I've been thinking about doing something like this for a while, and maybe the forum would find it fun to follow along with my booking.
I'm a big fan of tournaments of pretty much any kind. Wrestling doesn't do them enough. I LOVE the G1 Climax, and could have done fantasy versions of that, but I like going with a World Cup format more.
For those not familiar with the World Cup format: 32 teams (or in this case, wrestlers ... the 32 I most wanted to be in the field, with apologies to Ultimate Warrior, Jerry Lawler and a couple others) are divided into eight groups of four, with each wrestler facing each of the other three wrestlers in their group. Group matches will feature a 30-minute time limit, with wrestlers earning three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. The top two wrestlers by points in each group will advance into the 16-wrestler single-elimination bracket, with ties broken by head-to-head result (I will not book anything in such a way that a second tiebreaker will be needed). From there, I will book out the rest of the tournament, including a consolation bracket (a change from the actual World Cup), with places 1 through 16 being decided.
To create the groups, I ranked the 32 wrestlers into a top eight, a second eight, a third eight and a fourth eight. Then each of the four eight-wrestler pods were randomized to decide each wrestler's positioning within the groups. This exactly mirrors the World Cup draw.
Thus, your six first-round cards, consisting of eight matches each, are listed below. I have ordered the matches in the order I would have them go on, based on the perceived competitiveness of the match first, and the drawing power of the names involved second. It is not a perfect system, and word has it that Hogan is PISSED at me for not going on last on two of his three cards, but I'm the boss and I do what I please.
GROUP A
Sting
Great Muta
Jushin Liger
Davey Boy Smith
GROUP B
Steve Williams
Sid Justice
Rick Rude
Mitsuharu Misawa
GROUP C
Ricky Steamboat
Terry Funk
Jake Roberts
Brian Pillman
GROUP D
Hulk Hogan
Rick Steiner
Big Boss Man
Steve Austin
GROUP E
Arn Anderson
Ted DiBiase
Jumbo Tsuruta
Kenta Kobashi
GROUP F
Scott Steiner
Bret Hart
Vader
Shawn Michaels
GROUP G
Randy Savage
Mr. Perfect
Stan Hansen
Toshiaki Kawada
GROUP H
Ric Flair
Barry Windham
Ron Simmons
Earthquake
FIRST ROUND, DAY 1
Group D: Big Boss Man vs. Steve Austin
Group A: Jushin Liger vs. Davey Boy Smith
Group B: Rick Rude vs. Sid Justice
Group C: Brian Pillman vs. Ricky Steamboat
Group C: Terry Funk vs. Jake Roberts
Group B: Steve Williams vs. Mitsuharu Misawa
Group A: Sting vs. Great Muta
Group D: Rick Steiner vs. Hulk Hogan
FIRST ROUND, DAY 2
Group E: Kenta Kobashi vs. Arn Anderson
Group H: Barry Windham vs. Earthquake
Group F: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
Group G: Mr. Perfect vs. Toshiaki Kawada
Group E: Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Ted DiBiase
Group F: Scott Steiner vs. Vader
Group H: Ric Flair vs. Ron Simmons
Group G: Randy Savage vs. Stan Hansen
FIRST ROUND, DAY 3
Group D: Rick Steiner vs. Big Boss Man
Group A: Davey Boy Smith vs. Great Muta
Group B: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Sid Justice
Group C: Brian Pillman vs. Terry Funk
Group C: Ricky Steamboat vs. Jake Roberts
Group D: Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin
Group A: Jushin Liger vs. Sting
Group B: Steve Williams vs. Rick Rude
FIRST ROUND, DAY 4
Group H: Ron Simmons vs. Earthquake
Group F: Vader vs. Bret Hart
Group F: Scott Steiner vs. Shawn Michaels
Group E: Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
Group G: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Stan Hansen
Group E: Arn Anderson vs. Ted DiBiase
Group G: Mr. Perfect vs. Randy Savage
Group H: Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham
FIRST ROUND, DAY 5
Group D: Rick Steiner vs. Steve Austin
Group C: Brian Pillman vs. Jake Roberts
Group A: Jushin Liger vs. Great Muta
Group D: Hulk Hogan vs. Big Boss Man
Group B: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Rick Rude
Group B: Steve Williams vs. Sid Justice
Group A: Davey Boy Smith vs. Sting
Group C: Ricky Steamboat vs. Terry Funk
FIRST ROUND, DAY 6
Group F: Vader vs. Shawn Michaels
Group H: Ron Simmons vs. Barry Windham
Group E: Kenta Kobashi vs. Ted DiBiase
Group F: Scott Steiner vs. Bret Hart
Group H: Ric Flair vs. Earthquake
Group E: Arn Anderson vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
Group G: Mr. Perfect vs. Stan Hansen
Group G: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Randy Savage
I'm going to let this marinate here and see if it gets anyone talking. I started with 1991 for two reasons: It's the year I started watching pro wrestling, and it's the first year the PWI 500 was released (which I used to select the wrestlers involved, though I didn't just take the top 32 on the list, because that would be dumb).
Last edited by antidan444; 07-12-2019 at 07:49 PM.
Reason: No, match results will not be voted on. I will make the calls, and you can cheer or boo it, just like real life!
Knew I'd hear about that from someone. I don't know much at all about Mexican wrestling. I do know, however, that Mascaras was well past his peak by 1991.
FIRST ROUND, DAY 1
Group D: Big Boss Man vs. Steve Austin
The overwhelming initial reaction to this match was, “Who is Steve Austin?” The 1990 PWI rookie of the year still isn't well-known nationally, let alone worldwide. He showed why he's a highly touted up-and-comer, working a solid heel style and scoring with some nice offense, including a surprising vertical suplex against the larger Boss Man and a stun gun late in the match for a two-count, the closest he came to an upset. But all in all, Boss Man was largely in control here with his superior striking — he throws some of the best right hands in the business — and his size and power advantages, closing the match out with his sidewalk slam finisher. WINNER: Big Boss Man, 12:03. **1/2
Group A: Jushin Liger vs. Davey Boy Smith Let's just say Liger took full advantage of this stage, because he was incredible and this match, as a result, was fantastic. It didn't hurt having a bit of an athletic freak like the Bulldog — who can hang with Liger on some of the more acrobatic stuff in addition to his power offense — to play off of. There were multiple hold-counterhold sequences early in the match that got the crowd going, but it really picked up when Liger plowed through Bulldog with a sweet running missile dropkick. The second half of the match featured a Liger hurricanrana pin attempt (two-count), a Bulldog second-turnbuckle superplex (two-count, and I thought it was over), a Liger Bomb (two-count), and finally a Liger brainbuster attempt that Bulldog got out of before scooping Liger up and hitting his running powerslam … and THAT only got a two as the crowd went ape. But Liger was wiped by that point, and Bulldog scooped him up and drilled a second powerslam to end it. What a match. WINNER: Davey Boy Smith, 18:44. ****1/2
Group B: Rick Rude vs. Sid Justice If the previous match was a fantastic blend of different styles that meshed great, this one was the exact opposite. In a nutshell, Rude — who I like a fair amount — just couldn't do much of anything against Sid, other than take a beating. The spot of the match was a backdrop on which Sid probably sent Rude a good 9 feet up in the air. When a backdrop is the best spot of the match, well, yeah. Sid ended it with the expected powerbomb. Bleh. WINNER: Sid, 8:39. *1/2
Group C: Brian Pillman vs. Ricky Steamboat I had really high hopes for this match. Steamboat being the veteran pro he is, I knew he'd show up and give a great effort. It was up to Pillman to rise to the challenge, and he did. As a result, this match — while not a five-star classic — lived up to any reasonable expectations. Pillman hit two really sweet dropkicks in this match, a missile version from the second turnbuckle that got a two-count, and a counter dropkick as Steamboat went for his top-turnbuckle crossbody, leading to a very close two-count. Pillman went for his “Air Pillman” top-rope clothesline and Steamboat dived out of the way. They were both slow to get up, and when they did, Steamboat showed his veteran savvy with a small package that got the win. WINNER: Ricky Steamboat, 16:51. ****
