Original
Airdate: October 28, 1989
From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;
Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Bob Caudle
Opening Match: Mike Rotunda v Tom Zenk: Rotunda tries
convincing the referee that Zenk is pocketing a weapon somewhere on his person,
but the official doesn't buy it, and Tom works a side-headlock. Zenk controls
the feeling out process, so Mike bails and stalls on the outside for a spell.
Back in, Rotunda wins a criss cross with a hiptoss, but an elbowdrop misses,
and Zenk dropkicks him to the outside for some more stalling. Rotunda pulls out
his trusty kneepad hidden weapon on the way back in, and he bops Tom with it to
take control. Tom fires back with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Mike
quickly bails again, and accuses Zenk of hooking the tights. Tom, Mike - this
match is like a wrestling version of The Godfather. In, Zenk holds a wristlock,
but Rotunda counters into a mat-based headscissors, as the commentators call
out Mike's pulling a Santana by still wearing his Varsity Club gear when the
stable had already disbanded. Points to them for actually calling him on it!
Zenk escapes, so Mike finally gets sick of him, and absolutely LAUNCHES the guy
out of the ring - poor Zenk narrowly avoiding crashing head-first into the
rail, and likely killing himself. Mike vertical suplexes him back in for two,
then grabs an abdominal stretch, but the referee catches him using the ropes
for leverage. Shocker. Rotunda tries a chinlock instead, but Zenk escapes, so
Mike puts him down with a jumping clothesline. Dropkick misses, however, and
Zenk cross corner whips him to setup a backelbow and an earringer. Rotunda lands
on the middle turnbuckle during another corner whip for a 2nd rope
bodypress, but Zenk rolls through for the pin at 13:26. On the dull side, but
not poorly worked. * (Original rating: ¼*)
Six-Man Tag Team Match: The Samoan Swat Team v
Steve Williams and The Midnight Express: Samoan Savage starts with Stan Lane, but runs right into a
backdrop, and Stan clotheslines him over the top for Bobby Eaton to beat on.
That leads to Samu and Fatu coming over for the save, and both teams tease a
brawl on the outside. I love how they stuck Oliver Humperdink out there with
the Samoan's in a not-at-all-transparent effort to copy the WWF's success with
Captain Lou Albano and his team of Samoan's. The dust settles on Savage and
Eaton, and they trade wristlocks. Savage gets sick of that and rakes the eyes
to setup a bodyslam, but Samu misses an elbowdrop after tagging in, and both
teams tease a brawl again. The dust settles on Samu and Steve Williams, and Dr.
Death throws him around like a football. You know, if footballs has dreadlocks.
And were human. The rest of the team gets tossed around as well in rather epic
fashion, and speaking of 'fashion,' Samoan Savage is notably wearing the future
Headshrinkers WWF era tights, even though of the three, he's the only one who was
never a part of that particular team. Samu manages to hammer Lane down with a
savate kick and a standing dropkick, but Williams gets the tag anyway, and
clobbers Samu with a cross corner clothesline. Man, did the Swat Team piss Dr.
Death off in real life, or something? Because he just throwing absolute BOMBS
out there tonight! Eaton ends up crotched in the corner after trying a bulldog
on Savage, and the other Samoan's add insult to injury (or, maybe, 'injury to
injury') by dropping him crotch-first on the rail as well. Fatu manages to
hiptoss Bobby on the exposed concrete in the aisle before the rest of his team
can intervene, but the damage is done, and they cut the ring in half on Eaton.
Savage tries a 2nd rope pump-splash, but hits Bobby's knees, and that's
enough for the hot tag to Williams! Steve comes in hot with a flying axehandle,
and he wastes no time in passing out press-slams on all three Samoan's! That
brings the Midnight's in, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! It
boils over when the managers fight on the apron, and Lane accidentally knocks
into Jim Cornette - Savage capitalizing for the pin at 18:22. Overstayed its
welcome, but Williams stiffing the hell out of big guys who will take it is
always fun, and everyone worked hard. * ½ (Original rating: ½*)
Tommy Rich v Cuban Assassin: If you're gonna play
an assassin, couldn't you at least bother to get a mask? I'm sure Jack Victory
had one to spare! Assassin attacks him before the bell, but Rich manages to
fight him off with a pair of bodyslams and an elbowsmash to send Assassin to
the outside. Back in, Assassin manages to block a cross corner whip with a 2nd
rope bodypress for two, but walks into an armdrag into an armbar. Assassin uses
a knee to escape, but Tommy blocks getting thrown to the floor, and comes back
at Assassin with a slingshot sunset flip for two. Armdrag back into an armbar,
so Assassin starts throwing chops, and a bodyslam sets up an elbowdrop - only
for Rich to roll out of the way, and armdrag him back into the armbar. You
know, they really had a good formula down for peppy matches at the Great
American Bash and the last two Clashes, why have they reverted back to the
overlong house show matches again? Assassin escapes with a high knee, and this
time he's able to choke Tommy down before Rich can armdrag him again.
