WCW Saturday Night 1/25/1992

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 1/25/1992
From: Kansas City, MO

Footage from Clash of the Champions on Tuesday where Rick Rude delivered two Rude Awakenings on Ricky Steamboat and attacked security as they tried to save Steamboat.

Jim Ross welcomes everyone to the show and promotes what we will see on the program this week. There will be a six man tag; Dustin Rhodes squares off against Arn Anderson. Brian Pillman meets Richard Morton and the Steiner Brothers take on the Dangerous Alliance!

Opening Contest: the Fabulous Freebirds defeated Greg Sawyer/Thomas Rich: Garvin gets the win for the Freebirds following a DDT on Sawyer.
After the match, Jim Ross interviews the Freebirds. Garvin says that they stand wherever they want to stand and wants to know where Anderson and Eaton stand. He says that they are going to be coming for the WCW World Tag Team Championships! Michael Hayes says the Dangerous Alliance should be concerned who they are going through to get the tag titles!

Tony Schiavone runs down the WCW Top Ten. Taylor Made Man, Vader, Rhodes, Simmons, Jack, Rick Steiner, Steamboat, Steve Austin, Sting and Rick Rude are the rankings from 10 to 1.

Second Contest: WCW United States Champion Rick Rude defeated unknown: The poor guy that Rude destroys can’t be much over one hundred pounds and maybe five foot tall. Rude wins the squash following the Rude Awakening and simply lays his head on his opponent as if he is taking a nap.

WCW Magazine hosted by Eric Bischoff is up next. Bischoff talks about the main event for Superbrawl II being announced as being Sting vs. WCW World Champion Lex Luger. Jesse Ventura has been added to the commentary team, which was also announced at Clash of the Champions. We see the announcement made by Tony Schiavone who officially announced Sting as the challenger for the WCW World Championship. Lex Luger shares some pre-tape comments were he says that he has been preparing for the title match by choice. He is very concentrated on retaining the championship. He is in the best condition of his career. Luger wants to be known as the greatest athlete of all time. Luger believes that Sting will just be another chapter in his story. We also get pre-tape comments from Sting who believes that Luger is trying to wear him out. Sting says that isn’t possible and says he is going to beat Luger and be the greatest athlete. He is going to continue to prove himself over and over again. Bischoff turns his attention to a steel cage between Cactus Jack and Abdullah the Butcher apparently happening soon. We see footage from last week where their tag team was officially ended. Bischoff believes their cage match will be memorable.

Third Contest: Cactus Jack/Vinnie Vegas/Mr. Hughes defeated Abdullah the Butcher/Ron Simmons/Big Josh: Jack and Josh kick off the contest. Jack knee lifts Josh but isn’t able to get any other offense from it. Josh fireman carries Jack followed by a kick to the head. Josh connects with a back suplex and begins to stomp Jack before delivering an elbow drop. Simmons and Vegas tag into the bout. Vegas backs Simmons into a corner but just backs off after a shove. Vegas comes off the ropes with a shoulder block and Simmons backs Vegas into a corner but Vegas punches Simmons in the gut. Simmons and Vegas look really awkward in the ring together. Vegas clotheslines Simmons before shoulder blocking Simmons. Hughes tags in and hammers away on Simmons. Simmons connects with a snap power slam but only gets a one count. Jack tags in and works on Simmons with several right hands but Simmons fights back until he is poked in the eyes. Jack drives Simmons to the mat with a bulldog for a one count as Butcher broke up the count. Simmons back elbows Jack in the corner and follows up by slamming Jack face first into the mat. Josh and Hughes tag in with Josh chopping Hughes to no effect. Josh comes off the ropes with a forearm smash and dropkick for a two count. Simmons shoulder blocks Vegas while Butcher goes after Jack on the floor! Vegas and Hughes hit Josh with a double clothesline and Hughes covers Josh for the win. (DUD. That was just a bad match, folks.)

