Wrestle War ’92

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

Wrestle War

May 17, 1992

Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum

Jacksonville, Florida

Now that Sting has run Lex Luger out of town, it’s time for him to settle his nagging issues with the Dangerous Alliance. It’s WrestleWar, so there’s no better way to end the feud than a War Games Match. Sting recruited all the men who had been wronged by the Alliance and also accepted the help of Nikita Koloff, but can Nikita be trusted after all he has done? Meanwhile, the Dangerous Alliance have their own issues with dissension. Larry Zbyszko is on thin ice because he has been screwing up lately, so let’s hope he doesn’t do anything foolish during War Games.

War Games isn’t the only thing Sting has to worry about. He has also begun the early stages of a feud with Big Van Vader that resulted in Sting injuring both his ribs and wrist. I like that they’re building towards the future already. It’s nice when the fans have something to anticipate. I wish the WWE would use more forward-thinking in their booking. We will get to the Vader feud soon enough, but Sting has some loose ends to tie up first.

In other news, WCW’s long-running Saturday night program has changed. World Championship Wrestling was renamed as WCW Saturday Night. It switched to more of a studio show with pre-taped matches interspersed throughout, much like the WWF’s Prime Time Wrestling. The format would change a bit over the next couple of years, but Saturday Night would remain the flagship show for WCW until Nitro debuts in 1995.

The show opens on a red sky and the War Games logo while an epic movie-voice narrator asks if Sting has recruited the athletic talent needed to win. He also asks if Paul E. is doomed to destruction. The names of the competitors fly at the screen before Tony Schiavone welcomes everyone to Jacksonville. He’s with Eric Bischoff again to provide analysis for the matches and both men say they’ve been waiting a long time for someone to close the book on the Dangerous Alliance. They also talk about Sting’s injuries from his match with Vader and speculate on whether or not he will be 100%.

Next, they go to the commentators for the night, Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura. Ventura says he knows all about war because he served in Vietnam. Then, Jesse pokes fun at Jim Ross for his polka-dot pocket handkerchief, which he mistakenly calls a tie. Ross ignores him and talks about the matches.

U.S. Tag Team Title Match: The Fabulous Freebirds vs. The Taylor Made Man & Greg Valentine (c)

The U.S. Tag Titles are on their last legs and it’s easy to see why. You know it’s bad when the champions are a randomly assembled team like Taylor & Valentine. I couldn’t find a discernible reason why they were paired. WCW had already begun reestablishing ties with the NWA and had set up an NWA Tag Title Tournament for the summer, so the U.S. Tag Titles would soon vanish.

Hayes and Taylor start and have a little strut-off before Hayes begins slipping out of some headlocks. There is some miscommunication between Taylor and Valentine and the Freebirds start working over both men’s arms. They even use a few dirty tactics to maintain control, but the crowd loves them for it. Taylor and Hayes end up fighting to the ramp and Taylor goes for a Five Arm, but Hayes back drops him into the ring and continues the arm work. Taylor & Valentine finally take control after throwing Garvin to the floor and attacking him. They use ref distractions and double teaming to control him and they also cut off the ring. Garvin eventually gets his knees up on a splash and a boot up on a charge before tagging Hayes. He cleans house and all four men brawl until Taylor breaks up a DDT attempt with the Five Arm. However, Hayes kicks out at two. Valentine works over Michael’s midsection and Taylor hits a gut-wrench powerbomb. Then, Valentine locks Hayes in a Figure Four, but Garvin breaks it. Hayes eventually fights back and tags Garvin, who fights off a double team attempt until Valentine trips him. This leads to another four-man brawl and Garvin hits the DDT. Hayes holds back Valentine long enough for Garvin to make the three-count.

This match ended up being better than I expected. It was a fun opener and the crowd was hot for it. I liked that the Freebirds maintained their cheating ways despite being faces. It fits their characters. I couldn’t see them playing squeaky clean, good guys.

