wrestling / Video Reviews

The Name on the Marquee: NWA Superstars on the Superstation (2.7.1986)

April 26, 2016 | Posted by Adam Nedeff
NWA World Championship Wrestling
9
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The Name on the Marquee: NWA Superstars on the Superstation (2.7.1986)  

-Originally aired February 7, 1986.

-We’re in the Atlanta Omni.

-Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & David Crockett.

-The premise: The fans have been encouraged to vote for “dream matches” and the NWA has pledged to build a card entirely featuring the matches that the fans have asked for. The NWA then predictably spent those same two months building four feuds that led to really obvious matches, so it’s pretty much the same premise as “Taboo Tuesday.”

WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: ROCK & ROLL EXPRESS (Champions) vs MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (with Jim Cornette)
-Midnight Express pounces at the bell, clearing Ricky from the ring and then double-teaming Robert. SWEET spot sees Ricky slingshot both opponents over the top and onto the floor. Donnybrook continues with the Midnights being atomic dropped into each other and colliding, and the Rock & Roll Express clears the ring.

-Things finally settle down to Robert Gibson vs. Bobby Eaton. Gibson reverses a hiptoss and follows with flying headscissors. Ricky works the leg and the battle winds up on the floor. Eaton’s back meets the concrete and they keep duking it out; meanwhile, Gibson drags Dennis Condrey into the ring just to kick his ass.

-Condrey tags in proper and continues taking a whipping from the Rock & Roll. They go to work on Dennis’ leg. Eaton tries to help, but Rock & Roll sees him coming and calmly knock him out of the ring like nothing, then go back to the leg. Fans are chanting “Jim Cornette!” so I guess this was taped the night after Wrestlemania or something.

-Eaton gets fired up and throws some hard rights. He tries a backdrop but Morton turns it into a backdrop and tags out. Midnights are getting NOTHING tonight. Gibson tries to finish, but gets two while Gorilla Crockett admonishes Gibson for not hooking the leg. Eaton slingshots Gibson into a Condrey headbutt to turn the tide, and WE GOTTA TAKE A BREAK!

-We’re back with Eaton clamping a chinlock on Gibson. Condrey tags in and does one of his own. Eaton connects with a top rope elbow for two. Bill Apter sighting at ringside, so you know this show is important. He’s probably taking copious notes for the February 31 edition of Scouting Report.

-Eaton and Condrey take turns striking at Gibson, and an Eaton neckbreaker gets two. Random thought: TBS probably could have had something televising the Omni house shows like the WWF did with the MSG house shows.

-Atomic drop by Condrey and the Midnight Express tries to finish with the rocket launcher, but Gibson moves and hot tags Morton. Morton cleans house and a bodypress looks to finish, but another donnybrook breaks out. Double dropkicks wipe out both Midnights, but have the added consequence of knocking the referee out of the ring. Cornette runs in and risks a beating (with David Crockett making the legendary call, “Whip him like a daaaaaaawwwwwg!”) but Condrey sneaks up with the tennis racquet blow to the head. Cornette drags Eaton’s body over Morton’s body, referee wakes up, counts the pin, and we have new NWA World Tag Team Champs! 1 for 1. Hot 100 MPH action. Just fantastic.

ROAD WARRIORS (with Paul Ellering) vs IVAN & NIKITA KOLOFF
-Warriors just completely mow down the Koloffs getting into the ring, which shocks the Russians and leaves them pacing the ring nervously during the intros.

-Nikita starts with Animal, so it’s a test to see who sells first. Nikita rams him in the corner and Animal totally shrugs that off. Animal reverses an Irish whip and Nikita’s dazed; Nikita meets him with a big boot, though, and goes to the second rope. Animal sees him coming and catches him in a bear hug. Nikita rakes the eyes INSTANTLY because that’s better than raking the eyes after being in the hold for a solid minute.

-Hawk tags in and he slugs it out with Nikita. Nikita clamps on a front facelock, and Uncle Ivan enters the match with a top rope axehandle. He tries it again but meets a fist to the gut. Shoulderbreaker by Hawk, followed by a big boot. Animal press slams Ivan while Baron Von Raschke makes his way to ringside.

-Road Warriors continue dismantling Ivan, but Nikita takes advantage of a split second of distraction and goes on the offensive. Hawk gets trapped in the corner and Ivan strangles him with a chain. Legdrop by Ivan gets two. Neckbreaker by Ivan gets two. Double elbows by the Russians. Nikita jaws with Hawk and the referee separates them while Ivan chokes out Hawk.

-All four men wind up in the ring. Referee gets distracted by Baron Von Raschke runs in and attacks Hawk, but only enough for Ivan to get a two-count after Baron ducks out. Hawk recovers and goes off the ropes, but Nikita trips him, and Baron blatantly enters the ring to resume the attack, so the referee says “Nuts to this” and DQs the Russians. Paul Ellering runs in to try to make it a fair fight for his guys. Ellering fights off the Baron while Hawk gets his hands on the chain, and the Road Warriors destroy the Koloffs with it. 2 for 2. Finish was a total cop-out, but these four hosses DELIVERED during this match with a non-stop brawl, and everybody made their opponents look like a million bucks.

