The Event Center #4: WCW Clash of the Champions: June 14th, 1989
Introduction:
Welcome back to the Event Center, I am your host Steve Caudle. Tonight we are traveling back to 1989 and catching up on some World Championship Wrestling. We are going to Fort Bragg North Carolina to Clash of the Champions 7: Guts and Glory. The one thing that sticks out about this show is how brutally hot it is inside of the arena. It makes you wonder how they were able to stand it in there with the tv lights and whatnot. Had to be well over 100 degrees. Without further ado lets get to the ring and kick off the action.
Show Opening:
The show opens up with Lt. Carl Stiner of the 82nd Airborne. He thanks WCW for celebrating the flag with them at Fort Bragg. He said today the army stands to protect the greatest nation on earth. They go over the card then go down ringside to a dry Jim Ross and Bob Caudle. They go up to the ring where the 82nd Airborne sing the National Anthem.
Extra Activities Done at Fort Bragg
They show wrestlers going through boot camp type activities. They show Scott Steiner going down a giant wall. It’s the Steiner Brothers and Missy Hyatt. They also show them going down a zip line and landing in the river. They call it the slide for life. Ross said that Missy Hyatt got a lot of help from the soldiers getting her life vest on. Missy say’s she’s happy because she didn’t break a nail and Ranger Ross says he didn’t mess up his hair.
Match 1: Semi-Finals World Tag Title Tournament: Dynamic Dudes vs. Fabulous Freebirds
Jimmy Garvin is introduced as the newest member of the Fabulous Freebirds. Garvin and Hayes attack the Dudes from behind before the bell rings. The Dudes get control and double atomic drop the Freebirds into each other. They follow that up with sequin back suplexes as the Birds roll outside. The crowd are booing the Dynamic Dudes which is pretty awesome to see. Being anti-establishment before it was cool. The Birds regroup outside as the match becomes a one on one battle between Hayes and Johnny.
Hayes gets the advantage with a short kick to the midsection. Hayes comes off the rope while Johnny is bent over and goes for a kick but Johnny moves out of the way and Hayes falls down. Johnny gets Hayes in an arm bar and these guys are already sweating like crazy. I asked Jim Ross on twitter about this show and he said it was roughly 120 degrees inside there. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it was to wrestle in conditions like that. Ross says that the Dudes have yet to taste defeat in World Championship Wrestling. Johnny gets Garvin in an arm bar then we get a couple of quick tags as they work over the arm of Garvin. Dudes get Garvin in a double hip toss and follow that up with a double elbow drop. Garvin drops Shane and gets the tag to Hayes.
Hayes lays in the boots while Garvin chokes Shane as Tommy Young counts him down. Shane goes for a sunset flip and gets a two count. Shane quickly gets up and gets the tag to Johnny. Hayes goes for a clotheslines and Johnny ducks it then he goes for a flying cross body and Hayes ducks it as the Freebirds get control. Garvin comes in and drops Johnny across the top rope and gets a 2 count. Garvin body slams Johnny and goes for another cover and gets another 2 count. Garvin throws Johnny outside and Hayes rams Johnny head first into the security rail as Garvin distracts the referee. Garvin then hits Shane with a knee as he tried to get back into the ring. Hayes goes up to the top rope as if he is going to do something but the ref catches him and he gets down without doing anything.
Both guys run head first into each other as the ref starts the 10 count. Johnny gets the tag to Shane and he comes in and lays in the lefts and rights. He then nails him with a big back body drop as Hayes comes in and gets his own back body drop. Shane then cracks the heads of the Freebirds together. Garvin is going for a huge right but Shane falls down and gets him in a pinning combination for a 2 count. All 4 men are in the ring and the Dudes nail Hayes with a double drop kick and send him flying to the outside. Hayes gets back in and throws Johnny to the outside. Johnny gets back in and throws Hayes to the outside.
Garvin reverses the irish whip into the ropes and on the way back Shane goes over the back of Garvin and runs him into the ropes. He then rolls him up for the pin but Hayes comes in and delivers a brutal looking DDT to Shane. Garvin then rolls over and gets the 1-2-3 as the Fabulous Freebirds advance to the finals of the World Tag Team Title Tournament.
