Backstage: ‘Mean’ Gene is getting a word with WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, Jimmy Hart & The Big Brother. What we need to talk about is last night: he thought they could sneak into the Motor City, but everyone recognized the pythons. He saw so many anti-Flair signs, and The Nature Boy is going to learn there is only one leader for all the Hulkamaniacs. Gene asks about the situation with Mr. T as he was seen with Flair in Chicago, and he showed up in a limousine. Hogan cornered Mr. T the other day and he looked into his eyes, and he knew he was still training, eating his vitamins and saying his prayers. He’s going to call it as he sees it. It’s not Mr. T he’s worried about, once he’s inside the cage, he’s afraid of Flair suckering T in. Hogan doesn’t care about the presence of celebrities in terms of pressure, he’s focused on Flair.

Match #5 for the WCW United States Championship: ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin vs. WCW United States Champion ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan
Austin attacks Duggan immediately, throwing body shots in the corner. Austin kicks the champ down and mocks Duggan. Irish whip but Hacksaw comes back with a pair of clotheslines and a scoop slam. To the ropes, Austin stops short and punts him. He goes to work with some strikes, to the ropes and Hacksaw grabs a brief sleeper hold and shoves him into the corner. Austin stumbles back, Duggan lifts him for a suplex but Steve flips over. He chops Duggan down at the knee and works it over on the mat. Austin with more knee to knee contact, he calls for a figure four but gets booted into the turnbuckle.

Duggan grabs the trunks for a roll up and Austin kicks out. Duggan pursues and Austin goes to the eyes. He puts Duggan’s leg on the bottom rope and tries to sit down on it but Duggan moves. A big atomic drop knocks Austin all the way down to the floor as Duggan gets the USA chants going. Stunning Steve wants timeout. Austin rolls in and offers a handshake, Duggan’s not buying it. Hacksaw grabs a side headlock and they hit the ropes, shoulder block by Duggan but Austin catches him with a boot on the comeback. Stunning Steve with a double ax handle from the 2nd rope and he mocks Duggan. He climbs up again and does it a 2nd time. A third try and Steve runs into a clothesline. A right-left combo from the champ and he seeks refuge in the corner.

Duggan pursues and Austin kicks back for a low blow. The ref lectures Austin. Stunning Steve kicks away at the midsection in the corner and chokes him with his boot. Stunning Steve unloads but the ref won’t let him use the ropes. He tries a cover for only 1. Austin returns to the 2nd rope with Duggan on the mat and he hits a double ax. He hooks the leg but Duggan kicks at two. This time he heads all the way for the top. He tries a big splash but Hacksaw rolls out of the way. Duggan is pumped as he throws Austin into the corner, following it with headbutts. Into the ropes, Duggan hits a back body drop and a clothesline. He gets into his 3-point stance and charges. Austin back drops him over the top rope and the ref calls for a disqualification.
Winner and STILL WCW United States Champion: ‘Hacksaw’ Jim Duggan (Disqualification)

• After The Bell: Austin assaults Duggan but the US Champ makes a comeback. He grabs the 2×4 and chases Stunning Steve out of the ring.
• EA’s Take: I have a lot of love in my heart for Hacksaw, but you have to approach him knowing he’s 80% gimmick with a pretty standard move set. Austin is obviously great and made him look like a million bucks here. In doing these shows, I’m sad he’s not long for WCW at this point, but of course wouldn’t trade ‘Stone Cold’ for the world.

In The Arena: ‘Mean’ Gene is joined by Sting, who is not wrestling tonight. He’s here for one explicit reason, he’s going to park himself ringside to see who is going to lead WCW through the 1990s, and he quickly moves to find his seat.

Match #6: The Guardian Angel vs. Vader w/Harley Race
Race is in the ring first and Angel sends him for a clothesline. He boots him out to the floor and Vader takes his time. The bell sounds and Vader poses and taunts. Collar and elbow, Angel with position and he gives a slap across the face. He tries it again to humiliate Vader. A third tie up, Vader goes to the bridge of the nose and turns the table. He clubs Angel down in the corner. Standing clotheslines from Vader as he holds Angel up before clotheslining him out to the floor. Outside, Vader reverses a whip into the steel and hits a running clothesline. Race tries to get involved but Angel gives him the business as well. In the ring, a right cross and a scoop slam for Race.

He pounds the manager with rights, Vader returns to the ring but Angel is on fire. He scoops Vader on top of the former world champion. Race rolls out and Angel drops a leg to the groin of Vader. On their feet, headbutts and rights from Angel. Irish whip and a big splash. Vader fights back with a combination, he tries a vertical suplex but Angel reverses into one of his own. He hits the ropes and hits Vader with a big boot. Vader comes out of the corner with a series of rights and a left forearm knocks Angel to the mat.

Vader climbs to the 2nd rope, leaps, and Angel reverses with a powerslam. Angel heads to the top rope with a diving headbutt to the ribs. He goes for a cover and Vader kicks out. Back to vertical, Vader catches a boot and Angel counters with an enzigure. Angel palms him with rights and clotheslines the big man out to the floor. Angel pulls him back into the ring, delivers a headbutt and they hit the ropes. An awkward clothesline brings Angel down, and Vader appears to be hurt. The ref backs Vader away, but is in time to make sure there’s no foul play from Harley Race.

