WCW All Nighter (January 21, 1995)

 

Original Airdate: January 21, 1995

Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone, Gene Okerlund, Bobby Heenan, Larry Zbyszko, Gordon Solie, Chris Cruise, and Dusty Rhodes - this time from the Omni Hotel in Atlanta Georgia, since Tony’s wife wouldn’t let them back into the basement after last time. The theme this time is that we’re counting down the ten best matches in Clash of the Champions history

#7: WCW United States Title Match: Steve Austin v Ricky Steamboat: From Clash XXVIII in Cedar Rapids Iowa on August 24 1994. The title can change hands on a DQ here. Feeling out process to start, with the challenger dominating, while the announcers largely ignore the match to talk about the Hogan angle. I mean, there are even extended cutaways from the match to show Heenan getting an update from a producer at one point. Both guys throw chops, and Steamboat takes control with a pair of dropkicks, then delivers a powerslam for two - as we switch to a split screen so we can watch Hogan's ambulance on its way to the hospital. Remember my theory from the Bash at the Beach review that certain higher-ups may have been pissed at these two for trying to show up the main event? Maybe not so farfetched after all. Reversal sequence ends in Steamboat holding an armbar, but a criss cross ends in Ricky getting tossed to the outside. He manages to sweep Austin out after him, and the Dragon unloads on him with chops, until Steve bails INTO the ring to avoid the blows! He tries a sleeper, but Steamboat quickly reverses, so Steve uses a stunner to escape. Didn't mean as much in 1994, of course. Reversal sequence ends in Steve missing a charge into the post, and Steamboat bashes the champions arm into the steel, then does a cool spot where he snaps Steve's arm across the top rope by dropping from the top all the way to the floor! You don't see that often, but you should. It's relatively simple, but really elegant. Flying tomahawk chops gets two, but Austin puts him down for a kneedrop for two, and works a chinlock. At least the announcers are actually talking about the match now. Steamboat escapes, and another reversal sequence sees him try a splash, but Austin lifts his knees to block for two, then comes off the middle rope with a flying pointed elbowdrop for two. Vertical suplex gets two, but a try at another one is blocked, and Steamboat powers him onto the top turnbuckle for a superplex - Steve able to block. He tries to dive, but the Dragon crotches him up there before he can, and then tries for the superplex again, but Austin counters with a gourdbuster off the top. He dives, but Steamboat gutpunches him out of the air, and delivers a facebuster. To the top for the flying bodypress, but Steve sidesteps. He wastes time taunting his challenger instead of finishing him off, however, and Ricky sweeps him down for some mounted punches. Chop gets two, and a rotating spinebuster is worth two. Electric chair gets two, and Steamboat hooks an inside cradle for two. Somersault cradle gets two, and a backslide is worth two. Sunset flip for two, so Steve throws a desperate clothesline, but Steamboat keeps coming! Austin tries to backdrop him over the top, but Ricky skins the cat up into a cradle for two! Austin, getting increasingly desperate, tries a bodyslam, but Steamboat holds it into a cradle, and we have a new champion at 16:08! Like the Bash match before it, this took a little while to get going, but man, it was great once it did. Lots of really nice, smoothly executed sequences here. I underrated this one the first time out. ****