NATIONAL TITLE: DUSTY RHODES (Champion, with Baby Doll) vs TULLY BLANCHARD (with JJ Dillon)
-My copy joins this one in progress, sorry.

-As our story begins, Tully is trying to duck outside for a breather, but Dusty drags him back inside by the ankle and applies a spinning toehold. I really like the way JJ conducts himself as a manager at ringside, it’s not slapping the mat and yelling at the referee for him. He puts me in the mind of an NBA coach with his body language, agitated and leaning forward through the whole bout.

-Dusty drags Tully over to the corner and works his leg on the post. Tully backs away and Dusty comes off the top rope with a shitty elbow, but he hurts himself on impact because his leg isn’t COMPLETELY healed and he’s not allowed to wear that special boot anymore. Hey, give it up for them, they found a way to work that into a story; Dusty performs differently based on his footwear.

-Tully applies a toehold of his own, followed by the figure four. For no discernable reason, referee Tommy Young pats Dusty on the belly while he’s in the hold, and Dusty shoves him on his ass. I can’t say I blame him.

-Dusty makes the ropes. Tully goes to the second rope and tries a bodypress, but Dusty catches him in a backbeaker. Belly-welly-to-belly by Dusty, but JJ Dillon is distracting the referee and Dusty is SOL. Dusty goes over to complain and Tully sneaks over and knocks him out to the concrete.

-Five-minute warning by the timekeeper as the action goes back into the ring. Dusty throws right hands. Tully retreats to the apron but gets suplexed back in for what appears to be three, but JJ puts Tully’s foot on the bottom rope and the referee declares it a two-count. Dusty has had enough of JJ and goes outside, but Tully attacks and rams Dusty into the apron.

-Back in, they dual for a backslide. Dusty gets it but Tully’s feet hit the apron. Dusty atomic drops him into the corner. Three point stance and Dusty tackles Tully for a two-count. JJ trips Dusty, but can’t hold his foot down and Dusty kicks out at two.

-One minute to go and Dusty is throwing rights at Tully. With thirty seconds to go, Dusty applies a Boston crab, but time expires and we have a draw. Dusty is a little pissed after all the times that he should have won, so he goes after JJ Dillon. Tully attacks from behind and wipes out Dusty with a piledriver. Tully & JJ take off with the National Title belt to celebrate their moral victory. 3 for 3. I didn’t like this one as much as the rest of the card tonight because the pace was more sluggish by comparison, but they told a good story in there, with Dusty clearly being the better wrestler but getting screwed over by two shrewd rivals who basically outsmarted him to stay alive.

NWA WORLD TITLE: RIC FLAIR (Champion) vs RON GARVIN
-Take a good look at that NWA Title belt. That’s the last time you’ll ever see it. The switch to Big Gold is coming.

-Chops are traded right from the start, like you’d expect. They criss-cross and Garvin chops Flair right out to the floor. Back in, Flair chops away at Garvin. Garvin mixes it up with fists and headbutts, and Flair goes all floppy from that. Hard chops by Garvin. Flair tries to get something going, but Garvin just grabs his nose and yanks on it. More chops by Garvin, and a big backdrop. Flair is lying on the mat and Garvin just slaps him around to rub it in.

-Flair makes it to his feet and a hard right sends him staggering out to the floor. Back in, Garvin goes to work on the arm. Flair fights back with chops and throws Garvin out to the floor, but Garvin absolutely sprints back inside before the referee has even counted one and throws chops and right hands until Flair goes soaring over the top and crashes on the floor himself.

-Back in, Garvin locks on a sleeper. Flair breaks free and suplexes Garvin for two. They trade blows again and Garvin comes out on the winning end of that, but he can only get a two-count. They battle for a suplex and Garvin gets it for two. Nice chain wrestling sequence follows, with Garvin getting a backslide out of it for one.

-Bodypress by Garvin gets two. More chops by Garvin. Irish whip by Garvin leads to Flair jumping off the top rope and taking a fist to the gut. Flair rallies nicely and chops Garvin for two. Garvin goes for a roll-up, but accidentally knocks Tommy Young out of the ring while he’s setting it up, So Garvin can’t get the pin. Tommy Young makes it back in the ring and connects with a knee to the back and goes for the pin. Garvin gets a foot on the rope, Tommy misses it, and Flair retains the gold. I loved the commentary for the finish. Tony & David are speaking in a conversational tone because clearly neither man is in position to be put away and this match won’t be over for a while, and when that winds up finishing, both of them are in shock. 4 for 4. I didn’t love this as much as their studio match, but that was a pretty high bar to set anyway.

9.0
The final score: review Amazing
The 411
One match that I loved (the tag titles) and three matches that I liked. This is a really fun forgotten card and recommended if you want to hunt for it.
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Adam Nedeff