|Date: May 19, 1990
|Venue: D.C. Armory |City: Washington D.C.
|Attendance: 7,500 |Buys: 160,000

|tweet me: @BastionBlogger

After a short video it’s Tony Schiavone that welcomes us to the show. He’s the host and he runs down the title matches before introducing a marching band. Tony then throws to commentators Jim Ross and Bob Caudle. 

The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) & Norman vs. Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack & Bam Bam Bigelow

Background: The rivalry between Norman and Kevin Sullivan continues and this time Norman has The Legion Of Doom on his side. It’s surprising not to see Norman team with Abdullah The Butcher and Mike Rotunda who have been involved in this rivalry.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time six man tag match between these two combinations.

Match: The Road Warriors make their way to the ring on the back of motorcycles whilst Norman arrives on a scooter. A push scooter. Animal and Cactus Jack kick off the match. It’s all Animal and Hawk in the early going. Cactus Jack takes a lot of big offence, over the top and over the barricade. Hawk even throws the ring steps at him. Kevin Sullivan finally takes control for his team against Norman. Sullivan hits an impressive powerslam before tagging pitot Cactus. Lots of double teaming and quick tags from Sullivan’s team against Norman before Animal gets the hot tag. All hell then breaks loose with all six men. Hawk wipes out Sullivan with a clothesline off the top for the three. 

Result: The Legion Of Doom and Norman win by pinfall.

Review: This was a fun way to kick off the show. Cactus Jack was the star of it for me, he really puts his body on the line. The Road Warriors don’t lose often and they didn’t lose tonight. I think Norman should have got the win for his team as this rivalry centred around him. A good match though. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Johnny Ace vs. Mean Mark

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two men.

Match: Johnny Ace is out quickly. They’re keen to crack on with this show. Mean Mark has Theodore Long with him. We’ll see plenty of Long tonight. Johnny dropkicks Mean Mark out of the ring and then hits him with a suicide dive early. It’s pretty back and forth between the two men. Ace jumps up to the top and hits a cross body, picking up the pace before applying an arm bar. Theodore Long gets involved with a few kicks of his own. Mean Mark dominates for a while, hitting a big clothesline, applying a chinlock and hitting a big boot and legdrop. Johnny Ace fights back and hits dropkicks and a monkey flip. Ace heads to the top to some boos from the crowd but Mark ducks a cross body and Johnny hits the deck. Mean Mark hits a heart punch and then heads to the top himself, walks the top rope and hits an elbow drop for the win. 

Result: Mean Mark wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was a little slow in parts but it wasn’t terrible. Mean Mark was the right winner, he’s in a good run but is missing a bit of charisma. He’s good in the ring though. Johnny Ace is a little too white meat and the crowd aren’t too hot on him. Some good offence from Mean Mark tonight. 

Rating: 5/10

Gordon Solie is backstage outside Sting and Robocop’s dressing room but there’s no sign of them yet. 

Tony Schiavone is with the Rock N Roll Express. It sounds like the crowd are booing. Robert Gibson says they’re looking for payback tonight. Ricky Morton says they are here to become World Tag Team Champions before talking about Ole Anderson and the Four Horsemen. Morton tells us that Lex Luger was released from hospital today and isn’t supposed to be here. 

Mike Rotunda & Tommy Rich vs. The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu & The Samoan Savage)

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams.

Match: The Samoan Savage and Tommy Rich kick off the match and it’s back and forth between the two men. Both men tag out and it’s all Rotunda. It’s back and forth for a while with all four men making quick tags. Fatu misses with a splash off the top. There’s a miscommunication between the Samoans but they hug it out. The Samoan Swat Team take control from here, making quick tags and keeping Rotunda away from his corner. Tommy Rich does get a tag but the referee doesn’t see it. The crowd get a little bored as Fatu applies a front facelock. Rotunda gets back into it with a clothesline and then finally makes the hot tag to Wildfire Tommy Rich. All four men go at it. The referee escorts Rotunda out of the ring which allows Fatu to come in off the top with a double axe handle on Tommy Rich. The Savage then pins Rich for the win.

Result: The Samoan Swat Team win by pinfall.

Review: Quite a slow match for the most part. With so many tag team matches tonight we’re going to see a lot of the same match psychology. It’s a big win for the Samoans tonight who may go after tag team championships before long.

Rating: 3.75/10

Tony Schiavone is with The Steiner Brothers who tell Doom that they are here to beat them up.

Missy Hyatt is introduced as the special guest ring announcer for the next match. She’s accompanied by Jay Tapper who is a world renowned hair stylist. He will shave the head of the loser tonight.

Paul Ellering vs. “Sugar Ray” Theodore Long – Hair vs. hair match

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time match between these two men.

Match: Theodore Long, wearing headgear and boxing gloves attacks Paul Ellering before the bell. Long them hit Ellering with right hands, and fiddles with his glove before hitting a big right hand. Ellering takes off the glove and hits a reverse elbow and powerslam before nailing Long with the glove for the win. After the match Jay Tapper shaves some of Longs hair before Long runs back to the back.

