Coming off the success of their February pay-per-view SuperBrawl III, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) embarked on a tour of the British Isles, beginning on 11 March 1993 in the Wembley Arena and ending on the 17th in Dublin’s Point Theatre. The events were all non-televised ‘house shows’, and for over three decades, nobody outside of those arenas could have watched them. That has now changed, with the official WWE Vault channel releasing footage of the 13th March event, held at the G-Mex Centre, for everyone to view.
Introduction
We open with a shot of the G-Mex exterior, and then street interviews about wrestling. The first two interviewees talk about WCW and its popularity, with the second naming Vader as “the most awesome wrestler”. We then meet two teenage wrestling fans who name Flyin’ Brian as their favourite, before oddly admitting they prefer the WWF to WCW. Including this clip feels like another unnecessary dig at WCW from WWE, despite the company having been out of business for decades.
Next, we hear from a man who names Mick McManus and Jackie Pallo as his favourite wrestlers – two British legends who wrestling fans will know never wrestled for WCW and instead were mainstays in Joint Promotions events in the ‘60s. He then admits he’s never attended a show and only watches on TV, making his inclusion here puzzling.
We then get a clip of two ticket office workers who inform us of rapid ticket sales and request that WCW return to England soon. More fan interviews follow, including a young fan who says that Sting is his favourite wrestler because “his favourite one in [WWF] does the same move as he does” (Bret Hart’s Sharpshooter, which Sting used as the Scorpion Deathlock and was initially popularised by Japanese wrestler Riki Choshu).
There is then shots inside the G-Mex showing merch stands and fan signs. Unsurprisingly, Lancashire-born Davey Boy Smith (British Bulldog) is the most popular, with decent showings for Vader, Sting, and, strangely enough, a sign declaring “Arn Anderson is God”.
Ring announcements include new NWA World Champion Barry Windham (won at SuperBrawl III) and new WCW World Champion Sting, after beating former champ Vader at Wembley Arena two days before. Sting would end up losing the title back to Vader at the end of the UK tour, meaning these lucky UK fans got to see a run of Sting championship defenses that Americans never did. We get a wrestler run-down and a list of WCW Bill Watts-era rules, including the wretched “no throwing your opponent over the top rope”. We then move into the first match.
Johnny B. Badd vs. Scotty Flamingo
As a WWF Attitude Era fan, it’s strange to see Raven and Marc Mero under these gimmicks. The crowd go crazy for Johnny B. Badd’s entrance, especially when he shoots his confetti cannon. Scotty Flamingo is excellent as a heel, claiming that Badd keeps pulling his hair but secretly pulling Badd’s hair when the ref’s back is turned.
The crowd are absolutely molten – as is typical of British crowds – and the hard cam visibly shakes when they’re excited, even over simple moves like a wrist lock. It helps carry this standard house show match into a pretty entertaining affair. Badd wins after a sloppy head scissors takedown and a great jaw punch that Flamingo sells beautifully. Good opening match by two very solid workers. 7/10
Michael P.S. Hayes vs. Maxx Payne
I just feel bad for Michael Hayes when I watch this match. Maxx Payne is a passable brawler, but a terrible technical wrestler and this match does nothing to rehabilitate that image. Rest hold after rest hold after rest hold, with Payne’s pear-shaped body dripping with sweat throughout. Payne wins with an awful submission finish. Even for a house show, it feels like little effort was put into this match.
2/10
Rick Rude vs. Van Hammer
Initially announced as ‘tag team action’, Rick Rude makes his entrance and gets a great reaction from the crowd. He manages to turn it into boos after stealing the mic from the ring announcer and calling the crowd “fat, out of shape, Mancunian meatheads”. Rude was an exceptional heel and it’s a shame his career ended so soon after this match due to injury. NWA Heavyweight Champion Barry Windham comes out as his tag partner.
“The Natural” Dustin Rhodes comes out and immediately starts fighting Windham and Rude, with Rhodes and Windham brawling their way to the back. Bit of a disappointment to not see those two wrestle on this card, although they’d have a match on the following night’s house show in Aberdeen. Rhodes’ tag partner Van Hammer comes out and challenges Rude, and a singles match is declared underway.
