Date: 20 February, 1994
Setting: Albany Georgia (Civic Center)
Attendance: 7,600
Buyrate: 110,000
Annoucers: Tony Schivone and Bobby "The Brain" Heenen
Tagline: "There is no Escape from the Revenge and Rage in the Thundercage!"
BTW this is the debut PPV of former WWF duo Mean Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenen. Heenen's real life heat with Schivone can be seen here.
At times this feels more like an episode of WCW Saturday Night. We open with a over long video hyping the Flair VS. Vader main event. Flair shouting Vader's name and giving a "Whoo" at the top of the stairs is funny
We then get an angle just to set up a match later in the PPV
. Johnny B. Badd is supposed to face Michael Hayes (yep he's still wrestling and looking a bit tubby). Hayes comes out in a wheelchair claiming he can't wrestle. His long term partner Jimmy Garvin says he's retired, to prove it he's wearing a pilot's uniform
(think this is real Garvin flew planes). Nick Bockwinkle says Garvin must face Badd later on or Hayes will be suspended. Mean Gene doing his best Columbo and Hayes crying make the segment, but why are we spending so long on this?!
Harlem Heat VS. Thunder and Lightening
The first acutal match is this shit?! I don't even know who Thunder and Lightening are? (Bobby calls them Batman and Robin). Turns out Lightening is Jeff Farmer best known for playing NWO Sting a few years later. This is when Heat are known as Kole and Kane. Its nothing match, which is very sloppy and drawn out. There's little or no crowd heat. The finish is lame too, Heat pick up the win after a stomp to the head. *1/2
The Equalizer VS. "Jungle" Jim Steele
Things just get worse! The only thing of note in this bargain basement match are Steele's cartoony attire including Leopard skinned boots, and the thought that watching even the worse episode of hit tv show "The Equalizer" would be better than watching any of the matches involving the wrestler. Steele wins with a terrible Lou Thesz press. *
Diamond Dallas Page (W/ One of the Diamond Dolls) VS. Terry Taylor
Scary that this is the best match so far. This was before Page's real life wife Kimberly became a regular part of his act. Its total filler, but wactchable filler. Taylor is part time at this point, working as a broadcaster on one of the TV shows. For a part-timer he looks pretty good. The match is overlong, in another blow to Page's push Taylor gets the win with a roll-up which Bobby claims included a handful of tights. **
Johnny B. Badd VS. Jimmy Garvin (W/Michael Hayes)
The rematch from Halloween Havoc 91 no one asked for, and its all over competing songs on WCW's Slam Jam album! Garvin looks out of shape, but its solid match, he's still a solid heel and sells niely for Badd. Hayes antics at ringside are fun too. Badd counters a DDT attempt with a back drop. He takes control with a flying headscissors, another back drop and a heymaker before picking up the win with a sunset flip off the top. Badd goes after Hayes afterwards and is nailed by Garvin who hits his new finisher the 911. So I guess Garvin's out of retirement **1/2
Gene hypes up the hotline and WCW's coming European Tour with a German guy.
WCW Television Title: Arn Anderson VS. Lord Steven Regal (C) (W/Sir William)
Easily the best match so far. The normal TV title time limit of 15 minutes is extended to 30 minutes. My only complaint this that later in the match they should have kicked things up a bit and gone for more big moves. Arn does a good job of matching Regal in his kind of match. The Enforcer goes after Regal's arm, in classic hammerlocks etc.. and the champion works over Double A's back stretching him with stiff chinlocks, bodyscissors and STF's. There's some fantastic selling and ring psychology from both. Anderson maintains contact on a the armbar as Regal slams him, taking the champ over with him into a two count. Stiff blows back and forth in the corner, with Regal's stiff European uppercuts. Arn takes a couple of shots from Sir Williams Cane, the manager also holds Regal's foot on a STF. Anderson scores two near falls hooking a sleeper before throwing Regal into the corner and grabbing a roll up, before hitting a classic Arn spinbuster. In the end Regal steals the match with six seconds to spare, blocking a sunset and grabbing onto Sir William's cane for the pin. ****
WCW Tag Titles: Maxx Panye and Cactus Jack VS. The Nasty Boys
The Nastys won the tag titles back at Fall Brawl with help from then manager Missy Hyatt (Hyatt's now in Hollywood or so she claims). The surprise early on is that Payne out wrestles the Nasty's with some nice superplexes including a choice Northen Lights. Jack and Payne (who feel more like heels than faces) work nicely together and dominate most of the match. Finally the match falls outside, and Jack takes some of his vintage bumps into one on the concrete. Jack's double DDT on both Nasty's is a choice spot. Payne locks on the Paynekiller, Saggs saves Knobs with a guiter shot for the lame DQ finish. File this under better than expected. **1/2
Gene talks to both Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. They hype up a future Flair VS. Hogan match (Hulk has recently signed with WCW). Him and Steamboat show respect for each other, Steamboat is next in line for a WCW Title shot at Spring Stampede.
