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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