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JULY 18 IN HISTORY: Flair re-captures NWA World Title 21 years ago; Cover Story on title victory lacking prestige & meaning, plus WCW Beach Blast '93 PPV Report

Jul 18, 2014 - 12:10:47 AM
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This Day In Wrestling History - July 18

Date: July 18, 1993 (21 years ago)

Event: Ric Flair captured the NWA World Title at WCW's "Beach Blast 1993" PPV, beating Barry Windham to become eight-time NWA Champ. At the time, the title victory was among the lowest in prestige and meaning of Flair's career, as covered in the pages of the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. Flair's victory was not even the main event, as Sting & Davey Boy Smith defeated Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious in the PPV main event.

Torch Back-Issue: PWTorch Newsletter #236.

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PWTorch Newsletter Cover Story
HEADLINE: Flair Wins NWA Title
SUBHEADLINE: Awkward Title Victory Ranks Among Lowest in Prestige & Meaning
By Wade Keller, Editor/Publisher


Ric Flair captured his eighth NWA World Heavyweight Championship Sunday night, July 18 in Biloxi, Ms. at WCW's "Beach Blast" pay-per-view. He pinned a mysteriously mobile Barry Windham when referee Randy Anderson counted Windham's shoulders to the mat while Windham was clamped in the figure-four leglock. (For a full report on "Beach Blast," please see "META" pg. 8.)

Not only did the finish come out of nowhere to create an awkward rather than joyous celebration, but this title win ranks below any of Flair's previous wins in terms of prestige and memorability. Only Flair's victory over the ordinary Ron Garvin can compare in terms of lacking salience.

The pinfall came out of nowhere, surprising even Windham (who lifted his shoulders) and Flair (who for a moment refused to accept victory).

The crowd was not into Flair as a performer. The reaction to Flair winning was confusion followed by near-indifference. There is a sad, striking difference in atmosphere when comparing Sting's NWA Title win over Flair three years ago in Baltimore to Flair's victory Sunday night.

Perhaps part of what was missing was a location with a history. Biloxi is not the site of previous big matches. Instead, it's simply near a beach.

Another missing element was any notion that the title match was the most important match on the card. With it being the second-to-last match on the card, that alone tells fans in attendance that the title is not as important as it once was.

With two world titles in WCW, the value of each is at most half of what was the value of the NWA belt alone three years ago.

The gap in the history of the NWA Title with Flair's escapade into the WWF without losing the belt and the subsequent office-stripping of Flair of NWA Title status gives the belt a spurious aura. Without the pristine authenticity (within context, of course) of wrestling's oldest title, plus the existence of a competing world title in the same group by a younger, stronger, tougher man, Sunday's title change meant little.

In the past, a world title change meant the next week's television programs would lead with that story, including footage of the title change. The announers would put the history of the title into context and have a post-match interview with the winner and sometimes the loser. Viewers would be convinced a major event in the course of history had taken place.

This title change will probably be overshadowed on television by the follow-up to the other world champion being pinned in a tag team match in the real main event. Certainly there will be little reverence paid to Flair.

And for those of us who realize that Flair has begun a reign that will end within a couple of months when he loses to Rick Rude, the title change has even less meaning. For those who didn't know, they might have sensed something different about Flair. His celebration Sunday night was put-on. In pro wrestling, that's not peculiar because most wrestlers feign exuberance after victory. Flair, in the past, has been the exception. His world title wins truly meant a lot to him and it always showed.

If Flair didn't care, how can the fans be expected to care? Without reestablishing the prestige of titles, the belts continue to be mere props without drawing power.

***

TORCH #236: PPV REPORT
FLAIR CAPTURES NWA TITLE
VADER SURPRISES EVERYONE WITH A MOONSAULT
By Wade Keller, editor


WCW promoted its third pay-per-view of 1993 on July 18 live from Biloxi, Miss. at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in front of a non-sellout. The following is a "Major Event Torch Analysis," including match-by-match descriptions and event analysis from readers and the staff columnists...

1 -- "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff defeated Ron Simmons by disqualification to retain the WCW TV Title at 11:15.

