Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Clash of the Champions XXVI

-Written: 11.26.25
-Source: Peacock
-Run Time: 1:46:20

-Welcome to 1994! It’s a race to see how much I can get done before the library leaves Peacock. As I write this, I am a few days away from heading to Cleveland for Brown/49ers. It’s also Thanksgiving and I know Royal Rumble should be first, but I wanted an easier show due to a busy schedule. So we start with the first Clash offering of the year. We left WCW with Ric Flair dethroning Vader and we were also promised a commissioner. Let’s get to it!

-Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan
-Riverside Centroplex, Baton Rouge, LA
-Jan. 27, 1994
Attendance: 3200

-Mean Gene Okerlund welcomes us to the show and runs down some of the matches on tonight’s show. Before he can throw to the announce team he receives some news in his ear and tells us this is the worst news he has heard since his mother-in-law announced she was moving in a year and a half ago. Yep, it’s the WCW debut of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan as he is fresh off of being thrown out of the arena on RAW by Gorilla Monsoon. Heenan tells Gene he works here and was hired by Ted and Jane Turner. They make Tonya Harding jokes and Heenan says he has work to do.

Pretty Wonderful (Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff and Pretty Paul Roma) (w/ The Assassin) vs. 2 Cold Scorpio and Marcus Alexander Bagwell (w/ Teddy Long)

-Heenan wants everyone to know he is alive and well and TBS will soon be The Brain Station. These teams have had a run of matches against each other with The Assassin using his loaded mask to help decide things. The winning teams gets a Title shot against The Nasty Boys on Saturday. Scorpio and Wonderful start out and Wonderful gets a hammerlock. Scorpio rolls out and gets arm control. Wonderful throws punches to break and beats Scorpio down in the corner. Scorpio reverses a whip, but charges into a knee. Suplex is countered by Scorpio and he does a back flip. He throws forearms, but Wonderful takes him to the mat and makes a tag to Roma as we take a break at 2:56.

-60 seconds Peacock commercials!

-Back at 3:58 with Roma catching Bagwell with a stun-gun. We action from the break as Scorpio and Bagwell hit a double shoulder tackle. TECHNOLOGY! Bagwell gets a roll-up, but Roma runs him down. He talks trash to Scorpio which causes a delay so he misses an elbow. Scorpio in off a tag and he goes to work on Roma’s arm. Scorpio puts Roma up top for a superplex, but Wonderful trips Scorpio who falls to the mat. Roma comes off the top with a double axe and then a second time. Wonderful back in as Tony mentions Wonderful uses to be managed by Heenan. Roma stomps away on the chest and stands on Scorpio’s throat. He drops an elbow and brings Wonderful back into the match. He hooks a front facelock to keep Scorpio away from Bagwell. Heenan predicts Pretty Wonderful will be Tag Champions. That’s why he’s The Brain. Double backdrop from Pretty Wonderful. Roma off the middle ropes with an elbow and it only gets two as he went with the arrogant cover. Orndorff off the top, but Scorpio gets a boot up to block. Hot Tag to Bagwell! He runs wild on both men with elbows and slams. Orndorff gets dumped to the floor and a cross-body on Roma gets two. Bagwell off the top with a missle dropkick and that gets two as Wonderful makes the save. The crowd freaks out as Bagwell goes back to the pin, but the ref is with Wonderful. Everyone in the ring! Scorpio misses a dive as Wonderful drops low. That sends him to the floor. Back in the The Assassin slides an object under Wonderful’s knee pad, but Bagwell sends Roma into it and that gets the pin at 11:07. That looked silly!

