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[2000-04-16-WCW-Spring Stampede] Ric Flair & Lex Luger vs Johnny The Bull & Big Vito & Ron & Don Harris (Handicap)


soup23

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Team Package is in shambles. Flair is wrestling in street clothes because why not. We also get the Harris twins inserted because why not. The action revolves around Flair and Luger having to fend off the four guys. Luger gets a pretty decent babyface reaction but the match itself is a mess. *1/2

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  • 3 weeks later...

Flair did a promo earlier in the show I think it was where he said this a fight for survival, at this point, not a sport. I think Russo had this idea that Flair looked embarrassing in wrestling gear and would be more over wrestling in street clothes if I remember right. Russo comes out before the match starts because two veterans against two young guys isn't fair, so the Harris Bros. are added to even the sides in his eyes. Flair and Luger have to fight back against all odds and the crowd gets far more into it than they likely would have a traditional tag, so I think it was a good move. This wasn't quite a good match, but I do think I enjoyed it more than Chad. There were a few moments where everyone's timing was off -- notably Flair getting up voluntarily when no heel showed up to break up the figure four, Luger having to stall when a Harris was jumping off the top rope in plain sight, and a few other similar moments. Liz decking Disco was a fun spot, but because this is WCW, the camera didn't really catch it. This is a bit overbooked, to put it mildly, but I had fun watching it.

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  • 3 weeks later...

From just a fundamental level the booking here is just so stupid. The younger talent being positioned as guys in the pocket of the boss and the supposedly tenured Millionaires' Club having to valiantly fight them off is just such a strange and off dynamic.

 

Flair looks ridiculous wrestling in slacks and a polo but sells well for the young guys wearing him down with punches. Disco is a lot of fun at ringside with his reactions to everything. Also, I'm a big sucker for any hot tag spot that the referee doesn't see so bonus points for them integrating that into this. Johnny the Bull shows off his athleticism but not much else. An unmotivated looking Luger finishes off Johnny with the rack to cap a decent match.

 

**

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This was scheduled to be Ric Flair & Lex Luger vs The Mamalukes in the first round of the tag team tournament. Flair is in his street clothes because apparently Vince Russo made it clear to them that this is a street fight. After Team Package make their entrance Russo is out and says it’s not fair to have two experienced veterans against two ‘rookies’, so to even things up he’s adding ‘the boys’ to the match; ‘the boys’ being Ron & Don Harris. The teams split off with the Mamalukes working on Flair and the Harris’ on Luger. Team Package start to fire back, Flair with a belly to belly on Johnny the Bull and the figure four. For some reason he just lets go of the hold only to get nailed with a thrust kick from Vito. Double boot from the twins on the Naitch for two. Clothesline in the corner and we get the obligatory face first bump. Back elbow to one of the brothers, Flair heads up top but is caught and slammed to the canvas. Naitch avoids a couple of elbow drops and makes the tag to Luger, however the official’s back was turned and he ushers him back out the ring. Johnny gives him a helping hand which sends Luger tumbling to the floor. 4 on 1 on Flair inside, and Disco Inferno rams Luger’s head into the ringpost outside. Apparently Liz slugged Disco in retaliation but the camera’s missed it. Two ‘Sicilian looking’ guys then show up and drag Disco to the back. The Harris’ and Mamalukes start fighting amongst themselves, forgetting about Flair, who’s able to tag in Lex. He runs roughshot over them all and clears the ring. Whip to the corner on Johnny, who in one motion, leaps to the top turnbuckle, turns around and comes off with a flying clothesline to Luger. Miscommunication sees Vito accidentally slug Johnny and Lex racks him for the win and to advance in the tournament.

 

This wasn’t as bad as I feared, but was also fairly messy. In addition, there was so much going on that the camera missed out on parts of the action on more than one occasion. That wouldn’t have happened in the WWF, and ‘if’ it did, you could bet your bottom dollar there’d be a replay to show us. Not in WCW! Don’t start me on a tag team tournament where it’s four on two either and if this match is anything to go by, I have a hunch there will be an awful lot of overbooking in this Russo era. Not sure what happened with Flair just letting go of the figure four early doors, whilst there appeared to be little reason for the Harris twins and Mamalukes to start fighting amongst themselves. Just like Billy Kidman’s promo on Monday, Mark Madden’s commentary seemed to be playing to the newsletter readers with his inside comments.

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  • GSR changed the title to [2000-04-16-WCW-Spring Stampede] Ric Flair & Lex Luger vs Johnny The Bull & Big Vito & Ron & Don Harris (Handicap)

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