World Championship Wrestling (1988- )

[Control21]

WrestleCade delivered for sure. I enjoyed all the matches here, and Williams/DiBiase vs The Samoan Swat Team was probably my favorite. Very easy to imagine how good that match would have been living color. Lex Luger vs Dan Spivey and Terry Funk vs Dusty Rhodes were as good as expected, and the main event between Flair and Sting set the tone for 1989 with WCW primed for a big year. 

I echo LowBlow's comments re: finding your footing and figuring out what you want to do. The flow of WCW so far has been very good, and I haven't noticed any confusion disrupting the overall feel. I would just go with my gut feeling and not overthink things too much, but of course, we all do things differently here.

[spaldoni]

WrestleCade! Here we go! 

A heated 6 man tag is always a great way to kick off a big event. I could really see Atlas, Reed and Simmons be a babyface force to be reckoned with in 89. 

I was looking forward to the Morton/Gilbert match. These two are so evenly matched and can give the fans a roller coaster ride. The end leaves more on the table. I'm hoping for a rematch.

I have to admit, I loved the Latin Connection. Although their title reign was short, it was memorable. Time to walk down Bad Street.

Hahahahahaha, what an in ring debut for Piper. Stays true to his character. I'm wondering how Muraco will respond. This was fun. 

The world tag title match more than delivered. I'm curious on what is next for Dibiase and Williams. Somethings up with Williams and that injury. 

Luger was on fire tonight and came out a made man. 

The bullrope match was chaotic and crazy, the way it was meant to be. I agree with your logic. I've wrote last matches for wrestlers and due to loyalty I wanted them to go out on high notes as well. The Murdoch turn allows Dusty to save face and keeps Funk's heat. Plus, you're right, this gives Murdoch a fresh coat of paint. Him and Funk are going to bring more craziness to WCW. 

Main event time and of course Flair makes Sting look like a million bucks. The Horsemen are reunited and ready to rock 89. This all works because Sting and Luger are now superstars and WCW will make big money in 89 with them going at it with the Horsemen. You also have the Reed, Atlas and Simmons group that can be a fun filler vs. The Horsemen. I'm also interested in who the 4th horsemen will be. You set the stage well for the next year. 

 

Jarrett coming in to replace Herd is something I'm sure a lot of people would've loved IRL. Jarrett definitely has all the pieces in place to work with. 

 

 

[kevinmcfl]

EPISODE #21 

JANUARY 6, 1989

PREVIEW SHOW FOR THE NEW YEAR

 

Jerry Jarrett:

With Jim Herd on the verge of having the wrestlers walk out due to his lack of wrestling knowledge, WCW has brought in Jerry Jarrett to be the new President of the company.  Jarrett is most known for the way he creatively made Memphis Wrestling into one of the top promotions in the country.  On his first TV appearance, he made sure fans understood that he would do anything to make sure they got a quality program every week.  He also announced that WCW had two major events coming up in February.  First, on February 15^th in St. Louis, Missouri it would be Clash of Champions III:  St. Valentine’s Day Massacre which would air right here on WTBS.  Then on February 27,  WCW will have its first Pay-Per-View event of the year titled Miami Mayhem and take place at the Miami Arena.   Jarrett went on to explain that Mayhem will be a unique event where not only will the WCW World Title and the WCW World Tag Team Title be defended, but there will also be The Mayhem Match which will be based on the classic Battle Royal in which a 25 wrestlers aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the floor.  The difference in the Mayhem Match is that the contestants do not enter the ring at the same time, but instead are assigned entry numbers, via a lottery.  The match begins with the two wrestlers who have drawn entry numbers one and two, with the remaining wrestlers entering the ring at two minutes intervals according to their entry number.  The winner of Mayhem will receive a WCW World Title match at WrestleWar 89 to take place on April 17^th in the Midsouth Coliseum.

While nobody is sure if Mayhem will be a success, word is that the wrestlers like the idea that the gimmick has to do with the match and not them changing their character like it was under Jim Herd.  WCW officials also liked that Jerry Jarrett was able to use his Memphis connections to secure the Midsouth Coliseum, one of the iconic wrestling venues in the country. 

 

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT THE ROSTER CHANGES FOR 1989.

Those on the way out:

-“The American Dream”  Dusty Rhodes- Due to a difference of opinion with Jim Herd, Dusty and WCW have decided to part ways.  This is the most difficult of all the moves and maybe one day under Jerry Jarrett, Dusty can return home.

 

- Dan Spivey- Spivey seemed on the verge of stardom in WCW as he was recently added to the Horsemen stable.  Nobody knows exactly what went wrong here but the angle soon changed to where he became a selfish member of the group and was quickly kicked out.  WCW seemed content to not renew his contract and have parted ways.

-The Latin Connection (Mando Guerrero & Ricky Santana)- Again, nobody knows what went wrong with this gimmick but just before Jim Herd was let go, he released the tag team.  This occurred just days after they lost their United States tag team to the Freebirds.  Some say that Jim Herd just wasn’t creative enough to come up with something else for the duo after the title loss.  Whatever the reason, Herd should have seen that the Latin Connection’s chemistry on the mic with Roddy Piper was very entertaining.  One thing of note here is that Dr. Diobolico, the Latin Connection’s “bodyguard” is still under contract to WCW.

-The Nation (Snowman & Ray Candy)- This one was done under Jerry Jarrett.  Jarrett and Snowman have some history working together and the word on the street is that Snowman is not a team player and that the anti-establishment character he plays in wrestling might just actually be his true personality outside of the ring also.  While Jarrett is a leader the wrestlers respect, he  needs that respect from the wrestlers to move WCW in the right direction.  If Snowman couldn’t do this, he had to go.  Ray Candy just seems to be a casualty of Snowman’s reputation.  Again, an interesting note was that Curtis Hughes was not released.  Maybe this was due to him being a brand new member of the Nation and Jarrett may feel that he can rebrand his identity.  Time will tell. 

-Jimmy Valiant- “The Boogie Woogie Man” also left WCW angry by the direction Jim Herd was taking his character.  Valiant said that he was starting to look like a dirty old man instead of a cool free-loving hippie.  Valiant is said the return to where he is respected… the NWA.

-Sweet Brown Sugar- This was a move by Jerry Jarrett that was out of respect to Sweet Brown Sugar.  Jarrett really likes SBS and realized that he was not much more than a jobber in WCW.  Jarrett knew that Sugar’s talent would be seen by other promoters and that he would catch on with another smaller promotion and hopefully play a bigger role. 

-Other minor releases-  Mike Shaw, Cannoball Grizzly and Big Money Marcus

 

Those on the way In:

WCW Power Plant- One of the first things that Jerry Jarrett did was to open a wrestlers training facility for those just starting out in the business.  This training facility is located in Atlanta and many former wrestlers have been hired to help future wrestlers learn the skills of the trade both inside and outside the ring.  There seems to be some very talented future “stars” already enrolled in the school.  One is a 6’3, 350 pound powerhouse by the name of Scott Norton.  Another is Anthony Norris, a 6-2, 300 pound black man who is trying to find his way in the world after being discharged from the army for striking his captain.  The Hoffman brothers are another two who have received early praise at the power plant.  As with all potential stars in any sport, potential is the key word and only time will tell. 

 

-Jake “The Snake” Roberts- Easily the biggest the name to join WCW so far in 1989.  What his role will be has been kept very quiet but with his in-ring abilities and talent on the mic, it won’t be long before Roberts is the middle of something in WCW.

-Jeff Jarrett- Jeff has decided to follow his Dad, and make the jump from a smaller promotion to the big time.  There is no denying his talent both in the ring and on the microphone.  Everyone fully expects Jeff to be a star one day with or without his father and many say that 1989 will be his breakout year. 

-The Iron Sheik and The Cuban Assassin-  It is obvious that Jarrett is taking a small chance by brining in these two as they are both passed their prime but one thing Jarrett knows is that the anti-American character still sells in wrestling; especially in the Southern states.  If one or both of these can work out, it could help propel a babyface up the ranks or lead to a bigger angle.

-Col. Debeers- Again, Jarrett is taking a chance as the Col. Debeers character is extreme.  Maybe he is going to see what happens with the Iron Sheik and the Cuban Assassin first before bringing in DeBeers or maybe he will join all three together.  Only time will tell but things are going to heat up in WCW.

-“Hollywood” John Tatum- Tatum was rehired by WCW.  The reason is that Jarrett feels that Tatum could be a great mid-card heel as he is great on the mic and is a genius at antagonizing the fans once he steps foot in the ring.  There is a small problem here as he is said to have had some sort of relationship with Missy Hyatt.  While it was kept behind the scenes, this did upset Eddie Gilbert and might have been the reason he left WCW to begin with.

-Jack Victory- Victory left with Tatum as Jim Herd kind of quickly put an end to Hot Stuff Inc. and left Eddie and Missy to work solely by themselves.  It is interesting to see him return to WCW at the same time as Tatum.  It is also possible that Victory puts his red mask back on as the Russian Assassin and joins those already mentioned in a larger Anti-American stable.  Again, time will tell.   

-Jim Powers- While Powers is not a huge star, he does have the looks to make him a midcard babyface which is something missing from the WCW roster. 

 

ANGLES

-WCW World Title- Champion Ric Flair

While Flair is the champion, there is no shortage of challengers to the title.  At the top of that list has to be Lex Luger.  With his recent win to become United States Champion and his strong hatred for everything Horsemen, he has to be considered a major threat to Flair.  The same can be said for Luger’s good friend Sting.  It took a bit of chaos and shenanigans just to keep Sting from leaving Wrestlecade with the title.  Sting has to be in line for another title shot and this time, who is to say that he wouldn’t leave with the title.

