[1992-02-29-WCW-Superbrawl II] Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes vs Steve Austin & Larry Zbyszko

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Frankensteiner]

I'm probably in a minority in thinking this match is a little overrated in some circles. It's really awesome when Barry is in, particularly opposite Larry Z. But Dustin's FIP section with Austin in control dragged this down. I don't want to sound like I'm too down on it because I still like it quite a bit. This was sweet revenge for Windham. One other thing that struck me was the lack of heat during this match (it's kind of true for the other main matches on this show).

[Loss]

I have talked about this match many times before. I'm not sure what else I could add to it. I definitely don't think it's overrated, and I loved the repeated Austin clotheslines because it advanced the match. It was the move Dustin couldn't avoid. I definitely thought this had really strong heat. They were chanting Windham's name and popping big pretty consistently. I thought the Milwaukee crowd was great.

[Tim Evans]

I liked the match but it was a little too long. Not really sold on DA Austin yet. Larry Z ruled though with Barry.

[shoe]

I really liked this bout. The intensity was great. Al 4 looked good. Some people bag on Austin's performance but I don't see it. Sure he was the least of the 4, but he still brought it.I still would have liked to have cut a few minutes.

[El-P]

MOTYC. Just a great match.

[Kevin Ridge]

Austin was throwing lariats non stop. Really liked the first part of the match with Windham involved. Agree with those who felt it kind of dragged with Dustin got in there. Windham tags in and it gets immediately better. Don't think it is a great match still consider it to be pretty good.

[MikeCampbell]

Count me in with those who think this is excellent, but overrated. The Dustin/Austin portion kills it for me, despite Dustin's willingness to bump like a madman for Austin's lariats, but they were both really green compared to their partners so it's not a surprise that they fall short compared to their much more experienced partners. This was exactly the sort of intense and hateful brawl needed to keep this whole feud going toward War Games.

[Zenjo]

Often tag team wrestling in WCW was lazy and formulatic. That was far from the case here as all 4 men were working their ass off. A decent length and they kept up a high workrate for the majority. Hell, even when they did have a rear chinlock in the ring Zbyszko was working on the apron by yapping at the fans and keeping them entertained. That's the kind of thing good managers used to do. It never got bogged down and there was a rivalry going as well. Good contest.

[WingedEagle]

Great match on a great card, but not a MOTYC for me at all. The faces work with Austin, especially Windham's, was really crisp throughout. Loved Larry's antics and losing his cool when things weren't going their way as well as Windham's segment as FIP. Nice win and I am very glad the whole Dangerous Alliance run on top still has a few more months.

 

***3/4

[PeteF3]

Really great double-FIP match. I didn't sense much in the way of slowdown when Rhodes went on the defensive, other than maybe some chinlockery on Austin's part. But everything else was great, from Larry's tantrums over the count to Rhodes' nutty bumping to Windham's offense. And yes, this was a great crowd, and the Mecca with its theater-like setting, like a bigger version of the Lowell Auditorium, was a unique atmosphere. I think I have this a shade ahead of the Light Heavyweight title as match of the night.

[xlynwoodx]

Fun match. Windham is such a big guy and he can really move. Zybyszko has been great. The only real memories I have of him is as a commentator and he's been a lot of fun. Also loving Ross and Ventura together. This isn't a MOTY but a real solid tag team match that shows how good tag team wrestling can be.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Dangerous Alliance (Larry Zbyszko & Steve Austin) w/Mad USA vs. Lonestar Blonds (Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes) - Superbrawl II

Paul E. must have hired a Director of Wardrobe Operations as Madusa looks a million times better in that green dress, but what the fuck Stunning Steve. You go from tights that have a floral lampshade pattern to the design of birthday party plates for a seven year old. Dr. Tom was right. What the hell is so Stunning about Stunning Steve?

 

Well his clothesline duh. At this point, it was pretty much Austin's only offensive weapon, but boy was it one helluva weapon. Anytime, he got in trouble he would bust that bad boy out and Dustin sold it like a sumbitch. I will say just to get the negative out of the way early: Austin's greeness rears its ugly head in this match and is what drags this match down just a tad as he really does not have the offense to compete at this level. His reliance on the chinlock especially during the Dustin FIP took a match that I would say otherwise is a MOTYC down a notch. I hate to sound down on the match because I was rocking and rolling with them in lock step and I was looking forward to the Dustin FIP because he is so great in that role, but I thought Austin stymied him with such a blase control segment that it cooled off the match. Enough dwelling on the negative, when there is so much positive in this match namely Larry Z getting his ass royally kicked.

 

The Texans whoop the Dangerous Alliance's ass early. This is where Austin is in his element. He may not have much in the way of offense, but he ain't afraid to show ass and bump around for the babyfaces. Of course, Larry Z made his career on being an obnoxious heat-seeking magnet. When Big Barry is done playing around with Austin and throws him to Larry, the crowd is on Zbyszko with a big "Larry Sucks" chants and he has a conniption fit on the apron. What ensues is some of the best babyface revenge you'll ever see with The Cruncher bumping, stooging and screaming for Barry & Dustin. When Barry picked up Larry from the cover, it is those type of small things that really put over a blood feud match. This is not about wins and losses, but inflicting pain and gaining retribution. The little things are what separate the classic matches from the great ones. I loved Dustin going after the hand of Larry and would have loved to seen that explored more in depth. In contrast to the Dustin FIP, the Windham FIP was really well-done with Barry working in some great hope spots (like going for the lariat, but only propelling himself over the top rope to the floor) and selling really well. The Dangerous Alliance was really on point with using the guard rail and keeping things moving with Windham. The Dustin hot tag was fun because Austin and Zbyszko are just so good at maximizing the impact of a babyface's offense at this point. They really make you feel that everything has gone off the rails and they could be beaten at any moment. Then Austin blasts Dustin with a clothesline. I discussed the Dustin FIP above and wished we would have saw more Cruncher at this point. Dustin hits Austin with a nasty Stung gun where Austin's forehead looks to catch the top rope. Windham is in like a Zbyszko-seeking missile and crushes with a barrage of lariats capping off with one off the top to win that match.

