WCW On Pay Per View in the 90's - Every event Reviewed
- Thread starter Keith
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Starrcade 1991 BattleBowl The Lethal Lottery
Best Match Bettlebowl Battle Royal. Great way to cap the show and work feuds in and the right winner.
Worse Match Ron Simmons and Thomas Rich VS. Steve Armstrong and P.N. News. I'll agree here just a Simmons showcase.
Event Rating 5/10
Comments I have always loved tag matches and tournaments so I loved this idea. Could have been executed better though. Enjoyed the opener though it rivaled the Luger-Anderson vs Taylor Z-Man match as the best tag match. Liked Austin and Rude as a team. Always though Mike Graham was the Dean Malenko of his day so liked him and Liger on opposite sides.
Best Match Bettlebowl Battle Royal. Great way to cap the show and work feuds in and the right winner.
Worse Match Ron Simmons and Thomas Rich VS. Steve Armstrong and P.N. News. I'll agree here just a Simmons showcase.
Event Rating 5/10
Comments I have always loved tag matches and tournaments so I loved this idea. Could have been executed better though. Enjoyed the opener though it rivaled the Luger-Anderson vs Taylor Z-Man match as the best tag match. Liked Austin and Rude as a team. Always though Mike Graham was the Dean Malenko of his day so liked him and Liger on opposite sides.
To be fair Luger wasn't always terrible, from about 89 to 91 he was passible, and don't forget the match in question was a tag match also featuring Anderson, Taylor and Zenk.
Luger had some incredible matches in my opinion but that was with great talent (Sting, Flair).
The likes of Flair and Sting made him look really good in the ring, I'm sure he's had some really good matches else where but is he a good/ great wrestler, it's a meh but was he a passible wrestler who could have a match of due genius, indeed he was.
Passible with a spice of greatness but nothing to be like "OMG HE WAS AWESOME!" overhyped and overrated but underrated in some of his career.
The likes of Flair and Sting made him look really good in the ring, I'm sure he's had some really good matches else where but is he a good/ great wrestler, it's a meh but was he a passible wrestler who could have a match of due genius, indeed he was.
Passible with a spice of greatness but nothing to be like "OMG HE WAS AWESOME!" overhyped and overrated but underrated in some of his career.
I agree, although his main flaw was never giving enough of a shit to be a better worker, if he had put more effort into improving his game when he was half decent then his career could have turned out very differently.
SuperBrawl II
Date February 29 1992
Setting Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance 5,000
Commentary Team Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura
Best Match Light Heavyweight Title match, Jushin Liger VS. Brian Pillman
Worse Match Van Hammer and The Z-Man VS. Vinnie Vegas and Richard Morton
Event Rating 8/10
Comments Despite the many problems WCW had during this period, 1992 was an excellent year on Pay Per View for the promotion, one of the best ever in fact. At the second SuperBrawl all, but one of the top matches delivered, that one being the main event which saw Sting win his second World Title pinning the departing Lex Luger in a half hearted affair which lasted less than ten minutes. This whimper of a closing though was more and made up for elsewhere, as Rick Rude retained the US Title against bitter rival Ricky Steamboat in a super heated, highly dramatic match with a brilliant ending, the feud between these two was red hot, and this match maybe one of the greatest in US Title history. Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton defeated The Steiner Brothers to retain the tag titles in a hard hitting encounter, only let down by the finsh, in more Dangerous Alliance action, Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham beat Steve Austin and Larry Zbyszko in a very intense grudge match, and best of all IMO Flyin' Brian Pillman won his second Light Heavyweight Title from Jushin Liger in a superb aerial display, with perfectly timed spots, thrilling near falls, and excellent crowd work too. This was a thing of beauty, a true masterpiece! The always entertaining Jesse Ventura made his WCW debut as Jim Ross' commentary partner, they are one of my favorite broadcast teams ever.