Group C: Terry Funk vs. Jake Roberts This is one of those matches that crystalizes what kind of wrestling fan you are. If you like fast-paced, workrate-heavy matches (possibly with some aerial or other acrobatics thrown in), then this was not going to do it for you. But if you like storytelling and psychology, these two guys are masters. And they took this fight all over the ringside area, too, both using any means they could to get the advantage. Roberts even went for his DDT on the floor, but Funk alertly plowed him into the barricade to break that up. Roberts did manage to hit the DDT in the ring, but too close to the ropes and Funk got his foot on the bottom one at two. Funk fought out of another attempt by dropping to his knee and low-blowing Roberts — it would have been insane to DQ Funk after all the stuff both guys did in this match — then spiked him with a piledriver for the victory. It wasn't a 5-star classic, but I immensely enjoyed it. WINNER: Terry Funk, 15:22. ***
Group B: Steve Williams vs. Mitsuharu Misawa This could main event a Tokyo Dome show easily, and we got it in the first round. Both guys established their strategies early, Williams with brute force using shoulder blocks and for the most part charging straight ahead with basic stuff that his strength makes scary, and Misawa with his quickness and athletic advantages, trying to dodge and counter as best he could, hitting his patented corkscrewing clothesline and a couple dropkicks at various points to turn the momentum. But toward the end, this became a matter of how much Misawa could survive. He kicked out of the three-point-stance shoulder block, then stunned Williams by kicking out out of the Oklahoma Stampede. Misawa avoided the backdrop driver twice with counters — backflipping out of it the second time and hitting a massive tiger suplex and bridge for a close two-count. He went for the tiger driver but couldn't get the bigger man up. Williams backdropped out of it, then hit his vicious backdrop driver for the three to end a match every bit as good as expected. WINNER: Steve Williams, 21:16. ****
Group A: Sting vs. Great Muta Another match that you knew would be good, as these two are no strangers to each other. Sting hit a press slam early to gain the advantage, and had it until Muta hit a front-flip mule kick out of nowhere to get out of a standing chinlock. Muta's front kicks were on target, and then he tried to get a submission three times, with an STF, a single-leg crab and finally a cattle mutilation. Then he looked for a moonsault, but Sting rose up in time to meet Muta on the turnbuckle and deliver a back superplex for a close two. Muta used the corner to pull himself up, and as Sting went for a Stinger Splash, Muta spewed the green mist into his eyes. Muta then went for his moonsault again, but Sting — still grabbing at his eyes — rolled out of the way, then managed to hook Muta into the scorpion deathlock for the tapout. Good stuff, even if it didn;t make much sense for the ref not to DQ Muta for the mist. I guess with this match and the Roberts/Funk match, the refs are going to let the wrestlers have at it. WINNER: Sting, 13:30. ***1/2
Group D: Rick Steiner vs. Hulk Hogan
With the vast majority of Hogan matches, you know with 99.9 percent certainty how they will end: Hulk up, no-sell a punch, no-sell a punch, no-sell a punch and point and wag a finger at the opponent, block a punch, hit three punches, irish whip and a big boot, drop the leg, three-count. It is what it is. However, if you can get past that and his notorious sandbagging, he can actually do pretty well if he wants to. And it seemed that he wanted to here, because he brought his working shoes. Maybe he knew Steiner could legit kick his ass if he wanted. I don't know. All I know is this was way better than I expected, right from the start. Steiner eschewed the opening lockup for a single-leg takedown, and tried to keep Hogan on the mat with amateur wrestling stuff, then a hammerlock. Hogan stood up and reserved the hammerlock, then did a headlock takedown and we were off and running. I figured Hogan would take, at most, two suplexes from Steiner. Nope, he took four: A back suplex, a side suplex, an outstanding vertical stalling suplex for a two-count, and a stunning belly-to-belly overhead throw suplex for another two that shocked everyone. Great sequence toward the end where both men traded stiff clotheslines without going down, ending with a sweet double clothesline. The end came after Steiner went up top and hit his flying bulldog, after which everyone in the building thought, “Here comes the kickout and Hulk up.” Yep. But this was good stuff, and almost certainly the best match Hogan will have in the group (I mean, look at his group, Hogan got probably the easiest draw of anyone). WINNER: Hulk Hogan, 12:57. ***1/2.
STANDINGS
GROUP A
Sting 1-0, 3 points
Davey Boy Smith 1-0, 3 points
Great Muta 0-1, 0 points
Jushin Liger 0-1, 0 points
GROUP B
Steve Williams 1-0, 3 points
Sid Justice 1-0, 3 points
Rick Rude 0-1, 0 points
Mitsuharu Misawa 0-1, 0 points
GROUP C
Ricky Steamboat 1-0, 3 points
Terry Funk 1-0, 3 points
Jake Roberts 0-1, 0 points
Brian Pillman 0-1, 0 points
GROUP D
Hulk Hogan 1-0, 3 points
Big Boss Man 1-0, 3 points
Rick Steiner 0-1, 0 points
Steve Austin 0-1, 0 points
GROUP E
Arn Anderson
Ted DiBiase
Jumbo Tsuruta
Kenta Kobashi
GROUP F
Scott Steiner
Bret Hart
Vader
Shawn Michaels
GROUP G
Randy Savage
Mr. Perfect
Stan Hansen
Toshiaki Kawada
GROUP H
Ric Flair
Barry Windham
Ron Simmons
Earthquake
Great stuff, Dan. Really got into the writeups, even if I'm pretty skeptical of a Hogan vs. Rick Steiner match delivering that well.
Quote:
The second half of the match featured a Liger hurricanrana pin attempt (two-count), a Bulldog second-turnbuckle superplex (two-count, and I thought it was over), a Liger Bomb (two-count), and finally a Liger brainbuster attempt that Bulldog got out of before scooping Liger up and hitting his running powerslam … and THAT only got a two as the crowd went ape.
Finisher kickout count: 1
Last edited by LKJ; 07-13-2019 at 07:53 PM.
Reason: I don't count the Funk one; foot on bottom rope isn't a "kickout."
The night wrestling fans have been dreaming about has finally arrived!
Bucking decades of protectionism, rivalry, and mistrust in the industry, many of the world's biggest wrestling organizations came together for the first ever World Cup.
Day 1 of Group Matches had it all, living legends and future superstars, hard-hitters and high-flyers, a new chapter in a bitter feud, and a dream match from both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
Highlights:
The opening match was the first chance for many wrestling fans to see Steve Austin. He has tons of natural charisma and trained under Chris Adams, so is as technically sound as they come. He lost in a tough matchup against the Big Bossman, but I think showed enough to justify his selection in this tournament.
Two matches showcased the direction the sport is heading in spectacular fashion as Davey Boy Smith faced Jushin Liger and Ricky Steamboat squared off with Brian Pillman. Both matches were fast-paced and action-packed from start to finish and got the crowd to their feet. It's too bad none of the major Mexican federations were willing to sign on to have their stars compete so we could see more of this style match at this event. Liger and Pillman also got very good draws for their respective pools, and won't run into any of real heavyweights unless they advance. While we're definitely seeing the smaller heavyweights and lower weight-class wrestlers becoming more popular worldwide; the premier heavyweight champions still rule in the ring until proven otherwise.
Terry Funk versus Jake Roberts was the first of two dream matches on the card. Jake Roberts has mastered the psychological art of wrestling better than anyone since Killer Kowalski, but if there's anyone in the same league, it's Funk. Steamboat and Pillman would have been a tough act to follow for most, but this match layered suspense both inside and outside of the ring pushing everyone watching to the edge of their seats. It took a foot on the ropes and a blatant low-blow, but Terry Funk eventually escaped with a huge victory.
