Hall’s WCW SuperBrawl III Review

SuperBrawl III
Date: February 21, 1993
Location: Asheville Civic Center, Asheville, North Carolina
Attendance: 6,500
Commentators: Jesse Ventura, Tony Schiavone

I heard Jim Cornette talking about this show recently and I haven’t seen it in a very long time, so it could be interesting to see it again. The main event, and the show in general, is ALL about Sting vs. Vader and…well do you really need anything more than that? Those two are incapable of having a bad match and hopefully it continues here. Let’s get to it.

The opening video focus on Sting vs. Vader (we’re off to a good start) with Sting being whipped and choked with a leather strap. Vader wants a strap match and it’s time for Sting to fight back. Naturally this involved Sting helicoptering in to a White Castle Of Fear, because WCW, but the setup certainly worked.

Eric Bischoff and Missy Hyatt welcome us to the show and announce that Ron Simmons is injured and out of the US Title match so Maxx Payne is here to take his place. Johnny B. Badd comes in to hype up some more of the card.

Schiavone and Ventura run down the card as well.

Maxx Payne plays the National Anthem on his guitar (Norma Jean, because the guitar has a name).

Hollywood Blonds vs. Erik Watts/Marcus Bagwell

The Blonds are Steve Austin and Brian Pillman, who wound up being an outstanding team. Bagwell was getting better and finding himself as a tag wrestler and Watts…well his dad ran the company. Austin and Bagwell start things off with Bagwell working on the arm, leading to a fight over a top wristlock.

Back up and Austin gets in a right hand to take over as Ventura suggests that Schiavone was a bit tipsy in a bar. Schiavone brushes that off as Bagwell sends Austin outside, allowing Watts to come in. Watts fights out of the wrong corner and takes Pillman down, with Bagwell working on the arm. It’s back to Watts and the fans do not seem pleased. The abdominal stretch (a signature of Watts) goes on, leaving Ventura and Schiavone to argue over the merits of cheating.

Bagwell comes back in and clotheslines Pillman and the fans boo Watts again. Even Ventura acknowledges is as it gets that bad. A terrible Boston crab has Austin in mild discomfort until Pillman makes the save. Pillman comes in but seems to hurt his knee, which is enough suckering to send Watts outside. Watts sends him into the barricade but gets sent hard into the corner back inside. A double elbow sends Watts over the top and outside again for the big crash.

Back in and Pillman cuts off a sunset flip attempt, followed by Austin distracting the referee so another sunset flip fails as well. A rocket launcher hits raised knees though and Watts avoids another shot, allowing the needed tag off to Bagwell. Everything breaks down and the fisherman’s suplex has Pillman in trouble, only for Austin to come off the top with an elbow for the save. Pillman steals the pin at 16:33.

Rating: B. This was a heck of an opener, with the Blonds being miles ahead of the makeshift team, though part of that is due to Watts being out there. The thing to remember is Watts was just so far in over his head out there and it was very obvious. He needed to be in a developmental system to figure a lot more of this out but he was pushed to the moon because of his family connections. That is NOT his fault but he was the one weak spot in this whole thing, which was otherwise rather good.

We get some more clips of the Sting/Vader mini movie, featuring a confused Sting going to Vader’s White Castle Of Fear.

Bischoff and Badd confirm the rumors: RIC FLAIR is returning tonight. Missy Hyatt goes out to talk to Flair in his limo but can’t talk to her. Like Flair would EVER not let her near him. And yeah Flair is back, complete with two women in his limousine. The WE WANT FLAIR chants are on loud and hard.

2 Cold Scorpio vs. Chris Benoit

Benoit is only 25 here. Scorpio backs him up against the ropes to start as Ventura picks Benoit for his “killer instinct”. Geez that’s chilling. Benoit’s snap suplex connects as Ventura tells horror stories about Stu Hart’s Dungeon. Scorpio comes back with a spinning high crossbody and a kick to the chest to send Benoit outside. Back in and Scorpio works on the arm, including a hammerlock with his feet.

Scorpio sends him outside for a breather before grabbing a test of strength back inside. A dropkick into another armbar keeps Benoit in trouble as the fans are staying with the match despite all of the arm work. Big reason for that: Scorpio isn’t just sitting in a hold for extended stretches. He’s staying on the arm, but he’s doing different things to keep it moving. That’s such a forgotten detail.

Benoit fights up but walks into a superkick and the armbar (different stance, different style) goes on again. Benoit fights up and ducks a spinning kick, allowing him to hit a shot to the face. A backbreaker works on Scorpio’s back for a change but Scorpio lifts his knee up for a shot to the face. Scorpio tries to fight back but gets knocked down again, setting up a chinlock.

We get the fifteen minute call and Benoit takes him up top for the belly to back superplex, leaving both of them down. A big powerbomb gets two but Scorpio reverses another attempt into a rollup. The time is running down as Scorpio misses some spinning kicks to the face but scores with a clothesline.

