January 5, 2008
Matt Peddycord

NWA World Championship Wrestling
April 8, 1989
Atlanta, GA
Center Stage Theatre

Your hosts are Jim Ross and Michael PS Hayes.

The Danger Zone

Paul E swears he doesn’t need a body guard, so there will be no “Secret Service” Jack Victory with him today. More than anything, it’s because he’s getting ready for his match against Randy Rose. But the point is, Paul E doesn’t NEED a body guard! Tonight’s guest is the new TV champ, Sting! He scares Dangerously away with his primal screams. Sting calls Paul E ugly and when that upsets Paul, Sting grabs him by the nose. OH NO HE DIDN’T!

Rick Steiner (w/Missy Hyatt) vs. Paul Brown

Pretty ruthless squash, as per usual for Rick Steiner. DFG runs Brown stomach-first into the corner and then finishes him off with the BELLY-TO-BELLY SUPLEX. (2:57) Just another day for Rick Steiner.

Let’s revisit the controversial finish to the third fall from the Steamboat/Flair match at the Clash! Jim Ross and Terry Funk are on commentary. We JIP to around 50 minutes in where Steamboat is going for the kill. He makes the comeback and delivers a clothesline, but he’s too tired to hook the leg and Flair’s foot falls on the bottom rope. Flair fights back with a back suplex and then makes the usual mistake of heading to the top rope. Steamboat goes for the double chicken wing lift submission, which earned him the victory in the second fall. Due to exhaustion, Steamboat collapses with the hold still intact as ref Tommy Young counts 1-2-3. Unbeknownst to Young at the time, Flair had his foot under the bottom rope, which would make the pin completely invalid. In the aftermath of that night, Flair is MAD and threatens to sue Jim Herd, Ted Turner, the NWA, Ricky Steamboat, New Kids on the Block, Pete Rose, Morgan Freeman and Bobby Brown if he doesn’t get a rematch. Actually, I’m just kidding about those last four. But he’s serious about that rematch.

The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) vs. Keith Steinborn & Greg Brown

I would NOT want to be these two jobbers after the Road Warriors were just screwed out of the belts last week at the Clash. DOOMSDAY DEVICE quickly puts Brown away. (1:21) Business as usual though for the Road Warriors.

We take a look at the Luger/Victory match that was cut from the Clash VI airing due to time restraints. Michael PS Hayes distracts Luger long enough for Victory to nail him from behind. Victory goes up top though and that’s usually a bad thing for a heel. Luger slams him down, powerslams him, then uncles Victory with the TORTURE RACK.

NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Lex Luger vs. Kendall Windham

These two are pretty familiar with each other from their Florida days. Luger keeps on giving Kendall trouble, so he takes a couple breathers in the first five minutes. Pretty cool little spot here. Luger NO-SELLS a neck snap, then Kendall comes off the ropes and charges at Lex, but Luger flips back in the ring and Windham goes flying out into the front row. What is this, the X-Division? Luger looks over and taunts Hayes while he waits for Kendall to get back in the ring. Lex catches Kendall off a crossbody and drops him throat-first on the top rope. This time Lex misses a charge and lands hard on the floor. Now Kendall beats Luger around the ring and then levels him with a big boot in the ring. Kendall goes for a corner clothesline, but Luger moves out of the way. Luger wins a slugfest and levels Windham with a back elbow. Three-count corner punch follows, and then Lex hits a powerslam. He calls for the TORTURE RACK, but Michael Hayes leaves the announce position and distracts Lex so that Windham can nail Luger from behind. Kendall hits the Lariat and comes off the top, but falls right into a powerslam! Cover, 1-2-3! (6:05) Probably Kendall’s best match outside of Florida. Good intensity throughout and a great finish to boot. ***

