04/04/1988
WWF WRESTLEMANIA IV: WHAT PUT THE WORLD TO SLEEP
1. The show opened with a 20-man Battle Royal. = 1/2* (for the angle at the end, match was a dud)
2. Ted DiBiase pinned Jim Duggan in 4:54 in the first match of the title tournament. = *1/4
3. Don Muraco downed Dino Bravo via DQ in 4:53. = 1/2*
4. Greg Valentine pinned Ricky Steamboat in an upset in 9:12. = **1/4
5. Randy Savage pinned Butch Reed with an elbow drop off the top ropes in 5:07. = *
6. One Man Gang beat Bam Bam Bigelow via count out in 2:56. In reality this was a negative 1 1/2 star match, but I'll give it a DUD considering Bigelow's condition.
7. Rick Rude and Jake Roberts went to a 15:00 draw which eliminated them both. = -**
8. In a non-tournament match, the Anabolic Warrior pinned Hercules Hernandez in 4:29. = -*1/2 (it was actually worse than the previous match, but not ranked as low because at least it was over in a hurry)
9. The first match of the second round was Andre the Giant vs Hulk Hogan, the only match on the card which seemed to have real interest. = * for the match, DUD if you include the posing.
10. Ted DiBiase pinned Don Muraco with Eddie Gilbert's "hotshot" move in 5:44. = *1/2
11. Randy Savage pinned Greg Valentine in a good match in 6:06 when he caught Valentine in an inside cradle when Valentine went for the figure four leglock. = **1/4
12. The Intercontinental title match saw Brutus Beefcake awarded a DQ win over champ Honkeytonk Man via DQ in 6:30. DUD
13. The Islanders & Bobby Heenan downed Koko Ware & The British Bulldogs in 7:30 when Heenan pinned Ware after the Islanders dropped him on top of Koko. = *1/4
14. Randy Savage beat One Man Gang via DQ in 4:05 when Gang tried to hit Savage with the cane of Slick but missed. = 1/2*15. Demolition took the WWF tag team titles from Rick Martel & Tito Santana in 12:53 of the best match on the card. = **1/2
16. Finally it came down to DiBiase vs Savage for the title. = **1/4
NWA CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS (Greensboro Coliseum)
1. Mike Rotunda retained the NWA TV title pinning Jimmy Garvin under amateur rules at 1:10 of the second round. = **1/4
2. The Midnight Express retained the US tag belts beating The Fantastics via DQ in 10:45 of what is known in the trade as a classic Memphis brawl. = ****1/4) (Four-and-a-half for the action in the match, minus one-half for the overused finish, plus one-quarter for the post-match)
3. Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors won a barbed wire match from The Warlord & Barbarian & Ivan Koloff in 3:39. = *
4. Lex Luger & Barry Windham won the NWA tag title beating Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard in 9:35. = ***1/2
5. Ric Flair and Sting went to a 45:00 draw in an NWA title match. = ****3/4
05/02/1988
Crockett Cup (The Greenville Memorial Auditorium )
1. Ivan Koloff & Dick Murdoch downed Jimmy Valiant & Mighty Wilbur in 6:14. DUD
2. The Job Tones (Shaska Whatley & Tiger Conway) downed Rocky King & Nelson Royal in 6:05. = *
3. At this point, all the way from Mexico were to come the famed Twin Devils, presumably of Los Angeles wrestling fame. = *1/24. It was time for the Japanese team to arrive, and looking very Japanese on this night was Johnny Ace, who as far as everyone in the crowd knew was still the Sheepherders' flag boy, and John Savage. = *3/4
5. The Sheepherders, with Rip Morgan at their side (with no explanation to the crowd as to why) downed the Cruel Connection (Gary Royal & George South) in 7:20. = 1/4*
6. Larry Zbyszko & Al Perez downed Ricky Santana & Joe Cruze in 4:57. DUD
7. But wait, out trots Steve Williams & Ron Simmons to take on Rick "The Dog-Faced Gremlin" Steiner & Mike "Preppie Murderer" Rotunda. = **3/4
8. The Sullivan vs. Jimmy Garvin Prince of Darkness match lasted 7:20 of complete comedy. DUD
