WCW 1993 : A New World of Sport

[Old School Fan]

Sting vs Stan Hansen
Jushin Liger vs Nobuhiko Takada
Sting or Hansen vs Liger or Takada

[Nightshadeex]

Sting vs Stan Hansen
Jushin Liger vs Nobuhiko Takada
Sting or Hansen vs Liger or Takada

 

That's right, I'm going with Takada!

[Dawn]

Sting
Takada
Sting

[SonOfSharknado]

Sting 

Takada 

Takada 

[CactusHack]

 

Clash of the Champions on TBS kicks off with analysis crew of Dusty Rhodes, Paul E Dangerously and Harley Race welcoming the tv audience to the show! They are joined by the legendary Jesse 'The Body' Ventura. They discuss the ramifications of tonights show, stating that the rapid growth of WCW has resulted in the accumulation of an over-abundance of championship gold, yet with the roster being focused on the Grand Prix, the championship titles no longer mean as much. WCW prides itself on being the greatest wrestling promotion, and being on the forefront of modern competition. Ventura introduces WCW CEO, Eric Bischoff. Bischoff apologies to the WCW audience for the change to tradition, saying that he understands the historical importance of these belts. That's why he wants to embrace that lineage by adding any new championships acquired by WCW to the top prize, the WCW Grand Prix. To commemorate tonight's unification, the winner will be presented with a ceremonial new belt to represent their accomplishment, trading in the rest of the championships in the process.

The group goes through each of the competitors for tonight's tournament.

Jushin Liger, the current reigning WCW Television Champion, defeated Cactus Jack to capture the title. Liger has a 15-5-6 all time record in WCW's Grand Prix, with all contests taken place in Division Two. The smallest and youngest competitor in tonight's tournament, Liger is considered the ultimate underdog, with Vegas odds heavily against him. The WCW TV title debuted in 1974 and was first captured by Danny Miller, having since been held by such greats as Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Roddy Piper, Arn Anderson, Sting, and Dusty Rhodes. 

Nobuhiko Takada is the current WCW United States Heavyweight Champion, WCW Light Heavyweight Champion, and UWFi Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Champion. Takada is the first ever champion of the Division Two Grand Prix, and holds an immaculate 18-2-5 all time record in WCW's Grand Prix. Takada claimed the US Heavyweight Championship from stablemate Bam Bam Bigelow - a title that debuted in 1975 with the inaugural champion of Harley Race. (Race took a lot of pride in this comment) The title has since been held by such greats as Rick Rude, Ric Flair, Sting, Lex Luger, Dusty Rhodes, Magnum TA, Roddy Piper and Terry Funk. Takada claimed the WCW Light Heavyweight Championship from his Semi-Final opponent, Jushin Liger. The belt debuted just two years ago, and has been held by Takada, Liger and Pillman. Takada claimed the UWFi Pro-Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship from The Great Kabuki in Japan, and is only the second ever champion of a title that was introduced two years ago.

Stan Hansen is the current reigning UWA World Heavyweight Champion, as well as one half of the WCW World Tag Team Champions (which is not on the line tonight). Hansen debuted in WCW for the 1993 as a replacement tag team partner for Doink The Clown, and has amassed a flawless 8-0-0 record in Grand Prix matches. The most experienced and largest competitor, Stan Hansen is considered as a large threat to win the tournament if he can keep his matches short. The longer the night goes, the more concern the analysis team has with Hansen's ability to weather the storm. However, his size makes it plausible for him to dominate and capture a win in short order to give him an advantage. Hansen won the UWA World Heavyweight Championship from legendary luchador Mil Mascaras. The title was introduced in 1977 and it's inaugural champion was Lou Thesz, and has since been held by legendary names such as El Canek, Tatsumi Fujinami and Big Van Vader.

Finally, Sting is the current reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and the first ever Premier League Grand Prix Champion. Sting holds an insane all time WCW Grand Prix record of 21-3-1. He won the WCW World Heavyweight Championship from Big Van Vader at Starrcade 92 as part of a unification with the WCW Grand Prix. The WCW World Heavyweight's lineage began in 1991 when WCW split from the NWA, and was held by Flair, Luger, Simmons and Vader. The analysis team comment that Sting is always a heavy favorite, however they are worried about his mental state, as he is the only competitor in tonight's tournament that is coming directly off of a loss, and had the shortest recovery time of any competitor as he wrestled last night against Rick Rude.

Who will walk away with all the gold? We find out, NOW!

It's time for the opening contest as Jushin Liger and Nobuhiko Takada both come out for their matches. Takada is accompanied only by Teddy Long, and it seems as though he doesn't want any distractions from the lingering recent dysfunctions of Player Enterprises. This one starts off fast with both guys trading pin attempts and submission holds. Takada consistently gets the upper hand until Liger starts using some high flying offence which catches Takada off-guard. Takada attempts an ankle lock, but Liger converts it into a headscissors takedown. The two go back and forth, with wildly varying moves and strikes and it's absolutely mesmerizing.

They pass the twenty minute mark without any signs of slowing down. JR and Schiavone comment that tonight's contests have no time limits - there must be winners.

As the match continues on, JR and Schiavone comment that these two men have the cardio and conditioning of a peak athlete, but are curious whether they will be able to maintain this level of intensity for a second match up tonight.

The war wages on as Liger sends Takada to the floor and goes for a senton to the floor, taking down Takada, but banging his leg on the railing as well. He gets back to his feet gingerly and seems to be in some discomfort as he rolls Takada back into the ring. He's slow to follow Takada back in, allowing him time to recover.

Takada with a roundhouse kick and Liger is rocked! Takada follows up with a sambo suplex and pins him for a very near fall! Liger tries to get back to his feet, but his knee gives out and he falls and then rolls out of the ring. Referee Nick Patrick refuses to let Takada pursue Liger to the outside and goes to check on him. Liger is adamant that he can continue, but Nick Patrick requests medical to check on him. Liger is not given clearance to continue and so referee Nick Patrick calls for the match after nearly 30 minutes of all out action. Liger is frustrated as he's been foiled by his own doing tonight.

Nobuhiko Takada defeated Jushin Liger in 29:33 by referee stoppage.

'Sugar' Stan Hansen comes out with the full support of Flamingo Corp, with Jerry Lawler, Scotty Flamingo, El Gigante, Mr. Sandman, Haku and Abdullah the Butcher all present to support Stan. Sting comes out alone. Stan attacks Sting as he's giving an attendant his robe, and Stan just beats the piss out of Sting. Stand pummels Sting and sends him to the floor. The two brawl through the audience and Hansen uses his signature cowbell to bust open Sting. Sting smashes a bottle over Stan's head to try and even the score. They make it back to ringside and Sting hits a huge diving crossbody to take out Flamingo Corp, and rally the crowd.

Hansen gets control back in the ring. Stan lines up for the Lariat, but Sting ducks and follows up immediately with a Stinger Splash. Two more. He goes for a fourth but Stan catches him and locks in a bearhug! Sting has the ropes though and so referee Nick Patrick tries to break the hold, but Stan's not hearing it. Stan starts arguing with Patrick and Sting hits a chopblock, sending Hansen to his knees. Sting follows up with a La Magistral Cradle and it's able to keep Hansen's shoulders down! Sting steals the win here as JR comments that Sting has to use a page out of his oldest nemesis' playbook, when he used Ric Flair's chop block. Sting is a bloody mess though, and still has one more match to go. Medics send him to the back to patch him up and JR apologies to the audience, saying we need a minute to get Sting ready for the main event.

Sting def. Stan Hansen in 14:57 by pin.

Hulk Hogan comes out after the match and talks about beating Terry Taylor in a great match after returning from concussion and how he's going to continue to prove he is worthy of being the first wrestler confirmed for the 1994 WCW Grand Prix season, by beating all the stars in all the worlds, and proceeds to challenge The Great Muta to a match on World Wide. It seems as though Muta is going to agree to the match, when Teddy Long says that Muta and Taylor have a difficult contest against each other in Round 11 and in the spirit of ensuring no further dysfunction between the group, they will remain fresh throughout the round. They say they do have an international talent that Hogan can face however! Masahiro Chono comes out and is introduced as Hogan’s next opponent! We get a staredown between Chono and Hogan! Bigelow and Taylor attempt to jump Hogan from behind, but he treats them like chumps, tossing them over the ropes.

