NWA (WCW) WrestleWar 1989

WrestleWar ’89: Music City Showdown! (a showdown in Music City!) isn’t one I saw live (I was four), but in the late 90s, after ‘smartening up’ about the wrestling business and becoming more interested in the art of wrestling, it was one I sought out – as it featured the legendary showdown (in Music City!) between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat that was heralded as one of the greatest of all time.

From Nashville, Tennessee; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Bob Caudle.


Opening Match: The Great Muta v Doug Gilbert: Gilbert tries to interrupt Muta's pre-match meditation (fucking white people...), but gets caught with a savate kick, and beat down on the outside. He tries to make a comeback with a few shoulderblocks, but gets raked in the eyes, and Muta hits a handspring elbow. Backbreaker, and he tries the flying moonsault - but Gilbert dodges. Muta lands on his feet, however, and dropkicks him to the floor for a plancha. Back in, another moonsault finishes things at 3:03. Muta was a newcomer to the NWA at this point, and this was just a squash, though a good one - energetic, and filled with what was innovative stuff for 1989. ¾*

Ranger Ross v Butch Reed: Ross gets him in a side-headlock in the early going, but Reed powers out, so he tries to use his Ranger martial arts training. A pair of dropkicks puts Reed on the outside, but Ross gets caught with a suplex coming back in, and Reed finishes with a flying shoulderblock at 6:59. ¼*

Bullrope Match: Bob Orton v Dick Murdoch: A 'Bullrope Match' is two guys tied together by rope, battling to a pinfall. In Alabama they call it ‘Gay Wedding.’ Orton is the father of current WWE Superstar Randy Orton. Murdoch is actually billed as 'Captain Redneck.' I am unrelated to either. Murdoch tries to lure him in for abuse, but Orton evades until Murdoch realizes he’s tied to the guy he wants to catch, reels him in, hog ties him, and gets the pin at 4:54. Really tame for a gimmick match, even by 1989 standards. DUD

The Samoan Swat Team v The Dynamic Dudes: Fatu and Johnny Ace start, and after a good bit of stalling, Ace goes to an armbar. That draws in Samu, however, and he gets caught in the wrong part of town. Powerslam gets Samu two, as the Swat Team cut the ring in half with punchy-kicky-nerveholdy stuff. Ace finally gets the tag to Shane Douglas, and he's a house of arson. Dropkicks all around, but a clothesline kills him, and Fatu looks to finish with a flying splash - but Ace saves. Missile dropkick racks up a win for the Dudes (and their skateboards!) at 11:02. The crowd was hot for the Dynamic Dudes, but the Swat Team's nervehold loaded offense did nothing to keep this engaging. ¼*

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Michael Hayes: Hayes was fresh out of World Class, and Luger had just picked up the title a few months back, starting what would essentially be a two and a half year reign - with brief interruptions. Hayes teases Luger, strutting around, but gets the best of the first few lockups. Luger starts to use his power, tossing Hayes around, but Michael goes to the outside to regroup. Inside, Luger finally gets hold of him - working an armbar - so Hayes pulls at the hair to escape. Cross corner clothesline, but Luger no-sells, and unloads with a ten-punch count. Bodypress, but Hayes dodges, and Luger tumbles to the outside. Hayes stupidly works the count off of that (you're chasing a title, dummy), but Luger ups the stupid ante, and beats it back in. Hayes with a long chinlock, but Luger CHOKES UP!! Ten-punch count! Hip toss! Clothesline! Press slam! Press slam! Press slam! (there were three - I'm not super excited about them, just detailed). Torture Rack, but Hayes counters with a DDT. Double knockout, and Terry Gordy runs in, putting Hayes on top for the title at 16:06. Speaking of 'brief interruptions,' Hayes would drop the title back to Luger a couple of weeks later. Really dull match - filled with stalling and restholds. ¼*

NWA Television Title Match: Sting v Iron Sheik: Sheik was having a cup of coffee in the NWA, putting over next-big-thing Sting since he had held the WWF Title before. They make sure not only to mention - but actually announce during his ring introduction – that he's a former World Champion. Hey, it's called getting your money's worth. Sheik jumps him with his evil, dirty, stinky, wart-infested foreign flag, but Sting no-sells enough to practically start an embargo, and hits the Stinger Splash. Scorpion Deathlock finishes at 2:12. Just a quick squash. DUD

