Nerd Watch Wednesday: Rick Rude vs Sting (Clash of the Champions 21, Nov 18th 1992)

Nov 17, 20205 min read

By Ross Casey

"For the foreseeable future, Nerd Watch Wednesday's will feature a match that fell 'on this day' and this week I have picked a match from WCW Clash of the champions 21. Rick Rude vs Sting is my selection and plays into the 1992/93 era that me and Shafi are currently devouring on the network."

KING OF THE CABLE SEMI FINAL MATCH: RICK RUDE vs STING

The ring announcer first introduces the judges for this evening in the case of a time limit draw - Larry Zbysko, Hiro Matsuda and Ole Anderson. There's a dinner table you wouldn't want to sit at!

U.S Champion Rick Rude is out first, clean shaven and in his blue robe from Barely Legal 97. He does the classic promo, calling the fans sweat hogs before asking them to stand in appreciation for his disrobing.

Sting on the other hand is all business, arriving in all white and getting straight in the ring and into the face of his opponent. However, it is Rick Rude that gains the upper hand to begin thanks to a rake to the eyes. He then pounds Sting's neck, looking to soften him up for the Rude Awakening - before stopping the assault to gyrate his hips and tense his six pack. Jesse Ventura quips that he just saw six girls feint in the front row. Legend.

Stinger comes back with two huge gutbusters and a moveset that all target the abdomen area. Ventura questions this tactic as no one has abs quite like Rick Rude. Sting stops his assault to gyrate and flex his six pack and the crowd go absolute bat shit crazy. I love it.

I really have to applaud the psychology here from Sting. he has been on top for like 5 minutes at this point and every single move and strike has been aimed at the abdomen. He hasn't strayed from the tactic and commentary are doing a great job of pointing this out too.

Rude resorts to an eye rake once again in order to turn the momentum of the match in his favour. Love that both times he has gained the upper hand, he has done so by that nefarious tactic. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

Ventura again makes a great point on commentary as he says the wrestlers are blind to how the judges are scoring this bout - they don't know if holds, strikes or moves score high.

Sting again targets the abdomen, by dropping Rude on the top rope, tying him up and then kicking him in the exposing ribs. It's quite the visual and there is a guy in the front row absolutely relishing the kick in Rude is getting,

Sting attempts to Stinger Splash a hunched over Rick Rude, but Sting crashes and burns ribs first on a steel barricade instead. This is a huge point in the match and I am expecting Rude to take control form this point.

That proves to be the case as he cerebrally takes Sting down with strikes before synching in the camel clutch. Ventura absolutely nails it on commentary by saying that Sting is likely ahead on points and the camel clutch allows Rude to get his breath back and look to finish strong.

It is Sting's lower back that Rude is targeting now and the pace is slow and meticulous. This of course brings huge excitement to the fast paced attacks of Sting in comparison and the crowd go wild for it, as does Jim Ross, but an attempted Stinger slam fails as Rude falls on top of him, due to Sting's bad back from Rude's previous work.

We get a 5 minute warning as production add a countdown clock in the bottom right corner of the screen. At this point Ventura again feeds us the story - he had Sting way in front on points but over the past seven minutes or so, Rude has been scoring relentlessly and to him this one is now the toss of a coin in terms of a decision.

Sting fights out of a close to two minute bear hug, only for Rude to rake the eyes for the third time in the match! Sting manages to tighten in a sleeper hold, but Rude hits a Stunner reversal with just two minutes remaining.

Rick Rude then pretty disgustingly blows his nose over the back of Sting in a show of disrespect. Eye rakes and snot shots. What a bastard!

Rude somewhat stupidly then goes on the top rope only for Sting to lawn dart him off to the mat. I'm so used to seeing the Flair sell from that position - interesting to see someone take it on their front!

Then we get what we came for - Rick Rude selling atomic drops. I absolutely love how he does this. His body contorts in a funny way and it never grows old - it even has its own Twitter account.

The final minute plays out fantastically as Rick Rude attempts his Rude Awakening but as he twists his body to get in position, he sells his ribs/abdomen from the start of the match, causing him to twinge in pain and release Sting.

That allows Sting to hit a Stinger Splash and attempt to lock in the Scorpion Death Lock as the timer hits 00:00 and we have ourselves a 20 minute time limit draw.

Post match it is announced that Hiro Matsuda judges Sting to be the winner, Larry Zbysko judges his former Dangerous Alliance partner Rick Rude his winner, leaving Ole Anderson in the deciding vote... who picks STING!

Rick Rude is incredulous and attempts to attack Sting, only to receive another atomic drop, which he sells by launching himself across the ring and out to the floor. Honestly, what a bloke.

Sting celebrates in the ring as Ventura claims the verdict was incorrect in his opinion.

WINNER: STING BY SPLIT DECISION

THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this one. The 20 minutes did not drag, I really enjoyed that the body targeting paid off in the finish and I thought JR and Jesse Ventura in particular were absolutely fantastic in the booth. Rude and Sting had really good chemistry and Sting advances to face Vader at Starrcade - another match that is even better than this and is recommended viewing.

That's all, folks!

PREVIOUS NERD WATCHES:

MATT C - SUMMERSLAM 92

CHARLIE - SURVIVOR SERIES 99

SHAFI - SUMMERSLAM 94

NINETIES MIKE - THE WRESTLING CLASSIC

JCH - WRESTLE KINGDOM 7

DOM - HEATWAVE 98

N/A - SUMMERSLAM 2019

PETE - SAKURA GENESIS 2017

ROSS - WORLD WAR 3 1997

RO - DECEMBER TO DISMEMBER