Vader lifts Angel with a scoop slam, he hits the Vader Bomb but Angel gets his shoulder up at 2. He calls for another but this time Angel gets his knees up. Angel hits a running splash and Vader kicks out. Sidewalk slam by Angel and he still can’t get him. To the ropes, he hits a spike slam but Race distracts him from the apron. He gets his hands on him and hits a vertical suplex, but Vader takes advantage by immediately leaping on top of him with a splash.
Winner: Vader (Splash)

• EA’s Take: Fast moving start for these two guys. When Vader hit that awkward clothesline, I genuinely thought he may have torn a muscle in his arm. Something was seriously off, but then the match was finished like it was nothing. Guardian Angel got more of an opportunity to look strong through the first part of this match. Other than that, it’s a retread match that didn’t seem to add anything new or exciting.

Match #7: The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs & Jerry Sags) vs. Terry Funk & Bunkhouse Buck w/Col. Robert Parker & Meng
The Nasty Boys bring a pumpkin to the ring and all four men brawl. Knobbs sends Funk down with a clothesline and they throw each other into one another and they roll out of the ring. Parker settles them down. Knobbs and Funk get the action started. They tie up, Funk gets position on the ropes but his chop is ineffective. Knobbs levels Funk with a combo and knocks Terry out to the floor, he lets Buck join his partner, knocking him off the apron. Funk teases throwing a chair in the ring but doesn’t. Side headlock by Knobbs and he exchanges for Sags, snapmare take over and he sits on Funk’s neck.

Knobbs raises his arm and Sags rubs Funk in his pit. Collar and elbow, Funk gets position and he and Buck pummel Sags. Jerry fights out of it, sends Funk head first into the turnbuckle and makes a tag. Funk staggers over to tag in Buck. Knobbs with an Irish whip and a quick tag for a double team. Funk tries making the save but he’s whipped into his fallen partner. They roll out and Funk tests a chair with his own head. He responds to the fans until Parker tries to get him back under control. Collar and elbow, Sags with position on the ropes and he lays in some knees. Funk is seated on the top rope, Sags chops him out of the ring. Buck grabs a rope and saves his partner. Sags deals with a double team on the floor and Funk rolls him back in.

He’s sent for the ride, blocks a double back drop and counters with a double facebuster. Tag is made to Knobbs and he clubs both men. Buck is sent to the floor and Funk takes a running clothesline. He hits the ropes again, Buck trips him from the outside. Parker distracts the referee as Buck sets up a foreign object in his glove. Patrick catches Bunkhouse in the act, Buck denies it. As the ref lectures him, Meng climbs on the apron, Funk is holding Knobbs in place. Meng swings, Knobbs ducks and Funk is clocked. Sags brings the pumpkin in the ring and hits Funk with a piledriver on top of it, smashing it. Knobbs makes the pin, the ref turns around and counts to 3.
Winners: The Nasty Boys (Knobbs/Sags Piledriver)

• EA’s Take: Doing play by play, combining Funk and Buck can be a scary combo of typing. This was the most over I’ve seen The Nasty Boys since being in WCW. The pumpkin piledriver was entertaining, but my favorite ‘pumpkin spot’ of all-time is still Miz getting superkicked by Dolph Ziggler with a pumpkin on his head.

In The Ring: ‘Mean’ Gene introduces the WCW President Bill Shaw, who presents Muhammad Ali a check for his Futures Foundation. He goes on to introduce WCW Senior Vice President Eric Bischoff who presents Ali a plaque commemorating his career and charity work.

Match #8 is a Career vs. Career Steel Cage Match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship – Special Referee Mr. T: ‘Nature Boy’ Ric Flair w/Sensuous Sherri vs. WCW World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan w/Jimmy Hart
The cage is lowered and we’re under way. Hogan with a boot to the gut and a rake to the eye, he pummels Flair in the corner with rights. Flair blocks a cage shot, Hogan reverses an Irish whip and hits Flair with clotheslines. He takes his bandanna off and shoves it down Flair’s throat. He climbs the turnbuckles and stomps on The Nature Boy. Mr. T confronts him and backs him off. Flair takes advantage with an eye poke and a chop. Hogan blocks a cage shot and returns the favor. Hulk rakes the back and sends him again as Jimmy Hart cheers him on.

Hogan with rights on the mat, but Flair takes a low shot from his knees. He buckles the back of Hulk’s knee with a forearm. He stays on by putting it on the rope and dropping all of his weight on it. Mr. T breaks it on the ropes and he gets in Flair’s face as well. Short rights from Flair and he sends Hogan head first into the steel. Snapmare by Flair and he drops a knee on the top of the head. Hogan reverses an Irish whip and follows it with a clothesline. He stalks Flair and sends him into the cage. Hogan lifts him on his shoulder and runs him into the steel like a battering ram. He tries choking Flair with the bandanna but T stops him, they get into a shoving match as Flair climbs the side of the cage. He comes down with a double ax handle and Hogan’s down.