Back at the hotel, Solie takes some deep, deep pulls on that coffee cup

#6: WCW World Title Match: Big Van Vader v Davey Boy Smith: From Clash XXIV in Daytona Beach Florida on August 18. If Vader is DQ'd, he loses the belt. Vader wants to start out on the ramp, but Davey shows no fear, charging, and tackling him down. Bulldog delivers a wild hanging vertical suplex on the ramp, then adds a clothesline and a dropkick before clotheslining Vader over the top into the ring. Smith follows in with a slingshot splash, but Vader lifts his knees to block, and starts unloading on his challenger in the corner. Nobody does that quite like Vader! He dumps Davey to the outside, but an avalanche against the rail misses, and Smith drops him front-first across it for good measure - with some redneck fan then deciding to 'help' Vader off the rail by pushing him! The nicest people in Daytona. Smith with a Samoan drop for two on the way back in, but a charge ends badly, and Vader absolutely FLATTENS him with an elbowdrop. I feel like Jim Ross would have had a ball calling this one. Vader with a shoulderblock, and he delivers his own Samoan drop to setup a flying splash for two! Seated senton splash misses, however, and Bulldog hooks the leg for two. Cross corner whip, but Vader reverses him, and adds a splash. I think Smith might be legit loopy, because Vader suddenly goes to a chinlock after unsuccessfully trying to pull him to his feet. Smith escapes and hooks a crucifix for two, so Vader blasts him with a forearm, and goes to town in the corner again. Vader goes up, but Bulldog dropkicks him down off the top, and stomps a mud hole in the corner. Charge hits boot, however, and the Vaderbomb connects for two! The champ decides to go up again with a 2nd rope flying bodyblock, but Smith counters with a powerslam on the way down - only for the referee to get bumped in the process! Serves them right for having such small rings. Davey keeps coming with a vertical suplex, but Harley Race hustles in to clip the knee, and Vader topples him to retain at 11:00. What is with this building and throwing trash in the ring? Good reflection of Daytona though, from what I remember. Afterwards, Cactus Jack runs out - making his big return to brawl with Vader. Good match, which I found to be much better than the psychologically unsound Slamboree bout. *** ¼

Back at the hotel, Bobby returns from the toilet with a tail

The Gladiators v Bill Mulkey and Randy Mulkey: From World Championship Wrestling on March 28 1987 (taped March 22) in Atlanta Georgia. Well, this is insanely random. The Gladiators dominate, but get tripped up, and toppled on a slam attempt at 0:30. It took me longer to look up the details of the show than the match. This was meant as a big ‘Horowitz wins’ moment, and it was probably fun for the audience at the time, but this was eight years later, and the promotion had changed so much in the time in between. DUD

Back at the hotel, Bobby doesn’t care for the stale chips, and starts spitting them all over the place

WCW World Title Career Cage Match: Hulk Hogan v Ric Flair: From Halloween Havoc on October 23 1994 in Roanoke Virginia. Mr. T acts as the special guest referee for this one. Hulk blitzes him at the bell, and makes Flair eat his bandanna, but Mr. T steps in when Hogan stands on the top rope and stomps a cornered Nature Boy. Ric uses that opportunity to poke Hulk in the eye, but a trip into the cage gets reversed, and Hogan unloads some mounted punches. Flair goes to the bad knee to turn the tide, and he works the part, then sends Hogan into the cage. Now in control, Flair snapmares Hogan down for a kneedrop, but another toss into the cage gets reversed, and Hulk drives him into it a second time before choking Ric down with his t-shirt. Mr. T intervenes again, allowing Flair a flying axehandle, followed by a hanging vertical suplex for two. Into the corner for chops, but Hulk fires back, so Ric tries to climb, but Hogan follows him up to the top rope and bashes his head into the cage until Ric falls straddled across the top rope! Hulk unleashes some biting next, but a charge in the corner hits boot, and Flair tries the Figure Four, but Hulk hooks a small package for two. Flair responds with more chops, but Hogan is in no-sell mode, and shrugs them off. Cross corner whip and a backdrop connect, and Ric gets tossed into the cage again. Man, it must be eating away at him that he hasn't been able to blade. Like, that many cage shots would be a four alarm blade job from him by now. Hulk then makes it worse by grating Ric's face into the mesh, and a side suplex gets two. Mr. T as a referee is... not so good. Flair tries to climb out again, but Hulk is on his tail, and he crotches the Nature Boy on the top rope again following a flurry of chops. Ric tries a kneebreaker to fight him off, and Flair drops his own knee onto the Hulkster's leg a couple of times, before tearing off Hogan's kneepad to do some more direct damage. Mr. T tries to intervene, but Flair pushes past him, and goes to work. Damn right! This is supposed to be a cage match, fuck his noise. Figure Four looks to finish, but Hulk manages a reversal, so Flair starts throwing kicks at the leg upon escaping. Mr. T gets bumped in the process, and there's no one to count when Ric hits a side suplex, so he responds by stomping Mr. T. That's Sherri's cue, but Jimmy Hart pulls her skirt off to prevent her from entering the cage, so the masked man pops out to stop that effort. That allows Sherri to dive in with a flying axehandle on Hogan, as Flair handcuffs Mr. T to the rope, and the masked man looms. Flair and Sherri pound Hogan, but he starts no-selling, and isn't shy at all about beating on Sherri as he makes his comeback. She even takes a big boot! Big boot for Flair as well, and the Legdrop finishes at 19:26 - Mr. T counting the pin while still handcuffed to the rope! The match was overbooked like crazy, and lacked some of the psychology of the earlier meetings, but certainly entertaining. And then afterwards, the real fun starts, as the masked man returns, but this time Hogan fights him off, and he's unmasked as none other than Brother Bruti! Hulk is in shock, but here comes Kevin Sullivan, followed by Avalanche (still unnamed, and wearing his Earthquake gear) to attack, and beat Hogan down - that going on until Sting makes the save! ***

