NWA (WCW) WrestleWar 1989 (Version II)

Original Airdate: May 7, 1989

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

Opening Match: Great Muta v Doug Gilbert: The crowd is really into Muta, and who can blame them, really? Gilbert tries attacking before the bell, but instead of spraying him with the mist, Muta simply superkicks him, THEN sprays the mist. Badass! Muta kicks him again to put Doug on the outside, so Gilbert comes back in with a bodypress and a shoulderblock to knock Muta to the floor. Back in, Muta uses the martial arts to knocks Gilbert into the corner for a handspring elbow, and he grabs a nervehold. Doug quickly escapes, and wins a criss cross with a facebuster, but gets his eyes raked. Muta with a backbreaker to setup the flying moonsault, but Gilbert dodges - Muta able to land on his feet, and dropkick Doug out of the ring! Nuts! Muta follows him out with a plancha, then brings him back in for another backbreaker to setup the moonsault at 3:04. Just wild, wild stuff for 1989, and still a lot of fun today! Good choice for an opener. ** ¼ (Original rating: ¾*)

Butch Reed v Ranger Ross: Both guys are wearing black/yellow gear, since racism. Or, maybe they were trying to form a new tag team: The Africanized Killer Bees? Thank God Doom came along, because the world was not ready for that. Ross dominates on the mat to start, but Reed blasts him with a lariat, and hits a swinging neckbreaker for two. And speaking of Teddy Long (I'm assuming you were, as we all are, at all times), here he is on the outside, scouting the match. Given how many times he refereed Reed's matches (like, literally all of them) you'd think he'd know what he could and couldn't do already. I mean, chinlock is as chinlock does. Reed with a series of elbowdrops for two, and he grabs a chinlock. See? And this white boy referee doesn't even catch him using the ropes, either. Criss cross goes Ross' way with a sloppy takedown, and he throws a pair of dropkicks to knock Butch to the outside. Reed manages a vertical suplex on the way back in, however, and a Flying Shoulderblock finishes at 6:59. Comptenent extended squash. ¾* (Original rating: ¼*)

Bullrope Match: Bob Orton v Dick Murdoch: Orton hides out in the corner to avoid getting whipped with the cowbell, but it's kinda hard to hide when the other guy is literally connected to your wrist. And, in fact, Murdoch pulls him over, and beats on him. To the floor, Bob eats post, and Dick whips him with the rope on the way back in. Bob goes to the eyes to turn the tide, but Murdoch goes low. This match is dying a slow death. Like, their Clash match was (almost) watchable because it was wrestling, but watching them do a lethargic brawl just doesn't work. Murdoch takes off his boot to use as a weapon, then hogties Orton and drops a couple of elbows for the pin at 5:01. Yeah, there was a good reason this was clipped down to all of a minute on the Turner Home Video release. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

The Samoan Swat Team v The Dynamic Dudes: It still gets me in a very special place in my heart to know that jaded ECW hardcore bigshot Shane Douglas got his first real break as a mullet haired pretty boy skateboarder. Johnny Ace slams both Samoan's around to start, as the Dudes pepper them with quick offense. Some crowd shots during this one reveal the ridiculous amount of obese white trash women that made up the Dudes' fanbase at this point. No wonder Shane got so jaded. Not to mention it might explain Ace's reputation for hiring Diva's solely based on apperance in the WWE later on. We're all compensating for something, after all. Johnny ends up running into a superkick from Fatu to turn the tide, and the Swat Team cut the ring in half. It's worth noting that, despite being the butt of many jokes since, the Dudes are quite over here. Ace escapes a Boston crab to get the tag to Douglas, and he's an International House of Dropkicks! Four-way brawl breaks out, and Johnny missile dropkicks Shane onto Fatu at 11:00. This felt like the WCW's answer to the Rockers/Twin Towers match at WrestleMania, though it went on for a bit too long. * (Original rating: ¼*)

