Wrestling Headcanon Season 2: The New Power Generation

Season 1 of the Headcanon was pure Hulkamania in the WWE, and Flair For The Gold in WCW. The two blonde haired, blue-eyed strong men ran rampant over almost everyone .(Kudos to Andre The Giant, Randy Savage, Randy's Brother {The Genius}, Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, and Ronnie Garvin for getting some wins last season over wrestling’s Golden Geese.)

While Hulk Hogan pretended to be a good guy, even though he often cheated and was a sore loser, Ric Flair was always up front about being a jet flyin’, limousine ridin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin;’ and dealin’ son of a gun. And even though we saw both of them lose their titles at the end of last season, neither of them is going away anytime soon. They’re not even staying out of the title scene for long.

We begin this season with The Ultimate Warrior experiment in WWE. Captain Cocaine shakes the ropes for a while and faces some classic villains before he and the title break up and have more interesting stories. Sting gets screwed over, too, but like Flair and Hogan, he’ll be involved in gold belt hot potato.

While some of the mainstays from Season One continue to dominate the scene, the steroid-riddled promos about vitamins, warriors, maniacs, hard times, and Space Mountain, along with the A-B-C match formats where the hero used the same stale and unimpressive move to somehow annihilate his previously healthy opponents had to go.

It took time. Time and evolution (not Triple H, Ric Flair, Randy Orton, and Batista; although they eventually contributed). Technical wrestling improved, storylines became more complex, and more room was made at the top for a wider variety of heroes and heels with fewer career jobbers making their way on TV.

This season sees The Four Horseman Era continue in WCW while their undercard trains to be the future of the WWE. Meanwhile WWE becomes more than just the Hogan/Savage/Warrior show, as Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and The Undertaker make their presences known.

We also introduce Eastern Championship Wrestling, a territory in NWA (WCW was an NWA territory last season), which starts off as a WWE senior citizen circuit before morphing into the violent, bloody cult of Paul Heyman’s Extreme Championship Wrestling.

The middle of this season sees one of the three Gaping Creative Droughts that occurred in wrestling during my lifetime. And, yet, they still contain some spectacular matches. 

Season Two:
​The New Power Generation

Sorbet Episode: A Not So Gentlewomens' Intermission (1986-1990)

Before we get back to WWE and WCW, and before we introduce ECW into the mix, another wrestling company deserves at least one episode in our chronology. The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling inspired an incredible Netflix show, and had a decent, if often turbulent run on television over the course of four syndicated seasons. There are some amazing spots in this episode but there are no amazing matches. I doubt any reach above a two-and-a-half on the Meltzer star scale. But the characters are fun, and Rob Sturma described it as Wrestling Hee-Haw, which is an accurate description of the dad-joke sketches that absolutely saturated the show. I have kept that feel in this episode not because the jokes are good but because they're only slightly worse than some of the wrestling, so I felt like I should let this be an accurate experience of the TV show, if it were pay-per-v...sorry...premium live event length. Oh, and if you can't stomach terrible stereotypes, you're going to want to stay a million miles away from this, it is wildly 1980s offensive.


1. Salt & Pepper vs Sarah & Mabel.

2. Corporal Kelly & Attache vs The Southern Belles.

3. Colonel Ninotchka vs Little Feather.

4. Hollywood & Vine vs Mount Fuji.

5. Spanish Red & Jungle Woman vs The Cheerleaders.

6. Dementia vs Little Egypt.

7. Ivory (as Tina Ferrari), Ashley Cartier & Little Fuji vs Angel, Hollywood & Vine.

8. 20 Woman Battle Royal.
Palestina, Headhunter Mina, Headhunter Mika, Envy, Adore, Chainsaw, Spike, Attache, Hollywood, Vine, Colonel Ninotchka, Spanish Red, Mathilde The Hun, California Doll 1, California Doll 2, Little Feather, Ivory (as Tina Ferrari), Ashley Cartier, Little Fiji, Olympia, Mt Fuji, Scarlet The Southern Belle, Tara The Southern Belle

9. Attache vs Amy The Farmer's Daughter.

MAIN EVENT: IVORY (as TINA FERRARI) and ASHLEY CARTER vs HOLLYWOOD & VINE.

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Season 2, Episode 1: Arrogance (1990)

While we bid adieu to Hulkamania running wild at the end of last season, it's not dead. The 80s wrestlers didn't just disappear as 1990 rolled in. So here we see the old guard start to wind down as slightly younger wrestlers like Mr Perfect, Texas Tornado (Kerry Von Erich from WCW), Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker all make their way to the top of the WWE wrestling cards. We also get a great buildup to a decent feud and terrible but amusing match as Rick Martel's fragrance takes on Jake Robert's vision.