Back at the hotel, Bobby thumbs through the menu, trying to find something edible. Tony promises that pizza is coming, but Bobby is only interested if he doesn’t have to pay. Bobby is absolutely destroying every segment here

#5: Steve Austin v Brian Pillman: From Clash XXV on St. Petersburg Florida on November 10 1993. I get that there was a lot of politics involved, but breaking up the Blonds at the height of their run is still such a boneheaded move that it's annoying almost a quarter of a century later. Both guys are still sporting the team gear tonight, Tito Santana style! Pillman attacks before the bell, but gets caught up chasing Colonel Parker, and Austin manages to blast him with a clothesline on the outside. Whip into the guardrail gets reversed, however, and Brian cracks his former partner with a chop. Inside, Pillman with a backdrop, and he keeps unloading with those chops in the corner. Criss cross goes Brian's way with a headscissors, and Steve bails to the ramp - able to nail Pillman as he tries following out. Steve with a piledriver on the ramp, but Brian counters with a backdrop, and he comes off the top with a flying splash - only for Steve to lift his boot to block, then shove his former partner off of the ramp and into the rail! Steve dives after him with a flying forearm, and a snapmare on the floor sets up a kneedrop out there. Austin heads in, but Brian is on him with a slingshot shoulderblock for two - only to run into a press-drop across the top rope while looking for a follow-up! Steve with a snapmare to setup a half-crab, but he gets caught using the ropes for leverage, and has to abandon it. That allows Brian to fire off some chops, so Steve tries a corner whip, but Pillman springboard up onto the middle rope, and then dives back at Austin with a flying backelbow. Austin recovers first, and heads up, but Brian is able to crotch him on the top turnbuckle. He tries a superplex, but Steve counters with a gourdbuster off the top - only to have the follow-up dive countered with a dropkick for two! Brian tries following up with a backdrop, but Steve counters with a piledriver, so Pillman counters back with a rana for two. Another slingshot shoulderblock, but Steve counters this one with a powerslam for two, and he adds a facebuster. Straddling ropechoke misses, however, and Pillman DDTs him for two. Crucifix, but Austin counters with a Samoan drop, and he heads back to the top for a flying splash, but Brian rolls out of the way, and hooks an Oklahoma roll for two! Austin tries the Stungun, but Brian blocks - only to have Parker shove him off the ropes while trying the Air Pillman, and Austin gets the pin at 9:11! I really wish these two got twenty minutes on pay per view sometime, but at least we got this. *** ½

At the hotel, Larry is still making excuses for matches he lost in 1991. Sounds like him