Recap:
This was a pretty short match but it was very fun to watch. The action was fast paced and never really stopped going. The Freebirds were fresh at this point because they brought in Jimmy Garvin and it brought a spark to Hayes that wasn’t their for a while. The Dudes held their own and put on a pretty decent showing themselves. It was interesting to hear the crowd boo them at points during the match. Not sure if that was because it was against the Freebirds or if their characters was something that just wasn’t going to get over with an NWA crowd. I would recommend checking out the match if you haven’t seen it.
The Wrestling Hotline Commercial
This video opens up with Jack Victory stepping out of a limo carrying a briefcase. They show him climbing up the stairs and then trying to enter a room. He flashes his badge and a military member salutes him and lets him in. He lays down the briefcase and opens it up to show a map of the world with the header “Strategic Command Hotline.” Theres also a phone inside as well as a file that says “Top Secret: For Your Eyes Only!” Victory dials a number and it goes to Paul E. Ringside on his phone. Paul E. Tells the president it’s not a real good time then tells him to hold on. He puts the antenna down on his phone and nails a guy in the head with his phone. He then tells the president that if he wants to know he will have to call the Wrestling Hotline. They run down the daily shows that are available on the hotline and give you that infamous number you can call. 1-900-909-9900. Anyone who is a WCW fan has that number memorized.
Match 2: Ranger Ross vs. The Terrorist
Ranger Ross gets a pretty good reaction since we are in the building of the 82nd Airborne. The Terrorist attacks Ross before the bell rings. The Terrorist gets some garbage offense in to keep control of the match early on. He irish whips the Ranger into the ropes Ross ducks the shoulder block and nails him with a big flying forearm. Ross lays in a few right hands then a terrible looking hiptoss.
Ross then hits the Terrorist with a nice looking drop kick then a body slam. He drops the elbow and goes for a pin and gets a 2 count. Ranger hits the Terrorist with a flying clotheslines. Ross whips the Terrorist into the ropes and hits him in the midsection then does a karate chop to the Terrorist. Ross then hits the Terrorist with a combat kick for the quick 3 count in a little under 2 minutes.
Recap:
This was your typical squash match. WCW was taking advantage of being in Fort Bragg so they put Ranger Ross in the ring with a dude named the Terrorist. Pretty lazy booking if you ask me but this match is what it is. Nothing to write home about and it is something I would just skip through.
Legion of Doom Vignette
Just a video package highlighting the Legion of Doom. Pretty awesome video and pretty sweet music of course. I am reviewing the WWE Network version and they didn’t edit out Iron Man from the video which makes the video that much better. Just shows highlights of their matches with the Samoan Swat Team, the Varsity Club, and a few jobbers.
Dragon Shai Challenge w/ the Great Muta
Jim Ross is in the ring to host the Dragon Shai challenge. Trent Knight and Mike Justice are the jobbers chosen to go through the Dragon Shai demonstration. Ross interviews Gary Hart and he says “we are not going to have a demonstration. The Great Muta say this is not competition and that he thinks that the two of them are just gaijin.” Gary Hart says that Muta wants somebody like Ricky Steamboat, Sting, or Eddie Gilbert. Ross confronts Gary Hart saying that Muta had no right spraying Missy Hyatt in the face. Hart says that in Japan all the women know their place. He also says that men in the United States hide behind their women.
Eddie Gilbert comes to the ring and tries to throw a fireball in the face of the Great Muta. Instead he ends up nailing Trent Knight right in the face with the fireball. Ross explains that Muta is terrified of the fire because his father’s face was burnt off the same way. That is why Muta wears the face paint. Eddie Gilbert checks on Trent Knight as we head to a commercial break.
Recap:
There wasn’t much to this at all. It was a pretty good promo that Gary Hart was cutting before he got interrupted. Muta hightailed it out of there and this was a great way to continue the feud between Eddie Gilbert and the Great Muta. Very nicely done by WCW here. Definitely check out this segment.
