Sting's Star-Making Match! NWA Clash of the Champions 1 Review

[@Mastabuilda212]

I'm gonna guess Stingtember leads to Brocktoberfest

[@John_Smith77]

Or RockTober.

[@FLoridianJoshua]

I was thinking PunkTober

[@RaulSHermano]

Or Ortober

[@warreneidson5639]

Oh please do either Rocktober or Brocktoberfest

[@Luchabul]

Then RhyNovember, RhoDesember ...

[@JeremyForTheWin]

these 80s PPV reviews really makes you appreciate how long some people have been in the business. Schiavone and JR (and Teddy Long and Cornette) being around for the beginning of Stings career and still working today is amazing.

[@DaisuSaikoro]

Cornette isn't working in the industry anymore.

[@JeremyForTheWin]

@@DaisuSaikoro he's got a podcast, that counts.

[@morganmcgovern3125]

​@@JeremyForTheWinno it doesn't

[@JayJackson1981]

​@@morganmcgovern3125 A wrestling podcast that's about wrestling 🤔

[@morganmcgovern3125]

@JayJackson1981 he's not contributing anything to the industry. People could be actually watching wrestling instead of listening to his podcast.

[@DLRX]

10:37 Damn it, Brian. When you're not doing a hilarious Terry Funk impression (God rest his soul), you're doing a LMFAO Nikita Koloff impression. Well done, sir.

[@joshparnell7755]

Sting v Flair at Clash 1 is one of my all time favorite matches. The forty-five minutes flies by, because they keep such a quick pace through the whole match.

[@rscotta831]

The 1st Clash was hands down the GOAT card. BOTH the World Tag Team match and the World Title match are the best tag team and singles matches I've ever seen. To have them on one card just insane. I've watched those two matches dozens of times and they never get old. To add in the two GOAT announcers, Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross calling these matches, made these matches even more electric. Easily 5 stars for these two matches. Midnight Express vs the Fantastics an awesome 4-star match. Legendary card.

[@smyersfishingadventures]

Flair gets a lot of crap (some very deservingly), but he could make pretty much anyone look like a million dollars, and for excellent wrestlers he could help turn them into stars just like that. Flair jobbed more than a lot of other champions, and it needs to be mentioned that not many wrestlers could/would do the insane travel/work that went along with being NWA champion.

[@bronstet]

A friend of mine after watching a Ric Flair vs. a well past his prime Sgt Slaughter match on WWF Superstars in 1992 marveled to me that Flair could have a match with a broomstick and make the broomstick look like a future world champion.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

He gets crap mainly for his personal life and the last 30 years or so of his career, but anyone with a brain is aware that Ric was the greatest worker of the entire 80's. Nobody worked harder than Ric.

[@closethockeyfan5284]

​@@jonathanturbide2232Exactly. Brilliant inside the wrestling world, concerning in the rest of the world.

[@BedlamInThePentagram]

I wonder why Scott Steiner got buried in 91

[@mike04574]

@@jonathanturbide2232last 20 years

[@riskybitness]

The Sting/Flair match here is one of my all time favorite matches. It's just this incredible epic match, over 40 minutes, and it's a real hero vs. villain story. Throughout the match Flair gets his ass kicked, cheats to turn the tide, then desperately tries to outwit his much stronger challenger. They don't do matches like this anymore. Sting is still my absolute favorite wrestler to this day. He has something special that I think no one else has ever had before or since.

[@patrickreeves4650]

one of the greatest nights of my life. I will never forget seeing sting become a wrestling star.

[@TheNickTokio]

New Leave it to Beaver was the bomb!! Brian you are absolutely right; returning cast was spot on and the show had heart. Fun sitcom. Used to watch on YTV as a kid. As usual, great review and excellent bonus review.

[@MEEZLEMONSTER]

It used to come on The Disney Channel in the mid 80's, if I remember correctly. And it was probably my introduction to generational nostalgia bait. 7-year-old me found it pretty impressive then, only because I didn't know I'd be bombarded with it 40 years later...

