Leighty’s Retro Rankings: 1989 NWA and WWF PPV Matches

-Thank you to everyone that has joined me on this journey through 1989. As I did with previous years, I like to go back and put all the PPV matches in order based on my ratings. The one big thing with this year, is that I never factored in Clash of Champions (no Saturday Night’s Main Event in 96, 97) matches in the past because they were just TV matches that didn’t mean all that much, and had commercials thrown is. That made it unfair to compare them to PPV matches. Well, in 1989 we had awesome Clash and SNME matches all over the place, but I can’t break my rule. What I think I am going to do is when I get all Clash and SNME done, I will rank those. So if you are looking for Steamboat/Flair II, Funk/Flair “I Quit,” Hogan/Boss Man Cage Match, they aren’t here. As a reminder these are obviously my rankings and we all have our favorites as far as wrestler, style, etc. There is always room for healthy debate and discussion, but at the end of the day it is just my opinion. If you have a different take that’s cool, but just be respectful to anyone with a different opinion. Let’s get to it!

Note: The Triple Crown Battle Royal from Great American Bash 89 is not included as I did not rate it due to the master tape recording on WWE Network/Peacock cutting out a few minutes of the match.

Before we get there though, a bonus match review as someone reminded me I was missing the No Holds Barred Steel Cage Match from the WWF No Holds Barred PPV. Now I can say, 1989 is complete!

No Holds Barred Steel Cage Match: Hulk Hogan and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake vs. Zeus and “Macho King” Randy Savage



-The PPV is not available on Peacock, but thanks to someone in the comments section, I found the match on a Coliseum Video release. The movie is not on Peacock either, but I did find Sliders so I have been binge watching that. I did see No Holds Barred in the movie theater and since I grew up on Hulk Hogan, I thought it was the greatest movie ever. I still have vivid memories of watching the movie in the theater and Zeus terrified me. I never called Hogan by RIP though and just called him Hulk Hogan. Sherri rams the cage door on Hogan before the match and that leaves Beefcake by himself against Zeus and Savage in the cage. Genius! Savage chokes Hogan through the cage bars to make sure he is stuck outside while Sherri puts a lock and chain on the door. Beefcake is getting his shit kicked in by Zeus as Hogan trips Savage through the bars. Hogan is able to climb over the top and now all four men are in the ring. Hogan hits Zeus with a clothesline and sends him into the cage. Savage takes a backdrop into the cage wall in a sweet spot! Beefcake sends Savage into a big boot from Hogan. Atomic Drop from Beefcake and Savage ends up eating an elbow from Hogan as well. Zeus gets double teamed, but blocks getting sent into the cage and sends Hogan and Beefcake into the cage at the same time. Savage starts to climb as both men have to escape to win. Jesse notes that could be an issue as it would leave your partner alone against two men. Beefcake brings Savage back into the ring, but Sherri climbs and takes a bump off the cage because of course she did. Beefcake with a sleeper on Zeus, but Savage comes off the top with a double axe to break. Sherri chokes Beefcake from the floor and I don’t blame her. Double clothesline to Beefcake and then Hogan gets sent into the cage as the crowd starts chanting for Hogan. Beefcake into the cage and then Hogan again. Zeus and Savage both try to climb, but Hogan and Beefcake stop that. Hogan gets a belly to back suplex on Zeus while Savage and Beefcake both end up getting knocked out by the cage. All four men out as the ref opens the door. Sherri rams the door into the ref’s head, removes the chain and hands it to Savage. SAVAGE COMES OFF THE TOP OF THE CAGE FOR A CHAIN ASSISTED DOUBLE AXE, but Beefcake catches him with a right in the ribs. Hogan tries a slam on Zeus, but can’t hold the man. He Hulks up though as Savage and Beefcake continue to fight on the cage. Savage takes another bump off the cage. Beefcake is the first man out of the cage as Hogan hits Zeus with a clothesline. Savage is SPLIT OPEN and bleeding all over the place! Savage gets pulled through the door and sent into the cage. Beefcake tries to get back in the ring, but Hogan sends him out as he wants to finish Zeus by himself. Zeus gets bounced from one side of the cage to the other, and now the slam. Hogan drops the big leg and again and again. That gets three at 9:27. 



