NWA (WCW) Clash of the Champions X (Version II)

Original Airdate: February 6, 1990

From Corpus Christi, Texas; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette

Opening Match: Steve Williams v Samoan Savage: Williams blitzes him before the bell, knocking him to the outside with a flurry of rights. Back in, Steve continues to unload, but he runs into a lariat off a 3-point stance, and Savage chokes him in the corner - then dumps him to the outside for his manager to abuse. Hey, gotta make him earn his percentage. In, Savage snapmares Williams to setup a nervehold, but Steve powers up, so Savage smacks him down with a powerslam for two. Back to the nervehold, but Steve escapes again, and this time manages a sunset flip and a lariat - only to miss an elbowdrop. Savage covers for two, then desperately tries to cutoff the comeback with another nervehold, but Steve keeps fighting. Savage dumps him back to the floor to try for a countout, but Williams can't take a hint, so Savage snapmares him in off the apron. Sidewalk slam sets up a flying splash, but Williams rolls out of the way, and comes back with a press-slam. Dropkick follows, so Savage makes a last ditch effort to save things with a hiptoss, but Steve counters with a backslide for the pin at 7:54. A little nervehold heavy, but well booked and worked, in general. * ½ (Original rating: * ¼)

WrestleWar '90 promo

Terry Funk (now a docile interviewer) brings the Four Horsemen out for an in-ring interview, in which the other three Horsemen (and Ole Anderson in particular) inform Sting, in no uncertain terms, that he made a big mistake by signing to challenge Ric Flair for the NWA World Title at WrestleWar, and that if he wants to stay a part of the group, he's got until the end of the show to change that. Or else. This was a fantastic promo, with everyone's motivations explained in a concise, logical way, and lots of drama. Sting doesn't seem to see it their way, though, so the Horsemen slap him around a bit to make sure he gets the message. Great stuff here!

Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk v The MOD Squad: Pillman starts with Spike, and controls with stick-and-move stuff - as the announcers completely ignore the match to talk about what happened with the Horsemen in the previous segment. Well, you can't really blame them, given that this is going to be little more than an extended squash, and that segment was awesome. Mark of a well laid out show, if anything. Tags to Zenk and Basher, and Tom controls with more of the same fast paced stick-and-move style, but runs into a double-team. That brings Brian in with a slingshot clothesline to take out both heels, and he and Tom clean house with stereo dropkicks. For those who have never had the pleasure of seeing the MOD Squad work, picture two guys doing an impression of officer Rod Farva in Super Troopers. Dust settles on Pillman and Spike, with Brian reversing a cross corner whip, and hitting a backdrop. He then follows by 'hitting' a spinkick (that misses by about a foot), but gets reversed on another cross corner whip, and put down with a facebuster. The Squad quickly cut the ring in half on him, but Brian manages to hit Spike with a jumping backelbow during a criss cross, and catch Basher with a crucifix for two. The Squad double-team to keep control, but Spike misses a flying elbowdrop, and it's hot tag Zenk! He's a bridge of fire, and Basher eats a 2^nd rope flying bodypress at 9:57. Overstayed its welcome a bit, but decent for the most part. * ¼ (Original rating: *)

Mil Mascaras v Cactus Jack: This feels like a good time to note that I've really been digging Holy Foley on the Network. Hopefully they'll add some more episodes soon, since throwing up just five and leaving it hanging is kind of a dick move. Mascaras dominates him on the mat in the early going, and a jumping forearm leads to a dropkick that sends Jack to the outside. Cactus, bump machine that he is, even takes bumps out there without an opponent - tripping over things and taking spills. Back in, Mascaras continues to dominate, but Jack gets the ropes on a Boston crab attempt. Cactus finally manages to take control in the corner, and he tosses Mascaras to the outside for a forward backbreaker. He gloats on the apron for too long as he plots an elbowdrop, however, allowing Mascaras to rush back in, and dropkick him off the apron - Jack taking his famous plunge bump onto the exposed concrete. Ouch, no wonder he can barely move these days. Vertical suplex brings him back in, and Mascaras finishes with a flying bodypress at 5:00. Afterwards, Jack consoles himself by beating up the drummer of the live band that WCW hired to play between commercials. Hey, whatever makes you feel better, big guy. A big style clash, but still watchable. * ¼ (Original rating: ¾*)

Missy Hyatt is Jim Ross' new co-host on The Main Event, dontcha know?

