WCW 1993 : A New World of Sport

[mmaaddict]

Steve Williams vs Big Van Vader
Rick Steiner vs Larry Zbyzsko
Lex Luger vs Arn Anderson
Rick Rude vs Scott Steiner
Ron Simmons vs Ric Flair - DRAW
Ricky Steamboat vs Brian Pillman
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Kevin Sullivan
Nobuhiko Takada vs Sting

[CactusHack]

George Takano signed an exclusive contract with All Japan.

Kevin Nash signed a three year contract extension to WCW, collecting a reasonable raise in the process. The 33 year old will be making just under half a million per year.

Ultimo Dragon suffered a Bruised Pectoral Muscle while competing in Mexico.

John Tenta has signed a three year contract extension with the WWF for $575000 per year. The current WWF Tag Team champion has only wrestled one match so far this year.

Jushin Thunder Liger invented a new move that got over big time.

Luchador Fishman cracked his sternum during a trios match at a UWA show and will be out of action for a few weeks.

Penelope Paradise and Jack Victory have begun dating. Both young stars are well-liked in the industry.

Rene Goulet signed an 18 month extension with the WWF to continue on as a road agent. Goulet is nearing one decade of employment with the company.

Luchador Bird Man suffered a torn abdominal during a UWA show and will be out of action for three months.

Eddie Gilbert broke some fingers in Puerto Rico, but will tough it out.

WWA Mexico have closed their doors, declaring Bankruptcy. 

The Iron Sheik has announced his plan to retire in three months. He is currently signed to the WWF as Col. Mustafa.

Katsumi Usuda won an MMA fight.

CWA Europe is in financial crisis.

Mike Davis of the Power Plant Wrestling Tag Team, Rock N Roll RPMs, is going through a divorce with his long time partner.

ECWA grows to Small size.

Ken Shamrock wins his MMA fight.

Shinobu Kandori competed and won in her MMA fight.

Yoji Anjo wins MMA fight, improving to 2-0-0.

Mr. Sandman def. Stevie Richards to claim the ECW Television Championship for a second time.

Negro Casas def. Jose Luis Feliciano to claim the WWF Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

David Sammartino claimed the UWF Americas Championship for the second time.

Chicky Starr defeated Invader #1 to capture the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship for the first time. At the same show, Gran Mendoza won the WWC TV Title for the first time.

Don Callis won the vacant CRMW Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

Koji Kanemoto defeated Norio Honaga to win the UWF Super Middleweight Championship for the first time.

Octagon & Ultimo Dragon defeated Brazo de Oro & Misterioso to capture the CMLL World Tag Team Titles for the first time.

Negro Navarro def. Ultimo Dragon to win the UWA World Jr Light Heavyweight championship. This is his second reign.

The following workers have begun wrestling: Mizuki Wakatsuki and Chad McGraw

[CactusHack]

On WCW's Main Event show during Round 4, The Nubian Nightmares (Tony Norris and Action Jackson) continued their winning ways against the strange team of Minoru Suzuki and JW Storm. Minoru Suzuki was part of the UWFi promotion, and was encouraged by Nobuhiko Takada to make an excursion to America and get some experience in a WCW ring. Elsewhere, Rayo De Jalisco Jr defeated Jimmy Garvin, who continues to deteriorate in the ring, and continues his current storyline of not being good enough to compete at the WCW level. And lastly, in a shock upset, 28 year old luchador Blue Demon Jr pulled off the win over experienced brawler, Dick Slater.

JR's Indie Spotlight highlighted the Power Plant Wrestling team of Speed Eleven, Great Sasuke and Ultimo Dragon. The smaller team has been tearing it up in the lower division and is an early favourite for promotion to WCW's tag team division. Specifically, Ultimo Dragon has shown potential to be a major star as his in-ring ability continues to be greater than his peers. Also highlighted was Rob Van Dam, a 22 year old high flyer who spent most of 1992 getting some experience in ICW. Rob Van Dam has worked some dark matches for WCW and it's child promotions and has displayed a clear cut ability to stand out. Finally, JR highlighted Blue Demon Jr, the adopted son of legendary Lucha Libre icon and Movie Star Blue Demon. Also wrestling for the AAA promotion, Blue Demon Jr scored a massive upset victory over Dick Slater on an episode of Main Event, which has immediately put him in a position to succeed within WCW.

At the Power Plant, Round Three Night One was headlined by Eddie Gilbert and Manny Fernandez going head to head in a hard hitting brawl. Eddie Gilbert managed to maintain his undefeated season with a big victory over Manny. Not only did Eddie secure the win here, he was also the run-away performance of the round - for the fourth straight round. It was also the match of the Round across both divisions. In other big news, Chris Benoit shocked Shane Douglas by fighting to a double count out draw. Douglas has been determined to prove he's not minor league, and you could tell that this draw ate at him. Jeff Jarrett sat out of his match again due to his injury, and took the time to announce that he would not be cleared for his Round 5 match either.  Behind the scenes, there was a fair amount of heat on Shane Douglas for botching a move and causing a minor injury to Chris Benoit.

In the tag team division, Night Two was headlined by Speed Eleven vs The Moondogs - a great match that was hindered by a minor injury Ultimo Dragon was carrying. Speed Eleven got the win in the main event - but a story is developing with the winless team of The Moondogs. Rex and Spot have continually put on great performances despite being in their 40s and winless, and are starting to capture the home crowd's hearts. Elsewhere, Konnan and Eddie Guerrero managed to score an upset victory over Bob Orton and Black Bart to become the only undefeated team in the division. 

The match of the Round for the tag team division however went to Solar and Blue Panther versus The Simpsons, and Blue Panther also managed to dethrone Ultimo Dragon as the best performer of the division for the Round. Blue Panther and Solar scored the victory over The Simpsons, in a victory that was not expected.  

Round Four was headlined by The Magnificent Mimi versus Manami Toyota. The decision proved to be a popular one, as the match was ranked the best match of the Super Ladies Round Four. Manami Toyota continues to prove to be a star in the making, but the match went to 'The Greek Goddess' Mimi, who's character work continues to be one of the more engaging parts of the competition. Prior to their match up, Manami Toyota's scheduled interview with journalist Ken Resnick was interrupted by Mimi, who demanded to be the focal point of the show, question why Manami was being featured while an undefeated Goddess wasn't booked in the slot. Meanwhile, Lioness Asuka, Bull Nakano and Akira Hokuto all remained undefeated on the season.

After Wendi Richter scored her victory over Denise Storm, Akira Hokuto came out to stare down Wendi. And after weeks of struggling, defending champion of the Grand Prix Madusa scored her first victory of the 1993 season with a win over Bison Kimura. Madusa sat down with Nick Bockwinkel and discussed her poor start to the 93 season and the uphill battle that she faces to defend her throne. Madusa put over the Japanese talent that have taken over most of the competition, as it's elevated all talent and made the LWPA the most competitive female wrestling in the world. Her interview was interrupted by 'Miss Texas' Jacqueline, who expressed that the real talent around this joint comes from the South, not the far East.

In the great white north, Round Four was headlined by 'The Technical Savant' Lance Storm taking on the monster that is Rick Titan. Rick Titan pulled off the win to remain undefeated in a great match, however the match was outshone by Misawa's victory over Ben Bassarab. Masawa also remained undefeated here, capturing performance of the round for the fourth straight time. Misawa and Titan may be the only wrestlers with perfect records, but both Keith Hart and Chris Jericho managed to also remain undefeated after four rounds. On the unfortunate side of things, despite winning his match against Ed Moretti, Kid Kash suffered some knee ligament damage and will likely miss a round of action while recovering. In other news, Buddy Hart suffered a minor injury while wrestling a dark match against rookie Adam Copeland. The injury didn't stop him from competing, however during his match against Gerry Morrow, Gerry managed to exploit his injury to capture the win.

[1PWfan]

Steve Williams vs Big Van Vader

I would pay money to see this match. Vader takes the win to build towards a finale with Flair.

Rick Steiner vs Larry Zbyzsko

One of these guys is a future star, one is not.

Lex Luger vs Arn Anderson

I could see it going the other way for sure but I just figure Arn's technical ability fits better with the serious feel of the product.

