NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (November 30, 1985)

Original Airdate: November 30, 1985 (taped November 24)

From Atlanta, Georgia; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and David Crockett

NWA Mid-Atlantic Title Match: Sam Houston v Krusher Khruschev: This is a tournament final for the vacant title, from Starrcade. The canary yellow bell bottoms on the referee are out of control. Feeling out process to start, until Khruschev throws a knee, but Houston lands on his feet during a backdrop, and wins a quickie slugfest. Sam grabs a standing side-headlock, and wins a fast paced criss cross with a headscissors takedown into a headscissors on the mat. Khruschev manages to power up to his feet in the hold, so Sam throws a dropkick, then armdrags him over into an armbar. Interesting fact I never realized until doing my background checks on these guys... Demolition Smash is actually 12 years younger than Ax. Guess I kinda always figured they were the same age, or at least much closer. Khruschev with a backdrop for two, and a press-slam, but Sam escapes a bearhug, and uses a kneelift to block another backdrop. Khruschev cuts him off with a bodyslam, but a trip to the top rope ends badly when Sam dropkicks him off, then unloads a ten-punch in the corner. Bulldog, and Sam thinks it's over, but he doesn't notice that Khruschev had his foot on the ropes - allowing Krusher to sneak up with the Sickle to win the title at 8:50. Not much to this one. ½*

NWA National Title Match: Terry Taylor v Buddy Landel: Also from Starrcade. Landel looks like the love child of Ric Flair and Tom Hulce in Amadeus, may he rest in peace. Feeling out process to start, until Buddy grabs a wristlock, but Taylor armdrags his way out. Buddy grounds him in a side-headlock, but Taylor counters into an overhead wristlock, and gets a few pin attempts off of it. Backdrop sets up a kneedrop for two, and he slows things down again with a wristlock, but Landel decks him to escape, and unloads chops. I know he did good business in this role, but I'm honestly surprised they allowed Landel to do this poor man's Ric Flair act in the same promotion as the real thing. Snapmare sets up a chinlock, but Taylor side suplexes free, and adds a backbreaker to setup a legdrop for two. Cross corner whip is reversed, however, and Landel takes his head off with a clothesline on the rebound for two. Vertical suplex, but Taylor counters with an inside cradle for two, so Buddy slaps on a reverse chinlock to cutoff a comeback. Terry escapes, and wins a slugfest, then snapmares him over to setup a double-stomp. Vertical suplex is worth two, and a series of turnbuckle smashes weaken the challenger for a superplex, so Landel-manager JJ Dillon sweeps the leg, and Buddy topples him for the title at 10:30. Solid stuff here, with both younger guys working a much more modern style match than the rest of the card thus far. * ¼

The Midnight Express v Italian Stallion and Rocky King: Jim Cornette sits in on commentary for this one. Stallion kind of looks like Tully Blanchard, if you squint. Dennis Condrey with a brainbuster on King at 7:58. This was a pretty endless squash. ¼*

Billy Jack Haynes stops by the desk, and he’s really excited about being a part of ‘the world wide wrestling.’ Not only does he have the wrong promotion, but apparently he thinks it’s still 1979 too

Back at Starrcade, Buddy Landel celebrated his new National title

Manny Fernandez v Tommy Lane: Crockett notes that the way Fernandez walks to the ring gets him psyched up for his match. “Mr. Intensity,” chimes Schiavone. I feel like they’re trying to tell us something about Manny, but I just can’t seem to put my coke spoon on it. Fernandez works an endless headlock, and the commentary isn’t really helping to spice things up. At least with the WWF, even if the match was dull, you could almost always count on the commentary to keep things interesting. Fernandez with a jumping forearm at 7:23. Yes, over seven minutes. This show needs some Road Warriors in the worst way. Afterwards, Fernandez stops by the desk to tell us about his daddy. DUD

The Road Warriors v Black Bart and Thunderfoot: Okay, this is not what I meant. Animal powers Bart around in the early going, so Thunderfoot tags in, but Animal grabs him in a press-slam right away. Thunderfoot bails, and are we really supposed to take him seriously even though he looks like Peter Stormare in a dream sequence? Hawk tags in to work Thunderfoot’s arm, and things break down for a brawl, as Ivan Koloff shows up at the desk to cut a promo on the Warriors. That draws Paul Ellering over to argue, so Nikita Koloff attacks him. Meanwhile, Animal pins Thunderfoot at 6:37. With the match over, the Warriors rush over to deal with the Russians, but they’re outnumbered, and it’s a long night in Atlanta. DUD

Jim Crockett joins us to announce that all the Championship Challenge Series matches for December must end by pinfall or submission only

Ron Garvin v Jim Jeffers: The announcers basically announce that Ellering is dead, and are ready to sit shiva for him. Another marathon squash here, until Jeffers misses a 2nd rope fistdrop, and Garvin delivers a knockout punch at 7:12. ¼*

The Road Warriors are back out, and I think they’re a little upset about what the Russians did earlier on

NWA National Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson helps give the TV title some prestige. Sophie would be so proud

Backstage at Starrcade, a still bloody Magnum TA celebrates his NWA United States Title win

Jim Crockett comes back out to announce a tournament for the vacant NWA Television title.

BUExperience: The majority of this (everything aside from the two matches taken right off of the big event), were taped a few days before Starrcade, so this felt like a pretty low gear episode. The squashes were also really long this week, making this show especially sleepy.