Hey yo bromigoes and bromigas,
Is the Cult actually relevant in 2012? No fucking way. Digging the hell out of their lead single, “For The Animals”.
Is the Cult actually relevant in 2012? No fucking way. Digging the hell out of their lead single, “For The Animals”.
Let’s not waste time, since I can never get enough Flair/Savage,
lets review the early part of their series from 1995. It all began with the tag
team main event between Flair and “The Mastodon” Vader against the Mega-Powers
(Hogan and Savage).
The idea is simple here let’s get the four biggest names in
WCW (save for Sting) in a tag team match to sell a PPV based on their name
value. Vader and Flair had both unsuccessfully attempted to wrest the World Title from
Hulk Hogan. Vader is one of my top 5 favorite wrestlers and is who I consider
to be the greatest big man in the history of wrestling. I toss around “All-Man”
sometimes, but VADER IS ALL FUCKIN MAN! The idea should have been simple have
the Monster VADER BEAT Hogan for the title and then have Hogan chase and slay
the monster. Hogan’s egotism got in the way. Savage had joined WCW in late 1994
and had been aimless until this match.
 |
| ITS VADER TIME!!!! |
The Mega-Powers (WCW
World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan & “Macho Man” Randy Savage) vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair & Vader.
Slamboree 1995
Slamboree 1995
Since the Mega-Powers was possibly owned by the WWF, they
have re-branded themselves as the Monster Maniacs, bwhahhahaha. I refuse to
call them that, on the principle that I am not a tool. The faces have a cheap
Ultimate Warrior rip-off with them dubbed the Renegade and the heels have
Flair’s trusty side-kick, Arn Anderson.
Savage and Hogan are out in matching yellow and red. Vader and Flair
don’t have quite the same co-ordination and I fear for their ability act
cohesively. Renegade, who is a spaz to put it lightly, puts the fear of God in
Double A, who will defend his Television Championship against the Renegade at
the next PPV. One last pre-match note, Savage’s father, Angelo Poffo is at
ringside for the match, having been inducted in the short-lived WCW Hall of
Fame that very night.
Vader/Hogan to start. VADER FEARS NO MAN!!! AND FEELS NO PAIN!!!! Still waiting for this match to start, come on, Hogan. Vader bumps for Hogan’s clothesline and Savage’s double axe-handle and is being treated like a jabroni. No wonder Hogan/Vader never drew. Vader takes both of the Mega-Powers out with a clothesline. Was there a tag? Flair and Savage kind of just decided enough of this snore-fest lets go. Flair Flip leads to a Hogan boot on the apron then a Flair Flop. Flair and Vader are bumping like madmen for the Megapowers. Savage invites Vader in because he is Looney Tunes.
Test of strength offered by Savage gives Flair their chance to hit a thumb to the eye. Savage is able to make the tag to Hogan. Jimmy Hart’s high-pitched whine into the mega-phone is particularly annoying tonight. Flair takes control with what else a thumb to the eye and loses control how else by going to the top and getting slammed off. Hogan adds insult to injury by slapping on a horrible looking Figure 4. This match needs more Vader. In an odd moment, Anderson comes in and gets cradled by Hogan. Ummm dude, he is not even in the match. Flair is able to clip the knee and tag in VADER~!
Vader puts on a step-over toe-hold not exactly the most eye-popping spot. The Giant makes his debut tonight by looking on, he would later join the Dungeon of Doom. Hogan no-sells a vertical suplex and lays into Vader. Why I love Vader? Instead of kicking Hogan in the face for telegraphing a back-body drop, he just runs him the fuck over. I love it. Flair chokes Hogan while Vader manhandles the ref. Big Vader splash on Hogan in the corner. VADERBOMB~! Watching Vader dismantle the Hulkster while Flair struts is chicken soup for my soul.
