Match #4: Richard Morton w/Alexandra York vs. Robert Gibson
The two former partners immediately brawl right on the entrance ramp. Gibson slaps Morton into the ring and gives chase. Morton is sent to the ropes but he escapes through Gibson’s legs. Morton goes to work in the corner, Gibson reverses an irish whip and Morton rolls to the apron. He’s whipped back into the ring, sent for the ride and a hip toss is blocked. Scoop slam by Gibson and Morton regroups on the floor. Morton is slow to get back in the ring. Morton wants time, and he offers a handshake. Gibson doesn’t take it, collar and elbow tie up. Gibson gets position, they get in a shoving match and Morton rolls out, frustrated again. Back in the ring, the fans give it to Morton.

Collar and elbow tie up, straight rights from Gibson and Morton rakes the eyes. Morton trips him face first into the turnbuckle. Morton wraps Gibson’s leg around the ring post and then uses the apron. In the ring, he stays on the attack of the left knee. Gibson is favoring the leg but he’s fights back. Single leg take down by Morton who uses the bottom rope for leverage, doing more damaged to the bad knee. Morton rips at Gibson’s brace and delivers some knee to knee contact. More stomps on the bad leg, he goes for a spinning leg lock and Gibson counters with an inside cradle. Morton is quickly back to work with a modified leg lock. Gibson limps into a sunset flip and gets two, but he cannot stay on the offense for long.

Morton locks in the figure four leg lock and taunts the crowd. Gibson slowly tries to roll over and reverse the hold, and finally gets it over. Morton breaks the hold on the ropes. Gibson is really struggling to get up and Morton is right back on the attack. He grabs the ankle and slams the bad knee into the mat. He rolls out to slam it on the apron again. The referee lectures Morton because Gibson is holding the ropes. From one knee, Gibson fights back with some rights. He uses the ropes to stand, but cannot take control of the fight. Morton drops an elbow on the knee, and he tries to take the leg brace off. Gibson slaps Morton off and slams him leg brace across Morton’s face.

Again, he struggles to get to his feet and Morton uses the rope to bend the knee. A series of knee on knee until the ref breaks it up. More stomps on the underside of the knee as York cheers him on. He pulls Gibson up and Robert hits a DDT out of nowhere. Gibson can barely stand but he manages a back body drop before collapsing himself. Gibson misses a standing drop kick and Morton does a roll over Gibson putting pressure on the knee. Inverted atomic drop by Morton who goes to the top rope. Gibson hangs onto the ropes and reaches up for a military press.

Gibson catches Morton with a karate kick and Morton rolls out to the entrance ramp. Gibson chases and they exchange rights. They both go for simultaneous drop kicks and Gibson takes the worst of it. York runs interference on the referee and Morton grabs her computer. He goes to the top rope, dives at Gibson and strikes him with it for the victory.
Winner: Richard Morton (Foreign Object)

• EA’s Take: I was expecting a fast paced match with a lot of high risk moves, but that wasn’t the story here. Morton was determined to give his former tag team partner a career ending injury, so nearly the whole match was working over the knee. This furthers a storyline after Morton seemingly gets ick of losing and joins The York Foundation, but made for an unfortunately boring match for guys that have so much chemistry as partners. Sometimes, that just happens when you split a team.

Backstage: Eric Bischoff is joined by The Young Pistols & Dustin Rhodes. Smothers says they’re 3 thoroughbred horses and they’re coming for a fight. Armstrong explains the stipulation of the match and threatens Big Daddy Dink. Rhodes cuts a promo that would have you think his father was talking if you closed your eyes.

