Bryan Danielson vs Kamala - Liberty City Wrestling - 09/30/06

ROH WORLD TITLE MATCH

So this one is more of a match to sell tickets to a small time indy show really.  Take the best independent wrestler in the entire world and put him against a legendary gimmick like Kamala, put the ROH title on the line and you're guaranteed to sell out the 30 or so seats in the arena.  As for the match itself, I kinda enjoyed it but I'll let you judge for yourself.

The crowd was split here, the Danielson doubters were there to see him get annihilated by a monster, where as the fans were there to chant, ''BEST IN THE WORLD!''  You assume that chant was for Danielson, but who knows?  It might have been for Kamala.  The match itself wasn't great, but fun enough to watch.  It was essentially a brawl and BD helped Kamala sell the gimmick by being wary and selling his chops, before the match descended into a no contest brawl.  Enjoy.

Taka Michinoku, Gran Naniwa & Super Delfin vs Great Sasuke, Tiger Mask IV & Shiryu

MICHINOKU PRO - 03/16/96


I love every single wrestler in this match so for me, this is spectacular.  However, as an unbiased spectacle it's still a really good match, with a terrific blend of puroresu style wrestling which is common in Japan, and lucha libre, which is associated with Mexico, but also common in Japan.

This match makes me hate WWE.  Taka is such a talent, and even though he's not WWE's idea of a superstar, he deserved to be more than the jobber they turned him in to.  But that's WWE.  Elsewhere, Taka is not only appreciated, but he's celebrated - and rightfully so.  This is one of many great matches Taka has participated in (the same can also be said for the others).  So, sit back and enjoy this one from the same year as Kurt Angle won the gold and grunge was coming to an end.

Jay Briscoe vs Mark Brisoce -

HCW - 07/26/05

The Briscoe's are fucking crazy.  Genuinely.  You don't believe me?  Then watch this match. Apparently, this match started over a dispute they had in a bar the night before, so basically they just showed up to a backyard indie wrestling show and beat shit out of each other.  I really don't know what to say.  I mean, how can you review a match that consists of nothing but shoot fighting, brutal chair attacks and suplexes on stones?  It's just a brutal match that needs to be seen to be believed.  If you're familiar with the Briscoe's though then this probably won't come as much of a shock to you.  Would love to hear your thoughts on this one.

NWA Crockett Cup - April 22-23 1988

So the thrid annual Crockett Cup and the final due to Ted Turner buying Jim Crockett promotions.  What a great way to bow out.  This is a great event.  So, let's read on and see who wins the million dollars....

Match 1 - Jimmy Valiant & Mighty Wilbur vs Ivan Koloff & Dick Murdoch - Round 1


This match had some great competitors but it wasn't a great match by any means.  Dick Murdoch's knee to the back on Valiant was great though.  Quite a fun start to the tournament, but far from being good in any shape or form.

Match 2 - ''Dr. Death'' Steve Williams & Ron Simmons vs Mike Rotunda & Ricky Steiner - Round 2


Steve Williams and Ron Simmons are 2 legit fucking legends.  It's a scientific fact that Simmons is actually God himself.  Ask any scientist.  If they say there is no God then they're lying because Ron Fuckin' Simmons is God.

This was a good match.  Fast paced and intense, and Williams and Simmons pretty much owned it.  However, it ended with Kevin Sullivan delivering a cheap shot to Simmons causing him to be counted out.  This really annoys me a lot because Williams and Simmons should have went through at least one more round because they were much more dynamic, fun to watch and cool.  Actually, I no longer nothing Rotunda.  Flat out FUCK Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan.  I hate them for screwing Simmons and Doc.  Also, Doc & Simmons would be a bad ass name for a tag team, detective duo, superhero team or insurance company.

