NWA (WCW) Power Hour (January 19, 1990)

 

Original Airdate: January 19, 1990 (taped January 9)

From Saginaw, Michigan; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Jim Cornette

Norman the Lunatic v Italian Stallion: Norman with a sitdown splash at 6:12. I still don’t get what the deal was with the endless squashes in this promotion. It helps no one. Least of all me! DUD

Gordon Solie is in the studio for the Wrestling News Network, announcing that Sting will get a title shot at whomever is the NWA World Champion at WrestleWar

Lex Luger v Eddie Gilbert: The NWA United States title is not on the line for this. Lex has an odd looking robe this week, like something out of the Narcissist reject pile. Meanwhile, Ric Flair split screens in, promising to defeat Luger in their match for the world title before WrestleWar. Or, well, we’ll see. Lex takes him to the mat in a headlock, but Gilbert keeps rolling it back into two counts, though he can’t force a break. Gilbert gets into the ropes, but Lex pops him on the break, but a criss cross allows Eddie to dropkick him out of the ring. Lex slows things down on the way back in, and he manages a ropeburn. A criss cross allows Gilbert a hiptoss, however, and Eddie adds an armdrag into an armbar. Lex forces another criss cross, but eats a bodypress from Gilbert for two, and Eddie goes back to the armbar. Lex fights him off, and turns it into a slugfest in the corner, but Gilbert surprises him by winning it. Gilbert with a cross corner whip, and he catches Lex with a backdrop on the rebound. Gilbert with a ten-punch, so Lex tries an inverted atomic drop, but Gilbert blocks, and throws a clothesline. Gilbert goes up for a flying bodypress, but Lex catches him, and drops him across the top rope for the pin at 8:55. A motivated Lex Luger was a wonderful thing. * ¼ 

Terry Funk hosts Funk’s Grill, with guest Cactus Jack Manson. What is that voice Jack is doing here? Anyway, Funk takes an immediate liking to him

NWA Television Title Match: Arn Anderson v Buzz Sawyer: Sawyer chops him into the corner to start, but Arn reverses a cross corner whip. Arn follows in, but Sawyer gets a boot up to block, so Arn slows things down. He tries a wristlock, but Sawyer dumps him to the outside to block. Sawyer follows, trying a clothesline against the post, but Anderson dodges. Arn bashes the arm into the post another time, and once into the guardrail for good measure. Inside, Arn goes to work on the arm. Sawyer manages to reverse a suplex, but misses an elbowdrop, and Anderson goes back to the arm. Sawyer manages a powerslam for two, and a backbreaker is worth two. Buzz grabs a bearhug to wear the champion down, then turns it into a belly-to-belly suplex for two. Back to the bearhug, and I’m legitimately shocked to learn that Sawyer is only thirty here. He looks like he’s in his mid-forties. Sawyer with a straddling ropechoke, and he puts Arn in an abdominal stretch. Buzz dumps him to the outside for a bodyslam on the floor, and he rams Arn into the post out there. Inside, Buzz tries an avalanche, but Anderson sidesteps, and Sawyer hits the corner with the bad arm. That allows Anderson to go on the comeback trail, and a rotating spinebuster gets two. Arn looks to follow up, but Great Muta and Dragon Master run in on him for the DQ at 11:50. Psychologically sound, but a little dull at points. Afterwards, Ole Anderson runs out to try and save, but the Anderson’s are outnumbered, and get destroyed. *

Arn Anderson is announced as the Wrestler of the Week

BUExperience: A fun episode this week, with some good angles, and solid wrestling.