Winners: Hulk Hogan and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake
-This was a blast as it was all action and Savage bumping like a mad man with a white hot crowd. Just total chaos like it needed to be and they didn’t need to go long to make it work. Props to Sherri as she worked her tail off again, but that’s what she always did. ***

77) The Fabulous Rougeaus vs. The Bushwhackers DUD (WWF WrestleMania V)

76) Jake Roberts vs. Andre The Giant DUD (WWF WrestleMania V)

75) Tommy Rich vs. The Cuban Assassin DUD (NWA Halloween Havoc)

74) NWA TV Title: Sting (c) vs. The Iron Sheik SQUASH (NWA WrestleWar)

73) Mr. Perfect vs. The Red Rooster SQUASH (WWF SummerSlam)

72) Bobby Heenan vs. The Red Rooster 1/4* (WWF WrestleMania V)

71) Hercules vs. Greg Valentin 1/4* (WWF SummerSlam)

70) The Wild Samoans vs. The Road Warriors 1/2* (NWA Starrcade)

69) Bad News Brown vs. Jim Duggan 1/2* (WWF WrestleMania V)

68) WWF Women’s Championship: Rockin’ Robin (c) vs. Judy Martin 1/2* (WWF Royal Rumble)

67) Dino Bravo vs. Ronnie Garvin 3/4* (WWF WrestleMania V)

66) Butch Reed vs. Ranger Ross * (NWA WrestleWar)

65) Sting vs. Butch Reed * (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

64) Michael Hayes vs. The Russian Assassin * (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

63) Ted Dibiase vs. Jimmy Snuka * (WWF SummerSlam)

62) Mike Rotunda vs. Z-Man * (NWA Halloween Havoc)

61) The Wild Samoans vs. Doom * (NWA Starrcade)

60) The Dynamic Dudes vs. The Skyscrapers * (NWA Great American Bash)

59) The Great Muta vs. Ric Flair * (NWA Starrcade)

58) WWF Tag Titles: Demolition (c) vs. The Powers of Pain and Mr. Fuji *1/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

57) Bull Rope Match: Dick Murdoch vs. Bob Orton *1/2 (NWA WrestleWar)

56) NWA TV Title: Rick Steiner (c) vs. Mike Rotunda *1/2 (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

55) Ted Dibiase vs. Brutus Beefcake *3/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

54) King Haku vs. Hercules *3/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

53) Dusty Rhodes vs. The Honky Tonk Man *3/4 (WWF SummerSlam)

52) The Wild Samoans vs. The Steiner Brothers ** (NWA Starrcade)

51) The Road Warriors vs. The Skyscrapers ** (NWA Halloween Havoc)

50) Two out Three Falls: Dino Bravo and The Fabulous Rougeaus vs. Jim Duggan and The Hart Foundation ** (WWF Royal Rumble)

49) Doom vs. The Steiner Brothers ** (NWA Starrcade)

48) Doom vs. The Road Warriors (NWA Starrcade)

47) Rhythm and Blues vs. The Hart Foundation ** (WWF WrestleMania V)

46) The Steiner Brothers vs. Doom ** (NWA Halloween Havoc)

45) NWA World Tag Team Titles: The Fabulous Freebirds (c) vs. The Dynamic Dudes ** (NWA Halloween Havoc)

44) Demolition and King Duggan vs. The Twin Towers and Andre The Giant ** (WWF SummerSlam)

43) Elimination Match: The 4x4s vs. The King’s Court ** (WWF Survivor Series)

42) The Great Muta vs. Doug Gilbert ** (NWA WrestleWar)

41) NWA World Tag Titles: The Road Warriors (c) vs, The Varsity Club **1/4 (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

40) Sting vs. Lex Luger **1/4 (NWA Starrcade)

