Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 1/11/1992
From: Atlanta, GA
A video promoting a match between Marcus Bagwell and Steve Austin is shown. Dangerously doesn’t believe that Bagwell can last ten minutes with Austin.
Jim Ross promotes what will be seen on this week’s edition of Saturday Night. Continue reading to see what he was talking about, okay?
Opening Contest: Marcus Alexander Bagwell fought WCW Television Champion Steve Austin to a ten minute draw: Austin backs Bagwell into a corner but casually backs away. Austin trips Bagwell after a go behind and taunts Bagwell. Austin easily takes Bagwell over with a fireman carry slam. Bagwell has a wristlock on Austin until he is yanked down by his hair. Bagwell nearly pins Austin with a quick roll up. Austin gets in Bagwell’s face and slaps him. Bagwell returns the slap but Austin gains control following a big boot and several right hands. Bagwell nearly rolls Austin up for the win but only gets a two count. Austin backs Bagwell into a corner and delivers several shoulder rams. Bagwell arm drags Austin and almost gets a win following a hip toss. Bagwell dropkicks Austin for yet another two count which causes Austin to bail to the floor. Austin pulls Bagwell to the floor but Bagwell hammers away on Austin. Austin recovers and sends Bagwell shoulder first into the ring post. Austin sends Bagwell head first into the guard railing while the referee is distracted by Dangerously. Austin drops Bagwell throat first across the top rope and knee lifts Bagwell back to the floor. Austin brings Bagwell back into the ring with a vertical suplex and connects with a gut wrench slam for a two count. Austin nails Bagwell with a short arm clothesline and chokes Bagwell for a few seconds. Austin misses a splash on the middle rope and Bagwell nearly wins with an inside cradle. Austin kicks Bagwell in the chest a few times followed by a knee lift. Austin delivers another short arm clothesline for a two count. Austin back elbows Bagwell as he comes off the ropes. Bagwell comes off the ropes with a cross body for a near fall but Austin regains control with a quick forearm strike. Austin rams Bagwell face first into the top turnbuckle a few times as there is only one minute left in the contest. Bagwell sunset flips Austin for a near win. Austin hits a discus clothesline but Bagwell kicks out as there is only ten seconds left! Austin delivers a back breaker but only gets a two count as Bagwell lasts ten minutes! (*1/2. I don’t think these two had any chemistry whatsoever. There were a few moments where Bagwell seemed confused or loss his place in the match which really hurt the match presentation. I really dislike how Bagwell raised his arm in victory despite not winning the match and having been dominated throughout the contest. This was supposed to make Bagwell a threat to Austin I would guess, but having him get dominated and last ten minutes doesn’t make me as a fan believe he can beat Austin. It just makes Austin look weak for not being able to beat Bagwell.)
After the match, the Dangerous Alliance runs down to attack Bagwell until Sting, Rhodes and Steamboat make the save by pulling Bagwell out of the ring.
Eric Bischoff is back for another WCW Magazine segment. Lex Luger won the WCW Wrestler of the Year award but notes that Luger hasn’t been around to give word on the matter since he is training for an unknown match. Harley Race cuts a promo saying that Luger is getting ready for a title match of the decade. Race blabbers on during the promo which is amusing because he messes up a few words. Footage from last week where Taylor turned on the York Foundation is shown. Taylor cuts a pre-tape promo where he says that he needed to get some connections and has gotten the energy he needed. Taylor is upset about York not focusing on his career and believes he is smart enough on his own to win matches. He makes it clear that he doesn’t want to be a fan favorite by saying he doesn’t need the fans. Oh lord, we see footage of a Vader/El Gigante match in Japan is shown. Vader sprayed some kind of mist into Gigante’s face. January 21st the next Clash of the Champions takes place on TBS.
Second Contest: Steiner Brothers defeated Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker/Pat Rose: Scott gets the win after hitting the Frankensteiner on Parker.
Big Van Vader and Harley Race share some pre-tape comments. Race says that he wants to bring two men to the WCW World Tag Team Championships along with Mr. Hughes. Race hypes up Vader steaming Gigante in the face in Japan. Vader gives no relief!
Third Contest: Big Van Vader defeated Danny Houston/TC Carter: This match didn’t happen in Atlanta. Vader wins the bout following a double big splash.
I find it interesting that a Superbrawl II video promotes a Luger/Sting match and a Steamboat/Rude match while they are saying that Luger is preparing for a match he doesn’t know who the challenger is.