 

Rick Rude vs Scott Steiner

Steiner's got bags of potential but Rude's at his peak right now

Ron Simmons vs Ric Flair for the United States Championship

I could see this going the other way as Flair's, well, Ric Flair, but at the same time Simmons is a rising prospect and it's not like Flair needs the US title anyway.

Ricky Steamboat vs Brian Pillman

A big upset to keep things interesting.

Bam Bam Bigelow vs Kevin Sullivan

I prefer Bigelow

Nobuhiko Takada vs Sting

I'm sure Takada's great but he ain't The Stinger

[CactusHack]

There was a one week delay in introducing WCW World Wide to television, so only two episodes were shot during the timeframe of Round Four of WCW's Grand Prix. The debut of WCW World Wide kicked off with the broadcast team for the show being revealed: Jim Ross, Paul E Dangerously, and Eric Bischoff. The team is excited to bring us the first ever broadcast of WCW to hit Japanese airwaves live! The format of the broadcast is revealed - at this time, World Wide with feature one Tag Team Grand Prix match and one Division Two Grand Prix match (effectively turning WCW Main Event into exhibition matches exclusively) as well as two exhibitions held under UWFi's rules to honour the fanbase and wrestlers of the deceased promotion. Lastly, World Wide will feature a weekly Special Attraction main event! The special attraction matches will allow for inter-division showcases, personal issues to be settled, and non-traditional rules to be utilized for special challenges. The show will also feature promotion for upcoming WCW Premier League matches, and sit down interviews for Premier League talents with host Jesse Ventura.

For those unfamiliar with Nobuhiko Takada's UWFi, the rules of their matches were as follows: The combatants would start with 15 points each. Points would be lost for knockout attempts, being at a disadvantage during a hold, and/or for breaking a hold by grabbing onto the ring ropes with hand(s) and/or feet. The only way to win was by submission, knockout (count of 10) or a wrestler's points being reduced to 0. The following exhibitions were fought under UWFi rules: Jushin Liger defeating 2 Cold Scorpio, Terry Gordy defeating Lance Storm, Great Muta defeating B Brian Blair, and Dave Finlay defeating British Icon Marty Jones.

In the Special attraction of week one, Nobuhiko Takada took on Tatsumi Fujinami in an international showcase. Unfortunately, the two did not have very good chemistry. Takada won and after their match he continued to beat on Fujinami until Sting came down for a stare down to hype their upcoming match. The second week saw Big Van Vader feature in a wild brawl with Dan Severn under UWFi rules, which Vader won via knockout. This match was amazing, stealing the show.

Rick Steiner and Larry Z locked up in the battle of the bottom. Both men were desperate to get their first win here - it's a much different look for the two men as in 92, they were both atop the tag team division. Rick Steiner comes out with his valet, Missy Hyatt, and occasionally is distracted by her. Nothing too special here though, neither man appears to be at the Premier League level. Larry ends up getting the win after racking Rick's eyes and rolling him up.

Larry Zbyzsko (1-3-0) def. Rick Steiner (0-4-0) in 16:40. The pair are tied one and one in Grand Prix action all time.

Vader and Dr. Death main evented Night One of Round Four, stealing the show with an all out war of big meaty men. Vader was accompanied by reigning TV champion Cactus Jack, while Steve Williams had Jody Hamilton, Dan Severn, Norman Smiley and Johnny B Badd all in his corner. Tony Schiavone hyped that next week, fellow Shooter's Club member Ken Shamrock would be competing in an MMA match, and would be returning to WCW shortly after his fight. After last year's match between Vader and Williams went the distance, both men were interested in getting a conclusive finish this year, as they were red hot out of the gate and never slowed down. There were moments that felt a bit off as the two big boys undersold each other's offence, but JR was quick to point out that they were too proud to show pain. Williams chopped the hell out of Vader's chest, turning The Mastadon's pecs purple. Vader took control after a vicious spinning backfist rocked Dr. Death, and mounted a brutal offensive combo. Dr. Death tried to stage a comeback, culminating in a mounted ten punch on the turnbuckles, but Vader ate them all and then powerbombed the holy hell out of Steve Williams for the three count. After the match, Big Van Vader taunted the rest of the Shooter's Club, and Jody Hamilton seemingly was game-planning with Dan Severn, which ended up leading to a match on World Wide. Vader remained perfect on the season, and Tony Schaivone asked if anyone can realistically best him, as he appears to have gotten to a new physical peak. Vader picked up First star for his amazing appearance.

Big Van Vader (4-0-0) def. Steve Williams (2-2-0) in 14:46. The only previous encounter between the two resulted in a draw.

After winning at Superbrawl 93, Cactus Jack began his TV title reign with a victory over Kevin Von Erich, to remain perfect after 4 rounds. Accompanying him at the top of the table are Tully Blanchard and Great Muta, both also with perfect 4-0-0 records after collecting wins. On the opposite end of the spectrum, both Samoan Savage and Al Perez dropped to 4 straight losses, and in Samoan Savage's case, Savage also came out of the match with a chronic shoulder injury that will likely plague him through his Round 5 match against Jerry Lawler.

The week prior to the match between Flair and Simmons, a segment aired with Rude and Flair arguing. Rude held his 93 Superbrawler trophy up and asked Flair how he faired at Superbrawl. Arn came out out to calm the two, and Rude called out Arn for being a traitorous little dog. Rude asked what happened to The Dangerous Alliance? The second that Flair showed up, everything fell apart. The arguing between Flair and Rude intensified, when Brian Pillman came out to egg both men on. Pillman was clearly trying to angle for a rematch with Flair, but it only led to further heat between Rude and Flair, resulting in all former members of the Dangerous Alliance clearing out and holding the two apart.

Night two kicked off with a defence of the WCW US Heavyweight Championship. Flair came in with tons of confidence, with JR and Schiavone putting over his perfect start and the sheer amount of buzz surrounding his participation in the WCW Grand Prix. Schiavone mentions that while Powerhouse Simmons has been an amazing ambassador, Flair has brought tons of eyes to WCW and may be a better representative of the company due to his name value. Powerhouse Simmons came out with something to prove and extra momentum after having beaten Sting in Round 3. This was a classic tale of powerful babyface versus chicken shit heel, with Flair trying to get time outs, poking at eyes, and straight up running away from Simmons. Flair took control like the ring general he is and chopped down Simmons knee. Simmons looked like he was in danger, fighting his way out of the Figure Four twice, but clearly looking to be on the defensive.

Flair went to the top rope, but was distracted by Rick Rude making his entrance and of course Simmons grabs him but instead of the immediate back body drop, Simmons held him high above his head and moved to the centre of the ring. Flair raked the eyes and tried to drop out, but ended up in position for an elevated gutwrench powerbomb. Instead of the big move though, Flair kept struggling and Simmons dropped forward into a high angle pinfall attempt which barely got the three! Simmons with a second straight major victory! Flair lost his shit, yelling at referee Nick Patrick but this one is over!

After his loss, Flair sat down with Jesse Ventura on World Wide and attempted to make excuses for his loss. Ventura tried to put him on the spot, when Tully Blanchard showed up and told him it was time they talked. 

Ron Simmons (3-0-1) def. Ric Flair (3-1-0) in 15:21 to retain the US Heavyweight Championship in their first ever encounter. 

Right after Ric's match with Simmons, Arn comes out to console Flair, but is blown off. Arn has a huge task in front of him, facing the former world champion, The Total Package Lex Luger, but seems distracted from the get go. JR plays up how both men are sitting at a .500 record and the importance of the win here, regardless of it being still early in the season. Schiavone stresses how last year, Luger only suffered one loss and that wasn't good enough to win the Grand Prix in the Premier League. Luger is ultra focused and takes advantage of every hesitation that crosses Arn's face.

Eaton, Finlay, Austin and Tully of the previous Dangerous Alliance watched the match from ringside and Arn continued to look back at them. Luger takes advantage, putting Arn into the Torture Rack and Arn gives up. After the match, Tully shakes his head at Arn and leaves.

Lex Luger (2-1-1) def. Arn Anderson (1-2-1) in 15:55. This was their first match in Grand Prix.