The Nature Boy goes back to work on the knee and lifts Hogan for a delayed vertical suplex. He’s slow to make a cover and Hogan kicks out. Quick jabs to Hogan’s forehead. He sets Hogan in the corner, Hogan blocks a right and lays in chops and a right. Flair tries to escape, Hogan climbs up with him and chokes Flair on the top. He knocks him crotch first across the top rope and bites the bridge of Flair’s nose. Irish whip but Hogan runs into a boot. Flair tries a figure four, Hogan counters with a small package and Flair kicks out. Big chops in the corner, but it’s only waking Hogan up. He grabs the wrist and sends Flair for an Irish whip and a back body drop.

Flair’s head is raked across the steel, and it’s another two count. T and Hogan get into it as Flair tries escaping again, hung up top Flair is bashed into the cage and chopped back down to the rope again. Side headlock by Hogan but Flair lifts him and drops him on his knee. Running knee drop by Flair, and he follows it with another. Hogan is limping into the corner but Flair is relentless. Single leg pick up and he untapes Hogan’s knee. Mr. T won’t have it, and the guest ref shoves him down. He returns to Hogan’s knee and gets rid of the tape. The Nature Boy locks in the figure four in the center of the ring. Hogan struggles through it, he raises the finger and says no.

He turns the hold but Flair escapes quickly. He goes for a shoulder block but runs into Mr. T instead. Flair with a punt and a belly to back suplex. He drags Mr. T over for the cover, but he’s out. Hogan kicks out and Flair lands on T. The Nature Boy decides to stomp on the guest ref as Sensuous Sherri climbs the cage. Jimmy Hart chases her to pull her down, and ends up taking the bottom of her dress with him. Sherri is incensed and attacks Jimmy on the floor. She tries climbing the cage again but Sting hops the barrier to pull her down. He’s walking her away but The Masked Man appears from under the ring with a bat and blindsides Sting.

He gives both Sting and Jimmy Hart shots and Sherri has climbed all the way to the top of the cage. She flies down for a double ax handle on Hogan but he just turns around to confront her. Flair uses the distraction to take Hulk out at the knee. The Masked Man has climbed the cage and holds the bat. They handcuff Mr. T to the ropes and run Hogan into the bat. Vertical suplex by Flair as Sherri stomps on T. Hogan pops up immediately, Flair doesn’t realize it. He turns around and is surprised, he and Sherri double team Hogan to the ropes, the Hulkster ducks and levels both of them with clotheslines. They each get a scoop slam. Flair tries sending Hogan for a chop but it doesn’t effect the champ.

He levels them both with clotheslines again. Irish whip and a back drop to Flair. Sherri is trying to escape but Hogan catches her with a military press. Flair tries escaping and Hogan meets him halfway up. Flair is thrown into the steel and he collapses to the mat. He sends Sherri for the big boot and it gives Flair a chance to rake the eyes. He tries more chops but Hogan is raging. He drops Flair with the big boot, drags him over to Mr. T and drops a leg. From his handcuffed position, Mr. T makes the count.
Winner and STILL WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Hulk Hogan (Leg Drop)

• After The Bell: Hogan celebrates to a giant ovation. The party is interrupted by The Masked Man, Hogan sees him, blocks the shot with the bat and sends him for the ride. He tries bailing out but Hogan catches him. He winds up with a big right and pulls the mask off. It’s his good friend Brother Bruti. Hogan is stunned, Kevin Sullivan & Avalanche have come down to the ring and Hulk’s surrounded. They pound away on the champion, Avalanche lifting him for a big power slam. He stomps around and lands a seated press. Sting rushes back to the ring to make the save, with a top rope crossbody on Bruti and Avalanche. He clears the ring and checks on Hogan.
• EA’s Take: *Phew*, that was a wacky end. Of course, this is the seed of Sullivan’s ploy to destroy Hulkamania. Sherri is definitely a good sport in terms of getting involved with matches, she’s not afraid to bump. I didn’t quite understand the logic of Flair and Sherri handcuffing Mr. T and beating him down if, you know, they want to win the match. I’ll get into what I thought about the reveal and the fallout in the finisher. The hype for this match and subsequently the crowd, was electric.

EA’s Finisher: So, you head into your first Starrcade with Hulk Hogan. What should we plan as the main event? Should we plan the uber-hyped rematch with ‘Mr. Starrcad’e Ric Flair instead of doing it at Havoc? Nah. Should we give it to Vader, one of your top heels who earned a #1 contender’s match at Fall Brawl? Nah. Oh I know, how about a friendly-rivalry ‘Icon vs. Icon’ match with Sting. Nope. Let’s make it Hulk Hogan vs. The Butcher. Really, WCW? That angle couldn’t be saved for a B-show? I know I shouldn’t be too surprised, but come on, tonight’s match had Starrcade main event written all over it. Why not give Vader his owed shot tonight and THEN build for Flair?

Top Three To Watch
1 – Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair
2 – Dustin Rhodes vs. Arn Anderson
3 – Pretty Wonderful vs. Stars & Stripes

Which match was your favorite? Let us know on social media @theCHAIRSHOTcom and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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