Magnum TA then comes out and says he has a special treat for the audience tonight. He introduces some of the stars of WCW's subsidiaries! Out comes Mitsuharu Misawa, Akira Hokuto and Shane Douglas. They put over their respective promotions before acknowledging that reaching the greatest heights of WCW is their biggest dream.

We then get a rapid cut of the rest of the stars of the WCW Premier League, cutting two sentence promos on 'what Glory means to them.'

Takada returns to the ring and JR and Schiavone question whether he will be able to compete at a top level after a 30 minute war with Jushin Liger. JR and Schiavone wish Liger a rapid recovery, stating that the official word from the medical tent backstage is nothing too serious - Liger has a Grade 1 knee sprain and will be able to continue Grand Prix competition. Further damage could have put Liger on the shelf for a long time. Takada once again comes to the ring with just Teddy Long.

Sting's entrance theme hits, but no one comes out and the theme plays for about a minute before cutting out. A moment of hushed confusion, and then his theme hits once more and Sting comes out bandaged and taped up. JR wonders if it's smart for Sting to continue tonight given the beating he received at the hands of Stan Hansen. Schaivone comments that Sting would never back down from a fight, even if it killed him. In a moment of respect, Takada approaches Sting and asks him if he's okay to compete. Sting nods and Takada returns to his corner for head official Randy Anderson to ring the bell, as Teddy Long is clearly unhappy that Takada isn't striking ahead of the bell.

The two men lock up into a test of strength and neither man budges. They release and both step backwards, smiling at each other and jack jacking as the crowd's energy rises rapidly in anticipation. Takada swings a round house kick at Sting that Sting dodges and then Sting hits his patented striking combo to tons of fanfare. Takada defends though, catching Sting's arm and tossing him to the ground, directly into an armbar. Sting immediately rolls through and nearly scores a pin. Sting motions to Takada how close he was, and Takada shakes his head. Schiavone mentions that the first time they met, Sting won with a roll up and he doesn't think that Takada will let the same thing happen twice. JR says that Sting's done it once tonight, and he wouldn't be surprised if a quick shock roll up was the difference again here.

Takada grounds Sting and starts to attempt to pick apart Stings limbs, but Sting defends successfully until Takada manages to get a modified abdominal stretch in, and while it's clasped he begins elbowing Sting in the head. Sting's wound reopens a bit and Randy Anderson asks him if he submits. Sting refuses of course, but JR questions how many shots he can take before he can't answer? Sting rallies to his feet and hits an arm drag and then dropkicks Takada, sending him to the floor. The bloodied Sting ascends to the top rope and flies with a cross body that takes out Takada. Schiavone says that the same kind of risk cost Liger his match tonight, Sting needs to be careful.

Sting returns to the ring and goes for a Stinger Splash, but Takada dodges and Sting smashes his face on the corner post. Phased, he turns around unguarded and eats a Roundhouse Kick to the temple. Extremely near two count is stopped by Anderson seeing Sting's foot move to the ropes. JR and Schiavone are expressing a ton of concern over the damage to the head that Sting has taken tonight. Takada goes on the onslaught now, hitting a flurry of strikes and Sting is looking pathetic in his attempts to defend. Sting attempts a strike in return, but Takada easily spins into a belly-to-back suplex. Schiavone is baffled by how Takada's movements are still so poised after the amount of time he's wrestled tonight.

Sting catches a Roundhouse kick attempt and turns it into a Scorpion Deathlock. Takada worms his way to the ropes, but took some damage to his knee as he was attempting to shake it out when he got back to his feet. Sting with an atomic drop and locks it in again, but Takada wriggles free. Sting goes for a drop kick but Takada catches him and locks in an ankle lock! Sting rolls through for another near fall! Takada with a rapid Roundhouse kick that Sting half-blocks with his arms. Takada with another one immediately, but Sting ducks under and hits the chopblock to Takada's weakened knee! Scorpion Deathlock! Takada screams in pain as he tries to fight through it. He crawls towards the ropes, but Sting releases and hits a knee drop to the back of Takadas knees just before he can make it to the rope! Sting pulls it back to the centre of the ring and locks it back in, and topples backward resulting in an unnatural angle. Takada has no choice and taps out!

Sting def. Nobuhiko Takada in 32:27 by Scorpion Deathlock to capture and unify all WCW singles gold.

Sting barely collects himself as streamers fall from the rafters. Nobuhiko stands up and stares down Sting, before the two shake hands and Takada leaves. JR and Schiavone comment that Takada has nothing to be ashamed of tonight, as he wrestled for over an hour in total against two of the best wrestlers in the world.

Magnum TA, Dusty Rhodes, Eric Bischoff and Jesse Ventura come down to the ring for the big unification moment, as Bischoff presents Sting with a new championship belt as Sting hands over the 6 championships now in his possession. Sting is beaten and bruised, with tears in his eyes as he lifts his new belt. Dusty starts to congratulate Sting when Rick Rude interrupts. Paul E Dangerously is behind him trying to coax him into turning back, but Rude shoves him to into the guardrail. Rude storms the ring and steals the mic from Rhodes. He gets right in Stings face and yells he's the top guy in WCW. He beat Sting and is top seed. Sting can have his moment now, but Sting needs to remember that Sting is just holding Rude's belt warm for the true champion. Dusty tries to get Rude to go to the back and is met with a Rude Awakening. Security rushes the ring and Clash of the Champions ends with a dejected Sting tending to Dusty.

[CactusHack]

ROUND 11 CARD

Prediction Grid:

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

Contest Standings:

Swinny : 0/6 - 0%
Bigelow Cartwheel : 3/8 - 38%
Old School Fan : 53/95 - 56%
Vandal : 18/30 - 60%
smw88 : 50/84 - 60%
Nightshadeex : 50/81 - 62%
DHK1989 : 59/95 - 62%
KyTeran : 10/16 - 63%
1PWfan : 15/24 - 63%
Lord Byron : 60/95 - 63%
SonOfSharknado : 2/3 66%
mmaaddict : 30/46 - 66%
DinoKea : 31/46 - 68%
Dawn : 3/3 - 100%

[CactusHack]

August Week 4, 1993 - 11:13 AM - Human Resources

Jim Ross is in the board room, awaiting Eric to arrive. An unfortunate event has transpired in the locker-room, and it's up to JR to sort it out. He's called a meeting with Bischoff to go over the situation and the recourse. Bischoff was supposed to be here 13 minutes ago, but still hasn't shown up. Finally, the CEO emerges in the board room.

Eric Bischoff

“Good morning Jim. I'm due for a press conference shortly to discuss the Q3 earnings expectations. We are well ahead of expected revenue for the year... Such good signs.”

 

Jim Ross

“Well, Eric, we've had a bit of a situation occur over the weekend. Kim Anthony was found to have been having relations with Marcus Bagwell”

 

Eric Bischoff

“Sorry...Who's banging Marcus?”

 

Jim Ross

“Uhhh... Dirty White Girl... Tony Anthony's wife. Well... Ex-wife now. They're filing divorce and things have gotten really hairy. Tony's tag partner, Bull Gantner was overheard as wanting to take Bagwell out. I'm afraid that the things are going to get out of hand as Marcus is known as a sort of party animal and immature. And I think Bull wants to prove himself as a tough guy by beating up the pretty boy.”

 

Eric Bischoff

“I see - so what is your proposed course of action, Jim?”

 

Jim Ross

“Well, normally we'd let this play out without much recourse as there isn't much in terms of wrong-doing, just poor ethical choices by two adults. Maybe let a couple vets go a bit rough on Marcus to straighten him out. But it just so happens we have the two men's respective teams set to face off soon. I fear someone will get seriously hurt unless we intervene. Now, a little birdie mentioned that they think they saw Marcus smoking a joint. A minor infraction and he was clean on his last drug test, but I think we have him suspended for 'drug use' and end his 93 run before he ends up in the ring with the man who's wife he banged. Would also help us keep the appearance of drug control within our company”

 

Eric Bischoff

“What a shame, I bet Marcus getting beat up bad by Bull and Tony would really get them over as heels, but you are right, we do have to look out for our workers well-being. Okay - good plan. Have Marcus' partner work a series of dark matches with random partners, let's see if anyone fits well with him. And subject the fucker to another drug test, who knows maybe we can be authentic here. If you are right about the kid being a partier, maybe we can set him in line. He's a good looking kid, I'd rather we get him on track. Who knows where his ceiling could be...”