Winners: The Freebirds (New Champions) (16:02)

Tony and Eric talk about the match and Tony says that Valentine hit Garvin with everything, but sometimes it comes down to one move. Then, they talk about the next match and Bischoff says that Johnny B. Badd is always the bridesmaid but never the bride. (I can’t tell if that’s supposed to be a not-so-subtle remark about Badd’s flamboyance or if Eric is misusing metaphors.)

Johnny B. Badd vs. Tracy Smothers

During the entrances, Ventura answers my question by saying that Badd would probably enjoy being called a bridesmaid. He also says that Badd is the only person in the world to have Little Richard as a hero. Ross counters by pointing out that Jesse used to wear feather boas and asks if Jesse was a bridesmaid too. Ventura takes offense to the comment. Meanwhile, Badd lets some fans stuff dollar bills in his gear. I guess WCW doesn’t pay enough, so he needs tips. He also showers the fans in confetti from his Badd Blaster. He’s surprisingly over with the crowd, so I guess his face-turn worked.

Badd takes control early with some hip tosses and arm drags, so Tracy complains of tight-pulling. The ref isn’t buying it. Badd continues his attack with a cross body and a dropkick before working the arm, but Tracy counters with some jumping kicks to the head. He also hits a flying back elbow and a springboard cross body, but Badd reverses it into a pin for two. Tracy tries to wear down Badd for a bit, but he fires back with a surprise sunset flip, high-knee, rapid punches, and a powerslam. Then, he nails a flying sunset flip, but he only gets a two-count. Tracy attempts to answer with a crescent kick, but Badd ducks and hits the Kiss that Doesn’t Miss (Left Hook) for the win. Ventura complains that it was a closed fist.

This was a decent match. Badd has improved quite a lot since he debuted and is starting to become comfortable in the ring. It was short, but they kept it interesting. I also like that Ross put over how these two men want a shot at the Light Heavyweight Title. If they’re going to do random matches like this, then it’s good for the commentators to explain why they’re fighting. WCW was always good about building up future contenders that way. They would utilize this same tactic with the cruiserweights a few years later.

Winner: Johnny B. Badd (7:03)

Missy Hyatt is backstage with the new U.S. Tag Champs, the Freebirds, and their manager, Precious. She’s returned after a long absence and she’s a brunette now. Missy claims that Precious is the reason they are now champions. (I’m pretty sure she wasn’t at ringside during the match.) Precious says that the Freebirds have been singing hard and wrestling hard and she loves that they’re the new champions. Garvin thanks her and calls her, “Squeezy.” (Hmm, I wonder how she got that nickname. She must really like squeeze cheese. Yeah—that’s it.) Garvin says they did it the Freebird way, just like they said they would, and then he narrates a replay of the end of the match. Next, Hayes says they dedicated the match to Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd, which gets a cheer from the crowd. He also says they’re climbing the stairway to Heaven. (I’m pretty sure that’s Led Zeppelin, not Skynyrd.) Then, he says they will enter the NWA Tag Title Tournament and win before going after the World Tag Titles. He finishes by saying he can’t explain why they do what they do, but they’re the Freebirds and that’s their excuse.

Next, Tony and Eric talk about the return of Precious. Bischoff says that behind every successful man is an equally successful woman, but he says it in a snarky way. Then, Tony talks about the next match, which sees the PPV debut of Scotty Flamingo. He mentions Scotty is from Florida, but the fans don’t react. Eric follows that up by talking about Scotty’s opponent, Marcus Bagwell. Bischoff says the honeymoon period is over for Bagwell and so is that rookie stuff. (It feels like Eric doesn’t like Bagwell, at this point.)

Scotty Flamingo vs. Marcus Alexander Bagwell

Scotty Flamingo is Raven, but this is as far away from his Raven persona as you can get. Flamingo dresses in flashy 90s clothes and dances like that creep at the night club who tries to grind on everyone. He reminds me of Party Boy from Jackass, but he doesn’t undress and he speaks in 90s cliches. Flamingo comes to the ring doing what almost looks like Alex Wright’s techno dance, while Ventura rips into the Freebirds for not knowing who sang “Stairway to Heaven.”

