NWA (WCW) Power Hour (June 30, 1989)

 

Original Airdate: June 30, 1989

Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette

NWA Television Title Match: Sting v Ron Simmons: Posturing to start, and Sting wins a criss cross with a bodypress, and uses a pair of dropkick to dump Simmons to the outside. Back in, they trade wristlocks, and Ron rakes the eyes, allowing him a corner whip, but the charge in misses. Sting armdrags him into an armbar, but Simmons fights to a vertical base, so Sting shifts to an overhead wristlock. Ron starts to power out, so Sting shifts again, this time to a hammerlock. Simmons fights free, and he throws a series of rights to knock the champion out of the ring. Ron goes after him with an axehandle from the apron, and he bashes Sting into the steps, then drops him across the guardrail. Inside, Simmons with a turnbuckle smash, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and gets clobbered. Simmons manages to cut him off with an axehandle, and a snapmare gets him one. Ron works a chinlock, but Sting won’t quit, so Ron starts slugging him instead. Another backdrop attempt, but Sting is ready with a DDT this time, and a clothesline follows. A corner whip works, but a second one gets reversed. Sting fights him off with a dropkick, however, and delivers a Stinger Splash ahead of a schoolboy at 6:39. This was solid. * ½ 

Gordin Solie is in the studio with the Wrestling News Network, and the big discussion this week is whether NWA World Champion Ric Flair will announce his retirement tomorrow on World Championship Wrestling. And, yes, Solie even gives updates on the WWF, specifically announcing that Jake Roberts is injured, and wishing him well

Brian Pillman and Ricky Santana v Al Greene and Jeff James: This is Pillman's TV debut. Ross, as usual, has to throw shots at the competition, this week talking shit about how they don’t hide that there are other wrestling organizations out there, unlike some people. Good squash action here, and Pillman goes for broke right away, doing dives and everything else in his first showing. Brian with a flying splash at 4:11. ¼*

The Skyscrapers v George South and Trent Knight: This is the TV debut of the Skyscrapers as a team, and Sid’s second match in WCW in general. I feel like the WWF would have been salivating over them. Not that they did much with Dan Spivey, either time he was over there. Sid Vicious, meanwhile, felt like he was never as big a deal as he should have been in either promotion. He did well, and had a great career, but it always felt like he was due to become one of the biggest stars, and he always fell a little short. Though, a lot of that was on him, really. Say what you will about guys like Hulk Hogan, but you couldn’t accuse him of being a flake. Sid’s closest comparable would probably be Ultimate Warrior, who hit higher highs, but also felt like a bit of a disappointment, a lot of which you could chalk up to his flakiness. Spivey with a powerbomb at 4:40. This was too long for what it was. The Skyscrapers should have been going out there squashing dudes like the Road Warriors, especially in a debut effort. DUD

Terry Funk hosts Funk’s Grill, with guest NWA United States Champion Lex Luger, and arrogant jock heel Lex is a wonderful thing

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Michael Hayes, Jimmy Garvin, and Terry Gordy v Steve Williams, Eddie Gilbert, and Rick Steiner: Garvin and Steiner start, and, of course, Garvin stalls. Rick dominates once they engage, so Garvin does some more stalling. Tag to Hayes, and he gets Rick in a standing side-headlock. Turnbuckle smash, but Rick no sells, and clotheslines him out of the ring. Great, more stalling. A distraction from Gordy allows Garvin to nail Steiner, and the heels immediately gang up on him in their corner. They cut the ring in half on Rick, until Rick backdrops Hayes, and tags Eddie. Gilbert gets Garvin in a standing side-headlock, so the other heels run in, but Gilbert dispatches them. The dust settles on Hayes and Gilbert, and the heels get control on Eddie, cutting the ring in half on their new victim. Finally, Williams gets the hot tag, and you’d better believe he runs wild. Poor Ross can hardly handle this much excitement on a Friday night. It spills to the outside, and Roseanne Barr the door, we’ve got a double countout at 13:01. ½*

The Power Hour Wrestler of the Week is Sting

BUExperience: A pretty enjoyable episode, especially in hindsight, with two big debuts of historical significance.