1986.11.27 NWA Starrcade '86 "The Sky Walkers"
Sept 8, 2016 17:04:16 GMT -5
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Post by Shatter Machine on Sept 8, 2016 17:04:16 GMT -5
JCP’s Thanksgiving show was their annual blow – off for all the big angles and was generally the biggest show of the year. This was no exception, with the culmination of the Flair – Koloff stuff, which was started because Koloff was fighting in place of the injured Magnum TA, the end of the first part of the Road Warriors – Midnight Express program, and the end of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express Vs the Andersons feud as well. They did it from two separate locations, Greensboro and Atlanta, and had 12 matches. I used to have the commercial release of the VHS of this, and it cut everything before the Wahoo – Rude match. This has everything, as it’s the original closed – circuit broadcast, with only some music edited out.
This alternates between Atlanta (Tony Schiavone and Rick Stewart on commentary) and Greensboro (Bob Caudle and Johnny Weaver)
Greensboro:
Tim Horner & Nelson Royal
Vs
Don and Rocky Kernodle
This is basic, basic, basic, but very good. Don manages to catch Horner and powerslam him. Nelson Royal looks like everyone’s Middle School guidance counselor. He grabs a sleeper on Don, who manages a tag to Rocky who comes off the top with a sunset flip for 2. Slam gets 2. Rocky misses a cross-body, and Horner comes in. He gets a powerslam for 2. They butt heads mid-ring, and both guys are down. Rocky makes the tag, and Don levels Horner with a suplex for 2. Huge backdrop, but Horner dodges a diving headbutt. Horner hits a dropkick for 2. Don nails him with a clothesline and tags Rocky, who press-slams Horner. Horner reverses a victory roll for the pin. (7:30 *)
Atlanta:
Jim Garvin (with Precious)
Vs
Brad Armstrong
Brad was always so vastly under-used. He could have been a top star; he just came about at exactly the wrong time. Too late for the territories, too early to be a top cruiserweight. Garvin was never a great hand, but that dude just oozed charisma. I’ve seen his stuff from World Class, Florida, WCW, everywhere. He was great. They tease an out-of-control brawl, but then they wrestle on the mat. Brad grabs an armbar, and this just grind right to a halt. He works the arm, and you can sense them working toward the time-limit draw. Brad works a headlock, and then Garvin reverses into a hammerlock. If you ever want to kill a crowd, start working rest holds three minutes in. Garvin starts working the leg with a grapevine. I’m so bored by this that I leave the room hoping something happens. I come back, and Garvin has Armstrong in a headscissors. Brad pops free and gets a headlock. He gets an armdrag, then a headlock, but Garvin pulls the hair and goes back to the headscissors. Precious hops up on the apron so Garvin can heel it up and choke Armstrong. Armstrong gets free and grabs a headlock. They go to the mat, and even the fans in the arena are getting bored, sensing this will be going to the time-limit. We’re ten minutes in, and the ref drops Garvin’s arm twice. Garvin suplexes out of the headlock and drops a knee for 2. They’d better pick it up, and they start to, as Garvin tosses him to the floor. Precious comes over to taunt Armstrong, and Garvin kicks him in the head. Armstrong comes back in and Garvin covers him for a couple of 2 counts. They crack heads, and we have a double-down. Armstrong falls on him during a slam attempt for 2. Garvin gets a knee up on a charge to the corner, and that gets 2 with a minute remaining. They trade near-falls for the last 30 seconds, and Garvin slams him and goes up and misses a splash as the bell rings for the draw. (15:00 * ½) The fight continues after the bell.
Greensboro:
The Barbarian & Shaska Whatley
Vs
Baron Von Raschke & Hector Guerrero
This is the most territory tag team match ever: Mexican revolutionary teams with an East German against a militant black extremist and a Tongan destruction machine. It’s not actually bad, as long as the Baron isn’t in. Hector is a Guerrero, so he’s got all sorts of ability. I’m just surprised he’s not in a costume. I’d be remiss here if I didn’t mention how bad Johnny Weaver is on commentary. Barbarian goes tumbling to the floor, and Hector hits a running plancha. That turns this into a brawl on the floor briefly. Barbarian tosses Hector around like a rag doll, literally doing all the heavy lifting. They keep Hector trapped in their corner, and Barbarian hits a clothesline for 2. Series of backbreakers by Barbarian, and Hector is in trouble. Hector counters a backdrop by stopping and spitting in Whatley’s face and tagging the Baron. He gets the claw on Shaska, and it all breaks down pretty fast. Whatley misses a shoulder in the corner and the Baron drops the elbow for the pin. Heel beatdown commences on the Baron after the match. (7:25 **)
Johnny Weaver is in the back with NWA World TV Champion Dusty Rhodes, but Dusty wants to be left alone.