Norman the Lunatic visits the Atlanta Zoo to see how the piggies squeal

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Kevin Sullivan v Norman the Lunatic: Sullivan attacks from behind, and quickly dumps Norman to the floor - aggressively beating on him out there. Norman manages to reverse a whip into the post, however, and inside, he hits Kevin with a sit-down splash. I wonder if Norman ever knew Kevin's brother, Dave? They seem like they'd get along well. Avalanche and a 2^nd rope splash both miss to allow Sullivan to take control, and a dropkick sends Norman back to the floor - Kevin actually managing a bodyslam out there for two. Side suplex on the floor gets two, and they head back in, where Kevin keeps pounding him. Norman fires back with a headbutt to knock Sullivan to the outside, and this time they brawl up the aisle. Smash into the rail gets two, but Norman walks into a backdrop near the entrance set for two. They keep fighting into the backstage area, and right into the ladies room - Norman doing a hilarious job of refusing to enter the ladies room. You can tell he's had problems with that before, and is very clearly remembering what some poor social worker told him years before. The camera doesn't follow them, but about twenty seconds later Sullivan comes stumbling out and collapses - the referee declaring a toilet seat wielding Norman the winner at 6:15. Perhaps one of the most influential matches of all time, not only likely giving Kevin Sullivan the inspiration for Dave Sullivan, but also for the majority of his run with Chris Benoit in the 90s. ¾* (Original rating: ¼*)

Terry Funk brings Lex Luger out for an in-ring interview, hopefully to share hair care tips. Young Triple H clearly had his notepad out

The Road Warriors v The Skyscrapers: This is the second incarnation of the Skyscrapers, with Mark Callous (the Undertaker) replacing Sid Vicious. Hawk starts with Dan Spivey, and gets tossed out of the ring in short order, but manages to win a criss cross on the way back in with a nice shoulderblock to send Dan to the outside. Dust settles on Animal and Mark, and they do a power-stalemate, but Animal gets the better of a criss cross by dodging a bodypress, and hitting a hangman's clothesline. Wow, Animal was looking agile as fuck there. Back to Hawk and Spivey, and Hawk takes a bump to the outside off a missed corner charge - Spivey right after him to ram the bad shoulder into the post. The giant pads on the posts kind of lessen the impact, but at least they're not LED screens, you know? Inside, the Skyscrapers cut the ring in half as they work on Hawk's shoulder, but Callous ends up getting slammed down off the top while trying a ropewalk forearm, and Animal gets the tag! He's a house of arson, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! Doomsday Device looks to finish Spivey, but Callous comes off the top with a chair to breakup the pin, and the Skyscrapers disqualified at 7:15. Funny bit afterwards, as they decide to punish Hawk with a spike piledriver onto the chair - only to miss the chair by about a mile. Well, it's the thought that counts, I suppose. Fun power match here. ** (Original rating: ½*)

NWA World Tag Team Title v Masks Match: The Steiner Brothers v Doom: Scott Steiner starts with Ron Simmons, and do a feeling out process. Criss cross allows Scott a powerslam, and he dominates Ron on the mat for a bit, until Simmons scrambles for the ropes. Release German suplex leads to a tag out to Butch Reed, and a power-showdown ends in Scott dropkicking him out of the ring. Lots of stalling follows, until the dust settles on Rick Steiner and Butch. Reed catches Rick with knee, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Steiner backdrops him. He goes for the mask, but Butch bails, then tags. Ron comes in hot, but misses a cross corner charge, and eats a release overhead suplex. Back to Scott and Butch, and Scott ends up in the wrong part of town - Doom taking control and cutting the ring in half. Reed runs into the Frankensteiner during a criss cross to allow the hot tag to Rick, and he's a doghouse of fire! He gets Reed's off in the process, and then rolls him up to retain at 13:13. Forced to unmask, Doom are reveled to be... Ron Simmons and Butch Reed! Shocking, I know. The reveal is such a forgone conclusion that the Steiner's don't even bother sticking around to watch. Decent enough outing, but a big step below their Starrcade opener. * ½ (Original rating: ¾*)

WrestleWar '90 promo. It's the Wild Thing!

Main Event: Six-Man Tag Team Cage Match: Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, and Ole Anderson v Great Muta, Dragonmaster, and Buzz Sawyer: Tags are required here. This is basically heel/heel, following the Horsemen's turn on Sting earlier in the night. Arn Anderson starts with Buzz Sawyer, and quickly dodges a bodypress into the cage, but misses a cross corner charge. Odd cage tonight, kind of a cross of the usual WCW mesh style, and the WWFs blue bar one. It doesn't look very good, regardless. Buzz tosses him into the cage, and it's tags to Ric Flair and Dragonmaster. Flair dominates that one with chops, then over to Ole Anderson to allow Dragonmaster some offense. Well, somebody had to do it, I guess. Tags to Anderson and Great Muta, and Muta hits him with a handspring elbow to setup the Muta-Lock. The crowd is just rapidly cheering for the supposed heel J-Tex because they just hate the Horsemen so damned much. And it's awesome. Cue Sting, and he tries climbing into the cage to go after Flair to give the Horsemen his official response, but gets held back by the other babyfaces. Meanwhile, the Horsemen try cutting the ring in half on Sawyer, but Sting breaks through the line to go back after Flair, as Buzz misses a flying splash off the top of the cage on Arn. Sting nearly gets him this time, but gets knocked back down - twisting his knee on the landing in a legit injury that put him on the shelf for months, and effectively killed the angle with Flair by delaying the blow off until summer. Not that anyone is paying attention, but Arn puts Dragonmaster away with a DDT at 6:12 - Flair immediately bolting out of the cage, and going after Sting on the floor as we run out of time! The match was little more than background for the angle, but it was exciting TV, give it that! ¾* (Original rating: ¾*)

BUExperience: The Sting/Horsemen angle is one for the ages, but the rest is all pretty forgettable stuff