Winners: Marcus Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio via pin at 11:07
-The crowd was into it which helped. It was kind of a basic tag match and sadly we didn’t get much as far as cool offense from Scorpio. It got the crowd going so mission accomplished there at least. This was like an extended Tag Match from Main Event. **1/4

Ron Simmons vs. Ice Train

-Simmons is fresh off a heel turn as he turned on Ice Train. They start slugging it out to start as this is student vs. teacher. Train lands a quick powerslam, but no cover. He shoulders Simmons through the ropes and follows. Train gets a slam, but tries a charge and ends up posting himself. Simmons runs him into the post again and brings him back in the ring with a suplex. Ron with a falling head-butt as he lays the bad mouth on Train. Slam and another head-butt. He follows with a clothesline and stands over Train with a sneer on his face. He runs Train shoulder first into the post, but runs into a sunset flip for a one count. Another slam from Simmons as apparently he is angry this match is on TV. Ron heads up but misses. Train with another powerslam and he doesn’t cover for a second time. Train charges again, but Simmons moves, gets a roll-up and grabs the tights to get the pin at 3:37.

Winner: Ron Simmons via pin at 3:37
-It was short and they threw some hard shots, but not much else. Train looked kind of dumb as he never went for a pin after the powerslams. 1/2*

-Gene is with Colonel Parker and Steve Austin. Parker faces Pillman tonight, so Austin is dressed as Parker and will be out there as a manager. This was all pretty funny as Austin is all being Parker and Parker cuts a promo comparing Pillman to his dog. Loser has to wear a chicken suit!

-They leave and Gene brings up the names mentioned to be WCW Commissioner. Nick Bockwinkel is named as Commissioner and Gene name drops Hulk Hogan and that was obviously a big clue on what was coming.

-Peacock commercials!

WCW World Television Championship: Lord Steven Regal (c) (w/ Sir William) vs. Dustin Rhodes

-Gordon Solie takes Tony’s spot for this match and that gives us the rare pairing of Gordon and Heenan. Both men are already in the ring as we get the bell. Regal stalls which shouldn’t shock anyone. This one is probably getting some time as they aren’t wasting Gordon on a quick match. Lockup and Regal gets Dustin in the corner and delivers a slap. That angers Rhodes and he explodes with right hands. Regal bails to the floor to regroup. Back in we get another lockup and Dustin gets arm control. He throws Regal across the ring to continue the arm work. Bobby and Gordon debate whether it’s 26 or 27 vertebrae in the back. SIX SEVEN! My son will be happy! Regal gets a half nelson and transitions to a full nelson. Dustin escapes and gets a side headlock. Regal shoves over, but Dustin runs him over with a shoulder. Regal bails to the floor and checks William’s pocket watch. As we have seen for months, Regal is content using the TV Title’s 15 minute limit to his advantage. Back in Dustin gets a slam and a cover for two. Side headlock and he takes it to the mat for a one count. Regal fights to his feet, but Dustin gets a drop toe-hold and floats over into the side headlock again. Dustin continues to get one counts off the headlock. Regal up again as the crowd is getting annoyed. Regal lands a strikes to the face and Dustin starts throwing wild punches that miss. Gordon breaks out the “sign on the marquee says wrestling,” that we have all heard. Regal works an overhand wrist-lock on the mat as Gordon goes over how the hold works. Heenan just assume you poke someone in the eyes. Dustin gets a brief flurry, but Regal takes him back down with a cross-face. Heenan: “There’s an Englishman riding a Cowboy.” Regal grinds his elbow in the side of the head as we hit ten minutes. Dustin fights to his feet again and they battle over a top wrist lock. Regal with a head-butt and into a strait jacket submission as we have four minutes remaining. Dustin powers out and hits a lariat. He goes for the pin, but Regal gets his foot on the bottom rope. Dustin is getting desperate as Regal check on the time again. He is deep freezer mode now and Dustin just stands in the ring and then keeps breaking the count, which Regal will take all day. Regal finally back in the ring and Dustin fires away with right hands. Another lariat gets two as we have 120 seconds to go. Regal keeps trying to run away, but Dustin chases this time. Dustin avoids a suplex and hits a dropkick for two. Regal gets a roll-up, but Dustin is in the ropes. Regal bails to the floor as he is just trying to ride out the last 60 seconds. Backdrop sends Regal from the ramp back into the ring. Dustin dives over the top with a splash for two. Regal to the floor again, and Dustin greets him with a right hand. He decks Sir William as well. Dustin off the top with an elbow to the back of the head. He hits the bulldog but the time runs out at 14:55. Weird to be 5 seconds short.

