NWA (WCW) Capital Combat 1990 (Version II)

Original Airdate: May 19, 1990

From Washington, D.C; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Bob Caudle

Opening Six-Man Tag Team Match: Norman the Lunatic and The Road Warriors v Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack, and Bam Bam Bigelow: Animal starts with Cactus, and a criss cross ends in Animal powerslamming him. Cross corner whip sets up a mistimed cross corner boot, and it's over to Hawk to blast Jack with a clothesline. Tag to Bigelow - who looks like absolute shit here. The WWF's wardrobe guys were doing him more favors than I think he ever realized. Hawk dismantles him, so Kevin tags in, but that doesn't go well, either. Yeah, because if a bruiser like Bam Bam Bigelow isn't getting the job done, clearly all you need is an angry midget. The faces keep bouncing the heels around at will, with Cactus taking a pretty crazy over the top bump on a missed charge at one point! Like, holy shit! He then tops it by taking another big bump into the crowd off a whip into the rail (causing the off guard security guy to nearly shit his pants), but Sullivan is able to turn things around with a double-stomp on Norman. Bam Bam tags in with a vertical suplex for two, as the heels cut the ring in half on Norman. He manages to fight off Cactus long enough to get the tag off to Animal, however, and the Road Warrior comes in hot - Roseanne Barr the door! Hawk hits Sullivan with a flying clothesline for the pin at 9:38. Not a masterpiece, but really energetic, and lots of effort all around. ** ½ (Original rating: * ½)

Mark Callous v Johnny Ace: Speaking of guys the WWF machine absolutely made. Ace sticks and moves to start, and puts Callous on the outside with a dropkick, then follows out with a plancha. I should note that the crowd is still very noticeably filing in here as, in typical WCW fashion, they gave their ticket holders the wrong start time information. Ace with a dropkick and an armdrag into an armbar, but Mark slugs free, and literally kicks him out of the ring. It's kind of mind boggling to think that this guy was only a year and a half away from becoming WWF Champion at this point. Callous with a vertical suplex for two on the way back in, and a savate kick follows. Jumping clothesline gets two, and Mark grounds him with a chinlock. Johnny escapes, so Mark smacks him down with a big boot, then delivers a bodyslam to setup a legdrop for two. Ace tries to catch him off guard with an inside cradle, but Callous kicks out at two, then dodges a dropkick, and chokes Johnny down. For those who say he was only slow and plodding due to the Undertaker gimmick, I refer you to this match. Ace starts mounting a comeback with a dropkicks and a monkeyflip, but Callous dodges a flying bodypress, and puts Johnny down with a heart punch, before finishing with a ropewalk flying elbowdrop at 10:41. Dull match, which was little more than an extended squash for Callous. ½* (Original rating: ½*)

The Samoan Swat Team v Mike Rotunda and Tommy Rich: Samoan Savage starts with Rich, and immediately starts getting on the referee about hair pulling, but Tommy ignores it, and puts him down with a bodypress for two. Tags to Fatu and Rotunda, and Fatu makes a big show about wanting a handshake, while swearing up and down that he won't take a cheap shot. Why are the Samoan's working like Jerry Lawler tonight? Mike sends him to the outside with a dropkick, then gives one to Savage as well during a criss cross. Savage manages to catch Rich with a bodyslam, but Fatu misses a flying headbutt follow-up, and Rotunda holds him in an armbar. Mike gets into trouble, however, and the Swat Team cut the ring in half on him. He manages to get the better of a double-knockout spot to allow the hot tag to Tommy, and he's a wildfire... of fire! Sleeper looks to finish, but a cheap shot behind the referee's back breaks it up, and Fatu scores the pinfall at 17:55. I'm not sure if this had to do with the start time issue, or if someone just thought giving these guys eighteen minutes was actually a good booking idea, but either way, this was way too long, and dragged during the middle bit. * ¼ (Original rating: ¼*)

