Slamboree ’95

(All screen captures are the property of World Wrestling Entertainment)

Slamboree

May 21, 1995

Bayfront Arena

St. Petersburg, Florida

News & Notes: After Flair’s actions at Uncensored, Hogan & Savage begged WCW to reinstate Ric as a wrestler. Flair even launched his own campaign. He paid for advertisements asking WCW to be fair to Flair. Ric would mockingly promise to become a Hulkamaniac if he was allowed to return. The International Committee held a vote for Flair’s reinstatement. They had to do it twice because the French representative abstained from voting. I’m sure WCW thought they were clever with that joke. Hogan & Savage pleaded their case, so the second vote was successful. Flair returned from retirement and they booked a tag match pitting Hogan & Savage versus Flair & Vader.

Meanwhile, WCW stripped Vader of his U.S. Title because Vader was out of control. He kept attacking people. Since Hogan & Savage wanted him in a match, they weren’t going to suspend him. Taking his belt was the next best option. WCW held a tournament to crown a new United States Champion. It was still ongoing when this event aired.

I should also point out Steve Austin returned from injury. He wrestled on Main Event and participated in the U.S. Title Tournament. Unfortunately, he would soon injure his triceps, and WCW would fire him by FedEx while he recovered. He won’t appear on WCW PPV again, but something tells me we haven’t seen the last of him. Call it a hunch.

The show opens with the narrator telling us about the superstars of yesterday, the megastars of today, and the legends of tomorrow. I wonder how the stars of the past feel about being ranked lowest on that totem pole. It almost feels like a backhanded compliment. The intro video isn’t long. They show a few clips of past and present wrestlers. It feels kind of rushed.

Eric Bischoff welcomes everyone to Slamboree. He says he’s sitting in for Tony Schiavone. Tony missed this show because he was having neck surgery. Is there some sort of epidemic going around the WCW broadcast team? I wonder if Tony will wear a neck brace. Eric is with Bobby Heenan and Mean Gene. The latter says we are getting a bonus match because of what happened on Main Event. Meng will face Road Warrior Hawk because Hawk attacked him after a match. Gene blames it on Col. Parker opening his big mouth. Then, they speak about the main event. Eric talks about the wild cards. I wasn’t aware Thomas Latimer & Royce Isaacs were around in ‘95. Oh, he means Arn Anderson and The Renegade. Next, Gene wonders why Heenan is quiet. It’s probably because Eric and Gene were monopolizing the conversation. Bobby gets his chance to speak and says Hogan is looking for a replacement because he doesn’t want to face Flair & Vader.

We then get a pre-taped promo from Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri. It contains footage of them wrestling set to their theme music. Booker tells the Nasty Boys to come and get it. They took them before, and they’ll take them again. Stevie then says they’ll get the last whoopin’ of their life. I swore he said ass-whoopin’, but I was wrong. Booker also claims the Harlem Hangover is waiting in the wings to drop on someone. He asks guess who, but he doesn’t give us a chance to answer. He immediately reveals it’s the Nasty Boys. Where’s the spoiler alert, Booker?

Tag Team Title Match: The Nasty Boys vs. Harlem Heat (c) (w/ Sister Sherri)

Notes: This is supposed to be the Nasty Boys’ last chance at the titles. We will see how long they keep these two teams apart. I have a feeling we will see it again. However, there is a new threat on the scene. Lord Steven Regal decided to take on a protege. He chose Bobby Eaton and attempted turning him into an English lord. This included some highly amusing segments where Regal taught him manners. They even went to England, where Eaton was knighted. Now, he was known as Earl Robert Eaton and formed a team with Regal named The Blue Bloods. They would attack the Nasty Boys during Main Event before this PPV. Sags arrives for this match alone because Knobbs was injured in the melee. Bischoff points out it’s not a Handicap Match.

