Through the Years: NWA Matches & Angles from Bunkhouse Stampede ’88 to Clash I

 

The Bunkhouse Stampede is over, and the build to Clash of the Champions is upon us! I’d be lying if I said there was a lot going on. There’s absolutely not much going on. I believe I have two matches to review and a lot of angles. Would have more but I don’t want this to go past the Clash date. The entire intention of the Clash is for JCP to do what was done to them by the WWF. Screwing the WWF out of PPV buys is good business for them. The card they would go on to schedule was good business for them. I’m eagerly anticipating that, but have to carve through the two months preceding it first.

 

– Taped to air January 30th, 1988, on World Wide Wrestling

 

Barry Windham vs. Tully Blanchard (NWA Tag Team Champion, w/JJ Dillon)

 

This is not the full match. Shared the video because I know something happens at the end, although what it is, I do not know. There were 3 minutes left in the time limit, at which point Windham tries to give Tully a superplex. Windham had a leg injury and tumbled to the canvas, though. So, Windham hits Tully with the LARIAT, and in the middle of the pin, JJ Dillon rings the bell. Amazing. Lex Luger rushes out, and says that JJ rang the bell. Obviously. What happened after that, was that Tommy Young used instant replay to see that JJ actually did ring the bell. Young then says the match will continue, and Blanchard tries a quick small package on Windham. Luger stops Young from counting the fall, and anarchy ensues. Tully attacks Luger, JJ hits Windham with his shoe, then here comes the other two Horsemen. Arn DDT’s Luger, and Flair tries to tell Windham he can hit Luger. This is crazy. Some dumbass fan runs into the ring, and gets fucked up by JJ and Arn. Windham doesn’t hit Luger, and attacks Flair instead! Here comes Sting from the back, and he chases Flair from the ring! Windham and Luger are then interviewed, and form a tag team! That served to set up two different things for the Clash. One was a Sting/Flair match. The other was Luger & Windham vs. Tully and Arn. The seeds are planted, as they say. Check out the video.

 

– January 30th, 1988, from Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina

 

ROAD WARRIORS VS. POWERS OF PAIN BENCHPRESS CONTEST

 

If you thought Scott Steiner vs. HHH was the first one of these, you’re wrong! Of course some shit is going to go down. The weightlifting is irrelevant. The Powers of Pain also have Paul Jones and Ivan Koloff with them. The notion that these guys can benchpress 600 pounds is hilarious. Jones rejects that idea of Ellering’s, and Ellering slaps him. Haha. The Powers of Pain want to do 500 pounds, but now they’re pissed. The crowd is so hyped up for this bit. When Animal goes down to the bench, Koloff throws chalk in the Road Warriors eyes, and let the beating commence. Animal gets thrown into the enormous bar full of weights, and Barbarian cracks Hawk over the head with a chair as hard as you can imagine. The Road Warriors were rarely ever beaten up like that. Animal did a big blade too. The thing is, Animal had a major injury happen the day before that. His eye got smashed in during a match, then they shot the angle the next day. He had surgery afterward and everything was okay, but that explains why he took the weight shot so carefully.

 

– Taped to air February 6th, 1988, on NWA Pro, from Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina

 

Mike Rotunda (w/Kevin Sullivan) vs. Nikita Koloff for the NWA Television Championship

Pre-Match Thoughts: The first time these two faced off, Rotunda wasn’t with Sullivan, and he lost. What happens when he has Sullivan’s influence in his corner for the second match? Rotunda has a new hair style and outfit, showing off that influence.

Match Review: Earl Hebner is still in the NWA at the time of this match being taped. I know that because he’s the referee for this match. Routnda takes Nikita down with a headlock, as Jim Ross passes on the NWA’s not allowing instant replay for a referee to make a decisions again. Nikita takes Rotunda down with a hip toss, and then a bodyslam, which causes Rotunda to leave the ring and take a break. Back inside, Nikita takes Rotunda down with a headlock this time. So, we go to a commercial.

Back from that commercial, Rotunda has Nikita in a head-scissors. Nikita breaks free, and Rotunda takes him down from behind. He has a hammerlock on the champion, then applies a half-nelson for a 2 count. Rotunda gets up and continues to work the arm, for a very long time. No exaggeration. Rotunda misses a charge to the corner, and we go to another commercial. What the hell…

Once that’s over, Rotunda rams Nikita into a turnbuckle. He follows that with a back elbow, and a leg drop for 2. Nikita finally mounts some offense, with a running back elbow into the corner. Koloff covers for 2, and there’s 5 minutes left in the time limit. Rotunda misses a dropkick, and Nikita covers again for 2. He puts a chinlock on Rotunda, and it appears that Rick Steiner is now at ringside. Nikita whips Rotunda into the buckle, rams him into another buckle, and lands some punches. Nikita follows with a flying shoulderblock, and Steiner blocks the pin attempt. Nikita hits Steiner, and hits Rotunda with the SICKLE, but the referee is having to keep Steiner from entering the ring. While that’s going on, KEVIN SULLIVAN climbs into the ring, and nails Nikita in the throat with a foreign object. Looked like a SPIKE. Rotunda goes over to cover, and gets the pinfall victory after around 13 minutes. We have a new TV CHAMPION!

