CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS XXIX: THE SISTER SHERRI MYSTERY CHRONICLES

Live from Jacksonville

Since the last Clash, Hulk Hogan beat Ric Flair and thus retired him at Halloween Havoc. However, Hogan's masked attacker was revealed to be Brother Bruti (Beefcake), who aligned with Kevin Sullivan and Avalanche (the former Earthquake). Since Sting seems to only exist here to serve Hogan, he and No. 1 Hulkamaniac Dave Sullivan will team with Hogan vs. The Three Faces of Fear.

I'm using the version of this show from the Network. My recording of the original airing had bad tracking problems, though I still watched it many times.

Mean Gene talks to Col. Parker and Meng. He has a  contract for Arn Arnderson and Bunkhouse Buck to face the winners of the tag title match.

World tag team championship vs. Patriot's mask, Stars & Stripes vs. Pretty Wonderful- Orndorff stalls by arguing with the humanoids at ringside. He and Bagwell trade armbars, and Mr. Wonderful drops knees. Roman tagged and kicks away. Roma does a couple of corner leap-overs, then connects with a bodypress. Hiptoss and dropkick on Roma, and all four men are in. The heels bail to regroup. Patriot armdrags Orndorff, and hiptosses him. Orndorff takes him down and they grapple on the mat. Orndorff knees him in the gut, then Roma comes in with repeated backbreakers. He drops a fist from the top but Bagwell breaks up the pin. Roma attempts a leapfrog, and gets atomic dropped. Thesz Press gets two. Bagwell in working Roma's arm. Bagwell gets kind-of stun gunned, and dropped over the top. Orndorff works him over on the floor. Boogie-Woogie elbow to Bagwell's throat, and Roma hits a big dropkick. Roma powerslams him, but makes an arrogant cover. Bagwell rams his head to the top buckle, and shoulders him in the corner. Bagwell gets a backslide, and Orndorff clotheslines him. Bagwell gets a sunset flip and Roma sends Patriot to the floor. Orndorff suplexes Bagwell but Patriot pushes Roma off of the top. Bagwell covers Orndorff for the win and the titles. **1/2.

World television championship, Honky Tonk Man vs. Johnny B. Badd- I'm not sure when Badd won the TV title, or from whom. Honky works on Badd's arm, but Badd wrings his arm and legdrops it. At Halloween Havoc these two had a 10-minute, timelimit draw. Honky punches Badd and rams his head to the buckle. He whips Badd, but Johnny spins him for an atomic drop. Badd then messes up Honky's hair, so he heads out. He gets a cheapshot and a bodyslam. Honky drops a fist jusst like his cousin for two. Honky kicks him on a backdrop attempt, and goes for the Shake Rattle n' Roll. Badd backdrops him, and Badds Up. Ten turnbuckle rams and an atomic drop follow, and 10 corner punches. Badd gets two off of a kneelift, and Honky pushes Badd into the ref. Honky grabs the guitar and plays a tune on the Badd Man's head. DQ, *. They did the simplest stuff possible, which I'm sure was because of Honky. No good, but Badd will be gone by the next Clash.

We get a Faces of Fear promo. At least Hogan allowed some WCW guys like Sting and Sullivan to get involved with his super-awesome main event program. I probably would've preferred Avalanche-Hogan again at Starrcade, honestly. Oh, and Mr. T is the guest ref tonight. Have you heard he loves his mama?

Harlem Heat vs. The Nasty Boys- Stevie Ray is talking to someone on a giant cellphone as they walk out. Will we see this person tonight, hmm? Ha- the cryon for the Nasties says "Harlem Heat with Sister Sherri!" Guess that surprise is spoiled! Booker and Knobbs shove each other, and Knobbs gets a clothesline. He slams both guys, and Sags gets a double clothesline. The Nasties then run to opposite corners to hit the opposing Heats. Stevie Ray and Sags tie up and battle in the corner. Sags kicks Stevie and slams his head on the mat. Clubberin,' but Dusty's not there to call it. The Nasties make a wish on Stevie, and Sags drops a knee. Knobbs splashes his leg and locks an actual leghold on. Booker kicks Knobbs out of the ring as we return from a break, and Stevie Ray drops a forearm on him. Stevie kicks Knobbs in the face as Booker holds him. Flying shoulderblock, and Booker comes in. Spinwheel kick, then Booker misses a whatever off the middle buckle. Sags in and he fights both Heat, and knocks Stevie out of the ring. Sags slams Booker as Stevie tries to call the secret mystery person. Knobbs decks him but Stevie gets the call. Sherri shockingly comes out talking on the phone. Sags and the ref are distracted and Booker comes off the top on Knobbs for the win. **1/2. This pairing will get very old over the next few months, though maybe not as much on the Clashes.