Warrior’s WWE Championship run may be a tad underwhelming but while he was shaking the ropes with the big belt, Mr Perfect was putting on the matches of the year as he defended the workhorse belt, the WWE Intercontinental title. We’ll see him wrestle three times in this episode, each match a little different from the other. His third match involves the sub-feud where Bobby Heenan makes repeated jokes about The Big Boss Man’s mom.

1. Mr Perfect (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Tito Santana from Saturday Night’s Main Event 27.

2. Demolition (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs The Hart Foundation in a 2/3 Falls Match at 
SummerSlam 1990.

3. Mr. Perfect (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Texas Tornado at SummerSlam 1990.

4. Ultimate Warrior (WWE Champ) vs Rick Rude in a Steel Cage at SummerSlam 1990.

5. Million Dollar Team vs The Dream Team at Survivor Series 1990.
Ted Dibiase, Honky Tonk Man, Greg Valentine, and The Undertaker vs Dusty Rhodes, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, and Koko B Ware

6. Mr Perfect (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Big Boss Man at The Main Event 4.

7. Visionaries vs Vipers at Survivor Series 1990.
Rick Martel, Hercules, Paul Roma, Warlord vs Jake Roberts, Jimmy Snuka, Marty Jannetty, Shawn Michaels

MAIN EVENT: ULTIMATE WARRIOR (WWE CHAMP) vs TED DIBIASE at THE MAIN EVENT 4.

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Season 2, Episode 2: Capitol Combat (1990)

Oh no. Between seasons, our hero of the new generation, Sting, got injured and Ric Flair ended up getting his belt back. This allows us with nice opportunity to mirror the end of last season as Sting is all healed up by the end of this episode and ready to retake the title from Flair.

The big story in this episode, though, is the debut of Vader who will spend this and next season absolutely destroying everyone in his path in WCW and WWE.

This is also one of the golden eras of WCW’s tag team division so be prepared for a ton of multi-wrestler matches.

1. The Fabulous Freebirds vs The Rock & Roll Express in a Strap Match at Capital Combat 1990.

2. The Steiner Brothers (WCW Tag Champs) vs Doom at Capital Combat 1990.

3. Ric Flair (WCW Champ) vs Lex Luger in a Steel Cage at Capital Combat 1990.

4. Vader vs Tom Zenk at Great American Bash 1990.

5. Doom (WCW Tag Champs) vs Rock & Roll Express at The Great American Bash 1990.

MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR (WCW CHAMP) vs STING at THE GREAT AMERICAN BASH 1990.

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203: American Nationalism Run Amuck, 1991

Much of this season is The New Generation (TM by WWE) trying to wrestle the main event scene from the 1980s superstars. That's fully on display here as Sgt Slaughter returns and the main event features Hogan hogging the spotlight again.

We're going to skip most of the Sgt Slaughter in the 90s eras as it was hugely cringey at the time and has only gotten worse in the intervening decades. Instead, we'll focus on Warrior's best ever feud, the one with Randy Savage.

The other feud we'll be focusing on for the next few episodes is Ted Dibiase vs Virgil, which is rooted in their tag team match with the father and son duo of Dusty and Rhodes and Goldust  (as Dustin Rhodes), who will both soon return to WCW.
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1. The Orient Express vs The Rockers at The Royal Rumble 1991.
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2. The Ultimate Warrior (WWE Champ) vs Sgt Slaughter at The Royal Rumble 1991.

3. Mr Perfect vs Roddy Piper from WWE on MSG Network.

4. Ted Dibiase and Virgil vs Dusty Rhodes and Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) at Royal Rumble 1991.
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MAIN EVENT: ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH 1991.
Bret Hart, Dino Bravo, Greg Valentine, Paul Roma, The Texas Tornado, Rick Martel, Saba Simba, Bushwhacker Butch, Jake Roberts, Hercules, Tito Santana, The Undertaker, Jimmy Snuka, The British Bulldog, Smash, Hawk, Shane Douglas, Animal , Crush , Jim Duggan, Earthquake, Mr. Perfect, Hulk Hogan , Haku , Jim Neidhart , Bushwhacker Luke, Brian Knobbs, The Warlord, Tugboat 

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204: International Incidents, 1991

This is the first of our episodes that truly showcases Japanese wrestling in more than just a single match. I think if I’d seen this when I was younger, I might have been more of a WCW fan when I was growing up. There’s a great mix of athleticism and strong style that just didn’t show up in American wrestling until this point. Masa Saito, Jushin Thunder Liger, Masahairo Chono, and Tatsumi Fujinami all blew my mind when I saw them wrestle for the first time. It’s also nice to see that Itsuki Yamasaki of last season’s Jumping Bomb Angels is actually named here while the WWE commentary pretended they couldn’t pronounce their names or tell them apart.

