[1994-04-17-WCW-Spring Stampede] Vader vs The Boss

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

We get a Vader/Rude pull-apart before the match. Rude going babyface would have been interesting, if that was the plan.

 

This was a really terrific super heavyweight match. Both guys worked really hard. Brutal, with both guys throwing some pretty hard shots and Vader getting busted open around his eye and bleeding from the mouth. They cut a pretty fast pace for this too. Would have fit right in on an All Japan card. Tons of highspots and suplexes. Easily the best thing Ray Traylor ever did in WCW.

[Kevin Ridge]

I'm generally not a super heavyweight match fan but this was impressive. Vader is Vader but this is one of the better Boss Man matches I've seen. It's impressive to see guys this size throw each other around. Vader back body drops Boss over the ropes and he is so fortunate that he didn't land on his head. They exchange stiff punches with Vader getting bloodied. Boss hits some impressive looking suplexes on Vader. Dig that powerslam by Vader on Boss. Moonsault! Match wasn't always pretty but damn it fun.

 

So this is the end of Boss Man gimmick as he loses his night stick and cuffs.

[Exposer]

Vader was fantastic in this match taking an insane guard rail bump, colliding with Harley on the ramp, attempting a leaping splash from the ramp into the ring, throwing nasty puches, and winning the match with a top rope moonsault. Bossman was good too as he literally beat the shit out of Vader making him bleed from the eye and mouth and doing some impressive offensive strength moves. This was one hell of a performance from Vader and quite an impressive big man fight.

[soup23]

Definitely was not the prettiest match in the world but that could be expected with the size of the guys and what all they tried to pull off. Vader really had a great reaction and presence in this match. Good superheavyweight match but not as good as I remembered due to execution.

[Superstar Sleeze]

I love this match so much. Just a couple big uglies chuckin each other around and bruisin each other. Vader bleeds from the eye; Race takes a bump; The Boss looks killer. The match does not overstay its welcome. This is one of those matches, I could watch over and over again. Spring Stampede '94 just comes off as such a great PPV with a great variety of wrestling.

[El-P]

Vader is awesome here, one of his best performance in WCW. I love super heavyweights beating the hell out of each others, and this sure delivered in spades. I have an issue with The Boss selling though, he looked way too fresh at times, including in the post-match, while Vader sold like a champ. But damn if that isn't one hell of a match. Boss is stripped from his gimmick because he assaulted Harley Race (which I thought was a complete heel move, beating a man down with his nightstick) and well, because the WWF is threatening to sue.

[goodhelmet]

I completely whiffed on this first time I saw this. Awesome match. I love how they start with Race getting lowed down in the first three seconds and it doesn't really let up after that. Sickest spot was Vader getting tossed off the top rope and about three inches away from paralysis. Glad it made the yearbook!

[PeteF3]

Good stuff in the locker room. I really wanted, and still want, to see Rude vs. Vader. Regardless of how badly deteriorated Rude was.

 

What a fucking show this is. Two more guys beating the living shit out of each other. Vader juices from the eye, bumps over the guardrail, and gets heaved off the middle turnbuckle square onto his shoulder. And he still has enough to catch Boss in mid-air with a powerslam and execute the moonsault. This *did* seem AJPW-like, particularly that "kick out of one move, but not another" ending. I have to say, I think Boss was pretty justified afterward. It was Race who brought the cuffs and nightstick into the ring intending to use them. His beatdown of Race is a tad over-the-top, though. But I guess that was the point. Even with Vader's clean win, this crowd (and I) want more from this feud.

 

Bockwinkel makes sure to explain the difference between what the Boss did and what went on in the Bunkhouse and Street Fight matches. Good work from the Commish here, as ad hoc as this is.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Vader vs The Boss - WCW Spring Stampede 1994

 

My favorite style of pro wrestling is power wrestling and this is one of the best matches in that style. Two big uglies with no regard for their bodies and just chuckin each other around. I love the opening spot with Vader hitting his body attack on Harley by accident. Vader's clotheslines were wicked win this match. His leap over the top rope from the ramp popped me all over again. That guardrailing bump by Vader is so damn good. He is bleeding from the mouth and eye. The bump that transitions into heat where Boss bumps over the top rope nearly kills himself was scary These two had no fear to take to the air. Vader bumps off the middle rope. Vader finally catches someone else and bodyslams them! The Vaderbomb-Vadersault popped the crowd huge! Awesome finish! Awesome hoss brawl, power wrestling, just two guys fighting fire with fire. ****

[JKWebb]

The opening spot with Harley is great! I could watch these two guys fight any time. I actually just watched this match about a month ago, and now I'm watching it again today. The second WCW VHS I ever owned was Spring Stampede 1994. I feel like I saw it in every video store in 1996/1997. I remember I picked it up because it was the cheapest one. Most tapes were close to $30 if I remember right, and this one was like $14.99 because they had so many copies on hand. I think I heard somewhere that it was the best-selling WCW VHS they had, and that is why so many copies circulated. I have no sources to back that up. Anyways, love the guardrail spot with Vader going into the crowd. I will forever love Vader's punches in the corner. And, Boss throwing Vader off the top rope onto his shoulder looked painful. This match is really good and tons of fun. I do feel like Vader sold the effects of the match better than The Boss post-match. This is probably due to the blood on his eye. ***3/4 Boss, gets stripped of "The Boss" title by Bockwinkel after the match. Later in the year there is fun match involving Sting/The Guardian Angel (Boss Man)/& Vader at Fall Brawl 1994.

 

#460 - placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-500-451/2/

[cactus]

This might of been slow and sloppy in places, but this was hoss on hoss comfort food! Props to Race getting accidentally bulldozed by Vader at the start of the match. He might be retired and 51 years old here, but he wasn't afraid to take a violent tumble. These guys potato each other and Vader bleeds a gusher. Bossman throws himself around like he's a cruiserweight for Vader. Vader doesn't quite get the win with the Vaderbomb, so he takes it to the next level and hits a moonsault for the win. Seeing Vader doing a moonsault will never get old. 

★★★½