Thundercage Match: Ravishing Rick Rude, Stunning Steve Austin and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff (W/ Col. Robert Parker) VS. Sting, Dustin Rhodes and Flyin' Brian Pillman
My match of the night. WCW recently split up the red hot Hollywood Blondes team (pairing Austin with Old Southern manager Parker and switching Pillman back to babyface). Sting dominates Rude early on for strong pops with a back drop and running clotheslines. Orndorff works over Sting's arm, him and Austin double team Sting, who later gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Mr Wonderful before Austin makes the save. Austin takes a nice back drop spot into the cage wall. The former TV champ has some heated exchanges with his former tag partner, dropping Pillman face first into the cage, getting some juice on Brian. The heels isolate the face, Orndorff scores a near fall with a smooth belly to back surplex. Rude dominates with a well placed knee drop and a fist off the top of the cage. Dustin gets a hot take, nailling the heels with his bionic elbow, flip flop and fly routine. A Rhodes bulldop attempt is countered by Rude who groin shots him on the cage
. There's good timing on the Dustin reverse elbow catching Austin coming off the top. Pillam tags in and this leads to all 6 entering and getting it on. Sting and Pillman hit a double backdrop on Austin, and in a nice spot Sting press slams Pillman onto Austin for the pin. Post-match Rude runs Sting into the cage and gives him the Rude Awakening. This is to set up a feud between the two over Rude's International title. ****
WCW Title Thundercage match: Vader (W\Harley Race) VS. Ric Flair
This is when Flair is on the booking committee. The backstory to this match is overlong and messy. It includes Flair paying Vader's fine and getting a medical clearence to reinstate the match. Flair's career is also on the line, and for some reason The Boss is the guest Enforcer (the story is he's the only one willing to be the ref). The match itself is good, but not as good as the Starrcade match and is spoiled by overbooking. Flair starts first and aggressive sending Vader outside. The challenger even takes a Flair style airplane bump over the ropes. The Masterdon scores with his sitout second rope splash, but is off target with a top rope moonsault. The two brawl, before Race headbutts Flair from the outside. Vader takes control with a nice superplex off the top. This is when the match gets a bit silly. Race attacks Flair more. The Boss attempts to handcuffs the former World Champion to the cage, but instead gets handcuffed by the heels after Vader uses the night stick on him. For the next few minutes The Boss is trapped as Race has the key and him and Vader double team Flair. Just for added drama Arn and Steamboat attempt even things up but can't get in the cage. In the end The Boss just breaks the handcuffs And helps Flair beat Vader. The Nature Boy locks on the figure four. The Boss calls for the bell even though it seems like Vader didn't submit. Vader is pissed and wants to see Bockwinkle. Yes its another Dusty finish. ***1/2
PPV Rating: 6/10
Setting: Albany Georgia (Civic Center)
Attendance: 7,600
Buyrate: 110,000
Annoucers: Tony Schivone and Bobby "The Brain" Heenen
Tagline: "There is no Escape from the Revenge and Rage in the Thundercage!"
BTW this is the debut PPV of former WWF duo Mean Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenen. Heenen's real life heat with Schivone can be seen here.
At times this feels more like an episode of WCW Saturday Night. We open with a over long video hyping the Flair VS. Vader main event. Flair shouting Vader's name and giving a "Whoo" at the top of the stairs is funny
We then get an angle just to set up a match later in the PPV
. Johnny B. Badd is supposed to face Michael Hayes (yep he's still wrestling and looking a bit tubby). Hayes comes out in a wheelchair claiming he can't wrestle. His long term partner Jimmy Garvin says he's retired, to prove it he's wearing a pilot's uniform (think this is real Garvin flew planes). Nick Bockwinkle says Garvin must face Badd later on or Hayes will be suspended. Mean Gene doing his best Columbo and Hayes crying make the segment, but why are we spending so long on this?!Harlem Heat VS. Thunder and Lightening
The first acutal match is this shit?! I don't even know who Thunder and Lightening are? (Bobby calls them Batman and Robin
). Turns out Lightening is Jeff Farmer best known for playing NWO Sting a few years later. This is when Heat are known as Kole and Kane. Its nothing match, which is very sloppy and drawn out. There's little or no crowd heat. The finish is lame too, Heat pick up the win after a stomp to the head. *1/2The Equalizer VS. "Jungle" Jim Steele
Things just get worse! The only thing of note in this bargain basement match are Steele's cartoony attire including Leopard skinned boots, and the thought that watching even the worse episode of hit tv show "The Equalizer" would be better than watching any of the matches involving the wrestler
. Steele wins with a terrible Lou Thesz press. *Diamond Dallas Page (W/ One of the Diamond Dolls) VS. Terry Taylor
Scary that this is the best match so far. This was before Page's real life wife Kimberly became a regular part of his act. Its total filler, but wactchable filler. Taylor is part time at this point, working as a broadcaster on one of the TV shows. For a part-timer he looks pretty good. The match is overlong, in another blow to Page's push Taylor gets the win with a roll-up which Bobby claims included a handful of tights. **
Johnny B. Badd VS. Jimmy Garvin (W/Michael Hayes)
The rematch from Halloween Havoc 91 no one asked for, and its all over competing songs on WCW's Slam Jam album!