9. Kendall "Gumby" Windham & Italian Stallion vs. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson = ***
10. Sting & Luger downed Murdoch & Koloff in 9:41. = ***1/4
11. Road Warriors downed Job Tones in 5:26 when Hawk pinned Whatley with a clothesline off the top ropes. = **
12. According to the program, it was time for the Midnight Express to face the New New Breed, but for some unexplained reason the New Breed wound up facing the Powers of Pain in the longest 8:04 of the tournament. DUD
13. the Sheepherders defeat Lightning Express, a good well-paced 9:32 = ***
14. The program now said it was time for The Fantastics to wrestle Perez & Zbyszko, and by sheer coincidence, that's who came out. = **3/4
15. Jim Cornette and the Midnight Express, presumably to wrestle Kevin Sullivan's Varsity Club vs. Rip Morgan and the Sheepherders = **
Crockett Cup (Greensboro)
1. The Fantastics are opening with The Varsity Club, which ironically makes sense in the original bracketing. = ****
2. Having the dubious distinction of following this exceptional action were the Midnight Express and Jim Cornette against the handicap tag team named Sting (with Lex Luger sweating profusely in the corner yelling "come on Stinger"). = ***3/4
3. I should point out that when The Fantastics won the opener, it was a lock that Sting & Luger were going all the way. = ***
4. It's time for the Midlife Rider show, starring the greatest wrestling legend in his own mind of all-time, the Midlife Rider. = 1/2* (only for post-match, bout a DUD)
5. Sting & Luger downed Powers of Pain in 6:50. = *1/4
6. Blanchard & Anderson beat Fantastics in 14:35. = ***1/2
7. What can you say about Nikita Koloff that hasn't been said? He can't wrestle. = **3/4
8. Time for the finals with the new NWA tag champs Tully & Arn against the top contenders for the World's handicap titles, Luger & Stinger. = *** 1/2
05/23/1988
5/14 AWA ESPN taping "The Night of Wrestling Hell," at the Showboat Training Center
1. Baron Von Raschke beat Krusher Krugcroff from Northern Siberia with the claw in 2:51. Since Baron only collapsed once while trying a move, I'll give it negative 1/2 stars;
2. Soldat Ustinov, who looks more like Nikita Koloff than Nikita Koloff, pinned Greg Robertson in 2:43 with a clothesline DUD;
3. Lawler pinned Stamp in 4:40 with a fist drop off the middle ropes. *1/4;
4. The all-new but not the least bit improved Madusa Maceli pinned Heidi Lee Morgan in 4:00 using the ropes. -*1/2;
5. Rocky Mountain Thunder made Kevin Collins submit in 1:42 after a backbreaker over the knee. This gets a DUD, because at least Thunder didn't come close to killing Collins;
6. Lawler returned and pinned Darryl Nickel, and if you look up bodybuilding stiff in the dictionary, you'll see the guys picture with a short video of this match. This would have been worth negative a few, but Hennig's bump and presence at ringside elevates it to a DUD;
7. Choshu & Saito destroyed a bum whose name I never did get & Houdini, who I'd rather have seen disappear then wrestle. Houdini didn't cooperate well with Choshu, more out of inexperience than bad intentions I'd presume, however Saito did a number on him tossing him hard out of the ring. He then pinned the other guy with the Saito suplex in 3:30 *;
8. Handsome Harry, a transient from Los Angeles and Iron Man Miller, a 280-pound musclehead -**1/2;
9. Paul Diamond pinned Derrick Dukes in 8:35. The match got the first real heat of the card, but it was still awful 1/2*;
10. Ricky Rice went to a double DO with Tijo Khan in 11:30 in a Day One of Training School match. 3/4*;
11. Jerry Lawler & Groovy Greg subbed for the Midnight Rockers, and beat Choshu & Saito via DQ in 14:00 of a decent match. The lack of communication showed when Lawler pulled down the strap, but the Japanese continued to beat on him, not understanding the significance of it **1/2;
