06/29/1990 WCW Main Event: Tommy Rich def. Buddy Landel in 9:10. As a huge mark for Buddy Landel, I really have to give it to Rich here. He was working Landel’s arm at one point, but with a hammerlock that looked like it hurt, and he stayed moving so that it didn’t feel slow, by either cranking the arm or firing off rapid knee drops on it. I love little shit like that. He was even cheating a little as a babyface early and not only pulled the hair a couple of times, but admitted it to the ref. Maybe the last part keeps him a babyface – honesty. Ross not only mentioned Rich’s heel past (Tommy was never a heel on TBS), but also discussed both men having faced their “challenges in the past” and overcoming them. Challenges was code word for drugs in a fashion so unsubtle, Ross should have just said these men used to love cocaine. Buddy took a couple of bad-looking bumps on Rich’s clotheslines early. He hit a fucking HOT SHOT near the end and decided not to cover, only to be small-packaged by Rich. I didn’t like the finish, but Tommy’s performance was admirable. **1/4