The spinning splash in the corner hits Benoit as we have a minute left. Scorpio hits the top rope spinning splash for two, followed by Benoit getting a rollup for the same. Back up and Benoit’s German suplex is countered into a rollup to give Scorpio the pin at 18:21 (announced as 19:59 but I’ll let it slide after a great match).

Rating: B+. Yeah this was pretty awesome, with both of them working hard and laying in everything they could. Scorpio was unlike anyone you would see on the big stage at this time, with such an awesome mixture of fun and athleticism. On the other hand you have Benoit, who was showing signs of the abilities that would give him such an incredible career. Awesome match here.

Maxx Payne, looking a bit nuts, promises to hurt Dustin Rhodes and plays Taps on his guitar.

British Bulldog vs. Bill Irwin

Bulldog, making his debut, gets a heck of a reaction and wastes no time in powering Irwin around to start. Irwin gets knocked outside a few times and comes back in to accuse Bulldog of a hair pull. Ventura suggests that Bulldog’s hair is styled after a Rastafarian and Schiavone is totally lost in a funny bit. Irwin manages to knock Bulldog into the corner and a knockdown, followed by a chinlock. Bulldog fights up and hits his usual suplex into a clothesline as Schiavone stuns Ventura with a history lesson on the Irish whip. Irwin tries to go up but dives into the running powerslam to give Bulldog the win at 5:50.

Rating: D+. This was more or less a squash but it was only so good, with Irwin offering very little in this spot. The fans were going absolutely coconuts for Bulldog, who looked good in this chances, but you’re only going to get so much out of a match that went like this. Bulldog would have a nice run in WCW, but this wasn’t a great start.

Sting is still looking for the White Castle Of Fear.

British Bulldog wants Vader and the World Title.

Paul Orndorff is ready for Falls Count Anywhere against Cactus Jack…who pops in with a shovel to chase Orndorff to the ring.

Paul Orndorff vs. Cactus Jack

Falls Count Anywhere and Orndorff manages a kick to the head to make Jack drop the shovel. Orndorff sends him into the barricade but Jack fights back to do the same. The floor mats are pulled back for an elbow on the concrete for two, followed by Jack’s middle rope sunset flip onto the concrete, because Jack is not a normal man.

They get inside with Orndorff taking over and they fight up the ramp, with Jack being sent over the barricade. Orndorff rams him face first into the barricade and then suplexes him onto/over said barricade, because of course Jack will do that. Jack’s leg is wrapped around the steel and they go back inside, where Orndorff hits a top rope elbow. The knee is worked over even more, with Orndorff taking the brace off to put on the Figure Four.

That’s broken up with a right hand so they go back outside, with Orndorff ramming the knee into the exposed concrete. Back in and a brace to the head knocks Jack outside (straight onto the concrete of course), followed by some chair shots to the leg (and throat) back inside. Orndorff calls for the piledriver and gets HIT IN THE FACE WITH A SHOVEL to give Jack the pin at 12:17.

Rating: A-. Now this was a straight up fight, with Orndorff beating the living daylights out of Jack for the most part and knowing exactly how to do this kind of match. That is something you often miss in people trying their hands at the hardcore style but Orndorff completely took to this and it was awesome to see. It’s one of those matches where you can feel every bit of impact, with the shovel to the face being an incredible finish. I loved this.

Missy Hyatt reports that Ric Flair will be making an appearance here tonight. Didn’t he already do that? Anyway, Johnny B. Badd is looking forward to Dustin Rhodes vs. Maxx Payne. You might be alone on that one man.

Heavenly Bodies vs. Rock N Roll Express

So this is one of those matches where the backstory is a lot more interesting than the match itself. This is a crossover angle with Jim Cornette’s Smokey Mountain Wrestling, as Cornette talked to WCW boss Bill Watts and said he could produce a match with one of the most popular tag teams of all time in the Express. They returned to WCW for the first time in years and we were shown a clip of them beating up the Heavenly Bodies. This brought back Cornette and the Bodies, who complained about the footage being show, thereby setting up this match.

Before said match, Bobby Eaton is ejected from the Bodies’ corner to make this two on two. Well three as Cornette is here too but you get the idea. Tom Pritchard (one of the Bodies, along with Stan Lane) takes Robert Gibson into the corner but gets dropped with a flying headscissors. Ricky Morton comes in with a hurricanrana (not called that for at least a few years) as commentary talks about Cornette’s history against the Express.

Lane keeps trying to get over for the tag, to the point where Pritchard comes in, only for Lane to be sent into him. The villains are sent into each other in the corner and Cornette needs a meeting on the floor. Back in and things go badly again, with Cornette almost coming out of his jacket. A double backdrop into an enziguri gives Gibson two and all four come in for a staredown.

