In the Arena: Tony Schiavone is standing by with Big Van Vader, Paul E. Dangerously & Harley Race. Dangerously takes credit for Rude’s defense of the US Championship, it was all “him, him, him” until he’s cut off by Madusa. She wants to thank Race and Vader, Dangerously has had it with her. He is completely responsible for the Dangerous Alliance and Madusa is just an inferior, subservient woman. She has been good for one thing – taking care of Rude’s needs. The only reason she’s been good is that the other hooker he was going to hire had other things to do. Dangerously fires Madusa, and Paul E. gets a beat down from her.

In the Ring: Ring announcer Gary Michael Capetta introduces Sting to spin the wheel for the “Spin the Wheel – Make the Deal” match. It lands on “Coal Miner’s Glove”, Sting says he’s ready and heads back to the locker room.

Match #5 for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship – Special Referees Kensuke Sasaki & Harley Race: NWA World Heavyweight Champion Masahiro Chono w/Hiro Matsuda vs. WCW United States Champion ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude w/Madusa
Ole Anderson holds a coin toss to determine which special official is in the ring, and which official referee is outside of the ring. Race will be the in-ring official. They have a discussion in the middle of the ring, collar and elbow tie up, Rude with position and he breaks it off clean. Another tie up, Rude with position but Chono reverses and we have another clean break. They lock up, Rude rakes the eyes and clubs the back. He poses to a sea of boos, elbow to the back of Chono’s head. Throat shot by Rude, Chono is sent to the turnbuckle and Rude’s in control. Chono reverses a whip to the ropes with a hip toss. Collar and elbow, side headlock by Rude, reversed with a belly to back suplex.

Rude stares down the champion before strutting for the crowd. They lock up, Chono takes control with a wrist lock, turning it into a hammerlock. Rude revereses the hold, Chono drops him with a toe hold and moves into the face lock. Chono holds onto an arm bar and Rude works to his feet. Rude gets position in the corner burying his knee into the chest. Scoop slam by Rude followed by a forearm to the back of the head. He tries a lateral press and only gets two. The US champ locks in a reverse chin lock, Chono reverses out of it with an arm bar into a hammerlock. Rude reaches for the bottom rope, Chono with plenty of leverage. Up to vertical, Chono with forearms and kicks to the kidneys. Rude tumbles out through the middle ropes and Madusa tries to massage his back.

Up to the apron, Chono gives a vertical suplex and continues to stomp on the middle of the back. Irish whip by Chono and he stomps away. High velocity Irish whip to the other side, followed by a snapmare and he tries to turn Rude over with a Boston crab. He finally gets him over and Rude is in pain. Rick crawls to the ropes and he gets a break. Chono pulls him back to the center of the ring and he works over the lower back. Modified camel clutch applied to Rick Rude. Rude reverses control with a chin buster, measures him with a right hand and a big elbow to the back of the neck. Chono is sent to the ropes, he comes back with a sunset flip and Rude counters it with a right.

Swinging neck breaker by Rude and Chono kicks out of the arrogant cover. Reverse chinlock by the US Champ, Chono is slow to his knees and finally to his feet. They hit the ropes, shoulder block by Rude but Chono catches him with a drop toe hold. He goes for the STF but Rude feels it coming and blocks the hold. Chono struggles for positioning, trying to lock in the signature submission. Sasaki lectures Madusa on the outside. The competitors are up to their feet, Rude rakes the face and eyes of the champion, he lifts Chono and stuffs him with a piledriver. Rude has problems getting to Chono quickly, he makes the cover but Chono puts his foot on the ropes. Rude heads for the top rope, Chono backs away from the ax handle.

Rude with a snapmare and a reverse chinlock. Chono with an elbow to the mid section and Rude goes for the throat. He throws Chono to the ropes and he grabs a sleeper hold. Rude holds on, the crowd reacts to something going on in the stands. Rude knocks him down with a right, Rude heads for the top rope and hits a missile drop kick but he lands on the injured lower back. Chono tries a big kick, Rude moves and referee Harley Race eats the boot. Chono throws Rude over the top rope and now both referees are knocked out. From the apron, Chono tries a vertical suplex, standing switch by Rude and he turns it into the Rude Awakening.

