ARN - WCW Saturday Night 01.16.93 [Show Notes] (Patreon)

WCW Saturday Night on January 16, 1993. Find it on the WWE Network under In-Ring, WCW, WCW Saturday Night.

We think this wrestling show is going to be a surprise for most of you watching along as it actually is a great show! But in the middle of it, we’re treated to something unique. Erik Watts gets in a fight with Arn Anderson at a gas station and it is captured on camcorder. My goodness.

The show was taped on January 11 at Atlanta Center stage and aired on January 16 on TBS.

The show also aired just a few days after the January 13 Clash of the Champions special, where the Watts/Arn angle was first mentioned, vaguely, when announcers said Watts was suspended for an incident without ever talking about what the incident was, according to Meltzer.

News and Notes From the Time

Flair Coming Back

Although no contract has been signed at press time, it now appears to be close to a sure thing that Ric Flair will start with WCW, most likely at the SuperBrawl III PPV show on 2/21 in Asheville, NC. I don't believe Flair has received his written release from Titan Sports, however, as reported last week, it appears he and Vince McMahon have split on amicable terms. Apparently the meeting between the two several weeks back wasn't so much McMahon wanting Flair to retire, but explaining how he'd be used, which appears to be mainly to work semifinals and third from the top and generally putting younger talent over, and when the time is right, and unlike what was reported here last week, that time wasn't now, he'd be given a front office position. Flair cut a deal with Bill Shaw of TBS to return as a featured performer, and it does appear to be in a babyface role with a natural feud with Barry Windham and eventually Big Van Vader.

Is this great news for you, in the form of someone to work angles and matches with or against?

Bill Watts sent out a five-page letter to all talent two weeks back. He made some good points, such as "I didn't get my wake up call from the front desk at the hotel" as not being a valid excuse for missing flight connections and thus missing bookings and talked about heavily fining the wrestlers who used that excuse and missed the Charlotte card on 12/27. On the other hand, Watts' continued his harangue blaming guaranteed contracts for all the problems in the business which don't hold water based on applied practices within the industry both currently and over the past few years. In addition, he quoted NFL parallels once again, which held no water because his statements about NFL contracts once again were factually incorrect and even if they were correct, the NFL and pro wrestling aren't the same thing. The most blatant statement that he's repeated often and continues to hold no water is that the NFL "attempted guaranteed contracts to high draft choices way back in the 60s and found them to be an expensive failure. A lot of teams ended up with No. 1 picks that rode the bench and collected big bucks. They do not do that anymore." In reality, it's now the 90s and No. 1 picks in the NFL draft still get huge signing contracts, many times larger, even adjusting for inflation, to the contracts from the 60s. He also said that football, baseball and basketball are all entering a crisis situation--declining attendance, declining TV ratings, declining revenue, apathetic self-serving athletes and free agency and predicted the current situation to self destruct the system in those sports. That's what we were all told in the 60s and 70s if free agency were to exist and players would have freedom of movement, yet in both baseball and basketball, the period following free agency turned into the period of the greatest revenue and popularity increases in the history of both sports. Basketball is flourishing more now than ever. Baseball and football attendance is basically the same as in previous years, although television oversaturation has hurt ratings and killed the golden goose of those big money network contracts. Things are going to have to change in those industries because they're starting to face a day of reckoning because of getting used to television income that will be dropping over the next few years.

What was your take on Bill Watts’ letter to the talent and did it hold any water with you what he said about guaranteed contracts?

Center Stage tapings are going to be moved to Tuesday nights from Mondays.

Any memories of why this was or what effect it had on talent, if any?

1992 BEST ON INTERVIEWS

End of year awards had Arn getting recognition for his mastery of the microphone from fans of the Observer:

1. RIC FLAIR 1,518

2. Jim Cornette 857

3. Paul E. Dangerously 596

4. Jake Roberts 370

5. Arn Anderson 307

Were you surprised by this? Do you consider it more meaningful when more educated fans label you as one of the greats?