Match 3 - Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs Kendall Windham & The Italian Stallion - Round 2


Kendall and Stallion weren't bad here at all.  They were both young and athletic and really caused the Horsemen some problems.  The match was fast paced, intense and physical and didn't let up for a second.  However, inexperience got the better of the young jobbers and Arn planted Stallion with a DDT.  The team of Kendall and Stallion were glorified a little in their defeat, and if given a longer amount of time at a PPV perhaps they could have gained a little credibility.  And to be fair, Arn and Tully are one of the best teams ever and Windham and Stallion, well... aren't.

Match 4 - The Road Warriors vs The Jive Tones - Round 2

The Jive Tones were riding on momentum going into this, but they ultimately got squashed here.  Sure, they put up a decent effort in the brief 2 or so minutes the match lasted, but in the end the Road Warriors weren't going to lose to a team that looked put together for the sake of it because the wrestlers didn't have a lot going on.  It would have been nice to see them get a push though, perhaps by beating another team and progressing further.

Match 5 -  The Fantastics vs Larry Zybyszko & Al Perez - Round 2


This was one of the better matches of a nice, solid bunch.  The Fantastics win this one in great face fashion by getting the roll up pin after Larry Z and Perez attempted a double team move.  This match was good due to the 4 great wrestlers in the ring.  Tommy Rogers is easily won of my favorite wrestlers since discovering NWA.

Match 6 - Sting & Lex Luger vs Dick Murdoch & Ivan Koloff  - Round 2


The 2 biggest babyfaces in the company at the team were forced to team up due to circumstances outwith their control and take on the 2 crafty old veterans of Dick Murdoch and Ivan Koloff.  Lex Luger does one of the most ridiculous dropkicks in the history of wrestling and then manhandles Koloff.  Essentially, this match was used to get Sting and Luger over, but it's Murdoch and Koloff who really look like a more convincing tag team.  They're nasty and they're dirty.  They're everything Sting and Lex aren't.  That's why I love them really.  I mean, Sting and Luger are fine.  Dick Murdoch though - that's the fucking man right there.  Great match though.

Match 7 - Midnight Express vs. The Sheepherders - Round 2


Pretty standard match.  Back and forth brawl.  Pretty fun.  Ends with a sneaky tennis racket to the back from Eaton and a cover from Lane.  If this match showed anything, it's that the Express are better heels than the Sheepherders.  Also, the Sheepherders are a great stereotype.

Match 8 - Jimmy Garvin vs Kevin Sullivan - Prince of Darkness Death Match


Yet another match in the feud over that bitch Precious.  She's not good enough for a guy like Garvin and Kevin Sullivan is perhaps the only human rodent in NWA at this time.  He's a prime example of genetics having a blood orgy with themselves.  At least for this match his face was covered.  Oh yeah, it was a blindfold match.  So the match is pretty self explanatory, punches being thrown everywhere, chokes, the crowd direct Garvin, Garvin wins, gets beat up, brother comes to his aid, Rotunda comes to make it 3 on 2, a bunch of babyfaces run out to help ease the situation.  Nice match for the sheer pointlessness and crapfest it is.  This one was for the crowd to shout, like a pantomime when you're a kid and the big bird runs behind the witch.  Kevin Sullivan has a fatter, hairier stomach than the slut I lost my virginity to as well.

Match 9 - Bunkhouse Stampede Finals - Bunkhouse Stampede 1988 - RECAP Match


This was from another event, one which I covered in full in my review of Bunkhouse Stampede 1988 which you'll find on this blog.  If you want the quick summary - fun but not spectacular.  Have no idea why it's been shown again here.  Got to love random shit sometimes.

Match 10 - The Road Warriors vs Powers of Pain - Quarterfinals 

It's a shame that this is the only quarterfinal match shown considering Sting & Luger took on the Midnight Express, and they showed a match from Bunkhouse Stampede which really didn't need to be shown.  But, this match wasn't a disappointment.  It was an all out brawl between some big bad sons of bitches, with big slams and steel steeps thrown all over the place.  Throw in a steel chair and we have ourselves the perfect amount of chaos for a respected tag team tournament.  This kicked anus.  Ended with a great disqualification after a powerful clothesline on the referee and the Powers of Pain progressed as a result.

