NWA (WCW) Great American Bash 1989 (Version II)

Original Airdate: July 23, 1989

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

Opening $50,000 King of the Hill 14-Man Battle Royal: This is a two ring battle royal, with the winner of ring one facing the winner of ring two. We've got: Eddie Gilbert, Terry Gordy, Scott Hall, Bill Irwin, Brian Pillman, Ranger Ross, Steve Williams, Ron Simmons, The Steiner Brothers, The Sky Scrapers, and The Varsity Club. If you've seen one battle royal, you've seen 'em all. Ring one comes down to Sid Vicious and Brian Pillman, and you can guess who wins that showdown. Ring two comes down to Mike Rotunda, Dan Spivey, and Steve Williams, and at least that's less of a given. Mike and Steve kill each other, and Spivey picks up the pieces to win ring two. That leaves the Skyscrapers against each other as the final, so they decide to simply split the prize and be done with it at 10:20. ¼* (Original rating: ¼*)

Bill Irwin v Brian Pillman: You might remember these two from the opening match. At least when the WWF had the balls to open a pay per view with a battle royal, guys didn't have to pull double duty. Brian sticks and moves to get Bill down in a headlock, then sends him to the outside with a headscissors takedown. Irwin stirs, so Brian throws a baseball slide at him - Bill seeing red and charging, but getting taken down with an armdrag into an armbar. Bill fights free, so Pillman keeps sticking and moving, but gets caught in a sidewalk slam, and Irwin is quick to add a vertical suplex to take over. He throws Brian to the outside as retribution for earlier, then runs him throat-first into the top rope for two on the way back in. Irwin with a snapmare into a chinlock, but Brian chops his way out, so Bill clobbers him with a clothesline for two before Pillman can mount a comeback. Straddling ropechoke hits, but a second one misses, and Pillman throws a pair of dropkicks at him. Jumping clothesline sets up a splash for two, but a missile dropkick misses, and Irwin puts the boots to him. Gutwrench suplex gets two, and Bill decides to get cute by throwing him from one ring into another, but that only inspires Pillman to dive from the top rope of the second ring back into the first with a Flying Bodypress at 10:18. This was okay, but kinda plodding when Irwin was in control - which was for the bulk of the match. * ¼ (Original rating: ½*)

The Dynamic Dudes v The Skyscrapers: Oooh, this is gonna be ugly. In the best possible way. Johnny Ace starts with Dan Spivey, and Dan wastes absolutely zero time no-selling everything Johnny does. Well, when you're walking around with that particular kind of haircut, you're probably pretty used to no-selling stuff on the reg. Dan no-sells both Dudes as they try doubling up, and he smacks Ace around like a disobedient child. Tag to Sid Vicious, and man, you can almost hear the cash registers dinging with all the money they were going to make with this guy. He's just one of those guys that absolutely has an aura of being a big star surrounding him, even if he can't back it up in the ring all of the time. The funny thing is that, even with multiple world title wins in the top two North American promotions, and even with two WrestleMania main events under his belt, Sid still feels like one of those guys who should have been an even BIGGER star. The Skyscrapers continue to dismantle the Dudes at will, finally settling on Shane Douglas to cut the ring in half on. Ace gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door, there's a kettle on! The Dudes manage to stick and move long enough to convince you that they might muster a comeback, but Ace eats a sloppy Powerbomb from Spivey at 10:11. Ugh, that finish was ugly in the bad way. Basically a squash, with Ace and Douglas barely getting a word in edgewise against the offensive blitzkrieg of the Skyscrapers. ¾* (Original rating: ½*)

Tuxedo Match: Jim Cornette v Paul E. Dangerously: From the 'Reasons I'm Sometimes Embarrassed to be a Pro-Wrestling Fan' files. Jim gets Paul's jacket off almost right away, so Dangerously resorts to using a handful of powder to even the score, then goes to work on Jim's bad knee (which Paul injured at the previous Clash of the Champions). Paul takes off his own bowtie to choke Cornette with, then literally spits in his face, but Jim's knee is so battered that he can't retaliate. Paul takes him to the outside for more leg abuse, and he rams him into the post out there for good measure. Back in, Dangerously starts unloading rights, but Cornette suddenly catches a second wind, and does his best Hulk Hogan impression as he mounts a comeback. He gets Paul's shirt off, but a whip into the ropes results in a double knockout spot. Dangerously goes for the powder again, but this time Cornette manages to kick it into his face, and he rips Paul's pants off at 6:22. Um, yeah. ¼* (Original rating: DUD)