We see footage from WCW Halloween Havoc 1990 where Sting fought Sid Vicious. This is being done to see how Sting and Luger did against the same opponent. It is safe to assume that they picked Sid to bury since he is getting a monster push in WWF at the time. We see footage from Clash of the Champions XI where Lex Luger defeated Sid Vicious.

Fourth Contest: Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Rip Rogers: Bagwell wins the squash with a fisherman suplex.
After the match, Jim Ross interviews Bagwell. Bagwell is living a dream competing in WCW. The Taylor Made Man comes out and tells Bagwell to leave as he has something to say. Bagwell leaves and Taylor says the fans will learn to love him. Taylor says there are going to be bodies everywhere. He says in future weeks we will see videos to get a look at what it’s all about to be him.

Fifth Contest: Van Hammer defeated Tracy Smothers: Hammer puts Smothers away with a slingshot suplex.

Jim Ross talks about Barry Windham not having a mangers license and thus will not be by Dustin’s side for the next match. We see footage from Clash of the Champions where Barry Windham says he has a list of names and is going to kick butt. Larry Zbyszko is on the top of the list and says he will feel ten times the pain he felt!

Sixth Contest: Dustin Rhodes defeated WCW World Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson by disqualification: Rhodes controls Anderson early on with a side headlock. Anderson breaks free and drop toe holds Rhodes who counters on the mat back into a side headlock. Anderson puts a headlock on Rhodes but Rhodes gets out quickly and nails Anderson with a right hand knocking him down to his butt. Anderson works on Rhodes in the corner with several right hand strikes and a knee lift. Rhodes runs into a back elbow in the corner. Rhodes counters a snap mare with a backslide for a two count. Rhodes gets another near fall with a clothesline and puts a front face lock on Anderson. Rhodes runs the ropes and Anderson fakes a knee injury. Paul Dangerously slides into the ring and is trying to give Rhodes money. Anderson gets up and plants Rhodes with a DDT! Anderson begins to work on Rhodes neck by delivering a knee drop and stomps away on his neck. Anderson blocks a backdrop attempt with an elbow strike to his neck. Anderson continues to beat down Rhodes with left hands but Rhodes stops Anderson with a big boot. Rhodes comes off the ropes hitting Anderson with a clothesline. Rhodes knocks Anderson down with a right hand and heads to the top rope. Rhodes ends up leaving the top rope and puts a sleeper on Anderson. Rhodes comes out of the corner with a bulldog and goes for the cover by Larry Zbyszko runs down causing the DQ. (*1/2. For what it was, it wasn’t all that bad. The DQ finish makes sense as you need the Dangerous Alliance to remain strong and whatnot. The aftermath with Windham was pretty cool as well.)
After the match, Steve Austin tries to attack Barry Windham who has run down but Windham blocks his kick and a shot from Paul Dangerously. Rhodes has a chair preventing the Dangerous Alliance from entering. Windham has put the figure four leg lock on Austin! They eventually leave once Bobby Eaton rolls in.

Seventh Contest: Johnny B. Badd defeated Rick Thames: Badd knocks Thames out with his ever dangerous left hand.

Jim Ross introduces footage from Clash of the Champions last Tuesday where Rick Rude hit Steamboat with the Rude Awakening on Ricky Steamboat, twice. Sting missed a Stinger Splash and hit the ring post. Rude proceeded to whip Steamboat with a belt. Ross introduces Ricky Steamboat to come out for an interview at ringside. Steamboat says he has been in this business for a long time. He has had his butt kicked on several occasions but each time he has come back. Steamboat tells Rude that he has added insult to injury. Steamboat is quite heated. Steamboat says he will wrestle Rude anywhere at any time. Steamboat makes it clear that Rude will be hunted and is the animal now. He will do anything to get his hands on Rude. The dragon will conquer Rick Rude!

Eighth Contest: Big Van Vader defeated Carl Robertson/Kevin Grant in a handicap match: Vader choke slams both men and pins both to end the squash match. That was a rather easy match for Vader.

