Category: TV Series (Specific Episodes)

SUMMARY:       RUNNING TIME: Approx. 1 Hour, 52 Min.

During the 1988 holiday season in the rough-and-tumble NWA (National Wrestling Alliance), it’s not about merely getting lumps of coal in your stocking – it’s just about getting lumps.  From Chattanooga, TN at the UTC (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga) Arena, TBS aired the NWA’s Clash of the Champions IV: Season’s Beatings live on December 7, 1988. 

The event’s ringside commentators are Jim Ross & Bob Caudle.  After each match, Tony Schiavone and his guest, “The Total Package” Lex Luger, also briefly contribute supplemental commentary.  Magnum T.A., meanwhile, conducts some of the interviews.  Teenage actor Jason Hervey (of ABC-TV’s “The Wonder Years”) is present at ringside – he is referenced as the opening match’s ring announcer.  This Clash is a prelude for that’s month’s NWA Pay-Per-View, Starrcade ’88: True Gritt.

Notes: It is repeatedly announced that these matches are alotted a half-hour time limit. With this show, the NWA also experimented with glimpses of an above-the ring camera angle. Let’s just say it doesn’t bolster the show’s viewing quality.

Match 1: “Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert & Ron Simmons vs. The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) – U.S. Tag Team Championship Tournament Final (27:04).  Approaching the time limit, both fan favorite duos contribute an excellent effort.  Gilbert is valiant selling his injured arm during the bout’s latter half.  Suffice to say, whoever chose this tournament final to lead off the show made a smart call.  Rating: 7½ Stars.  

• Ross interviews NWA World Television Champion Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan.  The ultra-snide villains ridicule Rotunda’s Starrcade ’88 challenger (and their ex-Varsity Club stablemate), Rick Steiner.

Match 2: The Varsity Club’s “Dr. Death” Steve Williams (with Kevin Sullivan) vs. The Italian Stallion (15:17).  Instead of a predictable squash, The Italian Stallion somehow stays competitive against the now-heel Williams.  While the finish is exactly what viewers expect, the bout is watchable TV filler.  Rating: 6 Stars.

• With Luger looking on, Schiavone interviews Jason Hervey.
• Magnum T.A. interviews The Junkyard Dog (JYD).  JYD has been recruited as Nikita Koloff’s replacement for a tag match with Ivan Koloff against Paul Jones’ Russian Assassins at Starrcade ’88. 
• There’s a second replay of The Road Warriors’ recent bloody attack on Dusty Rhodes from an episode of World Championship Wrestling.  The first replay was included in the pre-title segment.

Note: Nikita Koloff had recently departed the NWA on a personal sabbatical and would not return until early 1991.  

Match 3: Ivan Koloff (with the stipulation of having one arm tied behind his back) vs. Paul Jones (8:21).  Given these players, their bout is as near-unwatchable as it sounds.  It’s no shocker that the masked Russian Assassins and JYD intervene to hype their upcoming tag bout.  Rating 3½ Stars.

• Ross briefly interviews Sting, who is in at ringside in support of Rhodes (his tag partner at Starrcade ’88).   
• Per Rhodes’ late arrival (planned or not), Magnum T.A. interviews “The Dog-Faced Gremlin” Rick Steiner, who is in full goofy mode.   

Match 4: “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes (with Sting) vs. NWA World Tag Team Champion Road Warrior Animal (with Paul Ellering & Road Warrior Hawk (2:54).  With the winner gaining control of the NWA World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, an eye-patched Rhodes seeks vengeance upon his ex-partners: The Road Warriors.  In only a few minutes, it is the show’s most sadistic content and does little to justify its airtime.  Rating: 3 Stars. 

Notes: The NWA subsequently retired its World Six-Man Tag Team Championship in February1989.  This bout (aside from Starrcade ’88) was evidently Rhodes’ last NWA TV match before jumping to the WWF in early 1990.

Match 5: The Midnight Express -“Beautiful” Bobby Eaton & “Sweet” Stan Lane (with Jim Cornette) vs. NWA World Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair & NWA U.S. Champion Barry Windham (with J.J. Dillon) (17:41).  While the winners’ chicanery isn’t a surprise, the pre-match hype is justifiable.  Specifically, this bout is tag team dynamite.  With the Express mostly dominating the Two Horsemen, a reeling Flair & Windham play up this scenario for all it’s worth. 

Considering Cornette’s now-popular Express three months before became the sole NWA team to simultaneously hold the U.S. and World Tag Team Championships, their star power now appears equitable to the remaining Horsemen.  Including Cornette and Dillon’s wily contributions, this tag team showdown absolutely merits re-discovery.  Rating: 8½ Stars. 

