WCW United States Heavyweight Title Tournament Semi Final Match: Barry Windham vs. Ricky Steamboat - WCW Saturday Night 09/01/1993
Ooh this was a super fun match that revolved around two dueling strategies - Steamboat goes for the arm while Windham goes for the leg. And both wrestlers’ selling was really good and put the work over more so. I love watching Steamboat throw his chops while he’s in retreat or on the defensive, he makes it look so great. His opponent looks like killers for putting him in that situation but being able to take the chops and Steamboat looks like a never say die face. ***1/2
NWA/WCW Unified World Tag Team Title Match: Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas (c) vs. Flyin' Brian & Steve Austin - WCW Clash Of The Champions #22 13/01/1993
This was an awesome match. Douglas was on fire. The Blondes were cooking and gelling as a team. Steamboat was all action as always. This was a very fast and intensely paced match that plays off an usual structure of the heel team being the ones in danger. The champs controlled and worked over Austin for the most part with Austin pinballing himself around the ring until Pilman made the save and switched the match in their favour. I dug the finishing stretch with the barrage of close nearfalls on both sides and then the DQ finish with Austin trying to sneak the belt shot in but getting caught in the proccess and thus DQ’d. A heck of a match. ****
WCW United States Title Match (Vacant): Ricky Steamboat vs Dustin Rhodes - WCW Saturday Night 16/01/1993
This was a technically driven match with a lot of grappling - as Dustin focused on Ricky Steamboat’s arm - for a good while until Barry Windham interfered and caused Steamboat to be counted out, thus giving Dustin the vacant US title. The wrestling wasn't the hottest it could've been but it was still quality TV. ***
WCW United States Heavyweight Title Match: Dustin Rhodes (c) vs. Ricky Steamboat - WCW Saturday Night 23/01/1993
Terrific follow up to their tournament final match last week. Steamboat is a bit peeved after being screwed by Barry Windham last week, distrusting Dustin in the process. Their tempers flare big time with intense slaps, words exchanged and pissy exchanges constantly. The TV time runs out before the match can be concluded. Give me more of this. ***1/4
Non-Title Match: Ricky Steamboat & Shane Douglas vs Hollywood Blondes - WCW Worldwide 30/01/1993
This was a blistering sprint version of their other match that goes only 10 minutes. The Blondes work over the faces but Steamboat doesn't give them an answer ride in the process, chopping up Austin's chest until the cheating caught up to him. Douglas had an amazing hot tag. So amazing that I wish he stuck it out in WCW (but unfortunately life, with his dad dying, got in the way) and continued working this style because he was great at it. The finish was decent but maybe a bit flubbed as Pillman shoots himself into the ring and only barely touches Douglas for the pin. ***1/2
Vader & Barry Windham vs Sting & Dustin Rhodes - WCW Saturday Night 30/01/1993
Tremendous angle with Vader and Windham whipping Sting with a strap, to set up their White Castle Of Fear match, at the end. The match was pretty cool with a great Sting hot tag matched with a solid Windham performance in the build. ***
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