Scotty and Marcus lock-up and grapple into the corners a few times before they lose their cool and slap each other. The match devolves into a brawl for a moment until Bagwell starts hitting suplexes, but Scotty responds by throwing Bagwell to the floor. Marcus reverses a knee-strike into a roll-up and Flamingo reverses Bagwell into a sloppy back suplex. Then, Scotty slows things down with some wear-down holds, but both men end up going over the ropes on a cross body. Flamingo throws Bagwell back inside, which Ventura doesn’t understand. He says Scotty should have taken a count out victory. It nearly backfires on Flamingo because Bagwell hits a jumping axehandle and a Fisherman’s Suplex, but Scotty gets a foot on the ropes. Bagwell then follows it up with an O’Connor Roll, but Scotty reverses it and pulls the tights to get a three-count.

The match started hot, but it became slow and sloppy in the middle. There was some decent action, but both of these guys are green. I would say they’re about even in skill, at this point, but Flamingo definitely has the better charisma. They made the right decision in giving Scotty the win and he would get a decent push later in the year. This is another example of building future contenders for the Light Heavyweight Title with these under-card matches.

Winner: Scotty Flamingo (7:11)

Then, they show a commercial for a new WCW PPV named Beach Blast. The narrator says, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the beach…” (Are they ripping off Jaws now?) He also calls the event a sizzling slamfest, a huge scene, and a mega-rager before saying it’s totally beachin’. (Could this commercial be any more 90s?)

Ross and Ventura then talk about the next match, which is a tag match pitting Ron Simmons & JYD against Cactus Jack & Mr. Hughes. They talk about Jack & Abdullah attacking Simmons at SuperBrawl and JYD making the save, but Jesse says JYD shouldn’t have been allowed to jump the guardrail. Ross counters by saying Cactus & Abby shouldn’t have attacked Simmons, so Jesse accuses Ross of arguing with him about everything. Then, they show a clip of the attack before Cactus & Hughes make their entrance. Jack gets halfway down the ramp before seemingly having second thoughts. He heads to the back again, but he attacks JYD when Simmons’ team makes an entrance.

Cactus throws JYD off the ramp and rams him into it. Cappetta was doing his introductions and you can hear him say, “OH!!” (I don’t think he was expecting that. It was quite amusing.) Jack then dives off the ramp with a flying elbow onto JYD and comes up holding his hip. (It’s a wonder Foley can even walk if his hips were already hurting in 1992.) Simmons finally decides to help and back drops Cactus on the ramp before signaling for assistance from the back. Officials arrive to help JYD, so Ventura says they should ring the bell and award the match to Cactus & Hughes. Simmons helps JYD to the back, so Cactus starts screeching Ron’s name to get him to return. He eventually does and attempts to take on both men. He manages to hit a double clothesline that sends both men outside. Cactus doesn’t mind. He simply squeals into the camera. The ref finally decides that it will be a one-on-one match between Simmons and Hughes.

Ron Simmons vs. Mr. Hughes (w/ Cactus Jack)

I’m not entirely sure where Abdullah is, but I think he might be gone from WCW. I know he leaves before the end of 1992. Mr. Hughes was added to this feud, but the reason this was changed to a singles match is that JYD was legitimately injured. I like that they wrote this into the storyline of the match rather than simply remove him from it. It puts heat on Cactus & Hughes and makes Jack look like a maniac.

Simmons quickly takes control with a running clothesline and prevents Hughes from leaving, but he takes a breather after a hip toss. Hughes returns and calls for a test of strength before kicking Ron. Ventura then takes the opportunity to poke fun at Ross by asking where Cactus Jack played college football and he even makes a reference to Bill Watts. (That won’t be the last time we hear that name.) Then, Hughes takes control with a clothesline, running elbow drop, and a knee-drop, but he slows the match way down with some choking. Ron hits a desperation sunset flip, but Hughes returns to the choking and distracts the ref so Cactus can hit Simmons. Ron fires back with a hip toss and Hughes crotches himself on a missed running knee attack on the ropes. Simmons takes advantage by hitting a clothesline and a back drop before hitting the spinebuster. Jack tries to interfere, but Simmons shoulder blocks him out of the ring and goes into a three-point stance. He then hits a running clothesline for the win.