39) Brian Pillman vs. Bill Irwin **1/4 (NWA Great America Bash)

38) The Rockers vs. The Twin Towers **1/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

37) Elimination Match: The Million Dollar Team vs. The Hulk-a-maniacs **1/4 (WWF Survivor Series)

36) NWA US Title: Lex Luger (c) vs. Michael Hayes **1/2 (NWA WrestleWar)

35) NWA US Tag Titles: Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner (c) vs. The Varsity Club **1/2 (NWA WrestleWar)

34) Lex Luger vs. The Great Muta **1/2 (NWA Starrcade)

33) Elimination Match: The Enforcers vs. The Dream Team **1/2 (WWF Survivor Series)

32) Tuxedo Match: Paul E Dangerously vs. Jim Cornette **1/2 (NWA Great American Bash)

31) The Samoan Swat Team vs. The Dynamic Dudes **1/2 (NWA WrestleWar)

30) Randy Rose, Jack Victory, and Paul E Dangerously vs. The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette **3/4 (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

29) Mr. Perfect vs. The Blue Blazer **3/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

28) NWA World Tag Team Titles: The Varsity Club (c) vs. The Road Warriors *** (NWA WrestleWar)

27) Thunderdome Cage: Ric Flair and Sting vs. The Great Muta and Terry Funk *** (NWA Halloween Havoc)

26) The Road Warriors vs. The Steiner Brothers *** (NWA Starrcade)

25) No Holds Barred Steel Cage Match: Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage and Zeus *** (WWF No Holds Barred)

24) The Great Muta vs. Sting *** (NWA Starrcade)

23) Elimination Match: Rude’s Brood vs. Roddy’s Rowdies *** (WWF Survivor Series)

22) King of The Ring Match: King Haku vs. Harley Race *** (WWF Royal Rumble)

21) Texas Tornado Match: The Varsity Club vs. The Steiner Brothers *** (NWA Great American Bash)

20) WWF Intercontinental Title: The Ultimate Warrior (c) vs. Rick Rude ***1/4 (WWF WrestleMania V)

19) NWA TV Title: Sting (c) vs. The Great Muta ***1/2 (NWA Great American Bash)

18) The Brainbusters vs. Strike Force ***1/2 (WWF WrestleMania V)

17) NWA US Title: Barry Windham vs. Lex Luger ***1/2 (NWA Chi-Town Rumble)

16) The Rockers and Tito Santana vs. Rick Martel and The Fabulous Rougeaus ***1/2 (WWF SummerSlam)

15) NWA US Title: Lex Luger (c) vs. Brian Pillman ***1/2 (NWA Halloween Havoc)

14) Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake vs. Randy Savage and Zeus ***1/2 (WWF SummerSlam)

13) Elimination Match: The Ultimate Warriors vs. The Heenan Family ***1/2 (WWF Survivor Series)

12) 30 Man Royal Rumble Match ***1/2 (WWF Royal Rumble)

11) Lex Luger vs. Ric Flair ***3/4 (NWA Starrcade)

10) War Games: The Free Birds and The Samoan Swat Team vs. The Road Warriors, The Midnight Express and Steve Williams ***3/4 (NWA Great American Bash)

9) The Brain Busters vs. The Hart Foundation ***3/4 (WWF SummerSlam)

8) The Samoan Swat Team and The Samoan Savage vs. The Midnight Express and Steve Williams **** (NWA Halloween Havoc)

7) NWA US Title: Lex Luger (c) vs. Ricky Steamboat **** (NWA Great American Bash)

6) WWF Intercontinental Title: Rick Rude (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior **** (WWF SummerSlam)

5) Sting vs. Ric Flair ****1/4 (NWA Starrcade)