 

Short of calling this a street fight and adding blood, this is about as damn good a heated, revenge match you will see in the context of a normal tag rules match. The babyfaces were out for revenge and came out swinging early. The Dangerous Alliance bided their time and when the opportunity arose they cheated like muthafuckas to get the advantage and Austin had Dustin's number with the clothesline. Dustin and Windham would not be denied on this night and picked up the victory and a modicum of revenge. Dustin still looks wise beyond his years. Windham was red-hot and looked great in his face in peril. Larry Z is perfect for these matches with his verbal selling and stooging. Austin would eventually become the complete package, but in terms of bumping there were few better at this time. One of the best WCW tag team matches and a great showcase for the heat that Larry Z could generate. ****1/4

[garretta]

I didn't hear much of Larry's verbal antics like most of you seemed to, mostly because I was paying more attention to JR and Jesse.

 

At any rate, this basically broke down into two separate singles bouts for the most part: Austin vs. Dustin and Barry vs. Larry Z. I didn't see a whole lot of tag team work, mostly because they wanted to keep Barry and Larry apart as much as possible until the finish. So we got about 60% of a non-title match between Dustin and Austin, 20% normal tag wrestling, which really stood out because you get close to 0% in most tag team grudge matches, and 20% revenge match between Barry and Larry, a lot of which took place on the ramp while the cameras were focused on the ring.

 

Austin may have been at the bottom of the list when it comes to workers in this bout, but he still held up his end, and it says something that he was the one with the killer move (the clothesline, which stopped Dustin in his tracks every time). I thought they might be trying to set up an Austin/Dustin feud for the TV title, but it seems like Windham got that feud instead, if I remember the match listings right. It's kind of a shame, because Austin works just as well with Dustin.

 

The Barry/Larry stuff was nice, but it didn't carry the day like it probably should have, given that it was the feud that made this match possible in the first place. I loved the segment where Dustin and Barry were trying to break Larry's hand, which caused Jesse to lecture us about how vengeance has no place in wrestling.

 

Dustin really is becoming the new Ricky Morton with his FIP work. The problem is, he's too big to pull the role off for much longer. Once he gains a little more experience, he needs to become more of a Robert Gibson type when he's in a tag setting, at least most of the time.

 

What actual teamwork we saw favored Austin and Zbyszko, and they looked really good. Too bad they didn't team more often.

 

Medusa looked fine, but I agree with Jesse; Heyman needs to be at ringside more, especially when he's banned for a later match like he was here. The only time Medusa should be out by herself is when she's going to have a major physical spot in the match (slapping, choking, etc.)

 

JR did fine setting up Jesse here, at least for the most part, but Jesse needs to realize that he can't bait super-serious sports announcer Jim Ross into arguments the way he could (supposedly) Harvard-educated non-athletic Vince McMahon. Case in point: JR and Jesse are debating Austin's father playing in the Cotton Bowl, and Jesse makes what I'm sure he intended to be a final remark about how players from Oklahoma take a pay cut when they go to the NFL. JR responds with, "I'm sure you know a lot about pro ball, but being from Minnesota college ball isn't your forte.". That, needless to say, shuts the future Governor up good and proper.

 

Jesse will be fine as long as he focuses mostly on wrestling strategy and insider knowledge, like his explanation of how the sleeper is easier to apply on guys with thick necks. He can't argue football with JR, because JR takes it too seriously (especially his Sooners) and will probably start treating him like he treated Heyman, which was basically to crap all over him every time he opened his mouth. In other words, they need to create a Gino-Jesse vibe.

 

I liked how Jesse got on Nick Patrick's case about his slow counts, but I didn't actually see a lot of it, so it was probably heel gaga for the most part. Jesse also had a common sense answer to JR's whining about two referees in tag matches; how many refs are enough, anyway?

 

It's going to be interesting to see where they go with Barry/Larry after Barry got such a clean pin on a pay-per-view, even if it was in a tag match.

[JKWebb]

http://placetobenation.com/countdown-top-500-matches-of-the-90s-300-251/

 

#281

 

Love watching Dustin Rhoses wrestling tag matches (specifically as a babyface). He doesn't disappoint here, not sure he ever does, but lock this in as another really good showing for Dustin. Larry Z was super entertaining too. ****

[dawho5]

All 4 showed their strengths here. Austin went to the chinlock a bit much when he had to build heat on Dustin. Still a really good/great tag that keeps everything moving along nicely. Moment of the match for me was Madusa's selling of Larry crotching Windham over the railing. Great, great stuff.

[Makai Club #1]

Really enjoyed this match. The Dangerous Alliance being great heels with both vicious and chicken shit heel tendencies, something that Austin does perfectly and Larry isn’t too shabby at that stuff either.. Windham and Rhodes had great chemistry too. ***3/4