Mike Reviews WCW Clash of the Champion #25

Let’s try a couple of these on a Friday to see if it nets me a few extra eyeballs. Also, I’m trying out BlueSky, so if you are too then feel free to give me a follow over on michaeljfitz.bsky.social (provided you don’t mind too much wittering about the SEGA Saturn)

We continue our journey into 1993 WCW today, with Clash of the Champions #25. We’ve got Vader Vs Ric Flair in the Main Event, as well as The Hollywood Blondes EXPLODING.

You can view the card for Clash #25 below

WCW Clash of the Champions #25 Card

Pics are from a review by Benjamin Trecroci on the Ring The Damn Bell website

Clash #25 is emanating from St. Petersburg, Florida on the 10th of November 1993

Calling the action are Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura

Mean Gene Okerlund hocks his hotline. Make sure you dial in folks, the costs of importing cigars has gone up considerably recently.

The announce team hypes up the card for tonight.

Opening Match
WCW International Heavyweight Title
Champ: “Ravishing” Rick Rude Vs Road Warrior Hawk

WCW had two World Titles at the time, with Rude’s supposedly being administrated by the WCW International Committee. Hawk was on the outs with the WWF at the time due to showing up to SummerSlam 1992 absolutely off his head and only just making it through his match, so of course WCW decided to give him a chance here. Hawk had wrestled for the World Title back in the 80’s against Ric Flair, but he’d always been seen as more of a tag wrestler, so giving him singles Title shots was always a tactic with a shelf-life. Michael Buffer is doing the ring announcing here, and does a great look of indignation when Rude snatches the mic from him. Hawk’s gimmick hometown was Chicago, but he was actually from Minnesota, the same as Rude, so this would be a battle of overly muscled Minnesotan’s going at it here at the Clash.

Hawk overpowers Rude to start, with Rude not really knowing what to do with this big face painted nutter he has to contend with tonight. Rude eventually decides that kicking and punching will do the trick, but Hawk starts no selling that and flings Rude face first into the turnbuckle ten times, which Rude sells magnificently. If they wanted these early exchanges to show that Hawk is a credible challenger, then they’ve done a good job with it thus far. Sadly the finish ends up being a total nothing burger, as they brawl outside the ring for a bit and it’s a double count out.

DOUBLE COUNT OUT (RUDE RETAINS)
RATING: 1/2*

Thoughts: What an utterly horrendous way to start an event like Clash of the Champions. Not only did we not get a finish, we barely got a match, with Hawk doing his shine and them then taking it home without doing a heat segment or comeback. Rude sold well for Hawk, so it doesn’t get a DUD, but it was darned close. A finish like that on a show like a Clash or pay per view is borderline offensive though, and the crowd is immediately flattened out by it

Match Two
The Equaliser Vs The Shockmaster

WCW threatened us with this one back at Halloween Havoc, and now we’re getting it here at Clash #25. Both of these guys are big and clumsy (Equaliser for a shoot and Shockmaster in kayfabe) and now they’re going to battle with one another. This does have potential to be so bad that it’s good, so let’s hope that happens. Equaliser jumpstarts this one, attacking Shockmaster as he gets into the ring and working Shockmaster over with basic stuff like punches and chokes. Sadly it’s The Equaliser, so it all looks rubbish, but Shockmaster can actually sell and do the basics, so his performance is fine, if by the numbers. Equaliser does manage one impressive move by muscling up Shockmaster for a back suplex, but Shockmaster manages to shrug that off and make a comeback with a big boot. Shockmaster catches Equaliser with his terrible Bearhug Slam move following that, and that’s three. That move never looked any good. Couldn’t Shockmaster just have done a Splash or Sudanese Elbow Drop instead or something?

WINNER: THE SHOCKMASTER
RATING: 1/2*

Thoughts: About as rubbish as I expected it to be. Equaliser was his usual rotten self, and though Shockmaster was marginally better, it wasn’t enough to drag the match to anything worthwhile

The replay of course shows that Equaliser kicked out at 3.1, because heaven forfend he actually sell something.

Mean Gene Okerlund is at the interview podium with Colonel Robert Parker. Parker brags about dropping Sid Vicious as a client and taking on Steve Austin instead. Parker says that he has a restraining order for Sid, which I think was the way WCW wrote Sid out due to him being fired for a scissor’s related incident with Arn Anderson in Blackburn, England.

Match Three
WCW World Television Title
Champ: Lord Steven Regal w/ Sir William Dundee Vs Johnny B. Badd

These two wrestled each other quite a lot in 93/94. Badd had recently finished up a feud with Maxx Payne, and now he’s going after His Lordship’s TV Title. Clash #25 could do with a good match right about now, so hopefully these two deliver it. Regal makes the mistake of slapping Badd early on, which fires Badd up and leads to the challenger controlling things in the early going. Regal of course stooges with the best of them during that, and the standard of the wrestling is good due to Regal being smooth as silk in that area and Badd continuing his improvement as an in-ring performer during this time period. Sadly some doofuses in the crowd chant that the action is boring, when it almost certainly isn’t. Considering the previous two matches, this one might as well be Kawada Vs Misawa by comparison.

