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1989
Date: December 13, 1989
Location: The Omni, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 6,000
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jim Cornette, Terry Funk
The opening video is a bunch of shots of everyone in the tournament with a computer theme. This show is called Future Shock for no apparent reason.
The announcers go over the scoring system.
The lighting is bad again after showing some improvement last year.
Doom vs. Steiner Brothers
A hard clothesline puts Reed down as Ross is already mixing up which Doom member is which. Off to Rick vs. Simmons with Rick hitting a quick suplex but barking instead of covering. Back to Reed who snapmares Rick down and pounds away before getting caught in a slam for a quick two count. Back to Scott for a headlock and an atomic drop as the announcers actually have to acknowledge the fact that the seats are so empty.
Steiners – 15 points (2 matches remaining)
Road Warriors – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Samoan Swat Team – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Doom – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
We get to meet the four people in the singles tournament.
Sting vs. Lex Luger
Luger is US Champion and bails to the floor to start. He tries to leave up the ramp but Sting catches him with a beating in the aisle. Back in and Sting immediately pounds away before being sent to the apron, only to take Luger down with a clothesline. A slingshot splash gets two and Luger falls to the floor. The fans are NUTS for Sting at this point. Luger gets in a kick to the ribs but Sting blocks a ram into the barricade. A clothesline puts Luger down again and Sting breaks the count back inside.
Lex pounds away in the corner but Sting is all fired up. He comes back with right hands of his own on Luger followed by a suplex for two. Luger bails to the floor, only to be rammed into the barricade for his efforts. They both literally fall over the top rope to get back in, but Luger lands on top and grabs the top rope for the evil pin to take the early lead.
Rating: C+. Much better and more exciting match here than the opener with the crowd being WAY into Sting. These two would go to war for years on end as they would be nearly eternally joined at the hip. The timing issues are already becoming annoying but as mentioned, that was something you would often see in wrestling.
Lex Luger – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Great Muta – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Ric Flair – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Sting – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Doom vs. Road Warriors
Road Warriors – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Steiner Brothers – 15 points (2 matches remaining)
Samoan Swat Team – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Doom – 0 points (1 match remaining)
Ric Flair vs. Great Muta
Ric Flair – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Lex Luger – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Sting – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Great Muta – 0 points (2 matches remaining)
Steiner Brothers vs. Road Warriors
Steiners – 35 points (1 match remaining)
Road Warriors – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Samoan Swat Team – 0 points (3 matches remaining)
Doom – 0 points (1 match remaining)
Sting vs. Great Muta
These two fought about a million times and it was Muta who took the TV Title from Sting. Sting dodges a quick spin kick but gets caught in a full nelson. He easily powers out of the hold and puts on one of his own. Muta takes it to the corner and rolls out of it before kicking Sting in the chest. A shot to the face has Sting in trouble as Funk wishes he could do the things Muta is doing. Muta hooks a headlock but Sting escapes again and flips Muta over before getting two off a suplex.
Lex Luger – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Ric Flair – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Sting – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Great Muta – 0 points (1 match remaining)
Samoan Swat Team vs. Doom
Reed sends Savage out to the floor and Simmons rams him into the barricade. The Samoans are called both the New Wild Samoans and the Samoan Swat Team but the latter is the better known of the names. Simmons comes in off a tag and gets caught in a sunset flip for two. A bulldog is countered by Savage but Reed breaks up a tag attempt to Fatu. Simmons hits a middle rope right hand to the head for two followed by a sloppy body slam. Reed goes up top but misses a middle rope shoulder as everything breaks down. Fatu headbutts Reed down for two but after they collide again, Fatu falls on Reed for the pin.
Steiners – 35 points (1 match remaining)
Samoan Swat Team – 20 points (2 matches remaining)
Road Warriors – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Doom – 0 points (0 matches remaining)
Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger
Lex Luger – 25 points (1 match remaining)
Ric Flair – 25 points (1 match remaining)
Sting – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Great Muta – 0 points (1 match remaining)
Samoan Swat Team vs. Steiner Brothers
Steiners – 35 points (0 matches remaining)
Samoan Swat Team – 30 points (1 match remaining)
Road Warriors – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Doom – 0 points (0 matches remaining)
Great Muta vs. Lex Luger
Rating: C. This is a match that could have been excellent if it had another ten minutes and a good finish. The problem here is that they had to do the stupid finish here or the ending to the tournament would have far less drama to it. Muta was far better than he was allowed to be here, but he would lose the TV Title in a few weeks to Arn Anderson.
Lex Luger – 35 points (0 matches remaining)
Ric Flair – 25 points (1 match remaining)
Sting – 20 points (1 match remaining)
Great Muta – 0 points (0 matches remaining)
Road Warriors vs. Samoan Swat Team
Road Warriors – 40 points
Steiners – 35 points
Samoan Swat Team – 30 points
Doom – 0 points
The Steiners come out to celebrate with the Warriors for their tournament win.
Sting vs. Ric Flair
Sting has to win by pin or submission, Flair can win by pinfall, submission or countout. Any other combination results in either a tie or Luger winning. Sting grabs a headlock to start and hiptosses him down. Flair bails to the floor to run off some of the clock. Back in and we get some chain wrestling, resulting with Sting in control on the mat. They get up again and Flair places Sting on the top rope to play some mind games.
Flair puts on a top wristlock but Sting overpowers him to take Flair to the mat. Very technical match so far. They run the ropes a few times with Sting dropping down a few times before hitting a gorilla press slam. Flair bails to the outside again as Sting is all fired up. Back in and Sting blocks a hiptoss into a backslide as we hit five minutes in. Flair hits a HARD chop and Sting is in trouble in a hurry.
Rating: B+. By far and away the best match of the night here as you would expect from these two anytime they work together. This match was designed to set up some future stuff and Flair working as the heel here (mostly) was foreshadowing for those events. At least they let the fans have something good to go out on.
Sting – 40 points
Lex Luger – 35 points
Ric Flair – 25 points
Great Muta – 0 points
The Horsemen come out and after teasing beating Sting down for pinning Flair, they all congratulate him.
Flair praises Sting to end the show. Literally the credits are rolling as Flair is still talking.
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