-Today we look at Clash XXII from WCW.
-Clash of the Champions XXII was shown on TBS on January 13, 1993 from The Mecca in Milwaukee, WI.
-My Clash story.
-Last Clash for Jim Ross.
-Clash Intro.
-Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the Clash. He is with Bill Watts. Watts runs down some of the people who have wrestled in Milwaukee and name-drops Ric Flair. They talk about Van Hammer being injured as well as the suspension of Erik Watts.
-Larry Zbyszko talks to Erik Watts, who mumbles his way through saying he will be vindicated. Shiavone and Watts then throw it to Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura. They talk about what we just heard.
-Cactus Jack vs. Johnny B. Badd: They show the two not getting along as partners at the Lethal Lottery. Jesse talks about Cactus Jack having a following from the Cactus Jack signs in the audience. They go back and forth. Cactus Jack beating Badd down in a corner. Badd moves on a corner charge. Badd with an arm bar. Cactus Jack comes back with forearms to try and break the hold. Badd runs Jack into a turnbuckle. Badd with an inside cradle for a two count. Badd goes for a sunset flip, but Cactus Jack ducks. Badd falls to the mat. Cactus Jack drops an elbow on him and covers Badd to get the pin.
-Tony Schiavone tells us that the Great Muta has defeated Masa Chono to become the new NWA champion.
-2 Cold Scorpio video with him and the kids and him asking them why they aren't in school and the kid saying they are going to the game room. They then dance to school over shots of Scorpio in action. I think about this video way too much in life.
-2 Cold Scorpio vs. Scotty Flamingo: They lock up. Scorpio with a wrist lock and a hip toss. Flamingo pushes off and Scorpio comes back with a shoulder block. Scorpio kicks Flamingo to the outside. Scorpio hits a chop to Flamingo on the floor from the apron. Scorpio throws Flamingo back in the ring. Flamingo catches Scorpio with a dropkick and Scorpio falls from the apron to the floor. Flamingo crossbody's Scorpio on the floor. Flamingo stomping Scorpio in the ring. Scorpio with an inside cradle for a two count. Flamingo with a suplex for another two count. Flamingo with a reverse chin lock. Scorpio comes out of the move and hits some forearms and a dropkick. He hits a scoop slam and a crossbody for a two count. Flamingo moves out of the way of a Scorpio splash and gets a two count. Scorpio with a superkick and a leg drop. He then hits the 450 splash to get the pin.
-A feature on what led up to the Thundercage Main Event with Cactus Jack being turned on and attacked by Harley Race, Paul Orndorff, and Vader with Cactus Jack coming back to attack them.
-Chris Benoit vs. Brad Armstrong: They lock up and Armstrong with a side headlock. Benoit pushes off. Armstrong misses a dropkick. Back and forth with holds and counters. Armstrong with a hip lock and a dropkick. Armstrong with an arm bar. More counters and this is an even paced match so far. Armstrong with a dropkick and back to the arm bar. Armstrong tries to pin Benoit to the mat and Benoit bridges up. Then Armstrong bridges out and goes back to the arm bar. Benoit back to his feet. Armstrong into a hammerlock and Benoit reverses. Armstrong goes down and forces Benoit to the outside. Back and forth. Benoit tries to get Armstrong out the same way, but Brad doesn't fall for it and dropkicks Benoit. Armstrong goes back to the arm bar. Benoit out and they exchange moves. Benoit with a front face lock and just drops Armstrong on the top rope. Armstrong on the apron and Benoit jumps up to the second rope and comes off with a clothesline to Armstrong to the floor in an impressive move. Benoit gets a standing ovation. Back in, Benoit gets Armstrong down. He gets a two count. Back and forth again. Benoit with a backbreaker. Then a scoop slam and Benoit goes for the flying headbutt, but Armstrong moves. Armstrong with a swinging neck breaker. Benoit comes back with a full nelson into a German suplex to get the pin.
-A feature on the Rock 'N Roll Express being back together in SMW. This would lead to the short talent exchange between SMW and WCW. They announce that Ricky and Robert will be on SuperBrawl III.
-Arm Wrestling contest. Vinnie Vegas vs. Tony Atlas: Vegas is left-handed and wants to go left-handed. Atlas says he doesn't care. They are even at first. Then both with a slight advantage. Vegas finally wins and calls out the injured Van Hammer.
-The Wrecking Crew Rage and Fury vs. The Z-Man and Johnny Gunn: The Wrecking Crew are Al Green and Mark Laurinaitis. Zenk and Rage start. They lock up. Zenk with a side headlock. Rage tries to waist lock Zenk off, but Zenk doesn't let go. Back and forth. Zenk with a crossbody for a one count. Zenk with a dropkick. The Wrecking Crew go outside to regroup. Gunn with a double clothesline to the Wrecking Crew. Rage back in with Zenk. Gunn tagged in. He runs Rage into Fury and gets an arm drag on Rage. Rage comes back and gets Gunn in a corner and Fury tagged in. Fury with a clothesline to Gunn. Back and forth. Zenk tagged in and this is an awkward match. Fury with a side slam. More back and forth. Gunn tagged in. He cleans house. He runs the Wrecking Crew's heads together. Double team forearm off the top rope they call the Wrecking Ball gets the win for the Wrecking Crew.
-Larry Zbyszko interviews Brian Pillman and Steve Austin. Not yet the Hollywood Blondes, but they are ready for Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas.
-Tony Schiavone interviews Sting. He gets a great ovation when he comes out. They have cut the White Castle of Fear movie, but Sting says he has no fear. He brings out Ron Simmons and Dustin Rhodes and says they are ready for the Thundercage tonight.
-Larry Zbyszko talks to Vader's team. Harley Race says Cactus Jack is going to pay for attacking them. He then fires the Barbarian for his association with Cactus Jack. Barbarian attacks Race and then gets attacked by the rest of the team.