This match was dreadfully slow when Hughes was in control. His wrestling isn’t that interesting. I liked the storyline with Cactus, but this wasn’t a good match. Also, Ross and Ventura spent half the time arguing over whether or not it should have been a Handicap Match. It only made this worse and Ross sounded legitimately angry. The only good thing about this match is it built sympathy for Simmons and made him look like a valiant babyface. They’re doing a good job of building him as a contender.

Winner: Ron Simmons (5:22)

Tony says that JYD is receiving medical attention and they will get a report later. (I don’t think they bring it up again.) Eric calls Cactus Jack’s elbow off the ramp a frightening situation. (I think he means for Jack.) Then, Tony talks about the next match. He says it’s the first time Todd Champion will be in singles competition on one of their PPVs. He will be facing the man from Bangkok, The Super Invader. Eric tries to say that Super Invader could be as devastating as Big Van Vader. (Oh, come on! That’s insulting to Vader!)

The Super Invader (w/ Harley Race) vs. Todd Champion

The Super Invader is Hercules under a mask—or, should I say, red pantyhose. He left the WWF, but not before putting on one of the laziest final matches against Sid Justice. (Seriously! Look it up. Herc couldn’t be bothered and practically no-sold a Sid powerbomb on his way out of the company.) I feel bad for Harley Race because they paired him with this awful gimmick. We’re supposed to believe this pasty white guy is from Thailand. I guess WCW had big plans for the Super Invader. Meanwhile, during the entrances, I couldn’t help but notice that Todd Champion has the Olympic rings on his tights. I thought he had a military gimmick. I didn’t find anything about him being an Olympian. Can he use that logo?

The Invader attacks Champion while he’s distracted by Race and hits him with a clothesline and an elbow drop. He then rams him into the corner and locks him in a test of strength while he’s already on his knees. (Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?) Champion tries to fire back with kicks, but Super Invader hits a side slam and chokes Todd in the corner. Then, Invader no-sells some punches hits a back suplex and locks in a long chinlock. The fans start yelling, “Boring,” and I agree with them. Invader continues the attack and takes it to the floor before heading back inside. However, Champion gets a boot up when Super Invader does a jumping nothing. Todd follows it up with a sloppy jumping clothesline and an elbow drop, but Invader answers with a hotshot. He then hits Champion with a powerbomb for the win.

This was a boring match and the fans couldn’t care less about the Super Invader. It’s a dumb gimmick and Hercules is a dull wrestler. Poor Jim Ross did his best to build this guy as a threat and even speculated on whether or not he’d team with Vader, but I hope they keep him as far away from Vader as possible. He doesn’t need this stink on him.

Winner: Super Invader (5:26)

Ross and Ventura talk about War Games for a moment and then Jim asks Jesse about a secret he has concerning Beach Blast. Jesse doesn’t reveal it, but he says he will be part of something unique. He says it involves measurements. (Aha! I’ve got it! He’s going to help Terry Taylor unveil his new gimmick—Terry the Tailor!)

Big Josh vs. Richard Morton

This was supposed to be a showcase match for the Diamond Studd, but he has left WCW. Scott Hall was working on a per-appearance deal and wanted more money. We will see him soon enough somewhere else, but until then he’s—vacationing in Cuba, I think. His replacement is Richard Morton, who is sadly spinning his wheels since the York Foundation ended. He’s taking on Big Josh, who will also be leaving soon. (I think he’s going to clown college or something.) Before the match, Ventura jokes that Big Josh has the advantage because he hardly ever bathes or washes his clothes.