SuperBrawl II
Date February 29 1992
Setting Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Attendance 5,000
Commentary Team Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura
Best Match Light Heavyweight Title match, Jushin Liger VS. Brian Pillman
Worse Match Van Hammer and The Z-Man VS. Vinnie Vegas and Richard Morton
Event Rating 8/10
Comments Despite the many problems WCW had during this period, 1992 was an excellent year on Pay Per View for the promotion, one of the best ever in fact. At the second SuperBrawl all, but one of the top matches delivered, that one being the main event which saw Sting win his second World Title pinning the departing Lex Luger in a half hearted affair which lasted less than ten minutes. This whimper of a closing though was more and made up for elsewhere, as Rick Rude retained the US Title against bitter rival Ricky Steamboat in a super heated, highly dramatic match with a brilliant ending, the feud between these two was red hot, and this match maybe one of the greatest in US Title history. Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton defeated The Steiner Brothers to retain the tag titles in a hard hitting encounter, only let down by the finsh, in more Dangerous Alliance action, Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham beat Steve Austin and Larry Zbyszko in a very intense grudge match, and best of all IMO Flyin' Brian Pillman won his second Light Heavyweight Title from Jushin Liger in a superb aerial display, with perfectly timed spots, thrilling near falls, and excellent crowd work too. This was a thing of beauty, a true masterpiece! The always entertaining Jesse Ventura made his WCW debut as Jim Ross' commentary partner, they are one of my favorite broadcast teams ever.
SuperBrawl II
Best Match Light Heavyweight Title match, Jushin Liger VS. Brian Pillman Agree, great pace and good aerial maneuvers from two of the best.
Worse Match Marcus Alexander Bagwell vs Terry Taylor. That match was very bad but Rookie vs Vet doesn't always turn out well.
Event Rating 6/10
Comments Very solid show but 3 midcard duds hurt. Pillman-Liger was a great opener but the next three matches were really bad. Simmons vs Cactus Jack was ok but a bit of a letdown. Two tag matches were solid but finish hurt the title match. Rude-Steamboat was an amazing match and I liked the finish. Luger-Sting wasn't that bad, I actually enjoyed it as Sting carried Luger fairly well.
Best Match Light Heavyweight Title match, Jushin Liger VS. Brian Pillman Agree, great pace and good aerial maneuvers from two of the best.
Worse Match Marcus Alexander Bagwell vs Terry Taylor. That match was very bad but Rookie vs Vet doesn't always turn out well.
Event Rating 6/10
Comments Very solid show but 3 midcard duds hurt. Pillman-Liger was a great opener but the next three matches were really bad. Simmons vs Cactus Jack was ok but a bit of a letdown. Two tag matches were solid but finish hurt the title match. Rude-Steamboat was an amazing match and I liked the finish. Luger-Sting wasn't that bad, I actually enjoyed it as Sting carried Luger fairly well.
Oh I think that is very harsh, the tag title match bar the finish was very exciting, and tag match with Rhodes and Windham was also great.
Yeah I wouldn't say Sting-Luger was that bad, it was just a bit average and certainly a unworthy main event.
There were a few weak filler matches, but nothing which was enough to bring the card down too much.
If you can give HH91 7/10 then I can damn sure give this 8/10 LOL!
Yeah I wouldn't say Sting-Luger was that bad, it was just a bit average and certainly a unworthy main event.
There were a few weak filler matches, but nothing which was enough to bring the card down too much.
If you can give HH91 7/10 then I can damn sure give this 8/10 LOL!
Lol, I go on average match quality so that's why is gets a 6. There were at least 5 matches better than that.
Yes, but that kind of event should be judged on weather the big matches delivered, and with exception of Sting-Luger which we both agree didn't stink the other matches for me anyway all did. Plus there were not as many poor mid-card matches as you tended to get around that era, and there were some major devolpments and excellent crowd heat, these things also factor when judging a event.