Vader vs. Dustin Rhodes- Vader smashes Dustin the corner, then smacks him again and spits on dustin. Rhodes then double-legs Vader and pounds on him, even taking the mask off. Dustin hits a cross bodyblock for two, then clotheslines Vader out. He knocks Harley Race on the floor, and does his taunt on the top rope. Dustin goes after Vader as he comes back in, punching and stomping him in the corner. Rhodes suplexes Vader, who then sacks him. Vader punches him in the corner, but misses a splash and gets rolled up for two. Dustin does a spinning sell of a Vader clothesline. Vader splashes Dustin in the corner, but Dustin catches and slams him! Vader tries a buttdrop but Dustin moves and clotheslines him. Dustin shoved the ref, and got thrown over the top rope on a bulldog attempt. That was awesome. Vader clothesline him coming off of the ropes, and hits his middle-rope splash. Vader pulls him up, then hits his splash again for two. Vader leaps off the buckles but Dustin powerslams him. Dustin clotheslines him thrice but he doesn't fall, and Dustin goes up and lariats him down. Dustin then DDTs Vader off the middle buckle for two. Dustin gets the bulldog but Race interferes. Dustin gets knocked into Race, and Vader does a kind of reverse powerbomb on him to win. **** This might be the most forgotten of the Clash classics. Hacksaw lumbers (ha!) out to save Dustin.

"Mean" Gene talks to the faces in the main  event (the ones without fear?).

U.S. championship, Steve Austin vs. Hacksaw Duggan (c)- I think this is the last we'll see of "Stunning" Steve.  Duggan won it in a quick impromptu match at Fall Brawl. I think I saw this matchup on a houseshow around this time, too. Duggan shoves him down, and Steve complains of a hairpull. Austin ducks between the ropes from Duggan, and Vader comes out to attack Duggan. Hacksaw then chases them away with the board. This sets up Duggan vs. Vader, which deprives us of Austin in U.S. title matches and more Rhodes vs. Vader.

Avalanche, The Butcher and Kevin Sullivan vs. Hulk Hogan, Sting and Evad Sullivan- Michael Buffer barely gets his line out before the match starts. Hogan bites Sullivan's head to start. Sting backdrops Sullivan, and slams and elbows him. Dropkick on Sullivan, and Hogan back in working over Sullivan. The heels come in and triple-team Hogan, and T tries to keep everyone separate. Avalanche jumps on Evad's arm, taking him out of the match. Avalanche works over Hogan, but Hogan eyeraks to come back. He tries a slam, unsuccessfully. Butcher in, and lays in blows on Hogan. Avalanche misses a corner splash, but hogan gets squished on a slam attempt. Sullivan continues his little person offense on Hogan, and Hulk gets caught in the heels' corner. Avalanche locks in a bearhug. Hulk gets out, tries two shoulderblocks to put him down, but Butcher trips him. Body slam from Avalanche, but he misses a splash. Sting gets the tag, and goes to town on all three faces. He Stinger Splashes Avalanche twice, and press slams Sullivan onto him. However, he runs into the corner with Sullivan and squishes Sting. Butcher and Sullivan double-clothesline Sting. Avalanche in, and he powerslams Sting and legdrops him. Hogan breaks up a pin, and Sullivan gets tagged. He chops away on Sting, who runs into a boot in the corner. Sullivan goes up but gets slammed off by Sting. Tag to Hogan, vs. Butcher. The other Faces come in, and Sullivan gets Jimmy Hart's megaphone. Hogan hits a big boot on Butcher, and T stops Sullivan from hitting Hogan with the megaphone. Sullivan gets pinned, and then wallops Mr. T. Avalanche butt-splashes Sting, and Hogan gets hit with the megaphone. Butcher puts him in a sleeper. The Armstrong Brothers (who were apparently in a dark match), come to the rescue, as do Stars & Stripes while Hogan goes to sleep. They finally get Butcher off of Hulky. *3'4; the match existed to set up the top three matches at Starrcade.

Most of the match quality here sucked, but Vader vs. Dustin is a lost classic. At least Sting was on the card, and he'll have some BIG challenges coming up in the next month, if ya know what I mean.

CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS XXVIII: HOGAN, HOGAN, HOGAN, HOGAN

Live from the Five Seasons Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Tony Schiavone, "Mean" Gene Okerlund and Bobby "the Brain" Heenan run down the crowd. We all see Mike Tenay and Chris Cruise interviewing Ricky Steamboat on the hotline, and Steve Austin comes jawing at him. Then some dude named Ricky Lynn Gregg sings "The Star-Spangled Banner."