Hogan moves out of the way of a second Vaderbomb. Flair strolls over allowing Hogan to tag. Savage is a house of fire, o fuck yes. Over-aggressive takes a reverse elbow from Flair. Flair gets press slammed off the top this time by Flair. BIG ELBOW~! Double A pulls Savage out, which allows Vader to chest bump Savage so hard that he goes down like a pile of bricks. Thank God, Savage is the face in peril. SAVAGE TAKES A VADERSAULT!!!!! SAVAGE IS ALL FUCKIN MAN!!! He then kicks out. Way to kill that finish. Jesus, just put a foot on the ropes. Jimmy Hart, shut the fuck up. Flair back in with shotgun chops.
Vader/Hogan to start. VADER FEARS NO MAN!!! AND FEELS NO PAIN!!!! Still waiting for this match to start, come on, Hogan. Vader bumps for Hogan’s clothesline and Savage’s double axe-handle and is being treated like a jabroni. No wonder Hogan/Vader never drew. Vader takes both of the Mega-Powers out with a clothesline. Was there a tag? Flair and Savage kind of just decided enough of this snore-fest lets go. Flair Flip leads to a Hogan boot on the apron then a Flair Flop. Flair and Vader are bumping like madmen for the Megapowers. Savage invites Vader in because he is Looney Tunes.
Test of strength offered by Savage gives Flair their chance to hit a thumb to the eye. Savage is able to make the tag to Hogan. Jimmy Hart’s high-pitched whine into the mega-phone is particularly annoying tonight. Flair takes control with what else a thumb to the eye and loses control how else by going to the top and getting slammed off. Hogan adds insult to injury by slapping on a horrible looking Figure 4. This match needs more Vader. In an odd moment, Anderson comes in and gets cradled by Hogan. Ummm dude, he is not even in the match. Flair is able to clip the knee and tag in VADER~!
Vader puts on a step-over toe-hold not exactly the most eye-popping spot. The Giant makes his debut tonight by looking on, he would later join the Dungeon of Doom. Hogan no-sells a vertical suplex and lays into Vader. Why I love Vader? Instead of kicking Hogan in the face for telegraphing a back-body drop, he just runs him the fuck over. I love it. Flair chokes Hogan while Vader manhandles the ref. Big Vader splash on Hogan in the corner. VADERBOMB~! Watching Vader dismantle the Hulkster while Flair struts is chicken soup for my soul.
Hogan moves out of the way of a second Vaderbomb. Flair strolls over allowing Hogan to tag. Savage is a house of fire, o fuck yes. Over-aggressive takes a reverse elbow from Flair. Flair gets press slammed off the top this time by Flair. BIG ELBOW~! Double A pulls Savage out, which allows Vader to chest bump Savage so hard that he goes down like a pile of bricks. Thank God, Savage is the face in peril. SAVAGE TAKES A VADERSAULT!!!!! SAVAGE IS ALL FUCKIN MAN!!! He then kicks out. Way to kill that finish. Jesus, just put a foot on the ropes. Jimmy Hart, shut the fuck up. Flair back in with shotgun chops.
Both men are down after Savage hits a desperation lariat on
Flair. Savage makes the tag and Flair
begs off into corner. Yep, 10 count punches. Hogan gouges Vader’s eyes before
the big bodyslam. There is your role model, folks. Hogan’s knee gives out and a
Vader splash and things look bleak for
our heroes. Savage goes after Vader, not smart. HULKING UP~! False Hulk-Up, but
heel miscommunication between Flair and AA leads to Hogan dropping the leg on
Flair.
 |
| Randy Savage and his father Angelo Poffo |
The post-match is what is important: Flair and Anderson take
it to Savage, but Randy’s dad tries to save his son only to get a beatdown from
the Horseman punctuated by a Figure 4. Hogan runs them off having been detained
by Vader. Thus leads to a year-long feud between Flair and Savage.
The tag match was standard Hogan fare. Vader made it fun, Flair seemed bored, Savage didn’t get enough time. Hogan didn’t want to deviate from his formula. Average match **1/2. The beatdown was too abbreviated.