#4: WCW World Tag Team Title Match: The Enforcers v Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat: From Clash XVII in Savannah Georgia on November 19 1991. They've finally replaced the NWA tag belts with new WCW logo ones. Steamboat is, of course, a hyped mystery partner to replace the injured Barry Windham, in one of the more legendary reveals. Arn Anderson starts with the Dragon, and gets blitzed with chops, so the champ throws a cheap shot and tries to double team in the corner, but Steamboat fights both Enforcers off! That quickly turns into a brawl on the outside between all four men, with the challengers controlling, and taking the high ground. The dust settles on Larry Zbyszko and Steamboat, with Steamboat working a headlock before passing out to Dustin. The challengers utilize quick tags to work Zbyszko over, targeting the champions arm as they control the match. Arn manages to get the tag and takes over on the young Rhodes, and isn't afraid to cheat on his way to delivering a flying axehandle. Cross corner charge hits boot, however, and Dustin knocks him to the outside - Rhodes celebrating as if he just won the world title, or something. Like, chill, dude. Dust settles on Larry and Ricky, and the Dragon controls with a savate kick, but gets suckered into a chase, and clobbered by Anderson. The Enforcers quickly follow-up with a tandem move, and Zbyszko hits a vertical suplex for two. The champs cut the ring in half on Steamboat, and Ricky is opening tapping out during a Boston crab, but since this is 1991, it doesn't mean shit yet. A double-knockout spot with Anderson ends in Ricky dodging the dazed Enforcer coming off the top rope, and he gets the hot tag to Dustin! He's a barn of fire, and he catches Arn with the Bulldog, but the Enforcers fail to notice a blind tag to Ricky in the process - the Dragon diving onto Anderson with a flying bodypress to win the title at 14:48! Nice finish there, to a good formula tag match. I know a lot of people consider this to be one of the all time great tag matches, but I just don't quite see it. It's good, and certainly an excellent example of how the formula should be applied, but I just don't get a whole lot else out of it. *** ¼

Dusty Rhodes reminisces about Ricky Steamboat’s return in 1989, despite being in the WWF at the time

Ric Flair and Barry Windham v Eddie Gilbert and Ricky Steamboat: From World Championship Wrestling on January 21 1989 (taped January 18) in Atlanta, with Steamboat again as a surprise partner. Barry and Ricky start, and Steamboat throws him around with armdrags. Steamboat with a bodyslam, and Barry bails. Clipped to Eddie and Barry, and Windham is able to dominate him. Tag to Flair, but Steamboat tags back in at the same time, and Ric takes a backdrop. Steamboat dominates Flair, and a flying bodypress finishes at 2:45 shown of 15:14. I won’t rate it since it was heavily clipped, but it was cool as a moment.

Back at the hotel, Gene tries some of Solie’s ‘concoctions,’ and he nearly passes out

Ric Flair v Ricky Steamboat: From WCW Main Event on July 24, 1994 (taped June 27) in Columbus Georgia. This is notable for being the last ever televised Flair/Steamboat one-on-one match, and the second to last ever, period. Feeling out process to start, until Ric takes over in the corner, and he snapmares Steamboat down for a kneedrop. Sherri distracts the referee so Flair can freely toss Steamboat over the top, then she runs over with a cheap shot out there while he recovers. Sherri could teach a masters course in heel managering. Flair hops out to ram Ricky into the rail, and then heads in to distract the referee again so that Sherri can choke the Dragon with her stalking. Ricky gets understandably miffed, and goes after her, but that allows Ric to sneak up on him, and Sherri lays the Dragon out with her shoe. She gets in yet another cheap shot as Ricky makes his way back into the ring, where Flair is ready with chops. Steamboat returns fire, however, and manages a cross corner whip to set up a backdrop. Into the corner for a ten-punch, and that flops Flair! Chop sends the Nature Boy over the top, but Steamboat is hot on his tail, and rolls him back in - Ric begging off now. Steamboat keeps cracking him with those chops, and another corner whip sets up another backdrop, this time followed by a dropkick. Flair goes to the eyes to try and turn things around, but Steamboat fights him off again, so Ric tries a leveraged pin in the corner, but can't put the Dragon away. Steamboat with a bodyslam for two, and a nice criss cross ends in Ricky hitting a press-slam. Corner whip flips Flair to the floor, and he hides behind Sherri out there - able to throw a cheap shot at the advancing Steamboat. The referee gets bumped on the way back in, and he misses Ricky countering a side suplex with a rollup. Ric goes up, but Steamboat slams him off, and slaps on a figure four - only for Sherri to come in and attack! Steamboat cradles her while applying the hold on Flair, however, then gets rid of her with an atomic drop. He turns his attention back to Ric with a flying bodypress, but there's still no referee, and Steve Austin runs in! He attacks, but the referee comes to, and calls for a DQ at 12:08. This was definitely on the lower end of the spectrum for their series, but still quite good. Ric and Sherri ganging up on Steamboat was especially fun. ***

