Open: Tony Schiavone & Eric Bishoff are standing by in the arena and they quickly introduce the card. They welcome Bill Watts who is excited for wrestling fans all over the world. He always believes in the light heavyweights, and he feels that when someone wants to settle something, he always lets them go with stipulations they both agree to. That being said, Paul E. Dangerously and Madusa are banned from ringside during the Iron Man Match between Rick Rude and Ricky Steamboat. As far as the falls count anywhere match between Sting and Cactus Jack, there are absolutely no disqualifications.

Match #1 for the WCW Light-Heavyweight Championship: WCW Light-Heavyweight Champion ‘Flyin’ Brian Pillman vs. Scotty Flamingo
Collar and elbow tie up, they jockey for position and break clean. Single leg pick up by Flamingo and he taunts to a sea of boos. Collar and elbow tie up, they spin with waistlocks, Pillman gets a hammerlock and wrestles Flamingo down to the mat. Elbow by Flamingo, but Pillman catches him with a drop toe hold and goes right back to the hammerlock. He piles on with knees and tries to roll him over into a bridging pin, getting two. Back to a vertical base, Flamingo breaks it off on the ropes. Collar and elbow, shots to the midsection and head by Flamingo. They hit the ropes, Pillman ducks a clothesline and rolls Flamingo over in a crucifix getting a two count.

Flamingo retreats to the corner and slows it down. They lock up, Pillman back to the hammerlock, Flamingo breaks it in the corner. Flamingo with some quick rights, an Irish whip leapfrogged by Pillman and followed with a hip toss. Short arm scissor submission by the reigning champ in the center of the ring. Flamingo strengths Pillman over, grabs a handful of tights but cannot get three. More arm work on the mat by Flyin Brian. They are slowly to vertical, hit the ropes and a shoulder tackle followed by a hip toss by Pillman. Flamingo wants to slow it down again, they tie up again, Pillman goes with the wristlock and puts a ton of pressure on it, snapping down with it. Flamingo is flipped over and Pillman hangs on to the wrist.

Flamingo fights his way to the ropes but the referee doesn’t see it to make a break. Flamingo tries to fight out of it, but Pillman transitions to the hammerlock. Back to their feet, Flamingo backs the champ into the corner. The ref calls for a break and he gets it. They lock up again and Flamingo throws the first rights. Irish whip to the ropes and Pillman leaps up for a head scissor takedown, he follows it with a drop kick, Flamingo falls through the ropes and his feet are trapped. He is released and he falls out onto the cement. Brian looks to dive over the top rope, Flamingo moves and Pillman lands on his feet on the apron. Flamingo turns his back and receives an double axe handle on the floor.

Pillman stays on the attack with a chop and he rolls the challenger back in. The champ goes to the top rope. Flamingo catches him and launches him face first into the mat. He goes for a quick pin and Pillman kicks out. Pillman is dumped through the middle rope to the floor and Flamingo lands a cross body on the concrete. Pillman is rolled back in, Flamingo stomps the skull but Pillman fights back from his knees. Scotty slows it down with an eye rake and lifts him for a snapmare. Flamingo goes to the 2nd rope and lands a forearm, Pillman kicks out from the pin attempt. Pillman is rolled to the apron and gets a forearm across the chest, followed by another.

Flamingo charges him but Pillman jumps back up to his feet and launches over the ropes into the ring with a cross body but can’t get the pin. Flamingo is quick to his feet with a clothesline to stop the momentum. Flamingo sits on the chest for a cover but gets rolled over. Flamingo goes back to the eyes and rolls another snapmare and this time goes for the reverse chin lock. Flamingo positions himself for leverage on the ropes, he tries a lateral press and there is another two count. Back to the reverse chin lock in a seated position, Flamingo telling the crowd to shut up. Slowly to a vertical base, they exchange elbows and forearms until Pillman finally breaks it.

The champ hits a shoulder tackle but gets a knee to the gut on the 2nd go. Flamingo goes for a splash in the corner and Pillman moves, both men are down. Flamingo is first to his feet and he digs at Pillman’s face, snapmare-chinlock combo, followed by a flagrant choke that is broken by the ref. Flamingto with some strikes, Pillman reverses the whip and he climbs on Flamingo’s back with a sleeper hold, it’s broken as Scotty charges into the corner. Both men very slow to get up, they throw simultaneous right hands and both land on their backs. The ref gets a high count, but they’re up to their knees and he calls it off.