Piledriver, but Rich counters with a backdrop, so Assassin goes low, and puts
him down with a kneelift for two. Chinlock goes nowhere, so Assassin vertical
suplexes him, but ends up getting crotched when going to the top to follow-up.
Rich slugs him down for a backelbow, so Assassin tries another 2nd rope
bodypress, but Tommy is wise to it this time, and catches him with a Thesz-press
at 8:27. Total yawner. ½* (Original rating: ¼*)
NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Fabulous
Freebirds v The Dynamic Dudes: It appears that the missing tag title belt
that disappeared just before Clash VIII still hasn't turned up, as the
Freebirds only come to the ring with one again. Geez, how long did it take them
to have another one made? Michael Hayes starts with Shane Douglas, and it's
pretty funny seeing future ECW darling Douglas getting heavily booed by the
Philly fans here. Lots of stalling from Hayes in the early going, and we get a
hilarious exchange where Shane gets all fired up after he catches him with a
swinging neckbreaker - only for Michael to totally ignore it, and tag. Ha! It
wasn't so much a no-sell, as a 'I can't be bothered' sell, which came off as
unintentionally hilarious. The Dudes manage to control Jimmy Garvin with
wristlocks, so he tags, but Hayes suffers the same fate. They work a cool
sequence where Johnny Ace holds Garvin in a standing side-headlock, so Hayes
comes in to try and attack, but Johnny backdrops him, then takes him down with
a headscissors - all while still holding onto Garvin in the headlock! That's
pretty awesome! Ace ends up getting caught with a side suplex and dumped,
however, and back in, the Freebirds cut the ring in half on Johnny. Hayes looks
to finish him off with a DDT, but Ace blocks to get the tag! Shane's a bingo
hall of fire, and Roseanne Barr the door, we've got a kettle on! Dudes try a
tandem slingshot side suplex on Garvin, but they end up knocking heads when
Hayes trips Ace up, and Jimmy topples Douglas
to retain at 11:30. Decent and energetic. * ¼ (Original rating: * ½)
The Steiner Brothers v Doom: This is Doom's
debut, under masks, with former Rick Steiner love interest Robin Green (now
known simply as 'Woman') bringing in some big heavies to punish her former
boyfriend. That's not exactly a mature reaction to a breakup, but at least it
didn’t end with her wearing diapers on a cross country road trip, or something.
Big brawl to start, with the Steiner's cleaning house with an impressive tandem
German suplex spot, then dragging Doom back in to clean house again with tandem
clotheslines over the top! The Steiner's were so much fucking fun in their
primes. Listening to Ross and Caudle put over Doom on commentary sounds like
two guys ogling at a gay strip club. Dust settles on Scott Steiner and Ron
Simmons to start, and Scotty manages to throw him around in the corner, then
snapmare him to setup a kneedrop for two. Scott's officially changed over to
the more familiar singlet look that would last ten years here. Tag to Rick
Steiner to blast Simmons with a Steinerline, and the masked men bail to the
floor to regroup with Woman. Dust settles on Rick and Butch Reed, and Steiner
slugs him down for two, then grabs a chinlock. Reed uses an inverted atomic
drop to escape before passing back to Ron - only for Rick to reverse a vertical
suplex attempt. Tag to Scott for an Irish whip/flying clothesline combo for
two, but Rick trying to hook a hammerlock is countered with a stunner, and
Simmons drops a leg before tagging. Reed with a fistdrop and a clothesline, and
he drops Rick across the top rope for two. Backdrop is blocked to allow the tag
back to brother Scott, and he puts Butch down with a forward-falling suplex for
two, but fails to cut the ring in half, and Ron gets the tag back. Scott
counters a clothesline attempt with a release German suplex, however, and a
pair of elbowdrops get two. Cheap shot from Reed during a criss cross turns the
tide, however, and Doom cut the ring in half on Scott. Scotty manages the most
popular spot of the evening (the slingshot sunset flip) on Reed for two, but
can't fight off the onslaught in the corner, and takes a powerslam from Simmons
for two. Doom with a tandem vertical suplex for two, and a spike piledriver is
worth two. Scott finally manages to fight them off after blocking a backdrop,
and Rick gets the tag! He's a doghouse of fire, and Roseanne Barr the door,
we've got a kettle on! Scott gets rid of Simmons with a Frankensteiner as Rick
powerslams Reed, but Woman thinks fast and loads Butch's mask up with a weapon
- Reed able to block a belly-to-belly suplex from Rick with a headbutt for the
pin at 15:32. Good, hard hitting tag team power wrestling here. *** (Original
rating: *** ¼)
NWA United States Title Match: Lex
Luger v Brian Pillman:
Lex powers him into the corner during the initial lockup, but scrappy Pillman
fights him off before the champ can do anything with it. Another lockup goes