Hair v Hair Match: Teddy Long v Paul Ellering: Long is sporting boxing gloves and headgear here, perhaps trying to convince more uneducated viewers (see: all of WCWs viewers) that this is the Mike Tyson wrestling crossover that the WWF couldn't make happen. Long gets a couple of two counts with punches, but Ellering gets the glove away from him, and bashes Teddy with it for the pin at 1:58 - the glove apparently having been loaded before the bout. You'd think the official would have checked that out. And man, they get right to the haircut - buzzing Long's locks off within seconds of the bell. Match was nothing, but it was really more about the angle than the mat work anyway. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

NWA United States Tag Team Title Match: Brian Pillman and Tom Zenk v The Midnight Express: Jim Cornette is locked in a shark cage for this one. Brian starts with Bobby Eaton, but Stan Lane quickly gets involved, so Zenk hustles in, and the champs clean house! Dust settles on Zenk and Lane, and Tom wins a criss cross with a series of armdrags, then smacks Stan with a dropkick. Though these teams are very much associated with WCW, and are clearly familiar with the dimensions of the canvas, I feel like this match would have been better in a WWF ring. If only because the smaller WCW ring seems to be getting in their way tonight, with all four guys inadvertently getting into or tripping on the ropes repeatedly. Things settle into the Midnight's cutting the ring in half on Brian after Pillman misses a charge and takes a bump to the outside, and Eaton nails him with the Alabama Jam, but Brian gets a shoulder up at two! Tilt-a-whirl slam, but Pillman reverses into his own (sloppy) version, then gets the tag off to Zenk - Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! Zenk brings it to the Midnight's, but runs into a Russian legsweep from Stan, and they hit the Rocket Launcher for two. Charge by Bobby in the corner misses, however, and Tom hits a 2^nd rope corkscrew bodypress for two. He looks to mount a comeback, but Lane comes in illegally with a loose enzuigiri, and Eaton cradles him to win the gold at 20:20. This was better than the Swat Team match, but again, overstayed its welcome a bit. ** (Original rating: * ¾)

Corporal Punishment Match: The Fabulous Freebirds v The Rock 'n' Roll Express: Each team is given a leather strap to use as they please. Kinky! Michael Hayes starts with Robert Gibson and - SHOCKINGLY - stalling abounds. I know, I was surprised, too. The Express get sick of them and start unloading with the straps, triggering a peculiar conversation between Ross and Caudle as they boast over who's old man beat him the most. The Express frustrate the Freebirds with stereo figure fours, so Hayes grabs a strap, but the Express fight them off and clean house. A cheap shot leaves Gibson in trouble, however, and the Freebirds cut the ring in half. Jimmy Garvin misses a backdrop to allow the tag to Ricky Morton, and he rolls Jimmy up for two - only to get smacked with a cheap shot from Hayes to turn the tide back to the Freebirds' favor. They cut the ring in half on Ricky, until he manages to block a bulldog from Michael, and gets the hot tag off to Gibson - Roseanne Barr the door! The Freebirds go for the kill on Gibson with the DDT, but Hayes takes too long showboating (again, shocking), and Morton catches him with a flying sunset flip at 18:31. Another slow, overlong match that I would have enjoyed significantly more at about half the length. Seems to be the theme of the show tonight. * (Original rating: ½*)

