Top 10 WCW SuperBrawl Moments & Matches
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February is almost over and I didn’t want to go by without paying homage to the other major promotion from the 90s. Again, if you’ve read my articles, they are very much old-school-based, full of fun facts and history. Don’t get me wrong, I am absolutely a huge fan of the current product but the reason I love wrestling so much is that is what I grew up watching. I grew up during the Monday Night Wars and vividly remember flipping the channels on Monday nights, just anticipating what might happen next. With that being said, the three articles I’ve written so far are WWE-based, so for this one, time to give some love to WCW. While February always seems to be a weird spot in WWE since it’s between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WCW always had its February figured out. In fact, one could argue that SuperBrawl, WCW’s February presentation, was one of the most anticipated on the company’s calendar.
Beginning in 1991, WCW presented SuperBrawl and became a staple event for the company, producing many memorable moments over the years. Now, WCW gets a bad rap for a lot of their booking and for honestly being “second-rate” to WWF. But say what you will, when you actually watch the product, you can certainly see great things that took place throughout the company’s history, not just in the head-to-head battle on Monday nights. In fact, when most people had counted WCW out in the early 90s, their roster was loaded with talent and as you’ll see on this list, produced some of the top moments in SuperBrawl’s history.
Just like in my other countdown articles, these are my personal Top 10 SuperBrawl moments and matches. This specific list is not something found on a WWE list or any other publication. Therefore, feel free to agree or disagree; in fact, would love to receive your feedback in a comment below or on social media (@chrisbelcher24). Before we get to the list, let me hand out a few honorable mentions, because what Top 10 list would be complete without them.
Honorable Mention: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper escapes Alcatraz – SuperBrawl VII (1997)
After spending seven days in “The Rock,” the legendary penitentiary known as Alcatraz, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was ready for his showdown with “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan in the main event of SuperBrawl VII. While this is kayfabe of course, the reason this gets an honorable mention is that during this time, WCW didn’t do a lot of things like this. WCW was known for its “realistic” storylines but there weren’t a lot of incidents or segments that happened outside the confines of the arena. And while there wasn’t much to this segment, it helped further the Piper story perfectly. I remember vividly watching this moment on PPV as it happened, and it’s always stuck with me as just something outside the box that I think WCW should’ve done more of.
Honorable Mention: Chris Benoit vs. Kevin Sullivan in a San Francisco Death Match – SuperBrawl VII (1997)
This feud certainly brings up mixed emotions for a lot of people. I am certainly not here to get into the ins and outs of what happened personally but wanted to acknowledge the incredible matches these two individuals had. Throughout 1996 and 1997, Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan put on a series of matches unlike WCW had seen in a long time. You knew when this matchup was on the card that you were going to see something fun. It was always a blast when Dusty Rhodes was on commentary for these matches because his reactions were incredible, and you never knew what he would say. For this match in particular, Woman (aka Nancy Benoit) and Jacqueline would be attached by a leather strap. Of course the strap came loose during the match and was used as a weapon by Sullivan and Benoit. Even though this one might not have been as crazy as some of their other wars, we did see a triple-stretcher job with Benoit, Sullivan and Jacqueline at the end. The combination of all of those things is definitely a reason to highlight this match here.
Honorable Mention: Public Enemy vs. Nasty Boys in a street fight – SuperBrawl VI (1996)
Yet another fun gimmick match that I don’t think WCW gets enough credit for. Many of these type matches happened at the Uncensored PPV, where they would have merch stands or concession stands set up on the floor next to the entrance way. Whether or not they were actually functioning before, during and after the event doesn’t matter. But we actually got one of these fun street fights at SuperBrawl VI between the Public Enemy and the Nasty Boys. As a fan, you knew when you saw one of these teams in a match that something fun or crazy was going to happen. Then, you get them in the same match and it’s just a wild time! Nothing flashy, nothing spectacular, just a fun match between four veterans. And then you add Dusty Rhodes on commentary, which I mentioned in the previous entry, it just makes for a memorable moment for me and one I wanted to recognize on this list.