Dream match number two was next on the card as Steve Williams would face Mitsuhara Misawa. These two are definitely no strangers as they've been battling over the All Japan World Tag Team titles for most of the last two years, but this would be one on one. And, it did not disappoint. The chops echoed through the arena, and the welts shone like neon by the end of the match. Steve Williams was all power, and Misawa showed off his athleticism and technical prowess in a perfect clash of styles. It's been clear since Misawa's unmasking that's he's on a trajectory to the top of the wrestling world, but Williams strength and experience won out in this one in an instant classic.
Many of the matches in this tournament won't come with much history, but Sting versus the Great Muta doesn't fall into that category. Sting has faced many hurdles on his way to the top of the NWA, but none quite like the enigmatic Muta. Muta has a blend of speed and athleticism that few can match, but also adds mind games, a daredevil spirit, and proclivity to stretch, if not outright, break the rules to his repertoire. Although this match stacks up with any in their history of bouts, Sting showed that he may be the best wrestler in the world right now.
Rick Rude and Rick Steiner were unfortunately on the wrong end of mismatches against Sid Justice and Hulk Hogan, respectively, although Steiner did push Hogan more than I would have expected. Sid is one of the more physically imposing athletes in wrestling today, and the way he dispatched Rude moves him up my rankings.
Awards-
Biggest Win- Steve Williams- Groups B and G were the hardest to pick favorites from. With Sid Justice's dominant performance; Williams needed this win.
Biggest Loss- Jake Roberts- With Steamboat the clear favorite to win Group C, Roberts couldn't afford a loss to Funk and it's hard to see him advancing.
Match of the Night- Davey Boy Smith vs. Jushin Liger
Power Rankings (through Day 1)-
1. Sting - My pick coming into the tournament did nothing to dissuade my confidence.
2. Ric Flair - A tough first match with Ron Simmons awaits.
3 Hulk Hogan - An easy first round draw will get him into the tournament pretty easily, but can he get through some of the best technical wrestlers in the world?
4. Jumbo Tsuruta - Definitely a dark horse, but there's no one in this tournament more experienced when it comes to tournament events and he has the talent to hang with anyone.
5. Sid Justice - The only change in my top 5. Sid was absolutely dominant in his win over Rick Rude and he can power his way through anyone in the field. Despite the win over Brian Pillman, I'm dropping Ricky Steamboat out of my top 5, because I would have expected him to control the match better than he did.
FIRST ROUND, DAY 2
Group E: Kenta Kobashi vs. Arn Anderson
As a huge fan of both these guys, I was really looking forward to this. Kobashi is going to be a massive star in Japan, and Anderson — who was a bit of a surprise top seed — is nonetheless one of the best workers around. This went back and forth with momentum swings every couple minutes, with Anderson trying to slow the pace and Kobashi raising it whenever he had the chance. All the trademarks — Anderson's spinebuster and DDT, Kobashi's flying shoulderblock, rolling leg-lock cradle, running leg drops and his own DDT — were in here, many of them leading to two-counts. The finish came after Anderson got the knees up on Kobashi's moonsault attempt. Anderson pulled Kobashi up and hit the brainbuster for the three to end a really good battle. WINNER: Arn Anderson, 14:20. ***1/2.
Group H: Barry Windham vs. Earthquake
This was one of the more interesting matchups of the day, but as someone who's not an Earthquake fan, I almost took a trip to the concessions booth. It turned out not to be too bad, although certainly not anything memorable. Windham kept going for slams and suplexes early, which Earthquake didn't budge for, beating Windham down with stiff forearms and boots. Windham finally got the hint, ducked a clothesline and went downstairs with a dropkick to the leg which turned the match. He worked over the leg with knee and elbow drops, and eventually got a figure four on, but the big former Sumo star made it to the ropes. Windham then made a mistake going for a cross bodyblock, getting caught and smashed to the canvas with a counter powerslam (Mark Henry style) for two. Earthquake sent Windham into the corner and crushed him with a running avalanche, but he took too long doing his Earthquake taunt before going for his finisher, and Windham moved. When Earthquake got back up, Windham clobbered him with a lariat that Earthquake somehow absorbed, though he staggered back off the ropes. Windham got a head of steam and clobbered Earthquake with another nasty lariat that felled the superheavyweight for the three. WINNER: Barry Windham, 11:06. **1/2.
Group F: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart
Two fan favorites most well-known for their tag-team work — though Hart just made the move to singles and has an Intercontinental title shot coming up against Mr. Perfect in a month — this match was a bit of a wild card. Both guys gave a really good effort and it wound up being a darn good battle. Hart controlled most of the early stages with his technical mat wrestling before Michaels turned the tide with a flying forearm off the ropes. He kept the pace up with arm drags and a dropkick, but got caught trying a leapfrog and Hart made him pay with a reverse atomic drop and clothesline for two. Hart switched gears to a more high-impact style at this point, hitting a backbreaker for two, a nice snap suplex for two and countering a Michaels crucifix attempt with a Samoan drop for two again. Michaels staggered to a corner, but got a boot up into the face of a charging Hart, then sprang to the second turnbuckle and scored with a sweet dropkick for two. A bodyslam led to a top-rope elbow drop for a very close two. Michaels went for his finisher, a modified back suplex (remember, he didn't switch to the superkick until the 93-94 period), but Hart countered with a Russian leg sweep for two. Michaels reversed an irish whip and scored with a superkick for another close two. Now it was Michaels' turn to charge into a boot in the corner, after which Hart hopped up on the turnbuckle and hit a victory roll which failed to live up to its name as Michaels got out at the last moment. Hart then set Michaels up for a superplex, but Michaels fought it and knocked Hart to the canvas with punches. However, Hart caught Michaels going for a top-rope missile dropkick and twisted him into the sharpshooter for the submission. WINNER: Bret Hart, 19:44. ****
Group G: Mr. Perfect vs. Toshiaki Kawada
Like Kobashi, Kawada is one of All Japan's rising young talents, though slightly more experienced than Kobashi and with a different and pretty unique striking-heavy style. Perfect was a pretty heavy favorite but was often flummoxed by Kawada — especially his kicks, which came often and from all angles. The chops were flying in this one, too, and both guys' chests took a beating. But it was Perfect's bad back that became the story, as a nasty backbreaker by Kawada left Perfect grabbing at his back and yelping in severe pain. Kawada is not the guy you want to give a target to, and he absolutely DRILLED him with kicks to the back multiple times. It was pretty painful to watch. Perfect did make a comeback and saw an opportunity to get Kawada up in a Perfect Plex, but the effort alone left Perfect crumpled as his back was in no shape to make the lift. Kawada then stacked him with a nasty powerbomb and a pretty stunning three that marked the first significant upset of the World Cup. Wow. This loss is probably fatal for Perfect given he has Savage and Hansen left to deal with, and a bulky back to boot. Yikes. WINNER: Toshiaki Kawada, 16:56. ***1/2.
