Clash Of The Champions 8

Clash of the Champions 8 - Fall Brawl 89
September 12, 1989 from the Carolina Coliseum , Columbia, South Carolina

So we arrive at Clash Of The Champions 8, this follows on a few months after the last Clash I watched and we kick off with rumours and back stage whispers about Gary Harts camp. There's problems in the Hart stable it seems.

Straight into an interview with Gary Hart - Hart denies any feud or unrest in his stable. This will be the theme of this particular clash as we will continue to cut back to Hart and interviewer Gordon Solie. There's really no need, each segment is just a repeat of the last, that there is NO PROBLEM in the camp Hart. In fact even Gordon Solie seems to be out of interest by the last interview.

Road Warriors vs Samoan Swat Team

Two juggernauts collide.
Animal looks HUGE in this match, sorry but it's the first thing i noticed, the man was always big but this is got to be the biggest I've ever seen him look, he looks totally jacked in this one. Which might be why in the early stages the SST want nothing to do with the Road Warriors. The Warriors are commanding the early brawling. But as these matches usually go the SST get back into it and take control and start wearing down Hawk.
This goes on for a while till Animal hot tags in and with that it's a Doomsday Device (was it called that at this stage?)and the Road Warriors take the win.
Post match Paul Ellering smashes Heymans phone, and if that wasn't bad enough for the Paul.E the SST are not happy with him at all and walk off to the backstage alone, leaving their crestfallen manager to wonder how he was gonna call for a taxi home.

Cuban Assassin Vs Tom Zenk the Z man

This is Tom Zenks NWA debut. I wonder who will win??
Is this Cuban Assassin 'The Terrorist' from the last Clash of the Champions??  Could be and he's out from under the hood. Step up for that man!!! Zenk uses the sleeper as his finisher...is that cos he's the zzzzzzz man?? Clever
Not quite the squash id expected, still pretty easy for the Z man though.

Speaking of zzzzz....
Teddy Long is talking jive and quite frankly I'm not listening.

Flyin Brian Pillman video package again just like the last Clash..Deja Vu,things haven't moved on much it seems.

Nope they haven't cos it's Ranger Rod or whatever his name is on his way to the ring, I presumed this guy was a one time deal!!! Oh well..

Ranger Ross vs Sid Vicious

Sid looks in great shape in this one, hell when didn't Sid look in great shape? He's straight on Ranger Ronny, throwing him to the outside and then fetching him easily back in, DDT, followed by Helicopter Slam, followed by Power Bomb and it's over in seconds..is that the end of Ranger Rodger? I hope so

Even Yogi thought this guy was Badass!

Fabulous Freebirds vs Steiner Bros

The Freebirds are defending the tag titles they won at Clash of the Champions 7.
The Steiners enter to 'Welcome to the Jungle', get in!!! It doesn't suit them at all, in fact it's probably the least appropriate entrance music ever, but still, get in!!! (in fairness this guys had a decent stab at making it work for the Steiners, Steiners Custom Tron)
Jim Cornette on commentary lists Scott Steiners likes during the match, like he's looking for potential suitors, skiing and eating apparently ladies..at the same time maybe??
This is a great back and forth contest between two great teams which includes some outside brawling which even prompts a ringside policeman to kneel down and look concerned at the fallen Rick Steiner, that guy should have been on the payroll if he wasn't already.
But alas the Midnight Express wins when Hayes DDT's Scott.
Buuuuuuut, Who tripped Scott?? It's a mystery, see leading up to the DDT someone tripped Scott Steiner but no one knows who, the cameras didn't pick it up when we go to the replay. Some are saying it was Missy Hyatt, some are saying it was Robin Green. Jim Ross does a great job here of looking startled, bewildered, confused and concerned all at the same time here as he voices the drama of the situation.

Norman the Lunatic vs Flyin' Brian Pillman

Pillman throws everything but the kitchen sink at Norm in the opening exchanges, sweet looking drops, kicks, a close line off the top rope and a flying body press to the outside. He's distracted by Teddy Long though and the Lunatic comes back at Pillman with some offence of his own. Pillman kicks out of a splash from the second rope. Norm telegraphs a splash onto Pillman against the ring post though and suddenly Pillmans back. He throws around the 300 plus pounder here with remarkable ease, it's a little too easy if you ask me, body slamming him and delivering a back body drop like Norms a cruiser weight.
Pillman kicks out of a huge slam from Big Norm. And after a crucifix take down Pillman eventually gets the victory.
Pillman is made to look absolute dynamite in this match and credit has to go to Norm for helping to do so. Pillman must have been on a huge push at the time. A more enjoyable match than I'd expected when the two men's names were announced.