In the main event of Night Two, Brian Pillman came out to a huge ovation and it's clear that the plucky young underdog in the Grand Prix has captured the fans hearts. These two guys fly around the ring, seemingly with no end to their energy reserves. JR puts over Pillman as the next generation's Dragon, a smaller, faster wrestling machine with tons of heart and the ability to go all night long. Pillman goes for riskier high flying moves and Steamboat continuously counters with technical wrestling acumen. But it doesn't seem to matter what Steamboat does, Pillman never expresses any frustration. Schiavone comments that it's almost like Pillman is figuring out that he belongs in the Premier League and has found the confidence that goes with being a top star.

Pillman finally counters Steamboat, sending him to the outside and then flying over the top rope, crashing down onto The Dragon. Steamboat gets tossed around the ringside area and Pillman starts jumping off of everything in sight to keep the pressure on. Steamboat gets dropped onto his chest on the guardrail and gets winded. Time is winding down as Pillman gears up for an Air Pillman Lariat but Steamboat jumps up and catches him into an armbar.  Pillman rolls through though and nearly gets a three count. They recapture the speed of the opening minutes as they race through pin attempts and time runs out! They shake hands after a well earned draw.

The following week, Ric Flair came out to demand a rematch against Powerhouse Simmons. Flair ranted and raved that his shoulders weren't down and the result was fixed. That this was just WCW management trying to get revenge for him leaving for the WWF in 1991 while still NWA champion. Flair's tirade went on and on, but is finally interrupted by Ricky Steamboat who says that what's done is done. Flair lost and next up he has to face The Dragon! Flair says that he'll get a hold of Ted Turner and force a delay - no one wants to see Ricky Steamboat anymore anyways. Pillman interrupts finally and mocks Flair over the irony of Flair demanding a rematch after criticizing Pillman for wanting a rematch of his own. Flair freaks out at Pillman, and Pillman and Steamboat keep agitating Flair until Flair finally challenges Pillman to an unsanctioned rematch on Worldwide during Round Five!

Brian Pillman (0-2-2) and Ricky Steamboat (2-1-1) go to a 20 minute time limit draw. First ever match-up.

In the tag team division, the big story was centred around The Rock N Roll Express. Having turned their backs on Scotty Flamingo and the South Atlantic Stronghold and embracing the fans, they were excited to start giving back to the audience. However, they were immediately cut off by Scotty Flamingo (with his lackey friend, Mr. Sandman), who stated that he alone owned the contracts to the tag team, and without those contracts, Flamingo felt that he was obliged to replace the duo in the tag team division. Dusty Rhodes came out and said that with WCW's recent expansion to Japan airwaves, they've got a surplus of revenue and Dusty felt obliged to buy out the contracts of The Rock N Roll Express, reinstating them to the tag team division before they ever missed a match! Flamingo was super furious over this development, and his only contracted employee in WCW (Jerry Lawler) started asking him what the future of the Stronghold looked like. Flamingo paid off Kevin Sullivan to have his boys take them out. During the match between The Express and The Colussi, Morton and Gibson put on a valiant effort, but Flamingo distracted them and Hansen took out Morton with a Lariat. After the match, The Colussi destroyed The Rock N Roll Express. Pleased by Sullivan's group's actions, Flamingo opted to approach Sullivan about buying out the groups contracts or perhaps a merger for the group...

Meanwhile, The Terrors (One Man Gang and Dan Spivey) defeated The Shooters Club in a good match up. The Shooters Club showed dissension as there was tension between Norman Smiley and Dan Severn. This tension was furthered during a press conference celebrating Ken Shamrock's MMA victory in his debut, when the group's manager Jody Hamilton implied that Shamrock would be returning and helping to course correct the groups position in the rankings. While the Shooters struggles continued, the opposite side of the match was more success for Spivey and Gang. In a post match interview, OMG showed off his championship titles he's won in UWF and USWA recently. During the interview, Hall and Nash took offence to the focus on The Terrors and attacked them. In a following week interview of The Steiner Brothers who were discussing their Premier League runs so far, Nash and Hall interrupted only for The Terrors to strike back and attack Hall and Nash, brawling in the backstage area.

The Outsiders won their respective match this round, remaining the only team with a perfect record, while both The Young Pistols and The Lonestar Cowboys picked up wins to remain undefeated on the season.

The final night of Round Four kicked off with American Muscle and Rick Rude. Rude seemed to have a restored swagger to him, having won the Superbrawl battle royal and feeling vindicated in his feelings that Flair should have remained his partner for the main event of Superbrawl 93. These two exploded out of the gate with a wild brawl, but unfortunately there was a clear lack of chemistry here. The best part of the match was the two having a pose off, and JR awkwardly putting over young Scotty's improving physique. After weeks of Ric Flair being in Rude's head, it was clear that flipping the script on him boosted Rude's confidence, and seemed to be on a different level that Scott here. Rude won with the Rude Awakening.

Rick Rude (2-2-0) def. Scott Steiner (1-2-1) in 14:47. This was their first ever match.

After having agreed to discussions with Scotty Flamingo, Sullivan had both Flamingo and Mr. Sandman appear at ringside for his match, alongside his normal entourage of Woman, Hansen, Abdullah, Haku and El Gigante. Meanwhile, Bam Bam had Terry Taylor and Teddy Long in his corner. Bam Bam seems extra aggressive and the commentary team sells that Sullivan may not be able to keep up with the Premier League. Last season, he just barely outscored relegation. Bigelow uses his size and speed to wear down Sullivan, who can't seem to get an advantage. 

An interesting development is made, where Sullivan looks to his posse at ringside, seemingly for help, and they just stare on at him, leaving him to fend for himself. Bam Bam scores the win after hitting Greetings From Asbury Park in the centre of the ring. Again, despite the diminishing stamina of Sullivan and a heel-vs-heel dynamic, the crowd was way into yet another Kevin Sullivan match. It's getting clearer that there is something special with his matches.

Bam Bam Bigelow (2-2-0) def. Kevin Sullivan (0-4-0) in 15:36. Bam Bam is 2-0-0 all time against Sullivan

Finally, the last match of Round Four. There was tons of build in the first two weeks of the round for this match up, with a press conference hyping the match up being held to discuss the debut of World Wide and the upcoming match. During the conference, Takada puts over the fact that in his first 14 months with WCW, he has only suffered one fluke defeat, whereas Sting is coming off of a loss. Takada hoists his UWFi World Heavyweight title while Sting hoists the WCW World Heavyweight title. The following week, after Takada won the inaugural main event of World Wide and had a staredown with Sting, Player Enterprises held it's own press conference celebrating the success of World Wide. Teddy Long puts over how Takada was near perfect and ran away with the Div 2 title while splitting his focus between UWFi and WCW, how does anyone stand a chance when he's fully committed to WCW? Sting emerges from the press in a trench coat and giant hat covering his face, and says The Stinger is coming for Takada. Takada comes from the land of the rising son, where companies are known for having an ace - a man the entire company is built around. Sting is WCW's ace. Sting is the World Champion, the Grand Prix Champion, the man every fan comes to see, and Sting will not let his fans down!

Lot's of excessive pageantry to start this one off, as the announcers go out of their way to make sure it's clear this match is something special. Both titles are on display at the timekeepers booth and Schiavone stresses that no title is on the line immediately, and he doesn't think that the issue that has developed between the two icons will be resolved by just their first match up. The crowd is insanely hot for this, and Sting and Takada start off with intensity as both men look to steal the show. Early on, Sting gets rocked by a head kick and Takada laughs at him after a near fall, motioning that Sting is out of his element. Sting plays into it, allowing this to be a strike-for-strike battle which is clearly Takada's element, but after Takada gains clear control, lighting up Sting's chest with a series of strikes, Sting beats his own chest and howls! Sting with a series of slams, and then backs Takada into a corner where he goes for the Stinger Splash but Takada catches him in the air, spins out of the corner and hits a huge belly to belly suplex! Takada then begins picking apart Stings limbs with a series of submissions!

