Written By: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling House Show
Date: 3/17/1993
From: Dublin, Ireland
Opening Contest: Johnny B. Badd defeated Scotty Flamingo: Flamingo works on Badd with a few right hands but misses a few rights and Badd comes back with a flurry of rights and lefts. Badd kicks Flamingo in the corner and Flamingo falls to the floor. Badd with a side headlock and comes off the ropes to drop a elbow across Flamingo’s back. Badd wrenches on Flamingo’s arm and sends Flamingo shoulder first into the turnbuckle. Badd takes Flamingo over and keeps control of Flamingo’s arm. Badd hip tosses Flamingo as he comes off the ropes and dropkicks Flamingo to the floor. Flamingo gets the upper hand, but the guy holding the camera was more interested in looking at the crowd then looking at the action. Flamingo drives his knee into Badd’s arm and tells the fans he is going to break Badd’s arm. Badd rolls through a arm lock and gets a near fall. Flamingo regains the advantage but Badd comes back with several punches. Flamingo stops the momentum with a swinging neck breaker. Flamingo has a hammerlock on Badd as the crowd is heavily behind Badd. Badd breaks away but is stopped after a knee to the gut by Flamingo. Flamingo goes for the cover but Badd is able to kick out at two. Flamingo snap mares Badd and attempts a splash off the middle rope but Badd manages to get his knees up. Badd with a series of punches and boots to get some momentum. Badd backdrops Flamingo and follows up with a power slam for a near fall. Badd comes off the ropes with a head scissors and nails Flamingo with a right hand to win the match. *½
Second Contest: Van Hammer defeated Maxx Payne: Payne rakes Hammer’s eyes and works on Hammer in the corner with a few right hands. Hammer blocks being rammed in the corner and rams Payne head first into the top turnbuckle. Hammer kips out of a head scissors by Payne and just standoffs with Payne. Payne shoulder blocks Hammer as he comes off the ropes and taunts the fans. Hammer with a side headlock and a clothesline after ducking a clothesline from Payne. Payne complains to the referee about a hair pull. Hammer takes Payne down with a leg trip but Payne has a hammerlock on Hammer. Hammer counters with one of his briefly but Payne breaks away and backs off into a corner. Payne rakes Hammer’s eyes again and stretches Hammer out. Hammer tries to get up but Payne prevents that from happening. Payne head butts Hammer on the back and goes back to stretching Hammer for several moments. Hammer powers out of the hold and stretches Payne out until Payne reaches the ropes and cheap shots Hammer. Payne with a double sledge to Hammer’s neck and drives Hammer down to the mat with a side slam for a near fall. Hammer misses a running shoulder attack in the corner and Payne is able to snap suplex Hammer. Payne with a few elbow drops to the lower back of Hammer to keep the advantage. Hammer elbows his way out of a head lock and crossbodys Payne for a two count. Hammer goes for a scoop slam but Payne falls on top of Hammer and locks in a rear chin lock. Hammer comes off the ropes but is power slammed by Payne and Payne comes off the ropes connecting with a elbow drop. Payne heads to the top rope but Hammer rams Payne into the top turnbuckle a couple of times and brings Payne back into the ring with a suplex. Double clothesline has both men go down in the middle of the ring. Hammer ducks a right hand and scoop slams Payne. Hammer with ten punches in the corner and drives Payne face first into the mat. Hammer with a double under hook suplex and a leg drop for a near fall. Payne misses a splash in the corner and Hammer rolls Payne up for the win. *
Third Contest: WCW United States Champion Dustin Rhodes fought NWA World Champion Barry Windham to a no contest: Rhodes and Windham brawl on the entrance way with Windham getting the upper hand. Windham delivers several right hands around ringside but Rhodes is able to send Windham face first into the ring post. Rhodes backdrops Windham in the ring and is fired up for this contest. Rhodes punches Windham several times in the corner. They brawl to the floor and both men are eventually disqualified because the referee deemed it “out of control”. NR
Fourth Contest: Davey Boy Smith defeated Vinnie Vegas: They shove each other and Vegas attempts a shoulder block a few times but Smith doesn’t budge. Smith attempts a few shoulder blocks and staggers Vegas. Smith knocks Vegas into the ropes with a dropkick and plays to the crowd. Vegas starts to flip out as the crowd chants for Smith and stalls by yelling at the fans for a few moments. Vegas wants to do a test of strength but the fans keep on pissing Vegas off! Vegas gets the upper hand on the test of strength for several moments. Smith is able to over power Vegas and goes for a power slam but Vegas lands on top of Smith for a near fall. Vegas with a few elbow strikes but misses a clothesline and Smith has a full nelson on Vegas. Vegas elbows out of the hold but Smith connects with a few right hands. Vegas blocks a attempted vertical suplex with a right hand and scoop slams Smith. Vegas comes off the ropes and connects with a elbow drop for a two count. Vegas gets another near fall following a side slam and chokes Smith. Vegas has a sleeper hold on Smith in the middle of the ring. Smith gets out of the hold but runs into a big boot from Vegas who is very happy with himself. Vegas goes for a cover but takes too long and Smith kicks out. Vegas connects with a gut wrench slam but again only manages to get a two count. Smith avoids the snake eyes and shoves Vegas chest first into the corner. Smith a few clotheslines and scoop slams Vegas followed by a snap suplex. Smith runs into a big boot in the corner and avoids a elbow smash in the corner. Smith lifts Vegas up and connects with a running power slam for the win. *½