Nasty Boys vs. Pretty Wonderful- PW are the champions, after defeating Cactus Jack and Kevin Sullivan at Bash at the Beach. We return from a break with PW on the floor and the Nasties cheerleading in the ring. Knobbs starts with Paul Orndorff, and both Nasties doubleshoulderblcok him. They also give Paul Roma a double elbowsmash. Knobbs rams Orndorff to the buckles, and gives him a back elbow. Sags rams Roma to the buckles, but eats boot on a charge. Roma tries a flying bodypress, but gets caught and slammed. The Nasties clubber on Orndorff (four fistes on one guy). Roma clotheslines Sags on the floor, and Mr. Wonderful chokes him with a cable. Orndorff then knocks him into the crowd, and later into the steps. Back in, Roma slams Sags, leaps to the buckles and drops an elbow. Knobbs runs in, and Orndorff gets the tag. He drops a boogie-woogie elbow, then grabs a chinlock. Roma pounds on Sags, and drops a knee. Chinlock on Sags, and when he gets up Orndorff cheapshots him. Sags shoulderblocks Orndorff down, but eats a Roma dropkick as Knobbs keeps trying to intervene. Orndorff signals the piledriver, but Sags backdrops out of it. Hot tag to Knobbs, and he clotheslines any heel that moves. All four men in, and Orndorff suplexes Knobbs and Roma splashes him, but Sags elbowdrops Orndorff for the win. **

Hulk Hogan Hotline ad, though sadly they cover up the number. Hulky is introduced by Gene but gets Nancy Kerrigan'd when he walks out (or should I say Tonya Harding'd?). This was pretty lame. We get a Greg Gagne siting as a backstage official, at least.

United States championship, Ricky Steamboat vs. Steve Austin (c)- The disqualification rule has been waved. They show Hogan being wheeled into the ambulance as Austin makes his entrance. I'm sure that would've bothered him later on. Bischoff hopped in with Hogan. Austin's tights say "Dragon Slayer." Nice. Steamboat takes him down, and Austin complains of a hair pull. Austin gets a headlock takedown, which Steamboat reverses. Austin complains again and Steamboat shoves him down. Another Steamboat headlock takedown, as the announcers keep talking about Hulky. We even see the Brain talking to a trainer who saw what happened. Austin rolls up Steamer, ducks a chop but then gets hit. He kicks Steamboat on a backdrop attempt, but the Dragon hits him with dropkicks and chops. Steamer powerslams him coming off of the ropes. Now we're split-screen, watching the ambulance. That is kind of distracting. Steamboat gets a rollup off the ropes, and they trade reversals. Armdrag by the Dragon. Barry "Blacktop Bully" Darsow is in the crowd jawing with Steamboat. More mat wrestling. Austin tosses Steamboat out of the ring on a criss-cross, but Dragon drags him out and throws chops. Austin tried to run, but Steamboat was waiting on the other side to chop him down. Sleeper by Austin, Steamboat reverses, and AUSTIN STONE-COLD STUNS HIM! Oh hell yeah. Austin chops away and a cameraman gets kjnocked off. Austin hits the post and Steamboat smacks his arm on the post. Steamer rope walks with Austin arm, and jumps to the floor. He instantly jumps off the top with a chop. Austin changes momentum with an eyepoke, and drops a knee for a two-count. Necksnap and Austin gets two. Steamboat gets a shoulderblock, Austin flips out, and Steamboat splashes onto his knees. Austin drops a kneedrop off the middle buckle for two. Austin suplexes the Dragon but doesn't hook the leg on the cover. Steamer blocks another suplex, and puts Austin on the top and chops him. We also see video of the entrance for no good reason. Austin gets crotched on the top and Steamboat does an "injured groin" dance. Austin drops Steamboat on a superplex attempt, but Steamer hits him coming down. Dragon rams Austin's face to the mat, but Austin stuffs a bodypress attempt. More Blacktop Bully. Austin slaps Steamboat around, and even films him. Force of habit while beating up Steamboat, I'm sure. Steamer does a double-leg takedown and slaps and chops him. Double chops off the ropes, and an Arn Anderson spinebuster for two. Electric chair for two, then a rollup for two. More reversals to nearfalls, and Austin clotheslines him to break momentum. Austin backdrops Steamer out, but he skins the cat coming back. Rollup for a nearfall, then a small package for the pin and title. ***3/4. I wish I was watching in the arena, without all of the camera distractions and fuck ups. Much like with his Intercontiental championship win, the reign wouldn't be long and would end because of outside things. I'm sad this is Steamboat's last Clash appearance; he was injured on the superplex reversal spot, and didn't even compete in the rematch at Fall Brawl.

Tony, Bobby and Gene discuss the Hogan thing, and we see Hogan being unloaded from the ambulance at the hospital.

We take a look at the Honky Donkey Man's newest, non-WWF theme music video. It features a lot of a goof with a mullet dancing at his house. Then Gene talks to commissioner Nick Bockwinkel about the Hogan situation.

We see a video package about the Dusty/Dustin vs. the Stud Stable match, including Dusty's classic "the view never changes" promo. R.I.P., Dream.