Match #5 – Elimination Tag Team Match: The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael ‘P.S.’ Hayes, Jimmy ‘Jam’ Garvin & Badstreet) w/Big Daddy Dink vs. The Young Pistols (Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong) & Dustin Rhodes
Rhodes and Hayes get us started. The Freebirds Suck chants start immediately. Hayes showboats around the ring. Rhodes does some strutting of his own and the crowd likes it better. Hayes in control first with some chops and an Irish whip. Rhodes retaliates with a scoop slam. Garvin rushes the ring and he gets a scoop slam. Bionic elbows to both Birds. Badstreet comes off the top rope and he gets an elbow. The Freebirds have a huddle on the outside. Hayes takes offense to the crowd’s cheering. Collar and elbow and side headlock by Rhodes. He hits the ropes but Garvin cheapshots him. Hayes takes advantage with some rights. The Young Pistols are clotheslined off the apron by Badstreet.

The Freebirds go for a back body drop but Rhodes reverses it into a double face buster. The Young Pistols climb opposite turnbuckles while Rhodes fights off Badstreet. Both Birds get more elbows and then are hit with flying clotheslines. The Freebirds must regroup again. Garvin is tagged in and he wants Smothers who gets the clapping going. Garvin and Hayes pose for the crowd. Collar and elbow and there are knees to the midsection by Garvin. Smothers reverses the irish whip, back body drop and dropkick, but Garvin moves from the next one. They run the ropes, Smothers ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning elbow. He yanks Hayes back into the ring while Armstrong goes to the top rope.

Badstreet receives a military press slam from his top turnbuckle and Armstrong hits him with a flying clothesline. It’s Armstrong’s turn as the legal man and he grabs a wristlock on Hayes. Quick tag to Smothers who ax handles Hayes and hangs onto the wrist. A blind tag is made to Garvin as they hit the ropes. The Freebirds leapfrog Smothers and Badstreet pulls the rope down. He throws Smothers into Dink who hits him with a clothes line. Scoop slam on the floor by Badstreet. Smothers is rolled back in and Hayes hits some forearms. Smothers leaps to the apron off an Irish whip but Hayes hits him with a left. Garvin tells the camera that they’re sorry. Smothers cannot re-enter the ring without getting kicked back to the floor.

Scoop slam by Garvin followed by a knee. Smothers gets a knee to the midsection and Garvin sarcastically apologizes again. Badstreet is tagged back in. Irish whip/clothesline combo by the masked man. Quick tag to Hayes and he quickly grabs a sleeper hold. The ref arm checks but Smothers doesn’t quit. Back to their feet, chop by Hayes in the corner. Smothers reverses the Irish whip and tries some rights. Hayes carries him off, they hit the ropes, Hayes ducks a clothesline and hits a left. Garvin is tagged in and sends Smothers head first into the turnbuckle. Snapmare and a lateral press earns him two. Garvin grabs a seated sleeper hold. Smothers works his way to his feet but Garvin pulls him back down and grabs the hold again.

Garvin gets up, instigates Rhodes and Armstrong which distracts the ref and the Freebirds triple team Smothers. Badstreet is tagged in and ax handles him. Swinging neck breaker by Badstreet and he gets a two count. Smothers is sent to the ropes and he leaps Badstreet for a sunset flip and a two count. Michael Hayes is tagged back in. He hits Smothers with some chops, Tracy tries fighting back but swings and misses and Hayes knocks him down with a left. Hayes struts and dances, he sets up for the DDT but Smothers reverses it. He tags in Armstrong who lifts Hayes with a back body drop. He fights off the interfering heels and a complete melee breaks out.

The Pistols double shoulder block Badstreet while Rhodes and Garvin brawl on the floor. Hayes manages to flip Smothers out to the entrance ramp while Armstrong tries to rip off Badstreet’s mask. Hayes rushes in and clotheslines him. Badstreet and Hayes double DDT Armstrong. Steve Armstrong has been eliminated. Hayes back body drops an attacking Tracy Smothers over the top rope and the referee disqualifies him. Michael Hayes has been eliminated. Hayes protests that all he did was duck but reluctantly returns to the locker room. Order has been restored and it’s Smothers and Garvin in the ring. Smothers’ head meets the turnbuckle and a tag is made to Badstreet.