And just look at some of the other names that would love a shot at Flair and the 10-pounds of gold.  There is Roddy Piper, Terry Funk, Tony Atlas and Hacksaw Butch Reed. Nobody would be shocked if any of these 4 men walked into a match with Ric Flair and walked out the champion.  Needless to say, 1989 is going to be a tough year for Ric Flair.

 

-Tag Team Picture-  World Champions:  Ted Dibiase & Dr. Death, U.S Tag Champions:  Freebirds

Going into 1989, one of the major goals of Jerry Jarrett is to increase the depth in the tag team picture.  While the amount of quality teams might not be there, the firepower at the top most certainly is.  With the Samoan Swat Team nearly capturing the world titles from Dibiase and Dr. Death at Wrestlecade, they still must be considered the #1 contenders for the big title.  Now with Dr. Death seemingly a little hobbled after the match, one might even say that the Samoans might be favored in a rematch against the champs.

Now with the Latin Connection gone from WCW, who are the other tag teams that could make a push in 1989.  First, you must look at the Freebirds who might want to step up from their U.S. titles to the world title.  After watching Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin dismantle the Latin Connection at Wrestlecade, and knowing their history, the Freebirds might just enter 1989 as the United States Champions and leave 1989 as the World Champions. 

Terry Funk and Dick Murdoch might be on the verge of joining forces and if they do nobody is safe.  With Murdoch helping Funk at Wrestlecade and both at the latter stages of the career, a tag team might just make the most sense.

Also, WCW just added the Grapplers to its roster, and they have been dismantling any team put in the ring with them.  They have the power to deal with Dibiase and Dr. Death and they also have the treachery to match the chaos of the Freebirds.

Now we get to the big names of possible additions to the tag team picture.  Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson looked to be on the same page at Wrestlecade and if these two decide to get back in the tag game, they will quickly move to the top as they are one of the best duos ever to be in the ring together.  The exact same thing can be said for the Rock n Roll Express.  While Jim Herd had the “brilliant” idea to have Robert Gibson sit on the shelf with an imaginary injury, you can fully expect Jarrett to put the tag team back together very soon.  Jarrett comes from a promotion that loves its babyface tag teams and you can fully expect the Express to WOW the fans in the very near future.  Add Tully and Arn and the Rock n Roll Express and a bleak tag team picture looks much better.

Throw in fact that you still have the Lightening Express and possible any two from that Anti-American coalition that seems to be coming into WCW and the tag team picture is beginning to look brighter and brighter.

The dark horse in all of this might be what Jarrett decides to do with Hacksaw Butch Reed.  Reed and Ron Simmons looked very good together against the Nation at Wrestlecade.  Some say that if Reed and Simmons work together full time, by the end of 1989 they could spell DOOM for the rest of the tag division.

 

-The United States Title- Champion:  Lex Luger

So, who could rise up and take the U.S. Title from Luger in 1989?  While that seems like a hard task, most think Luger will have to lose the title before completely turning his focus to the World Title.  When you look at who has the in-ring ability and strength to deal with Luger, your choices are somewhat limited right now but wrestling is a strange sport with things constantly changing.  While still relatively new, you must think Oliver Humperdink’s monster, Lord Humongous, could match Luger muscle for muscle and power move for power move.  Also, you never know but on any given night, Terry Funk, Dick Murdoch or Don Muraco could come out on top and leave with the U.S. Title.  Also, imagine the heat that could come from a Col. Debeers or Iron Sheik taking the title from Lex Luger! ….  And if we dare to dream, what if Dibiase and Dr. Death lose the World Tag Team Title.  Lex Luger vs Dr. Death seems like a title match like no other.  WOW

 

-The WCW World Television Title:  Eddie Gilbert

What a man would do for a woman…. And what a woman Missy Hyatt is.  I mean in the last year, Eddie Gilbert has basically tried to hang Dr. Tom Prichard and then tool care of Michael Hayes.  He has sent the Z-Man Tom Zenk from WCW and has left the ring with his title after a war with Ricky Morton.  What is next for the champion?  Being the TV champ,  it is not always about a feud but you must be ready to defend that title against someone new each and every week.  With Jerry Jarrett coming in, it would not be a shock to anyone if he used that title to revise some Memphis angles of days gone by.  Eddie Gilbert vs an Armstrong (Brad) seems like an awesome match.  Thrown in a possible spoiled kid bout where Eddie ridicules Jeff Jarrett as only being in WCW because of his Daddy.  With Eddie and Missy together, enjoy the wild ride.

 

-Roddy Piper vs Don Muraco

It looks from the finish at Wrestlecade that this one has some meat left on the bones.  It will be interesting to see what is next here.

-Jake “The Snake” Roberts-

While nobody knows where Snake fits in WCW in 1989, everyone is expecting something big.  Stay tune as 1989 is sure to be a barnburner. 

One thing for sure is that whatever the landscape of WCW was in 1988, it is sure to be bigger and better in 1989.  Stay tune and enjoy the wild ride.

[Autistic Dragon]

Great job setting the stage for the year to come. The year just started but WCW is poised to rock St Valentine's day and bring Mayham to Miami.

[spaldoni]

I agree with AD. Great job in setting things up for the new year.

I loved all the behind the scenes news and happenings. 

With a long list of strong babyfaces, Flair will draw a lot of money working with these guys. 

I also think the tag team division is strong enough to draw big houses. Tully and Arn vs. RnR Express is a main event anywhere. 

Your roster is stacked and Jarrett has a lot to work with here. The Mayhem battle royal is going prove how loaded WCW is. 

Props to you for making WCW a powerhouse player in our world. 

[kevinmcfl]

EPISODE #22

JANUARY 14, 1989

 

Jerry Jarrett Gets Confronted

Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert and Missy Hyatt showed no respect for the new WCW President, Jerry Jarrett when they interrupted his interview where he was hyping up both Clash of Champions:  St. Valentine’s Day Massacre and Miami Mayhem. 

Eddie Gilbert let everyone know that at one time in his career, he worked for the small Memphis promotion that Jarrett ran and let him clearly know that WCW is the big time and if he tries any of the nonsense that he did in Memphis, he will run WCW into the ground just like he did in Memphis.  When Jarrett asked What he meant by that, Missy sauntered her way into the interview and let him know that Eddie and Missy where the face of WCW and that he shouldn’t waste any of their time with matches against any of the small time wrestlers he had in Memphis.  Jarrett kind of chuckled and said that was exactly his plan.  He went on to say that in Memphis, he was lucky to have wrestlers who might not have been big time but they gave it their all and that he thought it would be great for them to get a shot at the WCW World Television Title.  When Eddie interrupted, Jarrett clearly put him in his place and told him to wait until he was finished as he was about to announce some of the small time wrestlers he had in Memphis.  He went on to announce both the Rock n Roll Express and the Armstrongs!  Gilbert tried to interrupt but Jarrett was now on a role and announced that next week, Eddie Gilbert will have a rematch from Wrestlecade and his title will be on the line against one time, small time-promotion member,

Ricky Morton and that match will be right here on WTBS!  Eddie and Missy tried to interrupt but Jarrett simply walked away. 

 

Certain Angles Continue

       

- Sting and Lex Luger had singles matches against low level performers and both called out the Horseman in their post-match interview.  Luger, was happy to be the U.S. Champion but he and Sting both put Ric Flair on notice.  They also said they were angry with themselves for trusting Tully Blanchard and that if he and Arn had any interest in getting in the ring with them, they would put him in their place.  Tully and Arn also had their first tag team match together in quite some time as they easily defeated the Young Guns (Sam Houston and Kendall Windham) in this weeks main event.  Flair joined Tully and Arn in their post-match interview where Flair said that he and Tully had a long talk before Wrestlecade and that they both know that they are better together then against each other.  They also said that sometimes families fight but nobody fights the family and if Luger and Sting want to continue this silly game of chasing the best, they are going to run into a brick wall.  Woman did say that the group had made a mistake with Dan Spivey and that they are still looking for the 4^th Horsemen but they will make sure to make the Perfect decision this time.  When this promo was done both Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross noted that Lex and Sting better be careful as it seems to be 3-2 right now. 

 

     

 

-Don Muraco easily won his match against Allen Martin with the Hawaiin Hammer.  During the match, Roddy Piper was part of the announce team and he made no bones about his low blow and brass knuckles shot to Muraco during Wrestlecade.  He reminded everyone that it was Muraco who had shoved him a few weeks ago and that Piper just shoves a little harder.  Piper let everyone know that if you mess with the bull, sometimes you get the horns and that is exactly what Muraco got.  Piper left the interview area before Muraco came over for his match which Muraco pointed out was just another cowardly act by Piper just like what he did at Wrestlecade.  While there is no set date for these two to get back in the ring together, you can be sure that it is coming.

 

 

-Sir Oliver Humperdink and Lord Humongous continue their reign of terror on WCW.  Humongous got another 30 second win with the powerbomb as he destroyed Kieth Steiborn.  Humperdink announced that it was obvious that WCW was doing its best to prevent the inevitable as they keep giving Humongous these easy matches.  Humperdink quickly rephrased his last sentence as he let everyone know that whoever Humongous faced, it would be an easy win for him.  He also let everyone know that Mayhem will be his coming out party as now there is no way to stop Lord Humongous from getting a WCW World Title shot. 