My Thoughts: Hilarious how that worked out. I’m actually very glad that the title was taken off Koloff. His ring work wasn’t so great after Magnum TA suffered his career ending injuries. His girlfriend and soon to be wife was also very sick, so he needed to leave. This wasn’t a good match at all, and I’m not happy that Rotunda was the guy chosen to be the new TV Champion. Not a fan of his work. *1/4. There was little bumping, few big transitional moves, and it was just lame.

 

– Taped to air February 6th, 1988, on Worldwide, from Dorton Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina

 

Sting challenges Ric Flair

 

So, to start this segment off, Flair was being awarded a 1987 Wrestler of the Year award. After that portion was over, Sting had some comments of his own. He says that Flair’s tuxedos and limos make him ILL. Then, he challenges Flair to come back out there. JJ Dillon does instead. Sting talks some trash to him, and JJ throws his glass of champagne back at Sting. Sting pulls JJ into the ring, and gives him…THE STINGER SPLASH. He puts the SCORPION DEATHLOCK ON JJ, and now here comes the Horsemen, who Sting expertly evades. Now Flair wants a match against him. See where this is going? Flair wants a match ASAP. He will get it!

 

Off TV, they had the Powers of Pain & Ivan Koloff win the 6 Man Tag Team Championships. First time they had been meaningful in quite some time. Don’t know where that’s going. Probably to a match at the Clash.

 

– Taped to air March 5th, 1988, on Worldwide Wrestling

 

Ric Flair (NWA Champion) & Tully Blanchard (NWA Tag Team Champion, w/JJ Dillon) vs. Lex Luger & Ole Anderson in a STEEL CAGE MATCH

Pre-Match Thoughts: That’s a rare appearance from Ole Anderson. I can dig it. Can Luger get revenge on the Horsemen after the way he was made to leave? I hope so. Have never checked this out before. It seems as if they haven’t utilized Luger’s turn the best way that they could have.

Match Review: Tully and Ole will start the match, and Ole attacks! He rams Tully into the cage a few times, and Tully gets sent back and forth with both opponents hitting him. Ole drops an elbow for 2, and makes the tag to Luger. Luger comes in with a shot from the second rope, and then this gets clipped to a point where Luger and Flair were in the ring. Luger gives Flair a big press slam, and follows with one for Tully too. Don’t think that was a big clip at all. Tully breaks up Luger’s bear hug, but Luger hits them both with a double clothesline. He tags in Ole, who works on Tully’s left arm. Tully breaks free, and Ole prevents him from making a tag. Here’s Luger, who whips Tully hard into the buckle. Tully kicks Luger, and in comes Flair. Flair is in there with Ole, and Flair gets RAMMED into the cage. Ole does it again, so Flair tries to leave. Ole pulls his trunks to keep that from happening, and crotches Flair on the ropes below. Luger and Ole shake the ropes until Tully falls off of them, and Ole goes to work on Flair’s face with some punches. Flair comes back with a kneebreaker, and after another clip, he has a figure-four on Ole. Tully makes the tag in, and Arn Anderson is now at ringside. Ole hits Tully with a low blow, and Luger makes the hot tag in. He gives tully an atomic drop and a dropkick, then a powerslam. Luger lands a big elbow drop, but Flair breaks up the cover. Luger winds up rolling up Tully, and gets a 3 count after an indeterminate amount of time.

Arn and JJ climb into the ring, and go to work after the match. Ole’s getting clobbered, as is Luger. To save them, here comes Dusty Rhodes to huge cheers!

My Thoughts: Really should have been Sting in the position that Dusty was in. The match was fun, but I can’t rate it due to the clipping. I thought Ole made for a fun babyface. Luger didn’t get the crowd reaction that I expected. Other than that, hard to read very much into that match.

 

– March 12th, 1988, from Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia

 

Sting vs. Ric Flair (w/JJ Dillon) for the NWA Heavyweight Championship

 

Pre-Match Thoughts: This is the match Flair wanted. I’m hoping that this is complete, unlike the last match between these two that I watched. I know they have a match just a little bit later at the Clash, but it would be very incomprehensive to not watch this.

Match Review: The two men lock up, with Sting immediately pushing Flair down to the canvas. Flair comes back with a shoulderblock, and Sting gives him a press slam after that. Sting gives him another, and Flair goes to the outside for a rest. When Flair gets back in, Sting poses and the crowd likes that too. Sting gives him a hip toss, a dropkick, and covers for 2. Close call. Sting puts an armbar on Flair, which Flair sells as per his usual, as we head to a commercial.

