NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (April 12, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: April 12, 1986 (taped April 6)

From Atlanta, Georgia; Your Host is Tony Schiavone

Dusty Rhodes stops by to show off the fancy new dress he just bought Baby Doll from Paris. “And not Paris, Texas,” notes Dusty

Manny Fernandez and Hector Guerrero v George South and Tony Zane: I dig Hector’s Adidas style boots. Guerrero with a dive at 4:56, coming in just four seconds under the maximum acceptable length for a squash. Afterwards, Fernandez and Guerrero swing by the desk to cut a promo in Spanish. DUD

Black Bart v Gene Ligon: Bart’s NWA Mid-Atlantic title is not on the line here. Sorry Gene, don’t take it personally. You just suck. Bart with a flying legdrop at 3:49. DUD

NWA National Champion Tully Blanchard is out, and he doesn’t even feel bad that he hurt Ron Garvin last week

NWA Six-Man Tag Team Title Match: Nikita Koloff, Ivan Koloff, and Baron von Raschke v Denny Brown, Nelson Royal, and Italian Stallion: They make a huge deal of how they’re putting the title on the line here, but considering this collection of jobbers on the other side of the ring, I’m not sure why. Nikita ends these fools with the Sickle at 6:27. ¼*

Ron Garvin is out, and apparently he’s an airline pilot now, in addition to an electrician, or whatever the fuck he was a few weeks ago. He came along too early, he’d have made a killing in the mid-90s WWF

The Road Warriors show up, and Hawk threatens to blow up on the Russians. Another injection, and he just might

Wahoo McDaniel v Ron Rossi: Oh God, we’re going to have to hear all about his chops now, aren’t we? Wahoo with a chop and an elbowdrop at 2:46. DUD

NWA United States Champion Magnum TA is out to remind us that he’s a fighting champion

Jimmy Garvin v Rocky Kernodle: See, he’s feuding with Wahoo, so he has a match after Wahoo’s. No wonder the WWF was destroying them with Superstars and Wrestling Challenge. It was so much more lively than this slog every week. Why is this show beloved? I’m hoping it gets better, but considering this was one of the most revered eras, I’m not holding my breath. Oh, and Rocky looks like Terry Taylor this week, I thought it was him for a minute. Jimmy with a nice brainbuster at 8:02. ¼*

NWA World Champion Ric Flair is out, and this show is immediately 200% better. It’s just mathematical accuracy

NWA Television Title Match: Arn Anderson v Sam Houston: Flair sticks around for commentary on this one. They should have had him out for the whole show, maybe this shit would actually be watchable. Arn dumps him to the outside, but Sam gets fired up, and returns the favor. Back in, Anderson gets a standing side-headlock on, so Sam forces a criss cross, but eats a shoulderblock. Another criss cross goes better when Sam manages a hiptoss, and Houston adds a pair of dropkicks to put Anderson on the outside. Ric is really putting Sam over as a future star here, for whatever reason. Inside, Sam tries the bulldog, but Anderson blocks. Sam uses a 2nd rope bodypress for two instead, but Arn quickly knocks him silly with a hotshot. That allows Anderson a bodyslam to set up a kneedrop for two, and the champ rakes his face across the top rope, then puts the boots to him for good measure. Arn with a rotating spinebuster for two, so Sam starts throwing rights, but Arn cuts him off, and kills him with the gourdbuster at 5:00. Solid action, too bad they didn’t give it a little more time, considering stupid squashes were getting more. Afterwards, Anderson swings by the desk ** ¼ 

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express swing by to respond to Flair’s taunts

Barbarian and Shaska Whatley v Randy Mulkey and Vernon Deaton: So Pex Whatley now has a new name to go along with his heel turn. While associating with Paul Jones feels like a misstep, the turn in general has been a success. Whatley with a headbutt at 4:19. DUD

The Russians are back, and they’re ready for the Road Warriors, after their big victory earlier. Over fucking Denny Brown?

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v Ray Traylor and Carl Styles: But before we can get underway, Ric Flair shows up, and challenges Ricky Morton to go one-on-one, non-title. Challenge accepted, and here we go!

Ric Flair v Ricky Morton: Morton shoves him around to start, and wins a criss cross. He goes for a figure four, but Flair blocks, so Morton uses a slingshot sunset flip for two. A backslide gets another two, but Ricky misses a dropkick. That allows Flair to try an elbowdrop, but Morton dodges, and takes Ric to the mat in a side-headlock, as Arn Anderson shows up at ringside. Flair fights to a vertical base, so Morton shoulderblocks him down, and blocks a hiptoss with an abdominal stretch. Ric escapes, and he begs off, suckering Morton into a cheap shot. That allows Flair to take him into the corner for chops, but Morton fights him off, and uses a headscissor takedown. A dropkick follows, and a rana gets Morton two, so Flair bails. Back in, Rick tries for a takedown, but Morton wins the exchange on the mat, holding a front-facelock. Flair gets into the ropes to force a break, but Morton blocks a punch on the break, and returns fire. To the mat for a side-headlock, so Flair tries a cradle for two, but Morton keeps the hold applied. Flair forces a criss cross, so Morton tries a bodypress, but Ric hits the deck, and Morton wipes out in the ropes. That’s enough to allow Flair a headlock, but Morton fights to a vertical base. Ric replies with chops in the corner, but a cross corner whip backfires when Morton springboards for a 2nd rope bodypress for two. Ric cuts him off, and delivers a hanging vertical suplex for two. More chops, but Morton gets fired up, and cross corner whips him. Morton with a backdrop, and he goes upstairs with a flying dropkick. Swinging neckbreaker, but Flair keeps blocking. Ric tries another suplex, but now Morton is blocking, and manages a reversal for two. Morton with a bodypress for two, and he unloads in the corner, so Flair tries a hiptoss, but Morton counters to a backslide. Flair blocks it, so Morton punches him in the head instead, and hooks a rollup, but the referee gets bumped in the process. That allows Flair to toss Morton over the top rope, and he aims to send Ricky into the post out there, but Morton reverses, busting Flair open. Inside, Morton corners Flair for a ten-punch count, and he hooks a small package, but there’s still no referee. A cross corner whip flips Flair over the buckles, and Ric goes up for a flying bodypress, but Morton rolls through. Arn runs in to break it up, but Robert Gibson cuts him off, and counts the pinfall himself at 10:52. Officially, it’s eventually ruled a no-contest, but Morton has the moral victory. This was a super fun match, basically all action, and loaded with reversal after reversal. Afterwards, Morton promises to take the title next time. *** ½ 

Jim Cornette is out to talk up the Midnight Express

The Midnight Express v Bob Owens and Paul Garner: The NWA World Tag Team title is not on the line. Cornette stays on commentary here. I hope this wraps up quickly, because there’s no topping that last match. The Express with a combo at 1:23. DUD

Paul Jones and his Army come out to wrap things up

BUExperience: Definitely one of the better ones, with two actual good matches (with Flair/Morton bordering on great).