DUNGEON OF DOOM VS. HULKAMANIACS (WARGAMES)

The Dungeon of Doom is represented by Kamala, Shark, Meng and The Zodiac. Hulk Hogan has rounded up Randy Savage, Sting and Lex Luger for this match. Michael Buffer introduces the match as the cage lowers, with “Mean Gene Okurland providing a voice-over to go over the rules. The match has another stipulation which Michael Buffer announces before the entrances. If The Hulkamaniacs win then The Taskmaster must face Hulk Hogan in the ring for 5 minutes. The Dungeon enters first, for those who don't know The Zodiac is more popularly known as Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, but went through names regularly in WCW. Shark is also the former Earthquake. The Taskmaster is insistent that Hogan won't get his hands on him. Hogan's team come out in war paint and camo for the occasion. Sting was the United States champion at this point, Hogan was also the reigning WCW champion. Even Jimmy Hart, the manager has the camo and paint. Tony Schiovane and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan are on commentary tonight.

DUNGEON OF DOOM VS. THE HULKAMANIACS (WarGames)

WCW Fall Brawl 1995 (17^th September 1995)

   Shark and Sting start the match, Sting walks between the rings, allowing Shark to club him over the back and force him into the corner. Another right hand softens him up before he's sent out to the middle of the ring and Shark just steps over him. He sends Sting into the corner and ties his arm around the rope, biting at him before sending him across the ring. Sting avoids a running splash and goes to work with right hands. Shark avoids a Stinger Splash, escaping to the other ring so Sting launches himself over both sets of ropes to knock him down. Sting slams Shark but pulls his back doing so, since Shark weighs 500 pounds. Sting attempts another slam but Shark's weight brings them both down to the mat, where Shark lays there waiting for a pinfall that's never coming. Shark bearhugs Sting, Sting tries to use the roof of the cage to escape but can't and we're almost halfway through this first period. Sting claps Shark's ears to break the bearhug and bites at his forehead. Shark just throws Sting to the ground and he rolls through to the other ring. Shark tries to charge Sting and clear the ropes but he gets caught hanging over them so Sting walks between the rings and kicks Shark in the gut until he's free. Sting carries on the attack as Shark gets to his feet but a running splash is caught, Shark dumps Sting into the ring and poses for the crowd, straddling the top rope. Sting kicks Shark's legs out from underneath him and crotches him, testing the flexibility of the ropes using Shark's weight and bringing him back into the ring.

Sting kicks Shark in the midsection and sends him into the corner. Sting kicks at the knee of Shark as we see the countdown to the next entrant and brings him down with a chop block. Sting gets a Scorpion deathlock on Shark for the last few seconds and bails to the second ring as The Zodiac enters the match. Sting uses the ceiling of the cage to swing and boot Zodiac with both feet, he keeps coming back getting knocked down on the third attempt but it looked dumb to me. Sting slams The Zodiac but Shark shoves him to the mat before he can apply another Scorpion Deathlock. Shark and Zodiac each hit an elbow drop and Zodiac holds Sting in place for a leg drop as commentary talk about how crucial the one man advantage can be. The Zodiac chokes Sting before Sting is sent off the ropes into a double clothesline. Sting ducks under another double clothesline attempt and a shoulder tackle knocks The Zodiac down, but of course, The Shark doesn't budge so he goes after Sting. Sting is sent into the cage as Randy Savage enters the match, for some reason Hogan felt the need to rip Savage's shirt as he went through the door. Savage knocks The Zodiac down and tries to suplex Shark but rethinks it, kicking him instead. Zodiac gets knocked down into the corner and Savage attacks Shark, fighting 2 on 1 as Sting recovers from his beating.

 

Zodiac tries to attack Savage but gets tripped and turned over for a boston crab. Savage no-sells a shot by Shark as we see the remaining Dungeon members outside grabbing Sting underneath the cage, keeping him in place. Randy Savage chokes Shark over the top rope but The Zodiac seems to tie something around his neck, prying him off Shark. Sting is back in the (War)game attacking Shark and pulling The Zodiac off Savage. Shark evens the odds, if you can call it that, attacking Sting as Schiovane mentions that in 1 minute another Dungeon member will be in there. The Zodiac and Randy Savage exchange rights as Savage gets to his feet, Shark slams Sting but is attacked by Savage. Randy Savage chokes Shark on the mat but the Dungeon members outside pull his leg through the cage, attacking him from the outside. The Zodiac is choking Sting in the middle of the ring as the referee pulls The Taskmaster away, yeah thanks, mate. Take away the least effective attacker. Meng holds Savage's leg as Kamala attacks him but as the countdown nears Kamala makes his way to the door so Meng carries on the attack. Sting has gotten to his feet and clotheslines The Zodiac down. Sting gets height on a pair of elbow drops as Shark sends Savage into the cage. Preparing for Kamala to officially enter the match.

