Nerd Watch Wednesday - WCW Superbrawl II

Apr 14, 202018 min read

Updated: Jun 3, 2020

Fresh off his Shockmastermind quiz championship win, Shafi has been the talk of WSBF of late. If you haven't seen his promo on his victory, we suggest you head to our Twitter to seek it now.

His reign of superiority does not end there, though - this week he is in charge of the Nerd Watch Wednesday selection and he has picked a banger from 1992 in SuperBrawl II. Can it hold up today in 2020?

Let's find out!

WCW WORLD LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER (C) vs. FLYIN' BRIAN

By JCH

Is this a very young Jim Ross?? Lots of mat work early on as a feeling out process. You get the odd sprinkle of high flying which makes me think it might ramp up later on. This is all very nice though. Liger starts targeting the leg and eventually locks in a figure four. Pillman summons strength from the U-S-A chant. Back to the leg again from Liger, before Pillman fights out with an enziguri.

J.R calls a senton a moonsault as Liger takes out Pillman on the outside. Pillman hits a phenomenal forearm and then a SUPLEX from the apron to the outside. He follows up with a crossbody from the top to the outside. The crowd and comms are loving this.

Pillman with chops now on the outside. Pillman face first into the guardrail from the apron. YESSSSS Liger off the top and Pillman hits him square in the mouth with a dropkick. That was ace. PIllman dropkick off the top met mid air by a dropkick from Liger. EVERYONE IS DOWN. They both go for the X-pac spinning back kick from Smackdown 1 and collide into each other again.

Fantastic powerslam from Pillman as Liger coms off the ropes. Then a bridging German for 2.75 from Liger. Cracking match here. Pillman counters a superplex into a face buster off the top, followed up by a crossbody for another near fall. It's all big moves and pins now.

Powerbomb from Liger for a near fall, before a modified Frankensteiner nearly does it for Pillman. Liger grabs the ropes after a DDT. Both men trying to put the other away at every opportunity.

Liger superplex. Another near fall. He goes up top misses the headbutt, Pillman manoeuvres him into a bridging pin and it’s over. Pillman is the new LightWeight champ! Sportsmanship at the end with a handshake.

SUMMARY: A cracking match that. Started with the mat work, then some high flying stuff before the finishing stretch filled with big moves and near falls. Top drawer.

WINNER - AND NEW WCW LIGHT HEAVYWIGHT CHAMPION, FLYIN' BRIAN BY BRIDGING PIN

MARCUS ALEXANDER BAGWELL vs. THE TAYLOR MADE MAN

By Dom Van Dam

G’day lads. Up next here at Superbrawl 2 is the grudge match between mentor and would be protege; The Taylor Made Man Terrence Taylor and the future American Male, Marcus Alexander Bagwell.

We join The Taylor Made Man backstage where he is being interviewed by Missy Hyatt. Taylor obviously has a bit of a playboy style persona and is wearing a velvet suit which makes him look like the love child of Hugh Hefner and Ted Dibiase. Taylor says that Bagwell blew his chance by not accepting his offer of mentorship. Tezza could have shown Marky how to “look good and hang out with beautiful women like Missy Hyatt.”

You know, for a completely wooden, 15 second promo, with about as much emotion in delivery as an Uber Eats Driver during lockdown; this actually sets up the match beautifully. The former Red Rooster finishes with the paradoxical couplet “I was gonna teach you how to be a winner; but tonight I’m gonna teach you how to be a loser.” Outstanding!

This match has a competition winner from Syracuse University doing the ring announcing and he is dressed like he thought he was going to be sitting behind a desk: basketball shorts downstairs and black tie up top. He does a decent job and gets booed out of the building for his trouble.

So I picked this match because I thoroughly expected it to be the worst match on the card, but you know? It’s actually pretty technically sound. There’s a big, sit out Doctor Bomb by Taylor and he is well and truly in control of this one with a Top Rope Splash. Taylor even hits the rolling neckbreaker that Shane Douglas made famous on another channel.