Dustin/Dusty Rhodes vs. Bunkhouse Buck/Terry Funk- it's a brawl to start, and the faces vanquish the heels. Funk wildly swings a chair outside. Buck leapfrogs Dustin but gets a boot to the jaw. The heel clubber Dustin, but Buck accidentally clotheslines his partner. Funk gets atomic dropped, then Buck is atomic dropped into him. With Funk on the floor Dusty gets tagged. He drops Buck with the elbow. Dusty gets whipped to the corner but Dustin covers it, then Dusty atomic elbows both heels. He whips the two heels to the corner, and Dustin comes in and powerslams Buck. Buck hits Dustin with a cowboy boot to the head. Funk attempts a DDT but Dustin awkwardly doesnt' go down. Dusty gets tagged but the ref misses it. Buck comes off with his boot but hits Funk. Now Dusty gets tagged, and gives the heels a double noggin-knocker. Arn comes out and posts Dustin, and trips Dusty from outside. Funk stands on Dusty's hand and stomps on his arm. Dustin gets tagged, and he lariats Funk, then Buck. Dusty elbows Funk and then Buck, and Dustin knocks Col. Parker off the apron. Dustin bulldogs Buck, but Arn interferes for the DQ, and Meng comes in. Atomic elbow for Arn, and Dustin contemplates elbowing Meng in the head. Instead, he gets a very cheap wooden chair, which he breaks over Meng's head. Meng chokes out Dusty with the chair around his neck.  Frankie Lancaster  comes in to help, and gets beat up, of course. That was random. ** for the match, though the whole segment was better.

More Tony/Brain/Bischoff stuff about Hogan. Hearing Beefcake's comments, I'm not sure whether or not they knew he was going to be the masked man. Curt Hennig had been rumored, though he wasn't signed by WCW. Gene then interviews Flair and Sherri. Flair wants Hogan to walk there and hand him the belt.

After the break Gene says Hogan is on his way back.

Lord Steven Regal vs. Antonio Inoki- This stems from an altercation they had at Bash at the Beach. The match is non-title. Regal stomps on Inoki before he can enter. Inoki bails. Regal hits European uppercuts and grapples with him on the mat. Regal gets a headbutt and chokes him on the mat. Inoki goes for an enzuiguri but kind of misses. Regal gets a toehold. We see Hogan arriving at the building, and then Nick Bockwinkel walks down to ringside. Bock says Hogan will be coming out for the match. Inoki backdrops Regal and puts him in a sleeper hold on the mat. Regal kicks out of it and gets a butterfly suplex for two. Regal kicks his arm and hits a European uppercut. Inoki locks in a choke sleeper (more rear naked choke than Brutus Beefcake sleeper) for the win.*1/2. Would you believe me if I told you Regal's style clashed with an opponent's?
Why does Hogan always say the word "got" as "gut"? Not that there aren't far more sinister things about him to criticize.

WCW World championship, Ric Flair vs. Hulk Hogan- They do the deal like at Clash 17, where the heel yacks on the mic slong enough for the face to get there from the hospital. Hogan throws the belt at Flair, then he tackles him and pounds away. When Flair chops him Hogan Hulks Up, and shoves his shirt in Flair's mouth. Flair Flip and flop to the floor. Flair pulls him outside, but Hogan no-sells his offense. Hogan then wraps a towel around Flair's head, and sends him to the ringpost. Hogan clotheslines Flair with the towel inside, as Randy Anderson warns him. Flair snapmares him over, but Hogan throws Flair off of the top. Hogan clotheslines Flair, and they go outside. Hogan proceeds to job him (redacted) Style, meaning slamming his head on the railing all around. Hogan grabs a chair but misses, and Flair takes control back in the ring. Flair suplexes Hogan, who no sells of course. Clothesline to Flair, and another sends him to the floor. Flair finally takes over on the knee, and Sherri legdrops Hogan's junk while the ref isn't looking. Figure four, and Hogan powers out of it. Flair kicks his leg, and Hogan Hulks Up again. Big boot, but Hogan falls down. Legdrop, and Flair puts the figure four on again. Hogan reverses it, and Sherri hits him with her shoe's heel in the knee. Hogan falls out and gets counted out, which, despite what Michael Buffer says, is not a title change. **. That was a lot of gaga to go through so that Hogan wouldn't have to do a real job. The masked man (who is probably Arn here) holds Hogan's leg so Flair and dive on it. Sherri also kicks the leg, as STING arrives from Chicago to save Hogan. Glad he made an appearance, since my thesis of my upcoming Clash book is about him.

Steamboat-Austin was a classic (if you could focus on it between the Hogan stuff), but the whole show revolved around the Hogan angle. It'll be awhile before that's not the case here, unfortunately. You see what a bit player Sting has now been reduced to, as well.

CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS XXVII: CHAMPION VS. CHAMPION (AND THE ORANGE GOBLIN INVADES)

Live from Charleston, SC. For the first time, the title of this series is very appropriate, as the International World and WCW World titles will be unified again. This is of course the WCW debut of Hulk Hogan (aside from the totally-staged ticker-tape parade/contract signing in Orlando). Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and "Mean" Gene Okerlund welcome us.

