Perspectives of the Common Fan series
WCW Saturday Night Retrospective
September 23, 1995
By Jimmy Eaton, PWTorch contributor

As part of WWE's video library offerings, WWEClassics.com runs a regular WCW Saturday Night series replaying episodes of WCW's weekly Saturday night TV show on TBS. Jimmy Eaton will be reviewing retrospective episodes in chronological order.

Episode - September 23, 1995

After the standard robotic opening, the show opens with clips of The Giant taking out Hulk Hogan's prized motorcycle! Gasp! Tony Schiavone teases results from Fall Brawl as Lord Steven Regal makes his ring entrance for the opening bout.

1 -- LORD STEVEN REGAL vs. U.S. champion STING -- non-title match

Sting comes out to a huge pop and gets the crowd going. They start with some excellent scientific wrestling. Seriously, why wouldn't this be a main event? Regal was getting on the fans and did a great job as usual with his heel persona. I remember my dad really enjoying Regal's character around this time. I used to watch with him as a kid and always hated the Blue Bloods tag team (Regal and Bobby Eaton). Nonetheless, the action spilled to the outside around the five-minute mark. After another two minutes with Regal mainly in control, Earl Robert Eaton (Bobby Eaton) came out to help Regal finish the job. Suddenly, Ric Flair came down to the ring and knocked Eaton into Regal. Regal hit the mat and Sting got the pinfall.

WINNER: Sting via pinfall in 7:00. I would have liked to have seen this match get a bit more time. (**)

Ric Flair then tried to shake Sting's hand and make peace, including all the Whoo'ing he could muster, but Sting turned his back and headed to the back. They cut away to "Mean" Gene.

Ric Flair and Sting come over and Flair says that he wants Sting to be his partner. "I don't respect anyone more in this sport than you, Stinger!" Sting doesn't want to be touched or reasoned with. After Flair gets on his knees and, in classic Nature Boy fashion, tells the fans to shut up, Sting says there is "no trust" between them. Sting tells Flair he's an "11-time World champion; stand up like a man!" Flair tells Gene to shut-up as Sting says N-O, NO. Flair sells frustration as Sting walks to the back. It should be note that during this opening match, Schiavone brought up Harlem Heat winning the Tag Titles at Fall Brawl, but then the lost the titles to the American Males on Nitro. Nice touch to catch viewers up on the current title picture since the previous match featured one-half of the Blue Bloods.

A quick promo from Sgt. Craig "Pitbull" Pitmann aired hyping the main event of Cobra vs. Pitmann in a re-match from Fall Brawl the week before. Next, Macho Man makes his way down to the ring.

Macho Man speaks with Mean Gene about Lex Luger's apparent "cheap shot" from War Games last Sunday night and they talk about how the Taskmaster was on set during a shoot of Baywatch to interfere in his personal business. Yes, really. Baywatch and Kevin Sullivan! I shudder to think of what occurred there. From there, Savage says that he'll see the Taskmaster this Monday on Nitro, dig it!

They cut to a quick promo of Cobra calling our Craig Pitbull Pitmann in the main event.

More of an "exclusive" Dusty Rhodes interview aired with Tony Schiavone bringing up Dusty's acting career, and what he brings to WCW Saturday Night. He'll be debuting on the team as a "host" the following week.

They cut to the ring where Johnny B. Badd made his entrance to a pretty big pop. Probably the biggest of the night next to Sting.

2 -- JOHNNY B. BADD vs. CHRIS KANYON

RIP Chris. It was interesting to see him in this position, as his more notable opportunity as Mortis didn't come until a few years later. They tied up to start the match with Badd getting the early advantage. Tony Schiavone mentioned the future U.S. Title shot Badd gets at Sting due to his win over Brian Pillman at Fall Brawl last Sunday. Kanyon then gets some hard shots in and pummels Badd in the corner. Later in the match, Badd put Kanyon outside the ring with a clothesline. He then hit the "Badd Mood" flip over the top rope, put Kanyon into the ring, hit another "Badd Mood" splash, and got the three count.