Ninth Contest: Richard Morton defeated Brian Pillman to become the number one contender for the WCW Lightweight Championship: Johnny B. Badd is on commentary for this match. They shove each other until Morton backs Pillman into a corner. Pillman fights back with a springboard middle rope axe handle shot causing Morton to bail to the floor. Pillman blocks a hip toss by dropkicking Morton followed by an arm drag and puts an arm bar on Morton for a few moments. Pillman sends Morton to the floor with a head scissors out of the corner. Pillman dropkicks Morton through the bottom rope but remains in the ring. Pillman drop toe holds Morton to go back to an arm bar. Pillman shoulder blocks Morton but misses a middle rope cross body. Morton stops Pillman with an atomic drop and drops a knee across his face. Pillman gets a near fall with a sunset flip but is stopped with a clothesline by Morton for a two count. Morton knocks Pillman to the apron but Pillman nearly wins with a cross body. Morton blocks a backdrop by planting Pillman with a DDT which is good for a two count. Pillman takes Morton down with a snap power slam but only gets a two count. Pillman sends Morton head first into the top turnbuckle. Pillman backdrops Morton and chops Morton over the top to the floor. Pillman comes off the apron to deliver a double axe handle. Morton is able to send Pillman face first into the ring post! Pillman gets on the top rope but Badd ends up costing Pillman the match after having the Badd Blaster go off in his face. Morton pins Pillman as a result. (*. I didn’t like this match all that much. I don’t like Morton apparently challenging Liger for the title and I don’t like Badd being turned heel. I don’t believe he was a heel prior, but I could be wrong. Anyway, nothing special sense Morton isn’t exactly a typical lightweight.)
After the match, Pillman attacks Badd and Morton on the floor and Brad Armstrong runs out to be backup for Pillman.

Prior to the main event, the Dangerous Alliance make their way down to the ring. Steve Austin appears to have suffered a knee injury as he hobbles down to the ring.

Main Event: the Steiner Brothers defeated Larry Zbyszko/WCW World Tag Team Champion Bobby Eaton by disqualification: Eaton and Scott kick off the main event with Scott taking Eaton down to the mat with some amateur wrestling until Eaton is able to reach the bottom rope. Scott trips Eaton with a leg sweep and has a top wristlock on Eaton but is forced to let go as Eaton reaches the bottom rope, again. Eaton knee lifts Scott but is sent into a corner by Scott. Scott puts Eaton on the top rope and simply clotheslines Eaton to the floor. Rick leaps off the apron to clothesline Eaton on the floor! Scott plants Eaton with a tilt a whirl slam and scoop slams Zbyszko for entering the ring. Eaton tries to leapfrog over Scott but is met with a clothesline from Rick in midair. Rick also clotheslines a seated Eaton causing Eaton to tag out to Zbyszko. Rick takes Zbyszko over with a belly to belly suplex. Eaton tries to trip Rick as he runs the ropes but Zbyszko attacks Rick with a right hand from behind. Eaton rams Rick head first into the guard railing. Zbyszko gets a two count following a neck breaker. Scott tags in and atomic drops Zbyszko. Scott cleans house on both men and connects with a belly to belly suplex on Zbyszko. Scott hits a double under hook power bomb on Zbyszko but Eaton leaps off the top to hit a leg drop on Scott causing the DQ. (*1/2. Another non-finish here but it was a decent match between the teams. The Steiner’s chasing after the champs is very interesting and the matches when given more than six minutes to work with will be a lot better.)
After the match, Zbyszko and Eaton spike Rick Steiner with a brain buster with Eaton leaping off the middle rope to end the show.

Final Thoughts: Not a whole lot happening on this show other than the usual DQ finishes and cheap shots afterwards by the Dangerous Alliance. I hope in the coming weeks we get something different or these shows could get rather boring and be quite disappointing.

Thanks for reading.