[1994-09-18-WCW-Fall Brawl] Vader vs Guardian Angel / Vader vs Sting

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

Last few minutes of Vader/Guardian Angel are typical Vader fun, but it's a few levels below what Vader was doing with everyone else at the time.

[Loss]

Typically very good match between these two. Last time I watched this, I liked it a lot more than I did this time around. I think Sting's comebacks work better when he takes less offense. Vader dominating things and Sting fighting back with power spots is the dynamic that works the best for these two. Here, you have Sting doing all the power spots without any real setup where he is in peril. I also really don't like the "first guy to touch his feet" stuff in the final few minutes, because it really screams screwjob and the finish is terrible, even though the work itself borders on epic. It's a total boxing style match at that point and there are some awesome teases. Still, even with the flaws, these two will always produce something excellent and worth watching, and I still like this quite a bit.

[Cox]

Is this the last Sting vs Vader match?

[Loss]

I think they had a WCW SN match in October.

[jdw]

From Graham's site, this is the one Loss is talking about:

 

WCW @ Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Theatre - October 4, 1994 (785; sell out; all freebies)

WCW Saturday Night taping:

10/15/94:

Sting defeated Vader (w/ Harley Race) via disqualification at the 13-minute mark when Race grabbed Sting's foot from the floor, allowing Vader to hit an elbow drop; after the bout, the Guardian Angel made the save, punched out Race on the floor, handcuffed Race to the bottom rope and grabbed a steel chair until Doug Dillenger appeared and prevented him from hitting Race with the weapon

 

Not just last match to air, but also looks like their last match. Went through the rest of 1994 and through 1995 and don't even see a house show match.

 

John

[Kevin Ridge]

There is a triangle match set up to find out who will be the number one contender. I guess there was a coin toss and Vader had to face Guardian Angel first and winner then takes on Sting. Matches are 15 minute time limits. Last few minutes of first match as Vader wins with help of Race. Guardian Angel doesn't appear to be wearing the appropriate gear yet.

 

Vader versus Sting then. Vader actually dominates pretty heavily at the first part of the match. Going for the moonsault early but missing. Sting hits a pretty damn impressive German suplex out of nowhere. Sting gets the scorpion death lock on but time limit runs out so we get a five minute overtime. Vader hits the powerbomb right at the end of the overtime but can't get the three count in time. This was messed up as the bell didn't ring when time ran out so Patrick was frozen at his two count.

 

To sudden death now where the you only have to win by knocking your opponent of their feet. That might be the dumbest way to decide a match to declare number one challenger. Masked Man makes an appearance on takes out Sting so Vader wins. Match was pretty good until the overtime stuff which dragged it down a notch.

[Exposer]

Vader-Traylor didn't look very good and the finish was lame. Vader-Sting was very good with Vader bumping like a maniac for the first part of the match then Sting playing FIP for the rest of it with Vader dominating. I liked the teases in the sudden death round but the finish was a terrible screwjob. Still, this was the usual competitive Sting-Vader match.

[soup23]

Vader/ Guardian ANgel clips were fun and Vader was bumping really big considering he had 20 more minutes of wrestling after this.

 

Sting/Vader started off weird with some miscommunication but then they started throwing bombs at each other and it became really dramatic. Vader probably does more flying off the ropes than in any other match I can remember. First overtime sort of started the momentum for a minute, but I was invested in the outcome by the end and the powerbomb spot would have been done well if the bell would have rung on time. The first man to leave his feet stip is pretty stupid but actually worked here and the crowd was very invested screeching with Sting teetering off his feet. I have to give Sting credit because his selling was pretty dramatic. Finish was pretty cheap but did at least advance a few potential new storylines. Still would have liked a more conclusive finish to the last high profile match of one of the greatest feuds in WCW history.