10. Rock ‘n Roll Express vs. Heavenly Bodies – SuperBrawl III (1993)
Starting the Top 10 off with some controversy no doubt! However, if you’re reading this and you’ve watched a match between these two teams, you know how good it is, and SuperBrawl III was no exception! Let me also preface this discussion by saying that I grew up in Eastern Kentucky, which was the hotbed for Smoky Mountain Wrestling, when it ran wild in the mid-90s. So this feud between the Rock ‘n Roll Express and the Heavenly Bodies is something I’ve actually seen in person countless times. So not only is this match on this list because I’ve seen it in person and think so fondly of it, but it’s also on here because this exact match (change out Stan Lane for Jimmy Del Ray due to retirement) actually happened later on this same year (1993) on WWF programming! And not just any program, but Survivor Series 1993! Yes, that’s right! The Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Championship was defended at Survivor Series 1993 between these two teams. So this match deserves to be on this list for that exact reason, if anything, because it happened in the two major promotions within the same year! Don’t know many matches that can say that! Oh, and if that wasn’t enough…the match itself at SuperBrawl III, was really, really good. These teams, along with teams like the Midnight Express, the Rockers and countless others, are the foundation of the tag team wrestling we see today. This was back when fans popped huge when tag partners “ran into each other,” not to mention Jim Cornette getting involved, both being physical and getting heat. It’s amazing how the psychology of tag team wrestling has evolved, but this is absolutely where it started.
9. Sting vs. “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship – SuperBrawl VIII (1998)
I am really going to try to not get long-winded in this entry. The reason I say that is because the Starrcade 1997 incident is the one single event in wrestling that gets under my skin the most. If you really want to get me fired up, just ask me how I feel about it. But this entry is not about Starrcade, but about the rematch. After J.J. Dillon vacated the World Heavyweight Championship, he ordered that a rematch between Sting and “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan would go down at SuperBrawl VIII. This would set up one of the most anticipated and high-profile main events in the history of SuperBrawl. But yet, the ending of the rematch would still be marred with controversy. For some reason, there still wasn’t a clean finish in this match. I won’t get into the politics of what that means, you can read into that what you will. Nonetheless, the magnitude of this match is the reason it belongs on this list, and if the finish would’ve been more definite and cleaner, it might be higher on this list. The reason I say that is because this rematch, from an in-ring perspective, was much better than both the Starrcade match and the first rematch taking place on the Nitro following Starrcade.
8. Juventud Guerrera loses his mask – SuperBrawl VIII (1998)
The feud between Juventud Guerrera and Chris Jericho was rekindled recently in AEW when Juvi was brought in to face Jericho during his test with MJF. I’m sure there were many fans who weren’t quite sure of the significance of why Juvi was chosen. And for those fans, I will introduce you to 1997. The rivalry between Jericho and Juvi didn’t start here but it certainly came to a head at SuperBrawl VIII. The majority of wrestling fans understand the heritage with Mexican wrestlers and their mask, which we’ll see play out in another entry as well. So it should come as no surprise to anyone that because this moment happened at a SuperBrawl event, it must be included on this list. While Juvi wasn’t the most famous luchador to lose his mask in WCW, it was certainly impactful. While the unmasking is what fans remember most, let’s not overlook the incredible chemistry that Jericho and Juvi had during this run. Most WCW fans remember the cruiserweights for being high-flying and stealing the show but we have to give Jericho credit as well. Technically he was in that division and he was certainly keeping up with those guys. He might be the Jericho we know and love (or hate) today but he certainly could go during this time period.
7. Rey Mysterio loses his mask – SuperBrawl IX (1999)
Even though the previous entry was about a luchador unmasking, this one would certainly seem to have more impact. Thankfully it came at a time when the fans were drifting out of WCW and doesn’t seem to be remembered by as many people. However, to think back at the greatest luchador of all-time, Rey Mysterio, and know that he was unmasked and continued wrestling that way, is just frustrating. This, much like the situation in the previous entry, was during a time where Eric Bischoff wanted to unmask all the luchadors because, in his words, selling and storytelling is about emotion and people couldn’t see the emotion on their faces because they were covered up. Well guess what? Selling and telling stories works just fine in Mexico with masks on. I understand that the American crowd is probably different but umasksing Rey Mysterio just seemed unnecessary. Especially when wearing a mask in lucha libre is not just a gimmick, it’s a lifestyle, and unmasking is often saved for retirement matches because removing the mask is frowned upon. It happened in a hair vs. mask tag team match at SuperBrawl IX, in which Rey teammed with Konnan to face The Outsiders, Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. Rey’s mask was on the line against Miss Elizabeth’s hair. Any person with a brain watching could figure out what was going to happen here because Liz wasn’t losing her hair and the nWo wasn’t losing period. The match itself was good, all four of these guys could still really go during this time, but the unmasking was unnecessary. Thankfully Rey immediately put the mask back on when he signed with WWE in 2002, but the significance of this moment is so great that it has to be included on this list.