The finish comes when Bagwell catches a surprise O’Connor Roll for the quick 3-count. Taylor kicks out at 3.15 and then cleans Buff’s clock with the Taylor-Made Forearm after the bell. Jim Ross reminds us that the rookie may have “won,” the metaphorical battle, “but not the war.”

Drink lots of water; look after your mates.

WINNER - MARCUS ALEXANDER BAGWELL BY O'CONNOR ROLL

CACTUS JACK vs. RON SIMMONS

By Matt Connolly

So for this weeks Nerd Watch I get the pleasure of watching two really hard bastards go at it as Cactus Jack has a tussle with Ron Simmons. High hopes for this one.

Out first, from Truth or Consequences New Mexico, is Cactus Jack. Jim Ross refers to him as both unpredictable and dangerous and that sounds completely on brand. Simmons is next out. His music sounds like what TV dubbed into every disco scene between 1988-94.

Jim Ross of course can't resist talking about his football record. His tights are purple with what looks like a lightning strike. Very cool for 1992 and completely at odds with the all dark attire that Cactus traditionally goes for.

Early on both Men just strike out and belt each other. This is what I came to see. First major moment is Jack getting himself caught between the ropes, the move that would eventually lead to the end of his right ear. Simmons doesn't give a rats and just carries on belting him. Jack want's none of this so once free he tries to bail but Simmons follows him around the ring and carries on the beating.

We get a shot of Junkyard Dog, commentary make a point of it so I'd imagine he is going to play a role at some point tonight. Simmons takes Jack back into the ring but gets too confident and is caught with a back elbow.

Once Jack takes control for the first time he takes the action back outside. The most impressive part of this is a top rope elbow to the floor which nails Simmons. At least there are some mats down. I've seen him do stunts like that and come up short on concrete.

Into the final stages and after Simmons gets some shots in he lines up to nail Jack with a spear, but Cactus is wise and moves meaning the future Faarooq is sent through the middle rope to the outside. This ends up paying dividends for Simmons though as by the time Jack approaches he musters up enough energy to hit a spinebuster on the ramp! Another nasty bump.

Jack is able to wrestle control back through an eye rake (which the ref doesn't register because all refs are crap) but makes the error of thinking he can win this from up high after the success he had with the elbow earlier. Simmons catches him in a beautiful powerslam for the win. That's not all though.

Jack is pissed and in typical southern wrestling tradition tries to get his heat back. Abdullah the Butcher comes from the back to help in this beatdown which of course summons The Junkyard Dog from his seat. JYD hits both men a bit and the crowd chant his name. The world is right again.

SUMMARY: That's as good as you are gonna get in the six or seven minutes it was given. I had a blast whilst it lasted.

WINNER - RON SIMMONS BY POWERSLAM

RICHARD MORTON & VINNIE VEGAS vs. THE Z-MAN & VAN HAMMER

By Mat Carlson

Damn it’s good to be back with an event from a wonderful year, 1992. Kevin Nash is just unmistakable isn’t he? This Richard Morton looks like a classic heel before I even see who they’re coming up against.

He has to be... oh stop the next guys got a Flying V on the way to the ring, I’m getting behind this guy. Guitar wankery over Harley’s any day. This Hammer fella is just this era of wrestling personified, crazy hair, crazy physique with copious amounts of baby oil.

Kevin Nash really doesn’t have a whole heap in his arsenal here, it’s really just him getting stitched up and rolling up and using the classic double “just bring it.” Actually that may be speaking too soon, he’s now just pummeled our lubey hero with a flurry of moves ending with quite frankly a dangerous release suplex.

The match has just ended with a quick roll up and big dopey Nash didn’t even think to attempt getting in the mix to break it up.

SUMMARY: This was actually quite a good hit out that would still stand up athletically today I would imagine, I just wish the haircuts could make a quick resurgence.