 

New Angles

            

-Jeff Jarrett defeated Larry Cheatum by submission with the Figure 4 in his first WCW match.  He was very humble in his first post-match interview with Jim Ross as he was just happy to be here in WCW and to test his skills against the best of the best.  This is when “The Hustler” Rip Rogers and Terri Powers walked in.  Jim Ross asked what they were doing a this was not their time.  Rogers quickly reminded Jim Ross that they do want they want in WCW and right now, they wanted to know what Jarrett was doing here in WCW.  Rogers reminded everyone that he was “the hustler” but it seems that Jerry Jarrett was trying to hustle everyone here in WCW by saying that his snot-nosed kid belonged in the big time!  Rogers continued by saying that he didn’t even think he could beat Terri as she was clearly stronger than he was.  Terri gave an impressive double bicep pose which Jeff nodded in approval.  Jeff simply said that he would be grateful for a match against Rip to try and test his approval.  Rip took this as an insult as he thought he was far too good to get in the ring with such a low-level performer.  As Jeff turned to the crowd to get some approval for a possible match between the Hustler and himself….  WHAM… Rogers nailed him from behind and then he and Terri walked off.  Jeff struggled to his feet and seemed to get serious quickly…  “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me.  Rogers… I’m ready anytime you want to step foot in the ring. 

 

-It seems the Anti-American angle is underway as the most obnoxious man ever to step foot in WCW has arrived.  Col. Debeers gave an instant heat-building promo with Jim Ross. 

Debeers:  (He came to the set wearing green camouflage pants, a black beret with the South African flag on it, an angry looking handlebar mustaches and and carrying a walking stick which he held with some strange pinky grip):  Today, is about respect.  Respect for the greatest wrestler you Americans have ever seen.  Respect for South Africa.  A country that completely understands the proper order of how people in society fit.  We don’t give in to terrorist like Nelson Mandela … while you people almost elected someone like Reverend Jesse Jackson for president.  I am here to put the wrestling world in proper order.  You will learn that Col. Debeers and others are sick and tired of what America stands for.  Your disgusting thoughts that all people are equal is nonsense.  There is no one equal to me, especially not the filth you have running around here getting everything they don’t deserve.  When Debeers marched off, Jim Ross made it clear that the views of Col. Debeers are not the views of WCW and the WTBS broadcasting system.

 

     

-The tag team division seems to be heating up as The Fabulous Freebirds (Hayes & Garvin), the Grapplers, The Samoan Swat Team, Terry Funk & Dick Murdoch and Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard all had wins today.  Who will get the title shots is still to be sorted out. One thing for certain is that Dr. Death was still a little gimpy and was seen hobbling.  What this means for the WCW World Tag Team champions is still to be determined.

 

     

-Two babyface newcomers, Shane Douglas and Jim Powers both got nice wins in singles competition this week and got over with the crowd pretty well. Again, time will tell if they catch on.

- Others getting wins in this big 12 match tv show included Hacksaw Butch Reed who seemed none to pleased with the nonsense coming from Col. DeBeers, Sam Houston who gave the ladies in the crowd something to look at and Medusa Micelli who returned the favor for the men in the crowd.

 

Big News Coming from the WCW Power Plant

- It seems like Jerry Jarrett is bringing in NWA legend, Mr. Wrestling II to be the head trainer in the Power Plant.  Jarrett said that he was looking for someone who could not only teach what goes on inside of the ring but also be able to help the young stars work on their microphone skills.  Those is the business say that Mr. Wrestling II and his nearly 5000 in-ring matches and 30+ years in the business should be great in this role.  Others also noted his ability to be such a great heel and babyface will allow him to get the most out of each wrestler at the Power Plant.

 

What to Expect Next Week in WCW

- The Main Event:  WCW World Television Title Match Between Eddie Gilbert and Ricky Morton

 

-  Information Jake “The Snake” Roberts coming to WCW

 

-Some clarity on the tag team situation, especially with a focus on the World Champs, Ted Dibiase and Dr. Death in regards to the health of Dr. Death’s knee.

 

-Some developments for Clash of Champions:  St. Valentines Day Massacre

[Autistic Dragon]

Gilbert and Missy mouth off to the boss and quickly realize why that may not be the best career move.

The search for the 4th Horseman begins... again.

Muraco is after a rematch.

Humperdinck promises to show what his monster can really do at Mayham.

Double J, Rogers and Terri all introduce themselves to the new audience.

Debeers is his usual charming self I see. Reed certainly seems to think so.

The tag division is heating up but Williams may be breaking down.

Douglas and Powers seem to be settling in.

Nice to see Mr Wrestling 2 find a way to contribute to the next generation.

[LastStopTour]

Well, well, well ... Jerry Jarrett got himself a new job. Good to see that Eddie and Missy will be keeping an eye on him. Don't want WCW going the way of Memphis, do we?

New people, big debuts. WCW is off and running in 1989 and things look to be for the better.

[spaldoni]

I like how you've made Gilbert and Missy a big deal in WCW. This also gives the TV title a level of importance. 

Sting and Luger better find more friends, because there's a 4th horseman coming. 

Cool, I'm up for another Piper/Muraco match. 

It only makes perfect sense that Humungous is a part of an event called Mayhem. 

I have to say, Rip Rogers has had a pretty good run in WCW. Having Teri by his side doesn't hurt. We'll see how young Jarrett responds to all this. 

Debeers is one heat seeking individual. It didn't take long for Butch Reed to notice. This could be an epic feud. 

Wow, I just realized how stacked your tag team division is. I can only hope Williams recovers quickly. 

Jim Powers and Shane Douglas are nice additions. They're young and fired up. 

I agree, Mr. Wrestling 2 will get these kids ready. 

I'm intrigued with Jake coming in. He plays both sides so well, you can literally do anything with him. 

 

[LowBlowPodcast]

I appreciate your approach to the highlights and previews of WCW. There's plenty of star power here... which makes these shows so special and great to follow. I love the Power Plant... makes me want to have Patterson's ring boys... I mean... ugh... I need a developmental system.  Safe to say Jake the Snake is going to take a bite out of the competition here in WCW and goes against the mold which sets him out from the rest.

[kevinmcfl]

EPISODE #23

JANUARY 21, 1989

 

Colonel Debeers amps it up!

 

Colonel Debeers was all set to take on Keith Stieborn (a lower-card black wrestler) but Debeers walked out of the ring and went right to Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross where he announced that he has not traveled half way around the world only to be insulted by being told to wrestle a man like that.  When Jim Ross asked what he meant by that Debeers announced that he will not wrestle any non-white man as he does not want to dirty himself with such filth.  Debeers then walks off as Tony and Jim just shake their heads. 

 

Rip Rogers-Jeff Jarrett

Last week we saw Rogers and Terri Powers interrupt Jarrett’s post-match interview where they told the young wrestler that he was only in WCW because of his Daddy and then Rogers proceeded to clobber Jarrett when he made the mistake of turning his back on “the Hustler.”

This week, Rip won his TV match and in his post-match interview, he was explaining how obvious it was that Jeff Jarrett was in over his head as all it took was one shot to leave him laying on the ground.  When Jim Ross added that the one shot was a sucker punch by Rip Rogers, Rogers vehemently denied it.  Now it was Jeff Jarrett’s time to interrupt the interview.  While Tony Schiavone asked for there to be peace and order, JJ simply said that he was not a coward like Rip Rogers and he didn’t attack people when their back was turned but if Rip Rogers wasn’t a coward that he would meet him in the ring Right Now! 

As JJ got in the ring, Rogers smirked like this would only take a minute.  Rip and Terri headed to the ring as the crowd erupted for young Jarrett.  Jarrett started shaking the ropes and you could tell he was fired up!  Suddenly, Rip stops, goes to Terri and whispers in her ear.  She has a quizzical look and the then nods in approval. 

To everyone’s surprise, it is Terri Powers who climbs up on the apron and into the ring.  Jarrett just slumps with disappointment.  Rip is laughing on the outside.  Terri walks right up to Jeff and gives him a big double bicep pose.  Tony and Jim do admire her physique and wonder what will happen next. 

JJ just shakes his head.  She dares him to hit him.  JJ refuses.  She pushes JJ (and he does take a few steps back for from the power).  Again, she tells him to hit her.  JJ refuses.  WHAM… She gives him a good punch and he staggers back again.  This time JJ simply leaves the ring as both Terri and Rip are screaming that he can’t even fight a girl. 

 

THE WCW TAG TEAM DIVISION CONTINUES TO HEAT UP

 

-Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard with Woman got another easy win this weak as the continue to stake their claim for a title shot at either the WCW champs, Dibiase and Dr. Death or The U.S. Title and the Freebirds.  They were joined by fellow Horseman, Ric Flair during their interview where Flair continues to laugh at the idea that Sting or Luger will ever be good enough to take his title. Woman once again hinted about the idea that there may be a 4^th Horsemen coming in but that it would have to be a perfect situation.

 

-The Grapplers destroyed their opponents this week and seem to want the Freebirds in the ring.  Earlier in the show Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin with Precious had come out and given a classic Freebird promo talking about how none of the teams in WCW had the guts to walk down Badstreet with the Freebirds. 

Grappler #1 referenced this in his post-match interview when he said that it would be a bad, bad day for the Freebirds when the Grapplers showed up to Badstreet.  Jim Ross seemed to think that just might be true.

 

-The New Texas Outlaws (Dick Murdoch and Terry Funk) lost their match against Cody Starr and Nick Atkinson as Murdoch and Funk refused to stop beating Starr and Atkinson from pillar to post long after the match was over.  Referee Pee Wee Anderson warned them multiple times to stop and then he finally reversed the decision.  As Funk and Murdoch turned to Pee Wee, the ref realized he was in serious trouble and hightailed it from the ring.  Funk and Murdoch then went back to beating the poor stiffs here were already crumpled up on the floor.  Eventually Tony Schiavone took us to commercial break just to restore order. 

