November 8, 2008
Matt Peddycord

WCW Superbrawl V
February 19, 1995
Baltimore, MD
Baltimore Arena

The current WCW Champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Hulk Hogan (7/17/1994)
WCW U.S. Champion: Vader (12/27/1994)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Harlem Heat (1/15/1995)
WCW World Television Champion: Arn Anderson (1/8/1995)

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone and Bobby “What seems to be the occifer, problem?” Heenan. You KNOW it’s going to be a long night when your color commentator is sloshed.

Alex Wright vs. Paul Roma

So “Das Wünderpunk” Alex Wright is still undefeated on TV and Paul Roma is here to teach this new kid a lesson or two. Roma was supposed to come out and make Alex Wright look good, but instead he tries to do the complete opposite. Wright works an armbar for the majority of the match and Roma hardly sells it at all. Roma’s tag partner Paul Orndorff comes out in full ring gear for moral support. Roma takes over with backbreakers and poses like it’s a squash match. Even when Wright goes for a desperation move like a sunset flip, Roma punches him in the ribs in mid-air to stop it. Roma takes over with a chinlock and uses the ropes for leverage. Wright elbows out, but whiffs on a dropkick. Roma hits a beautiful FLYING ELBOW DROP. He doesn’t cover him though. Roma misses a charge in the corner and that sets up a crossbody out of the corner from Wright, but Orndorff pulls him off the cover. Wright grabs at Orndorff and gets nailed from behind. Roma leans over to tell Orndorff that he’s got this guy right where he wants him and gets rolled up from behind for 1-2-3. (13:21) Just to be an even bigger prick, he kicks out at three. It’s Roma’s attitude and the way he carried himself in this match that got him promptly fired from WCW for not simply doing what he was instructed to do. **

Bunkhouse Buck (w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng) vs. Jim Duggan

I love Bunkhouse Buck, but this is not a match he can make work. This is punch-kick all the way with the occasional chinlock/armbar rest holds from Duggan. Nothing more, nothing less. Duggan makes the mistake of putting his hands on Col. Parker, which will be bad for him a little later. Duggan wins with the THREE POINT STANCE. (11:57) The very intimidating and slightly scary bodyguard Meng superkicks Duggan and grabs a nerve hold until security and Col. Parker calm him down. Definitely not a match I would watch again. ½*

Kevin Sullivan (w/The Butcher) vs. Dave Sullivan

Another fight with no real wrestling whatsoever. This should be the final blow-off to the Sullivan brothers feud. Evad or Dave is getting his revenge on Kevin for having his hair cut by the Butcher. I don’t know what he’s mad about – it’s actually looks better than the crappy Hogan style he had going on before. Let’s go right to the finish. Butcher hops up on the apron to cheer on Kevin. When Evad goes over to get him off the apron, Kevin runs over and smashes Evad’s head into Butcher’s STEEL PLATED ROBOTIC face! Kevin school boys Dave for the three-count. (7:18) Ugh that was awful. Butcher is clearly holding his face in pain, but Kevin doesn’t show him too much sympathy. This leads to Butcher turning face long enough to become The Man With No Name, which was originally a Paul Heyman idea for 911 that never materialized. Good thing too because 911’s a much better name for that guy anyway. CRAP

