NWA (WCW) Power Hour (May 11, 1990)

 

Original Airdate: May 11, 1990 (taped May 1)

From Rainsville, Alabama; Your Hosts are Jim Ross and Gordon Solie

Tommy Rich and Eddie Gilbert v Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker and Lt. James Earl Wright: Are we considered State Patrol jobbers? Gilbert and Wright start, and they posture, with Gilbert getting the better of exchanges. Tags all around, and Parker takes a cheap shot on a rope break, but Rich takes him down with an armdrag into an armbar. This building looks tiny, like somewhere they were running RAW in 1995. The babyfaces continue controlling State Patrol, and Rich puts it away at 7:43. Very little to talk about here. ¼*

Solie is in the studio for Wrestling News Network, and the big news is that the Horsemen will be unveiling a new member right here today. Also, the promotion recently toured Canada, and got to meet Stu Hart! Yes, I’ve heard that the Harts are all Canadian heroes, that must have been a treat. Finally, Gordon announces that this will be his last episode of Power Hour, as Paul E. Dangerously will be taking his spot alongside Ross from now on. Nothing against Gordon, but that will be a welcome change 

Ric Flair v Lex Luger: From the May 5 (taped April 23) episode of World Wide Wrestling in Marietta Georgia, and it's non-title. Weird ponytail look for Flair here, which makes him look like ECW era Tommy Rich. Ric immediately dumps him to the outside, but Lex fires up. Flair tries a cross corner whip, but Luger rebounds with a clothesline, and adds a press-slam from there. Luger with a ten-punch count, and a cross corner whip flips Flair to the outside. Lex follows to hammer him, so Ric goes to the eyes, and cracks him with a chair. Luger no sells it, and chases him back inside for another press-slam. Lex slaps on a bearhug, so Flair goes to the eyes to furnish a break, and he hammers Luger into the corner. Flair uses a snapmare to set up a kneedrop, and he dumps Lex back to the outside for some closed fist punishment. Inside, Ric works him over, but Lex no sells the chops in the corner, and starts throwing right hands. Flair tries for the eyes, but this time Luger manages to fight off a hiptoss with a backslide for two. More chops, no sold. Lex throws a clothesline, and a cross corner whip rebounds Flair into a clothesline for two. Elbowdrop, but Ric rolls out of the way, and uses a snapmare to set up a kneedrop, but now Lex rolls out of the way! Luger slaps on a figure four, but Flair makes the ropes. A desperate Flair throws shots, but they just bounce off of Lex now. Another go to the eyes allows Flair to get to the top, but Lex slams him off before he can dive. Lex with a vertical superplex, and he looks for the torture rack, but the Horsemen come in for the DQ at 8:31. A pretty standard Flair/Luger match. Afterwards, Sting tries to make the save, but the babyfaces are outnumbered, and the Horsemen wreck them. ** ½ 

Jim Cornette hosts the Louisville Slugger, with guests NWA World Champion Ric Flair and Ole Anderson. And they get right to the point: introducing Sid Vicious as the newest Horsemen. Good addition, and frankly, a fantastic group… although two managers was a little much

Six-Man Tag Team Match: Mike Rotunda, Norman the Lunatic, and Abdullah the Butcher v Kevin Sullivan, Cactus Jack, and Bam Bam Bigelow: Sullivan attacks Norman to kickstart things here, and he passes to Bam Bam to keep it going, but Norman manages to tag out to Butcher. Not much happens there, and we have tags to Mike and Jack. Mike dominates that exchange, and he tags Norman in for an avalanche on Cactus. Both teams continue trading off and tagging in and out, until the heels manage to nail Mike, and they work him over. Norman gets the hot tag, and Roseanne Barr the door, we’ve got a kettle on! And we also have a double countout on at 9:54. Not a lot of story here. ¼*

Solie brings Flair and Woman out to gloat about the Sid get, but Solie reminds him that, while impressive, he’ll still be outside of the cage at Capital Combat 

BUExperience: Good stuff this week, with the unveiling of Sid as a Horsemen, and the Flair/Luger match (even if it’s a replay from another show).