12. What on paper looked like an atrocity was at least watchable as Rice & Dukes beat the nightmarish jobber duo of Handsome Harry & Nickel in 3:05 when Rice pinned Harry with a potato city dropkick. 1/2*;
13. Hennig pinned a mannequin named Kevin Collins in 2:56 with a fisherman suplex. *;
14. I finally got my first chance to see Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond live as they beat Greg Robertson & Houdini in a match it took Larry Nelson only three tries to announce. 3/4*;
15. I saw Debbie Combs, an adequate lady wrestler, against Brandi Mae the Farmers' Daughter of GLOW and POWW fame with Maceli in Combs' corner -*1/2;
16. Another vicious jobber beating saw Soldat Ustinov return and destroy Biff Anderson, who worked last month as a jobber called The Surfer from Santa Cruz, CA. One star for the brutality and realism;
17. Gagne beat Stamp with the sleeper in 4:44. Greg put me to sleep by the first minute. DUD;
18. Thunder beat Krugeroff in 2:23 when Krugeroff walked out of the ring and was counted out after the match quickly turned into a disaster. -*;
19. Brandi Mae & Heidi Lee Morgan then beat Combs & Maceli in a tag match which listed an interminally long 6:32. Heidi Lee did a dropkick off the top rope which keeps the negative stars down to 1/2;
20. Curt Hennig already proved he could work a decent match against a mannequin and I'm pretty sure he could have with a broom. But not with Baron Von Raschke. DUD CITY;
21. The finale was an AWA tag title match with Tanaka & Diamond, accompanied by Diamond Dallas Page going to a time limit draw which went 13:41 against Mando & Hector Guerrero. ***
06/13/1988
WWF taped "Superstars" at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on 6/1
1. It was Brady Boone vs. Steve Lombardi, and surprisingly it turned out to be the best match of the card. They went 11:00 before Boone won after a backflip off the top rope to get behind Lombardi and he then german suplexed him (belly-to-back suplex with a bridge) for the win. = ***1/4
2. Jim Duggan pinned Tom Stone with a clothesline.
3. One Man Gang pinned Martin Oliver with the face first suplex in around one minute.
4. The Anabolic Warrior runs down the aisle, shakes the ropes, pounds his chest and nearly had heart failure before the bell ever sounded for his match with Larry Simpson.
5. The British Bulldogs downed the competent jobber duo of Terry Gibbs & Barry Horowitz (who in the spirit of what nicknames are about, won't be called Hororwitz here anymore).
6. The Big Boss Man squashed a kid who looked to be no more than 17-years-old named Louie something or other.
7. Bret Hart pinned Jerry Allen after a piledriver.
8. Bam Bam Bigelow with Oliver Humperdink, pinned Tom Stone with the slingshot.
9. Finally, an angle. Greg Valentine destroyed Riki Ataki with the figure four leglock using his ankle brace or whatever the thing is called.
10. Shawn Michaels & Marty Janetty made their return to the WWF and already broke their previous record for longevity by making it to the second night (they debuted in Fresno). They beat Mike Sharpe & The Intruder.
The first hour was over at this point.
11. Honkeytonk Man pinned Brutus Beefcake after hitting him with the megaphone thrown in by Jimmy Hart. Honestly, this thing was worth *1/2.
12. We started the second hour of matches for the weekend of 6/25 as Jake Roberts DDT'd The Conquistador (Jose Luis Rivera).
13. Ted DiBiase beat Lanny Poffo with the cobra. As decent as it got this hour.
14. Koko Ware pinned Steve Lombardi;
15. The Rockers beat Mark King (who worked as jobber Houdini on the AWA tapings) & Horowitz when Michaels suplexed Janetty onto Houdini. That finish didn't get over nearly as well as their finish earlier on the card.
