August 18, 2007
Matt Peddycord

WCW Worldwide
January 11, 1992
Atlanta, GA
Center Stage Theatre

The current WCW Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Lex Luger (7/14/1991)
U.S. Champion: Rick Rude (11/19/1991)
World Television Champion: Steve Austin (6/3/1991)
World Light Heavyweight Champion: Jushin Liger (12/25/1991)
World Tag Team Champions: Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes (11/19/1991)
U.S. Tag Team Champions: The Young Pistols (11/5/1991)

They kick off the show with a clip of the big huge brawl from the end of last week’s show!

Your host is Tony Schiavone. Does he really have NOBODY who can hang out with him for an hour?

Brian Pillman vs. Chuck Coates

Some jobber offense goes nowhere for Coates. He goes to the floor after a flying headscissors and Pillman follows him out for some chops. Back in, Pillman hooks on a three-quarter nelson. Chuck fights back, but he’s quickly met with a spinning heel kick and more chops. AIR PILLMAN wins it. (3:00) I can’t wait for that Pillman/Liger footage later on in the show.

Eric Bischoff is now standing by with Paul E Dangerously and Madusa. Paul E says Steamboat and Rhodes are SKEERED of Bobby and Arn, so they have to hide behind Ron Simmons. As for Sting and the US title, he mentions how former US champ Magnum TA met tragedy in 1986 when he drove his Porsche into a telephone pole and never wrestled again. Last week (apparently), Sting was SO CLOSE to meeting the same fate, it wasn’t even funny. Don’t think Rude and Paul E won’t go there either, Stinger.

Larry Zbyszko (w/Madusa) vs. Terry Bronson

Larry Z freakin’ BRUTALIZES this guy and nearly breaks his arm in the process. Half-nelson quickly gets the submission win for Zbyszko. (1:51) Larry gives Bronson a brainbuster after the bell, and a bunch of jobbers wheel out a gurney for him. Hahaha, they look so pathetic! Zbyszko doesn’t stop there and flips the gurney over, and the jobbers do absolutely nothing about it. Welcome to Larryland.

Van Hammer & Big Josh vs. Jim Savage & Jim Boss

Well, this sure beats Van Hammer & El Gigante teaming up. I guess. This would probably be the safest move anyways – to hide Hammer in a tag team with a veteran, and have him be the hot tag guy. If they just HAVE to get him over, that is. Josh GERMANS these guys like he’s Kurt Angle or something and puts them on the floor. Back in, Hammer tags in for his usual stuff. HAMMER ROCKS (slingshot suplex) gets the pin on Savage. (2:53) A verb can’t be used in the name of something. What was he thinking?

Let’s go see Gordon Solie in the WNN newsroom, because he has footage of the Pillman/Liger title change. He goes right into the Pillman/Liger match too! According to JR who is doing the voiceover, they JIP to about the 16-minute mark where Liger lifts one of his shoulders up after taking a belly-to-back superplex, giving him the win and the title. He now mentions the recent Sting attack from WCW Pro at the hands of the Dangerous Alliance. We go to a pre-taped promo from the Stinger who says he wants revenge and the next person he sees wearing a cast will be Rick Rude. That does it for Gordon Solie.

Mr. Hughes vs. Rick Ryder & Larry Santo

Alright, who’s got Mr. Hughes’ shades? He doesn’t look half as scary without them. Santo and Ryder both receive ANGRY BLACKMAN SLAMS for the double-pin. (2:27) Tony ~ “He’s more than a bodyguard, he’s an assault man.” Wait.

Dustin Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat & Ron Simmons vs. Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton & Steve Austin (w/Paul E. Dangerously)

Steamboat and Eaton start off leapfroggin’, but then Steamboat telegraphs a backdrop and takes one of Bobby’s swinging neckbreakers. Arn tags in and works the arm, but Steamboat kicks him away. Steamboat has enziguri kicks for everybody and then poses in the middle of the ring. Simmons tags in and overpowers an Arn/Bobby double-team to send the Dangerous Alliance running again. Dustin gives it a go and has Bionic Elbows for everybody too! Paul E is livid! Back in, the Alliance finally takes control of the match and corners Dustin for a while. Once Rhodes starts to fight out, Bobby has to sacrifice himself by knocking heads with Rhodes. The heels work over Dustin some more. He tries to battle back again, so Eaton dumps him out to get posted while Steamboat and Arn brawl on the other side of the ring. INTENSE! Back in again, Arn wants to drop a knee on the injured arm, but Steamboat dives in to take the blow instead. Now that’s dedication! Dustin surprises Arn with a backslide, but the ref is too busy with Steamboat to make the count. Double-KO spot occurs, but Dustin still manages to make the HOT TAG TO SIMMONS! He goes SHOULDERBLOCK CRAZY until it breaks down in a pier-six brawl. Arn grabs Simmons as Eaton heads up top, but Steamboat breaks that up with a Flying Judo Chop. Simmons catches Eaton in mid-air and delivers the SPINEBUSTER for 1-2-3! (14:43) Simmons takes a DDT from Arn as Larry Zbyszko comes in to make it 4-on-1 on Steamboat. Dustin can’t seem to get into the ring, but thank goodness for Barry Windham because here he is for the save. He’s brought a 2x4 with him too! HOOO! Good match. It gets me even more excited about the upcoming Clash. ***

Before we go, the Young Pistols cut a heelish promo about how they destroyed the Patriots for the WCW U.S. tag belts and now they deserve a shot against Ricky Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes for the World tag belts. Umm, I’d say they’ve got their hands filled to the brim right now, fellas. Don’t call them, they’ll call you. If you haven’t seen a Young Pistols promo during their heel run, just think Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton, Jr.

Final Thoughts: As lame as it was for Flexy Lexy to take the whole month of January off, I really don’t miss him at all. The only guys I’m missing on this show are Vader and Rick Rude. I know Vader is in Japan, but where’s Rude? Anyways, rather bland show outside of the main event.