[@Mickey-v7p]

The night in which Steve Borden aka Sting got elevated to the big time thanks to Ric Flair "He may not be winning the strap but at least, I could make this guy look like a million bucks" -Ric Flair

[@frankf684]

So Richard Fliehr elevated Steve Borden?

[@charlesgrybosky1916]

Oh yes, I soooo remember this!!!!! I was all of 14 at the time and my younger brother and I were totally convinced Sting was going to take the title from that SOB Ric Flair! Words can't say how much I loathed Flair at the time. He represented every big mouth who made life miserable for me with impunity because he had an entourage of bigger meathead friends. Sting was going to kick his ass and take that 10lbs of gold. They both looked like a million bucks

[@charlottecorday8494]

This comment is why Flair is one of the greatest. I grew up in a FIERCELY WWF household just because my dad hated Flair for the exact same reasons. When Flair came to the WWF with that gold belt I seriously thought my dad was going to ban wrestling altogether, he was SO mad. Bless him ♥️♥️♥️

[@jamescarey2912]

Awesome match with a submission-time runs out finish I had never seen until then. But that belt is Big Gold and not the 10lbs version :-) On the other side, WMIV was absolute $hit outside of Macho's win.... so Hogan could go film that Academy Award winning classic, NO HOLDS BARRED, brother!

[@penskepc2374]

​@@charlottecorday8494that's probably more hate than they're going for, when you just straight up change the the channel 😂

[@jknight1984]

One thing I noticed about this event YEARS before I knew about filming techniques in wrestling was that most of the action was shot from the ringside cameramen rather than having a hard cam. It just was something that stood out to me.

[@bronstet]

Yes, it really does help with the immersiveness. It makes you feel like you are actually IN the ring with the wrestlers themselves, almost as a second referee with a POV reference.

[@unstablebrother]

Speaking of camera work that stands out, I think NJPW has the best curently

[@makaveli4205]

Ya the camera work sucks now. WWE goes overboard with it. I liked how ecw did their shows. Just lower budget.

[@119Agent]

I agree, more ringside and less hard cam. Not sure he ringside is used less now.

[@EmperorMAR]

I originally saw this show on a taped off tv VHS tape I bought at a flea market that used to be a Drive in around 1998. I was very surprised at the barbed wire match too & loved the main event. It was cool to see such an important night in history from a time I would have been to young to remember

[@mr._the7651]

I think the best part of the Sting Flair Match is that near the end flair chops sting, sting no sells, flair stats begging and sting repeatedly hits the emote button asthe crowd loses their minds. An absolute Blast of a match.

[@EssexAggiegrad2011]

That was a spot they did a lot

[@mr._the7651]

@@EssexAggiegrad2011 and it works everytime

[@jeremy1831]

I love seeing reviews of shows from the late 80s and early 90s.

[@Cloud121D]

Okay, this is one of your most hilarious reviews ever for me. The delayed "Rolls On..." at the beginning, the "Okay bye!!", and your absolutely perfect, spot on Nikita Kolloff impersonation. Well done Brian!!! Oh and, I have lost count how many times I have watched this show. Such a historic night, and just an overall extremely fun and well done show. WCW FOR LIFE!!!!

[@mspacely6521]

One of the most consistently entertaining channels on all of KZbin. Thanks Brian

[@billblaski9523]

You're welcome

[@t.r4849]

Bro that Tully/Dusty Rhodes scene in the beginning looked real as hell That's crazy how much of a shoot that looks like. That's when they cared about making this ish look real

[@pepito2847]

I watched the match between Sting and Flair at the first Clash Of Champions when the best of Clash Of Champions collection hosted by Dusty Rhodes (RIP 😢) was still on Netflix It was 2012 and it was the year I was getting into wrestling and I loved educating myself on the history and classic moments

[@jeffreypridemore100]

As a boy who has been a Sting mark for almost 30 years, the Sting month being my birthday month just feels right

[@walterhager8626]

Loved the combo of Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane as the midnight express

[@HammerBolt]

"OR WILL HE?!?!?" Laughed way to hard at that!