Stevie Wonders blind date turned up

Mike Rotunda vs Steve Williams

Jim Ross is in his absolute element here, talking about the two men's college backgrounds and sporting achievements. Cornette has caught the bug too seemingly having a go at out doing Ross in the college football knowledge. Cornette says there are huge similarities between the two men, maybe college football wise but for me Rotunda is head and shoulders above Williams in the ring - unfair??
Match goes back and forth and in a huge miscarriage of justice Dr Death somehow flukes a win.

Lex Luger vs Tommy Rich
U.S Title Match

I'll be honest, I don't know much about Tommy Rich, wrong time and wrong promotion for me, but he gets a huge pop here on his way to the ring and seems over in a big bad way with the crowd. The opening exchanges are impressive from Rich too. He looks pretty slick in the ring as he takes it to Luger. A few near falls mainly from small packages and roll ups threaten to take Lugers belt in fact, but each time Luger comes back at Rich. Rich finally makes a huge mistake by trying to mix power with Luger and Luger takes advantage by showing Tommy what power is all about, working the lower back of his opponent with Powerslams and Suplexes. Tommy Rich shows a huge amount of guts to come back into the match and it looks like he might get the victory, but he just doesn't have enough to beat Luger and indeed it's the Total Package that gets the win. I was impressed by Rich though, hopefully I'll see more of him.

Pre-match the hospitalised Funker Warns Flair of the Perils of masturbation

Dick Slater & Muta vs Sting & Ric Flair

Dick Slater is revealed as Muta's partner in for the injured Terry Funk
Sting and Muta start and the two put together some great exchanges. Both men look in great shape here, I know I keep saying that but honestly every one on the bill looks on top of there game for this Clash. Flair comes In and it has to be said even the Naitch looks in great shape here too. Flair throws the classic Nature Boy offence at Slater. Muta dives outside the ring onto Flair, Sting dives on Muta, Slater comes out and the four men brawl outside the ring. Great stuff.

Back in the ring Flair and Sting regain the upper hand. Slater and Muta come back into it and the crowd are going nuts for this match. The match goes back and forth at a fast pace as the crowd start to lose their minds, all four men seem to be feeding off the crowd. A great example of the electricity missing in today's wrestling business.
It was always on the cards and right on cue here comes Terry Funk. He invades the ring and puts plastic bag on Flairs head,whilst this sounds pretty ridiculous and comical it actually works quite well and you believe that Flair is in real danger of suffocation here when Funk ties a rope round the neck of Flair. Funk grabs a branding Iron and 'burns' Ric's leg for good measure.
The show goes off air with Flair being helped by paramedics, good last match and attack by Funk which keeps their story going, i dare say into the next Clash and certainly the upcoming Halloween Havoc.

ECW Barely Legal '97

Barely Legal 97

1st of April

From the ECW Arena Philadelphia

Joey styles welcomes us to Extreme Championship Wrestling and 'beautiful' South Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . As he speaks the Dudleys come to the ring. The chants that fill the arena of 'fuck you D'von' instantly let you know that this is EC fucking W!! You just wouldn't have heard this at a WCW or WWF event; this is a completely different crowd and attitude, more akin to a punk rock crowd than a traditional wrestling crowd. D'von says its time to 'testify'...roll opening credits!

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The ECW crowd await the action

The Dudleys vs The Eliminators

The Eliminators (Perry Saturn and John Kronus) come to the ring and take out Sign Guy Dudley before the Dudley boys come into the ring and start the proceedings proper on The Eliminators, hitting them with a top rope vertical suplex and a bubba slam.

Saturn enters the ring and cleans house and via some impressive kick manoeuvres The Eliminators come back into it. Already here we see why ECW stood out in 97 from the big two, moves you just wouldn't see from those company's, such as a Saturn-sault and a 'space flying Kronos drop'! Is Joey making these names up?

The assault from the eliminators continues and includes an awesome 450 splash from Kronus.Before they deliver the 'Total Elimination' to Bubba and take the belts!! New champions!! Great start to E.C.Dubs first PPV.

Chris Candido should have been in the next match apparently, he’s in the ring with his arm in a sling (poet!!) and cuts a promo. He's whining about something but if I’m honest it’s hard to tell what.

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Saturn and Kronus

Lance Storm vs Rob Van Dam

A great, slick, fluid start to the match, with both men getting in some nice offensive manoeuvres and competent technicality. RVD hits a suicide dive to the outside on Storm which gives RVD the upper hand briefly but Storm fights back sending RVD to the outside of the ring, he misses his own attempted dive to the outside and RVD is back into it. You can’t help but feel that Storm mixing it in this way with the dives and moving to the outside is not the way to beat a man like RVD. Rob connects with a moonsault off the guardrail as if to emphasise the point.

