WCW Bash at the Beach 1994 (Version II)

Original Airdate: July 17, 1994

From Orlando, Florida; Your Host is Tony Schiavone with Bobby Heenan and Jesse Ventura taking turns doing color commentary

Opening WCW Television Title Match: Lord Steven Regal v Johnny B. Badd: I like how Badd couldn't beat Austin for the US title, so he sort of just decides to downgrade to the TV title instead. Feeling out process to start, with Johnny doing his best to hang with Regal's skill on the mat. The arena looks really big and impressive here, much more so than any other WCW show in years. Like, I don't think they've managed this type of crowd (papered or not) since the JCP days, and it comes across wonderfully on TV. Badd with an overhead armdrag, and he starts wrenching at the arm, but Regal pops him with some forearms to stop that effort. He tries a headlock, but Johnny rips at the arm again, and Steven ends up on the outside. He nearly walks, but eventually decides to get back in, where he tries hammering his challenger with European uppercuts, but ends up on the mat in a hammerlock. Regal tries a suplex, but Badd keeps on the arm to block, so Regal throws forearms again, and this time is able to add a dropkick before Johnny grabs the arm. Badd still takes him down with a fireman's carry into an armbar, but Regal wrestles to a vertical base, so Badd switches to a knucklelock. Badd with his own dropkick for two, and a headscissors takedown leads to a hiptoss. Johnny with a backdrop and a left hook, but that knocks Regal to the outside, so Badd dives with a plancha before he gets any ideas about taking a walk! Back in, Johnny tries a slingshot sunset flip, so Sir William attempts to leverage a block for the champion with his umbrella. The referee busts him, however, and Badd is able to cradle, but Regal reverses for the pin at 10:40. Finish looked awkward there. This one had really unique structuring, as it was basically Badd in control and outwrestling Regal the entire time. ** (Original rating: *)

Vader v Guardian Angel: Angel beats up Harley Race before the bell, so Vader attacks, and starts walloping Angel with shots against the ropes, then throws an awkward looking spinkick. Well, points for effort there, I suppose. Angel fights him off with a side suplex and a bodyslam, followed by a clothesline that sends Vader to the outside. Angel follows to slug it out, but Race gets involved again, and Vader is able to jump him from behind. Back in, Vader hammers him in the corner, but Angel responds in kind, so Vader demolishes him with a bodyblock. Vader goes up for a 2^nd rope flying sunset flip, but Angel blocks with a seated senton splash, so Vader goes to the eyes, and hits a short-clothesline. He grounds Angel in a stepover-toehold, but Angel nears the ropes, so Vader switches to a crossface instead, then rolls it over for two. Vader with a bodyslam to set up the Vaderbomb, and the Vadersault leaves even Hulk Hogan's wife (seated in the front row) impressed. Even though Vader is firmly in control, Race decides to try a flying headbutt, but ends up getting slammed off the top, and Angel vertical suplexes Vader. Shoulderblock knocks him into the referee, allowing Race to pass Vader a weapon, but Angel gets it away from him. He prepares to go to town with it, but the referee sees him holding it, and calls for the DQ at 7:58. Never really found the same gear that their near four-star Spring Stampede match did, but still a fairly fun power match. * ¾ (Original rating: * ¼)

Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson v Bunkhouse Buck and Terry Funk: Anderson and Buck start, but Buck wants Dustin instead. They oblige, and Rhodes destroys him with punches, until Buck is forced to tuck his tail between his legs, and tag out. Funk comes in all hot and bothered, but Dustin unloads on him as well, and Terry ends up on the outside. Inside, Rhodes bodyslams him, then drops him over the top with another slam! Terry's not wasting any time earning his money tonight! Rhodes hits both heels with atomic drops, and Funk takes a snapmare into a pointed elbowdrop, but manages to side suplex Dustin to escape a headlock. Over to Buck, and a criss cross ends in Dustin trying a bodypress, but missing, and taking a nice bump to the floor. He went right down the steps on that one. Funk hops out to abuse him on the floor, then rolls him in for Buck to work over. They cut the ring in half, and Funk looks to finish following a neckbreaker and a piledriver, but Anderson saves at two. Rhodes can't make the tag in time, however, and gets hammered in the heel corner instead. He gets fired up and fights them off, but neglects to make the tag despite having ample opportunity. He isolates Funk, and hits a jumping clothesline, but Buck is climbing the ropes, and he has to let off of the pin so he can slam him off. He finally passes to Arn, who promptly turns on him - drilling Dustin with a DDT to allow Funk the pinfall at 11:15. The crowd popped pretty big for the turn, treating Anderson like the babyface. Kind of funny that Arn's go-to taunt is holding up the four fingers, even if the angle has nothing at all to do with the Horsemen. Some interesting, subtle foreshadowing on Anderson's part throughout, but the match felt like it went on for a little too long. * ¼ (Original rating: *)

