Movie spotlight
WCW Clash of The Champions XXII
January 13, 1993 in Milwaukee. This was the last Clash for announcer Jim Ross who shortly after this event was fired by WCW and joined the WWF. Originally, it was scheduled to be Sting, Dustin Rhodes, Ron Simmons, and Van Hammer against Big Van Vader, Barry Windham, The Barbarian, and Rick Rude; due to injuries, Hammer and Rude dropped out and Orndorff took Rude's place. Earlier on the show, Vader's team got rid of Barbarian, and Vader injured Simmons. Cactus Jack came in during the match, siding with Sting and Rhodes, thus turning face. Johnny B. Badd replaced Erik Watts, where the storyline was that he was suspended from WCW, due to an altercation with Arn Anderson. Tony Atlas replaced Hammer in the arm-wrestling contest.
Insights
Plot Summary
WCW's Clash of the Champions XXII, subtitled Maximum Destruction, featured a highly anticipated main event between WCW World Heavyweight Champion Big Van Vader and Davey Boy Smith. The event also saw Sting facing off against Big Van Vader's associate, Sid Vicious, in a grudge match. Other notable bouts included Dustin Rhodes defending his Television Championship against Maxx Payne and a tag team encounter between The Nasty Boys and The Equalizer and Ice Train.
Critical Reception
As a mid-90s WCW event, Clash of the Champions XXII is generally viewed as a solid, if not spectacular, installment in the series. It was praised for its action-packed matches, particularly the main event bouts. However, like many wrestling events of the era, the overall storytelling and character development were sometimes criticized.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its strong main event matches, especially Vader vs. Davey Boy Smith.
Noted for delivering exciting in-ring action typical of WCW during this period.
Some criticism for predictable booking and less compelling undercard matches.
Google audience: Audience reviews for this specific event are not readily available through common aggregate platforms. However, fans generally recall this era of WCW fondly for its athleticism and hard-hitting style.
Fun Fact
This event marked one of the final major appearances of Davey Boy Smith in WCW before his departure later that year.
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