LowBlowPodcast

The show’s got that gritty, old-school wrestling energy, and the Knoxville setting adds flavor. Could lean into the local vibe more—like a quick mention of the crowd’s rowdiness or the studio’s atmosphere to ground it. tan and Champion come off as stars, especially with their promos. Kazmier’s bear hug dominance is cool. Fuller’s intensity and Armstrong’s “East Tennessee” vibe really pop, giving each guy a distinct voice.

Hogan’s classic Hulkamania fire and Flair’s cocky “Nature Boy” energy steal the show, especially that intense face-off.The WrestleRock hype is awesome, especially with the Hogan-Flair cliffhanger and the chaotic brawl. The Sammartino-Kahlua and Canek-Bundy/Gagne feuds feel big too. The Hammond Center setting and AWA’s gritty, larger-than-life feel come through strong.

Slick’s shady vibe and Santana’s fiery “Viking funeral” line hit hard! SNME hype is solid, especially with the Mask vs. Hair and War Zone matches. Duggan’s hometown heroics and Silver King’s mask drama are awesome

The vibe is intense, with that gritty shoot-style feel and the sold-out Miyagi Sports Center crowd going wild. Maeda and Funaki’s main event is a banger

This USWA show at the Midsouth Coliseum is packed with that raw, Southern wrestling heat. The Lawler-Slater brawl is a standout—love the slow-burn technical start exploding into a bloody street fight, with Tommy Rich’s popcorn-munching cameo adding intrigue. The Christopher-HTM beatdown is brutal and emotional.The Southern Boys’ title loss and Dundee-Christopher’s grudge win keep the crowd hyped, but the chaotic First Family attack in the main event hits hard. Awesome cards overall!

WCW Power Hour - Tony Schiavone & Paul E Dangerously Paul E is primed up tonight for a big evening as he says he has gone to Vegas and put all his money on Muta to win and beat Ricky Steamboat at the Great American Bash! We’ve got a television title match this morning on tap… we’ve also got some more video footage of Big Sid Vicious! Plus we will hear from Sting… let’s head to the ring! Crush gets a convincing win and we have an inset interview from the Diamond Studd who says that Crush is going to end up just like the rest…. Dropped on his head! Tatanka gets a nice victory this morning - sans Wahoo - he’ll be in a tv title match for some reason later on. The Samoans get a good tag win and look uber dangerous! In the WCW Top 10… WCW Champion - Lex Luger US Champion - Nikita Koloff TV Champion - Scott Hall Flyin Brian Ricky Steamboat The Great Muta The Z-Man Tatanka Davey Boy Smith Owen Hart Crush We get another special video highlighting Sid Vicious… he will make his debut next week on WCW! This video shows Sid lifting weights and then dropping them down. We see him lift a car! Sid then goes on top of the car and starts to destroy it with a sledgehammer! He will be live next week on WCW! MAIN EVENT - Television Championship - Scott Hall defends the WCW television championship against Wahoo McDaniel in… well… it’s a match. Perhaps the swan song for Wahoo as you can tell this is all he’s got! Studd can’t get the Diamond Death Drop… but he does hit the fallaway slam and it isn’t pretty but he gets the 3-count! Our last segment is highlighted by a special interview with Sting… all he says is tune in to WCW because he’s going to be in the ring and he’s going to tell everyone why he chose to face Nikita Koloff rather than Lex Luger at the Great American Bash! World Championship Wrestling - Jim Ross & Jesse Ventura Ricky the Dragon Steamboat defeated Savio Vega in a good showcase. Paul E has an inset interview with Muta and he says that not only will he continue to be a manager after the Great American Bash but he promises to manage the next WCW World Champion! Adam Bomb with a good win…. He beats the hell out of some dude and finishing him off with the helicopter toss. We get another special video highlighting Sid Vicious… he will make his debut next week on WCW! This video shows Sid lifting weights and then dropping them down. We see him lift a car! Sid then goes on top of the car and starts to destroy it with a sledgehammer! He will be live next week on WCW! The JYD, Big Josh, & El Gigante win a six-man… Gigante gets the win with a nasty skull crusher! Gary Hart has an inset interview putting over the six-man at the Bash and how this will be his men’s finest hour! Masa Chono defeated Kendall Windham - Sasuke was out there with Chono… Nikita Koloff w/ Ivan nearly kills Joey Maggs with a Russian Sickle. He cuts a scathing promo on Sting and says that when he chose to face him at the Bash… he chose his own path of destruction! Flyin Brian defeated Abdullah the Butcher with a high cross body! Brian gets over and cuts a good promo on Lex Luger and says that he cannot wait to step into that ring and fight for the WCW world Title but more importantly… he can’t wait to step in there with Luger and smack some sense into him! This leads to Harley Race coming out and taunting Pillman… only for Lex Luger to come out of nowhere and attack him! Race holds Pillman for Luger to smack across the face a couple of times before Sting comes out and breaks things up! We then get our big Sting promo… he says that he has got all the faith in the world in one of his best friends, Flyin Brian… that he can get the job done and defeat Lex Luger… win the WCW Title… but then Luger is going to be all Stings! Nikita Koloff is the one who put Sting on the shelf… albeit… perhaps he was guided by Ivan Koloff… or Lex Luger’s money… who knows… but payback is a you know what and come the Great American Bash… Sting is coming for PAYBACK and when it is all said and done… Lex Luger… you will have nowhere to run… nowhere to hide… and no title because Flyin Brian is going to be the next WCW CHAMPION! In our main event - we saw Marty Jannetty get destroyed by Road Warrior Hawk! Hawk threw him into the ringpost three times outside the ring and Jannetty was in a nasty bad way. Hawk ended up getting DQ’d in the chaos but then Animal showed up to finish off Jannetty before Shawn Michaels came out. The Road Warriors looked like they were going to pounce but held off… will they be able to hold off as they get closer to the Bash?