WCW World tag team championship, Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack/Kevin Sullivan (c)- Sags slaps away at Cactus to start, and Foley responds in kind. It quickly turns into a pier six brawl, and the champs double-clothesline Knobbs, then Sags. The Nasties bail out, and Evad Sullivan threatens them with his crutch. I think his injury somehow brought Jack and Sullivan together. Knobbs slaps Sullivan, who punches away. All four men in again, and Sullivan rams Knobbs into the buckles. The Nasties doubleteam Sullivan, and Sags gets tagged. Sullivan double-headbutts them, and rocket-launches Foley on them. Knobbs fires away on Cactus,but eats boot on a charge. Cactus clotheslines him but Sags breaks it up. The champs double-team Knobbs, and when Sags comes in Cactus back-elbows him. Sags hits Foley low, then kneedrops him from the ropes. Foley kicks Knobbs on a backdrop attempt, and Sullivan comes in. Sags breaks up a pin attempt on Knobbs, and Sags slams Sullivan and legdrops him. Sags rams Sullivan into Knobbs' boot, and tosses him outside. Knobbs kicks him from the apron, and drops an axehandle on him. Snapmare, but Sags misses a flying knee. Jack tags and hits a flying elbow on Knobbs. He headbutts KNobbs and bites Sags, and Cactus Clotheslines Knobbs over the top. Sags misses a charge and flies outside, and then Foley misses a Nestea Plunge. Ouch, he may have hit his head on the safety rail. Sags rams Cactus into the ringpost, and back suplexes him. Sags whips Knobbs but he misses Foley and hits the buckles. Sags and Cactus clothesline each other, and Sullivan gets tagged. He pounds on the Boys, and throws Knobbs out. Knobbs attacks Evad but Kevin saves him. Sags and Evad then battle over the crutch, and Cactus DDTs Knobbs inside for the pin. ***1/4. That was a pretty spirited brawl for an opening match. Good thing Hulky wasn't wrestling on this show and thus couldn't get his feelings hurt, though Knobbs is his buddy anyway.

Sting is interviewed by Gene. Sting is a 24-foot great white shark, and he's hungry!

Guardian Angel vs. Tex Slazenger- a special Guardian Angels video is shown before his entrance. I wonder if that was a condition of him being portrayed as being a part of that group? I think not being able to use the Big Boss Man gimmick hurt Ray Traylor's WCW run. After a tieup Slazenger punches Boss, and he holds up one finger, kicks him and Traylor says "two," then elbows him and Traylor hulks up and decks him coming off the ropes. He does his ropes splash, then the slide out of the ring for a punch, followed by the former Bossman slam for the win. *

We see Hogan arriving at the arena via motorcade. Ugh, Jimmy Hart's with him. He's always been the poor man's Bobby Heenan to me.

Hey, Jesse Ventura's with Tony! I think Bash at the Beach might be the last we see of him in WCW.

World television championship, Larry Zbyszko (c) vs. Lord Steven Regal- This angle (and Larry winning the title) worked way better than it had any right too. I think Larry stayed face-ish the rest of his tenure in WCW, or at least when he feuded with Scott Hall later. Regal has a white curly wig and a British coat circa the Revolutionary War. After stalling, Regal unleashes forearms and stomps on Larry. He hits European uppercuts in the corner. Bootrake by Regal, and he headbutts Larry in the solar plexus. They engage in fisticuffs, and Larry throws him over the top onto the ramp. Larry then throws his back in over the top. Butterfly suplex attempt is blocked by Larry, who turns it into a pinning predicament. Larry suplexes Regal for two, then pildrives him. Swinging neckbreaker gets two. Larry punches Regal when he's not looking, and they once again punch away. Regal rakes his forearm on Larry's face. Larry then grabs a scissorshold on Regal. Larry grabs a bearhug then attempts a Boston crab, but Regal reverses that to a pinning predicament and holds the top rope to regain his championship. **3/4. The Larry thing was fun while it lasted, but he was never going to be a long-term champion.

Okerlund brings out Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson. The Natural asked the Enforcer to be his partner against Terry Funk and Bunkhouse Buck at Bash at the Beach. Arn says it'll be the old Arn Anderson, and if he can accept that, he'll be glad to be his partner.

U.S. championship, Johnny B. Badd vs. Steve Austin (c)- Austin is no longer with Col. Parker, but I don't remember the circumstances of that. As Ventura points out, he is also growing out his  goatee. Austin slaps Badd before the bell rings. Austin opens up early on Badd, who fires back. Mero charges but hits Austin's elbow. Austin throws him to the floor, but Badd drags him out by his feet and rams his head into the mat. Badd works the arm as Austin tries to chop out of this. Badd dropkicks him and grabs an armdrag. Austin holds on to the top rope to avoid a rollup, but gets knocked to the floor. Back in, Badd hits a clothesline off of the top for two. Drop toehold to a front facelook. Badd blocks a punch and decks Austin, and gets a shoulderblock. Badd catches Austin's leg but misses a punch. He eats boot on a corner charge, though, and Austin takes him down by the hair. Austin really reminds of Stone Cold here. He grabs Badd's arm and waves to the camera as a taunt. Badd rolls him up of the ropes for two. Austin drops a knee and then chokes until the ref catches him. Badd punches his way up, but Austin kicks him coming off of the ropes. Badd gets a dropkick to turn the tide, and atomic drops Austin. Flying headscissors, and Badd punches and DDTs Austin. Backdrop, and Badd hits a corner clothesline. Bodyslam, and Badd heads up. Austin crotches him, and fails on a superplex. Badd misses a sunset flip off of the top, and Austin gets a two-count on him. Austin hits the ropes on an attempted buttsplash. Austin hits him in the gut with a foreign object, and rolls up Badd for the win. ***1/4. Good match, probably better than their King of the Ring one a couple of years later. Another ref comes out and they catch Austin with the weapon, and Badd rolls him up for seemingly a title change. Badd is holding the belt, but I smell a Dusty finish.

