Goody Bag XXVI: LPs

NWA World Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Ric Flair: From an NWA (WCW) live event on March 18 1989 in Landover Maryland, falling between the Chi-Town Rumble match and the Clash match. Feeling out process to start, with Steamboat controlling. Flair's attempts at using the ropes fail to get any traction, so he starts firing off chops in the corner instead, but Ricky returns fire, and cross corner whips the challenger to setup a backdrop. Hiptoss and a dropkick get two, so Flair hides in the ropes to sucker Steamboat into a cheap shot, and starts chopping again. Ricky returns fire again to flop Flair, and a press-slam gets two - Ric wisely bailing to the outside to regroup. Back in, he again fails to match chops with the Dragon, and Ricky hits a headscissors takedown for two. Snapmare sets up a headvice, but Flair quickly escapes, so Ricky hooks a rollup for two. Ric bails again, but this time Steamboat follows him out, allowing Flair to take the high ground. Surprisingly, nothing comes of it, though. I was totally expecting some kind of attack there, but instead he just let Steamboat come in unharmed. Test-of-strength goes Flair's way after a cheap shot, and that's enough to allow him to hammer Steamboat with chops without retort. He goes to the well once too often, however, and Ricky hiptosses him, but the dropkick follow-up misses this time, and Flair slaps on the Figure Four - complete with leverage from Hiro Matsuda! Ric gets caught using the ropes and is forced to break, however, so Matsuda fires off cheap shots from the floor as a form of protest! Ric works the leg, and a kneedrop to the part weakens the Dragon. Ricky tries to stay in it with chops, but he's working on a bad wheel, and Flair quickly fights him off with a kneebreaker, followed by a seated senton splash to the leg. Matsuda throws in some shots as well, and another kneebreaker sets up the Figure Four! Ric has it well applied, but Steamboat won't quit, and ends up bailing to the outside when Ric releases. Flair is right on him with a chop that knocks the Dragon over the guardrail, but Ricky comes back in with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Flair sweeps the leg again. Steamboat fires back with a leg-feed enzuigiri, but a backdrop is blocked, and Ric chops him for two - complete with multiple pin attempts to wear the champion down. Flair with a snapmare to setup a kneedrop for two, but a second kneedrop misses, and Steamboat quickly capitalizes by applying his own figure four! The Dragon chops Flair while he has the hold applied, but the Nature Boy makes the ropes to save himself - Steamboat milking the full five count before releasing. He keeps coming with a crazy fourteen (!) elbowdrops to the leg, one after the other, to setup another figure four, but Flair smacks at Ricky's own hurt knee to force a break! Nice bit of psychology there. Ricky is up first, but a splash is blocked with lifted knees. Side suplex, but Steamboat counters with a rollup for two, so Flair cracks him with a chop to buy recovery time. He doesn't get much though, as Steamboat is up with a charge, but Ric uses his boot to block, knocking the champion onto the apron. Flair brings him back in with a hanging vertical suplex for two, and an elbowdrop gets a series of two counts. Flair gets annoyed with the referee and argues the count, but quickly gets his head in the game, and refocuses on Steamboat with a side suplex for two. He tries to hold it into multiple pin attempts, but that backfires when Steamboat turns it into a knucklelock and kips up, so Flair kicks him in the gut to cut a comeback off. He goes up, but Ricky slams him down off the top, and a double-chickenwing is applied. Flair won't quit, so Steamboat shifts it into a cradle for two, and he pops off some more chops in the corner. Cross corner whip flips Flair onto the apron, and he actually manages to successfully deliver a flying bodypress for two! That only works, like, once every fifty tries! That triggers a pinfall reversal sequence that ends in Steamboat hooking a backslide for two, and he tries to get Flair good and rattled with a series of turnbuckle smashes to setup a knife-edge chop! Jumping chop only gets two, so Ricky goes up with his own flying bodypress for two! Dragon argues the count, and a pair of corner whips end in Flair getting chopped on the apron, with Steamboat then bringing him in via vertical suplex for two. Big chop sends Flair over the top, but when Steamboat goes to bring him in, Flair dives through the ropes with a splash to try a leveraged pin, but the referee catches him at two. He tries a cross corner whip, but the attempted backdrop follow-up is countered with an inside cradle, and Steamboat retains at 31:22! Thirty minutes in the hands of two masters, and the time just flies by. Just terrific action from bell to bell, though I felt the Philadelphia match they had later that evening was a tad better. Both are fantastic, and this one had a better conclusion, though it was also a little weak as far as finishes go, especially after such a long match. **** ¼

