Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 1/4/1992
From: Atlanta, GA
The show opens up with footage of the Dangerous Alliance trying to attack Marcus Bagwell but Sting ran out and made the save.
Jim Ross welcomes everyone to the show and promotes the feud between Sting and the Dangerous Alliance. He also hypes up several matches to take place on the program. Ross shows footage from last weeks program where Bagwell hit Paul Dangerously but was attacked by the Dangerous Alliance for doing so. Sting ran out and made the save until Sting ran out and attacked all the men until Rick Rude came out and hit the Rude Awakening on the stage to help out his alliance. Rude rammed Sting into the guard railing chest first as the Dangerous Alliance continued to beat down Sting. They handcuffed Sting to the guard railing and Rude hit Sting with a cast on the knee. Following the video, Ross introduces Paul Dangerously and the WCW United States Champion Rick Rude. Dangerously talks about how Magnum TA was crowned the greatest the WCW US Champion in 1986. Dangerously mentions that Magnum suffered a tragedy and Sting was close to suffering a similar tragedy. He says it will be over when Sting wakes up every morning just like Magnum TA where he is a shell of his former self and wonders what if. Rude chimes in and says that Sting has one foot in a grave and another on a banana peel. Rude turns his attention to Ricky Steamboat and asks who he is to intimidate a woman, especially his woman. You don’t mess with his money or is woman. If Steamboat messes with his woman again, he will answer to Rick Rude.
Opening Contest: WCW United States Champion Rick Rude defeated Greg Sawyer: Ricky Steamboat joins Jim Ross on commentary during the squash match. Steamboat has spoken to Sting and has told him that he will have his back along with Dustin Rhodes and many others. Steamboat wants the fans to come together and get the WCW United States Championship off of him. By the way, Rude dominates the match and wins with the Rude Awakening.
Eric Bischoff joins us for a segment named, WCW Magazine. He shills the actual WCW Magazine and talks about last Sunday’s Starrcade event. Bischoff mentions that Jushin Liger defeated Brian Pillman to win the WCW Lightweight Championship on December 25th, 1991. Footage from the match is shown as Liger won after he got his shoulder up when Pillman connected with a middle rope back suplex. Bischoff mentions that a rematch is being worked out. He also hypes the Clash of the Champions event which will see Sting and Steamboat take on Rude and Austin.
Second Contest: Larry Zbyszko defeated Larry Santo: Zbyszko earns with the win with a modified full nelson submission hold.
After the match, Zbyszko plants Santo with a brain buster. Santo is put on a stretcher but Zbyszko tips the stretcher over.
Last week, Alexandra York talked to Terry Taylor about having put a lot of money in him. She talks about there being a meeting and wants Taylor to attend so they can work things out. He said he would be there. It seemed like they were hinting that the meeting was sex.
Third Contest: Terry Taylor defeated Terry Bronson: Taylor wins the bout following a leaping forearm strike.
After the match, Jim Ross interviews Alexandra York and Taylor at ringside. York says they had the most successful meeting ever last week. York is going to allow Taylor speak on his decision. Taylor agrees that the meeting was great and his decision is that he doesn’t need the York Foundation nor does he need the fans! Taylor smashes the computer and is on his own!
Fourth Contest: Van Hammer defeated Paul Lee: Cactus Jack is on commentary with Jim Ross for the match. Jack believes that Hammer is messing with his business and career. Jack has been ending careers long before Hammer started his career. Hammer wins the bout following a slingshot suplex.
After the match, Cactus Jack leaves the broadcast table and brawls with Hammer in the ring until they slide to the floor. Jack and Hammer roll down the steps and to the backstage area.
Fifth Contest: Mr. Hughes defeated Dave Diamond/Jack Savage: Hughes picks up the win following two spine busters and pins both men.
Sting shares some pre-tape comments where he tells Rick Rude he is going to injure Rude instead of Rude injuring him! As long as he is standing he is going to keep going and remember Rude trying to take him out. He is never going to be taken out!