Scum Hogan and that little runt come out (can you see how I feel about him here in 2016?) to talk to Gene. I can't tell if the crowd is rejecting him or not, as I think Scott Keith said in his review. It's not Daniel Bryan winning the world title, that's for sure. He's going to set his sights on the winner of the unification match. Flair appears on the video wall screaming at Hogan like he was TNA not giving Flair his draw.

Unification match, Sting (WCW International champion) vs. Ric Flair (WCW World champion)- Sensual (formerly Sensational) Sherri is there painted like Sting, so she seems to be in his corner. The two men who Clashed on the first edition on the show are at it again. Sting shoves Flair down twice to begin, and they wooo and Oww! at each other. They grapple and Flair twice takes Sting down by the hair, and Sting gets all up in his face about it. They trade hammerlocks and takedowns, and Sting pushes Flair down. Flair goes down the ramp to regroup, and strikes a pose. Flair shoves Sting down, gets leapfrogged, then military pressed. Sting gets another press, and Flair rolls out and flops on the floor. Flair brings referee Randy Anderson out to hold him back from fighting some fans. Flair eyepokes to get out of a wristlock, and Sting hiptossess him out of the corner and clotheslines him three times. Flair bails out and hits the guardrail.  Flair knees Sting to the gut inside, and throws punches and chops. Sting no-sells the chops, and hiptosses and dropkicks Flair. Flair grabs the top rope to avoid a dropkick, but Sting rolls him up out of a figure four attempt. Flair shoves Anderson and gets shoved back, and goes back to the ramp. Flair chops him and then avoids a Stinger splash. Flair points something out to Anderson, then throws Sting over the top. Sherri tries to encourage a befuddled Sting, and Flair comes out and chops him. Flair snaps his neck on the top rope, and drops a knee, twice. Flair tries pin attempts with a foot on the ropes. Chops in the corner, and Sting is on rubberlegs street. He goes for the figure four, but Sting launches him off. Flair whiffs on a clothesline but back elbows Sting. Flair locks in a sleeper, but Sting eventually rams his head into the buckle. Sting shoulders him down, and slingshots him into the buckles. Flair walks towards the ref and then flops. Sting suplexes him in from the apron for two. Flair flips and Sting clotheslines him while he runs down the apron. Flair attempts an atomic drop, but gets clotheslined. Sting superplexes Flair and goes up. He misses a top rope splash, and then Flair suplexes him. Sting no-sells that and hiptosses and dropkicks him. Military press slam, and Sting clotheslines him out. Sting tries to jump on him, but Flair pulls Sherri in front of him and she takes the blow. Back in Flair gets backslid but Anderson is late on the count. Sting turns to check on Sherri and Flair rolls him up, pulling the tights for the win. In a way, the NWA World title and the WCW World title are back together. It's best not to think too hard about this.

Post-match, Sherri is starring at Flair. He shakes his head, they walk towards each other, and Flair drops the belts. Sting contemplates hitting her (doesn't of course), punches Flair, she hits him from behind, and Flair clips his knee. Sherri jumps off the top on a prone sting a couple of times, and Flair throws Randy Anderson out. Sherri legdrops him between the goalposts, and finally Hogan comes out. He rips off his shirt as Flair begs for mercy, punches Flair, and he bails before Hogan can big-boot him. Sherri tries to hit Hogan from behind with her purse, and slaps him. Flair yanks her out by the feet before Hogan can do anything.

After a break Hogan tells Mean Gene he now knows what to do- rip Flair limb from limb. Hogan is bringing Ted Turner to Saturday Night with a contract. I don't think that's how title matches were usually signed there, Hulky.

This marked a huge turning point for WCW. Following the critical success of Spring Stampede and Slamboree, WCW changed quickly with the entrance of Hogan and his friends. It's a shame, too, because the company was on a nice roll creatively. Soon guys like Sting, Steve Austin and Cactus Jack would be pushed to the background, and in the case of the latter two, right out of the door. Flair was now also quickly a heel, though that was a necessity with Hogan in the company. WCW was about the deliver on the dream match the WWF dropped the ball on two years earlier, and get attention they had never had before.

CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS XXVI: BALDY AND THE BRAIN

Live from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At least they weren't at the Superdome this time.

