Category: TV Series (Specific Episodes)

SUMMARY:     RUNNING TIME: Approximately 25:00 Min.

Recorded live on May 17, 1992, for WCW’s WrestleWar ’92 Pay-Per-View in Jacksonville, FL, this showdown features these five-man teams:

• Sting’s Squadron: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Sting; Barry Windham; “The Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff; “The Natural” Dustin Rhodes; & Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat,

vs.

• The Dangerous Alliance: WCW U.S. Heavyweight Champion “Ravishing” Rick Rude; WCW TV Champion “Stunning” Steve Austin; “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko; “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson: & “Beautiful” Boddy Eaton.  Wielding his ever-present cell phone, wily manager Paul E. Dangerously (Paul Heyman) and a glamorous “Madusa” Miceli are at ringside.    

Back in 1987, Dusty Rhodes is generally credited with devising the War Games gimmick: a two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match.  The teams pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl.  A coin toss then determines a handicap advantage as the other participants enter in two-minute intervals. 

Hence, one side enjoys a repetitive handicap advantage until all ten men are in.  In the so-called “Match Beyond” (featuring all the combatants), there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  Jim Ross is the sole commentator, as colleague Jesse “The Body” Ventura’s voice has been omitted for contractual purposes.

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.    

REVIEW:

While this slugfest sticks to reliable formula, some fresh twists (i.e. neither Anderson nor a Rhodes start off) are welcome.  Significantly, new recruits, such as Austin, Dustin Rhodes, and Steamboat, push themselves hard to entertain fans.  Bolstering the mayhem are reliable veterans Windham, Eaton, and Koloff, who know exactly how to play up their roles. 

Anderson & Zbyszko don’t contribute much, but Anderson’s presence deliberately instills some Four Horsemen nostalgia.  Last, but certainly not least, Sting and Rude exude their considerable star power at the right moments.  A brief stand-off between Madusa and Sting atop the double-cage is an added attraction, along with Paul E.’s shady cell phone antics. 

Yet, the match’s shock value belongs to the three Texas boys (Austin, Windham, and Rhodes) and their bloodshed.  Stars like Sting, Koloff, and Rude get off easy doing their schtick in limited screen time, but this Texan trio, by comparison, comprises nothing short of a gore-fest.  Windham’s bleeding will seem mild, as compared to a crimson-stained Rhodes.  Far worse off is Austin, whose considerable blood loss is jaw-dropping. 

Why WCW condoned such carnage on live TV straight through to its scripted finish is hard to fathom – a referee ordering stoppage would have been plausibly sane.  It’s a matter of pushing macho theater too far; more specifically, the match borders on unrepentant sadism.    

Still, considering how gutsy Austin appears, his level of grisly pride is a precursor to the brutal WrestleMania XIII bout he had against Bret Hart in 1997.  If not for the ridiculous bloodletting, this match is, otherwise, a gritty masterpiece.  More so, it’s a sign that WCW could move past the shadows of Ric Flair, and (to a lesser degree) Lex Luger – after these ex-World Champions had departed for the WWF/WWE.

Note: Consider this irony: only a few years before, WCW (or maybe it was really Ted Turner’s TBS) fired Dusty Rhodes for pushing excessive gore on television.  Go figure. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                             8 Stars

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SUMMARY:                               RUNNING TIME: 24:00 Min.

Recorded live on February 24, 1991, for the WCW’s WrestleWar ’91 Pay-Per-View in Phoenix, AZ, this showdown features these four-man teams:

• The Four Horsemen: WCW World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; Barry Windham; Sid Vicious; & “The Living Legend” Larry Zbyszko (as Arn Anderson’s injury substitute) — with Arn Anderson at ringside,

vs.

• Sting; Rick Steiner; Scott Steiner; & ‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman.  El Gigante appears briefly to second their team.  

Back in 1987, Dusty Rhodes is generally credited with devising the War Games gimmick: a two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match – this time, it’s only eight men.  The squads pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl.  A coin toss then determines a handicap advantage, as the other participants enter in two-minute intervals. 

Hence, one side enjoys a repetitive handicap advantage until all eight men are in.  In the so-called “Match Beyond” (featuring all the combatants), there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  Rhodes & Jim Ross are the commentators, with Tony Schiavone as the ever-present time-keeper.

