Best Clashes from WCW's Clash of the Champions?

[#hamler]

In honor of the May 22nd release of the WWE produced DVD entitled WCW: Clash of the Champions, I've created this thread to share some of your fondest moments from the event. WCW/NWA's Clash of the Champions event, for those of you who don't follow, was very similar to WWF's Saturday Night's Main Event in that it featured matches that were of the main event caliber. Anytime you watch this event, you could expect just about every match to deliver and deliver hard. Some of wrestling's greatest bouts were featured on this stage; matches that included such greats as Ric Flair, Sting, Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat, Lex Lugar, The Steiners, Freebirds, Road Warriors and many more NWA greats. With that, I want to know your favorite clashes from the famed event. What is your favorite match from WCW/NWA's Clash of the Champions?

I think the first is fairly obvious; Ric Flair defending his NWA Championship against Sting at the first clash. This should be on everyone's list. Back in the day, Ric Flair was known as the end all be all in the wrestling World. He was named the 60 minute man for a reason; he possessed a great amount of in ring endurance. He had the ability to make just about anyone look good and he proved this as he traveled throughout the globe as NWA Champion wrestling performers who were significantly below him. In this match, Ric Flair made Sting a star like only Flair can do. In those 45 minutes, Flair made Sting look like he belonged on top of the card each night. The finish really made this match special. Sting didn't have to win. Flair didn't have to win; it was in fact a draw. But no one could hang with the almighty wrestling God Ric Flair in a 45 minute classic - not even someone like Sting - but he did. Without this match, it is likely Sting would have never amounted to much within WCW or even became as popular as he did in the early '90's. Sting and Ric Flair have had numerous of matches following the Clash of the Champions I but none of them surpassed their original Clash. One of my personal favorite matches ever.

Next, another obvious one, Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat at Clash of the Champions VI. Longer doesn't mean better Hamler - yeah stick that up your ass a little bit. Excellent match here. A match that wouldn't have been shit had it not been a long match. Ricky Steamboat had actually won the World Championship from Ric Flair at the Chi-Town Rumble a little before this match. It was a two out of three falls match to prove just who the better man was. If anyone wanted to see a clean, scientific wrestling match between two greats, you need to watch these two clash with one another. However, the match ended without a definitive winner being declared leading to Flair's final chance at the title in which he won. This match is famous for being part of the three Flair/Steamboat matches which all stole the show; Chi-Town Rumble, Clash of the Champions VI, and Wrestle War '89. To see this match and understand the storytelling you should probably watch the first encounter and the next one following this encounter. Quite possibly a better match than the previous one I mentioned above - but that's for you to decide.

There, I'm done. I've listed the two fairly obvious matches both featuring Flair (for a very obvious reason). But these two matches don't even begin to cover the amount of classics the Clash of the Champions event gave us as there are plenty more. So get to it; What is your favorite match from NWA/WCW's Clash of the Champions?

Discuss this.

 

[Honkey_Kong]

One of my favourite matches ever let alone from COTC was Benoit vs Brad Armstrong at COTC 22.

They put on a technical wrestling classic there. It also had some good spots. And it also catapulted Benoit to the limelight.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I can't remember many matches from all the Clash Of The Champions I have seen, so I can't really say but the last Clash Of The Champions stands out as one of the best for me, simply for the ending.

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Absolutely epic, gives me goosebumps everytime I watch it and is one of the many Sting moments which makes me like Sting better than Undertaker.

 

[jtolliver23]

I will say, everytime I think of the Clash, I think of this one moment everytime:

Ok, so I couldn't get the video to work, so anyway, here's what I think of everytime I think of the Clash.Hope that worked. Sting was recieving these mysterious gifts leading up to the Clash. He gets the final one and what is it? His best friend turning on him?! What? No! That was my reaction at the time, which I was only like 6 when it happened, but I couldn't believe it. They were best friends, how could Lex turn on him like that? And then because of suffering the injury, Sting lost the US title to Rick Rude later on that night. That is what my memory of the Clash is. I personally can't wait for this DVD to come out either, I'll be buying it that same night!

 

[marklouis]

One of my favorites is Ric Flair vs Terry Funk from Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout in November of 1989. The 2 had a pretty awesome feud that year, one that produced some great matches & promos. This match was the end of the feud, an I Quit match. Funk had said that if Flair made him say I Quit, he would shake his hand after the match and admit he was the better man. Flair did win, & Funk kept his word. Aside from the great match, the ending of the show was outstanding. After the match, Funk's manager, Gary Hart, & a some Japanese wrestlers attacked Flair. Jim Ross had a legendary call, screaming "The Japanese have attacked Flair! The Japanese have attacked Flair!" Flair was saved from the attack by an unlikely ally-Sting. But, the match itself was great, with 2 legends still pretty close to the top of their games.

 

[FlairFan2003]

The Flair-Funk "I Quit Match" was pretty good but they both were forced to greatly tone down their match prior to going on air over concerns from Turner Boradcasting execs that they would be too viiolent. Remember in their first confrontation Funk pildreived Flair through a wooden table (no one had ever done anything like that at the time) and in their first big match they beat each other bloody with a branding iron in a brutal (but entertaining) bout headlining the Great American Bash PPV. At a previous Clash Funk tied a plastic bag around Flair's head during a tag team match and tried to sufficate him (Sting made the save). It was that incident that basically lead to us getting a blood free, mostly weapons free, I Quit Match. It's a credit to both guys that the bout was as entertaining as it was despite the restrictions.

