Match #4: Sting & ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams vs. Jushin Thunder Liger & Erik Watts
Sting and Liger to start, and the crowd pops hard. Liger backs him off with some kicks, they tie up and Liger grabs a side headlock. To the ropes they go and they collide. Liger avoids a monkey flip and Sting dodges a drop kick, they slow down and measure each up. Collar and elbow, Sting grabs the wrist and tags in Williams. Dr. Death sends Liger to the ropes and kicks the gut. Front facelock but Liger reverses the vertical suplex. They exchange shots, Williams takes control with an eye rake. Irish whip but Williams misses an elbow. Watts is in the match now and he takes Williams down with some arm drags before he’s bullied off.

Williams blocks the collar and elbow and clubs the young kids back. Watts ducks clotheslines and scores a cross body. Williams is up quickly and he stays in control, he beats Watts with some chops, sends Watts for the ride and a blind tag is made to Liger. The unaware Williams gets kicked in the stomach and chest. Irish whip by Liger, Williams comes back and decimates him with a clothesline. A tag is made to Sting who lifts Liger and takes him upside down into the turnbuckles. Liger to the ropes, he comes over with a sunset flip but Sting is in the ropes. A tag is made back to Williams and he chops his opponent to the mat.

Liger is slingshot over the top rope and a tag is made to Sting. High impact clothesline and Liger is forced to kick out. Scoop slam by the former champ and its another near fall. Irish whip by Sting, Liger is able to move from the Stinger splash but Williams is quickly tagged in. He stomps a hole into Liger, lifts him up just to knock him down with a right. Dr. Death grabs an arm bar and makes another tag. Sting takes the legs out from under him and sits down with a half crab. Liger fights his way over to the ropes to break the hold, but here comes Williams. Doc uses the top rope to choke Liger until the ref backs him off. Liger ducks a clothesline, grabs a sleeper hold, reversed by a belly to back suplex. Tag is made to Sting who lands a text book vertical suplex.

Another quick tag to Williams who hits some rights. Liger is sent to the ropes, he gets a kick in and sends Williams face first to the mat with a bulldog. Tag is made to Watts who exchanges rights with Doc. They hit the ropes, Williams hangs onto the ropes to avoid one drop kick but Watts gets all of it on the 2nd one. Single leg pick up, Watts goes for the STF but Williams is in the ropes. Watts is dumped to the apron through the middle ropes, Doc pulls him back in, whips him to the ropes, Watts attempts a crossbody but he’s caught. Williams hot shots him on the top rope, Watts comes off hard and we have our final participants determined.
Winners: Sting & ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams (Williams/Hot Shot)

• EA’s Take: Liger got manhandled throughout most of this and Watts seems like he’s there due to his daddy. Well, because he is there due to his daddy. You know there was no way Sting was going to be left out of BattleBowl, so this was just an easy way to advance these two guys.

Match #5 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: NWA World Heavyweight Champion Masahiro Chono vs. The Great Muta
Chono with some quick strikes and a snapmare. They trade kicks and slow it down. Side headlock by Muta, he takes him down and Chono grabs a head scissor. Muta rolls out of it and grabs the leg but he eats an enzigure. Muta regroups on the outside. Collar and elbow, Chono with the headlock, Muta spins out of it, Chono with an overhand wristlock. They hit the ropes and Muta is hit with a shoulder tackle. Muta bails out to the floor to take another breath. Slow back to the ring Muta calls for a test of strength, Chono obliges, relatively even, Muta rolls backwards and takes advantage with the wrists.

They flip over but don’t disengage the hands. Muta floats behind into a full nelson and works it into an abdominal stretch. Chono reverses into a stretch of his own, but the crowd is firmly behind Muta. He counters with a side takedown and he turns his attention to Chono’s arm. The champ works up to his knees and is able to reverse the maneuver. Muta rises up and kicks him in the hamstring. Snapmare into a headscissor by Muta, the referee checks on Chono. Chono rolls over, gets some positioning and hooks the legs with a modified submission. Muta gets to the ropes and Chono is backed off. Muta limps back to his feet, Chono with a kick to the gut and he dumps Muta to the floor. Back in, Chono stays on him with a kick and he dumps him again.

Muta wisely rolls back into the ring when Chono gives chase. Collar and elbow tie up, Chono with the wristlock, he turns it into an armbar and then a hammerlock on the mat. Back to vertical, Chono with the armbar. Muta tries to flip out of it but the champ hangs on tight. Kick to the midsection and a scoop slam by Chono who heads to the top, Muta catches him and hooks him for a superplex. Muta sends Chono for a back body drop. Muta with a single leg pickup into a half crab. He modifies the hold, ripping at Chono’s knee. Muta bridges to neutralize the head as he continues to hold the legs.

