NWA Clash of The Champions I - 27/03/1988
It’s been around three years since I’ve last seen this show, and I adored it so I hope expectations don’t let me down.
NWA World Television Title College Rules Match: Mike Rotunda (w/Kevin Sullivan) (c) vs. Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious)
The rules of this College Rules match is that you only need a 1 count in order to get the win. This has 3 five minute rounds as well. Rotunda has the Varsity Squad gimmick and Jimmy Garvin has an amateur wrestling background so this should be interesting. The first move of the match is Rotunda getting a single leg takedown but Garvin changes gears on him and slams him down with a body slam which forces Rotunda to the floor. Rotunda continues to wrestle while Garvin fights until Rotunda gets an eye poke and almost gets a pin but the bell saves Garvin. The psychology is really sound in terms of both wrestlers turning on their fronts as soon as their backs even sniff the ring canvas. The finish comes quick when Garvin attempts to hit the brainbuster, leading to Kevin Sullivan to manhandle her to draw Gavin’s attention and Rotunda takes advantage with a roll up (with a handful of tights), retaining the belt in the process. Rick Steiner comes down to the ring to attack Jimmy Garvin along with Sullivan and Rotunda but Precious saves her husband when she attacks Steiner with a 2x4. Good match with a fun concept. ***
NWA United States Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) (w/Jim Cornette) (c) vs. The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers)
After the incredible showing that The Fantastics had in the non-title match, they were huge favourites for the titles here in the fans eyes. And unlike that match, this had a very quick start with a brawl to open the match. I don’t think the bell rings so when the chairs and tables are being brought out, it’s all legal. Eventually, they go back into the ring where The Fantastics continue to destroy the MX with brute force and tag team moves. Stan Lane was able to knock Tommy Rogers for a loop on the floor and the MX hit a cool double team move to solidify their control. Eaton delivers some outstanding punches and throws Rogers into a table that Cornette held up, ala Fonzie/RVD, while Fulton had the ref held up. Rogers fights back with a headbutt to the midsection to Lane but falls victim to a scoop slam and a diving elbow drop. Rogers is excellent in the FIP with his great selling and hot moves which is complemented by the Midnight Express being on top of their game. Fulton plays a minor role as the apron guy, but he plays it well, knowing when to distract the ref enough to allow the MX to get away with their cheating. Fulton is able to get the tag but the ref didn’t see it and isn’t allowing them to switch. Fulton, in anger, throws Randy Anderson to the floor, and throws big hands at the MX, sending the crowd crazy. Rogers is able to get a diving splash as another ref comes in and counts the pin to crown seemingly new tag team champions. Of course, Randy Anderson comes in and DQ’s Fulton and the Fantastics for that assault. An excellent execution of the bait and switch. The MXs attack Fulton and Rogers, whipping Fulton with a belt before running away. This feud will continue. Excellent match. ****1/4
Barbed Wire Six Man Tag Team Match: Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors (Road Warrior Animal & Road Warrior Hawk) (w/Paul Ellering) vs. Ivan Koloff & The Powers Of Pain (The Barbarian & The Warlord) (w/Paul Jones)
I am surprised that they allowed these kinds of stipulations on TBS in this era, but here we are. This is short. 3 minutes long, maybe 4 minutes at the most. They fight and brawl immediately, trying to force each other into the barbed wire. Ivan Koloff and Dusty Rhodes waste no time bleeding while the other four pound each other with power moves and strikes. Animal pins Warlord after The Barbarian misses his diving headbut and hits Warlord. But the violence continues when the heels take off Animal’s protective mask and attack his injured eye with a chain before Dusty and Hawk make the save. ***
NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Four Horsemen (Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard) (w/James J. Dillon) (c) vs. Barry Windham & Lex Luger
