Chairshot Classics: WCW Starrcade ’91 – BattleBowl & The Lethal Lottery

Match #11 – Battlebowl: Jimmy ‘Jam’ Garvin, Marcus Bagwell, WCW Television Champion ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin, WCW United States Champion ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude, WCW Tag Team Champions Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat & ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes, WCW World Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger, Richard Morton, Bill Kazmaier, Jushin Thunder Liger, Arn Anderson, Todd Champion, Sting, Scott Steiner, Mr. Hughes, Abdullah The Butcher, Big Van Vader, Firebreaker Chip, Thomas Rich, Ron Simmons
The brawl breaks out in ring #1. Vader lifts Sting with a choke hold while Rhodes works over the Butcher. Out on the entrance ramp, Double A scoop slams Steamboat. Ricky comes back with an atomic drop and returns to the ring. Vader with forearms on Kazmaier. Stunning Steve is choking out Steamboat and Vader is right behind him with a forearm. Scoop slam by Vader, but misses a big splash on the ramp. Champion works on Thomas Rich in the corner and Sting holds Austin in a sleeper. In the middle of the ring, Vader with a military press to the ramp on Steamboat. Anderson and Rhodes brawl on the outside before rolling back in. Rhodes heads for the top rope but Hughes trips him down.

Thomas Rich is the first participant sent to ring #2. Steamboat puts his boots to The Enforcer. The crowd pops as Sting and Luger go at it. Right hand by Rhodes on Liger. Bagwell is the 2nd person sent to ring 2. Camel Clutch on Steiner by Hughes. Danerously taunts the commentators next to the table. Sting receives an atomic drop from Vader and Hughes presses Firebreaker Chip into ring #2. Liger and Morton aren’t far behind him. Morton goes right after Jushin, Irish Whip and a takedown. Morton to the top rope, Liger reverses a cross body into a power slam. Rolling senton by Liger followed by a springboard moonsault.

Liger misses a spinning heel kick and Morton strikes him with rights. This time Liger connects with a spinning heel kick. He goes for a crossbody but both men tumble over the top rope of ring #2. Richard Morton and Jushin Thunder Liger have been eliminated. Back in ring #1, Anderson and Steamboat are going at it hard while Vader and Sting exchange blows. Mr. Hughes takes a dive at Simmons and he flips into ring #2. While the cameras were elsewhere, Thomas Rich was eliminated. Anderson and Steamboat manage to take their brawl into ring #2. Steamboat to the top rope and he takes Double A down with a double ax handle. Simmons and Luger renew their rivalry on the entrance ramp, meanwhile Jimmy Garvin is sent to ring #2 as well as Todd Champion.

Chip is flipped by Garvin with a knee to the gut, and Scott Steiner is tossed into ring #2. Abdullah the Butcher got caught in between rings and is instructed to go to the next ring. Jimmy Jam receives a back body drop over the top rope. Jimmy Garvin has been eliminated. Bagwell and Hughes exchange blows while Rude baits Simmons into flying into ring #2. Rhodes sets up Luger and gets the same fate as Simmons. The crowd pops hard as Sting and Rude go at it in ring #1. They brawl their way over the top and into ring #2, and apparently Kazmaier ended up over there in the meantime. Vader and Luger are the only participants left in ring #1 and Vader runs over the champion. Vader lands a big splash and a clothesline, while Austin resists being sent over in ring #2.

Big splash in the corner by Vader and Steamboat chases Dangerously around the ring, plausibly for some form of distraction, before rolling back in. On the far side, Firebreaker Chip has been eliminated by Arn Anderson. Stinger grabs Rude in a sleeper hold. In ring #1, Luger catches Vader with a big boot and a monstrous clothesline sends the big man to ring #2. The world champion will now get a rest until the other ring is down to 1. Simultaneously, Abdullah the Butcher is eliminated after being knocked off the apron. While the cameras were on a pacing Lex Luger, Bill Kazmaier was eliminated.

