Here's the NWA Worldwide Classics report for 23/01/03 as seen on SKY SPORTS 1 in the UK.

Originally shown in August 1990.

Before I go any further, I have a confession to make. In last week's report, the Freebirds brought out their manager General Buddy E. Lee. I said I didn't recognize him. To my shame, I discovered it was none other than original Freebird member Buddy Jack Roberts! In my defense, I haven't seen much of the early Freebird stuff but I should have realized it was Roberts, if only from him still using his Christian name of Buddy! So, consider my face suitably reddened with embarrassment and my wrist severely slapped.

Okay, onto this week's show.

Commentary is provided by Tony Schiavone and Dirty Dutch Mantell who immediately wonder who the Black Scorpion is.

Nasty Boys vs Tim Parker & Scotty Williams. Great heat already for Nobbs and Sags in their debut appearance. They are sporting their trademark Mohawk Mullets and paint splattered tops, although their trenchcoats look more PVC then leather. They're given a chance to speak and proclaim themselves nasty. Okay, got it. Nobbs opens with Parker and Nobbs decides from the get go to ignore the "wrestling is a work" ethos by hitting Parker with some stiff shots. Sags comes in and delivers more of the same. Nobbs comes back in and Parker manages to turn the tide and works on Nobbs' leg. Williams is tagged in and continues the offence until Nobbs brings Sags back in only to fall foul of Williams and has his leg worked over. Pretty soon the Nasty's regain control on Parker, finishing him off with a running (okay, stumbling) powerslam from Nobbs followed by an elbow off the top rope from Sags, which Schiavone names the Death Drop.

We are then told by Tony that Sting received a message from the Black Scorpion and is going to share it with us. Cue a shot of a silhouetted figure and deep voice (Ole Anderson's put through an effects processor) proclaiming "I have a message for Sting"...and that's it! Fade out and it's ad break time. However, there's more to come later.

This week's Wrestling Wrap Up has Tony talking with Sting about the Black Scorpion, who admits that he's facing an unknown opponent but his man enough to face him. We then see the rest of the video clip.

The Black Scorpion goads Sting by saying he's too much of a hero to ignore him then vows to destroy him. Scorpion informs us that much time has passed since Sting last saw him but Sting wouldn't recognize his face at this time. Sting is then told to remember back to California in 1986. He closes by asking Sting to think of who hates him enough to want to destroy him and that they will meet at the next Clash of the Champions : Mountain Madness on September 5th. Despite this being grade A Wrestlecrap, this stuff actually drew back then, with the Clash drawing an impressive rating.

Lex Luger vs Tony Burton. In a promo, Luger notes previous US Title holders like Magnum TA and Nikita Koloff before running down the Horsemen. This must have been part of a long night of tapings because Luger's hair was dampened with sweat and he was more sluggish then usual in the ring so I guess he had worked double duty that night. Short match ended with the Torture Rack.

WCW This Week is hosted this week by Lance Russell (So there were announcers other than Schiavone in the NWA back then! you'd never had guessed...) who brings out Jim Cornette who has nothing nice to say about the Fantastics or indeed any team in the NWA. He then says the Midnight Express will be around forever. Sadly, they split up a few months later when Stan Lane and Cornette had a falling out with the NWA and left, leaving Bobby Eaton to a singles run. Teddy Long shows up and runs down the Rock 'N' Roll Express.

Mean Mark Callous (w/ Paul E. Dangerously) vs Dave Diamond. Wow! Nothing from Mean Mark for two months then two matches in 3 weeks. Paul E gets some promo time to run down the JYD. The future Undertaker showed off his agility early on with a big leap frog over Diamond. He then broke out a nice Delayed Vertical Suplex. Calloway was grunting a lot here by the way, the sort of noise he makes nowadays when he's...um.."selling" moves like Kurt Angle's Ankle Lock. Mark hit the Heart Punch (actually he hit Diamond in the stomach, Tony said "right on target" and Diamond sold it by clutching his heart) and followed it up with the impressive Heat Seeking Missile for the pin.