WCW World Tag Team Champions Harlem Heat (w/Sister Sherri) vs. The Nasty Boys

It’s sad because these two never really had any real chemistry together and yet they wrestled so much in 1994-95. WCW’s tag division was just so weak at this point that they didn’t have much choice but to put these two teams together on every PPV for six months. Word has it that the Steiners were rumored to show up at this event, but they couldn’t come to an agreement for a whole other year. You know Heenan’s got his beer goggles on tonight because he goes on about how gorgeous Sherri is more than he usually does. Booker misses a Jumping Hook Kick on Knobbs and crotches himself, which sets up some crotch psychology from the Nasties if you know what I mean. Booker thumbs the eyes to get a tag out to Stevie Ray. He misses a corner charge as some CLUBBERIN action follows. The Nasties work the knee for a little bit, but since the eyes are the groin of the head, Stevie Ray uses that to his advantage and gets away. Booker tags and gets worked over for a little while, but he comes back with a dropkick on Sags that puts him on the floor. Back in, Stevie Ray eats a clothesline from Sags and returns the favor with a mule kick. Back on the floor, Booker walks over and superkicks Sags. Sherri gets in a slap. Back in, Sags avoids an elbow drop and rolls out to the floor while Booker SPINAROONIES to his feet long before that became his thing. Meanwhile, Stevie Ray nails Sags with a clothesline off the apron. Nice! Back in the ring, the Heat cut off the ring with a chinlock. Knobbs gets drawn in, but it doesn’t help the Heat all that much. Sags ducks a clothesline and hits a desperation powerslam to set up the HOT TAG TO KNOBBS! He runs through Harlem Heat with clotheslines, but a knee to the back from Booker slows him down. They whip him into the ropes and telegraph a backdrop as Knobbs gives them a double-DDT! Sags tosses Booker out over the top rope, which should be a DQ, and follows after him. Meanwhile, Sherri and Stevie Ray engage in some heel miscommunication involving Stevie Ray getting clobbered with her shoe. Knobbs rolls him up for 1-2-3. (17:09) While you’d think there would be a title change, Randy Anderson runs down and explains to the original ref Nick Patrick that Sags threw Booker T over the top rope to change the decision and give the Heat the win by DQ. Ahh the Dusty finish rears its ugly head again to the paying customer. So far their best match together. Still don’t know why they deserve 20 minutes though. **¼

Dustin Rhodes vs. Blacktop Bully (w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng)

Hey, it’s Adam Pearce! Nah it’s just Barry Darsow playing the Blacktop Bully. He’s that loudmouth guy who always seemed to get front row tickets to the last few major shows in 1994 who is now given a contract apparently based merely on the fact that he has a big mouth. WCW Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel demands that the very intimidating and slightly scary bodyguard Meng return to the dressing room because he’s barred from ringside. And the Rhodes/Stud Stable feud CONTINUES! Geez, what’s it been like, 18 months now? Blacktop Bully gets his shoulder posted early on and that means Dustin will work the arm for a LONG time. Down on the floor, Dustin slams BTB’s face in the steps. Back in, BTB shrugs off a monkey flip out of the corner and levels Rhodes with a clothesline. Rhodes elbows out of a chinlock, but then does the spot where he misses a crossbody and goes flying down the aisleway. Back in, Dustin catches Blacktop coming off the middle rope and starts his comeback. BULLDOG! Cover, 1-2-NO! Col. Parker sticks Blacktop’s foot on the rope. Since there’s no Meng, Rhodes takes his liberties with Parker and brings him into the ring with a suplex. Bully misses a clothesline and floats out to the apron. Now Rhodes tries to suplex him in, but Parker trips up Rhodes and Bully falls on top while Parker holds Dustin’s feet down for the 1-2-3. (16:10) The Bobby Heenan finish is successful! BULLY! Well that was a pretty slow and dull match that was given way too much time. But if you think that was boring, just wait until next month on PPV! We’ll put them in the bed of a moving semi truck and have them fight it out in there! YEAH! *

Ric Flair takes his seat in the front row to screw with Savage and Sting. Well, mainly Savage. Sting pays him no mind because he’s mid-card bound! That’s right WCW – you put your most popular star that you ADMIT is your most popular star in his place. That’ll teach him to be popular and stuff. Knock him down a peg or two, because the Hulkster is here now. Also, the Great Muta is in attendance with his pal (yet to be named) Sonny Oono.