-Jim and Jesse talk about what just happened and Jesse says it was stupid to get rid of a 4-3 advantage.
-A feature on SuperBrawl III.
-Larry Zbyszko talks to Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas. They want Pillman and Austin and are ready for them.
-Unified World Tag Team Championship Match. Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas vs. Brian Pillman and Steve Austin: Steamboat and Austin start and these two always have great matches. Back and forth and they are going at it fast and furious. All four men in and the faces with the advantage so the heels bail out to the floor to regroup. Austin gets a forearm and a kick to Steamboat and Pillman tagged in. He chops Steamboat in the corner. Steamboat comes back and hits a dropkick and an arm bar. Douglas tagged in and hits an elbow from the second rope before picking up the arm bar on Pillman. Steamboat and Douglas quick tagging to keep Pillman down. Pillman fakes an injury to surprise Douglas and goes to shoulder block Douglas from the apron, but Douglas catches Pillman and slams him. Austin tagged in and Douglas catches him with a drop toe hold and gets the arm bar on Austin. They exchange holds on the mat. Austin with a hammerlock as Jesse says Douglas is a big Rush Limbaugh fan so TASIYDAH. Austin coming back. Steamboat tagged in. He slams Austin in. Douglas back in and the champions are back to quick tagging. Douglas with a cover after a back elbow, but Pillman breaks up the tag. The tag champs double team Austin and Steamboat throws Douglas on Austin, but Steamboat is the legal man. All four men in and Steamboat throws Pillman on Austin. Steamboat with a wrist lock on Austin. Austin with a suplex and Pillman tagged in. JR brings up his football career, so take another shot. Pillman with a two count after a slam. Pillman goads Douglas in and then throws Steamboat out of the ring while the referee is getting Douglas out. Austin attacks Steamboat, which brings Douglas in. Pillman attacks Steamboat's throat on the apron. Pillman suplexes Steamboat in and gets a two count. Austin tagged in. Challengers quick tagging and keeping Steamboat in their corner. Steamboat trying to get out. Pillman runs Steamboat face first into the canvas and then chops him again. Steamboat gets Pillman down, but Austin had the referee distracted. Austin tagged in and hits a gut wrench suplex on Steamboat. Steamboat fighting back. Austin cuts off a tag attempt with a belly to back suplex. Austin with a reverse backbreaker over the shoulder. Pillman tagged in, but Steamboat ducks as Pillman comes off the top rope and Pillman takes out Austin. Steamboat with chops to both heels. Steamboat suplexes Pillman down. Steamboat finally tags Douglas in and Pillman begging off. Douglas cleaning house. All four men in again. Douglas hits a belly to belly suplex on Pillman as referee Mike Adkins was getting Steamboat out. Austin comes off the top rope and hits Douglas. Asutin puts Pillman on top, but Adkins is trying to get the illegal men out. Pillman only gets a two count. Austin grabs one of the tag belts and hits Douglas with it, but Adkins sees it and disqualifies Austin and Pillman. The heels attack after the match and Douglas is busted open. Wrestlers come out and the heels take off with the belts.
-Jesse is in the ring. He recaps Vader winning the WCW World title from Ron Simmons. Jesse then interviews Vader and Harley Race. They get interrupted by Ron Simmons. Simmons says the next time they meet, he will beat Vader again. Race tries to attack Simmons. Simmons grabs him and then Vader and Simmons go at it and Simmons hits the sidewalk slam on Vader. Simmons attacks Race and gets attacked by Vader from behind. Vader hits another two shoulder breakers on Simmons. Sting and Dustin Rhodes come out and Vader and Race leave.
-Thundercage. Dustin Rhodes and Sting vs. Vader, Paul Orndorff, and Barry Windham with Harley Race: Come dressed as you are street fight. They start to fight as soon as the faces get in the ring and Sting and Rhodes with the early advantage. Windham and Rhodes start. Back and forth. Rhodes with corner mounted punches. Windham with an Irish whip. Rhodes tags Sting. Sting drives Windham into the mat. He then press slams Windham. Vader tagged in. He pushes off and tries to taunt Sting. Back and forth. Sting with some right hands to try to get Vader down. Windham and Orndorff also go down when they come in. Sting with a corner whip and Vader goes up and over like he's Ric Flair. He lands on the apron and gives Sting a double clap on the ears. Vader goes up top and hits Sting with a clothesline. Vader goes for a splash, but Sting moves. Sting clotheslines Vader out. Orndorff in and he kicks Sting down. He hits a clothesline and an elbow. Windham tagged in and hits a double ax handle from the top rope. A float over suplex gets a two count. Heels cut Rhodes off from helping Sting. Vader tagged in and hits Sting with a splash and a forearm. Windham tagged in. He goes for the superplex, but Sting fighting Windham off. Rhodes tagged in. He cleans house on the heels and hits Windham with a lariat. He then gets a backdrop on Windham. Rhodes with corner mounted punches to Windham. Cactus Jack comes down with bolt cutters and gets the door open. Cactus comes in and hits the heels with his boot. All 6 in and fighting. Orndorff and Rhodes left in the ring after everyone else was thrown out. Cactus Jack comes off and hits Orndorff with his boot as Orndorff was trying to pile drive Rhodes and Jack covers Orndorff to get the pin.
-Jim and Jesse interview Cactus Jack. He says you can beat him, but you can never hurt Cactus Jack. He tells Paul Orndorff to bring it on. Jim and Jesse then plug SuperBrawl III before signing off from Milwaulkee.
-Final Thoughts: This show was all nostalgia for me. Good action from start to finish. Happy trails to Jim Ross who would be out and headed to the WWF in a few weeks.