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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