Time Limit Draw at 14:55
-This was rather boring with a decent final few minutes where Dustin was trying to catch Regal. The work was fine, but just boring and a match to kill time. **

The Nasty Boys (w/ Missy Hyatt) vs. Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne

-This is non-title and billed as a Challenge Match. Jack and Payne don’t appear, so we go to a break.

-Peacock commercials!

-We are back and The Nasty Boys are still waiting. Jack and Payne come in through the crowd and attack from behind. All four men start brawling and we see Jack slam Sags on the floor. Knobbs gets tossed to the floor as they switch off opponents. Payne with a double ax to the floor on Sags. Jack with a leaping elbow in the ring. Sags gets sent into the post by Payne. We actually settle into a standard tag match. Knobbs goes to the eyes on Payne and gets a tag to Sags. He throws right hands in the corner and runs Payne into the top buckle. Sags off the top with a cross-body, but Payne rolls through and gets a two count. Knobbs back in and Payne no sells a shot into the buckle. He kind of charges and runs/walks into a boot. Everyone in the ring again, but the ref forces Jack back to his corner. Knobbs drops a leg on Payne and another for two. We get it Knobbs, Hogan is your friend! Sags uses a chair in sickening fashion on the floor. That was another one of those plastic chairs that don’t fold and he swung it like baseball bat at Payne’s head. Double clothesline and now Sags starts hitting leg drops. Knobbs sets too early on a backdrop and eats a boot to the face. Payne knocks both down with a clothesline and starts crawling towards Jack and makes the kind of lukewarm tag. Bobby lets Gordon know that Tony is jealous and doesn’t like him. Jack runs wild and everyone is back in the ring. Cactus clothesline takes Knobbs and Sags to the floor. Double Arm DDT back in the ring, but Sags drops an elbow. The ref forces him out, so Payne drops an elbow and Jack gets the pin at 6:53.

Winners: Cactus Jack and Maxx Payne via pin at 6:53
-This was just the warm-up as they realized soon it was best to just let them loose and tear into each other with no rules. It was okay and the ending was kind of fun as Jack/Payne just topped what The Nasty Boys had been doing. **1/4

-Payne and Jack each kiss Missy after the match!

-Peacock commercials!

-Gene plugs The Hotline and throws back to Saturday Night where Pillman and Austin had another match. Parker gets involved, but Pillman gets a roll-up and earns a match against The Colonel.

Brian Pillman vs. Colonel Robert Parker (w/ “Colonel” Steve Austin)

-Loser of the match has to wear a chicken suit this week on Saturday Night. Pillman is passing KFC out to the fans as he makes his entrance. Years later, we get a Colonel Sanders Royal Rumble with WWE guys dressed as Sanders. Pillman gives chase and ends up fighting Austin on the floor. Parker lands a kick from the apron and starts throwing heavy forearms in the corner. Pillman back with a shot to the ribs and an atomic drop. Parker flops to the floor and makes sure to land in an hilarious fashion with one leg on the apron. Sell the comedy sir! Parker wants to leave and Austin gives him a pep talk. Austin charges at Pillman and gets backdropped on the ramp. The Boss is here to make sure Parker can’t leave. Pillman punches Parker down the ramp and throws him back into the ring. Parker tries to run away on the other side, but The Boss pulls him back over the railing. Austin back in the ring and he drops Pillman with a Stun-Gun. Parker off the middle ropes, but Pillman catches him in the gut. Heavy chop followed by a clothesline. Dropkick next and Parker gets bounced on the top and then middle buckle. The crowd is way into this one. Austin gets decked off the apron, but is back up to shove Pillman off the top rope. Parker gets a two count as the crowd started to freak out there. The Boss chases Austin to the back and Parker is all alone. Pillman gets a roll-up for the pin at 5:38.

Winner: Brian Pillman via pin at 5:39
-Total comedy match, but well worked and the crowd was into it. Austin was all over the place and put in just as much work. Not a good match really, but entertaining. **1/2

-Peacock commercials!

