Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 4/18/1992
From: Atlanta, GA
Matches:
1.) Scotty Flamingo defeated Johnny Rich
2.) Vinnie Vegas defeated Chris Sullivan
3.) WCW World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton defeated Terry Bronson & Joe Cruz
4.) Tom Zenk & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Randy Starr & Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker
5.) Nikita Koloff defeated Larry Zbyszko in a best two out of three falls match
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Paul E. Dangerously opens the show and says that the Dangerous Alliance doesn’t have any kind of in-fighting and that Larry Zbyszko will take care of Nikita Koloff tonight in two straight falls.
2.) Dusty Rhodes is the special co-host with Jim Ross this week. Dusty says that WCW is magic and they are getting funky like a monkey tonight.
3.) WCW World Champion Sting is the special guest this week to be interviewed. Sting comes out without the belt, which is kind of strange to see. Ross asks how it feels to be the champion again and Sting simply lets out a WOOO as how the feeling is. Dusty hypes up Big Van Vader and how will Sting attack Vader. Sting doesn’t know how to go about going after Vader but he’ll figure it out. He has a lot of respect for Vader. Sting will rub Vader’s face in the mat and will do it for Rhodes, per his respect. Sting will defend the championship against anybody and he hopes to defend the gold in Japan.
4.) Koloff backs Zbyszko into a corner quickly but backs away without going for any offense. Koloff sends Larry chest first into the corner and gets a near fall. Zbyszko attempts a dropkick but Nikita hangs onto the ropes to avoid it. Larry takes Nikita down with a back suplex. Zbyszko follows up with a swinging neck breaker, twice. Koloff powers out of a pin fall attempt at two. Koloff counters a third neck breaker attempt with a backslide for a near fall. Zbyszko gets an abdominal stretch on Koloff but isn’t going to get a submission. Koloff hip tosses Zbyszko to break the hold. Koloff takes Larry over with a vertical suplex. Koloff fights out of the corner with right hands but Zbyszko gets his foot on the middle rope. Larry starts to work over the left shoulder of Koloff and drives Koloff down to the canvas with a scoop slam. Larry spikes Koloff with a piledriver and goes for the cover but Nikita kicks out at two. Zbyszko delivers several knee strikes to the upper back of Nikita. Koloff fights out of the corner but Larry pokes him in the eye to regain control. Koloff avoids a brain buster and takes Larry down with an inside cradle to get the first fall!
Larry quickly goes back to Nikita and works over Koloff with strikes in the corner. Koloff sends Larry across the ring but misses a shoulder splash in the corner. Zbyszko works over Nikita but again Koloff battles back with several strikes before missing a dropkick attempt. Koloff is sent to the floor and the referee is distracted but nothing happens. Zbyszko slams Koloff on the floor but doesn’t follow up on the advantage. Koloff yanks Zbyszko to the floor and slams Larry face first into the apron several times. Zbyszko sends Koloff hard into the corner but only manages to get a near fall. Larry and Koloff collide in the ring with Zbyszko rolling over for a cover but only gets a two count. Zbyszko continues to have control of the match with a sleeper hold and demands the bell be rang, but Koloff never gave in. Larry hammers away on Koloff but Nikita starts to get a second wind. Zbyszko gets a near fall after a back breaker. Koloff counters a piledriver with a back breaker and locks in a sleeper hold. Larry quickly gets out of the hold but is knocked down by an elbow strike. Dangerously trips Koloff from the floor. Koloff nails Zbyszko with a clothesline and wins the match. (*1/4. I had a really difficult time maintaining interest in this match. It went on for a long time and you could probably cut at least five minutes from it. A fine clean win for Koloff as he has just returned to the company.)
5.) Backstage, Paul E. Dangerously is yelling at Larry Zbyszko for losing the match. Dangerously and Zbyszko leave when they see Missy Hyatt and continue to discuss what happened.
Final Thoughts:
A lackluster program this week as the Sting interview didn’t really add to any feud taking place and he isn’t exactly a great promo guy. The featured match was boring and I found myself easily distracted from viewing it. This whole new era of WCW has started off pretty badly if you ask me.
Thanks for reading.