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.   

REVIEW:

For the first time since 1988, Ric Flair’s Horsemen are back in War Games – no wonder why this brawl’s entertainment value should have been a given.  Yet, the choice of such squeaky clean opposition (including no Road Warriors or other gritty wrestling heroes associated with cage matches) makes this slugfest forgettable about 75% of the time.    

Among the few highlights are a showdown pitting Rick Steiner vs. a bloodied Flair, and a tenacious Brian Pillman, in spite of a hyped shoulder injury, firing back vs. a very-bloodied Barry Windham, Sid Vicious, and Flair.  Recycling his patriotic 1990 Great American Bash attire (when he won the WCW World Title from Flair), Sting is in excellent form, as are Windham and Rick Steiner. 

Given the least screen time, it’s not surprising that neither Larry Zbyszko nor Scott Steiner do anything remotely impressive. As for the one-dimensional Vicious, simply put — his limited arsenal as a monster heel is on full display, including his sadistic ‘dismantling’ of the far smaller Pillman.

While the choreographed mayhem appears average (there’s only a few memorable maneuvers), its claim to immortality stems from the most plausible finish (take that for what you will) in War Games history.  Post-match comments from Ross, Rhodes, and referee Nick Patrick smartly add depth in a sharp deviation from this gimmick’s established formula.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   4 Stars

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SUMMARY:                                RUNNING TIME: 34:00 Min.

Recorded live on July 23, 1989, for the NWA’s Great American Bash ’89: Glory Days PPV from Baltimore, MD, this showdown begins with pre-match promos from both sides.  The combatants are:

• The Road Warriors: Hawk & Animal, with manager “Precious” Paul Ellering; “Dr. Death” Steve Williams; and The Midnight Express: “Sweet” Stan Lane & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, with manager Jim Cornette,

vs.

• The Samoan Swat Team: Samu & Fatu, with manager Paul E. Dangerously (aka Paul Heyman); & The Fabulous Freebirds: Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy and WCW World Tag Team Champions Jimmy “Jam” Garvin & Michael “P.S.” Hayes. 

A few notable changes are made re: this two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match.  First, the supposed coin toss occurs off-screen beforehand, so it’s announced which side will have the handicap advantage going in.  There’s also now an inside-the-ring camera, which proves a big boost to viewers. 

The teams still pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl before more teammates enter at two-minute intervals.  Once all ten men have entered the double-cage, there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  Tommy Young is the main referee while Jim Ross & Bob Caudle serve as the co-commentators.      

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.    

REVIEW:

This battle is worth the wait after lengthy pre-match promos, particularly with a grouchy Hayes mouthing off seemingly forever.  To its credit, WCW gambles on a mid-card War Games, and, considering the players involved, this underrated slugfest proves near-flawless.  One doesn’t have to stomach any gory blood-letting this time, and even some villainous humor is thrown in for good measure.

Another welcome element, along with the cool in-ring camera work, the match’s chemistry/heat/choreography is so remarkably good that its actual plotting seems much less predictable.  Part of that quality is attributable to long-time enemies Road Warriors and Midnight Express teaming up, let alone shifting the defunct UWF’s Williams/Gordy rivalry to War Games.  Some obnoxious tidbits from perennial motormouths Heyman & Hayes (along with a little straight-faced help from Tommy Young) add a touch of comedy to the constant mayhem.

Lastly, don’t turn click off the remote prematurely – as there’s a post-match beatdown.  Yet, considering one can’t get past a blocked cage door or climb in over-the-top, viewers might wonder why, in order to quickly save their pal, the irate teammates don’t storm the cage through the door on the other side.  Even if that idea is left unexplained, this segment concludes a well-played gem meriting re-discovery by wrestling fans.       

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                     8½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                             RUNNING TIME: 25:30 Min.

Recorded live on July 16, 1988, for a NWA Great American Bash house show in Greensboro, NC, this showdown features these five-man squads:

• “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes; “The Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff; “Dr. Death” Steve Williams; “The Total Package” Lex Luger; & the Road Warriors’ manager “Precious” Paul Ellering,

vs.

• The Four Horsemen: (NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Barry Windham; NWA World Tag Team Champions Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) and manager J.J. Dillon.