 

-Hacksaw Butch Reed and Ron Simmons defeated Larry Cheatum and Lee Ramsey in an easy match that showcased their power.  While they are not a full-time tag team at the moment, they could easily rise up the ranks if they went this route.  Instead of focusing on the tag team division, both seemed more focused on what they want to do to Colonel Debeers because of his earlier nonsense with Keith Steiborn. 

-The interesting thing was that the WCW Champs, Ted Dibiase and Dr. Death did not wrestle again this week.  In fact, it seems that they have not been in the ring since Wrestlecade on December 26^th.  While they were all business during there interview and said all the right things about being willing to take on all-comers, some wonder how bad Dr. Death’s knee injury really is. 

 

Main Event Match:  WCW World Television Title:  Eddie Gilbert © with Missy Hyatt vs Ricky Morton

 

This is a rematch from Wrestlecade where Gilbert survived with a time-limit draw.  Last week, Gilbert kind of put his foot in his mouth when he told Jerry Jarrett to make sure not to waste his time with any of the low-level wrestlers that Jarrett had up in Memphis.  He must have forgotten that Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson had wrestled in Memphis for a long time and Jarrett quickly pointed this out and then announced that it would be Gilbert and Morton in today’s main event. 

Gilbert, with his dirty tactics and Missy’s dastardly deeds allows the champ to get off to a quick start.  After a few minutes wrestling from the top, Gilbert couldn’t help himself as his arrogance just starting oozing from every pore in his body.  Hot Stuff starts strutting around the ring and antagonizing the fans as only he could.  In a real cocky move, he calls Missy to the apron and the two embrace and give a pretty risqué kiss for family television.

Gilbert finally turns his attention back to Morton but he has fooled around to long.  Just as in his tag matches, Morton has done a great job playing the face in peril but now it is his turn and he is all over Gilbert.  From drop kicks to arm drags to back body drops, Morton is on fire.  When Morton followed up back to back dropkicks with a flying head scissors, Missy begins to panic.  It looks like she motions to the back and suddenly, someone is rushing to the ring.  Tony Schiavone announces that, it’s “Hollywood” John Tatum, former member of Hot Stuff Inc!”  Tatum hit the ring and is all over Ricky Morton.  Ref Teddy Long calls for the bell.  Tatum and Gilbert are all over Ricky Morton.  This goes on for a minute until the crowd ERUPTS!!!  This time, it is none other than Robert Gibson who has been out of action since Thanksgiving due to an eye injury!!  We now go 2-2 and the brawl is awesome!  Eventually, the Rock n Roll Express control the ring as the heels tumble to floor. 

Gilbert grabs his belt and the new/old Hot Stuff Inc. duo leave the ring.  As they are just about to go behind the curtain, you see Missy give Hollywood John Tatum and pretty good smack on the butt! 

It is the Rock n Roll Express who go the bottom where Robert is ecstatic to be back and the two put Eddie Gilbert and John Tatum on notice that they are coming for them!!  Jim Ross takes us to commercial by announcing that WCW is such a better place when the Rock n Roll Express are together!!!  This was probably a parting shot at Jim Herd for his ridiculous booking!

Other Wrestlers Getting A Win on WCW This Week

-Tony Atlas, Jim Powers, Don Muraco, Brad Armstrong, Sam Houston and Lord Humongous.

 

Behind the Scenes News

-With Memphis Wrestling going out of business, WCW is looking to expand its borders and make Tennessee on of its secondary markets.  With all the connections Jerry Jarrett has in the Memphis area, he believes this could be very profitable for WCW if he can secure one thing…

“The King” Jerry Lawler!  Word is Lawler is playing hard to get!  Lawler has always liked having a title around his waist.  If Jarrett doesn’t guarantee this, Lawler may look to go elsewhere.  Whatever happens here, most think that whoever gets the King also gets the Tennessee wrestling fans and their money. 

 

Update on Clash of Champions:  St. Valentines Day Massacre

- Jerry Jarrett informed the audience that St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on Feb. 15^th will now be taking place at the Nashville Memorial Auditorium and not Kiel Arena.  There was no reason given but Jarrett did urge fans to get their tickets soon as it is sure to be a hot ticket.  Jarrett promised more information on the matches for that event next week but did give the fans something to look forward to as this event will mark the debut of Jake “The Snake” Roberts who will appear on a special Piper’s Pit!

 

Update to Miami Mayhem on Feb. 27: 

As we already know, this event will include a WCW World Tag Team Title match, a WCW World Title Match and the 25 man “Lottery-Style Entry” Battle Royal where the winner will get $50,000 and a WCW World Title Shot at Wrestlecade in April.  Last week we learned the Lord Humongous would be one of the participants in this match.  This week we learned that Ron Simmons, Don Muraco and Tony Atlas will also be added to the event.  There is still no word on who will face Ric Flair for the WCW title and no word on who will face Ted Dibiase and Dr. Death for the World Tag Team Title.

 

From the Power Plant

- It didn’t take long for Mr. Wrestling II to start character development for his pupils at the Power Plant.  Mr. Wrestling II knows from experience that he is one of the most recognizable men in all of wrestling and it has a lot more to do with his mask than his famed Million Dollar Knee Lift.  Together, Mr. Wrestling II and Scott Norton have decided to try and attempt to build the character Scott “The Flash” Norton. 

This seems a little strange when you look at Norton and his 6’3, 360-pound frame.  When you think of the term flash, Norton might be the last thing you picture in your head.  Mr. Wrestling II came up with the idea as Norton is a 4-time United States Arm Wrestling Champion and he is said to have beaten his opponents in a flash!  Mr. Wrestling II said the nickname and the backstory would give the announcers something to talk about which would help him to get over with the fans.  Many think Mr. Wrestling II is reaching with this one as it would make more sense to build Norton as a heel rather than a babyface.  Time will tell but Mr. Wrestling II has a plan, and it seems like his pupils have bought in!  We might just see “The Flash” in WCW in the not-so-distant future. 

[Autistic Dragon]

Debeers may have already run his mouth a little too much if Simmons and Reed are talking about him.

Rogers is perfectly content to let his lady do his fighting for him.

Bad street may never be the same after The Grapplers show up.

The Rock n Roll Express are together again and ready to take it to both Missy's boyfriend Eddie and her "good friend"  John.

[spaldoni]

Debeers is a nuclear heat magnet! He better watch himself because both Reed and Simmons have eyes on him. 

Rogers is pretty smart to put young Jarrett in a no win situation. 

I have a feeling Arn and Tully will be holding gold soon, especially with the Williams knee injury. 

Looks like the Grapplers want to walk down Bad Street. However, Funk and Murdoch just might get there first. 

Fun main event with 2 surprise returns. Tatum's was cool, but man seeing RnR together again was the highlight. 

Wow, Hogan's not the only big name making headlines. Will WCW get Lawler? If they do, no doubt about it, Memphis is a lock. 

Piper's Pit is where things happen. Perfect place for Jake to debut. 

I'm interested to see how long Scott Norton can go as a babyface. But, then again, Mr. Wrestling 2 seems pretty confident in this plan. 

Enjoyed this report. 

[LowBlowPodcast]

Freebirds, Grapplers, Doom, Horsemen, Funk/Murdoch, Rock N Roll, Eddie and John.... WCW is STACKED in the tag division. I like the addition to WCW with Lawler coming in... Piper's pit is going to be electric... now we've got Power Plant Power Hour (trademark pending) with some new names coming up.

[Control21]

Deebers should consider assuming a new identity and traveling as far away as possible because once Ron Simmons gets his hands on him....

Arn Anderson and Tully are a formidable tag team, can anyone stop them?

Jerry Lawler in WCW would be huge, especially as they focus on the South a bit more. Tennessee could become WCW's new backyard with Music City and Memphis now out of business. 

Scott Norton is going to be a big star for WCW! I see a lot of potential there.

Great write-up this week. I enjoyed all the details and insights as WCW gains momentum in the new year. 

 

[Scarlet-Left]

Dusty Rhodes versus Terry Funk back-to-back with Ric Flair versus Sting! Wow, wow, wow! The tag team division is suitably stacked.

[kevinmcfl]

 

NASHVILLE AUDITORIUM

FEBRUARY 15, 1989

 

The night starts with the camera flying over the excited crowd and it lingers over many of the children in the crowd, some of the couples who have come to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, some of the typical Nashville type men who are ready to see some huge haymakers thrown and some rather hot country females including one rather fit , attractive black women in a cowboy hat. 

Both Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross hype up all the great action we are about to see and really focus on the fact that WCW has this great event, live for everyone at home here on the Superstation WTBS. 

 

Colonel Debeers vs Sam Houston

The Backstory:  Ever sense his arrival in WCW, Debeers brand of racism and anti-American views has rubbed everyone the wrong way.  Time and time again, he has refused to get in the ring with black wrestlers who he believes are beneath him.  His views have brought the ire of Tony Atlas, Hacksaw Butch Reed and Ron Simmons.  When Jerry Jarrett recently tried to force him into a match with Atlas, Debeers refused for two reasons.  First, he went into a racist tirade which Jarrett threatened to fire Debeers.  Next, Debeers started ranting about the rampant use of steroids that are obviously running through the veins of Atlas, Reed and Simmons.  He pointed out that the success of people like that can only be explained through cheating and he would NEVER get into the ring where he knew the deck was stacked against him.  In the end, it seems that Debeers somehow managed to handpick his opponent tonight… a white, gangly young buck …. Sam Houston.

The Match:  The problems started before the bell even sounded as Colonel Debeers refused to wrestle Sam Houston because the assigned referee was Teddy Long, a black man.  Debeers grabbed the house microphone while pointing at Teddy Long

Col Debeers:  That is a black man.  I will not have a black man referee my matches.  These people take orders from men like me.  I do not take orders from men like that. 