[Bigelow Cartwheel]

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

[DHK1989]

Rick Rude
Scott Steiner
Nobuhiko Takada
Sting
Powerhouse Simmons
Lex Luger
Ricky Steamboat
Steve Williams

[Lord Byron]

My picks:  Ric Flair, Scott Steiner, Big Van Vader, Sting, Powerhouse Simmons, Bam Bam Bigelow, Ricky Steamboat, and Brian Pillman...

[Nightshadeex]

Dangit! I shouldn't have tried to be sneaky with Takada.

 

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

[CactusHack]

CMLL signed announcer Arturo Rivera to a 4 year contract valued at $768K.

CMLL renewed Art Barr (wrestling as American Love Machine) for another 3 years, with a contract valued at $1.5M

The Sheik has announced his retirement. The 67 year old legendary heel has held many championships over his career, and was inducted into Wrestling’s Hall of Immortals in December of 92 after he announced his decision to stop wrestling. Edward Farhat, The Original Sheik, wrestled his last match in November of 1992, when he teamed with Mr. Pogo in a losing effort against Onita and Yukihiro Kanemura in FMW.

Blue Demon Jr suffered a broken ankle during a dark match with Tully Blanchard. Blanchard received blame for the injury.

In the WWF, Brian Knobbs sustained an injury at the hands of British Bulldog and will be out of action for a couple of months.

Lucha star Tinieblas has announced his retirement. The 54 year old has a perfect record in lucha de apuestas matches, retaining his mask throughout his career. A former WWA World Heavyweight Champion and Mexican National Lightweight champion, Tinieblas wrestled his last match in CMLL, when he lost the Mexican National championship to El Dandy.

The Big Boss Man, Ray Traylor, renewed his contract with WWF. He signed for $3.7M over 4 years.

Manabu Nakanishi has renewed his contract with NJPW for $162K over 3 years.

After months of dysfunction, Super World Sports has declared bankruptcy and shut it’s doors.

After expanding in size, CMLL has decided step back down to medium size due to a lack of success.

Herb Abrams’ UWF has expanded it’s market, growing from the South West and into the Mid South. The promotion is now considered a medium sized company as a result. Many pundits contribute their growth to the popularity boons that are usage of workers shared with WCW, including Dr. Death Steve Williams, Cactus Jack, Gary Hart and One Man Gang. Abrams was heard to have been celebrating with enough coke to take down a hippo.

Antonio Inoki won the 1993 G1 Climax tournament - a one night tournament. He defeated The Great Muta, who was on loan through NJPW’s alliance with WCW, in the finals. Muta defeated Malenko and Fujinami en route to the main event, while Inoki defeated DiBiase and Salman Hashimikov before the main event.

Jimmy Backlund won the ICWA Light Heavyweight Championship for the fourth time.

Toshiyo Yamada def. Manami Toyota to win the AJW Singles Championship for the first time.

Tom Davis (under his Beef Burton gimmick) captured the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

The Natural Disasters are once again the WWF Tag Team Champions, having defeated Mr. Perfect and The Mountie at Summerslam. This is their third reign as champions.

Robert Fuller has defeated One Man Gang to capture the USWA Unified World Heavyweight championship for the first time.

Mizuki Endo defeated Allison Royal to win the USWA Women’s Title for the second time.

Rob Kaman won the W*ING World Jr Heavyweight championship for the second time when he defeated Ricky Fuji.

Dick Vrij and Dick Murdoch defeated Hirfumi Miura & Isamu Teranishi to win the W*ING World Tag Team championships for the first time.

Ciclon Ramirez and El Pantera def. Los Villanos to win the Mexican National Tag Team titles for the first time.

Cien Caras won the NWA World Middleweight title for the first time when he defeated Jerry Estrada.

Takako Inoue defeated Kumiko Maekawa to win the AJW Junior Championship for the first time.

El Hijo de Anibal, Guerrero del Futuro Jr, and Fishman Jr have entered the wrestling world.

[CactusHack]

In 'B Show' action, WCW Main Event featured international talent showcases, with the likes of Chris Jericho, Lance Storm, Blue Panther, Solar, Misawa and Ultimo Dragon all scoring exhibition victories. Additional interesting stories told on Main Event included the WCW debut of rising NJPW talent, Dean Malenko. On loan from NJPW for one night only, Malenko competed against Jeff Jarrett in his first ever match for WCW, and came up short as Jarrett relied on cheating to defeat Malenko. And in a story of strange bedfellows, rejected former Freebird Jimmy Garvin teamed up with the newest member, 'Sex Pistol' Dave Taylor to collect a surprise win. Garvin is beginning to develop some sympathy from the WCW audience, but unfortunately his in-ring prowess has diminished greatly. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer noted that "Main Event seems like the perfect spot for Garvin at this point. He's entertaining enough that they should consider transitioning him to a solely personality position, as I doubt he has much in-ring days left in him."

JR's Indie Spotlight highlighted 22 year old rookie, Jose Anderson. Anderson is a 1992 graduate of the WCW power plant, who has been honing his craft in dark matches across Canada and the US for nearly two years. The impactful striker has begun teaming with Chi Chi Cruz, and the duo use an entertaining Street Fighter gimmick, based off of the widely popular SNES game that came out two years ago. While still in career infancy, and his looks don't exactly scream 'star', Jose's comfortable on the mic and has a strong personality, and has been well received for his impressive Japanese style striking. If he can hone his craft further, he may emerge as a viable talent down the line. JR also spotlighted Kid Kash, who has been competing in Canada's West 4 promotion. Kash, 24, had spent most of 1992 bouncing between wrestling dark matches and losing on WCW Main Event, but had gained a modicum of fanfare for his in-ring abilities. It was a interesting development when the young star was signed to W4WA to compete in the Canadian Grand Prix as a virtual unknown to Canadian audiences, but as he's been able to display his in-ring prowess, Kash has begun to rise on the Canadian scene. Lastly, JR spotlighted the 1992 winner of the inaugural LPWA Women's Grand Prix, Madusa Miceli. The 30 year old Italian was 1988's Young Wrestler of the year, the first ever female to win the award. Madusa continues to be seen as one of the best woman wrestlers on the planet today.

At the Power Plant, Round Eleven featured a surprising break from convention, as for the first time in the Power Plant's 1993 season, Eddie Gilbert did not walk away with the performer of the Round. That honour was given to Chris Benoit, who defeated Tony Norris with impressive technique, submitting the larger man. Also surprising was a massive upset as Raye De Jalisco Jr lost his first match of the 1993 season to 'The Tennessee Prodigy' Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett had assistance from his cronies, Disorderly Conduct and Leatherface, en route to victory over the second ranked star. As a result, Shane Douglas was able to catch him in points, as Douglas managed to score a victory over Action Jackson.

With only four rounds remaining, Eddie Gilbert has four points in hand on his two closest rivals, Shane Douglas and Rayo De Jalisco Jr. Right behind them is Chris Benoit, the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix Champion.

The Power Plant's Round Eleven headliner was the two top ranked teams going head-to-head for ownership of the coveted top ranked spot. Konnan, Eddie Guerrero, Blue Panther and Solar all went to war in an amazing main event, well deserving of the main event position in was given. There was a lot of focus on the history of Lucha Libre, as the match told the story of traditional lucha (Solar and Panther) versus modern lucha (Eddie and Konnan) - as the older team is defined by classical technique while Konnan and Eddie were flashier and innovative. In the end, neither team was able to score the victory as time expired, keeping Blue Panther and Solar in sole position of first place. However, the other marquee match for the week featured The Southern Rockers leapfrogging into a tie with La Cultura Torcida in second place, as Rex King and Steve Doll defeated Negro Casas and Silver King. The Southern Rockers were accompanied by Shane Douglas, and the trio has begun vocalizing their displeasure with demotion, stating they are 'World' level talents.

In other news, The Rock N Roll RPMs, Phi Delta Slam, and The Original Midnight Express all continued their depressing losing streaks, painting the picture that none of them may be back next year. Meanwhile, Jesse Barr and Tom Davis won their third straight as they continue their resurgence, similar to Disorderly Conduct, who haven't been beat in 5 straight contests after starting the season 1-5-0.

Performer of the round goes once again to Ultimo Dragon for the third straight round, and ninth time overall. Unfortunately it was in a losing effort, as Speed Eleven was upset by David Sammartino and Lance Von Erich.

