The Flying Hammerlock Video Review #80: The Faces of Fear Vs. Wrath and Mortis

 

This review is dedicated to the memories of Brian "Dr. Mark Curtis" Hildebrand, Chris "Mortis" Klucsaritis and Raymond Louis "Bobby" Heenan.   R.I.P.
 

The Faces of Fear (Meng and The Barbarian) vs. Wrath and Mortis (w/James Vandenberg), WCW Fall Brawl 1997, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC, September 14, 1997.
 

These teams had been wrestling each other on and off since Wrath and Mortis defeated Glacier and Ernest Miller to end Blood Runs Cold.  Everyone is a heel here.  WCW never explained why Jimmy Hart was not in The Faces of Fear's corner here.
 

Mortis and Barbarian start.  They circle each other and Mortis throws a kick that doesn't connect.   They tie up and Mortis goes to the eyes and kicks Barbarian.  A few more kicks and Mortis sends Barbarian into the corner.  Mortis punches and kicks Barbarian in the corner.   Mortis goes to whip Barbarian into the opposite corner but Barbarian reverses it and sends Mortis in instead.  Barbarian charges in but Mortis meets him with a back elbow.  Barbarian responds with a big boot to the midsection and grabs Mortis by the throat and throws him into the corner.  Barbarian takes over with punches, sending Mortis down to one knee.  Into the ropes and Barbarian whips Mortis across and catches him on the way back and drops him in midair.  Barbarian clotheslines Mortis and covers for 2.  Barbarian grabs Mortis' wrist and walks him over to the corner and tags in Meng.  Meng comes in and attacks Mortis with a kick and a punch and sends Mortis into the corner and chops and headbutts him.  Meng stomps Mortis down to the mat.   Meng whips Mortis into the opposite corner and follows but Mortis gets out of the way of the corner splash.   Mortis returns to his corner and tags in Wrath.  Wrath attacks with a kick and punches, which have no real effect on Meng.  Meng fights back with punches and Wrath punches him back some more.  Meng headbutts Wrath.  Meng whips Wrath into the opposite corner and follows but Wrath gets his boot up into Meng's face.  Wrath chops Meng.  Wrath comes off the second turnbuckle with a flying Lariat.  Wrath grabs Meng in a front facelock and tags in Mortis.  Mortis enters and punches Meng's side.  Mortis gets an arm wringer.  Meng fights back with a chop to the leg and they exchange shots.  Meng gets in a kick and grabs Mortis' arm and tags in Barbarian.  Barbarian kicks Mortis and headbutts him, knocking Mortis down to the mat.  Barbarian positions Mortis for a piledriver and gives him a forearm shot to the back.  Barbarian sets up Mortis against the ropes and tags in Meng.  Meng whips Mortis into the ropes and back body drops him into a power bomb by Barbarian.  Barbarian goes for a cover.  Referee Dr. Mark Curtis counts to 1 before Wrath breaks up the pin.  Barbarian hits Mortis with an Abdominal Stretch Power Bomb and covers but Mortis gets his foot on the rope.  Barbarian brings Mortis to the Faces of Fear's corner and Meng comes in and they just pound on him, with Mortis covering up as best as he can. Meng chokes Mortis on the mat then Barbarian holds Mortis down with a boot on his throat.  Wrath comes in and objects, drawing Curtis' attention.  Meng gets an arm wringer on Mortis but Mortis reverses it and punches Meng.  Mortis punches Meng some more and comes off the ropes with a clothesline but that seems to fire up Meng.  Another clothesline , same result.  Meng gets an arm wringer and chops Mortis hard, knocking Mortis to the mat.  Mortis kips up and Meng chops him down again.  A third time, same result.  Meng tags in Barbarian who comes in and gives Mortis a shot to the back.  Barbarian slams Mortis and goes out to the apron and climbs up top but Vandenberg shakes the top rope and Barbarian crotches himself up there.  Meng takes issue with that outside and Curtis is talking to him and Vandenberg gets mad, saying, "Keep him away from me!"  Back inside, Barbarian gets back on the top turnbuckle and Mortis climbs up but Barbarian headbutts him, sending him down to the mat.  Barbarian comes off the top but Mortis gets a boot up in Barbarian's face.  Wrath comes in and hits Barbarian with a pump kick while Meng is chasing Vandenberg on the floor.  Wrath lifts Barbarian for a power bomb and Mortis grabs Barbarian's neck and they hit him with a combined neckbreaker/power bomb!  Curtis gets back in the ring and counts to 1 before Meng breaks up the pin.  Wrath returns to the ring and brings Barbarian into the corner and chops him a few times.  Wrath adds a few kicks to the midsection.  Wrath goes over and gets in a shot on Meng, knocking Meng off the apron to the floor.  Curtis walks over to Meng while Wrath briefly chokes Barbarian.  Wrath lifts Barbarian for a slam and gets a backbreaker.  Wrath climbs up to the second turnbuckle and goes for a pump splash and hits an elbow drop.  Wrath covers but Barbarian grabs the bottom rope.  Wrath tags in Mortis and they position him in the corner and Mortis kicks away at him.  Mortis hits a top rope Rocker Dropper for a 2 count.  Mortis brings Barbarian to the corner and tags in Wrath.  Wrath comes in and hits a Belly to Back Suplex.  Wrath climbs up top and hits Barbarian with a flying fist to the face, and Mortis drags Barbarian out to the floor.  Mortis sends Barbarian face first into the steps as Vandenberg barks out orders.  Mortis dumps the steel steps on Barbarian's head!  Mortis rolls Barbarian back into the ring.  Wrath covers but Barbarian gets his foot on the rope.  Wrath sits Barbarian on the top turnbuckle and tags in Mortis.  Wrath knocks Meng off the apron to the floor again.  Mortis hooks Barbarian for a Superplex and Wrath slips under so Mortis is on his shoulders and they hit a double-team Superplex!   Everyone in the ring is down.  Wrath exits the ring and Mortis crawls over and tags him in and Barbarian manages to tag in Meng.  Meng comes in and takes over on Wrath with chops.  Into the ropes and Meng whips Wrath across and catches him with a shot to the midsection.  Another whip across and this time Meng hits Wrath with a kneelift.  Mortis is still in the ring and Meng kicks him, then headbutts Wrath.  Meng then chops Mortis and chops Wrath.   Then a kick to Wrath and a big kick to Mortis.  Meng grabs Wrath and whips him across and catches him with a big powerslam.  The referee counts to 2 but Mortis breaks up the pin.  Mortis tries punching Meng which has no real effect.  Meng takes him down with a big kick.  Meng brings Mortis up and slams him.  Meng climbs up top and comes off with a big splash and goes for the pin but Wrath breaks up the pin.  Barbarian comes in and headbutts Wrath and sends Wrath out to the floor, which gets a pop.  Barbarian follows Wrath to the floor.  Vandenberg gets up on the apron with his stick and is threatening Meng with it and Meng gives him The Tongan Death Grip!  Mortis tries to save his manager with a kick and a headbutt, which have no effect. Meng gets the Tongan Death Grip on Mortis too, as shown above!   Wrath comes back in and hits the Death Penalty (Uranage) on Meng for the pin at 12:22!  ****
 

Loved this match and everyone involved.   Recommended and you can watch it here.