The Match: Sags trades punches with Booker and turns him inside-out with a clothesline. Then, he gives Harlem Heat a double DDT before punching Sherri. Bischoff says that was going a bit far. Sags also fends off some double-teaming and attacks Stevie’s—midsection. Both Booker and Sherri break up Sags’ pin attempts until Harlem Heat returns to double-teaming. They send Sags to the floor where Stevie rams him into the railing. Booker wears him down and misses an elbow, but he recovers with a Spinaroonie. Then, Booker lands a sidekick and the Harlem Hangover. Stevie says he can top that. He enters the match and hits a devastating leg drop—from the bottom rope. He can’t even get enough air and botches it. I had to pause the video because I was laughing. Sags recovers from the brutal move and gives Booker a piledriver while Knobbs arrives. He hobbles to the ring with his ribs taped and makes a tag. Brian cleans house and sends Stevie to the floor. Sherri tries interfering, but Knobbs catches her in a powerslam. He also chucks her out of the ring quite recklessly. Then, the Nasties do a powerslam/flying elbow combination to get the win.

Thoughts: I thought this was a pretty fun match. I liked the story they told of Sags fighting on his own. It got the crowd solidly behind the Nasty Boys. The fans were hot for this bout. Plus, I’m still laughing at Stevie Ray’s awful leg drop. That had to be a rib. I also have to give Sherri credit. She took some scary bumps. Everyone played their part well. This was quite enjoyable.

Winners: The Nasty Boys (New Champions) (10:52)

After the match, The Blue Bloods arrive. They look at Harlem Heat with pity before turning their attention to The Nasty Boys. Some fans yell go back to England at them. Regal and Eaton walk halfway down the aisle, but they only stare before leaving.

There’s a strange edit before we go to Eric Bischoff interviewing the new Tag Champs. Sags mumbles something about Häagen-Dazs. I guess he wants ice cream. Then, Knobbs sucks up to the fans and says they three-peated as champs. He also claims they’re not scared of anybody. He challenges the Blue Bloods to a match, and Sags says they’ll find out the true color of their blood. Bischoff asks Knobbs about his injury. He responds the Nasty Boys take a licking and keep on ticking. Sags then ends the interview by challenging everyone and saying it’s Nastyville for the lot of them.

Next, Gene is with Kevin Sullivan. He wanders around the room in a daze and claims it’s cold in there. Gene responds it’s 85 degrees. Why would they keep it so hot in the arena? Kevin then turns his attention to his opponent, The Butcher—or, the Man with No Name. Sullivan says he’s unafraid of what will happen to Butcher. He fears what will happen to himself because he hasn’t slept in five days. He then asks Gene if he’s sure he’s not cold. Gene ignores the strange question. He claims Kevin has ruined people’s lives and rendered Butcher useless. Oh, Gene. Butcher has always been that way. Kevin then yells at Butcher/No-Name for believing in Hulkamania. Wait, didn’t Butcher turn on Hogan? I’m confused. Sullivan finishes this bizarre promo by telling Gene something is wrong with him if he doesn’t think it’s cold. Gene assures him it’s not, so Kevin tries leaving. He starts heading toward the men’s room, but Gene shows him the door.

Kevin Sullivan vs. The Man with No Name

Notes: After Sullivan had used Butcher’s head as a weapon, Butcher realized he made a mistake in joining the Three Faces of Fear. This was further cemented when Kevin kicked him out of the group for costing them a match. Now, he declared he wasn’t the Butcher anymore. In fact, he wasn’t sure about his name. First, he called himself the Man with No Face, which is demonstrably untrue. Then, he switched to the Man with No Name. He either has amnesia or thinks he’s Clint Eastwood. Couldn’t he have gone by Ed Leslie? Did he forget his real name? This was a brief pseudo-face turn for Butcher. It won’t mean much because he would align himself with Sullivan again soon. I’m simply referring to him as Butcher. I’m not typing Man with No Name every time.

