NWA (JCP) Crockett Cup (April 1986)

 

Original Airdate: April 19, 1986

From New Orleans, Louisiana

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament First Round Match: The Fabulous Ones v The Fantastics: The Fantastics are the UWF Tag Team Champions here. Looks like we're starting near the end of the first round, and it's being shot with a single handheld camera, and there's no commentary. Clearly, this was never meant to air, outside of clips. Terrible camera work too, as not only is it a single handheld, but it's a really tight angle. But, hey, I'm thrilled the Network released this, no complaints. Bobby Fulton starts with Stan Lane, and there's lots of posturing to start. Over to Tommy Rogers, and Lane forces him into the Fab corner, where Steve Keirn tags in to work an armbar. Tommy counters to a wristlock and tags, allowing Fulton to come off the middle with an axehandle, and he grounds Keirn in an armbreaker. It's really hard to believe this is the same guy who played Skinner a mere five years later. The Fantastics take turns working Keirn's arm until Lane forces a tag, but he promptly ends up in the same position as his partner did. Lane manages to plant a savate kick on Bobby to send Fulton over the top (in a tremendous oversell), but Tommy helps his partner beat the count in. Lane is ready, of course, and the Fabs cut the ring in half. Great heel teamwork here, with well orchestrated cheating, and quick action. Keirn gets busted hooking the tights one time too many, and Fulton nearly tags out, but Lane rushes in to cut him off. That allows Keirn to go back to work, but a double knockout spot during a criss cross is finally enough to cue the tag. Tommy is sweating more than the other three combined, despite hanging on the apron for most of the match. Big brawl, and the Fantastics trap Keirn in a combo that sees Fulton hook a rollup at 14:23. Well worked, if a bit lazy, and over reliant on formula. **

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament First Round Match: Koko B. Ware and Italian Stallion v Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner: Koko and Buzz start, with Buzz getting right to unloading in the corner, but Ware reverses a cross corner whip, and uses a backdrop on the rebound. Dropkick sends Buzz to the apron, so Rick runs in to help, but Koko quickly fights him off as well. Koko looks so much meaner and more impressive here than he ever did in the WWF. The moves and gear are about the same, but he just looks so much less animated, and it makes a huge difference. He works a headlock on Buzz for a bit, but Sawyer powers out, and tags. Rick comes in with a headbutt drop, but Koko dodges, and tags as well - Stallion working a headlock on the mat. Rick forces a criss cross, but that ends badly when Stallion throws a dropkick, and it's back to Koko. He works a headlock, but Rick manages to force to a tag while in the hold, and the babyfaces pinball Buzz around in their corner. A nice criss cross (great display of agility from Buzz) ends in Koko hitting a bodypress for two, and Stallion tags in to work another headlock. The headlocking goes on until Buzz manages to win a criss cross against Koko, putting Ware on the outside for a nasty suplex on the concrete floor. Ouch. Koko's down for a hundred count, but the heels keep breaking the count so they can heap on more abuse on the outside, but Ware still beats the count to the apron. Buzz is ready with a suplex back in for two, and it's over to Steiner to work a bearhug. They cut the ring in half on Koko for what feels like forever, until Sawyer misses a flying splash, and Stallion gets the tag! He comes in hot, but runs into a powerslam from Sawyer in short order, and that's that at 15:15. Not bad in general, but it definitely overstayed its welcome. * ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament First Round Match: Brett Sawyer and DJ Peterson v Black Bart and Jimmy Garvin: Bart is the NWA Mid-Atlantic Champion here. Wikipedia and HistoryofWWE all list him as 'Brett Wayne,' but his jacket and the ring announcer both say 'Brett Sawyer,' so I'm going with that. I'm assuming it was some deal where they didn't want two guys named Sawyer, or whatever. Brett starts with Bart, and gets whacked with chops right away, so he throws a bodypress for two. Bart responds with a cheap shot after calling for a test-of-strength, and he unloads on Sawyer in the corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed. Brett with a backdrop and a pair of headscissor takedowns into a headscissor hold, but Bart makes the ropes, and tags out. Garvin tries to corner Brett, but does so in the wrong corner, and Peterson tags in to work a headlock. Jimmy forces a criss cross and throws a knee to put a stop to that, and makes a quick tag to Bart to start going to work on Peterson. Peterson gets away from an attack long enough to tag Brett back in for a flying legdrop, and the babyfaces take turns working Bart's arm. Interestingly, there's a second guy walking around with a handheld camera out there, but this is strictly raw footage, and we never cut to his POV. Brett gets his eyes raked to turn the tide, and now the heels properly work him over, cutting the ring in half. Garvin telegraphs a backdrop to allow the hot tag to Peterson, and Bart goes for the ride with a backdrop, but Peterson wipes out on a dropkick. That allows Bart a bodyslam and a legdrop, and Jimmy tags in to spike him with a cool lifting DDT at 6:07. Much more manageable length than the last two matches. *

