Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Worldwide
Date: 8/15/1992
From: Baltimore, MD
Matches:
1.) Steiner Brothers defeated Mike Sampson & GQ Stratus
2.) Van Hammer defeated Eric Davidson
3.) Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton defeated Brian Pillman & Marcus Alexander Bagwell
4.) Barry Windham defeated Tracy Smothers
5.) WCW World Champion Ron Simmons defeated Doug Superior
6.) Cactus Jack defeated Ricky Steamboat by count-out
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) We see highlights of Ron Simmons winning the WCW World Championship from Vader on Power Hour recently. The crowd exploded after the powerslam sealed Simmons victory for his first championship reign.
2.) Footage from Saturday Night were Larry Zbyszko had his arm broken by Arn Anderson and Bobby Eaton. Zbyszko really sold the injury and was checked by officials.
3.) WCW Magazine with Eric Bischoff promoted the issues between Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes taking on Dick Slater and Greg Valentine. Recently, Dustin wrestled Dick Slater, and Greg Valentine tripped Rhodes to allow Slater to pin Rhodes in a major upset. Valentine and Slater went after Windham. The match was restarted and Rhodes pinned Slater with a rollup. There will be a tag match between the two teams to settle their issues.
4.) Footage from Saturday Night is shown where Paul E. Dangerously made a deal with Steve Williams and Terry Gordy where the Dangerous Alliance will eliminate the Steiner Brothers and they will get a shot at the tag titles since they never got a shot when they loss the belts to the Steiner’s.
5.) Eaton works over Pillman with a knee lift and strikes in the corner. Anderson cheap shots Pillman, but Pillman fights back with strikes. Bagwell enters and dropkicks Anderson. Pillman dropkicks Eaton to the floor. Anderson knee lifts Pillman from the apron to help out Eaton. Anderson legally enters, but Pillman delivers a few strikes. Anderson takes Pillman down and Eaton works over Pillman with strikes before Anderson returns with strikes and a scoop slam. Pillman dropkicks Anderson coming off the middle rope. Bagwell gets the hot tag and decks Anderson and Eaton with right hands. Bagwell misses a spear in the corner and crashes to the apron. Eaton wraps Bagwell’s arm around the ring post. Anderson stomps on Bagwell’s arm to keep him on the mat. Anderson plants Bagwell with a hammerlock scoop slam before tagging in Eaton. Eaton maintains control with knee drops and Anderson returns to the mat. Anderson controls Bagwell with an arm bar. Anderson keeps Bagwell on the mat as Eaton enters to deliver an arm breaker. Eaton kicks Bagwell several times in the ribs and Anderson delivers a stomp to the shoulders. Anderson continues to work over Bagwell with strikes against the ropes. Eaton returns to the match as they continue to focus on Bagwell’s shoulder. Eaton plants Bagwell with another breaker. Anderson delivers another hammerlock scoop slam. Eaton leaps off the middle rope to knee strike Bagwell to the mat and wins the match with an arm lock. (*1/2. Well, that was complete domination over one person and I liked it. Pillman didn’t get involved, for the most part. They are clearly putting some focus on Anderson and Eaton and I think it’s working rather well.)
6.) WCW Magazine with Eric Bischoff is up next. WCW World Champion Ron Simmons had comments back in June where Simmons noted he was coming for the top and he’s not afraid of anyone. Simmons fears no man and he was coming for the World Championship. They are showing interviews from other programs, including Saturday Night from last week. Simmons doesn’t care who he had to beat to become World Champion. There was a press conference at CNN Center were Ron Simmons was introduced as champion. It looks like it was taking place at the food court. Simmons promises it will take an act of Congress to get the belt off of him.
7.) Windham backs Smothers into the corner and cleanly backs away. Windham arm drags Smothers to the mat followed by a headlock on the mat. We see Erik Watts sitting in the front row. Windham shoulder blocks Smothers and keeps a headlock on the mat. Smothers works over Windham in the corner with shoulder rams. Windham takes Smothers down to the mat a few times to maintain control with a headlock. Smothers strikes Windham a few times in the corner, but Windham nearly wins with an inside cradle. Smothers clotheslines Windham and continues with strikes. Windham gets a sunset flip for a two count. Smothers kicks Windham and connects with an uppercut. Smothers eye rakes Widnham followed by a standing dropkick. Smothers knee drops Windham for a two count. Smothers slams Windham to the mat and leaps off the middle rope, but Windham delivers a strike in midair. Windham backdrops Smothers followed by a gut wrench suplex for a near fall. Windham takes Smothers over with a snap suplex. Smothers delivers a few strikes and is met by a lariat to finish the match. (*. It was a mostly slow contest with a lot of basic mat holds to seemingly fill time. There wasn’t much going on here to get invested in by any means.)
8.) WCW Magazine with Eric Bischoff is up next again. Bischoff talks about Ricky Steamboat having a rib injury and wasn’t able to challenge Steve Austin at Clash of the Champions. Steamboat recently fought Austin on Saturday Night. Steamboat hit Austin with brass knuckles to seemingly win the WCW Television Championship, but the referee ended up seeing it and reversed the decision.
9.) Jack beats on Steamboat on the apron as the match appears to be joined in progress coming out of a commercial break. Jack beats on Steamboat in the corner, but Steamboat fights back with chops coming out of the corner. Steamboat strikes Jack several times. Steamboat avoids Jack in the corner and hits a hip toss. Jack delivers an axe handle strike and gouges Steamboat’s eyes. Jack splashes down onto Steamboat over the middle rope. Jack kicks Steamboat into the corner followed by a strike. Jack scoop slams Steamboat and delivers a leg drop for a two count. Jack drives his head into Steamboat’s ribs on the mat. Jack counters a slam attempt with a knee strike to the ribs. Steamboat plants Jack with a swinging neckbreaker. Steamboat fires back with chops, but Jack knee strikes Steamboat in the ribs. Jack misses a spear and hits the ring post shoulder first. Steamboat kicks Jack a few times followed by a snapmare. Steamboat sends Jack into the corner and connects with a clothesline. Jack misses a clothesline and Steamboat hits a clothesline of his own for a two count. Steamboat backdrops Jack and hits a crossbody over the top to the floor causing both men to crash to the floor. Jack sends Steamboat into the apron ribs first. Jack hits an elbow drop off the apron onto Steamboat’s ribs and wins the match by count-out. (**. Two completely different styles and it still produced a solid enough match to hold my interest. I really don’t mind the finish since Cactus is such a bizarre guy that the finish gives him a good rub regardless.)
Final Thoughts:
I thought it was a solid episode this week as they focused on the right acts to give them some steam. The Dangerous Alliance came across like a strong heel team and Cactus getting a win over Steamboat is a big victory for his heel act moving forward, even if it was by count-out.
Thanks for reading.