Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Clash of The Champions XXIV

-Written 10.21.25

-Last WCW show before getting back to the WWF side of 1993. We are fresh off Beach Blast and Ric Flair is the new NWA World Champion. He isn’t defending tonight, but Vader is as Bulldog gets his rematch from Slamboree. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Jesse “The Body” Ventura
-Aug. 18, 1993
-Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida
-Attendance: 8903

-Tony and Jesse welcome us to the show and Brian Pillman is injured and can’t compete tonight. We get pre-recorded comments from The Hollywood Blondes. They apologize to Arn and Roma as there won’t be a match tonight. They hope they have the chance to met them down the line once Pillman is healthy.

-Cut to Tony who tells us The Blondes have to defend the Tag Titles and Lord Steven Regal will be taking Pillman’s place. This is the wrestling gods messing with WCW after they tried to swerve the smart fans at Beach Blast. If you remember, WCW taped a lot of episodes in Disney with Roma and Arn as Tag Champions and everyone assumed they were winning at Beach Blast. WCW went the other way and now they are stuck and we get Regal as a Hollywood Blonde for one night.

WCW World Tag Team Titles: The Blackpool Hollywood Blondes (c) vs. The Horsemen (Arn Anderson and Paul Roma)

-Pillman is on crutches but is here to offer support. Arn and Austin start us and Arn gets a shoulder tackle, but Austin drops him with a clothesline. Austin drops a forearm to the throat and gets a two count. Arn gets a double leg and punches away with right hands. Sling shot sends Austin over the top, but he hangs on and pulls himself back up. He charges and Arn backdrops him to the floor, but no DQ as the ref was with Regal. Austin pulls Arn to the floor, but gets caught with a knee and then a left hand. Austin retreats to the ring and scurries to get a tag to Regal. Roma in as well as he comes off the top with a forearm. As I said last month, people cheering Roma is weird. Jesse rants about closed fist punches early on this show. Roma with a slam followed by a dropkick. I hate Roma matches as my fingers are so trained to add the N at this point. Austin trips Roma from the floor and then gets the tag back into the match. He lands an elbow and then a suplex. Pillman chokes Roma on the middle ropes as the ref forces Arn back to his corner. Cheating on both sides is fine! Regal back in and he sits down on Roma to block a sunset flip attempt. Senton from Regal gets two. Gut-wrench suplex gets two! Roma runs Austin into the top buckle and fires off more right hands. Austin reverses a whip and buries a knee to the gut. He comes off the middle ropes with a forearm for two. Roma gets a flash small package, but the ref is out on the floor keeping Arn from chasing Sir William. Roma gets a Stun-Gun on Austin but Regal runs in to get the ref, who misses the tag to Anderson. Regal then comes in from behind and the ref just trusts he made the tag. Classic tag wrestling! Roma hits an enziguiri and we get tags on both ends. Arn runs wild on both men, but gets blasted by Regal as he tried to hit a DDT on Austin. Sir William nearly hits Austin with a crutch by mistake, but he puts on the brakes. That lets Arn deck him from behind and get a roll-up with the tights for the pin at 9:50 to a big pop.

Winners and New WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Horsemen via pin at 9:50
-I enjoyed this more than the 26 match the previous month. With less time and a hotter crowd it just flowed better. The Titles end up where everyone expected though they sure screwed things up on the way there. ***1/4

-Eric Bischoff interviews the new Tag Champions and Roma notes being a Champion proves you are a Horseman and he is proud to be a Horseman. The sounded like a shot at everyone bitching about him being a Horseman.