This episode is also the only time we’ll see Rey Mysterio Sr, whose nephew will go on to be one of the most famous American wrestlers of all-time. Konnan will be remembered as a pretty decent manager.

The back half of this episode takes place in Japan, and it was a struggle to find a complete and solid version of the event that had English Commentary, so please forgive me if it’s not as crisp as the rest of the episode. I did include the Bam Bam Bigelow & Vader vs Doom match with its original Japanese commentary.

1. Miki Handa & Miss A vs Itsuki Yamasaki & Mami Kitamura at WrestleWar 1991.

2. Steiner Brothers vs Konnan & Rey Mysterio Sr at Starrcade 1990.

3. Stan Hansen (WCW US Champ) vs Lex Luger in a Texas Lariat Bout at Starrcade 1990.

4. Steiner Brothers vs Masa Saito & Great Muta at Starrcade 1990.

5. War Games Match at WrestleWar 1991.
Larry Zbysko and The Four Horsemen vs Brian Pillman, Sting, and The Steiner Brothers

6. Doom vs Bam Bam Bigelow & Vader at Starrcade in Tokyo.

5. Jushin Thunder Liger vs Akira Nogami at Starrcade in Tokyo.

6. Four Horseman vs Masa Saito & Masahiro Chono at Starrcade in Tokyo.

7. Barry Windham vs Brian Pillman in a Taped Wrist Match at SuperBrawl 1991.

8. Great Muta vs Sting at Starrcade in Tokyo.

MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR (WCW CHAMP) vs TATSUMI FUJINAKI (NJPW CHAMP) at STARRCADE IN TOKYO.

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Season 2, Episode 5:  Blind Justice (1991)

This is a wild smorgasbord of a show featuring terrible gimmick matches that paid off long running feuds (the Blindfold Match), mediocre matches that are historically or storyline important (Undertaker vs Snuka and Virgil vs Ted Dibiase), some lesser-known bangers (Bret Hart vs Ted Dibiase and British Bulldog vs Berserker) and two classics rounding off the show. Perfect vs Hart was a rare passing of The Intercontinental torch moments that is nearly, well, perfect.

The career ending match is one of the best Ultimate Warrior matches, period. It’s also a weird event because the winner of the match was soon fired from the company, and the loser was back in the ring wrestling again a few months later. 

Jake Roberts get the saddest storyline here. After getting his eyesight back and having his revenge on Rick Martel, Earthquake enters the picture and they replay the Jake Roberts/Andre The Giant feud but with Earthquake taking it Much Further.

1. Legion Of Doom vs Orient Express from The Main Event 5.

2. Hart Foundation (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Nasty Boys at Wrestlemania 7.

3. Jake Roberts vs Rick Martel in a Blindfold Match at Wrestlemania 7.

4. Undertaker vs Jimmy Snuka at Wrestlemania 7.

5. Ted Dibiase vs Virgil at Wrestlemania 7.

6. Jake Roberts vs Earthquake from WWE on MSG Network.

7. Main Event Battle Royal from Saturday Night’s Main Event 29.
The Barbarian, Big Boss Man, The British Bulldog, Earthquake, Greg Valentine, Haku, Hercules, Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, Jim Duggan, Jimmy Snuka, Kato, Marty Jannetty, Mr Perfect, Paul Roma, Shawn Michaels, Tanaka. The Texas Tornado, Tugboat, The Warlord

8. Bret Hart vs Ted Dibiase from Saturday Night’s Main Event 29.

9. British Bulldog vs Berserker from UK Rampage 1991.

10. Mr Perfect (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Bret Hart from SummerSlam 1991.

MAIN EVENT: ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs RANDY SAVAGE in a CAREER ENDING  MATCH at WRESTLEMANIA 7.

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Season 2, Episode 6: The Chamber Of Horrors (1991)

Another bizarre ensemble of matches. Fujinaki and Flair have their rematch from the last WCW Main Event, Ron Simmons almost becomes the first ever Black singles champion in WCW history (he gets there eventually but not in this episode). We see our first Russian Chain match since early last season. And we have the trainwreck-terrible-but-entertaining Chamber Of Horrors Match: a Steel Cage match where the object is to put one of your opponents in an electric chair and activate it.

This is truly a wild episode.

1. Steiner Brothers (WCW Tag Team Champs) vs Lex Luger & Sting at SuperBrawl 1991.
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2. Arn Anderson (WCW TV Champ) vs Bobby Eaton at SuperBrawl 1991.