Morton stalls for a bit to start, but Josh soon hip tosses him, slams him, and does the Log Roll. Morton then begs off again before hitting a cheap-shot and ripping Josh’s flannel shirt. Josh must have loved that shirt because he starts hitting Morton with some stiff forearms and punches. (You can tell he was pissed.) He then attempts a corner charge, but Morton moves and hits a back suplex and an inverted atomic drop that makes Josh go cross-eyed. Richard chokes him and takes control with some arm work until he telegraphs a monkey flip and gets kicked. However, Josh ducks and Morton retakes control with more arm work. Josh finally takes over with a belly-to-belly suplex and a butterfly suplex until Morton rakes the eyes. He then goes to the top, but Josh catches him and hits an inverted atomic drop. He follows it up with a double chop and hits the Northern Exposure. Referee, Bill Alfonso, only counts two, but he awards the match to Josh anyway.

This was an uninteresting filler match. The only good part was when Josh started hitting Morton with potatoes, but that wasn’t enough to make this good. It also didn’t help that Fonzie botched the finish. I can see why he switched to managing.

Winner: Big Josh (7:33)

Next, Tony and Eric talk about the Light Heavyweight Title Match. Eric says that Pillman will keep it on the mat and win. Then, Tony talks about an incident on WCW Saturday Night. They show a clip of Ross interviewing Pillman and Zenk. Z-Man complains about J.T. Southern and Scotty Flamingo attacking him and says he will put his title on the line if they want a match. Pillman takes offense to Zenk getting ahead of himself because Brian is still the champion. Zenk blames the mistake on his temper, but Pillman accuses him of looking past their match. He then dares Zenk to fight him then and there, but it doesn’t happen.

Light Heavyweight Title Match: Flyin’ Brian (c) vs. Z-Man

This match had a simple yet effective build. They played off of Zenk & Pillman’s past as a tag team. Ross conducted a couple of face-to-face interviews with them in which Pillman continued showing an edge. He claimed he was the better member of their team, which annoyed Zenk. (I like this build. It’s straight-forward and plays off of the past.) Then, before the match, Zenk is startled by his pyro, so he plays it off by yelling some nonsense into the camera. Also, Ventura speculates on which man will cheat first because he’s convinced these two can’t get along.

The two of them trade holds and leapfrogs before both going for a dropkick. Then, they both jump into a mid-air do-see-do before trading hammerlocks on the mat. Pillman catches Zenk in a flying head scissors, so Zenk answers with some quick roll-ups for two-counts. Brian decides to slow the pace with some leg work, but he misses a somersault senton that was meant for Zenk’s knee and Z-Man starts attacking Brian’s lower back. (Ross points out that Brian has had issues with his back lately.) They trade off leg work and back work, while Pillman grows increasingly frustrated. He starts to lose focus, so Zenk hits an enziguri, but Z-Man misses a running knee into the corner. Pillman takes advantage by locking him in a Figure Four, but Zenk reverses it and they go to the ropes. Then, both men reverse each other’s moves into pinning attempts before Z-Man blocks a superplex. He then nails Brian with a flying cross body that turns Pillman inside-out and gets another two-count. Z-Man also presses Pillman into the air and drops him on his face, but it’s still not enough. Zenk tries a different tactic by feigning a knee injury to lure Brian into attempting a flying cross body, but Zenk kicks him out of the air. He then follows up with a missile dropkick attempt, but Pillman moves and rolls him up with a jackknife pin for the win.

This was a really good match. They told a good story with both men becoming frustrated and Zenk trying to use that to his advantage. You can tell they are doing a slow burn to a Pillman heel-turn. I like that level of storytelling. I have to admit that I’ve warmed up to Zenk a little. He doesn’t annoy me anymore.

Winner: Flyin’ Brian (15:30)

They show the Beach Blast commercial again. (It’s still annoying.) Ross says they will announce the card that weekend. He also talks about the next match and says that the Steiners are former IWGP Tag Champs. They were stripped of the titles because Scott was injured, but this is their chance to get back into the title picture. Ross then questions why the Steiners would want the IWGP Titles when they’re already WCW World Tag Champs. Ventura says they’re gluttons. (They want to eat the belts!?)

