29 May, 2018

STEINER BROTHERS VS. STING & LEX LUGER

This match was voted PWI Match of the Year for 1991. Next year Sting would be challenging Luger for the world title, similar to Butch Reed challenging Ron Simmons in the previous match. Jim Ross and “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes are on commentary tonight. Sting and Luger enter as a united tag team, Lex is currently the United States champion, making Sting the only man in the match without a way to keep his tights up. Rick Steiner is wearing his belt backwards during the entrances. There really isn't a favourite in this match from the crowd. Rhodes calls the match intense as Jim Ross notes that The Steiner brothers are also the IWGP tag team champions in Japan.

STEINER BROTHERS VS. STING & LEX LUGER (WCW World Tag Team Championships)
WCW SuperBrawl (19th May 1991)


All four men shake hands before Lex Luger starts us off with Rick Steiner. A collar-elbow tie-up goes nowhere productive. Another attempt gives Rick a chance to send Luger back into the corner, but it's a clean break. Steiner covers half the ring backing up, then gets taken over by the first arm drag in Lex Luger's career Rick Steiner is having none of that, slipping into a waistlock on Luger who scrambles to the ropes. There's another clean break, with neither man particularly eager to make the first move as they get back to their feet. Lex Luger takes Rick Steiner down with a headlock and I did type that correctly. Steiner reverses with a headscissors forcing Luger to kick out. Back to their feet again, but not for long as Steiner picks Luger up and dumps him with another waistlock on the mat. Luger uses the ropes to escape again, luckily this is over a decade from Ring of Honor's Pure rules. Lex Luger backs Rick into the ropes for another break. Lex Luger goes back to the headlock, but Rick Steiner shoves him away, Steiner tries a shoulder tackle but Luger sends him spinning. Lex Luger sends Steiner across the ring, lifts him up for a slam and covers for a nearfall.

Rick Steiner is sent from corner to corner but gets out of Luger's way. Rick Steiner drops Luger with a Steinerline which gets him 2, a normal clothesline would only have got him a 1 count at most. Steiner sends Luger into the turnbuckles, Luger staggers out into a backdrop, Lex is brought to his feet again and is sent into the corner for the second time, this time Luger charges out with a clothesline which Rick Steiner runs into, knocking his head into the third row as the rest of him rotates in the air. Lex Luger sends Steiner overhead and slams him down from a military press then tagging out to Sting. Sting clotheslines Rick over the top rope so Scott drops to the floor to check on his brother. Sting gets a run-up, sending himself over the top rope with a splash to Rick Steiner. Sting takes it back into the ring as Dream says there's nothing like it in the world. Sting hits a leg drop bulldog type move (like an early Fame Asser) but that seems to fire Rick Steiner up. Sting kicks him in the gut and lifts Rick Steiner into a high cross before driving him into the corner. A Stinger Splash misses as Jim Ross mentions the two legal men being a tag team a few years ago, although the match makes it seem like a lifetime.

Scott Steiner gets the hot tag, hitting a sitout tigerbomb on Sting. Scott Steiner sends Sting across the ring, it looked like Sting got a headscissors but he's slammed to the mat after a tilt-a-whirl. Scott Steiner celebrates on the corner but it gives Sting time to recover. Sting reverses an irish whip and hotshots Steiner off the top rope. Luger tags back in to hit a vertical suplex before handing it back to Sting. Scott Steiner hits an inverted atomic drop and sits Sting on the top turnbuckle. Scott climbs up to join him, bringing him back in the ring with a belly to belly suplex. Steiner covers but Sting kicks out at 2 ½. Scott Steiner puts Sting back in the corner but Sting gets out of the way of a running Steinerline, sending Scott over the top rope to the apron right in front of commentary. Lex Luger gets the tag, bringing Steiner back in the ring with a vertical suplex and covering for 1. Scott Steiner is sent across the ring but sends Luger over in what I presume was planned to be a Northern Lights suplex, but ended up as a takedown. Lex Luger picks up a running Scott Steiner in a military press and slams him back down to the mat. Lex Luger signals for the Torture Rack like Dusty's been begging for all match. Scott Steiner counters it into a Russian leg sweep leaving both men down.

Lex Luger doesn't notice that Rick Steiner got the tag, sending Scott across the ring into a back elbow. Rick hits a Steinerdog from the top rope Rick Steiner drops an elbow and covers for 2. Sting comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick from behind, drawing Scott into the ring. Sting got the tag but the referee didn't see it so he can't call it. Rick Steiner turns his attention to Sting but Luger blindsides him in the confusion. Rick brawls with Luger and they both go down, staying there until 6. Rick rests near his corner but Scott waits for Sting to enter the match before tagging himself in. They exchange right hands until Sting slams Steiner to the mat. Sting sends Scott across the ring but ducks early. Scott Steiner clubs at Sting's back and lifts him for a tombstone, Sting kicks his legs and reverses positions before spiking Steiner. Sting covers best he can but Rick is there to break it up. Luger chases Rick Steiner, knocking him out of the ring and taking the referee with them. Sting hits a Stinger Splash on Scott Steiner in the ring as Rhodes mentions that they are the legal men. Nikita Koloff runs down to the ring with a chain around his arm. He aims for Lex Luger with the Russian Sickle but Sting shoves his partner out of the way, taking the hit. Scott Steiner crawls for the cover to end the match.

WINNERS: THE STEINER BROTHERS ( STILL WCW World Tag Team Champions)

Although it isn't really saying a lot, the opening minutes of this match are the best I've seen of Lex Luger, he actually wrestled, as in, did moves! The crowd ate it all up and until the finish I can see why it's so fondly remembered. Overbooking killed it in my opinion and we didn't see Steiners and the challengers go full throttle because of it. I don't know where this lead but I hope it was worth dragging these four down tonight. – WORKRATE: 2/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 1/5 OVERALL 3/10

The Russian Sickle with chain busted Sting open, he tries to explain to his frustrated partner and the Steiners what happened before running after Koloff. They brawl backstage, out to the parking lot where Sting chases Koloff off with a chair.


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