Sting looks like he's going to fade and referee Randy Anderson lifts his arms twice and the arm drops dead both times. The third time though, Sting comes back to life, grasping Anderson's wrist and opening his eyes wide, staring at Anderson and shouting "never!" before rising to his feet and fighting back again. Takada starts to get desperate, raking Stings eyes and lining up for the Roundhouse Kick, but Sting ducks under and rolls up Takada, securing a three count! He just barely gets it and Takada is shocked as Sting's arm is raised in victory. Sting offers a handshake and Takada just stares Sting down. These two had great chemistry and the fans were blown away by the match - this was easily the best match of Round Four and the best in-ring performance from Sting yet. Amazing wrestling.

Sting (3-1-0) def. Nobuhiko Takada (2-1-1) in 18:52. This was their first ever encounter.

Edited February 8, 2023 by CactusHack

[CactusHack]

1993 ROUND 5 CARD

Prediction Grid:

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

Contest Standings:

Swinny : 0/6 - 0%
Vandal : 7/14 - 50%
Old School Fan : 15/30 - 50%
DHK1989 : 16/30 - 54%
smw88 : 12/22 - 55%
1PWfan : 5/8 - 59%
Nightshadeex : 18/30 - 60%
Lord Byron : 18/30 - 60%
KyTeran : 10/16 - 63%
mmaaddict : 19/30 - 64%
DinoKea : 20/30 - 67%

[DinoKea]

Predictions
Sting def. Arn Anderson
Lex Luger def. Larry Zbyszko
Ric Flair def. Ricky Steamboat
Rick Rude def. Rick Steiner
Big Van Vader def. Brian Pillman
Nobuhiko Takada def. Kevin Sullivan
Scott Steiner def. Steve Williams
Powerhouse Simmons def. Bam Bam Bigelow for the United States Championship

[Old School Fan]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner (draw)
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

[smw88]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

[1PWfan]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

[Vandal]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

[DHK1989]

Sting
Lex Luger
Ric Flair
Rick Rude
Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada
Steve Williams
Powerhouse Simmons

[CreativeLeader81]

On 12/3/2022 at 4:28 PM, CactusHack said:

THE ANNOUNCERS The focal point of 1992 for WCW was the relaunched show, WCW Saturday Night. The show's focus of being presented as an authentic sports experience meant a strong emphasis on play-by-play commentary and consistent storytelling. Initially, the booth was just JR and Schiavone, but as Bischoff’s power grew, he joined the booth. Jim Ross was positioned by Kip Frey as the new Head of Talent Relations, responsible for carrying out day-to-day human resource needs as well as enforcing WCW's new zero-drug policy. In addition to his roles in human resource and colour commentary, JR is a member of WCW’s Scouting committee, as sene on his popular B-Show segment, Jr’s Indie Spotlight. Due to his broadcast colleagues increased responsibilities, Tony Schiavone is responsible for the bulk of the play-by-play at the booth and has been dubbed ‘The Voice of WCW’. Upon Kip Frey's hiring in 92, Kip took Bischoff under his wing as he saw the young C-Show announcer as a breath of fresh air and potential visionary. However, Bischoff began to exploit Kip's fondness towards him in order to get himself ahead and push his own agenda, including the negotiation of WCW's purchase of three subsidiaries, poising WCW for rapid expansion. At the end of 92, Bischoff was promoted to Executive Producer and is responsible for oversight of all WCW production and decision making.

THE FRANCHISERS Over the course of 1992, Ted Turner and Eric Bischoff came to terms to allow WCW to purchase three properties. Bischoff and Frey determined that each property would exist under the WCW structuring and WCW would subsidize the performer contracts. Bischoff hired individuals to operate as VPs of each property and meet the mandates of WCW management. 1992 was a wild year for Roddy Piper. In February he divorced his wife of a decade, losing connection with his children. And come July, his WWF contract was not renewed. It seemed as though Piper’s career in the squared circle had ended. But when WCW purchased GWF, the decision was made to hire Roddy in a decision deemed reckless. Ole Anderson was hired to oversee Ladies Pro Wrestling Association, after having submitted his resignation to WCW early in ’92. Having previously been considered as a prick, Ole aimed to turn a corner and leave a positive mark on professional wrestling. Unlike Roddy and Ole, Bischoff opted to hire current West Four Wrestling Alliance’s Gene Kiniski to oversee the promotion, rather than an external hire. The decision was made due to the desire to keep the promotion in Canada, and ensure that the individual responsible for the property understood the market.

INSIDE THE SQUARED CIRCLE To start 92 off, Kip Frey was adamant about presenting WCW as close to a sport broadcast as possible. As a result, the management group watched programs like Sunday Night Football and Hockey Night in Canada. Coach’s Corner starring Don Cherry was a strong inspiration for the group, and immediately, they put together a segment akin to it called Inside the Squared Circle. First task was to find an outspoken strong personality to mirror Don Cherry’s success, and the role given to Jesse Ventura as a result. The strong, boisterous personality was to become a weekly staple of the WCW Saturday Night broadcast, giving highly opinionated, unscripted dialogue in a self contained segment. Meanwhile, as a sign of goodwill to the company during management change, the decision was made to pair Ventura with Magnum TA, who had been floundering as a member of the broadcast team. Due to his injury, Magnum’s youth makes him a long term player, but needed someone to carry the segments as he developed his own skills. After a strong start to 92, Kip Frey’s personal affection towards Eric Bischoff resulted in Frey allowing Bischoff to take credit for his successes, in turn undermining Frey. Frey was taken out of the position of control and was reimagined as a TBS representative, working under TBS budgets without any actual oversight.

THE ANALYST TEAM / BOOKING COMMITTEE Much like the Inside the Squared Circle segment pulling from other sports shows, Kip Allen Frey wanted to utilize pre-shows and post-shows with an analysis team breaking down the product with statistical analysis, predictions and reviews. This team was made up of high ranking WCW officials, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race and Paul E Dangerously. The team in charge of this on-screen also doubled down as the behind the scenes primary decision-makers for match out-comes. They were determine winners and losers, a larger committee (overseen by Bischoff) would sign off on the decisions or over turn any decisions where there was strong opposition, and then Harley Race would delegate the match details to his Road Agent team. On top of these duties, Dusty Rhodes is the storyline Commissioner of WCW, responsible for announcing rule changes, over-arching decisions, and booking PPV cards. During 92, Dusty and his friend Magnum TA had a falling out, resulting in a storyline dispute where Magnum would criticize Dusty’s lack of decisions. Under the management of Kip Allen Frey, the group was very successful. However, it’s been no secret that Eric Bischoff and Paul E Dangerously have been butting heads since management turn over occurred and it begs to be seen whether Paul can co-operate under a boss that he strongly disagrees with.

THE ROAD AGENTS As WCW’s management staff roles were defined and the emphasis on in-ring performances increased, WCW transitioned away from Booking staff and towards a road agent team. The team, led by Harley Race, is responsible for the laying out of all matches and develop engaging finishes as well as supporting with the coaching and development of talent. Known for his strong outspoken opinions against the WWF, legendary world champion Bruno Sammartino left the WWF in 88 and became critical of the steroid abuse present under Vince McMahon. WCW brought him in to enforce their strong stance as a clean company, further pushing the authentic sport experience. Bruno is the road agent for Premier Division. Gary Hart was brought in to replace Mike Graham, after Graham was demoted to WFWA as punishment for negative backstage antics. The iconic manager is the acting road agent for all Tag Team Division matches. Lastly, overseeing Division 2 is Jody Hamilton. Hamilton’s role has been growing in the background as his wrestling school, internally dubbed as the power plant, has become more and more important in discussing the future of WCW. Upon the purchase of GWF in late 92, the subsidiary was renamed Power Plant Wrestling, indicating some sort of involvement with the promotion for Hamilton.

 

This is tremendous. Some real dedication here. Great writing.

[mmaaddict]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons

[Nightshadeex]

Arn Anderson vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Larry Zbyszko
Ricky Steamboat vs Ric Flair - Draw
Rick Steiner vs Rick Rude
Brian Pillman vs Big Van Vader
Nobuhiko Takada vs Kevin Sullivan
Steve Williams vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Powerhouse Simmons for the United States Championship

[CactusHack]

April 1st, 1993, Atlanta Boardroom

Talent Relations Meeting : The Race to the Top (Bischoff, Frey and JR in a Board Room)

Eric Bischoff

“Good morning Jim, it's that time of the month again - time for an update on our talent. What can you share with me?”