Match 11 -  The Midnight Rider vs JJ Dillon - Bull Rope Match


This match was fun and probably booked for the crowd to see Dillon take a beating from Dusty (sorry, Midnight Rider... ahem).  This match started of with Dillon in control but Rider gains control with a low blow and wrapping JJ across the head with a cowbell and pursues him with the cowbell throughout, busting JJ open.  Rider wins after beating JJ over the head with the bell once more.  I really enjoyed this match.  It was only a few minutes of Dillon being beaten with a bell, choked and beat some more, but it was good for being exactly that.  The post match brawl involves an appearance from The Texan, who comes out and beats on Dust... I mean Rider and Murdoc... I mean, Texan really does a number on Dusty.  Then Dr. Death appears to defend Rider, but he gets wrapped with the bell also.  Great match.

Match 12 - Lex Luger and Sting vs Powers of Pain - Semifinals

2 babyfaces against 2 brute, ugly heels.  A tried and tested formula that delivers on entertainment more often than not.  None of these teams work particularly great together, for instance, they aren't as dynamic as the Horsemen or Midnight Express.  It's more a series of individuals teaming up rather than a functioning effective team.  However, they still are good teams, just not great teams.  Sting and Luger was a team made for the fans, clearly.  And boy, were they over.  Both of these teams though were pretty much in their infancy.

My favorite moment of the match is when The Barbarian big boots Sting from the apron.  It's great and Sting sells it like a champ, but I think it's a possibility Barbarian actually stuck him.  Another great moment is when Warlord slams Sting straight to hell.  The Powers of Pain were the best part of this match, but Sting and Luger were able to overcome the odds like classic babyfaces.  Good match.

Match 13 - Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs The Fantastics - Semifinals

This was a great match.  Easily the best of the entire event.  It's pretty much what you'd expect from a match between The Horsemen and The Fantastics.  It's tag team wrestling to the highest standard, 4 greats working a routine terrific match and the Horsemen being executioners and The Fantastics taking it and fighting with all they have left after the methodical beatdowns by Arn & Tully, while gaining spurs of momentum from the supporting crowd who chant their name.

The Fantastics spend the majority of the match with Bobby Fulton getting annihilated by The Horsemen, but they start to take it to them when Tommy Rogers gets tagged in, even connecting with The ROCKET LAUNCHER (which may I add is a timeless tag team move), but Tully breaks it up.  Arn nails Rogers with a shoe pretty soon after and ends this great match with a Horsemen victory.

Match 14 - NWA Heavyweight Championship - Ric Flair vs Nikita Koloff 


At this time, Barry Windham had just joined The Horsemen and accompanied Flair to the ring, so I suspect most of the boos here were for Windham.  This was a solid bout but nothing spectacular as they had better matches with each other than this one, but it was a fine filler to take up a few minutes.  All the matches at this event were roughly under 10 minutes as there was so much to get through, so given the time limit that they could work with this was a good match.  Actually, it was nice to see them go at a relentless pace and switch it up a bit.  Also, Flair bled like a boss as per and retained through DQ.

Match 15 - Sting & Lex Luger vs Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard - Final


Oh man, this was awesome.  This match, Luger and Sting finally looked like a tag team.  The team of Stinger and Lex don't allow the Horsemen to get their game plan going by preventing tags and working on Arn Anderson, but Arn is a dirty player in the game in his own right and he manages to pull out a little trick to get Sting off him and Tully in the ring and change the match in the direction of The Horsemen.  After a spell of dominance by Horsemen, the match becomes a go between and ends with a roll up pin by Luger on Arn.  Sting and Arn a million richer as well.

Summary:  A great event overall with some great matches.  I recommend you check it out.

NWA - Clash of the Champions 1 - 03/27/88

So, it's my understanding that this event went head to head with Wrestlemania.  Personally, I'm not a fan of WWF of that era with the exception of certain matches and superstars so if I had to choose what I was watching back then I would no doubt choose this one.  Not only because it was free, but I prefer the NWA standard of wrestling and their wrestlers.