Wrestle War 1992
Date May 17 1992
Setting Jacksonville, Florida
Attendance 6,000
Best Match The War Games Sting's Squadron [Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham and Nikita Koloff] VS. Dangerous Alliance [Ravishing Rick Rude, Stunning Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton and Larry Zbyszko]
Worse Match Ron Simmons VS. Mr Hughes
Event Rating 8/10
Comments With the exception of the Royal Rumble, the War Games was the most effective gimmick match ever, and as the rivaly between heel faction the Dangerous Alliance and WCW's top faces led by World Champion Sting reached fever pitch it proved the perfect grudge match. In front of a enthused crowd Sting's Squadron came out on top in a twenty three minute classic, which for my money was the most gruelling, compelling and maybe bloody war games ever! There were a number of stories during the match, including the X-Factor of if the faces could trust Nikita Koloff, it was Sting's first appearence since the rib injury at the hands of Vader and the closing moments where Larry Zbyszko took a swing at Sting with a metal bar, but struck Eaton instead, allowing the champion to get the submission. This would lead to Zbyszko getting kicked out of the group. Simply put this was one of the finest matches of the 90's. Getting semi-final billing was the stiff encounter between The Steiner Brothers and Tatsumi Fujinami and Takayuki Iizuka. These two teams traded big suplexes, dramatic areal moves, brutal blows, and some nice submission holds also, in a very intense and gripping match. Nothing really came close to matching these bouts, however The Freebird's US Tag Title victory over Greg Valentine and Taylor Made Man was a first paced and exciting opener, and the Light Heavyweight title contest pitting former tag partners Brian Pillman and the Z-Man was also solid.
Date May 17 1992
Setting Jacksonville, Florida
Attendance 6,000
Best Match The War Games Sting's Squadron [Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham and Nikita Koloff] VS. Dangerous Alliance [Ravishing Rick Rude, Stunning Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton and Larry Zbyszko]
Worse Match Ron Simmons VS. Mr Hughes
Event Rating 8/10
Comments With the exception of the Royal Rumble, the War Games was the most effective gimmick match ever, and as the rivaly between heel faction the Dangerous Alliance and WCW's top faces led by World Champion Sting reached fever pitch it proved the perfect grudge match. In front of a enthused crowd Sting's Squadron came out on top in a twenty three minute classic, which for my money was the most gruelling, compelling and maybe bloody war games ever! There were a number of stories during the match, including the X-Factor of if the faces could trust Nikita Koloff, it was Sting's first appearence since the rib injury at the hands of Vader and the closing moments where Larry Zbyszko took a swing at Sting with a metal bar, but struck Eaton instead, allowing the champion to get the submission. This would lead to Zbyszko getting kicked out of the group. Simply put this was one of the finest matches of the 90's. Getting semi-final billing was the stiff encounter between The Steiner Brothers and Tatsumi Fujinami and Takayuki Iizuka. These two teams traded big suplexes, dramatic areal moves, brutal blows, and some nice submission holds also, in a very intense and gripping match. Nothing really came close to matching these bouts, however The Freebird's US Tag Title victory over Greg Valentine and Taylor Made Man was a first paced and exciting opener, and the Light Heavyweight title contest pitting former tag partners Brian Pillman and the Z-Man was also solid.
Wrestle War 1992
Best Match Brian Pillman vs Tom Zenk Lightweight Title. This was a hell of a match. Great pace and the two had history. War Games is almost always the same match so well it always delivered can't call it best match against this.
Worse Match Ron Simmons VS. Mr Hughes. Match was horrible, just flat out sucked.
Event Rating 5/10 (always match ratings only)
Comments Wargames was very good but I feel there has been better. This feud was hot but not like some of the past. Saying this was one of the finest matches of the 90's if a bit of a stretch in my opinion but to each man his own, I thought it was the 3rd best match on the show. The Steiner Brothers and Tatsumi Fujinami and Takayuki Iizuka match was better imo. I have been a fan of the stiff Japanese style though and these four made it work really well here. The Freebird's US Tag Title victory over Greg Valentine and Taylor Made Man was a solid opener for sure. I think the Light Heavyweight title contest pitting former tag partners Brian Pillman and the Z-Man was best match. Johnny B Badd vs Tracy Smothers was an average bout. Rest of the card was terrible.
Best Match Brian Pillman vs Tom Zenk Lightweight Title. This was a hell of a match. Great pace and the two had history. War Games is almost always the same match so well it always delivered can't call it best match against this.
