Marquis of Queensbury Cup – Ric Flair vs Lord Steven Regal – Playlist
Sometimes, it’s easy for us as fans to guffaw at some of the gaffes that WCW produced over the years. As much as we loved WCW, it’s hard to turn a blind eye to some of the silliness and incompetence they showed.
Which begs the question, why do we love WCW?
The embedded video is one of the reasons why. This week in 1994, WCW Worldwide presented the first and only Marquis of Queensbury Cup pitting WCW World Champion Ric Flair vs WCW TV Champion Lord Steven Regal.
The MoQC was a five round series inspired by World of Sport out of England. Each round was five minutes long and a new round was held each week. In the event a decision wasn’t rendered, the judges ringside would determine the winner. The judges were WCW referee Jimmy Jett, Sgt Craig Pittman (roughly a year before he’d be wrestling on WCW TV full time), with the third judge comprised of a rotating cast of characters including Grizzly Smith, Terry Taylor (not to be confused with the pride and joy of #TerryTuesday Terry Funk), and Randy Pee Wee Anderson. Apparently, Tony Weeks and Cecil Peoples weren’t available.
The matches were largely mat based chain wrestling which was a refreshing change of pace from squash matches and the sometimes clumsy main events WCW would feature. It was also interesting seeing this style showcased in front of the fans at Disney MGM of all places.
The MoQC went all five rounds with the final round emanating from the rare outdoor venue that WCW Worldwide presented shows from in the summer of 1994.
Another nice touch was ring card girls holding up Slamboree signs which helped with the big fight feel. Certainly a big difference from the Rosatti sisters liking it RAW at the Manhattan Center.
The whole playlist clocks in at around 50 minutes and it sure is interesting to see Ric Flair play it straight just before transitioning into his feud with the incoming Hulk Hogan.
A Gorilla Monsoon mark who has a YouTube channel that ironically features more WCW matches than WWF ones. @Monsoon_Classic
[…] April 30th would begin the five round Marquis of Queensbury Cup with WCW Champion Ric Flair taking on TV Champion Lord Steven Regal in a throwback to the World of Sport format with five minute rounds. Of course the difference here is the rounds progress week to week. Definitely worth watching as by the end of the five weeks, Flair has to start leaning heel with the impending arrival of Hulk Hogan. More on these matches HERE. […]
Just watched this again for the 1st time since 1994!
I was 12 years of age & just 2 yrs into my fandom a year earlier when the NBC affiliate in my hometown of Baton Rouge, LA did the unthinkable.I learned the meaning of utter disgust that day as while LEX LUGER was criss crossing this great country trying to get signatures for WWF President Jack Tunney to grant him a title opportunity at summer slam to face yokozuna for the wwf title I wondered something. No.1 why had my hero Bret the Hitman Hart and the inaugural KOTR winner and according to JIM ROSS the no.1 contender for the title not getting a championship rematch for the belt he had been screwed out of by Yokozuna & Fuji? If the Hulkster had gotten then blessing from Bret on that faithful nite how come the great guy never gave my guy the 1st shot at the title? But the Main question hat was tearing me up on the inside was:
WHY THE FUCK WAS WWF SUPERSTARS replaced by WCW WORLDWIDE. Dont know if you had heard of WCW, they were the low rent looking, 2nd rate wanna be wrestlers(i saw sting & thought warrior knock off.lmao, and guys who got ran off and couldn’t cut it in the wwf anymore:flair had lost to mr.perfect on raw in a loser leaves wwf match and now instead of getting the great wwf superstars like max moon, tatanka, ludvig Borga, the red hot kamala turn learning how from us fans, who had zero ring knowledge, how to roll over and pin a jobber so he could get to the pay window and sign his check over to slick to make wise investments for kamalas future
had made bc slick needed us, and what about keeping up to date with gene okerlund and his exclusive updates from 2 months late editions of the wwf magazine(yes folks they actually booked that far ahead. Think I’m bullshitting?! go look up the cover for Jan 93 which was pushing a NAILZ/TAKER feud that was 1st seen on a angle that took place on WWF SUPERSTARS of wrestling.
THE REAL horrible BLACKER SATURDAY happened with my local NBC affiliate one fateful Saturday morning…WWF superstars was out and in its place was the enemy…that’s right WCFN’W & its syndicated (so they said)worldwide tv program. No more Sean Mooney letting me emotionally invest in stars like REPO MAN and the BERZERKER. No more wisdom from the greatest tag team of my childhood HHHIIIGGGGHHHHH EEENNNEERRGGGYYYY!!!
Now one thing that wrestling historians from Dave Meltzer all the way to WWE and its revisionist history forgets is the fact that not only was their a real life wrestling war in a worked sport between BISCHOFF & MCMAHON waging that WAS A SHOOT amongst the fans. BC whether or not those in what is called the “wrestling bubble”realize it or not, ~ there was straight up WWF guys and their were straight up WCW guys and I although being from Baton Rouge home of Midsouth wrestling,JYD vs birds and all that good stuff…I was a WWFer for life and I hated WCW w a white hot passion. Wrasslin as it was called down here embarrassingly made me ashamed to admit until 1995 & malenko Benoit eddy really caught on in ECW THE D.O.Doom = No Getting close to 2nd base w Renee my middle school GF.. Thank God for 2 dudes w Attitudes huh?! To me I hated everything in second rate WCW from albeit a talented yet OVER BOOKED STONECOLD LIKE BOOKED DUDSTIN YRHODES to bullshit & unbelievably horrid Erik Watts’ push matches a week to watching Marcus Aaalllexxxxannnddderrrr Bagwell in a Bagwell v Bagwell 29 minute time limit draw match. DOES ANY1 REMEMBER 94 FALL BRAWL w/the NASTY DREAM along w NASTY BOYS face turn ???? Ahahahahahhahhahahahahah..so so Am I’m sorry. but speaking of revisionist history but Rn Simmons as WCW Champion…??? but I sure did like a couple of kids that they called the Hollywood blondes & the greatest thing I’d ever seen and my brush w greatness started w that very special sat nite edition of:A FLARE FOR THE OLD and rare diamonds here and there like STEVE REGAL 2COLD SCORPIO CACTUS JACK STEAMBOAT DOUGLAS…This QCup was obviously probably one of the last things booked by flair before the emergence of Hogan and his injury into WCW because flair talks about him in the promo little did flare and Bischof know that they were about to get taken to the henhouse like WCW had never been before and crushed back down into the alley is where they will be eaten pork and beans with Jim Crockett and Virgil rhinos like they did back in 1987 jack