Simmons attacked Orndorff at the start of the match as Orndorff was protesting the crowd's "Paula" chants. After back and forth action for the first few minutes, Orndorff came off the top rope with an attempted kneedrop at 4:08. Simmons moved and then began to work on Orndorff's now-sore knee. At 5:27, Simmons went for a figure-four leglock, but applied it poorly as Orndorff grabbed the ropes. Orndorff regained the advantage at 5:40 when he rammed his head into the ringside monitor. Orndorff dominated offense until 9:38 when Simmons sunset flipped Orndorff for a near fall. Simmons gained his first near fall at 10:29 after an elbow to his chest. Orndorff thumbed Simmons in the eye to retain the advantage and set him up for the piledriver. Simmons backdropped Orndorff to escape the piledriver, but Orndorff flew over the top rope as a result for the DQ. An okay match, but poor finish. *3/4

2 -- Too Cold Scorpio & Marcus Bagwell defeated Tex Slazenger & Shanghai Pierce when Scorpio pinned Slazenger at 12:14.

Quality four-way action filled the first 2:30, including Scorpio flying off the second rope onto Pierce on the runway. Scorpio and Slazenger finally squared off one-on-one. At 4:24 Scorpio hit Slazenger with a perfect dropkick to the face. At 4:47, Bagwell and Scorpio double-teamed Slazenger with a double power armdrag for the first pin attempt of the match. At 6:48, Slazenger finally gained the advantage and tagged out to Pierce. Pierce took over on Bagwell's arm and made another quick tag. Bagwell hit Slazenger with a surprise sunset flip, but Slazenger kicked out and hit Bagwell with a strong clothesline. Slazenger and Pierce continued quick tags, dominating Bagwell. Pierce hit Bagwell with a salto powerbomb at 9:36 for the move of the match. Scorpio saved Bagwell at the two count. Slazenger continued to work over Bagwell's left arm. Pierce was tagged in and missed an elbow at 10:40. As Bagwell crawled to the corner trying for the hot tag to Scorpio, Pierce tagged Slazenger who caught Bagwell before the tag. At 11:14, Pierce arrogantly covered Bagwell for a near fall. Pierce charged Bagwell in the corner, but Bagwell moved and made the hot tag at 11:38. Scorpio sidekicked Slazenger out of the ring, sidekicked Pierce to the mat, and hit Pierce with a long top rope bodysplash at 12:10, but Slazenger made the save. A four-way brawl ensued ending with a collision between Slazenger and Pierce. Scorpio dropkicked Slazenger out of the ring. Bagwell belly-to-back suplexed Pierce and cheered on from center ring as Scorpio 450 degree splashed Pierce for the pinfall at 12:40. Pierce and Slazenger proved their worth in this match, carrying a much improved Bagwell to a solid middle-ten minutes of action. Scorpio, who sat out the entire middle of the match, was spectacular in the beginning and ending moments. His finisher is still astounding. Very good match. ***1/4

Missy Hyatt interviewed Paul Orndorff who was accompanied by The Equalizer doing a poor Brody imitation.

3 -- Lord Steven Regal pinned Erik Watts in 7:02.

There almost did not need to be ropes for this match, because both wrestlers showed their technical mat skills throughout. The fans really didn't react to the action, partly because neither Watts nor Regal are particularly over, but also because there were not any modern-day highspots. This match was an example of how a wrestling card can be improved through having a variety of different style matches. At 6:45, the ropes were utilized for the first time as Watts swung Regal into them and kicked him in the leg as Regal rebounded. Watts immediately went for the STF and locked it on at 6:48. Sir Williams then slapped Watts to break the hold. Watts turned his back to Regal to complain to Williams. Regal from behind rolled up Watts and held his tights for the first illegal move of the match by Regal for the pin. It is tough to pull off an effective match in this style in today's wrestling world, but Regal and Watts did it. The match was weakened by Watts breaking the STF when he was slapped by Williams. After the match, Regal did a good interview saying he was going after Orndorff's television title. **

4 -- Johnny B. Badd pinned Maxx Payne at 4:47.

Badd attacked Payne as the bell rang. Badd dominated for 30 seconds until he flew at Payne, who moved, and thus landed on the floor outside the ring. Payne took over offense and clamped on an armbar for a minute. At 2:29, Payne applied the painkiller armbar, but Badd reached the ropes. Badd hit Payne with a sunset flip at 3:32, but Payne kicked out. Payne missed an elbowdrop and Badd dropkicked Payne over the top rope. Badd dove over the top rope onto Payne. They battled outside the ring until Badd threw Payne into the ring and hit him with a crossbody block off the ropes for the pin. The last few minutes of action were filled with poorly executed moves and slip-ups. Poor match. 1/2*

5 -- The Hollywood Blondes (Steve Austin & Brian Pillman) defeated Paul Roma & Arn Anderson to retain the WCW Tag Team Titles at 26:12.