I am going to drop the following: Hurricane Castillo Miguel Perez Jose Estrada Jr Ricky Santana Ted Petty - Cheetah Kid Derrick Dukes Sherri has been traded to the WWF

WCW Power Hour - Tony Schiavone & Paul E Dangerously We’ve got a full hour of action here on the Power Hour. A couple of good showcase matches… the top 10… plus a video on Sid Vicious… plus a big announcement… let’s see how it goes! In action, we saw Crush, Adam Bomb, The Freebirds, and Road Warriors all in action. We find out that the Road Warriors will face the Freebirds tonight on WCW! In the WCW Top 10… WCW Champion - Lex Luger US Champion - Nikita Koloff TV Champion - Scott Hall Flyin Brian Ricky Steamboat The Great Muta The Z-Man Tatanka Abdullah the Butcher Davey Boy Smith Owen Hart We see an awesome video of Sid… it is right out of the movie No Holds Barred… Sid is punching through cement blocks. We see Sid hoisting up huge tires and throwing them down. Sid then pulls a truck on a steel chain. As the video continues to roll… we hear the same words… Master… Ruler…. Master… Ruler… and then the finishing image shows Sid… and he says… OF THE WORLD! In other news - Paul E puts Sid over like a million dollars… he even says he would love to manage the big man but Tony makes the joke about how Paul E won’t be managing anyone after the Bash when Rick Steamboat defeats Muta! The other big news… we hear that Sting will be in the ring tonight on WCW and he will be with JJ Dillon and a decision will be made about the Great American Bash! Main Event of the Power Hour has some good action with Owen Hart taking on Paul Roma in a fun 15-minute match. The time limit seems to be the calling card for these teams and individuals. They go the limit and right near the end, we see Hercules get involved and then Davey Boy. It is a no contest due to interference but the finishing touch of Owen Hart hitting a moonsault on Roma and Hercules to finish the show was awesome! World Championship Wrestling - Jim Ross & Jesse Ventura A big night here… we’ve got quite a bit going on… let’s take a look at all the big action… Ricky Steamboat defeated Kensuke Sasuke in a nice one on one match. The crowd is solidly behind Steamboat and he shows off all the great stuff. We see Muta come out with Paul E and Steamboat welcomes him into the ring but Paul E holds Muta back… Steamboat hits the flying crossbody for the 3-count and the win! We see the Diamond Studd - Scott Hall in action. Jesse of course puts him through the roof. The fun note for this one is that Crush comes out and says he is the next in line for a challenge for the TV title… Hall doesn’t look phased… until Crush grabs him for an Iron Claw and throws him out of the ring! Hall is irate… these two will meet at the Bash for the TV Title! We see an awesome video of Sid… it is right out of the movie No Holds Barred… Sid is punching through cement blocks. We see Sid hoisting up huge tires and throwing them down. Sid then pulls a truck on a steel chain. As the video continues to roll… we hear the same words… Master… Ruler…. Master… Ruler… and then the finishing image shows Sid… and he says… OF THE WORLD! Davey Boy Smith defeated Hercules in a one on one contest - Roma tried to get involved but Owen Hart was able to halt him… and then we saw Davey Boy hit a huge powerslam on Hercules for the 3-count! We find out that Power and Glory will defend the US tag titles at the Great American Bash against Owen and Davey… but it will be a no time limit match and there must be a winner! Tatanka defeated Savio Vega… Wahoo was out there to hold off the Boricuas… nothing too special but Tatanka looks good! We have a special interview… Sting comes out and he is with JJ Dillon… they step into the ring with Jim Ross… the summation comes down to this… Sting is not in line for a WCW Title Shot due to his lack of matches and the injury - so the WCW Title committee does not feel as though he can compete for the WCW world title… However… they are willing to grant him a match with Lex Luger at the Great American Bash… the man who put out the bounty on him… but it would be Non-Title. The other option would be to face Nikita Koloff - the man who injured him… Sting looks out to the crowd… he is about to speak but then we see Lex Luger come out with Harley Race… Race and Luger are not happy about this… they say Sting shouldn’t even be in the main event picture after being out for so long. Luger asks Sting why he is trying to take his world title from him. It is something they both worked so hard to get… so hard to achieve… but now Sting wants to take it from him. Luger says he thought they were a team. Sting then let’s Luger have it about how it was LUGER who turned his back on Sting. It was LUGER who paid to have someone take him out! Luger has been the world champion and he’s earned it but his time has come to an end and Sting is going to do whatever he can to TAKE the WCW Title from Luger! This brings out Nikita Koloff with Uncle Ivan… they hype up how Sting continues to run and hide from Nikita… a man he knows he cannot beat… a man he knows will injure him again if they ever step in the ring together! Sting then smiles and looks at JJ Dillon… he says he’s made up his mind… he wants Luger so bad that he can taste it… but he knows that the only way for that victory to be enough is to take that WCW World Title from him… so first thing’s first… it is time for PAYBACK AND NIKITA KOLOFF… YOUR BUTT IS MINE! Sting then runs and clothesline Nikita over the top rope to the floor! Sting goes out after him… Nikita makes haste… Sting makes chase… Luger remains in the ring… he is all smiles… he knows he dodged the bullet… before he and Race exit the ring, JJ stops them. Wait just a moment… now you may not be facing Sting at the Great American Bash… but you WILL be defending that WCW World Championship… against the number 3 ranked challenger… FLYIN BRIAN! Out of the corner of the screen… Flyin Brian comes off the top rope with a huge cross body and then he starts hammering away at Luger with huge right hands! Race pulls him off by the hair but Pillman swipes him away and then throws a huge dropkick and Race flops out of the ring! Sting vs Nikita… Luger vs Flyin Brian… The Great American Bash is set and fans it is going to be a hot one! We see a couple other matches including… Adam Bomb in a singles victory… El Gigante gets a 2 on 1 handicap win… The Samoans get a tag team win… In the Main Event tonight… we see the Road Warriors taking on the Fabulous Freebirds. We see DDP get involved… multiple times… but that brings out the Rockers and they back off DDP… in the ring… the Freebirds definitely aren’t the team they once were… or perhaps thought they were… and the Road Warriors are showing some more violent tendencies. The Rockers continue to watch on but then DDP comes back out and then causes a disruption when DDP grabs Animal’s leg… but then Michaels comes over and nails DDP… but Animal thinks it was Michaels who grabbed his leg… Animal goes out of the ring and he is face to face with Michaels… here comes Jannetty… wait here comes Hawk…and there he goes… Hawk with a huge right hand on Jannetty and we’ve got fists of fire outside the ring! The match is ended… the Freebirds grab DDP and go to the back. The Rockers and Road Warriors get back in the ring and they are continuing to brawl until we see officials and agents come out. The Road Warriors get out on the apron… and the Rockers come with a pair of dropkicks and send them flying off the apron to the floor! Oh my… the Road Warriors are pissed… fans the Great American Bash has come together… it is coming at you in just a matter of weeks… here’s the card! GREAT AMERICAN BASH July 14th - Baltimore Maryland MAIN EVENT Cage Match WCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP The Rockers vs The Road Warriors WCW Championship Flyin Brian vs Lex Luger © Sting vs Nikita Koloff w/ Ivan If Steamboat wins - Paul E loses his manager’s license! Ricky Steamboat vs The Great Muta w/ Paul E El Gigante, JYD, & Big Josh vs Abdullah & The Samoans w/ Gary Hart TV Championship Crush vs Scott Hall © US TAG CHAMPIONSHIP No Time Limit - must be a winner! Owen & Davey vs Power & Glory © The Nasty Boys vs The Fabulous Freebirds w/ DDP