Result: Paul Ellering wins by pinfall.

Review: Well, this was pretty bad but everything you expected it to be. Neither men have a lot of hair so the stakes weren’t particularly high. Ellering wins.

Rating: 1/10

Tony Schiavone is with Ric Flair, Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson and Sid Vicious. Ole says it was stupid for Lex to tell everyone that he has been in hospital. Ric Flair cuts a classic promo before Arn cuts a good promo. It’s all about keeping the belt on Flair tonight. No Barry Windham.

Brian Pillman & The Z Man (c) vs. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) – United States Tag Team Championship match with Jim Cornette lock. ina cage at ringside

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two teams.

Match: All four men go at it as the bell rings. Jim Cornette tries to avoid getting in the cage but ends up eating a clothesline from the referee before the champions throw him in the cage. Bobby Eaton and Brian Pillman kick off the match and Pillman takes on both opponents as all hell breaks loose early. The champions clean house. Z-Man hits some arm drags before Stan accidentally dropkicks his partner. The babyfaces dominate for a while, making quick tags. The Midnight Express really struggle to get into the match and have a few miscommunications. Pillman eventually makes a mistake and tumbles to the outside where Bobby Eaton hits him with a neckbreaker. The Midnight Express make quick tags and double team Brian Pillman, keeping him away from Z-Man. Bobby Eaton hits a big elbow drop off the top for a two count. Eaton then hits a legdrop off the top for a two count. Z-Man makes a hot tag but The Midnight Express double team him and hit a rocket launcher for a near fall. All four men go at it but when the referee escorts Pillman out of the ring, Stan Lane kicks Z-Man in the back of the head and Eaton rolls him up for the win!

Result: The Midnight Express win the United States Tag Team Championships by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent enough tag team match on a show full of tag team matches. I like The Midnight Express winning the titles. I’ve seen better Midnight Express matches, maybe the chemistry wasn’t quite right in this one. I’d like to see Brian Pillman have a decent singles run off the back of this.

Rating: 5.75/10

Backstage to Gordon Solie who says Robocop. ison his way to the ring. We see a couple of shots of Robocop. Sting then makes his way to the ring but he gets attacked by Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Sid Vicious and they toss him in the cage. Robocop then comes out and rips the cage door off. The Horsemen back off and leave through the crowd. End of segment.

Tony Schiavone is joined by the returning Junkyard Dog. JYD says that he is back and looking for a bone to chew on. He’s interrupted by Jim Cornette who is scared off.

The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael “PS” Hayes & Jimmy Garvin) – Corporal Punishment Match

Background: This rivalry started with The Freebirds claiming to be the greatest rock and roll band of all time. The Rock N Roll Express would take offence and destroy some of their stuff. The Freebirds attacked Ricky and Robert after a match with straps which led to this match being a corporal punishment match.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two teams.

Match: Michael Hayes and Robert Gibson kick off the match. The leather straps are actually left on the ringposts. Two teams in red tonight. Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson are the first men to use the straps, they whip The Freebirds around the ring. The Rock N Roll Express dominate in the early going. The Freebirds get back into it and Hayes whips Gibson with the strap. Gibson grabs a strap and we’ve got a stand off. Gibson then lays into both opponents with the whip. The Freebirds get back into it and at one point Hayes hits a big right hand to Ricky Morton. Hayes and Garvin stop Morton for tagging in Gibson. Garvin heads to the top but Ricky throws him down to the mat. Ricky Morton then fights back against Michael Hayes before tagging in Robert Gibson. All four men soon go at it. The Freebirds throw Morton out of the ring, Hayes hits Gibson with a DDT and then looks for a second but Morton comes in off the top with a sunset flip which keeps Hayes down for three!

Result: The Rock N Roll Express win by pinfall.

Review: I enjoyed this match. The psychology was good. The straps didn’t take centre stage but they were there to pick up the tempo every so often. A good back and forth match with a quicker pace then some of the tag team matches tonight.

Rating: 6/10

Tony Schiavone is with Doug Furnas who think Lex Luger will be winning the World Championship tonight.

Sting then comes out and says that he knows how much it means to Lex Luger tonight.

The Steiner Brothers (Rick & Scott) (c) vs. Doom (Butch Reed & Ron Simmons) – World Tag Team Championship match

Previous PPV matches: This is the third PPV match between these two tag teams, previously they have both won a match a peice.

Match: Scott Steiner and Ron Simmons kick off the match. It’s a fast paced start to the match with Scott Steiner hitting a big German suplex. Scott Steiner has the best of the opening minutes against both Simmons and Butch Reed. Rick Steiner tags in and a clothesline on Reed has no effect. The fight goes to the outside where Rick slams Reed. Back in the ring and Rick hits a piledriver on Simmons and then a Steinerline out of the ring. Scott hits a big shoulderbreaker on Butch Reed. Doom take control and dominate for a while. Teddy Long also gets involved with some slaps to Scott Steiner. Butch Reed hits a piledriver on Scott Steiner. Scott hits a big Frankensteiner on Simmons before making a hot tag to his brother Rick. All four men then get into it. Simmons and Scott battle to the outside as you get the impression this match is wrapping up. Ron throws Scotty into the ringpost and then Doom double team Rick Steiner with a squash off the middle rope. Reed pins Rick and gets the win!

