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WCW Clash Questions

Howdy,

​Hi!​

Having missed a lot of early 90s WCW programming, I am going back and watching on the network (I wish they would include WCW Saturday Night to help provide some background for the PPVs and Clash but I digress.) 

Some quick questions:

1- I know pushes would start and stop in WCW due to management changes but Steve Austin in 1992 got to work a lot with established stars like Sting, Rude, Steamboat etc.... Were they actively trying to get him over as "the next guy" or was he just lucky to be in all those tag matches on top? 

​He was absolutely the next guy.  They were pushing the shit out of him but I guess Eric Bischoff just wasn't a fan.  To say the least.  Flair and Dusty have both stated many times that they saw Austin as a huge star, however.  ​Dusty breaking up the Hollywood Blonds in 1993 was his own bass-ackwards way of trying to get Austin over to the next level, in fact.  

2-The Steiners were really stiff. Did anyone ever complain about getting nearly decapitated by those clotheslines or having to work with them in general? Is it fair to say they toned down their style once they went to WWF? 

​Yeah, that's an understatement.  And yes, people definitely complained, although not much could really be done about it.  ​

3- With Flair gone, was there ever any talk of giving Arn Anderson a legit singles push? Was his talent wasted in all those random tag team pairings until the Horsemen reunited? 

​During the 91 era?  No, Anderson was a TV title guy and both he and the company were fine with that.  ​

4- If you could only watch every SNME or every CLASH for the rest of your life...Which show do you choose? 
​​
Gee, do I watch endless Hulk Hogan 3 minute matches for the rest of my life, or Flair-Sting and Flair-Steamboat?  Gonna have to go with the Clash.  ​

Comments

  1. What were your guys' first Clash and first SNME?

    Mine were the July 1990 SNME (Warrior/Rude WWF title match, Hogan return, Demolition/Rockers, Mr. Perfect vs Tito Santana in a **** match) and Clash XVII (Sting/Rude, Steamboat/Rhodes vs Arn/Larry). Two pretty damn good shows, both of which I was insanely pumped for.

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  2. Fucking Hogan. Dude was absolutely the worst thing for WCW.

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  3. "Anderson was a TV title guy and both he and the company were fine with that."


    Some guys were never meant to be main eventers; sometimes they are just meant to be solid midcard/sidekick wrestlers. Sometimes as fans we just want our guy to be the top guy when they are much better suited to be the Santinos/Kofis/Usos of wrestling.

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  4. I missed SNME by the time I started watching, Don't exactly remember my first Clash, but it was one of the nWo ones.

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  5. First and last SNME was 06. First CotC was something in 93.

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  6. Yeah, it is sad that Austin never got his due in WCW. I mean, obviously he could have been tearing up the top of the card in his prime. I would have at least liked to see him get a run in 1995 at the top of the card as a big-time heel.

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  7. I think the only guy most fans tend to overrate as a potential top guy is Dolph.

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  8. It goes even past him. So many stars end up in WWE because of Hogan either directly or indirectly. Letting him go in 93 might have been Vince's greatest move of all time.

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  9. There is a difference between those wrestlers you listed and Anderson. Arn may not have been a top guy but he was always involved with the top angles.

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  10. Dolph could be a top guy right now if they didn't screw him over last summer. If he had won the Del Rio feud, he could have easily fought against The Authority for the WHC. The fans really wanted him to and they tried him fight the authority for a week, but they gave up on him.

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  11. The first clash I can remember is 2 Cold Scorpio's debut with Ron Simmons. Behind Sting, Scorpio was easily my favorite wcw guy as a kid.

    I was too young to watch snme live.

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  12. Guys like Arn Anderson, and because I like mentioning him, Bobby Eaton, were perfect in their roles in the midcard. Guys who could work with pretty much everyone and draw a proper reaction, depending on the situation. The No-Nonsense Professional, if you will.

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  13. First SNME I remember: The FOX one before Mania 8, because I never got to stay up til Midnight for the NBC broadcasts. First Clash was the one with Eaton vs. Flair headlining in 2 out of 3 Falls (15th?).

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  14. so he's sort of like Kane. Anderson may have gotten the title for a cup of coffee in 1995 if there were 2 titles and he was fighting flair for one of them.


    Both were involved with the top guy for years (undertaker/flair).
    Both have been in numerous top stables/factions/group (authority/bearers/brothers of distruction; heenan/dangerous alliance/4 horseman).
    Both rarely defeated the top guys but were always were a force to reckon with.
    Tagged with numerous guys.
    Been around for years.
    Both were never the top guy in a group but always the 2nd or 3rd guy.

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  15. hogan/bossman cage


    Flair/Sting clash to unify the titles

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  16. I think Arn has a bit more going for him because WCW didn't have the Super Non-Jobbing Champion until Hogan shows up. Arn constantly hanging around the top of the card through associations with Flair kept him in meaningful matches, and was given wins here and there to give him cred. In WWF, you knew who was jobbing before it happened. WCW could throw you a curveball now and then because they tried to book more unpredictably.

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  17. Eh...that's not the worst comp in the world but I feel like is a better one out there.

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  18. Ugh. Those 2006-08 SNME's need to be erased from history.

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  19. The first SNME I can remember was the one from the end of 85. Might have seen one before that, but i was only 4, so i don't remember.

    First clash was 7. I wore that tape out. Still one of my favorite shows. I should have seen 6, but i went to a friend of my dad's to watch wrestlemania, and the timer on the vcr screwed up.

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  20. The product has changed so much that its almost impossible to compare roster roles now. I'd say maybe Finley on smackdown is a good comp. Credible and good, and could end a show but perfect for a big mid card match.

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  21. I'm not saying Finley on smackdown was close to as good as AA btw, i'm just saying they had a similar role.

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  22. Dolph sucks, he can't talk or play a babyface for shit.

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  23. Same here. We never had the SNME back then, only recaps in our special shows in germany and even in 06 we had to download it I think, because it wasn't broadcasted. The first clash I saw was XXIII or XXIV.

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  24. Well, you know, this pesky thing called profits disagrees with you. NWo NEVER would have been as big as it was without Hogan's heel turn. As far as WCW going under blame shitty booking.

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  25. Imagine if Austin had stayed in WCW. Would he have been a big star like he was later in WWF? Would he have got rid of his hair? What about his beard? What about Bret Harts heel turn in 97? What about montreal? Would Bret have left if they didn't had Austin? So many questions...:-)

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  26. Extant1979 Most Must-See BoDerOctober 21, 2014 at 5:26 AM

    First SNME was the one with the Battle Royal that Andre won, headbutting Hogan out of the ring.


    First Clash was Clash IX, New York Knockout. I was a little late to the NWA bandwagon.

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