NWA (JCP) World Championship Wrestling (August 2, 1986)

 

Original Airdate: August 2, 1986 

Your Host is Tony Schiavone in the studio

Earlier today, David Crockett was at Fulton County Stadium, hyping tonight’s Great American Bash Tour finale at the venue

Tony has the Russians in the studio, and they’re coming for that NWA Six-Man Tag Team gold

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Nikita Koloff, Ivan Koloff, and Krusher Kruschev v Randy Barber, Mike Somaini, and Vernon Deaton: From Atlanta Georgia on July 27 1986. The spelling of Krusher’s last name seems to change from week to week. But, at least that’s understandable, not like ‘Rick Flair.’ This drags on forever, until Nikita finally hits the lariat to end it at 5:27. DUD

Back in the studio, the Russians comment on the match, as Ivan keeps his balls warm

New NWA World Champion Dusty Rhodes pays Tony a visit, and if you think he had a lot to say before he was world champion, well. He uses Ric Flair’s own words against him, telling the former champ that if he wants to be the man, he has to beat the man

NWA World Tag Team Title Match: The Midnight Express v The Road Warriors: From Raleigh, North Carolina on July 6, and aired on the July 12 episode of this show. Dennis Condrey starts with Animal, and his attempts to wrestle the challenger go badly. Dennis ends up on the outside after an elbow from Animal, and Cornette is right there to help him regroup. Back in, Animal gets a standing headlock, so Dennis forces a criss cross, but gets dropped. Animal adds a dropkick to send Condrey back to the outside, and it’s over to Hawk. Dennis tries a piledriver on him, but Hawk pops up, and uses a headbutt to send Dennis back to the floor. The Warriors get tired of them, and chase, and the Express get wrecked on the outside. The heat for this is off the charts. Inside, the Express try to double up on Hawk, but get shrugged off. Cornette adds a weapon into the mix to allow the Express to finally turn the tide, and they go to work on Hawk. Hot tag to Animal, and Roseanne Barr the door, we’ve got a kettle on! Baby Doll shows up to knock Cornette out in the chaos (to a massive pop), and the Warriors are awarded the bout by DQ at 10:42. *

On the tour, Jimmy Valiant recently got his head shaved, after losing a Hair match to Paul Jones, following interference from Shaska Whatley

Bill Apter catches up with Jones, who is in gloat mode

The Road Warriors stop by the studio, and man, they look weird as hell sitting in chairs

Ric Flair swings by, and he’s disappointed to have lost the world title, but he knows it’s just temporary, because he’s going to be on Dusty’s ass until he makes a mistake. Ric at least looks like a human sitting in a chair

Arn Anderson and Ole Anderson visit, and they’re ready to back a Flair for the gold

Ron Garvin v Black Bart: From Raleigh, North Carolina on July 6, and also aired on the July 12 episode of this show. Some posturing to start, and Bart takes control. He works Garvin over in the corner, but Ron fights him off, and delivers an elbowdrop for two. Garvin goes to a front-facelock, then into an armbar, but Bart fights free. Garvin tries a dropkick in the corner, but ends up caught in a tree of woe, and Bart takes over. He tries a charge in the corner, but hits a boot, and Garvin hooks a leveraged pin at 7:37. ¼*

Buddy Landel and Bill Dundee take a seat, and Buddy rants about being ‘the only nature boy.’ Nobody seemed to give them the note that it’s a sitdown studio show this week, they’re cutting promos like a regular one

Buddy Landel v George South: From Atlanta Georgia on July 27 1986. They show a woman hanging around here (based on where she’s standing, she looks like she’s part of the production), and I believe that may be the unofficial debut of the future Terri Runnels. Landel and Dundee do the commentary here with Tony, from the studio. Buddy with a figure four at 4:28. DUD

Dutch Mantel and Bobby Jaggers stop by to introduce themselves to the audience, and immediately throw their names into the running for the tag title

Dick Murdoch is out (or ‘Murdock,’ per the graphic), and he mentions the WWF by name, noting that he was a tag champion ‘up there,’ but the competition in the WWF is nothing like what we see here in JCP

Dick Murdoch v Bill Mulkey: From Atlanta Georgia on July 27 1986. Murdoch does the commentary with Tony here. Murdoch with a brainbuster at 2:02. DUD

BUExperience: A lot of new faces this week - which is great - but the actual episode was terrible. Lots of stuff from earlier episodes, only three new matches (all squashes), and the studio feel made everything feel less urgent.