Result: Doom win the World Tag Team Championships by pinfall.

Review: This was one of the better tag team matches from the night. I wasn’t a big fan of the finish, with Butch Reed flattening Rick Steiner but it does mean we have new tag team champions. I don’t mind this title change, Doom are such a big intimidating tag team. I look forward to seeing what they and Theodore Long being to the titles. They have plenty of opponents in The Road Warriors, Rock N Roll Express and Steiner Brothers.

Rating: 6.75/10

Theodore Long and Doom are interviewed after the match. Long says that he lost some hair but gained the titles.

Ric Flair (c) vs. Lex Luger – Cage match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Background: In the Wrestlewar 1990 main event, Ric Flair defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Lex Luger. During the main event, Luger had Flair locked in his submission hold, looking like he was about to win the match and the championship. At that point the Andersons cornered Sting, who was on crutches after his surgery, threatening to injure him even further. At that point Luger abandoned the match, opting to save his long time friend instead even though it cost him the match and the championship In the weeks following WrestleWar WCW officials announced that Lex Luger would receive another opportunity to wrestle for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of Capital Combat, this time in a steel cage match to prevent the Four Horsemen from interfering. In the weeks leading up to Capital Combat, the Horsemen introduced both Barry Windham and Sid Vicious as part of their group, with Ole Anderson acting more as a manager from that point on.

Previous PPV matches: Ric Flair has beaten Lex Luger three times on PPV before and they’ve drawn once.

Match: Ric Flair has Woman with him and she’s in the cage too. The referee checks Woman and finds a weapon in her glove. Luger is fired up in the early going and lays into Flair with clotheslines, right hands and two big gorilla press slams. Flair takes control from a cheap shot and targets the knee of Luger. Ric hits a suplex but Lex no-sells and fires up again. Luger busts Flair open from beating his face off the cage. Ric makes numerous attempts to climb the cage, which actually has a lip on so he can’t go anywhere. Luger hits a superplex but sells his own knee injury. Flair goes back to work on the knee and ankle, softening Luger up for the figure four. Ric then locks on the figure four, grabbing the top rope for extra leverage. Luger doesn’t quit. Out come Arn Anderson, Ole Anderson and Sid Vicious to watch from ringside. Luger hits a clothesline for a near fall.

Lex hits a military press and out comes Sting! Sting tries to fight off the Horsemen and then out comes El Gigante! He’s huge! El Gigante and Sting chase off The Horseman. The cage then start to raise up and out comes Barry Windham who gets into the cage! Luger locks on the rack but Barry Windham breaks it up! Apparently Ole Anderson raised the cage. The bell rings and for some reason it’s a disqualification. Luger wins by DQ tonight. Arn Anderson comes out and he, Windham and Flair triple team Luger. Sting is back out but can’t get in the cage. The cage raises and Sting chases off the Horseman again.

Result: Lex Luger wins by disqualification.

Review: That was another classic main event. A really good match between Flair and Luger. The psychology was spot on. It was chaotic. It feels like Lex Luger is keeping the main event warm for when Sting returns. Flair bleeding everywhere always adds to his matches. Lex Luger is a really underrated talent. Ric Flair retains the title despite Luger winning by DQ. I can only think that we’re getting Flair and Sting down the line but not before a big War Games match.

Rating: 8.5/10

After the match Ric Flair cuts a promo until Sting chases him to the back.

And that was Capital Combat 1990. My main criticism is the amount of tag team matches. They all follow the same psychology s it got a bit repetitive. The opening six man tag team match was good but it did feel like it was a way of not only getting The Road Warriors on the card but also getting them a win. Mean Mark then beat Johnny Ace in a forgettable match before The Samoan Swat Team defeated the makeshift team of Mike Rotunda and Tommy Rich. The matches were slowly getting worse at this point and was it it’s lowest point with the hair vs. hair match. Teddy Long lost, it was expected, he loses the very little hair he had left. It was bad, anyway. The matches would improve from here. The Midnight Express won the US Tag Team Championships which hopefully means the end of Brian Pillman and Z-Man as a team. The Rock N Roll Express beat The Fabulous Freebirds in a decent match. Doom would then win the World Tag Team Championships against The Steiner Brothers which I’m all for. And then in the main event Ric Flair loses by disqualification to Lex Luger which keeps this rivalry live and well. A really good match between these two.

Overall Rating: 54.06/100 (ranked 8th out of 18 WCW PPV’s reviewed so far)

Match Of The Night: Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger
Worst Match Of The Night: Paul Ellering vs. Theodore Long
Surprise Of The Night: El Gigante wanders out
Worst Booking Of The Night: Robocop
Superstar Of The Night: Ric Flair
Capital Combat 90 Will Be Remembered For: Robocop