In women's action, Akira Hokuto took on Candi Devine in the main event, scoring her tenth victory of the 1993 season to maintain her top spot. Akira Hokuto put on the best performance of the round, and the match was the right choice for the main event. In a shocking moment, Candi Devine blew off Hokuto when Hokuto looked to show respect post match. Candi hasn't won a match since Round 5 and looked frustrated in defeat. 

Magnificent Mimi picked up a win to remain undefeated. Susan Sexton defeated Misty Blue in a dominant display, however she suffered a broken wrist in order to achieve that victory, and will be dealing with that injury for the foreseeable future.

In other enticing news, the second debuting competitor of the 1994 season was introduced when Penelope Paradise made her LPWA debut to chat with Nick Bockwinkel. The 'Perfect in Pink' self-centred 27 year old star is a former LMLW Florida and LMLW International Champion, as well as a former USWA Women's Champion and WWoW Television Champion. All of her success began in 1992, as she became a rising star across the South.

The path to perfection continued in the great white north, as Misawa and Rick Titan both improved to 11-0-0 in Canadidan competition. With an eight point lead over the nearest competitor, it feels like a two-horse race at this point. Their inevitable clash is stated for the final round. Misawa continues to dominate the quality of the competition, winning best match and best performance for Round Eleven. Elsewhere in the Canadian division, young stars Lance Storm and Chris Jericho continue to veer towards the top five with wins, and are beginning to emerge a fan favourites.

[SonOfSharknado]

Now, I admit, this may just be the real-world level of these wrestlers coloring my perception here. But I imagine if I'm Ted Turner, and I'm watching WCW, and I've spent all this money to get Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest stars in wrestling history, undoubtedly the biggest name in the last decade of wrestling, in my company. And I see that we've already made the decision to change his iconic red and yellow (which I personally don't hate, the photoshop looks very clean, the colors pop). I'm just visualizing all of that money, all of my money, that we spent on Hogan, as a giant pile of cash that's going up in flames as he goes fifteen minutes with our third-rate wannabe discount Ric Flair comedy job guy, who gives him a concussion, and goes nearly 20 minutes with the goddamn Red Rooster. Also, I can't imagine a scenario where Buddy Landel making reference to, and light of, the fact that he injured the most important signing in company history, doesn't result in him jobbing on Main Event for the remainder of his contract, or getting sacked altogether. 

This is Hulk Hogan. I may hate him as an awful human being in the real world, but there's no denying his star power or how big he was, especially at this time. This isn't like bringing in Koko B Ware to say that you squashed the reigning IC Champion. He's a multi-time PPV headliner, he was WWF Champion for four years straight. Your audience doesn't need to be introduced to him, you don't necessarily need to reinvent him or reestablish him. He should be cleaning up and running through everybody but your top-tier main event guys. 

Edited August 3, 2023 by SonOfSharknado

[CactusHack]

21 hours ago, SonOfSharknado said:

Now, I admit, this may just be the real-world level of these wrestlers coloring my perception here. But I imagine if I'm Ted Turner, and I'm watching WCW, and I've spent all this money to get Hulk Hogan, one of the biggest stars in wrestling history, undoubtedly the biggest name in the last decade of wrestling, in my company. And I see that we've already made the decision to change his iconic red and yellow (which I personally don't hate, the photoshop looks very clean, the colors pop). I'm just visualizing all of that money, all of my money, that we spent on Hogan, as a giant pile of cash that's going up in flames as he goes fifteen minutes with our third-rate wannabe discount Ric Flair comedy job guy, who gives him a concussion, and goes nearly 20 minutes with the goddamn Red Rooster. Also, I can't imagine a scenario where Buddy Landel making reference to, and light of, the fact that he injured the most important signing in company history, doesn't result in him jobbing on Main Event for the remainder of his contract, or getting sacked altogether. 

This is Hulk Hogan. I may hate him as an awful human being in the real world, but there's no denying his star power or how big he was, especially at this time. This isn't like bringing in Koko B Ware to say that you squashed the reigning IC Champion. He's a multi-time PPV headliner, he was WWF Champion for four years straight. Your audience doesn't need to be introduced to him, you don't necessarily need to reinvent him or reestablish him. He should be cleaning up and running through everybody but your top-tier main event guys. 

I know, right? Explicitly calling out that Hogan took more than 20 mins to defeat Terry fuckin Taylor is essentially stating that he went to a draw with the guy, given the standard show format... And getting 'injured' by a third tier guy in a competitive match? 

I'm super happy that it's bothering you. It is an interesting challenge, coming up with Hogan's first story given the format and being pretty much midseason. You are right, he's the biggest star in wrestling. And he should be treated as such on this show... 

[CactusHack]

To open up Round 11, World Wide introduced a concept night, called the World Wide Kickoff. The concept promised matches that previewed the coming Round's matches with Strange Bedfellow tag teams and multi-man preview matches. In the first match of the concept, Flair and Rude teamed up to destroy the Killer Bees. And in the main event, two sets of Round 11 opponents teamed up to face off when Arn Anderson teamed with Ricky Steamboat to face The Great Muta and Terry Taylor. Arn and Ricky were able to work together while Muta and Taylor ended up having some miscommunication which cost them the match.

A big angle took place where WCW holds a follow up to the championship unifications from Clash of the Champions. Dusty wants to make things right after the first attempt at Clash of the Champions was interrupted, so Rick Rude was escorted from the arena after his match earlier in the show. Sting comes out and is ready to accept although, seems a bit disgruntled during his entrance. Dusty announces that WCW has anointed a master of ceremonies worthy of the occasion, 'The Face of WCW World Wide' Hulk Hogan.

"You know what, brother Sting? I watched your performance at The Clash of The Champions, and I saw you overcome an enormous challenge in Stan Hansen before facing the lethal Japanese sensation, Nobuhiko Takada in the main event! You know, in just two weeks time, I'll also be facing a Japanese star, but when I do I'll be facing the greatest Japanese wrestler in the world today, when I face IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Masahiro Chono, brother. Let me tell you something, brother: The IWGP World Heavyweight championship belt was introduced to the winner of Japan's version of the Grand Prix, the G1 Climax. It was introduced one decade ago, when the legendary Antonio Inoki made it to the finals where he lost to... Hulkamania. So this main event on World Wide - it's the real Clash of Champions, brother... but tonight is about you, Sting. And for you to walk out of Clash of the Champions just one night after losing your top spot in the WCW premier league when you were pinned by Rick Rude, that's the kind of performance that a young guy like you needs to have to be able to take a step towards reaching the levels of Hulkamania! So let me tell you something, Stinger. This championship belt that I present to you, it means you are on the Hulkamania level. So... Hulkamaniacs, can we get a round of applause for the Stinger?"

Sting was definitely frustrated with this segment. When Hogan and Chono met in the main event of World Wide later in the round, Chono was given a champions entrance and him and Hogan went to war. Hogan won, once again with the Stretch Plum, which was revealed as being gimmicked 'The Atomic Stretch'.

Round Eleven kicked off with Kevin Sullivan riding a two match win streak after being winless for eight straight. Sullivan came out looking darker than normal and commentary stated that Sullivan's journey into darkness has made him more dangerous than ever. The second that he accepted that he had lost everything and there was nothing left to lose, he became so much more dangerous. Meanwhile, 'American Muscle' Scott Steiner has lost 3 straight and is looking to bounce back. Steiner comes out with his brother Rick, and Rick's valet Missy Hyatt.

Scott's collegiate style was impressive as always, and he looked like he had Sullivan's number at multiple points throughout the match, but Sullivan's unconventional brawling kept frustrating Scott and putting him outside of his element. Scott managed to build momentum and set up for a Frankensteiner from the top rope, but Sullivan bit Steiner until he fell, and then Sullivan followed up with a Devil Stomp from the top rope to capture the victory. Sullivan's on a three match win streak and is looking more dangerous than ever.

Following his victory, in a vignette we witnessed a bizarre yet extremely intriguing ritual where Sullivan is isolated in a candle-lit room to further tap into a darkness. He talks about losing everything, only to have finally found something to help. He holds in his hand a puzzle box and he delicately turns and twists. The camera zooms in on the fascinating object slowly as Sullivan manipulates it, only for the scene to cut to black.

Kevin Sullivan (3-8-0) def. Scott Steiner (2-7-2) in 15:46. First ever match between the two.