Back at the hotel, Tony brings David Crockett in as a guest, and Gene immediately takes a shot, noting that “the only reason he was working is because his family owned the company”

We take a look back at some classic Horsemen promos from the JCP days

#3: NWA World Tag Team Title Match: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard v Dusty Rhodes and Sting: From Clash II on June 8 1988 in Miami Florida. Sting still hadn't really worked out the kinks in his face paint style just yet at this point. Anderson starts with the Stinger, and works a wristlock, but Sting no-sells everything, so Arn bails. After a powwow with JJ Dillon, Arn heads back in, and a cheap shot puts Sting on the floor. Anderson tries a clothesline into the post, but Sting dodges, and Arn wraps his arm around the steel. Inside, Sting works the arm, but Arn manages to get away from him long enough to tag. Tully tries a hiptoss, but gets reversed, and Sting adds a headscissors takedown before passing out to Rhodes. Dusty unloads on both champions with elbowsmashes, and man, Dusty was really letting himself go during this period. I mean, he was always big, but the gut and moobs are out of control here. Rhodes with a figure four, but Arn takes a cheap shot to break, and tags in to put the boots to Dusty. Dillon gets his licks in as well as the Horsemen start cutting the ring in half on one of their favorite victims. On the outside, Dusty knocks over a table as the champs beat on him - which is notable because, as they head in, you can see Dillon in the background putting the table back in place. I know they're supposed to be heels, but between this and being the only guys to actually acknowledge poor JR outside the building earlier, the Horsemen are really coming off like great guys here. Inside, Dusty fights off Blanchard with a dropkick, and tags. Sting press-slams Blanchard then hits the Stinger Splash, but Anderson breaks up the Scorpion Deathlock, and knocks Sting to the floor for a stungun on the rail! Back in, the Horsemen cut the ring in half on Sting with expert precision, but he manages to fight off Arn, and stungun Tully to tag. Rhodes is a restaurant of fire, but Sting makes the mistake of tossing the referee aside as a brawl breaks out. I guess we can chalk that up to youthful exuberance. But then, Dusty does the same thing, so maybe not. With the referee tossed aside twice and not calling for a bell, the rest of the Horsemen decide to run in, and kick the shit out of Rhodes and Sting, the match ruled a double disqualification at 11:01. Seemed like the challengers should have been DQ'd there. The Horsemen then continue the beating until the end of the show - setting up a bunch of War Games matches for the Bash Tour The shortest (but also the best) match of the night! ** ½ 

Back at the hotel, Heenan has dozed off, and Tony may or may not be wearing pants. Meanwhile, the pizza arrives, and Gene makes the poor delivery guy sit down and talk wrestling on camera, and the guy seems to be on a different planet 

Iron Team Tournament Match: The Road Warriors v The Steiner Brothers: From Starrcade on December 13 1989 in Atlanta. Not much downtime for the Warriors there. Hawk starts with Scott Steiner, and quickly smacks him with an enzuigiri when Steiner blocks a kick. Hawk then blocks a kick, and Scott sends him flying with a takedown into an anklelock, but Hawk has the ropes. Over to Rick Steiner, but Hawk sends him spiraling through the air with a clothesline for two, then passes to Animal for a tandem-backelbow. Criss cross ends in a Steinerline, however, so Animal throws a jumping shoulderblock. Bearhug, but Rick quickly escapes with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, and both guys tag. Hawk immediately displays tremendous power by casually press-slamming Scott, then adding a fistdrop for two. He absolutely maims him with a big boot for two, and Animal bodyslams him, but misses an elbowdrop. Scott returns fire with a belly-to-belly suplex for two, but a cross corner charge ends badly when Animal comes barreling out with a lariat. Back to Hawk for a gutwrench backbreaker, and a gutwrench slam gets two. God, these guys are nuts. Scott shoots back again with a nasty overhead superplex that nearly cripples Hawk, but luckily doesn't. Animal slows it down with a bearhug, and Hawk drives a powerslam to setup an elbowdrop from Animal for two. That draws Rick in, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! The Warriors hit the Doomsday Device to finish, but Animal inadvertently gets his own shoulders pinned while holding the cradle, adding twenty points to the Brothers' tally at 7:28. I really didn't care for the finish, but the match was a rollicking stiff brawl, and a dream match combination to boot. ***

