SuperBrawl II
February 29, 1992
Your Hosts: Jim Ross and Jessie Ventura
Opener: WCW Light-Heavyweight Title: Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman.
This match was so different from the American wrestling style people were used to in 1992, thus you can only imagine how people reacted seeing a match like this for the first time. Because the Ted Turner version is clipped, I found this match’s full version. After a fast start, Pillman slows down the pace via working on Liger’s arm. Liger goes to the outside to take a breather, though a baseball slide from Pillman puts Liger into the guardrail. Pillman heads up top rope, though Liger gets out of the way before Pillman can jump. Back in, Liger takes Pillman to the mat and then puts him in a leg bar. Pillman fights out of it and then throws Liger into the corner, though Liger drills Pillman with a moonsault press. ONE-TWO-NO. Liger dropkicks Pillman to the floor.
Back in, Liger brings Pillman to the center of the ring for a headlock, though Pillman manages to fight out. Liger distributes several shoulder blocks in the corner and then Liger nails a running dropkick. Pillman comes back with a crucifix pin. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO!. Wait, Liger rolls Pillman. ONE-TWO-THR-NO!!. Trying to slow down the match, Liger puts in a headlock, but Pillman reverses it with a back suplex. ONE-TWO-THR-NO!!!!. Pillman tosses Liger in the corner and charges, though Liger moves out-of-the-way. Liger delivers a shin breaker and puts in a Figure Four. Pillman fight out, and both get back to their feet where they trade slaps. Pillman charges at Liger, though Pillman gets backdrop to the floor. Liger heads up top and nails a senton. Liger goes for a suplex. He stops trying because he can’t, then tries a turnbuckle collision, but Pillman blocks the move and follows up with AIR PILLMAN . He gloats to the crowd.
He carries Liger out to the floor and comes off the top with a cross body block. He puts Liger up beside the guard rail and dives off the apron, though Liger moves out of the way and Pillman crushes his chin onto steel.
Back in, Liger tries a move off the top, but Pillman has other plans and drills him a dropkick. Pillman attempts a missile dropkick off the top, but Liger nails him on the way down WITH A DROPKICK OF HIS OWN!!!!. They both go for spinning heel kicks but both miss. Liger fights back but falls into a power slam. ONE-TWO-NO!!!
Pillman goes for a German suplex, though Liger blocks it and turns into a German Suplex…. WITH A BRIDGE. ONE-TWO-THRE-NO!!!!!! Liger tries a superplex off the top, though Pillman pushes him off and then hits a FLYING BRYAN BODY DROP. ONE-TWO-THRRRRRRRRR-NO! Pillman throws Liger into the ropes but gets drilled with a power bomb. ONE-TWO-THRRRRRRRR-NO! Liger goes for ANOTHER power bomb, but Pillman reverses into a FRANKEN STEINER. ONE-TWO-THRRRRRRR-NO!!!!! Pillman climbs up top only for Liger to hit a superplex. It’s over. ONE-TWO-THRRRRRRRR-NO. HE KICKED OUT!!! Liger fights back and goes for a HEADBUTT, but Pillman has six senses and rolls Liger up ONE-TWO-THREE!!!!!!!!!!! @ 16:59. After the match, Pillman gets a standing ovation. Liger and Pillman shake hands.
That match one highly competitive match. The spots, of course, do not age over time, but their ability to work the crowd certainly does. They did a wondrous job of bringing the match’s paced up and down in order to get the crowd on the edge of their seat and biting their finger nails. The main difference between this match and most spotty matches is simple. They inserted the high spots into the story they were telling opposed to trying to out-do the last spot with a bigger one. The way they structured the match made it feel like an athletic contest rather than a contrived stunt show. **** 1/2
Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs. Larry Zbyszko & Steve Austin (w/Madusa).
Windham is seeking retribution for Zbyszko slamming his hand in a car door at Halloween Havoc. Windham and Rhodes attack on the heels right away. Windham takes Zbyszko off the entrance way and then throws him face-first to the guardrail below. Austin comes off the top rope, but Rhodes nails him with a lariat for two. Austin runs away, thus Rhodes tags in Windham and Dustin goes outside the ring to throw Austin back in. Windham throws Austin into Zbyzsko. Zbyszko gets in and then throws Windham out on the ramp way.
He goes for a pile driver, but Windham backdrops him. Back in, Windham hits a DDT and then tags in Rhodes. They deliver a double-team backdrop together. Rhodes goes after Larry’s hand and then tags Windham for a gut wrench suplex, which gets two. Barry attempts a pile driver, but Austin creeps in and delivers a CLOTHESLINE FROM HELL! Rhodes comes in to argue with the ref, but that allows Austin to throw Windham out to the floor. Austin goes outside with him and then Larry smashes Windham’s crotch on the guardrail. Back in, Austin hits a clothesline followed by a suplex. ONE-TWO-NO!
Windham fights back and goes for another lariat, though Austin gets out of the way, sending Windham to go airborne to the floor. Back in, Zbyszko tags in and then hits a swinging neck breaker. ONE-TWO-THR-NO! Austin tags in and delivers a back suplex. Windham fights back with a back suplex, though Austin manages to make the tag to Zbyszko. Zbysko puts in a sleeper hold. Windham breaks out and then makes a hot tag to Rhodes. Rhodes comes in and then hits an inverted atomic drop, dropkick, and finally an elbow drop. ONE-TWO-THRRE-NO!!! Windham and Zbyszko start brawling up the ramp. Meanwhile, Austin drills Rhodes with CLOTHESLINE THAT ALMOST TAKES HIS HEAD OFF!!!!. ONE-TWO-THRRRE-NO!! Windham and Zbyszko cool down from their HEATED brawl and then head back to their corners. Zbyszko tags in and nails Rhodes with the swinging neck breaker. ONE-TWO-TH-NO! Rhodes tries to make a comeback, but don’t call it one, because he gets drilled with a DDT.
Larry tags in and nails a backbreaker, but he gets his suplex countered. RHODES tries to make a hot tag, but Austin cuts it off. Austin gets heat on Rhodes until Rhodes counters with an inside cradle, though the ref stops Windham from getting inside the ring. Austin puts in a chin lock, but Dustin punches out of it and nails Austin with a stun gun. Larry gets a tag……annnnddddd so does Windham!!! He nails Zbyszko with lariats while Rhodes and Austin fight outside. Windham tries to finish Zbyszko with the superplex, though Larry pushes him off the top rope. Zbyszko wants to come off the top, but Rhodes shoves Larry down to the floor. Windham goes up on the other side and then flies down on Zbyszko with a lariat. ONE-TWO-THREE @ 18:30.
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