Debeers gets right in the face of Long and is pointing at him to leave the ring.  Give Teddy Long some credit as he just stands there.  He doesn’t let Debeers get to him and he also doesn’t leave.  The crowd is screaming at Debeers and the announcers seem to think that we are at an impasse at that the match will not take place.

Suddenly, ref Pee Wee Anderson comes to the ring and gets his fair share of boos as the crowd senses that Debeers will get his way.  Anderson goes to Teddy Long and whispers something to him.  You can tell Long is not happy as he throws his hands up in the air and then exits the ring. 

Before Pee Wee can even call for the bell, Debeers has attacked Sam Houston with his military cane.  We get a few minutes of complete rule-breaking before Debeers connects with the reverse piledriver for the win. 

Debris follows Debeers on his walk back to the locker room.  If heat is what WCW wants for Debeers, he has succeeded 10-fold!

 

 

Lord Humongous with Oliver Humperdink vs Jim Powers

The backstory:  Week after week we have seen young Jim Powers come out on TV and get a gritty win over some jobber who used questionable tactics.  We have also seen Lord Humongous break in half anyone put in front of him and then hear from Oliver Humperdink how Humongous can’t be stopped at Miami Mayhem where he will win the timed-entry battle royal to earn a WCW World Title shot and become the next champion.

The Match:  So, one of these two streaks will come to an end tonight at Clash of Champions and I bet you can guess which one. 

Lord Humongous destroys Jim Powers in under 2 minutes and leaves him a crumpled mess after a devastating powerbomb.

 

 Rip Rogers with Terri Powers vs Jeff Jarrett

The Backstory:  Rip Rogers has been all over Jeff Jarrett since his arrival in WCW; claiming that the only reason he is here is because of his Daddy.  Jarrett has been Sucker Punched by Rogers and even had to deal with Rogers using his valet, Terri Powers to do his work as he sent her in to fight Jarrett.  Being the gentlemen that he is, Jarrett refused to hit a women but he did have to endure a few shots from this rather muscular lady.  Many believe that Jeff will be in for a tough one tonight as somehow this match will turn into a 2-1 attack. 

The Match:  As you would expect, Rip tried to get the best of Jarrett by attacking before the bell, but Jarrett grew up in a wrestling family and knew what to expect from the likes of Rip Rogers.  Jarrett blocked the attack and went on to throw a few punches of his own before taking the match to the technical side with a few arm bars and head scissors.  The next segment saw the dirty tactics of both “The Hustler” and his valet as Rogers gained the momentum.  It looked like it was over as Rogers was going for the “Ripperplex” but somehow Jarrett fought his way off the top rope.  We get a few minutes of back and forth before Jarrett is back on top.  Terri Powers is beside herself and hits the ring. 

WHAM… Terri clobbers Jarrett with a right hand… and this is not some little old lady throwing blows.

The ref calls for the bell and the DQ but Rip and Terri keep on the attack!  There is a murmur from the crowd!

WHAM… that fit looking black lady from the opening is in the ring and lets just say she is every bit as strong as Terri Powers.  Her first blow is to Rogers.  Terri looks confused but then winds up with her own sledgehammer.  It is blocked!  A kick to the gut by the newcomer and Terri doubles over.

WHAM… a snap suplex that was like a rocket! 

Jarrett is up and all over Rogers.  The black women is all over Terri! 

Eventually, Rip and Terri are able to escape to safety, but you can tell they are both confused and concerned.  Who was that lady and why did she help Jeff Jarrett?

 

The Rock n Roll Express vs The Long Riders (Bass & Bart)

The Backstory:  Robert Gibson had been inactive since Thanksgiving due to an eye injury suffered at the hands of the Latin Connection.  He recently returned to help his long term partner who was being attacked by Hot Stuff Inc. (Eddie Gilbert, John Tatum and Missy Hyatt)  While the Rock n Roll Express still has unsettled business with Hot Stuff Inc., The Long Riders, Black Bart and Ron Bass recently returned to WCW and interrupted an interview with The Rock n Roll Express where Jim Ross was hyping up the Express being back together and he was sure they would be in the title picture very soon.  Bass and Bart seemed to think that they were the team that should be getting a title shot and not these Daggummitt sissy boys and their bandanas.  So here we are…

The Match:  As you would expect!  A few momentum changes… some dirty tactics by the heels, a great job of playing the Face in Peril by Morton,  A missed Double Leg Drop off the top rope by Black Bart, a hot tag to Gibson, we go Bonzo Gonza for a few minutes with all four in the ring, a Double Drop kick by the Express.  1…2…3!  The Rock n Roll Express are back in a Big Way!

 

 

SPECIAL SEGMENT:  PIPER’S PIT WITH JAKE “THE SNAKE” ROBERTS

The Scene:  The camera pans in on the typical Piper’s Pit set where we see Roddy Piper in his traditional kilt, black belt and white Superman T-Shirt.  His guest, Jake “The Snake” Roberts is seated in a chair wearing jeans and a orange T-shirt and he has brought a special guest of his own… Damien!

Roddy Piper:  Hello everybody… Joining me tonight is my very special guest…. Jake “The Snake” Roberts.”  Jake… let me be the first to welcome you and your friend here to WCW.  For those of you who don’t know, Jake and I spent some time together up North and let me be the first to tell you, Jake means business!  Hey Jake, as you know, I’m from Scottland and don’t know much about snakes.  What kind of tricks does this guy do for you?

Jake Roberts:  Damien doesn’t do tricks.  That’s why I like him.  Ya see, Damien and I are a lot alike.  What you see is what you get.  I don’t do things that others want me to do.  I got my own mind.  But Roddy, sooner or later you got to expect one thing.  When you play with snakes and keep playing with them day after day, at some time you’re going to get bit. 

Roddy Piper:  I think I’m starting to like this Damien guy myself.  I mean Old Hot Rod has always beaten to his own drum if you know what I mean.  So what does Damien eat?

Jake Roberts:  Anything I give him… small animals… rabbits, frogs, mice. 

Roddy Piper:  Well I must admit that Hot Rod has never been afraid of anything in his life but seating here, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if you got on the wrong side of the Snake.

Jake Roberts:  Well ya know, people can make mistakes in their lifetime but you always have to be able to afford to make that mistake.  But let me give this warning to anyone who thinks of crossing the Snake.  I am the one mistake you can’t afford to make.   

WHAM… It is a pineapple that has exploded on the head of Roddy Piper as he is attacked by Don Muraco.  Piper is a bloody mess as Jake and Damien just sit there.  Muraco is like a man possessed.  Eventually Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross take us to break in order to restore order. 

 

 

WCW WORLD TELEVISION TITLE MATCH

“Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert © with Missy Hyatt vs Brad Armstrong

The Backstory: Eddie Gilbert has been surviving as TV champion sense he told Jerry Jarrett that he wasn’t ready for the WCW and Big Time Wrestling and that he better not think any of his lowly Memphis Wrestlers could handle the spotlight of WCW and the TV title.  This led to a few matches with former Memphis star Ricky Morton and now we have another Memphis wrestler, Brad Armstrong attempting to take the television title.  While Gilbert may have put his foot in his mouth, “Hollywood” John Tatum has returned to Hot Stuff Inc., and along with interference from Missy Hyatt, Eddie has been able to walk out each night as the TV champion.

 

The Match:  The pattern continuous!  Brad looks to be on the verge of winning until Missy signals to the back for John Tatum.  Tatum could care less about the DQ as he goes right in to save Eddie’s title.  Some may say this is just to stay on the good side of Missy and that he could care less about Eddie Gilbert but that is a story for another day.  As Tatum, Gilbert and Hyatt are putting the boots to Brad Armstrong, there is an explosion from the crowd like no other!

Jim Ross:  Could it be!!!!  Yes!!!  Here in Tennessee… It’s Jerry “The King” Lawler and he is all over both Eddie Gilbert and John Tatum!  He hurls Tatum to the floor.   Drops the strap on his singlet while backing Gilbert to the corner.  He starts throwing big right hand after big right hand. 

The crowd is getting each blow and Lawler finally stops at 12.  Missy Hyatt has exited the ring and is looking on in horror!  Lawler turns to the crowd and gives the piledriver signal and they go wild.

Lucky for Gilbert, Missy gathered herself and dragged her man to safety before Lawler could catch him.

Hot Stuff Inc leaves while the crowd celebrated the return of The King!! 

 

WCW UNITED STATES TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH

The Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin) © vs The Grapplers

The Backstory:  Not much here.  The WCW Tag Team Division is stacked right now.  The Grapplers have been on a roll and have been calling out the Freebirds after each win saying they deserve the titles.  Hayes and Garvin are not people who back down from a challenge, so here we are. 

 

The Match:  Not too much to say here.  The fan favorites are as dirty as the heels in the match so those guys caught on camera at the opening who looked like your typical Nashville man just wanting to see some haymakers thrown, got exactly what they wanted in this match.  In the end, we get a Double Count-Out as the match spilled out into the floor and never returned to the ring. 

 

MAIN EVENT

The Horsemen (Flair, Arn, & Tully) with Women vs Lex Luger, Sting, and Ted Dibiase

The Backstory:  First of all, the big new here is that Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson are the new WCW World Tag Team Champions.  This occurred two weeks ago right on the regular Saturday WTBS show.  The champs, Ted Dibiase and Dr. Death had not wrestled since Wrestlecade on December 26^th due to an injury suffered by Dr. Death.  With about 15 minutes left in the two-hour show, the Horsemen (Arn, Tully, Flair and Women) interrupted an interview with the champs and they demanded that Jerry Jarrett come out.  When he did, they pointed out that Dibiase and Dr. Death had not wrestled in 30 days and by contract, if they did not wrestle that night, they would have to have their titles vacated. 