WCW United States Title Match: Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat: Austin jumps him at the bell, and blitzes the Dragon in the corner. He goes after the knee, but Steamboat is able to block a figure four by shoving Steve into the corner, and the Dragon comes off the top with a ropewalk tomahawk chop! Hammerlock-slam connects, so Steve tries climbing the ropes following a shot to the leg, but Ricky dropkicks him - leaving Austin hanging in a tree of woe over on the outside of the ring! Back in, Ricky hits a savate kick, and an armdrag leaves Austin in an armbar. Steve escapes, but a criss cross results in the champion twisting his knee - Steamboat showing no mercy with a hiptoss and a dropkick to put Austin on the outside. Steve pulls him out after him, but an attempt to slug it out doesn't go well, and it turns out Austin was faking the knee injury all along, as he has no trouble running away from his challenger. Back in, Ricky wins another criss cross with a rollup for two, and he grounds the champion in an armbar. Austin uses a mulekick to escape, and he smacks the Dragon with a short-clothesline, followed by a side suplex. Ricky's still coming, so Steve throws a backelbow, and a pair of clotheslines, but the Dragon just won't stay down! He can't stay UP either, though, and ends up falling out of the ring while trying to maintain a vertical base. Austin helps him in with a vertical suplex for two, but Ricky counters a side suplex with a chokeslam into a cradle for two. Back to the armbar for a bit, and another criss cross ends in an awkward collision, with Steamboat covering it up into a somersault cradle for two. Not sure what they were going for there. Another criss cross sees Austin counter a bodypress with a brutal looking spinebuster, and he rubs the Dragon's face into the mat for good measure. Man, he just PLANTED him on that spinebuster. Steve with a 2^nd rope flying kneedrop, but Steamboat fights him off in the corner, and executes a catapult for two. Steve cuts him off with a clothesline and a backdrop, followed by a swinging neckbreaker for two. On to a reverse chinlock, so Steamboat tries to power up into an electric chair, but Austin drives his face into the mat to block, and gets a series of two counts out of the deal. Nice job of wearing the opponent down there. Straddling ropechoke connects, complete with the taunt where he makes Steamboat wave to the camera. He tries another ropechoke, but this time Steamboat counters with a hotshot, and Austin wisely bails. Ricky is on his tail, and they slug it out on the apron - Austin getting the better of it by shoving the Dragon into the guardrail. Post, but Ricky reverses, and he hits a flying tomahawk chop on the way back inside! Steamboat starts mounting a comeback, so Steve tries going to the eyes, but Ricky skins the cat to avoid getting tossed over the top, and he comes back with fire on the champion! Steve tries backdropping him over the top, but Ricky holds onto the ropes (failing to skin the cat, though), and jumps Steve with an Oklahoma roll for two. Small package gets two, and a somersault cradle is worth two. Cross corner whip is reversed, and Steve tries a tombstone, but Steamboat reverses. Steve reverses back, but then Ricky reverses back again - finally hitting it. Flying tomahawk, so Austin shoves the referee into the flight path, and raises his arms in victory. The official refuses to give him the cheap DQ he's looking for, however, and Steamboat spears the defiant champion down. Criss cross ends in the Dragon hitting a bodypress, but Austin rolls through, and leverages the pin to retain at 20:10. They were on fire by the end, though it took them a while to get on their feet, and it felt like the match was missing a certain something to kick it up to that next level. *** ¼ (Original rating: ** ¼)

WCW World Tag Team Title Match: Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan v Pretty Wonderful: Sullivan starts with Paul Orndorff, and there's lots of stalling to start. I've never gotten the point of a challenger stalling. Like, what are you going for there? Sullivan gets annoyed, and both guys end up tagging out, and Paul Roma continuing the fine tradition of stalling. They work some comedy spots, with Jack and Sullivan outsmarting their challengers, and cleaning house, as the crowd heads for the concession stands. Yeah, I can't blame them. Watching Cactus and Sullivan work a straight tag match is not especially engaging. Brawl on the outside favors the champions, and the dust settles on Sullivan and Orndorff in the ring. Kevin unloads in the corner, so Roma comes in without a tag, but Sullivan kicks his ass as well. The champions work over Orndorff while targeting his arm, but Jack telegraphs a backdrop, and takes a matslam. Pretty Wonderful attempt to cut the ring in half, but Jack catches Orndorff with a suplex, and he tags to Kevin. Sullivan hits Orndorff with the double-stomp, and the champs work him over again, as the bored crowd does the wave, and we get a shot of Hank Aaron and Bill Shaw in the audience, engaged in deep conversation, and not even pretending to watch the match while on camera. Says it all about this one, doesn't it? A double team allows Orndorff to piledrive Sullivan to turn the tide, and the challengers finally isolate a babyface for more than five seconds. Roma ends up missing a flying splash to allow the tag to Jack, and Roseanne Barr the door. Jack hits Orndorff with the double-arm DDT, but the referee is too distracted by the brawl to count, and Cactus falls prey to a double team, and gets pinned at 20:11. Finish looked horrible, as half of Jack's body was outside of the ring - and in full view of the referee, no less. Jesus, who gave this twenty minutes? Lots of talent in the ring, but this was a heatless, poorly structured mess, and just died out there. This may be the most boring Mick Foley match I've ever seen. I mean, he didn't even take a notable bump out there! ¼* (Original rating: ½*)