Night one featured Big Van Vader taking on Takada. JR advised that this was going to be a brutal slobberknocker, as both men are heavy handed strikers, and neither man has ever shown any interest in backing down from a fight. They start this one out like it's a shoot fight, but the action doesn't quite connect with the fans like it should. Brutally stiff strikes, with Vader showing off as though he's impervious to the kicks and strikes from Takada. Vader swarms Takada into the corner and just barrages him with clubbing strikes to the body as JR screams that he's going to rupture Takada's internal organs. Takada acts cagey and defensive now as it's clear Vader has done some damage. Vader looks like a shark here as he smells the blood of his injured opponent and refuses to let up. Takada weathers the storm though, and starts to attack the limbs of Vader.

Vader goes for a rapid spinning backfist, but Takada dodges and uses Vader's momentum to reverse into a rolling cross armbreaker. Takada's got a deep angle on it and Vader has no choice but to tap or snap! Vader flips out after the match, as he lives to fight another day, but loses an important Premier League match. JR states that Takada is lucky to have survived. The following week on 'Inside the Squared Circle' with Magnum and Ventura, Vader sat in and they discussed Vader slipping down the rankings. Vader admits that the WCW Grand Prix features the toughest competition he's ever seen, but he's still in the running and he's going to buckle down and attempt to close out the season with four straight victories over Steamboat, Anderson, Bigelow and Scott Steiner.

Nobuhiko Takada (6-1-4) def. Big Van Vader (7-3-1) in 14:31 by submission. First ever match between the two.

Round Eleven featured Cactus Jack going to a time limit draw with Jerry Lawler, losing a bit of lead in first place. Scotty Flamingo was at ringside for Jerry's match, wearing bright pink with a sign that said, 'Join My Flamboyance' which was distracting to both men. At the end of the match, Cactus faced off with Scotty, complaining about his presence, but Flamingo (with the crowd chanting wildly) smiled and merely offered Cactus Jack a business card.

Elsewhere, in a battle of stablemates, Terry Taylor took on The Great Muta with the rest of Player Enterprises watching at ringside. Muta won after using the Poison Mist and a Shining Wizard. Takada congratulated him post match, but Bigelow and Long were vocal about him using the Mist against Terry.

Sting came to the ring determined for his match, and skipped a lot of his standard showmanship. Schaivone and JR played it off as him being so focused on rebounding from his loss to Rick Rude - It's rare to see Sting lose as over the course of the first two years of WCW's Grand Prix, Sting has amassed a staggering 21-3-1 record, but with Rick Rude pulling off the victory over him, it seems possible that no longer controls his own destiny. Rick comes out with his valet, Missy Hyatt and his brother Scott. The two opponents show mutual respect as they kick off, while JR mention there history together, having competed both as partners and opponents before, but never one on one.

Clean fight here, and as it progressed, Sting started to loosen up a bit as the two traded throws and Rick had Sting's number a few times. Schiavone commented that Sting may be a shook up outside on the ring, but once he steps in between the ropes, he's right at home. Sting starts to build momentum, and rallies the crowd for a Stinger Splash! Rick tries to mount a comeback with a series of strikes, but Sting no-sells it, beats his chest and then lays out Rick. Jim Ross mentions that it seemed like Sting just 'Hulked Up'.

Sting locks in the Scorpion Death Lock... and Rick's valet, Missy Hyatt, throws in a towel? Referee Nick Patrick accepts the forfeit and announces Sting the winner. Bit of confusion after the match. Later on, during a transition scene, cameras caught Rick Steiner arguing with Hyatt over the decision, to which Hyatt stated, "It's not like you were gonna win, anyway."

Sting (9-2-0) def. Rick Steiner (2-9-0) in 9:23 by submission. This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

In the build up to Simmons versus Zbyzsko, both men sat down and discussed their recent losses to Kevin Sullivan. They acknowledged that they had underestimated him, and in witnessing the levels of desperation that Sullivan has sunk to, they realize that they need to be willing to go deeper compete at this level. The comparison between the two promos was clear though - Zbyzsko said he needed to dig deeper with a look of disbelief in himself, while Simmons said so while seemingly in a trance.

The match started with Simmons coming out with a fire in his eyes and Larry running away, not wanting to deal with the seemingly incensed Powerhouse. Larry tricks Simmons into a compromising position in the ropes and takes advantage, attempting to work the right arm of Simmons. We get an extended stretch of Simmons fighting back and Larry halting any momentum by pinpointing an attack to the arm. Simmons fights back again, knocking back Larry, but clearly in pain when doing so. Simmons starts to mount some offence. Simmons seems to decide to grit through the pain, howling as he executes a sequence of scoop slams with his bad arm. He's fired up now, and Zbyszko goes for an attack to the arm but Simmons no-sells in, instead screaming in Larry's face. Larry looks terrified as it's clear that of the two, Simmons has truly understood what it means to dig deeper. Simmons hits the spinebuster, postures, and then his a dominating inverted front powerslam to a limp Larry. 

The following week, Jesse Ventura sat down with Simmons to discuss his new found aggression. Simmons says that he learned something while wrestling against Kevin Sullivan a few weeks back. He realized the depths of despair that Sullivan went through, and the darkness that was tapped into held it's own power. He calls himself 'Powerhouse' but Sullivan has found a power that makes his physical strength pale in comparison. Sullivan emerges onto Ventura's set and asks Simmons to come with him. He promises that 'I have such sights to show you'.

After that segment, WCW aired another bizarrely compelling segment where Simmons sat in the candle-lit room with Sullivan. Sullivan held his puzzle box and told Simmons that he thought he had lost everything, and he needed, well, anything. But this... this is something... something else... He tells Simmons they are kindred spirits and welcomes Simmons to experience the otherworldly pleasures that await them... Again, the camera focuses on the puzzle box and the slow, mesmerizing movements of Sullivans fingers against it's surface.

Powerhouse Simmons (5-4-2) def. Larry Zbyzsko (1-10-0) in 16:09 by pin.This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

 

The main event of night two saw two factions make their way to the ring to support their teams. 'Hollywood Blonde' Brian Pillman entered first, accompanied by Ric Flair, Steve Austin and Woman. At the commentary booth, JR and Schiavone hypothesized about who would potentially be the fourth member of this new iteration of The Four Horsemen, considering Flair seems to have blown off his former friends. Out next is The Shooters Club, as 'Dr Death' Steve Williams is joined by Shamrock, Severn, Johnny B Badd, trainee Masahito Kakihara, and Jody Hamilton.

Dr. Death has a clear cut size and experience edge here, but the outside elements play more into Pillman's riskier and more chaotic style. They jockey for positioning early, with Pillman slipping his way out of any lock-ups and then taunting Dr. Death. JR wonders how wise it is to anger a man who goes by the moniker 'Dr Death'. They play cat and mouse here, with Schiavone vocalizing his dislike of Pillman, who seemed like such a nice young man before he joined up with Flair.

Things break down on the outside with Flair and Austin brawling with the Shooters. Williams press slams Pillman over the top rope onto the crowd to break up the chaos to a big pop. Time is winding down and Williams is looking to finish the match as he brings Pillman back in, but Pillman quickly crawls to the other side of the ring where he pops up and flies at Williams with a Flying Clothesline, but is caught! Williams hoists him up for the Doctor Bomb! Pillman rolls through with a pin attempt but Williams kicks out! Williams powers up and locks in an ankle lock! Flair and Woman jump up on the apron and referee Randy Anderson is distracted. Pillman verbally submits and Williams lets go believing he's won. Anderson turns back to the action and Williams is demanding to have his arm raised, but is waved off. Time expires and we have a draw.

 

Steve Williams (3-5-3) and Brian Pillman (2-6-3) went to a 20 minute time limit draw. This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

The breaking story of Round Eleven in the Tag Team Division was Marcus Bagwell's suspension. WCW announced it during a segment of Jesse Ventura and Magnum TA's 'Inside the Squared Circle' - Magnum acknowledged not only that Marcus Bagwell had been suspended for the remainder of the 1993 calendar for breaking WCW's substance usage policies, but also brought up on air that Bagwell had broken up the marriage of Tony and Kim Anthony. They sat down with Bagwell's partner, Joey Maggs, and asked who would replace Bagwell for the remainder of the season. Maggs first of all mentioned that he does not condone or approve of Bagwell's actions, and has ended their partnership even beyond the 93 season. As for who he's teaming with, he's been searching for a partner but hasn't found one yet. The segment was broken up when True Grit (Tony Anthony and Bull Gantner) stormed the set and assaulted Maggs, yelling about Maggs' buddy being a bastard.