Texas Tornado Match: The Varsity Club v The Steiner Brothers: Big brawl to start, with the Steiner's controlling. Kevin Sullivan has it out with Rick Steiner on the floor as Mike Rotunda battles Scott Steiner on the inside, and it's just complete chaos here! It takes no time at all for tables and chairs to get involved, and there's so much carnage that the camera crew literally has a hard time capturing it all! This was a time well before the split screen became a thing in the world of professional wrestling, and so we get a lot of back-and-forth cuts and/or extreme wide angle shots. The Brothers obliterate them until the Club manage to knock Rick to the floor, and build some momentum by doubling up on Scott. That doesn't last long, however, with Rick rushing back in and headbutting Sullivan in the groin multiple times to allow Scott to schoolboy Rotunda for two! They dump Rick to the floor again to have their way with Scotty, but this time brother Rick returns with a chair, and Sullivan eats the pin at 4:42. Yes, the Tuxedo match got six and a half minutes, but this got less than five. Criminally short match (the style lends itself to short matches, but this was pushing it) - non-stop action while it lasted, though a bit too short to really get a higher rating than ** ¼ (Original rating: *)

NWA Television Title Match: Sting v Great Muta: Muta plays games with the champion by hiding out in the other ring, so Sting decides to speed things up by diving from one ring to the other at him! That works like gangbusters, so Gary Hart distracts Sting, and Muta hits him with a flying tomahawk chop and a handspring elbow. Flying moonsault, but Sting moves, so Muta reroutes to land on his feet, but Sting no-sells some kicks, so Muta throws an enzuigiri to send the champion to the floor. Muta is right after him with a plancha, but Sting manages a clothesline on the way back in, and he's able to follow-up with a flying version for two. Dropkick puts Muta on the floor, so Sting tries his own dive, but Muta moves into the aisle, so Sting one-ups him with his own mid-air rerouting to land on his feet! Wild! Back in, Sting bodyslams him for two, but Muta counters a vertical suplex into a sleeper - the first time this has slowed down at all thus far! Sting makes the ropes and press-slams the challenger, but misses an elbowdrop, and Muta snapmares him over for his own elbowdrop. He grounds the champion with a chinlock, but Sting fights up to his feet, so Muta abruptly releases, and grabs an abdominal stretch instead! He uses the ropes for leverage before shifting into an abdominal cradle for two, but a second handspring elbow misses, and Sting starts throwing clotheslines. Bulldog and a standing dropkick scares Muta into using the mist, but he hits the referee by accident (including a brilliant sell job by referee Nick Patrick), so Sting tries Splashing him - but misses. That allows Muta to hit the flying moonsault, and a new referee rushes in, but Sting kicks out at two! Muta tries finishing him off with a big kick, but Sting ducks, and side suplexes him to retain at 8:40. However, it's the old 'both guys were pinned' finish, which led to the title becoming vacant until Muta won it in September. I didn't care for the finish, but it was a hot, crisp match, with fast paced and innovative stuff from bell to bell. *** ¾ (Original rating: *** ½)

