Ringside: Jesse Ventura is standing by with the winner of our last match. Watts was supposed to be the all American athlete, but he didn’t break a sweat. He’s gunning for Orndorff’s TV Title, quoting Winston Churchill along the way.

Match #4: Maxx Payne vs. Johnny B. Badd
Payne plays his guitar, “Norma Jean”, all the way down to the ring. Badd ducks a clothesline and goes to work after a double leg takedown. He beats Payne with rights and uppercuts. He scores with a crossbody and gets a two count. Back to the body shots for Badd, Irish whip, Payne moves and Badd flies over the top and down to the floor. Payne pulls him back in and hits a snap suplex. Scoop slam by Payne, Badd tries to fight back as they exchange shots. Irish whip and a big splash by Payne. Snapmare into an armbar for Payne. Badd works back to his feet, breaks the hold with body shots but Payne is quick to move into the backbreaker.

Lateral press and Badd kicks out. He locks in the Payne-Killer but Badd is too close to the ropes. Badd with a back elbow but Payne goes for the eyes. Vertical suplex by Payne and Badd kicks out again. Badd is sent to the ropes but he gets Payne over with a sunset flip. Johnny ducks clotheslines, tries a cross body but he’s caught. Scoop slam by Payne, he goes for the elbow but Badd moves. Badd dropkicks Payne over the rope and comes flying over with a plancha. Payne fires back, throwing him into the steel post. He comes in with a left but Badd moves. Johnny rolls him back in the ring and heads for the middle rope. He lands a crossbody and that’s all she wrote.
Winner: Johnny B. Badd (2nd Rope Crossbody)

• EA’s Take: Badd has been used as a hype guy for a lot of recent PPV’s instead of actually being in the ring. The fans are digging him, so it’s good to see him have something to do. We will see more of him in the coming years, including a phenomenal feud with Diamond Dallas Page that gives some fantastic matches.

Match #5 for the WCW World Tag Team Championships: WCW World Tag Team Champions The Hollywood Blonds (‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman & ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin) vs. The Four Horseman (Arn Anderson & Paul Roma)
Austin and Roma kick this one off. Lots of heat on the Blonds from the fans. Austin bails out to prevent Pillman from getting in a fight with a fan. He returns, and he and Roma feel each other out. Collar and elbow and Austin gets position. He drives Roma’s head back before breaking it off. Another lockup, Roma with the advantage this time, Austin reverses it and gets in Roma’s face before breaking with a cocky smile. Collar and elbow, side headlock by Austin, moved into a hammerlock. Roma reverses on him and scores a straight right.

Austin bails out to check in with Pillman. Flyin Brian kisses his boo-boo and tells the fans to shut up. Back in, legal tag to Pillman. Collar and elbow, Roma with position and the ref backs him off. Brian insists the ref check Roma’s elbow pad, and while he does he reaches into his own trunks. Randy Anderson notices so Pillman backs off. Collar and elbow, Roma with the wristlock and here comes Double A. Some chain wrestling and Anderson hits a back elbow. Pillman doesn’t like the heat from the crowd. Kick to the gut and turnbuckle shot from Brian. Anderson reverses the Irish whip but it’s Pillman who scores with the hip toss.

Pillman taunts and Arn slows it down. Collar and elbow, Pillman grabs the arm but Anderson throws him to the mat with the hair. Tie up, Anderson in control but Pillman with a knee to the gut. He makes a tag to Austin and he’s met with an arm drag. They hit the ropes, shoulder block by Anderson but he’s hit with a back body drop on the comeback. Austin tries some pins but he keeps kicking out. Anderson catches Austin with lefts and knocks him to the ramp. Austin crawls in and offers a handshake. Anderson is smarter than that and he beats him down. Irish whip and a tag to Roma who comes off the top rope.

Roma grabs the wrist and Austin reels. They hit the ropes, Austin catches Roma but Paul spins over with a sunset flip. Austin tries a piledriver but Roma slips it into a backslide and Steve kicks out. Roma with an arm drag, to the ropes again and Roma misses a cross body. Pillman is tagged in and he wastes no time. Chops in the corner and a whip to the ropes. Roma catches Pillman in a chokehold and seats him on the top rope. Pillman thinks he’s outsmarted Roma by leaps over him, but Paul comes back with a big clothesline. A cover and Pillman kicks out. The Enforcer is back in and he goes right back to the wrist. Pillman crawls him into the corner, breaks the hold and delivers some strikes.

Anderson reverses the Irish whip, Brian climbs the turnbuckles but Anderson catches him. Pillman is hotshotted across the top rope and catapulted toward Roma who takes advantage of the situation. Pillman is sent to the ropes but he immediately collapses. Stunning Steve calls for a timeout. Anderson tries again and Pillman collapses again. He baits Anderson for a shot to the midsection, and dumps him through the middle ropes. Pillman goes for a plancha, Anderson moves so Pillman holds up on the apron. He tries leaping again, Anderson moves and Pillman hits the railing. Austin checks in on his partner. Pillman is very slow to get up, Austin advocates for him. Back in the ring, front facelock by Anderson, he can’t lift Pillman but he holds on and tags in Roma who comes off the top with a sunset flip.