Randy Savage & Sting vs. Avalanche & Big Bubba Rogers

Now here’s where the action is! Avalanche and Sting start the match. As per usual for a John Tenta match, he uses his girth and mass to control the smaller babyface. Sting EXPLODES with a flurry of clotheslines and dropkicks. Bubba grabs Sting from the apron to slow him down and gets a tag. He goes up top and gets crotched courtesy of Savage for a Sting superplex. Thanks, Randy! Sting punches Bubba through the ropes for that big man see saw effect. Once Bubba’s on the floor, Savage flies down with a double-ax handle. The crowd is like “FINALLY! Something we can get excited about.” Back in, Savage dares the Nature Boy to get in the ring and gets blindsided by Bubba. Back in, Savage avoids a butt splash when he can’t take Bubba over with a sunset flip. He slaps Avalanche to bring him in the ring. Savage, like an idiot, goes for a slam. That backfires and brings Avalanche down on top of him for two. Avalanche misses a corner charge and gets stuck up on the turnbuckle for a good gut kicking. Sting tags and clips the knee to take Avalanche down for the SCORPION DEATHLOCK. Savage stops Bubba and corners him as Sting starts firing off Stinger Splashes on both guys just for the fun of it. He does one too many to Avalanche though and gets swatted away. While Sting is getting stepped on, Savage goes down and gets in Flair’s face. Sting avoids another corner charge and slams Avalanche, but stumbles over into a right hand from Bubba that sends him flying head-first into Avalanche’s snow balls. Get it? Because he’s an Avalanche! Hot tag to Savage, it breaks down into a four-man brawl. Savage delivers the MACHO ELBOW DROP to Bubba. For some reason, ref Nick Patrick is trying to get Savage out of the ring even though he clearly saw the tag. With Avalanche all wobbly, Sting comes off the top with a flying clothesline that trips Avalanche over Bubba for 1-2-3. (10:19) The finish makes little sense, but boy was this fun with plenty of energy even from Avalanche! Savage gets in Flair’s face, but the big black security guy who looks like and has the charisma of an out of shape Bobby Lashley stands in Randy’s way. ***

WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Vader

Vader has done all he can to prove he deserves a title shot and now he’s getting it. He won the triangle match for the title shot back at Fall Brawl in September, he won the U.S. title at Starrcade in December, which he arguably didn’t even need in my opinion, but it is another reason to give him a title shot. It might be a stretch, but this match is six months in the making. Where’s Harley Race, Vader? It doesn’t matter where Harley Race is! Vader NO-SELLS Hogan’s punches to start. WHO’S DA MAN? We look over at Flair who tries to hold back a smile. Hogan tries to wrestle Vader with his one hold: the cross armbreaker takedown. Vader stands up out of it and stomps Hogan in the face. He corners Hogan and unloads. Vader splashes him in the corner, causing Hogan to head out to the floor to regroup. Vader follows him, but Hulk reverses a whip into the guardrail that puts Vader out at Flair’s feet. Back in, Hogan delivers his ten-count corner punches and a running clothesline sends Vader on the floor. Back in again, Vader gets pounded some more before Hogan gets cocky and tries a slam, which fails and Vader falls on him. Here comes Vader. Body Attack connects. VADER BOMB connects! VADERSAULT misses! Hogan brings Vader to the floor and whacks him with a chair in the face. Ref allows it? They head back in the ring where Vader ducks a clothesline and gives Hulk a Chokeslam! It was a good one too. Vader corners Hogan again for a beating and then gives him a suplex. Looks like it’s Hulk Up Time! Ten punches later, we have a Big Boot, and a LEGDROP. Cover, 1-NO!! Vader presses Hogan off him! AWESOME! Body Attack by Vader sends Hogan into ref Randy Anderson. Vader gives Hulk the POWERBOMB! The ref is down, so there’s nobody to count. Ric Flair jumps the rail and hops in the ring. He wakes up the ref and stomps Hulk in the face on his way out. Vader splashes Hogan for 1-2-NO! Hogan jumps up and charges Vader with fists! Hogan clotheslines Vader over the top rope again just as Flair comes back in to attack Hogan from behind for the DQ. Finally! (15:10) Wow, a DQ main event finish on a PPV? Overbooked finish aside, this was just the kind of Hogan/Vader match I wanted to see with neither man giving an inch. There’s a great story told here that’s just beginning. Flair and Vader do the two-on-one attack until Savage and Sting make the save. Uh oh, Flair and Vader just high-fived each other! Look out Hulkamania. ***¼

Final Thoughts: This was a better start for 1995 than it was an end for 1994 in WCW. Oh, and what was Beefcake doing tonight? In the mid card as a second for Sullivan? Exactly. The main event was what should have been at Starrcade, which was actually what it was rumored to be. I like where they are going with the Hogan/Vader feud right now and bringing Flair into it only makes it better, but they even managed to screw that up by turning Flair into a joke. It’s a shame though because even still they didn’t learn that the very people who kept WCW alive in 1993 (Vader and Flair) were the same people they would be buried once again in favor of the dreaded Dungeon of Doom (aka Hogan’s Buddies) by late summer. But hey, at least they got a couples PPVs with buyrates that competed with the WWF PPVs at the time with the Hogan/Vader feud, right? Anyways, I’m giving this a mild thumbs down. Check out the main event if nothing else though. It’s interesting to think what could have been.

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