WCW Main Event 7/7/1996

World Championship Wrestling presents Main Event
Date: 7/7/1996
From: Daytona Beach, FL

Matches:
1.) Steiner Brothers defeated WCW Tag Team Champion Harlem Heat by disqualification
2.) Bobby Walker defeated Billy Kidman
3.) Fire & Ice defeated Rock ’n’ Roll Express
4.) Eddie Guerrero defeated Lord Steven Regal

Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Tony Schiavone and Dusty Rhodes are on commentary and they have security by their side. Schiavone notes that Eric Bischoff has not been seen and hasn’t been heard from heading into the show.

2.) Scott and Booker kickoff the tag title match with Booker working over Scott with a knee lift and strike to the back. Booker comes off the ropes with a shoulder block. Scott counters a hip toss with a clothesline. Scott breaks free of a bearhug to hit an overhead belly to belly suplex. Rick decks Ray to the floor. The champs regroup on the floor as the Steiner’s play to the crowd. Ray and Rick enter the match with Ray hammering away on Rick in the corner with several strikes. Ray elbows Rick to the mat and taunts the crowd. Rick misses a clothesline and powerslams Ray for a two count. Ray knee lifts Scott, but Scott cuts off Booker with a knee lift. Ray trips Scott from the floor and Booker misses an elbow drop. Booker heel kicks Scott and plays to the crowd. Ray drives Scott down with a backbreaker and a knee drop for a two count. Ray scoop slams Scott and delivers an elbow drop for a two count. Ray back kicks Scott and Booker delivers a forearm strike for a two count. Booker side slams Scott and goes to the top rope. Booker leaps off missing a big splash. Rick and Ray get tags into the match with Rick cleaning house with strikes and a clothesline to send Booker over the top to the floor. Rick hits Ray with a top rope bulldog. Col. Robert Parker gets flipped into the ring. Rick has Parker’s cane. Sherri Martel runs into the ring and attacks Rick causing a disqualification. Rick sends Ray to the floor. After the match, Sherri kisses Parker and they embrace. (**. A decent tag match with a lackluster finish, but they continue the angle with Sherri and Parker, I guess. The crowd was surprisingly quiet for most of this match.)

3.) Backstage, Mean Gene is in the hallway where there is security standing. Gene promotes the main event involving the Outsiders invading WCW. Gene has a good idea on who the third man could be. Gene casually walks by two guards, but two guards by the door prevent Gene from entering a room.

4.) Backstage, Mean Gene interviews Ric Flair, Woman and Elizabeth. Flair says that WCW US Champion Konnan made a mistake coming back over the border with the championship. Flair says he’s bringing the title back home.

5.) Walker shoulder blocks Kidman and hits a wheelbarrow turned into a full nelson submission before taking Kidman down to the mat. Kidman fakes a crossbody and manages to dropkick Walker for a two count. Walker dropkicks Kidman to the floor. Kidman drops Walker over the top rope and hits a springboard moonsault for a near fall. Walker knee lifts Kidman followed by several strikes. Walker drops Kidman to the mat gut first. Walker goes to the top rope hitting a flying strike for the win. (*1/2. The crowd didn’t care for this, but the action was decent and held my interest because it was so fast and kind of reckless.)

6.) Backstage, Mean Gene interviews Lex Luger, Sting and Randy Savage. All three men have their faces painted to show unity. Luger says the table has been set and they are ready unlike the Outsiders. Luger says this is about pride and their heart and soul. Sting chimes in about cops having guns in their holsters. Sting suggests the fans buy the PPV because he’s dying to know who the third man is. Savage says there are no ground rules and wonders if they are cool with that. Savage doesn’t care who the third man is and Sting returns saying they are pumped for the match.

7.) Backstage, Lee Marshall interviews Arn Anderson and Chris Benoit. Anderson says they aren’t coming after Sullivan because he’s lesser than anyone. They are coming after Sullivan to use his anger against himself. Benoit says it is his chance to get a WCW World Championship match after they win tonight. Benoit is going to torment Sullivan and he’s going to find out what his hands can do.

8.) On the aisle way, Mean Gene interviews WCW World Champion The Giant, Kevin Sullivan and Jimmy Hart. Hart says that there is nobody in the Horsemen that can beat the Dungeon of Doom. Sullivan says he’s been beating people up since Benoit was a kid. Sullivan points at the belt saying they are the best as a result. Giant says Sullivan is not the weak link and claims Sullivan is the chain itself.

9.) Norton works over Morton in the corner with chops and strikes. Norton plants Morton with a Samoan Drop out of the corner. Train tags into the match and waits for Morton to get up and works over the arm. Train splashes Morton in the corner. Train works over Morton with strikes to the back and delivers a scoop slam. Train goes to the middle rope, but Norton tags himself in. Norton goes for a shoulder breaker, but Morton’s legs hit Train and Train falls to the floor. Morton gets a backslide on Norton and wins the match. After the match, Norton and Train argue after the loss. Mean Gene interviews Norton and Train. Norton says they would steamroll the competition, but that can’t happen when Train is concerned about other things. Train tells Norton that he does things the right way. (1/2*. That was a bummer.)

10.) On the aisle way, Mean Gene interviews John Tenta. Tenta is wrestling Big Bubba in a Carson City silver dollar match. Tenta hopes that Bubba is smiling because he’s going to knock it off his face. Tenta is looking for payback tonight after having his hair and face shaved off.

11.) Guerrero works over Regal’s arm with a wrist lock. Regal monkey flips Guerrero, but Guerrero lands on his feet. Regal uppercuts Guerrero, but Guerrero comes back with an arm drag and dropkicks Regal to the floor. Guerrero chops Regal against the ropes. Regal sends Guerrero to the floor. Regal drops Guerrero chest first over the guard railing. Regal uppercuts Guerrero to the mat for a two count. Regal lands awkwardly on his knee in the corner and begins to act hurt. Guerrero doesn’t take advantage. Regal eye rakes Guerrero and rolls Guerrero up for a two count. Guerrero gets a rollup from behind and pins Regal for the win. (*. Man, I wish these two could wrestle and have a great match. I enjoyed the sample size, but I’m sure these two would have fantastic matches.)

Final Thoughts:
BATB is a loaded card and the promos promoting the big matches were good to add some hype to those matches. This was a fine pre-show for a big show.

Thanks for reading.