In the Arena: Tony Schiavone is joined by Bill Watts and Hiro Matsuda. The tournament for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship will be held in Tokyo in August. Watts is proud of the partnership with New Japan Pro Wrestling and the event is already sold out. He presents the big gold belt to Matsuda to take back to Japan until the tournament.

Match #3 – NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinals: WCW United States Champion ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude & WCW World Television Champion ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin w/Madusa vs. ‘The Natural’ Dusty Rhodes & Barry Windham
Austin and Windham start the match. Collar and elbow tie up and Austin shoves Windham off. Another tie up and the same result. Windham shakes it off, they lock up and this time Windham powers Austin off. Stunning Steve charges and he’s met with an arm drag. The TV champ is frustrated. Collar and elbow, Austin with position, reversed by Windham, Austin with a cheap shot off the break. Rights from Austin followed by an elbow. He hooks the arms and takes Windham over with a backslide for two. A waistlock takedown also gets a two count.

They hit the ropes, shoulder block by Austin, but he’s caught by Windham’s big right the next time around. Austin tumbles to the apron and regroups with Rude. Austin complains to the referee about Windham’s taped fist. Collar and elbow, side headlock takedown by Windham, reversed into a head scissor by Austin. Open hand slap from Windham and Austin gets struck by Rhodes from the outside. A tag is made to Rude and the fans show their displeasure. Collar and elbow, Windham gets position and tags in Rhodes. He grabs a wristlock but Rude throws forearms. Irish whip by Rude, Rhodes gets the boot up and follows with a clothesline. Belly to back suplex, arm drag into the arm bar by The Natural. Up to their feet, Rhodes keeps it locked in.

Rude drives Rhodes to the corner and buries his shoulder into the midsection. Snapmare into a modified chinlock by the US Champ. The crowd is behind Rhodes who gets up to his feet, he tries to break the hold but Rude gets his knees up. Rude lifts Rhodes for a piledriver, it’s reversed into one by Rhodes and Austin has to save the count. Standing elbow drops by Rhodes, he goes for a splash and Rude lifts his knees. Rhodes is driven into Austin’s knee and a tag is made. Snapmare and Austin buries his knee into his opponent. Rhodes is driven into the turnbuckle, he reverses an Irish whip but Austin comes back with a clothesline.

A whip to the ropes and Rhodes gets his knee up. Rhodes with kicks to the ribs and Austin rolls outside. Rhodes rolls him back in, they hit the ropes and The Natural catches Austin with an abdominal stretch. Stunning Steve breaks it with a hip toss, but Rhodes doesn’t let the momentum change and catches him in it again. Forearm to the ribs and Windham is tagged in, Rhodes holds Austin for a flying clothesline and Austin kicks out at two. Austin reverses the whip to the ropes and hits a back body drop. Rude is back in, and he throws kidney shots followed by a belly to back suplex. Austin is tagged back in, Austin sets Windham on the top turnbuckle.

Windham fights him off with head butts, they hit the ropes and Windham hits a cross body. Madusa is up on the apron and Rude grabs a running Windham’s hair. He’s tagged in, goes for the top rope and lands a missile dropkick, Windham gets the shoulder up. Rude lifts Windham and lands the piledriver, Rhodes saves the pin. Windham tries fighting from his knees, he crawls between Rude’s legs but Rick grabs the trunks. Austin is tagged in and stops Windham with a double axe handle. Rhodes is given a cheap shot, Austin lifts Windham with a vertical suplex and there is a near fall.

Reverse chin lock by the TV champ, the crowd chants for Barry. Windham with shots to the midsection, Austin with a drop toe hold to prevent a tag and here comes Rude. Windham’s head hits the turnbuckle a few times, he finally blocks it and gives Rude a taste. Rude is quick to come back to the attack, scoop slam and a taunt from Rude. Front face lock on Windham who is reaching for Rhodes. He lifts Rude with a back body drop but Rick is quick to make a tag to Austin. Stunning Steve cuts off the tag and stomps on Windham before dumping him through the middle rope. Austin pursues him and tosses him back in the ring. Windham hits the ropes and lands some strikes until Austin gets his boot up. Snapmare into a chinlock by Austin.