Rhodes is generally credited with devising this two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match.  The teams pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl.  A coin toss then determines a handicap advantage as the other participants enter in two-minute intervals. Hence, one side will enjoy a repetitive handicap advantage until all ten men are inside the two-ring cage . 

During the so-called “Match Beyond” (featuring all ten combatants), there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  There isn’t a commentary track, as Tony Schiavone serves only as an ever-present time-keeper.    

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches. 

Notes: This match occurs after the first Great American Bash PPV, which was held on July 10, 1988, at Baltimore, MD.  Also, just as a heads-up: Anderson throws an obscene finger gesture at fans just before entering the cage.

REVIEW:

While heavily relying upon War Games formula (i.e. Rhodes & Anderson square off first yet again), the absence of the Road Warriors is an intriguing risk.  Courtesy of fresh recruits Windham and Williams, this War Games brawl still ends up as entertaining as its predecessors. 

The supposed vendettas pitting Rhodes vs. ex-protégé Windham and ex-Horseman Luger vs. his former cronies offer high-caliber NWA storytelling.  The same idea applies to putting an energetic “Total Package” out there as a Hulk Hogan-like hero (without cartoony mannerisms).  In a way, this battle epitomizes evil wrestling technicians vs. charismatic powerhouses – it’s a can’t-miss cliché for 80’s pro wrestling.  

Beyond holding their own, what’s impressive is how the Horsemen sell signature impact moves from the likes of Luger, Koloff, and Williams.  The fact that, along with veteran bleeder Rhodes, these Horsemen are willing to take a grisly pounding to make War Games appear ‘real,’ demonstrates pride in their heel craft.  Also, given a high-profile opportunity, rugged ex-UWF Champion Williams is the underrated factor, as he solidifies himself as a big-league star.  Only an over-confident Dillon gleefully hams it up, which telegraphs this slugfest’s likely finish.

Ultimately, these NWA icons bust tail to satisfy fans with nearly a half-hour of steel cage mayhem.  The unusual lack of commentary (short of Schivaone’s annoying time-elapsed reminders) lets this slugfest speak for itself — in short, this match can ideally be watched on ‘mute.’

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          7 Stars

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SUMMARY:                                        RUNNING TIME: 27:00 Min.

Recorded live on July 10, 1988, for the NWA’s Great American Bash ’88 – “The Price for Freedom” Pay-Per-View (PPV), from Baltimore, MD, this Tower of Doom showdown features these five-man squads:

• The Road Warriors: Hawk & Animal (with “Precious” Paul Ellering); “Dr. Death” Steve Williams; Ron Garvin; & “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin (with his real-life wife/valet, Precious),

vs.

• Kevin Sullivan & Mike Rotunda of ‘The Varsity Club;’ Al Perez (with Gary Hart); & The Russians: Ivan Koloff & the masked  Russian Assassin –Vladimir Petrov (with Paul Jones).

Lifting this high-concept gimmick from the Von Erichs’ World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), this 40-foot high, triple stacked-cage match requires the ten combatants to first climb a ladder to the top.  The much-smaller top two cages means close-quarters combat above a standard-size bottom ring.  Participants must enter through a trap door atop the highest cage before then fighting their way down.  At two-minute intervals, the trapdoors between cages open. 

The first complete team to exit the ground-level cage through the door wins.  Enigmatically ‘torn’ between husband Garvin and psychotic stalker Sullivan, Precious holds the keys unlocking the last cage.  The ringside commentators are Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone.

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.   

Notes: Ronnie Garvin’s heel turn on this same PPV was so ill-received that he finished up the 80’s in the AWA and later the WWE.  In another Tower of Doom showdown, WCW’s 1996 Uncensored pitting the legendary Mega-Powers (Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage) vs. eight villains (including Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, and even the WWE’s ex-Zeus) is an unintended, anything-goes camp classic.

REVIEW:

Judging by the lengthy pre-match footage, it’s no wonder how convoluted this Tower of Doom is — especially as referee Tommy Young is shown forty feet up methodically cinching the trap door pulley.  It comes down to the wrestlers entrusted to make such a gimmicky concept work. 