16. Badnews Brown gave Devon DeLeon with the enzuigiri
17. Rude kissed another girl and destroyed Jose Luis Rivera without his mask. Rude is such a good heel that I don't even like watching him.
End of hour No. 2.
18. Dark match time, and this one would have been better pitched-black. Bam Bam Bigelow beat One Man Gang via count out in four minutes. DUD.
Hour No. 3 time for 7/2.
19. Ken Patera beat Lombardi with the full nelson.
20. The Big Boss Man beat another midget jobber.
21. Beefcake put Mark "Houdini" King to sleep and Houdini's hair did the disappearing act.
22. In a tag title match, Demolition destroyed Strike Force. Bout was 2 1/4 stars.
23. George Steele beat Intruder with the flying hammerlock.
24. Dino Bravo beat Bill Johnson. Johnson was terrible, even by Titan jobber standards.
25. The Hart Foundation downed Boone & S.D. Jones. Bret did the greatest fake knee injury I have ever seen here. You should actually watch the TV show just to see that bit as it was the best thing on the entire card.
26. Don Muraco beat Darryl Nickel with the tombstone piledriver. The crowd started leaving with this match and the place was clearing out as it was around 10:30.
27. The Rougeaus beat The Killer Zzzzs in a dark match when Jacques pinned Brunzell. **1/4;
28. Andre & Rude beat Duggan & Roberts. *3/4;
29. Ted DiBiase, whose seasonal residence changed from Hyannis Port, MA to Palm Beach, FL in the past two hours, came out for his main event against Randy Savage AND Elizabeth. **3/4
Jim Crockett Promotions' "Miami Mayhem," card at the Knight Center on 6/8 which was the second of four Clash of the Champions TBS specials scheduled for this year.
1. Barry Windham pinned Brad Armstrong in 13:55 to retain the US title. = *3/4
2. The Fantastics retained their US tag team titles beating the Sheepherders in 19:29. = ***3/4
3. The Garvins beat Mike Rotunda & Rick Steiner in 13:11 in a match with Kevin Sullivan in a cage at ringside and Precious holding the key to the cage. = *3/4
4. Nikita Koloff downed Al Perez via DQ in 11:51. = **1/2
5. Dusty Rhodes & Sting downed Tully Blanchard Arn Anderson in 10:58 via DQ so the heels keep the NWA tag team belts. = ***1/4
07/18/1988
JCP/NWA The Baltimore Bash was a good show in my book,
1. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson retained the NWA tag titles going to a 20:00 draw (which actually lasted 20:07) against Sting & Nikita Koloff. = ***1/2
2. The Midnight Express reclaimed the US tag title beating The Fantastics with Jim Cornette in a straight jacket and hoisted in a cage above the ring. = ****
3. The Triple Tower of Doom lasted 19:55 with the babyfaces winning. = **3/4
4. Barry Windham retained the US title pinning Dusty Rhodes in 15:55. = *1/4
5. Ric Flair retained the NWA title in 23:13 when the Maryland State Athletic Commission stopped the match due to Lex Luger's bleeding. = **1/2
08/15/1988
NWA's Great American Bash in Las Vegas on 8/4
1. Jimmy Garvin pinned Larry Zbyszko in a non-title match in 5:07. *
2. Al Perez pinned Kendall Windham with the spinning toe hold in 5:37. **
3. Ron Garvin went to a 15:00 draw with Dick Murdoch. **3/4
4. The Fantastics beat the Midnight Express & Jim Cornette in the handicap bunkhouse match. ****1/2
5. Mike Rotunda was scheduled to defend the TV title against Steve Williams, but it was announced Williams wasn't there and out came Kendall Windham to sub. *
6. Next comes the scaffold match with the Road Warriors beating Ivan Koloff & Russian Assassin (aka Angel of Death aka Angel Muhammad aka Dave Sheldon). *3/4
7. Sting & Nikita Koloff beat Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard via DQ in 19:15 in an NWA tag team title match. ***
NWA's Great American Bash tour in Oakland on 8/6.