The opening four minutes consisted of Austin and Pillman hesitating to lock up with Roma. At 4:03, Pillman demanded the referee check Roma's elbow pad. When the referee turned to do that, Pillman reached into his tights. As Schiavone protested, Ventura said, "Naw, he was just adjusting himself." Schiavone was speechless. Anderson tagged in and taunted Pillman. Anderson & Roma controlled most of the offense for the next ten minutes. Pillman jumped off the ring apron toward Anderson at 11:40, but Anderson moved and Pillman rammed into the metal ringside barrier. Anderson tagged in Roma, who came off the top rope with a sunset flip. Austin made the save. Roma nailed Austin, but Pillman attacked him from behind. Roma fell to the floor where Austin dropped him over the metal barrier. Austin beat on Roma for a moment, then mocked the fallen Roma by doing push-ups while Roma struggled to rise to his feet. Roma made a comeback at 16:20 by ramming Pillman into the turnbuckle. Roma came off the top rope and both he and Pillman attempted a dropkick. Roma recovered and made a hot tag to Anderson. Anderson DDT'd Pillman at 16:58, but Austin made the save with an elbow drive to the back of Anderson's head. At 19:00, the fans began to get into the match with unison clapping, trying to encourage an Anderson rally. Pillman rammed Anderson into the ringside rail at 19:40. Austin attempted to piledrive Austin at 20:00, but Anderson backdropped him. At 21:36, Anderson dropped Austin over the top rope. Austin made the tag before Anderson could. Pillman nailed Roma in the corner. As Roma protested, Anderson rolled up Pillman, but the referee was holding back Roma and didn't make the count. At 23:57, Anderson suplexed Austin over the top rope to the ring floor. Anderson crawled to finally make the hot tag, but Pillman cut him off and continued to beat him. Pillman came off the top rope, but Anderson stopped him in mid-air with a chop to the throat and made the hot tag at 25:15 for a brief pop by the fans. Roma cleaned house on the Blondes before a four-way erupted. Roma whipped Austin into the ropes and Anderson, who was not legal, spinebustered the rebounding Austin. Roma covered him for a near fall before Pillman barely made the save. Roma rolled-up Austin, but the referee was escorting Anderson out of the ring. Pillman clotheslined Roma and Austin rolled up Roma, grabbed the tights, and gained a three count. A very good match, although too long given the lack of fans' emotional interest in this feud. The mediocre fan heat throughout showed there was not enough fan interest to sustain a match this long at this stage in the feud.

6 -- Rick Rude fought Dustin Rhodes to a 30 minute time-limit draw so the U.S. Title remains held up.

This match took a lot of patience to get through as a viewer. It was methodically paced from the start. Rhodes showed poor taste in imitating Rude's hip gyrations twice because he is not popular enough nor is Rude hated enough to get a pop from the crowd. Instead, he came off as cocky, grotesque, and lacking judgement. At 6:56, Rude began his gyrations and aggravated his back, a gimmick he has done in a few too many matches to where it is old, predictable schtick. Rude gave Rhodes the "Rude Awakening" at 13:21 for the three count and the first fall. Rude then hit Rhodes with a top rope clothesline for a near fall. Rhodes came back and gave Rude a piledriver at 17:35 for a near fall. At 21:00, after hitting Rhodes with a forearm off the top rope, Rude shouted, "You ain't shit, Rhodes." Schiavone responded, "The pitfalls of live television." Rude continued to dominate, including almost putting Rhodes out with a sleeper at 22:50. Rhodes surprised Rude with a bulldog at 26:49 leading to a three count to even the score. After a piledriver, Rhodes gained a new fall on Rude, but Rude's feet were in the ropes. Rhodes applied the sleeper at 29:30, but Rude reversed it with a chinbreaker. Rude climbed the top rope, but Rhodes ducked, DDT'd Rude, and ran out of time at the one count. The match was declared a draw as the fans booed. This match has not been featured enough to get away with a two-fall encounter. If the gimmick had been established already that usually there are five to seven combined falls, this would have been novel. As it was, the match's stipulations ended up being detrimental to deciding who the U.S. Champion would be. After all, a normal match would have resulted in Rude being U.S. Champion after the first fall. This match would have benefited from Rude actually wrestling like a heel from the start with an aggressive attack. The way it played out, it was a boring long match lacking storyline. *1/4

7 -- Ric Flair pinned Barry Windham at 11:26 to capture the NWA World Heavyweight Title and begin his eighth NWA title reign..