On the last World Wide of the round, Joey Maggs debuted his new partner, Chris Benoit. Benoit was put over as the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix champion, and currently ranked fourth in the Power Plant. Benoit has an all time grand prix record of 20-1-6 and is a former British Commonwealth champion and IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion. The announcement is interrupted by True Grit, who are stopped by their opponents this round, The Young Pistols. True Grit would go on to accomplish a major upset when they defeated The Young Pistols, but Maggs would one up them when Benoit and Maggs shocked everyone against The Shooters Club when Benoit managed to score a roll up pin on Ken Shamrock! The team of Benoit and Maggs had amazing chemistry that one over the audience through their first match.

Meanwhile, The Colussi defeated The Outsiders in a match of two teams tied for second place. Stan Hansen remained undefeated in WCW's Grand Prix matches. After their loss, Magnum TA asked The Outsiders if they were worried about their current losing skid and potentially falling out of contention for promotion, to which Hall and Nash saw their Round 12 opponents - The Killer Bees, who were bickering backstage about their terrible season - and laughed. After The Colussi's victory, Scotty Flamingo leaned into his promo from the previous round when he paid for an advert on WCW time where he was asking more wrestlers to 'Join His Flamboyance'. Flamingo's personal buddy, Mr. Sandman, was laughing and really enjoying the promotion, but the rest of Flamingo Corp's members were skeptical of this development from their leader. 

Round Eleven's final night kicked off with Ricky Steamboat and Arn Anderson taking each other on in what promised to be a technical classic. The build up for the match featured mutual respect, as Steamboat praises Arn's decision to strike out on his own and choose to honour the rules of the ring. Ricky says that he's seen Arn as a ring general amidst the tag team scene for years and is excited to square off one-on-one for the first time ever. Arn says that he's watched Ricky face his former best friend Flair in some of the greatest matches in wrestling history.

The two trade holds and a test of strength early on, which sees Arn come on out on top. However, Steamboat turns things around with a series of fast-paced, technique-driven, maneuvers that grounds Arn and gets him into position for Steamboat to lock in a double chicken wing that Arn has to work to get out of. They get back to their feet and smile at each other, playfully teasing who's better as the crowd cheers them on. From there, we get 15 minutes straight of waxing technique, as the two gelled well in back-and-forth action that resulted in oohs and aahs from the live audience. The Wrestling Observer would later state in a review of the match that one could watch these two 'fight forever'.

Referee Nick Patrick warns the two competitors that there is only one minute left on the clock, and there is a frantic sequence of pin attempts and reversals that only gets faster and faster as the seconds wind down. Time expires with them rolling back and forth in a cradle. They rise to there feet to a rousing ovation and shake hands. JR says he hopes we can run that one back again, as these two men brought the goods tonight!

Arn Anderson (4-4-3) and Ricky Steamboat (3-5-3) went to a 20 minute time limit draw. This was their first ever encounter in WCW's Grand Prix.

Luger hasn't been seen on WCW television for over a month, to which JR and Schiavone comment that after his recent frustrations regarding being booked in what Luger has referred to as unimportant, meaningless matches and talk segments, Luger and WCW management have come to the agreement that he may proceed with his request to only appear on shows he's booked for Premier League match ups. Schiavone calls him 'a bit of a whiny baby' as he makes his entrance and proceeds to state that 'The Total Package' only showing up for a fraction of the shows isn't exactly living up to his moniker. Bam Bam makes his way to the ring next with Player Enterprises and JR wonders if the group has gotten past it's internal issues now that the members have fought their match-ups against each other in league play. Schiavone poises that perhaps in 1994, we could see three or even four members of the group in the Premier League - and that may be too much for the group to handle.

The match begins and Luger tosses Bigelow to the floor immediately, before berating referee Nick Patrick and demanding he speed up the ten count. Bigelow was back in at four and Luger was complaining more.  Things turnaround quickly as Bigelow goes onto the attack. Throughout the match, Bam Bam Bigelow uses his sheer size and strength advantage to dominate Lex Luger. He hurls Luger around the ring like a ragdoll, displaying his raw power and leaving Luger struggling to mount any offense. Luger's arrogance and showmanship begin to fade as Bigelow's dominance continues.

Just when it seems like Bam Bam Bigelow is on the verge of a certain victory, Lex Luger manages to muster up a surprising burst of resilience. With the crowd rallying behind him, Luger digs deep and begins to fight back against the odds. He starts targeting Bigelow's legs, using his speed and agility to weaken the giant's base. As the match reaches its climax, Lex Luger manages to execute a series of quick strikes that finally bring Bam Bam Bigelow down to one knee. The crowd erupts with cheers as Luger seizes the opportunity to apply his signature submission hold, the Torture Rack. Despite the immense size difference, Luger shows incredible strength as he hoists Bigelow onto his shoulders and locks in the excruciating hold.

Just when it seems like Bigelow might power his way out of the Torture Rack, Luger adjusts his grip, applying even more pressure. The crowd is on their feet, witnessing an astonishing display of strength and determination from the egotistical Luger. Bigelow's roars become weaker, and his resistance begins to fade. Unable to withstand the agony any longer, Bam Bam Bigelow finally submits. Liger poses proudly after the match.

Lex Luger (7-2-2) def. Bam Bam Bigelow (5-5-1) in 14:36 with the Torture Rack. Luger improves to 2-0-0 all time against Bigelow.

Touted as the main event of Round Eleven, there was considerable build for the match up between Rick Rude and Ric Flair. They've been at odds for the better part of the year so far, with Rude showing Flair no respect at any point in time. A press conference was held to hype the match up, but Rude took the stage to instead go off on Sting. Rude called Sting a paper champion, stating that Sting may hold 'all-the-gold' but Rude is in first place right now, and Rude defeated Sting. Rude has Sting's number, and Sting will never be able to consider himself the champ as long as Rude is in the running. Flair attempts to bring the conference back to focus on him, but Rude storms off, blowing off Flair much to his dismay.

As a result of the blow off, a follow up sit-down interview was announced for World Wide, where the two opponents sat with Jesse Ventura to discuss the match more intimately. However, Rude again took the opportunity to deflect focus from the match at hand to instead berate Steve Austin for joining up with Flair. Flair spazzes out, trying to get the focus back on him, and gets waved off by Rude who instead questions Austin on why he ruined the Dangerous Alliance.

Lastly, in hype for this match, Magnum TA sat with Sting to ask for his thoughts on the match, as well as whether he'd have a preference in who wins given that both men are long-standing rivals of Stinger. Sting talks about the significance of the match as both men are neck and neck with Sting for top spot in the league as we enter the home stretch of the season. However, before Sting is able to give his opinion, Hulk Hogan interrupts and talks about how Flair has never defeated Hogan in any of their battles, and how he tossed Rick Rude over the top rope en route to winning the Royal Rumble. Sting wanders off as the camera zooms in on Hogan, who predicts that both men will fall to the 24" pythons when Hulkamania World Wide comes crashing down on the Premier League, next year. Magnum asks if it's official, and Hogan confirms, it's official, brother!

From the opening bell, Ravishing Rick Rude and Ric Flair engage in a masterclass of wrestling technique and storytelling. Rude's confidence and Flair's charisma electrify the atmosphere as they exchange holds, grapples, and counters. As the match unfolds, both Rude and Flair demonstrate their unique strengths. Rude uses his power and aggression to dominate Flair, targeting his back and limbs to wear him down. Flair, on the other hand, relies on his resilience and craftiness, using his technical prowess to evade Rude's attacks and keep the audience invested.
As the match reaches its final minutes, the tension in the arena is palpable. Rude, aware of the time running out, intensifies his assault on Flair. He locks in the Rude Awakening and the crowd holds its breath as it seems like this might be the end. But Flair, drawing on his deep well of experience, manages to barely reach the ropes, saving himself from defeat. With mere seconds remaining on the clock, both Rude and Flair are visibly fatigued. Flair's face is a mix of pain and determination as he summons his last reserves of energy. Rude attempts to execute another devastating move, but Flair counters into a sudden roll-up pin. Randy Anderson starts the count, and the crowd counts along: "1... 2..."

As the Anderson's hand is about to hit the mat for the three-count, the time limit buzzer sounds. The arena erupts in a mix of cheers and gasps as the match ends in a time limit draw. Flair's shoulders are still partly off the mat, and he lets out a triumphant smile as he realizes he narrowly escaped defeat. Rude is adamant that he should be declared the winner, but Anderson insists it's a draw as Austin and Pillman help Flair up the ramp who's acting like he's survived a war. Schiavone comments that with this match ending in a draw, Sting returns to first place in the rankings, although he may not appreciate how he's gotten there.

