WCW January 1994 - Overview

[jackknight]

Commish said:

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING
Catch-up for December & January

While this is not the ideal way to get back up-to-date, it's the best I can do at the moment. I will return to full length shows from here on out starting with the 2/12 edition of WCW Saturday Night. I think the best place to begin is with WCW Season's Beatings, which was broadcast live on TBS on Christmas Eve. Here are the full results:


Live On TBS!
Philadelphia, PA
The Spectrum
December 24, 1993

*DARK MATCH: The Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat) defeated Hack Meyers & Charlie Norris at 12:23 when Dan Kroffat wowed the crowd by coming off the top rope with a senton bomb to score the pin over "The Shah" Hack Meyers.

-1- The Ebony Express (Mr. Atlas & Ice Train) defeated Erik Watts & Van Hammer at 6:11 when Tony Atlas nearly took Van Hammer's head off with a running clothesline. After the match, Erik Watts tried to help his partner up, only to get jumped by Ice Train and Mr. Atlas. Atlas pressed Watts above his head and hurled him out to the floor in a tremendous display of power.

-2- "Double J" Jeff Jarrett pinned Johnny B. Badd at 7:49 with a roll-up combination while gaining extra leverage by grabbing Badd's tights. After the match, Johnny B. Badd tried to explain to the official exactly what happened, but ended up being spun around by Jarrett and bashed over the head with a guitar. Jarrett then did the Fargo Strut down the center of the ring, grabbed the microphone, and shouted "AIN'T I GREAT" as the fans booed him.

*As Lance Russell attempted to get an interview with Cactus Jack and his mentor Terry Funk, he was interrupted by "The Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko. Larry insisted that he's here tonight to watch the United States Heavyweight Championship match between Dustin Rhodes and Tully Blanchard. The Legend promises to challenge whoever wins the bout to prove that he's a man by putting the title on the line against the master and commander of Larryland.

-3- The British Bulldog pinned WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal (w/ Sir William) at 12:34 after driving Regal into the canvas with a running powerslam. Regal was at the top of his game here, but he made mistake late in the match by going for a cross-body block which allowed the Bulldog to land his signature move. As The British Bulldog celebrated with his title after the match, a furious Lord Regal told Gene Okerlund that he would be exercising his rematch clause at the earliest opportunity.

*Before his big match with Masahiro Chono, Ric Flair spoke with Lance Russell about his promise to retire in five months if he doesn't win the WCW World Heavyweight Title. Flair told Lance that he would stick to that promise, but he firmly believes it won't come to that because tonight he'll get his career back on track by defeating one of the best professional wrestlers in the game today.

-4- Ric Flair fought Masa Chono (w/ Sonny Onoo) to a time limit draw at 25:00. Both men gave it their all, scoring numerous near falls that had the fans on the edge of their seats. Flair had just applied the Figure Four when the time limit expired. He called for five more minutes to be added on to the clock and Chono seemed game. However, Masa conferred with Onoo, who advised his client not to play Flair's games so Chono left the ring, seemingly content with a time limit draw on this night. In the ring, Ric Flair seemed dejected as he was on the edge of defeating Chono before the time limit expired.

-5- WCW World Tag Team Champions Pretty Wonderful (Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma) defeated The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) (w/ "Precious" Paul Ellering) at 10:12 when Paul Orndorff pinned Road Warrior Animal after driving him into the canvas with a piledriver. That wasn't the whole story, though, fans. As The Road Warriors made their entrance, they were jumped from behind by The Ebony Express (Mr. Atlas & Ice Train). Mr. Atlas managed to hurl Road Warrior Hawk into the steel guard rail and then press-slammed him onto the concrete floor, while Road Warrior Animal brawled with Ice Train, until a dozen officials and prelim wrestlers ran down to split it up. Nick Bockwinkel ejected the Ebony Express from the building, but it was clear that a blood-drenched Hawk would be unable to compete. Despite Pretty Wonderful's calls for a forfeit win, Animal was adamant that he be allowed to wrestle on his own while Paul Ellering accompanied Hawk to the hospital. Animal held his own, but he just couldn't defeat the top team in this business, Pretty Wonderful, on his own. Fans, the Ebony Express may have hell to pay for ruining the Road Warrior's WCW comeback match.

