WCW Saturday Night 7/31/1993

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 7/31/1993
From: Lake Charles, LA

Matches:
1.) 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Big Sky & Top Gun
2.) Ron Simmons fought WCW Television Champion Paul Orndorff to a no contest
3.) Paul Roma defeated Otis Apollo
4.) Lord Steven Regal defeated Scott Studd
5.) The Colossal Kongs defeated Johnny Gunn & Tom Zenk
6.) Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce defeated Keith & Kent Cole
7.) Sid Vicious defeated Leroy Johnson
8.) Maxx Payne defeated Johnny B. Badd in a no disqualification match

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Bobby Eaton and Chris Benoit are interviewed by Jesse Ventura to start the show. They aren’t happy with the Cole Twins for cheating last week to defeat them. They will get their hands on them again and there will be a different result.

2.) WCW Television Champion Paul Orndorff cuts a promo about Ricky Steamboat and his last hurrah at the top. Steamboat comes out and eventually takes off his shirt to reveal another shirt that has “PAULA” on it. Orndorff is pissed and chases after Steamboat until Ron Simmons appears and attacks Orndorff. They would go into the ring where Simmons plants Orndorff with a spine buster and pins Orndorff thanks to Steamboat counting the pin.

3.) Flair For The Gold with the new NWA World Champion Ric Flair is up next. He talks about if you want something bad enough that you can accomplish it. Now he is looking at guys like Vader, Rick Rude, Steve Austin and Brian Pillman to defend the championship against. Flair says his trademark phrase “to be the man, you’ve gotta beat the man.”

4.) Maxx Payne cuts a promo saying that Johnny B. Badd has no chance beating him tonight. Payne says they aren’t near the end but rather just the beginning between them.

5.) Jesse Venture interviewed Dustin Rhodes about a mystery partner for the Clash that Dustin isn’t revealing. Dustin respects Ventura but Jesse isn’t the legend that his father is. Rhodes decides against saying who his mystery partner is. Ventura flips out over that.

6.) Sir William says that Lord Steven Regal is a man of 1,000 holds. Regal insults the name 2 Cold Scorpio, whom he will be facing at the Clash. Regal says he is going to make short work of Scorpio. Regal doesn’t want to miss a polo match and will make sure he attends after Scorpio. Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce come out and disgust Regal while saying they are going to beat the Cole Twins.

7.) Harley Race and Colossal Kongs are interviewed. Race has a bag that has the remains of Cactus Jack in it. Awesome Kong will be wrestling Sting at the Clash. Race is going to have another little bag for Sting after his man is done with Sting. Race is pissed about a DQ finish between Vader and Davey Boy Smith at the Clash would lead to a title change. Tony Schiavone has another package for Race. Harley opens the box and it is another cactus. “I’m giving you this, but I’m taking back what is mine.” Race stomps on the box. Race says that Cactus Jack is obsessed with getting beaten up and feeling pain.

8.) WCW United States Champion Rick Rude and The Equalizer cut a promo following their victory. Jesse Ventura tells Rick Rude that he tried to get the mystery partner reveal but didn’t get an answer. Rick Rude wants Ventura to tell him who the partner but insists that someone knows who the partner is. Rude doesn’t think this is right to not know who they are wrestling at the Clash. Rude says there will be no victory for Dustin Rhodes and his mystery partner.

9.) We see footage of Ice Train competing in singles action at an independent show. Ice Train will be making his debut in WCW soon.

10.) There is a confrontation between the teams of Bobby Eaton & Chris Benoit with the team of Tex Slazenger and Shanghai Pierce. Benoit and Eaton are pissed that they lose to the Cole Twins and they won. They will apparently wrestle next week.

11.) Badd is still wearing a mask as he hammers away on Payne. They roll to the floor where they continue to brawl. Badd misses a left hand and hits the ring post. Payne scoop slams Badd on the floor. Payne slams Badd’s hand against the apron and around the ring post. They return to the ring where Badd gets a few shots in but Payne keeps control with a leg drop on the arm. Payne hip tosses Badd out of the corner but Badd continues to fight back with strikes only to be stopped by Payne quickly. Payne sends Badd to the floor and sends Badd shoulder first into the ring post. Badd nearly wins with a sunset flip but is stopped by an elbow strike. Badd is sent shoulder first into the corner and Payne puts the Payne Killer on Badd but Badd reaches the ropes, which shouldn’t matter, but the hold is broken. Badd sends Payne into the referee in the corner and pummels Payne with strikes. Badd hits a cross body but there is no referee for the cover. Paul Orndorff comes out and nails Badd with a foreign object. Payne elbow drops Badd and gets the win. (1/2*. An awful match. I don’t understand the need for a referee bump in a NO DQ match. I also don’t understand why Orndorff would come in and cost Badd the match.) After the match, Ricky Steamboat runs down with a steel chair to make the save to end the show.

Final Thoughts:
Not a whole lot going on here this week for WCW Saturday Night as the feature match was a bad way to end the program. There were a few angles addressed, but the whole show just felt like filler.

Thanks for reading.