Atlanta:
NWA US Tag Team Championship (No Disqualification):
Ivan Koloff & Khrusher Khrushchev (champions)
Vs
The Kansas Jayhawks (Bobby Jaggers & Dutch Mantell)
Mantell has always been billed as being from “Oil Trough, TX” and not from Kansas, but whatever. Dutch might be the hairiest human being I’ve ever laid eyes on. Just saying. This is a rematch from the finals of the tournament to crown the first champions. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen Jaggers in the ring before. Since this is 1986, it’s not an out-of-control street fight with the no-DQ stip, it’s just a regular match with guys tagging in and out, except that the faces cheat, too. The Russians catch Mantell in their corner, but Ivan misses a charge. They start double-teaming him, but Ivan backs Dutch into the corner. They drag him to the floor and run him into the commentary table, then drop him crotch-first on the railing. Dutch gets a short heat segment, then the hot tag to Jaggers, who clotheslines Ivan for 2. Four-way brawl, and Ivan and Mantell brawl to the floor. Khrusher grabs Jaggers in a body lift, and Ivan loads up the chain to clothesline him, but Mantell grabs his whip and starts actually whipping the Russians with it. He winds up on the floor with Khrusher, who nails him with the chain, then Jaggers from behind with it, allowing Ivan to get the pin to retain. Good match. (9:10 ** ½)
Greensboro:
Indian Strap Match:
Rick Rude (with Paul Jones)
Vs
Wahoo McDaniel
I really wonder who’d win a straight up fight between Rude and Wahoo. (Both have legit tough guy reps among people who knew them, but that’s come into question as time has gone on. Time has a tendency to do that. I know that Wahoo was a partier and a tough guy, and a tremendous athlete. Rude was a loose cannon who died too young, but honestly lasted longer than he probably should have given his explosive temper. Eric Bischoff talks about him being suicidal in the mid-90’s when he was forced to retire because of his neck injury.) As you might guess, this match is boring as fuck, because all strap matches (and chain matches) with the “touch all four corners” rule are stupid. I have never seen a good one. Wahoo knocks Rude out, ties up his hands, drags him to three corners, nails Paul Jones, then Rude gets to his feet and hits Wahoo from behind. Wahoo tumbles into the corner, and the match is over. That was really bad. Rude and Jones commence a beat down, but the Baron and Hector Guerrero make the save. (9:05 DUD)
Rick Stewart is with Ivan Koloff and Khrusher Khrushchev
Atlanta:
Central States Championship:
Sam Houston (champion)
Vs
Bill Dundee
Ah, the remnants of Central States. Dundee was in his early-forties here, and had been in the business for about twenty years at this point. He’s still promoting and booking indy shows. This is just one long headlock. Houston goes for a bulldog, but gets a victory roll instead for 2. Dundee can’t shake that Memphis heel from his system, and he sends Houston to the floor. Houston atomic drops Dundee over the railing, then slingshots him back into the ring for 2. Dundee kicks him right in the jaw, then lands a top-rope fist for 2. A series of jabs gets 2, then Dundee gets a Boston Crab. Houston rolls him up, and they go into the ropes. Dundee gets flying axhandle for 2, then Houston starts his comeback. He drops a knee, then a slam. He misses a knee, and Dundee goes right after it. Dundee gets a spinning toe-hold, but Houston kicks him off. Dundee pulls Houston’s boot off and nails him with it for the DQ. (10:24 ¾ *)
Greensboro:
Hair Vs Hair:
Paul Jones (with Manny Fernandez)
Vs
Jimmy Valiant (with Big Mama)
It’s Jones’ hair versus Big Mama’s hair, and Fernandez is to be locked in a cage above the ring. He, of course, refuses to get in the cage. Nelson Royal, Tim Horner, Baron Von Raschke, and finally Wahoo McDaniel come down. Wahoo nails him, knocking him into the cage, which is locked and raised. To say that Valiant is over would be an understatement. He gets a pop like Steve Austin. This is “to a finish”, which means … uh… it won’t be stopped? Jones bumps like a pinball for a couple of minutes, then pulls something out of his tights and nails Valiant with it. Valiant blades, and Jones gets 2. Jones hits him with it again, and again it gets 2. Valiant comes back and grabs a sleeper. Jones pulls out the foreign object, so Valiant sends him to the corner and it goes flying. Valiant grabs it, nails him, and pins him. That was all punching. At least it was short. (4:00 ¼ *) Valiant shaves Jones bald after the match. Fernandez storms the ring, and Rick Rude joins him as they lay Valiant out with a spike DDT onto a chair.