Match 3: The Ding Dongs vs. George South/Cougar Jay
The Ding Dongs come out to the ring and start ringing bells that are setup on top of the turnbuckle posts. One of the Ding Dongs starts out with Cougar Jay in the ring. Ding Dong gets him in a headlock then Cougar Jay backs him into the rope and one of the Ding Dongs gets him with a shoulder block. The Ding Dong on the apron is just ringing the bell the whole damn time. Jim Herd is a moron for thinking this is a good idea.
The Ding Dong in the ring keeps slapping the ears of Cougar Jay. Jay makes a tag to George South as he gets hit with a hip toss. Ding Dong tags out and the Ding Dong on the apron does a sunset flip over the top rope into the arm of George South. South gets the Ding Dong in a headlock take over. We get a criss cross then the other Ding Dong gets in the ring and hits South with a double hip toss. Ding Dong gets a scoop slam then he tags in the other Ding Dong. They do some stupid ass looking double team move and get a 2 count.
Ding Dong gets him in an arm bar He slides through the legs of George South then hits him with a drop kick. Ding Dong goes for a back body drop and George South double knees him in the head. Ding Dong then hits George South with a ugly ass belly to belly suplex and gets the tag. One Ding Dong hits an elbow drop off the middle rope and the other one hits a knee drop off the top rope for the 3 count. Thank goodness this one is over.
Recap:
Nothing much to say here but it was your glorified jobber match. The Ding Dongs wouldn’t last long after the Sky Scrapers get their hands on them. This match was the shits and you can see why these two were taken out rather quickly. Go ahead and skip this one. In between matches Congressman Charlie Rose talks about the 214th birthday of the US Soldiers. He says we should never take our liberties for granted. Funny how that still holds true today 28 years later.
Match 4: Semi-Finals World Tag Title Tournament: Midnight Express vs. Samoan Swat Team
Before the match even starts a fan jumps in the ring to try and get close to the Midnight Express. Cornette tells him “Son we just saved your life, we are going to let you sleep this one off.” When the Swat Team gets to the ring Paul E. Dangerously gets on the mic and trashes Jim Cornette. Cornette swings at him with the tennis racket. Dangerously jumps out of the ring and Cornette chases him around the ring as the Midnights and the SST brawl in the middle of the ring. The match starts with Stan Lane and Fatu in the ring. Lane drops Fatu and Eaton drops and elbow.
The Midnights get a lot of quick tags and they end up double teaming Fatu with double elbows off the ropes. Eaton hits Fatu low then hits him with a great swinging neck breaker. Eaton tags in Lane and then Eaton holds up Fatu as Lane runs off the ropes and leap frogs over Eaton and splashes Fatu right in the lower back. Samu gets tired of the Midnights having the advantage so he comes in and decks Eaton with a great crescent kick.
The SST get control of the match and tag each other in numerous times to keep the fresh man in. Eaton rolls outside and Fatu follows him out and hits him with a suplex on the outside of the ring. The SST make sure Eaton doesn’t get back in the ring. Eaton finally gets back in the ring as Samu throws him into the ropes. Samu then grabs Eaton by the head and slams him face first to the mat. Pretty sweet looking move there. Fatu whips Eaton into the corner and comes in for a shoulder block but misses it.
Eaton gets the tag to Stan Lane as Fatu tries to stop him. Lane comes in and irish whips Fatu into the ropes and nails him with a big forearm. He then hits a side Russian leg sweep and gets a 2 count before Samu makes the save. All four guys are in the ring right now. Stan Lane irish whips Fatu into the corner and runs into a big crescent kick. The ref ends up getting knocked out by somebody. Fatu goes up top and here comes the ROAD WARRIORS!!! They wanted their revenge and they got it. They slam Fatu off the top rope then hit them with a double clothesline. Stan Lane comes into the ring and gets the 3 count and head to the finals of the World Tag Team Title Tournament!
Recap:
This was a pretty good match. A lot of good back and forth action and both teams were able to get in a lot of offense. I didn’t mind the Road Warrior interference because it continued their feud with the Samoan Swat Team. If you don’t know, the SST came out and interfered in the Road Warriors first round match on Saturday Night and got them eliminated. It’s only right that the Warriors get their revenge and cost the SST their match. Overall not the greatest match but it was fun to watch so I would check it out.