Bob Orton Jr. (w/Gary Hart) vs. Shane Douglas

Lots of headlocks to start. Douglas applies a headscissors on the mat, but Orton gets to his feet and twirls Douglas around in an airplane spin type move. That was awesome. Douglas reverses a suplex into one of his own and goes back to the headlock. Orton tries an abdominal stretch, but Douglas counters and applies the hold himself. Back to the headlock, but Orton goes low. He follows up with a gutbuster and then dumps Douglas to the floor. Gary Hart tosses Douglas back in for a flying double sledge. Orton delivers the Nikolai Volkoff press into a backbreaker for 1-2-NO! He follows up with a chinlock much like the one his son uses nowadays. Orton then pounds away in the corner and tries for a piledriver, but Douglas backdrops out. Douglas mounts a comeback and delivers a missile dropkick for 1-2-NO! Slam gets two. Orton fires back, but Douglas explodes out of the corner with a clothesline. Douglas heads up top, but Orton is there to stop him for the SUPERPLEX. That’ll do it. (12:41) Quite the solid match there. Ultimately pointless though, but still solid. **½

NWA World Tag Team Champions Mike Rotunda & “Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. Don Sanders & Greg Brown

Poor Greg Brown is doing double jobber duty tonight. Doc freakin’ brutalizes Sanders and then tags in Rotunda to beat on Brown. Doc and Sanders switch for the OKLAHOMA STAMPEDE, but just to be a penis, Rotunda tags in for the DOUBLE-ARM SUPLEX for the win. (3:06) How can you compete with the Varsity Club? They’re too awesome and too dominant.

NWA World Television Champion Sting vs. Rip Morgan

This is from the Clash show that didn’t get to air. Hardly even a glorified squash. Morgan gets in a tad of lame jobber offense, but Sting quickly comes back with the flying crossbody, the Stinger Splash, and the SCORPION DEATHLOCK gets the win. (3:25) They still have no clue what to do with Sting whatsoever.

Jim Ross meets up with Jim Herd for a response on the Ric Flair rematch situation. Herd makes it clear that he doesn’t care what Flair or his attorneys have to say on the matter – they just have the fans in mind. That may be the case, but Herd just doesn’t seem to care what Flair has to say about ANYTHING apparently. Nevertheless, the “championship committee” has decided to grant Flair the rematch in Nashville on May 7. There will be three special judges and there will be an ending to this feud once and for all.

Randy Rose vs. “Secret Service” Jack Victory (w/Paul E. Dangerously)

This is the blowoff for the Rose/Dangerously feud with Victory doing his dirty work. Rose is FEELING IT by leaping out onto Victory before he even gets in the ring. Rose even pulls off Victory’s belt and whips him with it. Umm, DQ? Rose chases after Dangerously, but gets blindsided by Jack-o. Back in, Victory controls with clotheslines and such. Rose runs into the post, but then he trips up Jack and wraps his leg around the post. Rose hits a flying clothesline and delivers a face slam similar to the Jeff Jarrett Stroke. Rose pins him near the ropes, which allows Paul E to nail him with his telephone. Jack turns over and covers for 1-2-3. (5:33) Fun for what it was. **

Ross finally realizes you spell how to spell Muta and forgets about the Mota spelling. He then recaps the Orton/Murdoch match from the Clash where Orton got a cheap win.

The Great Muta (w/Gary Hart) vs. Bucky Seigler & Gary Royal

We JIP to Muta dumping Royal out to concentrate on Seigler. Muta sticks his fingers in his mouth and then claws away on Seigler’s face, completely confusing Ross. A leg sleeper knocks Seigler out, so Muta goes after Royal. Handspring elbow connects, which is followed by the backbreaker to set up the MOONSAULT. (1:38 shown) No one delivers the moonsault better. The crowd has no idea what to think of this guy. He appears completely unstoppable.

Ross pimps an upcoming Charlotte house show where Muta will be appearing.

Interview with NWA World Champion Ricky Steamboat: Steamboat admits that he didn’t beat Flair in that third fall. Music City Showdown will be Flair’s last chance because Steamboat has other contenders to face.

Interview with Ric Flair: He says he was born to be the champ and knowing that this will be his last shot, he WILL be the champ on May 7. WOO!

Next week, JR will address the Teddy Long situation. Can’t wait!

YOUTUBE IT: A lot less squashes this week, which was nice for a change. The Luger/Windham match is well worth a look. Plus, you should probably check out the rare Jim Herd moment there. He’s all smiles! I would upload the Muta match, but it’s not in full. It’s pretty much standard Muta stuff anyway.

Be sure to stop by my blog at http://wcwrules4lyf.wordpress.com and check out my YouTube account at https://www.youtube.com/wcwrules4lyf. Comments are encouraged and appreciated!