[1993-05-23-WCW Slamboree] Barry Windham vs Arn Anderson

[Superstar Sleeze]

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Barry Windham vs Arn Anderson - WCW Slamboree 1993

Ahhhh Paul Roma as a Horsemen, that’s this show. The Horsemen were being presented as baby faces for the first time given it was Flair’s homecoming from up North. So it made sense why you couldn’t have Windham join as he was the heel Lone Wolf and would be Flair’s first feud. Tully snubbing them makes them look all the worse.

I am surprised this match doesn’t get a bit more play. Two well-respected wrestlers in the semi-main position with good action and blood. Arn is a pretty effective baby face. Windham showed in his 93 title reign what a Windham championship would have been. It is nothing innovative but he understands the fundamentals and executes them well. Are gets those near falls early; he wants to win quickly and is too overzealous putting pressure on himself. Windham catches with a Sweetwater right. Anderson retaliates with a DDT. Windham creates the transition in the ropes on the ramp. This is a classic heel NWA champ tactic. The transitions do NOT happen in the middle of the ring that’s domain of the baby faces. It happens in the ropes and the corner because that’s where shady shit happens. Windham slugs him with a great right. He gets a DDT on his own. Anderson shows he is no member of the Clergy himself thank you Larry Z for that line as he plays dirty on the outside busting Windham open on the railing, he goes to work on the cut. Windham gets Okada drop kick to a top rope opponent 30 years before it was cool. Windham was an insane athlete. Suplex on the floor. Windham blocks the gourdbuster into a beautiful float over suplex. Andersen gets a last ditch Spinebuster. Windham powders and looks tuck tail and run. And brings him back in. Not the best finish, Arn shoves the ref when gets overzealous in the corner and BW blasts him with the Big Gold Belt to win. Odd finish aside (I get you have to protect AA but there’s many ways to skin a cat) I thought this was a good meat & potatoes match. *** 1/4