Intermission here, and there’s a promo for the Bunkhouse Stampede, set to a guitar solo featuring Nelson Royal. I fast forward. They also pimp the Crockett Cup ’87 from New Orleans.
Atlanta:
Louisville Street Fight:
Ron Garvin
Vs
Big Bubba Rogers (with Jim Cornette)
Cornette has said that Bubba lived his gimmick, never selling anything, no matter what. Bubba once got his finger caught in the trunk of a car in front of some fans and didn’t react until the fans were gone, much to Cornette’s amusement. I guess the way to win this is for one guy not to be able to answer the ten-count. Garvin keeps knocking Bubba down with straight punches to the forehead. Nobody threw a more convincing punch than Ron Garvin. Garvin throws a drink in Bubba’s face then peppers him with punches. It’s too bad he was such an awful draw as NWA World champion, because I feel like he got shafted and it killed his career. Bubba nails him with a roll of coins to take over, and Garvin gets to his feet at 8. Back down, and referee Tommy Young gets to 8 again. Slam and a splash, which gets 2. The ref gets to 8, but Garvin fires back. He pulls some twine from his boot and knocks Bubba down and tries to hogtie him with it. He settles for tying him to the middle rope for a short bit, then more punches to the head. Bubba nails him, then goes to the bearhug. Garvin is a bloody mess, but he headbutts his way free. Bubba circles the ring and grabs the bearhug again. Garvin headbutts free again, then starts dancing around, hitting punches. He knocks Bubba over the top to the floor. Back in, and they just keep trading shots, with Garvin basically getting free reign. Cornette implores Bubba to fight back, but Garvin slams him off the top rope for 2. Garvin lands on the referee. He nails a piledriver, but there’s no ref. The ref counts to 10 as both guys are down. It becomes sudden death, first man to his feet wins the match. Cornette tries to wake Bubba, but Young shoves him out. Garvin appears to have it won, but Cornette nails him with the tennis racket in the leg, and Bubba gets to his feet for the win. Really fun, really stiff match. You can watch this and see that Bubba was going to go places. (11:50 *** ¼)
Greensboro:
NWA World TV Title, First Blood Match:
Dusty Rhodes (champion)
Vs
Tully Blanchard (with JJ Dillon)
Dusty has shaved the sides of his head and written “Tully” above his ears to signify the importance of this match, I guess. JJ puts headgear on Tully, and the shenanigans begin. He tries to put salve on Tully's head, but the ref wipes it off. Dusty hits JJ with an elbow, and JJ blades, of course. The bell finally rings, and there's very little contact, as they shuck and jive and try to avoid each other. One thing that annoys me about this match is that they spend so much time avoiding contact with each other. I don't get it. Most matches have very little blood, just wrestle your normal match and take your shots where you can get them. Makes no sense. And why would Dusty get into a first blood match? On what planet would he have any sort of advantage in that match? Maybe against Carlos Colon or Abdullah the Butcher. Dusty takes Tully down and goes to work on the leg. They take turns pounding on each other's heads, and the ref gets bumped. Dusty grabs JJ's shoe, but doesn't need it. Tully is busted open, but the ref is down. JJ towels Tully off, puts the salve on it, gives Tully a roll of coins, and he flattens Dusty with it. Dusty is busted open, and the ref comes to and sees Dusty bleeding and ends the match, giving the TV title to Tully. That was really, really bad. Dusty jobs the belt without doing the job. Imagine that. (7:30 DUD)
Atlanta:
Scaffold Match:
Road Warriors (with Paul Ellering)
Vs.