NWA World Title Match: Ricky Steamboat v Ric Flair: From an NWA (WCW) live event on March 18 1989 in Philadelphia, the same day as the Landover match (which was a matinee). Flair's hair looks glorious here. Feeling out process to start, with Flair initially controlling, and then wasting no time to cheat when Ricky starts taking over! Really smooth transitions here, like when Steamboat takes Ric down in a headlock, and Flair counters into a cradle - his feet immediately on the ropes to leverage it. Steamboat wins a chopfest and backdrops his challenger, then whips him into the ropes for a knife-edge chop for two. Hiptoss and a headscissors takedown lead to a dropkick, but Flair is immediately ready to counter a headlock takedown with a cradle for two. Steamboat holds on to it and shifts to a mat-based front-facelock, nicely executed. Ric powers to a vertical base, and forces a criss cross - but ultimately ends up getting taken back down with a drop-toehold into a headlock. Dragon with another hiptoss, but Flair dodges the headscissors takedown follow-up this time, and Steamboat crashes to the canvas! Ric capitalizes with a side suplex for two (holding on to the pin attempt for multiple two counts), then tosses the champion to the outside, knowing Steamboat won't get counted out, but that it will take something out of him - as will fighting to get back in. Ric is right on the Dragon upon his return, and he cradles him for a few more two counts. Snapmare sets up a kneedrop, and a series of three inverted atomic drops follows. Knucklelock, but Steamboat keeps a vertical base, so Flair tries another inverted atomic drop - only this time the Dragon lunges back at him with a clothesline! Steamboat follows up with a chopdrop, and he unloads with more chops in the corner - at a blistering pace until Flair flops to the mat for two. Ric tries cutting him off with another side suplex, but Steamboat counters this one with a rollup for two. Another rollup gets two, so Flair throws a knee down low to shake the Dragon off, and he dumps him to the outside again. It backfires when Steamboat comes in with a slingshot sunset flip for two this time, and he goes up for a flying tomahawk chop, but Flair slugs him out of the air - only to have a vertical suplex reversed! Steamboat tries to follow-up with a splash, but now Flair lifts the knees to block, and adds a kneebreaker to setup the Figure Four! Steamboat won't quit, so Flair lets go, and starts pounding the knee to try and soften him up some more. Ricky fights back with a leg-feed enzuigiri, but the knee is so battered that he can't follow-up. Flair is on him with another Figure Four, but this time the Dragon counters with an inside cradle for two! Ric cuts him off with a swipe at the knee, but Ricky dodges a springboard seated senton to the leg. He tries a bodyslam, but the knee gives out, and the challenger topples him for two! Ricky musters the strength to try and criss cross, and a shoulderblock puts Flair down for Steamboat's own figure four! Cute bit, with the referee counting Flair's shoulders, and every time he sits up at two, Steamboat chops him back down. Nice! Flair gets the ropes, so Steamboat punishes him with a wild series of eleven (a few short of the matinee, but still incredible) elbowdrops to the knee in a row (each mere seconds apart - I got winded just watching that) to setup another figure four, but Flair manages to save himself. Ric's leg is in bad shape now though, and Steamboat fires off a series of kicks at it for two. Backdrop, but Flair blocks with a chop. The Nature Boy staggers to the top rope, but Ricky slams him off, and grabs him in a double-chickenwing cradle for two! Swinging neckbreaker gets two, so now Ricky tries to go to the top, but Flair pulls him down - only to lose a chop exchange. Steamboat cross corner whips him, but Flair flips onto the apron, and actually CONNECTS with the flying bodypress for two! Ric with a cradle, but Steamboat bridges into a backslide for two, and a press-slam follows - the bad knee