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Sam Houston and Nelson Royal v The Midnight Express: The Midnight's got a bye to the second round, and are fresh here. They are also the reigning NWA World Tag Team Champions. Houston starts with Dennis Condrey, and Condrey immediately tries to put him in the heel corner, but Sam is too quick. Second go goes better for Condrey, however, and Bobby Eaton is ready with a knee. The Express trade off on Houston for a bit, until Condrey telegraphs a backdrop, and Sam throws a kneelift. That to Royal, and Roseanne Barr the door. Royal gets Condrey in an abdominal stretch, but Eaton breaks it up, and Dennis falls on top for the pin at 1:44. Well, that was brisk. ½*

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Magnum TA and Ron Garvin v Buzz Sawyer and Rick Steiner: Magnum and Garvin also got a bye past the first round, and Magnum is the reigning NWA United States Champion. I love how quick this is. Like, the last match ended, and these guys came out mere seconds after the other four had cleared off. Time between bells is probably three minutes. I like a little pomp as much as the next guy, but this is so refreshing compared to vast gulf of bullshit between WWE matches these days. Garvin and Sawyer start, and Ron immediately forces him into the home corner for a tag to Magnum. Magnum latches onto the arm with an armbar, and Garvin works a wristlock, but Buzz fights free, and tags out. Garvin and Steiner measure each other some, and Ron gets the better of him with some chops, before passing back to Magnum for a dive off the top. Magnum holds Rick in an armbar from there, but gets railroaded into the heel corner, and Buzz is ready with the abuse. He tags in to properly brutalize Magnum, and works a chinlock, but Magnum fights free. Sawyer latches onto the ankle to hold off a tag, however, and Rick tags in to work his own chinlock. They continue cutting the ring in half on Magnum (with nicely timed hope spots), until he's able to fight off Steiner long enough for the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! Garvin sends Buzz for the ride with a backdrop, and Magnum takes Rick for one with a belly-to-belly suplex for three at 5:17. * ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: The Road Warriors v Wahoo McDaniel and Mark Youngblood: Warriors got a bye past the first round. Despite years of reports stating otherwise (including from HistoryofWWE) this is the start of the evening portion, and did not take place during the afternoon show. And we know for sure because we get Tony Schiavone and Jim Ross welcoming the live crowd and running down the card. Oh, and another great tidbit, as Ross reads the rules and actually notes that there is an OFFICIAL one-save rule in effect. That's awesome, I always thought it was strictly an unspoken thing. The building is also properly lit up now, and we get several camera angles, though still no commentary. Animal starts with Youngblood, and it's killin' time. Backbreaker early, but Mark manages to dodge an elbowdrop, so Animal cools out. He works a wristlock, and it's over to Hawk for a dive off the middle rope, and a kneelift. That sends Mark begging off to Wahoo, and his grizzled ass tries to trade shots with Hawk, but that doesn't go well. Hawk grabs a headlock, but Wahoo manages a takedown, and it's in the ropes. Test-of-strength goes Hawk's way, so Wahoo has to wrestle his way out, but here comes Animal with a backelbow for two. Clothesline, but Wahoo ducks, and cracks him with a big chop before passing back to Mark. I'm not sure that was wise. And, indeed, Animal immediately slaps a headlock on him, and brings Hawk in to drill him with a jumping shoulderblock. Mark slugs back and throws a dropkick, but wipes out while trying a bodypress, and Hawk uses a 2^nd rope clothesline for three at 4:19 - with Wahoo running in for the save, but stopping short of making one for some reason. That looked terrible, with Wahoo just standing there instead of breaking up the pin. ½*

