83 Weeks - Clash of Champions 17 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

Clash of the Champions XVII 

Clash of the Champions XVII took place on November 19, 1991 at the Savannah Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia. There were 6,922 fans in attendance, with actual paid attendance reported between 4,000 and 5,000 fans. The show drew a 4.3 rating on TBS, translating to 2,460,000 homes. The show peaked at a 4.7 during Steamboat & Rhodes vs. The Enforcers then actually fell off significantly during the Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd match, came back to a 4.7 (2,704,000 homes) for Rude vs. Sting before dropping to a 4.5 for the Luger-Steiner match.

By comparison, Prime Time on 11/18 did a 2.3 rating while All American the day before did just a 2.0. But, Prime Time was a weekly show and this was a special. Still, crazy to think of WCW beating WWF in the ratings after Flair left with the belt, isn’t it?

Prior to this show, Sting had received "Mystery Boxes" which revealed Cactus Jack and Abdullah The Butcher. This Clash was to reveal who was actually sending the boxes to Sting. It turned out to be Lex Luger.

...Mystery boxes? Good idea or not so much?

News And Notes

One of the legendary characters in pro wrestling history, Dick the Bruiser, passed away in November 1991 at his home in Indian Rocks Beach, Fla. at the age of 62. Bruiser had been weightlifting at his home and ruptured a blood vessel in his esophagus, and he died from the internal bleeding. After an autopsy on Monday, they found he was suffering from artiriosceierotic, a cardiovascular disease stemming from hardening of the arteries, which caused the blood vessel to rupture.

For the ultimate badass, Dick The Bruiser dying from weightlifting is a pretty bad ass way to go.

Any thoughts or memories on the legendary star?

(For those who don’t know, Dick the Bruiser was the first to call Bobby Heenan “Weasel.”)

The WWF returned to the Cow Palace in San Francisco on Friday, 11/15. It was the first market in which Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan were to have a second meeting. The crowd dropped from 14,900 three weeks ago in Oakland to a paltry 5,000--one of the two or three smallest crowds Hogan has ever drawn in the Bay Area with the WWF, partially because this was an experimental show with almost no comp tickets given out and no money spent on advertising. It had become pretty obvious, using this market as a test, that the interest in Hogan-Flair just wasn't there after the initial meeting although three weeks is too fast to bring the match back. My own belief is that the minute Flair become part of the mix, instead of being an outsiders, he was in trouble as all he then was is just another cartoon character who happens to be able to work better than the rest of them and had more name value than most of them, but that's it. Maybe he'll get over as a hot member of the mix with upcoming TV angles, but the drawing power he had as the outsider coming in to challenge the WWF's big stars is just about history already because he was rushed into being part of the mix way too fast.

The Flair/Hogan experiment was failing, against all conventional wisdom. Why do you think that is? From a business perspective, what was the WWF not doing right? You made it work years down the road, at least enough to draw some PPV buys with. Did you learn anything from WWF’s failed attempt here?

Since this is being written before the Clash, but you'll all be reading it after the Clash, it is pretty much expected that Rick Steamboat debuted on the show as Dustin Rhodes tag team partner against The Enforcers. Apparently WCW sent a letter to the WWF asking them to respond if they felt they had contractual ties with Steamboat that would prevent him from working with WCW and they didn't respond so WCW is going to use him. Steamboat had signed a two-year contract with WWF but there was a claim by his attorney that the contract was breached in two areas. Since technically, Steamboat was fired by the WWF for not doing two TV jobs, even though he had given notice he was going to quit, that by being fired, it would relinquish him from the contract. The combination of bringing in Steamboat with the recent addition of Rick Rude really gives the company a major shot in the arm when it badly needed it.

Ricky Steamboat’s 91 run in the WWF was a lot less exciting than the run that saw him win at Wrestlemania 3. Do you recall any conversations about bringing him in?