Morton yells at Cornette and get sin a criss cross with Lane…who is left alone to run the ropes on his own. Cornette tries to come in and cut things off but Lane crashes into him for a huge bump. Cornette gets bumped AGAIN but the distraction lets Morton get knocked outside. The tennis racket shot puts Morton down as the villains FINALLY get something going. Back in and Lane hits a clothesline and Pritchard drops a big knee. A suplex and elbow drop get two on Morton (who Schiavone keeps referring to as “Richard”, I guess being the only fan of the York Foundation days), followed by the Doctor Bomb for the same.

Lane’s powerslam gets two but Morton manages something like a DDT, allowing the tag off to Gibson. Everything breaks down and the double dropkick hits Pritchard but the referee is with Morton and Lane. Cornette comes in for a distraction and Pritchard hits a bulldog for two on Gibson. Cue Bobby Eaton, whose top rope knee hits Pritchard, allowing Gibson to get the pin at 12:52.

Rating: B+. Given how well these guys knew each other, it should be no surprise that they had another rather good match. It’s the definition of an old southern style match, with Cornette adding that flavor that made him one of the best managers ever. It was exactly what it should have been and the fans went nuts throughout. Heck of a match here, so of course it was done immediately after as Bill Watts was gone and Cornette left rather than dealing with WCW management again.

Sting has finally made it to the white Castle Of Fear, where two ladies say “he’s here”. Again, more on this later.

US Title: Dustin Rhodes vs. Maxx Payne

Payne, from the State Of Euphoria, is challenging. Rhodes starts fast with a clothesline to send Payne outside and then does it again for a bonus. Back in and Rhodes works on the arm until some knees to the ribs get Payne out of trouble. Rhodes runs the ropes and dives into an armdrag into another armbar. Payne finally fights up and drives a shoulder into the corner, only to get armdragged into the armbar again.

Note the difference between this and the Scorpio match earlier, as Rhodes is just doing the same thing over and over. I’m sure the crowd being rather quiet is just a coincidence. Rhodes works on the arm again by driving a knee but Payne elbows him in the face for two. Back up and Payne ducks a crossbody, allowing him to work on the arm for a change.

A running clothesline drops Rhodes and Payne chokes a bit on the ropes. Payne knocks him down again before cutting off a crossbody with a slam. Rhodes avoids the elbow and hits a clothesline into a suplex for two of his own. That’s such a hot comeback that Rhodes grabs an abdominal stretch of all things. Payne grabs the referee and pulls him in for the DQ to retain Rhodes’ title at 11:25.

Rating: D. Nope. This was a huge misfire as they had no story coming in and Payne was offering nothing the whole time. It was just a bunch of armbars until Payne got to do his boring offense and then the terrible DQ. Terrible match here and I can’t imagine that they didn’t have a better option than Payne to put out there.

Post match the brawl continues with Rhodes fighting back and taking Payne back inside until the referee break it up.

Sting is surrounded by women at the White Castle but Vader comes in to scream. Just show the whole thing already if it’s this important for you.

Here is Ric Flair for his first appearance since 1991. Flair says this picture is worth a thousand words and now he’s going to be ringside for the match for the title that he never lost.

NWA World Title: Barry Windham vs. Great Muta

Muta is defending in this time where all of fourteen people still cared about the NWA. We get the official introductions, which are almost drowned out by the WE WANT FLAIR chants. Flair, on commentary, picks Windham to win as Windham slowly backs Muta into the corner to start. The test of strength goes to Windham but Muta is back with a headlock to grind away a bit.

Back up and Muta hits a kick to the chest and…grabs the headlock takeover again (with Schiavone clearly going from excited to quiet as he realizes we’re in one of THOSE matches). Windham fights up and tries a suplex but gets headlocked down again. Another comeback is cut off with a dropkick and we’re back to the freaking headlock. The belly to back suplex connects but Muta STILL holds the headlock as we’re told it’s ten minutes in after just over seven.

Muta clotheslines him down and hits the power drive elbow, followed by…..yep, another headlock. Windham gets flipped into the headlock again, with Schiavone acknowledging that they’ve done the same thing a few times now. Schiavone: “That side headlock is still on fans.” Windham gets up and avoids a dropkick and hits a chop to the back of the head before they go outside. A belly to back suplex drops Muta on the floor as Ventura talks about Flair’s security guard to break up the boredom.

Back in and Windham grabs A SLEEPER, seemingly longing for the boring days of…two and a half minutes ago. The hold stays on for a good while, with Windham putting his feet on the ropes. Muta gets up and gets suplexed back down for two, with commentary saying that he’s still groggy from the sleeper. A trip to the floor goes nowhere so Muta gets back in and they chop it out.