Considering this particular cast, it’s hard to say if anybody could overcome its reality game show-style logistics — short of some trusted WWF main-eventers (Randy Savage, Curt Hennig, Bret Hart, Rick Rude, Haku, etc.), if there had been a Tower of Doom had in a late-80’s Survivor Series.

Shocking no one, this wonky bout struggles to impress from the get-go.  While the Jimmy Garvin & Precious vs. Kevin Sullivan feud is well-played (aside from a cheap ‘damsel-in-distress’ post-match angle), everyone else merely hop aboard for an awkward ride.  Even the Road Warriors’ magic only extends so far – particularly when opponents must clumsily pass through trap doors.  It’s akin to watching wobbly wrestlers struggling to maintain their balance during a scaffold match.    

While the makeshift action is decent, its sheer lack of impact is attributable to a quintet of sluggish bad guys.  Aside from Mike Rotunda’s knack for making ‘dull’ seem nefariously cool, these particular heels exude the least amount of charisma imaginable.  Had Rick Steiner and/or virtually anybody else been substituted in for the sleep-inducing ‘Russians,’ this match’s watch-a-meter might have soared (i.e. some worthy opposition for the Road Warriors). For instance, one could imagine the Powers of Pain (Warlord & The Barbarian) would have participated, had they not previously left for the WWF.

If anything, this Tower of Doom’s best asset is possibly settling the Garvin vs. Sullivan feud.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          4 Stars

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SUMMARY:                                  RUNNING TIME: 22:00 Min.

Recorded live on July 31, 1987, for the NWA’s Great American Bash outdoor house show at Miami’s Orange Bowl, the heated rematch from War Games # 1 features these two squads:

• The Super-Powers: (“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & “The Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff) and The Road Warriors: (Hawk & Animal) & manager “Precious” Paul Ellering,

vs.

• The Four Horsemen: (NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; Arn Anderson; NWA World TV Champion Tully Blanchard; and NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger); & the masked War Machine (aka Ray ‘Big Bubba Rogers’ Traylor).  Manager J.J. Dillon and Blanchard’s then-valet, ‘Dark Journey,’ are stationed at ringside.

Rhodes is generally credited with devising this two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match concept.  The teams pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl.  A coin toss then determines a handicap advantage, as the other participants enter in two-minute intervals. Hence, one side will enjoy a repetitive handicap advantage until all ten men are in. 

During the so-called “Match Beyond” (featuring all ten combatants), there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  Tony Schiavone is the commentator.

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches.   

Notes: 1. At the time, Rhodes & The Road Warriors were NWA World Six-Man Tag Champions.  2. Prior to this rematch, Luger had vanquished an ‘injured’ Koloff for the U.S. Title inside a steel cage during a Bash house show.

REVIEW:

As the primary U.S. rival to Vince McMahon’s WWF, the NWA/WCW (essentially, Jim Crockett Promotions) again goes all out to please fans with this gritty entertainment.  While there aren’t high-tech graphics (let alone, cartoony antics) comparable to the WWF, this match’s nice video quality speaks for itself.  Minus the substitution of a masked Ray Traylor (aka the WWF’s future Big Boss Man) for an injured Dillon, this second War Games virtually replicates the first War Games. Suffice to say, the implied gory finish is nastier than its predecessor.      

In fairness, there was likely no necessity to change the match’s script much, considering its crowd-pleasing success the first time.  Besides, only those present at the Atlanta house show would have sensed any déjà vu re: recycled plotting.  Other than predictable bleeding by Rhodes and Flair, among others, the ten players ensure that loyal fans get their money’s worth in the form of steel cage mayhem. 

Above all, this rematch rewards wrestling buffs who recall these NWA icons in their prime.  This video is a wrestling time machine to an era when fans had an exciting alternative to the WWF.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        7½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                                      RUNNING TIME: 23:00 Min.

Recorded live on July 4, 1987, at the NWA’s Great American Bash house show in Atlanta, GA, this ten-man slugfest features these teams:

• The Super-Powers: (“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Nikita “The Russian Nightmare” Koloff) and The Road Warriors: (Hawk & Animal) & manager “Precious” Paul Ellering,

vs.

• The Four Horsemen: (NWA World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair; Arn Anderson; NWA World TV Champion Tully Blanchard; and Lex Luger); & manager J.J. Dillon.  Blanchard’s then-valet, ‘Dark Journey,’ is also at ringside.