Highlights of the feud between Ric Flair and Terry Funk
They show the footage of Terry Funk attacking Ric Flair from Wrestle War 89. They show the sucker punch then Funk laying in the lefts and rights after he threw Flair over the guard rail. They then show Funk dropping Flair with the piledriver on the table on the outside. Funk also picks the table up and drops it on Ric Flair. He then nails Flair in the head with a steel chair. After they get back to Jim Ross in the building he states “The heat generated from that match almost matches the heat inside this building. It must be over 100 degrees in here but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the country than surrounded by the 82nd airborne division. Before they go to commercial they talk about the triple crown king of the hill double ring battle royal at the Great American Bash.
Match 5: Terry Gordy vs. Dr. Death Steve Williams
Dr. Death comes running to the ring and attacks Gordy from behind. Williams does a football tackle to the knee of Gordy and flips him. Dr. Death then nails Gordy with a big clothesline. Williams whips Gordy into the turnbuckle and Gordy comes running out of it and nails Williams with a vicious clotheslines. Gordy then whips Williams into the turnbuckle and nails him with another stiff clothesline. Ross tells the backstory of how Williams left the Varsity Club. Sullivan paid of Gordy to cheap shot Williams with a 2×4 over in Japan. This made Williams leave the club. Both guys are just laying on each other in the corner catching their breath.
Williams pushes Gordy to the other turnbuckle and just lays in huge right hands to regain control of the match. Gordy finally goes down and Doc gets the crowd back into this match. Doc nails him with two big rights then drops low and hits Gordy with an upper cut. Gordy counters the headlock and drops Doc on his head with a great suplex. Gordy then puts Williams in a head lock to get a little bit of rest. Both of these guys are breathing heavy because its well over a 100 degrees with those TV lights beaming on them. Gordy hits Williams with a body slam. Gordy picks him up for another one but Williams reversed it and body slams Gordy. Gordy rolls outside and Williams follows him outside and they start trading punches on the outside. They get back in the ring and Gordy misses with 2 clotheslines then Williams hits Gordy with the high body press and gets a 2 count.
Williams nails Gordy with a drop kick as he rolls outside the ring. Gordy rakes the eyes of Williams to regain control of the match. Williams reveres the whip into the turnbuckle then nails Gordy with an elbow as Gordy falls outside. Both men are brawling down the aisle and both men get counted out for a draw. After the match Williams comes back to the ring and starts to get the crowd hyped up.
Recap:
This match was stiff as hell and pretty fun for only lasting 6 minutes. They held nothing back and beat the hell out of each other for the duration of the match. The clotheslines alone make you happy you weren’t in the ring with them. I would recommend checking out the match if you get the chance. It’s nothing special but I think you will appreciate both men beating the brakes off of each other for our entertainment.
Match 6: Norman the Lunatic vs. Mike Justice
Norman comes to the ring with a seatbelt wrapped around his head. Teddy Long comes to the ring holding keys that they used to lock Norman up with. The seatbelt around his head is the seatbelt they used to use to strap him to his bed. Norman looks at the camera and tells all of us that he didn’t do it. Norman takes off the seatbelt and goes right after Justice. Norman nails him with a vicious clothesline then a right hand.
Norman is trying his hardest to come across as a nut job but it’s not working. Norman whips Justice into the turnbuckle then he charges and nails him with a huge splash in the corner. He then falls on him and drops a splash to get the three count. The match only lasts 40 seconds and thats it. Teddy Long waves the keys in the face of Norman to make him stop. The white coats come up with the stretcher to help Teddy Long if he needs it. They load Norman up on the gurney and strap him down as the show goes to a commercial for the Triple Threat King of the Hill Battle Royale.
Recap:
Theres nothing to this match and not worth your time. Skip the 3-4 minute fiasco that this match is. The gimmick was stupid and it didn’t last long before it was abandoned because it just wasn’t working. Again skip this garbage and move on.
Interview: The Fabulous Freebirds
Jim Ross tells Jimmy Garvin he can’t believe that he joined the Fabulous Freebirds. Garvin said there are going to be new rules and regulations now. Some fan throws a cup and smokes Garvin in the head with it. Awesome. Garvin says that no team or man walking this earth that can take out Jimmy Garvin, Hayes, or Gordy. Gordy says that the the Birds have been high up on Freebird Mountain. I have no idea what the hell he is talking about. He’s just rambling on and on and not putting together a coherent sentence. Gordy tells Williams that he is looking at the big daddy right now.
