NWA (JCP) Clash of the Champions (March 1988)

Original Airdate: March 27, 1988

After their first attempts at expanding into the lucrative pay per view market were brilliantly countered by the WWF’s counterprogramming in late 1987 and early 1988, the NWA decided to fire back. With the WWF holding WrestleMania IV on pay per view, the NWA created a new program to air the same day (called ‘Clash of the Champions’), promising two hours of pay per view caliber wrestling for free on TBS. Though the WWF was still a hot ticket, fan apathy towards WrestleMania IV gave the NWA a boost, and the Clash was successful – enough so that it was renewed, and became a regular special until 1997.

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Opening NWA Television Title College Rules Match: Mike Rotunda v Jimmy Garvin: The idea here is that this is wrestled like an amateur match - three five minute rounds to a pinfall, or scored on points should no fall occur.
ROUND ONE: Rotunda is cautious, and goes to the leg for a takedown, but Garvin controls once they get on the mat, and Mike bails for the ropes. Another try ends with Garvin hitting a pair of bodyslams (always see those in collegiate matches), and Rotunda bails to the floor to regroup. Inside, Garvin hits a backelbow, and hooks a standing side-headlock. He shifts into a front-facelock as he tries to get Mike on the mat, but Rotunda forces a rope break. Rotunda with a lariat to turn the tide, and a bodyslam sets up a flying axehandle, but Garvin slams him off of the top rope to counter as the period ends.
ROUND TWO: No break between rounds, as Garvin backdrops him to set up a suplex, but Rotunda pal Kevin Sullivan gets on the apron, and Mike schoolboys the challenger at 5:55. Oddly booked, as they were wrestling a standard match (flying clotheslines aren't exactly staples at the Olympics), and didn't even stop between rounds. Nothing going on here, otherwise. DUD

NWA United States Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Express v The Fantastics: They don't even wait for the bell to get into a wild, weapon filled four-way brawl on the floor - the Fantastics dominating. Express manager Jim Cornette helps them turn the tide with a chair, as the referee finally gets them to settle on Bobby Eaton starting with Tommy Rogers. Rogers manages to dodge a dropkick before passing to Bobby Fulton, but that only triggers another four-way brawl. The Midnight's double-team to takeover on Rogers, and Stan Lane blasts him with a savate kick. Cornette actually picks up and throws a table at Rogers’ head to set up an Eaton powerslam, and a flying elbowdrop hits hard. The Express cut the ring in half, but Tommy won't stay down, so Eaton slams him on a table/chair combo on the floor to leave him for dead. He still tries to beat the count in, so Eaton bulldogs him right onto the concrete – now actively trying to put the guy in the hospital. He keeps coming, but can't make the tag, so Fulton comes in illegally to help Rogers hit a Rocket Launcher for the titles at 10:19. The title win is almost immediately overturned for the controversy, however, and the Express retain by disqualification. I don't like Dusty Finishes in general, but this was good use of one, as it actually fit into the chaotic nature of the match quite nicely. These two teams would have a better showdown at the Great American Bash a couple of months later, but this was one hell of a fast paced, hard hitting tag match. ** ¼

Six-Man Tag Team Barbed Wire Match: Ivan Koloff and The Powers of Pain v Dusty Rhodes and The Road Warriors: The ropes are loosely wrapped in barbed wire, as opposed to replaced by wire as ECW would popularize in the 90s. No tags here, so they get right into a big brawl, with the faces taking control by using the wire. Hawk manages to press slam Koloff in the chaos, and Animal starts headbutting everyone with a hockey mask, and a powerslam finishes Warlord at 4:00. All punch-kick, but thankfully kept on the short side. DUD

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard v Lex Luger and Barry Windham: Blanchard starts with Luger, and gets thrown across the ring during the initial tie-up. That draws Arn in to double-team, but former Horsemen Luger sees it coming and blasts them both with clotheslines before hooking Tully in the Torture Rack. Arn saves with a swift kick to the knee, and with the vertical base gone, the champs have him right where they want him. Both guys destroy the knee, but Luger overpowers Anderson from flat on his back, and passes to Barry. Windham levels Blanchard with a diving clothesline, and a powerslam for two. Sleeper sends them spilling to the outside when Tully goes for the ropes - Barry holding him in it as they fall to the floor. Windham drags him with in with a slam from the top rope, and hooks an abdominal stretch to stretch the abdominals, but Arn breaks it up with a DDT. He doesn't even bother tagging before giving Windham a spinebuster for two, but gets crotched during a test-of-strength, and quickly passes back to Tully to literally save his balls. Criss cross ends in a Windham bodypress for two, and another in a double knockout spot - Blanchard getting the tag off. Anderson tries to keep control with a wristlock, but Barry keeps sticking and moving - though unable to get the tag to Luger before Blanchard comes back in with a slingshot suplex for two. Barry's so dazed he doesn't know where he is, but manages to fall into his corner during a slugfest, and tags Luger. He's a house of arson, and after heel manager JJ Dillon's attempt at bringing a chair into things backfires, Luger pins Anderson for the titles at 9:33. Not a psychological thriller, but great tag wrestling (properly cutting the ring in half, quick tags, double-teams), and all at a non-stop pace. ***

