Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 12/11/1993
From: Atlanta, GA
Matches:
1.) Davey Boy Smith defeated Bert Stiles
2.) Steve Austin defeated Brian Armstrong
3.) Terry Taylor defeated Tony Mella
4.) Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce defeated Larry Santo & Mark Starr
5.) WCW Television Champion Lord Steven Regal & Paul Orndorff defeated Paul Roma & Erik Watts
6.) WCW International Champion Rick Rude defeated Chris Nelson
7.) The Shockmaster defeated Pat Rose
8.) 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell defeated Bill Payne & Robbie Eagles
9.) Ric Flair defeated Booker T
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Booker T cut a pre-tape promo saying that he knows that Flair is probably nervous. Booker says it is over for Flair and he’s going down. Not the best promo by Booker.
2.) This is Terry Taylor’s in-ring return after an absence of over a year of being in a WCW ring. He had wrestled earlier in the year for the WWF.
3.) Mean Gene interviews WCW World Champion Vader regarding Starrcade. Harley Race is with Vader. Vader wants Flair to listen to him and calls Flair out saying Flair has to be the dumbest or most desperate man. Vader doesn’t give a crap which one it is. Vader promises that Flair will be making the worst and last mistake of his life. Vader doesn’t think that Flair is man enough to stand in the ring with him. Vader is going to cause Flair pain and humiliation at Starrcade. Race thinks that Vader has said what needed to be said and closes out saying that Vader owns Flair.
4.) Thunder and Lightning cut a pre-tape promo saying they came to be tag team champions. A storm is brewing and they are going to feel the thunder and be struck by lightning. That was as corny as it reads.
5.) Mean Gene interviews Paul Roma and thinks that the Assassin has gotten to Roma. Roma denies that. Roma notes that Arn Anderson has suffered injuries and won’t be there. However, Anderson promised Roma a partner to get the job done. Erik Watts enters the scene and is Roma’s partner for tonight. Watts promises Roma not to let him down. Roma assures Watts he has nothing to worry about.
6.) Watts and Orndorff start the tag match with Watts delivering a shoulder block, but is stopped by a knee lift. Orndorff stomps on Watts against the ropes. Orndorff hammers away on Watts against the ropes and delivers a forearm strike. Orndorff heads to the top rope, but misses an axe handle and gets a strike to the midsection. Watts misses a knee lift and Orndorff tried for a stomp. Watts counters with an STF attempt, but Regal makes the save. Watts has a hammerlock on Orndorff, but Regal manages to tag in and keeps a wrist lock on Watts for a moment. Watts shoulder blocks Regal and plays to the crowd. Regal gets out of a sleeper with a hammerlock. Watts counters with a wrist lock of his own, but Regal rolls through. Watts manages to take Regal down to the mat to maintain the advantage. Regal uppercuts Watts into the ropes a few times. Regal tags in Orndorff, but Watts hip tosses Orndorff and Roma is tagged in. Watts back elbows Orndorff to the mat. Roma tags Watts back into the match and Watts hits a double axe handle off the middle rope. Watts shoulder blocks Orndorff and delivers a scoop slam. Watts keeps an arm bar on Orndorff. Orndorff yanks Watts down by his hair, but Watts controls Orndorff with a head scissors on the mat.
Orndorff pops out of a head scissors, but Watts counters with a hammerlock on the mat. Ornodrff drop toe holds Watts and tags in Regal to maintain the advantage. Regal uppercuts Watts several times in the corner. Regal forearms Watts on the mat followed by a snapmare. Watts pops out of pin attempts a few times. Regal tries to keep Watts down, but Watts showcases his leg strength to keep his shoulders off the mat. Watts kicks Regal and delivers a scoop slam. Watts leg drops Regal on the arm, but Regal locks in an arm bar. Regal counters an arm lock, but Watts spins through to keep the hold locked in. Roma is tagged in and leaps off the top to axe handle Regal followed by right hands. Roma shoulder blocks Regal, but is met with a back elbow. Regal uppercuts Roma to the mat a few times. Orndorff tags back into the match and puts a full nelson on Roma. Regal tags back in and forearms Roma to the mat. Regal uppercuts Roma into the corner, but Roma sends Regal into the corner and they collide heads. Orndorff and Watts get hot tags with Watts cleaning house on Orndorff with right hands. Watts rams Orndorff into the corner and face first down to the mat. Watts nails Orndorff with a dropkick. Watts back elbows Orndorff and Regal. Watts dropkicks Regal to the floor. Watts dropkicks Orndorff again and looks for the STF. Roma leaps off the top and elbow drops Watts while the referee was distracted. Orndorff covers Watts and wins the match. (*1/2. The fans seemingly were behind Watts on his heat segment, which was a bit surprising. Roma turning heel to align with Orndorff is the best decision. Roma was poorly casted as a Horsemen and never was a good fit for that group. Working with Orndorff makes a lot more sense.)
