Ricky Steamboat vs Flyin’ Brian (WCW, 10-25-1992)

WCW Halloween Havoc, Philadelphia, PA

31 Days of Halloween Havoc continues with this 1992 midcard matchup! Flyin’ Brian is a dick now, but he’s still in the tiny bengal underpants.

Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura are on commentary. Flyin’ Brian is 229 from Cincinnati, Steamboat is 235 from Charlotte. “Not two of the biggest men in wrestling, but definitely two of the most talented,” Ventura says.

Pillman starts with some chops in the corner, and Steamboat rips back with his own. Steamboat with a quick shoulderblock for a one count, another for two. Steamboat tossed over the top, he skins the cat, comes back in, and rolls Pillman up for two, but he’s kicked off and hits the corner hard, face-first.

Pillman with a bodyslam, Steamboat plays possum and grabs an armbar. Pillman up and shoots Steamboat off the ropes, shoulderblock from Dragon. Hiptoss from Dragon, armdrag from Dragon, back to the armbar. Steamboat staying on the arm, Pillman with a drop toehold into a side headlock, Steamboat counters with a hammerlock and drives his knee down into the arm and back.

Steamboat with chops, Pillman off the ropes, backdrop and Pillman kinda gets over late, but gets over fully. Not a “botch” in any way but it looked odd. Pillman comes back with a thumb to the eye, which Ventura appreciates.

Some ECW fans at ringside are chanting “Brian sucks.” They chanted “Cincinnati sucks” earlier. Steamboat with the choke lift and he drops Pillman. “Uncharacteristic,” Jim calls it, as if Dragon doesn’t do it all the time.

Steamboat with a chop, slams Pillman’s head into the corner. Ventura notes that Steamboat, unusually, is the bigger and maybe stronger man, so he’s using more power moves. Pillman feigning a knee injury to stop Irish whips and blindside Steamboat with the referee trying to intervene.

Pillman rubs Steamboat’s face into the canvas, then rains down some right hands. “Cincinnati sucks” again. Hat Guy is not having it with Brian Pillman. Steamboat back with chops. Pillman off the ropes, he counters Steamboat with a tilt-a-whirl headscissors for two. Pillman choking Steamboat over the middle rope.

Steamboat off the ropes, blocks a hiptoss, counters with a backslide for two. Pillman smacks his head off the mat again. Now a choke. Pillman goes for a superplex, but Steamboat blocks and tosses Pillman off the second rope. Steamboat flies, Pillman catches him mid-air with a dropkick. Pillman gets three straight two counts. He’s mad about the pace of the count.

Back suplex from Steamboat to catch Pillman not paying attention, and both men are down, the count is on. Steamboat off the ropes, Pillman catches him in the sleephold, riding his back. Steamboat runs it to the corner, but Brian hangs on. A second time breaks the hold, but Pillman grabs it again from the apron, then snaps Steamboat’s neck over the top rope.

Pillman up top, Steamboat catches him and slams him off. Steamboat’s fired up. Pillman begging off, and he rolls out to the floor. Vlad is pissed about this. They go to the floor for a moment, bu Steamboat is caught coming back in with a kneelift and some chops. Steamboat back with chops, they’re trading shots now. Steamboat gets the better of it and drops Pillman, who again calls for a timeout, and again bails out to the floor, as if they’re repeating the same thing from a moment earlier.

Again, Steamboat throws Pillman back in, Pillman goes for the knee again, but Steamboat has it scouted this time. Pillman to the corner, gets a knee up on a Steamboat “charge,” and flies off the second rope with a crossbody for two.

Steamboat with a backbreaker. Steamboat with a flying sunset flip for two, Pillman counters with a rollup for two, Steamboat counters with another pin for the win.

Rating: 2.5/5. An oddly mediocre match. Should’ve been way, way better than it was given that it was 1992, it was WCW, and it was two guys who could go. But they just didn’t really click here and it felt empty and dead pretty much throughout. I couldn’t even really buy into Rick firing up because the atmosphere just wasn’t there for this one. A decent match but a real disappointment given the talent and time period.