Arn Anderson & Ric Flair vs. Flyin' Brian & Stunning Steve

[7.0] "Good match but the dq finish is unfortunate. I found myself waiting for the big climatic 3rd fall but unfortunately it didn't happen. A shame because the first fall was Brillant and the 2nd fall was ok before the dq finish. 3.5/5"

[9.0] "I've always loved this match. In some ways, it probably stops short of its ceiling, which I'd argue says more about the talent involved than any genuine shortcomings. The physicality is terrific and mechanically, it's every bit as sharp as you'd hope. Even beyond that though, this has a very distinct atmosphere and feel which Flair visibly relishes, sporting a big fight firepower that the promotion had been without for some time. The classical tag team structure only allows that to build too, producing a memorable Clash main event that again, climbs incredibly high while still feeling slightly incomplete. ****1/2"

[7.0] "Really enjoyed the match... Up until the very disappointing finish, at least. The wrestling was great from all four men. Very exciting, with a really strong heat segment from the Blondes (which Arn sells wonderfully, of course). Sadly, it ends with an abrupt run-in from Windham that causes a disqualification in only the second fall... Which seems pretty sketchy to not just cause a title change when it gives the challengers a 2-0 lead. It's a weak enough conclusion that I felt like I couldn't justify going higher than a 7 no matter how much I liked the rest of the match, particularly considering it feels so incomplete the way that it stands. This could have been a classic if they went the full three falls, and a true passing of the torch moment for the Blondes if they got the victory (or hell, even a fall would have been nice...). It's still a very good match, but unfortunately it's also one that falls short of its potential thanks to the booking."

[5.0] "Pretty good match until the DQ. Never heard of a title NOT changing hands due to a DQ fall in a 2/3 falls match. Pillman wearing down Anderson with a half crab and Austin adding pressure by pushing down on the top of Pillman's head is goofy as hell. Fun to see Flair and Arn working babyface, especially as over as they are (esp Flair) here. Flair attacking Windham in the middle of his interview is pretty awesome, too."

[7.0] "A really good main event with classic goofy booking to get out of a title change. This match is loaded with talent. The Hollywood Blondes were great here, and arguably deserved better. This was Flair's first match since returning to WCW. Paul Roma and Barry Windham getting involved made sense here."

[7.0] "This crowd loved them some Ric Flair. Austin mocks Arn Anderson during the match, getting a laugh from both me and Jesse Ventura. But The Horseman/Hollywood Blonds chemistry was off the charts. Fun match with Barry Windham and Paul Roma getting involved at the end."

[7.0] "Good wrestling in the match, the Blondes did really good heel work. Flair, of course, was super over for his first true match back in WCW. Seems a little strange to do 2/3 falls and then not have the champions win any fall but still retain the titles. This is probably a good indication that their run may be ending soon and one of them may wind up seeing themselves released due to lack of perceived star power -.- It was a good match but I can't justify giving it a higher rating than the NWA Title match from earlier in the card."

[10.0] "When a match contains two wrestlers from my personal top five (Ric Flair and Steve Austin) and two wrestlers that I'm a big fan of (Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman), I'm pretty much predisposed to love it (there are exceptions: see D-Generation X vs. Brothers of Destruction at Crown Royal 2018). This match was an incredible amount of fun. Both teams have amazing amounts of chemistry and it's just amazing to see. I didn't care for the Paul Roma run-in but that's just a tiny blip on an other great match."

[7.0] "This was a terrific match that could've been a classic had the finish been decent. I'm all for using a show like to build up a big PPV match, but if you're gonna do a whole 20 minute 2/3 falls that ends with the challengers winning 2-0 and still not walking away with the titles, I say do something else instead. My rating would definitely be higher if not for the super lame finish (I won't even talk about Paul Roma's run in that drew absolutely no reaction to the surprise of absolutely no one). Anyway, the match itself was very strong from bell to bell, with great limb work and double-teaming by the Hollywood Blonds, who made the most out of this big opportunity, building up Flair's hot tag very well. It really is a shame the finish was what it was. [***3/4]"

[8.0] "This was a cracking little match. Pillman and Austin are so good as smug chicken shit heels. I wasn't a fan of the finish as it makes Windham look like a dumb ass but the post match brawl was fun. ****"

[8.0] "A few issues aside, this was absolutely GREAT. Flair's return match to the WCW after his WWF tenure, and he just let it all hang out. The crowd was going crazy for him and AA to beat up The Blondes. Speaking of The Blondes, they were tremendous here. Awesome bumping, timing, heat spot. It all clicked. I would've loved it even more without the tasteless finish and bad booking. [****]"

[9.0] "Isn't this something? WCW, if they weren't totally incompetent, could've looked back in their histroy at this for being a historically important match. A generational passing between the older guard to the next generation. How they didn't build the next five years around Austin and Pilman, I do not know (Actually, I do. Thanks, Hogan). But alas this is still a really great match to have in your archive. This is Ric Flair's first match back in WCW thanks to his contract with WWF stopping him from wrestling for the first few months. And the match is booked to accommodate Flair and Arn. The Blondes are excellent as chickenshit heels that get the snot kicked out of them so it works really well. The two straight falls is a bit too much and just a poor booking choice to go with though. As mentioned before, the Blondes are great in their role. Not only do they bump and selling superbly for the Horsemen, they do a fantastic job in control, cutting Flair off from Anderson with their great teamwork and individual skills. Austin had some great schtick. During one sequence in the match, Anderson moved out of the way of an Austin move in the ropes but Austin rode the momentum, landed on his feet and did the Hollywood Blondes "rolling" taunt. It led nicely into Anderson hitting a DDT but I thought that was a standout Austin moment even if it didn't work out for him in the match. Anderson's performance was excellent. His selling was outstanding and showcased why he's touted as a great wrestler. Pilman's clip of the leg just before the 2nd fall is really brushed off in the moment for a Flair hot tag but Anderson still sells the leg and threads it along into the 2nd fall and the rest of the match. Flair takes advantage of this being a Pro-Horsemen crowd and goes nuts. He is filled with fire and energy. Flair is visibly excited to be back in WCW and it's infectious. I thought this was a great match, just incomplete with an odd finish and somewhat poor booking throughout the match. ****1/4"

[6.0] "This was match was good, but not quite great, and it didn't have the kind of sustained heat that you'd expect from Flair's first match back in WCW."

[10.0] "Liked it even more on the rewatch. The ending is still not ideal but honestly this match is so good I think it deserves a 10 anyway. The Blondes are hungry and have an awesome showing, Arn puts on one of his best performances in an amazing career, and Flair has the crowd in the palm of his hands, great, great stuff."