I have my list at 59 - WCW would like to sign... Kendall Windham Ricky Santana Ted Petty Jim Powers Joey Maggs < Maybe needs to be added Derrick Dukes @KingBoggs33 - No tie in to your guys with this right? If so - we can work it out.

The wild press conference brawl between Hogan and Flair set a heated tone for their AWA title match. Disalvo and Power Twins’ dominant win and promo built solid hype for their WrestleRock clash. Golden vs. Burke’s taped fist fight setup with Leo’s attack promises a brutal showdown. Kahlua’s fiery beach promo made his TV title match against Sammartino feel intense. Cactus Jack and Buzz Sawyer’s chaotic brawl showed their falls count anywhere match will be insane. Graham vs. Garvin’s contract signing added a personal wrestling lesson angle for WrestleRock. The Mavericks, Jive Tones, and Latin Desire’s chaotic ending perfectly hyped their three-way title match. Night 1 AWA World Tag Team Title Bout The Enforcers (Arn Anderson and Larry Zbyszko) AWA International Title Bout ??? AWA TV Title Bout Special Guest ring announcer- Jasmine Guy David Sammartino (C) STEEL CAGE MATCH! The Magnificent Muraco Carlos Colon Taped Fist Match Special Referee- Randall 'Tex' Cobb I LOVE TEX COBB! Jimmy 'The Stud' Golden The Hangman w/Nell 'The Future' JW Storm and The Destruction Crew Mr. Saito Good Vibrations w/The Vin Man Night 2 AWA World Title Bout 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair AWA National Tag Team Title Bout The Jive Tones w/Tiger Conway Jr. King Kong Bundy w/Greg Gagne Falls Count Anywhere Cactus Jack 'The Universal Heartthrob' Austin Idol and The Starrs The Missing Link Tornado Match The Soul Patrol 'Rugged' Ron Garvin The Can Am Express A very special interview with a returning wrestler

Ron Fuller and Rick Titan’s promos were straight fire, totally hyping up that main event showdown! Vampire Warrior and Kabuki crushed it in their squash match, and that Moondogs chaos at the end was wild! Scott Armstrong and Steve Simpson’s promo was super intense, and Ole dropping that "Fire on the Mountain" match news got me pumped! Blue Demon Jr. and Biff Wellington’s match was legit awesome, best on TV, and that handshake at the end? So cool. The main event was a total banger, and Titan going full beast mode with those powerbombs after getting robbed was insane!

Lawler vs. Slater for the USWA World Title sounds intense—a gritty fight with that bounty drama. Steiners vs. Doom for the Tag Titles looks solid, with their bad blood making it a big clash. Savage vs. Hennig for the Southern Heavyweight Title should be great—two stars with a wild backstory. Southern Boys vs. Valentine and Neidhart will be fun, with the champs facing tough odds. Gaylord vs. Angel of Death, with Dutch in a cage, feels like classic Memphis chaos.