They exchange rights and Pillman chokes his opponent out of frustration. A rake to the eyes and Flamingo is in control, he goes to the 2nd rope, comes off with a double axe handle, reversed by Pillman with a drop kick. They exchange forearms, Flamingo ducks a clothesline but is hit with a spinning heel kick. Pillman introduces Flamingo to the turnbuckles and climbs up for 7 rights. Flamingo reverses the Irish whip and Pillman gets his boot up. Pillman charges and he’s caught in a power slam and a very close count. Pillman can barely stand, it looks like his knee is buckling. Flamingo slaps him across the face and goes to the corner to taunt the crowd. Pillman sees this and rushes over.

Belly to back suplex from the 2nd turnbuckle, he goes for the pin but the challenger gets his foot on the rope. Vicious chop by Pillman followed by a facebuster off the whip. Irish whip to the corner and a clothesline from behind by the champ. Flamingo staggers to his feet and he’s clotheslined over the top rope to the entrance rope. Pillman runs and dives over the top rope, Flamingo moves and the champ lands head first. He crawls back to the ring, Flamingo goes to the 2nd turnbuckle, leaps off planting his knee on Pillman’s ribs. We have a new champion!
Winner and NEW WCW Light-Heavyweight Champion: Scotty Flamingo (2nd Rope Knee Drop)

• EA’s Take: Really good match here. If I hadn’t drawn out the card before doing the match, the winner would have surprised me, but Flamingo will only hold the belt for 15 days before Brad Armstrong becomes the final champion before it’s vacated after less than a year in existence. Very odd considering Pillman and Liger tore the house down just a few months prior. The matches have been good, but I just don’t think that they have the depth for it at this point. Here, we also have the first example of Bill Watts’ disqualification rule for jumping off the top rope…isn’t that “fun”? I guess it’s good the belt was scrapped shortly after.

In The Arena: Johnny B. Badd enters the stage, introduced as the M.C. for the bikini contest. The only thing better than being a “Badd” man is being at Beach Blast and being a “Badd” man. Round 1 will be evening gown, round 2 will be swimsuit and round 3 will be bikini. The competitors are Missy Hyatt and Madusa. Both women walk the entrance ramp for round 1 and Badd throws it back to the commentary team.

Match #2: Ron Simmons vs. ‘The Taylor Made Man’ Terrance Taylor
The two exchange words in the middle of the ring and we’re underway. Collar and elbow tie up and Simmons throws Taylor across the ring. He complains his hair was pulled. Simmons charges him into the corner, but breaks it off. They lock up, Taylor gets position, he tries a hiptoss but Simmons blocks it and takes Taylor over instead. Another tie up, Taylor with position again and he gets a knee and some right hands. Irish whip but Simmons puts on the brakes. Two football tackles by Simmons, he pursues Taylor but the The All American is dumped onto the ramp. Taylor gives chase, but Simmons is alert and lands an atomic drop before lifting his opponent up with a military press.

The Taylor Made Man is thrown back in the ring before quickly being charged and clotheslined out to the concrete. Simmons rolls him back in and lifts him for a scoop slam, following it with forearms and a headbutt. Irish whips by Simmons and he grabs a bearhug. Taylor struggles to break the hold but he’s fading. The ref drop checks the arms but it doesn’t hit 3. Taylor finally breaks the hug with a poke to the eye. He sends Simmons for the ride, but the big man reverses the hip toss. Simmons to a 3 point stance, he goes for another football tackle but Taylor moves and Ron hits the ramp. Taylor stays on him, driving his head into the ramp. Back to the ring, Simmons eats a chin buster and a right hand. Snapmare by Taylor and a somersault cutter.

He goes for the pin and Simmons kicks out. Taylor latches on a chinlock, Simmons slowly works up to vertical. The hold is broken but Taylor strikes with a back breaker and another two count. Elbow to the midsection and a right by Simmons, but Taylor hits the eyes again. The two hit the ropes, Simmons pulls off a sidewalk slam but he’s fatigued. Taylor is up first, but Simmons lifts him by the neck and slams him down. Simmons beats him down with rights, followed by a high elevation back body drop. They run once again, Taylor leaps to avoid another back body drop, but on the comeback Simmons hits a crisp power slam and he picks up the win.
Winner: Ron Simmons (Powerslam)

• After The Bell: Jim Ross is getting a few words with the winner. He’s never seen Simmons so focused, and he knows what his ultimate goal must be. Simmons’ goal is what it’s always been – to be the best. If you’re willing to work hard, factors such as race will never hold you back and he’s determined to be the World Champion.
• EA’s Take: Simmons continues to look very strong in the build up to his World Championship win. It’s crazy to think that in my lifetime a future Hall of Fame inductee would be cutting an uplifting promo focusing on race. Then again Booker T definitely had a few interesting moments in his career as well…

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