NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (December 14, 1985)

Original Airdate: December 14, 1985 

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

NWA National Champion Buddy Landel joins us to inform NWA United States Champion Magnum TA that his title makes him the rightful top contender to the NWA World title, not Magnum

Magnum TA v Bill Tabb: Magnum’s US title is not on the line. The lighting is really poor this week, like they’re working in someone’s basement. Magnum with a belly-to-belly suplex at 0:18. Get that man out of the basement! DUD

NWA National Tag Team Champion Arn Anderson wants to make a name for himself. Like Eva Marie?

Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson v Rocky King and Italian Stallion: The NWA National Tag Team title is not on the line here. Also not on the line: the dignity of this promotion. They’re already in the basement, there’s no dignity in the basement. Arn puts King away with a gourdbuster at 5:06. ¼*

Tully Blanchard v Gerald Finley: I don’t dislike David Crockett’s commentary as much as a lot of other people apparently do, but he’s definitely one of the biggest dorks ever. “That was a desperation kick out,” he notes of one of Gerald’s kick outs. As opposed to what? Blanchard with a slingshot suplex at 4:28. DUD

NWA United States Champion Magnum TA and Dusty Rhodes come out to do a fashion show

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v George South and Vernon Deaton: The NWA World Tag Team title is not on the line here, obviously. No respect for poor George. The match drags on and on, and even David is openly noting that the fans are getting impatient. Luckily, they finally get to it when the Express deliver stereo dropkicks at 6:04. Yes, over six minutes for a simple squash. I do not get this show at all. DUD

The Russians are out to complain about the lack of Soviet flags on the set

Nikita Koloff v Mac Jeffers: The Russians triple team poor Mac throughout, until Koloff gets done playing with his food, and puts it away with a pair of clotheslines at 3:06. DUD

Tully is back out to complain about his dumps

NWA Mid-Atlantic Title Match: Krusher Kruschev v Pez Whatley: “Pez Whatley, the man is like a cat. Very quick,” notes Crockett. Good thing he clarified, I assumed he meant he poops in a box. Pez works an armbar early, until Kruschev manages a reversal, but Pez gets into the ropes. That allows him to connect with a dropkick, and he armdrags the champion into another armbar. Kruschev escapes again, so Pez throws a bodypress for two, and then grounds him again for another armbar. Finally, after, like, seven minutes of armbarring, Kruschev manages a hotshot to turn the tide. He keeps selling the arm while going to work on the challenger, so Pez tries a backslide for two, but gets clobbered before he can build a comeback. Pez tries a dropkick, but Kruschev dodges, and covers for two. He tries a small package for two, but Kruschev cuts him off again, grounding him in a chinlock. Kruschev tries a leveraged pin, but only gets two when the referee busts him, so he dumps Pez to the outside. He wastes time arguing with the referee, allowing Pez a slingshot sunset flip for two, but a corner charge hits the knee. That allows Kruschev to get to the top, but Pez slams him off before he can dive, and he makes a comeback. Dropkick puts Kruschev on the outside for a tope, and Whatley rolls him right back in, not wasting any time. Pez with a jumping headbutt, so Ivan Koloff breaks up the pin, and Kruschev clobbers the challenger with a clothesline at 14:43. Solid match, if a little on the boring side. * ¾ 

The Road Warriors v Larry Clarke and Paul Garner: The Warriors are in the mood to toy with their jobbers tonight, before Animal finishes with a simple clothesline at 3:08. DUD

Arn and Ole Anderson are back to make fun of Magnum and Dusty’s fashion choices

Sam Houston v Mike Nichols: Houston is seriously Jake Roberts’ brother? Because I’d buy Nichols as Daniel Bryan’s brother before I’d buy Sam as Jake’s. Houston works the arm, as the announcers talk about fans writing in to share how this is their favorite wrestling program. I’m pretty sure that would constitute mail fraud. Mike gets a lot (like, a lot a lot) of offense in for a jobber, before eating a bulldog at 6:33. This was really long. DUD

Barbarian and Paul Jones stop by, and man, every wrestler on this show is scarred up, and seems like they’re a feather touch away from a cut opening up. 1985 was a bloody, bloody year in this promotion

Manny Fernandez v Kent Glover: Manny also looks like he’s a stiff breeze away from a full crimson mask here. Fernandez with a slow and dull squash here, finishing with a jumping forearm at 4:54. Even the announcers are sounding bored of this show already. DUD

Ron Garvin stops by to discuss Buddy Landel’s waist. Or, at least try to, since he keeps losing his train of thought

Barbarian v Alan Martin: Barbarian at least looks energetic in his work tonight, which is refreshing after all the sleepwalking going on here. Why does the camera guy look like he’s dressed to go out clubbing as soon as this taping ends? Barbarian with a flying headbutt drop at 3:41. ½*

The Road Warriors come out to threaten the Russians

Ron Garvin v Al Scott: Garvin teases him with a few holds to get us going, as the announcers run out of things to talk about, and just sit in silence for a time. Garvin with a mounted punch at 4:34. Yawn. DUD

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express come out to talk about their dreams

BUExperience: This show is soul crushingly dull.