WCW Clash of the Champions XXVI (Version II)

Original Airdate: January 27, 1994

From Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan – in Heenan’s surprise WCW debut. I love Bobby, but for my money, Jesse Ventura was a much better fit in this role

Opening #1 Contender's Match: 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Alexander Bagwell v Paul Orndorff and Paul Roma: Scorpio and Orndorff start off, as Tony immediately acknowledges that Orndorff is a man Heenan is 'very familiar with.' That's very different than the WWFs approach to these things was, where they'd usually ignore any past history like the plague. Feeling out process to start, with Orndorff initially controlling, but getting in trouble once Scorpio starts speeding around. Tags all around, and a criss cross ends in Roma hitting Bagwell with a hotshot for two, but a charge in the corner misses, and Marcus hooks an sunset cradle for two. Tag to Scorpio, and he works Roma's arm a bit, but Orndorff helps his partner block a superplex, and Roma capitalizes with a pair of flying axehandles on Scorpio. The not quite Pretty Wonderful cut the ring in half, but Orndorff ends up eating boot while coming off the top, and Bagwell gets the hot tag - Roseanne Barr the door! Orndorff gets sent to the outside with a high knee, and Roma takes a bodypress for two. Missile dropkick on Roma looks to finish, but Orndorff delays the count, and it only gets two! Scorpio tries to deal with him, but he misses a bodypress of his own, and the heels isolate Bagwell - only for a double team to backfire, and Roma to get pinned at 12:30. The finish came off awkwardly. The match was nothing special, but decent enough. * ½ (Original rating: ½*)

Ron Simmons v Ice Train: Simmons tries to slap him around to start, but that ends badly for him, and Train hits a powerslam. Shoulderblock sends Ron to the outside, where Train follows for a bodyslam on the floor, but misses a charge against the post. Ron capitalizes on the injured shoulder out there, then suplex-slams Train in from the apron. He pounds on the shoulder, and a bodyslam sets up a headbutt-drop to the part. Ron with a pair of snapmares and a clothesline, as the match starts to die with Simmons' weak offense. But, at least he's focusing on a part. 3-point stance misses, allowing Train a sunset flip for two, but Ron cuts him off with a bodyslam. He goes up for a flying shoulderblock, but Train sidesteps, and he delivers a powerslam. His own 3-point stance misses, however, and Ron schoolboys for the pin at 3:38. This match seems to answer the age old question of 'how many botches can you possibly get into a four minute match?' I'm sure Scorpio was relieved to know that he didn't have the worst execution on the card tonight. -¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Gene Okerlund brings out Steve Austin and Colonel Robert Parker out for an interview, with Parker and Austin hilariously switching roles (down to Austin sporting the cowboy hat, and chewing a cigar), since Parker is the one wrestling tonight, with Steve in his corner. Once they're done, Okerlund then introduces Nick Bockwinkel as the new Commissioner of WCW - and speaking of acknowledging history, Gene actually refers to Hulk Hogan by name while making his introduction here

WCW Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal v Dustin Rhodes: Gordon Solie replaces Tony on commentary for this one, which makes for a unique listening experience with Heenan. Regal stalls to start, as usual. Dustin sends the champion to the outside with a couple of dropkicks, so Steven slows it down on the way back in, and they feel each other out on the mat. Regal dominates as he works the arm, and a gutwrench suplex gets two. He grounds Rhodes in a crossface, but Dustin slugs free, so Steven shoots at the leg, and grounds his challenger again - this time in a chinlock. I get the psychology of Regal keeping things slow, and running down the clock, but it's boring as hell to watch. Rhodes powers out of the chinlock, so Regal goes to a straightjacket instead, but Dustin manages to snapmare free, and a jumping clothesline gets two - Regal getting a foot onto the ropes to save himself. He bails to check the time with Sir William, and he stalls out there, as he tries running down the clock. He frustrates Rhodes enough to allow himself a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, but Dustin is able to block with a series of mounted punches, followed by another jumping clothesline for two. Regal wisely bails, but Rhodes is on his tail this time - chasing Steven back into the ring for a dropkick for two. Steven tries a schoolboy, but Rhodes is in the ropes, so Regal decides to bail again. Dustin backdrops him back in from the ramp to set up a splash for two, and Regal bails again - some twenty five seconds remaining. Rhodes follows to bash his head together with William's, and he rolls Regal in for a flying elbowsmash. Bulldog looks to finish, but of course the fifteen minute time limit expires at 14:55. The usual 'technically sound, but boring' Regal title defense. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)

Gene Okerlund brings out Aaron Neville, who I think may have spent more time at wrestling events in 1993/94 than some workers