Back at the hotel, Cruise continues to be the weirdest motherfucker alive. I didn’t even mention that he whipped it out in one of the earlier segments

#2: I Quit Match: Ric Flair v Terry Funk: From Clash IX in Troy New York on November 15 1989. Flair is still the NWA World Champion, but this is non-title, and the loser must retire. Flair knocks him right to the floor with a big chop, where Funk proceeds to threaten half the front row. Back in, Ric unleashes more chops, and a pair of corner whips sends Terry running for the hills again. Funk gets the best of a brawl on the outside, then in for a ten-punch, but Flair won't quit. Terry keeps going with the closed fists well past the traditional 'ten,' but Flair manages an inverted atomic drop, so Funk puts him down with a swinging neckbreaker. Ric keeps fighting with chops to send them back to the floor, and this time it's the Nature Boy who gets the better of a brawl out there, but Terry won't quit. Gary Hart distracts Ric long enough for Funk to attack with another swinging neckbreaker, but Flair won't quit. Terry decides to punish him with the Piledriver, but Flair won't quit. Legdrop isn't enough, so Funk tosses him to the outside for a Piledriver on the exposed concrete, but that's STILL not enough! Bodyslam onto a table fails to smash it, so Funk props it up against the side of the ring to do some real damage, but gets reversed into it. Flair decimates Funk on the floor with every available ringside object as he mounts a comeback, then back in for a kneedrop, but Funk won't quit. Inverted atomic drop isn't enough, so Flair works the knee a bit. Funk tries to run, but Ric drags him back for a hanging vertical suplex to setup the Figure Four - Terry able to block. He tries a vertical suplex of his own, but Flair reverses it, and gets the Figure Four on for the submission at 18:33 - capping off one of the most perfectly booked angles of all time, and one which didn't overstay its welcome. I know this is considered by most to be superior to the Great American Bash match, but I've never felt that way, and I don't now either. Like, the Bash match was a legit classic. This was just a relatively average brawl that happened to have a great angle behind it. Where was the psychology? Where was Funk destroying the neck every which way from Sunday, with Flair doing the same to the leg, until one finally gave out? Ric didn't even take a SHOT at the leg until the last couple of minutes! And, even what Funk DID do to the neck was barely acknowledged! I mean, he PILEDROVE FLAIR ON THE EXPOSED FLOOR and Ric was back on offense two minutes later! But, hey, Magnum/Tully at Starrcade never did it for me either, so your mileage may vary. Afterwards, a big brawl breaks out with Hart turning on Funk, and Great Muta and Lex Luger battling Flair and Sting to setup Starrcade. ***

Back at the hotel, Dusty relives his greatest hits. Camera or not, you knew that would be happening anytime Dusty was in a hotel in Atlanta

We flash back to some clips of the ‘Dusty brings a gorilla to the studio’ stuff from World Championship Wrestling in 1985

Back at the hotel, Tony has put his hoodie up, which as we learned last time, means things are about to get crazy