Sting and Rude haven’t quit each other and now it’s Steiner with the camel clutch on Mr. Hughes. Bagwell stomps away at the Television champion and Dangerously advises Rude from the outside. Rhodes and Double A exchange blows from their knees. Rick Rude with a double leg pick up but he’s fought off with an elbow from Sting. Arn Anderson foolishly went to the top rope, and he’s knocked down to a seated position by Rhodes. The Natural dropkicks the Enforcer to the floor. Arn Anderson has been eliminated. Dustin turns his attention to his Halloween Havoc opponent with some bionic elbows, but Austin back body drops him to the floor.

Dustin Rhodes has been eliminated. Right next to them, Simmons and Hughes lock up and they both hit the floor. Ron Simmons and Mr. Hughes have been eliminated. Via double clothesline Big Van Vader has been eliminated. On the other side of the ring, Scott Steiner has been eliminated. Austin throws Sting for an Irish whip but he dives for a clothesline on Rude. Steamboat works over Austin. Sting with an Irish whip to Rude who collides with Austin, and then he hits Stunning Steve with an assisted Stinger Splash. Sting drives Austin’s head to the mat, while Rude takes control on the other side. He moves to assist Austin on Sting. Steamboat fights back and strikes both heels, Rude goes for Steamboat but accidentally eliminates Stunning Steve. Steve Austin has been eliminated.

Rude tries to dump Steamboat but he hangs on. He headscissors Rude out, but Rude pulls him out along the way. Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat have been eliminated. An incensed Rude re-enters the ring to Paul E.’s cheerleading and he hits Sting with the Rude Awakening. Luger paces and slowly makes his way over. Luger is re-directed to ring #1 and Sting climbs over. Luger takes advantage of the vulnerable Sting delivering a powerful clothesline. He mocks Sting’s scream, Luger lifts Sting for an inverted atomic drop and a kick to the midsection. Luger rakes Stinger’s eyes on the top rope. He elbows him to the mat and taunts the crowd.

He sends Sting through the middle rope to the elevated entrance ramp and distracts the referee. Dangerously attempts to cheap shot Sting, but instead gets scoop slammed on the ramp. Luger hops out, gives Sting a right and pushes him to the floor, landing on the guard rail. Sting blocks a shot to the guard rail and fights back. The champ tastes steel and reels. Stinger rolls him back to the ring and kicks him down. Luger’s face is rubbed into the canvass. Sting lays his opponent over the top turnbuckle and delivers some kicks into his gut. Harley Race runs into the ring but is met with a snap suplex.

He goes for a Stinger Splash but the prone Luger rolls off the top turnbuckle. Luger says it’s over, he throws Sting over the top and turns around to celebrate but Sting held on. Sting with quick blows and a bulldog. The crowd loves it. From behind, Sting hits a clothesline but it’s not quite enough. A second effort and Lex Luger has been eliminated.
Winner: Sting

• EA’s Take: Well, that’s not an easy one to call just on the fact that it essentially becomes two separate battle royals at once going into the match. Most of what I have to say, I’ll say in the finisher below.

EA’s Finisher: So, this was a surprisingly decent show. I really like the concept of it, but I don’t think it should be the entirety of your showcase show. Starrcade should be like WrestleMania in the sense that you pay off major feuds and have “dream matches”. BattleBowl would be a fantastic concept as it’s own PPV, which they give a shot to later on because with good planning, you could create or break allegiances, as well as create or further storylines. It’s also an opportunity to give younger guys a boost. Tonight’s events ultimately lead into an angle that sees Sting feud with Luger for the title, which seemed to be the natural way to go regardless of whether or not Sting won BattleBowl. That’s another thing worth fixing: give the winner an actual incentive much like the Royal Rumble. Another thing they’ll do later on, but in classic WCW fashion they overthink it.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Lex Luger & Arn Anderson vs. Terrance Taylor & Z-Man
2 – Battlebowl
3 – ‘Diamond’ Dallas Page & Mike Graham vs. Bill Kazmaier & Jushin Thunder Liger

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