| WrestleWar '92 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 VHS cover featuring Sting's Squadron andThe Dangerous Alliance | |||
| Promotion | World Championship Wrestling | ||
| Date | May 17, 1992[1] | ||
| City | Jacksonville, Florida[1] | ||
| Venue | Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum[1] | ||
| Attendance | 6,000[1] | ||
| Tagline(s) | Destroy or be destroyed! One team will stand! One team will fall! In a match so brutal it can happen only once a year! | ||
| Pay-per-view chronology | |||
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| WrestleWar chronology | |||
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WrestleWar '92 was the fourth and finalWrestleWarprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV)event produced byWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on May 17, 1992, from theJacksonville Memorial Coliseum inJacksonville, Florida in the United States. In 1993, WrestleWar was replaced bySlamboree as the May PPV and the event’s WarGames match moved to September’sFall Brawl.
Ten matches were contested at the event including one dark match. Themain event was aWarGames match, in which Sting's Squadron (Sting,Barry Windham,Dustin Rhodes,Ricky Steamboat andNikita Koloff) defeatedThe Dangerous Alliance (Steve Austin,Rick Rude,Arn Anderson,Bobby Eaton andLarry Zbyszko). Other featured matches on the card wereBrian Pillman versusTom Zenk for theLight Heavyweight Championship,Terry Taylor andGreg Valentine versusThe Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin andMichael Hayes) andThe Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner andScott Steiner) versusTatsumi Fujinami andTakayuki Iizuka to determine the number one contenders for theIWGP Tag Team Championship.[1][2][3][4]
In 2014, all WCW pay-per-views were made available on theWWE Network.
The event featured wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds andstorylines. Wrestlers portrayedvillains,heroes, orless distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[5]
AtSuperBrawl II,Sting defeatedLex Luger in the main event to win theWCW World Heavyweight Championship. Also at the event,Dangerous Alliance memberRick Rude successfully defended theUnited States Heavyweight Championship againstRicky Steamboat whileBarry Windham andDustin Rhodes defeated Alliance membersSteve Austin andLarry Zbyszko in a tag team match. On the March 7 episode ofWorld Championship Wrestling, Sting discussed his potential contenders for the title during a SuperBrawl II press conference until Dangerous Alliance interrupted him and Rude threw a drink in Sting's face which led to a brawl between Sting and Dangerous Alliance andNikita Koloff made his return to WCW by coming to Sting's rescue. Steamboat continued his feud with Rude while Windham and Rhodes also resumed their rivalry with Austin and Zbyszko. On the March 21 episode ofWorldwide,Big Van Vader attacked Sting after his match, causing Sting to suffer a rib injury and be out of action. Koloff would reveal his allegiance to Sting on the April 25 episode ofSaturday Night by considering Sting his favorite wrestler. This would lead to aWarGames match between Sting's Squadron (Sting, Nikita Koloff, Barry Windham, Dustin Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat against Dangerous Alliance at WrestleWar.
On the April 11 episode ofSaturday Night,Terry Taylor andGreg Valentine defeatedThe Freebirds (Michael Hayes andJimmy Garvin) in atwo out of three falls match to retain theUnited States Tag Team Championship. Two weeks later, on the April 25 episode ofSaturday Night,Eric Bischoff announced that Taylor and Valentine would be defending the titles against Hayes and Garvin at WrestleWar.
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Commentator | Jim Ross |
| Jesse Ventura | |
| Ring announcer | Gary Michael Cappetta |
| Referees | Bill Alfonso |
| Randy Anderson | |
| Mike Adkins |
The opening bout was atag team match pitting Bob Cook andFirebreaker Chip againstDiamond Dallas Page andThomas Rich. The match was won by Page and Rich. This was adark match which did not air on thepay-per-view broadcast.
The second bout sawWCW United States Tag Team ChampionsGreg Valentine andTerry Taylor defend their titles againstThe Freebirds (Jimmy Garvin andMichael Hayes). The Freebirds won the titles after Garvin gave Taylor aDDT and then pinned him.
The third bout was asingles match betweenJohnny B. Badd andTracy Smothers. Badd won the match by pinfall after knocking Smothers out with apunch.
Following the third bout, a vignette aired in which the Freebirds celebrated winning the WCW United States Tag Team Championship with the returningPrecious.
The fourth bout was a singles match betweenMarcus Alexander Bagwell andScotty Flamingo. Flamingo won the bout by pinfall using aroll-up.
The fifth bout was scheduled to be a tag team match pittingCactus Jack andMr. Hughes againstJunkyard Dog andRon Simmons. However, Cactus Jack attacked Junkyard Dog before the match, leading to the match being changed to a singles match between Hughes and Simmons. Simmons won the match by pinning Hughes following achop block.
The sixth bout was a singles match betweenSuper Invader andTodd Champion. Super Invader won the bout by pinning Champion following apowerbomb.
The seventh bout was a singles match betweenBig Josh andRichard Morton (with Morton replacingThe Diamond Studd, who had departed WCW shortly before WrestleWar '92). Big Josh won the bout by pinfall following adiving seated senton.
The eighth bout sawWCW Light Heavyweight ChampionBrian Pillman defend his title againstTom Zenk. Pillman pinned Zenk using a roll-up to retain his title.
The eighth bout was a tag team match pittingThe Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner andScott Steiner) againstTakayuki Iizuka andTatsumi Fujinami, with the winners to be named the number one contenders for theIWGP Tag Team Championship. The Steiner Brothers won the match when Rick Steiner pinned Iizuka following asuperoverhead belly-to-belly suplex.
The main event was aWarGames match pitting Sting's Squadron (Barry Windham,Dustin Rhodes,Nikita Koloff,Ricky Steamboat, andSting) againstThe Dangerous Alliance (Arn Anderson,Bobby Eaton,Larry Zbyszko,Rick Rude, andSteve Austin). The match ended when Zbyszko accidentally hit Eaton in the shoulder with the metal connector from aturnbuckle, enabling Sting to apply anarmbar to Eaton and force him to submit.
Steiner Brothers received their IWGP Tag Team Championship at aNew Japan Pro-Wrestling show on June 26, 1992, where they defeated Big, Bad and Dangerous (Big Van Vader andBam Bam Bigelow) to win the IWGP Tag Team Championship. On July 5, Steiner Brothers lost theirWCW World Tag Team Championship toTerry Gordy andSteve Williams at a live event.