NWA United States Title Match: Lex Luger v Ricky Steamboat: Luger refuses to put the title on the line unless Steamboat drops the proposed No Disqualification stipulation, which the Dragon concedes. Ricky comes in hot at Lex, but Luger holds a power advantage and controls Steamboat into the corner - only for the Dragon to pop off a quick schoolboy for two, then win a fast criss cross with an inside cradle for two! Somersault cradle is worth two, and a pair of dropkicks daze Luger for some chops. Corner whip sets up a backdrop, and Luger wisely bails to the floor - only for Ricky to chase after him with a flurry of chops on the outside! Dragon with an atomic drop out there, but Lex manages to hit him with a knee on the way back in, and a clothesline puts Steamboat down on the outside. He starts throwing wild chops to keep control, however, but Luger blocks a flying tomahawk chop on the way back in, and executes a backbreaker. Lex follows with a press-slam to setup a pair of pointed elbowdrops to the lower back for two, but he argues the count, and Ricky schoolboys him for two. Luger keeps control of things with a pair of running clotheslines, and he drops Steamboat throat-first across the top rope. Still, the tenacious Dragon throws chops at the champion, so Luger responds with a powerslam for two. Criss cross goes Ricky's way with a bodypress for two, but Lex refuses to lose control, and puts his challenger down with an inverted atomic drop. Backdrop is blocked with a swinging neckbreaker, however, and this time Steamboat is able to dodge Luger's attempt to keep control - Lex going flying out of the ring on a missed lariat. He tries bodyslamming the champion back in, but Luger topples him for two - only to get slammed down as he goes to the top rope to follow! How's THAT feel, Lexy? Ricky comes at him with a dropkick and a flying tomahawk chop for two, but gets backdropped from one ring into the next on a charge! This is just non-stop, and without being repetitive! Lex decides to finish him off with a chair (not caring if he gets disqualified since he'll retain the title), but Steamboat manages to sweep him down for a slingshot into the corner! That knocks the chair loose, and the Dragon uses it for his own benefit - exacting revenge, but getting disqualified at 10:26. If only he hadn't waived the No DQ stipulation! Much like the TV Title bout, this packed a ton of stuff into a small package. An amazing match that shows just how good Luger and Steamboat were in 1989. What the fuck was I thinking in the original review?! **** ½ (Original rating: ** ¾)

WarGames Match: 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 controls, but walks into a swinging neckbreaker. Bobby misses an elbowdrop, however, and Garvin bodyslams him, then throws Eaton into the cage. Bobby fires back by holding onto the ceiling of the cage for a dropkick, but Garvin wins a criss cross with a forearm to the jaw. This first period isn't coming off very well thus far, with awkward transitions, and weak flow. Bobby manages a pair of scrapbusters across the knee, and a bodyslam sets up a Boston crab, as the period expires and Terry Gordy enters. He breaks up the crab and tosses Eaton into the cage, then bodyslams him with ease as Garvin recovers. The Freebirds throw Bobby into the next ring for some double-team action, until Steve Williams buzzes in! Oooh, party times over for the Freebirds, daddy! Williams wastes no time hossing it up with a crazy EIGHT alarm press-slam into the ceiling on GORDY (on GORDY!!), as Garvin fights Eaton in the section between the rings. Enter Samu, and he superkicks Williams down to stop that train, with Gordy throwing in a side suplex as they take control, as Garvin tries to fishhook Eaton in the corner. Bobby starts making a comeback and slugs all three heels down by himself, but that's obviously not sustainable, so luckily Animal buzzes in to help out. He starts throwing Gordy and Samu around like they're anorexic jobbers, and even busts out a ring to ring diving shoulderblock. The faces tear into them, until Fatu joins the fray. He teams with Samu to pound Animal into the corner with headbutts, and a tandem-clothesline puts the Road Warrior down for a wishbone followed by a pair of tandem-falling headbutts. Fun sequence there. Meanwhile, Gordy chokes out Dr. Death, as Garvin does the same to Eaton - that is, until Stan Lane joins the party. It wasn't a party in the 1980s without Stan Lane, after all. The faces barely turn the tide before Michael Hayes enters, and he starts dropping guys with DDTs like he's passing out candy! He's so giddy about it, too! The Swat Team work over Animal in the corner as Gordy clotheslines Williams, and the Freebirds hammer the Midnights, that is until Hawk enters to round out the field! He comes in hot with a flying clothesline onto both Fatu and Samu, as Eaton drops Hayes with a DDT, in a bit of retribution. Hawk takes out a bunch of guys like bowling pins with a diving shoulderblock from one ring to another, triggering a hilarious spot where Paul E. Dangerously tries to pass the Swat Team his giant cell phone - only to get caught by an unamused referee (Tommy Young). Everyone slugs it out, until the freshest man in the match (Hawk) grabs the most worn (Garvin) in a brutal looking hangman for the submission at 22:18. Someone should start using that spot again, it's vicious! This one started off kind of awkwardly with the Garvin/Eaton period, but built into a well developed brawl by the end. ** ½ (Original rating: * ¼)

