WCW CLASSICS REPORT 7-29-2001
By Patrick Sands

Once again your host for WCW Classics is the American Dream Dusty Rhodes....yay. On today's edition, we'll be getting a half hour look into 1991, early Summer, feud between Sting and Nikita Koloff. Dusty, the efficient one that he is, does not want to waste any time so lets get right to it.

--This was from the Clash of the Champions XV in June of 1991 in Knoxville, Tenn. Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone (who I heard the other night on the radio on the Braves post-game show as I was coming home from Turner Field and I swear everyone who called in said something to the effect of "hey weren't you that guy who called those WCW matches" and Tony seemed to get VERY annoyed answering that question after a while.) bring us all the action. We start out with Koloff informing us that he is "Nikita Koloff the Russian Nightmare." Now we have The Stinger running into the ring with Jim Ross having a fit. Koloff whips Sting to the ropes and catches him with a big elbow. Koloff hits Sting with a shoulder block as Jim Ross lets us know Koloff's finisher is one of the most deadly in the sport. Schiavone chips his opinion in and lets us know it's even better than a Steinerline......now that's impact. In the meantime Koloff throws Sting to the outside and into the security railing. Sting gets up and nails Koloff with a pile driver out of nowhere, but Koloff bounces right up. Now we jump ahead, I assume this because Sting, all of a sudden, barely has paint on his face. We find out Koloff is one notch above Sting in the world rankings. Schiavone sees a comeback in Sting's eyes. Sting reverses Koloff into the outside railing and he's finally down...kind of. Koloff back with the advantage. Koloff goes for a tombstone piledriver but Sting reverses and Koloff stays down this time. Sting now pounds Koloff with a flurry of chops and punches and stomps and then misses the Stinger Splash. Koloff misses the Russian Cycle and Sting rolls him up for the 1-2-3. A true WCW Classic.
Winner: Sting via pinfall.

--Now its time for some Dusty commentary on what we have just seen take place. "Rhodesims" as Dusty calls them. Dusty likes the young colorful Sting with no dark side "if you will," who will just come up and bite somebody. When we come back Dusty is going to tell us about Nikita and I quote, "Who you remind him of reminding me of." Dusty sees a little of Nikita Koloff in Goldberg, "the modern day gladiator."

--Russian Chain Match: Sting v. Nikita Koloff. Baltimore, MD. This is the Great American Bash, July of 1991, and your hosts are Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone. PeeWee Anderson is your referee. Ross reminds us that the chain can be used as a weapon and pin falls and submissions are insignificant. Koloff and Sting go eye-to-eye and Sting kicks Koloff below the belt. Sting won the World Title at last years Bash in Baltimore. Sting is getting some offense in this one, unlike the previous match here on "da classic". Sting throws Koloff back inside the ring and rams his head into the top turnbuckle 10 times as the crowd counts. Sting touches one corner, now two, he's halfway there but Koloff is holding him off. Koloff breaks Sting's momentum with a swift (as swift as Nikita could muster) kick. Nikita now has Sting on the outside of the ring. Koloff clotheslines Sting with the chain. Sting rams Koloff shoulder first into the ring post. Koloff gets the advantage and we go back to Dusty in the Classic's Control Center. Dusty lets us know that many people forget how strong Koloff was and how he hit the gym when he came over to this country for his "American Dream". Koloff misses an elbow. Sting pulls the chain up and rips Koloff below the belt. Koloff fights back and Ross seems disappointed that Sting rakes Koloff's eyes. Koloff snaps Sting over and touches one ring corner and now he touches another, halfway there for Koloff. Koloff touches #3 and he is one turnbuckle away. Sting breaks the momentum and back to turnbuckle one we go. Both Koloff and Sting touch corner one and now they are both touching corner two, PeeWee is letting us know they both have two corners. The men exchanged low blows as they head to the 3rd corner. It looked like the momentum was broken but PeeWee does not think so, he still has two fingers up for both guys. Both guys touch corner #3. Sting drags Koloff but it is not working, if Sting let go of Koloff's arm he'd make it easily. Koloff hops up and hits the Russian Cycle but refuses to touch the corner. Koloff is two inches from the corner and Sting nails the Stinger Splash, splashing Koloff into the corner. This reminded me of the first match, just add a chain.
Winner: Nikita Koloff

--Dusty lets us know that Koloff tours the country spreading good now and Sting is the Franchise now. Seems to me if they were going to show some "Classic Sting" they could have found something with a little less brawling. Dusty tells us Koloff got "Americanized" rubbing up to Dusty and we'll c-ya next week here on "da classic."