WCW Beach Blast 1992 (Version II)

Original Airdate: June 20, 1992

From Mobile, Alabama; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura

Opening WCW Light Heavyweight Title Match: Brian Pillman v Scotty Flamingo: Feeling out process to start, with Brian dominating on the mat, prompting Scotty to try and use a closed fist. Pillman responds with a sunset cradle for two, and goes back to a hammerlock, but Flamingo railroads him into the corner to escape. Brian responds with a hiptoss to setup a short-armscissors, but Scotty counters into a cradle (with the obligatory handful of tights) for two. Brian keeps working the arm, and a headscissors followed by a dropkick send Scotty to the outside. Pillman follows with a flying axehandle off of the apron, but he forgets about the new ruling that off the top rope moves are DQs, and Flamingo slams him down for two as a result. He dumps Brian out for a plancha, then back in for a 2^nd rope flying fistdrop. Scotty looks like he raided Scott Steiner's closet for tonight. That may explain the later WWF feud. He probably never returned the gear before the Steiner's jumped. Brian fires back with slingshot shoulderblock for two, but gets his eyes raked during a pinfall reversal sequence, and Flamingo snapmares him over for a chinlock. Brian escapes and grabs a sleeper, but Scotty drops him into the turnbuckles to break, and they work a double knockout spot. That leads to a slugfest, and Scotty tries a 2^nd rope flying axehandle, but Pillman dropkicks him out of the air. Not as impressive off the middle rope, thanks Bill. Brian with a spinheel kick as he mounts his comeback, but he runs into a powerslam by the challenger for two. Scotty randomly stops to showboat on the ropes, but Brian side superplexes him down for two, and adds a facebuster. Cross corner whip leads to a clothesline over the top onto the ramp, but a tope suicida after him misses - Pillman wiping out on the ramp in dramatic fashion! Back in, Scotty quickly capitalizes with a 2^nd rope flying kneedrop to win the title at 17:28. A little long for what it was, but not bad. It probably would have been better without Bill Watts' silly new rules, though. ** ¼ (Original rating: * ½)

Ron Simmons v Terry Taylor: Ron overpowers him in the early going, so Taylor quickly complains of hair pulling. Ron responds with a pair of 3-point stances, but Terry knocks him out onto the ramp. He follows, but Simmons is ready with an atomic drop out there, and he press-slams Taylor back in - then clotheslines him right back over the top! Jim Ross in beachwear is pretty comical. Goofier than the toga, honestly. Back in, Ron bodyslams him, and hits a pair of corner whips to setup a bearhug. Terry slugs free, so Ron runs with another 3-point stance, but Taylor dodges - Simmons going crashing out of the ring onto the ramp. Back in, Taylor capitalizes on the mistake with a chincrusher, and a snapmare sets up a somersault necksnap for two. Chinlock follows, but Ron looks to escape, so Taylor cuts him off with a backbreaker for two. Ron still manages to plant him with a spinebuster, and he follows with a backdrop as he mounts his comeback - a snap powerslam finishing it up at 7:10. Not an all time classic, or anything, but a lot better than I was expecting it to be, with Taylor working hard to carry the lions share. ** (Original rating: ¾*)

Marcus Alexander Bagwell v Greg Valentine: Feeling out process to start, with Bagwell dominating, but making a rookie mistake, and getting clobbered by the veteran. Valentine goes for a piledriver, but Marcus backdrops out of it, and delivers an atomic drop to setup a pair of dropkicks. Fool didn't even give Greg the chance to do his full sell of the atomic drop. These kids today. Or, well, yesterday. Hiptoss, but the Hammer counters with a short-clothesline, and he tans Bagwell's chest with chops. Backbreaker sets up a 2^nd rope elbowdrop, but Marcus rolls out of the way, and hits a bodyslam - only to miss a kneedrop follow-up. Greg goes right after the leg from there, but Bagwell manages to block the Figure Four. Another try is countered with an inside cradle for two, and a schoolboy is worth two. Backslide for two, and a floatover suplex gets two. Backdrop for two, but Bagwell bangs up the knee while trying a leapfrog, and Greg puts him away with the Figure Four at 6:16. Wow, I was really expecting the Hammer to do the job there. * ½ (Original rating: * ¼)

