Clash of Champions VII
Fort Bragg, NC
June 14, 1989
Match #1: Tag Team Title Tournament Semi-Final: The Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin) v. The Dynamic Dudes
Say what you will about the brutally cheesy Dynamic Dudes gimmick, this is a pretty good tag match. The Freebirds are ones uncorking the big angle though, unveiling Garvin as the newest member of the faction. The Dudes are the cinderella team here, as Ross puts them over as the more inexperienced and undefeated team that's managed to earn a few surprise wins here and there to get themselves here. Still, they're huge underdogs.
The match starts out with some good cheesey heel stalling from the 'Birds before we get into the meat and potatoes of it all. The Birds looked rather surprised right off the bat and surprisingly, despite the organization being as great as it was, Hayes and Garvin are obviously inexperienced in terms of tagging with EACH OTHER, so this works ok.
Once the Freebirds start playing the numbers game, it's just a matter of time and sure enough, they cheat and cheat and cheat to maintain their advantage. Eventually Shane Douglas gets the big hot tag but the fun doesn't last long, as Terry Gordy super-involves himself, distracting the ref long enough for Hayes to absolutely murder Douglas with a nasty implant DDT to win the match.
Overall, this is surprisingly strong but is just agreat showcase of how freaking good the Freebirds are at making a team look good. Not that the Dudes get dragged to something decent, as they definately carry their weight here, but everything they do is magnified times seven thanks to Hayes, Garvin and Gordy. **1/4
Match #2: World Tag Title Tournament Semi Final: The Midnight Express v. The Samoan SWAT Team
This match is basically the Clash VI match with a HELL of a lot more intensity. Both teams go through their stuff for extended periods of time before we get a hot tag. The hot tag sequence comes off well until all hell breaks loose and Cornette's being a douche, Paul E. Dangerously is being a douch, hell, it's a douche-fest.
The end though, is dirty, dirty, but sets up the final well. The Road Warriors hate the SWAT's and Dangerously too, and feel the need to inerject themselves in the match and do quite gloriously. Thanks to the leg up, the Midnights win.
This isn't anything super spectacular, but it's amazing how much better this comes across with a hot crowd behind it. The hate works better, Cornette is a better douche, same with Dangerously.. just everything works better. **1/4
Match #3: Ranger Ross v. The Terrorist
Ranger Ross is basically here to pop the army boys and go home. That's basically, err, literally all that happends. Ross comes out, waves a flag and kicks a terrorist. *******3/4.2's
No really, probably 1/4* for practically nothing happening except a kick-y.
Match #4: The Ding Dongs v. Cougar Jay & George South
Good lord fuck. I never imagined i've EVER review a Ding Dongs match, but hell is a chilly place today.
It's AMAZING how bad the crowd shits on these guys. Like amazing. They're also amazingly annoying with the dinging bell in the corner and not being particularly in sync at all. In fact, had Cougar and South not sold their backsides off, this could have been a nuclear-disaster type bad match. The Dongs blow a ton of spots in a relatively short period of time and spend the rest of the time shedding little bells all over the ring. Funniest part of the mat is Jay leaning down and going 'what the fuck' when picking up the bells on the mat. Honestly, for that moment alone, this isn't a total dud, but it's DAMN close. 1/4*
Match #5: Steve Williams v. Terry Gordy
Ah man, I love these two in a match. Any match. Even in a spaghetti eating contest.
This starts off super fast and super intense with these two basically beating the fuck out of each other with lots of big man super fun. Both struggle to move the other man around the ring at will and both aren't easily able to eat the other guy's offense. Big man matches are best when it's like two bricks clacking off each other. The beginning of this is all that.
Then it plateaus big time unfortunately. Not that anything's bad, but the crowd chills five minutes into this and Gordy and Williams struggle to get them back into it, despite even fighting into the crowd, which of course causes the countout, but still, you'd have figured that'd have done them SOME good.
Overall this is fun, but doesn't go long enough for it to go to the next level and they lose the crowd pretty quickly. The good sequences are awesomely awesome though. **1/4
Match #6: The Varsity Club (Mike Rotundo & Kevin Sullivan) v. The Steiner Brothers
This is a really good short match. Basically Scott's come to the NWA to give his big brother some backup against the cocky Varsity douches. Thus, the Steiner Brothers are born.
Anyways, this match is awesome with the Steiners coming out to Hot Stuff. They surprise the Varsity Club clowns early in the match, especially Scott, whose looking pretty plucky. Eventually though, Scott gets caught and basically gets wrecked by Sullivan. This is the best part of the match and Scott plays an excellent babyface in peril here as the Varsity Club subject him to all sorts of dastardly treatment, including a nasty table bump and a particularly stiff shot with some wooden ring steps.