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff v Jimmy Valiant and Manny Fernandez: The Russians also received a bye to this round. Nikita and Manny start, and Koloff wants a test-of-strength, with Manny understandably hesitant. Manny finally goes for it, and gets dominated, but manages to outthink the big Nikita for a takedown. Manny works the leg until Nikita is able to tag, but Ivan runs into trouble right away, and gets pinballed. Manny with a sunset flip for two, and it's over to Jimmy to stomp Ivan in the balls. He's hurting, so Manny offers him a double dose of nut scramble via the post, and Jimmy throws a right hand for two. Tandem backelbow gets two, but Manny misses a dropkick, and Nikita tags back in to drop him across the top rope. The Russians work Manny over, but Ivan gets slammed off the top while trying a dive, and Jimmy gets the hot tag. He runs wild on Ivan, and it's sleeper time, but Nikita saves, and Roseanne Barr the door. Nikita manages a Sickle on Valiant, and Ivan covers at 8:56. Not much to this one. ¼*

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Steve Williams and Terry Taylor v Rick Martel and Dino Bravo: Martel and Bravo got a bye past the first here. No match, as Rick Martel comes out to announce that Bravo is in the hospital with appendicitis and can't compete, and thus his team forfeits. Really weird booking considering they got a bye past the first round. Unless it was a legitimate injury/case of appendicitis that blindsided everyone. I'd lean toward that, but considering some of the backass booking decisions I've heard over the years, who knows

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: The Sheepherders v The Rock 'n' Roll Express: The Express got here by bye as well. Luke starts with Robert Gibson, and immediately forces him into the heel corner for abuse, but Ricky Morton runs in for the save, and the Express clean house. Dust settles back on Luke and Robert, and Gibson tries an overhead wristlock, but Butch blind tags in. That allows the Sheepherders to unload, but Gibson fights them off, and smashes Luke into the turnbuckles a bunch of times before passing to Ricky. Morton cleans house with dropkicks around the horn, and the heels stall to try and break the momentum. Luke gets the better of him for a moment on the way back in, but Morton is ready with a bodypress for two in no time. Over to Butch to try his luck, but he eats a sunset flip for two, and Morton tags out. He corner whips Luke, but the follow-up charge misses, and Gibson wraps himself around the post in the process. That allows the Sheepherders to take over while working the shoulder, but Robert fights Luke off with a dropkick, and there's the hot tag to Ricky - Roseanne Barr the door! The Express stereo dropkick Butch for the pin, but Jack Victory runs in for the save. It backfires when Morton steals the flagpole away to abuse him with, but the referee sees it, and disqualifies the Express at 7:17. * ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard v The Fantastics: Arn and Tully (say it with me) got a bye. Arn is the NWA Television Champion, and Tully holds the NWA National title. Tully starts with Tommy Rogers, and they're trading fists right away. Tommy gets the better of that deal, so Tully begs off in the corner, and stalls. Tommy grabs a headlock as they get back to business, but Blanchard grabs a handful of hair to escape, and starts unloading. Tommy responds in kind, however, and that again does not end well for Blanchard - this time resulting in Tully taking a dropkick to the outside. He tries to tag out to Arn from the floor, but the referee doesn't allow it (duh), and Tommy forces Tully back in hardway. Blanchard tries to sucker him into the heel corner, but Tommy is too smart, and Bobby Fulton runs in to back his partner up. Dust settles on Anderson and Rogers, and Arn wins a criss cross with a powerful shoulderblock. He unloads in the neutral corner, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and a series of dropkicks send Arn to the outside. Tag to Bobby to have a go at Arn, but Anderson stalls him. Arn tries to use the frustration to grab a headlock, but Fulton is ready with a hammerlock, and Anderson needs the ropes to save himself. Cue a cheap shot from Tully to 'even' things out, and Blanchard tags in to pound Bobby with uppercuts. Back to Anderson to help put the boots to Bobby, and a quick distraction allows them to dump him to the outside to JJ Dillon to abuse as well. Bobby fights it all off and hits Arn with a slingshot sunset flip for two, but fails to tag in time, and gets pounded by Tully. The heels work Fulton over, and the ease of the cheating (especially such high level cheating) is something else. One double team too many finally allows the hot tag to Tommy, and Roseanne Barr the door! Backdrops for both heels, but a second round for Arn backfires when Anderson uses a gourdbuster for two. He goes for a slam, but here's Bobby to dropkick Tommy into toppling him, and that's three at 11:24. Really good stuff here. It's interesting how they took the same standard tag formula, but unlike the Fabulous Ones match in the first round, this one managed to feel totally non-formulaic, despite being just that. *** ¼

