-We had a blizzard on Saturday and got a foot and a half of snow. It is pretty to look at but I don’t like being out in it.
-We got our first box of HelloFresh. So far, so good.
-Acid reflux got me the past few days. I feel like that Jim Cornette story when he thought he was having a heart attack.
-Today we look at Clash of the Champions XVI from WCW.
-Clash of the Champions XVI: Fall Brawl was broadcast on September 5, 1991 from the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center in Augusta, GA. There were 2,800 in attendance and the show did a 3.7 rating on TBS.
-Intro.
-Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone welcome us to the Clash. They are the announcers for the evening. They run down what we are going to see in the show. They throw it to Eric Bischoff, Missy Hyatt, and Paul E. Dangerously on the rampway. Missy says she is going into the locker room to get an interview with Lex Luger. Paul E. says he is going to speak to Ron Simmons.
-Georgia Brawl Battle Royal. Tom Zenk, Thomas Rich, Bobby Eaton, Ranger Ross, Tracy Smothers, OZ, PN News, Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker, Steve Austin, Dustin Rhodes, Terrance Taylor, Big Josh, Barry Windham, One Man Gang, and El Gigante are your participants. The match starts and forearms are flying. It takes a while before anyone is eliminated. Bobby Eaton and Steve Austin both go over the top, but land on the apron. They exchange blows before getting back in. Smothers hitting Parker with shots in the corner. Taylor, Big Josh, and Ranger Ross eliminated. Thomas Rich then eliminated. Parker eliminated. OMG in the corner and people are just running into him. Z-Man eliminated. Smothers eliminated. OZ jumps El Gigante. Rhodes attacking OZ in the corner. Eaton Irish whipped into OMG who backdrops him out of the ring. PN News eliminated. Windham and Austin eliminated. Windham nails Austin on the outside with a right hand. OMG corner whipped into Rhodes. El Gigante fighting back against OZ and OMG. El Gigante runs OMG and OZ together. OZ and OMG double team and eliminate Rhodes. El Gigante with a double clothesline to eliminate OZ and OMG to win the Georgia Brawl.
-Semi-final for the WCW Light-Heavyweight Championship. Badstreet with The Fabulous Freebirds VS. Brian Pillman: Pillman’s first appearance since the ill-fated Yellow Dog experiment. Referee Randy Anderson throws the Freebirds out. Pillman with a side headlock. Badstreet pushes off. Pillman with a shoulder block. Badstreet attacks with kicks and punches. Pillman with a headscissors takedown. Pillman with a victory roll for a two count. Pillman with an arm bar. Pillman with a corner whip and someone on the crew is too close to the mics and keeps getting picked up. Badstreet with a backdrop and Pillman lands on the apron. Pillman with a sunset flip for a two count. Pillman with a dropkick and Badstreet rolls to the apron. Pillman tries to suplex him in. They try to counter each other. Badstreet suplexes Pillman to the outside. They both land in a heap on the outside. Badstreet rolls back in and starts choking Pillman on the top rope as he gets up on the apron to get back in. Badstreet then kicks Pillman from the apron to the floor and he hits the barricade. They exchange blows on the outside. They climb up on the apron and Badstreet runs Pillman into the turnbuckle post back first. Pillman gets on the apron and hits a shoulder into Badstreet and then hits a crossbody over the ropes for a two count. Badstreet hits a neck breaker. He gets a two count. Badstreet with a scoop slam. He goes up top, but Pillman catches him with a standing dropkick. He then dives through the ropes to hit Badstreet on the outside and almost takes himself out by hitting the barricade. Pillman goes up top for a missile dropkick. As he goes to hit it, Badstreet goes for a dropkick of his own and they collide in midair. Both slow to get up. Badstreet with an Irish whip, drops his head, and Pillman slams it down on the mat. Pillman with a spinning heel kick. He gets a two count. Pillman with an Irish whip, but he drops his head and Badstreet hits a DDT. He gets a two count. Pillman gets Badstreet in a backslide for a two count. Badstreet with an Irish whip. Pillman comes back with a crucifix. Badstreet comes back with a Samoan drop. Badstreet puts Pillman on the top rope. Badstreet climbs up. Pillman headbutts him off. Pillman hits a flying crossbody to get the pin.
-WCW Top Ten: 10. Bobby Eaton 9. Tom Zenk 8. Diamond Studd 7. One Man Gang 6. Dustin Rhodes 5. Steve Austin 4. El Gigante 3. Barry Windham 2. Ron Simmons 1. Sting WCW Champion: Lex Luger.