Group E: Jumbo Tsuruta vs. Ted DiBiase
I respect DiBiase — though I think he's a smidge past his prime — but in case you don't watch any puroresu, Tsuruta is THE MAN! And by the time this was done, the American fans who didn't know about him (most of the crowd, unfortunately) were in awe. Now I have to give credit to DiBiase because he was at his cowardly heel best here, trying to buy the win, then buy the ref, and all sorts of other shenanigans. But mostly, he took a grade-A ass kicking, including a jumping knee that left a small gash under his right eye. DiBiase did show some toughness kicking out out of a nasty lariat, and tried to pull a rabbit out of his hat by slipping out of a powerbomb attempt and getting the Million Dollar Dream on. But Jumbo turned into it, and snapped DiBiase up in the air for a decisive backdrop driver and the three. WINNER: Jumbo Tsuruta, 10:39. ***
Group F: Scott Steiner vs. Vader
Three words sum this match up: Oh. My. God. Two big, tough, strong dudes just beating the absolute daylights out of each other and not giving two ****s. It was INCREDIBLE. And it was incredible right from the bell, when Steiner hit a belly-to-belly overhead suplex that completely popped the crowd. Vader wound up outside the ring, Steiner pursued him and they brawled all over the outside until Vader backdropped Steiner over the barricade and onto the cement floor. Back in the ring, it became a battle of “anything you can do, I can do better” as they exchanged clotheslines, suplexes, press slams (well, Steiner tried, but it wound up being more of a standard powerslam) and even dropkicks. Yes, Vader hit a dropkick. It made absolutely no sense in the flow of the match, but who cares?!? The end came suddenly when Vader countered a Frankensteiner with a nasty release powerbomb and tight cradle for the three count. This was 11 minutes of insanity and I want more. WINNER: Vader, 11:13. ****1/2
Group H: Ric Flair vs. Ron Simmons
This wound up feeling a lot like Flair-Sting matches — which is a good thing — with Simmons in Sting's usual role. Simmons no-sold pretty much everything in the opening minutes, frustrating Flair — when he wasn't throwing the Nature Boy around the ring with a press slam and multiple back drops, after which Flair had to regroup on the outside. Once back in, having slowed the pace, an eye poke finally made Simmons vulnerable and the punches and chops started having an effect. Cool sequence when Simmons reversed a whip out of the corner and sent Flair upside-down over the opposite corner and feet-first on the apron. Flair ran up the apron and to the top turnbuckle, and with Simmons slow to react, Flair launched himself with a crossbody — only for Simmons to catch him, then powerslam him for a close two. But Simmons made a mistake charging into Flair's corner, with Flair moving and Simmons eating the turnbuckles chest-first. Flair quickly took advantage with a nasty chop block and worked over Simmons' leg something fierce, including two painful-looking running knee drops right across the injured leg. Finally he hooked in the figure four, and Simmons wound up in it for a good three minutes — nearly getting his shoulders counted down twice — before showing immense determination to power his way to the bottom rope. Flair trapped him in the corner and alternately chopped his chest and kicked his leg, but Simmons started firing back in desperation, going to another place mentally to block out the pain. Suddenly it was Flair reeling as Simmons scored with two clotheslines and had Flair begging off back in a corner. And then it was over, as Flair baited Simmons into the corner, took him off his feet with a double-leg takedown, and kicked his feet up on the second ropes, which the ref missed as he counted Simmons down. Classic Flair, who made a quick getaway as Simmons seethed in the ring. WINNER: Ric Flair, 15:35. ****
Group G: Randy Savage vs. Stan Hansen
I loved this choice for the main event, as I had absolutely no idea which way this would go. Savage is great, but was at a serious size disadvantage here — and Hansen is a better athlete with a way better motor than he's often given credit for. I absolutely did NOT expect the first move of this match: Savage slapped Hansen HARD right across the face! It was actually a strategic move, as it got Hansen to chase Savage as he made a hasty retreat out of the ring, then circled the outside before sliding back in, then catching Hansen doing likewise with a double axehandle. Savage was a madman, knowing he couldn't give Hansen an ounce of breathing space, and after repeated blows, he went up top and staggered Hansen with a flying double axehandle, then another that left Hansen seeking refuge outside, then yet another from the top all the way to the floor. But Savage went to the well one too many times, and Hansen caught his fourth flying axehandle attempt and plowed him back-first hard into the barricade. That changed the whole match, and now a pissed-off Hansen methodically set about destroying the Macho Man, who showed heart to kick out of both a big powerslam and a powerbomb. Hansen pulled up the elbow brace on his feared left arm, signaling for the lariat, but Savage ducked it while using Hansen's momentum to execute his leap over the ropes to the outside while bringing Hansen's neck down across the rope in whiplike fashion. That floored Hansen, and Savage struggled to the top once again. Hansen got up and ate yet one more big flying double axe, and then Savage went for the big elbow — and missed it as Hansen got out of the way. Savage was slow to get up, and when he did, Hansen was waiting and clobbered him with a lariat that actually connected with Savage's forehead for the victory. Ouch. WINNER: Stan Hansen, 13:49. ***1/2
STANDINGS
GROUP A
Sting 1-0, 3 points
Davey Boy Smith 1-0, 3 points
Great Muta 0-1, 0 points
Jushin Liger 0-1, 0 points
GROUP B
Steve Williams 1-0, 3 points
Sid Justice 1-0, 3 points
Rick Rude 0-1, 0 points
Mitsuharu Misawa 0-1, 0 points
GROUP C
Ricky Steamboat 1-0, 3 points
Terry Funk 1-0, 3 points
Jake Roberts 0-1, 0 points
Brian Pillman 0-1, 0 points
GROUP D
Hulk Hogan 1-0, 3 points
Big Boss Man 1-0, 3 points
Rick Steiner 0-1, 0 points
Steve Austin 0-1, 0 points
GROUP E
Arn Anderson 1-0, 3 points
Jumbo Tsuruta 1-0, 3 points
Ted DiBiase 0-1, 0 points
Kenta Kobashi 0-1, 0 points
GROUP F
Bret Hart 1-0, 3 points
Vader 1-0, 3 points
Scott Steiner 0-1, 0 points
Shawn Michaels 0-1, 0 points
GROUP G
Toshiaki Kawada 1-0, 3 points
Stan Hansen 1-0, 3 points
Randy Savage 0-1, 0 points
Mr. Perfect 0-1, 0 points
GROUP H
Barry Windham 1-0, 3 points
Ric Flair 1-0, 3 points
Ron Simmons 0-1, 0 points
Earthquake 0-1, 0 points
However, Hart caught Michaels going for a top-rope missile dropkick and twisted him into the sharpshooter for the submission.
The "jump leg-first into the Sharpshooter" spot makes me want to pull a Marty Jannetty and dive through the window of my local barber shop. Perfectly happy with Bret beating Shawn, of course.
Incidentally, WWF team name notwithstanding, was the brainbuster in Arn's arsenal? I can't actually remember him ever doing that move.
By the way, as soon as Earthquake no-sold Windham early on, I was hoping for it to go the way of his match with Koji Kitao.
I look forward to the Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin writeup. From a story standpoint it seems like a difficult booking spot given how each man's first match went.
Keep in mind, Austin is five years from finding his "Stone Cold" character. He's pretty green here, and the only reason he made the field was because the PWI list had him higher than I expected.
I am keeping that in mind. There wouldn't be anything wrong with just putting Hogan over decisively. I still can't help but think that you'll want to tell more of a story with Austin than that. But now your last post makes me think maybe not?
Simply amazing! You should publish this when complete. Wrestling fans will buy anything wrestling
Big Boss Man had highly underrated athleticism and agility. Moving like that at his size; bray before the diet kind of reminds me of this level of performance.
Contrary to my previous statement, I may in fact need a second tiebreaker in the case of three-way ties between wrestlers who went 1-1 against the other two.
The wrestler who advances in that case is the one that needed the least amount of time to earn his victory.
Day 1 set the bar pretty high, but the Day 2 line-up is just as incredible on paper.
I'm really keeping my eyes on four of these wrestlers in particular, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Kenta Kobashi, and Toshiaki Kawada. All four were a little bit of surprise to be included, to me, though not necessarily undeserved. They're all worth keeping an eye on as the tournament progresses as each seems destined to break out.
Highlights:
Kenta Kobashi lost the first 63 matches of his career, so it's a little bit of a surprise that he's still wrestling, let alone wrestling in a tournament with 31 of the best wrestlers in the world. He's, obviously, improved over the past two years and has developed into a really good tag team wrestler. But maybe that's all he is, which is why I question his place in this field, especially with Akira Taue being left out.
Kobashi drew Arn Anderson for his first match. I have a lot to say about Anderson, but I'll stay focused on Kobashi today. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the match Kobashi was able to control. He used his speed and striking to keep Anderson on the defensive for parts of the match and hit several high impact moves that would have put many wrestlers away. Anderson ultimately ended up with the victory, but Kobashi went a long way in proving many of his doubters (including me) wrong about his future prospects.
Match 3 on the card featured two of our wrestlers to watch facing off against each other.