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Second Round Match: Black Bart and Jimmy Garvin v Giant Baba and Tiger Mask: Last match of the round, with Baba and Tiger getting the bye. Bart and Tiger start, sizing each other up. Bart wants a test-of-strength, and dominates that, but Tiger uses his speed to counter to a wristlock, so Bart just passes to Garvin instead. Garvin grabs a headlock, but Tiger is too quick to hold, and he turns it into another wristlock. Why can't he use his superpowers for good? Criss cross goes Tiger's way with a dropkick that sends Garvin to the outside, and Tiger is right on him with a baseball slide into the apron. He teases a dive, so Jimmy hides out, while Precious has a fit. Dust settles on Bart and Baba, and man, Baba is one weird looking dude. He beats Bart down, and uses a Russian legsweep, but eats a few right hands. Over to Garvin to keep the pounding going, but Baba gets sick of him, and throws him into the corner. Piledriver follows, but Jimmy lands in his home corner, and tags out. Baba does the same, and Tiger actually gives big Bart a backdrop, followed by an elbowdrop for two. Bart cuts him off with an uppercut, and he adds a vertical suplex, before tagging for Garvin to get a two count out of it. They cut the ring in half on Tiger for a bit, but he fights Garvin off, and there's the tag to Baba. Baba's version of running wild is... weird. To say the least. It's like stop motion. Tiger goes for the kill on Bart with a flying bodypress, but Garvin saves at two, so Baba just big boots Bart instead at 7:52. ¾*

