Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Submit or Surrender) (WCW Power Hour 11/23/91) Review

Sting vs. Cactus Jack (Submit or Surrender) (WCW Power Hour 11/23/91)

So everyone knows about their Beach Blast 1992 match and how good that is, but I don't remember much from this match TBH, and as it's a precursor of sorts, thought I'd check it out.

So, the 'Submit or Surrender' concept was basically a hybrid between I quit/last man standing/submit. Just gloss over the fact that 'Submit' and Surrender' are basically the same thing.

Jack is out first carrying a plastic garbage bin. Bit of him already trying to psych Sting out as Jack here is wearing a 'Sting' T-Shirt.

'BANG, BANG'

Sting comes out and I forgot he's the U.S Champion at this point. Great spot with a young disabled fan, where Sting takes the time to show him the belt and have a moment with him. The bell rings just as Sting gets in the ring and Jack goes straight for him. He starts BITING at Sting's head!!!

OUCH

Jack taking the early advantage here as he clubs Sting with right hands. He pounds Sting's head into the turnbuckle, before setting him up on the ropes. Jack runs at Sting, but Sting moves and Jack takes his first (of many I presume) bump of the match to the outside. Sting follows him out and rams Jack's head into the guardrail. Sting not messing around here, as he does it again, not once but twice. He puts that bin that Jack bought with him into position to suplex Jack onto, but Jack blocks it and rams Sting, back first into the guardrail.

Jack picks up the bin and wallops it over the back of Sting. He does it again, before setting up Sting for a suplex of his own, but Sting blocks and reverses this and plants Jack through the bin.

Sting throws Jack back into the ring, straightens the bin out, and throws that in, too. He then picks it up and starts wailing Jack over the head with it. He then STICKS THE BIN OVER JACK'S head, plants him on the mat, and delivers an elbow onto the bin/Jack.

Sting makes sure that bin is still on tight, as he climbs up to the top turnbuckle and delivers a BIG SPLASH onto Jack whilst he's wearing the bin. Jack is dazed and probably wonders where he is as Sting gets him in the corner for the old ten bell salute punches. Jack blocks one of these and tries to give Sting an Atomic Drop, but Sting blocks it and gives him a short clothesline. Sting whips Jack into the ropes, and tries to leapfrog over him, but Jack stands his ground and Sting ends up going nuts first into Jack. Not sure if this was meant to come off as it looked TBH;

'DON'T RUB 'EM SON, COUNT' EM'

Safe to say, this is Jack's opportunity to take over proceedings. Jack goes straight for the abdomen area and drops a leg onto Sting. He gives starts kicking Sting's head repeatedly, before shoving him on the ropes and choking him. He then runs off the ropes and plants his full body onto Sting's back, who's still draped over the ropes. Sting is on empty here as Jack continues to pound away at him with stiff forearms, before running off the ropes and delivering a running bulldog. Jack tries for a pin, but has to reminded by the ref that PINFALL'S MEAN NOTHING HERE. Sting in real trouble here, as Jack drops a big knee onto the throat before choking him with his boot.

Crowd start up a 'Sting, Sting, Sting chant to try and will him on. He tries a mini comeback with some strikes and chops, but gets cut off quick by a Jack thumb in the eye. Jack starts kicking the shit out of him, before dumping him through the middle rope and onto the outside. Jack follows him out and throws Sting into the guardrail. Jack then picks up a chair from the crowd, although one chap did his best to stop this from happening, bless him

But obviously loses as Jack picks the chair up and whacks it right over Sting's back. Sting is just dead at this point on the mat outside. Ref is asking Sting if he wants to give up, and Sting is just shaking his head; he's tougher than that. Jack goes for him again with the choking. He sends Sting onto the apron and gives him a neckbreaker off the top rope. OUCH INDEED. Jack is just punishing Sting at the moment and he carries it on with kicks and big headbutt. Sting is rocking on his feet and can barely stand as Jack knocks him right back down with a forearm and applies a chinlock.

COME ON STINGER

Crowd are willing Sting on as he's doing his best to try and power out and mount some sort of retaliation. He manages to get up and hits Jack with some strikes, before running off the ropes, but Jack moves out the way and sends Sting crashing right back to the mat with another big forearm smash. Jack follows this up with one hell of a leg drop onto Sting's throat, before going back to the reverse chinlock. Sting needs to do something here, and he does as he staggers up and grabs Jack's hair and yanks his head down onto the top of his own, thus using it as a sort of bettering ram to try and get out of this mess.

He reverses a whip into the ropes and tries a dropkick onto Jack, but Jack is smart and just holds onto the ropes, so Sting falls flat on his ars........................back. Jack follow up on this with a double arm DDT.

MAN, WHAT HAS STING GOTTA DO??!!

Sting gets up as Jack comes over to him and dumps him over the top rope to the outside. Finally, this could be the opening Sting has been waiting for. He flies over the ropes and via a crossbody right onto Jack.

Sting is fired up now as he just starts pounding on Jack with some big ass punches to the head. All the shit Sting has taken, looks like it's payback time. He suplexes Jack on the outside, before dumping him back into the ring. He whips Jack into the corner and attempts a STINGER SPLASH, but Jack moves so Sting...........no he doesn't, Sting was smart and put the brakes on just before his head bounces off the post. But don;t speak too soon, as he flies off the turnbuckle, straight onto Jack, who catches him and flings him throat first onto the top rope. This sends Sting back to the outside.

Jack puts Sting into a headlock and marches around the outside with him, before dumping him onto the mat with a backbreaker. Jack gets on the apron and flies right off it onto Sting with a big flying elbow

Sting is showing some balls and resilience here as he's trying to get some energy from somewhere and make his way back up. Jack picks up a mic and shouts “TELL THEM, YOU DON'T WANT ANY MORE' and clubs on Sting's back. He tells Sting to say “I QUIT” and shoves the mic in Sting's mouth.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO STING

“NOT A CHANCE”, cries Sting, as the crowd erupts.

He makes it back onto his feet at last and Jack throws him back into the ring. Jack goes and grabs the chair again as the ref tries to get it off him, Jack just gives him a shove, sending him onto the mat. Well ref, it is a No-DQ. At this point, Sting is so fucked, he can't really stand, as he's got his head draped over the middle rope. PERFECT TARGET PRACTICE FOR JACK.

Jack goes to whack Sting with the chair, but Sting moves and the chair bounces hard off Jack's head

SURELY THIS IS STING'S BIG CHANCE, NOW!!!

Jack recovers and climbs onto the apron, but Sting has finally got the energy to get up and hits a big dropkick onto Jack, sending him crashing to the outside, nearly whacking his head off the rail in the process.

Jack is fucked now, as Sting staggers to the outside, and applies the SCORPION DEATHLOCK onto Jack. The ref, now seemingly recovered, runs over to check on Jack, but he is KKOCKED THE FUCK OUT, and can't respond to anything. Sting is declared the WINNER.

Well this was fucking excellent. Not sure how it compares to the Beach Blast match, but this is such a great brawl on it's own TBH. Jack is fantastic here; Menacing, punishing, just doesn't care one bit. Sting is equally wonderful as the full on babyface in complete peril. These two work so well together, and Jack was the perfect opponent for Sting to demonstrate why he could be so good in this sort of setting. The finish was brutal in showing what it took to finally get and keep Jack down. A full on chair shot to the head, followed by a nasty bump on the outside. Jack looks great here but so does Sting. Jack is spot on with how ruthless he his and makes all his offense work here, and Sting is perfect to play off it all.

Just wonderful.

Recommended.