Introducing The Crockett Addendum
More ramblings to coincide with your listening of the pod! It's like double pod!
I kept wondering what to do to keep this space active. It's what really gave me a push towards all the cool, varied projects I'm doing right now such as doing regular articles over at Voices of Wrestling and I don't feel right leaving things dormant when that stuff comes up. Then I realized, why not release some of the highlights of my note taking for From Crockett to Chaos and that way you guys get super cool (humor me) writing along with listening to my co host Jim and I’s sultry voices. Mind you, this is a lot of stream of consciousness stuff most of the time so while I'll clean up grammar and such as I post, things will get lost in the ether as well. So here it goes, Beach Blast ‘92 BABEH!
Cactus Jack vs Sting in a non-title Falls Count Anywhere Match:
One of the highlights of this whole year for WCW and elsewhere in my view, what a great match and really the first glimmer on a large scale that Foley was special. He takes every nasty bump, and makes Sting feel like the fucking MAN while also laying it in and this one feels like a bar room melee a lot more than a simple match from the early 90s. The fight starts right away on the ramp and you can just tell both guys bought in on making this look real as all hell and it’s just so unlike anything else going on anywhere, except maybe FMW. Cactus bumps on the hard ramp and floor like he’s in a ball pit and just, I can’t say enough about how great this match is to me. Even as a kid watching this years after the fact, I fell in love with this match and it’s aged greatly. That rule about Watts taking the pads away from ringside got tested here, but I can’t lie it added to the excitement. Love the trivia answer that Fonzie is the ref of this, I never noticed until now. A CLASSIC! 9/10
So this is how insane WCW was at the time, I totally forgot that what followed that epic match was THE DAMN IRON MAN!
Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat in a non-title 30 Minute Iron Man Challenge:
One of the defining matches in the history of WCW period and in the decade of the 90s. Both of these guys were perhaps at their peaks as athletes as well as wrestlers and they showed it all in this one. Right away it’s Steamboat whipping ass and Rude’s finally getting his come uppance and fast, but they keep the clock on the screen to remind you there’s plenty of ball to play. Due to the history of Rude getting rib damage, Steamboat throwing a bearhug on isn’t seen as a rest hold but rather a vicious, torturous decision to make Rude suffer for his sins. Despite Steamboat dominating the whole first 8 minutes of this match, it just took one big Rude knee to the head out of nowhere to get the first fall on Steamboat out of nowhere.
Then in an instance, it’s Rude’s match for the first time on this night and he nails a Rude Awakening not a minute later to go up 2-0! The structure of this is really awesome because Steamboat almost got his comeback but as babyface heat? It’s hard to even explain but man, Mobile comes unglued for Steamboat to get in this thing. Rude comes off the top and since this is WattsCW, that gives Steamboat a DQ fall! Kind of awesome to be honest. Then Rude gets another fall right away to go up 3-1! This rules on every possible level, for Steamboat’s one step forward he keeps two behind and we have 19 minutes to go! This kind of pacing on these kinds of matches is what gets lost in modern versions, the only modern Iron Man I’ve liked was the Nigel vs Moriarty affair from Final Battle and it’s because both men were believable like these two are. Steamboat’s electric chair drop here is an all time spot to me as a kid. That is only fleeting however, and Rude throws on a fantastic rear chinlock and this bitch isn’t a rest hold! Rude hits a regular piledriver, but he gets greedy and tries for a tombstone and Steamboat reverses it for a fall and it’s 3-2 all the sudden with 12 minutes left!
