WCW Clash of the Champions #27
June 23, 1994
Charleston, SC
North Charleston Coliseum

The current WCW Champs were as follows:
WCW World Champion: Ric Flair (12/27/1993)
WCW International World Champion: Sting (5/22/1994)
WCW U.S. Champion: Steve Austin (12/27/1993)
WCW World Tag Team Champions: Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan (5/22/1994)
WCW World Television Champion: Larry Zbyszko (5/2/1994)

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan.

• WCW World Tag Team Champions Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan (w/Dave Sullivan) vs. The Nasty Boys
  

Because of the craziness these two teams always seem to produce when they get together, we have one ref on the floor and one ref inside the ring. By the way, Dave Sullivan is already in the role of the dyslexic Hulkamaniac. It should be noted that Dave is still on crutches. We get a big brawl to start. Whodathunkit? Double clotheslines put the Nasties on the floor to regroup. Sullivan gets cornered on the wrong side of town, but he double-noggin knockers his way out and throws Cactus off the top for a cannonball splash into both Nasties! AWESOME! Knobbs runs into a boot in the corner and Cactus fires back with a clothesline for two. Sags headbutts Cactus in the balls to take over, but Knobbs telegraphs a backdrop and Cactus kicks him in the mouth. Tag to Sullivan, he bites away on Knobbs. He gets cornered once again and the Nasties are back in control. Sags throws Sullivan out to the floor as Knobbs delivers a double-ax handle with Sullivan up against the guardrail. Back in, Sags misses a knee drop and Cactus gets the tag. He Cactus Clotheslines Knobbs out. Cactus ducks a charging Sags on the apron and tries a springboard back elbow (!!), but the Nasties split and Cactus hits his head on the guardrail. Why does he do the things he does. Sags then posts Cactus and gives him a back suplex on the floor. Back in again, Cactus avoids a splash in the corner by Knobbs and clotheslines Sags down. Sullivan tags and he goes to the floor with Knobbs. Sags starts beating up Dave (or Evad for you dyslexic fans out there) Sullivan. Dave WHACKS Sags in the shoulder with his crutch while in the ring, Cactus hits the DOUBLE-ARM DDT on Knobbs for the win. (10:37) What a fun opener. Sags continues to try and beat Cactus afterwards, but it’s all over, pal. ***¼

• The Guardian Angel vs. Tex Slazenger
  

So the WCW Commish Nick Bockwinkel stripped the (Big) Boss (Man) of his identity at Spring Stampede after he used his nightstick for evil. Since then, the Boss has ran off to NYC to join the Guardian Angels organization – a group of unarmed citizens who’s soul mission is to protect the streets from bad people. But now he’s back and lives by the three-strike rule. You can lay in on him three times, but after that, he is GOING to put you down for the three-count. That’s basically all this match is. Slazenger gets in three shots, and the Angel fires back with the Bossman straddle, the run-and-scoot-underneath-the-bottom-rope-and-uppercut-you spot, and then Slazenger runs into the GUARDIAN ANGEL SLAM. (1:46) Just a squash to put over the new gimmick. ½*

Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart get a police escort to the coliseum while riding in their limo. Oh geez.

• WCW World Television Champion Larry Zbyszko vs. Lord Steven Regal (w/Sir William)
  