The Midnight Express (Eaton and Condrey, with Jim Cornette and Big Bubba)
The damn Midnights take FOREVER to get to the scaffold. I wouldn’t do this match for any amount of money. Four guys with a twenty-foot by three-foot wide, eighteen feet in the air. They’re all terrified, and rightfully so. Hawk, BTW, is doing this match on a broken leg. The Roadies control early, but the MX uses powder to take over. Eventually, it winds up as a chicken fight, with Condrey and Eaton both taking the tumble. Cornette gets chased up the scaffold, where Animal and Ellering are waiting. Cornette goes to safer ground, he thinks, and swings from the monkey bars. He falls, and Bubba was supposed to catch him, but was out of position, and Cornette blew out both of his knees here. Not a good match by any stretch. (6:55 * ½)
Greensboro:
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Cage Match):
Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson, Champions)
Vs
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson)
This might be one of my favorite matches ever. Ole and Arn are just so single-minded in their destruction of poor Ricky Morton here. The R’n’R asked for this to be in the cage, because they’re idiots. Didn’t they learn anything from Starrcade ’85 when the Russians almost murdered them? Gibson starts with Arn, and he acquits himself fairly well against Arn. Ole sends him into the corner, and Morton comes in. They feel him out, but he keeps his distance, tagging Gibson back in. Robert misses a charge to the corner, banging his knee. Arn targets it, and they’re just like lions going after a wounded gazelle. They work it for a while, cutting the ring in half. Eventually, Gibson makes the dramatic hot tag to Morton, but the Andersons just cut him right off. Ole sends him to the cage, and Ricky blades. They do the cheese grater spot, then they attempt to remove Morton’s arm at the shoulder. They pound on it for 10 minutes. I’m not exaggerating. Morton comes painfully close to making the tag a few times, but he just can’t. The girls in the crowd go insane for him, but the Andersons just won’t allow the tag. The end comes when there’s a four-way brawl in the ring, briefly, and Ole picks Morton up for a slam and Gibson dropkicks him, allowing Morton to get the pin to retain the titles. This is an absolutely epic shit-kicking, and should be a must-watch at the performance center for all heel tag-teams. (20:20 **** ½)
Atlanta:
NWA World Championship:
Ric Flair (Champion)
Vs
Nikita Koloff (NWA US Champion)
There’s an inspirational video of Magnum TA running on the beach before the match, as Nikita is basically wrestling in his place after Magnum’s career ended in a car accident a couple of months prior. This is really distasteful; they were framing it like Magnum was already working toward a comeback when it was clear that the was never getting back into the ring again. Nikita is freshly face-turned here, and had just won the US title in a best of seven series from Magnum over the summer. For the life of me, I don’t know how Vince McMahon never stole him away from Crockett and made zillions putting him against Hulk Hogan all over the country. They go nose to nose before the bell, and Tommy Young is the ref. Flair won’t stay in the ring, and he keeps bailing out and walking around to get his bearings. Koloff grabs a headlock, then muscles him down with a top wristlock. Flair tries to hiptoss him out of the corner, but Nikita blocks that and hip tosses Flair. And again. Nikita with a scoop and a slam, and he tosses Flair around the ring for a few minutes. Flair tries to knock him down, but Nikita catches him in a bearhug. He escapes and begs off, then takes a powder to the floor. Back in, and Nikita grabs a headlock. Flair is doing a great job of leading him around to a watchable match, getting a thumb to the eye and some chops in the corner. Nikita takes him down with the Russian Hammer (a running choke), then he goes for the Russian Sickle, but Flair ducks and Nikita goes over the top to the floor, injuring his knee. Back in, and Flair chops the knee out. School is now in session. He takes Nikita right down and gets the Figure-Four, using the ropes for leverage. He gets a couple of near-falls, but Tommy Young catches him using the ropes. Nikita no-sells more chops, then flings Flair across the ring. Nikita gets a brief flurry, but Flair dodges a charge and sends him through the ropes to the floor. Out there, he runs him into the scaffold that’s still up from earlier. Nikita blades, quite obviously, by hiding his head under the ring. Back in, and Nikita comes back again, putting Flair on the run. Flair does the flip, tumbling all the way to the floor, where they brawl. Nikita runs Flair to the scaffold, and he blades as well. Double juice in the main event is always good. The end comes when Nikita hits Flair with a shoulderblock, knocking him into the ref, who falls to the floor. He hits the Russian Sickle, but Young is out. Another ref comes out to count a cover by Flair, and he gets nailed with the Sickle by Koloff, who pushes Flair into the corner, choking him out. He shoves Young away a couple of times, drawing a weak DQ. (19:39 ** ½) A huge brawl erupts as both locker rooms empty. Young tells the announcers that both wrestlers have been DQ’d as the fight continues.
The Bottom Line: Not a great card. It was really over-long, at a mind-numbing 3 hours, 51 minutes and 12 matches. I guess it didn’t end until 12:30 AM local time, but nobody left the building. The scaffold match is good as those things go; and I really think that Hawk was insane for doing that on a broken leg, but apparently he was nuts, so I guess it goes with the territory. The Louisville Street-Fight was fun, especially because I really dig Ron Garvin. The Andersons-R’n’R match is one of my favorites of all time, so that’s worth a watch, but the Flair – Koloff main event is a total waste of twenty minutes. Track down the ones I mentioned, but skip the rest. (I was just reading the WONs from around the time, and they give the show a lot of praise, especially the workrate, but I disagree. I guess it made a shitload of money, almost $1,000,000 including closed – circuit locations, and certainly would have if the transmission of the signal to Columbia, SC being screwed up hadn’t resulted in the fans there getting refunds.) Not recommended.