Rhodes is generally credited with devising this two-ring, roofed double-steel cage ten-man grudge match concept.  The teams pit their initial two combatants in a five-minute one-on-one brawl.  A coin toss then determines a handicap advantage, as the other participants enter in two-minute intervals. Hence, one side will enjoy a repetitive handicap advantage until all ten men are inside the two-ring cage. 

During the so-called “Match Beyond” (featuring all ten combatants), there’s no escape, as the losing squad is forced to either submit or surrender.  Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are the co-commentators.

In 2013, the WWE released this match as part of a collection of War Games matches (in DVD and Blu-ray formats) entitled WWE War Games: WCW’s Most Notorious Matches. 

Notes: 1. At the time, Rhodes & The Road Warriors were NWA World Six-Man Tag Champions.  2. For the videotaped July 31^st rematch, Dillon is replaced by Ray “Big Bubba Rogers/Big Boss Man” Traylor as the masked ‘War Machine.’ 

REVIEW:

Competing against the popularity of Vince McMahon’s WWF, the NWA/WCW (aka Jim Crockett Promotions) delivers the goods for fans with this macho entertainment.  There aren’t flashy graphics comparable to the WWF, but this match’s video quality is still plenty good.  The ringside blow-by-blow coverage from Ross & Schiavone is an extra treat.    

Aside from predictable bleeding by multiple players and an obscene finger gesture by Rhodes, this intense first War Games establishes an entertaining formula.  Specifically, this excuse for wrestling violence relies on basic storytelling – as in the ruthless Horsemen must stand and fight this time vs. ganging up on outnumbered foes and/or getting a cheap DQ to escape a title loss.  Not surprisingly, in order to appease fans, the no-holds-barred War Games heat locked in a repetitive booking scheme for the follow-ups over the next eight years – except for 1991’s plausible twist ending. 

Still, this battle’s gritty novelty and spot-on choreography will reward long-time fans who still remember these NWA icons in their prime.  It’s a wrestling time machine where seeing the mid-to-late 80’s NWA again becomes a nostalgic gift. 

Note: Watch for Ellering’s pugnacious effort challenging Flair (it also happens in War Games # 2 and, briefly, # 3).  Just for chuckles, one can only wonder why he never got his own World Title shot against “The Nature Boy,” as seemingly everyone else did. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                   8 Stars

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SUMMARY:                                          RUNNING TIME: 14 Min.

Filmed by Mid-South Wrestling (later known as the UWF — Universal Wrestling Federation), the match occurs on March 22, 1985, in Houston, Texas, at the Sam Houston Coliseum.  The loaded-up stipulations are: it’s a coal miner’s glove, tuxedo (where the wrestlers rip each other’s tuxedos off) steel cage match where the loser gets out of town, or more likely, a vacation, for thirty days.  As perennial rivals/ex-friends, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (in a white tux) faces off vs. “The Big Cheese” Ted DiBiase (in a black tux). It’s left to announcer Jim Ross to call the shots (literally) at ringside.  The match appears on the WWE’s 2013 Legends of Mid-South Wrestling DVD and Blu-Ray sets. 

Note: In 1987, both Duggan and DiBiase separately left the UWF for WWE to enjoy the biggest runs in their prospective careers.

REVIEW:

If there’s an everything-but-the-kitchen sink-style match in pro wrestling, then this one likely has it.  Ironically, the only cartoony aspect of this slugfest is its outrageous rules.  What viewers actually get is a somewhat bloody, knockdown brawl in a cheapo steel cage seemingly made out of playground monkey bars.  The macho action is fairly good (minus watching two guys stripping each other) — but there’s no mistaking that neither Duggan nor DiBiase (at the time, saddled with an unimaginative nickname) were allowed to play up much, if any, charisma.  Case in point: compare this showdown to their glitzy WrestleMania IV bout from March 1988 — DiBiase & Duggan’s formulaic wrestling there is okay, but their exaggerated in-ring personas are genuinely entertaining.

Still, for fans of these wrestling icons, the nostalgia of seeing them in their pre-WWE prime makes this bout worth watching.  Maybe this gritty skirmish isn’t meant for repetitive viewing, but the stipulations alone are a hoot.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                        6 Stars

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