WCW Primefor September 18 included a bevy of new matches, which will be recapped before we get to WCW Pro for September 23. Chris Cruise and Dusty Rhodes did commentary for these matches.
–The Barrio Brothers (0-6) defeat Steve & Scott Armstrong (0-2) when Fidel Sierra pins Scott after Scott stun guns himself at 6:46:
The Barrio Brothers was the third team name for Sierra and Ricky Santana, as they wrestled as the Cuban Connection and then under masks as Los Especialistas until August. In the early going everyone acts like they are a luchador, with Scott, Santana, and Steve doing consecutive pescados. Dusty hypes the match as giving the winner a step up in tag team title connection, a claim that appears ridiculous on its face because of the records of both teams, but the American Males just won the titles, so anything appears possible. The usual tag team formula unfolds, and it seems like the Armstrongs are on the verge of winning when Steve holds Santana’s foot when the heels try to double team Scott. However, Scott’s attempted crossbody on Sierra eats the ropes and the Barrios score the upset. Well, they do not call it the Armstrong curse for nothing. Rating: **
–Alex Wright (45-7-2) beats Tim Horner (0-14) after a reverse flying body press at 3:38:
Horner is running out of big-name stars to job to, but god love Dusty trying to put him over on the mic as “a big regional star.” Wright is sporting some new white tights, a striking contrast to his usual black gear. The commentators complain that he has wrestled too many tomato cans and must toughen his bookings. Horner suffers through a long armbar before pulling off some quick pinning combinations, but Wright turns a blind charge into his finisher and prevails. Credit to the timing of the finish as both men made it seamless. Rating: *
–Prime “MOOOO” Match of the Week: Dave Sullivan (7-6-1) beats Johnny Swinger after Hacksaw Jim Duggan interferes at 2:42:
Sullivan’s awful theme song is almost a carbon copy of Owen Hart’s so one would be remiss, and probably thankful, if the King of Harts came out to wrestle Swinger instead. Poor Sullivan struggles with the jobber until Hacksaw Jim Duggan comes into the ring with a taped fist and decks Swinger behind the referee’s back so his friend wins. I am sure that referee Nick Patrick found nothing suspicious about hearing a loud “HOOOO” behind him, the sound of a man hitting the canvas, and then suddenly seeing Duggan at ringside.
And now we go to WCW Pro where Chris Cruise, Dusty Rhodes, and Larry Zbyszko are calling the action.
–Opening Contest: Hacksaw Jim Duggan (31-6-1) pins Mike Khoury after a three-point stance clothesline at 2:46:
Duggan fares better against a jobber than Dave Sullivan did on WCW Prime, giving Dusty time to hype his interview on WCW Saturday Night. He does not need to use a taped fist as the three-point stance clothesline is enough to win his first match in more than a month.
–Tony Schiavone narrates video footage of Fall Brawl.
–Sting does a taped promo about the Giant beating up Hulk Hogan at the end of Fall Brawl. He warns the Giant that Hogan will be back.
–Non-Title Match: The American Males (WCW Tag Team Champions) (4-0) defeat Steve & Scott Armstrong (0-3) when Marcus Bagwell pins Scott after a double dropkick at 5:24:
Steve and Scott lose to the Barrio Brothers on WCW Prime, thereby becoming arguably the worst team in the tag team division, and they get a match against the champions? So much for Dusty’s claim that the winner of that match was going to get more exposure. The Armstrongs do not wrestle like heels so we get an interesting match where the Males dominate most of the action, save for a small shine spot for Steve when he gets a near-fall on Scotty Riggs after a splash. Rating: *½
–When Sister Sherri welcomes a camera crew into her dressing room to see how much she loves Colonel Robert Parker. As she does this, Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck lock her door so Parker is not distracted for their match later against Harlem Heat.
–Call 1-900-909-9900 to hear what Lex Luger told Arn Anderson about Sting!
–Ric Flair (12-3) beats Mark Starr (2-13) after a figure-four leglock at 2:21:
Flair destroys Starr, working over his knee for two minutes and submitting him with the figure-four.
–Cruise interviews Flair, who says he and Arn Anderson have gone their separate ways. Flair notes that his only equal in WCW is Sting and he wants Sting to team with him. Sting is skeptical of aligning with Flair because Flair is a cheater and will never be a good guy. Fans boo Flair even though he does his best to get them on his side. Sting tells Flair that the people are not stupid, and neither is he and as a result Flair is on his own. This was a great segment that built on the seven-year rivalry between both guys.
–Harlem Heat (43-7-2) defeat Dick Slater & Bunkhouse Buck (w/Colonel Robert Parker) (21-12-1) when Stevie Ray pins Buck after hitting him with a boot at 5:10:
This is supposed to be Slater and Buck’s return match against the Heat after dropping the titles after Fall Brawl but since the Heat lost the titles to the American Males on Nitro the poor Tennessee rednecks do not get a chance to regain the belts. Booker T and Stevie Ray must have had enough of Sherri’s escapades with Parker because they never bothered to track her down before this match. Instead, it is up to Parker to ask WCW security head Doug Dillinger where Sherri is. But come to find out the Heat do not need Sherri as Parker takes Buck’s boot off but tosses it under his legs, allowing Ray to get the foreign object and use it to secure a pin. These two squads have no chemistry with each other and are making fans pine for the days of Heat-Nasty Boys matches. Rating: ½*
The Last Word: The Ric Flair-Sting story was the lone highlight of the show. The angle’s inclusion showed that WCW Pro was still somewhat relevant after the debut of Monday Nitro.
Up Next: WCW Worldwide for September 23!