WCW Great American Bash
Airdate: June 16th, 1996
Arena/Location: Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland
Commentators: Tony Schiavone and ‘The American Dream’ Dusty Rhodes
Nice opening video with all the wrestlers in the major feuds cutting a quick promo on their opponents.
Match One: Fire and Ice vs. The Steiner Brothers in a ’Must be a winner’ #1 Contendership mathc for the WCW World Tag Team Championships
Norton and Ice Train work over Scott Steiner’s shoulder for most of this matchup. At one point, Norton has Scott Steiner in a reverse armbar. Rick tries to break it up by repeatedly kicking Norton, but it takes about five kicks for Norton to let go. Scott Steiner immediately gets the hot tag, and Rick is clearing house.
The four men pair off, as Norton and Rick (the legal men) duke it out, as does Scott Steiner and Ice Train. Ice Train throws Scott Steiner out of the ring, and now Fire and Ice are double teaming Rick. Powerbomb (Norton) and body splash (Ice) on Rick Steiner for the two. Scott back in and tries to help his brother, but he’s again thrown back out.
Ice Train again on the top turnbuckle as Norton has Rick on his shoulders. Scott Steiner interferes, by attacking both men. Rick gets a tag in on Scott, and they have Norton up for a diving bulldog. Scott Steiner hits Norton with a Frankensteiner for the win.
Winners by pinfall: The Steiner Brothers
Good start for the PPV. The Steiners (at this point in their career) could have ***+ star matches with anyone, and this was no excpetion. ***¼
We go to the back where Mean Gene is interviewing Jimmy Hart and ‘Taskmaster’ Kevin Sullivan. Hart says that the DoD really don’t need the Four Horsemen. Sullivan hypes up his matchup against Chris Benoit later on, which’ll be Falls Count Anywhere. Looks like Sullivan is reading off cue cards. Sullivan says his match is for Arn Anderson.
Match Two: El Gato vs. Konnan© for the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship
El Gato has some of the worst entrance music I’ve ever heard. It’s as though they got one of those Sounds of the Rain Forest CDs and just started it from the beginning. El Gato, or Pat Tanaka, gets one of the worst reactions I’ve ever seen, though that’s not surprising considering he’s barely gotten any mention on Nitro.
Lots of restholds in this match. The crowd even starts a boring chant at one point, though they stop long enough after Konnan starts hitting a few aerial maneuvers. Gato tries to keep up, but he slips several time. Konnan wins with a bridge.
Winner, and STILL WCW United States Heavyweight Champion: Konnan
Not a great match. Konnan I’ve noticed has been rather inconsistent. He’s good with Guerrero or other high flyers, poor with guys like One Man Gang. Here, it was rather mediocre. *½
Mean Gene out back now interviewing Sting. Mean Gene notes that while Regal may act like a bit of a sissy, he’s one of the toughest men in the ring. Sting, one of the top faces in professional wrestling history, and considered one of the nicest guys in the industry... Basically calls Steven Regal a homosexual. He doesn’t use the term, but he heavily implies it. It gets worse when he openly wonders if all the British men are that way, and then says that Americans aren’t bred that way. Sting then immediately says and I’ll quote word for word here. “If there is anyone that can ‘straighten’ you out in the course of ten, twenty, or thirty minutes, it’s the Stinger!” Considering what Sting is accusing Regal of, I seriously doubt that he can do what he’s planning on doing. Mean Gene all but apologizes for calling Regal a sissy.
--
The Miz: Well, the Green Bay Packers aren't going to the Superbowl! The Miz's attempt to gain cheap heat from the Green Bay crowd. Three months later...