Sage Cortez
Alright, so, the NWA. Coming off of Clash 3, they really need to come up with something that reinvigorates their stale and bland product. Selling to Ted Turner may or may not provide the cash infusion that is necessary to make those changes. I’m glad because by and large, they’re coming. It’s about time.
On September 10th, Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson quit the NWA. As previously mentioned in my article relating to WWF matches and angles from this period, they bailed for a lot of reasons. The one that makes the most sense to me was the need for a booking change. Everyone can see the need, but not everybody can make the call and switch it up. The company was also losing their syndicated TV in many places, so things were tight. Here’s a video of the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette talking about their new titles!
– October 1988, on NWA Pro
Ivan and Nikita reunite!
This starts off with Ivan cutting a promo against the Russian Assassins, piggybacking off of what happened at the Clash. Eventually the Assassins come from behind, and start dishing out a beatdown to poor Ivan. They stomp on him and hit him with Ivan’s steel chain, but here comes Nikita from the back! He starts clobbering these Assassins, which clears the ring. Ivan and Nikita stare at each other, and hug to a huge pop! Commies getting cheered in the South. I’ve seen it all. This was pretty well done.
– Taped to air October 8th, 1988, on NWA Worldwide
Varsity Club Gift Giving
So, this thing has run its course to a certain extent and it’s time to do a split. Rick Steiner was always marginalized as part of this group, and was capable of doing more. They’re building towards breaking that up. Steiner tries to give Kevin Sullivan a Michigan sweater. While Sullivan is in the middle of unwrapping it, Mike Rotunda gives him a Syracuse sweater that he clearly appreciates more. Over the past few months preceding this, Rick Steiner had been given the gimmick of being mentally handicapped. That is just…not funny. At all. One smart thing they did was to have Steve Williams join up with this group. More on this later!
– Taped to air October 22nd, 1988, from the Coliseum in Richmond, Virginia
The Varsity Club vs. The Road Warriors & Sting (w/Paul Ellering) for the NWA Six Man Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: This title hasn’t been covered much here, in large part because it is so irrelevant. It not being shown in full is one of many signs that something big was about to take place. Dusty Rhodes was not defending his title here because he was at a charity event. So, Sting substituted for him. I hate watching matches joined in progress, but this is too important to miss.
Match Review: The Varsity Club was in control of this match as we join it, with Animal getting beaten by a championship belt. Rotunda nails him with a dropkick, drops an elbow on the knee, and tags in Sullivan. Sullivan gets bodyslammed by Animal, but Steiner rushes in before he can make a tag. Regardless, he does make a tag, and Tommy Young has to kick Hawk out of the ring. Animal gets beaten more with that belt, and Steiner resumes punishment. Sullivan heads in, Animal nails him with a clothesline, and still cannot tag out legally. Rotunda tags in and puts a leglock on Animal, as we go to a commercial break. Damn!
Back from that commercial, Rotunda gets hit with a low blow. Animal is near his corner, but still no tag. Animal falls on top of Steiner during a bodyslam, it gets 2. Steiner kicks his leg out from under him when he gets up, and Rotunda tags in to give a leg drop to that knee. It gets 2 as well. Sullivan heads in, and they nail Animal with a double back elbow for 2. It’s about time for Animal to make a tag here. He drills Rotunda with a clothesline, and finally switches out! Hawk and Sting rush into the ring after the tag, and pair off with their guys. Sting dropkicks Steiner to the outside, and Rotunda is given a double clothesline by the Road Warriors. Sting gives Rotunda the STINGER SPLASH, and puts the SCORPION DEATHLOCK ON HIM! Now, Hawk pulls Sting off Rotunda, and the Road Warriors hit Sting with a double clothesline. WHAT? Animal gives him a press slam, then picks him up for the DOOMSDAY DEVICE, which they land. Jim Ross has some great commentary here. “THEY BROKE HIS NECK RIGHT THERE!” Lex Luger rushes out from the back to save Sting, but the Road Warriors attack him too! They take Luger out with a clothesline, then the entire babyface locker room hits the ring to stop this madness.