Fourth Contest: Cactus Jack/Abdullah the Butcher defeated Brian Pillman/Tom Zenk: Zenk hammers away on Jack to open the contest but backs away willingly. Jack backs Zenk into a corner but Zenk continues to hammer away on Jack. Jack comes out of a corner but is back dropped and met with a clothesline. Jack spins around and is met with a missile dropkick! Butcher tags in and chokes Zenk over the top rope. Butcher controls Zenk with a nerve hold for a few moments as the fans chant for Zenk. Zenk kicks Butcher in the head and tags in Pillman who clotheslines Butcher in the corner followed by a few chops and a scoop slam! Pillman elbow drops Butcher and dropkicks Jack in the corner! Pillman leaps off the top but Butcher stops him with a shot to the midsection. Butcher tags out to Jack who enters to bite Pillman’s forehead. Jack misses a splash in the corner and Pillman botches a springboard cross body attempt. Jack elbow drops Pillman’s leg before sending him to the floor where Butcher hits Pillman in the face with his stick. Jack leaps off the apron to clothesline Pillman on the floor. Butcher shoulder blocks Pillman back to the floor and taunts the fans. Butcher knocks Pillman off the apron into the guard railing as Zenk is busy with Jack. Jack tags back into the match and clotheslines Pillman for a two count. Pillman nearly pins Jack with a rollup. Pillman ducks a clothesline and nails Jack with a spinning heel kick. Jack tags in Butcher as Zenk tags in as well. Zenk works on Butcher with a few kicks and right hands. Zenk super kicks Butcher twice before putting a sleeper on him as Butcher wouldn’t fall. Pillman dropkicks Jack but Jack grabs Butcher’s stick to hit Zenk which allows Butcher to win the match. (*1/2. It was a decent match as they did a good job of mixing fast paced action and the slow brawling action. Butcher prevented this from being any good, really.)
After the match, Jack attacks Pillman with the stick and goes to hit Zenk but misses as he hits Butcher on accident. Butcher returns a strike by hitting Jack. They begin to brawl with each other on the floor!
Sting and Marcus Alexander Bagwell make their way down to the ringside area. Sting says that Dangerously looked to break Bagwell in properly just as he was when he broke in. Sting issues a challenge to any two members of the Dangerous Alliance and leaves with Bagwell who didn’t say a word.
Fifth Contest: Johnny B. Badd defeated Mark Kyle: Badd wins the bout after hitting Kyle with a left hook.
After the match, Ross interviews Badd asking if he will defend Jushin Liger for the WCW Lightweight Championship. Badd tells Ross that he is going to go back to the division to reclaim the championship for America. Ross makes a big deal out of Badd needing to lose only five pounds.
Sixth Contest: Terrence Taylor defeated Greg Sawyer: Taylor wins the bout following a leaping forearm strike.
Main Event: Ron Simmons/WCW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Steamboat/Dustin Rhodes defeated WCW United States Champion Rick Rude/Arn Anderson/Larry Zbyszko: Steamboat and Anderson kick off the main event. Anderson backs Steamboat into a corner but misses a punch and is chopped by Steamboat. Anderson is hit by Rhodes and Simmons before being knocked down by Steamboat again. Steamboat kicks Anderson in the face after coming off the ropes. Anderson knee lifts Steamboat followed by a knee drop. Anderson heads to the top rope but Steamboat crotches Anderson and dropkicks him to the floor. Rick Rude enters but is knocked down as is Zbyszko. Simmons press slams Anderson back into the ring where Anders crawls to his corner to get away. Rude tags in but is taken down by Steamboat with an arm drag. Rhodes tags in and comes off the middle rope with an elbow drop to Rude’s shoulder. Rude knee lifts Rhodes in the corner followed by several forearm shots. Rhodes delivers a few big boots Rude in the corner and leaps off the middle rope with a clothesline for a two count. Rhodes tags out to Simmons who works on Rude with a wristlock. Simmons lifts Rude up in the air by one arm and continues to deliver a few shots. Rude breaks free with forearm shots but misses a clothesline and is met with a shoulder block for a two count. Zbyszko tags in and kicks Simmons against the ropes. Simmons puts a bear hug on Zbyszko until Rude enters to help Zbyszko. Simmons clotheslines Zbyszko and atomic drops Rude twice. Anderson is met with a clothesline as Steamboat tags in to hit Zbyszko with an axe handle. Steamboat chops Zbyszko several times and heads to the top rope. Anderson shoves Steamboat off as the referee was distracted and Zbyszko tags in Rude. Rude works on Steamboat’s lower back with a scoop slam followed by several clotheslines for a one count. Steamboat is triple teamed in the corner. Anderson sends Steamboat back first into the corner and backdrops Steamboat for another two count. Anderson and Zbyszko collide as Steamboat rolls to his corner and Rhodes tags in. Rhodes elbows all three men and clotheslines Zbyszko. Steamboat hits a top rope chop on Zbyszko followed by a shoulder block by Simmons and Rhodes pins Zbyszko after a running bulldog! (**1/2. It was a decent six man tag match that was given about nine minutes. Multi man matches are hard to make entertaining with short time but they did a good job of it here. Not a great match but it was a fine main event for television. I was hoping that the heels would prevail here since Rhodes and Simmons aren’t necessarily top babyfaces for the company, at least not yet. I think Zbyszko is the jobber of the group, which if I think is perfectly fine.)
After the match, Bobby Eaton leaps off the top to leg drop Rhodes who was held by Zbyszko. Zbyszko manages to plant Rhodes with a brain buster and bails from the ring to end the show.
Final Thoughts: From a wrestling standpoint there were three matches that featured promoted talent, but two of those matches failed to deliver anything all that entertaining. The main event was fine as I stated but nothing spectacular. Johnny B. Badd challenging Liger disgusts me since he is really just a comedy character and I don’t think he could hang with Liger. Lastly, being able to watch the rise of Vader is going to be a treat to watch. I just hope they ditch Hughes and let Vader go singles sooner rather than later. As for this episode, I have to give it a thumbs down.
Thanks for reading.