-Sting VS. Johnny B. Badd with Theodore R. Long: Sting is the new United States Champion, but doesn’t have the belt with him and apparently this is a non-title match. Flashback to Sting being presented with a box from WCW TV, and Abdullah the Butcher coming out of the box to attack Sting. The bell rings and Badd takes a left swing at Sting, but misses. They lock up and Sting with an Irish whip. He leapfrogs and drops down to miss Badd. He backdrops Badd. Sting with a scoop slam. Sting goes for a second rope splash, but Badd gets his knees up. Sting with another scoop slam. He goes for an elbow drop from the second rope, but Badd moves. Badd with a sunset flip from the top rope. He gets a two count. Sting gets an inside cradle for a two count. Sting with a sunset flip for another two count. The crowd is extremely vocal as they lock up again. They get to the corner. They break clean. They lock up again. Sting with a wrist lock. Badd reverses it into a wrist lock of his own. Sting with a side headlock. They get to the corner. Badd with some stiff body shots and a corner whip to Sting. Badd misses the charge in when Sting moves. Sting goes back to the wrist lock. Sting with a suplex. Badd up quickly and he jabs at Sting. He misses, but Sting is surprised that he is up quickly. They lock up as the announcers say that a box has been delivered to the ramp. Sting with a corner whip, but Badd collapses to the mat. Sting tries the corner whip again and hits it. Long climbs up on the apron. Sting goes for the Stinger Splash. Badd moves out of the way. Sting hits the corner turnbuckle. Badd goes for a left-hand jab, Sting blocks, but Badd catches him in the ribs. Badd sees the box and thinks it’s for him and Long tells him to go finish Sting off. Badd taking too long. The match is virtually stopped because both men are looking at the box. Sting gets Badd with an inside cradle to pin him. Cactus Jack comes out of the box to attack Sting. He throws him to the outside. Then Cactus Jack climbs to the top rope and drops the elbow on Sting. He rolls Sting inside the ring. Cactus Jack then hits Sting with the double arm DDT. Other wrestlers come to help Sting and Cactus Jack retreats.
-Jim and Tony replay and recap what just happened between Sting and Cactus Jack.
-WCW Light-Heavyweight Championship Tournament Semi Final. Mike Graham VS. Richard Morton with Alexandrah York: They lock up. Graham with a side headlock. Morton pushes off. Graham comes back with a shoulder block. Morton backs up. They lock up again. Graham comes back to the side headlock into a headlock takeover. Morton reverses into a headscissors. They lock up again and Graham goes back to the side headlock. Morton pushes off. Morton trips Graham up and tries to go for a Boston crab. Graham reverses it to a sit-down pinning predicament. Morton reverses that. He gets a two count. Graham with a leg rollup for a two count. They push each other. Morton rolls to the outside to confer with York. Morton goes back in and gets a side headlock. Morton with a takeover. Graham with a headscissors counter. Morton fighting to get out of it. Morton rolls over to get Graham in a pinning predicament. Graham bridges out of it. Graham with a backslide for a two count. Morton backs up to regroup. They lock up. Go to a corner. Graham with a forearm shot. Graham corner whips Morton, but Morton gets his boot up on the charge in. Morton goes up top, but gets caught by Graham on the second rope and catches him in a German suplex for a two count. Morton with a big right hand. Then another one. Morton rakes Graham’s face on the top rope. Graham comes back with a chop. Graham with a big right hand. Morton with a back kick. Morton runs Graham into the top turnbuckle. Graham gets a figure four on, but Morton immediately grabs the ropes. Graham with a fireman’s carry takeover. Morton gets an arm bar on. Graham gets to his feet and pushes off. Morton comes back with a shoulder block. Graham with a drop toe hold. Graham then grapevines the leg. Morton finally got out of the hold. Back and forth in the corner. Morton with a corner whip and an inverted atomic drop. Morton with a body slam. He misses an elbow drop when Graham moves. Graham gets a horizontal half nelson and hooks the leg for a one count. York climbed up on the apron. Graham with a scoop slam. York distracts referee Nick Patrick. Morton with a push off and Graham catches Morton and slams him down. Graham with a rollup. Nick Patrick is still distracted. Morton pushes off and Graham hits the turnbuckle. Morton rolls Graham up and pins him.
-Jim and Tony show and talk about the new issue of WCW Magazine that was on newsstands and then talk about Bill Kazmaier being the world’s strongest man as recognized by the Guinness Book of World’s Records.