1. Ivan Koloff pinned Kendall Windham in 10:02 when Kendall went for a cross bodyblock but Ivan reversed it and got the pin using the tights. *
2. Jimmy Garvin cradled Kevin Sullivan in 5:05. 1/2*
3. Nikita Koloff downed Al Perez in a chain match in 16:00. *3/4
4. Ron Garvin went to a 20:00 draw with Dick Murdoch. **1/2
5. Sting pinned Larry Zbyszko in 6:12 with a sunset flip. *1/2
6. Mike Rotunda kept the TV title going to a double count out with Steve Williams in 16:00. ***
7. The Fantastics beat Midnight Express via DQ in 12:00 so Midnight kept the U.S. tag belts. ***1/2
8. Main event was the War Games with the face team of Dusty & Luger & Road Warriors & Paul Ellering against the Horseman & J.J. Dillon. ****
09/12/1988
WWF Summer Slam '88
1. The opener had the British Bulldogs go to a 20:00 draw (actual time 20:04) against Jacques Raymond Rougeau. = **1/2
2. Badnews Brown pinned Ken Patera with the enzuigiri in 6:33. = *1/4
3. Rick Rude downed Junkfood Dog via DQ in 6:18. DUD
4. The once-hot Powers of Pain with new manager Baron Von Raschke (known simply as "The Baron," complete with face paint) downed The Bolsheviks in 5:17. = 1/2*
5. Honkey did an interview saying he'd fight anyone and they kept trying to tell him his foe but he didn't care so we supposedly didn't know. This was handled very well. He was already in the ring when the Anabolic Warrior music came up and the place popped for the "mystery foe." -1/2*
6. Dino Bravo pinned Don Muraco in a pathetic 5:28. DUD
7. Demolition kept the WWF tag team titles beating the Hart Foundation in 9:48. = *1/2 (all for the last 80 seconds, match was nearly a DUD up to that point)8. Big Bossman pinned Koko Ware in 5:57 with the Bubba-Slam. = *3/4
9. Jake Roberts pinned Hercules in 10:06 with the DDT. = *1/4
10. Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage beating Ted DiBiase & Andre the Giant in 13:57. = **3/4
09/19/1988
NWA Fall Brawl
1. Brad Armstrong and Mike Rotunda went to a 20:00 draw (actual time 20:06) for Rotunda's TV title. = **3/4
2. Steve Williams & Nikita Koloff beat The Sheepheders in 17:07. = ***1/4
3. Dusty Rhodes beat Kevin Sullivan by pinning Gary Hart in 6:59. = *1/2 (match deserves better, but finish was inexplicable
4. BRicky Morton beat Ivan Koloff in a chain match in 9:52. = ** (mainly for the post-match angle, match maybe 1 1/2)
5. Our main event between Barry Windham and Sting went 21:14 of good pacing. = ***1/4
10/12/1988
CWF "Road to Birmingham" show
1. They opened with a "Grab for the Green" pole Battle Royal. *1/4
2. It was time for the RTB tournament for the CWF title to begin. The opening match sent The Bullet (Bob Armstrong) against the Dirty White Boy. All I can say is it was a hot 41 seconds so it wasn't a total dud. 1/4*
3. Next we had the monstrous Kokina against Tom Prichard. DUD
4. Dutch Mantell and Mr. Wrestling II followed going to a 10 minute draw which actually lasted 8:22. *
5. The best match of the tournament sent Terry Gordy against Austin Idol. **1/2
6. Jerry Stubbs pinned Tim Horner after hitting him with a foreign object in 6:28. this could have been a decent match, but it was a total DUD.