NWA World Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Ric Flair: This was the climax to a simple and elegant angle: Steamboat returned to the NWA in January of '89, and defeated World Champion Flair in tag match, earning a title shot. He received it in February, at the Chi-Town Rumble pay per view, winning the title - in a match many felt was one of the best ever contested. They would have a re-match on TV at Clash of the Champions in April, but the finish was indecisive, leading to the championship committee ordering one final bout - here, at WrestleWar - and to avoid any controversy in the event of a draw, they brought in Lou Thesz, Pat O'Connor, and Terry Funk to judge the match on points. Flair tries to psych him out during the initial lockup, but Steamboat quickly responds with an armdrag. Flair doesn't appreciate it - and slaps him in the face - but Steamboat refuses to be lured into Flair's tricks, keeping his cool. Chopfest, and Steamboat puts him on the floor with a backdrop. The champ intelligently works the count, but Flair regroups and comes in hot. He gets caught in an armbar, however, which makes psychological sense, as Steamboat had used a chickenwing submission during their last match (which was only a month back), and knows the shoulder is still weak. He turns it into a pinning combination, and the threat of pinfall is enough to motivate Flair to wrestle to his feet – throwing chops again. Steamboat's game to trade them with him, and goes right back to the shoulder – grounding Flair in the center of the ring - this time with a more elaborate tie-up. Flair escapes again, but gets dropkicked to the floor. Steamboat knows not the let him regroup this time, but the referee won't let him go after him on the outside, and indeed Flair comes in hot again. Steamboat gets him right back in the armbar, however, but Flair maneuvers into the corner to break things up. Chopfest again, but Flair's not about to lose another one, so he rakes the eyes, and dumps the Dragon. That only infuriates Steamboat, however, and Flair flips into a tree of woe. Criss cross, but Flair throws him over the top. He knows he can't take the title back that way, so he breaks the referee's count repeatedly, and abuses Steamboat with vicious chops on the outside. That leads to a footrace around ringside, and Steamboat springboards in with a flying chop. Back to the arm, but Flair wrestles up, and once again dodges Steamboat off of a criss cross, dumping him over-the-top. Slingshot back in, and Flair drops the shin. He unloads with a series of unanswered chops, and a side suplex gets two. Flair holds on to it, however, and turns it into a series of strained pinfall attempts - designed to wear the Dragon down. Double-underhook suplex gets two, so he tries a stungun - but Steamboat's in the ropes. Flair gets frustrated, walking into a chop, so he drags him to the floor for a suplex. He knows he can't win the title out there, so he drags him back in, but his goal of wearing Steamboat down further was achieved. Suplex back in is countered with a rollup for two, but a Steamboat bodypress sees both men tumbling over the top, to the outside. Flair goes up top on the way back in, but gets slammed off. Backdrop, but Steamboat wastes time posing, and Flair lures him in. He gets caught upstairs again, however, and Steamboat superplexes him off. Double-chickenwing, but Flair hangs on to the ropes to counter. Flying tomahawk chop, and he tries another, but the dazed Flair collapses into the ropes, knocking Steamboat from the top to the floor. He hurts his knee on the way down, and Flair brings him back in with a well executed hanging vertical suplex. He goes right for the knee, ripping at it like he's starting a rusty lawnmower, and locks the figure four. He has Steamboat more-or-less in the middle of the ring, but Ricky makes the ropes. The damage is done, though, but Flair keeps hammering on it, so Steamboat catches him with an enzuigiri. Slam, but the knee is weak, and Flair cradles him on the way down for the pin, and the World Title, at 31:37. Afterwards, Flair shakes Steamboat's hand - mutual respect earned - which pleases the crowd. To drive it home, judge Terry Funk comes in, saying he appreciated the match - and wanted a title shot. Flair appreciates Funk’s praise, but turns him down (Funk had been out of the title picture for a long time, and was considered a non-contender), so Terry does what anyone would: jumps him, brutally lays him out, and piledrives him onto the judges table at ringside – breaking his neck (kayfabe) to earn a shot at the title, and officially turn Flair face. The match itself is considered by many to be among the best ever performed – and it is a hell of a bout. Both men kept a great pace for a half hour (though the number of high spots is limited compared to what a modern viewer may be accustomed to), sold brilliantly, and worked a psychologically dazzling, realistic match. That being said, it isn’t perfect. The match tended to be irritatingly repetitive, somewhat formulaic, and a bit anti-climatic – as Flair never even went for Steamboat’s knee during the entire thirty minutes, and then suddenly he’s dramatically finishing him off. They transitioned into the knee injury well with the top rope bump – but it seemed rushed how quickly they jumped right into the finish, without Flair working the leg at all (not even a token kneebreaker?). Certainly a classic, especially for the time period, but compare it to Bret Hart v Steve Austin from Survivor Series in 1996 – a similar style match – with their endless series of counters to each other’s standard offense to demonstrate how well the two men have prepared for each other, or repetition of sequences that built into future counters and spots – and WrestleWar has trouble holding up. **** ¼

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Varsity Club v The Road Warriors: Nikita Koloff is the special referee for this one, after the Varsity Club won the titles off of The Warriors by paying referee Teddy Long to make a fast-count. The Warriors clean house right away, and Steve Williams and Animal start all propers. Animal makes him his bitch (not too many guys this side of Bart Gunn can say that), so he bails to Mike Rotunda. Rotunda with a dropkick, but he gets caught in a powerslam, and both tag out. Hawk wants in on the bitch-making, and Williams is all, 'no problem face paint man!' but Hawk gets too jazzy, and rams his arm into the post on the outside. The Champs try to cut the ring in half, but Hawk gets the tag to Animal quickly, and he's a house of arson. Doomsday Device on Williams, but fellow Varsity Clubber Kevin Sullivan runs in to attack referee Koloff - drawing a disqualification at 6:06. The champs would be stripped of the titles later in the show, which kind of begged for a clean Warriors win here, but the NWA wanted to go in a different direction at this point. Energetic, well paced action, otherwise. ½*

NWA United States Tag Team Title Match: Rick Steiner and Eddie Gilbert v The Varsity Club: In this case, the Club represented by members Kevin Sullivan and Dan Spivey. Big brawl to start, with Spivey killing Steiner on the floor - posting him. Inside, with Steiner still down on the outside, the Club corner Gilbert. Spivey with a dropkick, and an overhead backbreaker - as Steiner makes it to the ring apron. The Club keep the ring cut in half, but get too cocky – slapping him around – and Steiner runs in with a lariat to give Gilbert the pin on Sullivan at 6:41. Well worked, if unspectacular. ¼*

BUExperience: Flair/Steamboat alone would be more than enough to keep this out of the junk pile (as noted, it often makes the shortlist of many observers’ best-ever lists), and though the rest of the card is certainly lacking – most of the matches are quickies in front of a hot crowd, making it a very easy, non-tedious show to sit through. **