Fortunately, this video clips to an interview. The Road Warriors say they’re tired of carrying Dusty Rhodes and everyone else in the company. They don’t want to team up with new guys, they don’t want to make kids happy anymore, and they want to kick ass. Paul Ellering has some comments of his own, and he says that if Dusty hadn’t been at a charity event, nothing would have happened to Sting. He says Sting is a nice kid, but he was in the way and they don’t like him.
My Thoughts: No rating due to this being JIP, but this was excellent on multiple levels. The NWA desperately needed something to boost attendance and TV ratings. At first glance it would seem that they got it, but only time would tell. I’m deliberately not finding out until later. The best thing about it is that they had the Road Warriors turn on the hottest guy in the company. They didn’t beat up Dusty or some jabronis, it was Sting. I know they found a way to get out of the Road Warriors being heels, but I’m interested to see how. Honestly, if not for the Road Warriors, this article would have been very difficult to complete as my interest levels were waning. Obviously, this video is highly recommended, and you should watch it. It features Sting getting turned on. You can’t miss that!
At the beginning of November, finally the acquisition of the NWA was completed, and Ted Turner became the owner. All of the wrestlers except Ric Flair were told that they needed to move to Atlanta. Speaking of him, he apparently was close to quitting not long after the ownership change. Didn’t want to put over Bam Bam Bigelow in any way, didn’t like the BS finishes, etc. More on that and the Turner situation at the end.
– October 29th, 1988, from Municipal Auditorium in New Orleans, Louisiana
The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) vs. The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) for the NWA Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: Well, the Road Warriors sure are getting a title shot quickly! This was smart business, simple as that. Both these teams are hot after recent events, so they had to try to pop a house with them. This match was aired on TV, although I do not know on which show. I snagged this off the WWE’s Road Warriors DVD.
Match Review: To start this thing off, Ellering attacks Cornette, and the Road Warriors throw Eaton into the ring post as well. He does a great bladejob, and is fully busted open. Lane goes over to Hawk to save his partner, but the damage is already done. Back inside the ring, Lane is having to deal with two guys and a manager who keeps distracting the referee. Cornette nails Animal from behind with his tennis racket, and Lane tries to beat him up, only for Hawk to hit him with a clothesline from behind. Hawk makes a legal tag in, and the Road Warriors give him a Hart Attack type move. Hawk picks Lane up, and powerslams him. After a fist drop, Animal tags back in and they give Lane a double back elbow. Animal drops the elbow a few times, as Eaton finally makes his way to his corner. Hawk tags in and gives Lane a punch from the second rope, as Eaton falls off the apron in the background. Animal switches back in, nails Lane with a flying shoulderblock, and Eaton makes a tag in. He gives Hawk a neckbreaker, and hits Animal with his best shots. Eaton can’t stay standing, so Animal nails him with a stiff clothesline and the Road Warriors win the belts at 4:30!
My Thoughts: It’s weird to see a great team like the Midnight Express in the position of transitional champions, but that was what needed to be done. There was no way they could keep the belts off the Road Warriors at this point. They had to get them in the most dominating fashion possible and the Express did the honors. It doesn’t really matter if the Express looked weak, because that was sort of their gimmick and what they were used to doing every week. ** for the short destruction, and the Express not having the belts would lead to the next thing…
– Taped to air November 5th, 1988, on World Championship Wrestling, from WTBS Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
Stan Lane (w/Bobby Eaton & Jim Cornette) vs. The Menace #2
I don’t just review any squash match, brother. The interview the Midnight Express had before the match was amazing. Cornette just rambled on and on while his two charges stood there doing and saying nothing. Weird seeing Stan Lane do a singles match, squash or not. The ME’s are totally babyfaces now.
