Hulk Hogan recently signed for WCW with a ticker-tape parade at Disney MGM Studios and this is his in-ring debut for the company.
Before the match, Michael Buffer brings out Nick Bockwinkel
and we have an awkward pause, ahhh live television. Buffer announces him again
as he walks to the ring. Shaquille O'Neal gets a colossal ovation since he played
for Orlando Magic at this time. Ric Flair makes his way out first with Sherri,
Hulk Hogan has Mr. T and Jimmy Hart with him and they all stay in the ring for
the special introductions.
Bobby “The Brain”
Heenan and Tony Schiavone are on commentary for this match.
RIC FLAIR VS.
HULK HOGAN (WCW Championship)
WCW Bash at the Beach 1994 (17th July 1994)
They
take their time circling the ring and soak in the crowd before Flair shoves
Hogan. Hulk Hogan goes to lock up, Flair grabs a headlock and is sent off the ropes.
Hulk Hogan knocks him down with a shoulder tackle.
That’s enough for the crowd to explode as
Flair backs Hogan into the corner. Flair is shoved across the ring and he
complains about hair pulling. Ric Flair avoids a lock-up and struts as Heenan
says he’ll put Hogan over through the match so he’ll feel even better when
Flair wins. Hogan ducks under a lock-up attempt and mocks Flair’s strut to a
massive pop. Ric Flair puts on a headlock and transitions into a
hammerlock before picking up Hogan’s leg to send him to the mat. Flair puts Hogan
in an arm wringer as he gets to his knees. When Hogan gets to his feet Flair immediately
brings him back down, pulling the hair. Hulk Hogan takes Flair down by the hair
and I’m gonna throw in a reminder here that there are 17 World Championships
between them. Hulk Hogan takes Flair down in an armbar! What the fuck!? Japan
Hogan came to play, Flair’s shoulders are down for 2 but he kicks out and gets
to his feet in the hold, dragging his boot across Hogan’s face. Ric Flair
powders to the floor and hides behind Sherri, taking his time to get back in.
They lock up and Hogan gets the headlock,
into a hammerlock and he trips Flair with a drop toehold. Ric Flair scrambles
to the ropes to break it. Flair charges but gets sent into the top turnbuckle,
Hogan knocks him down with right hands. Flair is sent into the corner and squashed
with a clothesline, so we get the Flair Flop into begging off combo. Ric Flair
is sent off the ropes but bails outside to avoid the Big Boot. The crowd are
reacting to everything in this match. Flair hides behind Sherri again, Hogan
moves her out of the way and Flair is back in the ring. Hogan follows and is
caught with boots to the face. Flair chops Hogan in the corner, they walk
around the ring as Flair gets in more chops and right hands. Hogan is taken
down with a snapmare and he avoids the knee drop. Flair begs off into the
corner, Hogan climbs the ropes inside and bites Flair’s head before the mounted
punches. Hogan sends Flair into the corner and he stumbles out into a clothesline.
Hogan introduces Flair’s head to the turnbuckles and connects with right hands
to a wobbly Flair. Hulk Hogan hits the ropes and Sherri grabs his ankle,
giving Flair a chance to get in a cheap shot.
A chop sends Hogan over to the floor, Sherri
grabs a chair but can’t fold it, Jimmy Hart grabs the chair from her and Brain
tells Hart to be careful. Flair kicks Hogan from the apron and sends his
head into the guard rail before bringing it back to the ring. We get a wide shot
of the arena as the fans rally behind Hogan and come back to the ring as Flair
hits an ax handle from the top rope. The champion shows some love to Hank
Aaron, Bill Shaw and Antonio Inoki who are sat at ringside before hitting the
knee drop. Hogan is sent into the corner but he blocks the right hand and
connects with one of his own. Hogan absorbs the chops and fights out of the
corner. Flair begs off but Hogan keeps advancing and connects with a right
hand, knocking Flair down. Ric Flair trips Hogan into a cover and gets his feet
on the ropes but Hogan kicks out. Flair chops Hogan in the corner but Hogan
reverses the irish whip, sending Flair into the turnbuckles and clotheslines
him down.
Hulk Hogan
covers and gets 2. Ric Flair snapmares Hogan down into a chinlock. We get a
wide shot of the crowd as Hogan fights to his feet, but Flair keeps it locked
in and Hogan fades again, going down to the mat. After about 2 minutes in the
hold, Randy Anderson checks Hogan’s arm, he fights it on number 3 and he Hulks
up! Hulk Hogan breaks free with elbows and knocks Flair down with shoulder
blocks. Flair begs off into the corner but gets peppered with right hands. Hogan
sends Flair into the corner and he goes over to the apron, Hogan clotheslines Flair
down to the arena floor. Hogan ducks a right hand and drops Flair with a back
suplex on the floor. Flair is brought back in the ring with a suplex and Hogan
calls for the Leg Drop but Flair rolls out of the way. Flair goes for the
Figure Four but Hogan rolls him p for 2.
Hulk Hogan kicks off more attempts at the
Figure Four Leglock but Ric Flair suplexes him. HOGAN POPS BACK UP! Fuck your
suplex! Hulk Hogan connects with 3 right hands and sends Flair off the ropes
into a Big Boot 1, 2, Sherri pulls the referee from the ring and sends him into
the guard rail. He should be out for about a month on ref bump standards. Sherri
knocks down Jimmy Hart with her shoe as Flair chop blocks Hogan in the ring. Sherri
hits a splash from the top rope on Hogan as Nick Patrick runs down to
finish the match. Ric Flair puts on the Figure Four Leglock, forcing Hogan to
fight to the ropes. Flair has the referee distracted as Sherri wraps her
stocking around Hogan’s throat and rakes his eyes. Flair kicks at Hogan’s leg
as Hogan gets to his feet. Ric Flair connects with chops in the corner and
Hogan just walks through the attack. Hogan connects with right hands and sends Flair
into the turnbuckles but runs into a back elbow. Sherri eats shit on a splash
attempt from the top rope, Hogan slams Flair down from the top rope on the
other side.
Hulk Hogan runs through them both with what I could diplomatically call clotheslines. Hogan puts Flair in the Figure Four as Sherri and Jimmy Hart both jump to the apron. Sherri throws something in the ring as Flair is out of the hold and he scrambles for it as Hogan knocks Sherri from the apron into Mr. T’s arms. Mr. T walks off with Sherri as Flair hits Hogan with the brass knuckles. 1, 2, Hogan kicks out. We get a hat-trick for Hulking Up sequences, Flair’s strikes are just exerting energy at this point. He runs into a shoulder tackle from Hogan.
The three punches back Flair into the ropes and he’s sent across the ring into the
Big Boot. Hogan follows with the Leg Drop to win his first WCW Championship.
WINNER: HULK HOGAN (NEW WCW
World Champion)
They didn’t have to do much in this match,
they could have played chess in the middle of the match and they would have gotten
the same reaction. As it was they worked towards their greatest hits and although
it could have been tightened up and the brass knuckles were a touch too much
fuckery for my liking it was a decent match and the biggest in WCW up to that
point. [**½] 5.5/10
After the match Shaq presents the WCW Championship belt to
Hogan and he celebrates, because in 1994 WCW HOGAN. MUST. POSE!
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