Capital Combat

Lore & Background

Capital Combat was conceived as WCW's May 1990 PPV, replacing the WrestleWar event that had been held in February that year. The name was chosen because the show took place in the U.S. capital. A printing error on tickets listed the start time as 8 PM instead of 7 PM, causing the first few matches to occur before a half-full arena. The event drew 7,500 paid spectators, nearly filling the 10,000-seat venue, though parts of the seating were blocked by sets and the ring ramp. The first three matches were omitted from the initial VHS release by Turner Home Entertainment to fit a two-hour format; they became publicly available only when the full show was added to the WWE Network in 2014.

Reader's Guide

Capital Combat is remembered primarily for its unusual crossover with the RoboCop film franchise, a rare instance of a major movie character appearing live in a wrestling promotion. The segment, in which RoboCop rescued Sting from the Four Horsemen and tore the door off a steel cage, was a memorable spectacle but also highlighted the sometimes awkward integration of outside media into wrestling storylines. The main event—a steel cage match between Ric Flair and Lex Luger for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship—was a significant chapter in the ongoing feud between Flair's Four Horsemen and the top faces of WCW. The show also saw the Midnight Express win the NWA United States Tag Team Championship and Doom capture the NWA World Tag Team Championship from the Steiner Brothers. Despite mixed critical reception, Capital Combat remains a notable historical artifact of the late 1980s/early 1990s wrestling landscape, illustrating the era's experimentation with gimmicks and cross-promotion.

Did You Know?

• The show's name 'Capital Combat' was chosen because it was held in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.
• A ticket printing error listed the start time as 8 PM instead of 7 PM, causing the first matches to take place in front of a half-full arena.
• The first three matches were cut from the VHS release and were not publicly available until the WWE Network launched in 2014.
• The Samoan Swat Team were originally scheduled to wrestle for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship but were replaced by the Midnight Express after failing to appear at a television taping.