Cornette is going to join the commentary team for this one. As you’d figure, Lane has his way with this poor jobber. It appears that Tony Schiavone has an important phone call to be received, for Jim Cornette. Cornette answers that call, and gets in an argument with some guy. He tells this guy that whenever he wants to show up, the Midnight Express are ready for it. Cornette sees them, and it appears to be…Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose. THERE’S PAUL E. DANGEROUSLY! THEY AREN’T PART OF THE NWA! They completely destroy the Midnight Express, Cornette is busted wide open, and nobody really knows what to make of this. Nice of Cornette to wear a white suit and bleed all over it. Inside the ring, Cornette gets set up again, and Paul E. slaps him around like Cornette is a bitch. This was really well done.
– Taped to air November 20th, 1988, from who knows where!
Rick Steiner gets kicked out of the Varsity Club
Rick Steiner has been doing a lot of things to get kicked out of the Varsity Club. He’s been working this stupid gimmick really hard, getting Varsity Club members in trouble at inopportune times. He has basically been asking for this to happen. His thing has been the best thing going in the company, which says a lot about what the company is like right now. As you guys can see in the video here, during a match against the Fantastics, the Varsity Club ripped Steiner’s clothes off. YOU DON’T GET TO WEAR OUR COLLEGE GEAR, PAL. I got screwed in terms of a lack of videos to watch and use for this. The 1989 situation is way better on that front.
– November 25th, 1988, from Charlotte Coliseum, in Charlotte, North Carolina
Ric Flair (NWA Champion) & Barry Windham (NWA US Champion, w/JJ Dillon) vs. Dusty Rhodes & Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Oliver Humperdink)
Pre-Match Thoughts: Bigelow made his debut in September, but he disappeared until around this time, hence the lack of mentionining it. Bam Bam didn’t exactly stick around a long time in the NWA, but he was looking to make his mark. This is a quality matchup and gives me a chance to watch guys who rarely wrestled TV matches at this point.
Match Review: Windham and Bigelow start the match off, with Bigelow rolling around to evade the United States Champion. Bigelow gives Windham a press slam, and Dusty comes in to steal Bigelow’s attention. That was hilarious. Windham takes a break, gets back in, and wants a test of strength. Why would he do that? In the end, Bigelow gives Windham another press slam, and Flair gets inside the ring, as does Dusty. It’s a standoff, which eventually leads to Windham and Bigelow alone in there again. Windham tries to rake the eyes to get control, but Bigelow comes back with a headbutt to knock him down. Flair makes his first appearance in the match after a tag, and this is the first time I’ve seen him in the ring with Bigelow. Bigelow does a cartwheel, Flair does his strut, and at a different time this would have made a great main event program. Flair gets thrown across the ring, but comes back with his chops that do nothing to Bigelow. Bigelow picks Flair up for a press slam, and Flair has to take a break. Flair acts like he’s going to leave, but Bigelow follows him and runs him back to the ring! Flair tries a rope clothesline, but that doesn’t do shit. Bigelow shows him that it did nothing, and Flair has to beg for time. Bigelow gives him another press slam, and Flair decides to spit at Dusty. So, Dusty brings himself in with a tag, and this old hat act of him against Flair is still really hot. Dusty nails Flair with an elbow, then Windham runs in, and Dusty gives elbows to both of those guys. After hitting JJ with one, the arena goes crazy and it takes a while for things to calm down. Flair kicks Dusty in the knee, and they start double teaming him, only for Dusty to hit Flair and Windham with a clothesline. Flair gets launches into the corner, and falls down to the apron where Bigelow hits him and sends him into the fans. This is great and I totally wasn’t expecting it. Flair gets back in the ring, and tries to go for a boxing match against Dusty. Dusty hits him with all his best shots, and nails Flair with another clothesline. After one for Windham, he throws Flair off the top rope. Into the figure-four, which Windham breaks up by clotheslining him. Windham makes a legal tag in, and he hits Dusty with another clothesline. Dusty tries to come back with an elbow, but Windham is ready to counter that with…THE PECTORAL CLAW. To get out of it, Dusty decides to hit Windham down low. Way down low. Bigelow and Flair tag in, and Bigelow hits Flair with 5 in the corner. After a hip toss, Bigelow gives Flair another press slam, and with the referee distracted, Windham hits Bigelow down low. That’s totally fair. Flair hits Bigelow low with a knee, and makes his exit. Windham hits Bigelow repeatedly with his gloved hand, takes him down, and drops a knee. Flair tags in, and he drops his knee as well. The two remaining Horsemen use multiple double teams with the referee distracted, and Bigelow comes back with a sunset flip on Windham for 2. That was really impressive looking. Bigelow and Windham hit each other with a double clothesline, and that gives them a really short break. Bigelow reverses a suplex attempt into one of his own, and both guys make the tag! Dusty is a house of fire, and takes both these guys out. Dusty has the sleeper on Windham, but JJ comes in with his shoe…and Humperdink takes it away. Dusty has JJ in a sleeper, and this becomes a disqualification after about 18 minutes of fun.