*Lance Russell interviewed Paul E. Dangerously and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Van ahead of tonight's cage match. Dangerously promised that Vader would crush Cactus' dream of having a "Jimmy Snuka moment" and if Terry Funk tried to get involved, Big Van Vader would break his stinking carcass in half as well. Vader shouted "WHO'S THE MAN?" as we go back to the ring…

-6- WCW United States Heavyweight Champion Dustin Rhodes pinned Tully Blanchard at 9:34 with a running lariat to retain his title. Rhodes proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's the real deal by defeating his legendary father's greatest enemy. After the match, Larry Zbyszko entered the ring as Dustin Rhodes celebrated. Zbyszko told Dustin that he wants a shot at the US Title which Rhodes quickly agreed. Zbyszko turned to leave, but snapped back around and slapped Dustin across the face before leaping out to the floor. Dustin stood in the ring, blood boiling, as he watch as Larry Zbyszko walked off with a big grin etched across his face.

*As they were being escorted from the building, Lance Russell caught up with The Ebony Express. Russell asked Mr. Atlas why he and Ice Train had attacked The Road Warrior, to which Atlas replied that when you want to make a statement you take down the "biggest and baddest white boys" who are standing in the way "of the Ebony path to gold". Atlas promised that he and Train would finish the job on Road Warrior Animal the next time that they see him.

*VTR airs highlighting the lengthy feud between Cactus Jack and the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader, all of which culminates in tonight's title match.

-7- Steel Cage Match: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader (w/ Paul E. Dangerously) defeated Cactus Jack (w/ Terry Funk) at 15:45 when Big Van Vader was able to exit the cage through the door after finishing off Cactus with a choke-slam. Cactus seemed to be a man on for most of the match, absorbing much of Vader's offense without really slowing down. He even managed to land a piledriver on the 400-pound WCW World Heavyweight Champion. From the outside, Terry Funk screamed for Cactus Jack to climb out of the cage while he had the chance. Cactus did climb to the top of the cage, but then ripped off his Cactus Jack T-shirt to reveal a "Superfly Snuka" shirt underneath. Funk shouted "NO!" as Cactus outstretched his arms and then dove off the top of the cage for a Superfly Splash… BUT VADER ROLLED OUT OF THE WAY!!! CACTUS HITS THE CANVAS WITH A COLD, HARD THUD!!!! AND HE'S NOT MOVING, FANS!!! As Dangerously cheers his client on, Big Van Vader gets back to his feet and pulls Cactus up, but Jack is mostly dead weight as Vader drives him into the ring again with a choke-slam and then exits the cage to retain his title. After the match, medics and officials rush to the ring to check on Cactus Jack as Terry Funk looks on, shaking his head. As the medics help Cactus to his knee, Funk approaches, looks Cactus in the eyes, and then uses his right foot to shove Jack back down to the canvas. Funk pulls off his own Cactus Jack T-shirt, rips it apart and walks off to the dressing room as the fans boo.

*As the show wraps up, Dusty Rhodes, Mike Tenay, and Michael PS Hayes all seem shocked that Terry Funk would react this way to his protégé's defeat. We'll hopefully get words with him on WCW Saturday Night.

======
======
WCW JANUARY OVERVIEW

WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE SCENE

[/U]

On the first live WCW Saturday Night of 1994, commissioner Nick Bockwinkel announced that he sees Masa Chono and Ric Flair as the two natural #1 contenders to Big Van Vader's title due to their international win-loss records. However, there's a problem as the two men wrestled to a 25 minute time limit draw on Season's Beatings. He then revealed that Flair and Chono will wrestle again in a Best 2/3 Falls match on the 2/12 edition of WCW Saturday Night with the winner of that bout facing Big Van Vader for the WCW World Heavyweight Title at WCW Spring Stampede, which will take place on March 27 from the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, TN.

Ric Flair gave an interview where he said that Masa Chono cheated these fans out of a winner on Christmas Eve and most of all he cheated Flair of the respect that he deserves. Flair he could have accepted a loss - he would have hated it but he would have accepted it. He can't accept that Chono wouldn't even show him the respect enough to finish the match. Ric Flair promised that he would not give Chono the chance to wriggle away in the Best 2/3 Falls match on 2/12 because Masa is the thing standing his way from achieving his goal of challenging for the WCW World Heavyweight Title. During an interview with Lance Russell the next week on the ramp, Ric Flair was attacked from behind by Masa Chono. The two men brawled all over the ringside area until officials came out to break up the fighting. The next week, Ric Flair put away Charlie Norris during a TV match by using the STF, instead of the Figure Four, as a clear message to Masa Chono. These two men will face off on WCW Saturday Night on 2/12 to determine just WHO the #1 contender to the WCW World Heavyweight Title is.

Meanwhile, Big Van Vader has been squashing opponents each week on TV and roughing them up after the match. After three weeks of hurting preliminary wrestlers, PN News made his way to ringside in attempt to stand up to WCW's resident bully. The two men nearly came to blows, until Paul E. Dangerousl pulled the WCW Heavyweight Champion. Commissioner Nick Bockwinkel is in the process of signing a title bout between these two for an edition of WCW Saturday Night in February.