IWGP Tag Team #1 Contender Match: The Steiner Brothers vs. Tatsumi Fujinami & Takayuki Iizuka

WCW’s continued partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling has included WCW stars winning IWGP belts. This was meant to be a sign of good faith that the two companies would honor the working relationship. (IWGP stands for the International Wrestling Grand-Prix, which is the governing body of NJPW.) Japan sent two of its best in Fujinami & Iizuka to face the Steiners to determine the #1 Contender to the IWGP Tag Titles.

Scott and Fujinami begin the match and show off both their power and their mat wrestling abilities. Scott then attempts a flipping powerslam on Tatsumi, but he nearly spikes himself. However, he succeeds in hitting one on Iizuka. Soon, Iizuka faces Scott and hits a top-rope somersault plancha before locking Scott in a Boston Crab. The Steiners then double team Iizuka and Rick drops Fujinami on his head with a German Suplex. Eventually, the Japanese team fight back and attempt a Doomsday Device, but Steiner catches Iizuka with a powerslam and Iizuka appears to be concussed. Fujinami comes in to give him time to rest and they start working over Rick’s leg to slow the pace. Iizuka returns after getting his wits about him, but the Steiners wear him down with holds until all four men brawl. This opens the door for the Japanese team to double team the Steiners, but soon both teams are making frequent tags. Rick manages to hit a flying clothesline to both men, but Scott gets caught by a German suplex and a spike piledriver. Fujinami attempts to capitalize with a Dragon Sleeper, but Scott keeps breaking the hold and eventually both men tag their partners. All four men brawl again until Rick hits a top-rope belly-to-belly suplex for the win.

This was a great, hard-hitting match, but I felt bad for Iizuka. You could tell he was knocked loopy by the powerslam reversal on the Doomsday Device. I have to give him credit for continuing, but it’s tough to watch with what we know about concussions now. Both commentators did a great job putting over the Japanese team. The crowd was pro-Steiners, but even they were impressed.

Winners: The Steiner Brothers (18:17)

Next, Tony and Eric talk about the main event. Tony says that Missy Hyatt attempted to get a word with Sting, but she was unsuccessful. Bischoff then says the match is too close to call, but he questions whether or not Sting can trust Koloff. Tony counters by mentioning the dissension in the Alliance with Zbyszko. They continue talking, but they’re interrupted by an air-raid siren that signals the start of War Games. Fireworks explode as the cage lowers over the ring.

War Games Match: (Sting’s Squadron) Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, & Nikita Koloff vs. (The Dangerous Alliance) Rick Rude, Steve Austin, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton, & Larry Zbyszko (w/ Paul E. Dangerously & Madusa)

Cappetta explains the rules in an overly-long way. (They could simplify that.) The Dangerous Alliance enters first and we see that Steve Austin has gotten a haircut. He now has short blond hair, which is a good look for him. However, I think the bald look is better. Sting’s team enters next and Ventura says that Dustin Rhodes’ inexperience could be the deciding factor. Then, the Alliance talk strategy outside the cage and Zbyszko yells at a fan for trying to listen.

Austin and Windham begin the match and immediately brawl. Austin back drops Barry, who thankfully clears the ceiling. (We don’t need another Pillman situation.) Both men block attempts to ram them into the cage, but Windham hits a DDT. Austin responds with a running clothesline that sends both men into the other ring. Then Steve tries a hanging dropkick on the ceiling, but Windham pulls him down onto his face. He also rams Austin into the cage and grates his face until he’s bleeding. The first period then ends and the Alliance win the coin-toss. (There’s a shocker.)

