World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 10/5/1996
From: Canton, OH
Matches:
1.) WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. defeated Juventud Guerrea to retain the title
2.) Faces of Fear defeated John Tenta & Ron Studd
3.) Eddie Guerrero defeated Joe Gomez
4.) Arn Anderson defeated Vic Steamboat
5.) Chris Benoit & Steve McMichael defeated Rock ’n’ Roll Express
6.) Dean Malenko defeated Mr. JL
7.) Lex Luger defeated The Renegade
8.) Brad Armstrong defeated Mark Starr
9.) Harlem Heat defeated WCW Tag Team Champions Public Enemy to win the titles
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Footage of Randy Savage yelling at Elizabeth in the hallway of a hotel room. Savage was asking what she was thinking.
2.) The canvas has the Slim Jim logo in the middle of the ring. Slim Jim is sponsoring Halloween Havoc and could be there for the month.
3.) Guerrea kicks Mysterio on the knee several times followed by a dropkick. Guerrera elbows Mysterio to the mat as Mysterio came off the ropes. Guerrea suplexs Mysterio over the top to the floor. Guerrea misses a dive and crashes to the floor. Mysterio rolls Guerrea back into the ring and hits a slingshot moonsault for a two count. Mysterio tries for another moonsault, but Guerrera got his knees up to block it. Guerrera chops Mysterio in the corner and hits a sunset flip powerbomb off the middle rope for a two count. Guerrera chops Mysterio in the corner and delivers a headbutt to Mysterio. Guerrea misses a running dropkick in the corner. Mysterio grabs Guerrera for a powerbomb, but Guerrera counters and spin kicks Mysterio. Guerrera sits Mysterio on the top turnbuckle looking for a suplex. Mysterio tosses Guerrera off the middle rope to the floor and hits a somersault dive to the floor! Mysterio heads to the top rope, but Guerrera crotches Mysterio and delivers a few right hands. Mysterio avoids a hurricanrana and leaps off the top to hit a hurricanrana for the win. (**1/2. A short match, but this was enjoyable. They sprinkled in a few high spots and it was a fun match overall.)
4.) Tony Schiavone interviews WCW Cruiserweight Champion Rey Mysterio Jr. Mysterio puts over Dean Malenko for being a great wrestler and he respects Malenko. Mysterio says his mask and the title are the most important things in his life. Mysterio thought Malenko was a fair man and thought they could have a good match at Halloween Havoc. Mysterio is going to get the mask that Malenko took from him.
5.) Tony Schiavone interviews Randy Savage. Schiavone asks what Savage was doing at the hotel. Savage tells Schiavone that he doesn’t know him. Savage also says that Elizabeth and Hogan don’t know him. Savage promises things are going be nuts and ballistic. Savage is going to snap into a Slim Jim and spit in the face of the NWO.
6.) Guerrero controls Gomez with a side headlock. Gomez battles out of a headlock and puts a top wrist lock on Guerrero for a moment. Guerrero bridges out of the hold, but Gomez switches to a side headlock until Guerrero breaks free with a head scissors. Gomez delivers a backbreaker and drives Guerrero to the mat for a two count. Guerrero head scissors Gomez followed by a dropkick, but misses a second one. Guerrero sends Gomez into the corner, but misses a splash and is arm dragged by Gomez. Gomez keeps an arm bar on Guerrero, but doesn’t get a submission. Guerrero breaks free with a scoop slam, but Gomez rolls through to keep the arm bar locked in. Guerrero slams Gomez and hits a slingshot senton from the apron. Gomez clotheslines Guerrero coming off the ropes. Guerrero regains control with a wrist lock, but Gomez fights free with a wrist lock of his own. Gomez delivers a back suplex for a two count. Gomez plants Guerrero with a powerslam for a near fall. Gomez sits Guerrero onto the top turnbuckle, but Guerrero shoves Gomez off and hits a top rope frog splash for the win. (*1/2. The fans love Eddie, and so do I. Gomez didn’t look too bad in there, but Eddie makes everyone look decent in the ring.)
7.) Tony Schiavone interviews Nick Patrick, who is sporting a neck brace. Patrick talks about a baseball player attacking an umpire and now the umpires are boycotting baseball. Patrick is calling on his fellow referees to boycott WCW due to Randy Savage attacking him last week. Patrick promises to bring law and order back to WCW. Patrick says the largest fine in professional wrestling is being levied out to Savage. The fine is for one million dollars and pushing for Savage to be suspended. Patrick has been told he has a very good case according to his lawyers. Patrick mentions a WCW broadcaster who use to spew rumors about him and notes that the commentator doesn’t work for WCW anymore.
8.) Tony Schiavone interviews Arn Anderson with Woman by his side. Anderson says that Woman is the best example of beauty having evil within. Anderson tells Luger that at Fall Brawl they’d have to kill him, but Luger submitted. Anderson knows the secret to Luger to get him hurt and he’ll quit just like that. Anderson is looking to get Horsemen revenge on Luger at Havoc.
