WCW Bash at the Beach 1994

 I don't recall ever seeing this show in full, so the Board watchalong is perfect. We get a video package showing Hogan as Jesus before a recap of Sting being attacked by Sting and "scratching his cornea" and Hogan beats up Sherri on Saturday Night. LOL @ Mr. T ALREADY BEING IN HERE BEFORE HOGAN'S FIRST MATCH. Jesus. IT'S 1994 and I was 10 and had no clue who he was beyond knowing of the A-Team and seeing the WM 1/2 matches.

JOHNNY B. BADD IN A 1994 PPV OPENER FOR A SECONDARY TITLE!? Shocking. He takes Sting's place here due to the Sherri angle and we get a darn fine little wrestling match here. WCW has NO ONE CLEAN UP THE GLITTHER, so Regal gets caked in it and hits a high kick! KISS THAT DON'T MISS HITS! We get a goofy sunset flip finish with Johnny not quite getting in perfect position for the counter and the cheating and then he gets high stacked to lose.

Mean Gene gives Antonio Inoki a giant intro. I'm astonished his chyron isn't the Chinese food font. Regal is offended by this and DEMANDS SATISFACTION! We get no slap, no physicality - just Inoki staring. VADER VS. THE GUARDIAN ANGEL IS UP! These two cannot have a bad match and Vader clubs him before HITTING A SPIN KICK OFF AN IRISH WHIP! One arm slam by Boss! 

VADER SLUGS HIM IN THE CORNER and Boss fights back before getting body blocked! Vader MISSES THE MOONSAULT after a nasty short-arm lariat. Race gets slammed off the top and tossed off the top. Harley gives Vader a TELESCOPIC NIGHTSTICK, which WWE didn't claim ownership of I guess, and then ANGEL GETS CAUGHT WITH IT AND DQED! LOL. This was so fun, but that finish was pretty terrible.

We get a fantastic recap of the Dustin-Studd Stable feud to set up Arn as his partner. Dustin wants THE OLD ARN ANDERSON BACK and he will in no way regret this. LOCAL RADIO DJS IN A COMEDY MATCH!? Fucking Jimmy Hart! WHY WAS THIS RECAPPED ON A PPV!? Arn sees Dustin wear this goofy bullshit and god he should just beat the shit out of him here for wearing it.

Arn does nothing to Buck before tagging out and then Terry demands Dustin come in and slams him. Dustin MISSES A CROSSBODY AND TAKES THE GREATEST BUMP DOWN THE STEPS TO THE FLOOR. WOW! Jesse, the heel, TELLING THE TRUTH that Dustin's being a glory hog and letting his ego cost him. So beyond wearing THAT OUTFIT at the Clash, then this goofy bullshit entrance gear, and that - that's three strikes bucko. Arn SHOULD BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF HIM! Flip, flop and WATCH THE TITTIES FLY! Arn tags in and DDT'S DUSTIN! YES! Arn is fantastic! Arn kneedrops the arm twice. Callback to the "make it look good" roadside beating of Arn and the Horsemen to Dusty here.

Sherri and Flair are incredible backstage pointing out that Hogan HAS to win. TREMENDOUS promo from Sherri there - probably her best work since the Savage days in terms of coming off like a main event-level act. WCW didn't shoot many things well consistently - but they always nailed Steamboat's intro. Austin vs. Steamboat is up. Steamboat hits a "reverse kick" according to Tony. TREMENDOUS chop exchange in the corner. Steamboat gets 2 off a schoolboy. Tony says WCW is what the world is watching - the same phrase that the WWF used a decade before. 