-Luger is sitting at 35 points and is the leader in the clubhouse. Stings needs to win by pin or submission. Flair needs to win by pin, submission or count-out. A draw gives Luger the win. Sting with a side headlock to start and Flair shoves off. Sting knocks him down and gets a hip-toss. Unlike Muta, Sting has fixed his face paint after each match. I actually like the worn off paint look to show they have put in work. Each man plays to the crowd and then we go again. Flair sets Sting on the top buckle and offers a clean break because they are on good terms at this point. The crowd is awake for this one, which shouldn’t shock anyone. Sting gets wrist control and Flair gets to the ropes to break. Sting offers a clean break, but you can see a little frustration creeping in from Flair. Lock-up and Flair gets a side headlock. Double drop, tackle and Sting gets a Press Slam! Flair shoves Sting, as he is getting pissed, so Sting shoves him back and Flair bails to the floor. Back in the ring and Sting gets a backslide for two and shockingly, the timer is nearly dead on for a change. Flair with his first chop of the match and he lights Sting up in the corner with some more. Sting with a hip-toss out of the corner and then a series of dropkicks. Sting with a two count! Flair suckers Sting in by selling the beating and then kicks him in the stomach. There’s the old Flair! They head to the floor for some more chops! Flair sends Sting into the railing and gives us a Woooo! Funk works in a dig at Flair by nothing there’s the nice guy everyone loves. Funk knew what was coming! Flair snaps Sting’s neck off the top rope and then brings him back in with a vertical suplex for two. Flair goes right for another pin, but Sting is out at two. Flair drops a knee and another Wooo. Chop! Flair gets an abdominal stretch, but opts to roll with it into a pin for two. Flair yells at the ref about the count. Small package gets two! I am enjoying the story of Flair getting frustrated as he realizes he is in there with a real threat to his World Title. Sting gets whipped from one corner to another as we have passed 10 minutes on my clock, but the official timer has apparently slowed. Double arm suplex gets two! Sting sent to the corner, but gets a rush of adrenaline and lands a clothesline as Flair was in mid Wooo. Flair rolls to the floor and fires off a chop, but nothing doing this time. Another chop as Sting stalks him around the ring. To the apron and Sting gets a sunset flip, but Flair punches him in the face to block. Cool! Flair wants a suplex to the floor, but Sting reverses and gets a suplex of his own for two. Four minutes to go at 12:00. A chop fires Sting up some more as the crowd is rocking with them now. I think these two have great chemistry. Sting tosses Flair out of the corner and gets a clothesline for two. Stinger Splash! Sting goes for the Scorpion Deathlock, but Flair quickly gets under the ropes to break. Chop and knee-breaker from Flair. Figure-Four, but Sting is right next to the rope and forces a break. Flair yells for a time check and we are told 2 minutes left. Chop! Sting got dropped on that one. Flair drops a knee to Sting’s knee and takes him over with a headlock. Sting bridges up and gets a backslide for two. 60 seconds to go! They are doing a great job with the drama here! Flair with another knee-breaker and he drops his weight on the bad knee on the ropes. 30 seconds to go! The crowd is freaking out now! Flair is taking his time with the figure four and Sting gets a small package for the pin at 15:55.

Winner: Sting via pin at 15:55
-This was great and my favorite match of the show. The drama was fantastic and it’s Flair vs. Sting. It always works!

4) NWA World Heavyweight Title: Ric Flair (c) vs. Terry Funk ****1/2 (NWA Great American Bash)