King of the Ring properThe WWF Championship match between Ultimate Warrior and Haku was a thrilling hoss fight, with both men no-selling big moves. Haku’s accidental ref knockout and Rick Rude’s interference added chaotic drama to the title match. Rude’s ambiguous title shot hitting Haku, followed by Warrior’s comeback, kept fans guessing about alliances. Warrior retaining the WWF Championship with a splash felt like a crowd-pleasing finish. The King of the Ring tournament was competitive, with Kevin Von Erich’s underdog run stealing the show. Von Erich’s semifinal DQ win over Vader showcased his grit against a dominant monster. Bad News Brown’s technical counters, like reversing Jake Roberts’ DDT, made him a standout in the tournament. The finals saw Von Erich capitalize on Slick’s botched interference, earning a well-deserved crown. The Intercontinental Title match saw Dino Bravo overpower Dr. Tom Prichard with a strong powerslam finish. The tag title matches, especially the Killer Bees’ upset over Powers of Pain, added excitement to the card. Prime Time Berzerker beat Vic Steamboat with a big boot, looking strong. Mean Gene hyped Kevin Von Erich’s King of the Ring win nicely. Monsoon praised Von Erich, but Heenan’s “cowpoke” jab was funny. Bushwhackers’ “Battering Ram” victory was fun for the crowd. Heenan’s silly complaint about the Killer Bees’ title win was great. The Rude-Haku title match drama added intrigue for what’s next.

New Power in Place In a major shakeup, Jim Ross has been named WCW’s Executive Vice President, moving from the World Championship Wrestling announce booth to a top management role. Sources say Ross, a respected voice in the industry, is tasked with steering WCW’s creative and talent direction, with a focus on elevating stars like Sting and Lex Luger for the Great American Bash and beyond. Insiders report Ross is already making waves, securing big contracts and new talent to bolster the roster. With JJ Dillon handling on-screen authority, Ross’s backstage power could reshape WCW’s chaotic landscape, but some veterans worry his announcer loyalty to babyfaces like Sting might clash with heel-leaning brass. WCW’s Great American Bash Main Event: Which Path Saves or Sinks the Company? June 21, 12, 1990 – Wrestling Observer Newsletter WCW’s Great American Bash main event is a hot topic backstage, with new Executive VP Jim Ross facing pressure to pick the right closer. Scenario one—Sting vs. Lex Luger for the WCW World Title—capitalizes on their heated Power Hour promo and WCW brawl, where Sting dove onto Nikita Koloff only for Luger to dodge a fight. Sources say this dream match could sell out arenas. Some veterans argue Sting’s knee injury angle with Nikita needs resolution first, and a rushed title match could dilute the the title challenge payoff, leaving WCW’s top feud directionless post-Bash. Scenario two, the Rockers vs. Road Warriors in a steel cage, has momentum from WCW’s hype as the tag division’s ultimate showdown. Sources say Ross views this as a can’t-miss matchup to cement the Rockers as champions for a rumored new team to challenge by September’s Clash. The cage match could steal the show, boosting the tag division’s heat after the Freebirds’ Power Hour chaos, but making it the main event risks overshadowing Sting, WCW’s top draw. Insiders worry fans expecting a world title headliner might boo a tag match, even one as hot as this, hurting WCW’s momentum if Sting’s Nikita grudge isn’t elevated. The third option—Sting vs. Nikita Koloff, Luger vs. Flyin’ Brian for the title, and Rockers vs. Warriors in the cage main event—gains traction as Ross’s pick. It builds on Sting’s WCW dive and Brian’s “garbage man” promo, while keeping Luger’s title reign safe for the foreseeable future. The cage match closes with a bang, giving the Warriors a and the Rockers a platform for a marquee match and then challengers like the Freebirds or Sid Vicious, who’s set to debut against soon. Sources say this balanced card maximizes Bash’s draw and sets WCW’s future, but some fear splitting focus could confuse fans if Sting’s grudge match isn’t billed as the emotional peak. Ross’s call is imminent, and the locker room’s holding its breath. Other News... WCW World Champion Lex Luger has signed a three-year deal worth $475,000 annually plus royalties, per sources, locking in the “Total Package” as a cornerstone of Jim Ross’s new regime as Executive VP. The contract, finalized after Luger’s fiery Power Hour promo burying Sting, is second only to Sting’s reported four-year, $550,000-per-year deal with royalties, which insiders say cements the Stinger as WCW’s top draw despite Luger’s title reign. Luger’s camp is pushing for a long Halloween Havoc program, but some in the locker room grumble that Ross’s big spending on heels like Luger could alienate babyface supporters. Jim Ross, fresh off his Executive VP appointment, has brought back the Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, with DDP) to heat up WCW’s tag division, as seen in their rule-breaking Power Hour win over JYD and Big Josh. Sources say Ross, a longtime friend of Hayes, views the Freebirds as a chaotic foil to teams like the Rockers, but another tag team, signed recently, is generating buzz for a post-Great American Bash debut. Insiders hint this team, managed by a slick talker, could target the Bash’s cage match winners (Rockers vs. Road Warriors) and shake up the division by September’s Clash. The “new GIANT… VICIOUS” vignette on Power Hour has confirmed WCW’s signing of Sid Vicious, a 6’9” monster who sources say is Jim Ross’s marquee acquisition. Set to debut days before the Great American Bash, Sid’s been promised a major push to terrorize the roster, with no manager attached—a rarity for big men. Insiders say Ross sees Sid as a potential main eventer, possibly eyeing Sting or Luger post-Bash, but some worry his raw power could overshadow veterans like JYD or Steamboat if not booked carefully. Tully Blanchard has left WCW after failing to reach a deal with new Executive VP Jim Ross, sources confirm, forcing a last-minute pivot in the Great American Bash six-man tag (now El Gigante/JYD/Big Josh vs. Abdullah/Samoans). Insiders say Blanchard saw Ross’s management shift as a chance to exit, with some speculating he’s headed to the WWF or Japan. The move, announced on World Championship Wrestling as Tully being “scared” of Gigante, has frustrated some in the locker room who valued his veteran presence, but Ross’s quick booking fix has kept the Bash card intact. US Champion Nikita Koloff has signed a two-year extension with WCW, sources report, a major coup for Jim Ross’s new regime. Fresh off his dominant World Championship Wrestling squash and tied to Lex Luger’s anti-Sting campaign on Power Hour, Nikita’s deal ensures his role in the Great American Bash grudge match against Sting and beyond. Some backstage whisper Nikita’s growing tired of Ivan Koloff’s interference, hinting at a possible shift in demeanor after the Bash, but for now, he’s a key heel in Ross’s plans for Halloween Havoc. Kevin Nash, briefly part of the Skyscrapers, is off WCW TV indefinitely due to injuries sustained in recent matches, sources say. Nash is rehabbing at WCW’s new Power Plant training facility, joined by prospects Billy Gunn, Marc Mero, and Marcus Bagwell, all slated for 1991 debuts. With Jim Ross pushing the Power Plant to build WCW’s future, insiders expect these names to bolster the midcard, but Nash’s absence leaves a gap in the tag division as the Freebirds and a rumored new team (post-Bash) take center stage.