-SuperBrawl IV: DOUBLE THUNDERCAGE!

Elimination Match: “Ravishing” Rick Rude and Big Van Vader (w/ Harley Race) vs. Sting and Ric Flair

-Bockwinkel joins Tony and Heenan on commentary. Rude and Sting are starting us out and they get the crowd going before locking up. Rude shoves Sting into the corner and then swivels the hips. Another go and Sting backs Rude into the corner and offers his own hip swivel. Flair struts on the apron and gives us a woo. Two minutes and nothing happening, but the crowd loves it. There is a lesson there. Sting and Rude battle over a top wrist-lock and Sting gains control. Rude lands a clubbing blow to the back of the head, but can’t get his arm away from Sting. He takes Rude to the mat and drops a knee to the extended arm. Rude to his feet and he backs Sting into the corner. Nick wishes Tony good luck from Bobby. That’s funny! Bobby is so excited he says she wouldn’t be shocked if Tyson showed up. Yeah, like Mike Tyson showing up on a wrestling show would ever mean anything. Vader in and he does what he does best and that’s beat the piss out of Sting. He comes off the middle ropes and actually tries a sunset flip, but Sting drops on him. Rude in and Sting fights off both men as Heenan wonders why Flair hasn’t come into the match yet. Vader boxes Sting in the head but misses wildly on a hay maker and Sting gets a belly to belly suplex. Now Flair is in and he starts firing off right hands and chops. I like the story that Flair has all the confidence against Vader after getting the win over him. Chops and tag back to Sting as we take a break at 6:55. Heenan kills it as he yells about taking a break and notes someone has a jackhammer as a way to over sell what’s happening.

-60 seconds Peacock commercials!

-Back at 8:04 and Rude has a bear-hug on Sting. Sting claps the ears to break and then throws Rude face first onto the mat. Tag to Flair and he hits an inverted atomic drop, which we know is Rude’s kryptonite. Rude gets free and tags Vader. He goes after Flair’s break and that has Flair screaming for God. Vader Bomb connects! Vader sets Flair on the top rope and uses him as a heavy bag. Superplex and more screaming from Flair. To the opposite corner for jabs to the face and a top rope superplex. You thought Flair was screaming before? Vader rubs his foot over Flair’s face and heads up top again. Tony and Bobby are calling Flair’s career over. Sting pulls Flair away to save his life. I am sure that will never backfire on him. Everyone ends up on the floor and Vader grab a chair. Bockwinkel steps in front of Vader and for some reason he disqualifies Flair and Vader at 13:47. Well, that’s dumb. I assume they just didn’t want either man doing a job before SuperBrawl. I guess technically, Vader was disqualified and Flair couldn’t continue. Rude with a slam and he comes off the top with a forearm to the head. Heenan tells Nick he can’t protect people and says he has gotten information that Flair has been taken to a private dressing room. Reverse chinlock from Rude as this one has slowed down a bit since losing Flair and Vader. Now Tony tells us that Flair and Vader were both counted out which goes against what Nick told us a few minutes ago. Sting is able to escape and gets an Electric Chair Drop. Tony saying Sting is a three time Champion just sounds weird. I’m old! Double clothesline and both men are down. Rude Awakening, but Sting holds the top rope. He then hits his own Rude Awakening but Rude gets his foot on the bottom rope. Rude back with an atomic drop, but misses a knee in the corner. Rude catches him charging in with a knee. Tombstone, but Sting reverses to his own and comes off the top with a splash for the pin at 19:58.

Winner: Sting via pin at 19:58
-Just a solid tag match with big time star power. The main point was to hype Flair/Vader and it did that. **3/4

-Weird deal as Tony and Bobby close the show and hype Saturday Night, but Peacock has 15 minutes left in the run-time. After a break it comes back to the second half of the tag match. That was strange. Thanks for reading!

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Just a solidly average free (pay for cable) TV special. The Clash shows were losing appeal as WCW kept adding PPVs, but it still had a few more years left before The Monday Night War killed them off for good. Nothing must see here, but it was a solid 90 minutes of wrestling.