The hot tag sequence is done well and the Varsities cutting it off and getting the cheating win, over Scott no less, leaves the door open for more stuff down the line as well as something for Scott and Rick to continue to strive for. Very well structured short match. **1/2
Match #7: NWA World Television Championship: Sting v. Bill Irwin
This is another short, utterly pointless match on this card. By now, the crowd's starting to get a little sick of getting good initial stuff and losing it as we get into the match. This only goes about three minutes and is a cute Stinger squash, who brings some ok stuff here, but really, it's still pretty bleh. *
Match #8: NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament Finals: The Freebirds v. The Midnight Express
How can you NOT get up for THIS? I'm betting there'll be a lot of hip swiveling and cock thrusting here in a non homosexual way.
Unfortuantely though, this doesn't really deliver at all. They start with a fantastic premise. Paul E Dangerously jumps Jim Cornette with a loaded rackett and leaves him mildly retarded on the floor. The Dynamic Dudes help Cornette to the back, leaving the Midnight Express in deep trouble, as they're up against the numbers of the Freebirds. Basically, they're done before the match starts.
They do some sorts cardboard tag stuff, of course executed well, but nothing mindblowing before heading into the "Bobby Eaton is a punching bag" part of the match. Eaton's one of the best sellers the business ever had and is outstanding here and the crowd gradually gets behind him. They play to the numbers thing with Lane CONSTANTLY protecting him on the outside as often as possible.
Then, they just don't do much with it, or at least from the babyfaces perspective. Basically Lane gets the hot tag and we're working the SAME EXACT formula we've used in TWO previous tag matches in the night where it gets cut off, Gordy interjects himself and then that's it. Now, playing to the numbers in that respect works ok but I feel empty here for whatever reason.
I REALLY think this could and would have benefitted greatly from Cornette coming back from the locker room or the Dudes or some other babyface team coming to the corner of the Midnights while they're in peril. They never really worked beyond that. Lane's hot tag gets a big pop, but his offense looks awkward in that role and of course nothing really ever gets going with it, as we do the dirty finish we've done twice already tonight, which is frustrating in a way.
This goes about ten minutes and hell, it didn't need anymore time to be great, it just lacked a real swerve or hot spot to get it really going. Normally I wouldn't give a crap if it wasn't two of my favorite tag teams of all time meeting for the first time. Regardless of that, I can't really FAULT them for it in the match, but dammmit I feel like they could've gone the extra mile with it, even with the time alotted to them. **1/2
Match #9: Norman the Lunatic v. Mike Justice
Ah, Bastion Booger pre-Bastion Booger days. It still blows. 45 seconds of Herd crap. DUD.
Match #10: Ricky Steamboat v. Terry Funk
Finally, a match i've REALLY been waiting to see and FINALLY, a match that doesn't really dissapoint.
Steamboat really brings the good here and Funk is Funk. The story here is that Funk's an unstoppable psycho and Steamboat ain't gonna be intimidated by him. The strikes from Steamboat really have some, uh, steam behind them and he seems totally content to work the wild style Funk wants.
The thing I love about this is that it's a wild brawl without one really crazy spot, fighting into the crowd, or baging of heads off of tables. Just punches and chops gallore and a whole lot of 'tude. NO ONE worked that match as well as Funk and everything he does makes him look like a killer and totally out of his mind.
Oddly enough though, as Funk tends to do, his performance fades to the background and his craziness just amplifies the sympathy Steamboat is able to garner by eating so many of Funk's big moves like the pile driver, the pile driver on the floor, etc. He comes off as a pseudo badass even, as Funk bounces around and sells his tail off for Steamboat all while maintaining and enhancing his maniac persona.
This is a real treat on a lot of levels and it's worked tightly, which works well. The fourteen minutes is the perfect ammount of time because they minimize the chances of the crowd ever fading out of it. This is a really great match i'd say is probably in my top three, but I still can't decide if I like the Midnight-Flair/Windham tag better. It's tough call. ***3/4
Overall: This is probably the weakest Clash show i've seen yet, although it is entertaining and a good show all around. I guess the biggest thing about this show is that many of the match ups prove to be really dissapointing. Gordy-Williams never takes off, the Midnights-Freebirds never get going, etc. It's like everyone sat in the back and were like, 'ok, we've got a limited amount of time for our matches, let's work five great minutes and then just work in a finish'. The main event is really worth going out of your way to see though, while the crap is awesomely crappy in a way that only the Jim Herd run WCW could be. Overall, a dissapointing show, but not entirely bad on any level. C+
Clash of Champions On Going Top 10 (Through Clash VII)
1. Ricky Steamboat v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash VI *****
2. Ricky Steamboat v. Terry Funk, Clash VII ***3/4,
3. The Midnight Express v. Ric Flair & Barry Windham, Clash IV ***3/4
4. Sting v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash I ***1/2
5. Midnight Express v.The Fantastics, US Tag Titles, Clash I ***1/4
6. Sting v. Barry Windham, US Title, Clash III ***1/4
7. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Barry Windham & Lex Luger, World Tag Titles, Clash I ***
8. The Fantastics v. Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert, US Tag Titles, Clash IV **3/4
9. Road Warriors v. The Varsity Club, World Tag Titles, Clash VI **3/4
10.The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders **1/2, Clash II
Dropping Out
Mike Rotundo v. Brad Armstrong, TV Title, Clash III **1/2
Showing posts with label The Varsity Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Varsity Club. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Clash of Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun! Review
It's almost embarassing for me, as someone whose been a wrestling fan for many-a-year and has seen almost everything once, that despite the number of times i've watched this main event, i've yet to see ANYTHING else from this card. Not one other match. That, my friends, is about to change.
Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun
Superdome, New Orleans, LA
April 2, 1989
Match #1: The Midnight Express v. The Samoan Swat Team
I wasn't overly wild about this, which is a little difficult for me to say, as I love both teams quite a great deal, especially the Paul E. Dangerously version of the Swat team. This is a REALLY flat tag opener considering the participants. In fact, i'd say the match they have at the NEXT Clash show is leaps and bounds ahead of this one in terms of quality.
Here, they just seem to be aiming to establish the Samoans as the latest stooges that Dangerously will use to get Jim Cornette. The ending to this is pretty great and lays the ground work nicely for the rest of the 'feud', but to be honest, this is pretty bleh for the most part. The Midnights do their thing, the Samoans theirs. Hot tag cooled off in a big way with a dirty finish which is a good thing. Just relaly formulaic and no one is particularly eye popping in this other than the sheer amount of time they gave this. *3/4
Match #2: The Great Muta v. Stevin Casey
This feels like it should have been on the last show. It's a pretty straight forward Muta exhibition of his creepiness. The bell doesn't even ring before he spits the good ole green mist in Casey's eyes and pretty much puts a major league beat down on the youngster from there on out. There's a great commentary job on the part of Ross here, putting him over as a unique act unto himself, which is really appropriate, considering just HOW different Muta was from anything else on the card at the time. Other than that though, this is a pretty basic extended squash. *1/4
Match #3: Butch Reed v. The Junkyard Dog
Ah, the midsouth goodness is revived! Unfortunately for us, this ain't Mid South. This is probably what a few thousand fans saw during their touring days together. Not that it's bad on any level, just VERY a-typical JYD-Butch Reed stuff. JYD interacting a lot with the crowd while Butch does his cocky heel stalling for three quarters of the match. Again, nothing dreadful here by any stretch of the imagination but I feel like i've seen them go with this formula six hundred times or so in the past. *3/4
Match #4: Cowboy Bob Orton, Jr. v. Dick Murdoch
Of all the matches I saw on this card, this was the one I was probably looking the most forward to. Now granted I knew it wouldn't be mind blowing or anything like that. Given the place these guys were given on the card, it'd be unrealistic to expect that. Regardless, it's these two in a match so it's got to be fun on some level.
This runs around ten minutes or so, and basically ,we get a fun old school headlock fest. JR keeps repeating constantly that these two are mirror images of each other and on a certain level, he's right, and for the purposes of this match, he's very right. They counter in and out of headlocks early on before going to each other's arms. Then we're back to the headlock struggles again before going for a solid old school finish. Murdoch hoists Orton up to give him a suplex and the dastardly Gary Hart snags his leg long enough to trip him up, then holds it as the official counts to three. The execution is reasonably good here, the selling is fun and the offense though basic, is still fun.
My beef with this match is the crowd they're playing to. That kind of stuff, while good for what it is, just totally lost the crowd. Extended headlock sequences and armbar sequences are good if you're going broadway, but in the middle of a REALLY big crowd in a dome and wrestling the fourth match of the card, it's kind of awkward. Sometimes you just need to be cognisant of the crowd you're working in front of. Despite all that though, this is fun mid card, old-school stuff. *3/4
Match #5: World Tag Team Championship: The Road Warriors v. The Varsity Club
I liked this match a lot. Like probably a lot more than I should have, given the fact that they don't do a whole heck of a lot differently from the last match, but the incredible levels of heel douche bag-ness in this match rule to a point where they can't be ignored.
Teddy Long has been the subject of storylines recently and how appropriate is it that this is his first real piece of character development. These two teams are full of bullies. The Road Warriors don't wear the belts, Paul Ellering, their bitch does. They also wear spikey shoulder pads. Steve Williams looks like everyone's worst nightmare at a truck stop. Mike Rotundo is the all american bully. Kevin Sullivan is looking especially evil tonight, because he's wearing his wrestling tights and a turtleneck sweater. Fuck yeah for turtleneck sweaters. I need me some.
This is just a total slug fest from bell to bell and the kind of smash mouth, kick a puppie stuff you'd expect from these two teams. There's a great close up of Williams brigning the hate with a stomp right on Animal's jaw. Rotundo looks slightly overmatched here as he's the fourth potato in the ring, but there's nothing really wrong with that when you're in a fist fight with Hawk, Animal and Steve Williams.