Bret Hart is just starting to branch out into singles competition on a regular basis and is showing a lot of early success. Hart is a difficult wrestler to categorize because his mat-wrestling prowess is a throwback to a generation or two ago. The question with Hart will be how far his technical abilities can take him in today's wrestling world? Ten years ago, Nick Bockwinkel was a highly regarded World Champion with a similar skillset, but guys like Mr. Perfect and Ted DiBiase haven't been able to reach those heights.
Michaels is in a similar position in trying to project his career. Michaels works at an electric pace and has an exciting moveset, seemingly spending as much time above the ring as in it. But, can someone with his size and strength compete with the best heavyweights in the world and does his style even translate into a singles wrestling career?
It didn't take long for these two to make me stop analyzing their futures and focusing on the right now. What an incredible show they put on for the fans. Hart showed off his repertoire of mat moves and every bit of offense had a crisp "snap" to it. Michaels was amazingly resilient and just kept bouncing back up. He flew around and above the ring on offense and was even able to counter some of Hart's submission attempts.
All in all, I don't know if either of them will ultimately compete for World Championships, but I hope we get many more chances to see them facing each other in the ring.
Toshiaki Kawada's match was up next and he got Mr. Perfect. Unlike the other three wrestlers I've focused on, I have no doubts that Kawada will be a World Champion; the only question is when. He has a unique strike-heavy style with kicks and chops coming from all angles. All that being said, he hasn't yet proven himself as a singles wrestler, much like Hart and Michaels in the previous match.
Mr. Perfect was the favorite coming into this match, and it looked like once he started to get feel for Kawada's kicks that he might take control of the match. Unfortunately for Mr. Perfect, that never quite came to fruition as a back injury aggravated by a Kawada backbreaker became the story of the match and the bullseye to Kawada's feet. It looked Mr. Perfect might still find a way to get the victory, but it was too much to overcome both the injury and his opponent.
Barry Windham, Ric Flair, and Jumbo Tsuruta all won their opening matchups. Everyone is waiting for the Windham/Flair showdown in their group, but Simmons put the fight to Flair and you can never overlook the almost 500 pound Earthquake.
I'm guessing if Randy Savage was forced to build a wrestler he wouldn't want to face he would come up with something approximating Stan Hansen (and so would many others), and unfortunately that was his first opponent of the tournament in the main event. Savage did everything in his arsenal, playing possum, hitting and running, and going for high-impact moves through the air, but it still wasn't enough to get by Hansen.
Awards-
Biggest Win- Toshiaki Kawada - The only major upset of the first two days of the tournament is clearly the biggest win of the night.
Biggest Loss- Earthquake- He most likely needed to try to come up with at least a point against Barry Windham to have a chance at advancing.
Match of the Night- Scott Steiner vs. Vader- This match certainly came out of nowhere (at least in my mind) to steal the show. Both men channeled their inner Bruiser Brody and put on brawling clinic inside and outside the ring. Vader took the victory, but Scott Steiner showed that he could be a force to be reckoned with in this tournament.
FIRST ROUND, DAY 3
Group D: Rick Steiner vs. Big Boss Man
This was a huge match for both men. Boss Man could clinch a spot in the 16-man elimination tournament with a victory. Steiner needed a win to tie Boss Man at three points, with a match against Austin up next on Day 5 while Boss Man would have to deal with Hogan. So there was a lot of urgency both ways, and it make for a pretty entertaining contest full of hard-hitting moves. Neither guy was able to maintain control for more than a couple minutes. Among the highlights were a Steiner Bulldog attempt that Boss Man turned into a high-angle back suplex (probably more than was intended) for two, and a ginormous superplex by Steiner on Boss Man, who really shouldn't have been up there in the first place. The end came when Boss Man made another mistake, crashing and burning on a charge into the corner when Steiner moved, then built up a head of steam off the ropes before lighting Boss Man up with a thunderous Steinerline before hooking him up in a tight pin for the three. Boss Man was nearly inconsolable after the loss, given the odds he faces now. WINNER: Rick Steiner, 12:23. ***
Group A: Davey Boy Smith vs. Great Muta
This was a very similar situation as the first match. Davey Boy could clinch a spot in the tournament with a victory — a loss would leave him probably having to defeat Sting on Day 5 — while Muta basically had to win to give himself a chance to advance against Liger on Day 5. Really cool opening sequences with both guys showing off their athleticism while reversing armbars, wristlocks and the like, before Bulldog said enough of that and back suplexed his way out of a headlock. He then held Muta up in the air for a good 10 seconds on a sweet stalling vertical suplex that got a two. But Muta changed the momentum by catching a kick and wrenching Bulldog's knee with a dragon screw leg whip. He did further damage with a Muta Lock (bridging leg grapevine/chinlock combination), and Bulldog had to expend a lot of energy inching his way to the rope. Bulldog struggled to his feet and Muta quickly grabbed the injured leg looking (probably) for another dragon screw, but Bulldog scored with an enziguiri. After both men slowly rose, Bulldog launched an offensive with hard European uppercuts, an irish whip and a series of clotheslines, and finally a running bulldog. He called for the running powerslam and hoisted Muta up, but Muta grabbed on to the top rope, pulling out of Bulldog's grip, then blasting him with an on-point superkick that left Bulldog in a heap. Muta went up top and nailed the moonsault to score the crucial pin. Bulldog's reaction to the outcome pretty much mirrored Boss Man's after his loss, but at least Bulldog doesn't have Hogan next. WINNER: Great Muta, 14:01. ***1/2.
Group B: Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Sid Justice
Justice couldn't quite clinch a tournament spot with a win here, but he'd be sitting pretty with six points. Misawa — the heir apparent to Tsuruta in All-Japan — could ill afford a second straight loss here, so he badly needed to pull off the upset. And as much as I wanted that to happen, this was a matchup nightmare. Misawa scored with all sorts of kicks and even connected with his corkscrew clothesline, but the biggest moves in his arsenal — the Tiger driver and Tiger suplex — just were never going to happen against a guy like Justice with such a massive height and size advantage. Meanwhile, Justice had no problem clubbing, clotheslining, slamming and otherwise tossing Misawa around like a rag doll. At one point, Misawa rolled to the floor to try to escape the onslaught, and when Justice followed him out, Misawa managed to avoid a big boot and stunned Justice with a dropkick. Misawa got back in the ring, then catapulted himself over the ropes and onto Justice with a twisting crossbody that was the biggest spot of the match. With the crowd back into it, Misawa rolled Justice back in, then went up top and nailed a frog splash — which had me hopeful — but Justice powered out at two. Misawa then made the fatal mistake of trying for the Tiger driver. Justice didn't budge, and reversed it with a backdrop. When Misawa got up, he ate a boot and Justice had no problem hitting his powerbomb to end it. WINNER: Sid Justice, 9:50. ***
Group C: Brian Pillman vs. Terry Funk
Another spot where one guy (Funk) could clinch a tournament spot with a victory, while the other (Pillman) really needed a win to have much hope of advancing. Pillman was fired up knowing what he had to do, and really took it to Funk early with hip tosses, arm drags and a dropkick that forced Funk to bail out and regroup — only for Pillman to come flying at him with a tope suicida. Flyin' Brian tossed Funk back in the ring and went up top, scoring with a missile dropkick for a close two — that would have been a shocker! Pillman went upstairs again and tried for a flying crossbody, but this time Funk dove out of the way and Pillman crashed and burned, clutching his knee. Funk saw that and went to work with knee drops, then his ol' favorite spinning toe hold, wrenching away before Pillman wiggled his way to the ropes. Funk smirked sadistically as Pillman used those same ropes to get to his feet, then kicked the bad leg to send him right back down. This was repeated once more, but not twice, as Pillman met Funk with a wicked chop that drew an “ooh!” from the crowd. Both men then started exchanging chops before Funk kicked Pillman right in the kneecap, crumpling him. Funk then pulled him into position for a piledriver. Pillman fought it, and Funk drilled him in the back with clubbing shots, before finally getting Pillman up, only Pillman slipped out the back door and rolled Funk backwards into a cradle for a shocking three! Pillman rolled out of the ring and limped to the back with the victory he desperately needed, and Funk could only look at the ref in disbelief. WINNER: Brian Pillman, 11:10. ***