 

Jim Ross

“Well, when we last spoke, we had discussed Sting's wage and how he was a critical part to the backstage environment, having formed quite a circle of respect around him. We know that we need to keep him happy, and we have another 8 months before it's time to renegotiate what will inevitably be the biggest raise in WCW history... On that front, Sting is still as happy as ever and has expressed an undying loyalty to WCW. I feel like it would take a massive competitive offer or an insulting offer from our front to fail on that front. However, while Sting's circle is definitely the core of WCW, Flair's loud personality has also created a top-level clique. While Sting and Flair are great friends and there is strong mutual respect, we would be remiss to ignore that loud personalities need to be nurtured and protected. That said, we do have a surprising development to discuss...”

Eric Bischoff

“Go on, JR. I'm all ears.”

Jim Ross

“It's Pillman, sir. By gawd, the guys love him. I've gotten numerous requests to from guys who want to work with him. And while he's passing our drug testing, he's a party animal. He may be avoiding anything hard, but he's an avid drinker and smoker. The thing is, the big names, they don't just want to work with him. They... they want to put him over. He is also listed as undergoing contract renewal at the end of the year and has strong friendships with the Hart Family in WWF.”

 

Eric Bischoff

“The kid has been getting amazing responses lately and his in-ring ability has skyrocketed in recent months - if we play our cards right, we could make a new mega star here. But the current plans go against that - he is slated to fall to relegation after this season. We have a long term plan for him to be a part of the reformed Horsemen under Ric Flair's tutelage. Who exactly is wanting to put him over?”

Kip Allen Frye

"Now, we have both him and Sting having contracts expiring and JR has stated that both will be in line for large raises. We should look at reducing instead of increasing their values to balloon their wages. I know that they are big parts of our show, but we have incurred significant costs the past month, buying yet another property in UWFi and..."

 

Eric Bischoff

“Kip, this is why you've lost favour from Ted and I've been put in charge. You are too conservative. Don't get me wrong - you did great things in restructuring WCW, but perhaps it's time for you to find a new project to turn around?”

 

Kip Allen Frye

"Eric - you know damn well that it was how you exploited..."

 

Eric Bischoff

“JR doesn't need to hear this. How about you and I go for lunch to further discuss this? JR - can you please write me a letter explaining who's looking to put Pillman over? I'd like to think about this more and discuss it with Dusty, Harley and Paulie.”

 

[CactusHack]

A GLIMPSE AT THE COMPETITION

April 1993, Wrestlemania 1993 Results

Repo Man def. Chris Walker
Brian Knobbs def. El Matador
Col. Mustafa def. Nikolai Volkoff
Shawn Michaels def. Jim Duggan
Jannetty, Ultimate Warrior and Crush def. IRS, The Barbarian, Paul Diamond
Koko B Ware def. Jerry Sags to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship
The Natural Disasters def. British Bulldog and Big Boss Man to retain the WWF Tag Team Championships
Randy Savage def. Brutus Beefcake
Jake Roberts and Sgt Slaughter def. The Undertaker and Tatanka
Hulk Hogan def. Bret Hart to retain the WWF Heavyweight Championship

WWF held the annual 'Showcase of the Immortals' and the main event showed that WWF still has all it's eggs in one basket as the decision was made to keep the title on Hulk Hogan instead of strapping the rocket onto Bret Hart. With Hogan having only three months remaining on his contract, it seems as though the company is doing everything they can to keep him happy as the recent growth of WCW has them knocking at the door. Another interesting decision was to feature the combined age of 94 years between Nikolai Volkoff and Col. Mustafa so that Mustafa could win a retirement match while Mr. Perfect was held on the sidelines for the biggest show of the year despite being in the prime of his career and having recently locked down another 4 years of employment with the WWF.

[DHK1989]

Damn, the Streak is dead before it could even get going.

[Nightshadeex]

On 2/11/2023 at 5:07 PM, DHK1989 said:

Damn, the Streak is dead before it could even get going.

I was thinking the exact same thing!

[CactusHack]

Moondog Spike tore his quad at a USWA show and will be out of action for a year. The 42 year old is outshone by the other Moondogs.

Canadian Championship Wrestling has gone to small size. The company’s growth may be too little too late as the company last reported finances as being half-a-million in debt.

Masakatsu Funaki was victorious in his first ever MMA bout.

Shoichi Funaki suffered a broken leg at a PWFG show during a match against Masanobu Kurisu.

Ricky Steamboat, Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes have begun developing a bit of a clique.

Nobuaki Kakuta was victorious in his first ever MMA bout.

Jumbo Tsuruta has renewed his contract with AJPW for another two years.

The WWF has begun a major storyline between The Undertaker and Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts.

Victor Zangiev won his MMA debut.

ECWA rose to Small size.

After his successful MMA fight, Yoji Anjo has bulked up into a Ripped Big Heavyweight.

Mike Rotundo (IRS) has accepted a 4 year contract extension by the WWF.

Kendo Nagasaki renewed his contract with SWS for 18 more months. His new contract is exclusive, meaning he’ll be wrapping up his run at W*ING.

Southern States Wrestling is on the verge of closure. The insignificant company started by Beau James in 91 has failed to turn a profitable month since opening.

Tatsuo Nakano lost his MMA debut. He’ll be returning to PWFG after he recovers from his injuries.

Ted DiBiase has signed a 2 year contract with NJPW.

Harley Saito broke her wrist during a loss to Jacqueline in LMLW and will be out of action for a few weeks.

In a post Wrestlemania shake-up, the WWF has made a change to it’s ‘Wildcards’ stable. Shawn Michaels is no longer being featured in the stable. Hennig and The Mountie have instead been given Big Bossman and British Bulldog to work with.

Border City Wrestling has signed a broadcasting deal to begin airing it’s first television show, BCW Destruction. The show will begin airing on Wednesday nights.

AAA has announced the signing of Carlos Maynez to become the head booker for the company.

Andre the Giant has wrapped up filming his latest project and is said to be eager to get back into the ring. Despite being in terrible shape and large concerns regarding his health, the 46 year old is still a major draw and remains the highest paid wrestler on the WWF roster, having pulled in two million since signing last year and has yet to appear for the promotion.

Minoru Suzuki has taken a professional MMA fight. The youngster has strong ties to Nobuhiko Takada, having competed for the UWFi promotion.

Fred Ottman, who currently competes for the WWF as Typhoon, lost his childhood best friend and is said to be extremely sad and not acting like himself.

Ryogaku Wada wins his MMA debut.

It’s been confirmed that Sakie Hagesgawa and Ryo Miyake of the W*ING promotion are currently dating. Ryo has been out with a severe spine injury since November.

LMLW have made it clear with recent promotional material that Bambi is their new focal point. The well liked 25 year completed the 1992 LPWA grand prix and was relegated from competition, but remains working for the WCW based promotion as a reshow fixture.

 

Ringo Mendoza & Legion del Mal won the vacant CMLL World Trios Championships for the first time.

The Headhunters won the SWS Tag Team championships for the first time.

Boris Zhukov def. Steve Strong to win the AWF Puerto Rico Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

After defeating Michiyoshi Ohara, Tony Halme, and Wellington Wilkins Jr in the same night, Kensuke Sasaki was awarded the NJPW Young Lion’s Cup. He came out of the gruelling effort with a chronic shoulder injury.

Blue Panther def. Negro Casas to win the NWA World Welterweight championship for the first time.

Ultimo Dragon won the Mexican National Middleweight Championship after defeating Dos Caras. This is his first reign.

Buddy Lee Parker def. Butch Miller to win the PWA Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

The team of Goro Tsurumi and Yukihiro Kanemura captured the FMW Brass Knuckles Tag Team Championships for the first time.

Rocky Johnson and Kendall Windham won the ICWA Tag Team Championships for the first time.

Steve Armstrong has won the ECWA Heavyweight Championship for the first time, defeating Don Kernodle for the belt.

Oro won the Mexican National Cruiserweight Championship for the first time.

 

The following workers have begun wrestling: Cibernetico, Veneno, Christopher Daniels, Kunimatsu Shiskikura and Karsten Kretschmer.

