Monday, January 15, 2007

WCW Clash of the Champions - 8/15/96

1) Dean Malenko vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. – 5
2) V.K. Wallstreet vs. Hacksaw Jim Duggan – 3
3) Ultimo Dragon vs. Konnan – 3
4) Randy Savage vs. Meng – NR
5) Bull Nakano vs. Madusa – 3
6) Diamond Dallas Page vs. Eddie Guerrero – 4
7) Chris Benoit vs. The Giant – 0
8) The Steiner Brothers vs. Lex Luger & Sting vs. Harlem Heat – Triangle Match – 4
9) Hollywood Hogan vs. Ric Flair – 3

Malenko’s match was one of two matches on the show to have a commercial break. His series with Mysterio during this time frame normally produced stellar matches but due to the confines on television, they produced what they could with what little time they were given. The false finish at the end was put in merely to help the match have some meaning but instead, it ended up hurting it in the long run. Duggan once again fought his normal match against Wallstreet (a.k.a. Mike Rotundo) but this time, the evil tycoon upset the retard in a nothing match. Dragon and Konnan was fun while it lasted, which wasn’t too long. Meng was supposed to have a match with Savage but Savage never showed up so Meng won by forfeit and because it never actually started because the bell never actually rang, it doesn’t actually count. I’ve seen Nakano and Madusa have much, much better matches against each other (i.e. SummerSlam 94). Both women looked weak and terrible and Sonny Onoo’s interference ruined it. DDP and Guerrero had a decent and tolerable match but it was so memorable that I’ve already forgotten the finish and I only watched it two hours ago. Giant squashed Benoit in about twenty seconds for some totally unknown reason and the crowd didn’t really seem to care all that much either. The triangle match was fun to watch as everyone seemed to work really well together. The highlight of it for me was seeing Scott Steiner and Booker T wrestle each other, because only four years later, they would be the only ones having quality matches while the company fell down around them. The finish to the match was interesting as Nick Patrick pulled up after a two-count and ruled a DQ finish because Hall and Nash starting fighting the competitors at ringside. Hogan and Flair was mildly entertaining and it seemed that they were the only ones besides Mysterio and Malenko who were attempting to work a somewhat decent match. They teased as if Flair won the belt but because the n.W.o. and the Horsemen ran-in, Hogan retained and Schiavone cried foul and pissed his pants.

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