Austin with the save. Roma knocks Steve off the apron but Pillman blindsides him. Anderson won’t let Pillman pursue and in the meantime, Austin sends Roma across the steel rail. Pillman is relentless as Roma tries to re-enter the ring. He uses Austin’s knee and tags in Stunning Steve. Austin with a gut wrench suplex and he baits Double A. Standing clothesline by Austin as he taunts his opponents with pushups. He drops the knee on Roma and hits a snapmare. He tags in Pillman who hits some chops in the corner. Roma fires back with right but he’s taken down with a drop toe hold and Austin is tagged back in.

Stunning Steve drives the shoulder into the midsection, Irish whip and Roma gets hit boot up. Austin blocks the tag by nailing Anderson. Double A is irate and the Blonds double team Roma. Pillman is back in and he delivers forearms on the apron. He tries driving Roma into the turnbuckle, Paul blocks it, returns the favor and heads for the top.  They both go for drop kicks and they both miss. Both men face first on the mat and the fans encourage Roma. Tag is made to Austin, he tries to cut off Roma but he’s a second too late. Anderson sends Austin for a back body drop and he takes out both Blonds. He hits a DDT on Pillman, Roma is cut off by the ref and Austin cheapshots Anderson. Pillman rolls over for a pin and Anderson gets out of it.

Tag is made to Stunning Steve who scoop slams Anderson. Austin heads for the top and he connects with a double ax handle – Anderson kicks out of the pin. Austin with kicks to the ribs, Anderson backs him off with a kick to the midsection and scores with a headbutt but Double A is hurt by it too. Austin uses Pillman’s boot and tags in his partner. Brian tries some pins off the bat but can’t get them. Forearms in the corner but The Enforcer fights back. They exchange headbutts and Austin is tagged back in. He dumps Anderson to the floor where Pillman can cheapshot him. Austin sets up for a piledriver but it’s reversed with a back body drop. Anderson is rolled back in, Austin can’t get a quick pin. Anderson is sent to the opponents corner and he fends off both Blonds.

He tries for a DDT but Austin hangs him on the top rope. Pillman with cheapshots as Steve ties up the referee. Anderson fights from his knees, they hit the ropes and it’s Anderson with a reversal and a hot shot across the top rope. Austin makes the tag and Pillman cuts off the other side. Roma heads into the ring getting the ref’s attention while Anderson scores with an inside cradle. The pin is too late and Pillman kicks out. Flyin Brian  goes on the offensive, they hit the ropes and collide causing both men to hit the mat. The crowd cheers on the Horsemen. Pillman gets the tag first and Anderson is cut off with a belly to back suplex. He gets a delayed cover and only gets two. Forearm to the back of the neck by Steve and he chokes him with his boot on the apron.

Anderson has to fend off both opponents from the apron. Double A blocks the vertical suplex into the ring and instead sends Austin out. Steve is able to get in first, make the tag and cut off The Enforcer once again. Pillman tries a pin and Anderson kicks out. They hit the ropes, Anderson tries a side suplex but it’s Pillman scoring with the head scissor take down. Pillman goes to the second rope, he leaps and Arn cuts him down with a clothesline. The crowd cheers as Roma gets the hot tag. Big back drop to Austin and Pillman eats a military press. Anderson is back in to help out. Pillman is chopped down and Double A dumps him to the floor.

Roma sends Austin and Anderson hits a spinebuster. Pillman makes the save in the nick of time. Roma rolls up Austin with a victory roll as the ref corrals Anderson. Pillman rushes in to clothesline Roma and Austin reverses the roll. The champs retain.
Winners and STILL WCW World Tag Team Champions: The Hollywood Blonds (Austin/Victory Roll)

• EA’s Take: All I had to do was read the card to know this one was going to be good. The Horsemen are very over since the comeback and The Blonds have some serious heat. I wouldn’t mind seeing a rematch of this one. However, I would like to say in my best Comic Book Guy voice from The Simpsons, “Worst Horsemen ever”. Easily the weakest incarnation of the group, so it’s good to see Roma holding his own here despite not being a good fit for The Horsemen.

Match #6 – 30 Minute Ironman Match for the Vacant WCW United States Championship: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude vs. ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes
Rude lectures Rhodes and Dustin doesn’t back down. Colllar and elbow and they spin around the ring to gain position before a rough break. They stare each other down and square up. Collar and elbow, Rude with position but Rhodes fights back, they spin around once again and the ref makes a break. They furiously scream at one another and Rude takes it up with the ref. They cautiously measure, Rude tries a kick and misses. Collar and elbow and Rude goes right for the eyes before kidney shots with the forearm. Throat thrust and a taunt from Rude. Straight right to the jaw by Rude and he uses the boot on the eyes.