The slow Teddy Long turn evolves over the course of the match as he botches some calls just enough so you believe that it's all just a mistake on his part. After that, he increasingly becomes distracted more and more with the Road Warriors, who aren't really willing to play by his rules. Eventually Animal vaults him across the ring, and that doesn't sit to well with Long, who not only allows himself (literally) to be distractred and cause interference, but he also fast counts the final fall and costs the Road Warriors the belts. Wicked fun stuff here as we get good character role playing made better by throwing a third story in there to mess the whole world up. I MIGHT be a little high in rating this, but it just really clicked for me. **3/4
Match #6: US Tag Team Championship: The Varsity Club (Sullivan & Dan Spivey) v. Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner
This is another one that's fun for what it is. To be honest, it's worked REALLY well, considering the crowd they're playing to and whose involved. The bulk of the match is built around Gilbert and Spivey. Spivey's easily the worst worker in this group so you might as well let him run through his power spots and let the best seller (Gilbert) flop all over the ring for you and make you look like a million bucks. Basically that's all we get here with some brief hot exchanges between Sullivan and Steiner, who still don't like each other very much. Jumble that altogether and you get a fun match.
The ending takes it out of the totally average category though and bumps it up slightly as Missy Hyatt involves herself in the proceedings and we get a nice purse shot to Sullivan's face to send the fans home happy. **
Match #7: The Iron Sheik v. Ranger Ross
Here's a little filler before the main event. Sheik is always fun on some level and totally carries this guy to a fun USA v. The World short shot. Sheikie jumps him at the bell and does a pearl harbor job on him for a while before Ranger Ross makes the comeback. Things look like they're in hand before Rip Morgan, designated anti-american flag bearer, comes in and whacks Ross with a flag to cause the DQ. The heels put a nasty beat down on Ross before JYD comes out and makes the save and everyone cheers. Basic, filler stuff here. *
Match #8: World Heavyweight Championship, 2/3 Falls: Ricky Steamboat v. Ric Flair
I'm not going to go into a lengthy review here because everything about this match has been said a million times over by people who could speak to it far better than I could. This MIGHT be the best match in North American Wrestling history, or at least that there's footage of. In fact, this whole series is beyond great, but I think this is just the one that everyone walks away from going 'wow' once they go back and watch it again.
The energy these guys have is just different and something that's really impossible to create, you just have to be kinda lucky. Rock-Austin had that sort of energy and Misawa and Kawada did, but I can't think of any other tandem that came close. Whether you're a casual fan, a MOVEZ~ guy, or a guy who just genuinely enjoys wrestilng, you'll like this. Heck, if you don't like wrestling I don't get how you'd dislike it.
This goes roughly an hour and there isn't a down spot, or if there is, it doesn't come off FEELING like a downspot. The struggle for every little piece of ground is great, Flair is stoogie when he needs to be, an assassin at other times. Steamboat kind of gets knocked off his feet in the first part of the match, not excpecting Flair to be coming at him so hard. Then Steamboat 'settled down' a little bit, gets an advantage and just begins tearing Flair to pieces in a way Flair has been worked over. The end of the second fall is exceptionally shocking, as Ric Flair rarely, if ever in a major storyline to that point, submitted. It was one thing for Steamboat to come back from losing the second fall, but it's another thing to completely squash and steamroll the guy who is the greatest on the planet at the time. The third party is even steven down the line to a controversial finish that sets up the third match where Flair finally wins his belt back.
The selling is the best i've seen in a wrestling match. The strikes are intense and you can feel the compedetive hate between the two. While the first match is really sort of a big dick jousting contest between the two, this is more of the respectful top this kinda ting. This is as good as it gets. I've given four matches this rating, ever. *****
Overall: This is a must own if for nothing more than the main event, which is probably the best match to ever take place on this side of the pond, if ever. The rest of the show though, is a real mixed bag and even the better stuff won't be for everyone. Even I had a hard time getting through this show which REALLY seemed like traveling through a swamp up to your knees. This is a good show for what it's worth, but it's certainly not going to be an edition of the Clash that's for everyone, save for the final match of course.
Clash of Champions On Going Top 10 (Through Clash VI)
1. Ricky Steamboat v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash VI *****
2. The Midnight Express v. Ric Flair & Barry Windham, Clash IV ***3/4
3. Sting v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash I ***1/2
4. Midnight Express v.The Fantastics, US Tag Titles, Clash I ***1/4
5. Sting v. Barry Windham, US Title, Clash III ***1/4
6. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Barry Windham & Lex Luger, World Tag Titles, Clash I ***
7. The Fantastics v. Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert, US Tag Titles, Clash IV **3/4
8. Road Warriors v. The Varsity Club, World Tag Titles, Clash VI **3/4
9. The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders **1/2, Clash II
10. Mike Rotundo v. Brad Armstrong, TV Title, Clash III **1/2
Dropping Off The List:
9. Ricky Morton v. Ivan Koloff, Russian Chain Match, Clash III **1/2
10. Dusty Rhodes & Sting v. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson **1/2, Clash II
Clash of the Champions VI: Ragin' Cajun
Superdome, New Orleans, LA
April 2, 1989
Match #1: The Midnight Express v. The Samoan Swat Team
I wasn't overly wild about this, which is a little difficult for me to say, as I love both teams quite a great deal, especially the Paul E. Dangerously version of the Swat team. This is a REALLY flat tag opener considering the participants. In fact, i'd say the match they have at the NEXT Clash show is leaps and bounds ahead of this one in terms of quality.