Austin's trick knee flies backward into the groin region of Steamboat. TREE HOLD BY STEAMBOAT! Austin beats Steamboat in the rope and makes him wave at the people while he yells "hi everybody!" BACK AND FORTH TOMBSTONE AND STEAMBOAT WINS THAT ONE! Diving chop by Steamboat, but AUSTIN TRIES TO SHOVE THE REF INTO IT and Steamboat tells him to not end it! Steamboat's crossbody is countered and A CLEAN 2 COUNT HAPPENS, but HE USES THE ROPES AND GETS 3. There, one move and you get over that ropes and leverage matter. Wrestling isn't hard. I love that finish - you get the misdirect of Steamboat DEMANDING IT CONTINUE and then that being his undoing, but not immediately. He COULD HAVE WON, but Austin's cheating sealed his fate and the rope usage actually resulted in a way. Great stuff.

Studd Stable celebration and WE GET BUCK WITHOUT A SHIRT. Arn tells Gene that a year ago, he was in a hospital in England and so was Dustin. DUSTIN WANTED THE OLD ARN ANDERSON and he made a deal with the devil and the  devil called his favor in early. Sullivan and Cactus vs. Pretty Wonderful for the gold IN A REGULAR MATCH. Oh joy. LONG RESTHOLDS. More long ARMBARS. We see Bill Shaw with Hank Aaron because fuck it, that's still better than this match. Cactus hits the double-arm DDT on Paul, but Sullivan sends Roma out on a lariat OVER THE TOP to thankfully not get a DQ.  Roma trips Jack and Paul just pins him to win. Ugh.

Bockwinkel and SHAQ get an intro. Boy what a dichotomy. Shaq is over as fuck. Hogan comes out with MR. T IN 1994. Hogan came with his working shoes on and does a surprising amount of matwork before it just goes into what would be the Hogan vs. Flair formula for 15 years. They do a nice shot of the pyro after the match in the building and it just shows how they should have lit the upper deck too. "WHAT'S OLD IS NEW AGAIN BROTHER!"

AEW Dynamite 4-13-22 - Joe vs Suzuki ROH TV Title

 

It's a loaded show tonight with the tag titles on the line as ReDRagon faces the Jurassic Express and Samoa Joe faces Minoru Suzuki for the ROH World TV Title. It appears the tag title match will start the show off based on the TBS hype during Big Bang Theory. Or not - CM Punk is starting it off against Penta! Page vs. Cole on Rampage for the title is made in a Texas Death Match - 7PM airtime! I love how unique the hard camera setup is for this show.

Lots of chops on the menu to start before an early GTS attempt is turned into an ankle pick and ankle lock by Penta. Punk gets a bow and arrow during the break. Super rana hits, but Penta cradles him up and Punk gets the anaconda vice and he gets the ropes. Punk avoids a Fear Factor on the apron and Penta avoids an apron driver, but he gets sent in off a Punk roundhouse. Penta avoids a GTS and goes for the arm snap. Back and forth cradles get 2. Penta jumps into a GTS and Punk wins it - this ruled!

The JAS arrives on the airfield and Eddie and PnP jumped them and took 2.0's shoes. Tag titles are on the line now. They tell a good story about Jungle Boy being nervous before winning the gold and now he's a lot more confident. Nice rana to Fish from Jack. Two tope suicidas from Jack and they avoid the third before Luchasaurus moonsaults off the apron onto them!

Butterfly DDT/Codebreaker combo hits for RD and then they get the armbar on Jack!  Jack gets his food under the rope and Fish prevents a doomsday device! FISH HITS AN AVALANCHE FALCON ARROW OVER A KOR FRONT CHOKE AND GETS 2! THORASIC EXPRESS HITS AND THE CHAMPS RETAIN!? Wow - I didn't see that coming, but it gives Jurassic Express a lot of credibility. Fish attacks with a chair and FTR COMES OUT FOR A SAVE!

 

Regal's Blackpool Combat Club has a new member and he will team with Mox and Danielson against the GUNN CLUB ON RAMPAGE! Yuta says the REAL WORK BEGINS ON FRIDAY. Toni Storm vs. Jamie Hayter is made for the first round of the Owen. MJF vs. Shawn Dean is up. Hayter says that they both traveled the world like Owen did, but SHE WILL BREAK HER FACE! Shawn Dean looks like a star and MJF's jacket is stuck!

