WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING PRESENTS
WORLD WAR III 1995 SUNDAY, JULY 29, 1995
FROM THE SCOPE IN NORFOLK, VA
LIVE ON PAY-PER-VIEW!KEVIN KELLY and
BONI BLACKSTONE are standing on the interview podium.
KEVIN: “Welcome everyone to WORLD WAR 3! It’s going to be an unforgettable night, we’ll see the crowning of the very first WCW International Tag Team Champions, as Demolition face Tony Halme and the masked Power Warrior in a tournament final . . . Rick and Scott Steiner will defend the World Tag Team Titles against the Faces of Fear, Meng and the Barbarian . . . in a match that was just signed earlier this weekend, two of Japan’s biggest Jr. Heavyweight stars will meet, as Super J Crown Octuple Champion Super Delfin, who earned the title earlier in the year in the Super J Cup tournament, will defend against the Great Sasuke . . . the monster Mike Awesome will be in action . . . Lex Luger challenges Scott Norton for the WCW United States Title . . . Ric Flair and WCW TV Champ Chris Benoit square off with Sting and Curt Hennig . . . and the big one, the biggest Battle Royal in wrestling history, 60 men, 3 rings, and as if that wasn’t enough, the WCW World Heavyweight Title, the top prize in this sport, hangs in the balance!”
BONI: “Kevin, it’s great to be here in World Championship Wrestling, and I couldn’t have picked a bigger night to start! There’s so many matches on this card that I’m looking forward to.”
KEVIN: “Any predictions for the Battle Royal?”
BONI: “With 60 of the top names in our sport involved, I couldn’t even begin to guess at who will walk away with the belt.”
KEVIN: “Let’s go ringside now, where Tony Schiavone, Dusty Rhodes and Terry Taylor will be calling the action.”
TONY SCHIAVONE,
DUSTY RHODES and
TERRY TAYLOR are at ringside.
TONY: “Thank you Kevin and Boni. Fans, there are going to be at least two new Champions crowned tonight. As Kevin mentioned, the finals of the International Tag Team Title tournament will take place, and the winner of the 60 man Battle Royal will be crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion!”
TERRY: “It’s going to be a rough night for whoever wins the Battle Royal, but after surviving this Battle Royal, they’ll definitely have earned the right to wear the World Heavyweight Title!”
DUSTY: “It’s gonna be wild, daddy! 60 of the biggest names in this sport are gonna enter these three rings, and get funky like a monkey!”
TONY: “Let’s kick things off as the Great Sasuke, who made a name for himself in the Michinoku Pro promotion in Japan, challenges the Super J Crown Champ Super Delfin.”
SUPER J CROWN OCTUPLE TITLE MATCH
SUPER DELFIN (Champ) vs. GREAT SASUKEDelfin and Sasuke don’t waste any time, as soon as the bell rings, they tear into each other. The fans are treated to breath-taking arial moves, as well as technically sound mat wrestling. In the end, Delfin goes for a Huracanrana, but Sasuke is able to drop down and slam Delfin into the mat with a modified powerbomb. From there, Sasuke hits some martial arts moves, and delivers the Thunder Fire Powerbomb for the 1, 2, 3! The Great Sasuke has won all eight belts!
Great Sasuke celebrates with the belts, Tony Schiavone sends us to pre-recorded comments from some of the participants in the 60 man Battle Royal.
We see short promos from BARRY WINDHAM, AL SNOW, MICHAEL WALLSTREET, DON MURACO, JOHNNY B. BADD, RIC FLAIR, STING and CURT HENNIG. Each of them think they’ll walk away with the World Title.6-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
BRUTUS BEEFCAKE & TATANKA & ALEX WRIGHT vs. PAUL ORNDORFF & MICHAEL WALLSTREET & GREG VALENTINEBoth teams put up a fight in this one, but in the end, Tatanka gets the win for his team after hitting Wallstreet with the Indian Death Drop for the pinfall.
TONY, TERRY and DUSTY talk about the International Tag Team Title tournament that took place over the past few weeks on TV.