Jesse Ventura joins us for these next two matches. Don’t want Bobby to completely take his job. Regal wears a powered wig to the ring. Jesse says its important because Regal’s great-great-great uncle wore that wig when Washington was crossing the Potomac. Wow, so there has only been four generations of Regal’s in over 200 years. Never knew British lords started having kids in their 50s. After beating Regal in a non-title match at Slamboree, Larry Z won the TV title on Memorial day weekend in a rare occasion where the final match of the show went past the TV time limit, causing the finish to be shown on the following Saturday Night. Great match that went over 20 minutes. I have the match shown on Memorial day weekend and some of what spilled over into the next weekend, but for some reason the finish is missing. Oh well. To start, Regal takes forever taking the wig off. He finally does though. After that one little bit of trying to build some crowd heat, they really get going good with Regal beating the CRAP out of Zbyszko with European uppercuts. After a while of that, Zbyszko absorbs the blows and fires back with that low reverse kick. He corners Regal and throws him over the top rope out to the platform. Back in, Regal trips up Zbyszko. He goes for a Double-Arm Suplex, but Zbyszko backdrops him over for 1-2-NO! Larry Z follows up with a suplex and a Piledriver for a pair of nearfalls. Swinging neckbreaker gets two. Now Regal is RILED UP~! Regal puts up his dukes and looks away to the crowd, so Zbyszko blindsides him with a forearm shiver. Regal fires back with a European uppercut and grabs a rear chinlock while bashing him across the nose. Regal tries for a pin with a knucklelock and attempts to squash him, but Zbyszko blocks with a body scissors. That leaves Larry Z wide open for a headbutt. Regal drives the knees into Zbyszko’s head. Zbyszko reverses a whip and grabs a bearhug. He tries to maneuver that into a Boston Crab, but Sir William flips Larry Z over and Regal kneels down on top and grabs the ropes for the cheap 1-2-3. (9:24) Quite the battle between these two. I liked the little continuity elements like Regal kicking out of the double-arm suplex nearfall that lost him the match at Slamboree. Plus, these two roughed each other up pretty good and Regal gets any heat he lost back immediately by regaining the TV gold in less than noble fashion. ***½

Gene Okerlund meets with Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson. Dustin wants AA to be his partner at Bash at the Beach to take on Terry Funk and Bunkhouse Buck. Arn will be his partner under one certain condition: that the old politically incorrect Arn Anderson makes a comeback. Was he Bill Maher in another life or something? The irony of Arn’s statement is that the old Arn Anderson would slap his grandmother for 50 cents, and he’ll stab you in the back in a heartbeat to make that extra buck, which is exactly what happens.

• WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion Steve Austin vs. Johnny B. Badd
  

According to the storyline, Col. Parker is still Austin’s manager, but says he doesn’t need to be at ringside for Austin’s matches anymore, which is kayfabe for a heel split. Austin has grown out the goatee! This is a rematch from Slamboree where Badd felt he was gypped and left Austin laying after the match with the KISS THAT DON’T MISS. Austin pounds away to start. Badd charges into an elbow in the corner and gets tossed out to the floor. Badd trips Austin up and brings him to the floor for an apron smash. Back in, Badd goes to the arm and asks the crowd if they want him to break it! Austin yanks some hair to get loose from an armbar. Austin avoids an O’Connor Roll and takes a dropkick out to the floor. Badd shoots Austin into the ring and hits a flying clothesline for 1-2-NO! Back to an armbar. Austin escapes and ducks the KISS THAT DON’T MISS. Badd charges into a boot and gets slammed down by his hair. Austin elbows him down and takes Badd’s lifeless hand and mocks him by waving to the camera and saying, “Hey everybody! I’m with the US champ!” Then he drops a knee. Great stuff. Austin continues to ground Badd with knees and elbows. Badd gets to his feet and levels him with a desperation running dropkick. He follows up with an inverted atomic drop and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. DDT! He gets caught on the top by Austin, but blocks a superplex. Badd wants the Flying Sunset Flip, but Austin moves and Badd falls hard to the canvas. Austin covers for 1-2-NO! Badd avoids a Bossman straddle and clotheslines Austin down for 1-2-NO! Badd delivers for the ten-count corner punch. After ref Nick Patrick’s five count, he backs Badd away to allow Austin to whip out his international object from his tights. Austin catches Badd in the gut and rolls him up for 1-2-3. (10:21) Ref Randy Anderson runs down and informs Nick Patrick what happened. Apparently thinking that the match was restarted, Badd rolls up Austin and ref Randy Anderson counts a quick 1-2-3 to pop the crowd. Badd celebrates with the belt, but he’s not the champ. Tony Schiavone says we’ll get the official decision after the break, but we never hear anything else about it. Good match, but the finish reeks of Dusty Rhodes. ***

Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart make his first major appearance in WCW. He gets pretty much a John Cena reaction. Some deep-sounding boos from the men, and cheers from the women and children. Hogan mentions the Hulkamaniacs are going crazy over him, brother. He wants the winner of tonight’s world title unification match. Flair interrupts on the video wall and tells Hogan to grab a ringside seat to watch the greatest of all time. Woo! Hogan finishes with “Whatcha gonna do when Hulkamania destroys you?” And WCW answers, “Go out of business?”

• WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs. WCW International World Champion Sting – Title Unification Match
  

After the ring introductions, “Sensuous” Sherri Martel makes her appearance. Since showing up in the audience at Slamboree, she’s been watching and figuring out which WCW talent to manage. She walks out with a masquerade mask covering her face. Once she makes it down to the ring, she reveals Sting face paint. Sherri is in Sting’s corner! Sting shoves Flair out of the tie-up several times. Flair is PISSED! Flair grabs a wristlock and tries to bring Sting down to the mat by his hair, but he kips up every time. Sting points the finger at Flair. Sting takes Flair down and they get into the ropes. That flusters Flair, so Sting poses. Flair takes a walk up the platform for a double-bicep pose. Woo! Back in, Sting delivers a pair of press slams and Flair is back on the floor for a Flair Flop into Johnny B. Badd’s confetti right in front of Sherri. Back in again, Sting NO-SELLS chops in the corner and Flair just doesn’t know what to do with himself. Sting hiptosses Flair out of the corner and follows up with clotheslines. Flair takes another breather on the floor and jaws with the front row. He returns to the ring and goes low on Sting to take over, but he decides to chop and that has no effect on Sting. He starts up again on Flair, but whiffs on a dropkick. FIGURE-FOUR? No! Sting gets an inside cradle for 1-2-NO! Flair shoves the ref and the ref Randy Anderson shoves back, so Flair takes another walk. “Sting” chants go up with Sherri leading the crowd. Just as that happens, Flair avoids a Stinger Splash and throws Sting over the top rope behind the ref’s back. Flair chops him down while Sherri tries to help Sting up. Back in they go, Flair connects with a pair of Rolling Knee Drops. Flair puts his foot on the top rope and gets a bunch of nearfalls. Sherri yells at the ref, so Flair gets up and tells her to SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP! Flair hits a back suplex and goes for the FIGURE-FOUR, but Sting kicks him off. Sting ducks a chop, but not a back elbow. Flair grabs a sleeper. Sting escapes by running Flair’s head into the top turnbuckle. Here comes Sting! He catapults Flair into the corner and brings him in from the apron with a suplex for 1-2-NO! Flair Flip leads to a clothesline for Flair. Sting takes Flair to the corner for the ten-count corner punch, but Flair brings him out. The inverted atomic drop fails, so Sting drops him with a clothesline for 1-2-NO! Sting delivers a top-rope superplex and follows with a flying splash, but there’s nobody in the pool! Just when you think Flair has Sting down, he NO-SELLS a suplex. Sting goes wild on Flair and clotheslines him out for a plancha, but Flair pulls Sherri in the way! Oww. Looked like she hit her head on the guardrail. But she’s not Mick Foley? Sting’s pretty upset now. Flair kicks Sting in the back of the head from the apron and brings him back in the ring. Sting gets a backslide, but the ref was slow to get back in the ring because of Sherri. Sting checks on Sherri again and promptly gets rolled up by the tights for 1-2-3. (17:16) Another great Sting/Flair affair, but had Hogan and Flair not already shown signs of an immediate feud, maybe the match would have been less predictable. After the match, Flair looks at Sherri. Sherri looks at Flair. They embrace and once again, Sting gets double crossed by Flair. Will he ever learn? When Sting goes after Sherri, Flair clips him from behind and a double-beatdown follows until Hogan makes the save as we end the show. ***¾

Final Thoughts: What an awesome Clash and its sad to see WCW on such a good roll up until Hogan finally debuted and changed everything. WCW would become quickly stagnant and Hogan’s playground where he and all his friends that the WWF didn’t want anymore came in and received pushes over WCW’s homegrown talent. The only thing wrong with this show would be anything that had to do with Hogan. I’m sorry, but I was and am a WCW fan, and it took me a long time to take to Hogan in my WCW. All the same, an enthusiastic thumbs up for Clash of the Champions 27.