This alternates between Atlanta (Tony Schiavone and Rick Stewart on commentary) and Greensboro (Bob Caudle and Johnny Weaver)
Greensboro:
Tim Horner & Nelson Royal
Vs
Don and Rocky Kernodle
This is basic, basic, basic, but very good. Don manages to catch Horner and powerslam him. Nelson Royal looks like everyone’s Middle School guidance counselor. He grabs a sleeper on Don, who manages a tag to Rocky who comes off the top with a sunset flip for 2. Slam gets 2. Rocky misses a cross-body, and Horner comes in. He gets a powerslam for 2. They butt heads mid-ring, and both guys are down. Rocky makes the tag, and Don levels Horner with a suplex for 2. Huge backdrop, but Horner dodges a diving headbutt. Horner hits a dropkick for 2. Don nails him with a clothesline and tags Rocky, who press-slams Horner. Horner reverses a victory roll for the pin. (7:30 *)
Atlanta:
Jim Garvin (with Precious)
Vs
Brad Armstrong
Brad was always so vastly under-used. He could have been a top star; he just came about at exactly the wrong time. Too late for the territories, too early to be a top cruiserweight. Garvin was never a great hand, but that dude just oozed charisma. I’ve seen his stuff from World Class, Florida, WCW, everywhere. He was great. They tease an out-of-control brawl, but then they wrestle on the mat. Brad grabs an armbar, and this just grind right to a halt. He works the arm, and you can sense them working toward the time-limit draw. Brad works a headlock, and then Garvin reverses into a hammerlock. If you ever want to kill a crowd, start working rest holds three minutes in. Garvin starts working the leg with a grapevine. I’m so bored by this that I leave the room hoping something happens. I come back, and Garvin has Armstrong in a headscissors. Brad pops free and gets a headlock. He gets an armdrag, then a headlock, but Garvin pulls the hair and goes back to the headscissors. Precious hops up on the apron so Garvin can heel it up and choke Armstrong. Armstrong gets free and grabs a headlock. They go to the mat, and even the fans in the arena are getting bored, sensing this will be going to the time-limit. We’re ten minutes in, and the ref drops Garvin’s arm twice. Garvin suplexes out of the headlock and drops a knee for 2. They’d better pick it up, and they start to, as Garvin tosses him to the floor. Precious comes over to taunt Armstrong, and Garvin kicks him in the head. Armstrong comes back in and Garvin covers him for a couple of 2 counts. They crack heads, and we have a double-down. Armstrong falls on him during a slam attempt for 2. Garvin gets a knee up on a charge to the corner, and that gets 2 with a minute remaining. They trade near-falls for the last 30 seconds, and Garvin slams him and goes up and misses a splash as the bell rings for the draw. (15:00 * ½) The fight continues after the bell.
Greensboro:
The Barbarian & Shaska Whatley
Vs
Baron Von Raschke & Hector Guerrero
This is the most territory tag team match ever: Mexican revolutionary teams with an East German against a militant black extremist and a Tongan destruction machine. It’s not actually bad, as long as the Baron isn’t in. Hector is a Guerrero, so he’s got all sorts of ability. I’m just surprised he’s not in a costume. I’d be remiss here if I didn’t mention how bad Johnny Weaver is on commentary. Barbarian goes tumbling to the floor, and Hector hits a running plancha. That turns this into a brawl on the floor briefly. Barbarian tosses Hector around like a rag doll, literally doing all the heavy lifting. They keep Hector trapped in their corner, and Barbarian hits a clothesline for 2. Series of backbreakers by Barbarian, and Hector is in trouble. Hector counters a backdrop by stopping and spitting in Whatley’s face and tagging the Baron. He gets the claw on Shaska, and it all breaks down pretty fast. Whatley misses a shoulder in the corner and the Baron drops the elbow for the pin. Heel beatdown commences on the Baron after the match. (7:25 **)
Johnny Weaver is in the back with NWA World TV Champion Dusty Rhodes, but Dusty wants to be left alone.