Group C: Ricky Steamboat vs. Jake Roberts
Neither man could secure a tournament berth (Steamboat) or be eliminated from contention (Roberts), but a Steamboat win would make each case extremely likely depending on Day 5 results. There was already bad blood between these two, as Roberts once famously DDT'd the Dragon on the concrete, giving him a concussion. Steamboat started fast in this one, scoring with karate chops — both to the chest and the top of the head — repeatedly, before taking Roberts to the mat with a trademark deep arm drag. Roberts really had to dig into his back of dirty tactics to stay in this match, including hair pulling, eye rakes and rope chokes. He did surprise me when he reversed an irish whip into a ripcord clothesline that left Steamboat, for the first time, in real trouble. Roberts, seeing his chance, tried to hit the DDT, but Steamboat hooked the top rope with his arm and Roberts crashed to the mat. Steamboat, in true babyface fashion, tried to rally himself and the crowd, and scored with multiple clotheslines and double chops. He went up top and nailed an overhand chop right to Roberts' noggin, but only got two. I thought he would go for the top-rope crossbody, but instead, he whipped Roberts off the ropes and tried for a backdrop, only to be alertly dumped right on his head by a lightning-quick DDT! I was in shock as the ref counted the three. That was out of nowhere, and Roberts' sinister grin let you know how he felt about it. Well, this group is suddenly a hot mess. WINNER: Jake Roberts, 13:45. ***
Group D: Hulk Hogan vs. Steve Austin
No disrespect to Austin, but I can't even come up with a bigger mismatch in this tournament. Maybe size-wise I can (Hogan, Vader or Hansen vs. Liger), but in terms of experience and accomplishments, this wins the prize. So trust me what I say I was shocked that this wasn't a total one-sided beatdown. Sure, Hogan won all the early exchanges — shoving Austin down out of the initial lockup, flooring him on two shoulderblock challenges, then blocking an Austin slam attempt and easily slamming Austin in reply — but then Austin surprised a charging Hogan by getting a boot up in the corner, and the dude came to life, trash talking and backing it with fists and boots … and, of course, a couple dirty chokes. Austin even hit a sweet vertical suplex for two. Then he sent Hogan into the ropes and bent down for the stun gun, only to have Hogan nearly kick his head right out of the arena. Austin staggered off the ropes and Hogan met him with punches into the corner, then whipped him across the ring and scored with a charging clothesline, before repeating the sequence with the same result. Austin begged off and Hogan worked the crowd, but when Hogan went to send Austin off the ropes, Austin reversed and caught Hogan with the stun gun. Of course, you know where it goes from there. Big kickout at two, Hulk up, yadda yadda. But hey, this was still better than I expected. WINNER: Hulk Hogan, 8:58. **1/2.
Group A: Jushin Liger vs. Sting
Tough task for Liger, who after losing to Davey Boy on Day 1 really needed a result to keep much hope alive. Easier said than done against one of the favorites of the entire World Cup. Liger charged and Sting with shoulderblocks twice and hit the canvas each time while Sting barely budged. Stubbornly, Liger tried it a third time and Sting pressed him over his head and went to slam him, only for Liger to hold onto Sting's wrist and send him flipping to the mat instead! I'd never seen that before. Now Sting charged and ran into two arm drags before bailing outside, where Liger promptly launched himself over the top rope and onto Sting. Liger sent him back in, went upstairs and scored a sensational hurricanrana for a close two. Liger quickly went upstairs again and this time nailed a flying crossbody on the reeling Stinger for another two. Again, Liger went upstairs, but this time Sting fought to his feet and lunged into the ropes, causing Liger to crash down on the top turnbuckle. Sting took a deep breath, climbed up with Liger and superplexed him back in, floating over for a cover that only got two. Sting whipped Liger to the corner and went for the Stinger Splash, but Liger got out of the way and Sting smashed his head on the post. Liger rolled him up but only got two. Wow, that was close. Liger locked Sting in a camel clutch, the first time in five minutes that the pace dropped below breakneck speed. Sting fought to his feet with Liger hanging on his back, and drove Liger into the corner, only for Liger to lock on a sleeper. Sting faded for a few seconds, then found more energy and smashed Liger back into the corner again. But Sting was feeling the fatigue as he walked out of the corner, and Liger alertly came from behind for a German suplex that got another nearfall. Liger went for the Liger Bomb, but Sting fought out of it with a backdrop. That got the Stinger on a rally as he scored with two clotheslines, sent Liger of the ropes and launched him with a tremendous backdrop. Liger pulled himself up in the corner again, and Sting whipped him across to the opposite corner and set up for his Stinger Splash again, only to be denied again, this time with a flying leg lariat for another two. Liger went for the Liger Bomb again, but this time Sting pulled Liger's legs out from under him, then twisted him into the scorpion deathlock. Liger nearly crawled to the ropes, but Sting pulled him back out, and after one hell of an effort, Liger had to tap out. That was crazy. Sting appeared completely shocked that Liger gave him that kind of a fight, and in respect he pulled Liger up and raised his hand to a nice pop. WINNER: Sting, 12:21. ****1/2
Group B: Steve Williams vs. Rick Rude
With Justice already sitting at six points, Rude had to win this one to stay alive — otherwise, Williams and Justice would be locked into the tournament phase. The two men did some solid amateur-style mat work early, with Williams looking to make Rude carry his weight with top control, chinlocks and the like, and Rude countering with basic stuff targeting Dr. Death's arm. It started picking up after Williams sent Rude into the ropes and shoulderblocked him down, then tried it again, only he ducked his head a little too much and Rude snapped off a sweet neckbreaker that really hurt the bigger man. Everything Rude did from that point targeted that neck — elbow drops, knee drops, leg drops, clubbing blows, you name it. But the match swung again when Rude went for a clothesline which Williams ducked, then steamrolled Rude with a diving shoulder tackle that landed Rude hard on his own neck. Now both guys were hurting, but Williams had the momentum and scored with a powerslam for two, then a vicious lariat to the back of Rude's head and neck for another two. Williams went for a back suplex — or possibly his backdrop driver — and Rude, quick to recognize the danger, got out of the grip with elbows to Williams' neck. Rude ran off the ropes, but Williams scooped him up, then slammed him upside down into the corner to start the Oklahoma Slam. But Rude slipped out the backdoor before it could be finished, grabbed Williams and set him up for the Rude Awakening. He should have hit it, only he did his hip gyration taunt like Williams was some jobber he was finishing off. Big, big mistake, as Williams turned out of the setup and got Rude up for the backdrop driver and the three. I have no idea what Rude was thinking, and when he wakes up, he probably won't remember. Well, that takes a lot of the suspense out of Group B for Day 5. WINNER: Steve Williams, 13:05. ***1/2
STANDINGS
GROUP A
Sting 2-0, 6 points
Davey Boy Smith 1-1, 3 points
Great Muta 1-1, 3 points
Jushin Liger 0-2, 0 points
GROUP B
Sid Justice 2-0, 6 points
Steve Williams 2-0, 6 points
Rick Rude 0-2, 0 points
Mitsuharu Misawa 0-2, 0 points
GROUP C
Ricky Steamboat 1-1, 3 points
Terry Funk 1-1, 3 points
Jake Roberts 1-1, 3 points
Brian Pillman 1-1, 3 points
GROUP D
Hulk Hogan 2-0, 6 points
Rick Steiner 1-1, 3 points
Big Boss Man 1-1, 3 points
Steve Austin 0-2, 0 points
GROUP E
Arn Anderson 1-0, 3 points
Jumbo Tsuruta 1-0, 3 points
Ted DiBiase 0-1, 0 points
Kenta Kobashi 0-1, 0 points
GROUP F
Bret Hart 1-0, 3 points
Vader 1-0, 3 points
Scott Steiner 0-1, 0 points
Shawn Michaels 0-1, 0 points
GROUP G
Toshiaki Kawada 1-0, 3 points
Stan Hansen 1-0, 3 points
Randy Savage 0-1, 0 points
Mr. Perfect 0-1, 0 points
GROUP H
Barry Windham 1-0, 3 points
Ric Flair 1-0, 3 points
Ron Simmons 0-1, 0 points
Earthquake 0-1, 0 points
I actually wound up with a new work project so I'm a bit busy as well. This hold-up isn't on you. I've also found myself getting more detailed in my match writeups. Anyway I will keep trudging on as I have time.