WINNER: Badd in 4:00. Both men were solid in the ring, even a young Kanyon at this point in his career. (*3/4)

Mean Gene brought in Badd for a post-match interview. (Why don't promotions do this today? So simply and effective.) Badd hyped facing Sting the following week on Saturday Night for the U.S. Title. He believes that he'll walk out the champion, as Sting is human, just like everyone else. DDP then interrupted and talked about how he defeated The Renegade for the TV Title. He thinks he should get another shot at Sting, not Badd. DDP looked like quite the lucky dude standing next to Kimberly. Badd said that when he beats Sting, DDP gets the first shot. Kimberly was excited and told DDP that they need to train and get ready. He looked at her and retorted, "You're the one who needs to hit the gym!" Gene then went to commercial as he hyped the title match next week.

A quick promo aired of Hogan in a neckbrace, hyping comments later in the show.

Back from commercial, Lex Luger vs. Meng was hyped for this coming Monday as Disco Inferno made his way to the ring. Tony Schiavone mistakenly said it's his debut when that actually occurred the week before.

3 -- DISCO INFERNO vs. Jobber #32

"Disco sucks!" chants started the match. The jobber got the early upperhand. They didn't provide many details on the opponent, but apparently his name is "Corey." Bobby Heenan said that Tony can't dance and that Disco is going to "Take him out sometime." Disco got the upper hand and hit a top-rope ax-handle before hitting his swinging neckbreaker for the win.

WINNER: Disco Inferno via pinfall in 2:00 Not much to this one. (3/4*)

Hyped for after the break: The Hulkamaniacs speak out! Also during the Disco match, it was explained/confirmed that the tag title switch from Harlem Heat to the American Males will stand and that they are the new tag team champions.

Back from commercial, a Nitro wrap-up aired (pretty short and sweet at about 30 seconds). It featured the tag title change, Ric Flair's promo on Arn Anderson, Macho Man putting down Lex Luger, and Johnny B. Badd taking on the "new" Mr. Wonderful. They gave final hype for Macho Man vs. Taskmaster and Lex Luger vs. Meng.

Back to the ring, Sgt. Craig Pittmann made his entrance. Cobra then attacked him from behind, as he was hiding under the ring.

4 -- SGT. CRAIG "PITBULL" PITTMANN vs. COBRA

Cobra put the boots to Pittmann and hit some weak clotheslines. He hit his "Cobra Slam" finisher (like a simple clutch slam) for the win.

WINNER: Cobra in under a minute. They were definitely trying to get these guys over, but besides the handful of 12-year-old kids jumping up and down in the first row, it wasn't special to anyone. Just there. The Brain tried to sell Cobra as a "Commando" and sell the finish, and I give him props for trying. (1/4*)

The announcers prepared to send it to comments from Hulk Hogan on Fall Brawl. Heenan laughed when Tony talked about how The Giant chokeslammed Hogan. What a weasel that Heenan is.

Mean Gene was standing by with Hogan and Jimmy Hart. Gene summed up the past happenings and Jimmy Hart said Hogan "isn't dead yet." Hogan said they're sick of the "crap" from ragsheets and so called "know-it-alls" in the business who don't know anything. Wow, this all sounds very familiar. Hogan hyped getting a Monster Truck of his own to drag around Giant, saying it's "Machine vs. Machine," then he'll settle the score in the ring. He said he hasn't missed a day of training despite his injury. He heard the snap and crackle of his neck but Giant "didn't get the job done." He said he'll slam The Giant and lay him to rest just like his "father" (Andre the Giant in the storyline). Man, Hogan was coming off like a punk. Hogan said he's going to rip the neckbrace off and put it on The Giant. "Whatcha' gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?!" Hogan said in closing. Gene then signed them off.

Retrospective of the Common Fan: Saturday Night had a pattern of squeezing tons of matches into one hour. In some cases, it worked (squash matches for example), but just like with WWE Superstars today, it seemed a bit watered down and rushed. This week's show lacked a big main event and I think Sting-Regal should have gone on last. Overall, I'd give this show a solid B- for some decent wrestling, but mainly some very good follow-up from Nitro and Fall Brawl.

What did you, the reader, think? Feel free to E-Mail me at potcfpodcast@gmail.com, via Twitter @TheCommonFan, or at www.facebook.com/thecommonfan with your thoughts and feedback. Also feel free to check out my Perspectives of the Common Fan podcast at www.potcf.blogspot.com, also available on iTunes (Search show title).

Jimmy hails from Kissimmee, Fla., now residing in Brentwood, Tenn., just south of Nashville. Despite unfounded reports of sneaking around TNA's Corporate office, he flatly denies any involvement with "Immortal," "They," "Them," or "It."

[Torch art credit Joe Borzotta (c) PWTorch.com]

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