The Magnus Analysis- WCW Pro 8.26.95 & 9.02.95

Posted by Magnus Donaldson on 04.15.2008

My first attempt at reviewing some classic WCW TV

OK, I know what your thinking, and before you say it, no I haven't gone off the deep end. Yes, I am reviewing something besides independent wrestling, and this concerns a promotion that I always enjoyed when it was at it's peak.

The promotion in question is WCW, and what I plan to do is review individual seasons of specific shows from the promotion. This will start with Pro 95 (what I have of it, which is from this up to late October 95, but I will be getting the rest to review soon). Next I will review Nitro 95, then Saturday Night 95, and possibly the PPV's and some other stuff along the way. And then I will move to 1996.

Do note though that I won't be covering anything pre-Nitro era, so I'll only be going from September 95 onwards (or rather, from the 6th of August onwards).

My WCW reviews will also only be concerned with the actual matches: I won't be taking time over the promo's or angles going on since I am a match reviewer, not an angle reviewer. However, i will give a brief sentence stating anything that comes up

With that in mind, let's get on with my first WCW TV review.

8/26/1995

Our hosts are Chris Cruise, Larry Zbyzko and Dusty Rhodes, who recap the Ric Flair-Arn Anderson feud, and tonight's main event: Jim Duggan vs Big Bubba.

Match 1
Steve Armstrong vs 'Flyin' Brian Pillman
We get some comments at the beginning of the match by Johnny B Badd on his upcoming match with Brian at Fall Brawl (which was a brilliant match, and one I will cover at some point). This was a good little match: Steve Armstrong is a very capable wrestler and had the ability to make Brian look really good while coming across really well himself. A mostly mat based match, with Brian also showing some of his gifted high flying skill as well. At one point Armstrong busts out the Cattle Mutilation: is that where Bryan Danielson got it from. Pillman managed to take it with a Springboard Clothesline-**3/4

Bubba Rodgers tells us what he is going to do to Jim Duggan later on, then we get a promo with the Dungeon Of Doom and their plans for Wargames (and I was never a fan of this Wrestlecrap esque stable).

Match 2
Shark and 'The Taskmaster' Kevin Sullivan vs jobbers
The jobbers don't even get named as Sullivan attacks them before the bell. As you would have guessed, this was a squash with Shark doing the majority of the work. Shark pins one of the jobbers with a Sideslam (his partner didn't even come in to save him)- n/r

After the match Shark attacks the jobber's partner with the same move.

Match 3
'The Enforcer' Arn Anderson vs Tim Horner
While Horner didn't get an intro, this wasn't a squash as Horner got in some offense. This was a good match with Anderson looking strong, working over the arm of Horner for the majority of the match with deadly precision. Horner got some offense in which was fairly basic but effective. Anderson would pin Horner with the Spinebuster- **

Chris Cruise interviews Arn Anderson, who discusses his feud with Ric Flair. This is followed by a hype video for Fall Brawl with Hulk Hogan's team all preparing at an army base of some kind.

Match 4
Sgt Craig Pittman vs Italian Stallion
Italian Stallion is one of the trainers of The Hardy Boys, as well as the owner of the defunct (to my knowledge) Pro Wrestling Federation. Pittman was being built as a pretty big deal at this point but soon faded into obscurity. Pittman really wasn't too good here but showed potential by working the arm early on. Stallion managed to get in some nice, basic offense but soon fell to the Code Red (it's a Cross Armbreaker, not Amazing Red's move). A decent little extended squash- *1/2

Match 5
Big Bubba Rodgers vs Jim Duggan
This was a decent main event, but Duggan is fairly limited in his offense so it wasn't going to be a classic. But Bubba could still go so this was still watchable stuff, although a few minutes less would probably have helped the match further. Bubba dominated the majority of the match, keeping hacksaw grounded, with Hacksaw fighting back with strikes and basic power moves. Bubba won it by using the ropes for leverage on a pinfall attempt (which he almost botched)- *3/4

After the match Evad Sullivan runs in to tell the referee what happened. Duggan then grabs some tape and wraps it around his hand, then nails Rodgers with it. Duggan is then interviewed by Chris Cruise to end the show.

9.02.1995

Match 1
Johnny B Badd vs Otis Apollo
Johnny B Badd is one of the most underrated wrestlers in the business in my view, and he was at his peak in the mid 90's, popularity (debatable I suppose) and talent wise. Apollo was a successful wrestler with BCW and on the Canadian indy scene. Badd managed to get in all of his flashy high flying offense and this was a complete squash with Apollo getting zero offense. Badd won with a Slingshot Body Splash after a Tope to the outside- *

Match 2
Shark w/Kevin Sullivan and Kamala vs jobber
Again, Shark attacks before the bell so the jobber is not named. This was not a total squash but was pretty close, as the jobber actually got in one or two offensive moves using his speed. Besides that, it was just Shark demonstrating his power (with the crowd chanting for Hulk Hogan, as we are in the middle of the Dungeon Of Doom/Hogan feud). Shark won with the Sideslam once again. Fun squash, Shark is great in these short matches- *

Chris Cruise interviews The Dungeon Of Doom about the upcoming Wargames match, and The Bluebloods briefly claim the Tag Titles will be theirs.

We get the WCW Control Centre next, with hype for Fall Brawl and a run through of the matches.

Match 3
Arn Anderson vs Eddie Jackie
A good match, following the same formula of Anderson's match last week with Anderson working the arm of his opponent for the majority of the match. Jackie got zero offense, before Anderson won with a DDT. Even Anderson's squashes are superb- **

Chris Cruise interviews Jim Duggan about a match in two weeks with Arn Anderson, which is not a Taped Fists match. Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck talk briefly about retaining their titles next week.

Match 4
Scott Armstrong vs Big Bubba Rodgers
This was a good match here: all of the Armstrong's are capable wrestlers and Rodgers is pretty good himself, so barring one botched spot by Armstrong this was good stuff and fairly competitive. Armstrong wrestled a faster style, moving around the ring at speed, while Bubba just used his power to control things. Rodgers got the Bossman Slam to get three- **1/4

Mean Gene Okerlund does some hype for the WCW Hotline, then we see a clip from Saturday Night regarding the developing relationship between Sherri Martel and Col Robert Parker.

Match 5
Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck w/Col Robert Parker vs The Bluebloods (Steven Regal and Robert Eaton)
A fine main event match here, with The Bluebloods act being entertaining and the wrestling solid (even though I'm not that big a fan of Slater or Buck). Early on, The Bluebloods kept getting worked over but would stall to stop the beating, but this proved ineffective. Sherri comes out and distracts Parker towards the end, before Parker fell into the ring, breaking up a pinfall by Regal that caused the DQ. A bizarre ending, but decent action while it lasted- *1/2

Sherri continues to chase after parker after the match. Then Cruise summarises what we have seen and Saturday Night's matches are looked at to end the show.

The 411: There's a couple of decent matches here. Pillman/Armstrong and Armstrong/Rodgers are the best from each show. However there's nothing that you should go out of your way to see. But two solid shows here.

Final Score:  5.0   [ Not So Good ]