Written by: Bob Colling
World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 5/11/1996
From:
Matches:
1.) WCW Television Champion Lex Luger defeated Bobby Walker
2.) The Steiner Brothers fought Scott Norton & Ice Train to a double count-out
3.) Eddie Guerrero defeated Earl Robert Eaton
4.) Public Enemy defeated Steve Doll & The Gambler
5.) WCW Tag Team Champion Sting defeated VK Wallstreet
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) We see footage from Nitro where Sting and Lex Luger argued in the locker room. Sting thinks that Luger missed his title shot on purpose. Luger says that his flight was canceled. Sting has never missed back to back world title matches. Sting wants to have Luger handcuffed to Jimmy Hart at ringside for his title match at Slamboree.
2.) Tony Schiavone is with Gary Juster to talk about Diamond Dallas Page coming back to WCW. DDP has a benefactor who is giving him money. Juster notes that DDP wrestled Booty Man at UnCensored, and that Booty didn’t have the WCW Television Championship and thus DDP’s career wasn’t on the line as previously stated. Thus, DDP has been reinstated because they don’t want to go to court.
3.) A video package showing DDP’s makeover is shown.
4.) Train and Scott kickoff the match with Scott tossing Train with an overhead suplex. Train nails Scott with a big boot and a clothesline. Train splashes Scott for a two count as Rick breaks the cover. Scott tosses Train overhead with a belly to belly suplex. Norton tags in and shoulder blocks Rick. Rick tosses Norton with a belly to belly throw. Rick hits a German suplex as Scott clotheslines Norton. Train clotheslines Scott, but suffers the same move done to Norton. Scott and Norton brawl on the floor before returning to the ring where Norton powerbombs Scott followed by clotheslines. Train and Rick are brawling on the floor. Scott and Norton brawl on the other side of the ring. Train slams Rick on the floor. Scott hits a German suplex on Norton outside the ring. The referee has lost control and throws the match out to be a double count-out. (NR. It’s hardly a match since the referee didn’t have much control at any point. Despite that, I thought this was a very effective segment. The action was hard hitting and I find myself invested in a possible feud between the two teams. Look at me, interested in Ice Train.)
5.) Guerrero has a hammerlock on Eaton to start the match. Guerrero shoulder blocks Eaton and hits a springboard crossbody. Guerrero arm drags Eaton and keeps control on the mat. Eaton knee lifts Guerrero followed by a nice backbreaker. Eaton keeps control with a knee drop to the lower back for a near fall. Guerrero hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick. Guerrero goes to the top hitting a frog splash for the win. (*1/2. That was a quick match, but a good win for Guerrero.) After the match, Regal and Taylor yell at Eaton for losing the match to Guerrero.
6.) A video package of Hulk Hogan at a charity event with Hulk Hogan hanging out with Shaq and Sugar Ray.
7.) Wallstreet attacks Sting before the bell with several strikes for the cheap advantage. Wallstreet elbows Sting coming off the ropes and tosses Sting to the floor. Wallstreet slams Sting face first onto the apron followed by more strikes. Wallstreet keeps control with strikes in the ring, but Sting gets a sunset flip for a two count. Wallstreet clotheslines Sting coming off the ropes. Wallstreet puts an abdominal stretch on Sting and uses the ropes for leverage. Wallstreet lets go and clotheslines Sting for a two count. Wallstreet goes over the top to the floor for some reason. Sting pulls Wallstreet up to the apron and hits a suplex followed by a clothesline. Sting misses a splash in the corner, but avoids a kick and manages to lock in the Scorpion Death Lock for a submission win in the middle of the ring. (*1/4. Wallstreet wasn’t as boring as he usually is, but this was still a rather weak main event. Sting tends to be enjoyable no matter who he’s wrestling and he carried this one by himself.)
8.) Backstage, Mean Gene interviews Sting regarding Luger and his title match at Slamboree. Sting wants to grill Lex Luger, who enters the scene. Sting asks what Luger has been up to in recent weeks. There’s no reason to hurt Bobby Walker. Luger says he apologized to Walker for losing his control. Sting asks if Luger is aware that most guys get one opportunity to wrestle for the championship. Luger is going to take full advantage of his title opportunity. Sting wants to know how Luger will backup what he’s saying. Luger promises to camp out in Nashville if he has to in order to make his title match on Nitro.
Final Thoughts:
It’s a quick forty minute episode. The best segment on the show was the tag match, which didn’t even go five minutes and wasn’t a conclusive match. There was a lot of progression for feuds as the focus and in that regard I thought they did a good job.
Thanks for reading