Why Does Regal Come Here, And Why Does He Hang Around

Lord Steven Regal/Stunning Steve Austin v. Ricky Steamboat/Johnny B. Badd WCW 8/14/94-GREAT

Really fun tag match with all four guys really in cracking form. Austin was in much of the match for the heel squad and was at close to his athletic peak, bumping huge, executing his offense well. Regal would tag in and throw nasty shots at both Badd and Steamboat. At one point he backs Badd into the corner and just unloads on him with rapid fire forearms. Steamboats hot tag is just great, he flips Regal with two Mexican armdrags (which I have never seen an actual Mexican throw) on Regal he then actually hits a leaping Thez press on Austin, bounces up and double legs Regal, just a dynamo. Finish is exciting too with lots of twists and turns leading to Steamboat rolling up Austin. Hogan is in at this point, and the fun ends soon, but it is great to see this kind of cool stuff was going on this late into 1994.

Lord Steven Regal v. Fit Finlay WCW 4/29/96-EPIC

Well this is as great as you remembered it being. It really had the ragged, out of control feeling of a violent fight. All of the big highspots felt totally organic, nothing was set up. When Finlay put his foot through the window, it felt like a crazy fuck, wild with rage, throwing a kick too close to a window. The smashing each other with bumpers and slamming each other into doors wasn't even the most violent stuff in the match. For example Finlay is choking Regal with a seat belt, and just smacks him right in the mouth. Regal's elbow drops on the hood were also really beautiful. Regal's piledriver on the roof of a car felt like a finish, and it also felt like he was just trying to get the fuck out of there. I remember being incredibly annoyed at the time at Bischoff yelling at the cameramen to pull into a wide shot. The camera men don't pull back very far, and I think it actually adds to the sense of insanity, makes this feel like an out of control fight, as opposed to Heenan telling hack jokes.

William Regal v. Tommy Dreamer WWE 11/8/09-EPIC

I was on the fence, this is a 8 minute match against Tommy Dreamer, can this really be an epic. Fuck it, this was just too great and Regal was just too awesome for me not to give the full E. Dreamer took a crutch shot in a street fight the week before and the bolt penetrated his triceps, so he is coming into this match with a big white wrap on his arm. Regal is on that arm like a fat kid on the last piece of pinata candy. Really the best example of Regal as vicious WWII prison guard. He just tears and pounds on the wound, he is someone with so many ways to hurt you. Meanwhile Dreamer does a great job of selling the injury (which I am sure hurt like a broken heart) while throwing in some really exciting comebacks. I loved how he went for a DDT, only to Regal hurl him down using the arm, still Dreamer was able to catch him in a one armed spinebuster. Finish was awesome. Dreamer is rolling, finally getting the advantage, but Regal rolls to the floor, grabs the arm rings it over the cable, while Dreamer is recoiling, Regal flies into the ring and hits the running knee right on the arm. Best Tommy Dreamer match ever, and a hell of performance by Regal

COMPLETE AND ACCURATE REGAL

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NWA Wildside- Throwback Review Episode 42

http://www.twnworldwide.tv/nwawildside42.html

6/26/00

Long intro, starting with Steve Martin (was not in Roxanne) and Jeff G. Bailey riding to the arena, Martin explaining how he is going to confront Stone Mountain (may or may not have shot his father). Then the NWA Elite goes into the ring and Martin goes "like I told you in the car, I am calling out Stone Mountain." I am not sure why I needed the car ride about the confrontation and the actual confrontation. Martin offers Mountain a place in the NWA Elite, gets the third finger and we get a big brawl between Scotty Wrenn and Mountain with chair shots and broken handcuffs.

Jesse Taylor v. Stan "The Man" Lee

A match with plenty of entertaining pieces to it, although didn't really come together as a match. Lee is an old school Southern indy guy I have always enjoyed, kind of a poor mans Mike Davis. The match was going along at a nice pace before the blew a top rope rana which ended up spiking both guys awkwardly on their necks. It was touch and go for a bit, although they were able to bring the match back eventually.

Jon Phoenix v. Lazz

Onyx runs out during Lazz's dance routine and hits him with the light heavyweight belt (which looked like crap because Lazz went down way too early.) Phoenix hits a top rope splash and pins him. Lazz's shtick is starting to get really over with the crowd.

They have a WOW magazine segment with Bill Apter where a young wrestler named Ron Starr (a black guy, not Rugged Ron Starr) calls out Bill Beherens for not returning his calls, or giving him a booking. Kind of a weird angle, not sure if it ever went anywhere

SHANK!! is in the ring. He wants to give a shout out to all of his Overweight Lovers in the house. God has healed his hand, and he is challenging Timber the Lumberjack to a Cellblock Rules match at Freedom Fight, that is a steel cage match out in the parking lot. He tells Timber that there won't be any Vaseline, and he he can either run and hide, or bend over and take it like a man. Everything you want it to be. Man I hope they show us the Cellblock match.

Rock and Roll Express v. Bad Attitude

Joined in progress which is a bummer. We see Young get worked over and make the hot tag and Bad Attitude get the pin with a couple of top rope moves. Steve Martin (not King Tut) comes out and changes it to a 2/3 falls match. Rock and Rolls get a sort of double dropkick (Morton hit it, Gibson looked like his dropkicking days were in the past) and win a quick second fall. Fun third fall with the heel Rock and Rolls working over Michaels leg, until a hot tag, a mistimed chain throw by Martina and a Bad Attitude win. NWA Elite jumps Young and Michaels, but Morton and Gibson revert to their babyface ways and run them off.

First part of the show is skippable, but the Shank promo is Shank at his best, and I dug the main event tag.

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