Iemitsu Okawa graduated from NJPW Dojo and has signed with NJPW. The Japanese rookie is 6’8, 314 lbs, and looks like a star waiting to happen. Immediately after signing his entry contract, he’s been sent to W*ING for development.

[CactusHack]

WCW's Main Event show during Round 5 saw the North American in-ring televised debuts of Michiko Omukai and Takako Inoue, as they competed in tag team competition in a highly competitive match against LPWA favourites Akira Hokuto and Manami Toyota in a losing effort. Mitsuharu Misawa continued his winning ways with a victory over Buffalo Allen (Bad News Allen) and David Taylor made his WCW debut in multiple losing efforts. A highlight from the round was Chris Benoit versus David Taylor, which main evented the show one week and was critically acclaimed.

JR's Indie Spotlight highlighted 'Southern Justice' Mark Canterbury, a heavyweight brawler with 11 years of experience and former two time ICWA tag team champion. Canterbury has shown up a few times on WCW Main Event, and has shown promise to develop into a good talent. JR's second spotlight was on Brazo de Plata, part of one of the most famous families in Lucha Libre. Brazo de Plata, (or, 'Silver Arm') is a six time trios champion across multiple Mexican promotions and is considered the most entertaining member of the Brazo family. Lastly, JR spotlighted The Great Kokina, a part of the Samoan Anoa'i Family. Kokina is the largest member of the Anoa'i Family and had been wrestling exclusively in Mexico where he is a former Trios champion alongside his cousins Fatu and Samoan Savage. JR put over how Kokina used to be a part of the AWA roster, where he ended Greg Gagne's career when squashed his leg with a splash.

At the Power Plant, Round Five Night One was headlined by Eddie Gilbert and Shane Douglas in a battle of the two biggest names young stars in the division. Up to this match, neither man had suffered a defeat yet and both were poised to position themselves as the favourite for the tournament with a win here. To no surprise this was the blow away match of the round for the division, as the two put on a show giving merit to both of them being fixtures in the WCW come 1994. Eddie Gilbert picked up the win for his fifth straight best performance of the division to maintain first place in the division. After the defeat, Shane Douglas refused a handshake, instead shoving Gilbert and spitting at the ref. He apologized for his outburst, but then on Night Two during the tag team matches, he came out again and called out Gilbert. Douglas' promo was slightly heelish, playing up that he's felt screwed by this promotion and deserves to be in the WCW. His promo was interrupted by his next opponent, Rayo De Jalisco Jr. Jalisco pushed that he is still undefeated after defeating Manny Fernandez and will continue his perfect record against Shane Douglas. Elsewhere in the division, both La Parka and Action Jackson won their respective matches, moving them to 12 points, only one point behind Eddie Gilbert.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Brian Lee lost his fifth straight to remain pointless. The only other pointless individual is the "Tennessee Prodigy" Jeff Jarrett, who sat out with injury once again and was subbed by Chris Candido who lost to Mr. Hughes. Jarrett was present for the round, and protested his standing in the division, saying that his opponents have 'lucked out' in not having to fight against him.

In the tag team division, Night Two was headlined by Speed Eleven vs Western Boys which was the match of the show. Ultimo Dragon had fully healed from his injury and stole the show with yet another breath-taking performance. Speed Eleven won to improve to 4-1-0, while the plucky team of Brad Rheignans and Mike Rapada fell to 1-4-0. A developing story has been Brad Rheignans work - as he continues to put on strong technical performances in the ring that have captured the Southern audience's attention. After a string of promising performances, The Moondogs finally picked up a win over Phi Delta Slam. The Moondogs have been on a tear with great matches despite their advancing age. Despite the win, it's clear that Moondog Spot is declining and we may be experiencing their last hurrah.

Elsewhere, the team of Eddie Guerrero and Konnan - La Cultura Torcida - maintained the lead in the division with a decisive win over Disorderly Conduct. The team remains unbeaten after the first third of the season, and the young duo have the star power to become a strong force in WCW. It remains to be seen whether they can co-exist long term, especially if Konnan is determined to continue to work his absolutely legendary egotistical 'Latin Legend' gimmick, which is being eaten up by crowds currently.

In Women's action, Round Five saw a continued display of disparity between the elite at the top and everyone else, as Magnificent Mimi, Bull Nakano and Akira Hokuto all won their respective matches to remain undefeated atop the table. The Round was headlined by Akira Hokuto versus Wendi Richter, and saw Hokuto capture a win against the former face of Women's wrestling in a passing of the torch moment. Hokuto has stood out as the breakout star of LPWA and capturing this win over Wendi really signified that she's the face of the league. However, once again the younger joshi star Manami Toyota was nipping at Akira's heels with the strongest performance of the round - winning her match against Judy Martin.

Meanwhile, the defending champion Madusa captured a win over 'Miss Texas' Jacqueline - her second straight win after her terrible start to the season. The developing story here is whether she can overcome her weak start and successfully defend her championship.

Up in Alberta, Round Five saw both Rick Titan and Mitsuharu Misawa remain perfect with victories over two young exciting prospects in Rob Van Dam (who was filling in for an injured Kid Kash) and Rey Misterio Jr. Rob Van Dam's performance against Rick Titan was especially captivating and was followed up by a sit down segment with Nick Bockwinkel where the starry-eyed 22 year old claimed that it was a blast competing in Hart-country and he would love to continue training and then come back to compete full-time in the division. While a little bit... out to lunch... the kid clearly has a strong star presence and will only grow. WCW announced their hiring of Rob Van Dam to a developmental contract, which is speaks highly of the kid as WCW has signed countless developmental contracts the past year without any press or fanfare.

W4WA continues to build it's primary storyline of Titan and Misawa as two juggernauts that will inevitably face off in a major clash. Misawa's performances and matches continue to be the highlight, as this is marked five straight weeks with the best performance in the division. Meanwhile, at the opposite end of the spectrum, Rey Misterio Jr, Black Dragon and Ben Bassarab all remain pointless after five rounds. Another highlight match was Keith Hart taking on Sledgehammer Anderson. Anderson, who started his career wrestling out of Bruce Hart's Stampede Wrestling, defeated Hart Family member Keith in a strong psychological battle that told the story of Sledgehammer overcoming the shadow of one of his trainers.

[Lord Byron]

My picks:  Sting, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Rick Rude, Big Van Vader, Nobuhiko Takada, Steve Williams, and Powerhouse Simmons...

[CactusHack]

Round Five in the Premier league opened up with the determined Total Package Lex Luger taking on Larry Zbyzsko. Zbyzsko has been stuck in limbo after a year a the top of the tag division. His former allies, The Dangerous Alliance, have been very tentative with one another and as a result Larry seems directionless. Larry puts up a good fight, but is clearly outclassed by larger, taller Lex Luger. Luger ultimately locks in the Torture Rack and Larry taps out.

Lex Luger (3-1-1) def. Larry Zbyzsko (1-4-0) in 14:50 by submission. This was their first ever encounter.

The Main event of night one is Sting versus Arn Anderson. Anderson continues to show distraction with Ric Flair's Horsemen talk. The crowd is roaring as the bell rings and the match begins. Sting and Arn lock up in the center of the ring, each trying to gain the upper hand. The two wrestlers trade blows back and forth, with neither gaining a clear advantage. The crowd is on the edge of their seats as the two wrestlers continue to battle.

The match goes on for what feels like an eternity. Sting and Arn both show off their impressive skills, with Sting using his agility and high-flying moves, and Arn relying on his brute strength and technical expertise. The crowd cheers and gasps as the two wrestlers continue to trade moves, neither giving an inch. As the match wears on, both wrestlers begin to show signs of fatigue. They're both exhausted, but neither wants to give up. Sting starts to gain the upper hand, and he delivers a series of devastating blows to Arn. The crowd roars as Sting seems to be on the verge of victory. But Arn isn't ready to give up just yet. He digs deep and starts to fight back, delivering some punishing moves of his own. The two wrestlers continue to battle back and forth, neither one willing to give up. In the end, it's Sting who comes out on top. He manages to catch Arn off guard with a surprise move, and he quickly takes advantage, locking in the Scorpion Death Lock. The crowd goes wild as Sting is declared the winner of the match.

Sting (4-1-0) def. Arn Anderson (1-3-1) in 18:24 by submission. This was their first match inside of WCW's Grand Prix.