WINNERS - THE Z-MAN & VAN HAMMER BY ROLL UP

BARRY WINDHAM & DUSTIN RHODES vs. LARRY ZBYSKO & STEVE AUSTIN

By Brum

We have some classic WCW tag action here with Zbyszko & a young Austin representing Paul Heyman’s (sorry, Paul E Dangerously’s) Dangerous Alliance against a pre-Goldust Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham.

I won’t waste your time talking about Austin or Rhodes because your Grandma knows how to suck eggs. However, if you’re not too familiar with Zbyszko or Windham, you’re missing out.

Windham & Zbyszko are separately part of two of the all-time great heel turns. Windham’s was his screwing Luger & joining of the Four Horsemen back in ’88, whilst Zbyszko was the student betraying the teacher storyline he had with Bruno Sammartino in 1980, culminating in them fighting in a cage in the middle of Shea Stadium in front of 40,000 people.

If you want to watch the Shea Stadium match, a google of “Sammartino Zbyszko cage” will bring it right up. Oddly, this is a WWE 24/7 version commentated on by Michael Cole & Mick Foley. If you’re a Network kid & want to see one of their earlier in-ring battles (without Cole’s commentary), a search of “Sammartino Zbyszko” on the Network has it as top choice.

Back to Windham. Before the aforementioned Four Horsemen heel turn, Windham had a trilogy of bangers with Flair that are well worth an isolation watch. A google of the following will get you what you need: “NWA CWF Battle Of The Belts 2”; “Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham (1/20/1987)”; & “Flair Windham Crockett Cup”.

I’m a fan of long matches so like them all, but if you don’t have my patience, the Crockett Cup trilogy ender is the briefest instalment. Anyway, I’ve spent too long talking about the participants & have a match to review. Here we go….

Zbyszko & Austin don’t wait for the bell to attack. This is a brawl from the first second as Austin & Rhodes scrap in the ring whilst Zbyszko & Windham are at it on the entrance ramp. The crowd are up for this too. Man, they do like Windham.

The ref manages to get some sort of control & we start officially with Rhodes & Austin. There is no slow start though & both lads are hitting big moves from the off. Windham’s now in & despite being ace & beloved, he has a proper shit lid. Zbyszko is in too & the crowd want to see him get bitch slapped by Big Barry.

They are back on the outside and Zbyszko’s not fucking about & goes for a piledriver on the ramp. Windham back body drops him instead & follows up with a pair of lariats; one outside the ring & one back inside. He goes for a pin but changes his mind as he wants to give Zbyszko more of a whoopin’.

We now get a good callback to Zbyszko trying to break Windham’s hand in a previous match, as Rhodes & Windham take it turns to beat the shit out of poor Larry, with specific focus to his left wrist & hand. This leads to a great Ventura line: “There’s no place for vengeance like this in wrestling”.

Austin’s had enough of watching Zbyszko’s downfall so he twonks Windham with a forearm as he was trying for a piledriver. Rhodes comes into stop this tomfoolery which distracts the ref & allows the Dangerous Alliance to ally dangerously & beat on Windham on the outside. The crowd are not happy.

Windham’s now back in the ring & Austin is in control. During this portion, Zbyszko recovers and him & Austin takes turns on beating up Windham. After nigh on 5 mins of Windham punishment, we get a brief recovery & a double collision with him & Zbyszko. Both men down.

Unfortunately, Zbyszko gets the tag first! However, it doesn’t matter because as Austin is charging Windham, Barry falls back & manages to just reach Rhodes with a tag of his own! Rhodes is in & throwing bombs all over the place! He goes for a pin attempt after a big lariat but Zbyszko breaks it up.

Windham does not like this & clears Larry out of the ring! But back in the ring, Austin hits a massive clothesline on Dustin Rhodes! Zbyszko gets a tag & after some offence a DDT on Rhodes gets him a 2 count. Dustin recovers a bit with a boot to Larry’s sternum. Madusa gives him a slap for his troubles though, away from the ref’s gaze.