[@tomclark362]

Best part of the midnight rider was dusty not even trying to fool people.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Great review, thanks Brian. Sting's performance that night was almost paranormal, it's like the guy magically became a 5 stars worker in one night, I've never seen a guy becoming that great that quickly ever since. True classic. ⚡️👍🏻

[@jasonray8702]

Aye. Sting was sooooo over at that time. The crowd was eating up everything he did. Sting has always been in my top 3, probably my favorite all-time wrestler but in retrospect and being a little wiser to the business I have to give it to Flair as he was the perfect dance partner to help elevate Sting to that next level from mid-carder to SUPERSTAR. Their main event matches are always a treat to go back to.

[@tommylovesstuff]

Hoping for a one off d’lOCTOBER where we show the highlights of D’Lo Brown. Let’s take a look at the real deal now !! 😆

[@Kaltagstar96]

Considering what an underrated worker D'Lo is, I honestly think that'd be pretty fucking cool.

[@stevejamieson8468]

I enjoyed D'Lo's run with the NOD and his time as WWE European Champion. I always felt so bad for with what happened to Droz.

[@zubrhero5270]

The running gag that Brian gets interrupted by his own graphics/edits/characters will always be hilarious. "IT'S STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!"

[@alexgeorge501]

This was a legendary PPV in the annals of the NWA, thanks for sharing this sweet nugget of wrestling history!

[@chromedonut2441]

That Nikita Koloff impression is hilarious,

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Best part 😂

[@closethockeyfan5284]

About 10% Russian, 35% Schwarzenegger, 55% Tazmanian Devil😂

[@QUACOSTREET]

Absolutely loved it.

[@bronstet]

Nice review, Brian. Really fond memories of watching this air live. Had the Fantastics won clean as they should have, the show would be an A+.

[@jasoncoward-aintscared]

I can still remember watching that live. I was 11 years old. As a kid, this was my favorite match. I can still remember getting pissed at my dad when he called it fake. The irony of it all. While the results are predetermined and they're not literally beating each other to death every night, they are still the toughest sonsabitches on Earth.

[@psychorabbitt]

Young me definitely was a fan of the Leave it to Beaver sequel, especially having watched reruns of the original as a kid. If I remember right, Eddie Haskell was a smarmy real estate developer in that one.

[@deputay]

Plus his real-life son on the show, a perfect mimic of his dad's actions on the original series!

[@scotttrammell3913]

I remember watching this and really enjoyed the Sting/Flair match.

[@darXcore]

Those were the days, awesome.

[@MABMGuitar]

I’m excited about the round system!

[@princeofstrongstyle6683]

Fall Brawl '96 I've heard is a great PPV that exemplified the best qualities of the company at the time. The storytelling around the nWo angle, Sting's transformation into Crow Sting and some top notch undercard action.

[@CT45273]

I remember switching from WM4 to watch Flair vs. Sting.

[@isaacwillbanks3723]

If you like Luger, you gotta watch his Starrcade Main with Flair. It’s perfect. 88, I think.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Yep! Absolutely flawless match my friend, personally it's in my Top 10. 👍🏻

[@venomousnate7263]

The match with Sting and Ric Flair is great, and it really put Sting on the map. Also I’m I the only one who thinks Al Perez looks a lot like Seth Rollins?

[@Cavillier1970]

Now that's funny but yeah you're right and Perez was a solid worker I mean the man could wrestle. I kind of wish that he had gotten a bigger push because I saw him very briefly and the stuff that I was able to see due to geographical circumstances living up in Buffalo

[@jonathanturbide2232]

You're definitely not the only one, go watch any Al Perez match on KZbin and it's almost certain that you'll see at least one "Seth Rollins's dad" comment, they're all over the place. 😂

[@kenterminateddq5311]

Say what you want about Ric Flair and his dirty tactics with other wrestlers (both on TV and backstage), but Ric did a great job on making the young Sting look like he belong in the main event/world title scene.

