Vader vs. The Boss (WCW Spring Stampede 1994) Review

Vader vs. The Boss (WCW Spring Stampede 1994)

So, I love a fucking big super heavyweight clash, and when it involves Big Van Vader, it ups the quality ten fold. This match has always been one of my favourites and is one of Bossman's best matches to boot and probably the best thing he did in WCW.

We start off in the locker room with Vader and Rick Rude having a pull apart. Man, Vader/Rude would have been pretty awesome if Rude was healthy and if he had turned face sometime.

Boss is first out. Hard times, you'll be serving hard time..............oh wait, this is WCW. Damn.

He pretty much is The Big Bossman, it's hardly a wonder WWF ended up suing them and forcing them to change his gimmick. The Man; Vader is out next, of course with Harley Race.

Boss doesn't wait until Vader gets in the ring and jumps him on the isle and they start trading blows before Harley grabs Boss and Vader comes running straight for him, but Boss moves and Vader plants his massive frame plum onto Race.

Boss starts stiff punching the fuck out of Vader and clotheslines him over the top rope and finally into the ring. He continues with the palm and fist strikes, before whipping Vader off the ropes and delivering a BIG BOOT. This of course doesn't knock Vader down of course, so Boss just runs at him and with one stiff ass punch, sends him crashing over the top rope. Both on the outside now as Boss still pounds on Vader with right hands. Vader fights back with his own BIG CLUBS to Boos, before crashing him down with a short clothesline.

It's already a big hoss battle with these two.

Vader picks Boss up and slams him back into the ring. He walks back up the ramp and takes a run at the ring and FLIES OVER THE TOP ROPE and onto Boss.

But Boss gets his knees up in time. He continues to be in control as he lands some drop elbows onto Vader, before clotheslining him back out the ring and onto the outside. He whips Vader front first into and over the guardrail

Vader is one big bastard as we know, but fuck did he take some bumps. No wonder he had quite a few injuries in his time.

Boss picks him up again and dumps him back onto the same guardrail. Vader really in trouble as they are both back in the ring and Boss continues to stiff him with strikes, before delivering a big splash clothesline in the corner. He picks Vader up again and powerslams him onto the mat.

Vader is back to his feet and he starts pancaking Boss with his famous clubs to the head. Boss fights back with a thumb to the eye and kick in the gut. He tries to whip Vader off the ropes, but is reversed and Vader sends him onto the top rope, but Boss just manages to grab the top rope, but it still sends him to the outside, where Race gives him a few sly kicks for good measure.

Vader's eye is bleeding now too, probably from the strikes he's been receiving so far.

Boss gets back onto the ring apron and Vader SUPLEXES him over the rope and back into the ring. Vader follows this up with a Vader splash and gets the first 2 count of the match. Vader then gets Boss just where he wants him and every opponent; In the corner. He starts wailing at Boss with some heavy clubs to the head. Vader is like “Have this”

Boss fights right back at Vader though with his own clubs to the head.

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN TWO BIG BASTARDS STIFFING EACH OTHER

Vader quickly puts a stop to this with a hard right to Boss. Vader goes to put Boss into a headlock,. But Boss picks him up and backdrops him onto the mat. Both men are down now and I assume, fucking drained of energy with the amount of shit they have threw at each other.

Vader really is bleeding from that eye now, as Boss whips him off the ropes and gives him a stiff ass forearm clothesline. Race is shouting “NO PAIN” at Vader, think even Vader is beginning to doubt that at the moment, tbh. Vader catches Boss with a big boot to the jaw and nails him with his own stiff ass clothesline to the mat. Vader then goes to the corner and gets up on the middle rope; possible Vader splash coming up?

But Boss is back up and just grabs Vader and sends him crashing onto the mat.

Boss puts Vader onto the middle turnbuckle and delivers a DDT right off of it!!!! He goes for the cover, but only gets a two count. Vader gets back up, just as Boss climbs onto the top rope turnbuckle and hits Vader with flying shoulder charge and goes for another pin attempt, but Vader has his arm on the ropes. Boss again goes onto the top rope turnbuckle, but this time it's a case of going to the well one too many times, as Vader catches him and powerslams Boss onto the mat.

These two have took some shit, maaaaan.

Race is screaming at Vader now to finish him. Vader drags Boss over towards the corner, seemingly for a Vader splash attempt. He does indeed hit the Vader Splash, so this is it now. He goes for the cover, 1,2..........................NO, BOSS GOES AND KICKS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vader again goes to the turnbuckle, but this time climbs onto the top rope, for a possible Vadersault.

VADER HITS A WONDERFUL VADERSAULT

Surely this'll finish the big man off. He goes again for the cover. 1,2.........................3, yup, Vader gets the win.

Seems like Race and Vader are not finished with Boss yet though. Race goes over and grabs the nightstick and handcuffs. He tries to put them onto Boss, but Boss gets up and starts beating the shit out of Race. Vader doesn't know what the fuck is coming as Boss lamps him over the back with the nightstick. Boss then goes APE FUCKING SHIT on poor Harley with the nightstick and just starts non stop wailing at him with it. He's like a man possessed with the damn thing.

Nick Bockwinkel then comes to the ring to try and get Boss to cease with this shit. Vader then climbs back in the ring and he and Boss have a stand off as Boss still has the nightstick waiving in his hand. Bockwinkel orders Boss to get the fuck out of there. No way is this feud over yet by the looks of it. Race is still down as Vader goes over to the commentary table and screams “WHO'S THE MAN, NOW? WHO'S THE MAN?”

Oh you certainly are, Vader my son.

Backstage, Bockwinkel strips Boss of his handcuffs and nightstick and says he can no longer be 'The Boss'. I guess this is where WWF were really asserting pressure for them to do this TBH.

TWO BIG BASTARDS BEATING THE LIVING SHIT OUT OF EACH OTHER. Vader takes some shit in this I have to say. His eye is fucked up, again, and they both land plenty of snarly shit at each other throughout, too. Bombs are thrown all over the place, not entirely all clean, but they all looked very impressive, esp Boss, who just threw Vader around all over the place. Vader took more than his fair share of bumps, as he very often does, in this match and gave Boss a lot to do and work with. In fact, Vader was insane with the bumps he continued to take. It's still the best Boss ever did in WCW and one of the highlights of his whole career. It's also one of Vader's best ever performances, too.

Just an awesome match that still ranks as one of my favourites.

Recommended.