Mean Gene intros the show. He gets a message in his earpiece- here is Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. He made the jump just like Okerlund had recently done. In Heenan's case, I think it was because his daughter was going to college near Atlanta.

Pretty Wonderful vs. 2 Cold Scorpio/Marcus Bagwell- The Assassin is with the heels. Too bad Ventura isn't here to diss him like last time.  The winner of the match gets a shot at the Nasty Boys this Saturday, which I'm sure had already been taped. It's magic! Orndorff headlocks Scorpio, as Heenan puts over "Mr. Wonderful," naturally. Scorpio rolls out of a hammerlock for a wristlock. Orndorff forearms away on Scorp, who runs into a knee on a charge. Scorp gets a leapfrog and shoulderblock, but Orndorff trips him into a leglock as they go to break. Bagwell an gets Stun Gunned by Roma as we return. The faces hit a double shoulderblock during the break. Live, Bagwell sunset flips Roma for two. Scorp back in and works Roma's arm. Scorp sets him on the top rope, but Orndorff helps push him off. He drops forearms to the back of Scorp's head. Orndorff comes in a grabs a camel clutch. Roma chokes Scorpio with his boot, and elbowdrops him. Orndorff locks Scorp in a front chancery. Pretty Wonderful backdrop Scorp, and continue doubleteaming him. Orndorff jumps off the top but meets boot. Bagwell finally gets the tag, and hiptosses Roma. Bodyslam, and he knees Ornie's back to knock him out of the ring. He dropkicks Roma for two, then hits own off of the top and Orndorff breaks up the pin. Bagwell hits the ropes and Ornie hits the back of his head. Scorp comes in but misses a splash on Mr. Wonderful. Bagwell rams Roma into Orndorff's boot, and gets the pin and title shot. ***. I'm really going to miss 2 Cold Scorpio, as I think this is his last Clash appearance. I had forgotten how awesome he was back then.

Ice Train vs. Ron Simmons- It's the student against the teacher. Powerslam. Train shoulderblocked him to the outside, then slammed Simmons on the floor. He through another shoulderblock, but hit the post. Simmons suplexes Train in, and necksnaps him. Headbutt to Train's back. Bodyslam and necksnap. Simmons clotheslines Train, and rams Trains' shoulder to the corner. Simmons misses a charge and Train gets two off of a sunset flip. Simmons slams Train but Train stuffs his flying shoulder attempt. Train powerslams Simmons but doesn't cover. He misses another three-point stance, and Simmons pulls the tights on the rollup for three. *3/4. This may be Simmons' last Clash appearance.

Mean Gene talks to Steve Austin (impersonating Col. Parker) and Col. Parker. Parker talks about whoopin' his dog, which probably wouldn't fly today. Gene also introduces the new WCW commissioner- Nick Bockwinkel. I swore Heenan said "Is that Nick Bockwinkel or Lloyd Bridges?" but maybe that's coming up.

World television championship, Lord Steven Regal vs. Dustin Rhodes- Gordon Solie is now on the mic with the brain. The usual non-action in a Regal match to start. Regal slaps Dustin and gets punched, and bails. Dustin flips Regal over by his arm, then they do a test of strength. Dustin kicks Regal to break that up. Regal with a half-nelson rest hold, then gets the full nelson. Dustin gets out and shoulderblocks him. Regal out again, checking Sir William's pocketwatch. I was wrong at the last Clash, but I'm quite certain we're going to a draw here. Regal scoop-slams him, and grabs a headlock again. When Regal gets outs Dustin drop-toeholds him and grabs it again. Thrilling. Regal hammerlocks him on the mat. Now Regal is basically spooning Dustin, and Heenan notes it's an Englishman riding a cowboy. Ugh, this is apparently a 15-minute time limit, not 10, which has already elapsed. Regal headbutts Dustin, and chokes him with his own arms. Dustin finally gets a lariat and a two-count, but Regal bails out to check the time. Regal with a sloppy sunset flip, but Dustin ground-and-pounds him. A lariat gets two, and Regal bails again. He runs up the ramp and then suplexes Dustin in, but he gets out and throws a dropkick for two. Regal rolls him up but Dustin's in the ropes. Regal rolls out and throws uppercuts on the ramp. Dustin backdrops him in, bodypresses in on Regal for two. Regal goes back out, and Dustin punches him and William. Double noggin-knocker, and Regal thrown in. Dustin hits an elbow off of the top and a bulldog, but time runs out. * What a surprise- Regal has a bad match with someone. They seemed to be on different pages for a few spots near the end. I know they were having him purposely try to ride out the time, but it makes for a bad match. Dustin was already kind of above the TV division anyway, having held the U.S. title for most of 1993.

Okerlund with Aaron Neville. He dont' know much, but he knows he loves WCW. And that may be...

