NWA (WCW) Great American Bash 1989

At WrestleWar, Ric Flair regained the NWA World Title in a legendary match with Ricky Steamboat – only to be attacked after the bout by ringside judge Terry Funk, when Flair denied him a title shot. Funk’s attack on Flair (which included a piledriver onto a table) put the champion on the shelf and rocketed Funk into a main eventer again, leading to a showdown at the Great American Bash – Flair’s return to face Funk, the title on the line.

Though not producing box office receipts to match the Hulkamania fueled WWF, WCW was in the midst of a creative renaissance – producing intriguing angles and satisfying pay per views – with many considering the 1989 Bash the climax of their potential, frequently coming up in discussions of ‘best shows of all time.’

From Baltimore, Maryland; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Bob Caudle.


Opening King of the Hill 14-Man Battle Royal: Everyone here has won a battle royal to qualify, and since there are two rings for the WarGames later, once a guy gets tossed out of the first ring, he gets a second chance in ring two - not unlike the original BattleBowl concept. Last guy standing in each ring then battle to a pinfall. We've got: Scott Hall, Bill Irwin, Ranger Ross, Mike Rotunda, Eddie Gilbert, Sid, Dan Spivey, Terry Gordy, Brian Pillman, Ron Simmons, Steve Williams, Kevin Sullivan, and The Steiner Brothers. Standard punch-kick battle royal stuff here, with Ranger Ross being the first to end up in ring two, as Sid beats the shit out of a mustached, permed Scott Hall - looking like he's auditioning to play Todd Parker in Boogie Nights. Dan Spivey ends up in ring two - destroying everyone with powerbombs, as partner Sid finishes off Brian Pillman to win the first ring. Naturally, it comes down to Sid and Spivey, but manager Teddy Long convinces them to walk away, and split the $50,000 prize at 9:30. Hey, smart thinking from Long - he still makes his percentage of the fifty grand, and neither of his meal tickets risk injury. I'm not a big fan of battle royals (especially multi-ring variations), but it got its point (put newcomers the Skyscrapers over) across fine, and didn't overstay its welcome. ¼*

Brian Pillman v Bill Irwin: Irwin jumps him at the bell, but misses a blind charge, and gets caught with a dropkick. Pillman takes him to the mat with a side-headlock, and a headscissors sends Bill falling to the floor. Pillman blasts him with a baseball slide to try and force the countout, but Bill staggers back in for an armdrag/armbar. Irwin with a sidewalk slam to turn the tide, and a vertical suplex leaves Pillman vulnerable enough for Irwin to dump. Inside, Wild Bill with a chinlock, and loads of choking before dumping Pillman again. More choking, but another blind charge misses, and Brian fires off a pair of dropkicks. Jumping clothesline and a splash get two, but a missile dropkick misses - allowing Irwin a gutwrench suplex for two. He throws him into the other ring for getting uppity, but the referee has a fit, and the distraction allows Pillman to hit an impressive flying bodypress (from one ring into the other) for the pin at 10:18. Pillman was still a newcomer to WCW, but this wasn't a good example of the fabulous worker he was – mostly punch-kick-resthold stuff, as Bill called the bulk of the match. ½*

The Skyscrapers v The Dynamic Dudes: Jason Hervey of The Wonder Years serves as the guest ring announcer. Dan Spivey starts with Johnny Ace, and Ace tries to use his speed to outmaneuver Dan - but Spivey completely blows off a dropkick attempt, and takes his head off with a clothesline. Tag to Shane Douglas to try some double-team stuff, so Spivey passes to Sid to properly kill them - to the crowd's delight. The Skyscrapers take turns beating Ace, and cut the ring in half on Douglas - the crowd loudly chanting 'We Want Sid' whenever he's tagged out. And they're the heels here. Spivey misses a 2^nd rope headbutt to allow the tag back to Johnny, but he can't get the house on fire, and a spike powerbomb creams him. Spivey decides to put the cherry on top with another (botched) one, and casually pins Ace at 10:11. In case the battle royal didn't get the point across earlier - the Skyscrapers are badass monsters. Total, gleeful squash - not particularly well worked, but energetic. This was like two Velociraptor's eagerly tearing at their prey. ½*

Tuxedo Match: Jim Cornette v Paul E. Dangerously: This was an offshoot of the New Midnight Express/Original Midnight Express feud - and Cornette is actually the face here. The object here is to tear the other man's tux off - a match concept that's sort of died off, and been replaced by 'evening gown' variations for Divas. It does allow for Bob Caudle to shout out some truly awkward lines, though, like, 'Alright! Let’s see some clothes coming off here! Yeah, take it off!' Paul E. (looking like a stand-in for a young Jerry Seinfeld) beats the shit out him with a cell phone (remember, it's 1989 - that shit could take down an elephant), and tears Cornette's jacket off as we see a scathing sign in the crowd: 'NWA #1! WWF Stinks!' Language! Paul works the leg, but Jim starts CORNING UP!! Fists of Fury! Shirt Rip! Powder to the Eyes! Pants! 6:30! DUD, but the crowd liked it, so not a total waste of time.