the same way, but Luger manages to catch him with a bodyslam, and he tosses
Pillman to the outside - only for Brian to jump right back in, and spear the
unsuspecting champion down! Brian with a backdrop and a dropkick to send Lex to
the outside him, and Brian is right on him with a baseball slide, and he
follows with some chops against the rail. In for the Air Pillman, but Luger
bails to the floor to avoid it, so Brian makes the rookie mistake of giving
chase - and gets clobbered on the way back in! Brian reverses him into the
corner for a springboard flying bodypress for two, however, and an armdrag
leaves Lex in an armbar on the mat. I doubt it's him, but there's a guy in the
first row that looks like a dead ringer for what I'd imagine future ECW star
Sandman looked like in 1989. Lex powers out and tries a hiptoss, but Brian
spirals through the air to block in impressive fashion, and plants a dropkick
on Luger! Armdrag puts Lex back in the armbar, but he knees his way out, and
blasts Brian with a shoulderblock. Criss cross goes Pillman's way with a
hiptoss, however, and another dropkick sets up another armdrag into an armbar. Repetitive,
yes, but I like the psychology of the smaller and less experienced Pillman
sticking with what worked before. Lex slugs out, but Brian runs circles around
him through another criss cross, and hooks a crucifix cradle for two, before
armdragging him back into the armbar. Luger talking trash at fans while Pillman
desperately hangs onto the armbar is a thing of beauty, and fits perfectly with
Lex's arrogant jock character. Oh, and speaking of ECW, the fan he's yelling
at? Future ECW crowd mainstay Hawaiian Shirt Guy - complete with Hawaiian
shirt! Interestingly, he's not sporting his usual island hat here, but instead
wearing a USPS cap. That explains a lot, actually. Pillman stays focused with a
flying splash, but Lex stops fighting with the fans long enough to roll out of
the way, and he flapjacks his challenger. He drops Brian HARD across the top
rope, and a clothesline leaves the challenger gasping for air. Lex with a pair
of running forearm smashes and a series of three pointed elbowdrops, followed
by a hanging vertical suplex for two. Lex can't believe this little fucker
would dare kickout, and punishes him with a pair of elbowdrops, but Brian keeps
tenaciously fighting, so Luger dumps him to the floor to take the pep out of
his step. It backfires when Brian comes back at him with a slingshot sunset
flip for two, so Luger blindly charges - and ends up going flying out of the
ring when Pillman ducks! In, Brian tries a ten-punch count, but Lex fights out
with an inverted atomic drop. Superplex, but Pillman shoves him down off the
top, and hits a flying sunset flip for two! Jumping backelbow leaves Luger
begging off, but Pillman shows no mercy - corner whipping him to setup a
backdrop. Air Pillman gets two, and a neckbreaker sets up a flying dropkick -
but Luger dodges another high risk maneuver! He tries to put him away, so
Pillman forces another criss cross - only to run into a stungun at 16:49 to
hand Brian his first televised loss. It's unbelievable how great and MOTIVATED
Luger was in this role in 1989, until they derailed him with an ill-advised
face turn. *** ½ (Original rating: *** ¾)
The Road Warriors v The Skyscrapers: Some guy in the
crowd has a Hawk mask, which makes him look shockingly like Louie CK. Animal
starts with Dan Spivey, and they waste no time blasting each other with
clotheslines. Animal gets the best of it to put Spivey on the floor, and Hawk
tags in to hit an incoming Dan with a flying axehandle. Power-showdown goes
Hawk's way with a jumping shoulderblock to send Spivey back to the outside, and
he decides to say 'fuck it,' and tag out to big Sid Vicious. Sid does me proud
by botching a fucking CLOTHESLINE spot, but you just can't help but love the
big lug anyway. The Warriors throw him around, but Sid no-sells everything,
until Animal catches him with a jumping shoulderblock to knock Vicious out of
the ring. The level of sustained crowd heat for this entire show (and this
entire period, really) is just unbelievable, and jazzes everything up. The
crowds may be bigger today, but they're not nearly as lively or passionate as
they used to be. Hawk and Sid work a test-of-strength, and Hawk manages a
monkeyflip, but runs into a lariat during a reversal sequence. Sid adds an
impressive spinning powerbomb, and he passes to Dan with a sidewalk slam for
two. Baseball slide sends Hawk to the outside for Sid to drop onto the rail,
and Spivey vertical suplexes him back in for two. The Skyscrapers cut the ring
in half on Hawk, but he manages to block a cross corner clothesline from
Spivey, and follow-up with a lariat. Tag to Animal, and he's a house of arson,
so Teddy Long passes Spivey a weapon - Dan using it in full view of the
official for a disqualification at 11:37. Another fun power tag match tonight.