FIRST ROUND, DAY 4
Group H: Ron Simmons vs. Earthquake
Big match for both of these guys, neither of whom could afford another loss. Simmons had a tough time budging the big Quake early, as two shoulderblocks and a clothesline made him take all of about a half-step back. Simmons tried another charge and got rocked with a back elbow, but after Quake sent him off the ropes, Simmons ducked a clothesline and came back with a flying shoulderblock that finally took the big man down. Pumped up, Simmons went for a slam but it proved costly as he fell backward with Quake crushing down on top of him. Simmons kicked out at two but was clutching his ribs, and Quake went to work with clubbing blows and kicks before easily scooping Simmons up for a slam. He then bounced off the ropes and dropped a huge elbow right on the ribs, and Simmons gasped for air but still managed to kick out at two. Simmons crawled toward the ropes but Quake sat on his lower back and wrenched up on his chin with both hands locked, an excruciating move on both Simmons' back and ribs, especially when a 400-plus-pound behemoth does it. Simmons wouldn't call it quits, so Quake jumped up and dropped all his weight straight down onto his back. Ouch. Simmons rolled onto his back and Quake went for another big elbow drop, but this time Simmons rolled out of the way. Quake still beat Simmons up by a second or two — Simmons had to use the ropes to pull himself up — but Simmons blocked Quake's punch and landed his own, then blocked another and hit another, and suddenly Quake was backed in a corner as Simmons hammered away with teeth gritted, eventually climbing the turnbuckle and dropping 10 haymakers on Quake's noggin. Now Simmons was really rocking, and as Quake staggered out of the corner, Simmons nailed him with a clothesline that sent him back in the corner, barely standing. Simmons got a head of steam going for another one, but Quake lifted him up in a massive bear hug. Simmons started fading and his hand dropped twice, but not a third time, and as the crowd urged him on, he fired one right hand after another to break the hold. Freed, Simmons ran off the ropes and right into a Quake clothesline. With Simmons not moving at all, Quake signaled for his finisher. But when he ran to the ropes, Simmons — playing possum — got up and, mostly using Quake's own momentum, scored with his powerslam, hooking a leg and getting the three just before Quake kicked out. Simmons got his hand raised, but a pissed-off Quake drilled him right in the lower back, then stomped away before the ring filled with bodies to get Quake out of there. WINNER: Ron Simmons, 14:03. ***
Group F: Vader vs. Bret Hart
The winner of this one was almost certainly assured of a place in the tournament. It was quite a contrast of styles: Vader, the intimidating former three-time IWGP champion, just wanted to plow straight ahead through Hart, but Hart wasn't having any of it early, going right for a leg to get the big man off his feet, and keeping him grounded by any means he could. Eventually, Hart ended up squeezing Vader in a side headlock. Vader got to his feet, sent Hart off the ropes and tried to take his head off, but Hart ducked it, then went Vader turned around, Hart grabbed the headlock and took Vader right back down. Vader smacked the mat, but soon he was up again and backing Hart into the ropes. As the ref tried to get a clean break, Vader got in a shot right to Hart's ribs that made him gasp. That allowed Vader to start swinging freely, and it was all Hart could do to cover up. He staggered out of the corner and Vader sent him across the ring, then leveled him with that modified Thesz press thing he does — it's basically like running into a brick wall. Vader started whistling and playing to the crowd, feeling good. He pulled Hart up and sent him into the ropes again, but this time Hart came off with a dropkick that staggered the big guy. A Russian leg sweep took him down, but Vader kicked out at one, sending Hart flying in the process. Vader got to his feet, and Hart met him with his trademark clothesline (from his tag days) and this time got two. Vader once again rose, and Hart met him with a couple gut punches, but his irish whip was reversed. Hart ducked a clothesline, but his crossbody attempt on the rebound was caught easily by Vader, who powerslammed him down for a close two. Now it was Hart who struggled to regain his feet, and when he did, Vader grabbed him around the waist from behind and launched him with a massive release German suplex. Vader positioned Hart in the corner and climbed to the second turnbuckle, facing the crowd. But Hart moved out of the way of the backward splash attempt. Vader got to his knees as Hart himself went to the second turnbuckle, then dropped a nasty elbow across the back of Vader's neck, covering for a close two and the weakest kickout by Vader yet. Now Hart went for Vader's legs, crossing them for the sharpshooter, but Vader kicked him off and into the corner. Vader rose and charged, but Hart got a boot up, then hopped quickly up on the top turnbuckle and onto Vader's shoulders before executing a flawless victory roll for the three. Great move to end a good contest. WINNER: Bret Hart, 15:36. ***1/2.
Group F: Scott Steiner vs. Shawn Michaels
Here's a pairing of two guys who are likely future superstars (if you don't consider Steiner one already from his immense tag exploits). This was arguably the fastest-paced sprint of a match yet, with Michaels flying all over the place and Steiner trying to catch him and send him flying to more painful landings. Both men exchanged arm drags before Michaels ran off the ropes, under a Steiner leapfrog, leapt over Steiner as he looked for a back drop, then smashed Steiner with a flying back elbow. Michaels ran off the ropes again, over a prone Steiner (who had rolled to his stomach), but this time Steiner pressed Michaels up for a huge slam. Michaels pulled himself up in a corner, and Steiner whipped him to the other side, only for Michaels to spring up and over Steiner as he charged in after him. Michaels then ran to the other corner with Steiner in pursuit again, then hit Steiner with a second-turnbuckle twisting crossbody for two. Now the pace slowed a touch as Michaels worked the arm, eventually locking Steiner into a short-arm scissors. After about 20 seconds, Steiner managed to get to his feet with Michaels still clinging to the hold, and with brute strength, Steiner muscled Michaels way up over his head and dropped him to the canvas, almost back suplex style, for a two. Steiner pulled Michaels back up and went for an actual back suplex, but Michaels flipped out of it, landed on his feet, and nailed Steiner with a perfect standing dropkick that sent him between the second and third ropes to the floor. As Steiner regained his feet out there, Michaels climbed all the way to the top, launching himself with a flying crossbody that scored to a major pop. Both guys were slow to get up, with Michaels rolling Steiner into the ring, then going up top again. He scored with a missile dropkick, then quickly went up top yet again, hitting a flying elbow but only getting a close two. Michaels gave a signal for his leg-underhook back suplex and set Steiner up, but Steiner blocked it with elbows across Michaels head. Steiner whipped Michaels off the ropes, then caught Michaels going for a crossbody and shocked everyone by hitting an amazing backflip powerslam! We were all even more amazed when Michaels kicked out! Now Steiner signaled for his Frankensteiner, sent Michaels to the ropes, but Michaels hooked the top rope with both arms and Steiner, who had made the leap, crashed to the canvas. Michaels quickly made a cover, hooking both legs, but only got two. Michaels went up top again, but Steiner got up in time to meet him with gut punches, then climbed up and nailed a thunderous second-turnbuckle superplex, but again only got two. Michaels is a tough little son of a gun. Steiner went to send him off the ropes again, but Michaels reversed, then superkicked Steiner on the return but only got a close two. As Steiner got up, Michaels went up top looking for a moonsault press, but once again Steiner caught him and looked like he was going to piledrive him. Michaels somehow fought and wiggled out of the hold, ran off the ropes, but Steiner nailed the Frankensteiner to end an incredible match. That was all finds of fun. WINNER: Scott Steiner, 10:16. ****
Group E: Kenta Kobashi vs. Jumbo Tsuruta
I'm going to cheat on this one. Obviously ignore the date on the video (about eight months after the theoretical time of this World Cup).