Bobby Eaton vs. 2 Cold Scorpio

-Lockup and Bobby offers a clean release in the corner. Another go and Eaton lands a knee to the gut. He catches Scorpio with a punch to block a backdrop. Scorpio slings in from the apron and gets a roll-up for two. He is up but walks into a clothesline. Eaton misses a charge and Scorpio flips up to the top rope and comes of with a crossbody for two. Side headlock, but Eaton rolls back for a few two counts. Scorpio releases and goes after the arm. He misses a flying body press and Eaton drops an elbow to the head. Eaton stays with the mat game, but Scorpio lands a knee and then sets Eaton up top. He goes up with him and hits a dropkick that sends Eaton to the floor. Sling shot Plancha from Scorpio out there. Back in the ring he whips Eaton from corner to corner, but Eaton gets a neckbreaker coming out of the corner. He heads up top and drops a flying elbow for two. They start trading blows and Scorpio lands a spin kick. 450 Splash gets the pin at 5:26.

Winner: 2 Cold Scorpio via pin at 5:26
-This was fine though I was hoping for a little more. Crowd was pretty quiet after being so into that first match. **1/4

Mask vs. Norma Jean: Maxx Payne vs. Johnny B. Badd

-Payne shot Badd with The Badd Blaster in the face a few months ago. Badd has been wearing a mask and Payne wants it, so he had to put Norma Jean (his guitar) up in this match. Payne trips Badd up before the bell and snaps the knee off the apron. Jesse is pissed that Badd’s feathered boas are being ruined. Nice character touch there! Badd with a series of clotheslines but misses a crossbody. Sidewalk Slam from Payne. He tears the mask off, but Badd has another one underneath. He lands an uppercut and the hits a flying head scissors. Payne counters with a clothesline. Hammerlock Slam and Payne goes for the Pain Killer, but Badd gets a small package for two. Payne knocks Badd down and drops an elbow. Another one! He heads up to the middle ropes but misses a splash. Badd rolls over and gets the pin in an anti-climactic finish at 2:40. Dude lost because he landed on his stomach?

Winner: Johnny B. Badd via pin at 2:40
-It was okay until the silly ending and grudge matches where someone was shot in the face in the build-up should get more than 3 minutes. 1/2*

-Badd celebrates and tells Jesse he will unmask this weekend on WCW Saturday Night.

-Flair for The Gold: Oh, it’s this one! Our guests will be Sting, Bulldog and their mystery partner. Flair notes they are in Daytona Beach and has Fifi show off. Flair brings out Bulldog and Sting and they are talking Fall Brawl 93 and War Games. Bulldog is just screaming about cooking in a funny moment. Not the funny moment, but still. Sid and Harlem Heat are out and they want to know who the Third Man is. Bulldog and Sting introduce us to The Shockmaster and oh man! Pyro goes off and poor Fred falls breaking through the wall and his glittered Storm Trooper helmet falls off. He recovers and we get a dubbed over promo and seriously how did they think this was a good idea? Bulldog, Flair, and Sting aren’t even on set anymore as Sid and Harlem Heat complain and yell at the crowd. It’s amazing WCW even dared run a Third Man angle in this building again and even crazier is they knocked that one out of the park.

WCW World Television Title: “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff (c) vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