Here, they just seem to be aiming to establish the Samoans as the latest stooges that Dangerously will use to get Jim Cornette. The ending to this is pretty great and lays the ground work nicely for the rest of the 'feud', but to be honest, this is pretty bleh for the most part. The Midnights do their thing, the Samoans theirs. Hot tag cooled off in a big way with a dirty finish which is a good thing. Just relaly formulaic and no one is particularly eye popping in this other than the sheer amount of time they gave this. *3/4
Match #2: The Great Muta v. Stevin Casey
This feels like it should have been on the last show. It's a pretty straight forward Muta exhibition of his creepiness. The bell doesn't even ring before he spits the good ole green mist in Casey's eyes and pretty much puts a major league beat down on the youngster from there on out. There's a great commentary job on the part of Ross here, putting him over as a unique act unto himself, which is really appropriate, considering just HOW different Muta was from anything else on the card at the time. Other than that though, this is a pretty basic extended squash. *1/4
Match #3: Butch Reed v. The Junkyard Dog
Ah, the midsouth goodness is revived! Unfortunately for us, this ain't Mid South. This is probably what a few thousand fans saw during their touring days together. Not that it's bad on any level, just VERY a-typical JYD-Butch Reed stuff. JYD interacting a lot with the crowd while Butch does his cocky heel stalling for three quarters of the match. Again, nothing dreadful here by any stretch of the imagination but I feel like i've seen them go with this formula six hundred times or so in the past. *3/4
Match #4: Cowboy Bob Orton, Jr. v. Dick Murdoch
Of all the matches I saw on this card, this was the one I was probably looking the most forward to. Now granted I knew it wouldn't be mind blowing or anything like that. Given the place these guys were given on the card, it'd be unrealistic to expect that. Regardless, it's these two in a match so it's got to be fun on some level.
This runs around ten minutes or so, and basically ,we get a fun old school headlock fest. JR keeps repeating constantly that these two are mirror images of each other and on a certain level, he's right, and for the purposes of this match, he's very right. They counter in and out of headlocks early on before going to each other's arms. Then we're back to the headlock struggles again before going for a solid old school finish. Murdoch hoists Orton up to give him a suplex and the dastardly Gary Hart snags his leg long enough to trip him up, then holds it as the official counts to three. The execution is reasonably good here, the selling is fun and the offense though basic, is still fun.
My beef with this match is the crowd they're playing to. That kind of stuff, while good for what it is, just totally lost the crowd. Extended headlock sequences and armbar sequences are good if you're going broadway, but in the middle of a REALLY big crowd in a dome and wrestling the fourth match of the card, it's kind of awkward. Sometimes you just need to be cognisant of the crowd you're working in front of. Despite all that though, this is fun mid card, old-school stuff. *3/4
Match #5: World Tag Team Championship: The Road Warriors v. The Varsity Club
I liked this match a lot. Like probably a lot more than I should have, given the fact that they don't do a whole heck of a lot differently from the last match, but the incredible levels of heel douche bag-ness in this match rule to a point where they can't be ignored.
Teddy Long has been the subject of storylines recently and how appropriate is it that this is his first real piece of character development. These two teams are full of bullies. The Road Warriors don't wear the belts, Paul Ellering, their bitch does. They also wear spikey shoulder pads. Steve Williams looks like everyone's worst nightmare at a truck stop. Mike Rotundo is the all american bully. Kevin Sullivan is looking especially evil tonight, because he's wearing his wrestling tights and a turtleneck sweater. Fuck yeah for turtleneck sweaters. I need me some.
This is just a total slug fest from bell to bell and the kind of smash mouth, kick a puppie stuff you'd expect from these two teams. There's a great close up of Williams brigning the hate with a stomp right on Animal's jaw. Rotundo looks slightly overmatched here as he's the fourth potato in the ring, but there's nothing really wrong with that when you're in a fist fight with Hawk, Animal and Steve Williams.
The slow Teddy Long turn evolves over the course of the match as he botches some calls just enough so you believe that it's all just a mistake on his part. After that, he increasingly becomes distracted more and more with the Road Warriors, who aren't really willing to play by his rules. Eventually Animal vaults him across the ring, and that doesn't sit to well with Long, who not only allows himself (literally) to be distractred and cause interference, but he also fast counts the final fall and costs the Road Warriors the belts. Wicked fun stuff here as we get good character role playing made better by throwing a third story in there to mess the whole world up. I MIGHT be a little high in rating this, but it just really clicked for me. **3/4
Match #6: US Tag Team Championship: The Varsity Club (Sullivan & Dan Spivey) v. Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner
This is another one that's fun for what it is. To be honest, it's worked REALLY well, considering the crowd they're playing to and whose involved. The bulk of the match is built around Gilbert and Spivey. Spivey's easily the worst worker in this group so you might as well let him run through his power spots and let the best seller (Gilbert) flop all over the ring for you and make you look like a million bucks. Basically that's all we get here with some brief hot exchanges between Sullivan and Steiner, who still don't like each other very much. Jumble that altogether and you get a fun match.