Badd eventually misses an attack and lands on the ropes, which allows Regal to cut Badd off with some trademark European Uppercuts before working some heat. Badd sells that well and Regal gets his Heel sneer on, so it’s a watchable heat segment, even though some of the crowd are being obstinate ingrates. Badd eventually manages to clean Regal’s clock with a big left hand punch, which leads to William having to put Regal’s foot on the ropes to save his master. Badd argues with William following that, and that leads to Regal getting a tights assisted roll-up for three. That finish protected Badd at least and Regal sold the punch fantastically.

WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: HIS LORDSHIP
RATING: **1/2

Thoughts: This was a decent effort, with both wrestlers playing their respective roles well and the finish giving Badd an out for losing whilst also giving the crowd a pin fall

Match Four
Stunning Steve w/ Colonel Robert Parker Vs Flyin’ Brian

These two used to be a tag team, but Steve has betrayed Brian and thrown his lot in with Colonel Parker, so we have a match between them here on Clash #25. Brian entered during the break, so he’s already waiting in the ring and attacks Steve the moment he enters, which helps with making this feel like a heated issue. Brian pummels Steve from pillar to post, with Steve bumping all over the place and the action being fun to watch. The entrance ramp is going up to the ring on this show, so Steve eventually manages to sling Brian off the ramp down to the metal railings below, which is our cut off for the heat segment. Brian sells that really well and Steve looks good on offence as a desperate Heel trying to keep his babyface opponent on the backfoot.

Brian eventually manages to catch Steve with a jumping back elbow from the second rope, and that gives us the double down followed by the fiery babyface comeback from Brian. Brian is throwing some great chops here, to the point that I half expect to see one of Steve’s nipples go flying into the camera. Brian manages to counter a Steve attempt at a Piledriver into a rana for two, but a springboard cross body is countered into a slam from Steve in order to give Steve a two count of his own. The wrestling here has been great, and the fans have been more into this than they have some of the other matches on this show thus far. It’s been a total sprint, but a really fun one. Parker eventually gets involved, shoving Brian off the top rope when the ref isn’t looking, and that leads to Steve getting a scummy win.

WINNER: STUNNING STEVE
RATING: ***1/4

Thoughts: This was a good match, with the action being fast paced and exciting. Brian was a good fired up babyface whilst Steve was a good desperate Heel. The interference of Parker gave Brian an out for losing whilst also allowing Steve a pin fall victory, so they can either rematch these two or switch the heat to Parker so that Brian can beat up the manager for some revenge

Mean Gene explains what BattleBowl is. I’ll have to do that later this month I think *shudder*

Match Five
WCW United States Title
Champ: “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes w/ “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes Vs “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff w/ The Assassin Jody Hamilton

This match seems to be more about the managers than the wrestlers themselves, as Dusty and Assassin had been jawing with one another back at Slamboree and now they are managing opposing wrestlers in this US Title match. Dusty was a big star in the Florida territory, so the crowd loves him. Orndorff tries tugging on Dustin’s tights in an effort to get a cheap win early on, but Dustin is able to survive that and works a side headlock. Jesse spends most of the match laughing at Assassin’s less-than-svelte figure, whilst the two wrestlers have a functional, yet dull, match inside the ring. Honestly I’ve found that I’m mostly bored by Orndorff matches in the ring during this WCW run, be it in singles or as a tag team with Paul Roma. Every match of his just feels like it’s overly long and deliberate, with a few notable exceptions. Orndorff is a good wrestler certainly, but he just hasn’t done it for me in this WCW stint, as I often just find my mind wandering whenever he’s in there.

Orndorff eventually takes Dustin down with a clothesline and works some heat, which is mostly just more of the chin locks we’ve seen already up to this point. I’ve got no problem with folks working holds and being a tad more deliberate in there from time to time, but there’s a definite difference between a rest hold and a working hold, and it feels like we’ve seen more of the former rather than the latter in this one. Dustin has a bit of a flurry, but Wonderful knocks him down and tries the Piledriver. Dustin manages to counter that with a back body drop, but he’s too spent to follow up, which leads to Orndorff coming off the top with a knee drop. Dustin manages to dodge that though, and a roll-up wins it for Dustin straight after.

WINNER AND STILL CHAMPION: DUSTIN RHODES
RATING: **

Thoughts: Nothing wrong with the work, but I just wasn’t that into this contest and found it quite dull. There’s just something about Orndorff in this run that I struggle to get into

The Heels leave The Rhodes’ laying following that, with Dustin eventually managing to rally enough in order to send the Heels packing.

