BURNIATE: A History of the Dangerous Alliance Vol. 3 (Rude, Austin, Anderson, Eaton & Zbyszko Feb 92)

Hey yo Stud Muffins & Foxy Ladies,

If you like efficient, fundamentals movies like I do, then you will dig the hell out of Maleficient. It was just good, 'ol-fashioned A-B->C storytelling with a lot of emotion as the driving force. Too often nowadays, I think we get the razzle dazzle or overwrought 3 hour epics to construct a smokescreen that is not much in way of hard-hitting emotion and character development. If the plot devices are simple, but dripping with emotion that is enough of a hook for me. I am a sucker for the theme of "Love transcends DNA" and this film executed that perfectly. Of course, there is plenty in the way of eye candy with bitchin' costume design and amazing visual effects depicting the fantastical realms of the Moors. Plus, I loved how the creatures of the Moors are portrayed as classically ugly and scary to humans, but actually are good-natured and fun-loving especially the young Maleficient, who looks like the spawn of Satan, but has a heart of gold. For a wrestling comparison, I would say this movie is similar to the CM Punk/Dean Ambrose or the Dustin Rhodes/Arn Anderson matches I recently reviewed. All these stories are sensible and well-executed on a basic level, but you are sucked in by the emotion driving every move or action.

If Thats Evil I Dont Want To Be Good

Wow! I have been taking longer than usual to deliver some pro wrestling analysis goodness. I am going to attempt to turn out 4, YES, 4 blogs this week. The first one here is a shorty by my standards just to whet the 'ol whistle. We are looking four Dangerous Alliance matches in the run-up to the big and badass SuperBrawl II card. Sting/Luger was the main event de jure in order to get the title off the departing Luger and get onto the over like rover Sting. However, with Luger not appearing at all in the run up to SuperBrawl II, the real heat was on the US Title Feud between the leader of the Dangerous Alliance, Rick Rude and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. Rude laid waste to Steamboat at the Clash with the two Rude Awakenings and belt whipping. Before SuperBrawl, there was an excellent 8-Man Tag that showcased a great build to a Rude/Sting confrontation (I love how WCW allows for multiple interactions for each wrestler), Dustin ruling playing Ricky Morton and the babyfaces finally isolating one member of DA long enough to have Steamboat score the pinfall. In addition, there is a great showcase for why Rick Rude was having a King Heel Run in 1992 by having bitchin' TV matches like he did with Brian Pillman. It was not on the level of TV matches Pillman had with Flair (few are), but again demonstrating why Rude was just untouchable in 1992.
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Match Listing:

Larry Zbyszko w/Paul E. & Mad USA vs Ricky Steamboat - Worldwide 01/25/92 (Great post-match angle that adds more heat to Steamboat/Rude)
WCW TV Champion Steve Austin w/Mad USA vs Ricky Steamboat - Power Hour 2/8/92 *** (Austin has such a solid grasp of heel psychology and Steamer is on fire)
WCW US Champion Rick Rude w/Paul E. vs Brian Pillman  WCW Pro 2/15/92 ***1/2 (Great showcase for the type of year Rude is having)
Dangerous Alliance (Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton & Larry Zbyszko) vs WCW (Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes)
WCW Saturday Night 2/22/92 **** (Great build to Rude/Sting confrontation, great Dustin FIP and great Steamboat hot tag. Cant ask much from a TV multi-man tag)
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Larry Zbyszko w/Paul E. & Mad USA vs Ricky Steamboat - Worldwide 01/25/92

Madusa, what the fuck? Her fashion sense is truly abysmal. It actually would have been funny if Paul E. appointed Missy as the Director of Covert Operations only she is the biggest blabbermouth and keeps ruining his plans. It had potential to deliver some decent comedy segments. The added benefit of Madusa was clearly physicality, but God from pant suits to being dressed like a 12 year old from the early 90s (in her defense it was the early 90s, but she still she was a grown woman). Enough of all this stalling (see what I did there), lets get to the action. Actually Larry Z gets right to business and takes a page out of Steamboat book with two quick nearfalls early and gloats to the Steamer. The fans sure do love telling Paul E. he sucks and even better when they stop he starts his own Paul E.Sucks chant, but pounding the mat in rhythm. Well played, Mr. Dangerously! Steamboat says two can play that game and gets two quick nearfalls of his own, but instead of gloating he chops him. Larry Z powders claiming to have been chopped in the throat. Returning to the ring, The Living Legend actually strings together some offense catching Steamboat in a criss cross with an atomic drop and then a spin kick, that was pretty neat. Steamboat's comeback was a little tepid and he takes a spill when Madusa pulls down the middle rope. Zbyszko looks to bring him in the hard way, but Steamboat chops him away and propels himself on top of him to garner the victory. After the match in a show of unity, the Dangerous Alliance come out to lay the boots to Steamboat, The crowd calls for Sting as Rude threatens to belt him and Sting & Co. (Dustin, Windham, Simmons) make the save. That was the most Four Horsemen the Dangerous Alliance has looked. Still the Four Horsemen always talked about partying together and it really felt like a close-knit group. This still feels more like five wrestlers that happen to have the same manager, which there is nothing wrong with that business model. I just don't think it is a totally apples to apples comparison. These two had a great match in them, but unfortunately did not have the time to deliver it.