Chono is out, but both referees are knocked out on the outside. Rude heads for the top rope and Chono moves away from the knee drop, single leg pick up into the STF by Chono. Sasaki is the first ref in, he calls for the bell while Race says no. Harley says it’s ultimately his call, he grabs a mic and says Sasaki is disqualified for throwing Rude over the top rope.
Winner and NEW NWA World Heavyweight Champion: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude (Disqualification)

• After The Bell: The referees get into a physical altercation and so do both competitors. Sasaki drop kicks Rude and clotheslines him over the top rope. He hits Race with a snap suplex and clears the ring.
• EA’s Take: I felt like a better story could have been told with the significance of the special referees, but they were a non-factor until the finish. The finish is what matters, but I got no sense of controversy until that moment. Rude’s win furthers my theory that Vader may try to claim the United States Championship and given Madusa’s solidarity with Rude after her spat with Paul E. – is that partnership done?

Match #6 for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship: WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ron Simmons vs. The Barbarian w/Cactus Jack
Collar and elbow and a clean break. They tie up again and it’s another clean break. A third tie up, Simmons gains position in the corner, a shoving match ensues but they break it off. Tie up, Barbarian with a side headlock, they hit the ropes and Simmons is taken down with a shoulder block. Another effort but they collide and don’t move. They try again, same result. Simmons is fired up, they go for another with neither man giving an inch. Another time to the ropes, clotheslines can’t take each other down.

On the next effort, Simmons ducks a clothesline and hits a big football tackle followed by a clothesline. Flying forearm by Simmons and Barbarian rolls to the floor to check in with Cactus Jack. Barbarian is slow to the ring, collar and elbow, Barbarian with position and some cheap shots to the mid section. Clubbing rights by Barbarian, Simmons reverses some rights, gets position and fights back with double axe handles. Barbarian rolls out to regroup. Barbarian back to the apron, Simmons grabs him but he stun guns the champ across the top rope. Snapmare and an elbow from Barbarian and the champ is dumped to the floor.

Patrick lectures Barbarian before Jack runs a distraction. Barbarian drives Simmons into the steel post and hits a clubbing clothesline. Barbarian resets the count and then stops Simmons from going back in the ring. He throws Simmons into the railing and Patrick redirects him. Forearm across the chest of Simmons on the apron, Simmons is sent for the ride but comes back with a sunset flip for two. Modified reverse chin lock by Barbarian on the mat, Simmons struggles and the crowd gets behind the champ. Simmons works up to his feet, but the Barbarian still has the advantage. Simmons backs him into the turnbuckle a few times, finally breaking the hold on the third time.

Karate thrust to the throat by the challenger, followed by a scoop slam. Barbarian heads for the top rope, he tries an elbow and Simmons moves. Barbarian up first with straight rights, countered by Simmons. They hit the ropes and Simmons gets a sidewalk slam, Barbarian kicks out. Simmons uses the ropes forsome big clotheslines, he plants a scoop slam and Cactus Jack is up on the apron. Simmons gets in a 3 point stance and shoulder tackles Barbarian. He occupies himself with Jack and doesn’t see that his opponent is back to his feet, Barbarian kicks him from behind and knocks him to the floor.

Jack rolls the champ in quickly and Barbarian heads for the top rope, he hits a flying headbutt and Simmons’ shoulder comes up at two and a half. Barbarian stands up Simmons for a clothesline, he hooks the leg and Simmons gets his leg up once again. Barbarian sets him up again, Simmons catches him with a power slam and the champ retains.
Winner and STILL WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Ron Simmons (Powerslam)

• EA’s Take: Good to see Barbarian back even though it’s just a brief stay and this is Simmons’ first PPV title defense, but it was sort of standard fare with a ho-hum finish. When Ron hit the powerslam, my first thought was: “Oh, that’s it?”. The crowd is firmly behind him, so I suppose that’s all that matters in this moment.

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