DECEMBER BUSINESS COMPARISONS

WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION

Estimated average attendance 12/91 6,230

Estimated average attendance 12/92 3,210 (-48.5%)

November 1992 2,840

Estimated average gate 12/91 $80,990

Estimated average gate 12/92 $44,940 (-44.5%)

November 1992 $39,760

Percentage of house shows sold out 12/91 0.0

Percentage of house shows sold out 12/92 0.0

November 1992 7.1

Average cable television rating 12/91 2.7

Average cable television rating 12/92 1.9 (-29.6%)

November 1992 1.9

Measurable interest level decline: 40.9%

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

Estimated average attendance 12/91 2,040

Estimated average attendance 12/92 930 (-54.4%)

November 1992 1,210

Estimated average gate 12/91 $24,480

Estimated average gate 12/92 $8,370 (-65.8%)

November 1992 $10,890

Percentage of house shows sold out 12/91 0.0

Percentage of house shows sold out 12/92 0.0

November 1992 0.0

Average cable television rating 12/91 2.6

Average cable television rating 12/92 2.2 (-15.4%)

November 1992 2.2

Measurable interest level decline: 31.3%

Business in the WWF seemed to be falling out a lot harder than in WCW, although it is definitely down overall. Is this just because the boom period of the 80s had run its course and folks needed a break? Or was this all the negative publicity?

The Event Itself

The show was taped on January 11 at Atlanta Center stage. At least one other show was taped that night, too (hence, same performers wrestling multiple times).

1/11 Atlanta Center Stage (WCW Saturday Night tapings): Non-squash results:

Barry Windham & Brian Pillman & Steve Austin b Brad Armstrong & Johnny B. Badd & Too Cold Scorpio ***, Chris Benoit b Marcus Bagwell **1/2, Cactus Jack b Paul Orndorff-DQ, U.S. title tournament finals: Dustin Rhodes b Rick Steamboat-COR to win title; Bagwell & Badd b Scotty Flamingo & Bob Cook, Benoit b Johnny Rich, Vader & Orndorff b Tom Zenk & Johnny Gunn, Windham b Scorpio **, Jack & Barbarian b Tex Slashinger & Shanghai Pierce, U.S. title: Rhodes d Steamboat

WCW neon sign! Conrad needs this sign..

Why did Cowboy Bill Watts always open these shows? Is that him just wanting to get on tv?

The fans seemed to think so because in the Observer on January 20, he won Most Obnoxious for 1992:

MOST OBNOXIOUS

1. BILL WATTS (157) 1,015

2. Vince McMahon (103) 828

3. Gorilla Monsoon (20) 240

4. Erik Watts (8) 214

5. Jim Ross (6) 129

Later on in the night, the Clash of the Champions was going to reair on TBS. How cool was that for your Saturday night plans?

Barry Windham & Brian Pillman & Steve Austin b Brad Armstrong & Johnny B. Badd & Too Cold Scorpio *** (Observer)

• Johnny B Badd is clearly wearing mascara here. Just so odd.
• 2 Cold Scorpio has such spring in his step, it makes him seem like a luchador. Yet he’s a big dude! Super strong legs?
• Steve Austin without kneepads. Yes or no?
• Why not wear kneepads? It seems off...

Solid promo from Barry Windham.

Next up is the White Castle of Fear promo by cadet, but it’s not snow that is blowing on him. It looks like shredded toilet paper because it’s matting up on his chest.

In the next match,  Vader brutalizes an enhancement talent. He just crushes him. At least one guy had a broken back around this time from Vader’s brutality.

What’s the opinion in the back of how Vader is treating these underneath guys?

Now it’s time for pure gold.

Erik Watts is at a gas station signing an autograph for a little girl. The autograph takes about 4 minutes. Then the girl sees Arn Anderson and says his name! Arn looks so believable, I’m actually frightened for a moment that this is going to be a real crime.

Then, Erik Watts locks the STF in on the ground of a gas station parking lot.

Here’s where it’s ahead of its time: the cops show up and, seeing Watts on top...arrest Watts! That has potential but this angle, obviously, did not.

Do you remember who approached you with this angle? Aside from being a professional and giving it your all - which is why we love you - what was your feeling on it?

Then we come back to Erik Watts on the microphone and it’s atrocious. He says the only thing that saved Arn’s leg - “if it can be saved” - was the cops.

Meltzer had this to say.

