February '88 - 20/02 - 25/02 (Gordy/Hansen vs Tsuruta/Yatsu, Flair vs Sting, Dump Mastumoto Retires)

AJPW Excite Series 1988 - Day 1 - 20/02/1988

Genichiro Tenryu & Samson Fuyuki vs. Takashi Ishikawa & The Great Kabuki

This is a pretty good match. Tenryu was a side piece with Fuyuki taking the majority of the match, and the brunt of Ishikawa's wrath. The match was mainly focused on those two. Not much to it in terms of scope but it was a brisky match. Ishikawa won with a roll up. ***1/4

Stan Hansen & Terry Gordy vs. Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu

This is like a great blow to the head. Hansen and Gordy are brutal in their early offence. Jumbo is bleeding mere minutes into the match thanks to some outside brawling. They go immediately into the FIP section with Jumbo being worked over. Yatsu gets in and throws some fabulous suplexes, and troubles Gordy enough not to make this a squash but Hansen and Gordy are an almighty force and they prove hard to beat. Gordy pins Yatsu following a powerbomb in a 7 minute match, if that. ***1/2

NWA World Wide Wrestling - 20/02/1988

NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair (w/JJ Dillon) (c) vs. Sting

This was one hell of a title match, on TV no less. There is a lot of forgetting about this stuff in this era. While it happened every few months, it did happen and this is a blinder of a match that feels so big thanks to the fans. Sting is rough but he is explosive and beloved by the fans already. A star in the making. Flair is a champion in spirit and reality. He needles Sting whenever he can, but can’t match his power and strength. This builds and builds until Sting locks in the Scorpion Deathlock. The ref is out, thanks to JJ Dillion, which means Flair is left screaming without reprieve. Luger and Windham prevent Arn from helping out, followed by plenty of other babyfaces. Flair retains the title but he’s in clear trouble thanks to this new trio - Sting, Luger and Windham. ***1/2

CWA - 22/02/1988

Tommy Rich vs. Jerry Lawler

This is only a small glimpse of the match. The big angle of the match occurs when Doug Gilbert shows up and attacks Lawler. Then Eddie Gilbert joins him and launches a fireball Lawler’s way. Boom. NR

WWF on MSG Network - 22/02/1988

Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Ted DiBiase (w/Virgil)

This was classic Dibiase. He bumped around for Bigelow, who is on one leg according to reports. He made Bigelow look good without all the cartwheel nonsense that just makes Bigelow tired and slower. This is a good conclusion to this mini sub feud with Bigelow and Dibiase which had been taking place on the house shows around this period. Bigelow gets distracted by Virgil and Dibiase takes advantage and rams Bigelow into the post. The count out win is awarded to Dibiase. Solid match thanks to Dibiase. ***

Don Muraco (w/Superstar Billy Graham) & The Ultimate Warrior vs. Butch Reed & King Kong Bundy (w/Slick)

This is pretty okay thanks to King King Bundy, who quite frankly looks ill. But despite this, he is the glue holding the match together with his offence and key hand on structuring this. Muraco hasn’t got much let and Reed is in paycheck mode. Warrior was BAD in this era. His chops were laughable. He would improve but this era of Warrior deserves all the hate. Just as the match seems to get too long in the tooth, Warrior hits a cross body to win. **1/4

AJW The War Dream II - 25/02/1988

3WA Tag Team Titles Match (vacant): Bull Nakano and Kumiko Iwamoto vs. Yumiko Hotta and Mitsuko Nishiwaki

A standard joshi tag in this era. Very go-go with distinct face/heel dynamics. Nakano and Iwamoto are the dominant force who like to cheat while Hotta and Nishiwaki are the straight laced duo who neck bridge out of pin attempts and try to fight through honest means. Each fall is too short to develop properly but it’s a decent match in an overall package. Hotta and Nishiwaki are still young and inexperienced (Hotta is a former tag champion though) to turn this into anything more than a solid match. Nakano and Iwamoto win the vacant title belts in the final fall with a german suplex. **1/2

Dump Matsumoto & Yukari Omori Retirement Match: The Crush Gals (Chigusa Nagayo and Lioness Asuka) vs. Dump Matsumoto and Yukari Omori

Duel retirements. The Crush Gals wrestle their famed enemy once more, for what seemed to be the final time. Omori isn’t a friend of Dump but she probably isn’t opposed to facing her rivals once more either. One of the coolest parts of this match is that Dump, despite being one of wrestling’s biggest heels, has the crowd behind her just as much as the Crush Galls. Dump has her scissors spots where she brutalises Chigusa. Chigusa and Asuka are more seasoned now, and are heavily influenced by the likes of Maeda and Fujiwara but they still fall victim to the blade. Omori’s role sort of gets lost in this match until she opposes Dump’s antics. Dump decides to ditch her and stables her as well. Finally Shiro calls for the bell. Bloody and bleeding Dump, offers to form a small partnership with Chigua for a five minute exhibition against Asuka and Omori. Awesome. ***1/4

5 Minute Exhibition: Dump Matsumoto & Chigusa Nagayo vs. Yukari Omori & Lioness Asuka

All four are bleeding now, the match is immediately thrown into the action. Big clotheslines, fast paced spots. Omori gets a little more of a showcase, which I’m happy with as she’s a favourite of mine in this era. She and Dump had a good sequence in the middle of the ring while the Crush Gals were on the outside. The time runs out and smiles and hugs are exchanged between the four. It’s especially touching when Dump and Chigusa embrace. Crying. ***