Of course the next PPV, Great American Bash, would be headlined by the grudge match between the Macho Man and the Nature Boy. Finally this gives Savage his own storyling having been relegated to Hogan’s lackey for the beginning of 1995.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
Great American Bash 1995
This may be my favorite match of all time. My two favorite wrestlers competing one of the greatest hate-filled, relentless, fight to survive matches I have ever seen. I remember being so excited to finally see Savage vs Flair, my two favorites of all time, when I finally started searching youtube 2006 and immediately it was the Wrestlemania VII match that I wanted to see it. It is a great match and a great moment in the culmination of the overarching Randy Savage Wrestlemania story arc dating back to Wrestlemania III. Something was missing. It was missing that truly out of control feel and energy that Flair and Savage can bring. Watching this match in shitty quality on dailymotion in 2008, I was transfixed. Savage was a relentless ball of fury. Lunging at Flair at ever turn. There were just these little things that made it feel like a shoot. Savage attacking Flair from behind in such a way that was scary. Or Savage just suffocating Flair even on the begging off section. There just was not the customary time. The selling was selling of exhaustion of a fight. Savage's selling of the knee was spot on and why he was one of the greatest of all time. While Savage gives a truly special performance, it would be an amazing match without Flair. Flair sells the match as a fight to survive. He is blasting the fuck out of Savage and he dives onto Savage from behind, which is another wicked bump. The way he sells. He is in pain and fatigued, but if he even takes one moment to breathe, he may not last. So he just keeps fighting. I can not say how much I love this match.
My video includes opening remarks from Savage with the interview being conducted by “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He vows revenge against Flair and the momentum is on his side. Incidentally, today is Father’s Day and a happy accident for this storyline He finishes with one of my favorite lines from him: “Too hot to handle, too cold to hold”. Flair is adorned in a black and white sequined robe decorated with Monarch Butterflies in white diamonds. Savage is also donning the black and white and HE IS NOT ALONE. His father, Angelo Poffo, is with him after the attack from the Horsemen, but with the aide of a cane. This is NOT FAIR TO FLAIR. DOUBLE A! DOUBLE A! Where art thou?
Once Poffo is settled in, Savage hits the ring and Flair heads for the hills. Savage gives chase. Savage wants to kill Flair and any offense Flair can muster is because Savage is overzealous. Savage is hitting hard tonight. This aint a wrestling match. THIS IS A FIGHT~! Flair stops Savage’s momentum by sending him into the steel ringpost and then the guardrail. Flair with an uncharacteristic axe-handle off the apron to the back of Savage. The bump Savage takes was just violent and gripping to watch. I love it, Flair knows that Savage wants to kill so he adapts by pulling out all the stops. Angelo Poffo gets out of the chair with a look of concern as Flair is taking Savage apart with his trademark moveset of chops and kneedrops. Savage connects with a flurry of jabs and in a fit of rage chokes Flair and grabs at his nose. Flair takes the Bret-bump into the corner more choking. Flair tries to powder out, but Savage nails him from behind wicked hard. These are the moments that make it feel like a shoot. Flair takes his usual bump off the top rope. How does he not have crippling back injuries? Flair flip now onto the outside and now he goes after daddy. The Brain and I share the same sentiment as us that was fuckin dumb. Flair is smarter than both of us because he suckered Savage into checking on his Daddy and then clipping the knee. What follows is a shinbreaker across the guardrail, which is another crazy bump. The Brain wonders if “Did Daddy bring two canes because his son is going to need one.” The Brain continues to the tell story well, “Flair was smart he knew he was going to be able to slug it out with Savage, a man possessed. So he went to take a body part out. Flair has a plan.”
Savage throws punches from his back in a show of valor and courage. Kicking and clawing at Flair with whatever he can muster and Flair like the prick he is just keeps going back to knee. This is masterful psychology. Savage is killing it right now with his selling. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!! Flair of course gets to the ropes for that additional leverage. Savage is fighting only for his father and in a truly moving spot, Mr. Poffo attempts to get the ref’s attention that Flair is cheating. This is one of the most emotional matches I have ever had the pleasure of watching. SAVAGE REVERSE THE PRESSURE!!!