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Sting: Motley crew of judges at ringside: Gary Juster, Sandy Scott, Jason Hervey, Patty Mullen, and Ken Osmond. To add intrigue, Flair manager JJ Dillon is suspended in a shark cage above the ring to prevent interference. Though, really, I say Sting let him run wild. If JJ hadn't interfered in the earlier match, his men might still be tag champions. Flair gives him the 'pleasures all yours' treatment at the bell, toying with him as they prepare to lockup, and playing the crowd. Sting responds with a standing side-headlock, but veteran Flair counters into a wristlock - making sure to talk trash at him in the meantime. Sting calls for a test-of-strength, and Flair acts like he's humoring him, but the joke ends up being on Ric, as Sting overpowers him, and hits a dropkick to put the champ on the floor. Flair regroups, and becomes more aggressive as he re-enters the ring, but Sting overpowers him, and hooks an armbar. Flair refuses to let him take it to the mat, instead powering into the ropes, and triggering a criss cross - ending in Sting press slamming him. Sting follows with a quick headscissors takedown, and he finally gets Flair on the mat with a headlock. The champ wrestles up to a vertical base, but Sting fires off a shoulderblock to put him back on the mat in another headlock - Dillon shouting tips from high above the ring. Flair powers into the corner for some chops, but Sting no-sells, and unloads a ten-punch before dropkicking the champ. Flair desperately tries to turn the tide by dumping Sting to the floor, but he literally bounces right back, and gives the champ another ten-punch before re-hooking the headlock. Now worried, Flair tries to counter the hold into some pinfall attempts, but Sting holds firm. The chops still aren't working, so Flair fires a swift shot to the kidneys to get Sting's attention - and he does, as Sting press slams him. Bearhug has Flair desperately reaching for the ropes, but Sting holds firm again, and takes it to the mat for a couple of pinfall attempts. Finally sick of Flair's endless kickouts, Sting mounts him with punches to make a more direct point, but a Stinger Splash misses - and the challenger's on the mat holding his shoulder. He still fights Flair off with another ten-punch, but this time Ric counters with an inverted atomic drop. To the floor, Flair bends the guardrail with a couple of hard whips, but Sting's game to beat the count back in. Ric goes to work with chops in the corner, and a snapmare sets up a pair of shindrops. Flair takes him on tour - beating him from corner to corner - then finally tossing the punch-drunk Sting to the floor for another whip into the rail. Inside, Flair goes for the kill with another series of chops, but Sting no-sells, and knocks Flair to the floor with a single punch. He misses a charge into the post out there, however, and Flair goes to work on the arm with a wristlock inside. Sting with a hiptoss to break the hold, and a hanging vertical suplex sets up the Scorpion Deathlock, but Flair's in the ropes. Sting gets overzealous with another charge, and goes flying to the floor when Flair hits the deck, but still manages a flying bodypress on the battered champion. Headlock, but Flair counters with a kneebreaker, and wastes no time pounding the part in the corner. Second kneebreaker leaves Sting crawling to the floor to avoid the Figure Four, but he doesn't have long, 'cause the referee is counting. He hobbles back in for more abuse, and Flair hits a side suplex to set up the Figure Four. He has little trouble applying the hold now - using the ropes to really get Sting selling - but the Stinger beautifully pulls him to center ring while in the hold, and reverses. That leaves both men struggling to maintain a vertical base, with Flair firing first with a suplex to the floor - only to get reversed into the ring. Flair tries to go to the top rope, but Sting meets him with a slam for two, then crotches him on the ringpost for fun. Sting with a figure four of his own to get Flair doing his Al Pacino impression, and Flair Flips to the floor. Sting is right on him with a shot into the rail, and another into the judges table. One into the ringpost leaves Flair flopping into the first row, but Sting drags him back to finish. Flair openly begs off in the corner, but Sting's SURFING UP!! Ten-Punch Count! Clothesline! - but the Stinger Splash misses, and Sting crashes over the top rope to the concrete. He manages to beat the count in for a slugfest, but walks into a sleeper. Sting counters by ramming Ric into the corner, and a sunset flip gets two. Stinger Splash finally hits to set up the Scorpion Deathlock, and this time Flair's no where near the ropes. Ric looks about ready to submit, but time expires at 39:14. Poor JJ. That’s a long time to sit in a suspended shark cage. The time limit leaves it up to the esteemed judges, but they're at a stalemate, so we have a draw, and Flair retains the title. Really great, legendary stuff here. Sting may not have won the title, but this match cemented his position on the card as a main event title threat with fans for good, and gave the NWA a new star in the process. The match built wonderfully – from Flair’s initial condescending ‘yeah kid’ attitude, to Sting pushing the veteran literally to the limit, and leaving Flair begging off and scrambling for counters. *** ¾

BUExperience: Certainly better than WrestleMania IV! Just great stuff for two hours on free TV – with an undisputed classic main event, to boot. Besides the wrestling, there’s tons of historical significance in being the first of the long running Clash series to make it worth checking out alone. This was totally different from the WWF’s presentation at the time (I don’t think anything on Saturday Night’s Main Event broke ** during this period), and while it wasn’t as goofy and fun as the WWF’s programming, the wrestling was much, much better. ****