Note: Having jumped to the WWF, then-NWA World Tag Team Champions Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson (the other half of The Four Horsemen) dropped the titles to fellow heels The Midnight Express on 9/10/88.  In a bloody rout, Eaton & Lane subsequently lost the championship to the rampaging Road Warriors on 10/29/88.  

• Schiavone interviews an irate Cornette.
• Ross & Caudle review some of the Clash’s highlights.
• Schiavone & Luger review the main event’s finish before closing out the show.  Luger deems himself ready to claim Flair’s NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Starrcade ’88.

REVIEW:

Predictably, the NWA’s video quality isn’t as slickly-produced as the rival WWF, but the overall content is still more than sufficient.  Ross and Caudle are an excellent ringside tandem that easily surpasses Schiavone & Luger’s bland screen time – which is mere filler by comparison. 

With two outstanding bouts book-ending the show, the other three matches are skippable.  That said, the rare Midnight Express vs. Flair & Windham bout is a welcome blast of Late ‘80s NWA nostalgia.  If one should have extra time, the Simmons/Gilbert vs. The Fantastics title bout delivers a minor gem.  Everything else in between often requires a fast-forward button.   

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                6½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                 RUNNING TIME: 42:19 Min.

Later airing on NWA World Wide Wrestling, this NWA World Championship steel cage match occurred on September 25, 1987, at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena.  At the time, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair was feuding with both Ronnie Garvin and his on-screen ‘brother,’ “Gorgeous” Jimmy Gavin (who is Ronnie’s real-life step-son). 

Without his Four Horsemen cronies (including manager J.J. Dillon), Flair is on his own defending his World Heavyweight Title against the so-called “The Man With The Hands of Stone.”  Apart from a classic top rope finish (including a rare high-flying move from Garvin), this slugfest is dominated by Garvin’s pounding ground game.  Flair appears in vintage mid-80’s form, even as he slowly wilts under Garvin’s barrage.  

The post-match reaction includes NWA promoters Jim & David Crockett; Dusty Rhodes; Nikita Koloff; Sting; Barry Windham; Michael “P.S.” Hayes; The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson); Shane Douglas; and The Lightning Express (Brad Armstrong & Tim Horner).  Approximately five minutes replaying the bout’s climax and finish are included.  As seen on screen, David Crockett provides the solo ringside commentary.

Note: Including commercial breakaways, the match (as shown in progress) is approximately thirty-two minutes.  The subsequent ten minutes is the post-match celebration/recap.

REVIEW:

Keeping in mind that, at the time, Garvin was 42 and Flair himself was 38, their veteran in-ring conditioning is astounding.  Specifically, neither one resorts to rest holds or cheap stalling to catch a breath amidst grueling ‘combat.’  Even more so, Garvin’s gritty, no-nonsense style might seem boring after 10-15 minutes; that is not the case here.  This gutsy display is likely one of the best, if not the best, of Garvin’s career. 

Between a bloodied yet resilient Flair and a relentless Garvin, fans absolutely get their money’s worth.  The shame is that this no-nonsense showdown was soon overshadowed (and basically forgotten) upon the obligatory Starrcade ’87 title rematch (in a cage, of course) … where the predictable happens.  Still, to Flair’s credit, he illuminates Garvin’s star power in this bout’s closing seconds. 

Suffice to say, it’s an immortal coronation of a reliable yet perennial mid-carder finally getting his due. 

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                       8½ Stars

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SUMMARY:                       RUNNING TIME: 8:15 Min.

Aired April 15, 1989, on TBS, this episode of the NWA’s World Championship Wrestling was presumably filmed at its Atlanta, GA studio.  Months before officially turning heel as half of the masked Doom tag team (with Butch Reed), Ron Simmons challenges NWA World Champion Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.  It isn’t spelled out whether or not this face vs. face bout is a non-title match, but it mostly likely is. 

The ringside commentators are Jim Ross and The Fabulous Freebirds’ Michael “P.S.” Hayes.

REVIEW:

Even if this rare Steamboat vs. Simmons encounter isn’t a classic, seeing “The Dragon” battle a future WCW World Champion still offers some first-class pro wrestling.  In just over eight minutes, they deliver a satisfying performance by the NWA’s TV main event standards for that era. 

For nostalgia purposes, this entertaining relic reminds fans of an era where NWA bouts typically preferred in-ring substance over the rival WWF’s cartoony style.  Nicely played!       

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                          6½ Stars

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SUMMARY:         RUNNING TIME: Approx. 1 Hour, 34 Min.

Taped at Memorial Auditorium in Utica, NY, on August 15, 1990, this episode of WWF Prime Time Wrestling is entitled SummerSlam Fever.  The USA Network subsequently aired this special on August 19, 1990.  Vince McMahon and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan host this arena show hyping SummerSlam 1990 set for August 27, 1990, on Pay-Per-View (PPV).

