WCW Saturday Night 1/21/1995

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 1/21/1995
From: Atlanta, GA

Matches:
1.) Alex Wright defeated Lt. James Earl
2.) Bobby Eaton defeated Scott Studd
3.) Stars & Stripes defeated Rick Stockhauser & John Faulkner
4.) Blacktop Bully defeated Davey Rich
5.) Dave Sullivan defeated Kevin Sullivan by disqualification
6.) WCW United States Champion Vader defeated Alex Davis
7.) Paul Roma defeated Mike Davis
8.) The Guardian Angel defeated Bob Starr
9.) The Nasty Boys defeated Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater by disqualification

Angle Developments/Notes:
1. The Nasty Boys and the team of Bunkhouse Buck & Dick Slater cut pre-tape promos promoting the main event tonight.

2. Tony, Bobby and Gene promote the Clash of the Champions. Bobby announces that Ric Flair will be appearing at the Clash this Wednesday night! WOOO!

3. Wright uses his speed to hit a dropkick and a head scissors take down on Earl after a few moments into the bout. Earl stopped Wright with a clothesline followed by a power slam for a near fall. Wright battles back with a spinning wheel kick and moments later hits a top rope cross body for the win. After the match, several female fans jump the railing to celebrate Wright’s win. They were obviously actresses. Not too bad of a match here. Earl got some offense in and Wright looked solid in the ring this week.

4. Mean Gene hosts the Control Center to hype up the Clash of the Champions. There haven’t been any matches added from the last time Gene hosted the segment so nothing new here.

5. For those who don’t remember, Scott Studd is actually Scotty Riggs. Studd almost got some offense going until he was stopped by Eaton with a power slam. Eaton followed up with a discus clothesline. Eaton absorbs a dropkick before hitting a swinging neck breaker and picks up the win following a top rope leg drop. It’s good to see Eaton on a win streak before his Clash match against Alex Wright.

6. We see footage from last week where Harlem Heat won the WCW World Tag Team Championships from Stars & Stripes.

7. Speaking of Stars & Stripes, they were in action yet again this week. They got back on the winning track when both Patriot and Bagwell got pins after a full nelson slam and a fisherman suplex respectively. For a squash match the jobbers got some decent offense in against the former champions. However, since they are jobbers who really cares?

8. Mean Gene interviews Stars & Stripes. Bagwell talks about being slapped by Sherri. He says that being slapped by Sherri means she slapped everyone. Bagwell believes the luck is coming their way in Nevada. Patriot says they didn’t take away their heart and determination. They are coming for redemption! Patriot threatens to hit Sherri if she gets involved!

9. The Blacktop Bully continues to bully his competition by picking up another submission win with the Breaker 1-9. Mean Gene interviews Bully and Col. Robert Parker after his match. Parker thinks that 1995 is going to be the year of the bully. Parker isn’t worried about the time that Bully had done in jail. Apparently, Dustin Rhodes is the reason that Bully went to jail. Bully warns Dustin to be ready because he will end up like roadkill.

10. It’s brother vs. brother this week on Saturday Night. Dave cost Kevin his match at Starrcade 1994 against Mr. T. Kevin quickly attacked Dave as he slid into the ring. Dave fights back with a backdrop and mounts Kevin with right hands before choking Kevin with his ring jacket. They go to the floor where Kevin shoves Dave shoulder first into the ring post a couple times. Kevin misses a splash against the ropes and crotches himself after Dave moved. Dave hits the leg drop but the Butcher runs down and attacks Dave. Butcher puts Dave in the tree of woe so that Kevin can hit a running knee strike. Butcher rips the robe apart! Dave goes after them but Butcher puts the sleeper on Dave. Kevin plants Dave with a pile driver! Butcher cuts Dave’s hair off! Butcher cuts off Dave’s boots as some enhancement talents tried to make the save.

11. Mean Gene interviews Kevin Sullivan and the Butcher. Sullivan admits he has lowered himself to an all time low. Sullivan tells Savage and Hogan that he and Butcher have been wanting their whole lives to end Hulkamania. He tells a story about his mother being in the hospital where she told him that he was plain evil. Butcher says they are here to stay and Hogan will never escape them.