WCW Power Hour - Tony Schiavone & Paul E Dangerously An interesting morning of action for WCW Power Hour. We get some good matches but more importantly… a taped interview from the WCW World Champion - The Total Package - Lex Luger! We see a video of Lex Luger, holding his world title… saying… you know last week… I may have let my emotions get the best of me. Sting… you and I have known one another for a long time. We’ve been friends… we’ve been partners… we’ve traveled the roads… we have faced everything together. To think that you would want to come and take the world title from me… well it just rubbed me the wrong way Sting. Since I became WCW World Champion, all I have heard is how Sting should be the champion, I stepped over you to get the shot, I never gave you a chance at the gold… well Sting… none of that is true. I was the rightful number one contender… I won the title by myself… I have kept the title by myself… So Sting… you want to come back from your injury… an injury that Nikita Koloff caused by the way… you want to come back and think you can just challenge me for the title? I don’t think so Sting. I have had my new administrative assistant… Harley Race… he has crossed every t and dotted every i… you aren’t in line for the shot at the title… so you don’t get to challenge me and try to end our friendship like you’re trying to do! In action this week, we see the Nasty Boys, The TV Champion - Diamond Studd, Adam Bomb, Kensuke Sasuke & Masa Chono, plus a six-man with Abdullah and the Samoans getting the win. WCW Top Ten WCW Champion - Lex Luger Nikita Koloff - US Champion Diamond Studd - TV Champion Flyin Brian Great Muta Ricky Steamboat The Z-Man Abdullah the Butcher The Junkyard Dog Owen Hart Davey Boy Smith In the Main Event - we have a tag team encounter with the Freebirds in action against JYD and Big Josh. The Freebirds break every rule in the book with DDP calling the shots outside the ring. We then see the Samoans come out with Gary Hart… they get involved… the Freebirds get a double DDT on Big Josh and the win but the Samoans get the beat down with a 4 on 2 until the Nasty Boys come out and turn things around. A hot end to a pretty decent show. World Championship Wrestling - Jim Ross & Jesse Ventura Ross and Ventura build up a huge night of action. We will see the US Tag Titles on the line tonight in a rematch with Davey Boy and Owen taking on the Power and Glory! We’ll hear from JJ Dillon about the Great American Bash. Sting will be here… Lex Luger is said to be here… plus El Gigante in action! Let’s go to the ring! Flying Brian with a big win to get things going tonight. He looks to be in amazing shape. Flyin Brian cuts a good promo… he says he has been looking at the top ten… he knows that Lex Luger is nothing but a backstabbing piece of trash… and they can call him the garbage man because he wants to take it out! Chono, Saskue, & Scott Norton win a six-man - kind of aimless right now in WCW but these three have got some talent. Ricky Steamboat gets a promo in… he talks about Muta and the Great American Bash. The match is signed and Steamboat promises to put on a show but win one for the USA! Crush picks up a nice win and shows off some power and strength. Paul E is out here with Muta… he says he will quit managing if Muta loses to Steamboat… Muta looks confused… but none the less… this is going to be a premiere matchup come the Bash! El Gigante picks up a win in a handicap match that has absolutely nothing to it. He looks good… as a spectacle but the wrestling isn’t there. A first of a couple big announcements… we hear that the six-man for the Great American Bash has been changed… JJ Dillon states that Tully Blanchard was scared away from WCW by El Gigante… so at the Bash, Gigante will team with the Junkyard Dog and Big Josh to take on Abdullah the Butcher and the Samoans with Gary Hart! We then see a special video… it says that there is a new GIANT in WCW… he is big… he is bad… he is VICIOUS and he RULES THE WORLD! Tatanka w/ Wahoo gets a win… he is building up to something… we’ll see. We find out our second big announcement that the Rockers will defend the WCW World Tag Team Championship against the Road Warriors at the Great American Bash in a CAGE MATCH! Nikita Koloff w/ Ivan destroys some dudes… he looks like an absolute monster. Sting is shown to a huge pop from the crowd… he attempts to talk about Lex Luger but Nikita walks over and we’ve got a lot of security and officials out here. JJ Dillon comes out… wait a minute now Lex Luger and Harley Race are out here! This is beginning to look like a car wreck… Sting gets back in the ring while Nikita is outside the ring… wait a minute… Sting runs and LEAPS OVER THE TOP ROPE AND ATTACKS NIKITA! The crowd is going wild… Luger is backing up… Sting gets up and he is walking towards him but the officials come out… Sting is looking at Luger but here comes Nikita from behind and attacks Sting! My gosh… chaos… officials and agents are out here… here come some of the babyfaces to try and stop this… what the hell is going on!?! US Tag Titles - Owen and Davey vs Power and Glory… this one goes the distance one more time… these two teams leave everything in the ring. Paul Roma really steps into his own with Owen Hart. Owen looks like a future golden goose of WCW… in the end… we get a nice double pinfall finish when Davey Boy hits a bridging German Suplex on Hercules and Roma hits a fisherman’s suplex on Owen. the bell rings and both teams think they’ve won but the time limit hit once again… these two need a brawl to end it all! We’ll see you next week!