Anyway, it's only now I'm discovering NWA to it's fullest.  I've stumbled upon stacks of it and now I'm completely hooked.  I've heard this event is a classic, so as I write this opening, I have yet to watch CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS, so my review is going to be immediately after viewing this event.  My buddy over at 'Whiskey & Wrestling' said it's the shit though, and that's good enough for me.  Plus, Dusty is there.

Match 1 -  NWA World Television Championship Match - Mike Rotundo (c) vs Jimmy Garvin (c) - Amatuer Rules Match


I don't know what it is with Mike Rotundo.  I don't think he's bad in any way but I just feel nothing for him.  By that, I don't mean I don't appreciate his matches because I do, but I just don't root for him but I don't hate him either.  Kevin Sullivan on the other hand, I appreciate because he's easy to hate for being an old bastard.  For that reason, I kinda admire him.  Jimmy Garvin though, I really like Jimmy Garvin.  Thew more NWA I watch, the more Jimmy Garvin I'm seeing and I'm somewhat of a fan.  He's by far my favorite by any means, but I do like him, especially in this match because he has wild hair and looks like a  an out of control wild beast when he shoves the referee.  It's like evolution skipped him here and went straight to Kevin Sullivan's thighs.

This match consists of 3 5 minute periods, and within those periods is your limit to win the match.  It's amateur wrestling rules so they're taking it back to the basics.  The first round doesn't really get going until the last 2 minutes, with both competitors tying up in the grapple until Rotunda breaks up the routine with a punch and a snake eyes on to the ropes.  Dirty bastard he is.  The first period ends with Rotundo trying to submit Garvin, but Garvin holds on until the end of the round.

The second round starts of as Rotunda's but the momentum shifts when he takes to the turnbuckle and Garvin takes advantage by slamming him to the mat when Rotunda is up top.  Rotunda won the match with a 1 count pin early into the 2nd round and the match descended into chaos with interference from Sullivan dressed like an occultist, Rick Steiner and that bitch Phoenix with a 2x4.  It's fun, sure, but I'd like to have seen the match go for at least another full round.  It was good while it lasted though.

Match 2 - NWA United States Tag Team Championship - Midnight Express (c) vs The Fantastics


One of the great tag team feuds.  You know what wrestling lacks just now?  Great tag team feuds.  And great tag teams (I'm talking mainstream US here).  Tag team wrestling is the best kind of wrestling for me, so I really miss it not being prominent.  And man, were these teams not just fucking amazing, along with many other great teams of this era.  This was a legendary Mid-South tag team feud that drizzled over into NWA - and that's awesome.  There's no need to stop a good thing, especially when there's so much great chemistry.

The match starts off great from the entrance, with a front show shot of ladies in awe of the Express.  The must have been vaginal magnets back then and Cornette was probably getting the fugly's.  Then The Fantastics enter and the match instantly becomes chaos - there's outside all out brawling, high flying, chairs, tables and Cornettes... It's beautiful.  The match manages to reach some semblance of a regular tag team match for a couple of minutes - until Rogers is slammed face first into a table by Eaton that Jim Cornette has held up for this exact purpose.  It gets even better when Rogers headbutts Lane right in the nuts after taking a leg drop and a big elbow.  Rogers then takes a perfect powerslam to fuck him up even more than he already is.  Seriously - Rogers has been getting dominated and it doesn't stop because he takes an elbow from the top rope soon after.  Lane is then tagged back in and he delivers a powerful gutwrench suplex on Rogers, who sells it like a god then becomes the victim of a series of double team moves by the Midnight Express.  Rogers keeps hanging in there though and even manages a sunset flip but the ref is distracted by his partner on the apron and it's quickly broken up with a head stomp.  The he's thrown to the outside and body slammed on a piece of broken table.  Damn, you start feeling for the poor guy.  He's so fucked up he can barely stand and his very own partner needs to feed him to the sharks again just so he doesn't get counted out.  Eventually, he manages the tag but ref didn't see it so it didn't count, Fulton sends the ref over the rope, Rogers gets a frog splash and 3 count but the Fantastics get DQ'd.  In true celebratory fashion Cornette even hits a ref with a tennis racket for the hell of it.  Why not?