WCW World Title Match: Lex Luger v Sting: From SuperBrawl II on February 29 1992 in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Big stare down to start, until Luger shoots first with a shove. They scuffle in the corner, and Sting goes for the Stinger Splash early, not Luger no-sells, and levels him with a lariat. Lex is looking jacked here, like a WWF superstar. Luger with a powerslam to setup the Torture Rack, but Sting counters with a German suplex, and hooks Luger in a rack of his own! Lex quickly escapes, but a backdrop is countered with a jumping DDT, and the champ wisely bails to the floor for a break. He drags Sting out for a smash into the rail, but the challenger reverses, and he rolls Luger in for a bootchoke in the corner. Backdrop gets two, and Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock on early, but Luger is immediately in the ropes. He fights Sting off in the corner, and an inverted atomic drop rattles the challenger, as Luger mocks him. Press-slam and the piledriver look to finish, but Sting kicks out at two, so Lex hits a pair of pointed elbowdrops for two. Sting starts mounting his comeback, but a bodypress misses, and the Stinger goes flying over the top. Luger is hot on his tail with a shot into the rail, but Sting manages to backdrop Harley Race to counter a piledriver on the floor, and he rushes to the top rope with a flying bodypress at 13:01. The finish felt kind of out of nowhere, but the booking did a good job of trying to make this suitably epic otherwise. Luger looked terribly uninterested here (which glaringly clashed with everyone else on the card who were working hard in hopes of winning the nightly bonus), and the match fell short in a lot of ways, but I thought it was interesting how much like modern bouts it was with all the signature moves coming early on. * ½

Back at the hotel, Crockett is back to reminisce about Magnum TA

From World Championship Wrestling in June 1985, as we get another Ric Flair promo, this time targeting Magnum TA

Ric Flair v George South: From World Championship Wrestling on June 11 1985 in Atlanta. Really? A squash match from a decade earlier? No wonder Bobby fell asleep. Flair with a figure four at 4:39. Magnum comes into the ring after the match, and he tears apart the fancy suit Flair gifted him. That gets Flair to charge him, but Magnum is ready with a belly-to-belly suplex, in a great angle. DUD