12. As if Alex Davis ever had a shot against Vader. Vader gets the pin fall win after a wheel barrow slam to the canvas. I was hoping for the power bomb, but whatever. Mean Gene interviews Vader and Harley Race. Race says that Vader does whatever he wants whenever he wants to do it. Vader says he doesn’t wait for anyone and confirms again that he will be at the Clash of the Champions. Vader doesn’t believe that Hogan will even make it to Superbrawl.

13. Paul Roma competed in singles action where he had his way with Mike Davis, but on a pin attempt after a fist drop off the top decided against the cover. Instead, he hit a top rope elbow drop to win the contest.

14. Up Close segment with Brian Pillman is shown. Pillman talks about college football where everyone thought he was too small to play. However, he earned several top awards for his play. Pillman went on to play for the Bengals and hitting Walter Payton on a play. Pillman used to be picked on and mentions having thirty-three throat operations causing his raspy voice. He admits to allowing the burden of Steve Austin hold him down. Pillman will have a gust spot on Baywatch. Pillman says he will do whatever it takes to win the WCW Cruiserweight Championship.

15. The Guardian Angel put Bobby Starr away with a side walk slam to pick up the win. The Guardian Angel will be the special referee for Sting vs. Avalanche at the Clash. Mean Gene conducts an interview with Angel. He says that the match between Sting and Avalanche may be the biggest match of all. He thinks it is an honor to be named the special referee for the match. Angel isn’t going to play any games and will call it right down the middle.

16. Saggs and Buck kicked off the main event. Buck actually drop toe holds Saggs which is surprising since these two teams are brawlers. Knobbs tags into the match and works on Buck’s left leg with a splash. Slater is sent butt first into Buck’s face in the corner. Slater legally tags into the bout but is met with a clothesline by Knobbs who then rubs Slater’s face into Saggs arm pit in the corner! Slater stops a charging Knobbs in the corner with a knee lift and works on him with right hands before he and Buck toss Knobbs over the top to the floor. Col. Robert Parker kicks Knobbs on the floor while Saggs chases Buck around. Buck ends up ramming Knobbs chest first into the guard railing. Knobbs tries to fight out of the corner where he is being choked with a rope and pummeled by Buck. Buck gets a two count on Knobbs following a dropkick. Knobbs slams Buck face first to the canvas to break free and tag in Saggs. Slater has removed his boot while Knobbs power slams Buck and Saggs hits a top rope elbow drop. Meng attacks Knobbs on the floor and Slater hits Saggs with his boot to cause the disqualification. Knobbs has taken off his boot and hits both Slater and Buck with his boot. It was a decent main event, which seems to be a trend on Saturday Night this month. I wasn’t all that interested in these two teams just wrestling a regular match, but there was some good brawling going on during moments of the match.

17. To close the show, we hear from the Monster Maniacs. Hogan is already at a fever pitch with what is going to be happening at the Clash. Hogan says they are going to take care of what happened to Dave in due time. Hogan believes all the major celebrities will be watching the Clash to see what happens. Savage can’t believe they are testing them by putting their backs against the walls. Savage says the Monster Maniacs are going to be wild at the Clash. Hogan tells Savage that they are going to fight side by side against the Faces of Fear.

Final Thoughts:
With this being the last show before the Clash of the Champions a lot of the guys competing on that show got some airtime and the hype for it was done nicely. I liked the advancement of the Kevin/Dave feud as the actions by Kevin sets up an encounter between himself and Hogan nicely down the line should that be a direction they decide to go in.

It’s also good to see that Brian Pillman is making a comeback to WCW. The Up Close video segment was informative on his background and I would be fine with him being the top face of the Cruiserweight division much like he was in 1992. Now, they just need to give Steve Austin some television time.

Overall, not a bad show but I felt it was really average at best. I’ll take nine matches any day of the week even if most of them are squashes.

Thanks for reading.