There was serious consideration given last week to putting the WCW belt on Rick Steiner at the Clash. Apparently Lex Luger's contract (running from March-to-March) specifies a certain number of live dates and he'd been booked so heavily over the first eight months of the year that at his present pace, whatever the number is, he'd reach it just about by the end of the year. So in order to keep him working the major towns until the new fiscal year of the contract, Luger is being pulled from all smaller shows. I'm not sure if this relates to that same clause, or the clause regarding his contract being valid only for the U.S. and Canada (which allowed him to skip the March show at the Tokyo Egg Dome because his contract didn't specifically cover Japan), but he also refused to work the England tour since it wasn't covered by his contract and there was heat regarding that.

Would a world champion Rick Steiner have gotten over? Who could you have programmed him with AFTER he won the belt? Monster heels? Good workers?

Apparently in the wake of the Magic Johnson (HIV) story, WCW has instituted a total blood ban both at TV and arenas. Sting and Cactus ran cage matches in several cities without blood, and in fact, Cactus actually had a fresh cut from a few nights earlier and taped it heavily to make sure it didn't accidentally break open.

When the talent hears that there will be no more blood, are they angry? Or are they relieved, considering the HIV/AIDs news that instilled fear in many at the time?

Lady Blossom should be history by the time you read this since Steve Austin will be part of the Dangerous Alliance. Teddy Long is being phased out and will no longer be managing Johnny B. Badd, although since he's under contract until March, he may pop up here and there.

We’ll see the Teddy Long/Johnny B. Badd break up on this show. But that’s an odd pairing anyway. Do you have any insight into why Teddy Long or Lady Blossom were phased out?

Big Gold Legal Battle Rages On...

As many of you have seen, on all the television shows, both in cable and syndication, that aired this past weekend, the clip of the angle where Undertaker and Ric Flair attack Hulk Hogan has had all visuals of the NWA world title belt digitized. In court on Thursday, the WWF claimed to have contacted all top 30 market stations and asked them to digitize or somehow obstruct televising the NWA belt during that angle and during other portions of the show that the belt aired. As mentioned here last week, to the best of our knowledge, the belt was in full camera view in all of these markets anyway, after the WWF and NWA had reached a legal agreement that the belt wouldn't air in syndication over that weekend. The counsel for the NWA didn't dispute that the WWF made the best effort possible to remove the belt from syndication. The NWA then tried to get an injunction for this past weekend against not only the WWF, but also all its affiliates, against showing the belt on the shows that aired this past weekend. The WWF argued against the injunction saying it would hurt their relations with their various affiliates and it would make their affiliates believe they had done something wrong when they believe they haven't done anything wrong. Anyway, after viewing more videos of Ric Flair with the belt, the judge denied the NWA's attempt to get a temporary restraining order. The judge ruled that he believed whatever damage had been done to the NWA was largely because the individual, Ric Flair, appeared on WWF telecasts, and not because the belt appeared on those telecasts. The reasonable facsimile issue wasn't brought up, however as of this weekend, Flair was out with yet another different belt, this one I believe was an old WWF tag team title belt (since the WWF emblem was prominently on this belt which kind of ruins the gimmick in some ways about it not being a legit championship belt) which looks nothing like the old NWA title belt. This case may be over, or the NWA could attempt to sue the WWF for damages, although in most cases, but not every case, if the restraining order is denied, it is generally considered as not worth going to trial over.

Can you recall a lot of conversation in the back about the Big Gold belt appearing on WWF TV?

In our special interview with Jim Herd on AdFreeShows.com, Herd said it was a slap in the face to see it on TV. If you had been in charge of the company at the time, how might you have felt?

The AP on Monday night carried a story about a lawsuit filed in Fulton County (Georgia) Superior Court by Thomas Machlay (former NWA referee Tommy Young) concerning his career ending injury. Machlay sued Thomas Richardson (wrestler Thomas Rich) and Center Stage in Atlanta for $25,000. In his lawsuit, Machlay said that the script for the match called for Rich to push the referee to divert his attention so that his opponent (Michael Wall Street aka Mike Rotunda) could throw Rich out of the ring. Instead, there was a power failure in the building at the time Rich was going to push him. After being tripped and unable to see, Machlay whiplashed himself on the ring ropes suffering serious spinal injuries.