[@suntanironman]

I agree about Lex. Modern day opinions say Lex wasn’t so good. But there are times in his career where the fans were 100% behind Lugar and loved everything he did. Often that genuine love by the fans was wasted by bad booking, but the love for Lex was there.

[@bink]

Yeah, like that time Billy What's-his- name booked Luger in a match with Ron Killings. What was he thinking?? And could Billy even afford to pay Lex to wrestle Ron? I DON'T KNOW!!

[@kingdiamond554]

I gotta say I never expected to see Frankenhooker star Patty Mullen appear on this channel. WCW is so full of surprises

[@yankees29]

Supercrack

[@wHw_Syxx]

It truly puts a smile on my face that in the year 2023, NWA & CMLL are still in business after all these years and putting on great shows.

[@martyklestadt6766]

Except that the current NWA is nothing like the NWA from back in the day. Only similarity is the name.

[@Kingofb0ngstyle]

Jim coming out smiling and embracing, after that strap whipping lmao

[@StraightPunkEdge93]

God, Sting has always ruled!

[@theMainFNMan]

You mentioning the dusty finish for the US tag titles for some reason put a old memory in my head from before I got into the business i saw a Dusty finish at an independent show damn that was a deep cut😂 it's weird how things can trigger old memories like that

[@noise626]

Hehe I think I have this video taped ! Loved the show...that Fantastics/Midnight Express match is still a fav!

[@CallumRSU30]

THE ROUND SYSTEM, BABY! Brian's favourite rule type!

[@vandercudo]

I always give you a thumbs up, but i feel this time your energy was even higher than usual, so good review!

[@jcace13]

I too had been under the assumption that Luger was just a body guy so seeing these old shows where he’s putting on good matches has been eye opening.

[@bronstet]

Luger could work very well when he was motivated too.

[@TheForeverRanger]

@@bronstet Same goes for Hogan.

[@EnclosedPoolArea]

OSW opened my eyes to Sexy Lexy

[@brianreeves8520]

The Julius Caesar Brutus reference is a nice touch

[@bradleyjohnson1702]

This show is legitimately my earliest memory. I only remember the main event, but I remember laying on the floor in front of the TV, with my dad sitting in his chair watching sting challenge flair on tbs.

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the amazing review Brian ❤

[@drozwalker9]

This match up between Sting and Flair is one for the history books. Thanks for the great memories of when pro wrestling was on broadcast TV.

[@lake-hiltzickincident6326]

You just made my Monday ! 🤩

[@kokotheclown2588]

Dr Death was a beast in AJPW dropping fools left and right on their necks and having classics with Misawa and Kobashi especially Kobashi one of the Dr best opponents

[@zubrhero5270]

1:39 I've seen many-a-many-a-many-a-many-a-worked punch... But... This is either a straight up fist to the face, or, legit one of the best worked punches ever in wrestling history.

[@johnthom5258]

That's gotta be a real punch

[@jeffersonhouse94]

I remember Animal having that hockey mask. I watched just as much NWA as WWF back then. Good times...

[@robertbroughton1443]

I saw them battle it out twice at the Cincinnati Gardens, back in the mid-late 80's. Both times at ringside, the first 3rd row, and the second right in the front.

[@MitchQuadrupleTree]

I was so confused for a moment when you brought up The New Leave to Beaver, because my memory is of a series that ran on the Disney Channel called Still the Beaver. Turns out they were the exact same show, just with different titles on each network.

[@LennyK616]

I loved Clash of the Champions so much as a kid. I was either 7 or 8 when this one happened, so I don't remember it as much. Another fantastic review. I don't need dirt sheets or podcasts, just give me Brian's classic reviews.

[@MrBeardsley]

Brian Zane Tito Santana 🤝 Feeling Good About The Round System

[@TerryGlass274]

I'm looking forward to DiamondDallasPagecember!!!

