AJW - 02/04/1988
WWF Women's Tag Team Titles Match: Jumping Bomb Angels (Noriyo Tateno and Itzuki Yamazaki) (c) vs. Fire Jets (Yumiko Hotta and Mitsuko Nishiwaki)
A fun tag match with big emphasis on quick, fast moves with momentum switches coming often. The Fire Jets prove their worth which was key because I believe they are being positioned to take the 3WA Tag Team Champions later in 1988. This peaked in tempo towards the end with Yamazaki countering a double suplex attempt with a double clothesline. The finish is Yamazaki pining Hotta with a crucifix pin to retain the titles. ***
3WA All-Pacific Title Match: Chigusa Nagayo (c) vs Bull Nakano
I think I only got an edited version for this. But this was fun to see, albeit rough in terms of Bull, who has taken up the mantle as the main heel in Zenjo. And she is still raw, trying new things, attempting to set himself apart from Dump. And this included a very messy attempt as a Sasuke Special before Sasauke made it famous. It doesn’t go swimmingly. But the strengths of the match where Nagayo’s selling and her technique which was excellent and refined. Dragon Suplex does it for the finish. ***
NWA Pro 1988 - 02/04/1988
NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) (w/JJ Dillon) (c) vs. Barry Windham & Lex Luger
This was taped before the Clash but it serves as a good setup for the eventual title switch. Of course, the quality differences are great as this is played like a standard house show match. Its pace is steady, the action only lingers towards above standard but that’s still pretty fun for these guys. Luger’s strength is the main focus here as he squeezes Tully Blanchard to half death with a bearhug and powers out of a pin from Arn. Windham and Luger seemingly are set to win the titles following an accidental baseball bat strike but the second ref tells the counting ref what happened and the subsequent decision was a DQ. The Horseman retain the belts. ***1/4
NWA Main Event 1988 - 03/04/1988
NWA United States Heavyweight Title Match: Dusty Rhodes (c) vs. Ivan Koloff (w/Paul Jones)
This has a fucking HOT crowd that was loud for Dusty and anti-Koloff, chanting for Dusty and USA. Both are past their prime but they are both great at working the crowds and doing small things that last a long way. Koloff is underrated as a worker in that respect. They worked some holds and dabbled in a bit of brawling. Koloff was able to lose to Dusty via a figure four but Paul Jones nailed Dusty with his cane. The ref somehow doesn’t see it. Koloff takes over but when he attempts to cheat again, Dusty is able to outsmart him and get the win. Decent match. ***
Barry Windham, Lex Luger & Sting (w/Magnum TA) vs. The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson, Ric Flair & Tully Blanchard) (w/JJ Dillon)
A cool main event for the debut episode of Main Event. Windham and Tully start the match and Windham quickly pushes Tully into the defensive. Tully attempts to create separation but he gets beaten with slams, double team moves and gets caught with sleeper hold. Tully is able to make a tag to Flair who fairs a little better but Windham gets the better of him still. The Horseman regroups on the floor when Windham sends Flair over the top with a punch. Luger eventually is found to be the weak link as the Horseman works him over with their malicious, calculated team work. Luger’s got strong comeback attempts but the Horseman cut him off just as well, especially Arn who is excellent at that. Only when Flair hits a suplex and struts does Luger come alive and catch him off guard with a clothesline. He gets a tag and Windham cleans house. Windham almost gets a two count on an O’Connor roll but Flair interferes with the count. Sting comes to Windham’s aid, which distracts the referee enough to allow JJ Dillion to throw brass knuckles to Tully who uses them to win. Great match, great but typical finish. ***3/4
AJPW Champion Carnival 1988 - Day 9 - 04/04/1988
NWA International Heavyweight Title Match: Bruiser Brody (c) vs. Yoshiaki Yatsu
This started on the mat with Yatsu getting some shine with his olympic wrestling skills which seemed to serve him well but Brody takes things to the floor and that’s his bread and butter. There was a cool stretch where Brody had Yatsu in a knee bar and Yatsu was slapping his way out of it. Yatsu followed it up with a few headbuts and enzuigiri which Brody sold in a very goofy, over the top way. Yatsu soon started to work Brody’s knee himself, applying an inverted indian deathlock. Brody’s only defence was to attack Yatsu’s foot which was bandaged and take him into the crowd where he got counted out. And I’m left again with the feeling of “that was it?”. Brody is fine as a wrestler. He can be a fun presence but you do expect more from him. There is some good wrestling in this match but not a lot of meat. I prefer it to the Jumbo match, mind you. But I did want a little bit more. ***
CWA Mid-South Coliseum - 04/04/1988
Cowboy Boot Match: Tommy Gilbert vs. Eddie Marlin
This was a cowboy boot match which means both wear steel toe boots with spurs on them, and if you take them off, you aren’t allowed to put them back on. As for a match between two old wrestlers who wrestled sporadically if at all for years, this was pretty fun. Tommy Gilbert, father of top heel Eddie Gilbert, had practically no offence other than the occasional boot in the eye. He was all bumps while Eddie Marlin showed some of what talent he had in his youth. Decent punches, big boot shots, good timing. If he was twenty years younger, he’d be really something. I enjoyed this a lot. Super fun match. ***
AWA World Heavyweight Title Stretcher Match: Curt Hennig (c) vs. Jerry Lawler
Only a clip of the finish here. Hennig is crushing Lawler’s leg with a chair until he gets caught with a desperate ball shot. Lawler grabs the chair and makes Hennig pay until the interference begins. Missy Hyatt comes down for a distraction, then Scotty The Body (Future Raven) and finally a masked man that Lance Russell presumes is Eddie Gilbert. Hennig retains the belt after the masked man knocks Lawler out with ether. NR
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