Main Event: WCW World Tag Team Champion Dustin Rhodes fought Arn Anderson to a televised time limit: Rhodes backs Anderson into the ropes but Anderson counters only to cleanly break away. Anderson comes off the ropes with a shoulder block but doesn’t follow up as Rhodes rolls to a corner. Anderson puts a headlock on Rhodes who counters with a head scissors. Anderson breaks free and staggers into a corner. Anderson puts a wrist lock on Rhodes but Rhodes fights back with one of his own until Anderson drop toe holds Rhodes only for Rhodes to again counter with a hammerlock. Anderson back elbows Rhodes and comes off the ropes where Rhodes arm drags Anderson. Anderson yanks Rhodes down by the hair to put a head scissors leg lock on the Natural. Anderson backs Rhodes into a corner to head butt Rhodes and hammers away on Rhodes. Rhodes tries to go up top but is crotched by Anderson. Anderson hooks Rhodes looking for a superplex but Rhodes blocks it by head butting Anderson to the mat. Rhodes leaps off and hits Anderson with a top rope clothesline! Anderson knee lifts Rhodes before dumping him to the floor. Rhodes trips Anderson from the floor and wraps his right leg around the ring post a few times. Rhodes begins to work on Anderson’s right leg for several moments until Anderson eye rakes Rhodes. Rhodes blocks a big boot and puts the figure four on Anderson! Anderson is almost pinned but pops his shoulder up at two while being in the hold. Anderson manages to reach the bottom rope causing Rhodes to break the hold. Rhodes slams Anderson out of the corner so he can go back to work on Anderson’s leg. Anderson is able to kick Rhodes in the head and knee lifts Rhodes but isn’t able to recover because of his leg hurting. Rhodes gets up and manages to regain control by working on Anderson’s leg. Rhodes punches Anderson numerous times in the corner but Anderson gets out of the corner and soon plants Rhodes with a spine buster but only gets a two count! Anderson sends Rhodes hard back first into the corner. Anderson tosses Rhodes to the floor where Dangerously hits Rhodes in the head with his cell phone. Anderson rams Rhodes arm first into the ring post. Anderson drops Rhodes arm first across the top rope while standing on the apron and continues to stomp away on Rhodes arm. Anderson has a arm lock using his leg to wrap Rhodes arm around it. Rhodes uses his free leg to kick Anderson away and hammers away on Anderson. Anderson shoves Rhodes away in the corner and hits a middle rope double axe handle for a two count. Anderson can’t believe he can’t pin Rhodes and continues to work on Rhodes left shoulder. Dangerously cheap shots Rhodes with his cell phone while the referee is distracted but Rhodes kicks out at two anyway. Rhodes is dumped to the floor again and Anderson signals for a pile driver on the floor but Rhodes counters with a backdrop instead. Rhodes and Anderson return to the ring where Rhodes jabs Anderson followed by a right hand but only gets a two count on a pin attempt. Rhodes heads to the top rope but steps off and puts the sleeper on Anderson! Rhodes runs out of the corner with a running bulldog but the referee is distracted as Bobby Eaton leaps off the top to leg drop Rhodes! Ricky Steamboat runs down and tells the referee what happened. We don’t know what finds out because television time has expired. Bastards! (***. For what was shown of the match, I enjoyed it. I thought the selling by Anderson was done nicely and Rhodes looked pretty good. A fine main event to close out the show that was loaded with squash matches. By the way, Rhodes would end up winning the bout by disqualification as the match was shown on the Main Event the next night.)
Final Thoughts: Well, I think it’s safe to say that I am going to enjoy the Dangerous Alliance group that consists Dangerously, Austin, Rude, Anderson, Zbyszko and Eaton. That is one incredible group of wrestlers. The show focused on the Dangerous Alliance/Sting feud and all the squashes except for Hammer were for heels getting over. The only thing I don’t understand was the Terry Taylor segment. He leaves the York Foundation, a heel group, but is going to remain a bad guy? The way the segment was presented you would think he would be turning babyface. Anyway, a decent episode with a lot of Sting/Alliance build up and a fine main event, even without a finish.
Thanks for reading.