Garvin looks out of shape, but its solid match, he's still a solid heel and sells niely for Badd. Hayes antics at ringside are fun too. Badd counters a DDT attempt with a back drop. He takes control with a flying headscissors, another back drop and a heymaker before picking up the win with a sunset flip off the top. Badd goes after Hayes afterwards and is nailed by Garvin who hits his new finisher the 911. So I guess Garvin's out of retirement **1/2Gene hypes up the hotline and WCW's coming European Tour with a German guy.
WCW Television Title: Arn Anderson VS. Lord Steven Regal (C) (W/Sir William)
Easily the best match so far. The normal TV title time limit of 15 minutes is extended to 30 minutes. My only complaint this that later in the match they should have kicked things up a bit and gone for more big moves. Arn does a good job of matching Regal in his kind of match. The Enforcer goes after Regal's arm, in classic hammerlocks etc.. and the champion works over Double A's back stretching him with stiff chinlocks, bodyscissors and STF's. There's some fantastic selling and ring psychology from both. Anderson maintains contact on a the armbar as Regal slams him, taking the champ over with him into a two count. Stiff blows back and forth in the corner, with Regal's stiff European uppercuts. Arn takes a couple of shots from Sir Williams Cane, the manager also holds Regal's foot on a STF. Anderson scores two near falls hooking a sleeper before throwing Regal into the corner and grabbing a roll up, before hitting a classic Arn spinbuster. In the end Regal steals the match with six seconds to spare, blocking a sunset and grabbing onto Sir William's cane for the pin. ****
WCW Tag Titles: Maxx Panye and Cactus Jack VS. The Nasty Boys
The Nastys won the tag titles back at Fall Brawl with help from then manager Missy Hyatt (Hyatt's now in Hollywood or so she claims
). The surprise early on is that Payne out wrestles the Nasty's with some nice superplexes including a choice Northen Lights. Jack and Payne (who feel more like heels than faces) work nicely together and dominate most of the match. Finally the match falls outside, and Jack takes some of his vintage bumps into one on the concrete. Jack's double DDT on both Nasty's is a choice spot. Payne locks on the Paynekiller, Saggs saves Knobs with a guiter shot for the lame DQ finish. File this under better than expected. **1/2Gene talks to both Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. They hype up a future Flair VS. Hogan match (Hulk has recently signed with WCW). Him and Steamboat show respect for each other, Steamboat is next in line for a WCW Title shot at Spring Stampede.
Thundercage Match: Ravishing Rick Rude, Stunning Steve Austin and Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff (W/ Col. Robert Parker) VS. Sting, Dustin Rhodes and Flyin' Brian Pillman
My match of the night. WCW recently split up the red hot Hollywood Blondes team (pairing Austin with Old Southern manager Parker and switching Pillman back to babyface). Sting dominates Rude early on for strong pops with a back drop and running clotheslines. Orndorff works over Sting's arm, him and Austin double team Sting, who later gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Mr Wonderful before Austin makes the save. Austin takes a nice back drop spot into the cage wall. The former TV champ has some heated exchanges with his former tag partner, dropping Pillman face first into the cage, getting some juice on Brian. The heels isolate the face, Orndorff scores a near fall with a smooth belly to back surplex. Rude dominates with a well placed knee drop and a fist off the top of the cage. Dustin gets a hot take, nailling the heels with his bionic elbow, flip flop and fly routine. A Rhodes bulldop attempt is countered by Rude who groin shots him on the cage
. There's good timing on the Dustin reverse elbow catching Austin coming off the top. Pillam tags in and this leads to all 6 entering and getting it on. Sting and Pillman hit a double backdrop on Austin, and in a nice spot Sting press slams Pillman onto Austin for the pin. Post-match Rude runs Sting into the cage and gives him the Rude Awakening. This is to set up a feud between the two over Rude's International title. ****WCW Title Thundercage match: Vader (W\Harley Race) VS. Ric Flair
This is when Flair is on the booking committee. The backstory to this match is overlong and messy. It includes Flair paying Vader's fine and getting a medical clearence to reinstate the match. Flair's career is also on the line, and for some reason The Boss is the guest Enforcer (the story is he's the only one willing to be the ref). The match itself is good, but not as good as the Starrcade match and is spoiled by overbooking. Flair starts first and aggressive sending Vader outside. The challenger even takes a Flair style airplane bump over the ropes. The Masterdon scores with his sitout second rope splash, but is off target with a top rope moonsault. The two brawl, before Race headbutts Flair from the outside. Vader takes control with a nice superplex off the top. This is when the match gets a bit silly. Race attacks Flair more. The Boss attempts to handcuffs the former World Champion to the cage, but instead gets handcuffed by the heels after Vader uses the night stick on him. For the next few minutes The Boss is trapped as Race has the key and him and Vader double team Flair. Just for added drama Arn and Steamboat attempt even things up but can't get in the cage
. In the end The Boss just breaks the handcuffs And helps Flair beat Vader. The Nature Boy locks on the figure four. The Boss calls for the bell even though it seems like Vader didn't submit. Vader is pissed and wants to see Bockwinkle. Yes its another Dusty finish. ***1/2PPV Rating: 6/10