Flair opened with a series of chops. Flair whipped Windham into the corner, but Windham rebounded with an excellent flying clothesline. Windham nailed Flair in the chin, but Flair turned Windham into the corner and chopped him again. Windham bailed out and Flair strutted in the ring, although not to a very strong reaction from the fans in Biloxi. Windham clotheslined Flair at ringside and reentered the ring. Windham suplexed Flair into the ring from the ring apron. The two exchanged chops, so Flair piked Windham in the eyes and took over offense. At 3:28, Flair applied a sleeper. Windham escaped by ramming Flair into the turnbuckle seconds later and fallaway slammed Flair followed by a powerslam and a two count. At 6:20, Windham slammed Flair outside the ring. In the best move of the match, Windham suplexed Flair off the top rope at 8:11. Windham whipped Flair into the corner, and Flair flipped over, ran to the next corner, and came off the top rope onto Windham with a bodyblock. Windham rolled through and gained a near fall on Flair. Flair belly-to-back suplexed Windham at 10:05. Flair then kicked Windham's knee and attempted the figure-four. Windham reached the ropes. Flair again went for the figure-four, but Windham kicked him off. On the third try, Flair clamped it on Windham. In a very strange turn of event, a very conscious Windham lifted both of his shoulders at the two count, but referee Randy Anderson continued to the third count, apparently because Windham only shrugged his shoulders, but did not lift them. When Windham heard the hand hit the mat the third time, his eyes bugged in disbelief. Flair kept the figure-four on, expecting the match to continue. Instead, Anderson called for the bell. There was no hesitation on the part of Anderson, so he fully expected the match should end there, although it didn't appear Windham and Flair wanted it to end there. After the bout, Flair said, "I'm baaaack" and said there is only one world champion. A good match while it lasted with Windham performing better than most expected he would. On the verge of being very good before the sudden ending. ***

8 -- Sting & Davey Boy Smith defeated Big Van Vader & Sid Vicious.

Sting and Vicious began with a staredown. Sting then had with a flurry of offense which the fans popped for. Vicious reversed a whip, but Sting flew into Vicious and drove his head to the mat. Sting clotheslined Vicious, who popped up and chokeslammed him. Sting sold as Sid egged the fans on to cheer him. Vicious tagged in Vader. Smith came in to make the save and was tossed from the ring by Vicious. Vader threw Sting from the ring. Both Sting and Smith climbed to the top rope and hit both Vader and Vicious with clotheslines. Vader and Smith squared off against each other. Vader dominated with a series of blows to Smith's body. At 4:58, in a spectacular feat, Smith gave Vader a suspended vertical suplex for a two count. Vader returned with an elbow drop between Smith's legs. At 5:52, Vicious tagged back in and gave Smith a boot to his face. Vader's headgear snapped in one place so he ripped it off completely at 7:10. Vicious tagged in and took over on Smith. Smith gained the advantage at 8:50, so Vader tagged in. Race, on the apron, held Smith. Vader charged, Smith moved, and Race was knocked to the floor. Sting got the hot tag at 9:24 and cleaned house on Vicious and Vader as the fans reached their loudest noise level of the night. Vicious tagged in and took over on Sting. Vader tagged in and continued to dominate Sting. Vader went for the superplex, but Sting bit him and knocked him off the ropes at 13:02. Vader tagged in Vicious who stayed on offense. Vicious missed an elbow drop and Sting made the hot tag at 14:36. Vicious took over offense and tagged in Vader, who fallaway slammed Smith for a near fall. Vader splashed Smith and Sting made the save. Vicious charged Sting and brawled with him on the runway. Vader climbed to the top rope and moonsaulted Smith. Sting knocked Vicious off the ramp and dove over the top rope onto Vader for the save. Sting encouraged the fans to cheer as Smith gained the three count on WCW Champion Vader with a crucifix at 16:41. A very good match with consistent action. Vicious stayed within his abilities and Vader's moonsault showed the limits of his abilities have yet to be reached. All four put together a sensible match with solid action and a good storyline. ***1/2

[Torch art credit Grant Gould (c) PWTorch.com]


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