The contents are as follows:  

Match # 1: The Hart Foundation’s Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart vs. WWF World Tag Team Champion Smash of Demolition. Running Time: 6:08. 

Quick Review: 6/10.  Given these two players, their match is surprisingly watchable.  A nimble Neidhart looks remarkably good in what is likely the show’s second-best bout.

Notes: A flashback clip from a recent Saturday Night’s Main Event tag team title defense between Demolition and The Rockers is included.  Both the Hart Foundation and the Legion of Doom enter this fracas.  As for the Neidhart/Smash showdown, the other two-thirds of Demolition: Ax and Crush make a post-match appearance.

• “Mean” Gene Okerlund interviews the gloating Demolition trio.

Match # 2: “Texas Tornado” Kerry Von Erich vs. Black Bart.  Running Time: 2:40. 

Quick Review: 4/10.  Von Erich looks sharp easily dispatching an old World Class Championship Wrestling adversary.

• Okerlund interviews Von Erich’s upcoming foe: WWF Intercontinental Champion “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (with Bobby Heenan).

Match # 3: “Pistol” Pez Whatley vs. The Warlord (with Slick).  Running Time: 2:53. 

Quick Review: 4/10.  Despite the veteran Whatley’s best Junkyard Dog imitation, the Warlord crushes him. 

• With a sweaty Heenan, “Ravishing” Rick Rude delivers a Rocky-style training promo hyping his steel cage title challenge of WWF World Champion The Ultimate Warrior. 
• Okerlund interviews The Ultimate Warrior (who wears minimal facial makeup).
• A “Brother Love Show” flashback depicts “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan befriending Nicolai Volkoff.  A second clip depicts an in-ring Boy Scouts medal ceremony awarding Volkoff, which is then followed by the group’s Pledge of Allegiance. 

Match # 4:  Boris Zhukov vs. Nikolai Volkoff.  Running Time: 2:37. 

Quick Review: 2/10.  To no one’s surprise, this mercifully brief ‘Battle of the Bolsheviks’ falls far short of watchable. 

• Okerlund interviews “Macho King” Randy Savage and “Sensational Queen” Sherri (wearing Cats-style facial makeup).
• Flashback clip: Dino Bravo and then Earthquake (with Jimmy Hart) ambush Tugboat mid-match.  Big Boss Man also make an appearance.
• “Brother Love Show:” Earthquake ‘no-shows,’ so fellow guest Hulk Hogan eventually punts a taunting Jimmy Hart out of the ring.  The Hulkster’s solo promo, suffice to say, is lackluster at best.

Match # 5:  Power & Glory: Hercules & Paul Roma, with Slick vs. Mark Thomas & Mike Williams.  Running Time: 2:35. 

Quick Review: 3½/10.  Against two hapless jobbers, Power & Glory are solid. 

• Okerlund interviews Dusty Rhodes’ valet, Sapphire, broadly hinting at an imminent SummerSlam plot twist. 

Match # 6:  Jake “The Snake” Roberts (with Damian) vs. “Iron” Mike Sharpe.  Running Time: 2:37. 

Quick Review: 5/10.  With a game Sharpe delivering some competitive blows, this one proves entertaining – no matter the squash finish. 

• “Bad News” Brown’s promo shows him selecting ‘Harlem sewer rats’ for his upcoming showdown with Roberts.

Match # 7:  WWF Intercontinental Champion “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig (with Bobby Heenan) vs. “Rugged” Ronnie Garvin.  Running Time: 5:56. 

Quick Review: 6 ½/10.  As the sole commentator, McMahon doesn’t clarify if Garvin is actually challenging for the I-C title or not.  Even so, despite its short length, Hennig and Garvin reliably supply the night’s best effort.     

• Okerlund interviews Dino Bravo and Jimmy Hart.

Match # 8:  Mr. Fuji’s Orient Express; Pat Tanaka & Sato vs. Shane Douglas & Sonny Blaze.  Running Time: 2:08. 

Quick Review: 3/10.  Though Douglas briefly exhibits his future star power, the bout is an instantly forgettable squash.   

Match # 9:  “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan vs. Earthquake (with Jimmy Hart & Dino Bravo).  Running Time: 6:20. 

Quick Review: 4½/10.  Hulk Hogan’s ‘heroic’ save fails to salvage a lumbering brawl that predictably goes nowhere.      

• In the locker room, Okerlund interviews Earthquake, Bravo, and Jimmy Hart. 
• McMahon & Heenan sign off.
• Okerlund and ‘Brother Love’ trade off on SummerSlam match predictions.

SUMMARY REVIEW:

Given it is a glorified WWF infomercial, unsurprisingly, the interview segments tend to surpass the middling in-ring content.  Yet, the whole kid-friendly package is relatively entertaining for die-hard fans.  If anything, a single viewing is more than sufficient.

BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING:                  5 Stars

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