The Match: They immediately brawl, and Butcher sends Kevin to the floor. Butcher chokes him and rams Sullivan into the railing. The fight returns to the ring and he also rams Kevin into the turnbuckles. Then, Butcher uses a sleeper hold. Sullivan quickly breaks it with a jawbreaker, and they fight to the floor again. Kevin returns the favor on the guardrail attack and sends him back inside. However, Butcher shakes off the attack and uses some head chops. He follows that with a piledriver, but Sullivan goes to the eyes. Unfortunately, they go back to the floor because they’re out of ideas. Kevin rams Butcher into the post and rakes his back. Butcher answers with a weak clothesline, but he misses a corner charge. Kevin then puts him in the Tree of Woe and nails a running knee. That is followed by a double stomp for the win.

Thoughts: This was bad, but they at least kept it short. It was mostly punching and kicking and repeated spots. Neither man had enough material to fill the short time they had. Also, the crowd couldn’t care less. This was essentially a heel versus heel match. No one bought Butcher’s face turn. The entire thing was merely a way to end the Three Faces of Fear, so they could transition to Sullivan’s next storyline. Get ready for some weird times in WCW.

Winner: Kevin Sullivan (5:24)

Sullivan’s music plays for a moment, but it’s interrupted by the screams of some dusty old man in a cave. He yells about Hulkamaniacs in the bowels of New York, Paris, and the slums of Singapore. Sullivan retreats into the crowd in fear, but the old man calls Sullivan his son. He beckons him to join the darkness. Bischoff and Heenan are confused and shocked. Bobby keeps saying, “Oh, man!” I think he’s merely embarrassed by this. The old man is played by King Curtis Iaukea. Over the next few weeks, they reveal he is called The Master. Sullivan is summoned to his cave where they form one of the most ridiculous stables of all time—The Dungeon of Doom. I will speak more about them in a future review.

Meanwhile, Gene is with Jimmy Hart. Hogan and Savage join them. Hulk says they were late because Randy and his dad had to swim there. Hogan bemoans the fact they didn’t get Flair, Vader, & Anderson in the parking lot. He claims they won’t get out of the building because of the Monster Maniacs. I guess they couldn’t use the name Mega Powers. Savage says he saw submarines, red tides, and man-o-wars while swimming. Did he see Aldo Montoya? How odd. He also says it’s their night and mentions his dad Angelo Poffo will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Gene can’t believe their opponents begged off a parking lot brawl. Hogan responds Vader & Flair are an awesome-twosome, but adding Anderson makes it double jeopardy all over again. He also reveals he added new veins and hoses to his arm. Is that a euphemism for steroids? If that wasn’t weird enough, Hogan mentions Savage eating a bunch of Slim Jims and asks to smell his Slim Jim breath. Savage grants his wish before saying bad weather is brewing. Hogan then rambles about stinky red tide and promises to dump their opponents into the Gulf of Mexico. There must have been some serious cocaine backstage for this show.

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Dick Murdoch

Notes: This is the annual Legends Match they do at Slamboree. However, this was the last year they do it. WCW decided to give it an old-school feel by presenting the match in black and white. First, Gary Michael Cappetta introduces Dirty Dick Murdoch. Why would anyone use that nickname? You might as well call him STD Jones! Dick Slater liked the name so much he adopts it too. It has to be one of the worst monikers in wrestling. Gary then introduces Wahoo McDaniel while Gordon Solie joins Heenan for commentary. On a side note, I see Murdoch’s WWF run didn’t last long. He’s already making appearances in WCW.

The Match: Wahoo catches Murdoch with a couple of surprising arm drags, but Dick answers with elbows and shoulders. He also focuses on McDaniel’s arm until Wahoo chops him. Then, they trade punches and elbows before Wahoo grabs a wristlock. He also rams Dick into the corner and gives him more chops. It’s a good thing the match is in black and white because some of them bust open Murdoch’s nose. This makes Dick angry, so he responds with stomps and elbows. He also drives Wahoo into the mat with a knee in the back. It’s not enough. Murdoch continues attacking until McDaniel whips him to the ropes and nails a chop to the throat for the win.