Round Five in Division Two is headlined by The Great Muta and Jushin Liger - two undefeated Japanese stars who've stood out so far. In a great bout between the two, The Great Muta pulled out the win after using the Poison Mist to blind Liger, putting Muta ahead of Liger on the standings as he remains perfect on the season. Meanwhile, the TV champion Cactus Jack had a sit down segment with Jesse Ventura on World Wide where he proclaimed himself 'The Tyrant of TV' and promised to bring a hardcore edge to WCW Saturday Night's going forward. He made a second successful defence, retaining against Steve Austin in a gritty fight that JR called 'bowling shoe ugly.'

Elsewhere, in a technical war between two hated men, Terry Taylor and Tully Blanchard went to a time limit draw in a great match. Tully remained undefeated on the season, but dropped his first points of the season in the draw. And both Samoan Savage and Al Perez remained without any points, both losing their respective matches. Al Perez' new gimmick is that he's Snake Bitten, losing by bad luck constantly, and the gimmick is over with the crowds. His loss against Kevin Von Erich occurred after the referee cleared some garbage that had been thrown into the ring by a plant in the crowd, and Perez backed up into the ref. He tripped and then bounced off the ropes and right into the Claw from Kevin Von Erich. 

Night Two begins with the undefeated Vader taking on the winless Brian Pillman. The bell rings and the two wrestlers lock up, with Vader easily overpowering Pillman. But Pillman is no slouch and uses his quickness to get the upper hand. He unleashes a flurry of kicks and punches, and the crowd is going wild as he takes the fight to Vader. But Vader quickly regains control and starts to dominate Pillman. He uses his massive size and strength to keep Pillman on the mat and wears him down with a series of devastating moves.

The crowd is on edge as Pillman struggles to fight back against Vader's relentless assault. Pillman manages to rally and puts up a valiant fight, using his agility and quickness to evade Vader's attacks. He delivers some impressive moves of his own, stunning Vader and leaving the crowd in awe. But it's clear that Vader is too much for Pillman to handle, and he quickly regains the upper hand. The match becomes a wild brawl, with both wrestlers using everything in their arsenal to try to gain the advantage. Pillman is determined to prove himself against Vader, while Vader is relentless in his pursuit of victory. The crowd is on their feet as the match becomes increasingly intense.

In the end, it's Vader who emerges victorious. He catches Pillman with a brutal move that leaves him down for the count. The crowd is disappointed for Pillman, but they give him a standing ovation for his valiant effort against the unstoppable Vader. Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are left speechless by the epic match, and the memory of this incredible battle will live on in wrestling history for years to come. Vader looked impeccable here as he remained undefeated on the season, improving to a perfect 5-0-0. The Observer Newsletter reviewed the match with extreme praise, stating that Big Van Vader may have just had his best match ever.

Big Van Vader (5-0-0) def. Brian Pillman (0-3-2) by pin in 15:18. This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

Our next match is between the winless Rick Steiner and the 1993 Superbrawler Champion Rick Rude. The bell rings, and the match begins. However, it quickly becomes clear that the two wrestlers don't have much chemistry in the ring. They're both struggling to get the upper hand, and the match quickly turns into a series of awkward moves and missed opportunities. Despite his losing streak, Rick Steiner is putting up a fight, but Rick Rude is too much for him to handle.

Rude is a seasoned veteran and uses his experience to keep Steiner on the ropes. He delivers a series of punishing moves, leaving Steiner struggling to stay in the match. The crowd is trying to rally behind Steiner, but it's clear that he's no match for Rude. Rude continues to dominate, with Steiner barely managing to get any offense in. The match drags on, with the crowd growing increasingly restless as they watch the two wrestlers struggle to put on a good show.

In the end, it's Rick Rude who emerges victorious. He catches Steiner off guard with a brutal move, leaving him down for the count. The crowd is disappointed by the lackluster match, and Steiner's losing streak continues. Despite their best efforts, it's clear that Rick Rude and Rick Steiner just didn't have much chemistry in the ring. The match was a bit of a letdown, and the fans are left hoping that the next match will be more exciting.

Rick Rude (3-2-0) def. Rick Steiner (0-5-0) by pin in 15:57. This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the main event of the evening! Two of WCW's biggest stars, Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat, are about to face off in an epic battle. Ricky Steamboat has Jushin Thunder Liger in his corner, whereas Ric Flair comes to the ring alone. The bell rings, and the two wrestlers lock up in the center of the ring.

The match has a slow build, with both wrestlers feeling each other out and trying to gain the upper hand. Flair, is using his underhanded tactics to try to get the advantage. The match starts to pick up as both wrestlers begin to unleash a flurry of moves. Steamboat is using his impressive speed and agility, while Flair is relying on his experience and technical skill to keep Steamboat at bay. The crowd is on their feet as the two wrestlers go back and forth, each one trying to gain the upper hand. Steamboat manages to get the upper hand, and it looks like he might be on the verge of victory. But Flair is not one to give up easily, and he manages to turn the tables on Steamboat.

As the match nears the time limit, Flair manages to lock in his signature Figure Four submission hold on Steamboat. The crowd is on the edge of their seats as Steamboat struggles to break free, but he's unable to do so. In the end, it's Ric Flair who emerges victorious, winning the match right before the time limit expires. The crowd boos as Flair celebrates his victory, but they can't deny the incredible performance put on by both wrestlers. This victory is especially sweet for Flair, who rebounded from his last match where he lost to Ron Simmons. It's clear that Flair is still a force to be reckoned with, and he will no doubt continue to dominate in the ring. After Ric Flair won, the show went to the post show panel - only for Flair to interrupt and yell about World Wide being Brian Pillman's end!

Ric Flair (4-1-0) def. Ricky Steamboat (2-2-1) by submission in 19:12. This was their first WCW Grand Prix match, and coupled with their legendary trilogy from 1989, they are tied 2-2 in all time matches.

In the tag team division, The Outsiders remained perfect with a win over The Journeymen, while both The Lonestar Cowboys and The Young Pistols remained undefeated just below Hall and Nash on the standings. The Pistols victory came over The Terrors, One Man Gang and Dan Spivey, when Hall and Nash distracted One Man Gang at ringside. This led to Hall and Nash proclaiming that they are still the number one contenders, and their biggest threats (The Terrors) can't even beat some wannabe cowboys, which in turn resulted in a confrontation between The Outsiders and The Young Pistols. 

The major story however centred around The Shooters Club - Sullivan's group of monsters continued to antagonize The Rock N Roll Express, attacking them after their victory over the winless Killer Bees, when Shooter Club members Steve Williams and Dan Severn made the save. Continued tension between Norman Smiley and Dan Severn was highlighted, as Smiley was confused as to why he was left out of saving the Express. The tension continued in Smiley and Severn's match against The Colussi (Stan Hansen and El Gigante). 'Sugar' Stan Hansen remained undefeated in WCW when he pinned Smiley following a Lariat after a miscommunication between the Shooters. After the match, Severn left Smiley in the ring by himself and was met on the ramp by Ken Shamrock, who made his return to WCW. No comment has been made yet, but it seems apparent that Smiley is being dropped in favour of the returning Shamrock.

Next up is a match between two of the most technically skilled wrestlers in the business - "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and "American Muscle" Scott Steiner. Scott is accompanied by Rick Steiner and Missy Hyatt while Steve Williams has Johnny B Badd and Jody Hamilton of the Shooters Club in his corner.

The bell rings, and the match is underway. Both wrestlers start off strong, with a series of holds and counter-holds, displaying their incredible technical ability. The match is a highly technical display of wrestling, with both wrestlers trying to outmaneuver each other. As the match progresses, it's clear that neither wrestler has a clear advantage over the other. Williams and Steiner are evenly matched, and the match is a back-and-forth battle that keeps the crowd on the edge of their seats. Despite their best efforts, neither wrestler is able to gain the upper hand, and the match is heading towards a 20-minute time limit draw.

