NWA (WCW) Chi-Town Rumble (February 1989)

By early 1989, Ted Turner had purchased the NWA’s largest ‘territory’ from Jim Crockett, and put Jim Herd in charge to try and desperately reign in the excesses that had led to Crockett’s demise. One big move (along with ousting head booker Dusty Rhodes)  was bringing Ricky Steamboat back into the promotion, and immediately pairing him with Ric Flair by giving Steamboat a clean victory over the World Champion in TV tag action. These two were considered two of the best wrestlers in the world at that point, and the feud that would follow would become one of the most legendary in wrestling history – with their first encounter set for Chicago, on pay per view.

From Chicago, Illinois; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Magnum TA.


Opening Match: Michael Hayes v Russian Assassin #1: They fight over the initial lockup, with Assassin grabbing a side-headlock. Hayes reverses into his own, but of course, Assassin is a bad guy (we know 'cause he's Russian. And an assassin!) uses the hair to break. Hayes with an armbar, and none of the Russian's evil Commie tactics can save him now! Or, us - since the hold lasts about twice as long as it should. Hayes finally funs into a knee to break it up, and Russian takes Hayes to the corner for some abuse. Clothesline gets two, and he grabs a chinlock. But, of course, it's more dangerous since he's an Assassin! A Russian Assassin! Hayes somehow manages to break, and hits a bodypress for two, only to get leveled with a lariat. Back to the chinlock, but Hayes gets uppity again, so Russian manager Paul Jones(ovitch) gives him a good whack. Russian suplex, but Hayes reverses, but is still to dazed to hit an elbowdrop. Assassin goes after the arm, but misses a blind charge, and Hayes unloads a ten-punch count. DDT gets finishes at 15:48. For America. Poor choice for an opener, but well worked for what it was - if a bit resthold heavy. ½*

Sting v Butch Reed: Reed chews Sting out during the initial staredown, but gets atomic dropped for his big mouth. Reed is reluctant to tie-up after that (ya think?), and hides in the ropes to avoid the wrath of Sting. They fight over an armdrag - with Sting eventually getting him - and a pair of dropkicks forced Reed to the floor. He regroups out there, but walks right into a side-headlock on the way back in. Sting switches to an armbar, but Reed suckers him into a criss cross, and dumps him. Reed uses the opportunity to take over, hitting a 2^nd rope axehandle for two, and hooking his own chinlock. Despite his best efforts the lock the hell out of that chin, it fails to beat the Stinger, and he rams Reed into the turnbuckle to break. Slam, but a Vaderbomb hits the knees. Luckily, Sting would have plenty of opportunities to study that one in the coming years. Reed with a lariat, but Sting dodges, and puts him on the floor. Suplex back in gets two, and Reed desperately tugs at the tights to dump Sting, and try to catch a breather. Sting is right back up, though, so Reed hits a swinging neckbreaker for two, then goes back to locking the chin. Sting chincrushes his way out, and hits a clothesline to ground Reed. Backdrop, and a leaping elbowdrop look to set up a finish - but Reed rakes the eyes. He stomps away, but Sting catches him with a sunset flip for the pin at 20:07. Sting was a hot property at this point, and they did a good job of keeping the crowd into even the restholds with things like pulling the tights or using the ropes, but it took too long for what it was. ¾*

Loser Leaves Town Six-Man Tag Team Match: Paul E. Dangerously and The Original Midnight Express v Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express: Whomever takes the fall, has to leave the NWA, but his partner can remain. Unfortunately for the blowoff, Original Midnighter Dennis Condrey had left the promotion after having multiple run-ins with management, and deciding not to give them the satisfaction of jobbing him out - leaving them to anticlimactically have to sub Jack Victory in for him. Randy Rose starts with Stan Lane, and Rose tries to control, but gets slammed off of the top rope early on, and clotheslined to the outside. He tags to Victory, but Lane muscles him into his home corner for some triple-team fun. Victory runs back to tag Rose again, but he loses a slugfest to Bobby Eaton, and has his turn at getting triple-teamed. A cheap shot turns the tide, allowing Dangerously (their manager, looking hilarious in his pink 80s sweatshirt that you last saw during a trip to the beach with your grandpa) to get his licks in. That allows a tag to Cornette, but he gets his clock cleaned, and the Old Express try to cut the ring in half, but Eaton breaks things up, and Lane tags in. He comes in hot, but gets taken down by Rose, and the Olds cut the ring in half proper, until Victory misses a blind charge, and Eaton tags in. He's a house of arson, and forces Victory to tag Paul in for Cornette to abuse. He unloads fists of fury, but Rose breaks things up, and we have a piersix-way brawl - with the modern Midnights finishing Rose with a double-team flapjack at 15:51. Had it's moments, but the heat segment on Lane really killed the momentum - though they picked up again towards the end. ¾*