The Nasty Boys v Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne: The Nasties are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, but this is non-title. Jack and Payne are apparently no-shows, but it ends up being a ploy, as they come out of the crowd to attack the Nasties from behind. Big brawl to start, with Cactus knocking Brian Knobbs over the top for a flying elbowdrop off of the apron, then bodyslamming Jerry Sags on the floor to set up another flying elbowdrop. The referee can't control these four, as the wild brawling just continues unabated, with Payne sending Sags into the post on the outside, as Cactus clotheslines Knobbs inside of the ring. Maxx heads in to hit Brian with a tandem facebuster, as the referee finally manages to settle them down. The Boys go to the eyes to stagger Payne, and Sags tries a flying axehandle, but ends up getting caught in a slam. Well, kinda. Someone misread a signal there. Brian comes in to hammer Payne, but it gets no-sold, and Maxx slaps on the Payne Killer, so Sags saves. That allows Knobbs a pair of legdrops for two, and he dumps Maxx to the outside for Jerry to abuse with a chair. Inside, the Boys hit a tandem shoulderblock for two, but a second try is countered with a double-clothesline, and Jack gets the tag - Roseanne Barr the door. Cactus hits Knobbs with the double-arm DDT, but Sags breaks up the count, and Brian covers - only for Payne to also break up the count, allowing Jack the fall at 6:49. Wild at some points, dull at others. * (Original rating: DUD)

Loser Wears a Chicken Suit Match: Brian Pillman v Colonel Robert Parker: Pillman comes out with a bucket of KFC, and passes pieces out to the fans on the way to the ring. He hits Parker with a dropkick for two, and a second dropkick also gets two. Robert bails, so Brian follows - stopping to brawl with Steve Austin on the way, thus allowing Parker a sneak attack. Back in, Parker pounds him in the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Pillman hits an atomic drop for two. Parker bails again, and this time decides to walk out on the match altogether, but here comes the Boss! He scares Parker back down the aisle, right into Pillman's waiting fists. Parker tries to bail into the crowd next, but Boss doesn't let him get far - though the shenanigans allows Austin to pop in on Pillman with a Stungun! Parker capitalizes, but a 2^nd rope flying axehandle is blocked with a gutpunch, and Brian delivers a jumping shoulderblock. Standing dropkick follows, and Pillman goes to town with some turnbuckle smashes. He goes for the kill with a flying bodypress, but Austin knocks him off the top rope, and Parker hooks the leg for a dramatic two, as Boss chases Steve up the aisle! That allows Pillman to schoolboy a distracted Colonel, and that's three at 5:43. Not really a great match in the traditional sense, but very entertaining, and fun. * (Original rating: ¼*)

Main Event: Elimination Match: Ric Flair and Sting v Rick Rude and Vader: WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel sits in on commentary for this. Why is Flair's graphic him in a fucking Cosby sweater? Sting and Rude start us off, and they feel each other out. Sting controls with an armbar, but Rude unloads with knees in the corner, and he tags out to Vader for a shoulderblock. Vader with a big press-drop across the top rope, and he starts walloping the Stinger with some lefts and rights. Slam sets up a 2^nd rope flying splash, but Sting is up, so Vader reroutes with a flying sunset flip (okay, wow), but Sting counters with a seated senton splash! That leads to a slugfest, and you can guess who gets the better of that exchange. Sting fights him off with a German suplex to allow the tag to Flair, and the Nature Boy goes to town with chops. They take turns peppering Vader with quick offense, but Sting gets into trouble, and ends up in a bearhug from Rude. He escapes long enough to tag, and Flair comes off the top with a flying axehandle, followed by an inverted atomic drop. An awkwardly timed charge in the corner ends in Rick putting Ric down (that was weird, with Rude seemingly missing a cue, and Flair essentially having to knock himself down), and Vader delivers a Vaderbomb on the Nature Boy. He adds a vertical superplex, but doesn't even bother covering - instead taking Ric back up for a second one! Vader's in a mood tonight! Still no cover, as Vader decides to go to the top to finish him properly, but Sting comes in to pull Flair out of harms way. That results in Flair and Vader spilling to the outside, where Vader grabs a chair, but Bockwinkel objects - the referee counting both men out in the chaos at 15:30. Lame. Sting sends Rude over the top with a clothesline, then right back in for a flying clothesline! Backdrop hits, but they mess up an inverted atomic drop - though they nicely cover it up by making it look like Rude blocked. Rick comes off the top with a flying forearm smash, and a clothesline sets up a fistdrop for two. Reverse chinlock is applied, but Sting uses an electric chair to escape - only for a splash to hit knees on the follow-up. Both men stagger up, and both throw clotheslines at the same time, giving us a double knockout spot. Rick is up first with the Rude Awakening, but Sting holds onto the top rope to block, and he delivers his own neckbreaker for two! Rick responds with an inverted atomic drop, but tombstone is reversed, and Sting goes up with a flying splash for the win at 21:00. A handful of notable botches, and it never really reached the heights you'd expect given the level of talent. A respectable main event in the general sense, but it's hard to consider it anything but disappointing given the participants. * ½ (Original rating: * ½)

BUExperience: You can safely skip this episode, as there is little in the way of big angles, and no must see wrestling.