3. Tatsumi Fujinaki (NWA Champ) vs Ric Flair (WCW Champ) at SuperBrawl 1991.

4. Nikita Koloff vs Sting in a Russian Chain Match at Great American Bash 1991.

5. Lex Luger vs Barry Windham in a Steel Cage Match for the WCW Championship at Great American Bash 1991.

7. Chamber Of Horrors Match at Halloween Havoc 1991.
Sting, El Gigante, The Steiner Brothers vs Abdullah the Butcher, Scott Hall (as The Diamond Studd),  Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack), Vader

8. Steve Austin (WCW TV Champ) vs Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) at Halloween Havoc 1991.

MAIN EVENT: LEX LUGER (WCW CHAMP) vs FAROOQ (as RON SIMMONS) in a 2/3  FALLS MATCH at HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1991.

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Season 2, Episode 7: Match Made In Heaven (1991)

The majority of this episode is related to Randy Savage’s wedding to Miss Elizabeth (whom he had been married to in real life for several years). It’s a brief ceremony and then a reception where Jake Roberts and The Undertaker ruin everything, and we get our first glimpse of Psycho Sid in WWE.

Also, WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! Ric Flair has jumped ship to the WWE, too, and he still has the WCW Championship with him! He and his manager, Bobby Heenan, appear to be gunning for Hulk Hogan, stooping to such shenanigans as helping The Undertaker in his first ever title match!

Plus, we reach the end of the Virgil/Dibiase feud, and Legion of Doom fulfills the prophecy by finally becoming WWE Tag Champs.

1. Bushwhackers vs Natural Disasters at SummerSlam 1991.

2. Ted Dibiase vs Virgil for the Million Dollar Championship at SummerSlam 1991.

3. Nasty Boys (WWE Tag Team Champs) vs Legion Of Doom at SummerSlam 1991.

4. Million Dollar Team vs Hitman Squad at Survivor Series 1991.
The Mountie, Ted Dibiase, Ric Flair, Warlord, vs Bret Hart, The British Bulldog, Roddy Piper, Virgil

5. Ric Flair vs Tito Santana from Battle Royal at Albert Hall.

MAIN EVENT: HULK HOGAN (WWE CHAMP) vs THE UNDERTAKER at SURVIVOR  SERIES 1991.

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Season 2, Episode 8: Battle Bowl (1991, 1992)

It’s time for more fun with The Lethal Lottery where WCW creates tag teams at random for a tournament where the winners are thrown together in a two-ring Royal Rumble knockoff. This creates some fantastic ring combinations that you won’t see anywhere else such as Ricky Steamboat in the ring against Mick Foley.

We then go back to Tokyo for some more fantastic crossover bouts with New Japan Pro 
Wrestling. Trigger warning: japanese commentary.

Once again, the back half of the episode is from Japan and the video quality is not on-par with the first half of the episode.

1. Steve Austin & Rick Rude vs Van Hammer & Doink (as Big Josh) at Starrcade 1991.

2. Bill Kaamier & Jushin Thunder Liger vs DDP & Mike Graham at Starrcade 1991.

3. Ricky Steamboat & Todd Champion vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) & Buddy Lee Parker at Starrcade 1991.

4. Vader & Mr Hughes vs Rick Steiner & Adam Bomb (as The Nightstalker) at Starrcade 1991.

5. Battlebowl Battle Royal at Starrcade 1991.
Vader, Buff Bagwell, Jimmy Garvin, Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes), Bill Kazmaier, Jushin Thunder Liger, Steve Austin, Richard Morton, Todd Champion, Abdullah The Butcher, Firebreaker Chip, Thomas Rich, Ron Simmons, Ricky Steamboat, Mr Hughes, Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Sting

6. Enforcers vs Michionshi Ohara & Shiro Koshinaka at NJPW Super Warriors Tokyo Dome 1992.

7. Dusty Rhodes & Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) vs Masa Saito & Kim Duk at NJPW Super Warriors Tokyo Dome 1992.

8. Lex Luger (WCW Champ) vs Masahiro Chono at NJPW Super Warriors Tokyo Dome 1992.

MAIN EVENT: STING & GREAT MUTA vs THE STEINER BROTHERS at NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING SUPER WARRIORS TOKYO DOME 1992.

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Season 2, Episode 9:  Fair To Flair (1991, 1992)

Bobby Heenan has been on fire this season. The wrestlers he manages seem to always be in the title mixes, his now-cringey insult humor certified him as one of the all-time most irritating (but in a good way) announcers, and he is the person credited with bringing Ric Flair into the WWE. 

The announcer and Flair gigs intersect here as Heenan gives one of the best commentary 
performances of all time during the Royal Rumble match. It’s a tour de force that capitalizes on the energy we saw during his Big Boss Man feud.