Fifth Contest: WCW Television Champion Paul Orndorff defeated Michael Hayes to retain the title: Hayes with a side headlock early on but is sent into the ropes. Hayes knocks Orndorff down with a shoulder block and struts for the fans. Hayes with another shoulder block but Orndorff kicks Hayes in the gut and takes Hayes over with a headlock. Hayes counters with a head scissors but Orndorff gets out. Hayes slides out of a headlock attempt and has a hammerlock on the champ. Hayes drives his knee into Orndorff’s left arm. Hayes gets kneed by Orndorff a few times and Orndorff delivers a few right hands as well. Orndorff sends Hayes into the ropes and Hayes goes for the DDT but Orndorff back peddles out of the ring. Hayes jabs Orndorff on the apron and continues to control Orndorff with a right hand coming off the middle rope for a near fall. Hayes slows the match down again with a arm bar for a few moments. Hayes goes for a running bulldog but Orndorff avoids it and slams Hayes down to the mat. Orndorff with a few stomps and right hands to gain the advantage. Orndorff sends Hayes hard back first into the corner and works on Hayes lower back by dropping a elbow and locking in a rear chin lock. Hayes gets to his feet and elbows out of the choke but Orndorff is able to bring Hayes back down with a back suplex for a two count. Orndorff argues with the referee in the corner over the count. Hayes rams Orndorff head first into the corner but Orndorff kicks Hayes on the knee to stop the change of momentum. Orndorff heads to the top rope and leaps off only to be met with both feet of Hayes. Hayes clubs away on Orndorff and delivers several punches in the corner. Hayes goes for the DDT but Orndorff hangs onto the ropes and Hayes crashes to the mat. Orndorff grabs Hayes and spikes Hayes with the pile driver to win the match. **
Before the next match, Rick Rude cuts a promo on the fans.
Sixth Contest: Rick Rude defeated Cactus Jack: Jack with a top wrist lock to open the match and controls Rude for a few moments. Rude rakes Jack’s eyes and delivers a few over hand blows and right hands. Jack drags Rude down to the mat by the arm and has a arm bar on Rude. Rude backs Jack into a corner and uses his backside to beat down Jack followed by a few throat thrusts. Rude misses a running shoulder in the corner and Jack goes back to work on the shoulder with a arm bar. Jack misses a running splash in the corner and flips over the ropes to the floor. Rude leaps off the apron and drives Jack hard down to the concrete. Their was a loud thud that didn’t sound good for Jack! Back in the ring, Rude rams Jack face down into the mat and taunts the fans. Rude has a rear chin lock on Jack for a few moments. Rude jumps down onto Jack’s back as Jack tried to get to his feet. Rude attempts another splash but Jack moves and Rude hit’s the mat. Jack sends Rude into the corner and drives Rude down with a running bulldog. Rude gets his feet up as Jack charges the corner and connects with a clothesline to regain control. Jack cuts Rude off on the top rope and slams Rude to the mat. Jack attempts a splash but Rude gets both knees up. Rude drives Jack down with a DDT but only gets a two count on the pin attempt. Rude attempts the Rude Awakening but Jack bits Rude’s fingers and misses a clothesline. Rude leaps onto Jack’s back and has a sleeper locked in! Jack gets out of it with a jaw breaker but Rude recovers and hammers away on Jack. Jack rams Rude head first into the top turnbuckle several times and bites Rude’s buttocks followed by a atomic drop, twice. Jack kicks Rude and connects with a leg drop for a near fall. Jack leaps off the top but misses a somersault dive and Rude hits the Rude Awakening to win the match. **
