Backstage: Eric Bischoff is getting a word with the New World Heavyweight Champion, Vader and his manager Harley Race. Nothing should be a surprise here, the myth of Sting has been destroyed. Vader selectively ignores the question of whether or not Sting will get a rematch, he’s the king of the world right now.

Match #7 – NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: WCW World Tag Team Champions ‘Dr. Death’ Steve Williams & Terry ‘Bam Bam’ Gordy vs. ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes & Barry Windham
The Steiner Brothers make their way to ringside. They want a piece of Williams and Gordy, but Ole Anderson backs them off. Windham and Williams start us off, collar and elbow, Windham with positioning. Williams forces him back and Anderson separates them. They cautiously lock up, waist lock by Windham and Williams counters down to the mat. Tag is made to Gordy, collar and elbow and a quick tag is made to Rhodes. Williams goes for a single leg pickup, Dustin gets to the ropes and it’s broken. Collar and elbow tie up, Rhodes with a waist lock, nice go behind by Gordy who hits a German suplex.

Big elbows by Rhodes and he drops some knee to knee contact. Tag is made back to Windham and Barry tries to lock in a Figure Four. Gordy rolls to the ropes and the hold is broken. Williams is tagged in, belly to belly suplex on Windham. They mat wrestle, Windham gets control of the arm, rolled through by Williams, Windham takes him back over with the arm bar takedown. Williams drives his knees into Windham, he sends Barry to the corner and Gordy is tagged back in. Bam Bam with some straight rights, Irish whip and a violent clothesline. Lateral press and Windham kicks out. Tag is made to Rhodes but he’s quickly taken down to the mat. Rhodes with knee to knee contact before turning Gordy’s ankle.

They roll on the mat and Williams is tagged back in. Collar and elbow, side headlock takedown reversed into a head scissor. Quickly broken they’re back to their feet. Side headlock by Rhodes, tries to hit the ropes but can’t. Williams twists out of it, but Rhodes’ leverage brings it back. Doc grabs a handful of hair and Rhodes is taken over. Arm drag and arm bar is broken by the ropes. Single leg attempt by Williams, tag is made to Gordy and Rhodes is double teamed. Bam Bam goes for the Oriental Twist and he locks it in. The hold is broken and there is a desperation sleeper hold by Rhodes, Gordy reaches back and tags in Williams before he succumbs.

Doc ties Dustin up with a reverse chin lock on the mat with the legs held as well. Up to a seated position and slowly up to a vertical base, Rhodes breaks it with a chin buster. He tries a roll up and gets two. Gordy is tagged back in, and Bam Bam twists The Natural into a Boston Crab. Windham breaks it up, Ole Anderson corrals him and Rhodes is double teamed. Doc sends Rhodes for a powerslam and Dustin kicks out. Front face lock by Dr. Death, Rhodes fights back with shots to the midsection, drop toe hold by Williams but a tag is made to Windham on the way down. Back body drop for Williams followed by a vertical suplex, Doc kicks out.

Gutwrench suplex gets another two count. Williams sent for the ride and Windham latches on with a sleeper, quickly broken by Doc running to the corner. Tag is made to Gordy who hits a vertical suplex and he gets a two count. Clothesline by Bam Bam and there’s another two count. Reverse chin lock is latched onto Windham, They’re slow to their feet and it’s reversed with a belly to back suplex. Williams is tagged in first, he pounds Windham, sends him for the ride and Barry catches him. He tries to tag Rhodes, but is pulled away. Tag is made to Gordy who drops an elbow to Windham’s face. He tries a few more, Windham moves away from the last one but can’t make the tag.

Williams is tagged back in, Windham is double teamed, Rhodes takes exception and the ref has to stop the four on four brawling. Williams locks on a modified abdominal stretch. Windham gets to the ropes to break the hold, Gordy is tagged back in. They hit the ropes and they crack heads in the middle of the ring. Williams is first to be tagged, but the tag is made to Rhodes on the other side before they can stop Windham. The Natural cleans house until Dr. Death catches the kid from behind with a double axe handle. He grabs a front face lock on the mat. Up to their feet, Rhodes fights out of the hold. They hit the ropes and Rhodes eats a knee.

A tag is made to Gordy who enters with a clothesline and a two count. Rhodes tries to fight out of enemy territory but the numbers advantage is too much. Irish whip, Rhodes is scooped up, he’s stampeded to multiple corners, but Windham catches him with a dropkick and Rhodes lands on top. Williams kicks out, Windham pursues Gordy and they brawl on the outside. Rhodes tries for a bulldog, but he knocks heads with Gordy who is on the apron. Williams hits a devastating lariat and we have winners of the NWA titles!
Winners and NEW NWA World Tag Team Champions: Williams & Gordy (Williams/Clothesline)

• EA’s Take: So Williams and Gordy now hold two different tag team titles while The Steiner Brothers, who they will inevitably clash with once again, hold the IWGP titles. I’m not sure how this rivalry is going to play out because Williams and Gordy drop the belts to Rhodes and Windham on an episode of Saturday Night in September. It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me why the NWA is being brought back into the fold at all, let alone combining your tag titles in what becomes a relationship lasting barely a year.

EA’s Finisher: Like I said, the show was unfortunately a little dull. Tournaments are fine, but expecting Rhodes and Windham to participate in 3 out of the 7 matches on the card doesn’t give them an opportunity to work out particularly creative matches with anyone. Not a big fan of introducing another set of tag titles as I said, let alone on a roster that doesn’t have tag teams coming out of their ears. So instead, you are going to combine them with your own titles. Huh?!? I know they were playing up the story of being stopped by Williams and Gordy, but your whole card (except for 1 match) was a tag team tournament and The Steiners aren’t in action at all. Meanwhile, you have a big World Title change NOT in the main event spot.

Top Three To Watch
1 – Big Van Vader vs. Sting
2 – Ricky Steamboat & Nikita Koloff vs. Brian Pillman & Jushin Thunder Liger
3 – Rick Rude & Steve Austin vs. Barry Windham & Dustin Rhodes

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