Jarrett, visible disappointed, had no choice but to agree.  Tully and Arn seemed to have a lightbulb go off and said that if Dibiase and Dr. Death wrestled them right now, they could have a snowball’s chance in Hell of saving their titles.  Dr. Death admitted that he was in no shape to wrestle but Dibiase agreed to the match.  This basically became a 2-1 as Dr. Death was a non-factor.  With about 30 seconds to go in the show, Arn and Tully connected with a double team of an Arn spinebuster and a Tully slingshot suplex to win the titles!

The following week, Ric Flair was having a grand time during his promo about how Dibiase was a fool to accept the match.  Dibiase came out and admitted that Arn and Tully got the best of him last week but he knew that if he ever stepped foot in the ring with Ric Flair, he knew he would leave as the champion. 

We all know the beef between Sting and Luger with the Horsemen.  Throw in the situation with Dibiase and Flair and here we are.

 

The Match:  Let’s keep this simple.  We all know that everyone is going to get some shine during the match and that the ending would be crazy.  So let’s just say this… Dibiase was right.  He could beat Ric Flair and he did.  With Sting and Luger battling Arn and Tully on the outside, it was Dibiase with a clean win over the WCW World Champion with a superplex!

 

 

 

[LowBlowPodcast]

It is hard to book streaks... Powers and Humongous is a case in point... and Humungous is the real deal... we all know it and he walks away with his streak intact... Lawler comes out to a huge pop and really brings a fun element to WCW... Main Event... how to make a man in a minute... Ted Dibiase with the win over Flair... oh what he could have done in WCW if they pulled the trigger back in 87. I am excited to see how this shakes out over the long run.

[Autistic Dragon]

WCW may seriously want to consider special security for Debeers.

Humongous says there's only room for one streak in WCW.

Double J found himself a workaround for dealing with Terri.

The RnR Express is reunited and it feels so good.

Roberts seemed to be expecting something there. Interesting.

The King is in WCW!

Dibiase may have lost the tag titles but he just scored himself a shot at the World title.

[Scarlet-Left]

I'd love to see Colonel DeBeers have to take on Ron Simmons! Nice squash here for Lord Humongous! Great angle with Jeff Jarrett and Jacqueline Moore! Loved the Jake Roberts interview! Awesome save from Jerry Lawler! Excellent TV main event, with an explosive finish! 

[spaldoni]

Oh man, Debeers is going to start causing riots. I can't wait until Reed, Atlas or Simmons gets a hold of him. 

I like how your booking Humongous as the unbeatable monster. I can't wait to see which babyface powerhouse steps up to him. 

Awesome way to introduce Jarrett's counter to Powers. 

Bad timing for a Long Riders comeback. No way was this going to overshadow the return of the RnR Express. 

Very cool Piper's Pit. We get another classic Jake promo followed by a vicious attack by Muraco. The thing about Jake is we really don't know what he was thinking during that attack. Piper, Jake and Muraco, what a segment. 

The King has returned to Tennessee! What a great moment! There's so much Lawler can do in WCW. 

The Freebirds and Grapplers will always give you what you expect. 

First off, wow Tully and Arn are the new world champs! Next, Dibiase scores the pin on Flair! Flair/Dibiase world title matches are going to be money! You can't go wrong here. 

Great show Kev! 

[kevinmcfl]

 

 

Fall Out From Clash of Champions:  St. Valentine’s Day massacre

 

"The Million Dollar Man"  Ted Dibiase- 

 

               While his time as WCW World Tag Team Champion with his partner “Dr. Death” Steve Williams might have come to an end, “The Million Dollar Man” Ted Dibiase might just be the next WCW World Champion.  His recent pin of world champion “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in a tag team match at Clash of Champions has propelled him to a world title shot at Miami Mayhem.  Ric Flair was in the middle of an interview on TV where he was talking about how Dibiase had cheated at Clash of Champions and that there was no way Dibiase could ever beat him in a real match when Jerry Jarrett came out and announced that Dibiase would face Flair at the next pay-per-view.  Flair threw a big hissy fit claiming that Dibiase didn’t deserve the shot as he has not been involved in any singles matches in over a year.  Jarrett didn’t even seem to hear Flair and hyped up the big upcoming match.  Later in the show, a real calm, confident and direct Ted Dibiase let everyone know that his first pin of Ric Flair was not a fluke and that in less than a month, he would be the new WCW World Champion. 

 

 Colonel Debeers-

               As a result of his racist and Anti-American verbal assaults since arriving in WCW, he has become enemy #1 to the WCW wrestling fans.  The anger toward Debeers only got worse after Clash of Champions after Debeers refused to wrestle until WCW replaced Teddy Long as the scheduled referee due to his skin color.  On this week’s show, Jerry Jarrett actually apologized to the fans for sending in Pee Wee Anderson as a replacement referee for Teddy Long.  He said that he did not want to make the fans at the arena and those at home miss out of the action of Debeers vs Sam Houston so he made the decision to switch referees.  Jarrett admitted that this was the wrong choice and that Debeers does not control WCW and that includes who he wrestles and who the official is.  When Debeers came out and conftonted Jarrett and said that he will not wrestle any black man, a man on steroids or someone he considers beneath him and that goes for the referee as well.  Jarrett simply replied that he was in charge and that Debeers will wrestle who he says, when he says and with whatever referee he says or he can look for another job. When Debeers began to complain, Jarrett walked away!

 

 Who came to the aid of Jeff Jarrett?

Fans at home were smitten by a fit and attractive black lady during the opening pictures of the crowd at Clash of Champions.  Low and behold, this lady came out of the stands to aid Jeff Jarrett who was being double teamed by Rip Rogers and Terri Powers.  She came in like a house a fire with a kick to The Hustler and then a huge right hand to Terri.  While the crowd loved what they saw, they had no idea who this person was.  This week on TV, we find out that she is Miss. Tennessee and that her and Jeff have known each other for some time.  Jeff had contacted her when Rip Rogers put him in a No-Win situation when he sent in Terri to fight him.  Jeff knew that if he fought back, it would look bad and if he got beat up by a girl when he didn’t fight back, it would look bad.  So, he called the only women he knew that could give Terri a fight while he dealt with Rip Rogers.  This two seem ready for anything as this one has captured the attention of all of WCW. 

 

 Is there a relationship between Don Muraco and Jake “The Snake” Roberts?

After watching Jake “The Snake” Roberts sit there while Don Muraco attacked Roddy Piper on Piper’s Pit at Clash of Champions, all the WCW fans Jake  was talking about Roddy Piper making a mistake that he couldn’t handle when he said that if you play with snakes all the time, eventually you will get bite.  This situation became no clearer this week on TV as Snake simply explained his actions at Clash of Champions by saying that every decision that a snake makes has been well thought out and planned.  With both Snake, Piper and Muraco spending a lot of time together up north, there could be some underlying issue that we at WCW do not know about.  The only thing that we know for sure is that Muraco felt comfortable enough to come on to Piper’s Pit and attack Hot Rod.  When Muraco was questioned about his reason for the attack, he reminded everyone that it was Roddy Piper who had hit him with a low blow back at Wrestlecade. 

 

What is Jerry Lawler doing in WCW?

Jerry Lawler’s well-timed arrival in WCW saved Brad Armstrong from a 3-1 attack from Eddie Gilbert, John Tatum and Missy Hyatt.  While it was a good thing for Lawler to be in Nashville, why exactly was he there.  Most believe that Jerry Jarrett knows the importance of Jerry Lawler to WCW’s plan to expand into Tennessee and offered him a rather large contract.  Besides wanting to bring Tennessee fans to WCW now that Memphis Wrestling has gone out of business, Lawler might also be in WCW to help put Eddie Gilbert’s foot in his own mouth.  Hot Stuff recently told Jarrett that there was nobody from Memphis who belonged in WCW and that he should stop wasting everyone’s time by putting former Memphis wrestlers in the ring against him for the WCW World Television Title.  Whatever the reason, Lawler is a welcomed addition with WCW returning to the Mid-South Coliseum in April. 

 

 WCW World Tag Team Title Situation!

Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are the new WCW World Tag Team Champions but the big question is who will there first title defense be against.  We already know that the title will be on the line on February 27^th at Miami Mayhem.  This was an unplanned title change and was forced when Dr. Death recently injured his leg at Wrestlecade.  With so little time to get this set up, Jerry Jarrett added a 4 Corner Match on TV with the winner getting the title shot next week.  The four teams involved were the Grapplers, The Rock n Roll Express, Ron Simmons & Hacksaw Butch Reed and Dick Murdoch and Terry Funk.  This was not an elimination match and anyone could pin anyone.  After everyone had a little time to shine, we see Terry Funk come off the top rope with an elbow drop to Grappler #1 who had just nailed Robert Gibson with a loaded mask headbutt.  As Gibson staggered into the ropes Funk made the tag which the Grappler did not see.  The Grappler was covering Gibson when he was nailed by Funk.  Funk simple rolled the Grappler over and got the win.  Arn and Tully better be ready for anything as Murdoch and Funk are unpredictable and unquestionably two of the toughest every to step foot in the ring.

 

So What is Going on at the Power Plant:

Last thing we heard was that Mr. Wrestling II and Scott Norton were working on perfecting his gimmick as the Flash.  While that continues to progress, Wrestling II has also been spending a lot of time with Booker T Huffman and Lash Huffman.  These two brothers are large black men with a lot of size and charisma.  Mr. Wrestling II is trying to teach these two the ins-and-outs of the business from both the babyface perspective and heel perspective as you never know what the Bog Company wants.  With that being said, they are spending time as a babyface team known as the Ebony Express as well as a heel team known as Jive Bros.  Mr. Wrestling II has also suggested to Lash that he change his name which he has did to Stevie Ray; a combination of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.  Mr. Wrestling II believes that WCW might break these brothers up into singles wrestlers and might only need one of them so he has also given them singles angles to work on.  Booker T is GI Bro and Stevie Ray is the Masked Heel.  Only time will tell if these two make it and what side of the wrestling tracks will they be on. 