That angle with Erik Watts and Arn Anderson where Watts put Anderson in the STF at the gas station was pretty bad. It was a great A,,idea, but it involved the wrong people. Actually just the wrong person. Watts was booed heavily at every arena he appeared in the past week. It just doesn't work. The public just isn't going to buy him and each attempt to change that fact just makes things more pathetic. It's time to give up on this experiment and either take him off television and have him learn at the B shows or send him to Oregon or Japan which his father's stigma won't prove to be his undoing. Even though Anderson was clearly the heel, the angle got him over even more as a babyface.

If the goal is to get Erik Watts over, hypothetically, what if Arn and Watts wrestle with Arn always coming up on the winning end, but Erik coming closer each time? Maybe in the end, Arn wins by cheating but says “wow. That Watts kid has a future.”

Isn’t that more believable for the audience instead of having this new kid who can’t talk beat up a badass veteran Arn Anderson?

Did this ridiculous mega push of Erik Watts end up keeping him from ever having a chance at success?

The Wrecking Crew vs. Keith Cole & Chris Sullivan. Nothing match. Meltzer didn’t even rate it.

Debut of Max Payne is next. The outfit doesn’t seem like the best choice. Feathered hair.

Vinnie Vegas is next! In June, he decided to depart for the WWF and had his final WCW match was on June 3, teaming with Big Sky in a losing effort against The Cole Twins. This match would air on WCW Worldwide after his WWF debut.

Chris Benoit b Marcus Bagwell **½ (Observer)

Next up, Chris Benoit and Marcus Bagwell battle in a match of who can wear the worst tights. Benoit is in the zebra print you’d expect to see on Biff Tannen’s couch. Bagwell has tassels hanging from his knee up to the butt. His aren’t that bad.

Benoit has to slow down to work with Bagwell. The American style is not that fast-paced, though. But it turns into a pretty good match that ends with Benoit picking up the victory with a Dragon Suplex.

Brian Pillman and Steve Austin are next in an interview with Schiavone. These guys. Endless potential here.

Did you know at the time working with these guys that they were next level? If Pillman hadn’t passed away so young, could you have seen him as a main event competitor to Austin?

Cactus Jack b Paul Orndorff-DQ

• The hits keep coming. Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff! Yes please! Both are selling hard for each other, which makes the match look vicious.
• Random question: What turnbuckle pad did you like more - the pillowy-WWF style or the thinner WCW style?

Our main event title match is here. Ricky Steamboat and Dustin Rhodes, who is out to his theme from the Slam Jam CD.

Were you hoping to get a song of your own on there or, considering how bad several of them were (Barry Windham, Rick Rude), were you glad how it worked out?

“Arm drag, and focusing on the arm of the Dragon.” - Jim Ross. Seems like an “allow myself to introduce myself” moment.

U.S. title tournament finals: Dustin Rhodes b Rick Steamboat-COR to win title

Meltzer said this about the main event:

Dustin Rhodes won the U.S. title in the tournament final from Rick Steamboat on 1/11 at Center Stage when Steamboat was counted out after Barry Windham gave him a DDT on the floor. When Rhodes saw a tape, he said he had to give Steamboat a rematch and they wrestled to a time limit draw on the show that airs 1/23.

Here’s what Meltzer said about the show.

Saturday television show on 1/16 was the strongest in a long time. Four very strong television matches--a six-man opener with Barry Windham & Brian Pillman & Steve Austin beating Too Cold Scorpio & Brad Armstrong & Johnny B. Badd which was a hot match, a good Chris Benoit win over Marcus Bagwell, an even better brawl with Cactus Jack vs. Paul Orndorff ending with a Vader interference for the DQ and climaxed by the U.S. tourney finals where Dustin Rhodes beat Rick Steamboat via count out when Windham DDT'd Steamboat on the floor. Steamboat was really a master in this match.

Questions

Ken asks...if he had to face Van Hammer in a 60min ironman match or eat a double cheeseburger with cheese fries, what type of cheese is he choosing?

Mike asks...Who was the guy trying to break up the fight with you and Erik Watts?

Warren asks..who came up with the idea of the STF at the gas station?

Late to the Nitro Party asks...We know the STF is devastating, but what other submission hold would Arn recommend in a street fight situation???

Ray asks...Any good Tony Atlas stories?

Greg asks...What were gas, & Zubaz, prices like at that time?

Matt asks...What ever happened to Center Stage once WCW was done with it? And what’s it doing today?