NWA Television Title Match: Rick Steiner v Mike Rotunda: Both guys (who have extensive amateur backgrounds) trade fireman's carries, takedowns, and full-nelsons to establish that they're equally versed mat wrestlers - though, Steiner's amateur career was significantly more impressive. Rotunda unloads some closed fists to throw Steiner off of his game, but Rick powers him out of the ring. Inside, Steiner with a side-headlock, but Rotunda wrestles out. He offers a handshake as a 'well done' to Steiners prowess, but Rick sees the trap coming, and refuses. Rotunda doesn't appreciate the lapse in manners, and hooks an abdominal stretch to try and teach him some - until the referee catches him using the ropes, and Steiner counters into a cradle, only for Rotunda to land in the ropes again. Rotunda tries a bodypress, but Steiner rolls through, and gets Rotunda in a front-facelock. Mike manages to counter into an armbar, but Steiner wrestles out, and hits a monkey flip. Backdrop gets two, but a flying headbutt misses, and Rotunda dumps him for a shot to the ringpost. He drags him back in to win the title, but gets powerslammed off of a criss cross. Steiner with a ten-punch, and a sleeper looks to finish, but he makes the mistake of laying back in the hold - putting Rotunda on top of him for the fluke pinfall at 16:21. Up until the bad ending (an amateur champion like Steiner would never have realistically made a mistake like that) it was a nice, scientific wrestling match - with Steiner outwrestling Rotunda to the point of continued frustration. It probably should have ended with his frustration leading to some sort of cheap shot for the win (like when he started throwing closed fists, or had to use the ringpost), but I guess they were happier to go with the 'Rick Steiner is an idiot' finish instead. * ¼

NWA United States Title Match: Barry Windham v Lex Luger: They shove each other around at the bell, and a bunch of criss crosses end in stalemates - until Luger hooks a sleeper. Windham side suplexes out, but Luger no-sells, and hits an atomic drop, and press slam. That puts the champ on the outside to regroup, and he comes back in with an eye rake, but Luger nails him on a cross corner clothesline attempt. He tries an inverted atomic drop next, but Luger no-sells that, too, and backdrops him for two. Powerslam, but a flying bodypress misses, and Luger's momentum carries him all the way to the floor. That allows Windham to properly work his challenger over, and a diving clothesline puts Luger back on the floor. This time, Windham makes sure to ram him into the rail, and tries for the post, but Luger ducks him - busting up Barry's hand. Inside, a slugfest goes Windham's way - but takes its toll on the now injured hand. He tries a clawhold with it, but all Luger has to do is reach over and squeeze (yeah baby!) the bad hand to force a break. Windham goes with a more aggressive eye rake, and a powerslam gives him two. Superplex gets two, so Windham tries a German suplex - only to have Luger raise his shoulder (while Windham's is still down) to give Luger the title at 10:43. Another solid match, marred by a bad ending. The psychology of the injured hand was well done, as Barry had been punching away for much of the early going before Luger managed to disable the hand, and Windham sold it wonderfully - but the ending really should have built off of that, not another 'dumb mistake' finish to attempt to 'protect' both guys. Someone losing due to something like that (Windham even bladed the thing to really put the injury over) is much stronger than losing due to being an idiot. * ¾

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Road Warriors v The Varsity Club: Animal and Kevin Sullivan start, and Animal predictably overpowers him. Powerslam gets two, but Sullivan dodges an elbowdrop, and gets the tag off to Steve Williams. He does a power-stalemate with Animal, but ends up getting powerslammed as well, and bailing to the floor as Hawk tags in. Williams press slams him, but also misses an elbow, and takes a double-team clothesline from the champs. Both guys tag, and Sullivan knows he's got no shot, so he lures Animal to the floor for a chair shot. That allows Williams a roundhouse kick, and the Club cuts the ring in half - working the arm. Double knockout allows him to make the tag, and Hawk's a house of fire. Four-way brawl quickly breaks out, and Hawk finishes Sullivan with a flying clothesline at 8:27. Just formula stuff here. ½*