[@hvaleos666]

Its crazy watching these old shows and seeing that Jimmy Jam was crazy over

[@Maniac_Matt]

Awesome childhood memory and moment for wrestling. Especially for Crockett. I remember being stoked. Didn't get to catch the whole Flair vs. Sting match because I had to go to church that evening. My Dad was a minister. Caught highlights that next Saturday and it was the talk of 2nd grade recess the next day.

[@chaospoet]

This was my introduction to WCW and made me a fan until the bitter end with Sting vs Flair. They bookended my WCW journey.

[@Cavillier1970]

hey Brian this was a great look back, I just wish I had known about it then. see in my area I'm from Buffalo NY and back then in 88 our cable company didn't even have WTBS, and because of Vince's stranglehold in the northeast guess what we were stuck with all the time growing up and we got a proud wrestling tradition here. I didn't even know about the NWA except for the magazines and then finally in late November early December we got wtbs when they redid the cable companies here. First time I saw the Saturday morning program dusty roads gets attacked by the road warriors and the Midnight Express original Midnight Express Field exploded. so this was the era I grew up with throughout the 80s both originally wwf and now the nwa and I have to be honest I was jealous of the guys down south. frankly the nwa was putting out a better product in my opinion. in giving away these free clash of the Champions on tv was great business I think. to be honest I think it was good that sting didn't get the title at this point since he was so relatively new to the company having just come onward from the UWF but it did show that he was the one that was gonna carry the banner at eventually. frankly I'd like to see you do more of the clash of the champion shows if possible. The other thing I was thinking about when watching this because I've always loved that classic intro to the clash of champion shows like you mentioned with the belts and the lightning effect and I know you've done championship title videos before but I'm what I'm thinking is and this would have to be more nwa I think, because they had more titles running around their promotion than obviously WWF for the AWA or some of the others unless they were affiliated with the NWA and AWA but which of those mid card titles or how would you rank them let's just put it that way. I know you've done reviews of your favorite designs but I'm talking about in terms of history for the business in importance that sort of thing. because you had the United States title the television title and the classic one was the best one of those from a design point of view in my opinion, both the world tag team and us tag team belts the world 6 man tag belts. then you had a few others like the western state's heritage title I know it wasn't around for all that long And I think there was like a brass knuckles title and I I'm not sure if that's all there was for the NWA at that point. it's just an idea for a future video another one of those top 8 countdown lists

[@Cavillier1970]

Hey Brian I just had another idea for a possible top eight countdown list for down the road just an idea top eight stars from the UWF. And if you take a look at the UWF roster with Bill Watson charge and Jim Ross who was announcing You had some solid talent besides Sting. You had Ted DBSE hacksaw Jim duggan Dr death Steve Williams Big bubba Rogers gentleman Chris Adams Terry Taylor Hot stuff Eddie Gilbert Rick Steiner and I believe the midnight Express the rock and roll Express the fantastics the sheep herders I mean the list goes on and on. I may not have access to seeing those matches back in the day but I did read up enough about them after the fact. One thing I've always appreciated is history One thing I'm very good at in any subject I get interested in is research

[@lukeharbolt7681]

These are my favorite classic ppvs

[@watchreport]

It’s crazy looking at 1988 wrestling in NWA/WCW. It’s still so gritty and old school. Just think of how much it changed in so few years. Hell look at it in 94, 96 and of course 10 years later in 98, it almost doesn’t seem like the same thing.

[@daveh1065]

This was the very 1st wrestling of any kind Id ever seen in my entire life, my 1st match Id seen as a young young kid was Sting vs Flair at my grandparents house..No wonder I was hooked afterwards & a HUGE Sting mark..

[@Connor-zl8gi]

Sting was truly made a star this night. I bet every single time since COTC 88, Sting has thanked Flair for making him a star.

[@TheSaltySeaman]

I saw this live! I was a year or so away from becoming a fan, but I remember going to my neighbors and they had it on. I didn't pay full attention to it, I was playing with my friends toys or whatever and he was half watching. But I remember the drama of the time limit draw, how everyone went nuts lol.