My Thoughts: I don’t know why I’ve never heard about this match, but until the finish it was excellent. Of course, every match on TV between four over guys is not going to end with a clean finish. I totally understand that and expect nothing less. What I do expect is solid matches throughout shows and hard work. I got that here. This is about as good as it gets for a TV tag match now that some of these teams have been dismantled and the NWA product has gone into a rut. ***1/2 and recommended. It’s very easily found, and while the initial segment where Flair and Windham get beaten up seems very long, it flies by like you wouldn’t believe.
– Taped to air November 26th, 1988, on World Championship Wrestling, from WTBS Studios in Atlanta, Georgia
The Road Warriors attack Dusty Rhodes
Headed into Starrcade, Dusty Rhodes has had a major problem with the Road Warriors. Obviously, we know what the Road Warriors have done when turning heel and all that. After they were interviewed, Dusty Rhodes was interviewed, and that did not end well for him in any way, shape, or form. The Road Warriors wanted Dusty real bad, so they got in the ring and nailed him in the face with one of their spikes. 2 on 1 was not going to end well. After Dusty gets spiked, he does a disgusting blade and bleeds all over the place while everyone is eating dinner. That’s a nice thing to eat dinner during…somebody getting spiked in the eye. This was a great angle, but it was very poorly timed and they should not have done it. This was an attempt to save his job I suppose, but it worked out to be the exact opposite of that. Not only did people not want to see this, but there was a lot of build up beforehand to lead to Dusty losing his booking job. Ric Flair was completely and totally fed up with Dusty. TBS wanted Ric Flair in the company when they bought it, that was a complete necessity. Apparently there was an argument regarding Starrcade, where the main event was going to be Ric Flair vs. Rick Steiner. Why, I really don’t know, but that was changed back. TBS sent down an edict telling the company not to bleed after Cornette’s angle earlier in the month. Dusty bled, he got canned. Nobody expected him to stick around as a wrestler, but he did for a little while. For the time being, Jim Crockett was going to take over as booker under…Jim Herd. There was a Clash coming up shortly after this, where the angle was supposed to take place. They didn’t and that’s history. I’m going to review one more thing before Starrcade, and that is…
– Taped to air December 25th, 1988, on NWA Main Event, from Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina
Lex Luger & Sting vs. The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) for the NWA Tag Team Championships
Pre-Match Thoughts: This would appear to be Luger’s blowoff match for this feud. I’m guessing it is, anyway. Remember, the Road Warriors didn’t only attack Sting, they got Luger from behind too. Like the last match, this is something that I just have to see. The match time is such that I expect the Road Warriors to be working a really good heel contest.