Main Event: WCW World Title Match: Ric Flair v Hulk Hogan: Shaquille O'Neal acts as the guest time keeper for this one, and this is Hogan's in-ring debut. Big stare down to start, and they feel each other out a bit - the crowd hot for everything. Flair grabs a hammerlock into a wristlock, and he's not shy about using the hair (well, what's left of it) to keep Hogan on the mat, but Hulk manages a takedown, so Ric bails. Back in, Hogan hooks another takedown, but Flair is in the ropes, so Hulk switches to pinballing him around with some right hands. Cross corner clothesline flops Flair, so Hulk tries for the big boot, but Ric manages to bail. Hogan follows, so Flair hides behind Sherri, and that allows him to sneak in to take the high ground, and he puts the boots to his challenger. Flair with some chops, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop, but Hogan rolls out of the way! He corners Flair for a ten-punch, and a cross corner whip sets up a clothesline, followed by a few turnbuckle smashes. Flair is just getting destroyed here. Sherri hooks Hogan's ankle to allow Ric a high knee, and a chops puts Hogan on the outside - where Sherri tries to use a chair, but Jimmy Hart intervenes. Flair is on it, however, and he hops out to ram Hulk into the guardrail before he can recover. Ric with a flying forearm on the way back in, and the kneedrop connects this time. Chops, but Hogan no-sells, and responds in kind. He pounds Flair into the corner, so Ric tries sweeping him into a leveraged pin for two, but they're out of position, and it comes off badly. Flair with a snapmare into a chinlock, but Hogan powers up on the third arm drop, and he barrels into the champion with a pair of shoulderblocks. Cross corner whip flips Flair to the outside, and Hulk follows for a side suplex out there. He stupidly leaves Flair alone and lets his beat the count on his own, which seems like a stupid strategy. Even stupider: Sherri helps him beat it. She's no JJ Dillon. Hulk with a vertical suplex to set up the Legdrop, but Flair dodges. He capitalizes with the Figure Four, but Hogan counters with a small package for two. He blocks another two attempts at the hold, so Ric decides to wear him down with a hanging vertical suplex - only for it to backfire when Hogan no-sells! Big boot gets two when Sherri pulls the referee out to break the count, and she takes Hart out along the way. The distraction allows Flair to clip Hogan's knee, and Sherri comes off the top with a flying splash while the referee is still down. Well, to be fair, Dillon wouldn't have done that for him. Figure Four is successfully applied, and the crowd rallies behind the Hulkster! He makes the ropes, so Sherri springs into action - choking him with her stalking on the apron! Ric keeps after the knee, and unloads with chops in the corner, but Hogan starts no-selling. Flair switches to fists, but Hogan no-sells that as well, and fires back. That brings Sherri in for another flying splash, but Hulk dodges her this time, and he slams Flair off the top. Clothesline for Flair, and Hulk actually full on slugs Sherri in the face to put her on the outside! Wow! I mean, he'd put his hands on her before, but it was usually an atomic drop, or something. He full on punched her in the face here! I think he was going for a double-clothesline, but she was out of position. Either way, holy shit. Hogan slaps a figure four on Flair, but Sherri passes Ric a pair of knux in the process, and though Mr. T hauls Sherri away, Ric has the weapon clenched! He decks the Hulkster - only for it to trigger the HULK UP!! Fists of Fury! Big Boot! Legdrop! 21:54! Huge pop! More entertaining than good in the technical sense, but it certainly worked, and delivered as a main event. That said, Hogan totally gobbled Flair up here - barely giving him any offense that didn't require him to rely on Sherri's help. *** (Original rating: ** ¼)

BUExperience: For such a major show (in front of the biggest WCW crowd in ages, and the biggest pay per view audience they’d ever seen) the majority of the undercard guys didn’t seem particularly concerned with impressing anyone, and seemed to have it in low gear tonight. That’s surprising. A part of me almost feels like they were given a directive not to try and show the main event up, or something. And, considering what the immediate future held for the only two guys who did show the main event up, maybe it’s not so farfetched a notion.

That said, the show is still worth checking out for the historical significance alone, and the main event certainly delivered, with WCW doing a good job of making it seem important, and giving it that big match feel. Still, the show feels somewhat disappointing, because a hot undercard could have made this one of the promotions all time best shows, but instead it’s just kind of okay.

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