Thoughts: Not a lot happened in this bout. They weren’t given much time. That’s for the best because the crowd was becoming restless. There were some hard hits, but it was two guys going through the motions. They went out there and had as basic of a match as possible. It served its purpose and was kept brief. I can see why WCW decided to stop doing these.

Winner: Wahoo McDaniel (6:18)

The color returns as Mean Gene is backstage with Big Bubba Rogers. They talk about Bubba’s win at Uncensored. Bubba sings Sting’s praises, but he says he’s one of the few people that beat him. He also claims he killed everyone’s faith in Sting with his victory. Then, Bubba says he will run Sting out of town on a railroad. I think he mixed up his sayings. He follows that up by saying his big enough and bad enough to destroy everything Sting and the fans believe in. Bubba then leaves while Gene explains the match will be a Lights Out Match. He says that means the lights will flicker before it begins. That’s a vague description that explains nothing.

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: The Great Muta (c) vs. Paul Orndorff

Notes: WCW renewed its partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling. The two companies even filmed an event in North Korea called Collision in Korea. It was recorded in April and would air in August. The event would set a legitimate attendance record of over 100,000. Part of the partnership included The Great Muta defending his IWGP Title on WCW events, hence this match. Muta gets a special entrance with live drummers. It reminded me of Sting from WrestleMania 31. During the entrance, he seems surprised by the pyro.

The Match: They trade mat holds and Muta uses his agility to escape. He then surprises Orndorff with a back kick before they return to the mat. Paul focuses his attack on Muta’s arm, but he misses an elbow. Muta responds with a dropkick and a snap elbow drop before putting him in more holds. Orndorff eventually turns it into a back suplex and wears down Muta with a chinlock. He also cuts off Muta’s comeback attempts until Muta reverses a piledriver into a backdrop. Then, Muta nails a handspring elbow and a bulldog. He follows that with a backbreaker and a moonsault to get the win.

Thoughts: This match dragged. It never found a rhythm and the finish seemed rushed. They lost the crowd. You could hear a few people yelling boring. I think this was a clash of styles. They didn’t match well. Muta’s offense looked good as usual, but Orndorff ground the match to a crawl.

Winner: The Great Muta (14:11)

Next, they show a video to hype the Arn Anderson/Alex Wright match. The narrator calls Arn a blue-collar wrestler who will do anything to get the job done. He also says Anderson holds the patent for the spinebuster. Do wrestlers have to pay him royalties to use the move? Then, he switches to Alex Wright. He talks about the Wunderkind’s rookie year and his quest to win a belt. A collision course has brought the two men together for the TV Title.

The video is followed by Mean Gene interviewing Arn. Ric Flair is with him and Vader walks around the room grunting. He also tries cracking up Gene by whispering in his ear. Arn refers to Wright as Alec and tells him kids his age call Arn Mr. Anderson. I halfway expected him to repeat his name loudly, but I remembered that was a different Mr. Anderson. Arn also claims he didn’t get his TV Title from a bubble-gum machine. Gene turns to Ric Flair and asks why he’s not in his gear. Ric says he doesn’t need to because he’s going to the ring with Vader. He’s turning Vader loose while he stands back and watches. Next, Vader yells about being the most powerful wrestler in the world. Vader nicknames his arms itsy and bitsy and calls them python eaters. I’m not sure itsy and bitsy are good names for your arms. It makes them sound small. Vader then tells Hogan and Savage they can run and hide no more. He yells and leaves the room while Flair talks about styling and profiling.

Meanwhile, Terry Funk talks about the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. He name drops some legends, including his brother Dory. He says he doesn’t feel he can fill their shoes or go toe-to-toe with them, but he’s honored. I think it’s more he doesn’t see himself as retired yet.

