A Moment In Time – The Enforcers vs Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat – Clash of Champions XVII

Let’s go back to November 19th, 1991 WCW and a World Tag Team Championship match that took place on Clash of Champions XVII in Savannah, GA. The Enforcers, consisting of Larry Zybysko and Arn Anderson, had claimed the titles in a tournament final at the previous Clash of Champions when they defeated the interesting combo of Bill Kazmaier and Rick Steiner in a tournament final match (Scott Steiner was injured, the Steiners had forfeited the titles, and that’s how the tournament and Rick Steiner’s partner choice happened). Their first feud after claiming the titles was with Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham, and to prove just how tough they were, the Enforcers jumped Windham at Halloween Havoc and broke his hand (in kayfabe) by smashing it in a car door. Since Rhodes and Windham had earned a title shot at Anderson and Zybsyko, Rhodes would have to pick a new partner for the title match at the Clash. Let’s watch some wrestling!

The match:

Your announcers are Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone. Ross throws to the video of Windham being attacked at Halloween Havoc as Eric Bischoff was attempting to greet Windham and Rhodes. There’s more highlights of Windham and Rhodes winning a subsequent match where Windham was clearly dealing with the hand injury. The speculation then becomes whether or not Windham can compete tonight, so Gary Capetta takes over with the ring introductions of the champions.

WCW World Tag Team Championship: The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zybysko) vs Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat

Windham is out in street clothes and tells the crowd he had “reconstructive surgery” on his right hand, but he’s here to introduce Rhodes’s partner. A man wearing a dragon mask emerges and Schiavone thinks it’s possible that it’s someone from Japan or a “masked man”. Anderson and Zybysko scream at Ross and Schiavone before Steamboat unmasks and the crowd goes bonkers. Nick Patrick will be your referee.

Anderson puts the badmouth on Steamboat before the bell rings, and it’s those two to start. Steamboat blocks a punch and nails Anderson with an elbow. Steamboat fires off a bunch of rights but Anderson cuts that off with a thumb to the eye. Steamboat ends up in the heel corner where he’s forced to fight his way out. All four competitors end up in the ring and then go to the floor with Steamboat pounding on Zybysko while Rhodes deals with Anderson. Zybysko tries an irish whip but Steamboat slips it as Zybysko crashes into some turnbuckles. Anderson comes in and eats a Rhodes right before walking right into a Steamboat atomic drop. (The crowd heat for this is incredible, by the way.) Steamboat dropkicks Anderson out of the ring and to the floor. Anderson tells Zybysko “He’s just a man!” and Zybysko decides to try it again with Steamboat. Steamboat works a side headlock and then trucks Zybysko when he escapes. Steamboat tags Rhodes in and he works a wristlock before tying up Zybysko’s elbow. Steamboat gets a tag and ascends for a fist to Zybysko’s exposed shoulder. Steamboat rams Zybysko’s shoulder into the ring post a few times and then drags him to the babyface corner where Rhodes tags in.

Rhodes drops a knee and works an armbar on Zybysko. Rhodes continues to work the shoulder and Zybysko finally manages to push Rhodes close enough that Anderson can get a tag. Anderson clubbers away on Rhodes back. Anderson bullies Rhodes to a corner and continues pounding away with lefts. Rhodes reverses an irish whip but runs right into an Anderson knee lift. Anderson ascends and Rhodes pops him in the mouth. Anderson rakes Rhodes’s eyes and then nails Rhodes with a knee to the shoulder. Anderson pushes Rhodes to a neutral corner for more violence, but meets a Rhodes knee lift when he tries another irish whip. Rhodes starts firing off bionic elbows as Zybysko charges in. Anderson and Zybysko bail to the floor again as Rhodes gets a quick massage from Steamboat. (Now that’s good teamwork!) Anderson wants a time-out on the floor before re-entering. Zybysko gets a tag and he puts the badmouth on Steamboat to slow things down.

Steamboat tags in and staggers Zybysko with a reverse thrust kick. Zybysko slaps Steamboat who gives chase, and while he’s running, Zybysko sneak-tags Anderson. As Steamboat is attempting to murder Zybysko, Anderson drives a knee into Steamboat’s back. Rhodes charges in only to be chastised by Patrick, as Anderson holds a draping Steamboat up for a double sledge to the back from Zybysko. Zybysko nails Steamboat with a vertical suplex and covers him for two. Zybysko prevents Steamboat from escaping the heel corner as Anderson gets a tag. Anderson whips Steamboat into a corner as hard as he can, and then stalks over for some lefts. Steamboat fires up but Anderson cuts it off with a very questionable low blow. As Steamboat tries a sunset flip on Anderson he reaches out and tags in Zybysko unbeknownst to Steamboat. Steamboat executes the sunset flip but Patrick rightly does not count as Zybysko flies in to mash his boot into Steamboat’s neck. Zybysko slams Steamboat and then yanks him up for an abdominal stretch. Anderson (of course) provides heel assistance from the apron as Patrick is concentrating on whether or not Steamboat is going to give up. Anderson tags in and Steamboat again fires up before getting caught by an elbow and a belly-to-back suplex from Anderson. Anderson covers and gets two.

Steamboat fires off some chops and smashes Anderson with a facebreaker off an irish whip. Anderson prevents Steamboat from crawling away for a tag, while Anderson tags in Zybysko. Zybysko nails Steamboat with a kick to Steamboat’s back before covering and getting two. Zybysko yanks Steamboat up for a backbreaker and covers for two. Steamboat tries to slam Zybysko but his legs give out and Zybysko’s cover gets two. Zybysko hits a drop toe-hold on Steamboat and tags in Anderson. Anderson pops Rhodes with a right and slaps a bear hug on Steamboat. Steamboat drops to the mat and Anderson gets a couple of two counts. Anderson slaps on a Boston Crab and Zybysko helps Anderson again while Rhodes complains to Patrick. Zybysko tags in and tries to continue the Crab by dragging Steamboat towards the champions corner. Steamboat slowly crawls towards Rhodes and makes the tag, but Patrick was distracted by Anderson and doesn’t see it. Steamboat and Anderson slug it out and Anderson misses a punch before walking right into a Steamboat atomic drop. Anderson and Steamboat’s heads come together and Anderson somehow manages to ascend. Anderson’s dive meets Steamboat’s boots and Steamboat finally makes the tag to Rhodes after an excruciating crawl. Rhodes runs wild on both opponents and nails Anderson with a bulldog after tagging in Steamboat. Zybysko dumps Steamboat to the floor but Steamboat responds quickly by ascending. Steamboat hits Anderson with the high cross body as Rhodes flies in to prevent Zybysko from breaking up the cover. Patrick counts to three, and we have NEW WCW World Tag Team Champions!

As I mentioned, the crowd heat for this was off the charts. Dustin was still just 21 years old at the time and the crowds were really into him as a competitor and of course, the son of the Dream. Steamboat was a reliable veteran who was definitely thought of more highly by the WCW crowds then whenever he worked for the WWF, who mostly saw him as mid-card for life. Zybysko and Anderson would go on to a faction that is still talked about reverently to this very day, the Dangerous Alliance, while Rhodes and Steamboat would only hold the titles for 58 days before dropping them to Anderson and Bobby Eaton at a house show in Atlanta in early 1992. 4.25*

Winners AND NEW WCW World Tag Team Champions – Rhodes/Steamboat (Steamboat cross-body on Anderson)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked this one. It’s a favorite of mine.