#72: Steve Austin & Brian Pillman vs. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson, WCW Clash of the Champions XXIII (6/16/1993).
This is a 2 Out of 3 Falls Match for Austin & Pillman's WCW World Tag Team Championships.
One of the undisputed highlights of Austin's run in WCW was his partnership with Flyin' Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blondes. Their chemistry was undeniable, and they each showed great character work that would help propel both to great heights...elsewhere.
Pillman and Anderson start things out. Pillman is quick to mock both Flair and Anderson early. They lock up, and Anderson forces Pillman into the corner. Pillman escapes and does the Hollywood Blondes taunt. Anderson forces Pillman to the mat hard. They lock up again, and Anderson tosses Pillman to the mat. Pillman gets Anderson in the corner and slaps him. Anderson explodes out and beats the hell out of Flyin’ Brian.
Pillman rakes the eyes and looks to send Anderson to the opposing turnbuckle. The Enforcer reverses and continues his assault of Pillman, who wisely tags Stunning Steve in. They lock up, and Austin gets a side headlock in. He elbows Flair, and Anderson tags in the Nature Boy. Crowd explodes. Austin and Flair face off. Flair pokes the eyes, and chops Austin in the corner. Back body drop follows, and Flair drags Pillman in and chops him in the corner.
Flair grabs Austin by the jaw and forces him into the corner. More chops to Pillman, and Flair tugs away at Austin’s jaw. Stunning Steve escapes to the outside for a breather. Back in the ring, Austin takes Flair down and rains down with punches. Flair is quick to his feet, and he chops Austin in the corner. Anderson is in, and he stomps on Austin’s back. Anderson with a hammerlock powerslam, and he tags Flair back in.
Snap mare, and a big knee to the head. He decks Pillman off the corner, and he twists the arm of Austin. He kicks his midsection, and he tags Anderson back in. Anderson twists the arm and yanks it. Austin sends Anderson into the ropes, and Pillman suffocates him with a towel. Austin drives his boot into Anderson’s face, and Pillman uses the towel to choke him. Pillman tags in, and gets a Greco Roman chokehold in, Taichi style.
Austin tags back in, and sends an elbow to the back of Anderson’s head. Austin throws Anderson into Pillman’s boot, who tags in and gets a front face lock in. Austin is in again, and he gives Anderson a suplex. Nice frequent tags from the Blondes. In the corner, Anderson tries to fight back against Austin, and he finally gets him to fall down. Anderson makes the crawl, and avoids an Austin leg drop to hit a DDT that the crowd explodes for. Anderson crawls, and tags Flair in. Pillman is in as well.
Flair comes off the top rope with an axe handle. Chops to Pillman and Austin. Atomic Drop to Pillman, and Flair sends Austin to the outside. Flair goes to the middle rope and punches Pillman in the corner. Austin comes in and they double team Flair, who fights back with a diving forearm to Pillman to take the first fall!
After the commercial break, the second fall begins, and Flair does the Hollywood Blonde taunt to Pillman. They lock up, and Pillman chops Flair in the corner. The Nature Boy reverses and gives chops of his own. Pillman irish whips Flair into the corner, but he goes over the turnbuckle and chops Pillman, then back hands Austin off the apron. Pillman sends Flair to the floor, and Flair hits his head off the floor. Austin pops off with a suplex to the ringside mat.
Flair pulls Pillman to the outside, and Pillman explodes with chops and an eye rake, then he sends Flair face first into the barricade. He lifts him and drops him chest first off the barricade next. In the ring, the Blondes double team Flair, and Austin pops off several chops against the turnbuckle. Austin places Flair on the top rope, and punches him some more. Big suplex to the mat below by Stunning Steve. He makes the cover, and Flair kicks out.
Elbows in the corner by Austin, and he irish whips him to the next corner. Shoulder tackles to the ribs next, and Flair tries to fight back, but Austin is tenacious! Flair with a kick to the gut, and a chop. Austin with an elbow to the back, and he tags Pillman in. Pillman with chops to Flair against the ropes, and Flair fights back with some of his own! Both come off the ropes, and we have a double down. Pillman tags Austin in, and Flair tags Anderson!
Big back body drop to Austin, and a low shot to the midsection. He takes Pillman out, and hits the Double A Spinebuster to Austin! Pillman breaks up the pin, and chop blocks Anderson’s leg. Austin makes the cover, and Anderson kicks out. Pillman is in, and he goes to work on the injured leg. He drops all of his weight against it on the ropes. In the corner, Pillman punches Anderson, and continues his work on the injured leg.
He tries to irish whip Anderson, who collapses from pain. Pillman gets a nearfall, and here comes Austin in. He drives his knee into the thigh, and gets a toe hold in. Austin holds Anderson’s leg, and Pillman comes in with an elbow to the face. Pillman with a Half Boston Crab submission next. Pillman drives the knee into the mat, and then Anderson hits an Enziguri! Wow, didn’t see that coming. Pillman tags Austin in, who immediately drags him away from Flair. He drives his knee into the thigh again.
Austin drops all his weight across the leg, and Pillman slams it against the apron. Pillman tags in, and he pops a Snap Mare off. He looks to come off the middle rope, and Anderson uses his good leg to counter that! He finally tags in Flair, and Austin tags in as well. Flair unloads with chops to Austin, and he sends Pillman to the outside. Flair gets a high back suplex to Austin, and he now looks for the Figure Four Leglock, but here comes Barry Windham in to break it up. The ref calls for the bell, and the Horsemen win by Disqualification, but they don’t take the belts?
Really solid action here, though a little too one sided for my taste. Flair had just returned to WCW recently, so I guess that makes a little sense. I think the Horsemen taking 2 straight falls was a little wonky, but they are clearly the bigger stars here compared to Austin and Pillman. Still, this was an awesome match with great tag team psychology from the Hollywood Blondes. Can someone tell me why the titles didn't actually change hands here?