The ending takes it out of the totally average category though and bumps it up slightly as Missy Hyatt involves herself in the proceedings and we get a nice purse shot to Sullivan's face to send the fans home happy. **
Match #7: The Iron Sheik v. Ranger Ross
Here's a little filler before the main event. Sheik is always fun on some level and totally carries this guy to a fun USA v. The World short shot. Sheikie jumps him at the bell and does a pearl harbor job on him for a while before Ranger Ross makes the comeback. Things look like they're in hand before Rip Morgan, designated anti-american flag bearer, comes in and whacks Ross with a flag to cause the DQ. The heels put a nasty beat down on Ross before JYD comes out and makes the save and everyone cheers. Basic, filler stuff here. *
Match #8: World Heavyweight Championship, 2/3 Falls: Ricky Steamboat v. Ric Flair
I'm not going to go into a lengthy review here because everything about this match has been said a million times over by people who could speak to it far better than I could. This MIGHT be the best match in North American Wrestling history, or at least that there's footage of. In fact, this whole series is beyond great, but I think this is just the one that everyone walks away from going 'wow' once they go back and watch it again.
The energy these guys have is just different and something that's really impossible to create, you just have to be kinda lucky. Rock-Austin had that sort of energy and Misawa and Kawada did, but I can't think of any other tandem that came close. Whether you're a casual fan, a MOVEZ~ guy, or a guy who just genuinely enjoys wrestilng, you'll like this. Heck, if you don't like wrestling I don't get how you'd dislike it.
This goes roughly an hour and there isn't a down spot, or if there is, it doesn't come off FEELING like a downspot. The struggle for every little piece of ground is great, Flair is stoogie when he needs to be, an assassin at other times. Steamboat kind of gets knocked off his feet in the first part of the match, not excpecting Flair to be coming at him so hard. Then Steamboat 'settled down' a little bit, gets an advantage and just begins tearing Flair to pieces in a way Flair has been worked over. The end of the second fall is exceptionally shocking, as Ric Flair rarely, if ever in a major storyline to that point, submitted. It was one thing for Steamboat to come back from losing the second fall, but it's another thing to completely squash and steamroll the guy who is the greatest on the planet at the time. The third party is even steven down the line to a controversial finish that sets up the third match where Flair finally wins his belt back.
The selling is the best i've seen in a wrestling match. The strikes are intense and you can feel the compedetive hate between the two. While the first match is really sort of a big dick jousting contest between the two, this is more of the respectful top this kinda ting. This is as good as it gets. I've given four matches this rating, ever. *****
Overall: This is a must own if for nothing more than the main event, which is probably the best match to ever take place on this side of the pond, if ever. The rest of the show though, is a real mixed bag and even the better stuff won't be for everyone. Even I had a hard time getting through this show which REALLY seemed like traveling through a swamp up to your knees. This is a good show for what it's worth, but it's certainly not going to be an edition of the Clash that's for everyone, save for the final match of course.
Clash of Champions On Going Top 10 (Through Clash VI)
1. Ricky Steamboat v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash VI *****
2. The Midnight Express v. Ric Flair & Barry Windham, Clash IV ***3/4
3. Sting v. Ric Flair, World Hvt Title, Clash I ***1/2
4. Midnight Express v.The Fantastics, US Tag Titles, Clash I ***1/4
5. Sting v. Barry Windham, US Title, Clash III ***1/4
6. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Barry Windham & Lex Luger, World Tag Titles, Clash I ***
7. The Fantastics v. Ron Simmons & Eddie Gilbert, US Tag Titles, Clash IV **3/4
8. Road Warriors v. The Varsity Club, World Tag Titles, Clash VI **3/4
9. The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders **1/2, Clash II
10. Mike Rotundo v. Brad Armstrong, TV Title, Clash III **1/2
Dropping Off The List:
9. Ricky Morton v. Ivan Koloff, Russian Chain Match, Clash III **1/2
10. Dusty Rhodes & Sting v. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson **1/2, Clash II
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Clash of Champions II: Miami Mayhem
Clash of Champions II: Miami Mayhem
June 6, 1988
Miami, FL
MATCH #1: United States Championship: Barry Windham v. Brad Armstrong
Really there's nothing here to get overly excited about. I'm a huge Windham mark but here, there's really nothing going on except and extended squash. Armstrong gets some decent stuff in here and there, but outside of that, this is all about making Barry Windham look strong heading into the Great American Bash. *1/2
MATCH #2: US Tag Team Championship: The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders
Here's the Bushwhackers before they started whackin' bush and I like what I see. I was kind of surprised that the challengers got in the ammount of offence they did here as they control pretty much 95% of this match. Kinda shotty booking for the champs.
Irrgegardless, I like this match a heck of a lot more than I probably should. Butch and Luke are pretty awesome as heels here, and just when things seem like they may be getting a little flat, they do something slightly wild to bring the crowd back into it. Being the wild New Zealanders they are, they use a lot of debris around the ring; the guard rail, the belts, a flag pole and even a non-folding chair to the back. Just fun brawlin' heel stuff.