Worse Match Ron Simmons VS. Mr Hughes. Match was horrible, just flat out sucked.
Event Rating 5/10 (always match ratings only)
Comments Wargames was very good but I feel there has been better. This feud was hot but not like some of the past. Saying this was one of the finest matches of the 90's if a bit of a stretch in my opinion but to each man his own, I thought it was the 3rd best match on the show. The Steiner Brothers and Tatsumi Fujinami and Takayuki Iizuka match was better imo. I have been a fan of the stiff Japanese style though and these four made it work really well here. The Freebird's US Tag Title victory over Greg Valentine and Taylor Made Man was a solid opener for sure. I think the Light Heavyweight title contest pitting former tag partners Brian Pillman and the Z-Man was best match. Johnny B Badd vs Tracy Smothers was an average bout. Rest of the card was terrible.
Oh dear things really have hit rock bottom between us LOL.
Just look at the talent involved in the War Games match, there was not a poor wrestler in sight, and clearly some of them the finest of their day, I know there had been good WG's line ups before, but normally you would get one or two weak links in there, this may have been the best line-up ever, then you have all the little mini-feuds involved, then you have the awesome crowd heat, then you have the great action, then you have the blood which just added to the drama. Not a stretch at all to call it one of the best of the 90's because it had everything which this kind of main event should have.
Just look at the talent involved in the War Games match, there was not a poor wrestler in sight, and clearly some of them the finest of their day, I know there had been good WG's line ups before, but normally you would get one or two weak links in there, this may have been the best line-up ever, then you have all the little mini-feuds involved, then you have the awesome crowd heat, then you have the great action, then you have the blood which just added to the drama. Not a stretch at all to call it one of the best of the 90's because it had everything which this kind of main event should have.
Beach Blast 1992
Setting Mobile, Alabama
Attendance 4,000
Best Match 30 Minute Iron Man Match, Rick Rude VS. Ricky Steamboat
Worse Match Light Heavyweight Title Flyin Brian VS. Scotty Flamingo
Event Rating 9/10
Comments The first Pay Per View of the controversial Bill Watts era was a absolute cracker, which had just about everything. In the opener future ECW favoruite and NWA World Champion Scott "Raven" Levy here as cocky heel Scotty Flamingo upset Brian Pillman for the Light Heavyweight title in a poor match. There were two firsts on the card, Sting pinned Cactus Jack in a wild Falls Count Anywhere bout, and Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude in a superb 30 Minute Iron Man match 4 falls to 3 having been three-one down early on. This perfectly paced and engrossing wrestling fest, may have been even better than their superbrawl effort. The main event saw The Steiner Brothers retain the WCW Tag Titles against Steve "DR. Death" Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy after a 30 minute time limit draw in a very good wrestling match. In between matches there was comedy relief in the form of a bikini contest to crown the first Lady of WCW between Missy Hyatt [Face] and Madusa [Heel] [those were the days hey!]. Johnny B. Badd and later Jesse Vatura were the MC's in what proved to be a hoot.
The Great American Bash will be up tomorrow.
Setting Mobile, Alabama
Attendance 4,000
Best Match 30 Minute Iron Man Match, Rick Rude VS. Ricky Steamboat
Worse Match Light Heavyweight Title Flyin Brian VS. Scotty Flamingo
Event Rating 9/10
Comments The first Pay Per View of the controversial Bill Watts era was a absolute cracker, which had just about everything. In the opener future ECW favoruite and NWA World Champion Scott "Raven" Levy here as cocky heel Scotty Flamingo upset Brian Pillman for the Light Heavyweight title in a poor match. There were two firsts on the card, Sting pinned Cactus Jack in a wild Falls Count Anywhere bout, and Ricky Steamboat defeated Rick Rude in a superb 30 Minute Iron Man match 4 falls to 3 having been three-one down early on. This perfectly paced and engrossing wrestling fest, may have been even better than their superbrawl effort. The main event saw The Steiner Brothers retain the WCW Tag Titles against Steve "DR. Death" Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy after a 30 minute time limit draw in a very good wrestling match. In between matches there was comedy relief in the form of a bikini contest to crown the first Lady of WCW between Missy Hyatt [Face] and Madusa [Heel] [those were the days hey!]. Johnny B. Badd and later Jesse Vatura were the MC's in what proved to be a hoot.
