I watched this show when the Network first began because it seemed so weird lineup-wise, and now with the Wayback Playback available, I figured I might as well watch it. Pat going over how they drew 900 in a building that could hold far more right before it was a sign of the times. They're at the Kiel, which looks gorgeous. This card has 14 matches on it - Jesus! Gary Michael Capetta announces something for Sam Muschnick. Missy is mid-ring with Sam Muschnick...whose mic DOES NOT WORK DESPITE GMC JUST USING IT. The set has stars on the side of the "WCW" lettering, and looks very 1990 with its colors. The color guard comes out for a ceremony. Pat does Cornette's Kevin Dunn impression about how they would never allow this on WWE TV.
We get stats for the roster, with Eaton being from The Dark Side as a single...even though Cornette and Lane are gone. We have red and yellow ropes here, which is quite odd. Tom throws a dreadful punch and Bobby just stares at him before doing this neat thing where he puts his elbow by Tom's jaw and punches his own arm to drive the elbow in harder. Lots of long holds.
Tom suplexes Bobby on the ramp, which Bobby takes on his side. Bobby hits the Alabama Jam, but Tom just gets up, goes in the corner and Bobby misses a charge. He misses something off the top, and then Zenk misses a dropkick off the top. Bobby hits a small package to thankfully end this. Tony interviews DICK THE BRUISER! He'll be the ref for the main event, and I guarantee that he might almost sell at some point. Dick has aged wonderfully since he always looked 50 and every wrinkle adds a bit to the badass vibe.
The Pat 'O Connor Memorial Tournament is up, with the world's largest cheap trophy being used here. THIS WILL DETERMINE THE BEST TAG TEAM IN THE UNIVERSE! Women come out with the various flags of the nations...and pyro. They're treating this like a runway show, and they're bad at this too. TONS of hair product too. That got the show a few minutes closer to the grave. Brackets for the tourney are shown and Heyman compares this to the NFL playoffs. Only no one cares.
Team South Africa is Ray Apollo and Ted Petty with really stupid names. Rocco Rock and Doink 2 face the Steiners. Starrcade stats tell us that BOTH BROTHERS WRESTLED AT MICHIGAN STATE. Apollo takes a giant Steinerline, and that may make his hairline recede even more. Ted does a flip dive and Rick powerbombs him down on the floor. TILT A WHIRL BY SCOTT! Frankensteiner hits and wins while Pat talks about Grunge stealing a WCW production truck one time.
Great Britain has Chris Adams and Norman Smiley, in a smoking jacket. It took WCW A DECADE to figure out how to make Smiley work. "Rey Mystric and Konan" are out with some dreadful outfits. Konnan is ripped and with bacne and a giant shoulder scar. The luchadors base for him and Norman flips around them before Chris does a tumbling routine through Norman's legs and they hit a double dropkick. Rey eats a superkick that misses by 20 miles, so Chris does a cartwheel. Konnan hits a nice run-up armdrag before eating a Norman fisherman suplex - and it's a beaut! Adams locks on a chinlock and Jim says that Adams had a broken rib here. Adams hits a superkick and then Norman hits a German, and they call Rey "Mysteric" on commentary. They theorize that they just got faxed the names and the o was cut off a bit. Konnan just hits a back bridge and wins. Okay then. This was sloppy. Adams dives and the director misses the shot.
York and Wallstreet are with Missy. They talk about how this Wallstreet gimmick was actually featured in USA Today and got some press. JACKO VICTORY and Rip Morgan are out for New Zealand to face Muta and Saito. Well, this is going to be a thing. Victory posts Saito. Saito lands some nice punches in the corner to Morgan. German suplex gets the pin for Muta. Saito broke a sweat here, Muta didn't. Russia battles Canada next. Heyman interviews them and Saito says that they are strong and will beat the puny Americans. Replay shows the ref holding Jack's shoulder down.
Bull Johnson and Troy Montour represent Canada. Victor Zangiev and Salman Hashimikov represent Russia - they're amateurs with some pro experience and were in the Olympics. Inoki trained them and brought them in, so they're off an Inoki tour. Zangiev was apparently the basis for Zangief. Love seeing him just outwork Troy on the mat and tear away on him with a bow and arrow lock. Hashimikov was an IWGP Champion and hits a GORGEOUS belly to belly throw for the win. Troy comes in and hops away. Sting chats a bit with Tony in the locker room.
Screens -
http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/ujbz4ihkf3tyng1zhya5gn6pq0ay31cx
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