I’m just gonna use my previous review for this because it sums up my thoughts perfectly. A hot-fire sprint. “Absolutely fantastic match. The pacing was incredibly fast paced but they never lost their way and the match was wonderful from start to finish. Luger opens the match by running wild over the Horsemen by himself and gives the challengers an incredible start before The Horsemen attack the leg and pick it apart. Luger is able to tag out but the momentum sticks with Arn and Tully who double team Windham after the brief spell of mistake. Windham keeps on fighting and selling, which causes the crowd to become molten. And the hot tag came and pandemonium happened. Nearfall on both sides, great counters, J.J Dillon accidentally hits Arn with the chair designed for Luger and that seals the win for Luger and Windham. The crowd is so loud that you can't hear JR or the announcement of who the winner is. Incredible match. ****1/2”
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair (c) vs. Sting
This is the famous draw. Maybe one of the most famous. So you immediately have that in your mind when watching this. The drama isn’t whether Sting can finish Flair off but rather how Flair survived Sting. First Sting controls Flair on the mat through headlocks, persistent headlocks. Flair attempts to push distance between the two, like throwing Sting out of the ring, but Sting doesn’t let him get one breather before going back to the headlock. Flair then tries to dig into Sting’s ribs, which Sting replies with a brutal bearhug. Flair eventually takes over and begins to break Sting down via his shins, eventually going for the Figure Four Leg Lock. A lot of this match was Sting, veins popping out of his face, screaming at Flair with a determined fury but I have to admit that it’s awesome every time. Whether he’s doing it during the figure four or when Flair chops him. It’s a bloody great crowd pleasing spot. But still, Sting’s selling is really strong even when doing these terminator spots. And they really sell the potential of having a Sting win at the end. He keeps plugging away, besting Flair at every turn, hitting all his biggest moves, likewise with Flair. The momentum is in his favour and if there was a finish, it would’ve hit just as well. But Flair survives the scorpion deathlock for 30 seconds but that was enough. The allure of the match is that this had to have a winner but the judges ruled it a draw anyway. So while that is a bit of a rip off, the match remains iconic and suitably so. This is terrific. This is the first time that this truly resonated with me. The heat and pacing sustained from the early portions of the match to the fight to the finish. The performances were outstanding on both sides of the ring also. A perfect way to end the show. And a perfect way to counter Wrestlemania IV. ****1/2
AJPW Champion Carnival 1988 - Day 2 - 27/03/1988
PWF Heavyweight Title / NWA United National Title Match: Genichiro Tenryu (c) vs. Stan Hansen
The previous match between the two ended with Tenryu rolling Hansen up and then brawling, so Tenryu has to prove that wasn’t a fluke win in this match. They start off fast once more with a flurry of punches. Tenryu hits an enzuigiri but Hansen nails an elbow to rock Tenryu. Hansen classically attempts to smother Tenryu with his big chinlock, which is made more uncomfortable with the weight Hansen puts onto his opponents. Tenryu attempts his own submissions, working the arm of Hansen which appears to be taped up at the elbow. Tenryu ends up with a cut around his eye in the meantime, and Hansen spots it. Brutal shots follow like a nasty elbow and punches by Hansen. Tenryu keeps kicking Hansen in the rings to wear Hansen down but to no avail. Hansen is a machine that keeps on coming at Tenryu. Finally Tenryu is able to hit a powerbomb and a diving back elbow for two consecutive close two counts which provides the crowd hope. But almost as quickly as anything, Hansen replies with shoulder block and a lariat. Tenryu reaches the ropes to save himself but gets another. Hansen shockingly pulls Tenryu up before he could be pinned and punches the eye some more viciously. Tenryu tries to throw his punches but Hansen gobbles him up again and strangles him in the corner. Referee Joe Higuchi tries to intervene and Hansen pushes him away, and the DQ decision is made. Tenryu retains the title but only through Hansen’s own anger. Great match with brutal offence between two tough guys. ****1/4
NWA International Heavyweight Title Match: Jumbo Tsuruta (c) vs. Bruiser Brody
Jumbo starts the match chaining from a hammerlock pinning situation into a cross face chickenwing. Hansen seems to tame the wild beast that is Brody with headlocks and classic holds that Brody struggles to break. Brody had some hard chops and some holds of his own. This trucks on at a steady, pedestrian pace with some solid but not exciting wrestling. Slowly, the match escalates to a potential piledriver on the concrete and more highspots, although the match never really gets momentum. Brody hits a hotshot on the ropes and then the knee drop to win the match and the NWA International Title. Decent but underwhelming ultimately. ***
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