Chair work by Van Dam again showing why ECW is a different animal, there’s no DQ’s here. A Frog splash from RVD and it's looking all too easy, but no, Storm kicks out. Van dam grabs a chair again and smashes it into Storms face.

But again mistakes by RVD allow Storm back and he delivers some nice moves before he hits a sweet tiger bomb, but this time it’s RVD that kicks out.

Van Dam doesn't quite hit a spring board back elbow and the crowd chant 'you fucked up'.

Van Dam-inator from RVD and Storms beaten! Good match.

RVD grabs a mic to chants of ‘you sold out’. He says how he's now worth more money ELSEWHERE thanks to this win.

*side note* You can feel the Production of PPV is nervy and not quite as slick as it could be.

Michinoku Pro Wrestling Match

Great Sasuke, Gran Hamada. Gran Naniwa vs Terry Boy, Dick Togo, Take Michinoku (International BWO)

Streamers are thrown from crowd into the ring. This is a showcase match for Michinoku Pro Wrestling, you would have thought especially at a debut PPV that ECW’s attention would have been on getting over their own guys, but I think this actually does a good job of showing what you can expect from ECW and how they are ahead of the curve. The match fits in with rest of ECW’s product and doesn't seem like the novelty match that these kind of matches appeared when say the WWF tried similar things.

Match starts with quite standard stuff but soon speeds up. There’s zero point in trying to explain what happens here as it’s a real spot fest of moves. The dude in green that looks like Peter Pan does some sweet moves. Really entertaining Lucha Libre/ cruiserweight style match.

Great Sasuke gets his team the win!! Note: Sasuke would appear for the WWF later this same year.

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The Great Sasuke is under all these belts somewhere

ECW World Television Title Match
Shane Douglas vs Pitbull #2
Shane Douglas comes to the ring with Francine and a 'riot squad' although they look like extras from that shitty Biker Boyz movie, this is due to the serious crowd heat the Franchise has after breaking Pitbull #1's (who is at ringside) neck weeks earlier.
Francine looks great here!! FACT

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Shane's protection

Douglas cuts a promo in the ring, drawing more heat for his earlier actions.

Pitbull sprints to the ring and just like that the action is under way and it's Pitbull #2 that has the advantage. Throughout the very early exchanges Pitbulls music continues to play, it's highly annoying - just a small point.

It's all Pitbull in the opening minutes with Douglas struggling to get any offence in, Pitbull hits some nice power moves on Douglas as Francine looks on with huge concern.
Douglas gets back into the match though with one of the most shambolic looking hurricanranas in PPV history and sets about delivering pile drivers to his opponent in an attempt to break his neck and get the matching pair.

At this point it has to be said that the crowd don't seem to be as bothered about this as maybe Douglas and ECW would like, in fact they seem more interested in chanting about Francines alleged S.T.D's as Douglas continues to work the neck.

This is until what looks like a botched counter from Pitbull after a Douglas flying cross body leads to Douglas being dumped out of the ring and through a ringside table.
Douglas gets too close to the guardrail by which Pitbull #1 is sitting and Pitbull #1 jumps the guard rail and delivers a barrage of shots to the staggering Franchise before the Blue Oyster Club boys, sorry I mean riot squad drag him away.
A guardrail comes into play, and after a few botched attempts of using it with any effect Douglas Throws it out of the ring and onto Pitbull #2. Douglas is in control. The crowd chant 'she's a whore' again, showing how much that in ring action captivates.
Top rope mistake by Douglas leaves both men down in the centre of the ring which leads to the Pitbull getting back into this one with some nice clotheslines, drop kicks and powerslams. Douglas kicks out at two of a pin attempt and is duly handed a foreign object by the schemeing Francine, what ever it is is used by Douglas as he rocks Pitbull with some punches, but Pitbull kicks out of the first pin attempt and a second after being nailed with both a chair and the ring bell.
Pitbull makes a superhuman come back but Douglas reaches for the ring bell and bashes him with it, buteven that doesn't end it. No in the end despite all that earlier punishment Douglas wins with a very simple belly to belly suplex.

Moments after the 3 count a voice comes over the P.A the masked man that's been challenging Douglas recently says he'll take the mask off if Douglas gives up the girl...hmmmmm....only one man would go this far for a honey...it's the ravishing one!!! Disguised as one of the biker boys he nails Douglas.