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WCW TV Champion Steve Austin w/Mad USA vs Ricky Steamboat - Power Hour 2/8/92

Stunning Steve gives Madusa's Canadian Tuxedo a run for her money with is 80s floral lampshade wrestling trunks. The Dangerous Alliance needed to hire a Director of Wardrobe Operations.

Steamboat is at the very least in contention for being the best championship wrestler of all time. I love how his intent is to always win a contest. Now of course, this leaves something to be desired often when he is in a blood feud, but in a nice little TV title defense he is in his element. The opening with him trying a barrage of nearfalls and just hurling his body at Austin looking to pick up the win. I thought this is best I had seen Austin look this early in his career. He is definitely taking a lot from Flair and Arn, but it looks great with him being totally discombobulated by Steamboat's onslaught. They worked a nice transition using Madusa as a distraction for Austin to hit a clothesline. Austin's clothesline was way ahead of his punches and stomps at this point. Austin is a great heel dropping Steamboat neck first on shit and eyerakes. Steamboat's selling was a little comical especially on the outside. I get playing to the cheap seats, but he looked liked a Dad trying to make his baby laugh with his funny contortions of his face.  I don't mind the draw finish, but at 10 minutes it is a little short and it is not a very dramatic home stretch with Austin and Steamboat heads colliding and neither one really able to capitalize. It is a good showcase to see how well Steamboat is on offense and how well Austin understood the role of the heel so early on in his career. ***

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What I would like right now is for all you Savannah Sweathogs to quiet down...

WCW US Champion Rick Rude w/Paul E. vs Brian Pillman  WCW Pro 2/15/92

Rick Rude was untouchable in this timeframe as a main event heel. His in-ring work finally caught up to his commanding presence and great character work. Much like the Arn match with Dustin, Rude makes everyone out to be winner by selling his knee like a million bucks. By making Pillman look that good, it made the victory mean that much more and made the match one of the best of this angle. I am a mark for a good drop toe hold especially when it is chained into a hold so Pillman gave me the double whammy and then Rude sold his ass off to make it the hook of the match. Little things like Rude hitting a kneelift with the wrong leg preventing him from capitalizing so he ends up getting that knee wrapped around the post. Or as Rude is working over Pillman's back with slams and a bearhug how Pillman will try to throw shots at the knee. This does not reach the level of Pillman's famous TV matches with Flair because Pillman just does not seem as fiesty and violent as he did in those matches. His comeback featured only two overhand chops, we need more violence. Rude kicks out Air Pillman surprisingly and escapes to the outside, but Pillman wont let him breathe and dives onto him. When Pillman looks to leap off top again, Rude catches him with the Stun Gun and a Rude Awakening is all she wrote. Rude looked like the next main event WCW cash cow in this match. He is different from Flair enough, but still fills the void Flair left in having great TV bouts with babyfaces. If he stayed healthy, the sky was the limit (well with WCW's promotional capabilities who knows, but still). Pillman did not look like the cant miss star like he did in early '91 facing Flair and Windham. I would need to watch more, but it looks like the Light Heavyweight Champion "promotion" may have sapped his zeal. This is a great showcase for how good Rick Rude was at this point. ***1/2

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Dangerous Alliance (Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Bobby Eaton & Larry Zbyszko) vs 

WCW (Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes) 

WCW Saturday Night 2/22/92

If Ricky Morton never existed, I think we would call it "Playing Dustin Rhodes" because hot damn is he just tremendous in FIPs. I saw Steamboat in there and I was like "O they will probably have Steamboat set up by the hot Sting tag", but was very, very pleasantly surprised that Dustin got to play Ricky Morton. I loved when he was mounting a comeback on Larry Z and he was starting to go wild and he stymied himself when he kicked with the wrong foot. He just lost control of himself in the moment and then sold it. Arm really digs the assisted hotshot as transition to a heat segment. I will give him that is very effective, but I would like to see him switch it up. Eaton clipping the knee really set up some great work. Rude busting out the missile dropkick, a wicked Arn DDT and an Eaton figure-4 was a great showcase for the Dangerous Alliance's offense. Especially after the WCW Franchise Players were mopping the floor with him. I would have liked to see Windham show the same intensity that he did in Clash 18, he got in there with The Cruncher and treated him like anybody else. Arm did a great job throughout the match especially trying to rile up Steamboat, but The Dragon was too smart to venture over to his corner. I thought The Living Legend was by far the best bumper and stooge for the babyfaces in this match making Dusting look great and his verbal selling is close to Flair's level. Of course, the entire beginning built to the big marquee confrontation between Rude&Sting. WCW how did you not run this at Havoc or Starrcade (Starrcade he would have been injured so I guess they get a pass). The crowd was absolutely nuclear for this match up. Sting just rocked it here. Everything was simple, but really popped the crowd and was fun stuff. Then he let Dustin handle the heavy lifting of selling for the Dangerous Alliance. I liked the finish with the faces turning the tables on the Dangerous Alliance. In most of the matches to this point, Dangerous Alliance had taken advantage of the chaos to have Eaton nail an Alabama Jam and score the victory. This time Steamboat is able to isolate and pin Larry Z with a top rope cross body. The match is great fun, but disjointed would be my major issue. The shine builds to Rude/Sting. They blow that off to get to heat segment and finish. Each are great, but I think there is a better way to connect them still best tag match of the Dangerous Alliance so far. ****