Amazing match.

Match 3 -The Road Warriors & Dusty Rhodes vs The Powers of Pain & Ivan Koloff - Barbed Wire Match

Also referred to as the Chicago Street Fight, this match has barbed wire wrapped around the ring ropes.  It's safe to assume that this isn't going to be a respectful wrestling match.  It's going to be chaos - Animal has a hockey mask.  This ain't no World of Sport here.  This is Friday the 13th Road Warriors style.  It's an unsanctioned brawl and these guys just go for each other from the off.  It kicks ass.  You know what's great about the Road Warriors?  Big fucking slams.  Everyone likes a big  fucking slam to get their adrenalin going.  All I can say about this match is chaos.  A perfect mid card brawl to get the fans excited.  It's definitely not for everyone, but it certainly is perfect for those who like chaos in the ballroom.

Match 4 - NWA World Tag Team Championship - Arn & Tully (c) vs Barry Windham & Lex Luger


Nothing screams dream match like this.  3 out of the 4 of these guys I could watch wrestle forever.  Lex Luger, I like him as well back at this time.  On paper, this was definitely one I had high hopes for. And it didn't disappoint me either.

The match begins with a mild decimation of Tully by Luger, but after Arn breaks up the torture rack, Arn and Tully begin to get themselves into the match and focus on Luger's leg.  But Luger counters a leglock and tags in Windham and the big man clears house.  Windham dominates until Arn Anderson disrupts his abdominal stretch on Tully by punching him on the face and following it up with a DDT.  It's not long after this we are privileged to the spinebuster, which Arn Anderson does as good as anyone in the history of pro wrestling.  He's arguably even the best.  He begins to force pin Windham by using his strength but Windham keeps kicking out, although with the posture and look on Arn then I have no doubts that he'd be a good forceful murderer.  You could imagine him suffocating someone when you see him here.

The Horsemen didn't really get fully going here due to the explosiveness of their opponents, but the match was still reasonably back and forth.  The pace is constantly nothing short of frantic either and in the end it's the Horsemen's own attempt at treachery that backfires and causes them to lose their belts and crown Lex and Barry the tag team champions.

Match 5 - NWA World Heavyweight Championship - Ric Flair (c) vs Sting

Guest celebrity judges were brought into this one and it really gave it a big match feel.  This is a match I've watched many times before.  I don't know a lot of wrestling fans who haven't seen this match.  When I was 15 years old, and obsessed with high risk matches and hardcore wrestling I watched this and it changed my outlook completely.  This was the match that ultimately made me fall in love with technical wrestling.  Since then I've seen many more matches I prefer, especially from Flair, but this really is a classic match.  It's matches like this that give titles credibility.  Love or hate Flair, he had so many matches that brought immense credibility to the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

This was my favorite Sting as well.  I thought he looked better at this time and I preferred him as a wrestler.  I've never really cared for his Crow gimmick, but Sting in the 80's and early 90's is pretty cool.  This match really is great.  I mean, don't watch it if you don't enjoy 4 minute headlocks and such, but if you do like that kinda stuff then check it out.

As expected in a match like this, both have spells of dominance, I mean, it is 40 minutes long.  It isn't boring for one second though.  The match ended with a time limit draw, with the decisions of the judges ultimately favoring Flair without actually not favoring Sting.  Go figure.

Summary Thought:  A great PPV and one I'm going to watch over and over.  To think that people paid for Mania when this was free.... well, they really missed out.  I reckon it would have been amazing to see this one live.  Really really great event.

