WCW Saturday Night 10/3/1992

Written by: Bob Colling

World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 10/3/1992
From: Atlanta, GA

Matches:
1.) Brian Pillman defeated Brad Armstrong
2.) Shane Douglas & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Diamond Dallas Page & Vinnie Vegas
3.) Van Hammer defeated Mike Freeman
4.) WCW World Champion Ron Simmons defeated Kenny Kendall
5.) The Barbarian defeated Rick Bravo
6.) Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham defeated WCW/NWA Tag Team Champions Steve Williams & Terry Gordy to win the titles

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Arn Anderson is with Jim Ross on commentary to start the show. Ross promotes the tag title match taking place later tonight. Anderson thinks he’ll be added some expertise to the match since he’s wrestled all four men and teamed with Windham.

2.) Armstrong and Pillman run the ropes early on leading to Armstrong hitting a hip toss and dropkick to send Pillman to the floor. Pillman gets control with a headlock for a few moments and tells the referee he’s not pulling Armstrong’s hair. Pillman focuses his offense on Armstrong’s arm. Armstrong shoulder blocks Pillman but Pillman delivers a strike in the corner while the referee was out of position. Pillman works over Armstrong’s knee in the corner for a few moments. Armstrong takes Pillman down with an arm drag, but Pillman regains control on the mat. Armstrong forearms Pillman a few times causing Pillman to bail to the floor. Pillman drives Armstrong leg over the apron to gain the advantage. Pillman heads to the top rope and delivers an exe handle. Pillman comes off the middle rope to chop block Armstrong’s left knee. Pillman works over the left knee for a few moments. Pillman kicks Armstrong’s leg to keep Armstrong on the mat. Pillman continues to work over Armstrong’s leg, but Armstrong refuses to stay down on any pin attempts.

Armstrong nearly wins with an inside cradle. Pillman regains control choking Armstrong on the mat. Pillman drives Armstrong down with a knee breaker. Pillman drives Armstrong’s knee over the apron. Pillman rubs Armstrong’s face on the mat while keeping control with stomps. Armstrong uses his free leg to nail Pillman with a kick to the face. Pillman sends Armstrong face first into the top turnbuckle. Armstrong backdrops Pillman out of the corner and Pillman is begging off. Armstrong decks Pillman with a right hand and a slam for a two count. Armstrong decks Pillman into the corner and tosses Pillman out of the corner. Armstrong misses a top rope crossbody and Pillman delivers a kick to Armstrong’s midsection. Pillman gets a rollup and pins Armstrong. (**1/2. Not too bad of a match as Pillman really got his heel persona over well here. I thought they worked a good pace and did enough to warrant going 10+ minutes.)

3.) Jim Ross chats with Bruno Sammartino, who will be a co-host for WCW Halloween Havoc 1992. Bruno is excited to be at Halloween Havoc and suggests that fans make their way down to Philadelphia to checkout the show. If you can’t, be sure to watch it on pay per view. Bruno puts over the Philadelphia fans as being the best fans. Bruno hypes up the show as having the best wrestling in the world.

4.) Bagwell and Page start the tag match with Bagwell avoiding Page early on sending Page chest first into the corner. Page shoves Bagwell and delivers a forearm. Bagwell dropkicks Page followed by an arm drag. Douglas tags in and trades wrist lock with Page. Page knee lifts Douglas and tags in Vegas. Vegas catches Douglas, but Douglas lands on top for a two count. Vegas clotheslines Douglas but misses an elbow drop. Bagwell enters the match and Vegas tosses Bagwell across the ring. Bagwell dropkicks Vegas followed by right hands in the corner. Page tags in and Bagwell arm drags Page to keep control of the match. Vegas clotheslines Bagwell from behind followed by a gut wrench slam. Vegas side slams Bagwell and Page returns to the mat to work on Bagwell’s lower back. Page elbow drops Bagwell a few times leading to a near fall. Page puts a bearhug on Bagwell but Bagwell fights out of the hold rather quickly. Bagwell tries to tag in Douglas, but Vegas runs over Bagwell with a clothesline. Vegas slams Bagwell while Douglas distracted the referee. Page puts a bearhug on Bagwell once again. Bagwell tosses Page down to the mat and tags in Douglas.

Douglas hammers away on Page. Douglas elbows Page and decks Vegas on the apron. Douglas hits a vertical suplex, but Vegas breaks the cover. Bagwell and Vegas go to the floor. Page runs into a belly to belly suplex and Douglas wins the match. (*1/2. That was just a basic tag formula match between these two teams. Douglas appears to be getting some momentum and focus. Anderson compared Douglas’ belly to belly suplex to Magnum’s. I don’t think that will go over with the crowd if that’s their attempt to get Douglas over with the crowd.)

5.) Jake Roberts is heartbroken that WCW doesn’t want to be responsible for the upcoming match with Sting at Halloween Havoc. Roberts promises it will be lights out for Sting and not for Jake Roberts.

6.) They literally spoil the tag team title match taking place later one during the Havoc Report. Jim Ross says “new WCW Tag Team Champions Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham defend against the Steiner Brothers”. Way to go, JR!

7.) WCW World Champion Ron Simmons following his victory. Simmons has something that everyone is coming for. Simmons has to focus on guys like Rude and Vader along with Barbarian at Havoc. Simmons promises that Barbarian is going to get a fight at Havoc ’92.