Rhodes tries to fight back but Rude stays in control with forearms. They hit the ropes and The Natural scores with a back body drop. Irish whip to the corner by Rhodes, he sends him to the other corner and Rude hits hard. Forearms to the back and a straight right by Rhodes. Another whip and Rude collapses to the mat. Rhodes steps in with a reverse chin lock. Rhodes sits down on the back and uses Rude’s taunt against him. He goes back to the chin lock and once again goes to the back. Rhodes is relentless with the chin lock, he goes for the back again but Rude rolls over and gets the knees up. Inside out clothesline by Rude and he heads for the top. He scores with a right fist and taunts the crowd, but his back is hurting. More kidney shots from Rude and he locks in a bear hug.

Rhodes tries to fight out but it’s locked in good. Rhodes finally lands elbows but Rude scores a belly to belly suplex. Rude latches on with a reverse chin lock and asks “How he likes it?” Rude sits down on the back and doesn’t let Rhodes get to the ropes. Dustin powers himself up and puts Rude on his shoulders, he falls backwards and both men are down. Rhodes tries a big splash but Rude gets his knees up. They’re slow to get up, Rhodes on the offense first with kicks to Rude’s knees and he tries a submission.

He drops some knee to knee contact and drags Rude to the apron, using it as a weapon. Rhodes with a straight right and he drops an elbow on the knee. He tries a submission but Rude’s not quitting. The Natural twists the knee in a new direction and he leg drops it. Rude tries to escape with a crossface but Dustin stays right on the knee and ankle. Rude goes to the eyes and is able to break it that way. Rhodes blocks a right and delivers his own. Into the ropes and Rude kicks Rhodes in the chest. He sets up for the Rude Awakening and scores. He makes the cover and goes up 1-0.
Fall #1: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude

Rude heads for the top rope, Rhodes stumbles as he tries to get up. Flying clothesline by Rick, he tries another pin and Rhodes just barely kicks out. He tries multiple times but can’t get it. He drives the knee to the face and yells in The Natural’s face. Rhodes tries fighting back but Rude drives his face into the mat. Rhodes on the apron and Rude slingshots him onto the ramp. Rude with a snapmare and he locks in the reverse chin lock. He keeps it on strong but Rhodes Hulks up. He breaks it with elbows and sends Rude to the corner but Rick gets his knees up. Rude with shots around the ring. Rhodes tries chopping back but Rude gets a foot in.

Rude sets up for the piledriver, Rhodes crawls up and reverses it into a piledriver of his own, Rude barely kicks out. Rhodes tries to clothesline Rude out of the ring, Rude ducks and Dustin goes flying to the floor. Rhodes beats the count and crawls back in. Rude with a snap suplex but he’s slow to cover, Dustin kicks out. Rhodes fights from his knees but it’s Rude with another snap suplex. Another slow cover and kick out. Rude sets up once again and showboats, Dustin blocks it and lifts Rude for a vertical suplex, Rude kicks out at 2. Kicks to the face and a straight right from Rhodes. He tries again and Rhodes sends him head first into the turnbuckle. Rude slowly climbs to the top and Rude scores with a right. Rude drags Rhodes’ face across the top rope and moves in with some body shots.

He poses for the crowd and they hate it. Reverse chin lock is applied by Rude. Rhodes works to his feet and breaks the hold, they hit the ropes but Rude grabs a sleeper. The ref drop checks the arm and Rhodes won’t give. Rhodes is slowly to his feet and throws midsection shots before breaking it with a jaw breaker. Rhodes is staggering and Rude hits him with a straight right and blows a snot-rocket at him. Rude blocks a right and hits another. Throat thrust by Rude and he sends Rhodes into the turnbuckle.

Rhodes blocks the third attempt and fights back. He spits in Rudes face and delivers some strikes. Rude rakes the eyes and Rhodes stumbles all the way out to he floor. Rude with another snot-rocket as Rhodes climbs back in. Rude with straight rights, ducking Rhodes’. On the third duck, Rhodes pulls up and instead scores with a bulldog and it’s 1-1 with 3 minutes remaining.
Fall #2: ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes

Rhodes heads for the top rope and scores with a big elbow. He makes the cover and Rude barely kicks out. Rhodes sets up for the piledriver and he lands it. He’s slow to cover and Rude is in the ropes. Rhodes stays on him with rights and demands that Rude get up. Scoop slam by Rhodes and lands a big elbow, Rude kicks out again and Rhodes can’t believe it. Consecutive clotheslines by Rhodes and he still can’t make a pin with less than 1 minute left. Rhodes grabs a sleeper hold, but Rude breaks it with a chin breaker. He heads for the top rope, Rhodes is staggering. He leaps and misses Rhodes, The Natural throws a boot to the gut and lands a DDT but time has run out.
Winner: Time Limit Draw

• EA’s Take: New, lyric based intro music for both of these guys. It’s ironic how good Rude has been at selling back pain because unfortunately, he’d soon end his in ring career due to a back injury from a bump-gone-wrong in a match against Sting. At one point, Rude exclaims “You ain’t s**t, Rhodes!” and Schiavone covers by chuckling that’s one of the pitfalls of live TV. Ultimately, I liked this match a lot better than Rude’s Iron Man with Steamboat. When you figure that the average match with 1 decision is between 10-20 minutes, I hate to see the 30 minute matches that feature excessive decisions. Obviously these two aren’t done with one another and it leaves the babyface looking like “he should have won”.

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