[@TonyRose]

I was this years old when I leaned there was a New Leave it to Beaver.

[@michaelsinger4638]

Ric was a master at putting guys over win or lose in the end. If only his daughter was the same way.

[@frankf684]

Yes because she decides when she wins or loses?

[@wcoleman99]

The amatuer rules match is close to how the freestyle wrestling that's in high school and the olympics are close to that. there's other stuff on points for takedowns and such. the big difference is the time limit per round.

[@robdrummond9693]

Brian. You are a force for good in the world. That’s all I’ve got to say. Thank you.

[@kael2450]

The Nikita impression is gold Brian, with the hair and tache Nikita reminds me of Bennett from Commando.

[@lukeharbolt7681]

I'm binge watching these this week, who do you think appears on these classic ppv reviews more than anyone else?

[@Nearphotison0]

I actually did watch The New Leave It to Beaver as a little kid. Even though it has "New" in the title, I still remember being confused whenever shows parodied Leave It to Beaver and would go black and white, 'cause in my head it was a fairly recent show.

[@marcelthorsen]

Wrestling had such an amazing vibe in the 1980s. No wonder Cornette is so fond of it.

[@JayJackson1981]

They knew how to actually work back then.

[@wstine79]

This was the match where Sting does this.... does that... and becomes as quick as a cat.

[@orinanime]

"let me know what you thought..." What I thought was that I feel like I'm going crazy. Because I could have sworn you reviewed this already! I'm having serious dejavu on this. But other than that, I think this was an excellent review of an excellent event!

[@victoryusmc]

Stingtember, queue dramatic music. Love it!

[@benespinosa6725]

Awesome Clash of Champions review Brian You're the best.

[@MarquisLeary34]

Sting/Flair, my second favorite match of all time. I can't remember another single's match that had me that invested, and probably will never see one.

[@gunder01]

Gamesmaster Kevin Sullivan and the Varsity Club was a great spin on the Army of Darkness motif seeing as TBS weren't going to go for the occult overtones. Too bad they didn't do more with it.

[@ra0929]

They tried, especially after the Horsemen disbanded after Tully and Arn left. They added Dr Death and (briefly) Danny Spivey before they disbanded. Still would have loved to see the Steiner Bros vs Rotundo and Williams.

[@zayyyyyhoven]

Can’t believe stingtember is during my bday month.

[@slick1006ify]

Brian, you know you wrong for that Nikita Koloff impression 🤣🤣🤣 YA-TOE-A-TA!!!!🤣🤣🤣

[@TheKilodead4]

I've been waiting for the reviews of clash of champions events

[@marvinalexander6796]

Are you gonna to do more reviews on Clash of the Champions events? You did a great job on this review

[@WrestlingWithWregret]

Hopefully!

[@danc3488]

Sting has been wrestling for nearly 40 years if you count his UWF days. Seriously...think about that. Absolute legend.

[@sebsun]

Excellent review! The NWA was such a superior product the the then WWF. It's too bad that the company didn't have the foresight to adapt to the times.

[@TheBigCat13]

The last ten minutes of the main event were amazing.

[@time9293]

Love vids on this era.

[@grammysworld5449]

I swear i have the bell turned on and had to look for this

[@jimbrown5091]

This was avgrea5 day for 8th grade me. I seem to recall some technical issues with Wrestlmania but me and my friends from school watched both. This was definitely Sting 's star turn

[@TravisBrady-wn8fr]

When the midnite express had thr US titles and Arn and Tully had the world tag titles was tag team heaven. The division never got better than that era.

[@martezberry3164]

I watched Wmania 4 at a closed circuit Venue, the came home and watched the first Clash o champs on VHS 📼 tape...

[@Roboheart1119]

STINGEMBER'S my favorite season!

[@tmage23]

13:30 Jason Hervey is a big wrestling fan and has worked as a producer for WCW and TNA as well as other getting involved in other wrestling content.

[@stephenriddle1292]

Thanks for these reviews dude