December 25, 2007
Matt Peddycord

NWA World Championship Wrestling
March 11, 1989
Atlanta, GA
WTBS Studios

Your hosts are Jim Ross and Magnum TA.

Interview with the Varsity Club: Rotunda is here to back up what he said about putting $10,000 up against anybody who can beat him in ten minutes or less. Why is he doing this? Because Rotunda thrives on competition. Don’t touch his money, Jim.

The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) vs. Bob Cook & The Raider

Yeah! I love me some Cook. The usual Midnights stuff punishes Raider to start. Cook tags in and runs into an elbow to set up the Leapfrog Backbreaker combo from the Express. They wrestle Cook on the mat until Eaton punches Cook back over to Raider for a tag. Eaton slams him down for the ALABAMA JAM! Cover, 1-2-nope. Bobby’s not done. He delivers a swinging neckbreaker and tags in Lane for an enziguri. FLAPJACK finishes off Cook. (4:55) After the match, Cornette and the Express say they don’t fear Paul E’s team of Gilligan Island rejects. As for Jack Victory, he couldn’t guard a sugar bowl at a tea party. Haha, he’s right! Jack would SO be at a tea party!

The Iron Sheik vs. George South

Match is joined in progress. South gets a sunset flip for two, but gets dumped so Sheiky baby can bother the crowd. Back in, Sheik goes to the eyes and hits a gutwrench suplex. Sheik loads up his boot for a kick and then applies the abdominal stretch. South won’t give it up, so Sheik chokes him down to the mat. Back suplex sets up the CAMEL CLUTCH for the win. (4:30 shown) He’s so anti-American!

The Danger Zone

Today’s guest is the US champ Lex Luger. Oops, that’s Sting’s music, production crew. Paul E congratulates Lex on his title win and says he knows his shoulders were indeed off the mat, but so were Barry’s shoulders. BUT ANYWHO! Tomorrow night in the Omni, Lex will be teaming up with Michael PS Hayes to take on the Windhams. Hayes comes out all excited to be hanging with Lex, so Paul E asks Hayes if Lex is the new Freebird. That’s not cool, says Hayes. Before we go, Paul E BEGS Lex to flex. He does so, and it appears Paul E just wanted to get him to do it so he could say, “Yeah well, flexing doesn’t win you wrestling matches, pal!” Great stuff.

NWA World Television Champion Mike Rotunda (w/Kevin Sullivan & Dan Spivey) vs. Cougar Jay

Jay gets the first shot at the ten grand. Rotunda works a wristlock to start, then executes a back elbow. Rotunda gets cocky, so Cougar takes advantage with an inside cradle for two. Rotunda takes a walk after that. Back in, Rotunda punishes Jay in the corner, but Cougar ducks a clothesline and connects with a crossbody for 1-2-NO! That just pisses Captain Mike off, so he throws him out on the floor. Jay sunset flips back in, but Rotunda blocks with a punch. Rotunda grabs a front headlock on the mat while the crowd chants “we want Steiner”. Mike grabs an abdominal stretch and uses the ropes of course. More mat work from Rotunda leads to the Guillotine for the submission. (6:03) Just total domination from Rotunda.

Interview with Ric Flair and Hiro Matsuda: Flair says being called a former champion is only temporary. He WILL win it back. He also recalls being the US champ back in the day, and says just out of spite, he would LOVE to take that belt away from Luger. Whether you like it or not, he and Hiro just happen to be a couple of kiss-stealin’, wheelin’-dealin’, limousine-ridin’, jet-flyin’ sonuvaguns who will hold both the world and the US championships. Yeah, Hiro looks like a real rowdy partier. Later on in the show, Flair will make a statement in a way only a champion can. WOO!

Sting vs. Julio Barrera

Sting OWNS this big guy and then dropkicks him out into the crowd. TOO CLOSE! Some lady looked like she got her ankle stepped on there. Sting checks on the front row until that jerk Barrera nails him from behind. Back in, Barrera delivers a jumping legdrop, but misses a second one. Sting comes back and hits the Stinger Splash, followed by the SCORPION DEATHLOCK. (3:04) Afterwards, Sting does a surfer impression to show how he’s missing the sunny beaches of southern California. Then he calls Barrera a fat guy and then tries to cover up because let’s face it – half of wrestling fans are Barrera-sized. Too late Stinger, you’ve already called him a fattie McFat Fat. By the way, I hope that lady doesn’t sue!