The fallout from the last WWE episode’s title match creates two epic matches here. More 
importantly, after all he suffered in episode 207, Randy Savage unretires! He didn’t lose a step during those 30 seconds he was retired and has a fantastic feud with Jake Roberts here.

1. Randy Savage vs Jake Roberts at This Tuesday In Texas.

2. Ric Flair vs Texas Tornado at UK Rampage 1991.

3. Undertaker (WWE Champ) vs Hulk Hogan at This Tuesday In Texas.

4. New Hart Foundation vs New Orient Express from Royal Rumble 1992.

MAIN EVENT: ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH 1992.
The Barbarian, The Berzerker, Big Boss Man, The British Bulldog, Col. Mustafa, Greg Valentine, Haku, Hercules, Hulk Hogan, IRS, Jake Roberts, Jerry Sags, Jim Duggan, Jimmy Snuka, Nikolai Volkoff, Psycho Sid (as Sid Justice), Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Rick Martel, Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels, Skinner, Smash (as Repo Man), Ted DiBiase, The Texas Tornado, Tito Santana, The Undertaker, Virgil, The Warlord

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Season 2, Episode 10: The Dangerous Alliance (1992)

Again, this is kind of a gold buried under crap era for WCW, as it's slowly morphing from NWA to the official WCW. This episode, in particular, aligns with the earlier WWE matches from this season as 70s, 80s, and 90s stars are all represented pretty equally.

The Light Heavyweight title is given its first chance to shine here. It will soon become The Cruserweight Championship, the title that kept WCW interesting during the WWE Retiree Age that’s on the horizon.

We also see a villainous stable with wrestlers like Steve Austin and Rick Rude that are united by their manager. Yeup, they’re the early 1990s Paul Heyman guys, The Dangerous Alliance.

1. Jushin Thunder Liger (WCW Lightweight Champ) vs Brian Pillman at SuperBrawl 1992.

2. Barry Windham and Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) vs Steve Austin and Larry Zbysko at SuperBrawl 1992.

3. Rick Rude (WCW US Champ) vs Ricky Steamboat at SuperBrawl 1992.

4. Lex Luger (WCW Champ) vs Sting at SuperBrawl 1992.

5. Brian Pillman (WCW Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Tom Zenk at WrestleWar 1992.

6. Tatsumi Fujinama and Takayuki Iizuka vs The Steiner Brothers at WrestleWar 1992. 

MAIN EVENT: STING’S SQUADRON vs THE DANGEROUS ALLIANCE in a WAR  GAMES MATCH at WRESTLEWAR 1992.
Sting, Barry Wyndham, Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes), Ricky Steamboat, Nikita Koloff vs Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn  Anderson, Bobby Eaton, Larry Zbysko

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Season 2, Episode 11: Damaged Goods (1992)

The tail end of the Randy Savage/Jake Roberts feud leads to a split where Jake Roberts goes off to battle his former co-conspirator, The Undertaker, and Randy Savage goes after the current champion: Ric Flair. Flair incites the feud through a series of promos where he claims to have been Miss Elizabeth’s first real boyfriend, whom he dumped just before she met Savage. It’s a wild angle.

We also get to see the continued rise of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, who will be the faces of the company by the end of the season.

1. Jake Roberts vs Randy Savage at The Main Event 5.

2. Undertaker vs Bret Hart from WWE on MSG Network.

3. Shawn Michaels vs Tito Santana at Wrestlemania 8.

4. Jake Roberts vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 8.

5. Roddy Piper (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 8.

6. Owen Hart vs Skinner at Wrestlemania 8.

7. British Bulldog vs IRS at UK Rampage 1992.

8. Bret Hart (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Rick Martel at UK Rampage 1992.

MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR (WWE CHAMP) vs RANDY SAVAGE at WRESTLEMANIA 8.

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Season 2, Episode 12: Beach Blast (1992)

This is a little window of WCW that I never opened until creating this episode. It was a pretty bad time for the brand, as Ric Flair was absolutely ruling over at WWE and nobody at WCW, not even Sting, had quite the momentum of their WWE counterparts. So this show is all about fun.

Future Goth King of Wrestling in WCW, ECW, and TNA: Raven, wrestles as Scotty Flamingo. Sting and Mick Foley have a hardcore match well before it was fashionable, and Rick Rude takes on Ricky Steamboat.

The highlight though is the weird set of circumstances where Sting was supposed to get a 
rematch for the title with Vader but was injured during a Coal Miner’s Glove Match (where a heavy glove is put on a pole, and whoever gets it first can use it as a weapon) with Jake Roberts. 

Jake gets bitten in the face by his cobra but Sting is somehow so injured that he can’t have his rematch (it’s not explained what his injury is or how he got it) so he is replaced in the title match by Ron Simmons (the future Farooq from WWE) who becomes the first ever Black World Champion in wrestling history.

