops in the corner set up a suplex for two. Back to Hawk for a double-backelbow, but a backdrop is blocked with a clothesline from Kurasawa, and he tags Meng. He gets right into a power-stalemate with Hawk, which ends with him simply tagging Kurasawa back in for a flying axehandle instead of waiting around for Hawk to sell. Kurasawa has fun with it, and pulls Hawk to the floor for a pretty vicious backdrop driver - though even that is only partially sold. Hawk fires back with a clothesline on the way into the ring, and a fistdrop gets two. Meng in with a backdrop, but Hawk counters with a sloppy neckbreaker - no-sold by Meng. Tag back to Kurasawa for Hawk to bodyslam, and a flying fistdrop sets up a powerbomb for two. That triggers a four-way brawl, and Hawk pins Kurasawa after a modified Doomsday Device at 7:24. Afterwards, Kurasawa breaks Hawk's arm (kayfabe) to trigger a feud that never really went anywhere. Weird match, as Hawk's no-selling absolutely killed the flow, and his timing (including even basic tag team timing - which you'd think he'd be the best at of the four) was way off. The other three worked hard, but it didn't amount to much, unfortunately. ¼*

Diamond Dallas Page v Alex Wright: Page gets cocky and rolled up by Wright right away for two, and then bitches about Alex hooking the tights - and gets rolled up again for two. A dropkick puts Page on the floor, and Wright follows with a plancha - only to get his neck snapped across the top rope as he tries to drag Dallas back in. Page with a wristlock, but Wright flipflops free, and counters into an armbar. Wright with a slingshot splash for two, and a criss cross ends in a Wright bodypress for two, so Page socks him in the face to take the pep out of his step. Dallas capitalizes with a stomachbreaker and follows with a swinging neckbreaker for two. Hiptoss is countered by Wright with a backslide for two, but another fist to the face stops the comeback, and Page unloads on him in the corner - only to miss a charge and take a running backelbow. Wright with a leg lariat and a high knee for two, and a skykissing missile dropkick for two. Ten-punch count is interrupted by Page with a stungun for two, but Wright reverses a German suplex for two, and hits a diving forearm to put Page back out on the floor. Another plancha, but Dallas rolls out of the way this time, and Wright splats on the floor - DDP rolling him in for an easy pin at 8:15. This was surpassingly good, and built into a fun little back-and-forth, near fall filled match - where I was expecting nothing. Hard work from both men, and it paid off, as they both looked great. **

WCW Television Title Match: Renegade v Paul Orndorff: Renegade does the Ultimate Warrior entrance, and unloads clotheslines and a powerslam on his challenger without even taking the title belt off. He makes the mistake of turning his back on Orndorff to go pose on the ropes, but Paul pulls him off with a side suplex for two - Renegade still wearing the title belt. Orndorff with a chinlock as they finally get the belt off of Renegade (unfortunately, just the belt but not the title), and Orndorff follows with a series of kneelifts on the ropes. Orndorff knocks the champ to the outside, but Renegade starts CLONING UP!! and hits a slingshot shoulderblock for the pin at 3:59 - the ring techs so happy that it's over that they set off a ton of random pyro over the ring. Very dull stuff, as they desperately try to get the fans into Renegade. Thankfully, they gave up once and for all not long after this, and he dropped the title to Dallas Page the next month. DUD

Six-Person Tag Team Match: Sherri and Harlem Heat v Robert Parker, Bunkhouse Buck, and Dick Slater: If Sherri and the Heat win, they get a shot at Buck and Slater's tag titles. Slater starts with Stevie Ray, but quickly ends up cowering in the corner after Ray slams him around. Tag to Buck and Booker T, and Booker gives Buck more of the same - dropkicking him off of the top turnbuckle before pulling him over to the corner for Sherri to abuse. He fails to cut the ring in half as he passes back to Stevie though, and Buck tags Slater. No matter, as Stevie manhandles him with ease, but Booker walks into a double-team, and the tag champs cut the ring in half. They make the mistake of tagging Parker in though, and Booker easily handles him, then tags in Stevie for a double-team suplex. With Parker down, they tag Sherri to hit a flying splash for two (and pop the crowd), but a second flying splash splats on the mat. Parker's not sure what to do, but his indecisiveness allows Sherri to get back to her feet, and she tackles him in a liplock for the pin at 11:01. And yes, folks, that may be the first instance when attempted rape was the deciding factor in a match. But not the last. Oh no, not the last. DUD

Main Event: Handicap Match: Vader v Ric Flair and Arn Anderson: Anderson starts, and stupidly tries to match power with Vader - ending up in the corner for a series of brutal head and body shots. Vader with an inverted atomic drop and a clothesline to send Anderson tumbling over the top rope, but the break isn't enough to save Arn from another Vader attack as he climbs back in. Arn actually manages to hit a spinebuster before tagging Flair, but Flair seems lost, and just dances around - which Vader no-sells. He destroys Flair with a press slam and a clothesline as Flair flips to the floor. Anderson sneaks in to clip the knee and DDT Vader, which allows Flair to zero in on it and hook the Figure Four on - but Vader makes the ropes. Flair to the top rope, but Vader catches him there with a slam, and he follows with a backdrop and a splash for two. Vader with a flying splash for two (broken up by Anderson), and Flair tags - Arn in for a double-team, which Vader shrugs off before powerbombing Anderson for the pin at 6:49. Afterwards, Flair and Anderson argue about the loss – setting up their showdown at Fall Brawl the next month. Really disappointing quickie 'main event' here - one which wouldn't have been worthy of headlining a Clash in the shows heyday. The match suffered from the heel/face dynamic being reversed (even the crowd wasn't sure who to cheer for) as Vader as a face against two smaller guys just didn't work, and even an experienced master like Flair looked a little lost at times. Not a bad effort, but not a good match. ¼*

BUExperience: Really bottom of the barrel stuff here, as 1995 WCW was legendarily horrible during the shows they actually charged you money for, let alone ones they were giving away on free TV. Not only did they fail to deliver on the wrestling side of things, but there was also a horrible segment I glossed over (for the sake of my sanity) that featured Hulk Hogan going to the Dungeon of Doom’s cave lair (in his wrestling gear) to find ‘Andre’s son’ (the Giant) – which ended in Giant choking him down, and Sting, Randy Savage, and Vader (also all in their wrestling gear) making the save. Just terrible. DUD