Atlanta:
NWA US Tag Team Championship (No Disqualification):
Ivan Koloff & Khrusher Khrushchev (champions)
Vs
The Kansas Jayhawks (Bobby Jaggers & Dutch Mantell)
Mantell has always been billed as being from “Oil Trough, TX” and not from Kansas, but whatever. Dutch might be the hairiest human being I’ve ever laid eyes on. Just saying. This is a rematch from the finals of the tournament to crown the first champions. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen Jaggers in the ring before. Since this is 1986, it’s not an out-of-control street fight with the no-DQ stip, it’s just a regular match with guys tagging in and out, except that the faces cheat, too. The Russians catch Mantell in their corner, but Ivan misses a charge. They start double-teaming him, but Ivan backs Dutch into the corner. They drag him to the floor and run him into the commentary table, then drop him crotch-first on the railing. Dutch gets a short heat segment, then the hot tag to Jaggers, who clotheslines Ivan for 2. Four-way brawl, and Ivan and Mantell brawl to the floor. Khrusher grabs Jaggers in a body lift, and Ivan loads up the chain to clothesline him, but Mantell grabs his whip and starts actually whipping the Russians with it. He winds up on the floor with Khrusher, who nails him with the chain, then Jaggers from behind with it, allowing Ivan to get the pin to retain. Good match. (9:10 ** ½)
Greensboro:
Indian Strap Match:
Rick Rude (with Paul Jones)
Vs
Wahoo McDaniel
I really wonder who’d win a straight up fight between Rude and Wahoo. (Both have legit tough guy reps among people who knew them, but that’s come into question as time has gone on. Time has a tendency to do that. I know that Wahoo was a partier and a tough guy, and a tremendous athlete. Rude was a loose cannon who died too young, but honestly lasted longer than he probably should have given his explosive temper. Eric Bischoff talks about him being suicidal in the mid-90’s when he was forced to retire because of his neck injury.) As you might guess, this match is boring as fuck, because all strap matches (and chain matches) with the “touch all four corners” rule are stupid. I have never seen a good one. Wahoo knocks Rude out, ties up his hands, drags him to three corners, nails Paul Jones, then Rude gets to his feet and hits Wahoo from behind. Wahoo tumbles into the corner, and the match is over. That was really bad. Rude and Jones commence a beat down, but the Baron and Hector Guerrero make the save. (9:05 DUD)
Rick Stewart is with Ivan Koloff and Khrusher Khrushchev
Atlanta:
Central States Championship:
Sam Houston (champion)
Vs
Bill Dundee
Ah, the remnants of Central States. Dundee was in his early-forties here, and had been in the business for about twenty years at this point. He’s still promoting and booking indy shows. This is just one long headlock. Houston goes for a bulldog, but gets a victory roll instead for 2. Dundee can’t shake that Memphis heel from his system, and he sends Houston to the floor. Houston atomic drops Dundee over the railing, then slingshots him back into the ring for 2. Dundee kicks him right in the jaw, then lands a top-rope fist for 2. A series of jabs gets 2, then Dundee gets a Boston Crab. Houston rolls him up, and they go into the ropes. Dundee gets flying axhandle for 2, then Houston starts his comeback. He drops a knee, then a slam. He misses a knee, and Dundee goes right after it. Dundee gets a spinning toe-hold, but Houston kicks him off. Dundee pulls Houston’s boot off and nails him with it for the DQ. (10:24 ¾ *)
Greensboro:
Hair Vs Hair:
Paul Jones (with Manny Fernandez)
Vs
Jimmy Valiant (with Big Mama)
It’s Jones’ hair versus Big Mama’s hair, and Fernandez is to be locked in a cage above the ring. He, of course, refuses to get in the cage. Nelson Royal, Tim Horner, Baron Von Raschke, and finally Wahoo McDaniel come down. Wahoo nails him, knocking him into the cage, which is locked and raised. To say that Valiant is over would be an understatement. He gets a pop like Steve Austin. This is “to a finish”, which means … uh… it won’t be stopped? Jones bumps like a pinball for a couple of minutes, then pulls something out of his tights and nails Valiant with it. Valiant blades, and Jones gets 2. Jones hits him with it again, and again it gets 2. Valiant comes back and grabs a sleeper. Jones pulls out the foreign object, so Valiant sends him to the corner and it goes flying. Valiant grabs it, nails him, and pins him. That was all punching. At least it was short. (4:00 ¼ *) Valiant shaves Jones bald after the match. Fernandez storms the ring, and Rick Rude joins him as they lay Valiant out with a spike DDT onto a chair.
Intermission here, and there’s a promo for the Bunkhouse Stampede, set to a guitar solo featuring Nelson Royal. I fast forward. They also pimp the Crockett Cup ’87 from New Orleans.