Ric Flair (w/Hiro Matsuda) vs. Greg Evans

This is Flair’s first televised match without the world title around his weight in eighteen months. Evans has a Ricky Morton thing going on, but he doesn’t seem to know how to take Flair’s offense. Weird too, since Flair could make anybody look good back then. Flair works an overhead wristlock to start, then forces Evans in the corner for some chops. Evans gets in a backdrop and Flair begs away, but it’s all just to draw Evans in the corner and then dump him out to the floor for a posting job. Back in, a butterfly suplex gets two. Flair ~ “Now we make a statement! WOO!” Flair viciously goes to work on the knee. “This is what happens when Mother Nature gets upset!” Evans screws up the Rolling Knee Drop, but Flair delivers it anyway. Shin breaker followed by the FIGURE-FOUR gets the win. (6:04) Flair won’t release the hold at the bell and grabs the top rope for leverage. Evans is SCREAMING in pain! He finally lets go, but only to toss ref Teddy Long out to ringside. You know, the man who counted three on Flair at the Chi-Town Rumble. Flair keeps up the punishment with stomps and then heads out. Now THAT’S how you send a statement.

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Another interview with Ric Flair: What is your deal, Ric? He says he always gets what he wants. 5,000 women have been in his target zone, and Flair’s got them all. So now, Steamboat and Luger are in his target zone. Kind of a weird comparison. How can Natch compare getting women to title matches with Steamboat and Luger? He tells us that if the Varsity Club doesn’t get Luger, Flair will. When were they ever feuding? Also now that Steamboat’s back from touring Japan, he can face the man once again. WOO!

Barry Windham (w/Hiro Matsuda & Kendall Windham) vs. Gator Gilmore

Barry’s hand is taped, as it usually is. He still beats the HECK out of Gilmore with it, then finishes him off with the SUPERPLEX to end our submit-to-win streak at four straight on this show. (1:56) In the pre-match interview, Barry SHOOTS on Magnum by calling him Terry Allen! Don’t think he’s done hunting Lex and his US belt. You can *know* it though, because this is the past and he’ll be leaving soon.

Interview with the First Family (Eddie Gilbert, Rick Steiner & Missy Hyatt): Gilbert goes into ROID RAGE mode just thinking about the fact that the Varsity Club says that nobody can take the TV belt away from Rotunda. Then he starts acting like a drunk man by telling Steiner how much he loves him and doesn’t want to see him become Sullivan’s pet ever again. Hot Stuff’s here to stay!

Kevin Sullivan & Dan Spivey (w/Mike Rotunda) vs. Morgan Vastien & Mike Thor

While Spivey and Sullivan dominate Thor, we cut to some brief comments from Ranger Ross. He can’t wait to start in the NWA. Spivey hits the Side Slam on Vastien and then hooks him up in the Tree of Woe for Sullivan. Spivey tags back in for THREE Powerbombs and then he hooks on the bearhug for the win. (4:45) Varsity Club owns. Where’s the Road Warriors been?

Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner (w/Missy Hyatt) vs. Max Miles & Trent Knight

Gilbert softens Knight up for a Steinerline. He gets in a little trouble with the jobbers, but comes right back with a bearhug into a beautiful belly-to-belly throw on Miles. Gilbert tags back in and gets pressed and thrown on top of Miles and Knight for a cool visual. While Gilbert stretches Miles on the mat, Steiner goes around and acts like a little kid. He tags back in and has a conversation with Alex. Steiner tags Gilbert and goes over to joke around with a cameraman, then tags again for the BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX to get the 1-2-3. (5:55) Oh, these guys are FUN!

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Interview with the Varsity Club, part deux: Poor Spivey looked like he had trouble with his lines there for a second, which actually just made him look all the more crazy. Road Warriors, the Varsity Club is good, and they know it.

Hacksaw Butch Reed (w/Hiro Matsuda) vs. Joe Cruz

A real romp ‘em, stomp ‘em squash. Reed posts the shoulder, hits a jumping shoulderblock, followed by the FLYING SHOULDERBLOCK for the win. (2:40) Next.

The Samoan Swat Team (w/Paul E. Dangerously) vs. Randy Mulkey & Bob Emory

The SST is INSANE! They start beating up these jobbers during the commercial break and everything. We hear the same comments from Ranger Ross once again. Mulkeymania won’t run wild tonight. Not with these crazy Samoans. They hit their usual and Fatu finishes with the FLYING SPLASH. (2:53 shown) In the post-match interview, Paul E announces his man Jack Victory will face Lex for the US belt at Clash VI. Paul E tries to cut a promo on the Midnight Express and the Road Warriors while attempting to make his savages behave. They’re like children!

Michael PS Hayes, Junkyard Dog & Vincent Young vs. The Cruel Connection & Rip Morgan

It’s that strange breakdancer feller again! The faces take their turns working the arm of one of the Cruel Connection guys, but its Hayes who hits the DDT out of nowhere for the quick win. (1:36) More breakdancing! Poor kid was done before he even got started.

YOUTUBE IT: Nothing too particularly interesting this week. You may want to check out the intense Flair match/interviews, but that’s about it this week.

Before I go, be sure to stop by my blog at http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com! Make comments!