** ¾ (Original rating: ¾*)
Main Event: Thunderdome Cage Match: Ric Flair
and Sting v Terry Funk and Great Muta: Bruno Sammartino acts as the special guest
referee, and the match can only end when the designated corner persons (Ole
Anderson and Gary Hart, respectively) throw in the towel for their teams. I
always found it weird that this was booked as standard tag rules, as opposed to
tornado style. Muta earns his pay for the night right away by using his patented
mist to put out an unplanned fire at the top of the electrified cage structure
before the bell - the result of some production crew idiot putting Halloween
themed hay decorations over a heat source. Flair starts with Funk, and they
tear right into each other, of course. Funk bodyslams the World Champion, but Flair
doesn't take that well - responding by not only slamming Funk twice himself,
but then giving him a third slam over the top to the floor! Tag to Sting, and
he rams Terry into the cage out there, then back to Flair for a tandem
backelbow and a pair of corner whips. Chop puts Terry down for a kneedrop, and
Ric knocks Muta off the apron for good measure! Tag to Sting (with Sting
already in the ring when the tag is made - which would have never gotten by any
referee who isn't named 'Bruno Sammartino') for a dropkick, but it knocks Funk
right into a tag to Muta. Sting immediately press-slams him INTO Funk, then
vertical suplexes him before passing back to Ric. Flair snapmares Muta over to
setup a series of mounted punches, and an inverted atomic drop follows. Another
snapmare sets up a kneedrop, and Sting tags in to take Muta to the floor for
some abuse with the cage. That leads to a brawl between both teams on the
outside, and Muta manages to catch Sting with some chops on the way in -
knocking him into the heel corner for Funk to abuse as well. Muta with a
snapmare to setup a CRISP elbowdrop and a legdrop, and Funk takes Sting back to
the floor to choke. Inside, Muta executes another crisp move with a vertical
suplex, and he and Funk take turns dropping elbow after elbow on the Stinger
until Flair saves. Ric gives Terry a vertical suplex as Sting comes back on
Muta with a bulldog - then gives Funk one as well for good measure! Scorpion
Deathlock looks to finish, but Funk saves, so Flair ends up chasing him up the
side of the cage. Sting and Muta end up climbing as well, though there's very
little anyone can do beyond slugging it out, since the design of the structure
prevents them from taking any major bumps back down. As Flair chokes Funk out
with some rope on the cage, Sting presses Muta over his head for a good fifteen
seconds before finally slamming him down, as Bruno loses all control over this
thing. Flair comes down to side suplex Muta and put him in the Figure Four, as
Sting climbs the cage and uses a rope to swing like Tarzan with a dropkick at
Funk! Wild! Another try at that misses, however, and Flair ends up trapped in
the Muta Lock as Funk ties Sting to the cage! That allows the heels to gang up
on Flair with a spike piledriver, but Ole Anderson manages to free Sting, and
he comes flying off the side of the cage with a bodypress on Funk! Hell yeah!
Flair capitalizes by going after Funk's knee as Sting gets rid of Muta, and
Flair puts Funk in the Figure Four! With Muta out of the way, Sting assists
Flair by diving onto the prone Funk with flying splashes, but Gary Hart won't
throw in the towel. That leads to a slugfest with Ole, and he ends up knocking
the towel out of Hart's hands - Sammartino tricked into thinking it was
intentional at 23:46. Took a little while to properly get going, but once they
abandoned the tag format, it was tremendous! This didn't quite deliver the pure
hatred and intensity that the buildup required of it, but it was a good match
in the general sense - though I didn't care for the finish at all. Just have
Hart throw it in, then build to the Flair/Funk I Quit Match on the basis that
TERRY never quit. Having Ole knock it out of his hands to confuse Sammartino into
calling for the bell is weak as fuck, and helps no one! *** ¼ (Original rating:
*** ¼)
BUExperience:
This one started off rather dull, but rallied with the last four matches for an
overall okay show. I think a big problem here is simply the length of the matches.
If you look at the fantastic Great American Bash/Clash VIII one-two punch (and,
to a lesser extent, Clash VII as well), they had much shorter, faster paced
matches. The Bash, for example, didn’t have anything that ran over eleven minutes,
outside of the main event and the WarGames match. And that allowed them to
deliver some really great matches that not only didn’t overstay their welcome,
but had crazy sustained intensity throughout. On this card, the shortest bout
was an eight-and-a-half-minute filler match, with many guys getting a lot more
time than needed, and causing the overall flow of the show to drag
**
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