WCW Worldwide 5/1/1993

Airdate: May 1, 1993

Hosted by Tony Schiavone and Jesse “The Body” Ventura

Our monthly installment of WCW Worldwide from Classics On
Demand brings us the first week of the Computer Contender’s Challenge. For the
World Television title “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff will face “Not quite the
Franchise yet” Shane Douglas. In addition we get our first look at “A Flair for
the Gold.”

Tony welcomes us to the show as Sting makes his way to the
ring.

Tie-up goes to the corner and Sting provides a clean break.
Rose grabs a headlock off another tie-up. After a brief moment Sting shoots him
off but gets shoulderblocked. Rose comes off the ropes again, but Sting drops
down, delivers a hiptoss, dropkicks him, and then gets the armdrag and armbar. To
excite the crowd Sting howls.

Sting maintains control of the arm until Rose backs him into
the corner and nails him in the midsection. After a cross-corner whip he elbows
Sting. A snapmare leads to a kick and a pin attempt. Rose only gets a 1 count
though.  To maintain control he
front-facelocks Sting into the corner and hammers him in the midsection again. Sting
fires back with chops and knocks him to the mat with a right hand. Here comes
the Stinger splash! Anybody up for some Pat Rose pancakes? Scorpion deathlock
gets the submission victory. DUD

Our first installment of WCW Magazine starts with Tony
Gilliam hyping Slamboree on May 23 at 7pm. One of the main event matches will
be for the NWA title: Barry Windham versus Arn Anderson. “The Enforcer” cuts a
promo on Windham. Additionally, the other main event will pit WCW World
Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader against “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy
Smith.

Tony and Jesse discuss what has happened to Cactus Jack.
Footage from WCW Saturday Night is shown. Miraculously Cactus Jack gets a
countout victory against Vader on 4/17. The powerbomb on the concrete floor from
4/24 is not shown however. It can be found here.

We head to the Slamboree control center with Eric Bischoff
who runs down the card. Together with the WCW World title and NWA title being
on the line the WCW World Tag Team titles will be defended in a steel cage! The
Hollywood Blonds will face Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Shane Douglas.
Also, Sting will be in action. The Benoit/Eaton versus Bagwell/Scorpio match is
edited out here. In a nod to tradition Gordon Solie hypes more legends scheduled
to appear such as Nick Bockwinkel, “Jumping” Jim Brunzell, Greg Gagne, and Verne
Gagne. Without any commentary footage of Verne Gagne versus Ox Baker from
December 13, 1975 is shown.

According to http://thehistoryofwwe.com
Chris Benoit and Bobby Eaton defeated Mike Winner and Joey Maggs after Eaton
kneedropped Winner while being held in a backbreaker by Benoit. I’m going to
try my best not to get fired by Scott for my comments here, but the subtraction
of Benoit footage from WWE Classics On Demand over five years after that
gruesome day in June 2007 isn’t valid anymore in my opinion. If I were WWE and felt
like withholding footage of Benoit I would remove only his WWE career. By doing
so, they can legally show his wrestling style without claiming his employment.
On the other hand if I was head of the WWE video archives I would show the
match and let those who choose not to watch Benoit fast-forward. Methinks a
meaningless tag squash would not be detrimental to the younger viewers anyways.
OK, I have stepped down off my soapbox…

The Blonds make their customary entrance rolling their
imaginary video cameras. Prior to the match a split-screen interview of Marcus
Alexander Bagwell and 2 Cold Scorpio is shown. According to them they will get
their title shot next week on Worldwide.

Austin and Anderson start with a tie-up to the corner. While
rolling his camera to mock Anderson Austin backs away. He then gets a
double-leg takedown but misses the elbow. Austin gives Anderson a knee to the
gut, a forearm to the back, a right hand, and then a gutwrench suplex. Prior to
giving Anderson another right hand Austin again rolls his camera.

Pillman tags in, chops Anderson to the mat, and then
face-plants him. Cruelly he rubs his face in the mat. As Jesse admires the
Blonds for their relocation to Hollywood Austin tags back in. He doubles
Anderson over with another kick to the gut. Before Anderson can tag out Austin
physically provokes Angel prompting him to enter the ring. Austin tries to
cheat behind the referee’s back, but Anderson gets an inside cradle for a 1
count.

Austin comes back by stomping his hand and then rams his
head into his team’s top turnbuckle. Pillman comes back in and hiptosses
Anderson across the ring so that Angel can tag in. Pillman works him over in
the corner and throws him to the outside by Austin’s feet. On the floor Austin
chokes Angel with the towel. While Austin claims innocence in the corner by
rolling his camera Pillman chokes Angel on the top rope.

Austin tags back in, mounts the second rope, and delivers a
forearm to Angel’s back. Angel tries to come back with punches and whips
Austin. However he puts his head down and gets caught with a forearm to the
back of the neck.  As Pillman tags in
Jesse laments the contradiction of having both a father and son (Gagnes) as
legends. Nice dig at Greg there, Jesse.

