NWA (WCW) Power Hour (September 1, 1989)

 

Original Airdate: September 1, 1989 (taped August 15)

From Cleveland, Ohio; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette

Cuban Assassin v Greg Evans: This is 80s WCW, so of course the jobber actually gets to be competitive. It drives me nuts today (just squash the guy already), but as a kid, I was always impressed at how the WCW jobbers seemed to hold their own better than their WWF counterparts. This was later, like 1994 or so, and I thought guys like Gambler were a step away from being stars. Assassin puts it away at 6:19. DUD

Gordin Solie is in the studio for Wrestling News Network. Not much here, mostly hyping Clash of the Champions VIII

Tommy Rich v Bill Irwin: Lance Russell and Bob Caudle do commentary for this one. Irwin pounds him at the bell, but a criss cross sees both guys miss drops, and Rich uses an armdrag into an armbar. Irwin makes the ropes and bails, but ends up back in an armbar after climbing back in. A criss cross ends in Rich hiptossing him, and a dropkick allows him another armdrag into another armbar. Rich with a corner whip, but the charge in hits a boot, and Irwin throws a knee. Rich fights him off with a kneelift, and he takes Irwin into the corner for a ten-punch. Bill fights it off with an inverted atomic drop, and Irwin adds a gutwrench suplex for two. Irwin with a corner whip and he follows in with a knee, but another one misses, and Rich capitalizes on the bashed leg with a spinning toehold. Irwin has the ropes, so Rich hiptosses him for two, and he grounds Bill in a chinlock from there. Irwin manages a jawbreaker for two to escape, and he uses a turnbuckle smash, then a clothesline for two. Rich fights back with a vertical suplex for two, and a neckbreaker gets him two. Back to the chinlock to try and wear Irwin down, but Bill fights to a vertical base. Rich responds with a turnbuckle smash and a backelbow, followed by a 2nd rope elbowsmash. Thesz press, but Bill counters with a hotshot for two. Bill thinks he had the pin there, and as the referee informs him otherwise, Rich schoolboys at 8:16. Basic, but solid. * ¾ 

Terry Funk hosts Funk’s Grill, with guests the Road Warriors. Funk uses the time mostly to take shots at Ric Flair, until the Warriors gets sick of it, and walk out

Sting v Great Muta: They size each other up to start, both men cautious as they engage. Muta manages to pound him into the corner to get the advantage, but a cross corner whip gets reverses, and Sting schoolboys for two. Sunset flip gets two, and a small package is worth two. Bodyslam buys time for a flying bodypress for two, and Muta wisely bails to regroup, as Terry Funk protests. Muta uses the distraction to attack from behind, and he railroads Sting into the corner for a ten-punch count. Sting ends up down to allow Gary Hart to choke him with a towel, and Muta dumps Sting to the outside for a whip into the guardrail. Muta with a bodyslam on the floor, but Sting beats the count in, so Muta welcomes him with a ropechoke. Muta pounds him with rights, but he telegraphs a backdrop, and Sting hits a one-handed bulldog. He dumps Muta to the outside for a receipt on the rail, and there's a cop out there who looks like someone should have tried to sign him, he towers both guys. Back inside, Sting with a facebuster, and a vertical suplex for two. Clothesline connects, and Sting dumps him back to the outside for some reason, killing his own momentum. Muta beats the count to the apron, so Sting tries the Stinger Splash out there, but hits the post. That allows Muta the handspring backelbow on the way back in, but a criss cross ends in Sting catching him with a flapjack - bumping the referee in the process. Stinger Splash sets up the Scorpion Deathlock, but there's no referee. That allows Hart to come in to nail the Stinger from behind, and Muta covers for a dramatic two count from the dazed official. That was a great nearfall. Muta stays on him with a vertical suplex for two, and a backbreaker sets up the flying moonsault, but Sting lifts the knees to block. Another Stinger Splash finds the mark, and he tries a ten-punch, so Hart shoves him over the top - drawing the DQ at 13:34. This wasn't on the level of the Great American Bash match, but it was good TV action all the way through. Muta would then beat Sting at a live event a few days after this aired to win the vacant NWA Television title. ***

Klondike Bill comes out, as Cornette’s detective work has revealed him as the guy who gets to pick the Wrestler of the Week on every show, and Jim wants to know how he got the honor

BUExperience: A good episode this week, with a strong feature bout, and a solid underneath match with Rich/Irwin.