Chairshot Classics: WCW Starrcade ’90 – Collision Course

Match #3 – Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals: Chris Adams & Norman Smiley vs. Konan & Rey Misterio
Misterio and Smiley start the match. Collar and elbow tie up. Konan runs in, unprompted, and Smiley flips them both. He gets up and runs into a double clothesline. They hold Smiley on his head and spread his legs. Adams runs into the match, flips over his partner, runs the ropes, and both members of England’s team land drop kicks. The Mexican team is out on the entrance ramp. Konan and Adams are appearing to be the legal men in the ring despite no sign of a tag. They run the ropes and Adams hits a knee to the midsection. A superkick from Adams knocks Konan out of the ring. Konan regroups and tags in Misterio. Smiley is also tagged in. Test of strength but Konan sends Smiley flying. Head scissor takedown by Konan.

Smiley is sent for the ride but he catches his opponent and bridges a suplex. Smiley delivers some rights. The two test each others strength with a back slide and Konan gets some help in the form of a kick from his partner. Adams breaks up the pin. Smiley is back on the attack and makes the tag to Adams. Snap mare take down turns into a reverse chin lock. Konan is back to his feet and makes the tag to Misterio. The Mexicans attempt a double team but Smiley rushes in to drop kick both of them. Misterio is knocked out to the floor and Adams superkicks Konan. Smiley bridges Konan with a German suplex and gets a two count. A tag is made to Adams who comes off the top rope with an ax handle. Wrist lock by Adams who makes a quick tag back to Smiley.

The two reverse holds on the mat. Adams is back in. Konan is sent for the ride and clothesline. Side headlock and Smiley is tagged back in. Misterio comes in, untagged and uncontested for some reason, and they deliver double elbows on Adams knocking him to the apron.  Smiley is set up on the top rope and he receives a reverse suplex. Konan bridges his back for the pin and he gets him.
Winners: Konan & Rey Misterio (Konan/Rop-Assisted Reverse Suplex)

• EA’s Take: This may have been the most maddening match I’ve ever called. I could have typed “for some reason” multiple times. That wasn’t a constant typo: the Mexican star who had a better known American run as “Konnan” with two N’s was spelling it this way at the time. Misterio also isn’t a typo – this was Rey Mysterio Jr.’s uncle. We also see a younger Norman Smiley, who wouldn’t gain some notoriety in American until eight years later, but Chris Adams is a pretty known commodity by now. All the ingredients for a good match were here and there were glimpses, but it looked like perhaps a lack of familiarity hurt some of the spots.

Match #4 – Pat O’Connor Memorial Tag Tournament Quarterfinals: Mr. Saito & The Great Muta vs. The Royal Family (Rip Morgan & Jacko Victory)
Muta and Victory start the match. Collar and elbow tie up and they quickly break it off. Another tie up and Victory grabs a side headlock. They run and Victory hits a football tackle. Muta tries to roll him up off a reverse waist lock but cannot. He does hit a drop kick that knocks Victory out of the ring. Muta to the top rope and he dives on top of Jacko. Victory is swung back into the ring and the partners are tagged in. Morgan is on the offense first. Saito reverses the whip and lands a clothesline.

Snap suplex by Saito. Morgan catches him with a kick and tags Victory back in. Jacko lands some rights, but Saito takes him down with an arm bar. To their feet, Saito lands some chops and a hip toss. Victory gouges the eyes and tags his partner. Muta is back in as well. Morgan grabs a side headlock and lands a football tackle. He runs for more but Muta hits a spinning karate kick. Muta grabs the leg and tags in Saito. He tries for the scorpion deathlock but it’s broken up by Victory. Saito is sent for the ride and is hit from the apron by Victory. Belly to back suplex by Morgan and he gets a two count. Saito is dumped outside and Victory takes cheap shots.

Saito is run into the steel post while the referee is not looking. Back to the ring and Victory is tagged in. Saito is sent for the ride and a double elbow. Morgan is immediately tagged back in. He goes for a high risk leg drop but Saito moves. Muta is tagged back in. Irish whip and a hand spring elbow falls on Victory. He chops and strikes Morgan. Saito comes across the ring and all 4 fight. Victory holds Saito in place, but he moves away from Morgans clothesline. Victory is on the receiving end and Muta hits a bridging belly to back suplex, picking up the win.
Winners: Mr. Saito & The Great Muta (Muta/Bridging Back Suplex)

• EA’s Take: Not too much to say here, but it was a well worked match. I expected the Japanese team to advance and they didn’t disappoint. Much like the last match, the crowd is fully behind the guy they’re familiar with, who would be Muta and deservedly so. Just another guy I’ve gained a newfound appreciation for. If you were to take 1990 Great Muta and implant him into today WWE roster, he could fit in seamlessly with his working style.

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