 

 

 

Women’s Match

Madusa Micelli vs Wendy Richter

 

 

WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH

Arn Aderson & Tully Blanchard © with Woman vs Terry Funk & Dick Murdoch

 

WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH

Ric Flair © with Woman vs Ted Dibiase

 

MAYHEM MATCH

25 Man Timed Entry Battle Royal with Winner Getting a World Title Shot At WrestleWar

[Autistic Dragon]

Good to see Jerry put his foot down with Debeers.

Meanwhile Jeff introduces the crowd to Ms Tennessee.

I'm not sure who the fans will route for when The Texas Outlaws take on The Horsemen.

Dibiase vs Flair could be a scientific masterclass....or a trip to the gutter. Maybe even both.

Mr Wrestling 2 has some interesting ideas for the Huffman brothers.

[spaldoni]

Flair vs. Dibiase is going to rock Miami! 

I can only hope Jarrett signs Debeers vs. Reed. 

I think Powers has met her match.

Love the slow burn with Jake. He's in a perfect mix right now with Piper and Muraco. 

If WCW is going into Memphis, then it makes total sense for Lawler to be a part of that. Can you imagine a Flair/Lawler world title match at the Mid South Coliseum. MONEY! 

Arn and Tully vs. Funk and Murdoch. Oh yea, Mayhem in Miami! 

I like hearing about the Power Plant. Good way to bring attention to the new guys coming in. 

[kevinmcfl]

 

PRESENT

Miami Arena

February 27, 1989

 

 

Women’s Match

Madusa Micelli vs Wendy Richter

     

As WCW decides the direction of their Women’s Division, Jerry Jarrett decided to judge the fan’s reaction to the two biggest names he could think of.  Madusa has been with WCW for a while now but has not seen a lot of action due to a lack of competition.  Jarrett decided to pay the daily fee here for Richter and see what the future holds.

 

These two put on a great show with the win coming by way of the Power Bomb by Madusa over Richter.  If the fan’s reaction means anything to Jarrett, it is time to get this division off the ground. 

 

 

WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH

Arn Aderson & Tully Blanchard © with Woman vs Terry Funk & Dick Murdoch

       

While Anderson and Blanchard may know every dirty trick in the book, Funk and Murdoch are like a tornado of barroom brawlers that Arn and Tully are struggling to contain.  Lucky for the champions that this action spilled out onto the arena floor.  While Arn and Tully were bloodied pretty good, the ref had no choice but to count both teams out.  With the Double Count-Out, the champs saved their titles.

 

 

WCW WORLD TITLE MATCH

Ric Flair © with Woman vs Ted Dibiase

Instant classic!  Not going to go into too many details here but this was a match for the ages with a tainted finish as Flair pins Dibiase.  Dibiase was able to get his foot across the bottom rope at the count of two, but Woman shoved it off before the ref saw it and Teddy Long completed his 3-count. 

 

 

MAIN EVENT

THE MAYHEM MATCH

WINNER GETS A WCW WORLD TITLE SHOT AT WRESTE WAR

 

Jim Ross:  It is now time for the Mayhem Match.  The rules are simple… two men will enter the ring and wrestle for 2-minutes. At the end of the two minutes, another man will enter the match. Elimination can occur at anytime when an individual is thrown over the top rope to the floor with both feet touching the ground. After all 25 participants have entered, the final man standing in the ring will be the winner. Now, let’s get ready for the most exciting hour in all of wrestling… the individual who drew number 1… “Dr. Death” Steve Williams!   

The man who drew number 2… coming to us from South Africa… the man we all love to hate… Col. Debeers! 

Dr. Death gets a huge ovation from the crowd as this is his first real action in 1989 but Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross are very concerned about the health of that injured right leg and the fact that he drew such an awful number.    Debeers walks slowly to the ring as the boos rain down on him.  When he gets to the apron, he demands the house microphone where he announces that he will not get involved right now as it is obvious that Dr. Death is on steroids as no human can be that strong naturally.  Debeers adds that he will not fight cheaters.  Suddenly, Jerry Jarrett comes up from behind Debeers and announces that if he doesn’t get in the ring, right now, he will be suspended indefinitely.  Debeers, understanding where his paycheck comes from, gets in the ring and Dr. Death attacks like a man possessed.  The only problem was that Debeers had stalled enough that help is soon on the way. 

Number 3  is… from Tehran, Iran… making his WCW debut, The Iron Sheik. 

The Sheik runs to the ring and quickly attacks Dr. Death.  After Dr. Death is slowed, we get the most sickening moment of the night as Debeers and Sheik hug each other before continuing their attack on Dr. Death. 

The siren goes off as Jim Ross announces #4… Sting! 

The crowd once again explodes as Sting flies into the ring with a Stinger Splash on The Sheik followed by a Splash on Debeers.  We get a nice 2 v 2 segment with the babyfaces in control but still no eliminations.    

 

Number 5 - …making his WCW debut… the Russian Assassin…

Jim Ross hypes up the look of this man … 6’3… 250 pounds in a red jump suit with a red and yellow mask with a long chain around his neck.  Tony Schiavone praised ref Pee Wee Anderson who made the Russian Assassin leave the chain at the timekeepers table before getting in the ring.  The Russian quickly joins the team of Debeers and Sheik!  It seems like we are at war… America vs the World.  Unfortunately, it is a 3-2 fight and Sting and Dr. Death are barely holding on!

Number 6… Mr. USA… Tony Atlas! 

The crowd explodes as they know he is going right for Colonel Debeers.  The look of fear on Debeers face is priceless and he actually slides out of the ring and starts to run around the ring with Atlas in hot pursuit.  The problem for Debeers is that he can’t run for the entire two minutes and Atlas catches him! Debeers is being beaten from pillar to post but it looks like Atlas wants to continue to attack the man behind the racist remarks so he makes no effort into eliminating him.   

#7…from parts unknown … the mysterious… the undefeated… Lord Humongous. 

Lord Humongous slowly makes his way to the ring with Oliver Humperdink joining him.  The smile on Humperdink’s face just oozes confidence.  The monster hits the ring and right away hits a double clotheline on Dr. Death and the Iron Sheik and they both tumble over the top rope.  Humongous now has his sight set on Atlas but lucky for Tony, the siren goes off and we get the next entrant to the Mayhem Match. 

Eliminated… Dr. Death and The Iron Sheik

#8… from one of the most famous wrestling families … Brad Armstrong. 

Unfortunately for Armstrong, his night is short lived.  Lord Humongous had just body slammed Sting and left him lying in the center of the ring.  As Brad come in to try and help Sting out, Lord Humongous scooped him up and press slammed him out to the arena floor.  Lord Humongous is a MONSTER.  We have Atlas trying to fend off both the Russian Assassin and Debeers and Sting barely holding on against Lord Humongous.    

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik Brad Armstong.

#9… from the Florida State Seminoles… the All-American… Ron Simmons. 

Simmons runs to the ring and the look of fear on Col. Debeers face is priceless.  It Is now 2-2 with Simmons and Atlas taking control of Debeers and the Russian Assassin with Sting still going blow for blow the Lord Humongous. 

 

#10… one half of the Long Riders… Black Bart. 

When Bart hits the ring, he decides to make it a 2-1 against Sting as he joins Lord Humongous. 

 

#11… from the Sudan… Abdullah the Butcher…

with bamboo stick in hand and Gary Hart in tow, Abbie drags himself up and into the ring and goes right for Sting.  It is now 3-1 with Sting trying to fight off nearly 1000 pounds a wildness.  Abbie hits an elbow drop followed by a double leg drop by Bart as Lord Humongous simply scoops up Sting and goes to toss him over the top rope.  Somehow Sting wiggles free and superkicks Black Bart right over the top rope.  An exhausted Sting leans on the rope to try and catch his breath.  This is a bad place to be in the Mayhem Match.  WHAM… Lord Humongous with a kick to the face sends Sting over the top rope.  Sting tries to hold on as his fingers are clutching at the rope.  WHAM… another boot by Humongous and out goes Sting.  WHAM… a huge lariat by Humongous and over the top rope goes the unexpecting 400-pound Abdullah the Butcher.  These were easily the most action packed two minutes so far. 

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting and Abdullah the Butcher

#12… The WCW United States Champion… The Total Package… Lex Luger. 

Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone hype up the thought that if anyone in WCW can stop Lord Humongous, it might just be Lex Luger.  Luger hits the ring and meets Humongous in the center of the ring and the two dominant forces have quite the stare down.  This lasts about 5 seconds before the right hands start flying.  This is a brawl like no other!  While this is still going on, Col. Debeers and The Russian Assassin are barely holding on as Atlas and Simmons are getting the better on that side of the ring.

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting and Abdullah the Butcher

Still In:  Col. Debeers, the Russian Assassin, Tony Atlas, Lord Humongous, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger

 

#13… Here comes Grappler #1 and he goes right after Lex Luger.  Luger, now in the fight for his life, somehow manages to hold off The Grappler and Lord Humongous until he gets help!

 

#14… and help he does get… from Memphis, Tennessee… The King… Jerry Lawler. 

Lawler heads straight for the Grappler.  This two have matched up many times in Memphis and they are brawling like there is unfinished business.  The ring now has 3 major fights going on.  We got Lawler-Grappler #1 in one corner, Lex and Humongous in the center of the ring and Tony Atlas/Ron Simmons vs Col. Debeers and The Russian Assassin on the other side.