6. Sting vs. Luger for World Heavyweight Championship – SuperBrawl II (1992)
Two former best friends battling for the WCW Heavyweight Championship in a period where many people were discounting WCW. Ric Flair had made his way to the WWF in 1992 and was about to defend his WWF Championship against “Macho Man” Randy Savage at WrestleMania VIII. With the top dog on the card out of the picture, WCW looked for other talent to step up and one of those guys was Big Van Vader, which we’ll talk about a little later. Another guy was Lex Luger, but that wouldn’t last long because this match at SuperBrawl would actually be his final appearance for WCW until he returned at the first Nitro in 1995. And the third man WCW needed to step up, was Sting. Sting was Mr. Reliable, Mr. Consistent but most notably, the Franchise of WCW. It would be on this night that Sting would capture his second WCW Heavyweight Championship from his best friend, Lex Luger. We didn’t see many Sting/Luger 1-on-1 confrontations over the years as most of the time they were on the same side as a tag team. As I mentioned with Flair leaving, WCW needed a top heel and Lex was that guy. So it was only natural to see these guys battle for the title. There wasn’t anything incredibly special from an in-ring perspective in this match, but more about the significance of seeing these two lock horns for all the gold. Luger would go to the WWF soon after this while Sting would reign supreme as champion and carry the banner for WCW. The two best friends would reunite (as I mentioned Lex coming back in 1995) both as friends and then as enemies again, wrestling each other a handful of times in the late 90s, but nothing to the magnitude of SuperBrawl II.
5. “Macho Man” Randy Savage joins the nWo – SuperBrawl VII (1997)
The Sting/nWo storyline took many twists and turns along the way, which I mentioned earlier in the Sting/Hogan match. However, having the “Macho Man” Randy Savage align with Sting was very intriguing as Savage previously feuded with the nWo at the end of 1996, before re-emerging in early 1997. But it was this night, that Savage left the shadows and turned to an even darker side when he joined the nWo. This turn came at the end of the Hogan/Piper main event at SuperBrawl VII, in which there was much controversy (go figure, the nWo was involved). This turn was significant for several reasons. First of all, this was at a time when the nWo was still very gang-oriented and hadn’t been watered down with everyone joining. The group was still incredibly hot and many questions surrounding who would take these guys out. For someone as legendary as Savage to join the group, gave them another star and another big personality. Secondly, this turn was significant because it further the Hogan/Savage story. Back in 1988, the Hogan/Savage real-life story began as well as on-screen, and it continued throughout their lives, until they buried the hatchet not long before Savage’s death. It has been a well-documented love-hate relationship but putting them together (again) on-screen in WCW, I’m sure continued the friction between the two larger-than-life personalities. But to the point of being on this list, having the Macho Man make the turn, felt like a very big chapter in the history of the nWo.
4. The Steiners Brothers split – SuperBrawl VIII (1998)
A day that many wrestling fans, not just WCW, didn’t ever see coming. But, this was during a time, unlike the previous entry, where everyone was joining the nWo. We were just a few months from the split of the nWo, so the group was certainly stockpiling talent. But to break up the legendary tag team, the Steiner Brothers, actual brothers, seemed a bit too far. It happened during the WCW Tag Team Championship Unification match between the Steiners and Scott Hall & Kevin Nash, the Outsiders. For weeks leading up to this, it seemed that there was dissension in the Steiner camp, and it came to a head at SuperBrawl VII when Scott finally turned on Rick. Now, Scott would go on to a great singles career in the nWo, and the brothers would eventually reunite on-screen, but both of those happened during a period of WCW that most fans would prefer to forget. From all of the stories we have heard and read through the years, this version of Scott Steiner might have been closer to the real person than the babyface he had played through the years. When we look back on it, since everyone was joining the nWo, I guess it makes sense, but this legendary tag team just seems weird to not be together.