WCW World Tag Team Title Scene

Pretty Wonderful thought that they were rid of challengers, until they were challenged by The Can-Am Express (Doug Furnas & Dan Kroffat) on WCW Saturday Night. Paul Orndorff told the Can-Ams that they could have a title match at Spring Stampede IF AND ONLY IF one of them could defeat Paul Roma the next week on WCW Saturday Night, which seemed to take Roma by complete surprise. The Can-Ams quickly agreed and the next week Roma took on Dan Kroffat. Doug Furnas was able to thwart Paul Orndorff's interference, which allowed Dan Kroffat to score a shocking pin over Paul Roma after a senton splash off the top rope. This means that Pretty Wonderful will defend the WCW World Tag Team Titles at Spring Stampede against The Can-Am Express!

WCW World Television Title Scene

The British Bulldog defended his title against all-comers and wracked up victories over Erik Watts, "Missouri Tiger" Jeff Gaylord, and Chief Charlie Norris. Lord Steven Regal has vowed to exercise his right to a World TV Title match in the near future. After challenging Bulldog to face he and Sir William in a tag team match, Regal was shocked when Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart debuted in WCW to team with his brother-in-law. The Anvil and The Bulldog score a win on WCW Saturday Night when Neidhart pinned Sir Williams with a spear. Fans, things have NOT been going well for Lord Regal, but he has promised that he has a major surprise in store for the Bulldog.

WCW United States Heavyweight Title Scene

Dustin Rhodes demanded an immediate title defense against "Living Legend" Larry Zbyszko after the events of Season's Beatings. The two men have battled all over the live events circuit, with no conclusive results occurring. On an edition of WCW Saturday Night, Dustin Rhodes scored an unsatisfying DQ win over Zbyszko when Larry laid him out with the WCW US Title and then walked off with the belt. Larry refused Nick Bockwinkel's demands to return the title, vowing that he'd only return it if Dustin Rhodes could cleanly defeat him. Dustin asked Nick Bockwinkel to sign a title match between the to for February so he can put the Living Legend down for the count to win his belt back. It has been confirmed that a title match will occur later this month.

The "Old" Terry Funk Is Back With A Vengeance!!

The kind and magnanimous mentor is gone and in his place is the Wildman that one piledrove Ric Flair through a table and branded a ring announce just for the hell of it. Funk has ranted and raved at every opportunity that Cactus Jack disgraced him at Season's Beatings. Funk said that he was trying to pass on his knowledge to a young wrestler but the "toothless wonder" does not deserve his guidance because he panders to these "banana-nosed twits in the crowd". Funk has been especially vicious in matches and has been accompanied to the ring on several occasions by a "real mean Good Ol' Boy buddy" who he calls Bunkhouse Buck. Bunkhouse seems to enjoy taking cheap shots at Funk's opponents whenever he gets the chance. Cactus Jack has not been seen in over a month since the events of Season's Beatings and there is speculation that he has left WCW forever. In recent weeks, the lights have flickered on and off for a few seconds during Funk's matches, which has seemed to only anger Terry further.

Who is WCW's #1 music superstar?

"Double J" Jeff Jarrett has bragged to everyone who will listen that he proved at Season's Beatings that he is WCW's #1 music superstar by defeating Johnny B. Badd. After touting his first public performance for three weeks, Jeff Jarrett took the stage on the last WCW Saturday Night in January to perform, but announced that he couldn't sing because he is suffering from laryngitis. As Jarrett tried to make more excuses, Johnny B. Badd snuck up from behind, tapped Jarrett on the shoulder, and then shot a ton of confetti into Jeff's face with the Badd Blaster! Jeff Jarrett flopped around in anguish and demanded to be taken to the hospital. Jarrett has vowed to file a lawsuit against WCW for creating a dangerous working environment and also press charges against Johnny B. Badd for assault. Jarrett has said that he'll only drop the cases against WCW and Badd if they give into three demands, which he will reveal on the 2/12 edition of WCW Saturday Night.

In Other News

The Road Warriors and The Ebony Express have brawled several times on TV, including fights through the stands, in the locker-room and out in the parking lot. Nick Bockwinkel has banned both teams from TV for two weeks in an attempt to cool off the hostilities until he can put an official match together… "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert made his return to WCW to team Marcus Alexander Bagwell for a win over James Vandenberg's Pitbulls, which took everyone including Vandenberg by surprise… Bockwinkel has also promised that one of the all-time legends in the history of professional wrestling will make his WCW debut at Spring Stampede… More action coming up on WCW Saturday Night!

[/quote][/p]