SuperBrawl VI: Brian Pillman Breaks the Fourth Wall While WCW Stalls in the Cage

The Nasty Boys and Public Enemy open with exactly the match their reputations suggest: a short arena-wide brawl built around weapons, tables and constant movement. It is not elegant, but it understands its assignment and never asks these four men to pretend they are doing a technical showcase. Rocco Rock's missed dive through a table gives the finish a memorable exclamation point. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 4.50, while Leighty went considerably higher at three-and-a-quarter stars and TJR gave it 2.25. The chaos works better than the wrestling, which is still enough for a decent opener.

Johnny B. Badd versus Diamond Dallas Page is the best conventional undercard match because it has clear stakes and enough time to develop. The Television title, Kimberly's future and the oversized lottery check all give the bout more personality than a routine defense. Page is visibly improving but still has stretches where the pace slows, while Badd's athletic bursts bring the match back to life. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 6.14. TJR gave it 3.25 stars and Leighty went to three stars. Badd's tombstone finish is decisive and gives the story a clean ending before his departure from WCW.

Sting and Lex Luger against Harlem Heat is more useful as character development than as a tag match. Sting remains the sincere babyface who believes in his friend, while Luger's self-interest keeps slipping through the cracks. Harlem Heat work a standard control segment and Booker T supplies the best movement, but the match drags until the Road Warriors interfere and hand the champions the victory. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 4.79. TJR gave it 2.5 stars, while Leighty was much colder at one star. The finish feeds the later title match, but it also makes this one feel like setup.

Konnan versus One Man Gang is awkward almost immediately. Konnan tries springboards, kicks and a rana against an opponent whose size makes several of those sequences look dangerous rather than dynamic. Gang controls with slow power offense, then compounds the problem by pulling Konnan up after the 747 Splash. The inevitable comeback and senton finish arrive with little crowd investment. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 3.33. Leighty called it a dud, and the TJR review was similarly unenthusiastic. The title stays with Konnan, but the match does almost nothing to showcase why WCW signing him mattered.

As wrestling, Kevin Sullivan versus Brian Pillman barely exists. The bell rings, the two men brawl before properly attaching the strap, and Pillman grabs the microphone to say that he respects Sullivan as the booker before walking out. The match lasts under a minute and cannot reasonably be evaluated like a normal contest. Its historical importance is enormous, however, because the worked-shoot presentation became a defining chapter of Pillman's Loose Cannon persona and preceded his real WCW release. CAGEMATCH excludes it from the match guide because of the length. The score reflects the match, not the significance.

Arn Anderson replacing Pillman creates a brief improvised-feeling strap fight that functions primarily as damage control and storyline redirection. Anderson and Sullivan trade punches, low blows and strap shots with enough intensity to keep the segment from collapsing, but there is no proper finish. Ric Flair enters and convinces both men that fighting each other is less useful than uniting against Hogan and Savage. CAGEMATCH also excludes this match from its guide because it runs under five minutes. The segment has personality and purpose, but almost none of that purpose is to deliver a satisfying match.

The second Sting and Luger title defense has a stronger story than the Harlem Heat match and roughly the same pacing problem. Luger's reluctance to face the Road Warriors creates tension with Sting, while Hawk and Animal bring enough power offense to wake the crowd in short bursts. The teams never settle into a strong heat-and-comeback rhythm, though, and the match becomes increasingly disjointed before everybody brawls outside for the double count-out. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 4.12, and TJR gave it two stars. The finish protects everyone and advertises Uncensored, but it leaves this show without a payoff.

Randy Savage versus Ric Flair is the clear highlight. The cage gives their familiar rivalry a more physical framework, and both men sell the punishment well enough to make the match feel like an actual fight even when the structure gets messy. Savage's dive from the top of the cage is reckless spectacle, while Flair's bleeding adds urgency to the closing stretch. The decisive moment is Elizabeth handing Flair her shoe, completing a shocking betrayal and giving Flair another world title. CAGEMATCH currently rates it 6.35, TJR gave it 3.25 stars and Michael Fitzgerald went to three. The angle elevates a good match into essential storyline viewing.

Hulk Hogan versus The Giant is a slow, repetitive main event that becomes more frustrating because it follows the much better world-title cage match. The entire structure points toward Hogan recreating the Andre slam, and the crowd does react when he finally gets Giant up. Almost everything around that moment is plodding: long control holds, repeated cage shots and an escape finish with little suspense. CAGEMATCH currently rates the match 1.28. TJR gave it 1.75 stars, while Michael Fitzgerald was somewhat kinder at two. The post-match scene, where Hogan fights off the Dungeon of Doom largely by himself, ages even worse.