The Great American Bash (1992)

Last updated
The Great American Bash
The Great American Bash 1992.jpg
Promotional poster featuring Sting and Big Van Vader
Promotion World Championship Wrestling
DateJuly 12, 1992
City Albany, Georgia
Venue Albany Civic Center
Attendance8,000
Tagline(s)The Battle Beyond The Belt!
Pay-per-view chronology
 Previous
Beach Blast
Next 
Halloween Havoc
The Great American Bash chronology
 Previous
1991
Next 
1995

The 1992 Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the eighth annual Great American Bash event overall. The event took place on July 12, 1992, at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Georgia. It was the last Great American Bash held until 1995.

Contents

Seven matches were contested at the event. The event featured a tag team tournament for the newly created NWA World Tag Team Championship. Miracle Violence Connection defeated Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham in the finals to win the tournament and to be crowned the first champions. From this point onwards, the WCW and NWA World Tag Team Championships were considered to be unified and were defended together by Miracle Violence Connection and subsequent champions until WCW withdrew from the NWA in 1993. Aside from the tag team tournament, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship was also defended at the event. Sting defended the title against Big Van Vader. Vader defeated Sting to win the title.

Production

Background

The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event established in 1985. It was first produced by the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) and aired on closed-circuit television before becoming a pay-per-view event in 1988; JCP was rebranded as World Championship Wrestling (WCW) later that same year. WCW then seceded from the NWA in 1991. The 1992 event was the fourth annual Great American Bash event promoted by WCW and eighth annual overall. The event took place on July 12, 1992, at the Albany Civic Center in Albany, Georgia. [1]

Storylines

The event featured wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. [2]

Other on-screen personnel
Role:Name:
Presenters Tony Schiavone
Magnum T. A.
Commentator Jim Ross
Jesse Ventura
Interviewer Eric Bischoff
Ring announcer Gary Michael Cappetta

Aftermath

The 1992 Great American Bash was the final Great American Bash event held until the 1995 event. [3] The event launched the first NWA World Tag Team Championship recognized at the NWA level and those titles still exist currently. From this point forward, the WCW and NWA World Tag Team titles were defended together until WCW seceded for good from the NWA in September, 1993.

Also at the event was the announcement of a tournament beginning on August 6, 1992 in Tokyo for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, which had been vacant since Ric Flair left for the WWF in September of 1991. During the announcement, WCW Executive Vice President Bill Watts anticipated an eventual unification with the WCW World title though the titles remained separate entities during WCW’s relationship with the NWA. The unification didn’t occur until 1994 when the big gold belt shown in the segment represented the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship.

A rematch between Sting and Big Van Vader was scheduled on August 2 though Sting was injured so a drawing was held to determine a new contender for the WCW World title. Ron Simmons won that drawing and the championship. Vader regained the title on December 30. Sting would briefly take the title in March 1993 until Vader got it back again.

Results

No.Results [4] [5] [6] StipulationsTimes
1D The Super Invader (with Harley Race) defeated Marcus Alexander Bagwell Singles match
2 Nikita Koloff and Ricky Steamboat defeated Jushin Thunder Liger and Brian Pillman Tournament quarter-final match19:26
3 Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto defeated The Freebirds (Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin)Tournament quarter-final match09:16
4 Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham defeated Steve Austin and Rick Rude (with Madusa)Tournament quarter-final match19:15
5 Terry Gordy and Steve Williams defeated Nikita Koloff and Ricky SteamboatTournament semi-final match21:39
6Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham defeated Hiroshi Hase and Shinya HashimotoTournament semi-final match14:55
7 Big Van Vader (with Harley Race) defeated Sting (c)Singles match for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship 17:17
8Terry Gordy and Steve Williams defeated Dustin Rhodes and Barry WindhamTournament final for the NWA World Tag Team Championship 21:10
(c) – the champion(s) heading into the match
D – this was a dark match

Tournament bracket

First Round (TV) Quarterfinals (PPV) Semifinals (PPV) Finals (PPV)
        
Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff
Joe Malenko & Dean Malenko
Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff
Jushin Thunder Liger & Brian Pillman
Beef Wellington & Chris Benoit
Jushin Thunder Liger & Brian Pillman
Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff
Miracle Violence Connection
Miracle Violence Connection
Larry O'Dea & Jeff O'Dea
Miracle Violence Connection
The Steiner Brothers
The Steiner Brothers
Miguel Perez, Jr. & Ricky Santana
Miracle Violence Connection
Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham
Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham
Arn Anderson & Bobby Eaton
Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham
Steve Austin & Rick Rude
Steve Austin & Rick Rude
Marcus Bagwell & Tom Zenk
Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham
Hiroshi Hase & Shinya Hashimoto
Hiroshi Hase & Akira Nogami
The Headhunters
Hiroshi Hase & Shinya Hashimoto 1
The Fabulous Freebirds
The Fabulous Freebirds
El Texano & Silver King

^1 Shinya Hashimoto was substituting for the injured Akira Nogami.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendall Windham</span> American professional wrestler (born 1967)

Kendall Wayne Windham is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his appearances with World Championship Wrestling. He is the son of Blackjack Mulligan and the brother of Barry Windham.

Todd Bradford is an American retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Todd Champion. He competed in the Southeastern United States, winning titles in several promotions, including World Championship Wrestling (WCW).