-Jesse is laughing his ass off after that entrance by The Shockmaster. You can tell Tony wants to as well, but he has to be a pro and keep it together. Dragon is breathing fire and WCW probably wishes the tape of what we just saw could be burned forever. Well, not today, but back in 1993. Tony: “nothing like live TV.” Orndorff immediately yells at the crowd for the “Paula” chants. Steamboat controls with a side headlock and kicks off the corner to take it to the mat. For some reason the building looks darker with the lighting. Wonderful escapes a side headlock and they battle for control. Steamboat gets broken down, but shows off his strength by fighting back to his feet and goes back to the side headlock. Steamboat misses a dive and goes flying over the top to the ramp. We have had a missed dive like that in every match so far. Paul throws Steamboat back into the ring and comes off the top with an elbow to the head. He gets a two count and another and another. Wonderful goes a reverse chinlock as Jesse notes this lets Wonderful rest a bit. I hate rest holds! Steamer is out, but Wonderful gets a slam for two and another two and another two and another two. Back to the chinlock. Hip-toss leads to another set of two counts. I dig that Wonderful keeps going for the win. Steamboat sets for a backdrop, but Wonderful slams him face first into the mat. That leads to a trio of three counts. Wonderful must have watched Savage/Steamboat from Mania III and figured he would get all those two counts by himself. Dragon drops down to a knee on the apron and Wonderful’s momentum takes him into the buckle. Chop from The Dragon gets two. Belly-to-back suplex gets two as Dragon had to clear the cobwebs before making the cover. Dragon fires off chops and a double chops sends Wonderful over the top and to the floor. Jesse wants a DQ and again, I was so happy when they ditched that stupid rule. Dragon with a dive over the top into Wonderful. Cool! Wonderful lands a shoulder between the ropes and slings in between the ropes with a splash. He gets a series of two counts and thinks he has won, so he grabs The TV Title. Dragon with a roll-up for two and then he backdrops out of a piledriver. Orndorff bridges out of a cover, but Dragon gets a backslide for two. Dragon hits a crossbody off the top, but Wonderful rolls through and gets a two count. Slam is countered like Mania III and Dragon gets a small package for the win at 8:31.

Winner and New WCW World Television Champion: Ricky Steamboat via pin at 8:31
-Two pros just working hard and getting the match over by the end. They were rolling in the final minutes and it was a darn fine match. ***1/2

-Wonderful drills Steamboat with a piledriver on the belt on the ramp after the match. Hogan didn’t answer the phone for the man and he’s been a little out there ever since.

The Colossal Kongs (w/ Harley Race) vs. Sting and Ric Flair

-The camera focuses on a young David Flair in the crowd, though he is not mentioned by commentary. This match gets The Michael Buffer treatment? That’s expensive for a match involving The Kongs. They are known as Awesome Kong and King Kong. The King version changed his name to Krusher later because well, he was going around as KING KONG. You know if this was years later, you know someone would break out a “King King ain’t got shit on me.” Sting slams both Kongs to start the match to pop the crowd. Race yells, “that’s impossible.” Well, we have seen them get slammed 30 seconds into their debut, so they are toast now. The lighting has been fixed so perhaps they just lost some lights during the last match. All four men brawl. Flair throws chops to one Kong on the floor and runs him into the post. Sting with a pair of dropkicks and a clothesline. Stinger Splash as Flair beats up Harley Race for old time’s sake. Sting off the top with a splash for the pin at 2:10. Flair lands a punch from the top on the other Kong just because.

Winners: Sting and Ric Flair via pin at 2:10
-Sting basically beat both men by himself. Race probably demanded that Flair beat him up. That was a squash and a fun one. SQUASH

-Tony is with Sting and Flair as they face each other for The NWA World Title this Saturday. Flair notes what I said, Sting didn’t need help and he was here to keep Harley Race in check. Sting has respect for Flair and they shake hands. Poor guy just doesn’t learn, but that’s why we love Sting.

”Ravishing” Rick Rude and The Equalizer vs. Dustin Rhodes and Hawk



-Another mystery partner here in Daytona Beach. Dustin’s mystery partner drives a Z-28 Camaro out and I guess a fan is going to win the car. Road Warrior Animal steps out and Rude says they were ready for him, but it’s a fake out as the partner is really Road Warrior Hawk. I don’t remember the Road Warriors coming back in 93 at all. Hawk shoves Rude across the ring and into the corner. Test of Strength as Tony notes The Road Warriors were 6 Man Tag Champions with Dusty back in the day. I also remember them stabbing Dusty in the eye with one of their shoulder spikes. Hawk breaks Rude down to the his knees and then stomps his fingers. Equalizer in and Hawk hits a dropkick. Equalizer sets to early on a backdrop and completely screws up a neckbreaker. No wonder he was repackaged as Sullivan’s slow brother as he looks rough here. Rude back in which is a good thing. He hooks a reverse chinlock, but Hawks stands to his feet and we get a Doomsday Device. Rhodes in with an inverted atomic drop and a back drop. He tries a monkey flip out of the corner, but Rude grabs the ropes to block and then runs over Rhodes with a clothesline. Rude swivels the hips and brings Equalizer back in and he stomps away in the corner. Back elbow gets a two count. Choke slam and that looked better from Equalizer. Tony informs us that The US Title is still help up. Man, they are taking their sweet time figuring that out. Equalizer accidentally clotheslines Rude and hot tag to Hawk. The ref won’t allow it, but Hawk doesn’t care and press slams Rude onto the Equalizer. He hit a double clothesline and plants both men face first on the mat. Clothesline each man sends them to the floor. Equalizer back in and he sends Hawk to the floor. Hawk off the top rope onto Equalizer and Rhodes, which knocks Rhodes back on top for the pin at 7:40. 