Rhodes goes out to the ring to confront her & pursues her down the ramp. Whilst distracted, Austin charges him from behind & takes him out with another big clothesline on the middle of the ramp. Austin then chucks Rhodes back in the ring & tags back in.

Austin remains in control apart from some brief Dustin fire which Austin cuts off with yet another brutal clothesline. Zbyszko now beating on Dustin. Rhodes is in trouble here. With that said, Rhodes reverses a suplex & both men are down! Are we about to get a hot tag to Big Barry?! We are not, as Zbyszko manages to trap Dustin’s leg in a toehold variant & Austin goes and twats Windham.

Austin back in & keeps Rhodes down with a series of headlocks. Though Dustin hits him with a snake eyes out of nowhere! Both men down again. But again, the Dangerous Alliance get the tag first. No matter though as Dustin gets to his feet & hits a trademark Dustin Rhodes uppercut on Zbyszko!

And he finally gets that bloody hot tag to Big Barry Windham! The crowd lose it!! Windham is raining hell down on Austin & Larry! Big lariat on Zbyszko followed by a pin but Austin breaks it up. Rhodes comes in & takes out Austin. Windham & Zbyszko are still the legal men. Windham goes for the superplex but Zbyszko pushes him off.

Though Rhodes comes from behind on the apron & knocks Zbyszko back into the ring! Windham goes to the top and hits Zbyszko with a lariat from high! That must be enough! It is. 1 2 3. Rhodes & Windham get the win.

SUMMARY: That was a lot of fun. It started off as a brawl & moved into a more traditional tag when the heels got back in control. Windham was an absolute beast.

WINNERS – WINDHAM & RHODES WITH A TOP ROPE LARIAT FROM THE FORMER.

WCW WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: ARN ANDERSON & BEAUTIFUL BOBBY (c) vs. THE STEINER BROTHERS

By Ross Casey

Before both teams are introduced, the ring announcer makes it known that Paul E Dangerously is banned from ringside for this match. The CEO of the Dangerous Alliance is brilliant at acting disgusted by this decision as he is ejected by the refs in dramatic fashion.

He meets Madusa on the ramp, who he sends to the ring to support Anderson and Eaton with some secretive inaudible advice. Will she play her part later in this match?

The match starts at a slow pace, with Bobby Eaton getting bullied by Scott Steiner's size and strength. The same fate falls upon Anderson, who is knocked around senseless by Rick. A highlight is Anderson scampering out in reverse on his hands and knees, only to Phil Babb himself on the ring post. One for the WSBF podcast fans!

It isn't until almost halfway through the match that the Dangerous Alliance get some meaningful offense in, and that comes from a 2 on 1. Even then, Scott reverses the attack, before Rick clotheslines both Arn and Bobby over the top rope to the outside. The message here is clear - The Steiners have their number. The crowd completely buy into it and go banana.

Another 2 on 1 attempt goes awry and I love that commentary (from the excellent pairing of Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura) debates how much of this disjointed performance from the Dangerous Alliance stems from not having Paul E in their corner.

There's a really cool spot where Scott Steiner hits a tilt the whirl slam on Bobby Eaton on the ramp, using the ropes and the long style Japanese ramp. Unfortunately the camera work is pretty poor for it and you don't quite catch the real beauty of the move and the savagery of the landing.

There's an audible chant from a handful of male fans of both 'Break His Neck' and 'We Want Blood.' Sound like nice chaps. A good old eye rake and a suspiciously low knee finally turns momentum in the champions favour. I am honestly shocked at how little offense they have got in at this point.

Once they finally do get sustained attacks I absolutely hate them. The way they bend the rules just enough to not get disqualified whilst keeping one opponent away from a tag is infuriating and genius. At one point Anderson even throws Scott into Bobby, sacrificing his own partner's brain cells to cause damage to his opponent. Such a bastard.