WINNER: Jumbo Tsuruta, 21:39. ****1/2.
Group G: Toshiaki Kawada vs. Stan Hansen
I'm cheating on this one, too!
WINNER: Stan Hansen, 18:51. ****1/2.
Group E: Arn Anderson vs. Ted DiBiase
An Anderson win would lock up tournament spots for himself and Tsuruta, so DiBiase was in must-win mode. You would have thought that meant trying to buy or otherwise swindle his way to victory, but instead — to the surprise of just about everybody — he came to the ring with a steely focus and didn't try any shenanigans. This wound up being a bit of a throwback, with both guys spending time working over the other's arm over the first five minutes with wringers, hammerlocks, wrist locks and the sort. DiBiase even trapped Anderson in an abdominal stretch — as old school a move as any — only to have Anderson reverse it after 45 seconds or so, and then DiBiase reverse it by somehow getting a finger up into Anderson's eye and then hip-tossing him off. Some bigger stuff started coming out of the arsenal at this point, with DiBiase scoring with a clothesline and a powerslam for two, and Anderson connecting with his sweet spinebuster for a close two. DiBiase regained the advantage by hotshotting Anderson across the top rope, then after executing two fistdrops, he pulled Anderson up for a vertical suplex that was blocked twice, before Anderson had DiBiase up halfway, only for DiBiase to kick his way out of trouble, then finally muscle Anderson up for the suplex, a floatover and a two that DiBiase took issue with the ref about. Then DiBiase called for the Million Dollar Dream, and slapped it on as Anderson got to his feet. Anderson faded at first, then found a burst of energy and drove DiBiase to the corner. DiBiase stubbornly hung on, but a second surge into the corner broke the hold and left both guys slumped down. Both were slow to get up, but suddenly Anderson nailed a DDT — only for DiBiase to get a foot on the rope at two. Anderson pulled him up and appeared to be going for a brainbuster, but DiBiase slipped out the backdoor, then rolled Anderson up schoolboy style and — with a large handful of trunks — got the three. Anderson protested vehemently to no avail, and DiBiase stayed alive in a good contest. WINNER: Ted DiBiase, 16:07. ***1/2.
Group G: Mr. Perfect vs. Randy Savage
Neither guy could afford a loss here. The big question was whether Perfect's back had recovered from the beating it took against Kawada the previous weekend. The answer was a pretty obvious no, once Savage started focusing on it with his trademark double axehandles. Perfect did his best to keep Savage grounded with headlocks, leg scissors and other holds. But he regretted trying one of his favorite moves, the front-flipping neck snap on a seated Savage after a snap-mare takedown — as Perfect executed it fine but groaned in serious pain upon impact with the mat. Perhaps knowing he didn't have much time, Perfect went for his Perfect Plex right then and there, but Savage wound up reversing the suplex. Savage went up top, hit a flying double axe, went back up top, drilled the flying elbow and scored a three for the fastest win of the World Cup to date. It's clear Perfect's back is just not in good enough shape to really go, because if he was healthy this would have been at least twice as long and probably a barnburner. Alas. WINNER: Randy Savage, 7:44. **
Group H: Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham
I was really looking forward to this one given their previous classic encounters. Let's just say it did not disappoint. Flair tried to rough up and intimidate Windham early with chops, but that didn't work at all as Windham gave as good as he got, except with good ol' right hands. Nice exchange when Flair hit a reverse atomic drop on Windham, only for Windham to come right back with a stiff clothesline. Flair popped back up, Windham grabbed a headlock and Flair cried out for a moment, then turned into the move and scored with a counter back suplex. Flair dropped a knee across Windham's head (the best knee drop in the business in my opinion, or at the very least certainly the prettiest), then started softening up the leg with kicks and hamstring stretches. He dragged Windham to the ropes, draped the leg across it and tried to leap and sit down across it, but Windham moved the leg and Flair jarred his tailbone on the mat. Suddenly, Windham drug Flair to the middle of the ring and slapped his own figure four on! Flair yelped in pain and screamed obscenities at Windham, but had to sit up at two to avoid from being counted down. A pissed-off Flair tried to reverse the hold, only for Windham to power Flair back to his back for another two. It was a good minute and a half before Flair finally did reverse the hold, with Windham quickly grabbing the rope. Flair was up pretty quick but was hobbling as he backed into the corner, begging off. The dirtiest player in the game then jabbed a finger in Windham's eye, turned him into the corner and scored with a couple huge chops, but his whip to the other corner was reversed and Flair was sent upside down over the turnbuckles, to the apron and the floor. Windham went out after him and slammed him on the thin padding, then rolled him back in. Now Windham really turned the heat up, scoring with a flying clothesline for two, a bulldog for two, a gutwrench suplex for two, and a piledriver that Flair only survived because he was close enough to get a foot to the rope. Now Flair was really begging off, and the crowd was urging Windham to finish it off, but Flair grabbed Windham's trunks and, using leverage, pulled him between the ropes and out to the floor. Flair went out and grabbed a chair from the timekeeper's table, looking to waffle Windham, but Ron Simmons emerged from the back and got in Flair's way. (This seems a good time to remind everyone that Flair beat Simmons with dirty tactics, namely two feet on the ropes, on Day 2.) Flair dropped the chair, rolled Windham back in the ring and tried to suplex him, but Windham countered by lifting Flair and putting him on the top turnbuckle. Windham climbed up and scored with a superplex, but Flair somehow kicked out just before the three. I thought for sure that was it. Flair once again backed into a corner, but then he tried to beat Windham the exact way he beat Simmons. Seeing this, Simmons grabbed Flair's feet and threw them off the ropes and back in the ring, breaking up the illegal pin at the same time. Flair was pissed, pointing outside at Simmons, but when Flair turned around, Windham was waiting and just about took his head off with a vicious lariat. Windham quickly hooked both legs tight and got the three, a result that made both him and Simmons happy, not to mention the crowd. WINNER: Barry Windham, 19:30. ****
STANDINGS
GROUP A
Sting 2-0, 6 points
Davey Boy Smith 1-1, 3 points
Great Muta 1-1, 3 points
Jushin Liger 0-2, 0 points
GROUP B
Sid Justice 2-0, 6 points
Steve Williams 2-0, 6 points
Rick Rude 0-2, 0 points
Mitsuharu Misawa 0-2, 0 points
GROUP C
Ricky Steamboat 1-1, 3 points
Terry Funk 1-1, 3 points
Jake Roberts 1-1, 3 points
Brian Pillman 1-1, 3 points
GROUP D
Hulk Hogan 2-0, 6 points
Rick Steiner 1-1, 3 points
Big Boss Man 1-1, 3 points
Steve Austin 0-2, 0 points
GROUP E
Jumbo Tsuruta 2-0, 6 points
Ted DiBiase 1-1, 3 points
Arn Anderson 1-1, 3 points
Kenta Kobashi 0-1, 0 points
GROUP F
Bret Hart 2-0, 6 points
Vader 1-1, 3 points
Scott Steiner 1-1, 3 points
Shawn Michaels 0-2, 0 points
GROUP G
Stan Hansen 2-0, 6 points
Randy Savage 1-1, 3 points
Toshiaki Kawada 1-1, 3 points
Mr. Perfect 0-2, 0 points
GROUP H
Barry Windham 2-0, 6 points
Ric Flair 1-1, 3 points
Ron Simmons 1-1, 3 points
Earthquake 0-2, 0 points
NOTE: It will be at least until the middle of next week before I am able to write up the final two days of group matches.
Last edited by antidan444; 07-19-2019 at 07:09 PM.
. 1991, brother!
