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By: Brian Hoops, Nostalgia Specialist

This week’s flashback to wrestling nostalgia takes us back 15 years to the WCW Clash of the Champions #23. This event was held on TBS on June 13, 1993 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The show drew a 2.6 rating with a paid attendance of 6,000 people. In 1993, this was a good number for a WCW show. The show featured a double main event of a six man tag team match and a 2 out of 3 falls World Tag Team Title match that was highlighted by the return of Ric Flair.

Tony Schiavone and Jesse Ventura are the broadcast team.

1. Ron Simmons defeated Dick Slater in 3:56. Slater was a substitute for the injured Paul Orndorff. Simmons tried to work on Slater’s leg early in the match, but Slater worked the majority of the match on Simmons’s neck. Orndorff tried to interfere, but Simmons hit a power slam on Slater for the quick pinfall. This was a flat match. There were so many other matches and wrestlers they could have used in this spot more effectively.

2. Steven Regal defeated Marcus Bagwell in 6:15. Very basic technical wrestling early as this was Regal’s style and it needed to be kept basic for Bagwell. Bagwell used a hip toss and a backslide for a near fall sequence. Finish came as Bagwell pushed Regal into the corner and tried to roll backwards with Regal into a pinfall, but Regal rolled through and grabbed Bagwell’s tights for the win.

In the next segment, Maxx Payne “blinded” Johnny B. Badd. Payne had stolen Badd’s blaster and wanted to return it to Badd. When Badd came out to accept it, Payne shot the confetti into Badd’s face, temporarily blinding Badd and forcing Badd to wear a mask for several weeks. Tom Zenk, in one of his last WCW appearances, came out to help Badd. After a commercial break, Zenk confronted Payne in the ring and hit a superkick and a drop kick, but Payne no sold Zenk’s offense and put Zenk in an armbar called “the Payne Killer” and the refs finally separated Zenk and Payne. They were trying to get Payne over as a monster heel, problem was; Payne had already been exposed and it would take over 9 months and a tag team with Cactus Jack to rebuild him.

3. Barry Windham defeated Too Cold Scorpio in 13:04 to retain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. The game plan was for Flair to take on Windham at the next PPV in July for the NWA World Title, so this match was to serve as a way to make Windham look strong ahead of that event. Scorpio was a fresh face to the wrestling scene in 1993 and would find success in WCW in the tag team ranks with Marcus Bagwell. Scorpio’s job was to make Windham look good and to build interest in Windham as a strong champion, instead of the man to hold the belt until Ric Flair returned. Windham did a good job calling the match, with Windham in control through most of the encounter, but Scorpio having just enough offense to keep fans interested in the match. Finish came when Scorpio went for a springboard, but Windham caught him off the rope with a right hand and then used a DDT for the finisher. Very good match.

4. Rick Rude/Big Van Vader/Sid Vicious defeated Sting/Dustin Rhodes/Davey Boy Smith in 10:10. Sting and Rude started and did some nice back and forth spots. One cool spot was Sting pressing Rude over his head then threw Rude to Vader and Vicious who had entered the ring. Vicious and Vader caught Rude in mid-air and threw Rude back at Sting, only Sting moved out of the way and Rude fell to the mat. Sting covered Rude, but Vader went to hit Sting with an elbow, but Sting moved and Vader hit Rude instead. Davey Boy Smith and Vicious were in next then Rhodes and Vader came in. Vader took control over Rhodes and then tagged in Rude. Rude and Rhodes were feuding over the U.S. title at the time, with each man staking a claim to the belt. Rude was stripped of the title due to injury and Rhodes won a tournament to become the new champion, however a series of TV matches between Rude and Rhodes proved to be inconclusive as to who the champion was. Vicious in next and continued to work on Rhodes. Rhodes hit a piledriver on Rude, but the referee didn’t see the tag and wouldn’t allow the tag. All six wrestlers started brawling and Vader grabbed Rude’s briefcase and hit Rhodes with it. Rude then covered Rhodes for the pin. Sting cleared the ring to save Smith and Rhodes from a double power bomb. A good match, but felt rushed.

5. The Four Horsemen; Arn Anderson and Ric Flair defeated The Hollywood Blonds; Brian Pillman and Steve Austin by disqualification in a two out of three falls match for the WCW World Tag Team Titles. The Blonds were the tag team champions and retained the titles due to the disqualification finish. This was Flair’s first match in a WCW since leaving the WWF in January. The match was setup by the Blonds awesome heel promos, mocking Flair and Anderson. The Blonds were getting over huge with fans as the arrogant champion heels. Pillman and Anderson started off the first fall. Pillman tagged Austin in and fans started a “we want Flair” chant. Anderson tagged in Flair and the crowd erupted. Pillman and Austin were awesome at bumping for Flair’s offense. Anderson tagged in and Pillman and Austin began to build heat on him, leading to the tag to Flair. One cool spot was when Austin tried to jump on Anderson by the ropes only to bounce off the ropes and land on his feet. Austin turned to Flair and began “filming” Flair and when he turned to Anderson, Arn gave him a DDT and then made the hot tag to Flair. Flair worked over both Pillman and Austin until Anderson pulled Austin out of the ring and Flair hit Pillman with a forearm and pinned Pillman in 9:34 to capture the first fall. Ring announcer Michael Buffer incorrectly announced new world tag team champions. After a commercial break, the second fall began with Pillman and Flair chopping each other in a neutral corner. Pillman and Austin worked over Flair in the second fall until Flair made the hot tag to Double A. Anderson hit a spinebuster on Austin but Pillman made the save. Pillman clipped Anderson’s “hurt” knee and went to work on his leg. Anderson finally made the tag to Flair and Flair had Austin in the figure four, but Barry Windham attacked Flair for the disqualification in 20:37. Paul Roma, the newest member of the Four Horsemen, hit the ring to even the odds. This was a good match, but I felt the Blonds could have really benefited by winning at least one fall from Anderson and Flair. Schiavone was interviewing Windham after the match and Flair attacked Windham as the show went off the air to set up their World Title match at the Bash at the Beach PPV in July.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s look at wrestling nostalgia. Feel free to contact me if you have any comments or questions at bhoops@iw.net. Also visit
http://www.midwestmarketsolutions.com/blog.php?author=1&catid=22 to read more of my blogs.

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