Savage hops on one leg only to dive on Flair and keep punching. Flair and Savage are just laying it all on the line. Flair flip for a second time, runs down the apron but Savage hits him in the gut as he comes done. SAVAGE HITS HIM WITH BIG ELBOW!!!! He pins Flair, but pulls him at 2. NOT ENOUGH SAYS MACHO MAN as he grabs the ring bell (shades of Ricky the Dragon) and the crowd is whipped into a frenzy. The Brain says Savage is out to maim Flair. At some point, Savage has been busted open under his eye. Holy shit, what a brawl so far. The ref saves Flair from the bell and Savage crashes and burns hard on the guardrail. What a bump, the fans in the front row are freaked out because he hit so hard. Flair is pissed off because Savage has tried to maim him. Flair goes for Angelo, Poffo chokes him with cane, but Flair knocks out Angelo and gains control of the cane. Savage having checked on his dad does not realize this. Flair waffles him with cane. Flair picks up the tainted victory.
This match epitomizes why I love wrestling: Raw hatred for each other with stiff shots, high-energy no resting with brilliant story-telling and acting. WATCH THIS MATCH! Contender for best WCW match of the decade. The last Match of the Year contender, Flair or Savage would ever have. I would say the best babyface Savage performance of his career in WCW or WWF. ****1/2.
I would be remiss not to quote the Brain’s post-match gloating over Flair’s victory, “Take a slug of some Geritol and get up on your feet, Poffo…I want to see replay again. Ted Williams would be envious of that swing. The new Sultan of Swat, Ric Flair. You having a good Father’s Day, Mr. Poffo. What did you get for Father’s Day? You should have got a wheelbarrow to take your son back to the dressing room.” Beautifully incendiary.
The tag match was standard Hogan fare. Vader made it fun, Flair seemed bored, Savage didn’t get enough time. Hogan didn’t want to deviate from his formula. Average match **1/2. The beatdown was too abbreviated.
Of course the next PPV, Great American Bash, would be headlined by the grudge match between the Macho Man and the Nature Boy. Finally this gives Savage his own storyling having been relegated to Hogan’s lackey for the beginning of 1995.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair
Great American Bash 1995
This may be my favorite match of all time. My two favorite wrestlers competing one of the greatest hate-filled, relentless, fight to survive matches I have ever seen. I remember being so excited to finally see Savage vs Flair, my two favorites of all time, when I finally started searching youtube 2006 and immediately it was the Wrestlemania VII match that I wanted to see it. It is a great match and a great moment in the culmination of the overarching Randy Savage Wrestlemania story arc dating back to Wrestlemania III. Something was missing. It was missing that truly out of control feel and energy that Flair and Savage can bring. Watching this match in shitty quality on dailymotion in 2008, I was transfixed. Savage was a relentless ball of fury. Lunging at Flair at ever turn. There were just these little things that made it feel like a shoot. Savage attacking Flair from behind in such a way that was scary. Or Savage just suffocating Flair even on the begging off section. There just was not the customary time. The selling was selling of exhaustion of a fight. Savage's selling of the knee was spot on and why he was one of the greatest of all time. While Savage gives a truly special performance, it would be an amazing match without Flair. Flair sells the match as a fight to survive. He is blasting the fuck out of Savage and he dives onto Savage from behind, which is another wicked bump. The way he sells. He is in pain and fatigued, but if he even takes one moment to breathe, he may not last. So he just keeps fighting. I can not say how much I love this match.
My video includes opening remarks from Savage with the interview being conducted by “Mean” Gene Okerlund. He vows revenge against Flair and the momentum is on his side. Incidentally, today is Father’s Day and a happy accident for this storyline He finishes with one of my favorite lines from him: “Too hot to handle, too cold to hold”. Flair is adorned in a black and white sequined robe decorated with Monarch Butterflies in white diamonds. Savage is also donning the black and white and HE IS NOT ALONE. His father, Angelo Poffo, is with him after the attack from the Horsemen, but with the aide of a cane. This is NOT FAIR TO FLAIR. DOUBLE A! DOUBLE A! Where art thou?