NWA Great American Bash 1988

The first Great American Bash to be produced as a PPV, and the 4th annual Bash event.  It was later on in 1988 that Ted Turner would buy NWA and turn give the world World Championship Wrestling.  Like most NWA, it's a solid PPV and doesn't have a bad match on it.  By no means a classic event, but it's still enjoyable.  I love all of the old NWA because I wasn't born when it was prominent, but watching it makes me wish I was because most of these guys are all time favorite wrestlers of mine, and when I was growing up they'd either be in the twilight of their careers or finished.

Match 1 (NWA World Tag Team Championship) Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (c) vs Sting & Nikita Koloff


A great opening match, with Tully and Arn showcasing tag team wrestling at its finest.  They dominated most of this match after recovering from being overwhelmed at the beginning.  Nikita Koloff's shoulder was the target here for Arn and Tully and they spent a large spell of the match working on it, turn for turn, through a succession of quick tags.  Those 2 are a prime example of what good tag team wrestling is all about, and even though Nikita and Sting put on a good show (in particular Koloff), they just weren't as dynamic as Tully and Arn.

This match went the whole 20 minute time limit and ended up in a draw, with the clock expiring as Tully was locked in Sting's 'scorpion deathlock.'  Sting and Nikita were already putting on the straps at the end of the match thinking they'd won, but Tully didn't submit and therefore, retained the belts for Arn and himself.  And good job because Tully and Arn are the boss.  Overall, very good tag team match and a great opening contest for the night ahead.

Match 2 (NWA United States Tag Team Championship) - Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) vs (c) The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers)


This match begins with Midnight Express manager and legend Jim Cornette being put in a straight jacket and asking the referee, ''Can you be bribed?'' before being hoistered above the ring in a cage.  Everything he says to the ref here is comedy gold and he really does a great job of being a crying idiot.

I was excited for this match as I love the high risk, fast paced style of these teams.  In the 80's, high risk and fast paced wasn't made up of solely jumping around like a frog on mdma, these wrestlers were pretty great all round.  I love the modern high flying wrestling, don't get me wrong but when I'm in the mood for NWA, I just think those guys are all round greater and lacking in today's era, where mainstream tag team wrestling in America is more or less a dead scene just now.

This was a really good match.  Tommy Rogers really took a beating at the hands of the Express here, and it's topped off by a beautiful dropkick by Eaton.  There's also a great drop to the concrete that got me more excited in all its simplicity than I got when anyone in WWE in the last few years fell off a ladder.  The match is what you expect throughout - intensely physical, some showing off and an all round great contest, ended in great heel fashion with a steel chain wrapped around Eaton's fist to win the titles for his team.  Then, after the match, Cornette takes a belt whipping while still in a straight jacket.

Match 3 (Towers of Doom Match) - Road Warriors, Steve Williams, Jimmy Garvin & Ron Garvin vs Kevin Sullivan, Al Perez, Mike Rotunda, Russian Assassin & Ivan Koloff


So what the hell is a Tower of Doom match?  Well, it's 3 cages stacked on top of each other you might remember from WCW Uncensored.  The point of the match is to start from the top of the cage and get to the bottom during small intervals when a trap door opens in one of the below cages, allowing the wrestlers to drop down.  Sounds pretty nuts, and sure it's nuts, but it's incredible.  The first complete team to exit the cage at the bottom are determined the winner.  Pretty simple but hard to achieve when you have all those guys wanting to beat you like a government mule.

The match is enjoyable just for the sheer ridiculousness of it.  I think it would have been better if the cages were all larger so it could have been 5 on 5 all the way from the top to the bottom, but I still love this match nonetheless - mainly because I like everyone in it.  Steve Williams is becoming one of my favorite wrestlers the more I watch him.  Hell, even Jack Victory being the Russian Assassin was a lot of fun here.  I quite liked him in ECW.  Kevin Sullivan will always have a place in my heart for being a wizard but that's about it.  Everyone else involved is cool with me I suppose.  Never really been a fan of Varsity Club though.  Just kinda nothing them.