Windham knocks him down and drops an elbow for two, setting up a chinlock because I guess they need a breather after this hard work. That’s broken up as well so Muta backdrops his way out of a piledriver attempt. Windham puts him on top but gets chopped back down, with Muta hitting a backbreaker. The moonsault misses but Muta is back with a belly to back suplex. Another moonsault attempt hits raised knees and what was supposed to be a jumping DDT gives Windham the pin and the title at 24:10.

Rating: F. The only word I can think of here is failure, and there was no way around it. These two went out there and had an absolutely terrible match, with commentary clearly being bored with everything that was going on and having no answers for anything. This was desperately needing to go home early rather than leaving them out there to die like that but it just kept going. I’m going to assume that they were told to go out there and have a bad match to not outshine the main event or something, because there is no reason for these two to do anything like this otherwise.

Post match Flair puts the title on Windham, looks at it for a bit, and leaves. Windham would actually hold the title for nearly five months before Flair took it from him.

At the White Castle, Vader and Sting strap up. These clips combined for maybe a minute and a half throughout the night.

Missy Hyatt thinks that Big Van Vader is BIG. And scary!

Sting vs. Vader

Vader’s WCW World Title isn’t on the line here and Harley Race is in his corner. This is the touch all four corners variety of strap match, which should make for some good violence. Sting gets a crazy reaction, as he was just insanely popular at this point. They strap up (making me wonder what happened after they did so in the vignettes) again and we’re ready to go, with Sting not being sure what to do here. Vader uses the strap and power to pull Sting into a flip without much trouble.

Some heavy shots drop Sting and Vader hits the middle rope splash (Ventura: “There you have pain Schiavone.”). Back up and Sting strikes away, including a jumping enziguri to put Vader down. The middle rope clothesline drops Vader again and a top rope splash actually has him in trouble. Sting starts whipping him with the strap before knocking Vader outside and MY GOODNESS Vader’s back looks horrible.

Sting manages a slam on the floor and gets one post but goes after Race, allowing Vader to get in a few shots. Back in and Vader can’t hit a powerbomb but misses a top rope splash, allowing Vader to hit the Vader Bomb. Ventura says this is like Schiavone whipping his children and Schiavone cuts that off IMMEDIATELY, clearly not playing around with something like that.

Vader grabs a super Samoan drop and hits two buckles but Sting cuts him off to end the streak. Sting manages to crotch him on top and pulls him down for the crash to leave them both banged up. They slug it out again and Vader takes him up top for a top rope superplex. That’s enough for a buckle but Sting gets smart by tying his legs around the rope to cut off the momentum.

Vader gets up and goes with the basic strategy of HIT HIM IN THE FACE. Sting is busted open and the standing splashes put him down again. Vader tries to use the strap but Sting uses the momentum to hit a rolling Liger kick in a smart counter. One heck of a German suplex into a DDT and Sting just unloads with right hands in the corner.

Sting’s fireman’s carry lets Sting hit a buckle but the referee gets bumped, meaning he can’t see Sting hit the other two. Then Sting trips over the referee to put them both down again anyway. Vader’s ear is busted open and looks horrible but he’s fine enough to hit a springboard sitdown splash. That’s good for three buckles but Sting grabs the ropes. He kicks Vader away….sending him into the fourth buckle for the win at 20:55.

Rating: A-. There’s a reason these two have such a history together and it was such a treat to see these guys beat the living daylights out of each other like this. Vader is an all time monster but there is something even better about the feeling of a comeback when someone beats him up. We got to see that in spades here, as these guys had one heck of a fight. Heck of a main event here and it even made it worth sitting through the stupid vignettes.

Post match Sting whips him with the strap to blow off some steam and send Vader off for much needed medical attention (he looks AWFUL).

Johnny B. Badd and Missy Hyatt are off for a party so Barry Windham comes in to say he’s coming for all titles.

Jesse and Tony wrap it up.

 

Results
Hollywood Blonds b. Marcus Bagwell/Erik Watts – Top rope elbow to Bagwell
2 Cold Scorpio b. Chris Benoit – Rollup
British Bulldog b. Bill Irwin – Running powerslam
Cactus Jack b. Paul Orndorff – Shovel to the face
Rock N Roll Express b. Heavenly Bodies – Top rope knee to Pritchard
Dustin Rhodes b. Maxx Payne via DQ when Payne grabbed the referee
Barry Windham b. Great Muta – Jumping DDT
Vader b. Sting – Vader touched all four corners

 

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8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

If you cut out the absolute nightmare that is Windham vs. Muta, you have an all time show. As it is, you just have an outstanding one, with a string of great matches, capped off by the Falls Count Anywhere match and the main event. I was completely blown away by this one and it is definitely worth a look, assuming you fast forward that terrible NWA World Title match. The rest (save for the Rhodes vs. Payne match) is at worst watchable and at best great, making it one of the best shows WCW ever had.