Sometimes, I want nothing more than to watch some totally random wrestling. In those times, nothing satisfies more than WCW Saturday Night where up-and-comers would compete alongside guys long thought retired to create all manner of unusual match-up. Using the power of Youtube, here are 5 matches I decided to watch at random, with links attached.
Rick Cornell & Allen Funk vs Chuck Palumbo & Sonny Siaki
This is from early 2000, and all four are Powerplant guys. Cornell (later known as Reno) and Funk play heel here and look really impressive throughout the match. Funk is loaded with intensity, including a nice move where he just hurls Siaki like a dart, with Siaki landing face first, whilst Cornell has some impressive moves for a big guy, including a slingshot senton that looks like he rams his shoulders into Siaki’s chest. The faces aren’t quite so good, though Palumbo shows some impressive agility for a man his size, hitting a nice springboard dropkick to the outside on Cornell. Siaki mainly plays face-in-peril, so doesn’t show much apart from a decent Sky High powerbomb (which Cornell leaps about 4 feet in the air for). Ending sees the faces go over following a top rope Palumbo shoulderblock, but the heels make the match, would have been a decent addition to the tag ranks at the time.
Cornell/Funk vs Siaki/Palumbo
American Males vs High Voltage
True story: Everyday Is Like Tom Zenk was very nearly a feature on Scotty Riggs instead (albeit with a different name). I always thought he was very underrated and had a terrific match with Kanyon on Thunder in early 99 following the Flock split. Here he’s still a young tag wrestler, though the Males are portrayed her as relative veterans compared to High Voltage. Indeed, it’s so early in the Voltage career that Rage is still known as Ruckus. The Males dominate with their quickness and frequent tags until Bagwell hits knees trying to splash Ruckus. High Voltage were obviously green as Plymouth Argyle here, but they at least look like they’re trying, so kudos there. They only have control for a short period until Ruckus misses an elbow and the Males hit a double dropkick for the win
American Males vs High Voltage about 20 minutes in
Pat Tanaka vs Villano 4
How very WCW Saturday Night this pairing is. As a bonus, Dusty is on commentary and tells us straight away he used to date a girl called Villano 4. Tanaka is wearing some long trouser and a shirt and seems behind the pace, as Villano kinda wrestles around him, until Tanaka reverses a second rana attempt into a powerbomb. Villano soon fires back, hitting a nicer thrust kick than Tanaka does in the same match, before leaping to Tanaka’s shoulders and rolling Tanaka up for the win.
Tanaka vs Villano 4
Arn Anderson & Dustin Rhodes vs Bad Attitude
This is a warm-up match for Rhodes and Anderson before facing the Stud Stable at Clash of the Champions. Sadly, it only goes 4 minutes as this could have been great. Dustin takes control early doors and sends Bobby Eaton over the top rope with a huge boot to the face, allowing Arn to pick up the pieces and backbody drop Eaton on the floor. Double A shows his tag acumen by controlling Eaton in the ring and getting a quick tag, but Dustin soon becomes face-in-peril and Keirn and Eaton start working him over. Eaton gets two from a decent top-rope elbow, but misses a second and a Rhodes bulldog gets the win.
Anderson/Rhodes vs Bad Attitude
Lash LeRoux vs Scotty Riggs
More Riggs, by now working his narcissist gimmick. This is pretty much a squash and more of a showcase for the Riggs character. Riggs catches LeRoux trying to look in his mirror and goes on the offensive right away. Riggs has some nasty offence in this match, hitting some big elbows in the corner and a nice running knee in the corner. This is followed by a choice dropkick, which gets a two count (though mainly because Riggs only covers with one finger). LeRoux gets a bit of token offence, hitting a sloppy looking headscissors and a better looking Northern Lights slam. However, this is Riggs’ match and he gets the easy win with the fivearm.
Riggs vs LeRoux