Winners: Dustin Rhodes and Hawk via pin at 7:42
-The Road Warriors got their normal pop, but that was kind of the high point for the match. Equalizer looked rough out there and Hawk was Hawk meaning he dominated and didn’t show much weakness. The Rude/Equalizer team just seemed bizarre. *



-Tony throws to a commercial that explains how to win the Z28 Camaro we just watched Animal drive to the ring. 



WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Big Van Vader (c) (w/ Harley Race) vs. The British Bulldog



-Vader can lose the World Title if he gets disqualified. This a rematch from Slamboree where they had a really strong HOSS FIGHT with a bad ending. They start the fight on the ramp as Bulldog goes ground and pound. Vader takes off his head gear and hits a clothesline. Bulldog blocks a suplex and gets a delayed vertical one on the ramp. Awesome! Clothesline from Bulldog as he tells the crowd that Vader is nothing. Dropkick and a clothesline follows and that sends Vader back into the ring. Bulldog sling shots in for a splash, but Vader gets the knees up to block. Heavy right hand to the corner for some boxing from Vader. He sends Bulldog to the floor and follows where he tries a splash, but hits railing. Bulldog picks Vader up and drops him little mastodons first on the railing. Back in the ring Bulldog gets a United Kingdom Samoan Drop for two as Vader gets a foot on the ropes. Vader hits his vertical splash and drops an elbow on the damaged knee. More boxing from Vader followed by another heavy clothesline. Vader hits a Rocky Mountain Samoan Drop and heads up top. He lands a top rope splash for two. Vader sets too early for a backdrop and Bulldog tries a sunset flip. Vader drops south, but Bulldog moves and gets a two count. He gets caught in the corner though and Vader drops him before hitting a splash to the back. Vader tries another RM Samoan Drop, but Bulldog counters into a crucifix pin for two. To the corner for some more boxing and he wants to the ref to ask Bulldog if he wants to continue. Of course he does as he fights out of the corner, but one shot from Vader drops him. Vader plays to the crowd as he heads up top again. Bulldog up and hits a dropkick which has Vader drops balls first. Bulldog goes crazy with fists and stomps in the corner. Charge is blocked as Vader gets a boot up. Vader Bomb connects, but Bulldog is out at two. Vader off the middle ropes, but Bulldog catches him with a powerslam on the way down and it took out the ref as well. Nobody to count the pin. Bulldog puts Vader on his back which lets Race run in and clip the knee. Vader falls on top for the pin at 11:15. 



Winner and Still WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Vader via pin at 11:15

-Another good HOSS FIGHT between the two, but I liked the first one better. This one at least had a winner though. ***1/4

-Cactus Jack makes his return as he sprints down the ramp and decks Vader. He has returned from Cleveland! Tony tells us we are out of time. 

-Thanks for reading!

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

Easy show with 3 good matches and an all time memorable debut (for the wrong reasons) during Flair for The Gold. There was certainly bad, but the show had an energy to it and anything bad was relatively short. After two matches eating up nearly an hour at Bash at The Beach, a nice and breezy show full of faster paced and shorter matches hit well.