Match #5 for the NWA United States Championship: NWA United States Champion Lex Luger vs. Stan ‘The Lariat’ Hansen
Hansen starts quickly but Luger responds with a series of rights and knocks Hansen out of the ring. A distressed Hansen is slow to come back in. Luger’s eyes are raked. Snap mare take down and an elbow by Hansen before Luger is dumped out to the floor. Hansen abuses Luger on the outside, using the ring post. They return to the ring and Hansen kicks Luger in the face. Luger reverses the whip and scoops Hansen up for a slam. The offense continues to swap as Hansen fights back with some kicks. He hauls Luger down with a head lock. Once back to their feet there are quick strikes from Hansen. Irish whip by Hansen.

Luger moves and the challenger tumbles to the floor. Luger gives chase and strikes him with rights. Lex uses the entrance ramp as a weapon before rolling Hansen back into the ring. Luger continues to punish Hansen in the corner. There is a hip toss by Luger followed by two modified elbows. Hansen kicks out at two. Hansen changes momentum with a shot to the midsection. Hansen delivers a snap suplex and drops an elbow. Luger kicks out at two. Luger is sent for the ride and taken down with a football tackle. Hansen follows it with a scoop slam and falls knee first on Luger’s face. Lex once again kicks out at two. Back to their feet there is a headbutt by Hansen is followed by a bulldog. Luger kicks out of the lateral press at two. Luger tries to fight back with big rights.

Hansen is backed into the corner. Luger’s series of rights is cut off by a waistlock takedown. Another near fall as Luger kicks out at two. Hansen scoop slams Luger but Lex moves away from a 2nd rope elbow drop. Hansen is sent for the ride and Luger flies with a drop kick. Scoop slam and an elbow by Luger, but Hansen kicks out. Standing vertical suplex by Luger and Hansen kicks out at two and a half. Hansen reverses an Irish whip and clotheslines him in the corner. Hansen takes the fight to Luger. Hansen shoves the referee off of him and Randy Anderson is down. He sets up for his patented lariat but Luger catches him with one of his own.

All three men are down. ‘Dangerous’ Dan Spivey appears at ringside and tosses Hansen a cow bell. He attempts to hit Luger with it, but is elevated into a back body drop. Face buster by Luger and he motions for the Torture Rack. Hansen rises to his feet. Luger charges him, but Hansen catches him with the Lariat and he picks up the win.
Winner and NEW NWA United States Champion: Stan ‘The Lariat’ Hansen (Lariat)

• EA’s Take: The second half of this match was much better than the first half. It was a little more than quick strikes for the first five minutes. All in all, a fairly boring bout. Hansen is a total mad man and while Luger can have good matches, they don’t happen with guys the style of ‘The Lariat’.

In The Arena: Tony Schiavone is standing by with Theodore R. Long who explains why Doom is the best tag team in the world, and he refuses to give Flair and Anderson another shot. He is done with them.

Match #6 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: NWA World Heavyweight Champion Sting vs. Sid Vicious
The two men meet in the middle of the ring and exchange words. Sting turns to pump up the crowd and Sid attacks him from behind. Sid catches Sting in an attemped cross body and drops him with a back breaker. Sting is up quickly and strikes Sid to the mat. He goes for a figure four leg lock but Sid pulls himself out to the floor. Collar and elbow tie up in the ring. Sid rakes the eyes. He tries to deliver a right but Sting moves. Sid tumbles to the floor and Sting gives chase. Sid is thrown into the post and he rolls back in the ring. Sting grabs a wirst lock and strikes the arm. Irish whip by Sid but Sting moves out of the way and returns to the wrist lock.

The crowd reacts to Sting’s enthusiasm. Sid slowly works to his feet. He fights out of the hold and takes Sting down with a snap mare. Sting scissors Sid’s head but he kicks out of it and back to his feet before delivering a huge clothesline. Sid goes on a methodical attack and drapes Sting over the top rope. Sting is sent for the ride. He reverses into a sunset flip, but Sid powers out. Vicious with another clothesline on the World Champ. Sid applies a nerve lock on Sting who slowly tries to return to a vertical base. Sting takes mid section shots. Sid reverses a whip by Sting with a power slam.

Sid chokes Sting until the referee pulls him off. Sid clubs Sting. Sting reverses an Irish whip, goes for the Stinger Splash but Sid moves. Sting is on the apron and Sid clubs him from inside the ring. Sid turns around to taunt, not seeing Sting climbing the rope. The champ hits a cross body but can’t even get a two count. Sid is right back on offense quickly. Clothesline on the apron from Sid. He pulls Sting in, but cannot get a three count. Sid grabs a reverse chin lock. Snap mare by Sid but the champ moves away from his elbow. He tries to follow with an elbow of his own but Sid moves too. Sting reverses a back body drop with a bulldog.

He charges Sid, but Vicious gets his big boot up. The two are on the elevated entrance ramp and the referee demands they return to the ring. Scoop slam by Sid on the ramp. Sid returns to the ring and taunts the crowd, hoping for a countout. Sting gets up to the delight of the crowd and charges down the ramp, diving over the top rope with a flying clothesline. A standing drop kick knocks Sid back outside. Sting flies to the floor with a plancha. Sid stumbles toward the back and Sting gives chase. Flair and Anderson have made their way to ringside and they argue with Nick Patrick. Sid and (someone who appears to be) Sting make their way to back the ring.

Sting lifts Sid for a scoop slam, but Sid falls across his body. Nick Patrick makes a 3 count. Dangerously screams “He got ’em! He got ’em!”. The bell rings. Sid is declared the winner by the ring announcer. The fireworks go off, balloons drop and Sid has the belt. Sting suddenly appears from the back with a broken rope around his wrist and crosses paths with the imposter who was pinned. The referees frantically declare that the match isn’t over. Sid swings and misses with the championship belt. Sting hits some quick strikes and clocks Sid into the corner with the belt he hasn’t lost yet. He backs up and lands a Stinger Splash, rolls him up with an inside cradle and retains the title.
Winner and STILL NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Sting (Inside Cradle)

• EA’s Take: So apparently they pulled the “Phony Sting” stunt years before the NWO days. It was a confusing finish for sure, but a strong main event. When he gave his short victory speech with Jim Ross, he said he didn’t know who was responsible for the actions, but included the mysterious robed guy from the beginning of the show as a suspect. Maybe they were just trying to justify that corny segment from earlier by having him say that is a possibility, because with Flair and Anderson running a distraction at ringside, it was obviously a plot from The Horsemen.

EA’s Finisher: This is only a presentation of the matches WWE Network provides, which was the same as the original VHS release. There were two dark matches which is fairly common, but there were also four seemingly insignificant and short matches on the card that got cut from the video. With that being said, this condensed version featured 20 competitors, 2 commentators and 1 backstage announcer. 9 of them already have Hall of Fame rings: Sting, Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Ron Simmons, Stan Hansen, Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, Jim Ross. Additionally, there are 10 others you can make strong cases for as future inductees: Paul Heyman, Tony Schiavone, Sid Vicious, The Nasty Boys, The Steiners, The Midnight Express. Not to mention Teddy Long. Jim Cornette would likely be included in The Midnight Express’ induction and may be the reason Eaton & Lane do not have their spot yet. With all that in mind, it’s one of the better cards the NWA/WCW has put together thus far. It was a great watch and a strong lead in for Starrcade 1990.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Sting vs. Sid Vicious
2 – The Steiners vs. The Nasty Boys
3 – Doom vs. Ric Flair & Arn Anderson

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