preventing him from getting all of it. Steamboat goes up with his own flying bodypress, but Hiro Matsuda (who has done a great, subtle job of aiding Flair without stealing focus throughout the match) pulls the referee out at two! That allows Flair to recover and toss Steamboat over the top, but the Dragon skins the cat and schoolboys his challenger - only for the referee to be tied up with Matsuda! No count! Steamboat shakes it off and unloads with chops, and another corner whip sees Flair flip to the apron, but this time the Dragon doesn't give him the opportunity to get to the top rope - chopping him as he runs the apron! Should’ve just used the odds in your favor there, champ. Ricky vertical suplexes him in from the apron for two, and a big chop knocks Ric over the top. Steamboat goes to pull him back in again, but Ric delivers a shoulderblock from the apron, and slingshot splashes him (with his feet perfectly on the ropes for leverage, all on one smooth motion) for the pin at 34:25! But wait, here comes Lex Luger to protest! He alerts the referee to the rope usage, so Barry and Kendall Windham run in to shut him up! A big brawl breaks out, and Steamboat cradles Flair in the chaos to retain at 35:10. Didn’t love that finish, but still, amazing action! What a series of matches these guys had! This one was obviously derivative of the matinee match earlier in the day, but again, you’re safely in the hands of two masters. I liked the finish of the Landover match better, but the overall work was more fluid here, with some great symmetrical psychology. Talk about not phoning it in for the house shows, too! I mean, this would be impressive enough for a house show in general, but consider that they’d already done thirty minutes together earlier the same day, over a hundred miles away! And with a totally different finish, to boot! Finally, because I know people ask about this sort of stuff from time to time - the Landover match with the Philly ending, that would have been four-stars. The Philly match with the Landover ending would have been four-and-three-quarter-stars. The Philly match with a finish that played off the knee work would be a full five-stars. **** ½   

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: AJ Styles v Kazuchika Okada: From NJPW Dominion on July 5 2015 in Osaka Japan. Feeling out process to start, and a criss cross ends in Styles hooking a victory cradle for one, and they trade fast armdrags. Styles bails to avoid a dropkick, and he stalls to kill any of Okada's momentum. He tries to slow things down as he heads back in, but Okada pops him up with a backdrop, and he delivers a running seated boot. Okada applies a straightjacket to wear AJ down, and he capitalizes with a slingshot somersault senton splash. That draws the Bullet Club onto the apron as a distraction, and AJ is able to sneak attack. AJ with a kneedrop and a backbreaker, and he sends Okada to the outside for the Club to beat down. Styles with a well executed snap suplex on the way back in, and an equally well executed dropkick cuts off a comeback attempt - sending Okada back to the floor for the Club to abuse. They get caught this time, however, and the referee ejects them in hilarious fashion. Wow, the ramps New Japan uses are really narrow. I know space is tight in Japan, but come on. Some guy in the crowd has on an nWo shirt, which is very fitting for this act. Styles keeps control anyway with a chinlock, but Okada escapes. AJ tries a spinning backfist, but Okada ducks, so Styles throws an enzuigiri, but Okada lunges back at him with an uppercut before going down! Okada with a pair of backelbows and a DDT, then a cross corner backelbow to setup a flapjack for two! Bodyslam sets up a trip to the top, but AJ is up before he can dive, and nails Okada with a springboard back flip inverted DDT! Nice! Phenomenal Forearm, but Okada thinks fast and kicks the ropes to crotch the champion, then dropkicks him off the top to the outside! Good sequence there. Okada follows him out, but AJ dodges a charge, and the challenger ends up in the crowd - Styles following with the Phenomenal Forearm off the rail! Back in, a wheelbarrow facebuster gets two, but a stinger splash misses. Okada misses his own corner charge as well though, so AJ tries for the Phenomenal Forearm - only for Okada to dropkick him out of the air with pinpoint precision! Flying elbowdrop follows, but AJ blocks a German suplex attempt, and vertical suplexes him into the turnbuckles! Phenomenal Forearm connects, but Styles doesn't cover - instead immediately picking him up to