Matt D always talks about struggle in his writing and it’s because truly, the most telling moments of how effective the drama has been in a match is how effective the illusion or reality of struggle is in a match and if the crowd comes up for it or not. In this match, the struggle of every little move is paramount and always present. A back slide gives Steamboat the 3-3 tie and the crowd is absolutely rabid for this. With 9 minutes left, the temp quickens a lot until Rude hits a paralyzing jaw breaker and everything squeals to a halt. With things equal, Rude isn’t so scary. In fact, he’s vulnerable and insecure and he has to stoop to little shots to the throat to get the upper hand and he’s not scared to spam those shots until the ref makes him stop. Steamboat hits his own Awakening but Rude’s foot is on the rope like a true piece of shit heel! A Rude sleeper changes the trajectory of things and time seems to just shed away to under 2 minutes! Steamboat is looking completely out and wilting, and Mobile is doing their best to will him up and in control. Steamboat goes for broke, almost out from the sleeper and uses the turnbuckles to fall back onto Rude who gets pinned! It’s 4-3 and Rude is going nuts trying to get a fast roll up to tie it up but time expires and Steamboat has won! One of the truly best matches I’ve maybe ever seen in my life, 10/10 if I’ve ever seen it
Bobby Eaton, Arn Anderson, and Stunning Steve vs Dustin Rhodes, Barry Windham, and Nikita Koloff with Ole Anderson as the referee because why not:
Everyone here rules and all, but man after those last two matches this feels totally out of place. It’s a fine enough match but yet again, we’re focusing on Ole who’s not only not a wrestler but he’s the fucking ref so who gives a fuck?! Very in the weeds kind of booking, and not the Ian Rotten kind. During this match we get the hotline voting update that MEDUSA IS IN THE LEAD ok great. There’s a DQ finish because OLE IS THE SHERIFF and it’s just a melee anyways so it’s bizarre.
Eric B is with Steamboat after his huge win and he thanks the fans who have stood by him all these months through the false accusations and Dangerous Alliance BS, he proved to the world that he was better than all of that. YOU CAN BET THAT, TAKE IT TO THE BANK and then Paul E comes out to tell Steamboat forget it about getting a title shot! Then Cactus pulls Steamboat from underneath the ramp and there’s a brawl! Ok? Odd but I’m fine with it.
The Steiner Brothers(c) vs Terry Gordy and Doctor Death Steve Williams for the WCW World Tag Team Championship:
After the Clash upset and tremendous chemistry, this is highly anticipated not just in it’s own time but in my own watch along time too. Terry and Scott start off just bullying each other around, Gordy showing amateur chops that surprise me. Scott responds by stretching the fuck out of Gordy on the mat with various amateur pins and switches, just to remind us all who the real stud is out here on the mat. Doc gets in and that changes, he bullies the fuck out of Scott and I’m starting to think this is the perfect feud in American tag wrestling not just for 92 but like fuckin’ ALL DECADE with this shit. Scott gets a smooth ass Jerry Lynn corner sunset flip but it’s not winning anything. All that bully shit ceases when Rick gets in there with Doc and it’s like watching two massive bulls fight to the death. Rick hits an overhead belly to belly on Doc that’s fantastic as much as it is surreal. Gordy takes advantage of a ref distraction inadvertently and hits a nasty Saito on Rick but Rick responds with one equally as gross. There’s a phenomenal sequence with Gordy throwing a simple single legged crab on Rick but it evolves into a grapevine kneebar, then Rick slowly rises into a roll up pin for a near fall, but Gordy recovers and then changes it into a spinning toe hold. MASTERFUL! How does Rick get out of it? Why, an overhead belly to belly of course and then Scott gets the big tag and further tosses Gordy around like a sack of shit.
Scott gets in there and starts twisting Gordy around like a pretzel, looking like he’s going for some bow and arrow lock but it doesn’t come easily so in comes Doc to fix all that. Loved Scott going for another belly to belly but Doc simply grabs the top rope to change the momentum and save himself. I fucking loved the attention to detail in the working on Scott’s bad wheel, constant leg crabs or STF like leg locks just to sap his energy and make him either submit or lay down for 3. More of this shit needs to come back in 2026, it just works. Gordy knocks Scott off the top and his knee truly gets caught in a disgusting way! Doc takes off Rick’s head and then we get the big assisted Gordy second rope powerslam! Gordy’s not legal though so that quick lul in momentum keeps Rick from being beaten! Doc hits the Doctor Bomb but Rick is in a fugue state and won’t stay down. Scott gets the hot tag and comes in fucking KILLING IT with his tiger bomb and hits a Frankensteiner just as time expires! A GREAT FUCKING MATCH! 8/10