Austin gets leverage from the ropes and Rude, the ref walks off Rhodes and Madusa and Rude changes places with Austin. Rude prevents a Windham tag and tags Austin back in after holding a headlock. Shoulders to the midsection by Stunning Steve, Windham is sent for the ride and a back body drop. He follows with big rights on the mat. Windham reverses a scoop slam with an inside cradle and almost catches a break. They’re both up quickly, hitting simultaneous clotheslines. Belly to back suplex by Austin and a tag is made to Rude. Knees to the midsection by the US champ, Windham reverses the whip to the ropes and a hits an atomic drop.

Rude ducks a clothesline and on the comeback they collide head first and both men are down. Austin is tagged in, he rushes to prevent a tag on the other side as Windham collapses toward his corner and in comes Rhodes. The Natural is fired up and lands a bionic elbow and clothesline on Austin. Rude is dropkicked out of the ring, Austin reverses the Irish whip, Rhodes climbs the turnbuckle and lands a reverse elbow. He goes for the pin and Rude makes the save. Windham rushes in to fend off Rude, and he knocks the Alliance member’s heads together. Rhodes pursues Rude on the outside, while Austin and Windham go to work in the ring. Austin can’t lift Windham for the piledriver, Rhodes who is the legal man rushes to the top rope and hits Austin with the flying clothesline to pick up the W.
Winners: ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham (Rhodes/Top Rope Clothesline)

• EA’s Take: You can’t go wrong with these four. Rude and Austin already boast gold so they don’t “need” this and it makes for a strong, clean win for Rhodes and Windham. It does feel like this could have happened later in the tournament though.

Backstage: Eric Bischoff is getting a word with Big Van Vader & Harley Race. Race explains that his client is more than ready and there are going to be a lot of disappointed little Stingers. Vader is ready to take the champ’s most prized possession.

Match #4 – NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals: WCW World Tag Team Champions ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams & Terry ‘Bam Bam’ Gordy vs. Nikita Koloff & Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat
Steamboat and Gordy start us off, they tie up, Gordy with a side headlock. Shoulder tackle by Gordy followed by a side headlock takedown. Steamboat tries rolling Gordy over but he’s caught. Up to a vertical base, The Dragon pounds on Gordy’s ribs. They hit the ropes, hip toss and arm drag by Steamboat. Quck tag to Dr. Death and he’s greeted with an armdrag, worked into an armbar. Williams up to his feet with a drop toehold and he grabs a headlock. Steamboat reverses back into the hammerlock and he drives the knee into Williams’ back. Steamboat with a wristlock, Williams tries a single leg takedown and they work to the ropes.

The referee calls for a break. Both men jockey for position, fireman carry by Steamboat and he holds onto the arm. Vertical base, Williams powers to his own corner and Gordy tags himself in. Steamboat fights off both opponents and escapes the vulnerable position. Collar and elbow, wristlock by Steamboat and a tag is made to Koloff. Nikita pounds on the arm, Gordy powers him to the corner and Williams makes his return. Drop toehold by Koloff, followed with an armbar. Williams gets position in the corner, the ref tries to break them up but the two big men wrestle around in the middle of the ring. Koloff tries to hold the waist, but Gordy makes the tag back in. Collar and elbow, they hit the ropes and neither men move one another on the shoulder blocks.

A dropkick takes Gordy off his feet. They circle the ring, Gordy with a single leg take down and works into a reverse chinlock, maneuvered into a body scissor hold. Koloff tries to force his way out and does so, front facelock by Nikita. Up to vertical and they jockey for position. Gordy is tagged back in, Koloff escapes the opponent’s corner. Collar and elbow, a tag is made to The Dragon and Steamboat grabs a side headlock. They hit the ropes, great quickness by Steamboat, resulting in an arm drag. Tag is made to Williams, they hit the ropes and Dr. Death hits a clothesline and gets a near fall. They roll around the ring, both attempting pins. They slow it down, Williams pokes the eyes and goes on offense.