Do you remember anything about this lawsuit? Were there any changes or perhaps, hold-harmless agreements that stemmed from this?

The Savage angle where he was bit by the snake aired both in censored fashion in syndication and uncensored fashion on USA cable on Sunday night. Supposedly there have been a lot of complaints about the uncensored version. As angles go, it was almost an ultimate hot shot angle (but doesn't it seem like they all are these days?) but the camera work was astounding (with the kids crying and Elizabeth frantic). The kids and Elizabeth made the angle almost as much as all those close-ups of that ugly snake's face.

I know it’s WWF but this was a big fucking deal for a little kid at home in the south watching TV. A fucking KING COBRA bit Randy Savage in the arm on TV. Did you see the angle, did you hear about the backlash, and did it affect creative plans for bringing him in, since he brought the cobra gimmick along?

Sid Vicious Squeegee Story!!!!

On October 12th, 1991, WCW had a house show at the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. In a rare instance, the then-WWF was set to have a house show at the Omni the following night. As both companies were in town for shows one day apart, it provided the unique opportunity for talent from both companies to get together and catch up over drinks at the Ramada Plaza Atlanta Airport hotel.

Two months earlier, in August ’91, Sid Vicious switched from WCW to the WWF. The newly named Sid Justice began bragging to his old coworkers from WCW about how better things were in the WWF. Alcohol was involved. Tempers flared.

As the story goes, Mike Graham asked Sid to shut up only for Sid to accurately tell him that he had drawn more money in the past week than Graham made his entire career. Then, Sid began to aggravate Brian Pillman, including telling him he wouldn’t make it because he’s just a pretty boy who doesn't know how to work (Irony). Earlier in the year, Sid and Pillman were in a War Games match where Sid injured PIllman during a powerbomb spot. Sid has said he did it on purpose.

Pillman was pissed and wanted to fight Sid - but Sid told him he had just suffered a bicep injury (legit) and backed down, then left the bar. Folks thought it was over. But as the rumor and innuendo goes, Sid returned with a fucking squeegee as a weapon. Mike Graham grabbed it and people held Pillman back.

You had to hear about this incident, although it pales in comparison to what would happen between Sid and Arn down the road. What did you hear about it? Did you ever talk to either Sid, Graham, or Pillman about it?

Several BRUTAL house shows, attendance wise….

11/17 in Greensboro drew 750 as Arachnaman pinned Graham DUD, Freebirds beat Patriots -*, Eaton pinned Studd *, Rhodes pinned Rich DUD, Pillman & Big Josh beat Taylor & Morton * (Taylor and Morton broke up after the match with Morton turning babyface, although that may be just for this night), Steiners beat Enforcers via DQ *, Luger pinned Kazmaier -* and Sting beat Jack in a cage match ***. The funniest thing on the show, and maybe on any live show in a long time came during the Sting-Jack match, apparently a rib thought up by Sting. Jack came to the ring with a towel. During the match he went for the towel and pulled out a foreign object from the towel--a squeegee. When Sting saw it, he sold it like it was a shotgun and acted totally panicked trying to escape from the cage. Jack ended up using it on Sting, who sold the blows huge. Sting used it on Jack as well, and ended up tossing it to the crowd. It should also be noted that our friends at Front Row Section D earlier in the show had brought out several cardboard cut-outs of squeegees which nearly sent Graham and Pillman into stitches.

That’s almost worth holding a show with only 750 fans in attendance...

11/15 in Charlotte drew 800 as Freebirds beat Patriots *, Arachnaman pinned David Isley *, Studd & Morton beat Pillman & Eaton when Eaton turned on Pillman *1/2, Rhodes & Graham beat Taylor & Rich ***, Luger pinned Kazmaier *1/2, Steiners beat Enforcers via DQ 1/2* and Sting beat Jack in a cage match**1/2.

