Well, everything’s been searched for, rooted through,
categorized, found, and documented in one way or another. So that means the
vintage reviews are on their way back.
Back before my unplanned hiatus, I had the blog set to be
updated Mon-Wed-Fri. I’m not going to have a set update schedule now, but I
will try to at least do so regularly. However, I will not go on another
year-long break.
Anyway, I’m now in the middle of 1988 and that warrants an
overview for the rest of the year.
For normal shows, we’ve got:
Saturday Night’s Main
Event #16-20
Superstars of
Wrestling
WCW World Wide
Wrestling
WCW Main Event
Clash of the
Champions I-IV
In the ways of pay per views:
WrestleMania IV
The Great American
Bash
Summerslam
Starrcade
So without further ado, the next review will be up soon.
Well, say goodbye to 1986 and here’s hoping that there’s a
lot more uploads of 1987. I’ve also decided that I will conclude Vintage Wrestling
Reviews after I review WrestleMania XXIX. I know by that time, it ceases to be vintage, but it can become a play off one of Cole's catchphrases. My reasoning is that I wanted to get a full spectrum for myself. I started watching sporadically in the summer of 2009 and only became really serious earlier in the spring of 2012. I'll overlap on what I've already seen yes, but by that time, I'll have formed my own opinions and be able to draw on those to see what I think about the current standings. Instead of, you know, letting my opinions be decided by the vocal majority of the IWC.
Anyway, what’s on our itinerary for 1987?
We continue with Superstars of Wrestling as the only weekly
show
Saturday Night’s Main Event aired on:
January 3
March 14
May 2
October 3
November 28
In the way of Pay Per Views:
WrestleMania III aired March 29
Survivor Series debuted November 26
Starrcade ’87 aired November 26 as well
The Great American Bash was another set of tours, so it won’t
be reviewed here again.
It’s quite funny how I keep making mistakes. The Saturday
Night’s Main Event that I thought was aired on December 19th was
actually taped on that date and aired January 4, 1986. So what does that mean?
It means we’re out of 1985 and into the new year! So let’s
see what this year has in store for us!
We have five airings of Saturday
Night’s Main Event on January 4, March 1, May 3, October 4, and November
29. Superstars of Wrestling begins in
September. And as for Pay Per Views:
WrestleMania II on April 7
Starrcade on November 27
*note: NWA/WCW did have a Great American Bash in 1986. However, it was a general name for a tour of 13 shows all called Great American Bash. This tour will not be covered.
It’s time once again to delve into the past! Today, I
correct my mistake at the end of last Friday’s post: Starccade ’85 was on November
28, obviously before the December 19th Saturday Night’s Main Event
and therefore will be covered today. The pay per view was showcased in two
venues: Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina and The Omni in
Atlanta Georgia. Let’s get to it!
We start off with bob Caudle and Tony Schiavone promising a
night to remember with every title on the line and grudges to be settled.
Match: Sam Houston vs. Khrusher Khrushchev for the
Mid-Atlantic Title
In a match of power vs. speed, both men started out
strongly, with Khrushchev slowly gaining the edge. Houston had a second wind somewhere
along the way, almost winning, but Khrushchev was able to take quick advantage.
Winner: Khrusher Khrushchev with a pin to become the new
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship
This was an ok match. What was promised as speed vs. power
didn’t really have a lot of speed to it. Houston’s second wind was nice, but it
should have gone on longer and the “I believe I’ve won so I’ll let myself be
pinned” didn’t feel right in this case. 2/5
Match: Ragin’ Bull vs. Abdullah the Butcher (with Paul Jones)
in a Mexican Death Match
In essence, it’s a Hat on a Pole Hardcore Match. Bwuh?
Anyway, Abdullah had the weight advantage to begin with,
which was eventually used against him, with Bull utilizing his own boot and
belt. Soon, none of them had any real favor going for them.
Winner: Ragin’ Bull
This match was good. It was intense with neither man having
any clear ground. It had a good finish with Abdullah making a small miss,
allowing Bull to get the hat. 3/5
Match: Cowboy Ron Bass vs. Black Bart (with J. J. Dillon) in
a Texas Bullrope Match
Both men are tied together with the Bullrope, anything goes.
Bass early on had the strength to dominate Bart with a
cowbell. Bart’s attempts to turn it around were met with being tossed out of
the ring and more cowbell.