7. Dirty White Boy pinned Dutch Mantell after a solid 5:07 of brawling. **1/4
8. In a big surprise, Idol had Stubbs up for a back suplex and Stubbs hit him with the object in the forehead for the pin. -*1/2
9. Prichard pinned Stubbs in 4:52 when Stubbs pulled out the object, but before he could use it, Prichard cradled him from behind. *
10. It was time for the tournament final with Prichard against the White Boy. **
11. We finished off with a hair vs. hair match between Ken Wayne and Danny Davis. **3/4
1. Ron Simmons pinned Rip Morgan in 5:12 with a small package. = *1/2
2. Mike Rotunda kept the TV title pinning Italian Stallion in 11:24. = **:
3. Midnight Express kept the NWA tag team titles going to a 30 minute draw against Dick Murdoch & Dusty Rhodes. = ***1/2
4. Fantastics beat Sheepherders in 13:10 when Bobby Fulton pinned Luke Williams with a sunset flip coming into the ring. = ***1/4
5. The Russian Assassins downed Ivan & Nikita Koloff via DQ in 11:00. = **1/4
6. Sting beat Barry Windham via DQ when Windham didn't break the claw on the ropes in 13:20. = ***1/4
7. Ric Flair and Lex Luger went 21:00 to their typical match. = ***1/4
10/24/1988
UAWF CONVENTION REPORT - CWA Memphis
1. Scott Steiner pinned Terry Adonis with a powerslam in 4:31. = *
2. Cactus Jack Foley & Gary Young downed Alan Reynolds & Cat Garrett in 4:36 when Foley pinned Reynolds after a Russian leg sweep. = *1/4
3. Phil Nickerson retained his CWA title pinning rookie Darryl Justin of the tag team called Nature's Best (I believe he was a Bill Dundee trainee) in 6:12 with the DDT. = 1/4* (only because the DDT was one of those awesome Arn Anderson variety moves, match probably deserved negative stars)
4. The RPMs (Mike Davis & Tommy Lane) retained their CWA Southern tag team titles beating Bill Dundee & Todd Morton in a match where either Bruno or Jamie Dundee would get 10 lashes if their team lost. = *½
5. Jeff Jarrett & Brickhouse Brown downed Cactus Jack Foley & Jimmy Golden via DQ in 10:51 of the best match on the card. = ***
6. Eric Embry retained the World Class lightheavyweight title (somebody ought to put Eric on a scale because he's got an awfully big belly for a lightheavyweight) by pinning Bill Justin (Darryl's brother) with a diving head-butt in 5:02. = *
7. Jimmy Valiant downed Tommy Rich via count out in 6:49 of a New York City Street Fight. = *
8. The finale was an eight-man tag march with the World Class promotion vs the CWA as Kevin & Kerry Von Erich & Steve Cox & Frank Dusek downed Jerry Lawler & Dundee & Jarrett & Eddie Marlin. = **1/2
11/28/1988
WWF held "Superstars" taping at the San Francisco Cow Palace on 11/15
1. In a match which was either dark or taped for Prime Time Wrestling, the Rockers beat Demolition via DQ in a tag team title affair. I missed this but was told it was worth 2 1/2 stars and was the second best match of the show.
2. Ron Bass pinned Ken Patera in what I believe was a dark match. DUD
3. We started off the first hour of the Superstars taping that airs on Saturday as Big Bossman pinned Pete Ketchum.
4. Brutus Beefcake beat Chuck Kendall.
5. Dino "No Heat" Bravo them settled the crowd into boredom pinning Riki "Power Bomb" Ataki
6. Race then pinned Jim Gorman with a cradle suplex.
7. Bret Hart & Jim Neidhart beat Mike Sharpe & Barry Horowitz.
8. Akeem (One Man Gang) pinned Louie Spicoli.
9. Back to action, Rick Rude squashed Rudy Gomez.
10. Jake Roberts pinned The Black Knight (I thought they were describing an AWA taping when they said that name, but really it was Billy Anderson under a hood). This was just fine and Jake got a nice reaction.
11. Badnews Brown pinned Frankie Valdez.
12. The limited talents of Red Rooster (who once was the very talented Terry Taylor) beat Scott Casey.
13. Jim Duggan squashed 310 pound jobber Darryl Peterson, the former amateur great who most of you know better as Max Pain of CWA fame sans his make-up.