Eventually, Arn gets too cocky and goes up top, somewhere he has no right to be and eats a Steinerline from Rick on the way down from a jumping nothing.

The Dangerous Alliance turn things around though and really isolate Scott, culminating in a rocket laucher splash from Eaton onto the future Big Poppa Pump on the ramp which is delivered so safely that it must have destroyed Beautiful Bobby's knees.

We eventually get the hot tag to Rick, who hits two Steinerlines, before reversing a Doomsday Device crossbody into a pin of his own. That was truly unique and something I had never seen before. It almost looked like a defensive Spanish Fly. Dangerous as fuck, but completely awesome.

This has really broken down now and there's an onslaught of quick awesome moves as all four men enter the ring, before Madusa hands Arn some powder, which he throws in the eyes of Rick. So that was the advice given to her from Paul E!

A now blinded Rick accidentally suplexes the ref, before back body dropping Arn to the outside, leaving Eaton to eat a Frankensteiner from Scotty for the three count. NEW CHAMPIONS!

The crowd go crazy with joy as the new ref hands them their belts. In typical wrestling fashion though, the faces celebration is cut short as the original ref comes to his senses and overrules the decision - awarding the match and the titles back to the Dangerous Alliance via disqualification, still selling the suplex he suffered.

The crowd are not happy and nor am I. That dastardly Arn Anderson! In the post-match review Jim Ross points out that Scott and Eaton weren't even the legal men - bloody hell, ref! Connolly fumes.

SUMMARY - This was such a fun watch, I absolutely loved it. The Steiners were totally bad ass in 1992 and the Dangerous Alliance are such jerks you really want to see them lose those belts. The finish extends the story and makes you hope these douches get their comeuppance soon.

WINNERS - AND STILL WCW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS, THE DANGEROUS ALLIANCE BY DISQUALIFICATION

WCW UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: RICK RUDE (C) vs. RICKY STEAMBOAT

By Josh Headey

Rude (coming out alone) cuts a heel promo, although it took him four times to begin, such were the boos from the crowd. Steamboat was accompanied out by ‘the ninja’ as it appears Paul E has been banned from ringside due to his previous interference misdemeanours.

During the match it was mentioned by commentary that the winner would also become the number 1 contender for the world title. Steamboat hit a few ‘martial arts blows’, before a couple of armdrag takedowns followed by a lifted-chokehold, and then slams Rude’s head to the floor for a nearfall.

Steamboat then targeted Rude’s arm with various forms of an Armbar, and he also slammed it into the ringpost. Rude eventually striked his way out, but after Steamboat ran the ropes a few times he got a crossbody for another nearfall. Immediately after, The Dragon wasted no time with an armdrag takedown and going back to the arm, they then exchanged strikes before a possible botch where a crossbody saw both collide with the ropes, as it looked like they were going to go over them.

Commentary covered well saying how the ring ropes saved both men from injury. Rude stomped Steamboat to the outside, then dropped him onto the railing. Rude followed up with forearms on the apron to Steamboat’s chest, then hit a suplex, before an exchange ended with Rude (still selling his arm) dropping Steamboat with a clothesline.

Rude then got a reverse facelock, then a kick and a clothesline before he gave us all some hip-swivelling and then dropped Steamboat across the top rope, hitting a spinning neckbreaker, followed with a Piledriver for a near fall.

Rude got another after a belly to back suplex, and he seemed in control until Steamboat slammed him down by the leg, and got in a Figure 4. Rude got to the ropes, and as Steamboat tried again Rude kicked him into the turnbuckle before clobbering him down. Rude then hit diving forearms off the top for a near fall.

He followed up with strikes and a camel clutch that Steamboat powered out of, backdropping Rude to the floor. They both got up, exchanging strikes before they ran the ropes and then collided in the middle.