Flyin’ Brian Vignette
A quick highlight video featuring the incoming Flyin’ Brian. They show highlights of Brian’s in ring ability. They also show him working out in the gym. Not much to this video just hyping the fact that he is on his way in.
Match 7: Varsity Club vs. Steiner Brothers
Scott Steiner and Sullivan start the match. Scott nails Kevin with a huge clotheslines. Sullivan falls to the mat and Scott gets on top and lays in 5-6 right hands. Rotunda gets in the ring and Rick Steiner meets him. Sullivan rolls outside and they regroup. Scott and Sullivan are still in the ring. Sullivan hits a shoulder block. Scott does a leap frog then nails Sullivan with a huge power slam. Sullivan crawls over and gets the tag to Rotunda. Rotunda wants Rick tagged on so Scott obliges and gets Rick in the ring.
Rick has Rotunda in a headlock and he bounces off. Rick hits Rotunda with a hip toss then a huge clothesline that nearly flips Rotunda over. Rick gets a head lock on the mat and Rotunda tries to get the cover but only gets a 1 count. Rotunda gets tired of being a headlock so he nails Rick with a huge suplex. That looked great and was pretty impressive. Sullivan gets the tag and he tries to whip Rick into the turnbuckle but Rick bounces out and nails Sullivan with another stiff clotheslines.
Rick bounces up and down and taunts Sullivan and Rotunda. We get another head lock but Rick goes to his corner and gets the tag to Scott. Scott nails a big high cross body and gets a 2 count on Rotunda. Rick comes in the ring to distract the ref and as this is going on Sullivan and Rotunda dump Scott Steiner over the top rope with a double suplex. Sullivan then picks up the steps and nails Scott in the shoulder with them. Rotunda gets the tag to Sullivan. Sullivan gets whipped into the turnbuckle but he waits for Scott and nails him with a huge boot to the face.
Rotunda gets the tag into the ring and nails Scott with a huge drop kick as well. Sullivan comes back in and gets in a few punches. We get quite a few quick tags here as they work over the arm and the back of Scott Steiner. Rotunda hits a double arm suplex and goes for the pin but only gets a 2 count. Rotunda then nails Scott with another vicious clotheslines. Man the NWA sure did lay in the clotheslines. I am really enjoying this work from the guys in the NWA because it felt way different than WWF at the time and thats always a plus. Rotund goes for a drop kick but Scott holds on to the top rope and makes Rotunda miss the drop kick. Scott gets the tag and Rick comes in with the lefts and rights.
Rick climbed up to the middle rope and was trading lefts and rights between Rotunda and Sullivan. Scott gets tagged back in and he ends up going for a splash on Rotunda but Rotunda gets the knees up. Rotunda then suplexes Scott Steiner onto a chair and goes for the pin and gets the 3 count.
Recap:
This was an awesome match from start to finish. Sullivan snapped in the middle of the match and just went off on Scott Steiner. The spot where they dumped Scott over the top rope was pretty impressive as well. Both teams worked stiff and it comes across. Like I stated they clearly make themselves look different than the WWF at the time and this is a great alternative to the cartoony stuff that WWF was doing. I would definitely check out this match.
Interview: Jim Cornette
Jim Ross lets Cornette talk about his match between the Freebirds in the finals of the Tag Team Title tournament. Cornette says they don’t usually ask for help but they will take it when they get it. He said he told Paul E. Dangerously that what he said was going to happen ended up happening. He then brings up the Freebirds and talks about how Hayes likes to run his mouth about the women he has been with. He says the guys here in the Army know more about broads than Hayes will ever know of. Cornette says when it comes to tag team wrestling the Midnight Express and the Freebirds are probably the two most legendary names in tag team wrestling. Cornette says they have never met but the first one is going to the Midnight Express and that they will be the new World Tag Team Champions.
Jim Ross kicks it over to the governor of North Carolina Jim Martin. He talks about flag day and how proud they are for having the 82nd airborne stationed in North Carolina.
