World Championship Wrestling presents Main Event
Date: 5/24/1992
From:
Matches:
1.) Vader defeated Steve Green & Carl Robertson in a handicap match
2.) WCW United States Champion Rick Rude defeated Terrence Taylor
3.) Nikita Koloff & Ricky Steamboat defeated Tracy Smothers & Ricky Morton
4.) Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes fought Abdullah The Butcher & Cactus Jack to a double count-out
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Tony Schiavone and Magnum TA are the hosts of the Main Event. Schiavone goes through what we’re scheduled to see on the program. They talk about the Freebirds being the new WCW United States Tag Team Championships. They are promote the NWA Tag Team Title Tournament starting at the Clash of the Champions on June 22nd.
2.) Vader won his handicap enhancement match following a big splash onto both men.
3.) Missy Does The Mail hosted by Missy Hyatt is up next. Hyatt talks about WCW World Champion Sting having injured ribs. It’s a brief segment, but she’ll be back later on too, apparently.
4.) Tony Schiavone and Magnum TA take some time to promote the issues between WCW United States Champion Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat. They talk about the mind games involving Madusa and how Steamboat wants the title and not Madusa.
5.) Rude and Taylor taunt each other before locking up. Rude strikes Taylor into the corner and delivers a knee lift to the midsection to drop Taylor to the mat. Rude strikes Taylor against the ropes, but Taylor kicks Rude and clotheslines Rude. Taylor arm drags Rude and keeps arm control. Taylor yanks on Rude’s arm while keeping a wrist lock on Rude. Rude reaches the ropes to break the hold, but Taylor stomps Rude to the floor. Rude pulls Taylor down in the corner and wraps Taylor’s leg around the ring post. Rude returns to the ring and kicks Taylor on the left knee several times knocking Taylor to the mat. Rude strikes Taylor in the corner, but Taylor yanks on Rude’s arm. Rude kicks Taylor on the knee and delivers a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. They trade a few strikes with Taylor getting the advantage. Taylor atomic drops Rude, but hurt his own knee. Rude hits the Rude Awakening and pins Taylor for the win. (**. This is a bit of a bizarre match. The crowd must truly despise Rude because they had zero issue with cheering Taylor and it wasn’t a fake cheer either. A fine undercard match between two heels.)
6.) WCW Magazine hosted by Eric Bischoff is up next. Bischoff talks about the Freebirds winning the WCW United States Tag Team Champions and War Games being the most violent match in WCW history. We hear from Ricky Steamboat talking about the Iron Man challenge at Beach Blast against WCW United States Champion Rick Rude. Steamboat wants to be the champion and feels he can be a better representative than Rude. WCW World Champion Sting defends against Cactus Jack in a falls count anywhere match. Madusa and Missy Hyatt will have a bikini contest. Madusa insults Hyatt for having a lot of plastic surgery while she’s the real first lady of WCW. Madusa is going to make the viewer pay for the goods. Bischoff makes a joke about being a judge for the contest. WCW Light Heavyweight Champion Brian Pillman cuts a promo on Scotty Flamingo. Pillman has worked hard and he’s not going to let Flamingo walk into the company and take his title.
7.) Koloff and Smothers kickoff the tag match. Koloff puts a headlock on Smothers for the early advantage. Smothers misses a clothesline and Koloff hits a leaping shoulder block sending smothers reeling to the corner. Steamboat enters the match and strikes Smothers several times. Smothers misses a kick and Steamboat superkicks Smothers followed by a kick to the back of the head. Koloff punches Smothers from the apron and Smothers tags out to Morton. Morton works over Steamboat in the corner, but Steamboat backdrops Morton out of the corner followed by a chop sending Morton to the floor. Smothers tags into the match to try his luck with Steamboat. Smothers and Steamboat runs the ropes until Koloff gets tagged in and nails Smothers with the Russian Sickle to win the match. (*. Man, it’s a bummer to see how Smothers and Morton are being regulated to being essentially job guys at this point. They are capable of so much and they’re just not given the opportunity.)
8.) Missy Does The Mail hosted by Missy Hyatt is back again. Hyatt talks about the bikini contest with Madusa at Beach Blast regarding who will be considered the true first lady of WCW. Hyatt is going to tell some personal stuff about Madusa on the hotline.
9.) The Ross Report hosted by Jim Ross is next. Ross is talking with the WCW Tag Team Champions Steiner Brothers. They will be competing in the NWA Tag Team Championship Tournament. Ross asks why they are in the tournament. Rick Steiner notes they were in the tournament before they won the WCW Tag Titles. They aren’t afraid of anyone. Scott says they haven’t seen anything about their first round opponents and considers every match a title match since it’s a single elimination tournament. Rick puts over Dr. Death and Terry Gordy as being great tag team. Rick says they are going to show how tough Americans are. Scott doesn’t know how Gordy and Death are the fourth ranked team. (This was not a good promo.)
10.) The tag team main event starts off with all four men brawling and they end up going to the floor briefly. Windham sends Cactus into the ropes and delivers a backdrop to keep the advantage. Windham punches Cactus through the ropes to the floor as the referee gets order. Cactus and Dustin legally start the match with Rhodes taking Cactus to the mat. They have a standoff until Cactus strikes Dustin against the ropes followed by a headbutt. Cactus rams Dustin into the corner and tags in Butcher. Butcher headbutts Rhodes in the corner until Windham comes over and helps Dustin. Windham gouges Cactus face in the corner. Butcher chokes Rhodes in the corner for a few moments. Butcher stands on Dustin’s neck in the corner. Windham comes over again to help, but the referee takes Windham away. Cactus shoulder blocks Dustin and avoids a rollup. Dustin clotheslines Cactus over the top to the floor. Windham runs over and clotheslines Cactus on the floor, too.
Cactus returns to the ring and runs the ropes delivering a kick and swinging neckbreaker on Rhodes. Cactus clubs Rhodes over the back and Butcher tags in as Rhodes tries to fight out of the corner. Butcher blocks an elbow and throat thrusts Rhodes to the mat. Rhodes avoids a clothesline and slams Butcher to the mat. Windham hooks Butcher hitting a vertical suplex and pummels Cactus in the corner. Windham monkey flips Butcher out of the corner. Windham snapmares Butcher, but misses a knee drop. Butcher headbutts Windham and sends Windham through the ropes to the floor. Windham is double teamed on the floor. Rhodes runs over and tries to help Windham, but neither man is getting back in the ring. Butcher chokes Windham over the railing. Rhodes comes over and attacks Butcher. Cactus runs over and all four men are brawling as the match has ended in a double count-out. After the match, Dustin hits a bulldog on Cactus in the ring. Dustin tries to cover, but the match is over. Windham whacks Butcher and Cactus with a kendo stick to end the segment. (**. Shockingly this was a decent brawl between the two teams. Butcher actually bumped a few times. The crowd seemed into this, as well. It was not mentioned as to why Cactus and Butcher are friendly again after they had been feuding.)
11.) Tony Schiavone and Magnum TA talk about Koloff and Vader having a match next week, which TA is excited to see if Koloff can knock Vader off his feet.
Final Thoughts:
A good episode of Main Event this week. Beach Blast appears to be shaping up fairly well with Rude/Steamboat, and Cactus/Sting being the headlining matches. We got some decent action this week and I enjoyed the program overall.
Thanks for reading.