Match #3: The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu & The Samoan Savage) vs. ‘Wildfire’ Tommy Rich & ‘Captain’ Mike Rotunda
The SST is disturbed by the negative crowd reaction. Rich and the crowd are making too much noise for their pre-match ceremony. Rich and Savage start. Collar and elbow tie up and Savage complains his hair was pulled. Another tie up and it’s the same result. Savage rakes the eyes, hits an elbow and rakes the back. They run the ropes and Rich takes him down with a cross body. Rich is fired up. Fatu is tagged in and he’s immediately giving the ref the business. Rotunda is tagged in on the other side. Fatu tries extending a half hearted hand shake. Rotunda won’t trust him. They tie up and Fatu delivers some karate chops.

Sent for the ride, Rotunda comes back with a face buster followed by 2 standing drop kicks and Fatu tumbles outside the ring. Savage is tagged back in and they tie up. Arm bar by Rotunda. They run and Rotunda has a series of a football tackle and a drop kick. Reverse front face lock by Rotunda and Rich is tagged back in. Rich holds the wrist. They run and Rich ducks a clothes line but Savage gets a power slam on the other side. A tag is made by Fatu but he misses a flying head butt from the top rope. Rich is up quickly and delivers a right. Rotunda is tagged back in.

He delivers a chop and holds the left arm. Fatu uses the hair to break the hold and hits some head butts. Fatu thinks he has outsmarted Rotunda by dropping to the mat on the ride, but Rotunda surprises him with an arm drag. They continue to work the arm and a tag is made to Rich. Rich is brought to the opponents corner but he ducks a right and Fatu hits the Savage. The Samoans hug it out and Savage is tagged in. Rich is in control and a quick tag is made to Rotunda who enters with an ax handle. Rotunda ducks a clothesline but Savage catches him with a side slam.

Randy Anderson is pre-occupied with Rich allowing the Samoans to double team Rotunda. Fatu is in the ring and he lands a standing vertical suplex before dumping Rotunda outside. Savage takes a cheap kick and Rotunda is rolled back in. Rotunda almost reverses a hip toss but he gets Fatu’s foot in the face instead. Savage is back in and he holds Rotunda in a nerve submission. Rotunda struggles to get to his partner. He gets there but Randy Anderson didn’t see it. He shoos Rich out of the ring and the Samoans again double team Rotunda.

The Captain is thrown over the top rope which should be a DQ but the ref is distracted. Rich tries to save his partner from the double team outside but Anderson is focused on him. The Samoans antagonize the crowd in the ring and Rotunda is slowly brought back to the apron. The Savage delivers forearms to the chest. Savage misses a kick but lands a forearm and tags in Fatu who locks in a front face lock. Rich desperately reaches for his partner but Rotunda is brought face first down on the mat. Fatu piles on with knees to the shoulder. Anderson checks on Rotunda but he doesn’t quit.

Rotunda finds a second wind and gets back to his knees. Finally on his feet Rotunda is sent for the ride but he’s able to land a big elbow on Fatu. Tag is made to Savage but Rotunda is too dazed to make his tag. Snapmare take down by Savage who grabs a reverse chin lock. Savage gets his shoulders down for a few near falls using the bottom rope for illegal leverage. Anderson is distracted by Fatu as the legal men are back to their feet, with Savage still holding the lock. Rotunda strengths his way to the corner and makes a tag to Zenk but once again the referee doesn’t see it and backs him off. Rotunda gets another round of double team work against him.

A double back body drop by the Samoans and Rotunda kicks out at 2. Rotunda tries fighting back as they exchange rights and elbows. They go for the ride and Rotunda lands a clothesline. Fatu is tagged in. He tries to prevent Rotunda’s tag but he finally gets there. Rich comes in strong. Back body drop on the Savage and he stands on the turnbuckle for 10 punches to Fatu. Rotunda drop kicks Savage out of the ring. Anderson is focused on Rotunda getting out of the ring as Rich grabs a sleeper hold. With the refs back turned, Savage comes off the top rope with a cheap double axe handle and Fatu falls back on him to get the pin.
Winners: The Samoan Swat Team (Fatu/Top Rope Double Axe Handle)

• EA’s Take: Referee screwing the babyfaces was the theme all the way to the finish. There was one spot where I think Anderson goofed because the top rope spot should have been in his plain site. As for Rotunda’s change in gimmick, I guess if you give a guy a sailor’s cap you can call him ‘Captain’ since The Varsity Club is no more. Thanks, Jim Herd! Anyways, the real takeaway for me here is just how impressive The SST is every time I see them, even when it’s not Fatu & Samu, but Fatu & The Savage.

Match #4 is Hair vs. Hair: Theodore R. Long vs. ‘Precious’ Paul Ellering
Long has a comical entrance dressed like a prize fighting boxer. He’s calling himself ‘Sugar Ray’ Long. He goes on the attack, covering Ellering’s head with his jacket. He delivers some weak looking rights to Ellering’s back. He pokes the eyes, delivers a right and gets a 2 count. Now Ellering is mad as he gets back to his feet with his arm around his neck. The ref backs him off from delivering a right in the corner.

Long appears to pull something out of his glove and he delivers a right. Long gets a 2 count. Ellering is back up and he takes Long’s glove off. An elbow from Ellering followed by a body slam. Ellering inspects the glove and discovers a foreign object. He swings the glove at Long and knocks him out. Ellering wins the match and the guest hairstylist gives him a cut while Teddy’s still knocked out. Long runs to the back embarrassed.
Winner: ‘Precious’ Paul Ellering (Foreign Object)

• EA’s Take: Paul Ellering was a power lifter and wrestler before a severe knee injury derailed that part of his career. That being said, seeing him in actual wrestling gear, he looks just like the “Overly Manly Man” meme! Obviously he couldn’t compete fully, but given his physical shape and wrestling background, I’m surprised that Ellering was such a quiet manager in terms of match or outside involvement. Then again, how much help did the babyface, badass Road Warriors need? Oh…and to answer your question: Yes, Teddy Long DID have hair. Not much, but it was there. It was sort of a bad Hulk Hogan kind of look. The bald look was much better for him.

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