Back at the hotel, the guys draw on a sleeping Heenan’s face

#1: NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Sting: From Clash of the Champions on March 27 1988 in Greensboro North Carolina. JJ Dillon is suspended in a shark cage for this, with Sandy Scott, Gary Juster, and Patty Mullen acting as ringside judges. Of those three, Scott and Juster are actually associated with wrestling, while Mullen is a Penthouse Pet. I guess they figured she fights off unwanted advances often enough to qualify as an expert in grappling. Flair tries to control Sting with an overhead wristlock to start, and the powerful challenger reverses, but the experienced champion is positioned close to the ropes. Test-of-strength goes the Stinger's way as well, so Flair tries chops, but Sting no-sells, and hiptosses him across the ring before knocking him out of it with a dropkick. Back in, Ric grabs a side-headlock, and shifts into a hammerlock, but Sting reverses, and shifts into a wristlock. Big criss cross once Ric escapes, ending in Sting press-slamming the champion, and executing a headscissors takedown, followed by a hiptoss before grounding Ric in a side-headlock. Flair manages to wrestle up to a vertical base in the hold, and uses a chop to escape, but gets hiptossed after another criss cross, and put back on the mat in another headlock. Ric escapes again, but this time Sting stops short to avoid having to criss cross - dropping right back down into the side-headlock when Ric hits the deck during the attempted criss cross. Flair fights free with another chop, but Sting no-sells, and executes another hiptoss/dropkick combo. Man, he really likes to hiptoss, doesn't he? Flair tries dumping him to the floor, but Sting pops right back in, and delivers some punches in the corner before taking the champ back down in another headlock. Ric escapes, and starts trying closed fists, but Sting still no-sells, and press-slams him. Bearhug wears Flair down to the mat for a few near falls, as little Wayne Arnold puts the moves on the Penthouse Pet. Good for him, the little shit. Sting gets overconfident, and misses a couple of higher risk maneuvers (elbowdrop and a cross corner elbowsmash), allowing Ric to finally put him down with an inverted atomic drop. Flair takes him to the outside for a couple of whips into the rail to capitalize, then unloads with chops on the way back in. Flair goes to work with a cross corner whip and a pair of kneedrops, followed by a pair of backscratches - as the announcers note that there is 'only' twenty five minutes left in the time limit. It's okay when they do that with only a few minutes remaining, but twenty five minutes is longer than any of the matches on the undercard - noting it repeatedly is kind of a dead giveaway of the finish. Flair cracks him with some more chops in the corner, but Sting starts no-selling, and a right hand sends the champion flying over the top. Sting goes after him, but again pays the price for trying a higher risk maneuver on the experienced champion when Ric dodges a jumping clothesline, and Sting hits the post. He manages to beat the count in, and Ric goes to work on the arm with a wristlock. Sting powers him into the corner for a ten-punch, followed by a hiptoss and a clothesline for two. Man, Sting likes the hiptoss like Burns likes the vest. Hanging vertical suplex sets up the Scorpion Deathlock, but Ric is in the ropes before the challenger can properly apply the hold. Sting keeps on him with a hard right, but again isn't experienced enough to keep Flair away from the ropes before covering. Bodypress, but Flair hits the deck, and Sting goes crashing through the ropes to the floor. Flair tries to snap his throat across the top rope on the way back in, but Sting manages to fight him off, and actually sticks a high risk maneuver with a flying bodypress for two. Ric cuts him off with a kneebreaker, however, and the champ goes to work on the leg. Another kneebreaker sends Sting to the outside, but the challenger manages to beat the count in. Ric punishes him for it by pounding the knee - though he still makes sure to take the time to taunt some fat boys at ringside. The look of pure glee on Wayne Arnold's face as Ric does so is marvelous - one proper bully appreciating another. Side suplex sets up the Figure Four, and even with Flair using the ropes, Sting will not submit! He manages to reverse the hold, but Flair gets the ropes. Ric decides to finish this punk kid off with a vertical suplex from the apron to the floor, but Sting reverses him back into the ring, and tries a splash to follow-up - only to hit the champion's knees. Abdominal stretch, but Sting reverses. Flair escapes and goes to the top rope, but the Stinger slams him down for two, then crotches him on the post for good measure. JJ Dillon protesting and calling for a disqualification from the shark cage is hilarious. Sting applies a figure four of his own, and has learned from his mistakes - making sure Flair is far from the ropes. Ric still manages to get them, so Sting goes back to what he knows best, and delivers another ten-punch, followed by a hiptoss. Out to the floor, Ric gets sent into the rail and smashed into the judges table, then takes an all expense paid trip into the post. Five minutes left in the time limit as Ric manages a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, but Sting blocks. Ten-punch, so Ric counters with an inverted atomic drop, but Sting no-sells, and clotheslines him for two. Stinger Splash, but Flair dodges, and the challenger goes crashing to the outside, in a nice bump. Sting knows he done fucked up, but he refuses to quit - fighting in ahead of the count. Flair looks to finish with a sleeper, but Sting manages to drop him into the top turnbuckle to escape, so an increasingly desperate Flair tosses him to the floor again. Sting keeps coming with a slingshot sunset flip of his own for two, but Flair manages to get to the top rope for a flying bodypress - only for Sting to roll through for two! Stinger Splash sets up the Scorpion Deathlock, and he gets it on properly - only for the forty five minute time limit to expire at 39:14. I guess the timekeeper was distracted by Mullen? And, so, that leaves it up to our ringside judges, but they're deadlocked, and the bout is ruled a draw. Why even bother having judges then? Just do a time limit draw and be done with it. The power versus experience dynamic here was really well done, and though the match tended to be extremely repetitive, their good use of psychology kept it engaging for the full forty. This was like the type of match Triple H was always TRYING to have when he'd do those forty minute pay per view bore fests in the 2000s. And besides being a good match, it also succeeded in and is significant for making Sting into a star, as opposed to just some random UWF goof with cool face paint, not to mention is the first in what would be thirteen years worth of high profile matches between the two. And the fact that it was presented totally commercial free is just a cool little cherry on top. *** ½ 

Back at the hotel, Heenan wakes up, and can’t figure out why everyone is laughing 

BUExperience: Doing a Clash countdown meant they covered a lot of the same ground as the first All Nighter special, though they promised a top ten, and only showed seven Clash matches? Anyway, this was a good hang.