WCW Great American Bash 1991 Part 3

Finally got the Torch sub back - so let's go back to this show.  Here's part 1 and part 2 of my coverage. Ross explains a Russian chain match between Sting and Nikita - which is pointed out as being a horrible idea for a show in Maryland, where a blood stoppage would be legit. We see Nikita jump Sting at Super Brawl and boy are Scott's tights way too tight. We see Nikita constantly cheapshot him and apparently, the Little Stinger at the Clash show is Kevin Sullivan's son. We get a great shot of Nikita standing on a twirling platform and then a shot of the camera guy in shorts. Sting gets pyro and a giant STING graphic.

They brawl a bit in the ring before brawling outside the ring. More walk and brawling. Sting touches TWO CORNERS. A fan holds up a Sting and Bart comparison sign. Armbar with the chain...Jesus someone do something! The chain crotch bit still gets a pop. All American ballshot by Sting.  Nikita rakes the eyes and hits the Sickle. Sting wackily stinger splashes Nikita into the buckle to give Nikita the win after touching three buckles...so WCW managed to not be able to properly count to 4. SUPER-DUPER CHAIN BALLSHOT BY STING. For a guy who sure choked in a lot of matches, this was another one for Sting.

Tony and Jim throw to a video package explaining why Barry and Lex are fighting for the World Title. It's hyped up as ONE OF THE GREATEST WORLD TITLE MATCHES OF ALL TIME. We get clips of Barry showing why he was great at points - super-smooth with his suplexes and lariats. The cage gets a small pyro display and the World Title match is the semi main event. They talk about how Lex and Barry always came close - but they never would win the big one. BOY DOES THAT PUT THEM OVER HUGE. Hey, this guy holding the belt we just showed you? The guy in the WWF WITH THAT BELT? Our two top guys couldn't beat him!

Jim Ross goes in-depth on Lex's football background. Tony talks about Barry's accomplishments...leaves out leaving the company. Good God this is all so awkward. After several years, the cage is set up and we get a wacky light display. Barry gets a graphic...as "Barry Windam" yowza. We get a shot of the "World Title" that Dusty had made in no time flat. Lex has his badass NWA theme and a good gold and white color scheme. We get some pyro on the cage, which looks pretty solid.

They exchange shoulder blocks to start. Pat and Jim talk about how these two have wrestled since Luger started off in Florida nearly a decade before. We get some amusing jokes at Blackjack's expense about his counterfeiting jail stint - there's no handlebar 'stache on Abe and "in Gordon Solie we trust" isn't on anything. BACKDROP. SOMEONE DID SOMETHING. Wide shot of the crowd leads to another "we want Flair" chant, so we get a shot of the ring overhead.

Lex counters a suplex with a very sloppy suplex. Barry goes for a figure 4 - which shockingly doesn't get a huge WE WANT FLAIR chant. Barry takes an atomic drop and sells his ass and heavily-taped right knee, so he might've landed wrong. Lex locks on a sleeper. Riveting. Barry counters and locks one on before Lex hits a DDT. Barry slams Lex off the top and drops a knee. Barry misses a flying sloppy elbow off the top. Clothesline series.  THE RACK IS ON AND A FAN GOES CRAZY. Barry escapes and hits a back suplex.

Lex goes for a superplex, Barry's move, but it's countered and a flying lariat hits. Slam gets 2. Barry gets a sorta-dropkick off the top for 2. The fans stare at the ramp and Hughes and Race come down. Hughes distracts Barry, so Lex drops him and piledrives him - winning the title with Race's move. I like how Barry held his hands together to block the move's impact - it also made this stand out a bit. We hear about how Lex took a stand for Harley in '92 so he would keep his job - that's nice of him.

Arn and Paul E come out to face Rick Steiner and Missy Hyatt in the main event. Paul is dressed like 1991, and Maryland has a ban on men wrestling women. Brilliant. Missy is also dressed like 1991 with lots of neon and black hair. Dick Slater and Murdoch come down and take Missy. A FAN HITS MURDOCH AND HE SLUGS HIM. Rick has to go solo against Arn and Paul E. We get a great shot of a We Want Flair sign and another headlock. Heyman falls off the top with the phone to the head. Rick grabs Paul while Jim talks about Heyman's hairline receding and we get a shot of his bald spot. Steinerline pins Paul. LOL. Rick just leaves. Wow. Pyro ends things. WCW using credits for this show amuses me since it's so historically bad. We get a recap of the show - a scaffold match with no one falling, a chain match with no blood, a mixed tag with no woman, and a world title match with a fake belt.