Nasty Boys vs. Cactus Jack/Maxx Payne- The faces run out of the crowd and attack the tag champions. Pier six brawl to start. Jack does his flip over the top clothesline on Knobbs, then drops the apron elbow. Jack slams Sags on the floor, and then drops the lebow on him. Payne then throws Knobbs out, and then throws Sags out the other side. Payne rams Sags into the post, and Payne then tags to legally battle Knobbs. Sags tags and hits a splash on Payne, which he reverses into a pin attempt. Knobbs tags and pounds on Payne, who no- sells being rammed into the buckle. Payne runs into boot in the corner, but takes Knobbs down for his armbar. Sags trips Payne from outside, and Knobbs hits a legdrop. Knobbs throws Payne out, and Sags hits him with a chair. Ref misses it, of course. Nasties double lariat Payne, and Sags drops knees. Payne kicks out of a backdrop attempt, and double lariats the Nasties. Cactus gets the hot tag, and backelbows Sags. Sags misses a charge and Cactus clotheslines Knobbs. Payne knocks noggins, and Cactus clotheslines both Nasties out. Double-arm DDT in the ring for two, but Sags breaks it up. Knobbs was covering Jack, but Payne then came in and dropped an elbow, Cactus got the pin in this non-title match. After the match, Cactus kisses Missy Hyatt. **1/2.

Okerlund sends us to a package detailing Brian Pillman vs. Austin and Parker. I think that's the same chicken suit Cousin's Subs (which may be local) uses in one of its commercials.

Chicken suit match, Pillman vs. Parker- Parker is still in pretty good shape. In future matches he'd wrestle in some form of his usual suit. Pillman chases him to start, and slams him for two. Dropkick for two, and Parker confers with Austin. Pillman then pounds on his former partner, and Parker cheapshots him. Parker punches Pillman back in the ring, but Pillman reverses a whip  and gets an atomic drop for two. Parker rolls back out. He and Austin walk down the ramp , and Pillman charges and backdrops Austin. Then the Boss (Man) comes out, Parker and Austin collide and Pillman jumps into Boss's arms. Pillman throws Parker back in, and when he tries to escape the Boss stops him. Meanwhile, Austin stun guns Pillman back in the ring. Parker chokes Pillman on the middle rope, and Austin cheapshots him. Pillman hits Parker in the gut as he jumps off the ropes, and hits a flying clothesline. Pillman dropkicks Parker, and rams his head into the buckles. Pillman knocks Austin off of the apron, but Austin knocks him off of hte top. Col. gets a two-count, and Boss chases Austin back to the dressing room. Pillman then gets a distraction rollup (what is this, a 2016 Raw?) *1/2. The stuff with Austin and Boss made this somewhat fun. Parker then had to wear the chicken suit that Saturday on TBS.

Main event elimination match: Vader/Rick Rude vs. Ric Flair/Sting- Both of these teams would be at odds four months or so later, though Rude was forced to retire before he and Vader's match at Slamboree. I'll miss his presence on these shows, for sure. Flair was WCW champion here, Rude the WCW International world champion. Rude backs Sting into the corner, and gyrates at him. Sting then pushes him back, and does the same taunt. Test of strength, and Sting works his arm. He forearms away at Sting, who takes him down by the arm. Vader in, and he sacks Sting. Vader military presses Sting, and drops him on the top rope. Slam, and Vader attempts a sunset flip but Sting sits down on him. Vader boxes Sting but gets German suplexed. Flair is finally tagged, and he hammers away on Vader. Flair chops him and drops Vader. Rude with a bearhug on Sting when we return from a commercial. Sting presses Rude up and drops him. Flair gets a tag, and drops an axehandle on Rude. Atomic drop, and Vader gets tagged. He splashes Flair in the corner, and slams him. Vader sets him on the top, and superplexes him. Vader drags him to the corner but Sting drags him out of the way. Rude DDTs Sting as Bockwinkel argues with Vader and Race outside. Vader threatens Aaron Neville. Sting throws Rude in from the ramp, and hits a flying clothesline. Baaaaaack bodydrop, and an atomic drop. Rude comes off the top with a forearm to the head. Rude gets a clothesline and drops a fist. Rude grabs a camel clutch, but Sting electric chairs him. A splash by Sting hits knees. Rude tries for the awakening, but Sting holds the top rope. Sting does an Awakening of his own for two. Rude atomic drops him but misses a charge. Sting hits a splash for the top to win. ***

This was a good show, though by the next Clash WCW will have begun a completely new era. Whether that made for a worse product is a discussion for another day.

Also, if I still have your attention this far into the article, I want to announce that my ebook of these here Clash reviews is coming, let's say this fall to Amazon. It's called "Clash of the Champions: The Story of Sting." And I am also currently involved in a contest to try to win a trip to Las Vegas for UFC Dos Anjos vs. Alverez, lunch with Dana White and more. If you want to vote for my video (there's absolutely nothing in this for you), go to http://ufc.create.it/entry/ufc-fanatic-contest-entry and look for Kurt Killberg. You may also have to register, so I know I'm asking a lot. Thank you.

CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS XXV: THE HOLLYWOOD BLONDES EXPLODE!