TV Title Match: Arn Anderson (c) vs. Alex Wright

The Match: Alex surprises Arn with arm drags and fakes him out with some backflips. However, he keeps returning to a headlock. Arn tries rallying multiple times, but Wright returns to the trusty hold. Then, Anderson attempts an enziguri. He misses, and Alex puts him in an STF. He reaches the ropes and regroups only for Wright to nail a baseball slide and a slingshot crossbody. The match becomes a brawl on the floor until Arn collides with the post on a missed clothesline. Wright capitalizes by attacking the injured arm until Arn backs him into a corner. He then gives Alex the spinebuster and drives him into the bottom rope. Next, Arn tries a Figure Four. Alex blocks it. Wright lands a wheel kick, a suplex, and a missile dropkick. He even gets a few near-falls. Unfortunately, Arn fakes him out with a punch and lands a DDT for the win.

Thoughts: This is another match that never found any momentum. It was a bit slow. It felt like they had a decent story to tell, but the pace was wrong. The crowd wasn’t into it. Wright didn’t wrestle his usual style. I would have expected Arn to wrestle more methodically. It was odd seeing Wright do it. It wasn’t bad, but it never clicked. Also, this was Wright’s first loss, but they didn’t make a big deal about it. It feels like WCW has lost a bit of faith in him.

Winner: Arn Anderson (11:36)

Bischoff and Heenan talk about the main event. Heenan claims security caught Hogan, Savage, and Renegade trying to sneak out of the building in fear. Bischoff calls him unbelievable. Eric then says they have a bonus match next between Meng and Hawk.

Meng (w/ Col. Parker) vs. Road Warrior Hawk

Notes: Cappetta calls this a surprise match. On Main Event, Col. Parker made an open challenge for anyone to face Meng. Hawk answered the call and attacked. During the entrances, Bischoff claims Meng is banned from wrestling in Japan. They apparently won’t let him into the country. Hawk then enters the arena. He’s still spinning his wheels while Animal collects insurance money for his back injury. By the next year, Animal would return to reform the Road Warriors.

The Match: Both men trade punches and chops. Meng then gives Hawk a piledriver, but he no-sells it as usual. However, Hawk collides with the post on a missed corner charge. He falls to the floor where Parker attacks him. Meng also rams him into the post again. He then cuts off Hawk’s comeback with a throat chop. Eventually, Hawk responds with a clothesline and a shoulder tackle. He tries following with a flying splash, but he misses and tumbles to the floor. Meng joins him and they brawl, but the ref counts out both of them.

Thoughts: This wasn’t much of a match. It was lots of punching, kicking, and no-selling. Plus, it had a non-finish. I get they were trying to make both of these guys look like beasts. It simply wasn’t interesting enough to matter. Neither man’s heart seemed to be in it. If it were more intense and hard-hitting, it might have been good.

Winner: Double Count Out (4:41)

They continue fighting after the bell. The officials arrive to break up the fight, but they have trouble. They also sent out a few jobbers to hold the two men. Bischoff says they have bad blood, and this isn’t over, but I don’t think it will go very far. Then, Bischoff and Heenan talk about the Hall of Fame ceremony. Bobby is annoyed he’s not part of the class.

Gordon Solie hosts the inductions. First, he introduces Wahoo McDaniel and tells a story of Wahoo’s football coach being angry he got injured while wrestling. Wahoo is still sweating from earlier while he makes a short speech. Then, Gordon introduces Terry Funk. He talks about Terry’s family and wrestling history. He mentions Funk is still active in Japan. He doesn’t mention it’s deathmatches. Funk says hi to his mom because he always wanted to do that on TV. Next, Solie introduces Angelo Poffo and mentions his world record for sit-ups. He also talks about Angelo’s sons, Lanny and Randy Savage. Angelo makes a short speech where he hopes his son is victorious tonight. Gordon then inducts Antonio Inoki and mentions his legendary match against Muhammad Ali. He also mentions Collision in Korea and Inoki’s political career. His interpreter delivers a speech for him. Gordon follows that by inducting Big John Studd posthumously. He talks about Studd’s feuds with Andre the Giant. Studd sadly died from cancer earlier in the year, so his son accepts the award after Gordon reads a poem from his niece. Finally, Gordon introduces Dusty Rhodes. Gordon says Dusty has more charisma in his little finger than most have in their bodies. Dusty accepts his award with his daughter Teil and a young Cody Rhodes. He thanks all his children and mentions his new granddaughter, Dakota. He also thanks his family and his wife. Then, he gives a message to the new generation of wrestlers in WCW. I’m pretty sure the New Generation is in the WWF.