Ric Flair (7-1-3) and Rick Rude (8-2-1) went to a 20 minute time limit draw. This was their first ever singles encounter.

[CactusHack]

ROUND 12 CARD

Prediction Grid:

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

Contest Standings:

Swinny : 0/6 - 0%
Bigelow Cartwheel : 5/16 - 32%
Old School Fan : 53/95 - 56%
Vandal : 18/30 - 60%
smw88 : 50/84 - 60%
Nightshadeex : 54/89 - 61%
Lord Byron : 62/105 - 61%
DHK1989 : 63/103 - 62%
KyTeran : 10/16 - 63%
1PWfan : 15/24 - 63%
SonOfSharknado : 2/3 66%
mmaaddict : 30/46 - 66%
DinoKea : 31/46 - 68%
Dawn : 3/3 - 100%

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by CactusHack

[Lord Byron]

My picks:  Big Van Vader, Sting, Nobuhiko Takada, Ric Flair, Powerhouse Simmons, Rick Rude, Bam Bam Bigelow, and Brian Pillman...

[DHK1989]

Big Van Vader
Sting
Nobuhiko Takada
Ric Flair
Powerhouse Simmons
Rick Rude
Arn Anderson
Lex Luger

[Nightshadeex]

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

 

These all look straight forward, so I expect some big swerves!

[Old School Fan]

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

[CactusHack]

Guerrero del Futuro has begun working for AAA

WCW has announced a working relationship with Border City Wrestling in Ontario Canada. The announcement came with a $35k cheque to signed to the small promotion. CEO Eric Bischoff commented that the Canadian wrestling scene is paramount to the development of worldly talent.

Due to increasingly negativity, Dirty White Girl has been released from WCW.

Nelson Veilleux tore his rotator cuff and will be out for a year.

Minoru Suzuki competed in MMA, winning. His MMA record is 1-1-0.

Kensuke Sasaki renewed his contract with NJPW, signing a $650K extension over three years.

It’s been noted that WWF’s Bushwhacker Luke has really ballooned as of late, putting on the pounds in an unhealthy manner. 

New Japan signs former SWS CEO Genichiro Tenryu to an 18 month contract worth $4.2M

WWF Jobber Bob Bradley has suffered a torn rotator cuff and will be out of action for a year. This came immediately after forming a new tag team with Skinner - apparently what was going to be the first actual push of his career.

Villano House, a wrestling school based out of Northern Mexico, opened up, the most recent project of recently retired Villano I.

All Japan, suffering financial challenges as of late, opted to release staff members Motoshi Okuma and Shuichi Nishinaga.

Fresh off UWF’s recent growth, the company has begun signing exclusive contracts. Paul Roma signed with a contract with them for $540K over 3 years, while Dory Funk Jr signed an 18 month contract worth $980K, Paul Neu (PN News) signed a 3 year, $335K agreement, and Tony Atlas signed a 2 year contract worth $350K.

WWF renewed Bobby Heenan’s contract, paying him 1.7M over 18 months.

Black Cat signed a 2 year extension with NJPW worth $336K.

Dean Malenko suffered a torn rotator cuff during a tag team match against Black Cat and Akira Nogami. He will be out of action for roughly a year.

Over in New Japan, there was a scuffle after a show between Sid Vicious and Game Singh. Tension between the two appears to be very high.

LPWA’s Susan Sexton has announced her retirement in 3 months time. The 39 year old star will wrap up her 1993 season and hopes to ride off into the sunset a champion.

Smoky Mountain Wrestling is considering it’s options after taking a massive financial hit this month. It’s been stated that they have three months to dig themselves out of their hole, or they will cease operations.

La Diabollica defeated Lola Gonzalez to win the CMLL Women’s World Championship for the first time.

911 defeated Rip Oliver to win the BCW Can-Am Television championship for the first time.

Mike Samson def. Jerry Lynn to win the PWA Light Heavyweight Championship for the second time

Marty Jones defeated Greg Valentine (UK Based, not to be confused with American Greg) to capture the NWA United Kingdom Heavyweight Championship for the first time.

Jeff Farmer and Bobby Blaze have captured the ECWA Tag Team Championships for the first time.

Dixie Dynamite (known to WCW audiences as Scott Armstrong) defeated Barry Horowitz to win the SMW Beat the Champ Television championship for his first time.

King Kaluha defeated Mr. Sandman to win the ECW World Television for the first time.

Marty Jannetty def. Shawn Michaels to win the WWF Intercontinental championship for the first time.

Brazo de Oro defeated Ringo Mendoza to win the CMLL World Welterweight title for the first time.

Chris Walker defeated Paul Roma to regain the CAPW National Championship, his second reign.

Jesse Barr and Lance Von Erich (known in PNW as Egocentric) defeated Scott Norton and Mike Miller to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championships for the first time.

Jules Strongbow beat Col. DeBeers to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship for a first time.

Tamon Honda, El Zorro, Doug Williams, Kaoma Jr, Super Rider, The Persian Prince, Chicago Express, Lizmark Jr., Mil Mascaras Jr., El Canek Jr., Villano VII, Mano Negra Jr., Jaque Mate Jr., Dos Caras IV, Solar Jr, Fuerza Guerrera Jr. all joined the wrestling landscape.

[CactusHack]

In 'B Show' action, WCW Main Event featured a couple of talents making their WCW debuts by way of loan from the NWA network. Bill Irwin and Salvatore Bellomo both made appearances, losing in their debuts. Main event also featured a special moment, as after his victory over Scott Armstrong, Cobra was presented with a WCW contract. Cobra has been wrestling in WCW's newest child promotion, Southern States Wrestling. During the twelfth round of WCW's 93 Grand Prix, La Cultura Torcida stole the B Show, as both Konnan and Eddie Guerrero won in two separate greatly received matches.

JR's Indie Spotlight highlighted 25 year old Akira Nogami, who currently competes for NJPW. The 8 year pro lightweight displays poise and technique well beyond his years, all while competing in Kabuki attire. Akira's Kabuki schtick is meh, but when he steps between the ropes his ability mesmerizes audiences. JR also profiled the 'Judo Empress' Shinobu Kandori, a 28 year old, 7 year veteran of the joshi scene, Kandori is extremely well-rounded in the ring and brings a certain authenticity with her strikes, having won her MMA debut earlier this year. Known for her dangerous bouts in the deathmatch promotion, FMW, Shinobu Kandori has begun competing on American soil in 1993. Lastly, JR profiled another individual with an MMA background, as he spotlighted 'The Legitimate' Yoji Anjo. The jacked 26 year old Japanese star is emerging as someone to watch, gaining notoriety as a great wrestler in the RINGS and PWFG promotions. Rumour has it that Yoji has been offered a spot in the lower divisions of WCW's Grand Prix for 1994.

Round 12 in the Power Plant was stolen by Chris Benoit, who's performance in his win over Action Jackson was head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Meanwhile, Eddie Gilbert remained undefeated on the season, maintaining his pace to win the division with a victory over the larger Tony Norris. Elsewhere - The Tennessee Prodigy Jeff Jarrett continued to assert himself as a big deal, with another win. The egocentric youngster continues to build momentum, and his posse (Disorderly Conduct and Leatherface) protect him at all turns. Jarrett's opponent this round was Doug Gilbert, who came out dressed in cheap Freddy Kreuger gear and was referred to as 'The Night Terror.' Gilbert's attempt to get over a new gimmick was awful.

With only three rounds remaining, Eddie Gilbert remains four points ahead of his two closest rivals, Shane Douglas and Rayo De Jalisco Jr. Right behind them is Chris Benoit, who is was interviewed about joining WCW's Tag Team division mid-season. Benoit confirmed that he would compete his obligations in PPW, stating that he appreciates the opportunities he has been afforded here.

Lastly, in a surprise debut for PPW, Paul Orndorff made an appearance, where he announced that he would be joining the 1994 PPW field.

The Power Plant's Round Twelve headlining match once again was a battle for Lucha Supremacy, as Solar and Blue Panther took on Negro Casas and Silver King. Panther and Solar were looking to maintain their top spot in the division, but were taken to the limits by their opponents as the four men went the distance and time expired before a winner could be decided. The match has been highly praised, receiving reviews that are calling it the best match in company history. All four men left everything they had in the ring and the crowd loved every minute of it.

