World Championship Wrestling presents Saturday Night
Date: 11/21/1992
From: Atlanta, GA
Matches:
1.) Shanghai Pierce & Tex Slazenger defeated Joe Cruz & John Peterson
2.) The Barbarian defeated Larry Santo
3.) Kensuke Sasaki defeated Bob Cook
4.) Sting & Van Hammer defeated Cactus Jack & Rick Rude
5.) Big Van Vader defeated Dustin Rhodes in the semifinals of the King of the Cable Tournament
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Jim Ross and Michael PS Hayes are on commentary this week for a 90-minute episode of WCW Saturday Night. Hayes considers Dustin Rhodes to be an idiot for making his team lose the WCW/NWA Tag Team Championships at the Clash.
2.) Pierce and Slazenger don’t necessarily dominate the enhancement match with Cruz & Peterson, but still prevail without much of a competitive bout taking place. Slazenger pinned Peterson following a reverse DDT. (NR. The Center Stage crowd seemed to be vocal more for Slazenger’s offense, but not in an overbearing manner. I dig Pierce and Slazenger.)
3.) Backstage, Tony Schiavone interviews Harley Race and Big Van Vader. Race says there’s no doubt that Vader is going to be the King of the Cable. Vader calls Dustin Rhodes a punk and says he use to steal lunch money from people like him. Vader is going to take Dustin’s pride. He’s going to hit Dustin so hard that Dusty’s grandchildren will be bruised, in fact, there may not be any grandchildren.
4.) We see footage from the Clash focusing on the WCW/NWA Tag Team Championship match. Michael PS Hayes rips into Dustin Rhodes for showing respect for Ricky Steamboat during the battle and believes Dustin will lose tonight, too. They show footage of Dustin checking on Steamboat after a leapfrog spot where Steamboat got hit in the groin. Barry Windham is livid by Rhodes not following up on the advantage, and proceeded to tag in and beat on Steamboat. Rhodes prevented a cover by Windham due to Steamboat being hurt. Rhodes and Windham trade strikes. Shane Douglas hit a belly to belly suplex on Windham and won the match. The crowd reaction is a bit flat for this. Windham is pissed calling Dustin back to the ring. Rhodes returns trying to explain himself. Windham kicks Rhodes and decks Rhodes with a right hand before delivering a DDT and spitting on Rhodes. Windham hits a top rope superplex and eventually officials run into the ring to save Rhodes. Back to commentary, Hayes says more is coming for Dustin Rhodes. Backstage at the Clash, footage of Barry Windham attacking Douglas and Steamboat with a steel chair is shown. Ross and Hayes promote Thunder Cage taking place at the Omni on Thanksgiving night.
5.) Jim Ross conducts an interview with “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff. Orndorff is having issues with Ron Garvin regarding his wrestling robe in SMW. Orndorff has a new robe he’s going to bring in soon. Orndorff says he’s going to be in Battlebowl at Starrcade. Orndorff is out here to challenge WCW World Champion Ron Simmons. Orndorff puts over Simmons, but says he’s already been at the spot that Simmons is at now and has been there for a while now. Orndorff issues the challenge for Simmons next week on TV. Orndorff has a big surprise for Simmons should he accept. By the way, this is Orndorff’s return to WCW.
6.) Barbarian dominates his enhancement match beating on Larry Santo with little resistance. Barbarian ends up winning the bout following a big boot. (NR. I feel like these kinds of matches usually mean that Barbarian will be doing a meaningful job on TV soon.)
7.) Footage of Erik Watts training with Kensuke Sasaki learning the STF. Michael PS Hayes isn’t impressed by this and says Watts is going to need learn more than that. Marcus Alexander Bagwell is there helping with the STF training.
8.) Sasaki proceeds to compete in singles action and have his way with Bob Cook for a few minutes. Cook gets a little bit of offense mostly in the form of strikes. Sasaki picks up the win following a judo throw. (NR. Sasaki looked pretty good here.)
9.) Sting and Rude kickoff the tag match trading strikes with Sting getting the advantage. Rude kicks Sting, but misses a clothesline. Sting atomic drops Rude and Hammer tags into the match yanking on Rude’s arm. Rude knee lifts Hammer and tags in Cactus. Hammer scoop slams Cactus and misses an elbow drop leading to a near fall. Cactus gets up and they have a standoff. Hammer backs Jack into a corner and delivers a right hand. Hammer splashes Jack in the corner and leaps off the middle rope, but Jack decks Hammer with a clothesline in midair for a two count. Rude enters the match and controls Hammer with strikes to the back. Rude puts a bearhug on Hammer in the middle of the ring. Rude rams Hammer into Jack’s boot in the corner. Jack tries to ram Hammer into the corner, but Hammer counters. Jack stops Hammer with an elbow strike and splashes Hammer over the middle rope. Jack tags out to Rude, who clubs Hammer over the back. Rude keeps a chin lock on Hammer. Rude splashes onto Hammer’s back and taunts the crowd while keeping control on the mat.