Chono gets to the ropes and the referee calls for the break. Chono is able to get the first strikes back on their feet, snap suplex by the champ. Muta avoids a clothesline with a somersault and knocks Chono to the floor with a spinning karate kick. Muta with a kick to the midsection, Irish whip and a hand spring elbow by the challenger. Back breaker by Muta and he goes for a moonsault. Chono has it scouted and moves out of the way, Muta lands on his feet but appears to favor his knee. Chono chops him down with some kicks, Muta fights back with a right but his leg is hurt. Inside cradle earns Muta a two count.

They collide with simultaneous drop kicks and both men are slow to get up. Chono hits a belly to back suplex, he tries another but its countered and Muta almost catches a three count. Chono is sent for the ride and stops short of a dropkick. Opportunistically, the champ jumps on Muta with the STF, there is a tapout and Chono retains.
Winner and STILL NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Masahiro Chono (STF)

• EA’s Take: Nice match with some good mat work. While I still think the association with the NWA once again is ridiculous, WCW’s use of NJPW’s stars was really needed at this point and differentiates them from the WWF. Muta is one of a handful of stars working three matches tonight, so hats off to him. He didn’t win the big gold belt, but the fans who were behind him won’t leave the arena dissatisfied in the end.

In the Arena: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude makes his way to ringside, interrupting Ross and Ventura’s commentary. He was stabbed in the back by a doctor, foiling his chance to become World Heavyweight Champion. Now WCW wants to add insult to injury, threatening to strip him of his US Championship. It’s plain and simple: the company is conspiring against him, but it’s not going to work, they aren’t taking his title.

Match #6 for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ron Simmons vs. ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams
Williams offers a handshake, an unsure Simmons gives it to him. Collar and elbow tie up and a quick break. Another tie up and break. A third tie up, Simmons with the headlock, they try to hit the ropes and Williams drops to a knee. A second attempt and the same result. Simmons hanging on forever with the side headlock, Williams finally makes the break and they collide, unmoved, with shoulder block attempts. Simmons challenges Williams to get in a three point stance. They do – and hit each other with high impact.

They get down again, this time Simmons leapfrogs Williams and catches him with a lariat. He goes for the pin and challenger kicks out. Simmons maintains control with an arm bar, the hold is vanquished and Williams regroups on the outside. Dr. Death is slow to return to the ring, they lock up, Simmons with the wristlock but Doc grabs a handful of hair to break it up. Collar and elbow, Simmons again with the wristlock but Williams catches him with a forearm. Tie up, Simmons again in control hammering away on the arm. Williams grabs hair again and throws Simmons to the mat. The champ takes offense and gets in his face. They exchange rights, Simmons getting the better of it.

Williams reverses the Irish whip but he’s caught with an elbow and a bulldog. A lateral press gets two and Simmons stays on him with an arm bar. Scoop slam by Simmons and he heads up top, he tries a clothesline but Doc side steps it. The challenger is in control with some stomps, he drags Simmons toward the apron and uses it to drive the champ’s knee into it. Drop kick to the knee by Williams and he turns him over into a modified crab. He drives the heel of the boot into Simmons’ hamstring. Simmons gets a right hand in the break it up, but Doc is right back on him. Williams kicks away at the champ and he locks in a leg scissor submission.

Simmons uses his free leg to release the hold. They exchange rights and Williams knocks him down by going to the leg once again. Ron fights back with an elbow, a right, but he can’t get momentum as Dr. Death goes back to the knee. Simmons tries to fight back, but Doc rakes the eyes and hits him with a back breaker. He hooks the leg and Ron kicks out. Simmons fights up from his knees but receives another eye rake and then a clothesline. Williams goes for a submission on the injured leg. He relinquishes it to stomp on the hamstring. Scoop slam by Doc and he gets in a three point stance, he charges and takes Simmons out with two shoulders to the knees.

He goes for a third but Simmons catches him with a clothesline. Sidewalk slam by Simmons and now he gets into the stance, taking Williams out at the knee. He tries another and Doc moves, Simmons falling through the ropes to the floor. Williams follows and they hammer each other outside. The ref is making the count, Simmons missing a clothesline and running into the post. Williams attempts to crawl back into the ring but a 10 count has already been made.
Winner: Double Count-Out

• After The Bell: The two continue to brawl, Williams comes off the top rope at Simmons prompting the referee to change his decision from a double count out to a DQ win by Simmons.

Winner and STILL WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Ron Simmons (Disqualification)

• EA’s Take: A double count out would have resulted with Simmons retaining as well. A brawl after the match is fine, but I don’t see the point in modifying the decision, especially because the reaction to announcing the fact that Simmons retained was mixed. Fun backstory in the sense that these two competed against each other in college bowl games. Especially seeing as you want people as invested as possible in a “replacement match/opponent”, I thought they could have done more with that story.

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