Footage is shown of the matches in the tournament, with Demolition and Tony Halme & the Power Warrior advancing to the finals.WCW INTERNATIONAL TAG TEAM TITLE TOURNAMENT FINALS
THE HELL RAISERS (Tony Halme & Power Warrior) vs. DEMOLITION (Smash & Crush)There isn’t much in the way of technical wrestling here, it’s just a straight out brawl. Halme enjoys an advantage early, hitting Smash with punishing rights and lefts to the body, but Smash fights back, nailing Halme with clubbing forearms and a big haymaker that leaves Halme staggering.
As the match continues, Demolition takes control, and they’re able to cut the ring off, keeping Power Warrior isolated in their corner. Halme comes in and nearly takes Crush’s head off with a clothesline before the ref is able to get him out of the ring. That gives Power Warrior the chance to tag out, and Halme comes in and works over Crush. Crush is a big, powerful man, but the brawling tactics of Halme, mixed in with some martial arts, has Crush in a bad way.
Crush manages to turn the tables, though. Halme backs him into the corner, then climbs to the second turnbuckle and repeatedly punches Crush in the head, but Crush shoves him off the turnbuckle, then charges out of the corner with a running kick to the jaw that puts Halme flat on his back on the mat! Halme won’t stay down, he fights his way back to his feet, and rakes the eyes of Crush, giving him the opportunity to tag out to the Power Warrior.
Warrior comes in, but he’s met almost immediately with a vicious clothesline from Crush, who then whips Warrior into the ropes, and then charges at him with a running elbow smash. Crush tags Smash in, and after some double-team power moves, Smash places the Power Warrior over his knee in a backbreaker, and Crush comes off the top rope . . . DEMOLITION DECAPITATION!!!
That’s all she wrote for the Power Warrior, Smash covers him while Crush brawls with Halme. Referee Mickey Jay makes the 3-count, and Demolition have become the first WCW International Tag Team Champions!
BONI BLACKSTONE conducts an interview on the podium with
COL. ROB PARKER,
BUNKHOUSE BUCK, and
BOBBY EATON. Buck’s in his usual attire, but Eaton is dressed to the nines, in a fancy tuxedo
PARKER introduces the newest member of the Studd Stable . . .
RICK “THE MODEL” MARTEL!!!
Martel walks out, also in a tuxedo, and Parker says that Martel is a perfect fit in the Studd Stable. He says that “The Model” and “Beautiful” Bobby, the two best-looking men in wrestling today, are going to bring him the WCW World Tag Team Titles, whether it’s the Steiners or the Faces of Fear, it makes no difference to him. He says that Martel and Eaton are both tag team specialists, they’ve been working out together regularly for weeks now, and soon, they’ll be an unstoppable team!
MARTEL says that, not only are he and Bobby two of the best tag team wrestlers in the history of this sport, but as Parker said, they’re also the two best looking men in wrestling today!
PARKER says that the World Tag Team Titles will soon belong to the Studd Stable!
BUCK then talks about his match with Diamond Dallas Page tonight, and says that after he beats Page, he’s setting his sights on the singles Champions here in WCW, and says that it’s only a matter of time before he’s wearing championship gold.
DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE (w/ the Diamond Doll) vs. BUNKHOUSE BUCK (w/ Col. Rob Parker)Buck has no interest in actually wrestling, he just wants to fight, and that suits Page just fine, who’s more than happy to brawl with him. The match goes back and forth, and moves from ring 1, to ring 2, then on to ring 3, and finally back to ring 1 again. In the end, Page rebounds after a beating from Buck, and delivers the Diamond Cutter out of nowhere for the pinfall!
MIKE AWESOME vs. ICE TRAINMike Awesome makes his Pay-Per-View debut against Ice Train, and simply demolishes him. Ice Train gets very little offence in, and as we hit the 2-minute mark of the match, Awesome delivers a wicked Awesome Bomb for the pinfall.
KEVIN KELLY conducts a backstage interview with
LEX LUGER.
LUGER talks about his match coming up next against Scott Norton, and says that it’s going to be a big night for him, he’s going to win the US title from Norton, and then go on to win the World Title in the Battle Royal!