So the match is basically just an all out street fight.  Sometimes the wrestlers look to be playing it a little cautiously - but that's because there was close to 1000 lbs in the cage at times at least - maybe even over.  There was some nice body slams on the mesh as well that looked as if they should have snapped the cage, but they didn't and thankfully none of them died in this match.

The match came down in the end to Kevin Sullivan and Jimmy Garvin, who finally get to do some brief actual wrestling - or Jimmy Garvin does anyway.  The match ends with Sullivan shoving his opponent out and going after the woman Precious who is locked in the cage.  He tries to rape her , then he chokes her but the heroes come along to save her just in time.

Match 3 (NWA United States Heavyweight Championship) Barry Windham (c) vs Dusty Rhodes


This was your classic grudge match, but with the US title on the line.  Windham had recently turned on Dusty and teamed up with The Horsemen.  Windham went into this with some great heel heat (helped by the fact he turned on his mentor and had his 'rightful' title) and the crowd were all behind Dusty more or less.  I think they were more against Dillon than they were Windham though because Dillon getting Dusty's classic elbow got the loudest pop of the night, and this was right after the Terror of Doom match (which in 1988 was probably one of the most insane things anyone had ever seen).

The match is a scrappy brawl for much of it.  It starts off with an instant body press slam by Dusty, showing great strength and for each second he held Windham the applause got more deafening.  It's not long before they're outside and Windham is on his back again after Dusty reversed his piledriver attempt then followed it up with a clothesline and a pursuit of JJ Dillon, before getting back in the ring to be met by some punches by Windham - then they're outside again and Dusty delivers a great slam to the concrete.  Dillon is effective for Windham again and distracts Rhodes long enough for Windham to sneak attack and gain control once more.  The match has a go between after this and Dusty manages to regain control after Windham ascends to the turnbuckles and Dusty slams him to the mat and drops the trademark running elbow on him, gets the 3 count only there's no conscious ref to actually count.

Then the surprise and controversy... Ronny Garvin.

Yep, Ronny Garvin shows up and sticks Dusty with a fist and Windham followed it up with another punch and the claw, knocking Dusty out and retaining the the title.  Great match.


Match 4 (NWA World Heavyweight Championship) Ric Flair (c) vs Lex Luger


Typical Ric Flair match against an opponent with greater strength.  Flair gets thrown around and sells everything to perfection.  Luger doesn't do the best of jobs selling Flair's assaults, but at this time he was only 3 years pro, according to opponents he was clumsy in the ring and he was still learning.  But he was an ultimate babyface so it makes sense why this match was booked, especially with his feud with Flair and The Horsemen.  Criticisms of Luger aside though, he still done a great job in this match.  Maybe he hurt opponents, maybe he didn't sell moves as good as others could, but he still was a good worker and had a lot of great matches in the late 80's and early 90's.  It was the jacked up Luger of the late 90's that wasn't very good.

Luger uses strength here and tosses Flair all over the ring and executes some good agility as well to get roll up pins throughout.  Flair, in typical Flair fashion, uses the outside of the ring to his advantage and methodically tries to injure Luger's legs when he has him grounded.  Endurance plays to Flair's advantage as usual and Luger just can't seem to keep him down.  The match finally ends with controversial victory for Flair and he once again leaves the champion.


Summary: Not the best NWA event by any means, but that's not a bad thing.  The NWA for me was consistent and always delivered good matches from what I've watched so far.  This one was no different and I enjoyed it immensely.  My favorite match was easily Dusty and Windham.  In my opinion they're 2 of the best ever and it's always great to see talent like this square off.

NWA Bunkhouse Stampede 1988

Despite being a criticised event I still enjoyed it.  It was a fun event, and not one match on this card was bad.  They were all good matches, there was lots of controversy, a great atmosphere and Dusty Rhodes being Dusty Rhodes, along with other legends.  Overall, a great event but not a classic.  Lots of fun.