Taz vs Sabu
Sabu can't wait to get at Taz for this grudge match, and hits the ring before his music has had chance to play.
Taz gets the early advantage and hits Sabu with some stiff clotheslines and submission holds. Giving a Sabu a bloody nose in the process.This seems to be just the encouragement that the homicidal maniac needs though, as he comes back at Taz with a spring board leg drop sending Taz out of the ring before delivering a firm baseball slide that sends Taz over the guard rail and into the crowd. This obviously delights Sabu who dashes for a chair, sets it up in the ring, then dives off it from the ring over the guard rail and onto the unsuspecting Taz.
The crowd errupt as the men brawl in the seating area.
Back into the ring and after a quick back and forth Sabu again takes control (or as much control as Sabu ever has). A mistake though leads to Taz dropping him face first onto a chair and momentum shifts again. Before long the crowd get another close look at Sabu as he is dumped into the front row.
Failed swinging DDT attempt by Sabu means he crashes through a table. You just can't keep Sabu down though as he fights back in his own reckless style.
Joey Styles loves legs, honestly, he tells us at least 5 times that he can't believe how strong Sabus legs are.
Sabu mocks Taz then locks on his own Tazmission (sabmission???), which is a nice touch. But you won't beat Taz with his own move and he counters easily and locks on the move himself for the victory!

Rvd and Sabu beat down Taz postmatch after Taz showed respect to and shook the hand of Sabu.

Don't turn your back on him Taz

3 way dance to face Raven in the main event title match
Stevie Richards vs Sandman vs Terry Funk (Tommy Dreamer joins Joey Styles on commentary)

If you were watching ECW for the first time back then, Sandman smashing himself with the beer can so that he bleeds before the match has even started must have seemed mental! I'm not even focusing on the smoking and beer drinking entrance here .

The match starts awkwardly with the 3 men in the ring trying to find a rhythm to the ever awkward 3 way. This kind of matches always starts like this as the traditional lock ups and early grapples are redundant here. One way round this is to double team and that's exactly what Sandman and Stevie do as they double team Funker. Sandman turns on Richards though allowing Funk to regain composure and he hits Stevie with 5 neck breakers.
Sandman brings a ladder to the proceedings and beats both men with his new weapon.
Fantastically rubbish moonsault off the ladder from Funk - fantastic cos he's 53, rubbish because...it's rubbish.
All 3 men dish out and take some punishment. Styles remarks 'what makes ECW different..you're looking at it' and it's hard to disagree as the action spills to the outside and sandman disappears to retrieve more weapons. Richards takes the brunt of the beating from Funk and Sandman and he is pinned by both to be the first elimination.
Sandman again disappears here to retrieve some barbed wire and after both men make use of this
Funk gets the victory.

Raven comes to the ring and beats on Funk kick starting the final match of the evening.

ECW World Championship Match
Raven vs Terry Funk

Funk is bloodied and beaten and Raven takes full advantage, stomping and pulverising Funk. It's a savage beating as Raven sends Funk through a table. Ravens then joined by flock members who lend a hand to the brutalising of funk.

Dreamer leaves his commentary position to go make a save but e is attacked by Big D Dudley. Tommy sends Big D off the commentary stage though and heads to the ring where he nails Raven with a DDT and Funk pins Raven to take the title! New ECW champion!

Funking ain't easy y'all

Highly enjoyable event and a remarkable debut PPV from ECW.

Ten Of The Best!!

Well I'm away and bored so a quick post is in order. Here's my ten favourite wrestlers in no particular order:

1, Randy Savage
I always and I mean ALWAYS loved Savage, heel or face, didn't matter, he was just awesome and his ability to tell a story and sell was second to none for me - ring work, check! Promo/ Mic work, check! The look/Gimmick, check!

2, Bret Hart - excellence of execution. Simple!

3, Ric Flair - nobody did it like Flair he was just awesome at playing the arrogant playboy who could back it up in the ring, his '92 royal rumble win remains my favourite match- moment in wrestling history.

4,Sting - When I was a kid the WCW was a mysterious entity in the UK (well to me at least), it seemed so much grittier than the WWF, filled with seemingly old brawlers with no real gimmicks to speak of,but there was one guy who seemed to have the later than life gimmick and personality to mix it with the guys up north and that man was Sting.

5, Sabu - from the very first moment I saw the suicidal maniac on an old ECW traded tape I found him completely and utterly captivating.

6, Ted Dibiase - along with Flair the best heel in the game for me.

7, Mick Foley - always loved Cactus Jack, loved mankind, love foley. Foley is good!

8, Eddie Guerrero - Just a massive fan of his in ring work.

9, Rick Rude - There's possibly something wrong with me, because I don't think any self respecting male should have found Rudes WWF gimmick as entertaining as I did. Stop the music..what I want right now is for all you fat, out of shape, inner city sweat hogs....etc, brilliant. His ring work was great too.

10, Raven - A bit like Sabu I just always found Raven completely captivating, loved the flock, loved his psychology.