Match #3: Larry ‘The Cruncher’ Zbysko & El Gigante w/Madusa vs. WCW World Tag Team Champion ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes & Richard Morton
Zbyszko comically gets up on the middle rope to discuss strategy with his giant partner. He and Rhodes start us off. Collar and elbow, Rhodes gets position and it’s broken in the corner. Zbyszko complains and tells the crowd to shut up. He checks in with Gigante who probably doesn’t know what he’s saying. Shoulder tackle by Rhodes, Zbyszko comes back with a hip toss, Rhodes kicks him away and grabs a side headlock. They criss cross and Rhodes catches him with a knee. Morton is tagged in, marches across the ring to see Gigante has been as well, he doubles back and tags Rhodes again. Rhodes ducks a clothesline, Morton charges and is lifted for a big scoop slam.

Rhodes hits a drop kick that doesn’t move the big man. Rhodes ducks a tie up and tries to take him over with a  drop toe hold, he can’t. Zbyszko coaches from the apron and Gigante doesn’t seem to appreciate it. Collar and elbow, scoop slam by Gigante followed by a wrist lock. Tag is made to Zbyszko who clubs The Natural. Scoop slam and feet to the face by The Cruncher. Neckbreaker, but Morton interrupts the count. Front face lock by Zbyszko and Rhodes catches him with an inside cradle. Zbyszko is up quickly and lands a spinning back kick. Zbyszko wants to use Gigante’s knee but he doesn’t oblige. The big man backs off Madusa who is yelling at him from the floor.

Rights by Zbyszko in the corner, Rhodes fights back with bionic elbows. Zbyszko rakes the eyes, but Rhodes reverses the Irish whip. Big hip toss by Rhodes and calls for the bulldog. Zbyszko stops short and shoves him off, he tags in Gigante, but he’s had enough with Zbyszko’s yelling at him. He confronts him, and Zbyszko foolishly slaps him in the face. The towering monster pulls his partner into the ring and throws him into a double drop kick and Rhodes makes the pin.
Winners: ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes & Richard Morton (Rhodes/Double Dropkick)

• EA’s Take: Zbyszko had me thoroughly entertained in this match and I don’t mean his move-set. If you’re not going to have the big man advance, this was a hilarious odd couple and ‘The Living Legend’ played his part perfectly. This young Dustin Rhodes is impressing me so much so, I wish he was in a more technical and less side-show type of match, but other than that, it was enjoyable for what it was.

Match #4: ‘Diamond’ Dallas Page & Mike Graham vs. Bill Kazmaier & Jushin Thunder Liger
Liger and Graham start. Collar and elbow tie up, fireman carry takeover into an arm bar by Graham. Liger reverses into a wrist lock. Graham counters into a hip toss and Liger slows it down. Collar and elbow, Graham gets position and pounds him in the corner. Liger reverses the Irish whip with a head scissor and Graham tumbles to the floor. Back to the ring, Graham stops short of Liger’s contact. Kazmaier is tagged in, they lock up and Graham is shoved off. Another tie up, Graham is lifted and thrown across the ring with ease. He makes the tag to DDP who cheap shots the world’s strongest man off a test of strength tease.

He goes on the attack, but cannot lift him for the scoop slam. Kaz doesn’t move to DDP’s shoulder tackle and Page is caught for a giant slam. Dallas tosses the charging Kazmaier over the top rope and taunts the crowd, not realizing behind his back, his opponent caught himself on the top rope and back flipped back in. Page eats a clothesline and barely kicks out. A powerbomb by Kaz and Page kicks out again. Scoop slam by Kaz, and DDP manages to move away from the 2nd rope splash. Page stomps on the big man and puts him in a modified camel clutch. Kazmaier crawls to the ropes, but Pages stays on him hard. He leaps over the top rope to whiplash Kaz over the top rope, but that allowed time for him to stumble back and tag in Liger.

DDP and Liger tie up, knee to the gut and a leg sweep by Page for two. Liger reverses a whip to the ropes with a spinning heel kick. Tag is made to Graham who is met with a shoulder tackle. Liger ducks threw Garham’s legs, Mike catches one kick but gets the other boot on the side of the head. Liger is tossed to the apron but he lands on his feet, shoulder to Graham’s mid section and a big splash. Liger uses Kaz’s knee as a weapon before tagging his partner back in. Graham ducks a tie up and goes for a single leg take down, but he’s thrown away. Collar and elbow and a wrist lock by Kaz. Tag is made to DDP who meets him with rights. They run the ropes and DDP is hit with a clothesline. Page is able to lift the big man up but can’t finish the scoop slam, Kaz falls on top of him for a near fall.

Graham is tagged back in, they lock up, a wrist lock and a tag to Liger who comes off the top with a single ax handle. Graham is sent for the ride, drop toe hold by Liger. Jushin gets him up with a surfboard submission. Mike escapes, hits the ropes for a double leg takedown that transitions into a Boston Crab. The two counter each other into near falls on the mat. Back to their feet, they shake hands. Collar and elbow, Liger with a side headlock takedown countered with a leg scissor. More mat counters as they try to get three. Graham bridges up and takes Liger down with a backslide but can’t get him. Liger ducks the tie up, single leg take down into a mat submission.

Liger drags Graham over to make a tag, but Mike escapes and is able to tag in Page. Tie up and Kaz takes control. Page rakes the eyes and can hardly move him with an elbow. Quick tags back to Liger and Graham. A test of strength and Liger somersaults into a kick to the face. A flurry of kicks to the mid section by Liger and the WSM is tagged. Big forearm and a military press by Kaz. Graham kicks out and makes the tag. Knee to the gut and clubbing forearm by Page. He holds the big man with a front face lock and tags Graham back in. A quick kick by the veteran. He tries a front face lock but the strong man simply picks him up, walks to his corner and tags in Liger.

A tie up ensues, they jockey for position in the corner, Graham reverses the Irish whip but Liger moves out of the way from the flying knee coming at him. Graham falls over the top to the floor. Jushin comes flipping over the top rope knocking Graham back down. Graham crawls onto the apron and is met with a vertical suplex, forced to kick out at two. A back breaker by Liger and he climbs the turnbuckles, delivering a moonsault. Page rushes the ring to break up the pin, Kaz rushes him. Kazmaier and Liger Irish whip their opponents into a collision. Kaz lifts his partner up and throws him on DDP to pick up the victory.
Winners: Bill Kazmaier & Jushin Thunder Liger (Liger/Aided Crossbody)

• EA’s Take: I’ve always had a little personal resentment toward Mike Graham ever since I heard him acting like a tough guy in an interview and being dismissive of some of my all time favorites like Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero. He talked down about their drawing power which always made me wonder if he’s one to talk. Yes, I know who his father is, but his un-adaptive attitude left a bad taste in my mouth. I will give him this: At 40 years old, he performed very well in this match, to nobody’s surprise because he always could work. However , if you saw this on a card in 1991 and didn’t know Page would be a future Hall Of Famer, you’d think this would be a squash. Kaz is a one trick pony, but Liger is a 20-trick horse and it was great to see his WCW PPV debut!

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