Atlanta:
Louisville Street Fight:
Ron Garvin
Vs
Big Bubba Rogers (with Jim Cornette)
Cornette has said that Bubba lived his gimmick, never selling anything, no matter what. Bubba once got his finger caught in the trunk of a car in front of some fans and didn’t react until the fans were gone, much to Cornette’s amusement. I guess the way to win this is for one guy not to be able to answer the ten-count. Garvin keeps knocking Bubba down with straight punches to the forehead. Nobody threw a more convincing punch than Ron Garvin. Garvin throws a drink in Bubba’s face then peppers him with punches. It’s too bad he was such an awful draw as NWA World champion, because I feel like he got shafted and it killed his career. Bubba nails him with a roll of coins to take over, and Garvin gets to his feet at 8. Back down, and referee Tommy Young gets to 8 again. Slam and a splash, which gets 2. The ref gets to 8, but Garvin fires back. He pulls some twine from his boot and knocks Bubba down and tries to hogtie him with it. He settles for tying him to the middle rope for a short bit, then more punches to the head. Bubba nails him, then goes to the bearhug. Garvin is a bloody mess, but he headbutts his way free. Bubba circles the ring and grabs the bearhug again. Garvin headbutts free again, then starts dancing around, hitting punches. He knocks Bubba over the top to the floor. Back in, and they just keep trading shots, with Garvin basically getting free reign. Cornette implores Bubba to fight back, but Garvin slams him off the top rope for 2. Garvin lands on the referee. He nails a piledriver, but there’s no ref. The ref counts to 10 as both guys are down. It becomes sudden death, first man to his feet wins the match. Cornette tries to wake Bubba, but Young shoves him out. Garvin appears to have it won, but Cornette nails him with the tennis racket in the leg, and Bubba gets to his feet for the win. Really fun, really stiff match. You can watch this and see that Bubba was going to go places. (11:50 *** ¼)
Greensboro:
NWA World TV Title, First Blood Match:
Dusty Rhodes (champion)
Vs
Tully Blanchard (with JJ Dillon)
Dusty has shaved the sides of his head and written “Tully” above his ears to signify the importance of this match, I guess. JJ puts headgear on Tully, and the shenanigans begin. He tries to put salve on Tully's head, but the ref wipes it off. Dusty hits JJ with an elbow, and JJ blades, of course. The bell finally rings, and there's very little contact, as they shuck and jive and try to avoid each other. One thing that annoys me about this match is that they spend so much time avoiding contact with each other. I don't get it. Most matches have very little blood, just wrestle your normal match and take your shots where you can get them. Makes no sense. And why would Dusty get into a first blood match? On what planet would he have any sort of advantage in that match? Maybe against Carlos Colon or Abdullah the Butcher. Dusty takes Tully down and goes to work on the leg. They take turns pounding on each other's heads, and the ref gets bumped. Dusty grabs JJ's shoe, but doesn't need it. Tully is busted open, but the ref is down. JJ towels Tully off, puts the salve on it, gives Tully a roll of coins, and he flattens Dusty with it. Dusty is busted open, and the ref comes to and sees Dusty bleeding and ends the match, giving the TV title to Tully. That was really, really bad. Dusty jobs the belt without doing the job. Imagine that. (7:30 DUD)
Atlanta:
Scaffold Match:
Road Warriors (with Paul Ellering)
Vs.