9.) Gibson and McMichael kickoff the tag match. McMichael tosses Gibson to the mat out of a lockup to start the match. McMichael taunts the fans for a moment. McMichael puts a headlock on Gibson and follows up with a shoulder block. McMichael keeps a headlock on Gibson and runs the ropes to deliver a shoulder block. McMichael taunts the fans in the front row. Gibson kicks McMichael and Morton tags in to deliver a double shoulder block. McMichael backs Morton into the corner, but Morton bails to the floor and Benoit chases. Morton runs the ropes, but is nailed by McMichael and Benoit hits a snap suplex. Benoit stomps Morton on the mat a few times. Benoit plants Morton with a back suplex for a two count. Benoit rams Morton into the corner and chops Morton into the corner a few times. Morton sends Benoit into the corner, but misses a shoulder strike. Benoit tags in McMichael as Benoit slams Morton. McMichael nails Morton with a running shoulder tackle to the knee of Morton. McMichael tries for a cover, but Morton kicks out at two. Benoit forearms Morton in the corner, but misses a clothesline. Morton clotheslines Benoit and both men are down. Benoit knee strikes Morton, but Gibson tags into the match and cleans house sending the Horsemen into each other. Gibson plants Benoit with a DDT. Morton hit a crossbody off the top onto Benoit, but McMichael nails Morton with a briefcase allowing Benoit to win the match. Gibson could have broken the cover, but stopped? (*1/2. Obviously the Horsemen were always going over. It’s nice to see the Rock ’n’ Roll involved as essentially enhancement tag team for the division. They are capable of having good matches still if given the opportunity, though.)
10.) Malenko knee lifts JL and works over JL in the corner with several strikes and stomps. Malenko sends JL into the ropes, but JL responds with a head scissors takedown and a standing dropkick. JL arm drags Malenko and locks in an arm bar. Malenko backs JL into a corner and stomps JL in the midsection a few times. Malenko regains control with strikes in the corner. Malenko hits a side suplex to maintain the advantage. Malenko elbow strikes JL over the back a few times followed by stomps. Malenko scoop slams JL and delivers a springboard leg drop for a two count. Malenko elbow strikes JL over the head to keep control. Malenko delivers a snap suplex and keeps leg control with a leg lock. Malenko backdrops JL to the apron, but JL delivers a forearm and a missile dropkick for a two count. JL elbows Malenko and gets a backslide for a two count. Malenko holds onto the ropes to avoid a dropkick. Malenko forearms JL to the mat followed by a brainbuster. Malenko hits a double under hook powerbomb and locks in the Texas Cloverleaf for the win. (**. Malenko is so damn good.)
11.) Tony Schiavone interviews Dean Malenko, who has possession of Rey Mysterio’s mask. Malenko knows what the mask means to Mysterio. It’s the same for him and the Cruiserweight title. Malenko wants Rey to know what it means to not have something you’ve worked hard for. Malenko promises to regain the title at Halloween Havoc.
12.) Tony Schiavone interviews Lex Luger after his victory. Schiavone notes that Luger never submitted at Fall Brawl and blacked out. Luger has tried to call Sting, but his calls haven’t been returned. Luger knows that time heals all wounds. Luger says that Anderson can lie to everyone and says he’s never uttered the words “I Quit.” Luger says he’s coming at Anderson at Havoc and he’s coming to take Anderson out.
13.) During Brad Armstrong’s match, Ted DiBiase and Vincent are in the crowd with a microphone. DiBiase says you never know when the NWO is going to show up. DiBiase is there to talk some business tonight. DiBiase asks if they are going to follow a winner or the NWO. DiBiase says they made demands before Fall Brawl. DiBiase demands their own security, limo, jet and segment on WCW events. DiBiase notes they want their own show, too. DiBiase says next week on Saturday Night the fans will see the second round of the first ever NWO tag team invitational. DiBiase tells us to get use to it because they are there to stay.
14.) Rock and Ray kickoff the tag match main event. Ray knee lifts Rock into the corner and pummels Rock with several right hands. Rock sends Ray into the corner and delivers a forearm strike to the back. Grunge tags in and Ray is met with a double back elbow. Grunge covers, but Ray kicks out at two. Grunge misses a clothesline and is kicked by Ray. Ray sends Grunge into the corner and delivers a splash in the corner. Ray misses a splash in the corner and Grunge gets a two count. Ray kicks Grunge on the knee and tags in Booker to keep control of the match. Booker nails Grunge with a kick to the midsection and a kick to the back of Grunge’s head. Booker covers Grunge for a two count as Rock breaks the cover. Rock tries to get involved, but is stopped by the referee. Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Giant and Syxx are in the crowd. Booker kicks Grunge and hits a scissors kick before taunting the Outsiders. Ray big boots Grunge into the ropes. Ray elbows Grunge coming off the ropes and Booker returns to the match. Booker forearms Grunge against the ropes. Booker misses a clothesline and is kicked by Grunge followed by a swinging neckbreaker. Booker punches Rock off the apron. Grunge holds onto the ropes and Rock hits a double bulldog from behind. Rock decks Harlem Heat with several right hands. Rock hits a springboard moonsault onto Harlem Heat. Rock knee strikes Booker to the apron and slams Ray. Public Enemy hits the Drive By on Booker, but Col. Robert Parker hits Grunge with his cane. Ray does it again and Booker covers Grunge to win the titles. (*1/2. It honestly would have been hilarious for Public Enemy to defend the tag titles against the Outsiders on PPV. The finish is cheap, and I wish Harlem Heat won clean to give them major momentum heading towards the PPV. I was not expecting to see the Outsiders in the crowd during the match, so that was good.)
Final Thoughts:
There was some fine promotion for Halloween Havoc. I’d consider this an average episode for Saturday Night.
Thanks for reading.