LOL - he did that just to cheapshot him! We see MJF Personal Security beaten up backstage! Wardlow is in a security shirt and HE CHASES MJF AROUND AND HE DESTROYS SPEARS! MJF LOSES BY COUNTOUT! EVEN WITH A BRIBE OF THREE TIMES HIS PAY BY MJF! Wardlow wants out of his deal and destroys a camera so it's on MJF's bill. 

We get a Darby video with a slick song and he wants a coffin match against Andrade El Idolo. Malakai video talking about slicing up throats because they love Fuego. JAS vs PNP and Kingston is up. "JAS - for 5 weeks, the recognized symbol of excellence in sports entertainment!" - AMAZING. Nice little brawl to start. Kingston machine gun chops Garcia in the corner. Ortiz hits a flying legdrop off the second. Heels avoid a Street Sweeper and Ortiz jumps on Parker and DADDY MAGIC! Kingston goes for the backfist, but Jericho cheapshots his back and Garcia pins him!

MJF says that HE HAS MONEY and Smart Mark says that MJF can book or not book Wardlow and MJF will slaughter the pig using the Butcher! Red Velvet and Kiera Hogan are in the baddies section and Marina's out to face Skye Blue. Shafir taps her with a kneebar/triangle AND USES SKYE'S HAND TO WAVE DURING THE TAP. Love it!

Lexy is with Hook and Smart Mark is upset over Tony Nese not getting the time. Ethan Page and Lambert mock Sammy and Tay - where Sammy will get a TNT Title shot. Starks and Hobbs are out and Starks is a character babyface here having lost his home in Katrina as a kid. SWERVE is such a star as is Keith Lee. Swerve and Starks are fantastic and the tone changes with Keith Lee in the ring. BEAR CHOP TO STARKS! SWERVE DIVES OFF LEE! These two rule!

Starks just eats a beating on both sides from the faces and kicks out at 2. BIG STARKS SPEAR AND A DESTROYER GETS 2.9 ON SWERVE! Swerve pop-up into a Lee pounce gets 2! Lee tosses Starks away and Taz comes out pissed to an ECW chant. Taz gets in Hobbs' way and he gets posted. SECOND ROPE SPEAR BY STARKS AND A SWERVE 450 BREAKS UP A COVER! Taz trips Lee up and a HOBBS SPINEBUSTER WINS IT! 

Dalton Castle vs. Gresham is set for Battle of the Belts 2 on Saturday. Great skit with Nyla, Vickie, and Thunder Rosa.  "It was supposed to have writing on it - but that cost more money and you ain't worth that much!" TK has an announcement on Wednesday as well. Main event time is up! Cole vs. Page hype video airs and really puts that match over big-time.

Bobby Cruise does the intros for Joe vs. Suzuki! Jay and Sonjay cheer on Joe and JAY HAS A BOX! Joe and Suzuki start off with tons of chops and overhand chest chops! FOREARMS APLENTY! AFTER A MINUTE Suzuki's chest is bloody and Joe just gets all red off the chops and forearms. God this rules!

Joe gets the powerbomb>STF combo for the break and Joe turns it into the crossface. Suzuki goes no on the Gotch piledriver, but he shoves Joe off to TAKE ANOTHER CHOP THAT HE WANTS TO TAKE! Suzuki ducks a big chop and GETS THE SLEEPER, but Joe counters! Ex talks about all Suzuki has done in Japan and they keep going back to Jay - so I guess Joe wins it and Jay is his first opponent. MUSCLE BUSTER HITS AND JOE WINS THE TV TITLE FOR THE FIRST TIME! They all jump him and 

Jay and Sonjay interrupt his celebration with a present! STEREO MIDDLE FINGERS! The lights go out and Satnam Singh debuts to no reaction. Satnam Singh reminds me of Walter Johnson being in the ring with Terry Funk - let the veteran do 99.9% of the work. I'm excited about Jay and Sonjay, not so much about Singh, but he's new and green - so he's got time to learn and grow on folks.