Interesting side note" Jake Roberts, who once wrestled so wasted that his match had to be 
canceled, and was also a part of the blindfold match with Rick Martel from a few episodes ago, claims the Coal Miner’s Glove Match was the worst thing he’s ever been a part of. I’m including it purely because it’s the only time I can remember Jake Roberts and Mick Foley sharing the screen.

1. Brian Pillman (WCW Light Heavyweight Champ) vs Raven (as Scotty Flamingo) at Beach Blast 1992.

2. Sting vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at Beach Blast 1992.

3. Greg Valentine vs Buff Bagwell at Beach Blast 1992.

4. Sting (WCW Champ) vs Vader at Great American Bash 1992.

5. Rick Rude (WCW US Champ) vs Ricky Steamboat in an Iron Man Match at Beach Blast 1992.

6. Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff vs Brian Pillman & Jushin Thunder Liger at Great American Bash 1992.

7. Sting vs Jake Roberts in a Coal Miner's Glove Match at Halloween Havoc 1992.

MAIN EVENT: VADER (WCW CHAMP) vs FAROOQ (as RON SIMMONS) from WCW  MAIN EVENT.

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Season 2, Episode 13: Perfectly Savage (1993)

Randy Savage continues to be the highlight reel for the Old Guard as Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart creep into the main event scene. Here, he loses his partner Ultimate Warrior (probably fired again) and needs to find a new tag team partner to battle Ric Flair and Razor Ramon, so he chooses Flair’s corner man, Mr Perfect.

His decision to have Mr Perfect as a partner is a long road that takes place almost exclusively on Prime Time Wrestling. No longer a newsdesk show with Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby Heenan, Vince McMahon now chairs a discussion group with assorted wrestlers and managers. This episode features Bobby Heenan, Mr Perfect, Hillbilly Jim, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan.

The oddest part of this sequence is that Randy Savage is the champion in this episode until the main event where, suddenly, no one appears to be the champion. Savage lost the title to Flair during an unimpressive match, and then Flair lost the title to Bret Hart (who loses the Intercontinental Championship in this episode) in an untelevised House Show.

This is not the only time something like this happens with Bret Hart in the early 90s.

1. Randy Savage (WWE Champ) vs Ultimate Warrior at SummerSlam 1992.

2. Bret Hart (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs British Bulldog at SummerSlam 1992.

3. Randy Savage (WWE Champ) vs Shawn Michaels at UK Rampage 1992.

4. British Bulldog (Intercontinental Champ) vs Shawn Michaels at Saturday Night’s Main Event 32.

MAIN EVENT: RANDY SAVAGE & MR PERFECT vs RIC FLAIR & RAZOR RAMON at  SURVIVOR SERIES 1992.

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Season 2, Episode 14: Eastern Championship Wrestling (1993)

Our first ECW episode! Eastern Championship Wrestling is a small indie company in Philadelphia that changed wrestling forever. A ton of retired WWE wrestlers, a band of 
dissatisfied WCW wrestlers, future WCW and WWE wrestlers, and some homegrown talent, under the direction of Paul Heyman (sometimes still Paul E Dangerously) turned a crowded poolhall into a violent revolution in sports entertainment.

There are some impressive reconstructions that make ECW’s quality look as crisp and polished  as the WWE and WCW. I don’t like them. ECW episodes should look like they were produced with amateur lighting and recorded by someone in the audience with a cheap camera. So that’s what they’re going to look like in this Headcanon.

The audio in this has one very quiet match.

For the rest of this Headcanon, I’ve gone through and normalized all the audio. Unfortunately, I haven’t touched this file in several years, and I no longer have the sources, so I can’t fix it without spending many hours relocating sources, re-editing etc. Pretend this is just because of the general low quality of early ECW recordings (which it kind of is).

1. Jimmy Snuka (ECW TV Champ) vs JT Smith at Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular.

2. Terry Funk vs Eddie Gilbert in a Texas Chain Match at Super Summer Sizzler Spectacular.

3. Malia Hosaka vs Molly McShane at NWA Bloodfest 1993.

4. Jimmy Snuka (ECW TV Champ) vs Terry Funk in a Steel Cage Match from ECW Hardcore TV.

6. Sabu (ECW Champ) vs Taz at NWA Bloodfest 1993.

7. Taz vs Tommy Dreamer at NWA Bloodfest 1993.

MAIN EVENT: TERRY FUNK (ECW CHAMP) vs SHANE DOUGLAS vs SABU at THE NIGHT THE LINE WAS CROSSED.

