NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (January 4, 1986)

Original Airdate: January 4, 1986 (taped December 29, 1985)

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

Tully Blanchard comes out to announce that JJ Dillon is now with him, and he feels like he’ll be a good fit with his pals. His ‘Horsemen,’ if you will

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v Jim Jeffers and Thunderfoot: The NWA World Tag Team title is not on the line here. The commentators announce that Dusty Rhodes has picked up the NWA National title from Buddy Landel since last time, though they don’t mention that he was simply given the title after Landel was busted for drugs, and booted from the promotion for a while. The Express with stereo dropkicks at 4:36. ¼*

Blanchard is back, and once again, Baby Doll is not with him. Tully doesn’t want to talk about it… but then starts talking all about it. Feels right. Apparently she’s turned her back on him, and is nothing but an ungrateful woman, who has cheated on him. This leads to clips from Worldwide Wrestling, where Tully accused Doll of going on a trip without him, which she claims was arraigned by JJ, who told her it was a gift from Tully. Blanchard responds by slapping her across the face (and a stiff one, too), which draws Dusty Rhodes out to defend her. This is turning into some real Vince Russo stuff. Hot angle, though

Harley Race v Tony Zane: This is Harley’s first match in the territory since August, and they put over that he’s coming for NWA World Champion Ric Flair, but he pretty much disappeared again right after this, and eventually ended up in the WWF by May. He did do a cage match with Flair in February, but I think this is his only televised match with JCP from this period. Race with a 2nd rope headbutt drop at 3:26. DUD

NWA Six-Man Tag Team Champion Ivan Koloff comes out for some general gloating. I get that people in this territory probably weren’t exposed to a lot of real Russians in 1986, and thank God, because he’d have been run out as a fraud right away. That accent is not even kind of close!

Ron Bass v Bill Tabb: Even the announcers can’t be bothered to care about Bass doing his thing here. Clawhold finishes at 2:29. DUD

NWA National Champion Dusty Rhodes comes out with Baby Doll to flaunt his two new trophies. Baby Doll was only twenty three years old at this point? It’s probably just the 80s clothes, hair, and makeup… but she looks like she’s at least forty!

Ron Garvin v Mac Jeffers: Crockett mixes Garvin up with Ron Bass, which I feel is almost the equivalent of a slur. Garvin with his big punch at 3:59. This did not need four minutes. DUD

Harley Race is out to cut a great promo about the importance of the NWA World title, and hypes the cage match with Flair that they’ll have in St. Louis

Handicap Match: The Road Warriors v Gene Ligon, Josh Stroud, and Mark Hawk: They couldn’t have given him a different name than ‘Mark Hawk?’ Really? Total destruction here, as the Warriors make short work of them at 0:32. Afterwards, the Warriors cut a promo on the Russians. DUD

Manny Fernandez v Larry Clarke: A really long, drawn out squash, ending in Fernandez hitting his jumping forearm for the pin at 4:25. DUD

NWA World Champion Ric Flair is here, and no wonder he apparently doesn’t have any money left these days. His wardrobe budget must have been more than most people made in a year! Ric notes that he never liked Baby Doll anyway, and that he’ll personally make sure that Tully won’t be lonely

Arn Anderson v Kent Glover: Anderson is all fired up this week, and poor Glover gets wrecked. Gourdbuster finishes at 2:47. Afterwards, Arn swings by the desk, where Flair is still hanging out, so they can rant about Dusty some more. ¼*

Jimmy Valiant v Adrian Bivins: Ugh, Valiant. I do not care for this man. Do not care for him at all. Elbowdrop gets Jimmy the pin at 1:12. DUD

Jim Cornette swings by, promising to take the tag title from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express

Dennis Condrey v Rocky King: You know, Cornette showed a surprising amount of restraint by managing to avoid using the word ‘express’ when giving the Heavenly Bodies a name in the 90s. Condrey with a suplex at 5:08. Were they getting paid by the hour? DUD

Dusty and Baby Doll are back, since we haven’t beaten the dead horse quite enough yet

Magnum TA v Barbarian: Magnum’s NWA United States gold is not on the line. Harley Race does guest commentary here, scouting Magnum, since he’s the US champ, and Race wouldn’t mind having that title when he steps up to challenge Flair in the cage. Race is good in this old gunslinger role. They trade holds to start, and Magnum manages to dump him to the outside to avoid a toehold. Barbarian hustles back in, but Magnum is ready with a backdrop, and he works an armbar. Barbarian gets into the ropes, but telegraphs a backdrop, and Magnum kicks him in the kisser. Back to the armbar, but Barbarian drops him across the top rope, and that turns the tide. Barbarian works him over, and a backbreaker gets him two. Big boot gets another two, and a snapmare sets up a kneedrop, but Magnum rolls out of the way. Magnum makes a comeback, delivering a dropkick for two, so Barbarian throws a headbutt to buy time. That allows him to try an atomic drop, but Magnum reverses, and the referee gets bumped. Magnum stays focused with a belly-to-belly suplex, but there’s no referee, so Paul Jones comes in with a cane shot. That allows Barbarian a headbutt drop, but there’s still no referee, so Race runs in to count the pin himself. Okay, I was kidding about Vince Russo earlier, but if I see anything on a pole, I’m going to start making phone calls. So Barbarian and Race beat on Magnum, until the official wakes up and DQs Barbarian at 10:21. This was okay. * ½ 

The Road Warriors come back out to complain about people ganging up on people

Jimmy Valiant is back, since I guess I was bad in a previous life

Sam Houston and Nelson Royal v Don Turner and Pablo Crenshaw: Did Houston ever team with his actual brother? Sam scores the pin at 1:56. DUD

Magnum TA stops by to remind us that Harley Race’s achievements are all in the past, while he’s the US champion right here and right now

BUExperience: The main event angles are all great, and the whole Baby Doll saga was fantastic stuff. But that’s just a small portion of this, and the majority is still overlong Ron Garvin and Manny Fernandez squashes. If this show were one hour, instead of two, it would be fire.