3. The Booker Man Incident – SuperBrawl VI (1996)
It was a night that changed wrestling forever. Depending on what side of the story you believe, Brian Pillman was just trying to make the most money and get the best deal possible. Was he pitting WCW against WWF in a bidding war? Where did ECW fit into all of this? Why did he have to get an actual release from WCW? Was he really going to try and handcuff himself to the goal posts at the SuperBowl that year? All of those questions have been addressed in one way or another through the years. Various sides of the story have been told as to exact what Brian Pillman’s motives were during the early months of 1996. None of us will ever know for sure because Pillman isn’t here to clear things up. But what we do know is true is that Brian Pillman and Kevin Sullivan had a respect strap match at SuperBrawl VI, and Brian used a line that will forever be remembered in wrestling history. About a minute or so into the match, Pillman simply stopped wrestling, grabbed the mic and said to Sullivan, “I respect you, booker man.” At the time, Kevin Sullivan was the lead booker in the company, so a nod to him in this, but even he wasn’t made aware that this was happening. But this would be the last night Brian would ever wrestle in WCW. As I stated up top, some believe Brian was headed back to WCW at some point but it never happened. I’m not going to go through the saga that was Brian Pillman, so many different publications have done a great job of that. But what I will tell you is this incident at SuperBrawl VI, in my opinion, could’ve led to one of the greatest characters our business has ever seen. Yet, so many things, whether intentional or unintentional, stood in the way of that.
2. Sting vs. Vader in the White Castle of Fear Strap Match – SuperBrawl III (1993)
Even though this isn’t number one on my list, this is debated as one of, if not the most memorable SuperBrawl matches of all-time. Arguably the best rivalry in WCW in the early 90s, especially when Flair made the trek to WWF for a little over a year. Sting and Big Van Vader wrestled in several different kinds of matches, with so many things at stake. Many stories have been floated around over the years about people not wanting to work with Vader because of either how stiff he worked, or him not washing his gear, whatever the case may be. But that didn’t deter Sting as he was seemingly able to get the best performances out of Vader than anyone else Vader faced. In fact, when Vader passed away not long ago, it is well-documented that Sting was very close to Vader personally, even up until his death. I have no inside information as to how close they were when they feuded in the early 90s, but it’s great to know how much fun they had with each other that lead to an even greater friendship. Even though on this night at SuperBrawl III Vader was the WCW Champion, this particular match was about more than the belt. This was a lights out strap match, (kayfabe) not sanctioned by WCW, and is widely considered the best strap match in history by many wrestling fans. The storytelling in this match was just incredible, with nowhere to run for these guys, and the hero Sting trying to overcome the size disadvantage the monster Vader had over him. Just an incredible match but fell short of the number one spot on this countdown.
1. Sting & Lex Luger vs. The Steiners Brothers for the WCW Tag Team Championship – SuperBrawl I (1991)
I didn’t pick any single performers in this countdown like I have on previous ones. But if I had to pick one, clearly it would be Sting. He is clearly the wrestler appearing most on this specific countdown, with an incredible amount of memorable moments throughout SuperBrawl history. But it was a match at the first SuperBrawl that is still held in high regard as probably the greatest tag team match in WCW history, but maybe in all of wrestling history. Earlier in this countdown, they would be on opposite sides but in this one, Sting would team with his best friend Lex Luger as they faced their friends, Rick & Scott, the Steiner Brothers. And on this night, WCW was not shy about hiding the friendship of these four men. In fact, it was part of the storyline and what made this match what it was. Now I just said this match is widely considered the best tag team match in WCW history, but when I mention those four names, they don’t scream work-rate or technical prowess in the ring. However, on this night, it was the perfect combination, and everything came together in an incredible way. The fans didn’t turn on either team and they were biting on every single move. All four guys were known for big impact moves, and they were on full display here. Those high impact moves were known as high spots back in the early 90s, so we didn’t see tag team wrestling like we know it today. But that doesn’t take away from what this match was and how the fans were on the edge of their seat for everything that happened. Many people don’t remember Nikita Koloff attacking Sting at the end of the match, furthering their feud, but unfortunately that’s how this match ended. Shenanigans at the end or not, this is still the most memorable match in SuperBrawl history.
As I stated earlier, this list is my opinion and was not copied from WWE or another source. I would love to hear your feedback on my list, so hit me up on social media (@chrisbelcher24). Also, if you enjoy what you’re reading and want to hear more, check out the Pipe Bomb Wrestling Podcast, hosted by myself and fellow WrestleBuddy colleague Andy York. Our show is available wherever you find your podcasts as well as the BodySlam.net YouTube channel, and drops every Friday.
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