@spaldoni and @Autistic Dragon thanks for the quick feedback, fellas - it allowed me to post the follow-up sooner to try and catch up. Needless to say - I have a little conundrum for the Main Event for the Bash...

WCW Power Hour - Tony Schiavone & Paul E Dangerously The whole hour is focused on what happened last night at the Clash of the Champions… we see the attack from Luger on Sting on two different occasions. Tony and Paul E put this through the roof. Paul E also pumps up the fact that Muta laid out Ricky Steamboat! We hear about how the Rockers and the Road Warriors have signed to face one another at the Bash in the Final Brawl… WCW Top Ten WCW Champion, Lex Luger Nikita Koloff - US Champion The Diamond Studd - Television Champion Flyin Brian Great Muta The Z-Man Ricky Steamboat Masa Chono Tatanka Junkyard Dog Abdullah the Butcher We have a couple of matches on top here this morning… Kevin Sullivan leads out the Varsity Club in a nice tag team win, we see Adam Bomb with a good win, Savio Vega gets a win with his Boricuas watching on, The Freebirds are here with DDP and get a win, and in the main event… JYD defeats Abdullah via DQ! We’ll hear from Lex Luger tonight on WCW… TUNE IN AND DON’T MISS IT! World Championship Wrestling - Jim Ross & Jesse Ventura We continue the saga of what happened last night with WCW tonight and for the entirety of the broadcast… they almost beat it to death but hell… it is important. Another argument throughout the night is whether or not Sting is going to be in condition to return at the Bash now… we’ll hopefully hear from him tonight… here we go! The Freebirds w/ DDP get a good win… Nasty Boys with an inset interview and they put over how they aren’t afraid of Bad Street because is pales in comparison to Nastyville! Tatanka gets a good win with Wahoo in his corner… Flyin Brian cuts a nasty promo on Lex Luger and says he is nothing but a turncoat and he wants to hear it from him directly what happened. He says he has always known Luger to be a man about himself and himself alone… but he has got to answer for what he did! Crush looks great and he gets a big win… then we see a face off with him and Adam Bomb… this one has got the crowd going mild… but the visual is nice. The Road Warriors get a good win… but then the Rockers are out here… we find out that at the Bash they will face one another for the WCW World Tag Team Championship… a stipulation to the match is expected to be announced… Nikita Koloff is out here with Ivan and they cut a nasty promo on Sting. Nikita says Sting cost him the title and he wants to face him in his return match at the Bash so he can crush all the hopes and dreams of the little Stingers and show why he’s the rightful number one contender! The Varsity Club gets a six-man tag team win with Sullivan in action. Power and Glory show off their US tag title glory… we find out they will face Owen and Davey again next week… the titles will be on the line! Ricky Steamboat with a promo… he says that he was happy with his victory the other night but he knows that Paul E has got more tricks up his sleeve and he will not stop until he shuts up the Psycho Yuppie from Scarsdale! Chono, Sasuke, and Norton win a six-man… WCW has a lot of jobbers working tonight. People gotta eat. The Diamond Studd gets a win… a huge Diamond Death Drop… the TV title looks good around his waist… In what may be considered the most shocking situation in the short history of WCW… Lex Luger comes out to a ruckus crowd… they are really letting him have it from the situation last night on TBS and the Clash of the Champions… Ross is trying to get him to talk about what happened… but then we see Harley Race come out with that briefcase again… Ross wonders what in the world he’s doing out here. Race says he’s here on official business. He’s going to deliver a check… a check for $50,000 to the man who took out Sting. Ross wonders if it was Race who put out the bounty on Sting… Race stops him and says it wasn’t him… Race hands the check to Lex Luger… Luger seems shy and doesn’t accept the check at first… but then Ross takes it and reads that it is a $50,000 check… written… BY LEX LUGER! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?!?! Luger pushes Ross away and then grabs the microphone as he and Harley Race are all smiles… Luger cuts a scathing promo on Sting… he talks about how Sting was always trying to outshine him… even while he was the world champion. Sting set this all in motion when he tried to leapfrog Luger to get the World Title shot back in December. Since then… Luger has had a shadow following him everywhere he went… everywhere he looks… everywhere he turns… it is Sting this and Sting that… well damnit he’s tired of Sting! He put the bounty out to get rid of him… but he had to take care of it himself… and that’s exactly what he did! The crowd then explodes when Sting is shown trying to come out to the ring but we see the Rockers, Z-Man, Big Josh… they’re holding him back. Luger continues to put it over and says Sting has to wait in line because he is nowhere near a contender for the World Title and nowhere near the league of Lex Luger!

