Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night:
Date: 7/9/1994
From: Atlanta, GA
Matches:
1.) Arn Anderson & Dustin Rhodes defeated Bobby Eaton & Steve Keirn
2.) Ricky Steamboat defeated Tex Slazenger
3.) Marcus Alexander Bagwell & The Patriot defeated Paul Orndorff & Paul Roma
4.) WCW World Champion Ric Flair fought Sting to a no contest
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) This show is an interactive edition with the fans calling the hotline to pick the match they want to see have happened tonight. So, this episode is actually live.
2.) Backstage, Gordon Solie is in the blue locker room which is the good guy side. The men in the room are Johnny B. Badd, Brian Pillman, Guardian Angel, Sting, Jungle Jim Steele, and Kevin Sullivan. The obvious pick there is quite clear. Meanwhile, in the red locker room, Eric Bischoff is hanging out with the bad guys. In the red locker room there is the following men, Vader, WCW World Champion Ric Flair, Bunkhouse Buck, Jean Pierre Levesque, Terry Funk, and WCW United States Champion Steve Austin can be picked. That at least isn’t as obvious as the first one.
3.) Eric Bischoff is with Vader in the red locker room. Vader says he fears no man and feels no pain. He asks the fans what time it is. It’s Vader time, obviously! Vader wants a piece of Guardian Angel tonight and begs the fans to give him the opportunity tonight.
4.) Gordon Solie is in the blue locker room with Guardian Angel. Angel says everyone knows how much he hates Vader. He wants to get in the ring with Vader tonight as well. He demands the fans call for him to get a shot at Vader tonight.
5.) Hulk Hogan makes his first appearance at Center Stage to be interviewed by Mean Gene. Jimmy Hart is right by Hogan’s side, of course. Hogan says this is the biggest night of his life and biggest night of his career. Hogan puts over WCW as the number one wrestling company in the world, brother. Hogan says his match with Flair next Sunday is the one match everyone is going to be watching. Hogan says that Flair showed he was the dirtiest player in the game at Clash of the Champions when Sherri screwed over Sting. Hogan gets the phone and wants to see Ric Flair take on Sting tonight. So, they really aren’t hiding the match they want voted in, as if it needed to be shoved down our throats anyway. Hogan brings out Mr. T, who gets a good pop from the crowd. Hogan isn’t afraid of Sherri Martel anymore. Hogan has his backup to take care of anybody that Flair decides to bring out to combat Hogan.
6.) Back to Eric Bischoff in the red locker room and WCW World Champion Ric Flair is fired up. Flair says he will not have Hulk Hogan tell him what to do. Flair is here to just watch and not to wrestle Sting tonight. Nick Bockwinkel comes over and says that if Flair leaves then the title stays here and Flair will essentially be stripped of the title. Flair freaks out some more.
7.) Outside the arena, Fifi is trying to get into the arena but security is preventing her. Doug Dillinger comes out and notices that it is Sherri Martel and she is sent back to her car, or is carried I should say.
8.) Back to Gordon Solie who interviews Sting. Sting wants Ric Flair to be all fired up and wonders what happened to the Ric Flair who walked the aisle. Sting is Flair’s worst nightmare.
9.) Bagwell and Roma kick off the tag match with the fans heavily behind Stars & Stripes. Bagwell shoulder blocks Roma for a two count at the start. Roma gets out of a sunset flip and decks Bagwell with a right hand. Orndorff saves Roma on a rollup by decking Bagwell with a forearm shot. Patriot gets worked over in the corner by Roam and Orndorff. Dave Sullivan has come down to ringside with his crutches. Kevin Sullivan has come out as well to protect Dave and is barking like a lunatic. Bagwell takes advantage and pins Roma with a rollup. (1/2*. This was just angle advancement for Pretty Wonderful’s tag match with Sullivan and Cactus at the pay per view. Plus, it gives a new team some momentum.)
10.) Guess what? Ric Flair and Sting won the fan voting and it’s the last match on the show. There is still an hour to go in the program, so this is going to be a long one, folks.
11.) Sting goes to the floor to grab Flair and tosses the champ into the ring to start the match. Flair chops Sting but that doesn’t work and begs off. Sting hip tosses Flair followed by a dropkick and a press slam. Flair goes to the corner to beg off and Hulk Hogan has come out to ringside to sit down and watch the match. Flair pokes Sting in the eyes but Sting recovers to hit another press slam. Sting runs over Flair with a few clotheslines sending Flair over the top to the floor. Flair staggers around and falls flat on his face next to Hogan. Flair gets back in the ring and begs off again from Sting. Flair knocks Sting down with a chop and goes to the top but Sting slams Flair to the canvas. Sting continues with a leaping clothesline but Flair delivers a kick to the midsection. Sting ducks a clothesline and attempted a cross body but missed and hit the ropes chest first. Flair is busy on the apron taunting the fans instead of continuing his offense on Sting. Flair goes back to chopping Sting but they don’t hurt Sting. Flair delivers body punches but Sting just stands there pissed. Sting backs Flair into a corner and hammers away on the champion with right hands. Sting splashes Flair in the corner and puts Flair on the top turnbuckle. Sting hooks Flair and hit a superplex! Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Lock and has it locked in right in the middle of the ring. Flair isn’t giving up. Wait, here is Sherri Martel under a disguise and tosses the referee out of the ring. Hogan gets in the ring and saves Sting by delivering an atomic drop to Martel. Hogan rips the wig off and it’s Martel. Hogan gives chase but Flair chop blocks Hogan in the corner to attack Hogan! Mr. T runs out and saves Hogan causing Flair to bail to the floor and runs backstage. Well, so much for a lengthy main event that I had thought we were going to get. (**1/4. The crowd was into it, for sure. The action is just predictable considering they worked the same match for literally twelve years in WCW.)
12.) Ric Flair cuts a promo with Sherri Martel. Flair says this is just a sample of what will happen to Hogan at the pay per view. They get ran off by Hogan who left the ring.
13.) Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Hart and Mr. T come over to cut a promo, too. Hogan knows they have them on the run and next Sunday will be the last supper for Flair. Hogan is confident that he’s going to win the WCW World Championship next Sunday.
Final Thoughts:
The show was heavily focused on Sting, Flair, and Hogan which made for an entertaining show. The main event wasn’t a classic, but the hype for Flair and Hogan was pretty enjoyable. It’s amazing how quickly Sting was put on the back burner when Hogan arrived since he is scheduled to compete against WCW TV Champion Lord Steven Regal at the pay per view, which was mentioned once on the show. A decent episode for Saturday Night with a strong finish to the program.
Thanks for reading.