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match: The Road Warriors v The Midnight Express: Animal and Dennis Condrey start, and an early criss cross is won by Animal with a backelbow. Another one goes Animal's way again with a shoulderblock, and this time he adds a dropkick to send Condrey all the way to the outside. Tag to Hawk while Dennis regroups out there, so the Express try to double up on him, but Hawk clotheslines both of their asses out. The Road Warriors in full badass mode are pretty much unmatched. Condrey uses a cheap shot to set up a piledriver, but Hawk no-sells it, and we get a hilarious reaction from Bobby Eaton that sees Bobby dive off the apron in fear. Condrey ends up on the outside as well, but it's a headbutt that puts him out there, not fear. He tags Bobby on the way back in, and Eaton puts on his brave face... and stalls. That gets him press-slammed back in by Animal - where Hawk is waiting to clothesline him right back to the outside! The Express respond with a Rocket Launcher, but Hawk catches Eaton in a slam on the way down, then picks him right back up for a shoulderbreaker! Fistdrop follows, and it's over to Animal for a tandem backdrop. That draws Condrey in without a tag, but the Warriors easily clean house, and this is just so much fun! Dust settles on Animal and Condrey, and Dennis throws a knee before going to the eyes, and it's Express double team time! Animal fights that off with a powerslam on Condrey, so Jim Cornette whacks him with the tennis racket to try a new strategy... in full view of the referee. And that's a DQ at 8:04, son. Super basic, but super fun. ** ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Ivan Koloff and Nikita Koloff v Steve Williams and Terry Taylor: Ivan starts with Terry, and Taylor takes him down with a monkeyflip, then sends him to the outside with a dropkick right away. Back in for Williams to hit with a 2^nd rope axehandle, and he grounds Ivan in an armbar. Ivan fights to a vertical base, but misses his chance at a backelbow, and Williams press-slams him. Should'a just stayed in the armbar, pal. Williams with a right hand for two, followed by a bodyslam, and he and Terry take turns working the arm of the Russian. For a long time. Like, literally seven minutes of just working the arm. It's energetic enough to not be boring, though. Ivan finally rakes Steve's eyes to allow him to tag out to Nikita, and it's big dog time! Yeah, I was hoping these two would face off! Lots of measuring, until Williams manages to grab a headlock, but he can't take Nikita down in it. More measuring, and Nikita gets cocky with his taunts, so Steve knocks the wind out of him with a dropkick right to the stomach. Nikita ends up on the outside following THAT shit, and now he's mad at what he perceives to be a cheap shot. It kinda was, to be fair. So, he comes in challenging Williams to a test-of-strength, and it's getting hossy mcflossy in here. Neither guy can get the advantage, so Nikita takes a cheap shot with a kick, but Williams absorbs, and responds in kind to a stalemate. Nikita decides to simply deck him from there, and he passes to Ivan before Williams can respond. The fresh Ivan manages a takedown for a legdrop for two, and it's back to Nikita to keep the dazed Williams guessing. The Russians pass back and forth with quick tags as they pound on Steve, but Ivan eventually gets overpowered, and slammed off the middle rope for two. Ivan manages to hold his ground with a swinging neckbreaker before Williams can tag, however, and the Russians cut the ring in half. Williams manages to catch Ivan with a powerslam for two, and there's the hot tag to Terry, with some three minutes remaining in the time limit. Taylor runs wild, but runs into a double team in short order, and ends up down on the outside. Ivan sends him into the guardrail out there, and Williams has to help him in to prevent a countout. Nikita greets him with a drop across the top rope, but Terry manages to catch Ivan with a bodypress for two during a criss cross. Ivan scrambles to cut off the tag, and Nikita comes in to bearhug his ass - Taylor fighting for the escape/tag with a minute remaining. He nearly gets it, but the referee misses it, and the Russians pull him away. Ivan with a bodyslam, but a kneedrop misses, and Taylor hooks a small package for two... as time expires at 19:54. You wouldn't think these four would be good candidates to do a twenty minute draw three hours into an event, but there you go. This worked a lot better than I thought it would, with the match very well structured to avoid an overlong heat segment, and light on the restholds. ** ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match: The Fantastics v The Sheepherders: The Fantastics stop to do the Pledge of Allegiance before rushing in to clean house, in a neat bit. Dust settles on Bobby Fulton and Luke to start, and Bobby dominates early on, so Butch takes a cheap shot. The heels hammer on Bobby in their corner, but he manages to get some traction against Luke in the neutral half of the ring, and a series of dropkicks knock Luke to the outside. Butch rushes in, but eats a dropkick as well, and there's the tag to Tommy Rogers. Tommy takes Luke down in a headlock, but Luke fights him off on the ropes, so Rogers uses a sunset flip for two. Over to Butch, but he stalls on the apron, so Tommy brings him in hardway. Tag to Bobby to throw a hard right, but it knocks Butch right into a tag, and Luke takes control. He bootchokes Bobby down in the corner, but a charge misses, and we've got a slugfest! Bobby gets the better of it with an atomic drop that knocks Luke right into Butch, and both heels end up regrouping on the outside. Dust settles on Fulton and Butch, and Butch goes right for the eyes, then dumps Bobby to the outside. Butch follows, but Bobby fights him off with a dropkick out there, so Luke heads over - cut off by Tommy! All four guys brawl on the outside, and Bobby ends up eating the post to draw blood. From him, not the post. To be clear. Kind of surprised it's taken us this long into the show to see a bladejob, frankly. I mean, you look at Starrcade '85 from just a few months before this, and it looks like a horror movie. Back inside, the Sheepherders go to work on bloody Bobby, and Fulton's drunk style selling is kind of silly. They go for the kill with the flagpole, but it ends up backfiring on them (drawing a gory bladejob from Luke), and Tommy gets the tag - Roseanne Barr the door! The referee gets bumped to the outside in short order, allowing Jack Victory to get involved, and Fulton eats post again. That allows the heels to isolate Rogers for some abuse with the flagpole, and all four guys are bleeding now. When it rains, it pours. Fulton manages to save him from the kill shot, and the Fantastics unload with the pole now, including on Victory. The referee recovers, and sees the mayhem and blood all around him, and just throws the match out at 13:37. So that's two draws in the round, meaning we get no Semifinals, and maybe not even a proper Final if the next match also goes to a draw. Yeah, so, color me disappointed with this one. I mean, I've been hearing about it for the better part of twenty years, and how it's some lost five-star classic of which only clips survive... and it just isn't. It's a decent enough brawl, but definitely nowhere NEAR five-stars, and not even especially notable, aside from the blood. Which, as noted, is hardly unique for this period anyway. Unlike unearthing Hart/Magee earlier this year, this did not live up to the legend. Still glad I finally got to see it in all its glory, though. ** ½