After both got up again Steamboat hit a ‘martial arts’ chop but Rude came back with a sleeper hold, which Steamboat turned into a sleeper, although Rude countered out and headed up high… although this time Steamboat got up and kicked Rude down, before then hitting a superplex… only for Rude to kick out of the pin.

Steamboat hits strikes, a backbody drop followed by a diving clothesline for a near fall. The Dragon dropped Rude from high up again, before hitting a diving elbow smash.

With the ref checking on Rude, ‘The Ninja’ (dressed in all black) who was the loyal ally to Steamboat got on the apron and attacked him with… a telephone (so it was clearly Paul E under the mask)… This allowed Rude to crawl over and get the pin to retain his title.

SUMMARY: This was a good match, and storyline wise the non-clean finish made sense.

WINNER - AND STILL US HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION, RICK RUDE BY NINJA PHONE ATTACK

WCW WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: LEX LUGER (C) vs. STING

By Shafi

I chose this card because on paper it looks absolutely STACKED. The most interesting match for me was the main between these two competitors; I could write thousands of words about the relationship between Sting and Luger. Despite being singles wrestlers they teamed on and off for the best part of 15 years and this endured even when they weren't necessarily on the same side of the face/heel dynamic.

This was particularly entertaining years later on Nitro when Sting was a firm fan favourite and would team with Luger and Lex would pander to the fans only when Sting was watching him but was clearly filled with contempt towards them.

In 1992 the relationship between Sting and Luger was already established having won the Crockett Cup together in 1988 and teaming the previous year at the inaugural Superbrawl against the Steiners.

However the partnership would break down later in 1991 when Lex won the World title and it was revealed that he had paid Cactus Jack and Abdullah the Butcher to carry out a string of attacks on the Stinger. This would be Sting's chance to gain revenge and also the World title he had been unable to regain since his maiden run in 1990.

This was Lex's last date in WCW before he would shockingly return on the first ever episode of Nitro three years later. After this appearance he would join WWF via a stint in Vince McMahon's failed bodybuilding promotion the WBF.

In anticipation of the change in sport Lex took time off before this match to accumulate mass and he is absolutely massive here. This provokes a barb from JR "How do you gain that much bulk in just 30 days?". Yeah I wonder Jim...

This match should have felt like a big deal with all of the backstory and build up to it. What we actually get is Luger blowing up very quickly due to the increased weight and a realisation that both of these guys could be led to good/great matches by someone better (Ric Flair) but neither were capable at this stage of their careers of carrying a match themselves.

The match is bereft of basic wrestling psychology. Sting is supposed to be the face but he employs heelish tactics such as back rakes, Luger is clearly the heel but some fans are still cheering him despite him displaying no redeeming qualities. There is a face-off at the start of the match that lasts at least a minute where nothing happens and this really sets the tone for what we should expect.

Luger never really dominates the match so no sympathy is built for a Sting comeback that will really put his win over the top. But that's not to say that Sting's win is dominant enough to be impressive in its own right ala Lesnar Cena at Summerslam 2014. In truth they take it in turns to do a few moves to each other with no rhyme nor reason. The finish is the perfect example of this.

Sting is beating down Luger when he attempts a Stinger splash that misses and results in him falling to the arena floor. Lex follows him outside and throws him into the guardrail, Harley Race then grabs Sting and goes for a piledriver which is reversed into a backbody drop on the floor.

Sting then goes to the top rope and hits a crossbody on an unsuspecting Lex who is pinned for 3 seconds and then pops straight back up to his feet, completely no selling the match and the finish. Sting's beatdown before his 'comeback' lasted two moves, one of which he inflicted on himself.

SUMMARY: With better booking this could have been an epic match; unfortunately it was far from that and in many ways felt like an obligation to get through before Luger left. 18 months later Luger would be riding the Lex Express and facing Yokozuna... maybe this match wasn't so bad after all!

WINNER - AND NEW WCW CHAMPION, STING BY NO SELL CROSSBODY