The Great American Bash will be up tomorrow.
Beach Blast 1992
Best Match 30 Minute Iron Man Match, Rick Rude VS. Ricky Steamboat. One of my all time favorite matches. In ring work was steller, story was there and crowd was into it.
Worse Match Light Heavyweight Title Ron Simmons vs Terry Taylor. Served it's purpose but wasn't very good.
Event Rating 6/10 (these ratings really mean nothing to anyone other than me because they are average match score, show was better than this).
Comments I didn't think the Pillman-Flamingo match was great but I didn't think it was bad either. Valentine-Bagwell was average. Sting-Cactus was very good. Solid brawling and what you would expect from Falls Count Anywhere which was still fresh at the time. Steamboat-Rude is probably one of my all time top 10 matches. 6 man tag (Rhodes, Windham,Koloff vs Anderson, Austin,,Eaton was decent and DQ finish continues the feud. The main event saw Main event was also good. Draw made a lot of sense as both teams were mad over at the time though MVC more so in Japan then the US.
Best Match 30 Minute Iron Man Match, Rick Rude VS. Ricky Steamboat. One of my all time favorite matches. In ring work was steller, story was there and crowd was into it.
Worse Match Light Heavyweight Title Ron Simmons vs Terry Taylor. Served it's purpose but wasn't very good.
Event Rating 6/10 (these ratings really mean nothing to anyone other than me because they are average match score, show was better than this).
Comments I didn't think the Pillman-Flamingo match was great but I didn't think it was bad either. Valentine-Bagwell was average. Sting-Cactus was very good. Solid brawling and what you would expect from Falls Count Anywhere which was still fresh at the time. Steamboat-Rude is probably one of my all time top 10 matches. 6 man tag (Rhodes, Windham,Koloff vs Anderson, Austin,,Eaton was decent and DQ finish continues the feud. The main event saw Main event was also good. Draw made a lot of sense as both teams were mad over at the time though MVC more so in Japan then the US.
Great American Bash 1992
Date July 12 1992
Setting Albany, Georgia
Attendance 8,000
Best Match WCW World Title Sting VS. Big Van Vader
Worse Match Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto VS. The Freebirds
Event Rating 7/10
Comments WCW took a huge gamble booking a whole NWA Tag Title Tournament on the GAB ppv, not least because there was only one other match besides the three rounds on the night. With some steller line-ups, and at least three very good matches the Tournament mostly delivered, but it was defanitly overkill, and it could have done with a bit more varity. The match of the tournament was Ricky Steamboat and Nikita Koloff's thrilling win over Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger, although the final where Williams and Gordy defeated Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham was very hard hitting. The highlight of the night was clearly Big Van Vader's victory over Sting for the WCW World Title in a gripping contest. Vader who for me is one of the finest Big Men ever and Sting really delivered in the first of a number of cracking matches on PPV
Date July 12 1992
Setting Albany, Georgia
Attendance 8,000
Best Match WCW World Title Sting VS. Big Van Vader
Worse Match Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto VS. The Freebirds
Event Rating 7/10
Comments WCW took a huge gamble booking a whole NWA Tag Title Tournament on the GAB ppv, not least because there was only one other match besides the three rounds on the night. With some steller line-ups, and at least three very good matches the Tournament mostly delivered, but it was defanitly overkill, and it could have done with a bit more varity. The match of the tournament was Ricky Steamboat and Nikita Koloff's thrilling win over Brian Pillman and Jushin Liger, although the final where Williams and Gordy defeated Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham was very hard hitting. The highlight of the night was clearly Big Van Vader's victory over Sting for the WCW World Title in a gripping contest. Vader who for me is one of the finest Big Men ever and Sting really delivered in the first of a number of cracking matches on PPV