Dusty starts leaving, but he turns around and reveals there’s another inductee. It’s Gordon Solie and Gordon seems legitimately surprised. Mean Gene joins them while Dusty sings Gordon’s praises. You can tell they kept it secret from Solie. It’s heartwarming to see his reaction. Gordon calls it a dream come true he never thought possible. He then thanks what he calls the greatest wrestling fans in the world.

Next, Gene is with Sting. He brings up Bubba’s earlier comments and Sting says there’s no chance of a repeat from Uncensored. He warns Bubba the Scorpion Deathlock will happen. He says it will happen with some fierce attitude. He then yells and walks away. He kept that short. I guess the Hall of Fame ceremony went long. They seemed rushed.

Lights Out Match: Sting vs. Big Bubba Rogers

Notes: A Lights Out Match usually means it’s unsanctioned. It’s called this because they would be held at the end of a card. The lights would turn out to signify the main show was over and what happened next was separate from the normal sanctioned bouts. With this match, WCW ignored all that and idly attached the Lights Out name. It feels wasted. I hate admitting it, but I’m done with this feud. I like both men, but WCW has a tendency to drag feuds out too long.

Sting carries a table to the ring. Bischoff asks what’s the deal. Heenan points out the obvious. Sting wants to use it on Bubba. Nick Patrick doesn’t like that and slides the table out of the ring. Did he forget there weren’t any rules?

The Match: Sting gets the early advantage and makes Bubba regroup. He answers by choking Sting with his tie, but Sting nails him with a dropkick. Then, Bubba goes to the eyes and they brawl to the floor. He rams Sting into the steps and sets up a table. However, it backfires. Sting slams him on it. He moves the table and tries again, but Bubba blinds Sting with powder. The fight returns to the ring and Bubba sets up the table in the corner. He then rams Sting against it and tries a piledriver. Sting backdrops him. Next, Sting whips Bubba into the table only to crash on a missed Stinger Splash. Bubba answers by whipping Sting with a belt and giving him the Boss Man Slam. Sting kicks out, so Bubba heads to the top. Sting slams him and nails a flying splash. He follows that by placing the table on Bubba and stomping it. Sting also puts Bubba in the Scorpion Deathlock and that’s enough for the win.

Thoughts: This was an okay brawl. There were some nice spots. There was also plenty of stalling, and the pace was slow. I wanted to like it, but it never hit a stride. That’s the story of the night. Everything seems to fall short of being great. There’s a lethargy to this show. However, I am glad this is the end of the feud. Both men should move to something else.

Winner: Sting (9:29)

Next, they show a recap of the main event feud. The narrator speaks about the formation of the Monster Maniacs. He calls everyone involved in the match legends in their own right. I’m not sure I’d include Renegade in that. He also says tonight is where the stars are in Slamboree ‘95.

Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage (w/ Jimmy Hart & The Renegade) vs. Vader & Ric Flair (w/ Arn Anderson)

Notes: Michael Buffer does the introductions. Yes, he says Hulkmania again. I’m getting really tired of this overrated bum. Flair, Vader, and Anderson enter first. Flair lied earlier because he put on his gear for this match. Then, the Monster Maniacs enter the arena. Fireworks explode while they pose, but then a large shadowy figure emerges from the curtain. We only get a brief glimpse of him, but Bischoff is astounded at his size. He points at Hogan & Savage and they acknowledge him before an official escorts the giant man away from the entrance. I know they were trying to shroud him in mystery, but it was a poor camera shot. If Bischoff hadn’t said anything, I doubt fans would have noticed him. However, they show a much better shot of him later in the match.

