Our weekly WCW Chairshot Classics series continues with the inaugural Spring Stampede!

Open: ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund is in the arena and he introduces Aaron Neville to sing the National Anthem.

Match #1: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page w/The Diamond Doll
Page has a small black bag that he gives to The Diamond Doll. It appears she gives it to Bobby Heenan. Page ambushes Badd and they go right to work. Victory roll by Badd  and he can’t catch him early. Badd clotheslines Page outside and drags him right back in quickly, going to the wrist lock. Page pulls him down and stomps the mid section. Duck under takedown by Page and Badd kicks out. Front facelock by Page, Badd reverses into a hammerlock and drops his knee into the back. Badd rolls him over but can’t get 3.

He hangs on to the hammerlock as they work back to their feet. Page breaks it with an elbow and drops Badd with a shoulder block. Badd kicks him away and scores with an arm drag, cranking on the arm down on the mat. Page goes to the eyes and takes Badd over. Johnny bridges out on the headlock, lifts his feet in the air and uses his momentum to roll DDP over. Dropkick by Badd and a lateral press for two. Page baits Badd and throws him head first into the turnbuckle. Page lays in some elbows. Belly to back suplex by DDP and he’s feeling it. He continues to kick Badd while he’s down. To the ropes, a kick to the midsection and a gut buster by Page.

Snap suplex by Page and Badd kicks out again, DDP moves quickly into the reverse chinlock. Page with a nerve hold as the crowd rallies behind Badd. Up to vertical, Badd lays in some elbows and it’s his turn for a belly to back. A right to the midsection and Badd somersaults away from contact. Inverted atomic drop and a clothesline from Badd. He sends Page for a back body drop, to the ropes again, Badd gets up with a head scissors. He hits him with a left hook and Page tumbles to the floor. Flying cross body by Badd and he rolls DDP back in. To the top rope, Badd lands a sunset flip and that’s all he needs.
Winner: Johnny B. Badd (Top Rope Sunset Flip)

• EA’s Take: It’s our first PPV look at DDP’s real (at the time) wife, Kimberly Page, known of course at this point as The Diamond Doll. Shortest match on the card, but dense with action – no wasted moves. Both of these guys are about to come into their own over the next 12-18 months, so this is just a small preview of that as they both start to increase their profiles.

In the Arena: ‘Mean’ Gene is standing by with Jesse Ventura. They plug the WCW Hotline, Jesse’s ready to call right now. He’ll be available to talk to fans on Wednesday and he has plenty of dirt that can’t be talked about on the air.

Match #2 for the WCW World Television Championship: ‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman vs. WCW World Television Champion Lord Steven Regal w/Sir William
There is a 15 minute time limit. Brian wastes no time and he throws Regal into the turnbuckle and lays in a variety of strikes. Irish whip, Regal stops short and tries a single leg pickup but Brian stays on offense. They exchange roll ups, and Regal tries to slow it down. Pillman drops to his knees to get on Regal’s level and slaps him across the face. He sends the champ face first into the canvass. To the ropes, leapfrog by Pillman and an arm drag. Regal bails to the floor, Pillman gives chase but he’s been baited. Pillman protects himself from the railing and sends Regal into it instead. Lord Steve retreats into the ring, Pillman slingshots his arm over the top rope.

In the corner, they jockey for position, Pillman takes him down with a hammerlock and drags Regal to the post where he continues work on that left arm. Pillman stalks Sir William away, giving Regal a chance to get in the ring. Chop from Pillman but Regal pulls the hair. European uppercut and an arm drag by Regal. He stays on the wrist. Pillman works his way back up and chops out of the wrist lock, but the champ slows the momentum. They hit the ropes, Pillman tries a Thesz Press, Regal catches him and flips him onto his back. Regal is slow to cover and Pillman kicks out. Forearms across the back by Lord Steven, Pillman fights back from his knees. It’s Regal keeping the upperhand and he lifts Pillman up on his shoulder.

Pillman maneuvers out of it and surprises with a small package, Regal kicks out. Single leg takedown by Regal, he grapevines the legs and maneuvers into a crossface. He switches into a half nelson on the mat. Regal grinds away with some mat work before picking Pillman up for some uppercuts. Pillman tries to reverse into a backslide but can’t pull it off. Regal lifts Pillman with a surfboard submission. He hangs on with a reverse chin lock. They exchange chops and hit the ropes, Pillman wants a back drop but Regal stops short with a forearm. The champ jackknifes Pillman up, but Flyin Brian counters with a head scissor take down.