Rogers' selling is out of this world here, which of course just makes everything the heels are doing that much better. Especially an exceptional visual of him slumping in the corner after Butch gets done turning him inside out on what particular occasion.
Again this match suffers from some strange booking and prevents it from really being much better than a decent match. The hot tag is made and then there's a flash pin literally in like 10 seconds for the win and it kinda leaves you with that 'wow, that's all it took' feeling. Again, this hardly sucks and in flashes is incredibly good, but a weird finish takes a lot away from what's an otherwise perfectly acceptable match. **1/2
MATCH #3: Ronnie & Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) v. Rick Steiner & Mike Rutundo
This is a total 'angle match'. Everything going on inside of the ring really takes a major league back seat to what's going on on the outside of the ring. Kevin Sullivan, being the creep show he is, is locked up in a cage at ringside while these guys all go at it. Precious has the key to the cage, but it's safe to assume she's not going to be giving that up after Sullivan's psycho stalker behavior stuff.
The match itself is pretty much a wild brawl minus weapons while the camera is on Precious pretty much 75% of the time as she's being heckled by Sullivan, who's pleading with her to give him the key and let him out because he 'has something to show her'. Yes, creepy.
There's nothing to really criticize here, as basically Sullivan ends up getting his hands on Precious and gets the key from her. He goes to rough up the girl at ringside when Steve Williams comes running over after being on commentary most of the match and does a pretty good bomb job on him before bringing Precious back to Jimmy. Thing is though, that precious wants nothing to do with him and walks off. Just sort of an odd 10 minutes or so, that didn't really click with me. *3/4
MATCH #4: Nikita Koloff v. Al Perez
I GUESS these two have been feuding for a little while, but it's kinda hard to tell by the way they're wrestling. Nothing seems to be really learned over the course of their feud and there isn't much intensity between the two. Well, scratch that. Nikita is crazy, but he's always crazy.
Watching the match and more specifically Koloff, makes me think of Batista. His explosiveness and power and total inability to time his stuff is so similar to Bats that's it's kinda creepy. *3/4
MATCH #5 World Tag Team Championship: Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson v. Sting & Dusty Rhodes
If this isn't a classic Dusty booked match, then I dunno what is.
Sting and Dusty come in and completely and totally clean house to open things up. The Horseman struggle to find anything open before JJ Dillon distracts the ref and enables them to break a figure four held by Sting. From there on out it's 'make Sting our bitch' before Dusty gets the hot tag and the faces come within a fart's whiff of winning the tag belts, only for Barry Windham and Flair to come trapsing down to the ring and causing a DQ finish.
That's the match in a nut shell. Here's what I liked-didn't like.
I guess i'll end on a positive note soe i'll go over what I didn't like first. I hate the Dusty circle jerk stuff. Sting is a guy who just took Ric Flair to the absolute limit two months ago and here he is turning into a total punching bag. In fact, i'd have no DOUBT made Dusty that guy just because he'd have been the better choice to garner sympathy from the crowd. It really did Sting no favors and didn't build much heat to anything at the Bash. This was all about pops for Dusty and it just wasn't all that great.
The good stuff. The Four Horseman. Period. The offense is AWESOME, the mannerisms are AWESOME. JJ DILLON is more AWESOME. These guys really make the best out of a really poorly worked match and help it along with some great selling. The ONLY reason the crowd was into this was because of the babyfaces.
And thank god Dusty and Sting were wrestling Blanchard and Anderson. Sting was booked so weak here that i'd think it'd hurt him against any other team.
Overall, another really hit and miss match here with some flashes of brilliance, but certainly nothing top level. **1/2
Overall: This isn't required viewing or anything, but it's hardly bad and worth a watch if you can get ahold of it. There's plenty of good mixed into the bad but if anything, it's a good picture of what was so great and so bad about the NWA at this period in time.
Clash of Champions On Going Top 10 (Through Clash II)
1. Sting v. Ric Flair ***1/2, Clash I
2. Midnight Express v.The Fantastics ***1/4, Clash I
3. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Barry Windham & Lex Luger ***, Clash I
4. The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders **1/2, Clash II
5. Dusty Rhodes & Sting v. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson **1/2, Clash II
6. Mike Rutundo v. Jimmy Garvin *3/4, Clash I
7. Jimmy Garvin & Ronnie Garvin v. Mike Rutundo & Rick Steiner *3/4, Clash II
8. Barry Windham v. Brad Armstrong *3/4, Clash II
9. Nikita Koloff v. Al Perez *3/4, Clash II
10. Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors v. Ivan Koloff & Powers of Pain *1/4, Clash I
June 6, 1988
Miami, FL
MATCH #1: United States Championship: Barry Windham v. Brad Armstrong
Really there's nothing here to get overly excited about. I'm a huge Windham mark but here, there's really nothing going on except and extended squash. Armstrong gets some decent stuff in here and there, but outside of that, this is all about making Barry Windham look strong heading into the Great American Bash. *1/2
MATCH #2: US Tag Team Championship: The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders
Here's the Bushwhackers before they started whackin' bush and I like what I see. I was kind of surprised that the challengers got in the ammount of offence they did here as they control pretty much 95% of this match. Kinda shotty booking for the champs.