<i>WCW Main Event</i> American TV series or program

WCW Main Event, originally NWA Main Event, is an American televised wrestling program of World Championship Wrestling (WCW) that aired from April 3, 1988 to January 3, 1998. For most of its run, it was the promotion's secondary show and aired on Sunday evenings on TBS. The show originally aired in 1988 as NWA Main Event. The rights to WCW Main Event now belong to WWE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash</span> Professional wrestling event series

The Great American Bash is a professional wrestling event held during the summer and has been produced by the American promotion WWE since 2004; since 2020, it has been held as an annual event for WWE's developmental brand, NXT. Created by Dusty Rhodes, the event was originally established in 1985 and was produced by the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). It originally aired on closed-circuit television until 1988 when it began broadcasting on pay-per-view (PPV), and later that same year, JCP was rebranded as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), which seceded from the NWA in January 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1991)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1991 Great American Bash was the third annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the seventh annual Great American Bash event overall. It was also the first held by WCW alone following its split from the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in January 1991. The event took place on July 14, 1991, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the fourth Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988, 1989, and 1990 events.

The J-Tex Corporation, also known as Gary Hart International, was a heel professional wrestling stable in World Championship Wrestling. The group was managed by Gary Hart and consisted of several popular wrestlers including Terry Funk, Dick Slater, The Great Muta, The Dragonmaster, and Buzz Sawyer. Their name was reference to the fact that its two prominent members, Muta and Funk, were from Japan and Texas, respectively.

The Miracle Violence Connection was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of "Dr. Death" Steve Williams and Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bash at the Beach (1995)</span> 1995 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1995 Bash at the Beach was the second Bash at the Beach professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on July 16, 1995 on the beach in Huntington Beach, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1988)</span> Jim Crockett Promotions pay-per-view event

The 1988 Great American Bash was the fourth annual Great American Bash professional wrestling event produced by the National Wrestling Alliance's (NWA) Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP). It was the first Great American Bash event to air on pay-per-view (PPV), as the previous events aired on closed-circuit television. The event took place on July 10, 1988, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the final NWA event produced by JCP and the third and final NWA event to be produced as a pay-per-view, as JCP was purchased by Turner Broadcasting System in November 1988 and was rebranded as World Championship Wrestling (WCW). This was also the first Pay Per View produced under the Turner Home Entertainment banner as the other two events were produced by The Wrestling Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WrestleWar '89: Music City Showdown</span> 1989 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

WrestleWar '89: Music City Showdown was the first WrestleWar professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) banner. It took place on May 7, 1989 from the Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1989)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1989 Great American Bash was the first Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) banner and the fifth annual Great American Bash event overall; the previous events were held by the former NWA's Jim Crockett Promotions. It took place on July 23, 1989, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the second Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988 event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starrcade '92: Battlebowl – The Lethal Lottery II</span> 1992 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

Starrcade '92: Battlebowl – The Lethal Lottery II was the 10th annual Starrcade professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was broadcast December 28, 1992, from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach Blast (1993)</span> 1993 World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1993 Beach Blast was the second and final Beach Blast professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It took place on July 18, 1993, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. In the main event the team billed as "the Superpowers" faced a team nicknamed "the Masters of the Power Bomb" as part of a longer running rivalry between the two sides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1995)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1995 Great American Bash was the fifth Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and ninth Great American Bash event overall. It took place on June 18, 1995, at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. This was the first Great American Bash event in nearly three years, with the last event taking place in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1990)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1990 Great American Bash was the second annual Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW) under the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) banner, and the sixth annual Great American Bash event overall. It was the final held under the NWA banner, as WCW seceded from the NWA in January 1991. The event took place on July 7, 1990, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the third Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988 and 1989 events. The 1990 event featured the WCW debut of Big Van Vader.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1997)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1997 Great American Bash was the seventh Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and 11th Great American Bash event overall. It took place on June 15, 1997, at The MARK of the Quad Cities in Moline, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1996)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1996 Great American Bash was the sixth Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and 10th Great American Bash event overall. It took place on June 16, 1996, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the fifth Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991 events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (1998)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 1998 Great American Bash was the eighth Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and 12th Great American Bash event overall. It took place on June 14, 1998, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the sixth Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1996 events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Great American Bash (2000)</span> World Championship Wrestling pay-per-view event

The 2000 Great American Bash was the 10th Great American Bash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and 14th Great American Bash event overall. It took place on June 11, 2000, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This was the eighth and final Great American Bash held at this venue after the 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1996, 1998, and 1999 events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crockett Cup (1988)</span> American professional wrestling tournament

The Third Annual Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, also referred to as the Crocket Cup (1988), was an event held over two nights: April 22 and 23, 1988. Scheduled to feature 24 teams, the tournament included a few changes to the original lineup and ended up with only 22 teams. The team of Sting and Lex Luger was formed specifically for the 1988 Crockett Cup and ended up winning the tournament by defeating Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard in the finals.

References

  1. "The Great American Bash". Pro Wrestling History. Retrieved 2009-07-17.
  2. Grabianowski, Ed (13 January 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications . Retrieved 2015-11-15.
  3. Cawthon, Graham (2015). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 5: World Championship Wrestling 1995-2001. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   978-1499656343.
  4. Cawthon, Graham (2014). the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 4: World Championship Wrestling 1989-1994. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN   978-1499656343.
  5. "2007 Wrestling Almanac & Book of Facts: Great American Bash 1992". Wrestling's Historical Cards. Kappa Publishing. 2007. p. 138.
  6. "Great American Bash 1992". Pro Wrestling History. July 12, 1992. Retrieved September 16, 2015.