Clash of the Champions XI “Coastal Crush” – Charleston, SC – McAlister Fieldhouse – Friday - June 13, 1990 A fun cold open with JYD and Big Josh arguing with WCW officials… Tully, Gang, and Abdullah are there pointing out how El Gigante isn’t in the arena! Lots of officials and agents getting involved… JR and Jesse bring us in for a fun night of action from the McAlister field house. A good set up for a big show here for WCW. We know that Sting will be here tonight for the World Title match. We will see the US and the World Tag Team Titles on the line… plus Ricky Steamboat returns to WCW and he’ll be in action… right now let’s go to the ring! The Six-Man tag doesn’t go as planned… Big Josh and JYD are informed that El Gigante never made it to the arena… so it is going to be 2 on 2 as Abdullah and Gang team up. It is a decent enough match… they keep it quick for about 8-minutes. Tully gets involved, leading to Big Josh eating a nasty Avalanche from Gang and then the 3-count. Tully is celebrating as he walks back up the aisle but then El Gigante is there in his street clothes… it looks like his shirt has been torn… he grabs Tully and headbutts him to the joy of the crowd! JYD and Josh regroup with him as we cut away. We’re back and Tony Schiavone is with Big Josh, JYD, and El Gigante… they make out that El Gigante was tricked by some folks and put into a dressing room and then he was jumped by Tully, Abdullah, and Gang… JYD says they want a rematch but this time… a real six-man… they’ll be at the Bash baby! Crush with his Clash of the Champions showcase gets a nice win and has the crowd behind him… hopefully a better second half of 1990 for him on the way. US Tag Team Championship match - Power and Glory take on Davey Boy Smith and Owen Hart. This one is a good 15-minute contest… and these two teams take it to the limit. Roma does most of the heavy work with Hercules getting some nice shine here and there. Owen and Davey both work the fans and blend well together. This one ends up going to a 15-minute draw when the bell rings… both teams are being pulled apart… more on these four men in the future. The Freebirds with DDP make their in ring return here to WCW and get a nice win. Hayes and Garvin are really going with the Rock N Roll theme… not the makeup and sequins but big hair none-the-less! Television Championship - If the previous title match was split down the middle; this one is the opposite as Scott Hall just beats the living hell out of the Z-man. We see Hall lay the boots to him and Zenk can’t seem to get going by any stretch of the imagination. In an interesting finish… Scott Hall takes him outside the ring and delivers the Diamond Death Drop on the rampway! He walks back in the ring… gets the Count Out victory and holds the title up high in the air! WCW World Tag Team Championship - The Rockers take on the Samoans w/ Gary Hart. This one is fast… only 10-minutes and the Samoans do get the upper hand early. Gary Hart is orchestrating everything outside the ring but Shawn and Marty have to battle back with a lot of fire… the crowd is solidly behind them as well. We get a fun moment when the Road Warriors come out and ship Gary Hart down the aisle… this distractions sets up Samu for a nasty double dropkick that sends him into the ropes and he’s tied up between the top and middle by his head. Fatu tries to help him but he ends up getting rocked with a double superkick and thent he 3-count! We get a promo from Sting and Luger… they know what is at stake tonight and Luger seems to be dismissive of needing Sting in his corner. He says he can handle the Russians all by himself because he is the Total Package! Ricky Steamboat makes his triumphant return to WCW and in ring action with a good showing and big win over Masa Chono w/ Paul E Dangerously. Steamboat is smooth and crisp and floats around the ring for Chono who sells like a million dollars. The finish sees Steamboat come off the top rope with a huge cross body and the 3-count! He is able to celebrate for a moment before Muta comes out of nowhere and Mysts him in the face! Steamboat is covered in green and Muta is stomping him down something awful! Here comes Flyin Brian, Owen Hart, and Davey Boy to the rescue… We get another promo from the Rockers who say they appreciate the Road Warriors help but then when the Road Warriors come out… well it doesn’t seem as though they feel appreciated! They aren’t quite heels… but they let their intentions be known that they want the titles back and they are challenging the Rockers at the Great American Bash! The fans want to see the rubber match… more on this in our weekend broadcast! In the main event of the Clash, Lex Luger defended the WCW World Championship against Nikita Koloff. Luger was accompanied by Sting… Koloff by his Uncle Ivan Koloff. The match was a good 18-minute contest and you could tell both men were pretty out of it by the end. JR and Jesse put it through the roof. Ivan tries to get involved but Sting is able to run him off only for Nikita to come out of nowhere with a Russian Sickle on Sting on the rampway! We then get Nikita beating down Luger before the Total Package fights his way back… the finish sees Nikita go for a Russian Sickle but Luger ducks and then catches him for a nasty powerslam and 3-count! Luger retains the title and the crowd goes mild… that is until Sting comes out and he chases off Nikita with the Russian Chain! JR and Jesse are putting this through the roof… JR says he is going in the ring to interview the champion and Sting. JR asks Luger about who the next number one contender will be? Luger says he will defend against anyone. JR then talks to Sting and the crowd pops… Sting says that he has spoken to WCW officials and will officially be back at the Great American Bash on July the 14th from Baltimore! Ross makes a comment that perhaps Sting will be the one who gets his shot at the World title?! Luger shakes his head… Sting says he would love a chance to become world champion… Luger says he doesn’t want their friendship to get in the way… no wait a moment… Harley Race… Race is in the aisleway and he’s got that briefcase… Sting wants to know what he’s doing out here… Ross says we will see Sting at the Bash… perhaps for the WCW World Title… WAIT A MINUTE… LUGER CHOPS STING’S KNEE! OMG! Luger hit Sting’s knee with the World Title! What in the hell is going on here?!?! Flyin Brian runs out here and pushes Luger who pushes him away… Luger takes the world title up the rampway… Brian is checking on Sting… what did we just see?!?!

"*Unless stated otherwise matches were taped at the Springfield Civic Center in Springfield Massachusetts*" I don't know why, but this little detail always pumps up your stuff for me. King of the Ring is the best of all worlds when it comes to putting on a card. I am excited for the Warriors continious run through the Heenan Family and then the King of the Ring... I am doing well with my picks but given all things... I have to pull for Vader - he's my guy and he's been built well... Hacksaw is my second... King Duggan always turns heads...