These are painful numbers, though. And they had to have a depressing impact on the wrestlers. What’s the feeling like when you show up to a house event and see so few people attending?

Nearly an ultimate disaster on Monday as Lex Luger quit the promotion as a protest because WCW fired Harley Race. The last word I heard is that everything has been worked out, although Luger did miss the 11/25 television tapings in Macon, GA because it wasn't resolved in time.

Do you remember hearing anything about this? How bad would it have been to lose ANOTHER world champion?

Most people seem to be crediting a lot of the positive changes in the company to the greater influence of Jim Crockett. Crockett has been saying things that make sense for the better part of the past three years but nobody has been listening, and over the past few weeks they've been. In particular, Crockett has been pushing for putting more heat on the heels since the company has lacked heels with heat.

Could you see the influence of Jim Crockett in late 1991? Was it helpful?

Ticket sales were disastrous for the tour of England, which is a surprise, since WWF drew so well there and turned so many away that one would think another wrestling group would at least do decent business.

Did WCW have a strong presence in the UK yet?

Bill Kazmaier was let go around this time. Any memories of him?

The Event Itself

Talk about a popular show with Wrestling Observer fans...over 91-percent gave the show a thumbs up!

CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS

Thumbs up 321 (91.5 percent)

Thumbs down 17 (04.8 percent)

In the middle 13 (03.7 percent)

1. Big Josh pinned Thomas Rich in 6:03 in a lumberjack match. The Young Pistols, who had yet to turn on television, acted as heel lumberjacks and worked over Josh when he was out of the ring. Finish saw lumberjack Terrence Taylor intentionally trip Rich as he was coming off the ropes and Josh pinned him with a butt-drop. Both guys worked pretty hard and it was a decent start to the show. *¾

Thoughts on the match?
What did you think about the York Foundation stable? Richard Morton, Thomas Rich, Terrence Taylor…

2. Bobby Eaton pinned Chip the Firebreaker in 4:52. Chip opened by trying a high spot which, as it turns out, was messed up to the point it won this match worst match honors in the poll. Eaton picked things up in the last 90 seconds doing some solid finishing moves and they traded near-falls. Finish saw Chip do a rolling reverse cradle, Eaton kicked him off with his legs and Chip ran into the turnbuckles. As he rebounded off, Eaton caught him with a back suplex and a bridge for the pin. *¼

What can you say about the match?

Also, Firebreaker Chip was an interesting gimmick. Considering all things, it seems kind of strange we’ve never had a fire fighter gimmick in the WWE. Could it have worked in the 80s and 90s? Could it work now?

What did you think of The WCW Special Forces: Todd Champion and Firebreaker Chip?

Meltzer: Next came what is becoming a regular angle on each Clash, where a main event babyface gets beaten up earlier in the show and then makes a gallant effort later in the show, only to lose. This was done to a greater extreme than any thus far, since it was with Sting. Sting came out and they were going to find out who has been sending the dreaded boxes. Anyway, a bunch of prelim wrestlers pretending to be bodybuilders (and a few bodybuilders pretending to be wrestlers as well) carried in a large cabin. Out came Madusa, in a costume straight from the set of the last "I Dream of Jeannie" remake. Madusa came out, got on her knees (luckily I have no idea what they were trying to symbolize), was pawing at Sting for a while and otherwise distracting him to allow Lex Luger to then jump out of the cabin and clip Sting from behind. Lex grabbed the wrong leg to work on (he should be forgiven, all that Lucha Libre experience made Lex inadvertently grab the right leg) and Sting had to practically tell him to switch legs, which he did. Actually this was part one of a pretty unique angle.

3. Tom Zenk pinned Diamond Studd in 1:24 with a crucifix. After the match Studd beat up Zenk and gave him the Diamond Death drop and left him laying. Most of this match was only on half the screen as they were showing Sting going out in an ambulance to the nearest "medical facility" with Bobby Eaton telling him he has "plenty of time" which was a very subtle way of starting the Eaton turn. The action in the match was really fast-paced with good chemistry but nobody noticed and it was over before you could blink. *½

Does it seem a little...bullshit...that Tom Zenk is pinning Scott Hall in 90 seconds in a two-box while we watch Sting get taken out?