Randy Savage mounts the corner and hits The Zodiac with right hands as Shark holds Sting in place for an attack by Kamala. Kamala chokes Sting with his foot as Shark goes over to help The Zodiac with an atomic drop to Savage. Kamala headbutts Sting as Shark and Zodiac work together to take out Macho Man. Sting rolls through to the other ring, backing all the way into the corner and Kamala follows. Lex Luger looks ready to get in the match, Hogan's team have been hyping the crowd from outside all match as their teammates are being beaten down. Savage is held over the top rope for Shark to knee him in the gut as Sting starts fighting back in the other ring. Shark notices the momentum turning and leaves Savage and Zodiac to fight over who's Hogan's BFF, holding Sting in place for a right hand by Kamala which drops him to the mat. Lex Luger enters the match and knocks The Zodiac down with a brushing clothesline. He almost attacked Savage but the gear did look very similar so it's an easy mistake, I couldn't tell from the camera angle either. Lex Luger ducks a double clothesline and knocks almost a tonne of weight to the mat with a clothesline of his own. Randy Savage has control of The Zodiac in the corner as Lex Luger helps Savage send him into the cage.

 

I don't think I've ever heard Luger get a reaction like in this match. Randy Savage climbs to the top rope but is restricted by the ceiling of War Games, so he pretty much steps down into the ring with an ax handle to Shark. Lex Luger is sending Zodiac's head into every top turnbuckle he can as they all crowd the one ring. Sting is stuck on the top rope for a while until he knocks Kamala down with a clothesline. They brawl around the ring as the camera focuses on The Zodiac choking Luger with his boot and we get another 30-second call. Savage sends Shark into the cage and the whole structure moves about 4 inches from the force. Lex Luger slams Zodiac. The Zodiac gets to his feet but drops to avoid a clothesline, sending Luger into Savage! They brawl between themselves and Sting tries to break it up as Meng is free to enter the match. Meng comes in hot, attacking all three men alone for a short while. The Zodiac rips Luger's shirt from his back and Shark takes Savage into the empty ring. Kamala is choking Luger with his own shirt as he sends him into the turnbuckle and Hogan cheers his team on. The Zodiac and Meng double team Sting in one corner as Kamala chokes Luger in the other. Meng and Kamala swap places, so Meng chokes Luger and Kamala chops at Sting with The Zodiac holding him as an open target.

 

Sting escapes his attackers as we pan out to see Shark send Savage into the cage. Meng comes over to fight with Sting and Kamala and The Zodiac take Luger to the other ring, far away from Hogan. Sting chokes Meng as Hulk Hogan enters the match, meaning a submission will end the match from this point. He starts throwing powder in The Zodiac, Meng and Kamala's faces! He attacks Shark with right hands and goes back to The Zodiac, who is between the rings. Zodiac bounces back off the ropes with each right hand as Hogan's team takes over. Hogan chops Shark but it has no effect, Luger sends Kamala into the corner Randy Savage switches rings as Hogan repeatedly slams The Zodiac's head into the turnbuckle from between the rings. Savage and Sting send Meng into the cage as Heenan tells The Taskmaster he needs to get his team in the corner for a pep talk. There's a lot of brawling that's hard to follow but Hogan sends The Zodiac into the cage and Sting is left alone with Meng in one ring. Shark brings Savage in the ring the hard way after being choked in the corner. Lex Luger and Hulk Hogan send Kamala into the cage, then a second time across the ring. Shark and Meng double team Sting until Hogan makes the save. The Zodiac and Kamala are left alone in one ring until Hogan joins them. He locks a camel clutch on The Zodiac who eventually gives up amongst a lot of confusion.

WINNERS: THE HULKAMANIACS

It's difficult to rate War Games, there is so much going on and so little you can see sometimes. On paper, this was “Hogan's All-Stars vs. Who we could find” and it ended up that way too. A lot of basic wrestling and brawling with a terrible, confusing finish. The payoff didn't really happen and it brought out the one member of The Dungeon of Doom that people wanted to see near the end. This was a blot on the legacy of the War Games match. – WORKRATE: 1.5/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 2/5 OVERALL 3.5f/10

The Taskmaster tries to escape but is forced back to ringside. Sting lays his hands on him and forces him through the door awkwardly. The door is closed and Taskmaster tries to beg off but Hogan gets him, he wraps a shirt around The Taskmaster's neck and sends him into the cage wall. I watch The Taskmaster getting repeatedly sent into the cage and feel this could be a looooong five minutes. The Taskmaster tries to escape through the door and up to the roof, but Hogan follows him sending him into the cage from the outside too. The Taskmaster is sent into the ring again. Hogan knocks The Taskmaster down and unwraps his tape, choking Sullivan. The Taskmaster is sent into the ropes and runs into a big boot as we see The Giant making his way to the ring. He picks Nick Patrick up, placing him out of the way and Patrick falls on his arse. The Giant uses the ceiling to clear the top rope in an athletic moment that is criminally underrated from his career. The Giant vaults both sets of ropes and chokes Hogan out, Hogan tries to fight back with right hands but they make no difference. The Giant begins choking Hogan again, dropping him to his knees and cranks his neck. Hulk Hogan's teammates return as The Giant and The Taskmaster leave.