The Midnight Express (Eaton and Condrey, with Jim Cornette and Big Bubba)
The damn Midnights take FOREVER to get to the scaffold. I wouldn’t do this match for any amount of money. Four guys with a twenty-foot by three-foot wide, eighteen feet in the air. They’re all terrified, and rightfully so. Hawk, BTW, is doing this match on a broken leg. The Roadies control early, but the MX uses powder to take over. Eventually, it winds up as a chicken fight, with Condrey and Eaton both taking the tumble. Cornette gets chased up the scaffold, where Animal and Ellering are waiting. Cornette goes to safer ground, he thinks, and swings from the monkey bars. He falls, and Bubba was supposed to catch him, but was out of position, and Cornette blew out both of his knees here. Not a good match by any stretch. (6:55 * ½)
Greensboro:
NWA World Tag Team Championship (Cage Match):
Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson, Champions)
Vs
The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson)
This might be one of my favorite matches ever. Ole and Arn are just so single-minded in their destruction of poor Ricky Morton here. The R’n’R asked for this to be in the cage, because they’re idiots. Didn’t they learn anything from Starrcade ’85 when the Russians almost murdered them? Gibson starts with Arn, and he acquits himself fairly well against Arn. Ole sends him into the corner, and Morton comes in. They feel him out, but he keeps his distance, tagging Gibson back in. Robert misses a charge to the corner, banging his knee. Arn targets it, and they’re just like lions going after a wounded gazelle. They work it for a while, cutting the ring in half. Eventually, Gibson makes the dramatic hot tag to Morton, but the Andersons just cut him right off. Ole sends him to the cage, and Ricky blades. They do the cheese grater spot, then they attempt to remove Morton’s arm at the shoulder. They pound on it for 10 minutes. I’m not exaggerating. Morton comes painfully close to making the tag a few times, but he just can’t. The girls in the crowd go insane for him, but the Andersons just won’t allow the tag. The end comes when there’s a four-way brawl in the ring, briefly, and Ole picks Morton up for a slam and Gibson dropkicks him, allowing Morton to get the pin to retain the titles. This is an absolutely epic shit-kicking, and should be a must-watch at the performance center for all heel tag-teams. (20:20 **** ½)
Atlanta:
NWA World Championship:
Ric Flair (Champion)
Vs
Nikita Koloff (NWA US Champion)
There’s an inspirational video of Magnum TA running on the beach before the match, as Nikita is basically wrestling in his place after Magnum’s career ended in a car accident a couple of months prior. This is really distasteful; they were framing it like Magnum was already working toward a comeback when it was clear that the was never getting back into the ring again. Nikita is freshly face-turned here, and had just won the US title in a best of seven series from Magnum over the summer. For the life of me, I don’t know how Vince McMahon never stole him away from Crockett and made zillions putting him against Hulk Hogan all over the country. They go nose to nose before the bell, and Tommy Young is the ref. Flair won’t stay in the ring, and he keeps bailing out and walking around to get his bearings. Koloff grabs a headlock, then muscles him down with a top wristlock. Flair tries to hiptoss him out of the corner, but Nikita blocks that and hip tosses Flair. And again. Nikita with a scoop and a slam, and he tosses Flair around the ring for a few minutes. Flair tries to knock him down, but Nikita catches him in a bearhug. He escapes and begs off, then takes a powder to the floor. Back in, and Nikita grabs a headlock. Flair is doing a great job of leading him around to a watchable match, getting a thumb to the eye and some chops in the corner. Nikita takes him down with the Russian Hammer (a running choke), then he goes for the Russian Sickle, but Flair ducks and Nikita goes over the top to the floor, injuring his knee. Back in, and Flair chops the knee out. School is now in session. He takes Nikita right down and gets the Figure-Four, using the ropes for leverage. He gets a couple of near-falls, but Tommy Young catches him using the ropes. Nikita no-sells more chops, then flings Flair across the ring. Nikita gets a brief flurry, but Flair dodges a charge and sends him through the ropes to the floor. Out there, he runs him into the scaffold that’s still up from earlier. Nikita blades, quite obviously, by hiding his head under the ring. Back in, and Nikita comes back again, putting Flair on the run. Flair does the flip, tumbling all the way to the floor, where they brawl. Nikita runs Flair to the scaffold, and he blades as well. Double juice in the main event is always good. The end comes when Nikita hits Flair with a shoulderblock, knocking him into the ref, who falls to the floor. He hits the Russian Sickle, but Young is out. Another ref comes out to count a cover by Flair, and he gets nailed with the Sickle by Koloff, who pushes Flair into the corner, choking him out. He shoves Young away a couple of times, drawing a weak DQ. (19:39 ** ½) A huge brawl erupts as both locker rooms empty. Young tells the announcers that both wrestlers have been DQ’d as the fight continues.
The Bottom Line: Not a great card. It was really over-long, at a mind-numbing 3 hours, 51 minutes and 12 matches. I guess it didn’t end until 12:30 AM local time, but nobody left the building. The scaffold match is good as those things go; and I really think that Hawk was insane for doing that on a broken leg, but apparently he was nuts, so I guess it goes with the territory. The Louisville Street-Fight was fun, especially because I really dig Ron Garvin. The Andersons-R’n’R match is one of my favorites of all time, so that’s worth a watch, but the Flair – Koloff main event is a total waste of twenty minutes. Track down the ones I mentioned, but skip the rest. (I was just reading the WONs from around the time, and they give the show a lot of praise, especially the workrate, but I disagree. I guess it made a shitload of money, almost $1,000,000 including closed – circuit locations, and certainly would have if the transmission of the signal to Columbia, SC being screwed up hadn’t resulted in the fans there getting refunds.) Not recommended.
