Arn Anderson Names The WCW Match He Says Was “Horrifying”

In a recent episode of his popular podcast “ARN,” WWE Hall of Famer Arn Anderson candidly discussed a contentious moment from his World Championship Wrestling (WCW) career. The wrestling icon revisited his June 1995 match against newcomer Renegade at The Great American Bash pay-per-view event, where he lost his WCW World Television Championship.

Anderson, who had held the title since January of that year, was tasked with the challenging job of making the inexperienced Renegade look credible in the ring. Known for his exceptional wrestling skills and veteran status, Anderson found himself in the unenviable position of putting over a green talent.

Reflecting on the match, Anderson didn’t mince words about his expectations.

I knew it was going to be awful, all day long I knew it was going to be awful.

The former champion revealed that he had been informed about the match outcome just days before the event, leaving him with a sense of impending doom.

I think I found out a few days later, and I knew then it was going to be the shits.

He went on to express his regret over the match’s duration, suggesting that a shorter bout would have been more palatable for everyone involved.

I just didn’t know we were going to put our fans through a terrible eight or nine minutes. He could have beat me in two minutes, and everyone would have been much happier, I’m sure.

While the match achieved its primary objective of crowning a new champion and attempting to create a new star, it left both Arn Anderson and many fans questioning the result. The incident highlights the challenges faced by seasoned wrestlers when asked to work with less experienced talent, often at the expense of match quality and their own credibility.

Renegade’s reign as WCW World Television Champion proved to be short-lived. He held the title for a mere three months before dropping it to Diamond Dallas Page at the Fall Brawl pay-per-view in September 1995. And while he was still occasionally featured for the next few years, this loss effectively marked the end of Renegade’s push in WCW.

Arn Anderson Shares Thoughts On Goldberg’s Infamous Match With William Regal

Also recently on his podcast, Arn Anderson discussed Goldberg’s match with William Regal in 1998, saying it was the best match Goldberg ever had, noting that Regal offered Goldberg a real challenge rather than succumbing to a quick squash, a format typical of Goldberg’s rise in WCW.

H/t to ITRWrestling.com