Match 8: Television Title Match: Sting (C) vs. Bill Irwin
Sting attempts to get into the ring but Irwin uses his bull whip to keep Sting out of the ring. The ref grabs the bull whip from Irwin as Sting gets into the ring. He nails Irwin low and he slouches over and Sting nails him with a running bull dog. Sting hits him with a right hand then a nice looking standing drop kick. Ross said he invited Lex Luger to come out and do commentary during this match but he declined because of the current rankings. They trade lefts and rights and Irwin gets control. He whips him into the turnbuckle and hits him with a knee to the chest.
Irwin then hits Sting with a body slam. He picks Sting up off the mat and throws him into the top rope as Sting just falls to the ground. That looked like total trash. I have no clue what Irwin was attempting to do with that move. He then hits Sting with a back elbow to send him to the mat again. Irwin keeps hitting right hands as Sting starts getting his second wind. Sting nails him with a big boot and regains the control. Sting hits him with a nice suplex and goes for the cover but only gets a 1 count.
Sting goes in to pick up Irwin but Irwin nails him with a head butt to the midsection. Sting rakes the eyes then hits Irwin with 3 right hands. Sting then goes for the Stinger Splash but misses. Sting grabs onto the middle rope and tried to get a cross body but Irwin catches him and drops him with a spine buster. Irwin gets up to get his whip and Sting nails him with the Stinger Splash from behind. He then rolls him up and gets the 3 count and the victory to retain his World Television Title.
Recap:
There wasn’t much to this one. This was your typical tv match so nothing special here. The spine buster move by Irwin was pretty sweet looking. Irwin stood a little bit to far away in the turnbuckle when Sting came in for the Stinger splash because that didn’t look as good as it could have. All in all a snoozer that I would recommend skipping unless you are a Sting fan.
Scott Hall Vignette:
This video is hilarious. It shows some of Scott Hall’s work in the ring mixed in with him pissing off gators in the swamps of Florida. Hall looks green as hell in the ring. There is a shot where he takes a stick and pokes a gator in the back and the gator jumps back into the water. Theres not much I can say about this but only in WCW would a vignette like this be shot.
Interview: Ric Flair
Ross is on site from Ric Flair’s home in Charlotte, NC. Ross compliments Flair on his magnificent home that he has. Ross asks Flair what he has been doing since May 7th. Says he goes to the doctors twice a day for therapy. Flair talks to his lawyers and his advisors to find out if there is life after wrestling. Flair says money is not an issue. He says he has more money than he could spend in two lifetimes. Ross then asks Flair how he feels physically. Flair says that his left arm is numb and his hand not being able to function fully.
He says other than all that he feels pretty good. He says this is the worst injury he has ever had. Flair says after the broken back from the plane crash was okay because the doctor told him he would be able to come back and this one he isn’t so sure. Ross asks him how he feels mentally. Flair says as you go through life you incur ups and downs. Flair says it has been hard for him because he has always been active. He says its hard for him to sit on the sidelines.
Ross talks about how the NWA Title always had the 30 day window to defend the title. Ross wants to know if there is a time table to where he has to defend the title by a certain point. Flair says the NWA has bent over backwards for him since the injury. Flair says he was able to get an extra 30 days to defend his title. Flair says he won’t come back at this 75%. Flair says if he is not 100% he will sit on the sidelines and they will take the title from him.
Ross asks Flair, what would you say to Terry Funk if he was watching this right now. Flair says if he could see Flair’s eyes right now he wouldn’t have to say anything. Flair says if his neck could carry his heart Funk wouldn’t be able to make it out of Fort Bragg. Flair says he won’t give Funk the satisfaction until he is 100%. Flair tells Funk he better not sleep because 30 days from now or 100 days from now he will be at his door.
Match 9: Finals World Tag Title Tournament: Midnight Express vs. Fabulous Freebirds
Before the match can even get started Paul E. Dangerously comes down to the ring and levels Jim Cornette with a loaded tennis racket to the back. There was a chain and a horseshoe inside the tennis racket. The Midnight Express and the Dynamic Dudes check on Jim Cornette. Eventually Cornette gets carried out by the Dynamic Dudes and the match gets under way. Stan Lane and Hayes start off the match. Hayes starts off the match with a head lock. Lane hits Hayes with a hip toss then a body slam then a couple of arm drags. Hayes crawls over to the corner and tags in Garvin.