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Quarterfinal Match: Magnum TA and Ron Garvin v Giant Baba and Tiger Mask: Ron and Tiger feel each other out to start. Over to Magnum for more of the same, with Magnum able to get an edge, and then tagging Garvin back in to capitalize with a few cradles. He can't put it away, and Baba tags in to put a stop to it anyway. Baba grabs an armbar on Garvin, and he dominates with that for a while, but Ron manages a reversal to turn the tide. Tag to Magnum to keep after the big man's arm, but Magnum runs into an elbow, and Baba turnbuckle smashes him. Over to Tiger for a dropkick, and he manages to add a bodyslam and an elbowdrop for two. Vertical suplex, but Magnum reverses, so Tiger tags out. Baba comes in to hold him with a front-facelock to wear Magnum down, and it's back to Tiger to throw a dropkick for two. Tiger with his own front-facelock, but Magnum powers out with an inverted atomic drop, and uses a sunset flip for two. Tiger responds with a tag to Baba, and Baba quickly (well, as quickly as Baba does anything) uses a schoolboy for two. Unfortunately, he can't prevent a tag, and Garvin comes in hot - Roseanne Barr the door! The Japanese team try whipping them at each other, but it backfires, and Magnum topples Baba for two. Tiger throws a bodypress at Garvin for two, and a dropkick on Magnum sets up a senton splash for two. To the top for a flying bodypress, but Magnum catches him in the belly-to-belly suplex at 9:50. Whole lot of nothing before picking up at the end. ¼*

UWF North American Title Match: Jim Duggan v Dick Slater: It's interesting how similar, yet totally different, this version of Duggan is to the version of the character he played in the WWF (and later WCW). Okay, so a little detective work on the title here. Wiki lists this as for the Mid-South North American title, which they say became the UWF Heavyweight title starting in May 1986. HistoryofWWE says the same. However, Cagematch.net lists this as for the UWF North American title, which their records claim has been the name since March 1986 (and previously called the Mid-South North American title), and is unrelated to the UWF Heavyweight title. The ring announcer here also calls it the UWF North American title, so that's what I'm going with, but seriously, how hard is it to get a straight answer on this shit? Jim dominates with power stuff in the early going, so Slater tries grabbing a headlock, but can't get much traction against the champion. Jim works his own headlock, so Dick takes a cheap shot, but a criss cross goes badly for him, and Duggan unloads in the corner. Slater manages to dump him to the outside to buy time, and Jim takes a nasty bump into the guardrail - nearly taking out half the first row in the process. Some moron decided not to connect the pieces of rail out there, and they keep tipping over every time someone gets near them. But, really, who's the bigger idiot: the guy who didn't connect the pieces, or the wrestlers who keep bumping into it anyway? Inside, Slater grounds him in a chinlock, but Jim fights free, so Dick bails, and makes him chase him around ringside. That allows Slater to take the high ground and keep control, and Duggan eats a swinging neckbreaker for two. Back to the chinlock to wear Duggan down for a headbutt drop, and Slater goes upstairs for a flying axehandle, but Jim manages to slug him out of the air. Duggan makes the comeback, and a bodyslam sets up a kneedrop for two. Atomic drop works, but Slater rebounds with an elbowsmash for two, and the referee gets bumped during the kick out. Duggan misses a charge, allowing Slater to go up with a flying elbowsmash, and the dazed referee counts two. Dick tries a piledriver, but Duggan counters with a backdrop, so Slater ties him up in the ropes instead. The referee pulls them apart, allowing Duggan to charge with the 3-point stance to retain at 9:12. This was fine. * ¼

NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Dusty Rhodes: Well, at least there's no confusion over which title this is for. Very early into the run of the original Big Gold Belt here, and it looks phenomenal. Feeling out process to start. Flair tries to corner him with chops, but Rhodes is ready with elbowsmashes, and Ric ends up on the outside. Back in, Flair triggers a criss cross, but ends up eating elbow again. The sell job on that one was epic. Dusty dominates a double-knucklelock, so Flair goes low, and that shakes the challenger off. Ric unloads in the corner, and a snapmare sets up a pair of kneedrops. He dumps Dusty to the outside, and Rhodes is already bleeding. Well, you knew that was inevitable. Flair feeds him the post out there (you'd think he'd wait to blade off of that, instead of a kneedrop, but clearly you don't know 1980s Dusty), and back in, Ric goes for another kneedrop, but Rhodes dodges. He crotches the champ on the post, and unloads his own flurry of chops in the corner, so Ric tries a leveraged pin for two. He holds onto it, but the referee catches him, and Dusty throws an elbowsmash to shake the champion off. Rhodes adds an elbowdrop to the leg, so Flair tries chops again, but Dusty fights through it. Criss cross sees Dusty throw a shoulderblock, so Flair grabs a sleeper, and that calms the challenger down. He fades, but manages to stay in the game long enough to drop Ric into the corner to break. He has no comeback, however, and Ric starts going after the knee. Figure Four is applied, but Rhodes reverses, and Flair has to break to save himself. He keeps after the challenger with a snapmare, but misses a dive at the leg, and Dusty is hot! Figure four, but Flair pulls himself to the outside to avoid getting locked in it, so Dusty smashes him into the post out there instead. Twice. And, yep, that triggers a bladejob from the champion now. Even so, Flair manages a slingshot sunset flip on the way back in, but Rhodes blocks, and unloads a ten-punch count in the corner. Always loved the way referee Tommy Young would go to the apron when guys would do that. Cross corner whip flips Flair into a tree of woe, and Dusty is quick to bootrake him a bunch of times until the referee can intervene. Rhodes with a clothesline for two, and he starts pounding on the cut, then corner whips a woozy Flair into a sleeper! Flair fades enough to cover, but gets a foot on the bottom rope at two. He bails to the apron, so Dusty brings him back in with a hanging vertical suplex, but again the champ is in the ropes at two. Rhodes with another clothesline into a figure four, but Flair makes the ropes. He begs off in the corner, but Rhodes shows no mercy, stomping on the leg. Ric manages a shot to the gut to buy time, and he goes up top, but Dusty slams him off. He charges with a shoulderblock, but that knocks Ric right into the referee, and there's no one around to count as Rhodes hooks a cradle. Baby Doll rushes to get the revive the referee, but Flair takes Dusty's boot off in the meantime, and bashes him with it. Cover, count... two. Baby Doll flips out about the cheating, and passes Rhodes the boot to use, but the referee has recovered now, and that's a DQ at 20:16. So, next time someone asks where Triple H gets off going twenty-plus minutes on a show that's already three and a half hours deep, just point right to Ric Flair. Fun match between two total pros. ***

Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament Final Match: The Road Warriors v Magnum TA and Ron Garvin: Comes down to two JCP teams for the final, to the shock of no one. Animal and Magnum start, and a big criss cross right off the bat ends in Animal hitting a hiptoss. Elbowdrop misses, however, and Magnum uses an armdrag, then a dropkick to end the sequence. Good start. Animal grabs an overhead wristlock from there, but Magnum manages a counter to a hammerlock, and he tags out. Garvin comes in to try to keep Animal grounded with a front-facelock, but he can't overpower him, and Hawk gets the tag in. Garvin tries to trade shots with him, but that doesn't go well, and Hawk unloads in the corner. Just a full on beat down there. Hawk grabs a chinlock for a bit, then picks Ron up for a press-slam, and he dives off the middle with a splash, but Garvin manages to dodge. Garvin with a small package for two, and he starts clawing at the eyes, and biting Hawk to keep him in trouble. Tag to Magnum with a dropkick for two, and he does a good job of trying to keep Hawk grounded, but ultimately gets overpowered. Over to Animal to put the boots to Magnum, and he grabs a bearhug, but Magnum manages to elbow his way out. That gets hit gutwrench suplexed by Hawk for two, and Hawk takes him up with a gutwrench rackdrop for two. Big boot hits, and it's quickly back to Animal to work a chinlock. Magnum manages to almost fight free, but Animal powers him back down before he can fully escape, and it's back to Hawk. Magnum tries getting a sunset flip in, but Hawk blocks, and drills Magnum with a headbutt to set up a fistdrop. Animal with a powerslam for two, but Magnum manages to reverse a cross corner whip, and he uses a belly-to-belly suplex on the rebound - only for Hawk to break the count at two! It's still enough to allow the tag to Garvin, however, and Ron trades headbutts with Hawk to a double knockout. Both guys stagger up, and Garvin tries an abdominal stretch, but Hawk is too strong to hold. Ron simply decks him instead, but ends up badly hurting is hand in the process, and Animal clotheslines him for the Cup at 9:48. Kind of an underwhelming finish to the match, but a watchable final otherwise. ** ½

BUExperience: Definitely worth checking out for historical reasons. It’s not a blow away great wrestling show, but it’s pretty damn solid one on its own merits. Fair warning though: it’s really long. Yeah, modern WWE shows go four hours or more on a regular basis these days, but those have tons of filler you can fast forward through. There are no backstage interview segments, overblown entrances, or Elias sing-along’s to skip past here – almost the entirety of the runtime is spent on in-ring action. And that’s great, but it does take a long time to get through, and the lack of commentary can be a little off-putting after a while. Still, a great addition to the Network, and I’m glad we finally can see it in (mostly) complete form.

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