4. Steve Austin pinned P.N. News to retain the WCW TV title in 4:21. Lady Blossom came out in her final appearance with an outfit that covered her up. I guess they wanted to make sure she didn't make an impression on her last TV. Pretty hot pacing. A few sloppy spots and a few good spots, but the biggest negative when News tried a dropkick and didn't get one foot off the ground. News hit the belly to belly but Blossom put Austin's leg on the ropes before the three count. News chased Blossom and Austin dove over the top rope onto News who crashed into the guard rail. News got back in the ring and went for a splash into the corner, Austin moved, News hit the buckles and Austin pinned him with his feet on the ropes. **¼

This was the worst match on the card, according to readers of the Observer. Any thoughts you want to share on the match, on Austin as TV champion, on Lady Blossom, or on PN News?

The rumor and innuendo is that PN News’ downfall with WCW came when he was accused of stealing money from the locker room. Neu denied the accusations, but was ultimately let go from the company. Do you remember anything about this?

A spandex bodysuit for a giant fat guy just seems like an awful idea anyway you look at it, on paper, and certainly, on TV. What say you?

Fun Fact: PN News’ real life cousin is Mantaur.

Next up, if you thought the show was hot so far, get ready. Because Van Hammer is here to save us.

5. Cactus Jack pinned Van Hammer in 4:03. The announcers were pushing Van Hammer as something slightly bigger then Hulk Hogan, and they did a nice television entrance where they interspersed his video with his actual entrance, but while Jim Ross was screaming about how crazy the crowd was going, the reaction was lukewarm, and once the match started, the reaction died. Still, this was a better than average match, and while it was mainly due to Cactus, it was Hammer's best performance thus far. Cactus did an elbow off the middle rope to the floor. The two worked surprisingly well together, particularly in both tumbling over the top on a clothesline. Cactus kicked out of a kneedrop from the top rope. After a collision, Jack hit Hammer with his own guitar and got the pin. After the match, Hammer gave Jack a shoulder block and slingshot suplex onto the ramp and they brawled to the back. Only during the post-match brawling did Hammer look pretty bad. **¼

Any feelings on this match?

Van Hammer won the Observer’s 1991 Most Embarrassing Wrestler award, and for that era, that’s saying something. Do you think he earned that award?

At this point they went to a phone interview with Eric Bischoff on location with Sting at the Parts Unknown Medical Center. Luckily Sting's knee wasn't going to require reconstructive surgery.

In real life, at this point, he probably would still have been filling out his insurance information while in agonizing pain.

6. Ricky Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes captured the WCW tag team titles from Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko in 14:48 of one of the best U.S. matches of 1991. Barry Windham came down in street clothes, with them airing a clip of the squash match where he actually was injured in weeks ago and them pretending the match just took place and that he re-injured his hand. They brought out a mystery partner wearing a dragon head and they got a huge reaction when the mask came off revealing Steamboat. Both Anderson and Zbyszko sold it great. I believe this was the first time Steamboat and Anderson had ever worked together and each strengths as workers brings out the best in the other. Steamboat was almost like an artist out there. Steamboat was in for a seven minute heat spot which should be aired at every wrestling school as how to work as a babyface in building the heat in a tag team match. After all sorts of hot moves and near tags, finally Rhodes made the hot tag. After Rhodes bulldogged Anderson, Steamboat pinned him with a flying body press off the top rope. In what came off as pretty sleazy on TV, they announced later that a protest had been filed and that the Enforcers were claiming since Steamboat wasn't on the original contract that they should get the belts back. They teased that they'd had a decision at the end of the show but then went off the air telling people they'd have to call the 900 number to find out what the decision was. ****¼

Incredible contest. Match of the night according to Observer readers and it wasn’t close. Watch it if it’s the only thing out of this show you go back and see. How did you feel when you watched the match back?