-Eric Bischoff is in the ring. He brings out Bill Kazmaier who is going to try to break a new record. He’s going to attempt to bend a steel bar over his head. They say that it wasn’t gimmicked at all and he starts to bend it. The Enforcers Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko come in the ring from behind and run a steel plate into Kazmaier’s ribs. Rick Steiner comes down and The Enforcers leave, but it is way too late.
-The Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin VS. The Patriots Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip: The Freebirds are the US Tag Team Champions, but this is a non-title match. They are scheduled to have a match for the Tag Titles the following Saturday that the Patriots would win. Chip and Hayes start. Chip with a side headlock. Hayes pushes off. He throws Chip out and Chip lands on his feet and gets right back in. Chip attacks Hayes with right hands. Chip with a power slam on Hayes. Garvin climbs up top, but gets caught and Chip slams him off. Chip dropkicks both Freebirds. The Freebirds go outside to regroup. Garvin tagged in. He locks up with Chip. Garvin with a big right hand in the corner to Chip. A series of right hands and Chip then reverses a corner whip. He hip tosses Garvin out of the corner. Then a dropkick to Garvin. Chip with an Irish whip. He gets Garvin in a sleeper. Hayes comes in and he gets put in the sleeper. Chip lets go of Hayes and starts working on Garvin. Chip with a wrist lock. Garvin with an Irish whip as the announcers inform us that Bill Kazmaier is refusing to go to the hospital. Garvin drops his head early and Chip with a sunset flip. He gets a two count. Chip with an arm drag. Garvin comes back with a forearm shot to the back. Chip with a go behind and he rolls up Garvin for a two count. Hayes hits Chip with a big left hand from the apron. Garvin with an Irish whip, misses a clothesline, and Chip drives Garvin to the mat by his hair. Hayes tagged in. Champion tagged in. Champion with an Irish whip. Scoop slam to Hayes. Scoop slam to Garvin when he comes in. Another scoop slam to Hayes. Irish whip and a back elbow by Champion to Hayes. He hooks Hayes’ leg, but Garvin breaks up the pin attempt. Garvin then hits Chip to knock him off the apron. Freebirds miss a double clothesline attempt on Champion, who comes back with a double clothesline of his own on the Freebirds. Chip tagged in. Double clothesline to the Freebirds from the top rope. The Patriots with a double back elbow to Hayes. Then a double backdrop to Garvin. Then a double clothesline to Garvin. The referee is trying to get Champion out. Hayes with an elbow to the head of Chip. Garvin then pins Chip to win.
-Paul E. Dangerously interviews Cactus Jack. He asks Cactus Jack who paid him the money, who masterminded the plan for him and Abdullah the Butcher to attack Sting? Cactus Jack says everyone in the arena and at home should put their hands together for Sting because he had a good career, but it’s all over now. You are looking at the man who did it to him and yes that thought makes him smile. He says to Sting that it was nothing personal. Strictly Business as another box is wheeled down the aisle. Cactus Jack says he can see one of his business partners is here, but he has already gotten the job done himself. Paul E. asks him what Abdullah is doing here and he says he doesn’t know. He says Abdullah is his friend and business partner and he thinks he’s going to go give him a Cactus Jack hug. Cactus Jack goes over and hugs the box, but instead of Abdullah, Sting comes out of the box and attacks Cactus Jack. He Irish whips Cactus Jack into the ropes and backdrops him on the aisle. He then hip tosses Cactus Jack off the rampway. Sting grabs Cactus Jack by the hair and hits a standing dropkick. Cactus Jack hits Sting with a trash can as Sting tries to break it up. Sting attacks Cactus Jack with the trashcan as they go to commercial.
-Jim and Tony talk about Ron Simmons and show the retirement of his jersey at Florida State. Coach Bobby Bowden talks about Simmons and his football career.
-The Diamond Studd VS. Ron Simmons: Studd attacks Simmons as soon as he gets to the ring. They go back and forth. Simmons reverses an Irish whip. He drops down and goes to leapfrog Studd, but Studd grabs Simmons and slams him down. Simmons reverses a corner whip. Studd gets his boots up on the charge in. Studd with a second rope bulldog to Simmons. Studd kneels on Simmons to cover, but Simmons lifts his legs up and hooks Studd’s arms for a two count. Studd attacking Simmons in the corner. Simmons reverses a corner whip. Studd puts his boots up on the charge in, but Simmons slides underneath to the outside and pulls Studd crotch first into the ring post. Simmons with an inverted atomic drop. Then another atomic drop. Then Simmons with a clothesline. Studd with an eye poke. Simmons reverses an Irish whip. Simmons with a spinebuster. Simmons with a shoulder tackle and he gets the pin.