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v Doom: So. many. tag matches. I bet this one goes twenty minutes, too. How many times did these two teams wrestle, anyway? Not that I'm complaining, mind you, as they're usually pretty good together, but this is their third pay per view meeting, and they met at the last Clash as well. Scott Steiner is sporting an incredible, hall of fame worthy mullet tonight. Fuck, now I want to see a Mullet Hall of Fame. Scott starts with Ron Simmons, and a thunderous criss cross goes Steiner's way with a powerslam. That brings Butch Reed in for a distraction, but Scott reverses Ron into the corner, and drops him with a German suplex. Yeah baby! Tag to Reed, and he tries working the arm, but Scott reverses an armbar, and dominates. Another criss cross goes Scott's way with a dropkick and a backdrop, so Simmons runs in - but eats a Steinerline! Tag to Rick Steiner, but he loses a criss cross to Reed, and gets tossed to the outside. This is going to sound terrible, but I think I actually had an easier time telling Reed and Simmons apart with the masks, as before Butch at least used to have the one elbow pad on that set him apart. Rick catches Ron with a nasty piledriver before clotheslining him to the outside, where Scott is ready to ram him into the rail. Doom just can't get any traction here. Scott whips Reed into the corner to setup a hiptoss, then delivers an impressive powerslam into the turnbuckles transitioned into a shoulderbreaker for two. Quite the power display there by Scotty Steiner. Sorry, channeled my inner JR for a second then. Whip into the ropes gets reversed, however, and Reed plows into Scott with a high knee. Doom finally manage to string something together on Scott following a beating on the outside, and a tandem-backelbow gets two. They cut the ring in half, but Scott manages to catch Simmons with the Frankensteiner, and that's enough for the tag to brother Rick! He's a doghouse of fire, and Roseanne Barr the damn door! Doom get the best of things with a bearhug/2^nd rope flying clothesline combo on Scott, but Rick saves at two, and unloads a ten-punch on Reed. Belly-to-belly superplex looks to finish, but Ron rushes in and nails Rick from behind - both men falling into a heap, with Reed on top to win the belts at 19:13. The usual fun power oriented match between these two teams. *** ¼ (Original rating: *** ½)

Main Event: NWA World Title Thundercage Match: Ric Flair v Lex Luger: Luger is the NWA United States Champion here, but that isn't on the line. Woman is actually allowed inside of the cage enclosure for this, which seems like it kind of defeats the whole purpose of the gimmick. Luger is good and mad at the bell, and unloads on Flair with gusto. Clothesline gets two, and a hanging vertical suplex sends Flair to the outside. Back in, Lex keeps coming with a pair of press-slams, so Ric goes to the eyes, and chops him in the corner - only to get no-sold! Hiptoss and a clothesline have Flair desperately throwing chops, but Lex ignores them, so the champ tries climbing the enormous cage wall. There's no escape (the top is sloped), but he manages to nail Luger as Lex climbs after him, then goes to work on the outside. Back in, Ric snapmares him to setup a kneedrop, but a hanging vertical suplex is no-sold, and Luger blasts him with a clothesline to setup a ten-punch count! Ric bails and tries suckering him into a climb again, but this time Luger quickly pulls him down, and bashes his face into the cage to draw first blood. Luger smashes him into the post next for good measure, then back in for another ten-punch and another clothesline for two. Ric tries climbing (again), but Lex follows him up and bashes him into the cage. Wow, Flair really tapped an artery with that bladejob tonight. Back in, Ric starts throwing chops, but gets nowhere. You'd think he'd have figured that one out by now. Lex with a superplex, but he aggravates his knee while executing it, and you know Flair is gonna be all over that one. And, indeed, he goes right to work on the leg. Figure Four looks to finish, but Luger won't quit. Using the ropes doesn't get it done either, and Luger starts making a comeback. That draws the Horsemen down to ringside, but trying to climb in proves futile. Meanwhile, Lex keeps unloading, and hits a clothesline for two - the Horsemen flipping out on the outside. Press-slam hits, as Sting runs down to brawl with the Horsemen. He quickly gets outnumbered, but here comes El Gigante to make the save, in his WCW debut. It's not everyday you see fucking SID VICIOUS dwarfed like that. Of course, they completely negate all the goodwill and awesomeness with that outfit. As he and Sting deal with the Horsemen, Luger gets Flair in the Torture Rack, when suddenly the cage starts to rise. This allows Barry Windham to slide in, and he attacks Luger to draw a DQ at 17:19. In a cage match. Yes, they gave the Swat Team match and the Freebirds longer than Flair and Luger. This was good, albeit a bit on the disappointing side compared to the classic WrestleWar match that preceded it, and really repetitive to boot. The ending was also a total mess. A DQ in a cage match? I feel like I need Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler to reprise their SNL characters to properly say 'REALLY?!?!' *** (Original rating: ***)

BUExperience: Well, the main event is good, but there are better Flair/Luger matches out there. The world tag title match is good, but nothing we hadn’t seen a bunch of times between those two teams before. The rest is mostly taken up by three really dull twenty minute tag team slogs. Take a pass on this one

DUD