BRIAN PILLMAN VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT

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BRIAN PILLMAN VS. RICKY STEAMBOAT

WCW Halloween Havoc (25^th October 1992)

This match is available on the WWE: Wrestling's Highest Flyers DVD release. The DVD is presented by Josh Matthews and has chapters on different high flyers featuring a match for each. This is Ricky Steamboat's feature match and the first match on the DVD. Commentary for this match is handled by Jim Ross and

We begin with Steamboat's entrance, Brian Pillman is already in the ring. We get writing on our screen announcing this is a “Special Challenge match” and has a 20-minute time limit. One fall to a finish. There's a sign saying “Return of Watts, return of wrestling” and that instantly makes me fear for this match. It's a reference to “Cowboy” Bill Watts returning to book the company, and he wasn't a high flyer fan. The bell begins the match and Steamboat walks Pillman back to the corner on a lockup. Pillman switches positions with Steamboat and hits him with a jab setting up for a pair of chops. Steamboat shoots one back and grabs a side headlock. Pillman shoves him off but goes down on a shoulder block, Steamboat covers but only gets 1. Another running shoulder block gets Steamboat 2, by sense of this pattern Steamboat tries a third time, instead of getting the 3 though he gets sent over the top rope by Pillman. Steamboat skins the cat back into the ring and JR says if he'd not have done so it would have been a disqualification. Steamboat grabs a waistlock and sends Pillman into the turnbuckle before bringing him back for the O'Connor roll, Pillman kicks out at 2 and sends Steamboat into the turnbuckle.

Pillman scoop slams Steamboat and poses for the crowd, Steamboat gets to his feet but sees Pillman's back turned. Steamboat plays possum and brings Pillman down into an armbar, Steamboat keeps the pressure locked in as he gets to his feet, and keeps himself above Pillman. Pillman eventually makes it to his own feet and brings Steamboat back to the ropes, Pillman pulls Steamboat's hair and sends him across the ring. Steamboat knocks Pillman down but Pillman's quickly back to his feet, Steamboat blocks the hip toss and hits one of his own. Pillman runs into an arm drag and Steamboat again grabs Pillman's shoulder. Steamboat moves his focus down Pillman's arm to his wrist. Pillman gets to his feet but Steamboat lifts him off the mat and drops him. Steamboat goes back to the shoulder, but Pillman hits a drop toe hold to counter it. Pillman transitions into a side headlock on the mat but Steamboat quickly reverses into a hammerlock. Steamboat knees at Pillman's arm, and brings him to his feet. Pillman hits Steamboat with hard forearms, sending him staggering back to the ropes.

Steamboat fires back at him with more vicious chops and sends him across the ring sending him overhead for a back body drop. Steamboat slams Pillman, and Pillman headbutts Steamboat from his knees. Pillman goes for Steamboat's eyes to get back to his feet and gets a running start, sending Steamboat's head crashing to the mat. Pillman attacks Steamboat with a clubbing blow to the back when he gets to his feet. I see a lot of ECW regulars here so I'm presuming this show is in Philly. Pillman chokes Steamboat on the top rope and slingshots him across the ring. “Brian sucks” chant as Pillman beats on Steamboat with right hands before sending him across the ring. Pillman ducks too early on a back body drop and Steamboat leap frogs him. Steamboat lifts Brian up for a choke and drops him at 4, and the fans love him breaking the rules. Steamboat sends the back of Pillman's head into the canvas. Pillman uses the ropes to get up and Steamboat hits a hard chop. Steamboat tries to send Pillman across the ring but Pillman drops to one knee, Steamboat tries from the other side and Pillman does the same. The referee has to check on Pillman in case it's exhaustion and Steamboat backs away.

PILLMAN WAS PLAYING POSSUM! He attacks Steamboat from behind after stalling (amazing work there from Pillman) Pillman brags about how smart he is before going back to attacking Steamboat. He rubs his face into the mat and follows it up with right hands. Again Steamboat getting to the ropes before he gets to his feet and chopping away at Pillman (does the top rope give Steamboat powers or something?) before sending him into the top turnbuckle head first. Irish whip by Steamboat but Pillman comes back with a flying headscissors and gets a nearfall! Back in 1992 that was nuts, and JR sells it as such. Pillman chokes Steamboat on the middle rope and sends him across the ring. Steamboat blocks another hip toss attempt and hooks Pillman up in a backslide, he gets Pillman's shoulders down but Pillman kicks out at 2. Pillman's first to his feet and he uses Steamboat's hair to send him down to the mat. Pillman chokes Steamboat out utilizing the 5 count. Pillman perches Steamboat on the top rope and climbs up to the second. Steamboat blocks a superplex attempt and lifts Pillman before dropping him to the mat. Steamboat steps inside to the second rope (top rope moves were illegal at this point in WattsCW) and leaps off, but that extra second gave Pillman time to recover and he catches Steamboat with a dropkick! Pillman covers for a close nearfall. Two more immediate covers have the same result before he gets up to argue with the referee.

Steamboat hits Steamboat with a standing back suplex! Both men are down, but get to their feet at 6. Steamboat hits a hard right hand, but Pillman reverses the irish whip and Steamboat runs into a sleeper. Pillman jumps on Steamboat's back. Steamboat walks around the ring, but he's fading. Steamboat locates the corner and desperately charges for it, ducking and sending Pillman's head into the turnbuckle. Pillman still has hold so Steamboat runs to the other corner, this time Pillman can't hold on. Pillman slides under the bottom rope and re-applies it over the top rope, before slingshotting Steamboat's head off it. Pillman climbs to the top rope from the apron but Steamboat gets him with a right hand. Steamboat sends Pillman across the ring and Pillman begs off before deciding to leave the ring again. Steamboat brings Pillman back in but Pillman cuts Steamboat off with a knee-lift as he tries to get in. Pillman hits a pair of hard chops before sending Steamboat into the top turnbuckle. Pillman hits a chop and Steamboat replies with one of his own. Steamboat wins the chop battle, forcing Pillman across the ring and knocking him down. Pillman again vacates the ring and Steamboat follows him out. Steamboat hits Pillman's head on the apron this time before sending him back in. Pillman tries the knee lift again but Steamboat trips him.

Steamboat back in the ring now and he irish whips Pillman into the corner, Pillman gets his knee up this time for Steamboat to run into and Pillman climbs to the middle rope. Pillman hits a cross body press, Steamboat tries to keep him up, but they drop to the mat and Pillman gets a nearfall. Pillman tries to slam Steamboat but Steamboat sneaks out the back and hits one of his own. Steamboat hits a sunset flip off the top rope! Pillman reverses at 2, rolling Steamboat up but Steamboat rolls through again! 1, 2, 3!

WINNER: RICKY STEAMBOAT

The opening minute of this match was a lot quicker pace than I was expecting for the time, even for these two athletes. It went at lightning pace and neither man let up. Even Steamboat slowly grinding away at Pillman's shoulder at the beginning never lasted long enough in one move to get boring. They quickly went to the high risk moves and Pillman got to a point where he knew he couldn't even cheat to beat Steamboat so he'd try to walk out of the match. Steamboat adding more damage the second time around of putting Pillman back in the ring was nice short-term continuity in the match, and both man got plenty of time to shine. I'm not sure Steamboat really had a prime, he never got out of it. The man is ageless, and that helped make Pillman look good in this match when he had control if not of the match then of the pace, which was a good majority of the short match. – Rating: 5.6/10