We go to pre-recorded comments from WCW US Champion SCOTT NORTON. Norton says that Luger has always had things handed to him in whatever promotion he wrestles in, just because the fans like him, while Norton, who’s far more talented, keeps getting overlooked. He says that he’s been US Champion for several months, and has yet to get a shot at the World Title, but Luger walks into WCW, and almost immediately, he’s put into a match to determine the #1 contender, a spot that should rightfully belong to HIM! He says that tonight, he’s going to destroy Luger and then go on to win the World Title in the Battle Royal!Footage airs of Luger beating Ric Flair, only to be attacked afterwards by Norton.WCW UNITED STATES TITLE MATCH
SCOTT NORTON (Champ) vs. LEX LUGERThe two men tear into each other as soon as the bell rings, and don’t let up at all. They battle in all three rings, on the floor, and out on the ramp, but neither man can get a clear advantage.
Late in the match, the battle moves once more to the arena floor, where Luger has the upper hand after ramming Norton’s head into the ring apron. Norton grabs a chair, and bashes Luger over the head with it! Referee Nick Patrick sees this, and immediately calls for the bell, disqualifying Norton!
Norton doesn’t care, he rolls Luger back into the ring, and with the chair still in hand, he climbs back into the ring and continues to batter Luger with the chair until several officials and security personnel are able to pull Norton away.
Luger wins the match, but not the title, and Tony, Terry and Dusty wonder what kind of shape he’ll be in now for the Battle Royal.
A shot of the crowd shows that
ANTONIO INOKI and
THE GREAT MUTA are sitting ringside for the event, and a little ways down, we see
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN watching the show from ringside as well!
TONY says that wrestlers and celebrities from all over the World want to be a part of WCW’s pay-per-view extravaganzas!
We see footage of what led up to the big tag team match between Sting/Hennig and Flair/Benoit. We see footage of Flair taking control of WCW from JJ Dillon, and joining up with TV Champion Benoit. Flair then FIRES Sting, but JJ Dillon reveals that he still has a manager’s license, and says he’ll bring someone to Bash at the Beach to face Flair. Dillon reveals that CURT HENNIG is his mystery man, and Hennig goes on to beat Flair at Bash at the Beach, giving JJ Dillon his job back. Dillon reinstates Sting, with Sting and Hennig then forming an alliance against Flair.“NATURE BOY” RIC FLAIR & CHRIS BENOIT (TV Champ) vs. STING & CURT HENNIGThe fans are treated to an exciting match here, as these four show why they are considered to be among the top wrestlers in the World. The match moves between all three rings, and several times breaks down into a brawl with all four men in the ring together.
Flair and Benoit gain the advantage late in the match, through under handed tactics, and they isolate Sting in their corner. Sting plays face-in-peril for a while, taking a beating, but he keeps fighting back. Flair works over Sting’s knee, and then goes for the Figure-Four in the middle of the ring, but Sting reaches up, grabs Flair by the hair, and rolls him up for a VERY close nearfall!
Both men go to make the tag, with Flair reaching his corner first, and Benoit is able to stop Sting just inches from being able to tag Hennig. He drags Sting back to his corner of the ring, and again, Benoit and Flair work Sting over, keeping him cut off from his partner.
Finally, after a miscommunication between Flair and Benoit, Sting is able to make the hot tag to Hennig, and he comes in and clears the ring. However, some double-teaming from Flair and Benoit give them the upper hand once again.
A few minutes later, Hennig is able to make the tag to Sting, and he comes in and hits Flair and Benoit with a pair of dropkicks that send both men to the floor.
At that point, HUGH MORRUS runs down the ramp, climbs to the top turnbuckle, and jumps off with a double axehandle to the back of Sting’s head! Flair and Benoit watch from the floor, Flair smiling like a Cheshire cat as Hugh Morrus pummels Sting, and then drops him with a Powerbomb.
Referee Nick Patrick throws the match out, but that doesn’t matter to Flair, Benoit and Morrus.
Morrus grabs a chair that Flair slid into the ring, and batters Sting with it, while Flair and Benoit double-team Hennig.
