Written by: Matt Peddycord
WCW Worldwide
November 23, 1991
Gainesville, GA
Georgia Mountains Center
(Taped on November 5, 1991)
The current WCW Champs were as follows:
World Champion: Lex Luger (7/14/1991)
U.S. Champion: Rick Rude (11/17/1991)
World Television Champion: Steve Austin (6/3/1991)
World Light Heavyweight Champion: Brian Pillman (10/27/1991)
World Tag Team Champions: Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes (11/17/1991)
U.S. Tag Team Champions: The Young Pistols (11/5/1991)
World Six-Man Tag Team Champions: The York Foundation (10/8/1991)
Your host is Tony Schiavone!
- Big Van Vader vs. Mike McReynolds
Vader is SO pissed today, that he pulls off his strap mask and begins to stiff McReynolds around. It’s not even fair. Schiavone mentions that Vader is here to prove to PN News that his splash is better. I’d LOVE to see Vader treat PN News this way. Vader hits a press powerslam, which was pretty cool. He finishes with a chokeslam. (2:08) Man, he used to scare the CRAP out of me.
Firebreaker Chip says he will not surrender! On the other hand, Larry Zbyszko still has one of the tag belts on his shoulder. Whoops.
- Rick Rude (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Johnny Rich
Paul E has one of the other tag belts apparently instead of the U.S. belt. Rude runs through most of his move-set and puts Rich away with the RUDE AWAKENING. (2:11) Good little squash for Rude.
Rick Rude & Paul E. Dangerously interview: He’s got two words for Sting- “Rude Awakening”.
- Steve Austin & Arn Anderson vs. Dustin Rhodes & Bobby Eaton
Apparently Bobby Eaton had already turned heel on one of the earlier WCW programs because right from the get-go, Tony mentions that Bobby’s now in the Dangerous Alliance and that he’s already seen this match. Whatever the case was, this is the match where Bobby Eaton turns on his buddy Dustin Rhodes. Rhodes armbars and hammerlocks Anderson and Austin for the longest time while tagging Bobby every so often, but Dustin quickly gets tagged back in the match. The heels turn the tide when Rhodes tries a flying headscissors (not the lucha kind, the old school kind) and Arn helps Austin out with a hotshot. They control Rhodes for a bit and when Dustin gets a desperation sunset flip, Eaton has the ref distracted. Dustin tries to tag, but Eaton isn’t there for him. He finally does make the tag to Eaton, but then gets his shoulder posted on the floor by Arn. Eaton wants to tag out early again, but Dustin is down on the floor in pain. Once Rhodes is back up on the apron, Eaton catches Austin with a Swinging Neckbreaker and tags in Dustin. Not only does he SLAP tag him, but he brings him into the ring with a shoulderbreaker! That’ll do it for it Dustin. Eaton exits the ring and leaves as Austin covers for 1-2-3. (9:26) It told a good story and the action was fairly solid once they got past the obsessive armlock stage. **¼
- PN News vs. Mark Cantaberry
He clotheslines Cantaberry a lot in this one. Schiavone mentions again about a possible Vader/News match. Belly-to-belly suplex leads to the BROKEN RECORD SPLASH for the win. (2:16) I hope Vader hurts him real good.
It’s time for the WCW Top Ten for the weekend of November 23-24!
10. PN News [-]
9. Big Van Vader [v1]
8. Cactus Jack [^1]
7. Scott Steiner [-]
6. Mr. Hughes [-]
5. Dustin Rhodes [same]
4. WCW World TV Champ Steve Austin [^1]
3. Sting [^2]
2. Rick Steiner [same]
1. WCW U.S. Champ Rick Rude [-]
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger
- Larry Zbyszko vs. Firebreaker Chip – “Submit or Surrender” match
Huh? Larry Z has the tag belt with him, but Arn doesn’t? Zbyszko attacks from behind to start, but Chip quickly reverses a cross-corner whip and puts Larry down with a back suplex. Chip buries a knee into Zbyszko and then applies an abdominal stretch. How you like that? Psychology from Firebreaker Chip! Zbyszko makes the ropes, but then takes a powerslam to set up a bearhug. Holy crap! Larry Z won’t give up, so Chip slams him down and applies a modified Boston crab. When that doesn’t work, he grabs a sleeper, but that’s just the mistake Larry was looking for as he throws off Chip to the floor. Chip pulls Zbyszko out though and throws him into the guardrail. Back in, Zbyszko makes the ropes during a camel clutch and fires back with the mule kick. Zbyszko gets pushed hard into the guardrail again, but then he backdrops Chip to the floor where he hurts his knee. Zbyszko kicks the crap out of Chip’s knee and grabs the top-rope for leverage (which from that angle, it wouldn’t help him at all) during a half-crab for the submission win. (6:32) Oh Chip, you thought you wouldn’t give up just because you’re a fireman. Good back-and-forth match especially for Chip, but the crowd seemed like they could care less during the whole thing. **½
Eric Bischoff is standing by with WCW World Champion Lex Luger and Harley Race. They say Rick Steiner has got the skills, but he doesn’t have the brains to defeat Flexy Lexy.
Next week’s main event, Big Josh goes up against Terrence Taylor in the final “submit or surrender” match!
Final Thoughts: Good show this week with the heel turn of Bobby Eaton heading over to the Dangerous Alliance camp. The quality just keeps getting better and better for WCW.