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Michael Hayes: Considering Hayes is being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in three days, this is a timely match to cover. After a bit of the requisite stalling, Hayes wins a criss cross with an ugly bodypress for two, and works a standing side-headlock. Another criss cross ends in an equally ugly Russian legsweep by the challenger for two, but Lex starts to overpower him in the corner, so Michael bails. His actual holds may be sloppy as fuck, but his stalling is world class. Michael manages a jumping clothesline, but Lex blocks a DDT, and Hayes bails again for more stalling. In, Luger works an armbar, then delivers a backbreaker for two. Hayes tries a cross corner clothesline to turn the tide, but Luger no-sells, and ten-punches him in the corner. Bodypress, but Michael ducks, and Lex goes flying out of the ring. Hayes quickly follows to slam Luger's head into the post, and he vertical suplexes the champion back in for two. Chinlock, but Luger powers out, so Hayes quickly bulldogs him for two. Back to the chinlock, but Luger powers up again, so Michael tosses him to the floor for manager Hiro Matsuda to abuse. Lex better get used to getting abused by Japanese managers on the outside, I'll tell ya. Back in, Michael bodyslams him for a series of two counts, then grounds him again with another chinlock. Hey, at least it's actual wrestling, and not stalling. Lex fights out and reversed Hayes in the corner, so the challenger goes to the eyes to derail a comeback. Bulldog again, but Luger blocks this time, and the comeback is coming back on like a plate of babyback ribs, baby! Torture Rack looks to finish, but Michael counters with a DDT, and the referee goes down. That brings Terry Gordy out, and he shoves the challenger on top, thus giving Hayes his only major singles title at 16:29 - approximately nine of which were stalling. This was good, once they got past the initial sloppiness. ** (Original rating: ¼*)

NWA Television Title Match: Sting v Iron Shiek: Shiek attacks him with the flagpole before the match, and chokes the champion down with his entrance gear. Sting starts no-selling, however, and gives Shiek a taste of his own medicene. Shiek returns fire with a gutwrench suplex for two, and a clothesline follows, but Sting no-sells, and the Stinger Splash sets up the Scorpion Deathlock at 2:10. DUD (Original rating: DUD)

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Ric Flair: To prevent any controversy, Lou Thesz, Pat O'Connor, and Terry Funk serve as ringside judges. And, much like the Clash match, this isn't going on last 'in case it runs long.' Flair looks a lot less nervous and a lot more eager to lockup out the gate this time, but still gets armdragged over right away. And then immediately bitches about hairpulling. Bud, it didn't work in the first two matches, why would the referee buy it now? Gotta admire his determination, though. The crowd seems to be pretty firmly pro-Flair for this one, which is a good thing, since he was officially turning after this. Big chopfest goes Ricky's way, and he backdrops his challenger - Flair bailing to the outside. I'd pay good money for a copy of Terry Funk's notepad for this match. They fight over an overhead wristlock, with Steamboat able to overpower Flair down to the mat for an armbar. You know it's the 80s because there's not one, not two, but THREE guys in pastel pink polos on the camera side of the front row alone! Despite Flair's best efforts, Ricky holds him on the mat in a hammerlock, and rolls it over into a pin attempt for one. Ric starts throwing chops to escape, but gets outworked during a criss cross, and trapped back on the mat in another hammerlock. Frustrated, Flair resorts to closed fists to escape, but trading chops with the Dragon doesn't end well for him. Well, when DOES it? Back to the hammerlock, with Steamboat somersaulting over while applying it to wrench it on EXTRA good. Flair manages to deadlift him onto the top turnbuckle to escape, but the Dragon leapfrogs him to block a followup, then dropkicks him to the floor. He wants to dive out after him, but the referee won't allow it. That's one thing I always hated about the NWA. Like, imagine how much less of an impact Randy Savage would have made if he couldn't do his flying axehandle to the floor spot in every match. Flair uses the reprieve to regroup, but still ends up in a wristlock upon re-entering. A criss cross finally goes his way with a hiptoss (I think that may be the first one he's won in all three of these matches), but an elbowdrop misses, and Steamboat is on that armbar again. Flair takes a cheapshot to escape, and he starts unloading those big chops with gusto. Man, he's just letting him HAVE IT there. Steamboat finally wakes up and starts responding in kind, but Ric rakes the eyes to stop the effort, and tosses the champion out of the ring. That only serves to piss him off, however, and he charges back in with more chops and a ten-punch. Flair ends up in a tree of woe out of the deal, but manages to use the Dragon's momentum against him during a criss cross, and Steamboat goes flying out over the top. That leads to an absolutely hilarious bit of fan interaction, as some fat housewife in the front row starts desperately pushing him to he gets his ass back in. Flair responds by going out and throwing Steamboat into the crowd, and wouldn't ya know it, he falls right into that same ladies lap. Ha! The chops they exchange out there are fucking EPIC, too! I mean, they're incredible normally, but out there they are REALLY cracking eachother to make sure no one doubts the authenticity from up close. That ends with Ricky chasing Flair around the ring, and in for a flying tomahawk chop. Criss cross, but Flair ducks a jumping shoulderblock, and Steamboat goes flying out of the ring again! The timing on that was just beautiful, not to mention the athletic ability necessary to pull it off so gracefully. Ric brings him in hardway for a kneedrop, and a side suplex is worth multiple two counts. Another kneedrop and a double-underhook suplex get two, and an elbowdrop is worth two. Ricky tries another jumping shoulderblock, but this time gets caught in a stungun, and they spill to the outside for Flair to vertical suplex him. Ric tries bringing him back in with another vertical suplex, but Steamboat counters with a rollup for two, and a criss cross ends in both guys going out over the top. Their timing is just unbelievable here. Flair goes up on the way back in, but Ricky slams him down, and unloads a ten-punch in the corner. Backdrop hits, so Flair desperately tries a side suplex to turn things around, but Steamboat counters with a schoolboy for two. Steamboat with a superplex, and he goes for the dreaded double-chickenwing, but this time Flair is able to block by hooking his ankle around the ropes. That saves him from the hold that beat him twice at the Clash, but not from a flying tomahawk chop. Another, but this time a dazed Ric 'accidentally' falls into the ropes, causing Ricky to lose his balance on the top, and fall to the floor - hurting his knee! Ric seems a little lax on Steamboat getting counted out here, making no effort to get him in, until the champ gets to the apron - Flair vertical suplexing him in. Figure Four applied, but Steamboat makes the ropes. Flair stays right on the knee, but gets caught with an enzuigiri. Steamboat tries to capitalize with a bodyslam, but gets countered with an inside cradle at 31:31 - the same way he beat Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Title back in 1987. What a fucking match, keeping in tone with the first two, but also managing to be unique. The best of the '89 series, and it had a lot more heat than the Clash match, with that depressing papered crowd in an empty dome. And then, afterwards, judge Terry Funk comes in to congratulate Flair on the match, and then ask for a shot himself. Ric correctly notes that Funk's been off in Hollywood making movies, so why doesn't he go ask Sly Stallone for a shot. Man's got a point. Terry doesn't see it that way, however, and sucker punches the new champion, before piledriving him onto the judges table at ringside and beating him with a chair - turning Flair face, and setting up an epic feud. ***** (Original rating: **** ¼)