Main Event: Big Van Vader defeated WCW World Champion Sting to regain the title: Vader tosses Sting to the mat out of a lockup and taunts the fans afterward. They lock up again and this time Vader scoop slams Sting and decides to taunt the fans again instead of following up. Vader with a second scoop slam out of a lockup. Sting charges towards Vader but Vader uses his body to knock Sting down. Short arm clothesline by Vader to keep the early advantage of the title match. Vader knocks Sting to the mat following a couple of right hand shots and Harley Race chokes Sting form the floor. Vader wants to do a test of strength but the fans are strongly behind Sting and Vader tells them to shut up. They do the test of strength but Sting breaks out of it and dropkicks Vader. Sting manages to clothesline Vader over the top to the floor and fans go nuts. Vader re-enters the ring but is again clotheslined to the floor. Sting goes to the floor and is held by Race but Vader misses Sting and clotheslines Race. Sting scoop slams Vader on the floor and rolls back into the ring to play to the fans. Sting misses a dropkick back in the ring as Vader hangs onto the ropes and drops a elbow to Sting’s upper thigh. Vader with a vertical suplex and a big splash for a near fall on the champ. Sting cuts Vader off on the middle rope and is able to power slam Vader in midair for a near fall! Sting charges looking for a clothesline but Vader moves out of the way and backdrops Sting to the apron. Vader clotheslines Sting on the apron and body splashes Sting off the apron sending Sting into the guard railing chest first. Race gets another cheap shot in on the floor a couple of times. Vader splashes Sting in the corner and drops the champ throat first across the top rope. Vader continues his offense with a Samoan drop and heads to the middle rope leaping off with a body splash and taunts the fans. Vader with a few forearm shots in the corner and is just manhandling Sting. Race chokes Sting from the apron for a few moments behind the referees back. Sting goes for sunset flip but Vader sits down and prevents any change of momentum. Vader goes for a superplex but Sting punches Vader and shoves Vader off the middle rope to the mat. Sting leaps off the top but is caught and slammed by Vader. Sting goes for another sunset flip and Vader goes to splash Sting but Sting moves out of the way. Vader recovers and scoop slams Sting. Vader leaps off the middle rope and hits the Vader Bomb! Vader goes for a second Vader Bomb but Sting rolls out of the way! Sting comes off the ropes nailing Vader with a somersault kick and plants Vader with a DDT. Sting plants Vader with a middle rope DDT but only gets a two count. Vader avoids a German suplex with a back elbow but Sting is able to take Vader over moments later with a German suplex. Harley Race enters the ring during the count to distract the referee. Sting with a Stinger Splash in the corner and accidentally punches the referee. Sting goes for a second splash but Race pulls Vader out of the way and Sting hits the corner! Vader connects with the power bomb and is able to pick up the win. ***
End of show
My Take: First off, WCW managed to get a good crowd for this show. It appears that their has to be roughly 4,000 people in attendance. My only real problem with the show is the person who was recording it kept on taping the crowd for whatever reason. Kind of annoying as I want to see the wrestling not fans clapping.
Badd/Flamingo was rather dull I thought. They did a few things to keep it from being a basic match but I didn’t find much of it to be entertaining. The fans were crazy behind Badd, though.
Hammer/Payne went on for far too long. A lot of rest holds and considering the talent involved it shouldn’t have been expected to be any good. Two boring matches to kick start a house show with a rather hot crowd.
I will assume that Rhodes/Windham match was rather short because the camera guy clipped the match. I think it was actually smart to do that, I mean the finish. Rhodes and Windham appears to be a heated feud at the time so why give a clean finish? Drag it out and make fans pay to see Rhodes get revenge on Windham. I don’t mind this at all. I do mind the clipping of the match, though!
Smith/Vegas wasn’t anything great either. Vegas did show some impressive moves for a big guy, and some moves that later on in his career as Diesel and Kevin Nash that we would never see all that much if ever. These two at this point didn’t really click all that much. One thing I found to be funny was Smith losing a test of strength early on. The guy is just insanely jacked up and loses a test of strength?! That didn’t make much sense to me.
I thought Hayes/Orndorff was actually a decent little match. They didn’t do anything all that fancy or great but they kept it simple and they delivered on everything they put into the match.
I was very interested to see how Rude and Jack would match up against each other. The answer to that question is apparently not very good. Two rather different styles of wrestling and it didn’t go well together. Jack tried to get a few bumps in their but they didn’t really help the match all that much. I’m starting to think that Jack works best with guys who fly around or are stronger than him.
Vader/Sting was a good match but I have seen them do a lot better. This was really the only match that delivered in terms of quality and entertainment in my opinion. Rare house show title change is the only thing worth noting about this show, really.
Overall, as I have said the main event is the best match of the show. Noting else was at all entertaining. Which, is too bad considering the crowd was really into the show. I can’t imagine they all went home happy after this.
Thanks for reading.