8.) Tony Schiavone sat down with Shane Douglas for an interview recently. Douglas talks about his association with Magnum TA. Douglas considers Magnum to be a second father and it’s been a great impact on his life and career. Douglas said he wouldn’t backdown from any wrestler in WCW. To prove himself, Douglas has to wrestle guys like Super Invader. Douglas has to start on the bottom and work his way to the top. Douglas has been successful over Invader and Greg Valentine recently. Douglas says Magnum has been working with him on the belly to belly suplex. Douglas hopes to be like Ron Simmons and be the WCW World Champion someday soon.

9.) Jake Roberts is interviewed by Jim Ross. Roberts says the fans sound like sheep doing exactly what they are told to do. Roberts wonders if Sting is at home thinking about what he’s done. Roberts doesn’t think Sting wants to go through with the match. Roberts doesn’t think the fans should be in Sting, unless they want to believe in a loser. Roberts tells Sting that he will be bitten by a snake when you play with one. Roberts ponders which match will be chosen, but it will be the last one of Sting’s career.

10.) A training video of Cactus Jack motivating The Barbarian for Halloween Havoc ’92 is shown. Barbarian is pulling a car with Jack inside of it as Jack cuts a promo promoting Barbarian.

11.) Rhodes and Gordy start the main event with Gordy delivering a few strikes. Rhodes fires back with several strikes out of the corner. Rhodes scoop slams Gordy and keeps control with an arm drag. Windham comes in and comes off the middle rope to deliver a strike to Gordy. Gordy gets control against the ropes and Williams tags into the match. Rhodes works over Williams with an arm bar on the mat until Williams quickly counters. Gordy enters and goes for a piledriver, but Rhodes counters with a backdrop. Windham tags in and dropkicks Gordy to the mat for a two count. Windham counters a scoop slam attempt and keeps arm control on the mat. Williams misses an elbow drop on Windham coming off the ropes as we go to commercial.

Windham has kept control on Williams with a hammerlock on the canvas. Rhodes enters and Williams is met with a crossbody for a two count. Rhodes is double teamed in the corner with Gordy keeps control with right hands. Rhodes arm drags Gordy out of the corner and keeps control of the left arm. Gordy comes off the ropes and is met with a double dropkick for a two count. Windham takes Gordy over with a gut wrench suplex. Windham focuses his offense on Gordy’s left arm on the mat. Rhodes tags into the match and hammers away on Gordy. Rhodes arm drags Williams and nearly wins with a sunset flip. Williams drives Rhodes into the corner and Gordy tags in to put an abdominal stretch on Rhodes. Rhodes quickly hip tosses out of the corner followed by an arm drag. Windham tags in and keeps Gordy on the mat. Gordy forearms Windham against the ropes but Windham delivers a boot and a snap suplex. Windham sits Gordy on the top rope and the referee gets distracted by Rhodes. Gordy knocks Windham off the middle rope to the apron. Williams decks Windham on the floor with several strikes. We go to another commercial break.

Williams has kept control on Windham with a chop and sleeper hold during the commercial break. Windham is double teamed for a moment until Williams hits a shoulder block. Williams powerslams Windham for a two count. Windham isn’t able to reach Rhodes for the tag as Gordy locks in an STF. Gordy tags in Williams to continue their double teaming of Windham as Rhodes remains on the apron unable to help his partner. Gordy keeps an abdominal stretch on Windham. Rhodes enters the ring and punches Williams to help his partner. Williams eye rakes Windham to stop Barry’s momentum. Gordy tries for a powerbomb on Windham, but Windham counters with a backdrop. Williams prevents Windham from tagging out of the match. Williams keeps a sleeper on Windham for a few moments. Windham knees Williams in the corner followed by a lariat. Rhodes gets the hot tag and cleans house with strikes on the champions. Rhodes nails Williams with a leaping clothesline and dropkicks Gordy off the apron. Rhodes puts a sleeper hold on Williams. Rhodes elbows Williams, but gets dropped over the top rope throat first.

Gordy spikes Rhodes with a piledriver and a scoop slam. Gordy decks Rhodes with a clothesline but can’t get a three count. Gordy drops Rhodes chest first over the top rope. Gordy backdrops Rhodes followed by an elbow drop for a two count. Rhodes is met with a double shoulder block. Williams leg drops Rhodes and continues to beat on Rhodes in the corner with chops. Rhodes boots Williams in the corner a few times. Rhodes takes Williams over with a back suplex. Gordy tags into the match and misses an elbow drop on Rhodes a few times. Windham gets tagged in and backdrops Gordy before hammering away on Williams. Windham clotheslines Gordy and decks Williams in the corner. Williams decks Windham to save Gordy from a suplex. Williams stops Gordy on the top rope and hits the superplex. Williams breaks the cover at two. Williams knee lifts Rohdes on the apron, but Rhodes plants Gordy with a bulldog and Windham manages to pin Gordy to win the match and titles. After the match, several babyface wrestlers come out and celebrate the victory. (**. I’d consider this to be a “by the book” kind of tag match that lacked a lot of excitement or interesting in-ring action. They went nearly a half hour and that didn’t seem to necessary for the story they told. The aftermath with the celebration could probably be seen as an overreaction.)

12.) Jim Ross interviews the new tag team champions, Barry Windham and Dustin Rhodes. Ross credits Rhodes for hitting the bulldog. Rhodes says this is the greatest moment of his life. Windham is embraced by Rhodes and Windham says that he knew they could do this. Windham had been studied Gordy and Williams and they proved they could get the job done.

Final Thoughts:
An average episode for Saturday Night as the action was decent for the most part. They did a fine job promoting the big angles for Havoc coming up, too. Just a standard episode, I thought.

Thanks for reading.