Once Poffo is settled in, Savage hits the ring and Flair heads for the hills. Savage gives chase. Savage wants to kill Flair and any offense Flair can muster is because Savage is overzealous. Savage is hitting hard tonight. This aint a wrestling match. THIS IS A FIGHT~! Flair stops Savage’s momentum by sending him into the steel ringpost and then the guardrail. Flair with an uncharacteristic axe-handle off the apron to the back of Savage. The bump Savage takes was just violent and gripping to watch. I love it, Flair knows that Savage wants to kill so he adapts by pulling out all the stops. Angelo Poffo gets out of the chair with a look of concern as Flair is taking Savage apart with his trademark moveset of chops and kneedrops. Savage connects with a flurry of jabs and in a fit of rage chokes Flair and grabs at his nose. Flair takes the Bret-bump into the corner more choking. Flair tries to powder out, but Savage nails him from behind wicked hard. These are the moments that make it feel like a shoot. Flair takes his usual bump off the top rope. How does he not have crippling back injuries? Flair flip now onto the outside and now he goes after daddy. The Brain and I share the same sentiment as us that was fuckin dumb. Flair is smarter than both of us because he suckered Savage into checking on his Daddy and then clipping the knee. What follows is a shinbreaker across the guardrail, which is another crazy bump. The Brain wonders if “Did Daddy bring two canes because his son is going to need one.” The Brain continues to the tell story well, “Flair was smart he knew he was going to be able to slug it out with Savage, a man possessed. So he went to take a body part out. Flair has a plan.”
Savage throws punches from his back in a show of valor and courage. Kicking and clawing at Flair with whatever he can muster and Flair like the prick he is just keeps going back to knee. This is masterful psychology. Savage is killing it right now with his selling. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!! Flair of course gets to the ropes for that additional leverage. Savage is fighting only for his father and in a truly moving spot, Mr. Poffo attempts to get the ref’s attention that Flair is cheating. This is one of the most emotional matches I have ever had the pleasure of watching. SAVAGE REVERSE THE PRESSURE!!!
Savage hops on one leg only to dive on Flair and keep punching. Flair and Savage are just laying it all on the line. Flair flip for a second time, runs down the apron but Savage hits him in the gut as he comes done. SAVAGE HITS HIM WITH BIG ELBOW!!!! He pins Flair, but pulls him at 2. NOT ENOUGH SAYS MACHO MAN as he grabs the ring bell (shades of Ricky the Dragon) and the crowd is whipped into a frenzy. The Brain says Savage is out to maim Flair. At some point, Savage has been busted open under his eye. Holy shit, what a brawl so far. The ref saves Flair from the bell and Savage crashes and burns hard on the guardrail. What a bump, the fans in the front row are freaked out because he hit so hard. Flair is pissed off because Savage has tried to maim him. Flair goes for Angelo, Poffo chokes him with cane, but Flair knocks out Angelo and gains control of the cane. Savage having checked on his dad does not realize this. Flair waffles him with cane. Flair picks up the tainted victory.
This match epitomizes why I love wrestling: Raw hatred for each other with stiff shots, high-energy no resting with brilliant story-telling and acting. WATCH THIS MATCH! Contender for best WCW match of the decade. The last Match of the Year contender, Flair or Savage would ever have. I would say the best babyface Savage performance of his career in WCW or WWF. ****1/2.
I would be remiss not to quote the Brain’s post-match gloating over Flair’s victory, “Take a slug of some Geritol and get up on your feet, Poffo…I want to see replay again. Ted Williams would be envious of that swing. The new Sultan of Swat, Ric Flair. You having a good Father’s Day, Mr. Poffo. What did you get for Father’s Day? You should have got a wheelbarrow to take your son back to the dressing room.” Beautifully incendiary.
 |
| One of my favorite "regular" robes for he Nature Boy |
Flair’s tainted victory means of course there needs to be a
re-match. With next PPV emanating from sunny Southern California being themed
the Bash At The Beach, they would logically have a Lifeguard match, which is
just a lumberjack match where the wrestlers on the outside wear lifeguard
outfits. Their job will be do throw back each wrestler into the ring so that Flair
can to run away. Of course, inevitably, the heel lumberjacks beat on the
babyface adding to drama of the match Why this sucks? This takes the outside
away from Flair and Savage who some of their best wrestling outside the ring.