Hector Guerrero vs Sgt Buddy Lee Parker. Okay, the poncho has gone but the stupid oversized Sombrero is still there but he does get some entrance music this week. However, it is the most generic Tijuana Brass-esque ersatz you can imagine. You see Guerrero's Mexican so...well, I'm sure you can figure it out. Great wrestling from Eddy's older brother who waste no time in taking Parker down and working the legs with some nifty mat work. Sarge gets the upper hand but Hector counters with a drop kick in mid air followed by a head scissors. Parker is sent outside and Guerrero hits a nice cross body of the top turnbuckle to the floor onto Sarge. Parker is brought back into the ring and Hector gets the pin after the Mexican Roll. Even in this short match, Guerrero was very impressive but then again, would you expect anything less, considering the family he comes from?

We then go to a promo from Hector who tells us in English that he's happy to be back in the NWA then addresses his fellow Latinos in Spanish, during which he gives a shout out to El Gigante for some reason.

Big Van Vader (w/ big black helmet) vs Pat Rose. Tony says Vader is 6ft 9. Ho hum....Match doesn't start until the big black helmet shoots some steam which leads to Vader jumping Rose and pounding the crap out of him. Vader turns a Gorilla Press into a Powerslam then finishes Rose off with a Big Splash. Sadly, the helmet spot was the most over part in this segment. Crowd was dead for the actual match.

Teddy Long gets some air time to rant on all the teams in the NWA who he proclaims can't beat his charges, the "Soul Brothers", Doom.

"Candyman" Brad Armstrong vs Bob Holly.  Big pop for Armstrong. Holly has green Bret Hart style tights this week. Pretty good chain wrestling here from both guys but the announcers ignore it because Mantell reckons he knows who the Black Scorpion is but refuses to name him. Plenty of reversals here with Armstrong holding the control until Holly reverses the impetus to his favor with a drop toe hold and leg take down. Brad breaks out it and hits some nice arm drags. Holy fights back but Brad retains the momentum each time. And arm drag attempt by Holly is reversed into a Side Russian Leg Sweep for the pin.

Replay of the end of the Horsemen squash match from last week's Worldwide where the heels continued the beatdown on their jobber opponents, which prompted a run-in from the Dude with Attitude.

Sid Vicious vs Dave Studemeyer. Slightly muted reaction to Sid this week. Studemeyer was a WWF jobber in the late 80's (as seen in the old Wrestling Challenge episodes we used to get here in the UK). Predictably he didn't fare any better here as Sid knocked seven bells out of him with ease. Helicopter Spin followed by a powerbomb and its goodnight Dave Studemeyer.

WCW This Week pt 2 has Lance Russell bring out Tommy Rich and the topic foremost on his mind is Stan Hansen. The Southern Boys show up and dispute the allegations made by the Freebirds about Smothers and Armstrong not being Southern Boys. The return of Buddy Roberts is brought up and Armstrong tells us that the ace up the Southern Boys sleeves is Bullet Bob Armstrong. The Rock 'N' Roll Express then drop in for a few quick words.

Preview of next week's show promises the debut of the Master Blasters, accompanied by a clip of two pairs of leather clad legs walking through a junk yard (one was limping after just a few seconds - Nudge nudge, wink wink) as well as more from the Black Scorpion.

Show ended with Schiavone and Mantell adding further speculation over the Black Scorpion and how Sting should handle this challenge.


Last week, AWA World champion Larry Zbyszko was advertised as appearing here this week but that obviously didn't happen. I have no idea why but don't worry because he joins the NWA shortly anyway, just as soon as the AWA folded. This week's mark out moment came from the arrival of the Nasty Boys and the proper start to the Black Scorpion angle, whilst the quality wrestling was provided by Brad Armstrong and Hector Guerrero so I'd say it was a fair episode of Worldwide this week.