Steamboat ducks a clothesline and goes for the crucifix, Williams backs him into the corner instead. Chops by Williams in the corner, Steamboat turns him around with some of his own. Headbutt and a snapmare by Williams, Gordy is tagged in and he scoop slams The Dragon. He slams Steamboat again and knees him in the head. Steamboat ducks an elbow off the ropes, but falls victim to a clothesline. Tag is made to Williams and the champs land double shoulder blocks, Steamboat kicks out at two. Standing elbow by Williams and another quick tag is made to Gordy. Bam Bam whips Steamboat down by the hair, front face lock and Steamboat reaches for the tag. Koloff gets lectured by the referee as Steamboat falls victim to a double vertical suplex.

Williams makes the pin, but the ref questions his legality because he never saw a tag. Gordy comes back in, they exchange rights and chops. Steamboat gets some momentum but a tag is made to Williams. Steamboat is sent for the ride, he ducks a clothesline but is caught out of the air and hit with a back breaker. Williams holds Steamboat on the mat, working his shoulder and hooking the leg. Steamboat fights with rights, Williams drags him to the corner to tag Gordy back in. Steamboat is sent to the ropes, he catches a modified DDT but favors his ribs. A tag is made to Koloff, the well rested Russian takes out Gordy with shoulder blocks.

He tries a forth and Gordy steps out of the way, driving his face into the canvass. He gets a two count and tags in Dr. Death. Williams with some stomps on Koloff and he slingshots Nikita. Another slingshot across the top rope, and he locks in a head scissor submission. Williams relinquishes the hold, he gets kicks in the face and Gordy is tagged back in. Koloff reverses the Irish whip, goes for the knee and Bam Bam moves. Gordy locks in an STF and the ref checks in on Koloff. He tries to fight out of it but a quick tag is made back to Williams. He drops an elbow on Koloff’s head, Koloff fights from his knee but Williams doesn’t lose control.

He turns Koloff into a Boston crab, the crowd starts chanting Ni-Ki-Ta. A tag is made to Gordy, Koloff tries crawling to Steamboat but he’s cut off. Gordy goes for the STF once again but doesn’t get the front face lock. Koloff pushes up, lands some elbows to Gordy’s face to break the hold. Williams is tagged back in, he cuts off the tag to Steamboat again. Stomps to Koloff’s head and a cheapshot is sent to The Dragon. They hit the ropes and Dr. Death executes a power slam, Koloff kicks out at two. Williams lifts Koloff on his shoulder, rushes the turnbuckle, Nikita pushes out of it and they collide in the middle of the ring.

Both men are slow to get up, Koloff is up first, Williams tries to hold his ankle but a tag is made to Steamboat. The Dragon lands right hands on both of his opponents. Chops are given to Williams who is then whipped right into his own partner. Steamboat lifts Dr. Death with a belly to back suplex. Gordy goes in for the save and he’s fended off by Koloff. Steamboat to the top rope and he hits an axe handle to the back of Williams’ head. The ref corrals Gordy and Koloff to their corners. Steamboat heads up for another high risk move, Gordy comes over to shove him off the top turnbuckle. Williams catches The Dragon in midair, rams him into the opposite turnbuckle and slams him down in the middle of the ring. The WCW Tag Team Champs advance in this tournament.
Winners: ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams & Terry ‘Bam Bam’ Gordy (Williams/Spinebuster)

• EA’s Take: I hate to say it, but this one was surprisingly dull. It struck me as a match where they opted to call everything in the ring, but had no fire in their bellies for it and I’ve never really been a big fan of Dr. Death’s work. In the end, they are the WCW Tag Team Champions, so it only makes sense they advance to the finals.

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