“Macho Man” Randy Savage
vs “Nature Boy” Ric Flair – Lifeguard Match
Bash At The Beach 1995
This is on the Savage DVD so I get to review this in stunning high-quality, yippee! This PPV was shot on location at a beach. I mean literally no seats and most men are shirtless standing on the sand. Macho Man’s dad is here, but this time he is safely among the fans. WCW held events in weird places like Road Wild being held at the big bike rally Sturgis, SD because it made them different. I will give them that. Flair is a fabulous pink robe, one of my other favorites from this era and Savage is in Mega-Powers colors and just his normal level of crazy. Not the BATSHIT INSANITY~! We witnessed in the last match. Too bad. The lifeguards include DDP, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Ric Flair’s best friend: Arn Anderson, Harle Heat, Johnny B. Badd, Dick Slater, Bunkhouse Buck.
Savage revves up the crowd, but decidedly less pissed, lame. Savage sends Flair outside the ring for the first time. Flair’s friends try to protect him as Savage chokes him with his foot. Flair gets an atomic drop out of the corner and Savage sells like he has been shot. Over-selling, much? Flair sends Savage outside, but Savage’s friends protect him from Double A. Flair flip to the outside followed by Flair sending Savage out with a leverage move. Savage hits so hard, he lands on the beach.
Tony with some insightful commentary notes, “Savage is sweaty and now that sand will collect on his back. This will be rough going for the Macho Man.” Hahaha, Tony, ever the intrepid reporter. They perform a spot usually teased, but not executed as Savage suplexes Flair onto the outside, but it looks ugly as hell. A thumb to the eye and a reverse elbow turns the tide for the Nature Boy. This leads to a sleeper hold for Flair, Savage is just swinging almost nails the ref. Leverage move sends Flair into the top turnbuckle and this leads to the first Flair Flop. I do not know what the fuck happened, but Flair somehow cracked his jaw onto Savage’s head coming off the top and I think he really hurt himself by accident. Flair being all man, hits a shinbreaker and begins to work on Savage’s knee. Savage always game to sell the knee like a champ makes this entertaining. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!!
We are in the middle of the ring, no cheating, but also no rope break opportunity for Savage. Can he reverse pressure? MA-CHO! MA-CHO! MA-CHO! Yes he does! Delayed vertical suplex by Naitch and he covers for the pin, but Savage kicks out at two. Savage makes his comeback with jabs, blocks the atomic drop and sends Flair over the top. Flair makes a break for it, but the lifeguards track him down and sends him back in. Double axe-handle off the top, Anderson senses the end and distracts Savage long enough for Flair to get a thumb to the eye. Flair gets tossed over and is caught by the Nasties in mid-air and whil everyone is focused on that. Anderson slips in like a thief in the night and plants Savage with a DDT,
Randy, are you ok? Randy, are you ok? Are you ok, Randy? You were just hit by a smooooooth criminal. Our hero, ever-valiant, kicks out at two and this spurs the crowd to chant MA-CHO! MA-CHO! MA-CHO! Now time for one of Savage’s favorite spots: the backslide, Savage gets him down for two. Savage is fuckin horrible at avoiding the reverse elbow and Flair sucks at executing a move from the top. Savaeg with another double axe-handle, scoop slam and now he hits THE BIG ELBOW~! The pin is academic. Macho Man gets revenge for his father.
A very good Savage/Flair match, but lacking the passion and intensity of the previous match. It just seemed like just another Savage/Naitch match when Savage should have been fighting for the honor of his father. This match was better than I remembered and was well-worked, but lacking good dramam until the Anderson DDT. ***1/2
They included this match on the DVD set because it was the blowoff match and Sacage won, but the GAB match is clearly the better match. Definitely give that a look-see. The other two matches are entertaining, but I would not go out of my way to watch them unless you are Savage or Flair completest like I am.