This is the first appearance of the future Big Show. He would be known as the Giant because WCW got the wise idea to bill him as Andre’s son. For now, he’s just a mysterious giant apparently interested in Hogan. Meanwhile, Heenan points out that Renegade is missing, so his music plays and Renegade runs to the ring. I noticed they changed it. The WWF must have complained it was too close to the Ultimate Warrior’s theme. Also, they show Angelo Poffo in the front row watching his son’s match.

The Match: Hogan and Vader trade blows until Hogan sends him to the floor. Savage nails him with an axehandle before he and Hogan double-team Vader. Then, Flair and Savage end up in the ring and somehow take over without tagging. Savage whips Ric around so much he flips and flops into the aisle. He repeatedly tries going for the eyes, but Hogan manages to put Ric in a Figure Four. Anderson tries breaking it, and Hogan rolls him up for some odd reason. However, Flair uses the opening to attack Hogan’s leg. This is where the Giant makes his second appearance.

Vader takes over and punishes Hogan for no-selling his suplex. He gives him two avalanche attacks and a Vader Bomb. He even tries a top-rope version, but Hogan moves. Flair then enters the match only to lose control. Savage slams Ric off the ropes and nails the flying elbow. Unfortunately, Anderson breaks up the pin. Vader attacks Randy until Renegade makes the save. It’s not enough because Vader nails Savage with a moonsault. Hogan stops the pin attempt and Savage rallies. He eventually tags Hogan, who fends off Flair and slams Vader. He also gives Ric the big boot, but Arn trips Hogan. Renegade chases Arn, and the match becomes a brawl. Savage and Vader fight on the floor while Hogan hulks-up in the ring. Arn tries interfering again, but he accidentally hits Ric. This opens the door for Hogan to land the leg drop for the win.

Thoughts: The match was decent enough. It had some fun moments. Savage did some great work in this. Also, I will give Hogan credit. He was back to being generous again. Vader got to shine more than at Uncensored. However, the bout felt like a backdrop for upcoming feuds. They tried packing too many side stories into it. You could tell the match was almost an afterthought. I enjoyed this well enough, but it could have been better than it was. It fell slightly short much like most of this show.

Winners: Hogan & Savage (18:57)

The Monster Maniacs celebrate in the ring while fireworks explode. Vader and Flair have enough and attack. Vader takes care of Hogan while Flair goes after Savage. Angelo Poffo can’t sit idle. He jumps the guardrail and confronts Ric. So, Flair attacks him while Arn Anderson holds Poffo. Flair stomps Angelo and puts him in the Figure Four until Savage and Hogan stop the attack. Vader and Flair leave while Savage checks on his father. He’s distraught. Savage calls for an ambulance while Heenan mocks him. Bischoff says they’re out of time and says goodnight while Heenan has a laugh.

The Good:

– The Tag Title Match was fun.

– There were some amusing promos.

– Gordon Solie’s induction into the Hall of Fame and his reaction.

The Bad:

– Poor pacing.

– Disappointing matches.

– Sullivan/Butcher was bad.

Performer of the Night:

I’m giving it to Randy Savage. He was the highlight of the main event. Plus, I liked his performance after the match. He did a good job of selling his anguish over his father.

Final Thoughts:

The Sullivan/Butcher match was the only awful thing. The problem is, everything else ranged from decent to disappointing. This show was painfully mediocre. It wasn’t terrible, but it was average at best. There was a lot of missed potential. Perhaps the trip to Korea wore out everyone. It felt like everything dragged. At least we have some amusing nonsense coming up in WCW. You saw the beginnings of it on this program.

Thanks for reading. My next review is WCW’s Great American Bash ‘95.