14. In the best match on the card, taped for Prime Time, Ted DiBiase beat Tito Santana via DQ. **3/4.
15. In another bout for Prime Time, Koko Ware & Blue Blazer beat the Conquistadores in 12 minutes. *xi;
16. In a dark match, Brutus Beefcake pinned Ron Bass. This was better than most of their bouts I've seen, but still bad.
17. Another 'bout taped for Prime time saw Akeem & Bolsheviks beat Paul Roma & Jim Powers & Sam Houston. *1/2.
18. The Rockers came in first, then Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson started walking down the aisle and we couldn't believe we were actually going to see a good match. The thing lasted about a minute or two but should look good on television and got good heat in the building. Even though they were never in the ring, it was as good action as the card would present.
19. DiBiase returned to beat Lanny Poffo. Unlike Ted's first match, you could have heard a pin drop here.
20. The Rougeaus, now billed from Memphis, Tennessee (they've finally relocated, thank God) beat Houston & Stefan DeLeon.
21. Then the music played, Demolition sans Fuji came down and destroyed two guys whose names I didn't even recognize.
22. In a dark match in which you could only win using your pet hold, Jake Roberts DDT'd Ravishing Rick Rude. *1/2
23. Back to Superstars as Hercules beat Steve Lombardi.
24. Curt Hennig, who got less response than any winner and most jobbers on the card, beat Lee Hansen in a match you will never see. I don't know what happened, but Hennig really beat the crap out of this guy legit.
25. Haku beat Eric Simms. This jobber was the worst.
26. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Anabolic Warrior came down to squash Randy Tyler. Horrible.
27. The new heel team of Jimmy Hart's, Honkeytonk Man & Greg Valentine beat Rex Farmer & Paul Brown.
28. It was redo time now, as Warrior wrestled Conquistador Estrada and while it wasn't pretty, at least it worked.
29. Hennig came back and had a normal match beating Mito Gomez with the fisherman suplex. Hennig's work is just fine but fans paid no attention at all.
30. Haku pinned Frankie Valdez. Fans were furious by this time and pelted the ring with debris.
31. Finally the marathon ended as Hogan beat Bossman in their typical match. I didn't stay, nor did about half the fans, but heard Hogan get a huge pop coming out but nothing compared to the days of old. Still, after all this, it would have been impossible anyway. Told this one was worth 1 1/2 stars.
12/05/1988
WWF Titan's Survivors Series 1988
1. Brutus Beefcake & Blue Blazer (Owen Hart) & Sam Houston & Anabolic Warrior & Jim Brunzell downed Honkeytonk Man & Badnews Brown & Greg Valentine & Ron Bass & Danny Davis in 17:50. = **
2. Officially the babyfaces won the battle of the tag teams with Powers of Pain & Rockers & Young Stallions & Hart Foundation and British Bulldogs prevailing over Demolition & Rougeaus & Conquistadores & Bolsheviks & Brainbusters.
3. Andre the Giant & Dino Bravo & Rick Rude & Harley Race & Curt Hennig downed Jim Duggan & Jake Roberts & Scott Casey & Ken Patera & Tito Santana in 30:03. = *1/4
4. We had to wait the 29:10 for the next match to end just to see if Randy Savage was going to give Hulk Hogan a dirty look after they both survived the match. = *** (Action was good once they got Hillbilly out of there and booking was fantastic).
12/12/1988
I wound up in Las Vegas on Tuesday night for the NWA card at the Showboat
1. Ron Simmons pinned Italian Stallion in 6:35 after a flying shoulder tackle. = *
2. We got the first over Original Midnight Express vs Midnight Express match, which went to a 20 minute draw. = ***3/4
3. Before the match started with Simmons taking on Mike Rotunda for the TV title (Simmons subbed for Nikita Koloff), they announced that Dusty wouldn't appear because of what the Road Warriors did to him on Saturday. = **
4. Rick Steiner beat Steve Williams via DQ in 9:57. = **1/2
5. Ric Flair & Barry Windham downed Eddie Gilbert (subbing for Rhodes) & Bam Bam Bigelow in 18:27.
6. Road Warriors beat Sting & Lex Luger via DQ in 11:50. = ****
San Francisco the following night for a NWA show at the Civic Auditorium.