Texas Tornado Match: The Steiner Brothers v Varsity Club: Big brawl to start (no shit!), with Kevin Sullivan trading chair shots with Rick Steiner, and Mike Rotunda throwing Scott Steiner into a table. Stairs get involved next, as Scott corners Rotunda in the ring for a ten-punch and a hiptoss. Tree of woe, and Rick brings Kevin in for a well executed powerslam and a ten-punch of his own - but Sullivan ends up backdropping him to the floor out of it, and the VC double-team Scotty while Rick recovers. He comes back with a stretcher in hand, and the Steiner's dog pile Sullivan for the pin at 4:42. Tornado Matches are often a mess, but this was well booked (they need to stay under ten minutes, or else the novelty wears off, and it doesn't hold your attention - something ECW never properly picked up on), and this one was definitely engaging. *

NWA Television Title Match: Sting v Great Muta: Muta insists Sting move into ring two if he wants to start ('no you hang up; no you'), so Sting responds by diving clear from one ring into the other - clotheslining Muta. Muta manager Gary Hart quickly runs interference to allow Muta a flying tomahawk to slow that train down, and a handspring elbow hits. Backbreaker, but Sting dodges a flying moonsault, so Muta lightning kicks him to the floor, and follows with a plancha. Sting comes back in with a flying clothesline, and a standing dropkick puts Muta on the floor for a revenge plancha - with he sidesteps, so Sting regroups in midair, lands on his feet, and wails on him with closed fists instead. Inside, Sting slams him for two, but a suplex gets countered into a sleeper - the first time they've slowed down at all. And even that only lasts a second - Sting press slamming his way free. Elbowdrop misses, however, and Muta hooks a chinlock on the mat, which he turns into a rope-assisted abdominal stretch when Sting gets uppity. Slugfest goes the Stinger's way, so Muta rakes the eyes, and starts firing off shots at the leg - but misses another handspring elbow, and gets bulldogged for his trouble. Standing dropkick puts the challenger back on the outside, so he tries to spray the mist in Sting's eyes - only to blind the referee in the process. Flying moonsault, but the referee is dead, so another runs out for a dramatic two count. Roundhouse kick, but Sting ducks, and hits a side suplex to retain at 8:40 - as counted by the second referee. The first one disputes it, however, deciding Muta lifted his shoulder at two, but he's literally a blind referee, so no one pays him much mind. Really, if he has anything to say, it should be regarding Muta using the illegal mist - evidence of which is still covering his face as he's arguing for Muta. Match was fun, innovate, well worked stuff - all set to a breakneck pace, with a rabid crowd. *** ½

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Ricky Steamboat: Luger turned heel on Steamboat the month before to set this up, and it's billed as 'no disqualifications' to prevent Luger from getting himself counted out or disqualified to save the title, but Lex threatens to walk unless they wrestle under standard rules. And since Steamboat wants to get his hands on him that badly - he stupidly agrees. What is this, inmates run the asylum day, or something? 'Yeah, let's split the battle royal! Yeah, let's change the stipulations at whim!' Eh, I guess it was summer, and they're a Southern company - different rules apply when your ass is juicy with July sweat. Luger overpowers him out of the first couple of lockups, but gets suckered into a blind charge, and rolled up for two. Inside cradle for two, and a pair of dropkicks stagger the champion for Steamboat to backdrop. Series of chops put him on the floor, but Ricky follows with more, and drags him in to prevent the countout - only to take a kneelift on the way in, and get left laying on the outside. He tries a flying tomahawk on the way in, but Luger gut-punches him, and hits a press slam. Series of clotheslines keep it going, but Steamboat won't stay down - firing off chops to back Luger into the corner. Lex responds with a powerslam for two, but gets caught with a bodypress out of a criss cross, so he levels him with an inverted atomic drop. Backdrop gets countered with a swinging neckbreaker, and Steamboat sidesteps a bodypress to send Lex crashing to the floor. Again, Steamboat drags him back in to avoid the countout, and slams him off of the top rope before blasting him with a dropkick. Flying tomahawk for two, but he makes the mistake of arguing the count, and Luger backdrops him into the next ring for his troubles. He goes to cover, but instead jumps to the floor for a chair to avoid any possible come backs, only for Steamboat to get hold of it, and blast Luger at 10:26, giving Lex both the win and the title. Match was fun, well paced back-and-forth action, with both guys giving a good effort - but had more than a few awkward bits, like Luger stopping his offense repeatedly to yell at the fans, trying to hammer home that they should now be booing him. Unfortunately, a contract dispute ended Steamboat's prodigious run a couple of weeks later. ** ¾