That said, the Tully Blanchard/Arn Anderson vs Barry Whyndam/Lex Luger match is classic tag team bout from the 1st Clash (undercard of the first Sting-Flair Match).

Perosnally I think the best Hogan-Flair match occurred at the Clash in Aug 94, originally supposed to be the night Flair regained the title, setting up the tie breaker match at the Halloween Havoc PPV (supposedly Hogan vetoed the plan at the last minute, Flair wins by Count Out, Hogan keeps the belt). Their WWE matches were pretty good but this is a wild affair, Flair is in vintage heel mode, Hogan is a little over the top (literally leaving an ambulance to hobble to the ring with an injured knee from a pre match Tanya Harding type attack as Flair taunts WCW Commisioner Nick Bockwinkle "Bring Me The Title NOW!!" thinking Hogan wont show up) but all in all both guys work hard and fast in a crazy match, even the disappointing ending couldnt shake how good this was.

The Flair-Hogan match at the Clash in Aug 96 was good too, the first high profile match Hogan had defending the WCW Title as Hollywood Hogan, mega bad guy leader of the NWO, with Flair clearly as the good guy. This one had some of their best psychology since their WWE battles in the early 90s, great stuff. Personally I cant believe these were both left off the compilation, unless they have another Flair or Hogan set in the works (they left of Flair's Starcade Matches vs Luger & Vader from his 2nd DVD set because they were working on a special Best Of Starrcade Collection).

Flair also had a somewhat forgotten match vs Bobby Eaton during a brief singles push Eaton, a former mainstay in the Midnight Express was getting in 1991. This was a very entertaining match, hard to find anywhere, one of the last televised matches Flair had before he left WCW. Flair & Barry Whyndam had fairly good tag team match vs The Midnight Express at the Oct 88 Clash I believe.

The first Flair-Vader match was also at a Clash Of Champions in Nov 93 I believe. This was done more to set up Vader vs Sid, which was originally the main event for that year's Starrcade, until Sid got fired. This was actually a pretty entertaining match, Flair gets more offense than in their much more famous Starrcade battle, good David-Goliath match.

Anytime Steve Austin wrestled I enjoyed it, I thought his Stunning Steve character was pretty good, at least as heel, during his WCW days. He & Brian Pillman had success as a tag team although my fav WCW match of his actually took place on WCW Sat Nite, not a Clash (June 94, Flair/Austin vs Sting/Steamboat - last televised match pitting Flair-Steamboat against each other).

 

[calsoxfan1]

I loved Clash of the champions XIX the tag team tournament was filled with some good matches The Steiners vs Gordy and Dr.Death was such a great match. It was also great to see young future stars such as Benoit and Malenko. The Pillman/Liger vs Benoit/Wellington is still one of my favorite clash tag team matches.

I thought Clash XXII and XXIII were great as well.

 

[HBsam31]

Flair/Sting and Flair/Steamboat. I remember watching those matches as a kid and just being completely amazed. As soon as I heard the dvd was going to be released I was thrilled. I can't wait to relive some of those moments. Sting/Flair IMO is the best match from a clash period, and helped make Sting a star. Flair/Steamboat is not far behind if not right up there with it.

 

[paulsonj72]

I will say, everytime I think of the Clash, I think of this one moment everytime:

Ok, so I couldn't get the video to work, so anyway, here's what I think of everytime I think of the Clash.Hope that worked. Sting was recieving these mysterious gifts leading up to the Clash. He gets the final one and what is it? His best friend turning on him?! What? No! That was my reaction at the time, which I was only like 6 when it happened, but I couldn't believe it. They were best friends, how could Lex turn on him like that? And then because of suffering the injury, Sting lost the US title to Rick Rude later on that night. That is what my memory of the Clash is. I personally can't wait for this DVD to come out either, I'll be buying it that same night!

Another match from that same clash is one I'll remember. It was the 1st title change I'd seen at a clash when (in the original card) the Enforcers(Arn Anderson & Larry Zybysko) were to defend the WCW World Tag Team Title agains Dustin Rhodes & BArry Windham. But in the story line the Enforcers injured Windhams had so he coud not wrestle and he introduced his replacement who was Ricky "the Dragon" Steamboat and Steamboar & Rhodes would win the WCW World Tag Team Title that night

 

[mattyice78]

My personal favorite is flair and Steamboat but I think a match that gets forgot about is Clash 4 Flair and Windham vs. Midnight Express it was a classic.

 

[JTS32]

I can remember one from the 1st clash I really enjoyed.

Barry Windham and Luger defeating Blanchard and Anderson for the World Tag team titles. It was the culmination of a great feud which would end months later when Windham turned on Luger to join the 4 Horseman.

 

[Moneyinc]

Great thread I was just youtubing some of these a couple days ago. Didn't really watch anything too closely yet as I was just skimming through. I actually remember watching some of the mid 90s Clashes growing up. Harlem Heat vs Nasty Boys always comes to mind when I think about this show.

I've been rewatching the heck out of the WWF and If I was going to rewatch some WCW I would start with some clashes and then cruise right on into the NWO era most likely.

I gotta check some of these out...Especially to see my boy Flair.