alternatehistory.com
A Wonderful Accident: Great American Bash 1991-SummerSlam 1991
After the controversial firing of Ric Flair, WCW would put on a hugely-criticized show in the 1991 Great American Bash. The show featured eleven matches, beginning with a Flag Match where Bobby Eaton and P.N. News defeated Steve Austin and Terry Taylor. Following that, the Diamond Studd defeated Tom Zenk.
Ron Simmons overcame the power of... Oz while Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson split off, Morton joining the York Foundation and getting a win. Dustin Rhodes and the Young Pistols teamed up to face Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin and Badstreet (Brad Armstrong) in an Elimination Match with Dustin being the last man standing in the match. Brian Pillman – under the masked moniker of the Yellow Dog – defeated Marc Mero by disqualification.
Lumberjack Big Josh faced off against executioner Black Blood in a Lumberjack Match. No points for guessing who won the match. El Gigante beat the One Mang Gang while Nikita Koloff beat Sting in a Russian Chain Match. In the first of two steel cage matches, Lex Luger faced Paul Orndorff for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship, taking the spot meant for Flair. This is where the Baltimore crowds cries of “WE WANT FLAIR!” reached their apex. Despite this, both men worked their best match, ending with Luger reversing a piledriver attempt to Orndorff into a piledriver of his own to score the win.
In the main event, Rick Steiner defeated the team of Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Paul E. Dangerously in the second steel cage, sending the crowd home... happy, one would say on a good night, but the crowd left pretty pissed.
Two months removed the bombshell of the Hogan book, Vince did his best to ignore the potential repercussions of its release and focus on running his company. SummerSlam 1991, almost 5 years from the Big Event supercard, presented an eight-match show beginning with the British Bulldog defeating Power & Glory in a handicap match.
Bret Hart would begin his singles run by defeating Mr. Perfect for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The Natural Disasters demolished the Bushwhackers while Virgil defeated Ted DiBiase for DiBiase's Million Dollar Championship, overcoming DiBiase and his financial consultant Irwin R. Schyster (a returning Mike Rotunda) at ringside.
Big Boss Man, backed by Sergeant Slaughter, defeated the Mountie in a Jailhouse Match, forcing the Mountie to spent a night in prison. The Legion of Doom beat the Nasty Boys in a Street Fight for the WWF Tag Team Championship, setting up for the two biggest matches on the card.
Ricky Steamboat, in his final WWF PPV match, faced Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (dubbed the “REAL World's Championship” on television.) The match, while only going fifteen minutes, is regarded as a high point for the show as the two use the fifteen minutes to put on a strong technical showing, ending with Flair rolling Steamboat up with a handful of tights for the win.
In the main event, Randy Savage faced the number-one contender Kerry Von Erich in a No Holds Barred Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Despite not being as good as he was in World Class, Von Erich put on the best match he could thanks to Savage, both men brawling and using whatever they could grab to win. Both men drew color in the match to build the excitement, the match ending after Savage hits the elbow on the Texas Tornado to keep once again.
While Savage's heel run lasted a good three years, with Steamboat looking to leave and Warrior a failure, it seemed that now was the time to bring Savage back to babyface. Luckily for Vince he knew just who to play heel to the Macho Man. After all, to be the Man...
You have to beat the Man.
The Great American Bash 1991
Date: July 14, 1991
Venue: Baltimore Arena
Attendance: 9,320
Announce Team: Jim Ross/Tony Schiavone
Date: July 14, 1991
Venue: Baltimore Arena
Attendance: 9,320
Announce Team: Jim Ross/Tony Schiavone
After the controversial firing of Ric Flair, WCW would put on a hugely-criticized show in the 1991 Great American Bash. The show featured eleven matches, beginning with a Flag Match where Bobby Eaton and P.N. News defeated Steve Austin and Terry Taylor. Following that, the Diamond Studd defeated Tom Zenk.
Ron Simmons overcame the power of... Oz while Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson split off, Morton joining the York Foundation and getting a win. Dustin Rhodes and the Young Pistols teamed up to face Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin and Badstreet (Brad Armstrong) in an Elimination Match with Dustin being the last man standing in the match. Brian Pillman – under the masked moniker of the Yellow Dog – defeated Marc Mero by disqualification.
Lumberjack Big Josh faced off against executioner Black Blood in a Lumberjack Match. No points for guessing who won the match. El Gigante beat the One Mang Gang while Nikita Koloff beat Sting in a Russian Chain Match. In the first of two steel cage matches, Lex Luger faced Paul Orndorff for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship, taking the spot meant for Flair. This is where the Baltimore crowds cries of “WE WANT FLAIR!” reached their apex. Despite this, both men worked their best match, ending with Luger reversing a piledriver attempt to Orndorff into a piledriver of his own to score the win.
In the main event, Rick Steiner defeated the team of Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Paul E. Dangerously in the second steel cage, sending the crowd home... happy, one would say on a good night, but the crowd left pretty pissed.
SummerSlam 1991
Date: August 26. 1991
Venue: Madison Squared Garden
Attendance: 20,000
Announce Team: Gorilla Monsoon/Bobby Heenan
Date: August 26. 1991
Venue: Madison Squared Garden
Attendance: 20,000
Announce Team: Gorilla Monsoon/Bobby Heenan
Two months removed the bombshell of the Hogan book, Vince did his best to ignore the potential repercussions of its release and focus on running his company. SummerSlam 1991, almost 5 years from the Big Event supercard, presented an eight-match show beginning with the British Bulldog defeating Power & Glory in a handicap match.
Bret Hart would begin his singles run by defeating Mr. Perfect for the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The Natural Disasters demolished the Bushwhackers while Virgil defeated Ted DiBiase for DiBiase's Million Dollar Championship, overcoming DiBiase and his financial consultant Irwin R. Schyster (a returning Mike Rotunda) at ringside.
Big Boss Man, backed by Sergeant Slaughter, defeated the Mountie in a Jailhouse Match, forcing the Mountie to spent a night in prison. The Legion of Doom beat the Nasty Boys in a Street Fight for the WWF Tag Team Championship, setting up for the two biggest matches on the card.
Ricky Steamboat, in his final WWF PPV match, faced Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship (dubbed the “REAL World's Championship” on television.) The match, while only going fifteen minutes, is regarded as a high point for the show as the two use the fifteen minutes to put on a strong technical showing, ending with Flair rolling Steamboat up with a handful of tights for the win.
In the main event, Randy Savage faced the number-one contender Kerry Von Erich in a No Holds Barred Match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship. Despite not being as good as he was in World Class, Von Erich put on the best match he could thanks to Savage, both men brawling and using whatever they could grab to win. Both men drew color in the match to build the excitement, the match ending after Savage hits the elbow on the Texas Tornado to keep once again.
While Savage's heel run lasted a good three years, with Steamboat looking to leave and Warrior a failure, it seemed that now was the time to bring Savage back to babyface. Luckily for Vince he knew just who to play heel to the Macho Man. After all, to be the Man...
You have to beat the Man.
- Megafighter3
- Word Count: 680