WarGames: The Fabulous Freebirds and The Samoan Swat Team v Steve Williams, The Midnight Express, and The Road Warriors: Jimmy Garvin starts with Bobby Eaton, and they trade off - neither man getting a real advantage as the period draws to a close, and Terry Gordy joins things. He helps Garvin double-team Eaton to takeover, and they have a ball until Steve Williams buzzes in, and starts throwing clotheslines. He moves Gordy to the other ring for a private battle - hitting a visually impressive eight-alarm press slam into the cage ceiling. In comes Samu to slow Williams down with a savate kick, as the heels use the numbers to their advantage. Animal enters to destroy everything with clotheslines, and nearly puts Samu through the ring with a slingshot shoulderblock. Fatu comes in to slow Animal down, and the Swat Team... swat him... as Hawk paces on the floor - knowing he's the anchor, and has to wait to get his hands on them. Stan Lane heads in to lend a hand, as Animal links up with Williams (that would have been a hell of tag team) to abuse the Samoan's. A reluctant Michael Hayes rounds off the heel team, and takes the time to make sure EVERYONE gets a DDT for playing. Lane tries to stop the party with a savate kick, but gets Freebird'd (delayed), until finally Hawk buzzes in to start the Match Beyond. He takes the Samon's down like bowling pins with a flying clothesline to start his path of destruction, and then goes ballistic on Jimmy Garvin with a series of neckbreakers, before finishing him with a vicious looking hangman submission at 22:15. Probably the most forgettable WarGames, but still unspeakably better than another trip to the Tower of Doom. * ¼

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Terry Funk: Funk brings a long line of security guards with him during the entrances, which Flair counters with a long line of beautiful women. The psychology has started before the bell's even gone! And speaking of not waiting for the bell, Flair charges right in after him, pulling him to the floor, and choking him out on the rail. Chops, and Flair begs him to climb in. Meanwhile, on the floor, some mustached douche fan (who had been acting like an idiot all night) gets in Funk's face, but when Terry turns to face him - the guy hilarious cowers behind security. Flair doesn't have time for 'might start a riot' bullshit, and jumps back out after him with an axehandle. Inside, Funk returns fire with a series of chops, but Flair switches gears, and unloads closed fists to put them back on the floor - only for Funk to post him. Suplex back in (with a few token slaps to the face first) gets two, but Flair blocks a second try, and tries to suplex Funk over the top - only for Terry to topple him, and sending them both crashing to the floor in a heap. Not that it slows them down a bit - getting right back into a chopfest, and both raking each other's eyes for good measure. Back in, Terry tries a piledriver (the move he used to break Flair's neck), but gets backdropped back to the floor, where Flair starts targeting his neck - literally trying to snap his head off. And I know the correct definition of 'literally.' Back in the ring, Flair with a pair of shindrops to the neck for two, and he piledrives him twice to drive the point home. Funk is understandably dazed, and falls back to the floor - crawling up the aisle - but Flair drags him back in to blast him with a forearm for two. Side suplex sets up the Figure Four, but Funk gets hold of his branding iron, and whacks his way free - busting the champ open. Funk works the cut (punching and clawing and biting at it) and looks to finish with the dreaded piledriver - but Flair's in the ropes. Now (even more) pissed, Funk goes to the floor and pulls the mats up to break his neck for making 'comebacks' - but Flair backdrops on instinct. Funk gives him a series of swinging neckbreakers instead, but gets blown low when he goes back to the branding iron, and Flair fires off his own shot with it, and rams him into the post to bust him open, too - even the little old ladies at ringside cheering this ass kicking on. Ten-punch count, but a blind charge misses, and Funk goes to the spinning toe-hold - only for Flair to counter into the Figure Four, countered with a Funk cradle, and finally reversed by Flair for the pin at 17:00. Brilliant match, bringing new meaning to 'intense' or 'blood feud,' and very influential on the main event brawls the WWE would popularize during the Attitude Era. Well paced, great transitions, and tremendous build up of the neck injury throughout, too - any hint of Funk going after it getting the crowd near cardiac arrest. ****

BUExperience: WCW had a really great, deep bench in 1989 – the influx of guys like Muta, Pillman, Steamboat, Sid, and the Steiner Brothers making for many interesting combinations with fixtures like Flair, Sting, and Luger – and while certainly not a ‘best ever’ candidate, it’s still a very good, very satisfying, very fondly remembered show – well booked, and featuring a couple of really great bouts in the World and Television Title matches, and exciting stuff like the Tornado and United States Title matches. ***