Goody Bag 56: Hidden Gems 5

 

Sting v Great Muta: From WCW Power Hour on September 1 1989 (taped August 15) in Cleveland Ohio. They size each other up to start, both men cautious as they engage. Muta manages to pound him into the corner to get the advantage, but a cross corner whip gets reverses, and Sting schoolboys for two. Sunset flip gets two, and a small package is worth two. Bodyslam buys time for a flying bodypress for two, and Muta wisely bails to regroup, as Terry Funk protests. Muta uses the distraction to attack from behind, and he railroads Sting into the corner for a ten-punch count. Sting ends up down to allow Gary Hart to choke him with a towel, and Muta dumps Sting to the outside for a whip into the guardrail. Muta with a bodyslam on the floor, but Sting beats the count in, so Muta welcomes him with a ropechoke. Muta pounds him with rights, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Sting hits a one-handed bulldog. He dumps Muta to the outside for a receipt on the rail, and there's a cop out there who looks like someone should have tried to sign him, he towers both guys. Back inside, Sting with a facebuster, and a vertical suplex for two. Clothesline connects, and Sting dumps him back to the outside for some reason, killing his own momentum. Muta beats the count to the apron, so Sting tries the Stinger Splash out there, but hits the post. That allows Muta the handspring backelbow on the way back in, but a criss cross ends in Sting catching him with a flapjack - bumping the referee in the process. Stinger Splash sets up the Scorpion Deathlock, but there's no referee. That allows Hart to come in to nail the Stinger from behind, and Muta covers for a dramatic two count from the dazed official. That was a great nearfall. Muta stays on him with a vertical suplex for two, and a backbreaker sets up the flying moonsault, but Sting lifts the knees to block. Another Stinger Splash finds the mark, and he tries a ten-punch, so Hart shoves him over the top - drawing the DQ at 13:34. This wasn't on the level of the Great American Bash match, but it was good TV action all the way through. Muta would then beat Sting at a live event a few days after this aired to win the vacant NWA Television title. ***

 

Tito Santana v Razor Ramon: TV taping dark match from Glens Falls New York on June 29 1992. This is early in Ramon's run, before he'd even debuted on TV. And he's wearing long tights here, which is really weird. Like, it's the colors and design cues we all know, but it just looks so odd, like some Halloween costume version of Razor's gear. Razor talks a lot of trash at the bell, and he powers Tito around as they engage. They trade wristlocks, and Razor is nailing this character like he's been playing it for twenty years already. Criss cross ends in Tito using a bodypress for two, and that allows him to take Razor to his knees in a wristlock. Santana works the hold, so Razor tries a whip into the ropes, but Tito is ready with a sunset flip and a dropkick. Back to the wristlock, so Razor forces another criss cross, and this time dumps him over the top. Tito tries pulling him out as well, but that backfires when Ramon feeds him the steps out there, then rams his back into the apron. Back in, Ramon puts the boots to him, as the crowd starts a 'Tito' chant. Ramon with a chokeslam for two, and he works a bow-and-arrow, but Tito starts to fight free, so Ramon throws a knee. He keeps the hold applied, and when Santana tries to fight free a second time, Razor blows him low. He adds a legdrop to the groin, and a sidewalk slam sets up a pump-splash, but Santana lifts the knees to block. Tito makes a comeback, and he nails him with El Paso, but Ramon is in the ropes at two. Razor fights him off with a bodyslam, but a 2^nd rope elbowdrop misses, so Santana goes up with a flying bodypress - only for Razor to roll through at 10:43. This was a decent, low gear kind of match, though a lot longer than I expected it to be. It was really interesting to see the original Ramon gear though, as well as Razor doing all kinds of moves he didn't really ever do after his official debut. This kind of stuff is crack to fans like me. * ¼

 

Sabu v Scott Taylor: TV taping dark match from Poughkeepsie New York on October 18 1993. This is the first of three tryout matches Sabu got over three consecutive days, though sadly the one against Owen Hart has not been uploaded. Sabu rushes in, looking impressive right away, and he fights for a takedown, but Taylor gets the better of him. Taylor hangs on to the leg for a bit, but Sabu fights him off, and ropechokes him. Sabu with a bodyslam to set up a slingshot legdrop for two, and he takes it to the mat for a front-facelock. Scott fights to a vertical base, so Sabu uses a spinkick to knock him to the outside, and he dives with a somersault plancha. He adds a springboard moonsault press on the floor (drawing audible gasps from the 1993 crowd), but runs into a backdrop as they head back in. Scott with right hands, and a whip into the ropes sets up a dropkick. Scott with a somersault rocker dropper, but a trip to the top ends badly when Sabu brings him off with a rana for one. Sabu let off the pin there, which looked weird. Like he had that as the finish, but then remembered he wanted to get a couple more things in first. And, indeed, he gets a sloppy slingshot armdrag, and a slingshot moonsault finishes at 4:27. This wasn't much, but these spots were pretty crazy for a WWF audience in 1993, and I really wish they'd upload the Owen match from the next day, because I bet it was better. ¾*

 

Jushin Thunder Liger v Eddie Guerrero: From WCW Main Event in Dalton Georgia, October 1 1995 (taped September 7). Eddie tries grabbing an overhead wristlock to start, but Liger counters to a standing headlock, so Guerrero quickly uses a side suplex to escape. Reversal sequence ends in a stalemate, but with Guerrero ahead on points. Eddie goes for a hold, but Liger fights him off with a surfboard. Monkeyflip, but Guerrero lands on his feet, so Liger charges with a headscissors takedown. Guerrero responds in kind, but a criss cross ends in Liger hitting a koppou kick to knock Eddie to the outside, and Jushin dives after him with a plancha. Guerrero stops to regroup for a bit, but beats the count back in, and gets Liger down in a grapevine. Liger makes the ropes, so Eddie keeps the hurt on by stomping the leg, and he uses a blockbuster for two. Toehold is applied, but Liger fights to a vertical base in the hold, and throws a leg-feed enzuigiri. Liger with chops, but Eddie counters a powerbomb with a bridging German suplex for two. Criss cross sees Eddie throw a leg lariat, and his own powerbomb is worth two. He goes back to the leg to wear Liger down for the Gory special, but Jushin escapes with a sunset cradle for two. Liger with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two, and a powerbomb is worth two. Eddie with a victory cradle for two, and a standing dropkick allows him to get to the top rope, but Liger brings him off with a vertical superplex for two. Reversal sequence ends in Liger hitting a German suplex for two, but Eddie reverses a brainbuster on him, and heads to the top for the Flying Frogsplash at 11:12. The leg work led to nothing, but a fun match otherwise. ** ¾