NWA (WCW) Power Hour (April 6, 1990)

 

Original Airdate: April 6, 1990 (taped March 26)

From Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Gordon Solie

Tommy Rich v Outlaw Deaton: Deaton takes him down for a stepover-toehold, as the announcers put over Rich’s hopes to once again become NWA World champion. Uh… yeah, good for him. They slug it out, and Deaton pops him with a weapon that he procures from inside of his tights for the pin at 8:01. DUD

Gordon Solie is in the studio for Wrestling News Network, and he thinks Sting shouldn’t retire. Also, Lex Luger is the ‘most frustrated man’ he’s ‘ever seen’

Eddie Gilbert v Rip Morgan: Morgan gets control, and delivers a legdrop for two, then works a chinlock from there. He grinds, but Eddie escapes, and catches him with a bodypress at 6:15. DUD

Jim Cornette hosts the Louisville Slugger, with guests NWA World Champion Ric Flair and Woman. The Horsemen aren’t at ‘fully strength’ after the whole Sting debacle, and Cornette tries to make a deal to bring the Midnight Express into the fold

NWA World Title Match: Ric Flair v Robert Gibson: Posturing to start, with Gibson dominating. Flair tries a hiptoss, but Gibson counters to a backslide for two, and Ric begs off in the corner. Flair suckers him, but Gibson slips out of the barrage in the corner, so Ric tries dumping him to the outside. Gibson rebounds with a slingshot sunset flip for two, so Flair goes to the eyes, and that allows him to go to town in the corner. Flair tries a leveraged pin, but gets caught, so he throws more chops in the corner, but Gibson gets fired up by them. Gibson with a series of punches, and a leg-feed enzuigiri finds the mark. Gibson with a ten-punch, and a cross corner whip flips Flair to the outside. Ric pulls him to the outside, but Gibson reverses a punch, and feeds Flair the guardrail for good measure. Ric goes to the top on the way back in, but Gibson slams him off, and works a spinning-toehold. Gibson works the leg, and a bridging stump puller looks to put things away, but Ric makes the ropes. That’s a great looking hold, and you never really see it. Flair clips the knee as soon as the referee forces the break, and he locks the figure four, but Gibson has the ropes now. Ric stays on the leg, so Gibson tries a sleeper, but Flair drops into the corner to shake him loose. That staggers Gibson, and Flair quickly capitalizes with a leveraged pin at 11:24. Pretty much a standard issue ‘Flair match.’ But standard issue Flair matches were the standard for a long time, and for good reason. ** ¼  

Tommy Rich is out, fuming over Deaton stealing the match from him earlier, and he challenges him to a rematch on Main Event

BUExperience: The Flair/Gibson match is worth the look.