How great was Ricky Steamboat? What about Arn, Larry and even Dustin?

Next up was a tape of Jushin Liger, showing clips of matches with Pegasus Kid (both with and without the mask) and Akira Nogami. Originally Liger was going to appear live and be interviewed by Missy Hyatt, but they saved him a trip and Missy instead interviewed Mark Bagwell and Marcus Alexander Bagwell, clearly being pushed for the little girls. That obvious pushing of pretty boy babyfaces works against the faces in many parts of the country and that name won't be much of a help either because male wrestling fans aren't going to like pretty boys to begin with, especially a preppy looking pretty boy with a rich, snob name. Paul E. Dangerously then did a great interview talking about how the contract stated that if Sting didn't appear for the match that he'd forfeit the title to Rick Rude.

7. Brian Pillman retained the WCW light heavyweight title pinning Johnny B. Badd in 4:19. It had to be hard for these two to follow the previous match but they did fine. They traded a lot of high flying hot spots but just didn't have enough time to develop it into a great match. One nice spot saw Badd come off the top rope and be met with a dropkick by Pillman. Finish saw Badd hit Pillman with the knockout punch but Teddy Long had the ref distracted so Pillman wasn't pinned. As Badd argued with Long, Pillman cradled him from behind. The actual cradle wasn't exactly textbook. After the match, Badd officially turned face by hitting Long with the punch. **½

What were your thoughts on Johnny B Badd as a heel?

Everything happened so fast at the end of the match that it was hard for a seasoned fan, much less a casual 1991 viewer, to take it all in. Do you think they should have slowed down a little? Maybe given a little more time to the face turn?

8. Rick Rude pinned Sting in 4:50 to win the U.S. title. Rude and Dangerously were in the ring ready to be awarded the match via forfeit when Sting, who had hijacked an ambulance from Parts Unknown Medical Center back to the Savannah Civic Center arrived just in the nick of time. It was pretty predictable, but almost too hokey, although this was probably the best job they've done in getting Sting over as a face since the Horseman turn on him in early 1990. Sting sold the knee all the way but made a few comebacks and even kicked out once from a telephone shot. After Sting hit a DDT, he went after Dangerously, Rude clipped his knee from behind and pinned him holding the trunks. After all that work on giving Sting an excuse to lose between the pre-match attack and constant working on the knee, they should have done a stronger finish. It was very intense for such a short match. ***

We can say what we want to about driving an ambulance back to the arena, but that’s textbook pro-wrestling, is it not?

Do you agree with Meltzer that the finish should have had more?

What can you say about Paul Heyman here? Master of his art?

9. Lex Luger pinned Rick Steiner in 11:30 to retain the WCW title. After all that everyone had seen, these guys were in a bad spot. Crowd wasn't into it and Luger just didn't seem right. He came into the match with a fat lip and a black eye courtesy of a crossed up high spot earlier in the week against Zenk. The match just didn't have it until the end, when it turned into a five-way with Mr. Hughes, Harley Race and Scott Steiner all involved. They didn't call for the DQ. Rick gave Luger a belly-to-belly superplex when all you-know-what broke loose. Scott hit the Frankensteiner on Hughes, Rick Steiner powerslammed Luger and then suplexed Race into the ring. While the ref was distracted, Luger hit Rick Steiner with the belt and pinned him. **1/4

How did you like the match?

BEST MATCH POLL

• Steamboat & Rhodes vs. Enforcers 313
• Sting vs. Rick Rude 8
• Lex Luger vs. Rick Steiner 7

WORST MATCH POLL

• Bobby Eaton vs. Chip the Firebreaker 57
• Thomas Rich vs. Big Josh 32
• Lex Luger vs. Rick Steiner 28
• Van Hammer vs. Cactus Jack 27
• Tom Zenk vs. Diamond Studd 25

Give us your thoughts about this Clash of the Champions?

Meltzer had this to say...