Match Review: This match will start with Animal and Sting, who lock up in the middle of the ring. Neither man can get the better of the other, until Animal hits Sting with a big boot. Sting comes back with a cross body for no count, and dropkicks Animal over the top. Hawk makes the tag in, and Sting gives him a piledriver that he does not sell. Hawk comes back with a suplex, Sting does not sell that. This little crowd is on fire. Both guys try a clothesline, it does nothing, but Hawk’s dropkick puts Sting down. Hawk gives Sting a bodyslam, heads up top, and gets hit on the way down. Sting dropkicks Hawk to the outside, and it is so weird to see the Road Warriors bumping around like this. Luger finally tags in to face Animal, and they go with a test of strength. Animal hits him with a cheap headbutt, but Luger responds to that with a powerslam. Hawk tags in, and catches Luger to give him an inverted atomic drop. Hawk tries a flying shoulderblock to follow, but Luger moves out of the way and rams Hawk’s face into the mat. Animal makes a tag, and he’s able to dump Luger through the ropes and to the floor. Hawk rams Luger’s back into the apron, and tags so that Animal can throw Luger into the steel railing. Luger heads back into the ring, and Hawk gives him a big dropkick for 2. Animal tags in and continues the punishment, blocking a sunset flip on the way. Hawk comes back in, and they give Luger a Hart Attack. Hawk drops the fist, covers for 2. He puts Luger in a chinlock, which Luger is able to break, although he’s not able to do anything else. Animal comes in, and throws Luger over the top behind Tommy Young’s back. Luger gets rolled back in by Hawk, who tags in and gives Luger a neckbreaker. Hawk misses a pair of elbow drops, tags out, and Luger tags out as well! Sting dishes out dropkicks, a low blow, and a face smash bulldog. Up top he goes, and down with a body press for 2. Sting gives Animal the STINGER SPLASH, and goes for the SCORPION DEATHLOCK, which Hawk clotheslines Sting to break. Just like when the Road Warriors turned on Sting. They give Sting a double clothesline, and pick him up for the DOOMSDAY DEVICE, but Luger nails Hawk with a chair from behind. They brawl on the floor with chairs and stuff, as this has been ruled a double disqualification at 13:26.
My Thoughts: This was really strong. It’s interesting to see the Road Warriors from the heel perspective. Obviously they would have made great heels if fans were able to stop cheering them, that is exhibited here in this match. Their control offense was very good, the initial bit where they got worked over was really good, and the finish was a great bit of violence. Very pleased with how that went. It’s also one of the best Road Warrior matches that I’ve seen, honestly. ***1/4, I would have loved to see this be longer or have a clean finish, but I know there was no chance of that finish ever happening.
Now, as this is wrapping up…news and notes time. Ricky Morton left in September to go to Japan, everyone could have guessed that. No partner, no Ricky. Jimmy Garvin gave his notice too. Nikita Koloff also quit the company. His wife was sick, and he had been pushed way down the card, which always struck me as being a big mistake. It would appear that the Junkyard Dog is going to take his place at Starrcade and the events afterward.
As for joinings, we have Eddie Gilbert showing up after quitting the Continental territory. As we also know, Paul E. Dangerously left Continental for the same reason that Gilbert did. It was over booking and business. Ricky Steamboat was heavily rumored to be part of the Starrcade ’88 main event, but no deal was reached and that had to wait. Upon completion of the sale to Turner, it was rumored that Bob Orton Jr., Big John Studd, Tommy Rich, and Greg Valentine would join the company. Two eventually did, two didn’t. The organization was a mess at this point. There were no-shows everywhere, arguments over travel, all that stuff. They also submitted a lineup to TBS for Clash 5 that was rejected by TBS.
There were also some changes that the company was going to make under Jim Herd. Wrestlers would get paid as per their contract instead of by gates. Travel would be handled by TBS. The Saturday night show would be moving to a different arena. They also did Bunkhouse Stampede’s, but luckily I’m not watching any of them. I will cut back to Clash 4, but I need to review Survivor Series 1988 and SNME #18 first. I really better get on that.
Best: Road Warriors turn angle. It is really not even close.
Worst: Tully and Arn dropping their titles off TV. Boo!