Rick Rude enters the match and brawls with Windham while Austin recovers. They double team Barry and ram him into the cage repeatedly until the period ends and Steamboat enters the match. He hits DDTs on both Rude and Austin before ramming Rude into the corner. Then, Ricky carefully hits a hurricanrana on Rick and the four men break into pairs while the period ends. Arn Anderson joins the fray and gives Windham a DDT and Steamboat a spinebuster. Rude and Arn then lock Steamboat in a double Boston Crab, but Windham breaks the hold. Meanwhile, Rude hits Steamboat with a piledriver and the Alliance send Ricky flying into the other ring. Dustin Rhodes enters the match next and brawls with Anderson before giving Austin an inverted atomic drop that drives Steve’s head into the ceiling. Rhodes then follows it up with an electric chair drop that surprisingly works with the low ceiling. However, in the other ring, Steamboat and Rude reverse through a Figure Four. Larry Zbyszko is the next to enter, but something is happening outside.

Madusa climbs on top of the cage and drops the cell phone into the ring, so Sting climbs up to join her. Madusa spots him and climbs down again, but the fans go crazy at the thought of the confrontation. Anderson grabs the phone and starts hitting every member of Sting’s team, so Ross says he’s reaching out and touching everything he sees. Windham is now bleeding almost as badly as Austin and the mat is stained with blood. Another period ends, so Sting enters the match and hits Anderson with a facebuster. He also press slams Rude into the ceiling and back drops Austin into the cage wall. Then, he grates Anderson’s face into the mesh, so he’s bleeding too. Bobby Eaton then enters the match to complete the Alliance team and he starts loosening the top turnbuckle. Finally, Koloff is the last entrant for Sting’s team, so the Match Beyond begins.

Koloff attacks Anderson and offers his hand to Sting. He’s reluctant to take it until Koloff pushes Sting out of the way of an attack. The gesture is enough to win Sting’s trust, so the two men hug and start attacking the Alliance. Sting locks Arn in a Scorpion Deathlock, but Eaton breaks the hold. Then, Rhodes locks Zbyszko in a Figure Four, but Rude breaks it. Meanwhile, the Alliance has succeeded in disconnecting the top turnbuckle from the ring post. Zbyszko instructs Eaton to hold Sting and Larry attempts to hit him with the metal rod that connects to the turnbuckle, but Sting moves. Larry accidentally hits Eaton in the shoulder. Sting capitalizes by locking Eaton’s injured arm in an armbar and Eaton has no choice but to submit.

This was a great intense brawl. It was a bloody mess and the visual of the ring being dismantled added to the chaos. This was easily one of the best War Games I’ve covered. I liked the story they told. It truly looked like two teams going to war with each other.

Winners: Sting’s Squadron (23:27)

After the match, the Alliance yells at Zbyszko for his mistake. Larry says he didn’t mean to do it, but Paul E. gets in his face. A loud, “Paul E. sucks,” chant starts, while the Alliance continues arguing with each other.

Then, they go to Tony and Eric, who says he’s never seen anything so intense in his life. They recap the night and plug Beach Blast before going back to Ross and Ventura. J.R. asks Jesse if he’s ever seen anything like this. Jesse says it’s the most brutal event he’s ever covered and it sounds like he loved it. Ross then also plugs Beach Blast before asking Jesse to reveal his secret. Ventura simply says there will be some tremendous chest measurements. (See! I told you! It’s going to be a tailoring gimmick for Terry Taylor! I could be wrong, but we’ll see.)

The Good:

– War Games was outstanding.

– The Steiners Match was really good.

– The Light Heavyweight Title Match was also good.

– There were a couple of other decent matches.

– Cactus Jack was entertaining, as usual.

The Bad:

– The middle of the show was rough.

– There were too many uninteresting filler matches.

– The finish of Josh/Morton was botched.

Performer of the Night:

I’m going to give it to Takayuki Iizuka for working through getting his bell rung. He was really good in that match, but his toughness takes it to another level.

Final Thoughts:

The middle of the show might have been tough to sit through, but I think the good far outweighed the bad on this PPV. There was enough good to great matches to make it enjoyable. If you watch it, simply skip the middle of the show. Watch the first couple of matches and the last three and you’ll be fine.

My next review will be WCW’s Beach Blast ‘92. Look for it next Saturday!