A quick tag leads to a double dropkick by the Blonds. After Austin
slams Angel he tags Pillman back in. Brian slams Angel then the Blonds give him
the Rocket Launcher to get the pin. Nice nod to both the Rock’n’Roll Express as
well as the Midnight Express there by the Blonds. ½*

Next we get our very first “A Flair for the Gold” segment.
Flair makes his entrance stylin’ and profilin’ and gives us a “Woo!” While
holding a cocktail Flair compares his show to Arsenio Hall and Jay Leno. He
then introduces Fifi who wears a French maid outfit. Afterwards he introduces
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader with Harley Race. Vader barks as
the crowd boos. Flair asks Fifi to give Race and Vader some drinks. While
asking Harley a question he requests that Fifi bring “the big man” some food.
Vader takes the whole tray much to Fifi’s dismay. Flair touts Vader’s
accomplishments as Fifi dusts Vader off. Vader claims that he’s “the hunter…
(and) not the hunted.” He mentions that Sting has “been to Vader’s school of
pain.”

Flair then asks Vader about his upcoming challenge at
Slamboree against Davey Boy Smith. Vader calls him “the British Chihuahua” and
states that Smith “(will attend) Vader’s school of pain just like Sting with a
broken rib, just like Ron Simmons (with a) broken shoulder, just like Joe
Thurman with a broken back, and just like Cactus Jack and Nikita Koloff. We can’t
find him, ‘cuz I ran him out of wrestling.” 
Flair then asks Vader why he wears the mask. Vader takes offense and
grabs Flair by the tie. After claiming how tough he is he says that he wears
the mask because “I like it.”

Vader then asks Flair a question: “Who’s the man?” Harley
answers for Flair. Vader then asks Fifi. Of course she stands behind Flair. Consequently
Vader propositions Fifi then challenges Flair to go to Vader’s school of pain.
Flair closes out the segment with his arm around Fifi stating “being the man
and staying the man are two different things.” Next week Flair’s guest will be
NWA champion Barry Windham.

In the second installment of WCW Magazine Tony Gilliam hypes
the steel cage match for the WCW World Tag Team championship. According to
Gilliam the Blonds are “the arrogant team of the 90’s.” They cut a promo on Steamboat
and Douglas stating it’s their final challenge.

As Orndorff holds his title in the air the crowd chants
“Paula” at him. In response to “A Flair for the Gold” Jesse comments “Arsenio
who?” As the crowd is really getting on Orndorff’s nerves he bullies the ring
attendant to leave with his robe. Orndorff plays mind games with Douglas to
start the match. They tie-up and Orndorff grabs a front chancery. Douglas
counters into a hammerlock but Orndorff backs away before it can be fully
applied.

Douglas goes behind Orndorff to grab a waistlock. A standing
switch puts Orndorff in control. Further an amateur takedown by Orndorff leads
to an escape by Douglas sending Paul to the outside. As Orndorff returns to the
ring we take a commercial break.

We return with Orndorff headlocking Douglas. He gets shot
off the ropes but shoulderblocks Douglas. He comes off the ropes again, jumps over
Douglas, and gets hiptossed. Paul retreats to the corner calling for a timeout.
In reference to the timeout Jesse makes a sports joke, and Tony asks if he’s
Chris Webber. HA! Douglas grabs a wristlock. To counter Orndorff gives him an
armdrag.

Douglas comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock and a drop
toehold then bars the arm. Orndorff backs him into the ropes and gives him a
knee to the gut. He then roughs Douglas up with stomps and punches. After a
headbutt he drops the elbow on Douglas. Jesse refers to Douglas as the “born
again Republican.” Orndorff signals for the piledriver. Jesse adds “if he hits
this even Rush Limbaugh won’t be able to help Douglas.”

In lieu of the piledriver Orndorff hooks Douglas for a
vertical suplex but gets suplexed instead. It gets a 2 count. Orndorff stalls
then claims a pull of the tights. Jesse says that Orndorff is showing the
referee his “suntan line.” Again Orndorff stalls and the crowd chants “Paula.” They
trade punches, and Douglas gets the better part of the trade. He whips Orndorff
into the ropes and gives him an elbow. It only gets a 2 count.

As time ticks away Douglas grabs a headlock. Orndorff shoots
him off but receives a swinging neckbreaker. That gets another 2 count. Upon
missing clotheslines on one another Douglas hits a flying body press for yet
another 2 count. He then gives Orndorff a standing dropkick. Douglas then
imitates either Tarzan or Sting by beating his chest.

He whips Orndorff and gives him a powerslam. Paul gets his
foot on the ropes before the 3 count though. Thinking he has won Douglas argues
with the referee about the count. When he returns his attention to Orndorff he
gets taken down. Cleverly Orndorff pins him with his feet on the ropes! **

The smoking WCW logo closes us out.

Overall, this show was definitely entertaining. Minus the
missing Benoit segment the matches were fine, but the Flair portion definitely
gave this show an excellent boost. In my previous Worldwide report I stated
that we would have to wait until this show to see if it will pass the test of
WCW history. I would definitely give it a passing grade solely based upon the Flair
component. As far as Douglas is concerned he looked like a generic babyface in
1993. I definitely have to say that he either would have floundered or quit
wrestling had he not joined ECW and been given the rocket push there.  On the other hand the heel tactics of the
Hollywood Blonds truly epitomized how entertaining wrestling should be.