Bash At The Beach 1995
This is on the Savage DVD so I get to review this in stunning high-quality, yippee! This PPV was shot on location at a beach. I mean literally no seats and most men are shirtless standing on the sand. Macho Man’s dad is here, but this time he is safely among the fans. WCW held events in weird places like Road Wild being held at the big bike rally Sturgis, SD because it made them different. I will give them that. Flair is a fabulous pink robe, one of my other favorites from this era and Savage is in Mega-Powers colors and just his normal level of crazy. Not the BATSHIT INSANITY~! We witnessed in the last match. Too bad. The lifeguards include DDP, Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Ric Flair’s best friend: Arn Anderson, Harle Heat, Johnny B. Badd, Dick Slater, Bunkhouse Buck.
Savage revves up the crowd, but decidedly less pissed, lame. Savage sends Flair outside the ring for the first time. Flair’s friends try to protect him as Savage chokes him with his foot. Flair gets an atomic drop out of the corner and Savage sells like he has been shot. Over-selling, much? Flair sends Savage outside, but Savage’s friends protect him from Double A. Flair flip to the outside followed by Flair sending Savage out with a leverage move. Savage hits so hard, he lands on the beach.
Tony with some insightful commentary notes, “Savage is sweaty and now that sand will collect on his back. This will be rough going for the Macho Man.” Hahaha, Tony, ever the intrepid reporter. They perform a spot usually teased, but not executed as Savage suplexes Flair onto the outside, but it looks ugly as hell. A thumb to the eye and a reverse elbow turns the tide for the Nature Boy. This leads to a sleeper hold for Flair, Savage is just swinging almost nails the ref. Leverage move sends Flair into the top turnbuckle and this leads to the first Flair Flop. I do not know what the fuck happened, but Flair somehow cracked his jaw onto Savage’s head coming off the top and I think he really hurt himself by accident. Flair being all man, hits a shinbreaker and begins to work on Savage’s knee. Savage always game to sell the knee like a champ makes this entertaining. NOW WE GO TO SCHOOL!!!
We are in the middle of the ring, no cheating, but also no rope break opportunity for Savage. Can he reverse pressure? MA-CHO! MA-CHO! MA-CHO! Yes he does! Delayed vertical suplex by Naitch and he covers for the pin, but Savage kicks out at two. Savage makes his comeback with jabs, blocks the atomic drop and sends Flair over the top. Flair makes a break for it, but the lifeguards track him down and sends him back in. Double axe-handle off the top, Anderson senses the end and distracts Savage long enough for Flair to get a thumb to the eye. Flair gets tossed over and is caught by the Nasties in mid-air and whil everyone is focused on that. Anderson slips in like a thief in the night and plants Savage with a DDT,
Randy, are you ok? Randy, are you ok? Are you ok, Randy? You were just hit by a smooooooth criminal. Our hero, ever-valiant, kicks out at two and this spurs the crowd to chant MA-CHO! MA-CHO! MA-CHO! Now time for one of Savage’s favorite spots: the backslide, Savage gets him down for two. Savage is fuckin horrible at avoiding the reverse elbow and Flair sucks at executing a move from the top. Savaeg with another double axe-handle, scoop slam and now he hits THE BIG ELBOW~! The pin is academic. Macho Man gets revenge for his father.
A very good Savage/Flair match, but lacking the passion and intensity of the previous match. It just seemed like just another Savage/Naitch match when Savage should have been fighting for the honor of his father. This match was better than I remembered and was well-worked, but lacking good dramam until the Anderson DDT. ***1/2
They included this match on the DVD set because it was the blowoff match and Sacage won, but the GAB match is clearly the better match. Definitely give that a look-see. The other two matches are entertaining, but I would not go out of my way to watch them unless you are Savage or Flair completest like I am.
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