There were no true upsets over the course of Round Twelve, however there was a shocking development for the tag team of The Legacies. Kevin Von Erich made a special appearance and called out Lance. He said that it's time for him to come clean, he is not and has never truly been a Von Erich. Lance renounced his name and admitted he kept the name for the clout. Despite the intent being to garner sympathy, the crowd shit all over Lance (now being referred to as Ricky Vaughn) and it was clear 'Ricky Vaughn' wasn't expecting to be so poorly received. Meanwhile, David Sammartino was so over-the-top with his shocked reactions, that he got over a new gimmick as 'Shocking' Sammartino, complete with wide-eyed mannerisms mid-match. After the reveal, The Legacies came up short against The Moondogs when Sammartino thought he was hit from behind by 'Ricky Vaughn' (he wasn't) and he popped him in the chin before acting shocked at his own actions, which led to Moondog Spot pinning Ricky.

Performer of the round goes once again to Ultimo Dragon for the fourth straight round, as Speed Eleven defeated the miserable Rock N Roll RPMs.

In Women's Action, a shocking development took place as Susan Sexton announced her decision to retire at the end of the 1993 season. The 39 year old 'Queen' announced that after 18 years as a wrestler, she has decided to retire at the peak of her career - and there is nothing more fitting than the 'Queen' going out on top. She proceeded to put on the a match worthy of the main event spot she had been afforded (not too hard - given that her dance partner here was Manami Toyota) and walked away with a victory. Despite the defeat, Manami Toyota walked away with the best performance bonus. Sexton is currently four points behind the top ranked Akira Hokuto, and is poised to face her later this season. Hokuto won her match over Leilani Kai to maintain her pace.

Elsewhere, Candi Devine continued her frustrating downward trend when she lost to last place Bison Kimura. After the match, she shoved down Bison and stormed off. Debbie Malenko continued her upward trend with a win over 'Miss Texas' Jacqueline. Madusa continued to make her push towards a successful defence of the Women's Grand Prix with an impressive victory over Bull Nakano. However, at this point she is dependent on Akira Hokuto dropping some matches, which seems unlikely. And Magnificent Mimi went to a 20 minute time limit draw with Wendi Richter to maintain her undefeated season. Mimi remains in the hunt for first place, but is now four points behind Hokuto. 

Meanwhile, yet another name was revealed for the 1994 season. After being relegated from the division at the end of 1992, Bambi will be the first female athlete to return to the division, joining Cynthia Moreno and Penelope Paradise as the new members for 1994.

The path to the perfect season finally was derailed for Rick Titan, who went the distance with Sledgehammer Anderson and was unable to put him away before time expired. Titan was furious at the end of his match. Misawa meanwhile maintained his perfect season with a win over 'Moondog' Ed Moretti, with Misawa collecting his twelfth straight MVP bonus.

A changing of the guard is clearly growing in W4WA, as the show continues to increase it's focus on the likes of the younger talents like Lance Storm, Chris Jericho, and Rey Misterio Jr.

[CactusHack]

Sept Week 3, 1993 - 11:21 AM - Human Resources

Jim Ross is once again in the board room, having called another meeting with Bischoff for what he referred to as a pressing personnel issue. Bischoff saunters in, late again.

Eric Bischoff

“Hey Jim, what is it this time? All our WCW couples are split up haha, are you here to let me know that The Killer Bees don't like each other? Or is Kevin Sullivan wanting us to follow the same suit as we did with Kim Anthony and let go of Nancy?”

 

Jim Ross

“I'm afraid it's a bit more involved this time.. There's elevated tension between two big personalities that needs urgent attention.”

 

Eric Bischoff

“Okay, Jim. Remember, you are Talent Relations, I expect you to handle these things, what's so pressing that you need me involved?”

 

Jim Ross

“I actually have been sorting out most. I'm not sure if you are aware, but wrestling locker-rooms are packed with big personalities and it's pretty run of the mill for there to be outbursts and tension that occurs... In this case, it just happens to big centred around the biggest personality we have. It appears that Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin are at each other's throats and Hulk has started rallying tons of other wrestlers to side with him, creating a lot of tension around Austin.”

 

Eric Bischoff

“Hmm... Austin's poised to be a big part of our roster as part of The Four Horsemen. Who exactly is against him now?”

 

Jim Ross

“Let me just check my notepad... yes... Jimmy Garvin, Rick Rude, Ron Simmons, Dustin Rhodes, Jushin Liger, Sting, Nikita Koloff, Danny Davis, Paul E Dangerously, and Lex Luger."

 

 

Eric Bischoff

“And what would be the damage if we just phase Austin out?”

 

Jim Ross

“Austin has close friendships with Scotty Flamingo, Harley Race, Kevin Von Erich and well, him and I are very close as well. Austin, Jeannie, myself and my missus have season tickets to the Cowboys together this year."

 

Eric Bischoff

“Sounds to me like Hogan's assimilating to our roster very quickly. Let's keep Austin away from him until we can make peace. That is your job, Jim. Hogan is a massive part of our operation, generating $1.5M in merch sales per month. Please, sort this out Jim. Or else your tailgate buddy will need to go find work elsewhere. Now, if you don't mind, we are about to submit our Q3 earnings report to Ted. We're making money, hand over foot. We've got big plans for continued expansion. I think he'll go for it too - we're closing in on matching WWF Superstars in the ratings.”

[CactusHack]

A lil bit of padding... Both LPWA and W4WA have 4 additional rounds in comparison to the Power Plant and WCW, due to each being a larger singular field of talent. So, here's a bit more of their stories, to tide us over until WCW hits!

Round Thirteen in Canada featured a shocker no one saw coming. After 12 matches undefeated, Mitsuharu Misawa's perfect season was denied by Buddy Landel, who scored a roll up victory in a great match. Landel's wave of momentum since winning JR's Indie Spotlight Battle Royal has gotten a lot of fanfare, and his win here meant no signs of slowing down. After the match, Misawa remained in the ring on his knees, disappointed in himself. Rick Titan emerged from the back and attacked, asserting his dominance over the league as a whole. The collision course between the two top stars continues to build, and now Buddy Landel sits just outside the top spots. Rick Titan bounced back from his draw in Round Twelve with a decisive victory over Buddy Hart.

Elsewhere, Rey Misterio Jr and Chris Jericho put on a show stealing performance as the two young stars tore down the house with fast paced action that saw Chris Jericho walk away with a win. The match was touted as showcasing what the future of W4WA will look like.

The next round in W4WA featured Misawa having to rebound from his first loss against a very tough opponent in Lance Storm. The two nearly went the distance with a technical clinic that was all anyone could talk about after the show, and Misawa was able to successfully rebound from defeat, scoring a pin over Lance in the main event of Round Fourteen. Despite coming up on the losing end, Lance Storm's value skyrocketed with this performance. He was nearly in tears over the match afterwards, and Misawa hugged him before bowing at him as a sign of respect.

Rick Titan continued his undefeated season with a victory over Rey Misterio Jr., while Buddy Landel continued his push towards the top with a hard fought victory over Chris Jericho.

After announcing her retirement at the end of the 93 season, Susan Sexton continued her push to go out on top with a hard fought win over Lioness Asuka. Sexton appears to be hellbent on ending her career on top, resulting in the greatest matches of her career, as her contest against Lioness Asuka stole the show in Round 13. Debbie Malenko's star rose significantly when she pushed the reigning champ to a time limit draw, pretty much completely ending Madusa's ability to retain her championship this season. This came after Madusa laughed off Debbie, stating that she was not on her level. At the top of division, Akira Hokuto, Bull Nakano, and Magnificent Mimi all picked up victories as they maintained the race for first place. Hokuto put on the best performance of the round.

Elsewhere, Nick Bockwinkel held an introduction ceremony for the 'class of 1994', featuring new talents Bambi, Cynthia Moreno, and Penelope Paradise. They were introduced to the fourth entrant for 1994, Shinobu Kandori!

Round Fourteen saw Bull Nakano take a hit to her run for gold as she went to a time limit draw against the legendary Wendi Richter. Meanwhile, Susan Sexton, Magnificent Mimi and Akira Hokuto all picked up victories as the end stretch heightens the importance of every passing match. With Akira Hokuto in the lead so strongly, a new gimmick as surfaced to build her opponents. Inspired by Lady Snowblood, Hokuto's matches are now hyped with a highly stylized vignette where Akira is presented as training to overcome each obstacle, with Japanese characters prominent on the screen.