[El-P]

Cheap finish aside, this was another chapter in the great Vader vs Sting feud, probably the best ever in WCW history in term of in-ring work goes. I enjoyed the Guardian Angel match as a cool big man appetizer, but the real deal begins with Sting. Sting is just not as impressive as he was in 92 and 93 working against Vader, but it's still a pretty epic match, especially with the overtimes. Vader is awesome, even though he had gained some weight at this point. During the overtimes he's like "I've knocked down Takada, I'm gonna knock you clown down too !". The screw job finisher is sad to end such a great rivalry indeed (and the idiot time keeper who didn't ring the bell at the end of the overtime hurt also), but that will give us a huge Vader vs Hogan match at Starrcade so... wait, wait just a minute...

[goodhelmet]

We made a huge mistake not putting this on in full. Vader vs. Guardian was ok. Not as good as their other PPV matches but a solid TV affair. The complete Sting-Vader match was a war. Vader is killing Sting early. Sting makes his comeback and gives Vader some potatoes of his own. These guys throw everything but the kitchen sink until they go into overtime. Overtime was more bomb throwing and these guys are fucking spent. Fucking WCW's bell ringer missed the cue and Patrick had to cover the fuck up by saying Sting kicked out at 2 when Vader and Capetta had it timed perfectly. Still, this was fucking choice. The sudden death period was fun as it reminded me of the Valiant-Lawler slugfest when Vader was throwing potatoes. Not so much when Sting was throwing marshmallows. Stupid WCW booking ending but the entire thing was fucking awesome as a whole.

[Loss]

We did put Sting vs Vader on in full. Just not Vader vs Guardian Angel.

[goodhelmet]

Ok cool.

[PeteF3]

"Asshole" by Beck! Combined with Pavement! Best menu music of the '94 Yearbook so far!

 

I don't think the rules for this were ever really made clear before the show. It was hyped as a "triangular match" but no one knew if it'd be 3 guys at once or one guy on the apron tagging in and out. It turned out to be neither. More good action from what we see between the Angel and Vader, before Harley Race hands Vader a cheap win. Boss/Angel was pretty bitched out on PPV, as he has another job to Vader coming up at Havoc.

 

Sting/Vader is one of the lesser matches of a great rivalry, but still has some really great work. There are some surprisingly messy spots early on, which is pretty stunning considering the chemistry these two had. And they seem to run out of gas at the end of overtime, before turning it back up a notch for sudden death. I do like how they went from one ring to the other and then back again over the course of the match. As ElP mentions, the timekeeper is out to lunch for this and kind of ruins the drama with late or nonexistent bell-ringing. Pretty crazy that WCW is lifting old match stipulations from 1990 USWA. If I hear about a "technical loss" at some point, I'll flip my lid. I admit I'm a sucker for the first-man-off-his-feet stip. I loved it with Lawler and Valiant and I love it here, whether it makes any kayfabe sense or not. And the crowd wakes up for it, too. They'd run out of breath, as Schiavone accurately put it before, but there was huge heat for this, thanks to Sting putting on a master class in selling. Then a dumb finish, where the Masked Man gets involved for no other reason than because he's a Bad Guy and where Nick Patrick looks like a complete moron. I do like the fans trying to confront the Masked Man afterwards, at least. There's some stuff holding this back but this is in the end a worthy addition to the canon.

[Mrzfn]

I was amazed by how well the "first man off his feet" stipulation worked here. I actually wouldn't mind seeing it come into play more often, if done well. Creates a really unique psychology.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Vader vs Guardian Angel - Fall Brawl 94

 

Love their Spring Stampede match! This was not very good. Slow motion and kind of stilted. Vader moves way too soon on a spot and Bossman looks like an idiot jumping and clotheslining himself. Race is way too eager of a beaver on his spot. Vader clobbers Race. Bossman slam, but ref bump. Race is already back up and headbutts Bossman. Vader is up like nuthin and Vaderbomb for win. Not very good and very weird for these two.

 

Vader vs Sting - Fall Brawl '94

 

Typical WCW over complication of rules, 15 minute time limit followed by 5 minutes of overtime followed by 5 minutes of sudden death. Whats the difference between overtime & regulation? At least sudden death is different and first man off his feet loses.