AWA World Champion, Hulk Hogan is pumping iron at the gym. Every rep, he yells Flair's name. He stops and looks into the camera. This is such a great visual - like the training for Bundy and Andre... great stuff

Lance and Dave’s opening is straight-up hype, kicking off the USWA show with some killer vibes that get you stoked! Man, Jimmy Hart, Eddie Gilbert, and Missy Hyatt’s promo is just wild, full of that cocky energy Savage jumping Hennig? Dude, it’s pure chaos and so fun, making their beef something special Doom’s beatdown and promo are crazy intense Jeff Jarrett’s callout to Gilbert is so fired up, it’s got that big-fight feel that’s got everyone buzzing! Lawler and Slater’s stuff is packed with some seriously cool tension!

Sabu’s match with Jerry Sims totally nails his crazy, all-in vibe—dude’s a wild card, and the “Bombay Madman” nickname pops off the page. The Sons of the Beach interview is super fun, with Peaches stealing the show as a sneaky mastermind, but the chat could move a bit faster to keep the energy up. Bigelow vs. Awesome feels like a slugfest, all fists and fire, but the count-out ending’s kind of a letdown—needs a bigger hint at what’s next. The Hexagon’s interview brings the heat, especially with the Sinister Minister’s rage, but it’d hit harder with a clearer tease of who they’re targeting. The Hart/Ouellet vs. Scotty/Lee match is pure chaos with Piper’s epic comeback, but the wrap-up’s a tad quick—could use more juice on Piper’s rage.

Proper show this week - kind of… WCW Power Hour - Tony Schiavone & Paul E Dangerously A pretty decent morning of action for Power Hour… in action we see… Scott Norton & Kensuke Sasuke get a nice W. Dan Spivey w/ Kevin Sullivan shows off the Varsity Club look and kills some dude. Tom Zenk with a nasty dropkick off the top rope to finish off his competitor. WCW Top 10… WCW Champion, Lex Luger Nikita Koloff - US Champion Great Muta The Diamond Studd - Television Champion Flyin Brian The Z-Man Masa Chono Tatanka Dan Spivey Abdullah the Butcher Junkyard Dog Power and Glory get a good tag team win. Adam Bomb with a nasty powerbomb finisher Big Josh defeated Buddy Lee Parker in our Main Eventish… World Championship Wrestling - Jim Ross & Jesse Ventura World Championship Wrestling starts off with a bang this week as the crowd hears some familiar music… time to take a walk down Bad Street USA! Out of the back walks… Diamond Dallas Page and he leads the Freebirds down to the ring! Jim Ross is standing by for this big promo… the Birds let everyone know they’ve been on a world tour and they have seen all the sights and sounds of every country known to man and they proclaim themselves the greatest rock n roll band of all time! DDP says they have signed an exclusive deal with WCW while they take a break from touring and they’re going to go back to their roots and it starts with beating down anyone in their path. DDP says they have got Platinum records on their walls and soon they’ll have gold around their waist… HAVE MERCY! The Nasty Boys have a good tag team match and we hear them say the Freebirds are going to be clipped if they come to Nastyville! Ricky Steamboat says he is doing to take Paul E Dangerously’s crew out one by one and he is going to have fun doing it. Crush gets a good win… he continues to shine. The One Man Gang comes out with Gary Hart and gets a win… Abdullah and the Samoans join them after… we hear Gary Hart put over the big tag team title match at the Clash this week… plus Tully comes out and talks about the six-man. He says that El Gigante isn’t even going to make it to the show if he has his way. Tonight the Samoans are going to work over JYD and Big Josh for good measure! Z-Man gets a good win… he is then joined by Flyin Brian who comes back out and says he is feeling 100%! He says he is going to be there to back up The Z-Man against the Diamond Studd and he can’t wait to see Lex Luger finish off Nikita Koloff! In a weird situation - Harley Race is shown in a suit… and he’s got a briefcase with him. He just keeps looking around… there’s a couple shots of him throughout the night. Tatanka and Wahoo get a good tag team win… Wahoo looks rough Tatanka looks good Paul E comes out with his crew… Muta, Chono, Sasuke, and Norton. They put over the Clash… Ricky Steamboat is going to be in trouble if Paul E has his way! Davey and Owen get a win and they put over their tag title match… they say Power and Glory are going to be Herc and Jerk when they get finished with them! Nikita Koloff w/ Ivan cut a promo on Lex Luger and put over the World title shot… Nikita says that he has been waiting too long for this title shot! He is going to destroy the Total Package and show why he is the true Russian Nightmare! Diamond Studd with a good win… TV title looks great around his waist. The Rockers cut a nice promo on the Samoans but then the Road Warriors come back out… they aren’t quite heels but they don’t see to be taking any shit from anyone. They let the Rockers know that their 15-minutes is done and the titles will go back where they belong soon. The Rockers say that’s all they need to do is put the contract on the table. The Varsity Club is back and in full force… Sullivan is leading these men into battle and we see a nasty finisher… Spivey sets up the due for a Powerbomb but holds him up for Rotundo to come off the top rope with a clothesline and everything falls in one nasty way… Lex Luger cuts a good promo on Nikita Koloff… Muta… and anyone else in his path. He says his destiny is paved in gold and he has got all his focus on keeping the World Title and defeating anyone in his path. The Samoans defeated JYD and Big Josh with the help of Tully Blanchard… this brings out Abdullah and Gang… but then El Gigante comes out and evens the odds. Tully helps his men back off… we’ll see you at the Clash!

Ron Garvin has been moved to the AWA

I remember how rare it was to see Andre on television - let alone in action - I believe he only wrestled once in 1988/1989 before teaming up with Haku against Jim Powers and Tito Santana. Such a spectacle whenever he's around. I am still doing okay in my King of the Ring Bracket... I kinda feel like King Duggan could make a comeback.