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Season 2, Episode 15: 1-2-3 Raw (1993)

We’ve been able to speed through the 80s and early 90s because both WCW and WWE were mainly pay-per-view focused companies where their weekly shows featured clips of pre-recorded matches, squash matches with local talent, and filler material. WWE had at least three weekly shows but they mainly featured the same content slightly reworked.

That all changed when Raw was introduced. A live or recently recorded show that usually 
included at least one match between two superstars. It changed the way they told stories, it changed the promos and skits from being manager-based to wrestler-based, and it flooded the industry with more content. It’s kind of amazing that it took nearly a decade before they duplicated this with Smackdown.

This first episode is carried by Bobby Heenan’s personality, and a couple of ongoing storylines involving Mr Perfect, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, and Marty Jannetty. But we also have the story that really revolutionized Raw: the introduction of XPac as The 1-2-3 Kid, a local talent jobber who quickly ascends to one of the main reasons people tuned in to the weekly show.

Oh, also, Bret Hart doesn’t have the title in this episode because he lost it in an absolutely 
unwatchable match at Wrestlemania 9 where he was cheated out of the title by Yokozuna, who was then immediately beaten by Hulk Hogan. There really isn’t a decent Hogan match during this era, so we’re just going to pretend he’s already gone.

1. Ric Flair vs Tito Santana from Raw.

2. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) vs XPac (as The Kid) from Raw.

3. Shawn Michaels (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Marty Jannetty from Raw.

4. Mr Perfect vs Ric Flair in Loser Leaves Town Match from Raw.

5. Bret Hart vs Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) from Raw.

6. Shawn Michaels (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Marty Jannetty from Raw.
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7. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) vs XPac (as the 1-2-3 Kid) from Raw.

8. Bret Hart vs Mr Perfect at King Of The Ring 1993.

9. Ted Dibiase vs XPac (as The 1-2-3 Kid) from Raw.

​MAIN EVENT: BRET HART vs BAM BAM BIGELOW at KING OF THE RING 1993.

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Season 2, Episode 16: Supershow (1993)

Back to WCW and back to Japan for a bit. Chono vs Muta is great, of course, but this is our only Headcanon glimpse at The Hellraisers, which was Legion of Doom with Animal switched out for Kensuke Sasaki, and the red shoulderpads switched out for green shoulderpads. They were equally as amazing as LoD.

We get a couple of Mick Foley matches here, one where he battles Paul Orndorff, who was a big star in the 80s but whose matches weren’t interesting enough to make Headcanon. Foley brings out a violent side of him here that I wish we had seen when Orndorff was battling Hulk Hogan.

Also, Ricky Steamboat continues to be one of the most entertaining wrestlers of all-time whether he’s in an underwatched classic with future William Regal, or if he’s under a hood, tagging with Tom Zenk to take on Steve Austin and Brian Pillman. 

The Vader/Foley match is NOT the one in Germany where Foley loses his ear but it is a gloriously violent match worthy of being our main event.

1. Mahariso Chono vs The Great Muta from Japan Supershow 1993.

2. The Hellraisers (NJPW Tag Champs) vs The Steiner Brothers from Japan Supershow 1993.

3. Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) vs Paul Orndorff in a Falls Count Anywhere Match at SuperBrawl 3.

4. Vader vs Sting in a Leather Strap Match at SuperBrawl 3.

5. Hollywood Blonds (WCW Tag Team Champs) vs Dos Hombres in a Steel Cage at Slamboree 1993.

6. The Superpowers vs Masters Of The Power Bomb at Beach Blast 1993.

7. Ricky Steamboat (WCW TV Champ) vs William Regal at Fall Brawl 1993.

MAIN EVENT: VADER (WCW CHAMP) vs MICK FOLEY (as CACTUS JACK) in a TEXAS DEATH MATCH at HALLOWEEN HAVOC 1993.

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Season 2, Episode 17: Weaseling Out (1993)

This is a weird card. For starters, why would I have a main event where Crush, who only appears one other time, and it’s as the third member of Demolition, battles Tony Roy, who I couldn’t pick out of a police lineup? Well, it’s because during their match, Gorilla Monsoon makes a cameo and physically throws Bobby Heenan out of the WWE. I kind of wanted it to be the final moment of the season but the timing didn’t quite work out.

Much like the Brain Busters earlier, The Steiner Brothers take a brief leave of absence from WCW to absolutely batter the talent in the WWE tag team division. The human highlight reel of 1993, the 1-2-3 Kid also has a couple more excellent matches here. And while the Yokozuna title defense against The Undertaker can hardly be called good wrestling, it has an insane ending that needs to be seen.

1. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) vs Ted Dibiase at SummerSlam 1993.