Officials swarm the ring and are finally able to get some order restored. Flair, Benoit and Morrus leave the ring as Hennig and several officials tend to Sting at ringside. Sting is bleeding heavily, and the officials call for medical personnel, who proceed to bandage Sting’s head.
TONY, TERRY and DUSTY talk about what we just saw, and say that Lex Luger, Curt Hennig and Sting, who were all considered heavy favourites to win the Battle Royal, are now in rough shape heading into the match, and they wonder if someone in particular is behind it.
WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH
RICK & SCOTT STEINER (Champs) vs. MENG & THE BARBARIAN (w/ Kevin Sullivan)The Faces of Fear put up a fight, but the Steiners get the win at the 7-minute mark when Scott hoists the Barbarian up in a sitting position on his shoulders, and Rick delivers a Bulldog from the top rope, leading to the pinfall.
60 MAN, 3 RING BATTLE ROYAL
THE WINNER BECOMES WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONCURT HENNIG wins the Battle Royal, last eliminating MIKE AWESOME; due to pre-match stipulations, Hennig wins the vacant WCW World Title.
Other participants were:Al Snow, Alex Wright, “the Enforcer” Arn Anderson, Awesome Kong, the Barbarian, Barry Windham, the Super Destroyer (Bill Irwin), Billy Kidman, “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, “Hardwork” Bobby Walker, “Dirty White Boy” Tony Anthony (replacing Brian Lee), Brutus Beefcake, Bunkhouse Buck, Chris Benoit, Crush, Curry Man (Christopher Daniels), Diamond Dallas Page, Disco Inferno, Don Muraco, Greg “the Hammer” Valentine, Hayabusa, Hiroshi Hase, Hugh Morrus, Hurricane Castillo, Ice Train, “the Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Johnny B. Badd, Kendall Windham, Kevin Sullivan, Krusher Kong, King Kong Bundy, “the Total Package” Lex Luger, Meng, Sid Vicious, Michael Wallstreet, Mortis, Norman the Lunatic, Paul Orndorff, “the Nature Boy” Ric Flair, Rick “the Model” Martel, Rick Steiner, Scott Norton, Scott Putski, Scott Steiner, Demolition Smash, Stan Hansen, Sting, Super Delfin, “the Native American” Tatanka, Tatsumi Fujinami, Tiger Mask IV, Tito Santana, “Mr. USA” Tony Atlas, Tony Halme, Tugboat, Vic Steamboat, Wahoo McDaniel, and the Warlord.
Eliminations late in the match:Norton by Luger via a backdrop as Norton attempted to set Luger up for a Powerbomb (25:21); Sting by Awesome (27:01); the Dirty White Boy by Sid (28:20), DWB hung around at ringside, and as Luger, Hennig and Flair started to push Sid over, DWB grabbed ahold of him from the floor, and pulled Sid over (28:32); Luger by Awesome (29:16); Flair by Awesome when Flair held Hennig, and Awesome charged at him and went for the big boot, but Hennig ducked and Flair took the full force of the kick and it sent him tumbling over the top and to the floor (29:38)
It came down to Hennig and Awesome, both men were tired, but still gave everything they had, knowing that the winner would walk away as the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Awesome had the upper hand and lifted Hennig up to deliver an Awesome Bomb, but Hennig was able to grab Awesome’s head, and started punching him.
Dazed, Awesome stumbled towards the ropes, with Hennig still up in the air, and they fell over the top rope. Hennig was able to hold on, landing on the ring apron while Awesome fell all the way to the floor.
CURT HENNIG IS THE NEW WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION!!!TONY SCHIAVONE, DUSTY RHODES and TERRY TAYLOR wrap things up, and thank the fans for tuning in.
TONY reminds everyone to join him and Taylor on WCW Saturday Night next weekend, and says that the American Dream and Kevin Kelly host WCW Worldwide next Saturday morning.
SCHIAVONE gives a quick plug for the next big event from WCW, the
GREAT AMERICAN BASH on Wednesday, August 15, from Knoxville, TN. The Great American Bash will air live on TBS!
CLOSING CREDITS
Working on it now.