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Varsity Club v The Road Warriors: Nikita Koloff acts as the special guest referee here, making his return after a six month absence due to the real-life death of his wife. Interestingly, Teddy Long is not out scouting this one. The Warriors, still good and pissed over that whole 'robbed of the titles' dealie, attack before the bell and clean house. The dust settles on Steve Williams and Animal, and the Club start trying to cheat right away, but referee Koloff won't have it, and bounces Kevin Sullivan from ringside. I get what they were going for with Rotunda and Sullivan, but why were they booking Steve Williams as a coward? Speaking of Mike Rotunda, he comes in with a dropkick on Animal, but a flying bodypress is caught with a powerslam, and Animal adds a clothesline for two. Tags to Williams and Hawk, and Steve bodyslams him, but misses an elbowdrop. That allows Hawk a bodyslam of his own, and he DOESN'T miss his fistdrop followup. Steve bails, but Hawk is on him with a flying clothesline off the apron - only to miss another clothesline, and wrap his arm around the post in the process. Rotunda drives his arm into the post again, and Williams wraps it around the rail before bringing it back in for a hangman's clothesline. They try cutting the ring in half, but Hawk is able to quickly evade, and tags Animal. He comes in hot to ignite a four-way brawl, and the Doomsday Device looks to finish Williams, so Sullivan and Dan Spivey show up to attack Koloff to trigger a DQ at 5:03. Fun, energetic, and didn't overstay its welcome. Too short, if anything. ** (Original rating: ½*)

NWA United States Tag Team Title Match: The First Family v The Varsity Club: Both teams brawl right away, and the dust settles on Eddie Gilbert and Kevin Sullivan. Eddie unloads a ten-punch in the ring as Dan Spivey posts Rick Steiner on the outside - the distraction allowing Kevin to attack. Eddie's more concerned with Rick on the outside than with his opponents, but even still, the Club have trouble cutting the ring in half on the champion. Missy Hyatt's tits are pretty insane at this point, it's worth noting. Spivey and Sullivan as a team is very visually amusing. The challengers are finally able to put an effective hurting on Gilbert to cut the ring in half, with Spivey doing an especially nice job of just dismantling the guy. That continues, until Sullivan tries a piledriver, but Rick rushes in with a Steinerline - allowing Gilbert to somersault cradle Kevin to retain at 6:49. * (Original rating: ¼*)

BUExperience: There’s obviously the one match that stands out, and even though there’s nothing else on the card that’s particularly worth tracking down on its own, there is enough solid stuff to hold the rest of the show together well enough

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