Falls Count Anywhere Match: Sting v Cactus Jack: Sting in the WCW World Champion here, but this is non-title. Sting's reign was so forgettable - WCW running two pay per views since he won the title, and he doesn't defend it on either of them. They don't even wait to get into the ring to start, with Jack attacking and trying a hiptoss off the ramp, but Sting countering with a backslide out there for two. Sting adds a backdrop onto the ramp, then one-handed bulldogs him for two. Bodypress, but Jack ducks, and poor Sting wipes out by crashing into the ropes. That leaves him down on the floor, and Cactus capitalizes with a flying elbowdrop off of the apron for two. Swinging neckbreaker on the concrete gets two, and a wild flying sunset flip off the apron is worth two. My heart aches for these guys, bumping around like this on Watts' stupid exposed concrete floors. Sting rams him into the guardrail a few times out there, and he backdrops Jack over it into the crowd! Wild stuff for 1992 here! Sting with a vertical suplex in the crowd for two, and he whips Jack back over the rail to ringside. They finally head into the ring for the first time, where Sting eats a short-clothesline during a criss cross, and Jack adds a pointed elbowdrop. Jack grounds him in a bodyscissors, but Sting escapes, so Cactus sends them both tumbling over the top with a clothesline. He whips the Stinger into the rail out there, then works him over with a chair for good measure, but takes a side suplex onto the floor for two before he can add to that. The bumps here are just insane. Sting tries a crucifix cradle on the floor for two, but a Stinger Splash against the rail ends badly for the world champion. Jack capitalizes with a piledriver on the concrete, but a crazy 2^nd rope flying elbowdrop misses. That's a crazy enough bump on padded floors, let alone in WattsLand. They brawl onto the ramp, where Sting bodyslams him, then goes ballistic with the chair! Scorpion Deathlock looks to finish, but Cactus manages to roll them both off of the ramp to save himself. Double-Arm DDT onto the ramp looks to finish, but Sting gets a shoulder up at two! The crowd doesn't know what to make of this insanity. Jack looks for another weapon, but Sting charges him with a clothesline on the ramp, and a flying clothesline finishes at 11:23! Tremendous, innovative, and influential brawl here. I totally shortchanged this the first time around. **** ½ (Original rating: *** ¼)

Iron Man Match: Rick Rude v Ricky Steamboat: Thirty minutes on the clock here. Rude is the WCW United States Champion, but this is also non-title. Steamboat blitzes him to start, and quickly hits a pop-up stomachbreaker. Ricky works the mid-section before grabbing a bearhug, then taking him down into a modified mexican surfboard - modified to put more pressure directly onto the ribs. Rude goes to the eyes to escape, but fails at a monkeyflip, and Steamboat gets him in a Boston crab. Rick makes the ropes, so Steamboat splashes the ribs, then drives his knee into them a few times. Steamboat with a gourdbuster for two, but a corner charge ends badly, and Rude holds the tights for the first fall at 7:42. That was more out of nowhere than any RKO. Rude follows up with a few pointed elbowdrops, and the Awakening quickly follows to put him up by two at 8:39. Backbreaker sets up a flying kneedrop - Rude getting himself intentionally disqualified at 9:40.

Ten minutes in, Rude capitalizes on the damage from the intentional DQ by pinning the prone Dragon at 10:11 - giving Rick 3-1 lead, and a battered opponent to work with. Rick keeps coming with a facebuster and a reverse chinlock, but Steamboat manages to power free with an electric chair. Splash follows, but Rude lifts his knees to block, which Ricky sells like absolute death. Swinging neckbreaker gets two, so Steamboat tries to get back into the game with some chops, but Rick cuts him off with a chinlock. Rick keeps pounding with turnbuckle smashes, and a well executed piledriver is worth two, but Steamboat reverses a tombstone at 17:38 - the Dragon now down by only one. Rude gets desperate and goes back up, but the Dragon brings him down with a vertical superplex, and they work a double-knockout spot.

Twenty minutes in, and Rude tries for the pin off of the double-knockout, but Steamboat bridges into a backside at 20:21 to tie the score! Ricky quickly adds an inside cradle for two, and a backslide for two. Bodypress gets two, but Rude stops the onslaught with a chincrusher. I wouldn't say that was stiff, but it was certainly snug. Rick with a few facebusters, and the mat is absolutely stained in their sweat here. I don't think I've ever seen a mat that badly stained from sweat in all the years I've watched wrestling. Rick with a bodyslam and a pointed elbowdrop for two, but Steamboat is firing back with chops, so Rick throws a clothesline. Awakening, but Rick manages to reverse it for a dramatic two! With five minutes remaining, Steamboat hits a vertical suplex for two, and a side suplex gets him two. Rude tries to slow him down with a sleeper, but despite his best efforts, Steamboat manages to push off the top rope onto Rude in the hold for a pin at 29:24! With thirty seconds left, Rude is in full blitz mode now - throwing a clothesline for two, and a shoulderblock for two in rapid fire. Another clothesline gets two, as does an inside cradle. Bodyslam for two, and time expires at 30:00 to give the Dragon the win. If I shortchanged the Falls Count Anywhere match in the initial review, it looks like I gave that extra change to this one. ** ½ (Original rating: ****)