 

First Fifteen Minutes: Typically awesome Vader vs Sting. Sting looked the best I ever seen him. Great energy. Perfect timing on his no-sells to really maximize the crowd pop. The vertical suplex on Vader was insane. His clotheslines looked great. Vader was a total beast in this. The way he took that German was incredible. I loved how each segment climaxed really well. At first Sting is defiant and refuses to be bullied by Vader. The crowd is loving this and Vader is selling his shock so well. Takes a bump off a dropkick, great idea for shine. Then Sting hits a brick wall. Vader goes for Vaderbomb early which plays into the fact he just had a match. Hits the first but on the second Sting kicks his ass literally. Vader fires back and gets back up for the second Vaderbomb but crashes and burns. Great mini-comeback for Sting. That clothesline to the outside was ferocious. He suplexes Race on the floor. Insane vertical on Vader. Stinger Splash from the Top Rope eats knees. Vader's offense is always so credible and he misses the Vadersault this time. Sting with a Samoan Drop total deadlift. Wow! Then DAT GERMAN DOE~! Again a good climax to Sting's offense and Vader rallies with some big punches. That's the thing you always believe if Vader can get one punch to the head he can get right back into the match. Vader tries to work Sting over in the corner something we have seen a thousand times when all of sudden Sting is not flinching, he is starting to rally, the crowd comes alive! Sting battles back and Vader is reeling to the outside. It is Fall Brawl so there is a Wargames match and Vader reaches to the other ring. So Sting hits flying clotheslines from the top rope in the other ring. Crowd is rocking. Vader takes his usual slam from the top. Scorpion Deathlock! You gotta watch the people in the front row lose their shit only to realize we are going to overtime as Vader makes the ropes and the hold was never fully applied. Really hot opening stretch from these two old rivals.

 

Five Minutes of Overtime: Match kinda grinds out here until sudden death. Not much in the way of nearfalls or heat. Sting just loses all momentum. Like he gave it his all at the end of those first fifteen and has nothing left in the tank. Vader hits a nice vertical. They fight a bunch on the top rope. Vader ends up hitting a powerslam, splash and then a POWERBOMB...1...2...TIME EXPIRES! Sting saved my bell. I liked the symmetry of Sting having Vader close to defeat in the first section and now the shoe is on the other foot. Still, they were just killing time to sudden death it feels like.

 

Sudden Death: First Man off his feet loses. Very creative idea and in very WCW fashion is never implemented again. Super dramatic and really entertaining. Vader was a beast. Straps down. The look on his face. The intensity. Awesome. Sting was selling and stumbling like a champ. Vader's short arm clotheslines were awesome. Angel/Race brawl and Vader collapses after a collision. CROWD POPS HUGE! Masked Man Tonya Hardings the Stinger and when the ref turns around Vader is back up and Sting is down.

 

In typical WCW fashion, Vader would not get his title shot until February of 1995. I loved the first fifteen minutes and Sudden Death is a great concept that should be used more. They only scratched the surface; imagine what you could do with bodyslam teases! If you skip the Overtime, this is a low-end US MOTYC, but the 5 minutes of Overtime did happen and does detract from the match a bit. Still a great caper to one of the all time best feuds in wrestling history. ****

[cactus]

I have no idea why they had to make the rules to this match so contrived. Either have it as a three way dance or just have it as a standard gauntlet match. No need for the time limits and overtime. Anyways, Vader's match with Guardian Angel is nothing like their matches from the other '94 PPVs. Vader is clearly saving his energy as this is worked at a much slower pace, damaging the match quality. Thankfully, he starts to make an effort once he's eliminated Angel and he's facing Sting. They work a very traditional match with Vader's size becoming a massive factor and Sting's got to find a way to gain an advantage. Sting looks like a million bucks when he makes his comeback. They go the time limit and sell the fatigue well. This would of been a lot better if we just got Sting vs Vader in a regular match, but there's still moments of greatness in this 30+ minute match. 

★★★