Welcome to the Armpit wrestling quiz for Monday, December 29, 2008.  For our last quiz of 2008, we’ll continue on with Part 6 of our quiz on “Clash of the Champions.” 

Answers from last time:

-Clash #18 saw the debut of Jesse Ventura as WCW’s new color commentator.  Ventura ended up being a highly paid employee during WCW’s dark years, but on this show he made a big impact.

-In the days leading up to SuperBrawl ’92, WCW champion Lex Luger made it well known his last match would be at that show.  It wasn’t common knowledge among the audience members like it would be today, but it was big news and a few weeks later he debuted with Vince McMahon’s World Bodybuilding Federation.

-The theme of Clash #19 was the NWA tag team tournament.  WCW brought in top talent from all over the world, almost guaranteeing a great show.  While it didn’t live up to expectations, the show was still good and it showcased some future legends.

-At Clash #19, Benoit and Wellington lost to Jushin Liger and Brian Pillman.  It was one of those matches, like so many, that make you so sad when you think about where three of those four guys are now.

-The Clash #19 tournament ended up being won by Terry Gordy and Steve Williams.  They were the perfect two guys for Watts to push, if you know the kind of athlete Watts liked to push.

-Clash #20, the 20^th anniversary of pro wrestling on TBS, was held at Center Stage in Atlanta, GA.

-At Clash #20, Bill Watts caved in to pressure from the fans and had fans vote on a hotline if they wanted the top rope ban rescinded.  The funniest part was Ventura clarifying with Jim Ross what rescinded meant, fearing the fans at home may not know the definition of that word.  Of course the fans voted overwhelmingly to remove the ban, as anyone with common sense could predict.

-At Clash #20, Hercules was called Super Invader.

-Clash #20 was the final U.S. televised appearance of Andre the Giant.

-Clash #21 was notable for the U.S. debut of Too Cold Scorpio.  He debuted the 450 splash and got over very well, and there was a period of time where you wouldn’t dare miss a Scorpio match for fear of missing a cool new move.  

Here are this week's questions.  No winners will be declared. We're just doing this for fun and to honor the forgotten world of wrestling history.

1.  Clash #22 brings us to 1993, and it was also the final show for both Jim Ross and Bill Watts.  Ross was later demoted at the same time Schiavone was promoted, and eventually Ross left for the WWF.  As bad as Watts’ booking reign was, he seemed to be kind of getting it toward the end.  This show, and a couple TV tapings afterward, showed glimpses of things that could have been great if given time to develop.  Clash #22 featured the babyface turn of this man, which was one of the reasons things started to look upward.

2.  Hardcore fans were very much looking forward to Clash #23.  Why?  Because it featured the long-awaited return of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.  Flair returned to WCW at SuperBrawl ’93, but stayed out of the ring, mainly doing some “A Flair for the Gold” segments for TV.  This show was the climax of a long building feud between Flair, Arn Anderson, and whom?

3.  Unfortunately, Clash #23 didn’t do a good rating, which was a huge disappointment.  Yes, it took place during the summer, but I can’t explain the lack of rating other than WCW was so cold at this point that nothing would have worked.  Another match on this card was a total throwback to 1980s NWA, and it was, in fact, for the NWA title.  Whom did Too Cold Scorpio wrestle on this show in a very good match?

4.  Marking the end of summer was Clash #24, which featured lots of cheap, new talent that WCW’s bookers thought would liven things up and cut costs.  For some reason (possibly curiosity over some of the new talent), this show did a very good rating.  Vader vs. Davey Boy Smith headlined the show, following Smith’s departure from the WWF over drug usage (Smith was a huge UK draw but Vince was clamping down on hard on drugs because he was being investigated).  After the match, Cactus Jack returned.  Why did he disappear in the first place?

5.  One of the all-time great bloopers took place at Clash #24, as what wrestler came, um, bursting through the wall of the set of “A Flair for the Gold?”

6.  Foreshadowing Starrcade ’93, what was the main event of Clash #25?

7.  Clash #26 started 1994 off on a flat note, but it did feature the non-wrestling debut of one of pro wrestling’s all time legends.  Name him.

8.  WCW was still dying at this point, but with Eric Bischoff at the helm for about a year, they were about to turn the corner with the impending signing of Hulk Hogan.  Clash #27 marked the end of the pre-Hogan era, featuring WCW’s old standby main event: Ric Flair vs. Sting.  This match was the unification of what two championships?

Answers will be posted next time.

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