1. Jay Strongbow Jr. v Mike Somani

 

Wow Strongbow Jr. is horrible. Somani has awesome jobber tights. They're literally the Islanders tights, blue with leaves and flowers on them, but worn but a pudgy balding white man.

 

2. Chavo & Mando Guerrero v Dennis Stamp/Greg Robertson

 

Match was too short, and Mando badly botched the finish. I was enjoying it up until that. Robertson is a big guy, but Mando does a cool bearhug trip and a headscissors. Chavo sets him up for a springboard Hart Attack, and Mando doesn't springboard, he just belly flops off the ropes and crashes into the back of Chavo's leg. Whoops. Then Chavo just drops Robertson and pins him.

 

3. Teijho Khan v Scott Hudson

 

I actually really loved Khan in this. Cool strikes, cool jumping headbutt, a really cool running choke (where it looked like he was really goozling Hudson), and a nice uppercut to finish. I wish he always looked this good.

 

4. Rocky Mountain Thunder v Hunter Thompson

 

Wow, they're still using Thunder! Awesome that the fat guy is named Hunter Thompson. I demand a load be named Burt Vonnegut. Thunder just looks so dangerous in there.

 

5. Jerry Lawler v Curt Hennig – AWA title.

 

Well this is officially the most badass I have ever seen Hennig look in the ring. Holy lord was he laying in the punches. I'm gonna say it: he outpunched Lawler in this one. And Lawler's punches looked GREAT in this. This was 20 awesome minutes and just great. Curt dominates to start and Lawler bumps huge in the corner for the shots. Lawler bails to chase Madusa and he is really sprinting after her. She was awesome at ringside the whole way through this. Hennig is all about stalking badass beatdown in this, and not so much flipping around the ring. Lawler takes the strap down during his comeback, blasts Hennig, and he takes his one massive bump of the match (and it looks so much better since the whole match built to it). Finish is Lawler getting DQ'd for backdropping Hennig over the top, but who cares. This was all too awesome to hate on the finish. Easy nomination.

Jay Strongbow Jr. v Mike Somani

 

Strongbow's dance is like a shitty version of the Boogeyman's dance. Actually Strongbow is like a shitty version of the Boogeyman period. I can't reconcile Somani's tights with his lack of hair.

 

Badd Company pre-tape. Pretty amusing.

 

Chavo & Mando Guerrero v Dennis Stamp/Greg Robertson

 

Stamp got a huge pop pre-match which he seemed to soak up. Oh man I thought Mando looked like dogshit here botching several things. This was disappointing. Needed more Stamp.

 

Verne teases a big announcement

 

Teijho Khan v Scott Hudson

 

I was kind of hoping this was going to be WCW announcer Scott Hudson just so we would have tape of Lee Marshall calling a Scott Hudson match. Khan's offense did indeed look pretty decent here though he still moves around awkwardly and feels really forced in everything he does.

 

Madusa pre-tape followed by a strange segment with some guy named Big K in a top hat at a desk talking about how great Madusa is and running down her list of challengers. EXTRA

 

Rocky Mountain Thunder v. Hunter Thompson

 

I like that it's Hunter Thompson in Vegas and it's the most nondescript looking dude ever. RMT actually does not look totally awful here.

 

Jerry Lawler v. Curt Hennig

 

All the pre-match stuff was cool with Madusa cockily clapping and stalking around the ring, Hennig with the glare of death and Lawler putting up his finger in Hennig's face to indicate that he is the king of the mountain. Sadly all this pageantry was sort of wasted on the 75 people who were in the Showboat that night but whatever. The early feeling out stuff was fun as Lawler got the meager crowd going and I dug the story of Curt avoiding Lawler's right hand at all costs. Hennig leads with some big rights of his own and finally eats a Lawler jab for a huge, wild, flailing bump to the floor. Hennig is awesome selling all of this and his follow up sell job of Lawler hitting a sly back elbow off of a wastelock was great as well. The criss cross spot with Lawler bailing to chase after Madusa who fled into the ring and got lectured by the ref was really well done. Lawler ends up getting hung up in the ropes and takes a nice bump to the floor. The King was great eating blows on the apron and taking a delayed splat bump to the floor off of a nice Hennig shot to the chin and Hennig follows this up with a post shot to Jerry. Hennig ends up working the midsection and after a good near fall on a suplex locks in an ab stretch. Lawler escapes but Madusa passing her high heel to Curt who decks Lawler with it for a huge near fall. Lawler eats a piledriver and a neckbreaker for near falls and Madusa is great at running interference to stifle Lawler comebacks. Hennig goes up top but gets caught with a big Lawler right and crotches himself. This is followed up with the old double knockout punch spot which was an AWA staple. Lawler is wobbly but drops the strap and hits some great jabs with Hennig taking one of his nutty bumps off of a big uppercut. Lawler goes up to the second rope but misses his falling fistdrop and Hennig locks on the sleeper. Lawler escapes the hold by flinging Curt forward over the top which was a lame finish to a great match. This could have used blood and atmospherically if this had been in Memphis it would have been on another level. Still a great match and an easy nomination and though it is not Curt's best career match it is probably his best heel performance.

 

Post-match Hennig promo followed by Nelson announcing it was Hennig's last match and Verne essentially dumping him on tv. EXTRA