Winner: Cowboy Ron Bass with a cowbell and pin
This was a very weak match. Sometimes dominated hardcore matches
are good, but when it just results in getting clocked in the head over and over
again with a cowbell? I kept wondering to myself when Bass was just going to
have mercy and stopped caring. Maybe if Bart was able to get a hit in edgewise
I’d find it to be ok. 1/5
Match: Cowboy Ron Bass vs. J. J. Dillon (with Black Bart) in
a Texas Bullrope Match.
No matter how many times I wish it was, this is not a typo.
Apparently the stipulation going into the Bass/Bart match were that if Bass
won, he got a shot at Dillon in the same style match.
Dillon didn’t even wait for Bass to get up from the matt
after pinning Bart, he just went into it. Bass was able to retaliate with… more
cowbell.
I refuse to put Walken on.
The ref got knocked down, Bart came in piledrived bass,
dragged Dillon onto Bass and the ref woke up.
Winner: J.J. Dillon with Bart’s interference and a pin.
The above is the only play-by-play detailed description I
will give of any match. That’s exactly how it went. What was the point? Stupid
Stipulation with stupid timing (right after the match? Really?) with really
stupid decision making. 1/5
Match: Superstar Billy Graham vs. The Barbarian (with Paul
Jones) in an Arm Wrestling Match.
Arm wrestling. We go with this now? What kind of booking is
this?
It looks like both men are physically straining with this
and Graham looks like he’s passing a kidney stone the size of a walnut. I
cannot and refuse to buy this. And Paul Jones hit Graham upside the head with
his cane.
Winner: Billy Graham by disqualification
Worst. Booking. Ever. 0/5
You see that? I gave it a zero. That’s what happens when you
have something this stupid. The Dillon/Bass match was incredibly stupid, inane,
and asinine (yes, I realize they are all synonymous. Deal with it.), but at
least it had something akin to professional wrestling, not grown men struggling
with a child’s game. If this is what I have to look forward to with WCW, I’m
going to be having an aneurysm by 1989.
What next?
Match: Superstar Billy Graham vs. The Barbarian (with Paul Jones)
What?
Match: Superstar Billy Graham vs. The Barbarian
(with Paul Jones)
What?
Match: Superstar Billy Graham vs. The
Barbarian (with Paul Jones)
They shorten everything, for an awful arm wrestling match
and THEN put the two together in a real match? WHERE THE OUTCOME IS THE
SAME!!!!!!!!!!!
Seriously, the same thing happens. Paul Jones hits Graham,
who then wins by disqualification.
I wish I were kidding.
1/5because it was at least a professional
wrestling match.
OK then. I refuse to even comment on the rest of the pay per
view. I will give the matches, the winner, and a rating, but will not comment
for fear of losing my sanity.
Match: Terry Taylor vs. Buddy Landel (with J.J. Dillon) for
the NWA National Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Buddy Landel to become the new champion
3/5
Match: Ole and Arn Anderson vs. Wahoo McDaniel and Billy Jack
Haynes for the National Tag Team Title
Winner: Ole and Arn Anderson to retain the championship
2/5
Match: Magnum T.A. vs. Tully Blanchard (with Baby Doll) in an
“I Quit) steel cage match for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship
Winner: Magnum T.A.
4/5
Match: Midnight Express vs. Jimmy Valiant and Miss Atlanta
Lively (with Big Mama) in an Atlanta Street Fight
Winner: Jimmy Valiant and Miss Atlanta Lively
3/5
Match: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express vs. Ivan and Nikita Koloff in
a steel cage for the World Tag Team Championship
Winner: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express
3/5
Match: Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight
Championship
Winner: Dusty Rhodes
3/5
It actually did pick up after the second Graham/Barbarian
match, but it really was lousy booking in the start to the show. When that
happens, it makes me lose quite a bit of interest. Granted, the later matches
were better, but I honestly stopped caring because of how it began. However,
using this show as a learning experience, I won’t stop commenting because I don’t
like how I feel the show is doing.
The night as a whole? 2.6/5 The arm wrestling and rehash matches are
what killed it. Also the Pay-Per-View was quite a gimmick-filled night. I would
say my favorite match was the Magnum/Blanchard “I Quit” match.
That’s it for today. Wednesday is our last night in 1985!