Match Six
The Nasty Boys (Knobbs and Sags) w/ “The Walking Riot” Missy Hyatt Vs “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith and The Man Called Sting

The Nasty’s were the Tag Champs at the time and were set to face off with Sting and Hawk at Starrcade, so this could be where they plant the seeds for that. Davey Boy is making noises about facing off with Rick Rude for the International Title, but I think Davey left WCW before that one could happen. Knobbs and Sting brawl in the ring to start here, whilst Sags and Davey brawl on the ramp. This allows Rick Rude to attack Davey with the Rude Awakening out on the ramp though, which would appear to put Sting at a 1 Vs 2 disadvantage now that his partner has been laid out like this. Sting helps Davey to the corner, but he’s then promptly attacked by The Nasty’s, which leads to Sting shining on the Heels all by himself, and looking good doing so actually. The Nasty’s play the role of bumping buffoons well, whilst Sting shows good energy.

Sting keeps going to check on Davey rather than focusing on winning the match, and that leads to The Nasty’s eventually doubling up on Sting for the cut off whilst Missy distracts the referee. Heck, it wouldn’t take much to get distracted by Missy in that outfit. Wowza! Anyway, The Nasty’s work some heat on Sting, which Sting sells well. The Nasty’s make sure to cheat whenever the opportunity allows of course, as they know how the tag team formula works. Davey eventually manages to pull himself up and ask for the tag, which means that Sting finally has a partner to tag out to if he can make it across the ring, which adds an extra layer of drama to things. Eventually Davey does get the hot tag, and he runs wild with slams and dropkicks, showing good fire in the process.

If they wanted to make Davey look like a genuine contender to a World Title, then having him take a Heel’s finisher on the ramp only to then recover and essentially beat up the Tag Champs all by himself was certainly a good way to try and do it. Sadly it’s undercut by the finish somewhat, as Davey gets the Powerslam on Knobbs and makes the cover, but the ref is distracted by Sting and that allows Sags to come flying off the top rope with an elbow drop onto Davey, which allows Knobbs to drape and arm and get the three count.

WINNERS: THE NASTY BOYS
RATING: **1/2

Thoughts: Decent action there, with the babyfaces having an out for their defeat due to Davey carrying an injury and the Heels having to cheat in order to win. I would have personally had Sting get the win somehow, seeing as he was getting a Tag Title shot at Starrcade, but hey-ho

Colonel Parker is bugging Ric Flair backstage, saying that he hopes Flair wins the WCW Title up next because then Stunning Steve can challenge for it. Flair doesn’t appreciate that and clocks Parker with a punch before heading to the ring.

Main Event
WCW World Title
Champ: Big Van Vader w/ Harley Race Vs “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair w/ Mademoiselle Fifi

These two would meet one another in the Main Event of Starrcade later in the year. That match is a classic, so hopefully this bout can compare to it. We take an advert break straight after the ring introductions, and when we come back to the action, Flair has Race in the Figure Four for some reason. This allows Vader to flatten Flair with a Splash, meaning we’re essentially forgoing the babyface shine tonight and going straight to Vader mauling Flair with his usual brutal array of strikes and power moves. Flair sells all of that really well of course, possibly because Vader isn’t giving him much of a choice. Flair tries making attempts at fighting back, showing off some good intensity when he does, but it invariably always ends with Vader regaining control and then going on to dish out even more punishment. In that regard this one isn’t too dissimilar to the Starrcade match between the two combatants, although this one is worked at a slightly quicker clip due to time constraints.

Flair ends up on the floor and Vader tries to squish him onto the metal railings, but Flair manages to dodge that and then makes a comeback inside the ring with chops and punches. Once again though, it doesn’t take much for Vader to slow Flair’s momentum and continue to clobber The Nature Boy. Vader makes the mistake of trying to fly off the second rope with an elbow drop though, and that allows Flair to dodge the attack and lock in the Figure Four. Vader is in trouble, but Race interferes by gouging Flair in the eyes when the referee isn’t looking in order to break the hold. Flair keeps coming though, even successfully leaping off the tope rope with some attacks at one stage. The referee ends up getting bumped by Vader, which leads to Vader getting a Superplex onto Flair. Vader decides to try and end Flair with a Moonsault, but Flair rolls out of the way and seemingly covers Vader for three. However, Vader had a foot on the rope, so the pin doesn’t count, and then Harley Race enters the ring right after for the DQ.

WINNER BY DQ: RIC FLAIR (VADER RETAINS)
RATING: ***3/4

Thoughts: That finish was a whole load of suck, but the match was great up to that point and it was a good way to set up the rematch at Starrcade. At least they didn’t end a pay per view with such a cruddy finish

Vader and Stunning Steve try putting a beatdown on Flair following that, but Dustin Rhodes and The Shockmaster make the save, leading to Flair challenging Vader and Steve for Saturday Night, with Sid Vicious as Flair’s partner!

In Conclusion

After a rough start, Clash #25 ended up being a decent show, thanks in large part to the WCW Title match and The Hollywood Blondes exploding. Not a show you HAVE to go out of your way to watch, but if you ignore the two rubbish matches that kick the show off, then you’ll probably have fun with the rest of Clash #25.

Mildly Recommended Show