NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (July 19, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: July 19, 1986 (taped July 17)

From Columbia, South Carolina; Your Hosts are Tony Schiavone and David Crockett

Don Kernodle v Golden Terror: Once again venturing outside of the studio this week. What was the deal with that? Was something going on with the venue, or were they just trying something new? Frankly, I don’t care, I like it, and I’m not going to question it. I know some people are crazy for the studio presentation, but I am absolutely not. It’s so small time. Don puts the masked ass away with a flying clothesline at 10:26. ½*

Bob Caudle catches up with Jim Cornette, who sings Big Bubba Rogers’ praises, and reminds Dusty Rhodes that Bubba doesn’t like him very much. Good segment, as usual with Cornette 

Warlord v Vernon Deaton: Warlord gets a great reaction here, and finishes up with a running powerslam at a brisk 0:55. DUD

Cornette catches up with NWA Television Champion Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson, and they are coming for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express later

Krusher Khruschev v Todd Champion: Champion’s got a good look, but that’s about all, I guess. The crowd is strongly behind him, chanting ‘USA’ - though, that’s really more that they’re against Khruschev than behind him. Khruschev puts it away at 8:48. Gosh, why so much time? DUD

Caudle catches up with Dusty Rhodes, and he’s large and in charge. Feel it, Ric Flair

Nelson Royal v Mitch Snow: Oh gosh, this is probably getting eighteen minutes, isn’t it? Royal with a small package at 3:38. Nelson was in his fifties here, and had no business going over anyone at this point. DUD

Cornette is with NWA National Champion Tully Blanchard, who is ready for Ron Garvin on the Great American Bash tour

Great American Bash Update, with Bob Caudle

NWA National Title Match: Tully Blanchard v Sam Houston: Sam sneaks up with a rollup for two to kick start the match, and Sam keeps it going with fists of fury. Sam with a cross corner whip, and he catches Tully with a backdrop on the rebound. Sam with a backelbow, and a bodyslam gets him two. Sam goes to a side-headlock to slow it down while holding control, but Blanchard shifts it into a cradle for two. The referee busts him holding the tights, allowing Sam to shift back to the headlock, now mat-based. Blanchard escapes, so Sam throws a dropkick, and wins a reversal sequence back into the mat-based headlock. Blanchard gets into the ropes, then throws a cheap shot on the break, which backfires, as Sam goes nuts on him. Sam with a vertical suplex for two, and he unloads in the corner, until Tully manages a desperation move, pulling the challenger hard into the turnbuckles. Blanchard goes to work, and of course JJ Dillon lends a hand, but Sam stays in the fight. Sam manages a backslide for two, and he takes the champion into the corner for a ten-punch, but Blanchard manages an inverted atomic drop to shake him off. That allows Blanchard the slingshot suplex at 10:30. Tully’s heat segment was a little dull, but the rest was good stuff, with Houston working hard, and Blanchard making him look like a threat. ** ¼ 

Cornette catches up with Krusher, who thinks Nikita Koloff is the next US champion. How supportive

Caudle catches up with Ron Garvin, who wants more than just to hurt Tully Blanchard, he wants the National title

Caudle catches up with Magnum TA, who clarifies that he can come back from anything. Well, maybe not anything. But, ‘anything’

The Rock 'n' Roll Express v Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson: Robert Gibson starts with Ole, and it quickly turns into a slugfest. Gibson wins it, so Ole tries to sucker him into the heel corner, but Gibson manages to slip out before any heel tactics take place. Tag to Arn, and he powers Gibson into the neutral corner for some shots, but a cross corner whip gets reversed, and Gibson uses a headscissors takedown on the rebound. A dropkick sends Arn to the outside, and the heels try their best to sucker either of the Express, but keep getting thwarted. They finally manage to get Gibson in trouble, and they cut the ring in half on him. Ricky Morton finally catches the tag, and he runs wild. Arn eats a great flying dropkick, and Morton adds a swinging neckbreaker, but Arn lands right in the heel corner, and tags. No matter, Morton sweeps Ole down and starts working the leg, and he passes to Gibson to hit a slingshot splash to the part. The Express take turns working the part, until Morton runs into trouble in the wrong part of town, and Arn is able to tag in. He puts the boots to Ricky, but loses a criss cross, and Gibson tags in with a dive. Gibson grounds Arn in a stepover-toehold, but Morton loses control again in the heel section, and gets worked over. The heels target his bad face (he’s no longer wearing the protective mask at this point, but it’s still tender), until Gibson catches the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door! The referee settles things down as Gibson hooks Arn in a small package for two, so Arn tries a vertical suplex, but Gibson reverses. Gibson with a rollup for two, but the heels manage a double team to cut him off. They double up in their corner, but Gibson reverses Arn into the ropes, and gets a sleeper on! Ole comes in to break it up, but Morton cuts him off, and Arn fades - just as time expires at 26:10. This was quite lengthy for TV. Too long, really. Solid wrestling throughout, and good psychology, but the length worked against them at a certain point. **

Cornette cuts a go-home promo on Dusty and Magnum, ahead of their tag title match with the Midnight Express

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Express v Dusty Rhodes and Magnum TA: Bobby Eaton starts with Magnum, but things quickly break down as Cornette and Baby Doll come in, wanting to go. Jim backs off and bails, so the challengers clean house on the Express instead. The dust settles on Eaton getting knocked around by Rhodes, and Bobby takes a bump to the outside, as we run out of TV time at 1:52 shown.

BUExperience: I found a lot of this to be dull, but the change of venue, and the Blanchard/Houston and Express/Andersons matches made it okay.