#15… Grappler #2…  We know right we he is going! 

By the end of this segment the King is actually on the apron trying to hold off both Grapplers.  He is taking big time shots from both sides and it doesn’t look good. 

#16… from the WCW Power Plant… “The Flash” Scott Norton. 

The fans are not familiar with Norton but WCW has shown a few videos of what Mr. Wrestling II is doing at the Power Plant so many are excited to see the Flash.  Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone do a good job of telling his arm-wrestling background and hyping him up as he moves as quickly as a man his size can.  WHAM…a big chest bump sends one Grappler to the floor.   Norton hits the ropes and comes off with a shoulder block and out goes the second Grappler.  Jim Ross says “and that is why the call him the Fash.”  The Grapplers are out in the floor fuming.  They grab Norton’s legs  while ref Pee Wee Anderson is yelling at them to leave the arena.  Eventually the do but Col. Debeers has broken free from his brawl for just a second and nails the unexpecting Norton to the floor.  Tony Schiavone reminds everyone that this was Norton’s first time in the ring and that he still has a lot to learn.  Tony Atlas rushed over and continues his attack on Debeers! 

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, and Abdullah the Butcher, Sting, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Scott Norton

Still In:  Col. Debeers, the Russian Assassin, Tony Atlas, Lord Humongous, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger,  Jerry Lawler.

#17… “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert with Missy Hyatt sexily leading the way… 

When Jerry Lawler heard this,he was all smiles.  He left Luger to deal with Humongous and actually held the rope down for Eddie Gilbert.  Gilbert very cautiously entered the ring and WOW, the brawl was on.  Lawler’s strap was off and the punches were flying.  Gilbert was down but that might have been the safest place for him as he was not going over the top rope.  The way Lawler was attacking, it looked like getting at Gilbert was his main reason for coming to WCW.  Missy Hyatt was screaming at Lawler and Pee Wee Anderson but there was nothing she could do. 

 

#18… Hollywood John Tatum.  Missy Hyatt is jumping up and down for her “second” man in the Mayhem match.  She is urging him to get to the ring faster but just as he gets there, she goes and gives him a peck on the cheek. 

Tatum goes right to the ring and goes 2-1 with Gilbert against the King.  Also during this segment, the crowd got exactly what they wanted as Ron Simmons hit the shoulder block on Colonel Debeers and Tony Atlas press slammed him over the top rope.  Next, Reed and Simmons focus on sending the Russian Assassin over the top rope but somehow this newcomer is hanging on.

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting and Abdullah the Butcher, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Scott Norton, and Colonel Debeers.

#19… Hacksaw Butch Reed…

Reed comes rushing to the ring but he might have come to quickly.  Waiting right behind the steel guardrail was Colonel Debeers who had snatched the Russian Assassin’s steel chain.  WHAM… Debeers levels Hacksaw with the chain and then begins to choke Reed.  After nearly two minutes outside the ring, Debeers rolls Reed into the ring and then climbs back into the ring even though he was already eliminated.  Debeers then tosses Reed over the top rope and he is dangling by the chain.  Jim Ross is screaming that Debeers is going to kill him!  Also, Lawler looks to be in trouble against Tatum and Gilbert. 

 

#20  … “The Outlaw”  Ron Bass…

Bass comes running to the ring.  Tony Atlas and Ron Simmons see the predicament that Reed is in and rush to his aid.  From behind, Atlas clobbers Debeers forcing him to let go of the chain.  Unfortunately, this also sends Reed crashing to the arena floor and he is eliminated.  Simmons sends Debeers hurdling over the top rope.  By now, Lawler is half in and half out of the ring as he is struggling with Tatum and Gilbert.  Missy Hyatt is screaming with excitement as she loves what she is seeing.   Luger and Humongous continue their brawl as the Russian Assassin takes a momentum to catch his breath as Simmons and Atlas dealt with Debeers for the second time.  Bass takes the opportunity to go after Luger in a move that he thought was safe as Humongous would have his back?

 

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting and Abdullah the Butcher, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Scott Norton, Colonel Debeers and Hacksaw Reed

Still In:  the Russian Assassin, Tony Atlas, Lord Humongous, Eddie Gilbert, Ron Simmons, Lex Luger,  Jerry Lawler, John Tatum, and Ron Bass

#21… from Glascow, Scotland … “the Hot Rod” …

Roddy Piper!  Piper struts to the ring with a huge grin on his face.  Just after Piper entered the ring, Simmons and Atlas hurled The Russian Assassin over the top rope.  Simmons and Atlas then rush over to help Luger and together, the powerhouse trio of Luger, Atlas and Simmons are finally able to get Humongous over the top rope but Humongous held on to Luger and dragged him with him.   Luger and Humongous both collapse on the arena floor as neither has the energy left to stand up.  Piper goes right to Ron Bass and nails him with a low blow. 

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting and Abdullah the Butcher, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Scott Norton, Colonel Debeers and Hacksaw Reed, The Russian Assassin, Lex Luger and Lord Humongous

#22…  From Honolulu, Hawaii… “The Magnificent” Muraco…

Muraco rushes in and goes right after Roddy Piper.  These two obviously have unfinished business.    Ron Simmons is all over Ron Bass as he has separated from his alliance with Atlas who has gone to help Lawler deal with Tatum and Gilbert. 

#23… “The Hustler” … Rip Rogers…

 

Rogers hits the ring with Terri Powers leading the way.  We now have brawling all over the ring with no set pairings except for Piper vs Muraco. 

 

 

#24… Jeff Jarrett…

As Jarrett enters the ring, the group kind of separates again into a few mini-fights.  It is Lawler, Atlas and Jarrett vs Tatum, Gilbert and Rip Rogers on one side, Ron Simmons and Ron Bass on the other and Piper vs Muraco front and center. 

#25… Making his WCW in-ring debut… Jake “The Snake” Roberts…

Now things are going to get interesting.  At Clash of Champions, Jake Roberts did nothing to help anyone figure out which side of the roster he was going to be siding with but this should answer a lot of questions. Snake slithers in, and with a wry smile takes notice of the landscape.  Snake saunters over to the corner with Ron Simmons and Ron Bass.  WHAM… DDT on Simmons.  Snake points at the fallen Simmons and tells Bass to toss him over the top rope which is happily does.  Snake extends his hand to Bass as the crowd the crowd is booing.  As Ron goes to shake his hand, WHAM… DDT on Ron Bass and then Snake tosses Ron over the top rope.

Eliminated… Dr. Death, The Iron Sheik, Brad Armstong, Black Bart, Sting, Abdullah the Butcher, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Scott Norton, Colonel Debeers, Hacksaw Reed, The Russian Assassin, Lex Luger, Lord Humongous, Ron Simmons and Ron Bass.

Still In:  Tony Atlas, Eddie Gilbert, Jerry Lawler, Roddy Piper, John Tatum, Don Muraco, Rip Rogers, Jeff Jarrett and Jake Roberts. 

While the fans are still left to wonder about Jake Roberts, Jeff Jarrett and Rip Rogers are on the apron trading blows.  Tony Atlas comes in with a clothesline to Rogers which sends him flying but before JJ can gather his thoughts, he is shoved to the floor by Eddie Gilbert!

We now have Atlas and Lawler vs Eddie Gilbert and John Tatum, Muraco vs Piper… and Jake “The Snake” just slithering around.  Atlas has Gilbert dangling over the rope when the ever-so-opportunistic Snake rushes in a sends them both to the floor.  It is now Lawler vs Tatum , Muraco vs Piper + Snake Roberts. 

Lawler with a kick to the gut on Tatum and a huge upper cut sends Hollywood to the floor.  Interesting thing here is that Eddie Gilbert seems frustrated with Hollywood Tatum and the two are having words as Missy Hyatt tries to calm the situation.  We know have Lawler, Piper, Muraco and Snake left in the ring.

Snake slowly heads towards Piper and Muraco… WHAM… another DDT on the Surprised Roddy Piper.  Again, Snake extends his hand… this time to Muraco.  Muraco with a big grin, extends his… the two embrace and then the Hawaiian Hammer disposes of the fallen Piper! 

Snake and Muraco close-in on Lawler.

But Muraco rushed in a little two fast and Lawler steps to the side, grabs Muraco by the back of the head and tosses him over the top rope.

It is now Snake vs The King for a World Title Shot at Wrestle War!

We get a good back and forth with Snake blocking a Lawler Pilerdriver with a back body drop and Lawler somehow escaping the DDT by ramming Snake into the corner.  After these two have completely worn each other out, we see Lawler with the top rope fist drop which allowed him to eventually send the Snake over the top rope!

The winner of the Mayhem Match and the World Title shot at Wrestle-War is Jerry “The King” Lawler.

 

 

A few notes on the Mayhem Match

- First, this is the hardest match I have ever   and I hope that I was able to keep things straight and organized.  Sorry if it was hard to follow.

-I had a few goals in mind and not sure I did them all justice so here is what I was aiming for

1.  Continue to make Lord Humongous look unstoppable and start a bit of a rivalry with Lex Luger.

2.  Introduce some new “friends” for Colonel Debeers with The Iron Sheik and the Russian Assassin.  Hoping this turns into the most hated stable in WCW.

3.  Give some clarity as to the direction of Jake “Roberts.”  He will continue to be his own man but he has some problem with Roddy Piper that will continue to develop. 

4.  Most important, the WCW is a business and wants to continue to grow.  Having Jerry Lawler win this match and earn the title shot at WrestleWar guarantees a huge pay day as that event is the first time WCW will be in the Mid-South Coliseum.  Jerry Jarrett hopes this will solidify the Tennessee wrestling faithful as WCW fans for the foreseeable future.