-Paul E. interviews Ron Simmons. Paul E. says Simmons wants to be the world champion, but to do that, he must beat Lex Luger and contend with his entourage of Harley Race and Mr. Hughes. Simmons says he has contended with himself all his life. Dreams are not impossible for him or anyone out there. He will prove to the world if Lex Luger is man enough to sign the contract for Halloween Havoc, that Ron Simmons is the man to beat. Any time you want it, come get it. He’s not afraid of you or your entourage. Mr. Hughes and Harley Race come to ringside. They get in the ring and Simmons tells them he’s sick and tired of looking at their faces and if Lex Luger isn’t man enough to come out here himself, then Ron Simmons will go and find him. Simmons gets out of the ring. They go to a commercial.
-Terrance Taylor with Alexandrah York VS. Van Hammer: This is Hammer’s first appearance in WCW and Gary Michael Cappetta calls him Heavy Hitter, not Heavy Metal. JR says Heavy Metal. Hammer is just holding his guitar up and marching in place. It is obvious that he doesn’t know how to play the guitar. Taylor hits him with the laptop from behind right as the bell rings. Taylor with some right hands. Hammer pushes Taylor down. Hammer with a scoop slam. Then another scoop slam. Hammer with a clothesline. Another clothesline. A third clothesline. Hammer with a front suplex. Hammer with a top rope knee drop and you can tell this guy is green as grass. He gets the pin.
-Missy Hyatt is in the locker room with Lex Luger. She is about to interview Luger when Ron Simmons comes into the room and gets in his face. Simmons says its time they had a talk and Luger says wrong again. I’m done talking to you and he pushes Simmons out of the dressing room. He slams the door. Simmons with a three-point stance and bursts through the door to get to Luger. A group of wrestlers hold him back and drag him out of the door.
-WCW World Television Championship Match. Steve Austin with Lady Blossom VS. The Z-Man Tom Zenk: Tony talks about Austin and Zenk being in the Georgia Brawl earlier and fighting back to the locker room after they were eliminated. They lock up. They go to the ropes. Finally, they break clean after a three count. Another lock up and go to the corner. Break clean. Austin with a side headlock. Zenk with a waist lock. Austin counters it with a hammerlock. Zenk reverses it. Austin with a snap mare. Zenk with a hammerlock on the mat and drives his knees into Austin’s back. Austin gets to the ropes. Austin with a side headlock. Zenk pushes off. Austin comes back with a shoulder block. Zenk goes back to a side headlock. Austin pushes off. Zenk comes back with a shoulder block. They lock up again. Zenk back to the side headlock. Austin pushes off. Zenk with another shoulder block. This match is clunky. Austin with a kick to the stomach. Austin with a headlock takeover. Zenk with a headscissors reversal. They tangle up in the ropes. Zenk breaks on the four count. They lock up again. Austin goes back to the side headlock. Another takeover by Austin. He gets a couple of one counts. Austin breaks out of a headscissors. Zenk with an arm drag. Zenk with an arm bar. Zenk with the wrist lock. Austin with an eye rake. Austin with a right hand to the face. Austin goes back to the side headlock. Zenk pushes off. Austin comes back with a shoulder block. Zenk with a superkick. Zenk with a backdrop. Zenk gets a two count. Austin falls out of the ring. Zenk goes to follow him out. Referee Nick Patrick stops him. Austin crawls to the rampway and Zenk hits a crossbody onto Austin from the ring in an awesome move. He throws Austin back in the ring. Zenk goes up top, but Austin drops down as Zenk jumps off. Austin with a kick to the head. Austin with a right hand to Zenk. Austin with a snap mare. He follows it up with a headlock. The announcers start talking about the time limit. Austin maneuvers to use the ropes for leverage. Patrick catches him. Austin with a right hand. Austin with an Irish whip. Zenk ducks a clothesline, but Austin hits him with the Stun Gun. Instead of covering, Austin picks Zenk back up and Zenk with an inside cradle. He gets a two count. Zenk reverses an Irish whip. He gets Austin in a sleeper. Austin gets to the ropes and Lady Blossom slips him something. Austin swings, but Zenk ducks it and lifts Austin up in a back suplex and Austin hits him with the object while he is up and lands on him to get the pin.
-They show a tape of Ron Simmons giving a speech at the Atlanta Boys Club. They then show Simmons taking two buses of students to see him wrestle at the Omni.
