Match #6: Oz vs. Bill Kazmaier
Collar and elbow tie up with a clean break. They repeat it, Kaz grabs a side headlock on the third. Body shots by Oz, he sends Kazmaier and won’t be moved on the shoulder tackle. He hits the ropes again and catches Oz with a big clothesline. Scoop slam to the big man and Oz regroups. There’s a call for a test of strength and they engage. Oz hits shots to the midsection to get the upperhand. Kaz works his way back up and pulls Oz’s hands to the ground. He stomps the hands but Oz comes back with some strikes. Kaz reverses an Irish whip and lands a hip toss. They tie up again and Oz gets a knee to the mid section.

Kaz reverses another Irish whip but Oz moves. Belly to back suplex earns him a two count. Oz delivers forearms until Kaz is out to the apron. With his opponent’s back turned, Kazmaier pulls himself back into the ring and hits a lariat followed by a knee to the face. Kazmaier lifts Oz up into a back breaking torture rack and he picks up the submission win.
Winner: Bill Kazmaier (Backbreaker Rack)

• EA’s Take: Well, no special entrance, no manager, no mask and a quick defeat. Yup, it’s safe to say WCW realized the Oz gimmick was garbage by now, which is likely why he was swapped with Cactus Jack for this spot. Vinnie Vegas will be coming your way in 1992! Kazmaier is of course the famed American Strogman and I get that WCW’s pushing him, but it’s a little strange they take the Torture Rack away from Luger and give it to Kazmaier. Quite honestly, I can’t remember if that was part of what leads to their brief feud or not.

Match #7: Van Hammer vs. ‘Pretty Boy’ Doug Somers
Collar and elbow and Hammer grabs a side headlock. Somers reverses and sends Hammer to the ropes. Weird duck of a non-existent clothesline, then Hammer actually hits him with one. Somers is sent for a power slam. Irish whip, back body drop, elbow and leg drop by Van Hammer. He gets the crowd clapping, hits Somers with a slingshot suplex and gets the win.
Winner: Van Hammer (Slingshot Suplex)

• EA’s Take: Ha, I get it. It’s Van Hammer…you know, because Van Halen was really popular…in the 80’s. Hammer’s getting the “rock star” treatment in this one, rolling over the AWA stalwart in Somers. Do I really need to explain why the jacked-up David Lee Roth never worked out? They’re still going to push him hard though!

Match #8 – WCW Light Heavyweight Championship Tournament Finals: Richard Morton w/Alexandra York vs. ‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman
Collar and elbow tie up, and they duck each other’s rights. Arm drag by Morton. Another tie up and Morton takes a cheap shot. Morton ducks Pillman from the ropes and he rolls to the outside to check in. Morton takes control in the ring. He can’t get Pillman over with a hip toss, and is instead hit with a scoop slam and a spinning heel kick. Morton is knocked out to the floor. Collar and elbow tie up, Morton gets position and beats Pillman in the corner. Irish whip, Pillman leaps, rushes the other corner and hits Morton with a double ax handle. Side headlock takedown by Pillman and he hangs on.

Back to their feet, a shoulder block by Pillman followed by another takedown. Head scissor by Morton, broken by Pillman. Arm drags by Flyin Brian who grabs a side headlock. Morton works back to his feet, they hit the ropes and Pillman eats an elbow. Morton misses the elbow drop and he’s taken down once again. Slow to their feet, they hit the ropes. Pillman leaps Morton twice but runs into a reverse atomic drop. Morton grabs the wrist and takes him down. He goes to work on Pillman’s previously injured shoulder. Pillman fights back with elbows but he’s dumped to the floor. Morton doesn’t realize he didn’t get all of it. Pillman surprises him with a victory roll for two. Morton gets back in control with a modified wristlock.

Pillman can’t break the hold and is powered back to the mat. Slow to a vertical base. Pillman fights out of it, but Morton hits his gut with the knee and goes back to work on the wrist and shoulder. Irish whip by Morton, Pillman ducks a clothesline and hits Richard with one. Morton rakes the eyes and rubs Pillman on the top rope. Belly to back suplex by Morton and Pillman kicks out. Blatant choke by Morton and Nick Patrick breaks it up. Spinning karate kick by Pillman and Morton is sent to the turn buckle. High elevation back body drop by Pillman.

Morton reverses the momentum with a kick to the midsection and he works his opponent over in the corner. Irish whip but Pillman comes back with big chops. Both men collide with shoulder blocks and they both roll out of the ring. Pillman is sent shoulder first into the post. Both men stagger toward the ring. Pillman sneaks up to the top rope and hits a flying cross body to pick up the new title.
Winner and NEW WCW Light Heavyweight Champion: ‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman (Top Rope Crossbody)

• EA’s Take: The match was okay, but a little less organized than what I expected. Brian Pillman is a worthy recipient of this new championship and it’s actually a title I can get behind. I’ve always enjoyed the lightweight/cruiserweight style and WCW always had a pension for doing it much better than the WWF/E. A little funny to think that due to the era, almost all of these guys wouldn’t fit under today’s definition of a cruiserweight, as almost all of them are well over 205 pounds.

Match #9: The Halloween Phantom vs. ‘Z-Man’ Tom Zenk
Phantom attacks Z-Man right away and hits a vicious clothesline. Scoop slam by the Phantom followed by an eye and back rake. Knee to the mid section by the Phantom followed by a gut buster. An elbow is dropped to Zenk’s head. Z-Man blocks a back body drop and lands a drop kick but it doesn’t matter. Phantom with a neck breaker and he picks up the quick win.
Winner: The Halloween Phantom (Neckbreaker)

• EA’s Take: Dear lord…I know where this is going and who The Phantom will turn out to be, but just the premise of it is so silly. Fortunately, the man under the mask is so good as a performer, a lot of people forget about this classically “WCW” angle.

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