Lane gets the tag into Eaton. Lane hits Garvin with the drop toe hold then Eaton nails him with the elbow in the back. Garvin cowers down in the corner to get Eaton off of him. Lane gets the tag in and nails Garvin with an enziguri to the back of the head. Lane tags in Eaton and they hit Garvin with a double elbow. Garvin then looks at the crowd and tells them to shut up. The crowd goes nuts and puts all the heat on the Freebirds. Great heel move there and it was awesome to see how the crowd responded.
Eaton is in the ring ready to go but Hayes and Garvin drop down to the floor and regroup with Gordy. Garvin nails Eaton with a big knee to the midsection. Garvin then body slams Eaton twice and tags in Hayes. Hayes throws Eaton outside and Eaton nails his head on the guard rail. Hayes goes out after him but Stan Lane runs over to make the save. Hayes gets Eaton back into the ring and nails him with a huge left hand. Hayes starts to choke Eaton out as Tommy Young starts the 5 count.
Hayes then throws Eaton out of the ring on the other side and Eaton goes back first into the guard rail. Inside the ring Hayes starts strutting then he climbs up on the middle rope to get a little more heat. Hayes nails Eaton with a big elbow right in the face to Eaton. Hayes taunts Lane as Garvin chokes out Eaton from the outside. Eaton is standing on the apron and Garvin grabs him and throws him right into the guard rail again. Hayes whips Eaton into the corner as Garvin nails him with a knee to the midsection again. Garvin hits Eaton with a snap mare then a reverse chin lock.
Eaton gets out of it and nails a big left hand to Garvin then he makes the tag. Lane comes in and nails 3 kicks on Garvin. Garvin moves out of the way of the charging elbow as the Freebirds regain control. Garvin tags in Hayes but Lane nails him with a DDT. Both men tag out and we got Eaton and Garvin back in the ring. This is a great match so far. All four guys are sweating like crazy because of how hot it is. The Express get a double back body drop on Garvin. Hayes gets nailed with a big forearm as he falls outside. Gordy gets up on the apron but gets knocked down for his troubles. Garvin gets a double flap jack as Eaton goes for the cover. The action is really starting to pick up then Gordy gets in the ring and nails Eaton with power bomb. Garvin rolls over and gets the 3 count. The winners and NEW WORLD TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS…THE FABULOUS FREEBIRDS!!!! All three men celebrate on the outside of the ring.
Recap:
What a great finals to the tag team title tournament. All four men worked hard and there was very few rest holds durning the match. For how hot this building was I am surprised by how long these guys work without doing very many rest holds. They knew how to overcome the heat and still put on a great match so kudos to them. I would recommend checking out this match because its one of the better ones on the card.
Match 10: Ricky Steamboat vs. Terry Funk
We start out with a collar and elbow tie up. Funk pushes Steamboat into the ropes. They roll around the ropes with the refs stuck in between the two individuals. Funk gets Steamboat into the corner and lays in numerous chops. Steamboat retaliates and lays in his own chops to Funk. Funk and Steamboat change slaps to the face and more chops. Steamboat gets fired up and Funk goes to the outside to slow down the momentum. The crowd is really into this one. Funk nails Steamboat with a big shoulder block. Funk runs off the ropes twice then gets nailed with a huge chop. Steamboat then hits him with 2 straight drop kicks as Funk rolls to the outside again.
Steamboat goes for a right hand but Funk blocks it and he nails Steamboat with 3-4 rights then a huge left. Funk throws Steamboat to the outside of the ring and he follows him out. Funk runs and nails Steamboat with an elbow to the back of the neck. Steamboat gets up and nails Funk with 3-4 more thunderous chops. The sound of the chops just sounds brutal. Funk gets a double leg take down and he starts pummeling the Dragon with left hands.