1. Simmons pinned Stallion in 5:53 with a flying shoulderbiock. = *1/2
2. Midnight vs Midnight went 20:12 to a draw. = *1/23. Flair & Windham beat Gilbert & Bigelow in 14:36. = ***
4. Rotunda pinned Simmons in 16:06 when Williams, at ringside, scooped the leg as Simmons tried to suplex Rotunda back in the ring. = 1/2*
5. Steiner beat Williams via DQ in 2:51. DUD
6. Road Warriors went to a double count out with Sting & Luger. = ***
12/19/1988
NWA, Clash of the Champions IV: Seasons' Beatings, took place live from Chattanooga
1. Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) captured the US tag team title winning the tournament final over Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert in 27:04. = **1/2 (I would have rated the match higher except the live crowd died at the end because they didn't hear the TV commentary and the match peaked in the middle and I don't think the Fantastics got over correctly at all for a team that had just won a major tournament)
2. Steve Williams pinned Italian Stallion in 15:17 with the Oklahoma Stampede. = -*
3. Ivan Koloff, with one arm tied behind his back, pinned Paul Jones in 8:21. = -***
4. Road Warrior Animal won the NWA six-man titles for himself, partner Hawk and Paul Ellering by beating Dusty Rhodes via DQ in an official time of 2:54. = * (It wasn't any kind of a match at all, and the interferency was terribly predictable, but it was all action
5. Ric Flair & Barry Windham beat Jim Cornette's Midnight Express in 17:41. = **** (would have been higher except the shoe finish ranks just below the megaphone finish and the Dusty ref bump finish in the most overused finish departmentBy the way, this match ended several minutes early because they had to do an unscheduled interview with Jim Cornette and had to stretch at the end as Eaton had the wind knocked out of him when Windham did a powerslam just before the finish and he couldn't get his breath and they had to finish early).
12/26/1988
AWA and Superclash III
1. We opened with a six-man tag as Chavo & Mando & Hector Guerrero downed Cactus Jack & The RPMs (Mike Davis & Tommy Lane) in 6:35. = **1/2
2. Eric Embry regained the World Class lightheavyweight title from Jeff Jarrett in 4:13. = **1/2
3. Jimmy Valiant pinned Wayne Bloom, a powerlifter from Minnesota, in 24 seconds with an elbow drop. There was no reason for this match to be on the card, as it wasn't even advertised nor in the program. Bloom showed enough in 24 seconds to be thankful it didn't go any longer. DUD
4. Iceman King Parsons pinned Brickhouse Brown in 5:41 to retain the Texas title. = *1/2
5. Now the fun starts, as Wendi Richter & The Top Guns (Ricky Rice & Derrick Dukes) beat Badd Company (Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond) & Madusa Maceli. = 1/2* (only for Tanaka's bumps)
6. Greg Gagne beat Ron Garvin via count out to win the "held up" AWA TV title in 5:52. = * (only for the effort and the stiffness, a DUD as far as crowd reaction)
7. It was time for the highlight of the show, the Beverly Hills Lingerie Battle Royal featuring the ladies from POWW. DUD
8. The Lingerie Battle Royal was better than what came next, a 320-pound relic of the wrestling boom called Sgt Slaughter in a Boot Camp match with Col. = -*
9. The Samoan Swat Team retained the World Class tag team belts beating Michael Hayes & Steve Cox in 7:53. = **3/4
10. Wahoo McDaniel won a strap match from Manny Fernandez. = 1/4*
11. Jerry Lawler won the unified AWA and World Class title (which is now one championship) when the referee stopped the match due to Kerry Von Erich bleeding in 18:53. ***3/4
12. Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson followed in the footsteps of Wahoo, Greggie and the rest of yesterday's news going to a double disqualification with Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden in 7:03. = *
No comments:
Post a Comment