Regal gets his shoulder up at two. Pillman attempts a crucifix, Regal makes it to the ropes, he stands back up and drops him with a Regal roll, Pillman kicks out at two. Modified abdominal stretch on the mat by Regal. Regal tries a crossbow but only gets one leg. Pillman breaks the hold with right hands. He goes to the ropes but Regal stops him with a single leg and a half crab. Pillman with some desperation chops and Regal lifts his boot to the challenger’s face. He tries a roll up with a handful of trunks but Pillman escapes. Back to a crossface by Regal. USA chants break out in favor of Pillman. Up to their feet and they exchange shots. Pillman gets the better of it in the corner but Regal won’t give. Desperation headbutt by Pillman but it seems to take more out of himself.

Forearm between the shoulder blade and an upper cut by Regal. Desperation drop kick by Pillman and both men are down. To the ropes, Regal catches Pillman’s drop kick, tries a Boston crab but Pillman throws him aside. Enzigure by Pillman, reacting to Regal’s single leg pickup attempt. Pillman tries a monkey flip, Regal tosses him off but misses with a knee drop. Regal goes to the middle rope as it’s announced there is 1 minute left in the time limit. Regal leaps but Pillman catches him with a drop kick. Pillman sends him for the ride and a back body drop. Pillman is fired up and he delivers rights in the corner.

To the ropes again, Pillman stops short of a hip toss and pulls Regal face first on the mat. Pillman runs for a cross body, Regal catches him out of midair, stumbles toward the ropes and both men tumble over the top and to the floor. Pillman is up first, he fends off Sir William and heads back to the ring. He gives Regal a vertical suplex back into the ring, but time has expired.
Winner: Time Limit Draw

• EA’s Take: Dean Malenko may be the ‘Man of 1,000 Holds’, but Regal is right there with him. His creativity on the mat is definitely in the highest percentile. I find myself using the word “modified” a lot during his matches because it’s as if he has 7 different variations of any given hold. The TV Title was treated a lot like the IC Title, often going to the reliable technicians. In the belt’s 27-year history, the top five guys in terms of combined reigns were Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Tully Blanchard, Lord Steven Regal and Mike Rotunda. Steve Austin comes in at #6, so I think that’s some solid evidence for my assertion.

Backstage: ‘Mean’ Gene is joined by Col. Robert Parker and his new client, Bunkhouse Buck. Parker feels like the greatest promoter of all time. He has a lot to look forward to, but the one he’s looking forward to the most is Buck’s showdown with ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes. Buck says he hasn’t showered in a long time, he’s dirty and smelly because that’s the way Daddy used to do it.

Match #3 – Falls Count Anywhere Chicago Street Fight: WCW World Tag Team Champions The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) vs. Cactus Jack & Maxx Payne
The brawl starts right on the entrance ramp. Sags and Payne take it to the ring, Payne with a spine buster. Sags rolls to the floor and Payne chases. Knobbs beats Jack with a foreign object while Sags is thrown into the railing. Jack takes the baton and takes control of Knobbs in the ring. Jack sets him up, clotheslines Knobbs to the floor landing on the apron himself. Sags takes a chair to both his opponents and he beats Jack with a pool cue. Jack takes control of the chair and all four just have an all out brawl on the floor. Jack runs Knobbs into the entrance ramp, Payne drops two elbows on Sags. Sags takes the pool cue into the ring and beats Jack on the side of the head.

Payne and Knobbs take their battle toward the entrance ramp. Headbutt from Payne and he throws him into the ramp. Inside the ring, Sags measures Jack and uses the cue to send him over the top. Knobbs and Payne have made their way to a souvenir stand and Knobbs uses a trash can on him. Jack and Sags have rolled back to the floor and they’re fighting amid the fans. Jack delivers a chair shot across the head while Payne lifts Knobbs and sends him through a merchandise table. Payne stuffs a t-shirt down Knobbs throat, he tries a pin but Knobbs won’t let up. Sags joins his partner but Jack is right behind him. Cactus is tossed over the safety rail. The Nasty Boys double team Payne through the back of the souvenir stand.