Main Event: NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Terry Funk: Flair literally lines the aisle with women for his big return, in classic Flair fashion! No time to chase skirt tonight though, as Flair attacks Funk on the outside before the bell, until Terry retreats into the first row. He threatens some fans, so Flair jumps the rail himself to force him to pick on someone his own size, with Funk handling it with his usual poise - throwing chairs around like a madman! Into the ring, Funk manages to blitz Flair with chops against the ropes, but Flair isn't messing around, and responds with closed fists tonight! That puts Terry back on the floor for an axehandle off the apron, but Funk manages to reverse Flair into the post, and hammer him - Ric fighting tooth and nail not to back down to anything Terry throws at him. Funk vertical suplexes him back in for two, then decides to suplex him out of the ring, but luckily Flair manages to block, and take a tumble out to avoid it. That only pisses Terry off, however, so he tries it again from the apron, but this time Flair outright reverses him with a vertical suplex to the floor! They slug it out, with Flair controlling, so Funk resorts to an eyerake. Back in, he tries for the dreaded Piledriver, but Ric backdrops him over the top to the outside to counter, then follows him with a snapmare out there. Flair goes for some payback by abusing the neck, then rolls him in for a pair of kneedrops to the neck for two. He one ups it with a piledriver onto the challenger (complete with Funk's usual goofy selling), but doesn't even bother covering - instead giving him another one! Funk is left literally crawling out of the ring and up the aisle like a wounded animal, but Flair won't let him off that easy - dragging Terry back into the ring to continue the beating! A big forearm shot gets two, and a side suplex sets up the Figure Four! Flair gets it on, so Gary Hart quickly passes Terry his branding iron, and Funk cracks Flair with it to both escape and draw blood! Now it's Funk's turn to show no mercy as he hammers the cut in the corner, and he drops Flair with the Piledriver! Cover, count, but Flair has a foot on the ropes! Displeased with the impudence, Funk decides to go to the floor and pull up the mats to punish Ric but good. He drags Flair to the floor by the throat to try and cripple him with a Piledriver on the exposed concrete, but Ric manages to backdrop him to stop it! He doesn't have anything to follow-up with, however, and Terry is able to deliver a series of three swinging neckbreakers on the way back in! Still not satisfied, Funk starts hammering the cut again, and takes Flair into the corner to use the branding iron - only for Ric to kick it away from him, and use it himself! That draws blood from the Funker, but Flair doesn't let him off easy - ramming him into the post, then unloading a ten-punch on him! The referee's multiple frustrated failed attempts to restore order are a great touch to build the drama here. Ric pounds him into jelly in the corner, but a cross corner high knee misses, and Terry immediately pounces with the Spinning Toe-Hold, but Flair counters to the Figure Four - Funk countering to a small package, with Flair reversing to retain at 17:23. Unfortunately for Ric, Great Muta immediately runs in and blinds him with the mist, and he and Terry proceed to beat Flair down in epic fashion - until Sting runs in for the save! Brilliant match! Not one that focused on being a stunt show, but rather just an intense, well structured, well timed brawl that built up drama for the handful of big spots. It’s also successful in being very unique in Flair's catalog, in that he veered away from his usual formula completely, which helped get over the intense hatred. **** ¼ (Original rating: ****)

BUExperience: To this day, many consider this to be the full-stop greatest pay per view event of all time. While I wouldn’t go near that far, it’s definitely a great show, with the three fantastic title matches carrying the bulk, and a solid undercard supporting. For my money, it’s not even really a contender for the greatest pay per view of all time, but it’s still a great pay per view

****