Their match isn’t bad, but it goes on for far too long. This could’ve been a decent 10-minute affair, but 16 minutes means it drags in the middle with the repeated rest holds and playing to the crowd. Rude is a great heel and Van Hammer is clearly making an effort, so the bits where they’re actually wrestling are pretty good. I like Rude’s comedic selling, especially of the inverse atomic drop. Rude gets the win with a swinging neckbreaker.
5/10
Johnny B. Badd Gets an Award
I wouldn’t usually write about intermission segments but this one is so bizarre it deserves it. Johnny B. Badd getting an honorary fellowship award from the British National Institute of Sign Language? No context is given in the video for what he did to receive the award, but two deaf children are present so it was presumably something charitable. Also, I can find nothing about any organisation named the ‘British National Institute of Sign Language’, unless they are referring to Signature, which doesn’t seem to have ever gone by that name. A baffling segment.
Davey Boy Smith vs. Vinnie Vegas
Predictably, hometown hero Davey Boy gets the loudest crowd reaction of the night. A true main event level entrance here for a man whose victory at SummerSlam 1992 in Wembley was still fresh in the mind of many audience members. Vinnie Vegas (aka Kevin Nash) looks good here, similar to an early-era APA Bradshaw with the tights.
The two men know they have the crowd in the palm of their hands, and as such we get a match full of taunting and rest holds. It works though – the crowd never let up with their cheering and incessant vuvuzela chants. Bulldog gets the win with his impressive looking running press slam, although I would’ve liked to see him do a little more in the way of actual working. The duo would go onto the WWF and faced each other again in the main event of In Your House 4, a match so bad it caused company owner Vince McMahon to go on an angry tirade at both men. At least that didn’t happen in Manchester.
6/10
Cactus Jack vs. Big Van Vader
This match starts off as a stiff, punch-for-punch brawl in the ring. At this point in his career, Vader is managed by former world champ Harley Race, who gets involved throughout and takes some impressive bumps for someone pushing 50.
The match picks up when Cactus lands a stiff boot to Vader in the corner and follows with a DDT which Vader sells impressively. The action spills to the outside, where Vader attempts a painful looking splash on the guard rail, only for Cactus to dodge at the last second. Jack takes control, slamming Vader on the concrete floor and unleashing a flurry of chair shots while the ref is distracted by Harley. He gets the crowd roaring by slamming Race in the ring.
The monstrous Vader is mostly unfazed and storms back into the ring. After Harley recovers and distracts Jack, Vader regains momentum, though another managerial assist attempt backfires wildly. Harley holds Cactus in place for a Vader clothesline, but Jack ducks and Vader nails Race instead. The match stays intense, with Cactus eventually clotheslining Vader and himself over the top rope before hitting a senton bomb from the apron to the floor.
Back in the ring, he plants Vader with a DDT and goes for a pin, but Harley once again interferes, delaying the referee’s count just long enough for Vader to kick out. A final Race distraction lets Vader land a corner splash and a Vader Bomb for the win. It’s exactly what you want from these two – brutal, hard-hitting action with Cactus playing the gutsy underdog who keeps turning Vader’s power against him. The interference was a little overdone, though.
7/10
Sting (champion) vs. Paul Orndorff for the WCW World Heavyweight Title
Sting comes out wearing red, white and blue face paint, and sporting a Union Jack t-shirt. He gets a really good reaction from the crowd – making him champion for this tour was a good idea. Unfortunately, the match itself isn’t as good as it could have been. While Sting and Orndorff are great in-ring performers (despite Orndorff nearing the end of his career), it felt like this match needed a few extra minutes to kick into a higher gear. Sting wins after a Stinger Splash and a quick pin. The visual of fans rushing to the aisle to high-five Sting on his walk back is a highlight. Solid world title match.
6/10
I would give the show a 5/10 overall. Ultimately, like many American wrestling shows in the UK, this is a decent card which is carried by a heavily invested crowd. A lack of tag and midcard title matches hurt the pacing – especially given WCW TV champion Paul Orndorff and NWA world champ Barry Windham were in attendance and could have been featured. Vader would go on to regain the world title from Sting in Dublin and would hold it all the way until December’s Starrcade PPV. The opener and the last two matches are worth a watch, but don’t expect any hidden gems here.