-Press Conference and Contract Signing for the WCW Heavyweight Championship Match at Halloween Havoc: Ron Simmons is there with his wife and Dusty Rhodes and Grizzly Smith representing WCW and everyone is waiting on Lex Luger. Eric Bischoff finally starts the press conference. They play Luger’s music and he finally comes out with Mr. Hughes and Harley Race and a bunch of WCW officials. Rob Garner of WCW presents both men with the contracts. Ron Simmons signs the contract. Harley Race looks over the contract and whispers in Luger’s ear. Luger says this truly is an historic occasion. He has to give the man credit where credit’s due. What a glowing tribute to the man and to the athlete. A pillar of the community, Ron Simmons. He says he had no idea. Retirement in front of 65,000 people, your jersey. Your locker plexiglassed in. What a feeling that must be. The Boys Club. All the community service that you do. It’s a real tribute to you, and because of that, Ron Simmons, I’m going to give you the opportunity to become the first black World’s Heavyweight Champion. Luger then signs the contract. Mr. Hughes then whispers in Luger’s ear. Luger then says as a side note, Ron. When it’s all said and done and the Total Package is still the World Heavyweight Champion. He says we started a great team here. Because of the kind of man you are, you’ll always have a position with me. A lot of fringe benefits. A lot of perks. He points to Race and says I’ve got my mentor. He points to Hughes and says I’ve got my bodyguard. He says to Simmons I’ve got in mind for you to be my driver I need a real good chauffeur and Simmons attacks Luger. Security trying to separate the two. Hughes and Race usher Luger into a waiting limo. Simmons attacking the limo as it pulls away from the arena.
-Jim and Tony talk about the two teams who are meeting for the tag team championship and how the two teams made it to the finals. They then show The Enforcers attacking Kazmaier earlier.
-WCW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Final. The Enforcers Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko VS. Rick Steiner and Bill Kazmaier: The Enforcers are escorted to the ring by what looks like a riot squad. Kazmaier comes out with his ribs heavily taped. Steiner attacks both members of The Enforcers to begin. He chases Zbyszko both inside and outside of the ring. He hits Zbyszko with a right hand as he gets back in the ring. He hip tosses Zbyszko out of the corner. Anderson jumps Steiner from behind. Anderson with an Irish whip. He misses a left hand and Steiner catches Anderson and powerslams him. He gets a two count, but Zbyszko breaks up the pin attempt. Steiner attacks Zbyszko until Anderson grabs him and holds him for Zbyszko to attack. Zbyszko with a spin kick to the gut of Steiner. Zbyszko slams Steiner down and stomps his face as the camera shows Kazmaier in the corner. Zbyszko puts an arm bar on. Zbyszko tags Anderson in. Anderson attacks Steiner with big right hands. Anderson with a wrist lock. Steiner fighting back with right hands. Zbyszko tagged back in. He gets a front face lock on Steiner. Steiner with shots to the ribs. Zbyszko comes back with forearms. Zbyszko with a kick to the stomach. Zbyszko suplexes Steiner. He gets a two count. Zbyszko runs Steiner into Anderson’s boot. Anderson tagged in. Steiner blocks a suplex attempt and hits one of his own. Zbyszko tagged back in. Zbyszko with a shot and runs Steiner into the corner turnbuckle of The Enforcers. Steiner trying to fight out of the heels corner. Both Enforcers double team Steiner. Double Irish whip. Steiner comes back and kicks Zbyszko. He hits Anderson with a Steinerline. Crowd comes to life for that. Steiner puts Anderson on the top rope. He goes to belly to belly Anderson off the top rope, but Zbyszko hits Steiner with a forearm to stop it and knocks Steiner off the ropes. Anderson hits a clothesline on Steiner from the second rope. Kazmaier tags himself in as Steiner passes near him. Kazmaier with a shoulder block to Zbyszko and a scoop slam to Anderson. He then military presses Zbyszko. Steiner tries to come in to help, but gets cut off by the referee so Anderson attacks Kasmaier’s injured ribs. Zbyszko falls on Kazmaier and pins him. The Enforcers are the new World Tag Team Champions.
-Tony and Jim talk to The Enforcers. Anderson says tonight they proved the theory of navigation. The biggest, strongest sailboat in the world can’t budge one inch if it doesn’t have any wind. They say Kazmaier is the strongest man in the world, but if he can’t breathe, he can’t win. They say tonight the belts returned to two wrestlers. Zbyszko says he and Anderson proved it doesn’t matter how many muscles you have. It doesn’t matter how many takedowns you learned at some jerkwater college. If you want the belts you must go through The Enforcers.
-JR then signs off from Georgia.
-End credits.
-Final Thoughts: Not a bad show, but certainly a filler show. The Kazmaier stuff wasn’t good at all.