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Ricky Steamboat: They fight over the initial lockup, and Steamboat gets a quick and effective shoulderblock for two. Flair hangs back after that, but Steamboat lures him into a criss cross - then drops in with a side-headlock when Flair hits the deck to let him cross. The champ bails to the floor to regroup, and back inside, powers Steamboat into the corner for the chops. The Dragon no-sells, and hits a backdrop, so Flair grabs a handful of hair, and forces him into the corner for another chop. Steamboat returns fire, so Flair goes to the arm with a hammerlock - only to have Steamboat wrestle out with a droptoe-hold, and get him on the mat with another side-headlock. Flair tries everything to escape, but Steamboat tenaciously holds on, so Flair struggles for the ropes. That finally forces a break, so Steamboat responds by unloading chops, putting the champion on the outside again. He carefully comes back in, and another intense collar-and-elbow allows Steamboat a tentative standing side-headlock. Flair powers into the ropes, but gets walloped with another knife edge, and goes to the floor again. Back in, he cautiously considers a test-of-strength, but lets off at the last second - fearing Steamboat's dominance - and uses a standard collar-and-elbow to get Steamboat into the corner. The challenger hiptosses his way out, following with a headscissors takedown, and a dropkick to allow him to reapply the headlock. Flair out with more chops, but Steamboat seems to possess the sharper knife edge, as he puts Flair on the floor again. Flair refuses to get back in - frustrating Steamboat - but it's all a ruse to get him close to the ropes so Flair can sweep him to the floor, and properly abuse him. Inside, Flair with a shindrop for a series of two counts, and a well executed butterfly suplex gets two. Another chopfest goes Steamboat's way (hey, champ, maybe try something else?), and Steamboat whips him into the corner for a Flair Flip. Undeterred, the champ runs to the top rope for a flying bodypress, but Steamboat rolls through for two. Flair fires back with an inverted atomic drop, and locks him into the Figure Four - using the top rope for maximum leverage. Steamboat absolutely will not give (and he shouldn't - Flair hasn't even made a token effort to work the leg), so Flair lets off - only to run into a series of chops. Bodypress sends them both tumbling over-the-top, but they just keep chopping each other out there. Flair, finally sick enough of getting chopped, rams Steamboat into the post, then brings him back in with a hanging vertical suplex. That gets another series of two counts, and a side suplex gets two. Backbreaker for a rope-assisted series of two counts, all of which Steamboat actually powers out of instead of having the referee catch Flair. Somewhat shocked, Flair argues the count, which allows his challenger to roll him up for two. 2^nd rope bodypress to follow-up, but Flair ducks him, and tries to go back to the headlock, but Steamboat bridges out, and hits a butterfly suplex of his own for two. Backslide gets two, so Flair starts with the chops again (will he ever learn?), only to have Steamboat level him with a lariat. Flying tomahawk, but Flair's still kicking, so Steamboat with a flying bodypress to force him down - only to have the referee get bumped along the way. Another bodypress misses, and Flair goes for the Figure Four, but Steamboat cradles him for the title at 23:07 - and Flair is stunned. Match was fantastic – filled with near falls, selling, well executed spots, and great stuff like really fighting over a hold, or in trying to wrestle the other mans shoulders down. The match has earned quite a reputation among wrestling fans – with many considering it among the greatest of all time – and while it is great, it isn’t quite that great. It was certainly mind-blowing for 1989, but even in context it is far from perfect – with bits like Flair trying the Figure Four without even a token shot to the knee first, or continuously relying on chops (the first five times didn’t work, so you try a sixth?) when they failed again and again. It’s absolutely a terrific match, but I think people tend to overrate it out of nostalgia more than actual quality, as folks were going crazy for this live, and many of our most respected observers were at a pivotal point in their wrestling fandom, had active in-ring careers, or were actually in attendance when it took place – which can affect your judgment. Interestingly, these two would go on to have an even better match at WrestleWar a couple of months later, and then an even better one at Spring Stampede in 1994. *** ¾

BUExperience: Certainly a one-match show, but as noted, that match has earned a revered place in wrestling history, so it’s certainly not a waste of time to check the show out – though, if the Flair/Steamboat series is what you crave, they have all been released on WWE DVDs in recent years, which come with the upshot of not having to sit through the rest of the show. *