Both wrestlers continue to put on an impressive display of technical wrestling, showing off their impressive skills and agility. As the time limit draws near, both wrestlers become increasingly desperate to secure a victory. They start to pull out all the stops, delivering a series of high-flying moves and power slams. In the end, the time limit expires, and the match is declared a draw. The crowd gives both wrestlers a standing ovation, impressed with the incredible display of wrestling they just witnessed. While neither wrestler was able to secure a victory, both Steve Williams and Scott Steiner proved that they are among the best technical wrestlers in the business. It was an honor to watch them compete in the ring, and the fans can't wait to see what these two talented wrestlers will do next.

Steve Williams (2-2-1) and Scott Steiner (1-2-2) went to a 20 minute time limit draw. This was their first match ever.

Prior to the next match up, Kevin Sullivan meets up with Jerry Lawler, seeking his opinion on the idea of selling his contracts to Scotty Flamingo's corporation. Lawler introduces his son, Brian, and tells Sullivan that Flamingo is a strange fellow, but he's always looking to recruit new talent for his stable. Flamingo himself is busy recruiting new wrestlers for his stable, opening up to the South Atlantic Stronghold to find the best prospects. He introduces Brian Lawler, Kid Kash, Sabu, and Brazo de Plata as potential recruits to join his growing team.

Sullivan, impressed with the lineup, agrees to sell the contracts of Stan Hansen, El Gigante, Haku and Abdullah the Butcher to Flamingo's corporation, seeing it as a great opportunity to build his own stable and further his career. With the contracts now in Flamingo's possession, the corporation gains a significant advantage in the world of professional wrestling. The stage is set for an exciting future as Flamingo continues to build his stable, attracting new talent and building his reputation as a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Sullivan looks forward to creating his own stable, taking advantage of the resources and opportunities provided by Flamingo's corporation. Fans are eagerly anticipating what the future holds for these wrestlers and their respective stables, eager to see the battles that lie ahead.

However, when it comes time for Sullivan's match, Kevin Sullivan, who is usually accompanied by his stable, is walking to the ring alone, looking confused and disoriented. He seems to be thrown off by the absence of his stablemates, who have been with him for so many matches in the past. Takada, on the other hand, looks confident and ready to dominate. He is accompanied by both Teddy Long and Terry Taylor of Player Enterprises.

He starts off strong, using his impressive submission skills to try to take Sullivan down. Despite his losing streak, Sullivan puts up a valiant effort and manages to hold his own against Takada. The match is evenly matched, with both wrestlers trading blows and trying to gain the upper hand. But in the end, it's Takada who manages to gain the advantage, locking in a submission hold that Sullivan can't escape from. Sullivan struggles to break free, but it's no use. He's forced to submit, and the match is over. The crowd cheers as Takada celebrates his victory in the ring, looking like a dominant force to be reckoned with. Sullivan, on the other hand, looks dejected and defeated, his losing streak continuing. Despite the loss, Sullivan can hold his head up high for putting on an impressive performance against a tough opponent. As for Takada, he continues to look like one of the most dominant wrestlers in the business

Nobuhiko Takada (3-1-1) def. Kevin Sullivan (0-5-0) in 16:40. This was their first ever match against one another.

Powerhouse Simmons, the defending champion, is set to take on the challenger, Bam Bam Bigelow. Last year when these two faced off in the 1992 Premier League, it had also been for the US Heavyweight Championship and at that time Ron dethroned Bigelow to capture the title for the first time. Simmons has managed to make 10 successful defences of the title, as well as a one defence that ended in a draw, and one loss via countout. There was tons of build leading up to this match in the preceding weeks, as Bigelow and Takada proclaimed that they were ready to claim more gold in WCW, resulting in Sting continuing his feud with Takada and more verbal jousting between Sting and Player Enterprises.

The two behemoths clash in the ring, exchanging powerful blows as the crowd roars with excitement. The match quickly becomes a wild hoss battle, with both competitors looking to gain the upper hand. Simmons, the reigning champion, tries to use his superior strength and power to keep Bigelow at bay, but the challenger is relentless, refusing to be taken down. Bigelow is stunned by Simmon's resilience and power, as despite Bigelow's size it still appears that Simmons has the power advantage.

In the end, it's Bam Bam Bigelow who shockingly emerges victorious, thanks in part to outside interference from his manager, Teddy Long. Long's interference proves to be the deciding factor, giving Bigelow the opening he needs to deliver a devastating Greetings From Asbury Park and claim the championship. As Bigelow celebrates his victory, Player Enterprises rushes into the ring and begins a brutal beatdown of Simmons. Powerhouse Simmons is helpless as he's pummeled by Bigelow and his associates, unable to defend himself. Just as it seems like all hope is lost, Sting rushes down to the ring, looking to make the save. Unfortunately, before he can make it to Simmons, he's jumped by The Great Muta, who comes out of nowhere to attack him. The arena erupts in chaos as the wrestlers battle it out, with the fans on the edge of their seats. In the end, it's Bam Bam Bigelow who stands tall, the new US Heavyweight Champion, while Simmons and Sting are left battered and bruised in the ring. It's clear that this rivalry is far from over, with tensions running high and the wrestlers hungry for revenge. Fans can't wait to see what's in store for these fierce competitors as they continue to battle it out in the ring. Teddy Long shakes hands with The Great Muta, seemingly confirming that Muta has been recruited by Player Enterprises.

Bam Bam Bigelow (3-2-0) def. Powerhouse Simmons (3-1-1) in 14:32 to win the WCW US Heavyweight Championship. This was their second match up, evening their all-time score, 1-1.

A couple quick match ups worth noting were Bigelow and Takada teaming up to defeat the Lonestar Cowboys, 'Sugar' Stan Hansen defeating the legendary Mil Mascaras, and Scotty Flamingo knocking off Jimmy Snuka in his WCW debut.

The big story on WCW World Wide was the build up to the Ric Flair and Brian Pillman rematch. After Ricky Steamboat defeated Bob Backlund, Flair came out to build up to their Round 5 match up, only for Pillman to come out and rile up Flair about their looming rematch. Pillman was clearly under Flair's skin. While their was continued build towards Pillman and Flair's respective Round Five matches as well as their World Wide clash, Rick Rude continued to egg on Flair about choosing the wrong partner for Superbrawl. This left Arn looking inadequate, causing tension between the former Dangerous Alliance allies. The members of the defunct Dangerous Alliance hold a meeting to discuss rejoining forces. Rick Rude continues to try and sell that he's a better leader than Ric Flair.

The match between Flair and Pillman was epic, with Pillman taking everything that Flair threw at him and constantly getting back up. Flair was shocked at Pillman's resilience, and ultimately Pillman was able to hit the Air Pillman to get the upset victory! After the match, Ric Flair freaks out, trashing the camera's at ringside. Arn, Tully and Larry come out to calm him down and it looks like they are about to unite as the Four Horsemen, are about to be united, when Rude comes out with formerAlliance members Eaton, Finlay and Austin. Rude antagonizes Flair as the two apparent groups face off. Out of nowhere, Anderson lays out Flair. Rude goes to shake his hand, and Anderson lays out Rude as well to a massive pop! Anderson heads to the back as everyone is stunned!

[CactusHack]

1993 ROUND 6 CARD

Prediction Grid:

Brian Pillman vs Larry Zbyszko
Big Van Vader vs Sting
Lex Luger vs Scott Steiner
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Rick Steiner for the United States Championship
Nobuhiko Takada vs Powerhouse Simmons
Steve Williams vs Rick Rude
Arn Anderson vs Ric Flair
Ricky Steamboat vs Kevin Sullivan

Contest Standings:

Swinny : 0/6 - 0%
Old School Fan : 20/38 - 53%
DHK1989 : 22/38 - 58%
Vandal : 13/22 - 59%
smw88 : 18/30 - 60%
Nightshadeex : 23/38 - 60%
KyTeran : 10/16 - 63%
Lord Byron : 24/38 - 63%
mmaaddict : 25/38 - 66%
1PWfan : 11/16 - 69%
DinoKea : 26/38 - 69%

[DinoKea]

Brian Pillman def. Larry Zbyszko

Big Van Vader def. Sting

Lex Luger def. Scott Steiner

United States Championship: Bam Bam Bigelow def. Rick Steiner

Powerhouse Simmons def. Nobuhiko Takada

Rick Rude def. Steve Williams

Ric Flair def. Arn Anderson

Ricky Steamboat def. Kevin Sullivan