2. The Steiner Brothers vs The Heavenly Bodies at SummerSlam 1993.

3. Bret Hart vs Doink at SummerSlam 1993.

4. Bret Hart vs Jerry Lawler at SummerSlam 1993. 

5. Bam Bam Bigelow & Headshrinkers vs Tatanka & Smoking Guns at SummerSlam 1993.

6. The Bad Guys vs The Worst Guys at Survivor Series 1993.
Marty Jannetty, Randy Savage, Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon), and X-Pac (as 1-2-3 Kid) vs Adam Bomb, IRS, Kevin Nash (as Diesel), and Ruck Martel

7. Yokozuna (WWE Champ) vs Undertaker in a Casket Match at Royal Rumble 1994. 

8. Shawn Michaels vs XPac (as The 1-2-3 Kid) from Raw.

​MAIN EVENT: CRUSH vs TONY ROY from RAW.

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Season 2, Episode 18: Crossing The Line (1994)

ECW! ECW! Eastern Championship Wrestling comes to a quick and decisive end. It goes from the tiny territory within the NWA umbrella to its own entity, Extreme Championship Wrestling, shortly after the main event in this episode.

Mick Foley’s inclusion in the promotion created a ton of buzz but Shane Douglas’s speech at the end of this episode was an industry changer.

Foley’s match with Funk here is nowhere near on-par with their epic matches in Japan and WWE. In fact, you can barely see any of the action because of the poor camera work. But the closing moments of the match are iconic.

1. Jimmy Snuka vs Kevin Sullivan at When Worlds Collide 1994.

2. Peaches and Tommy Cairo vs Sandman and Woman in a Singapore Cane Match at When Worlds Collide 1994.

3. Sabu vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) at Hostile City Showdown 1994.

4. The Funk Brothers vs Public Enemy in a Barbed Wire Match at Heat Wave 1994.

5. Terry Funk vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) at Hardcore Heaven 1994.

MAIN EVENT: SHANE DOUGLAS vs TOO COLD SCORPIO for THE NWA  CHAMPIONSHIP from ECW HARDCORE TV.​

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Season 2, Episode 19: Return Of The Flair (1994)

The Dirtiest Player In The Game returns home to spice things up for the final WCW episode of the season.

It was also tempting to push matches around so that Flair’s return was the beginning of Season 3 but another blonde guy from the WWE will have to take that place instead. It is nice to have our WCW season finale be a nostalgic reminder that Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat are two of the greatest wrestlers in the history of the business, particularly when they’re battling each other.

1. Vader (WCW Champ) vs Ric Flair in Title vs Career Match at Starrcade 1993.

2. Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes), Brian Pillman & Sting vs The Deadly Alliance in a Thundercage Match at SuperBrawl 4.

3. The Nasty Boys (WCW Tag Champs) vs Mick Foley (as Cactus Jack) & Max Payne in a Street Fight at Spring Stampede 1994.

4. Bunkhouse Buck vs Goldust (as Dustin Rhodes) at Spring Stampede 1994.

5. Vader vs Big Boss Man (as The Boss) at Spring Stampede 1994.

WCW SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: RIC FLAIR (WCW CHAMP) vs RICKY  STEAMBOAT at SPRING STAMPEDE 1994.

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Season 2, Episode 20: King Of Harts (1994)

Wrestlemania 10 was pivotal for WWE. No more Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart was truly The Best There Was And The Best There Ever Will Be, especially in his feud with his exceptionally talented younger brother. Plus, The Clique [Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash (as Diesel), Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon), Xpac (as the 1-2-3 Kid), and Triple H] is at the top of the card for a good time, if not a long time. 

We get our first glimpse of Alundra Blayze vs Bull Nakano here, too. Expect to see them square off many times in many promotions next season.

Our Season Finale Main Event pits the two members of The Clique who will later move to WCW and help propel them to the #1 wrestling company, and then later propel them into bankruptcy, against each other.

1. Owen Hart vs Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 10.

2. Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) (WWE Intercontinental Champ) vs Shawn Michaels in a Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 10.

3. Yokozuna (WWE Champ) vs Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 10.

4. Alundra Blayze (WWE Womens Champ) vs Lelani Kai at Wrestlemania 10.

5. Owen Hart vs XPac (as The 1-2-3 Kid) at King of the Ring 1994.

4. Bret Hart (WWE Champ) vs Kevin Nash (as Diesel) at King Of The Ring 1994.

5. Owen Hart vs Scott Hall (as Razor Ramon) at King of the Ring 1994.

6. Alundra Blayze (WWE Womens Champ) vs Bull Nakano at SummerSlam 1994.

SEASON FINALE MAIN EVENT: KEVIN NASH (as DIESEL) (WWE  INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMP) vs SCOTT HALL (as RAZOR RAMON) at SUMMERSLAM 1994.

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