Back from that commercial, Sting is beating up Flair in the corner. He gives Flair another hip toss, but this time he misses the dropkick. Continuity is a great thing. Flair dumps Sting to the outside, but Sting comes right back in with a sunset flip for a 2 count. Sting tries to follow a whip with a charge to the corner, but Flair dodges that charge. Flair follows that with a suplex, which Sting doesn’t sell at all. Sting knocks Flair over the top with a punch, and Flair trips Sting to bring him out as well. Flair whips Sting into the railing, and we go to another commercial.

Not a fan of this two commercial format at all, but that last commercial was really funny. JOIN BUZZ SAWYER’S WRESTLING SCHOOL. Flair drops a few knees on Sting, and sends him down to the floor once again. Flair continues to whip Sting into the rail, and trash talks fans while doing it. He grabs a chair to hit Sting with, but Tommy Young puts a stop to that crap. Back in we go, and JJ runs distraction for Flair to throw Sting over the top. Sting lands on his feet, gets in the ring, and gives Flair a flying clothesline from the second rope for another close 2 count. Another commercial? Fuck this…

Back from that bullshit, Sting rolls up Flair for 2. He puts Flair in a backslide for another 2 count, and Flair tries to go up top for a move. As we know, that never works, and Sting slams Flair down to the canvas. Sting gives Flair another hip toss, and throws Flair over the buckle and onto the apron. Sting gives him a suplex, and tries a big splash, but lands on Flair’s knees. Flair and Young do their pushing game, and Sting sneaks up onto the top rope…for a flying bodypress. That hits Young, who tumbles out of the ring. A replacement referee comes down to ringside, as Sting hits Flair with the STINGER SPLASH. He puts him in the SCORPION DEATHLOCK, and JJ grabs the replacement official. He rams that ref into the post, and climbs into the ring. JJ tries to make Sting break the hold, then calls out reinforcements. The match is obviously over, after 12 great minutes.

HERE COMES THE HORSEMEN! They came, but so did Luger and Windham! They block Arn from putting a stop to Sting’s hold, and I don’t really see Tully anywhere. Finally, the hold is broken, and I guess that’s going to be the end of all this.

My Thoughts: So, that’s how they set up Clash of the Champions. Sting clearly deserved to win the match, and would have won it if there was a referee in the ring. That’s a nice way to have worked things out. I thought this match was really strong. It was easy to see these guys had great chemistry, and Sting plugged better into Flair’s formula than most other wrestlers. Sting was the combination of athleticism and charisma that nobody else in the company could have been. ***1/2, this was going to great places without the commercials. They stemmed the flow of the match, and three of them was just too many. JJ being put in a cage as a result of his actions in this match was very smart, though! I won’t recommend it merely because these two had so many other matches that were better than this.

 

– Taped to air March 26th, 1988, from WTBS Studios in Atlanta, Georgia

 

Magnum TA interview

I found this…elsewhere. This was a major angle at the time. To start things off, there was a big tag team match between the team of Luger and Windham, who were facing Tully and Arn. So, Magnum TA was at ringside, and he had a baseball bat. Magnum used that bat to hit JJ Dillon, then Tully grabbed a hold of it. Magnum jabbed him in the chest, Windham went for a cover…and a referee came into the ring to stop the original official from making the count. Luger and Windham were prevented from winning the title by Magnum, basically. Now, on this episode of World Championship Wrestling, Magnum TA is interviewed. He has his baseball bat, and wants to address the controversy he has caused. He says it felt great hitting Tully with that bat. Of course, that draws Tully and JJ out from behind the curtain. Barry Windham comes out to put a stop to Tully running down everyone’s friend, and Tully clocks him. Then TULLY CLOCKS MAGNUM. JJ sets Magnum down somewhat softly, but that’s a big ‘wow moment.’ Fortunately, DUSTY RHODES COMES OUT FOR THE BIG SAVE, GRABS THAT BASEBALL BAT, AND CRACKS THAT MOTHERFUCKER BLANCHARD WITH IT. A whole bunch of guys come out from the back, one of them being Jim Crockett. Dusty eventually hits Crockett in the face with the bat, as he chokes Tully until many of the boys from the back can pull them apart.

Great studio angle. The company couldn’t have run something like that in an arena. People would have rioted. The obvious negative side of the angle is that Tully got heat by beating up a cripple. Later in the show, JJ Dillon cuts one of the best dissections I’ve ever heard him do. This angle was the pretext for Dusty losing the United States Championship, as it was stripped from him. See how he got out of that without having to do a job? Well done Dusty.

 

That’s everything headed into the Clash. Not too many matches, but some really good angles. I’m interested to see how much of this stuff gets tied up. I’ve never watched the entire first Clash show, so it will be a new experience. I’m a big fan of the NWA feel. The production isn’t always right, the booking is often wrong, but when something comes off it’s absolutely glorious. Its wrestling at its best. Next up, I’ll be heading back over to the wWF for their WrestleMania build. I am interested to see how things are handled with them knowing there’s going to be free competition on the day of WrestleMania. The roles are switched!

Best: Sting vs. Ric Flair. This was very good.

Worst: Mike Rotunda vs. Nikita Koloff. Disappointing.