Sags grabs a table and beats Jack over the top of the head. Up on the entrance ramp and Jack hits Sags with a neck breaker. He drops the table across the mid section of the tag champ. He goes for a pin but Knobbs cuts him off with a shovel. Knobbs climbs up to clock him again, but Payne makes the save. He grabs the shovel and assaults Knobbs. with it. Jack and Sags stand up on the table, it appears that Sags wants a piledriver, but the table gives way. He instead simply throws Jack over the side. He takes the shovel, clocks Cactus across the skull, makes a pin on the concrete and that’s enough for the win.
Winners: The Nasty Boys (Sags/Foreign Object)

• EA’s Take: You had to know exactly what you were in for before this match even started, just an ugly, unhinged free-for-all. I think battle royals are easier to sensibly call in a format like this. That spot on top of the table when it just broke on them was absolutely hilarious.

Backstage: Jesse Ventura is joined by Johnny B. Badd. Slamboree is a month away, DDP is a good wrestler but he’s a Badd man, and he wants a shot at the winner of the following United States Championship match.

Match #4 for the WCW United States Championship: The Great Muta vs. WCW United States Champion ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin w/Col. Robert Parker
Austin backs away from a karate kick and takes his time to move in. Collar and elbow, waistlock by Muta and Austin breaks it on the ropes. They lock up again, side headlock takedown by Muta and he hangs on. Austin twists out to a top wristlock but can’t completely escape. Stunning Steve is forced to go to the ropes again. Austin ducks the collar and elbow and hits a double leg takedown, delivers a stomp and picks Muta up for a right. To the ropes they go and it’s Muta who catches Austin in an abdominal stretch. Austin reverses but Muta lays in an elbow. Collar and elbow, waistlock by Muta and he tries a schoolboy. Side headlock takedown by Muta and he hangs onto the headlock.

Austin tries grabbing the hair by the referee catches him. Austin lifts for a belly to back suplex, but Muta takes him back over again, not relinquishing the lock. Up to their feet again and this time Steve’s successful. Austin tries a vertical suplex, Muta blocks and delivers one of his own. He lays in an elbow and moves back to the headlock. Austin is slow to his feet, they hit the ropes, Muta with a shoulder block, Austin leapfrogs but then eats a drop kick. Muta with another side takeover, Stunning Steve counters with a head scissor submission. Muta escapes and Austin rolls out to check in with Parker. Austin rolls back in on the near side. Back to the neutral position, Austin tries hooking a schoolboy but can’t get the pin. Drop toe hold into a front face lock, Muta counters into a hammerlock.

Muta tries getting the shoulders down but Austin fights out of it. Side headlock by Muta and they hit the ropes, Parker grabs the leg and Austin blindsides him with a knee. Austin runs a distraction and the Colonel takes advantage, choking Muta. Austin rolls out and sends Muta into the ring post. The champ sends Muta into the railing. Back in the ring, Austin stays on him with knees and kicks. Snapmare by Austin and he follows with a knee to the forehead. Lateral press and Muta kicks out. Austin moves into an abdominal stretch, the ref checks in but Muta’s not interested in quitting. Austin grabs the rope for leverage.

Nick Patrick catches him doing it and kicks him away, Muta lifts him with a hip toss to break the hold. Muta blocks a right and lays shots into the champ. Into the ropes but he misses with a drop kick. Austin lays in a knee from the middle rope and Muta kicks out at two. He hooks the leg but still can’t get him. Austin hangs Muta across the bottom rope and the ref backs him off, Parker takes a cheap shot. Muta blocks a buckle shot and gives one to Austin instead. Spinning karate kick by Muta. He sends Austin for a back body drop, following it with a vertical suplex. Standing drop kick by the challenger and he’s heading for the top rope. He tries a drop kick but no one is home.

Austin tries the Hollywood and Vine submission but Muta escapes. To the ropes and Muta is the one who hits the Stun Gun across the top rope. Irish whip and a back splash by Muta. He seats Austin on the top turnbuckle and lands a hurricanrana. Parker is up on the apron and he eats a spinning kick. Austin charges him, Muta reacts with a back body drop over the top rope, prompting a disqualification.
Winner and STILL WCW United States Champion: ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin (Disqualification)

• EA’s Take: Good match. For the first couple of minutes I was asking myself who was the heel and who was the babyface. It should be obvious that Austin is the heel champion, but the fans do like him and the backstory was that Muta wanted to take the United States Championship back to Japan. At the end of the day, the fans were still behind the Japanese star.

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