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, and Bobby Eaton v Nikita Koloff, Dustin Rhodes, and Barry Windham: Ole Anderson acts as the special guest referee for this one. Austin and Windham start, and Barry quickly takes him down for a hammerlock. Steve tries to counter, so Windham takes him back down with a fireman's carry, so Steve simply starts punching him in the face instead. He goes up, but Windham brings him back down to earth with a vertical superplex, and he passes to Rhodes. Criss cross goes Dustin's way with a dropkick, and a standing dropkick follows. Fujiwara armbar, but he's too close to the corner, and Steve tags Eaton while in the hold. Bobby wins his own criss cross with a knee, and a schoolboy is worth two. Tag to Arn, but Dustin manages to avoid getting trapped in the heel corner during the exchange, and he passes to Koloff. Arn tries to sucker him into the heel corner, but Nikita is too smart for that, so Arn goes to the top. He nearly gets disqualified before remembering that we're in that special place known as WattsLand, and coming down like a wet fart. Koloff sends him over the top with the Russian Sickle, and Arn tags Bobby on the way back in. Eaton tries to match Koloff with closed fists, but ends up in a bearhug, and an atomic drop follows. The rest of the heels come in illegally, but Koloff is ready, and cleans house. The dust settles on Anderson and Windham, and Barry controls with a bodyslam and an atomic drop, but he knocks heads with Arn coming out of the corner. A dazed Anderson goes up again, but luckily Austin reminds him of the rules before he can leap, and he has to settle for a 2^nd rope flying axehandle. Smell that wet fart, boys! Anderson with a side suplex, but Barry still manages to get the tag off to Dustin, and Rhodes wallops Anderson with a jumping clothesline - only to get whipped into the heel corner, and pounded. The Dangerous Alliance cut the ring in half on Dustin, as the announcers hype their hotline vote in the Madusa/Missy Hyatt beauty contest that's been going on throughout the show. They even show the 'current standings,' with heel Madusa leading face Missy by two points to inspire more calls. The promotion may have been inept sometimes, but that was quite well played, WCW. It's so weird seeing Austin wrestle without even basic kneepads, after getting used to seeing him work with those giant braces in his later career. Steve hits the Stun Gun on Rhodes, but Barry comes in sans tag to save, and Roseanne Barr the door! In the chaos, Anderson comes off the top rope, however, and that's a DQ at 15:31. Well, at least Chekhov would be pleased with that booking. ** ¼ (Original rating: ½*)

Main Event: WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Steiner Brothers v Steve Williams and Terry Gordy: Scott Steiner starts with Gordy, and they feel each other out for a while. Over to Williams for more of the same, then over to Rick Steiner for his turn at feeling the challengers out. Eight minutes in and Rick finally hits the first move with a release overhead suplex on Williams, and Steve bails to regroup. Back in, Steve manages a bodyslam and a pair of 3-point stances, but a third is countered with a Steinerline for two. Tag back to Gordy, but he blocks a German suplex, and hits Rick with a side suplex for two. Rick returns the favor to escape a headlock, but Williams cuts off a tag to Scott, and dumps him out onto the ramp. Steve dives out after him with a tope (which the camera completely misses), and back in for Gordy to apply a half-crab, but Rick escapes with an overhead suplex ahead of a tag to Scott. Scott ties Gordy up on the mat, but he fails to cut the ring in half, and Steve gets the tag. He puts the boots to Steiner as the challengers start to cut the ring in half, working Scott's knee. Despite being held in a Boston crab, he manages to tag Rick in - the Gremlin powerslamming Williams for two. 2^nd rope flying bulldog follows, but Gordy saves him from the champions doing their finish. With Scott neutralized, Terry front-powerslams Rick off the top rope for two, and a dropkick is worth two. Tag to Williams for a tandem shoulderblock for two, and a two-alarm no-release backbreaker gets two. Gordy with a saito suplex for two, and Williams works a chinlock, but Rick escapes, so Steve hits a gutwrench powerbomb for two. Stampede looks to finish, but Rick fights out of it, as some girl in the front row looks like she's about ready to tackle Scott Steiner. Her man looks none too pleased, either. Scott gets the hot tag and starts unloading on both challengers. Frankensteiner on Gordy looks to finish, but hey, the time expires at 30:00. There's no lack of evidence that Bill Watts was out of touch and old fashioned during his WCW term, but there's perhaps no better smoking gun than booking a time limit draw in the MAIN EVENT of a pay per view. The match itself wasn't bad, per se, just really boring. It was a lot of fun when they were suplexing the shit out of each other, but that was only a few minutes of it, with the rest rather dull mat stuff. The finish didn't help matters, either. * ½ (Original rating: ***)

BUExperience: While the main event is a dull letdown, Sting/Cactus is an absolute must see, and it’s generally a pretty enjoyable show for the most part. Bill Watts’ booking and style left a lot to be desired, and have faced literally decades of criticism, but this show is certainly far from unwatchable.

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