He scoop slams Smothers and goes for the top rope, double ax handle to the back of the head. He makes the change with Garvin. Smothers fights off both men and rushes to make the tag to Rhodes. Dink distracts the referee long enough that he didn’t see the tag and calls off Rhodes. Garvin and Badstreet double DDT Smothers. Tracy Smothers has been eliminated. Rhodes as the sole member left wastes no time to charge the ring. He hits Garvin with a diving lariat. Jimmy Garvin has been eliminated. Badstreet rushes the ring. He hits Garvin with rights and a hits a boot to the face. He goes to the top rope and hits a double axe handle.

Rhodes is sent to the turnbuckle and Badstreet pulls him over with a snapmare. Badstreet hits an elbow and gets a two count. Badstreet heads for the top rope again but Rhodes follows him. Scoop slam by Badstreet who attempts his climb again. Rhodes catches him with a shot to the midsection and hits a lariat. He goes for the cover but Dink is on the apron. Badstreet kicks out at two. Irish whip to the corner and Rhodes comes back with a bulldog, dropkicking Big Daddy Dink along the way and it’s over.
Winners: The Young Pistols & Dustin Rhodes

• EA’s Take Entertaining match, although the finishing spots were a little too bang-bang-bang. The Young Pistols remain fun to watch for me and I’m noticing some nice, subtle things in their high-spots. It can feel contrived in sometimes, but by and large it adds a lot to the show when they’re the ones executing high-risk offense. Dustin is continuing to be protected big time here and is starting to look much better (more fluid) in the squared circle.

Match #6: The Yellow Dog vs. Johnny B. Badd w/Theodore R. Long
Collar and elbow tie up and Dog slaps Badd. Badd hits him with a hip toss and a power slam. Side headlock and they hit the ropes. Shoulder tackle by Badd, but Dog returns the favor with a hip toss and a drop kick. Vicious chop by Dog and Johnny B Badd rolls to the outside. Long towels off his client and gives him a hug. Collar and elbow tie up, they run the ropes and Dog wraps around Badd’s back and rolls him over for a near fall. Collar and elbow and Dog grabs a wrist lock. It’s broken by a rake to the eyes and some forearms to the back. They run the ropes and Dog can’t manage a victory roll.

He leaps to the apron and Long is up on the other side to talk to Badd. Yellow Dog drop kicks him from behind which also knocks Long to the floor. Long is chased and Badd surprises him with a clothesline. Badd rams him into the railing and gets some kicks in. Yellow Dog attempts a cross body off the Irish whip but Badd ducks. Johnny goes to the top rope and executes a flying sunset flip for two. Reverse chinlock by Badd and Long screams at him to take the mask off. The hold is broken with a chinbuster. A high knee knocks down Yellow Dog and Badd sets up for his big left. Dog ducks it and hits a German suplex. They exchange blows and run the ropes, Dog ducks a clothesline and hits a spinning heel kick. Yellow Dog hits a back body drop and flies off the top rope with a cross body. He goes for the pin but Long rushes into the ring and goes for the mask, causing the referee to call for the bell.
Winner: The Yellow Dog (Disqualification)

• After The Bell: Yellow Dog fights back and hits Long with a clothesline. He celebrates but is blindsided by Johnny B. Badd’s big left.
• EA’s Take: Pillman’s previous feud with Barry Windham came to an end with a Loser Leaves WCW stipulation and guess who lost? Yellow Dog was just a way to keep Pillman around until he’s eventually “reinstated”, which is so silly to me. Why even do the Loser Leaves (insert name here) match in the first place? Another newcomer in Badd who is quite green in this match. Several times his moves seemed slow and awkward, I certainly can’t put that on Pillman. When it comes to “androgynous” gimmicks, before there was Goldust, there was Johnny B. Badd, who harkens me back to Adrian Adonis in these early days.

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