7.) Ice Train won an arm wrestling contest against Equalizer to reach the finals. There was a confrontation between Rick Rude and British Bulldog. That led to a fight with Rude ramming Bulldog’s face and arm onto the table. Bulldog still competed against Vader in an arm wrestling contest. Vader managed to win due to Bulldog’s injured arm.
8.) Mean Gene interviewed WCW International Champion Rick Rude following his victory. Rude says that he showed a subtle hint for force on Bulldog on Worldwide. Rude says that Bulldog is barking up the wrong tree if he wants a piece of him. Rude will be wrestling Bulldog at Starrcade. Rude wants to wrestle Bulldog next week. Bulldog comes out and confronts Rude. However, Bulldog is held back by officials. Bulldog is pissed about Rude costing him matches in recent weeks. Bulldog challenges Rude to a match next week, which Rude just said. Rude tells Bulldog to sign the contract and it looks like that match will be happening next week.
9.) Mean Gene interviews Sting. Gene wants to talk about the main event at Starrcade between Flair and Vader. Sting has a lot of respect for Flair. Sting puts over Vader as a tough opponent and doesn’t know if Flair is making the right decision. Brian Pillman enters the scene and says he knows that they haven’t seen eye to eye over the past year. Pillman is out here for a favor. Pillman says that Sting has the clout and the stroke with WCW officials. Pillman wants a match with Steve Austin. Sting dismisses that thought and tells Pillman he will try to help him. Sting does Road Warrior Hawk’s catchphrase in regard to the Nasty Boys at Starrcade.
10.) Booker backs Flair into a corner, but cleanly backs away. Flair gets a top wrist lock on Booker and takes Booker down to the mat. Flair controls Booker with a hammerlock and delivers a knee drop to the arm. Flair keeps the advantage with some mat wrestling, but Booker manages to get to his feet. Flair trips Booker to the mat and controls Booker arm on the mat. Flair drop toe holds Booker to the mat, but Booker reaches the ropes. Booker bails to the floor to regroup. Booker hammers away on Flair, but is met with chops. Flair drops Booker to the floor and delivers another chop. Flair sends Booker into the guard railing chest first followed by more chops and strikes. Flair rolls Booker into the ring and delivers a right hand to drop Booker to the mat. Flair has a rollup on Booker for a two count. Booker nails Flair with a clothesline to the face. Booker shoulder rams Flair in the corner several times. Booker sends Flair upside down into the corner and Flair crashes to the floor. Booker nails Flair with a double axe handle. Booker rams Flair face first onto the apron. Booker rolls Flair back into the ring to continue the match. Booker locks in a chin lock.
Booker takes Flair down to the mat to maintain the advantage. Booker forearms Flair a few times in the corner. Booker delivers a jumping knee drop and clotheslines Flair over the top to the floor. Stevie Ray cheap shots Flair while the referee is distracted. Booker comes off the apron to axe handle Flair. Flair shoulder rams Booker from the apron and delivers a chop. Flair tries for a sunset flip and manages a two count. Flair chops Booker a few times to gain the advantage. Flair pummels Booker with right hands and a clothesline in the corner. Flair chops Booker to the mat and gets a two count with a rollup. Flair decks Booker with a right hand against the ropes. Flair takes Booker down to the mat and delivers a knee drop. Booker eye rakes Flair and connects with a side slam. Booker heads to the top rope missing an elbow drop. Flair chops Booker to the mat followed by a knee breaker. Flair locks in the figure four! Shockmaster prevents Stevie Ray from getting in and Booker has submitted. (*1/2. I like that Flair is working with a younger talent like Booker and gave him some decent offense. It’s not a memorable match by any means, but it was nice to see Flair trying to elevate younger talent while maintaining his main event status leading into Starrcade.)
11.) Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair following his victory. Flair cuts a promo on Vader and their match at Starrcade. Flair says that there are times he wants to cry because people don’t believe. Flair recalls the plane crash and how he recovered to be champion ten times. Flair compares himself to Joe Montana because his boy calls him the greatest. Flair has bled and sweat for one thing and that is respect. Flair has wanted to be the best since day one.
Final Thoughts:
Action wise there’s not a lot going on again this week. Roma heel turn was the right move and I think a team with Orndorff will be entertaining. Next week has a big match between Rude and Bulldog, so I’m looking forward to that.
Thanks for reading.