Irrgegardless, I like this match a heck of a lot more than I probably should. Butch and Luke are pretty awesome as heels here, and just when things seem like they may be getting a little flat, they do something slightly wild to bring the crowd back into it. Being the wild New Zealanders they are, they use a lot of debris around the ring; the guard rail, the belts, a flag pole and even a non-folding chair to the back. Just fun brawlin' heel stuff.
Rogers' selling is out of this world here, which of course just makes everything the heels are doing that much better. Especially an exceptional visual of him slumping in the corner after Butch gets done turning him inside out on what particular occasion.
Again this match suffers from some strange booking and prevents it from really being much better than a decent match. The hot tag is made and then there's a flash pin literally in like 10 seconds for the win and it kinda leaves you with that 'wow, that's all it took' feeling. Again, this hardly sucks and in flashes is incredibly good, but a weird finish takes a lot away from what's an otherwise perfectly acceptable match. **1/2
MATCH #3: Ronnie & Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) v. Rick Steiner & Mike Rutundo
This is a total 'angle match'. Everything going on inside of the ring really takes a major league back seat to what's going on on the outside of the ring. Kevin Sullivan, being the creep show he is, is locked up in a cage at ringside while these guys all go at it. Precious has the key to the cage, but it's safe to assume she's not going to be giving that up after Sullivan's psycho stalker behavior stuff.
The match itself is pretty much a wild brawl minus weapons while the camera is on Precious pretty much 75% of the time as she's being heckled by Sullivan, who's pleading with her to give him the key and let him out because he 'has something to show her'. Yes, creepy.
There's nothing to really criticize here, as basically Sullivan ends up getting his hands on Precious and gets the key from her. He goes to rough up the girl at ringside when Steve Williams comes running over after being on commentary most of the match and does a pretty good bomb job on him before bringing Precious back to Jimmy. Thing is though, that precious wants nothing to do with him and walks off. Just sort of an odd 10 minutes or so, that didn't really click with me. *3/4
MATCH #4: Nikita Koloff v. Al Perez
I GUESS these two have been feuding for a little while, but it's kinda hard to tell by the way they're wrestling. Nothing seems to be really learned over the course of their feud and there isn't much intensity between the two. Well, scratch that. Nikita is crazy, but he's always crazy.
Watching the match and more specifically Koloff, makes me think of Batista. His explosiveness and power and total inability to time his stuff is so similar to Bats that's it's kinda creepy. *3/4
MATCH #5 World Tag Team Championship: Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson v. Sting & Dusty Rhodes
If this isn't a classic Dusty booked match, then I dunno what is.
Sting and Dusty come in and completely and totally clean house to open things up. The Horseman struggle to find anything open before JJ Dillon distracts the ref and enables them to break a figure four held by Sting. From there on out it's 'make Sting our bitch' before Dusty gets the hot tag and the faces come within a fart's whiff of winning the tag belts, only for Barry Windham and Flair to come trapsing down to the ring and causing a DQ finish.
That's the match in a nut shell. Here's what I liked-didn't like.
I guess i'll end on a positive note soe i'll go over what I didn't like first. I hate the Dusty circle jerk stuff. Sting is a guy who just took Ric Flair to the absolute limit two months ago and here he is turning into a total punching bag. In fact, i'd have no DOUBT made Dusty that guy just because he'd have been the better choice to garner sympathy from the crowd. It really did Sting no favors and didn't build much heat to anything at the Bash. This was all about pops for Dusty and it just wasn't all that great.
The good stuff. The Four Horseman. Period. The offense is AWESOME, the mannerisms are AWESOME. JJ DILLON is more AWESOME. These guys really make the best out of a really poorly worked match and help it along with some great selling. The ONLY reason the crowd was into this was because of the babyfaces.
And thank god Dusty and Sting were wrestling Blanchard and Anderson. Sting was booked so weak here that i'd think it'd hurt him against any other team.
Overall, another really hit and miss match here with some flashes of brilliance, but certainly nothing top level. **1/2
Overall: This isn't required viewing or anything, but it's hardly bad and worth a watch if you can get ahold of it. There's plenty of good mixed into the bad but if anything, it's a good picture of what was so great and so bad about the NWA at this period in time.
Clash of Champions On Going Top 10 (Through Clash II)
1. Sting v. Ric Flair ***1/2, Clash I
2. Midnight Express v.The Fantastics ***1/4, Clash I
3. Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Barry Windham & Lex Luger ***, Clash I
4. The Fantastics v. The Sheepherders **1/2, Clash II
5. Dusty Rhodes & Sting v. Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson **1/2, Clash II
6. Mike Rutundo v. Jimmy Garvin *3/4, Clash I
7. Jimmy Garvin & Ronnie Garvin v. Mike Rutundo & Rick Steiner *3/4, Clash II
8. Barry Windham v. Brad Armstrong *3/4, Clash II
9. Nikita Koloff v. Al Perez *3/4, Clash II
10. Dusty Rhodes & The Road Warriors v. Ivan Koloff & Powers of Pain *1/4, Clash I
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