Jack returns to the match working over Hammer with a knee lift for a near fall. Jack kicks Hammer away and mauls Hammer on the mat. Jack drives Hammer face first onto the mat. Rude tags into the match and forearms Hammer on the lower back before putting a headlock on Hammer. Hammer battles to his feet, but Rude yanks Hammer back down to the mat. Rude knee lifts Hammer and delivers another strike to the back followed by a forearm in the corner. Rude punches Hammer several more times in the corner. Hammer boots Rude and delivers a clothesline causing both men to be down. Sting is fired up on the apron. Sting and Jack get tagged in with Sting hammering away on Jack. Sting backdrops Jack out of the corner. Sting suplexs Rude into the ring from the apron. Sting atomic drops Rude to the apron. Sting bulldogs Jack, but Rude breaks the cover. Hammer shoulder rams Rude in the corner. Sting sends Jack into the corner and hits a splash. Sting bulldogs Jack again. Tony Atlas and Barbarian slide into the ring and attack Sting causing a disqualification. WCW World Champion Ron Simmons gets in the ring and tries to help sting, but the numbers are too much. Barbarian and Jack clobber Simmons ripping his shirt off. Vader runs out to the ring and leaps off the middle rope splashing Sting as everyone else is brawling on the floor! (**1/2. I thought this was a good TV match with an effective aftermath that came across as chaos and a hot angle.)
10.) Jim Ross interviews WCW World Champion Ron Simmons and Van Hammer. Simmons, with a half ripped shirt, says the world can’t control half of what is going on. Simmons promotes the Omni Thunder Cage match. Simmons promises things are coming to a head at the Omni. Hammer says nobody is running away in the cage. Hammer suggests 12,000 people will be watching the Thunder Cage.
11.) Footage from the Clash showing the boxing match between Johnny B. Badd and Scotty Flamingo is shown. Flamingo knocked out Badd with a loaded glove.
12.) Jim Ross interviews Harley Race and Big Van Vader. Race says Dustin Rhodes is going to feel the wrath of Vader. Sting comes out form behind and breaks a 2×4 over Vader’s back!
13.) Jim Ross is back interviewing Harley Race. Race says we can’t expect Vader to compete after getting a 2×4 and thinks this is insanity. Race wants Ross to stop this. Bill Watts walk into the scene as Race demands this match be stopped. Watts thinks Sting needed to do that a long time ago. Watts says the wrestlers need to start handling things themselves. Watts says if Vader isn’t in the ring he’ll be disqualified. Watts says that Race is barred from ringside. Vader comes down to ringside favoring his back due to the 2×4 attack.
14.) Vader has a face off with Rhodes taunting Rhodes. Rhodes steps up into Vader’s face and delivers a few strikes. Rhodes ducks a strike, but Vader delivers a body strike. Rhodes sunset flips Vader, and avoids a sit down splash attempt. Rhodes punches Vader several times followed by a clothesline. Rhodes decks Vader with another clothesline. Rhodes bulldogs Vader and clotheslines Vader over the top to the floor sending both men to the floor. Rhodes pummels Vader with right hands on the floor. Rhodes punches and kicks Vader followed by a splash in the corner. Vader nails Rhodes with a body splash to knock Rhodes to the mat. Vader clubs Rhodes in the corner with several blows to knock Rhodes to the mat. Vader splashes Rhodes in the corner. Vader elbow drops Rhodes and taunts the crowd as they rally behind Rhodes. Vader clotheslines Rhodes to the mat again. Vader takes Rhodes over with a suplex. Vader keeps. sleeper on Rhodes in the middle of the ring. Vader sends Rhodes into the ropes and delivers a body strike. Vader knocks Rhodes into the corner, but Rhodes fights back with strikes and takes Vader down to the mat. Rhodes misses an elbow drop coming off the ropes. Vader nails Rhodes with a short arm clothesline. Vader splashes Rhodes for a near fall.
Rhodes fights back with a strike out of the corner. Vader pummels Rhodes in the corner with strikes. Vader clotheslines Rhodes to the floor. Vader backs Rhodes into a corner and runs into a boot. Rhodes gets a rollup on Vader for a two count. Rhodes leaps off the top hitting a clothesline for a near fall. Rhodes dropkicks Vader into the corner and tackles Vader to the mat. Rhodes covers Vader for a two count. Rhodes punches Vader against the ropes. Rhodes kicks Vader to the floor. Rhodes runs into a clothesline by Vader causing Rhodes to flip inside out. Vader kicks Rhodes before returning to the ring. Vader scoop slams Rhodes and leaps off the middle rope hitting a splash on Vader. Vader covers and pins Rhodes cleanly to win the match. (***. This shows how much of a badass Vader is to overcome a 2×4 attack and cleanly beats Rhodes. It’s strong booking for Vader, and I think it’s the right thing to do. Push Vader to the moon and make him look like an unstoppable force.)
15.) Jim Ross interviews Harley Race and Vader again. Race says there’s no safe place for Sting and nothing will stop Vader from ending Sting.
Final Thoughts:
A solid episode of Saturday Night this week as the last two matches delivered some quality action. I’m interested in the Windham/Rhodes feud, and Sting is involved in two fun feuds with Vader and Rude. For a 90-minute episode this flew by and I mostly enjoyed it.
Thanks for reading.