cap off with the Clash, but getting countered into a package neckbreaker instead! Tombstone, but Styles is able to block, and a slugfest ends in AJ brutally beating him down. Okada fights the follow-up off with a dropkick, and a three-alarm Tombstone reversal sequence ends in AJ delivering it! That sets up the springboard 450 splash, but Okada kicks out at two! Clash off the top, but Okada counters with a death valley drop onto the apron - leaving AJ down on the outside. Okada cautiously waits for Styles to pull himself back in to blast with a springboard dropkick, and that's finally enough to daze AJ for a tombstone! Rainmaker, but AJ counters with the pele kick. Clash, but Okada counters with the Rainmaker again, only for Styles to block. That triggers a crazy extended reversal sequence - finally ending in Okada delivering a German suplex, and then shifting up into the Rainmaker to win the title at 26:16! What a finish! It took a little while to hook me, but pretty much everything after the Club's ejection was rootin' tootin' awesomeness! **** ¼  

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Shinsuke Nakamura v AJ Styles: From NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 10 on January 4 2016 in Tokyo Japan. Kind of unique that both guys ended up in the WWE pretty much intact, down to their names. Feeling out process to start, and a reversal sequence sees both guys trying big moves, but ultimately ends in a stalemate. Criss cross goes AJ's way with a gorgeous dropkick, so Nakamura starts throwing kicks, and takes Styles down for a kneedrop. AJ tries to avoid a charge by climbing onto the middle rope, but Nakamura yanks him down in violent fashion. Styles pretends to be more badly hurt than he is to allow for a sneak attack, and a bodyslam sets up a kneedrop of his own. Muta-lock, but the champ gets the ropes, so Styles tries a slam, but Nakamura counters with a sleeper. AJ snapmares free, but ends up taking a modified backbreaker, and they spill to the outside - where Nakamura spears him into the guardrail. Inside, Nakamura starts throwing kicks, and holds on to a bootchoke in the corner. Gourdbuster hits, and he puts AJ across the top turnbuckle for a running knee for two. Again, but this time Styles dodges, and he comes flying in from the apron with the Phenomenal Forearm! Vertical suplex into the turnbuckles (with Styles selling his back the entire time), but Nakamura blocks the Clash, so AJ takes him down in the Calf Crusher! Nakamura immediately has the ropes, so AJ tries throwing kicks, but that doesn't end well for him. Sloppy lungblower and an inverted side suplex set up Kinshasa, but AJ dodges, and takes him down in the Calf Crusher! Yes, I'm using the WWE approved names for the moves, get over it. Nakamura manages to counter to a cross-armbreaker, but AJ escapes before the champ can fully realize the hold. He tries a springboard pele kick, but Nakamura dodges, so AJ delivers a helicopter rackbomb for two. Clash, but Nakamura backdrops free, triggering a reversal sequence that ends up Nakamura coming off the middle with a 2nd rope flying Kinshasa! He isn't able to cover before AJ is up, however, and they slug it out - AJ controlling with a wheelbarrow facebuster for two! Pele kick grazes Nakamura, so the champ throws Kinshasa back at him for two. He tries taking Styles to the top, but AJ counters with a crucifix for two, and the flying 450 splash is worth two! Spinning backfist hits, but Nakamura is able to regroup with a takedown into the cross-armbreaker! He gets it applied this time, but Styles looks for a counter, so Nakamura shifts to a triangle choke. AJ fades, but summons the strength to power to a vertical base in the hold, and turn it into the Clash for two! Brainbuster looks to setup another Clash, but Nakamura stays grounded to block, so AJ stomps him to make him more pliable. Clash, but Styles changes his mind, and decides to drag his ass to the top rope instead for a Clash from up there, but Nakamura is able to counter with a wild Samoan driver off the top for two! AJ is staggered, and tries to bail before he gets finished off, but Nakamura is on him like white on rice with a pair of Kinshasa's to retain at 24:18! Good - very good, in fact - but not the all time classic it's been made out to be. Once again, color me unimpressed with Nakamura. Like, he's okay, but every time I watch him, I feel like I'm constantly waiting for it to start 'getting good.’ Probably doesn’t help that he’s always got that stupid look on his face, like his opponent shit his pants, or something. *** ½