Funk then delivers a great looking neck breaker to the Dragon. Steamboat is sitting on the mat and Funk drops down with a splash right into the back. Funk is working over the back of the neck of Steamboat. Funk comes in and Steamboat nails him with another chop. Steamboat whips Funk into the turnbuckle and he goes in upside down and over to the floor. Steamboat climbs to the top rope and just watches Funk move around the ring. Steamboat comes off the top with a big chop to the top of the head of Funk.
Steamboat picks up Funk for a body slam and he carries him around the ring for all the fans to see. He walked all away around the ring and slammed Funk on the mat. Steamboat rolls back into the ring as Nick Patrick starts the 10 count. Funk finally gets back into the ring as Steamboat picks him up and bodyslams him to the outside of the ring. Steamboat whips Funk into the turnbuckle but Funk gets his boot up to regain control of the match. Funk then nails Steamboat with a great looking pile driver. Funk rolls over for the pin but only gets 2 count. Funk picks up Steamboat but Steamboat nails him with 2 vicious chops. Funk tries to whip Steamboat but Steamboat reverses it then Funk reverses it and Steamboat goes running into the referee. Funk then whips Steamboat into the turnbuckle and he goes flying over the top rope. Funk then goes outside and nails him with the pile driver on the outside of the ring.
Funk rolls back into the ring and tries to wake up the referee. Steamboat gets up to the apron and Funk grabs him and suplexes him back into the ring. Funk goes for the cover twice and both times Steamboat kicks out at 2. Funk gets frustrated and starts laying in the left hands. Funk goes to the rope and goes for a big splash but Steamboat gets his knees up. Steamboat gets control of the match then he picks up Funk and hits him with a stomach buster. Steamboat goes to the top rope and nails Funk with a chop off the top. Steamboat then hits a sabot kick to the back of the head to Funk. Funk grabs the microphone and smokes Steamboat right in the head with it. The ref calls for the bell and we get a disqualification victory for Steamboat.
Funk goes outside to get another weapon but Lex Luger comes out for the save. Funk hightails it out of there as Luger stands over Steamboat. Luger asks for the microphone and says “You know theres been a lot of talk that he has some problems lately.” Luger says he may have a problem with his ego and arrogance. Luger says he doesn’t have any problems he just has a lot of pride. Luger helps Steamboat up then nails him with a huge clothesline.
Luger goes out to get a chair as Steamboat tries to hold him off. Luger nails Steamboat in the back of the head and shoulder with a steel chair. Ross says that Luger is obsessed with being the #1 contender and being the World Heavyweight Champion. Luger picks up Steamboat and puts him in the torture rack then poses for the crowd. Luger gets back on the mic and says “there lays your number one contender.” Luger leaves the ring and Sting comes out to check on Ricky Steamboat as Ross states “at least somebody has loyalty and friendship.”
Recap:
What a great main event this one. Funk got in tremendous shape for this run here in 89. He looked the best he’s ever looked and it’s a shame they didn’t do more with him. Steamboat was Steamboat and his chops were thunderous on this night. Luger coming in at the end and turning heel was the perfect ending to a great match. The focus was on the World Title and everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to get the belt. Very nicely done by WCW here to get the focus on the title while the champ was out injured. Great match and great ending, I would definitely check this match out.
Show Ending:
They go to Ross and Caudle at the end of the card recapping. Both guys are sweating profusely and look extremely uncomfortable. They rewarded a trophy for being there and Ross said it could end up on the desk of Ted Turner at some point. They recapped the show and showed the highlights of Funk and Steamboat. Ross says that when Steamboat comes to his primary focus will be that of Lex Luger.
Final Thoughts:
There was a lot of good and a lot of eh on this card. I would definitely check out all of the tag matches, outside of the Ding Dongs match, on the card. They were all very well done and a joy to watch. Classic tag team matches that you don’t really see anymore. I would skip the Ranger Ross, Norman and Ding Dong matches because they were just glorified squashes and time filler. The vignettes highlighting the incoming talent were corny as hell but did their job. The main event of Steamboat and Funk was top notch and I loved the turn of Luger at the end of the show. They managed to get the top 3 guys in the company, that were active, and get their primary focus to be on the World Heavyweight Title. That was very well done and awesome to see. I would recommend watching the show as a whole and enjoy the atmosphere and the matches. Until next time this is Steve Caudle signing off from the Event Center.