Match 1 (NWA World Television Championship) - Nikita Koloff (c) vs Bobby Eaton

''The Russian Nightmare'' against one half of arguably the greatest tag team of all time, accompanied by a colourful Jim Cornette.  What's not to love already?  The match itself was also really good.  Koloff brawled, tried to maul and was constantly resilient.  Eaton dominated for long spells of the match, keeping Koloff on the mat for large parts, he dictated the tempo and he eve delivered some of his great high flying skills (not flashy in comparison to today's standards of high flying but simple and effective).  You would never expect a guy like Koloff to be the underdog here, but for most of this match he was fighting for survival.  You'd think Eaton would be the one fighting for survival and holding on with the skin of his teeth, but no, he really took it to Koloff here until the match ended in a time limit draw, followed by a beatdown from the Express on Koloff, but at least he retained the belt.  By no means an all time classic match, but a very good, solid and entertaining match.  And Cornette was at his most jiggety throughout.  That's not a real word, but it makes sense if you watch the match.

Match 2 (UWF Western States Heritage Championship) - Larry Zybyszko vs Barry Windham (c)


Barry Windham must have been rolling in female vagina during the 80's.  Tall, athletic, blond locks that the god Apollo would be proud of....  Anyway, that's besides the point, because this is a wrestling blog, and Windham, as a wrestler, is one of the best of all time.  Perhaps, the most naturally gifted wrestler to ever partake ion the business.  He was tall, strong, agile and tough as nails.  I've never heard a bad word said about his in ring ability, and some of the greats have spoken with love and admiration about the times they entered the ring with him.  He even made Arn Anderson smile.  Arn Anderson doesn't smile much.  As for Larry Z, well he wasn't bad either, was he?  And neither was this match.  Definitely one for those who love pure wrestling until it turns into a beautiful, dirty brawl.  It has it all.  And what a finish?  Larry battering Windham with a shoe and pinning him for the 1,2,3 and a new champion is crowned.


Match 3 (NWA World Heavyweight Championship) - Road Warrior Hawk vs Ric Flair (c)


A tremendous bumpfest by Ric Flair.  I love the way Flair takes slams.  Not many sell pain as much as Flair.  Flair took a beating in this one, and delivered one back.  The match started off as Hawk's, as he threw Flair around like a rag doll with powerful slams and dominated with brute strength.  However, Flair was typical Flair and managed to sneak his way back into the match by running away and being ''the dirtiest player in the game.''  What followed was Flair's period of methodically breaking down Hawk by being a dirty ol' bastard basically.  Hawk managed to become superhuman again towards the end and threw Flair around once more, but Flair managed to retain his title by getting himself disqualified.  Really fun match.

Match 4 - Steel Cage Bunkhouse Stampede - Dusty Rhodes vs Arn Anderson vs The Barbarian vs Tully Blanchard vs Ivan Koloff vs Road Warrior Animal vs Lex Luger vs The Warlord


An elimination match where pin falls and submissions did not count.  The only way to win these matches is to throw your opponent over the top of the cage or send them out the cage door.  A truly ridiculous concept for a match - especially with 500k on the line, but sometimes in wrestling the more ridiculous the better.  For a start, the mix of wrestlers in here is amazing - from some of the greatest of all time like Dusty and Arn and Tully to the bonkers like The Barbarian and The Warlord who were great for being them.  This match wasn't a wrestling match - it was punches, kicking, grinding, whipping, beating, choking and  shoving.  A brawl basically.  And it's amazing.

So, what's the best part of this match?  Well, it's Dusty Rhodes obviously, and to be more precise, it's Dusty Rhodes bounving around each corner of the ring whipping everyone in sight with his belt.

The first to be eliminated was Ivan Koloff, after being thrown over the cage and punched off it.  Next up, The Warlord and Animal left at the same time after being eliminated through the cage door.  Next, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard and Lex Luger all went at the same time after a struggle to hold on outside the cage door.

The final 2 are The Barbarian and Dusty Rhodes, a bout where we are treated to diving headbutts from The Barbarian off the top rope.  The match ends when Dusty finally eliminates him with his trademark elbows off the top of the cage and brings an end to a chaotic match that was also a helluva lotta fun.