WCW made the full 180 degree turn from the July Bash, one of the worst major shows in recent history, to a clear-cut winner on 11/19 in Savannah, GA. The Clash show was enough to make a lot of people see some light at the end of the three-year long tunnel that for a long time seemed to be going nowhere, that has been WCW under the Turner regime. Clearly, since hitting rock bottom, the organization has made some definite improvements, particularly on the talent side. The addition of Rick Steamboat, who debuted Tuesday at the Clash, was just the latest in a series of additions and changes that have reversed the company's direction. If Tuesday was any indication, Steamboat is clearly ready to break out of the pack and regain the form that made many feel he was the best wrestler in the world for the first half of 1989. If nothing else, the tag team title feud, which starts Thanksgiving night at the Omni in Atlanta, with Steamboat & Dustin Rhodes defending the WCW tag team titles against Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton should provide the hottest matches on a consistent basis that this country has seen in quite a while.

Hot matches aren't what this business is about in 1991, but the combination of returns of Steamboat, Abdullah the Butcher and Cactus Jack with Paul E. Dangerously being recast as a manager and Rick Rude coming in as a top singles heel have started the face-lifting process WCW has so badly needed. TV ratings have made a comeback to the point WCW is consistently outrating the WWF on cable, reversing a trend where the WWF had dominated the cable ratings all summer. Part of the ratings resurgence is no doubt attributed to the newcomers, but even moreso, the important November sweeps saw WCW both on cable and in syndication come through with consistently good matches and a few great matches. There seems to be a correlation between several weeks of consistent top notch matches and eventual increases in ratings points (although some would argue that giving away too many good matches for free on television hurts live attendance, a point which may be valid in this case but there are numerous examples both in this country and foreign countries that contradict that theory) since the last time WCW's ratings were beating this level was during the fall/winter of 1989-90, and which point they were concentrating on putting good matches on television. But these hot television shows are just step one of a long process, and anyone who thinks the Clash was the climax of the process rather than simply step one should be sobered by the crowds at the house shows since the Clash--325 in Richmond; 1,000 in Philadelphia and 800 in Washington, D.C. This is with all the new additions (except for Steamboat) and all the new feuds.

But the Clash itself drew a 4.3 rating, which translates into 2,460,000 homes, which is the best rating since the Black Scorpion Clash one year ago. Interestingly enough, unlike almost every previous Clash, the rating didn't peak during the main event. The audience peaked with the Steamboat & Rhodes vs. Enforcers tag team title match, which drew a 4.7 rating or 2,706,000 homes, then actually fell off significantly during the Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd match for some reason, came back to a 4.7 (2,704,000 homes) for Rude vs. Sting before dropping to a 4.5 for the Luger-Steiner match.

QUESTIONS

The 5th Horseman asks...#AskEric Can Eric comment how he was settling into WCW after being there a few months? Also, did seeing old AWA faces like Tom Zenk help Eric feel comfortable in the work environment (at least at first) or was everything pretty good by November?

Steven has a creative question...How were the Clash’s backstage? Did they feel like Pay Per Views? Or is the feeling more like what Nitro would feel like backstage later? #AskEric

Jeremy said...Was hall's lifestyle in anyway a contributing factor to him never being a world champion? #AskEric

Brett asked...What stood in for the ‘hospital’? Also, this is my all-time favorite clash!

Ray asks… #AskEric Who came up with Ricky's debut in a dragon costume?

Rajiv wants you to get a little creative...If you had to guess, what is the storyline reason for Stunning Steve from Hollywood, California having a Texas accent? Please use SARSA #AskEric

Rajiv also asks...Thoughts on the “crooked” WCW logo on the entrance? I know it was done on purpose, but I’m sure you have an opinion of it #AskEric

Drew asks...Why didn’t the NWO debut members by coming out of a box? Everyone gets over coming out of a box. #AskEric

Michael Eldridge asks...Eric pick your poison and give a main event push to one of these wrestlers which one are you choosing: Van Hammer or P.N. News? #AskEric

Michael also asks...Does Eric think the lightheavy title was ahead of its time and that there weren’t enough viable wrestlers to compete for it? #AskEric