-Flair of course comes to the ring with 4 women in silver gowns. They immediately start fighting on the floor as Flair throws chops and bites Funk on the head. Funk runs into the front row and starts slamming the railing. A fan mocks Funk behind his back and then backs up as Funk turns around and catches his. Now fans have Twitter to do that and can be as safe as possible. Funk throws a chair in the ring as Flair has him frustrated early. They finally lockup in the ring and Funk fires off some chops so Flair responds with a sick sounding chop. Wow! Another chop and Funk flies over the top to the floor. Flair comes off the apron with a right hand, but Funk lands the second blow and sends Flair into the ring post. Funk slaps Flair in the face a few times and then brings him back into the ring with a suplex. That gets a two count! Another suplex is blocked and Flair rolls to the floor holding his neck. The crowd is rocking as Flair suplexes (kind of) Funk to the floor. They both actually crash to the floor after hitting the apron. Chops from both men and man, do those chops from Flair sound great. Flair to the eyes, so Funk retaliates with the same. Funk sets for a piledriver, but Flair backdrops him over the top and to the floor. Flair is out for revenge and starts targeting Funk’s neck. He drops a knee to the back of the head and then another for two. Flair plants Funk with a piledriver as the crowd roars with approval. Another one and this one had some STANK on it. Funk to his feet, but stumbles backwards through the ropes and tries to crawl up the aisle. Check out a very young Doug Dillinger working security. Back in the ring Flair with chops and a forearm for a two count. Belly to back suplex from Flair and he hooks the figure-four. The branding iron was slid into the ring by Hart and Funk smacks Flair in the head with it as Hart distracts the ref. Flair is bleeding! Funk goes after the cut with right hands and then sticks the piledriver as the crowd freaks out. That gets two as Flair gets his foot under the bottom rope. Funk uses his wrist tape to choke and that forces Tommy Young to try to pull Funk off by the hair. Funk shoves Young and preps for a piledriver on the exposed concrete, but Flair backdrops out to save his life. Funk dives off the apron awkwardly and hits Flair in the side of the head. Neckbreaker from Funk as Caudle is worried Flair may be permanently injured. Another necbreaker as Funk wants Flair to say he quits. Perhaps these two should have an I Quit Match? Just a thought! Hart is yelling for Funk to take the pin, but he seems obsessed with making Flair quit. Funk goes for the branding iron again, but Flair gets to it first and swings for the fences as he hits Funk in the head. Now Funk is bleeding! Perhaps this is why they didn’t want blood in WarGames. Flair gets some rapid punches in the corner and Funk stumbles around until he falls on his ass. Flair continues to fire off right hands as he sees blood and wants to end this one. He misses a knee in the corner and now Funk goes for the spinning toe-hold, but Flair counters and tries for another figure-four. Funk turns that into a small package, which Flair rolls to his advantage and that gets the pin at 16:21.

Winner and Still NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair via pin at 16:21
-This was a great fight with a fired up crowd. Completely different from Flair/Steamboat and it needed to be. This was Flair out for revenge and Funk wanting to get the satisfaction of making him quit which was a nice way to get to the next match.

3) WWF Title: Hulk Hogan (c) vs. Randy Savage ****1/2 (WWF WrestleMania V)

-The Champion, Savage, comes to the ring first, much to the outrage of Ventura. I also feel that the Champion should always come out last. It was nice to see at WM this years, that Orton and Edge both came out last in their respective title matches. Some noticeable cheers for Savage as he enters the ring. Liz is the next out, and she comes to the ring with Savage’s music. This feud was so money that I am still in awe of it years later. This was the “love” triangle, so to speak, to end all “love” triangles. “Real American” blares through out Trump Plaza and Hogan enters to a nice pop from the crowd. It’s nice to see they are still awake through this marathon of a show. Again, I love the rants from Ventura on the subject of Hulk Hogan. Savage poses for the crowd with the title and gets soundly booed by the Hogan fans in the crowd. The bell sounds and the shit is on as they say (do they still say that?). Savage bails and steals some Hogan merchandise from some fans. It’s funny that he throws one at Donald Trump and he hands it to the young kid sitting next to him. Damn, all that money and he can’t afford a foam Hulk Hogan finger. Hogan over powers Savage to start, and the crowd chants for Hogan. Jesse: “Who the hell was Elizabeth before she got with Macho?” Some more stalling from Savage as he lures Hogan into chasing him. Macho puts Liz in front of him much to the approval of Jesse, who gets another great line. “A punch in the nose may not be so bad from here.” Hogan actually uses some chain wrestling to put Savage into a chin lock. Savage counters by showing his power and dropping Hogan with a back suplex. Hogan fires back with some right hands and goes back to the wrestling with an arm wringer. A thumb to the eye turns the tide for Savage and he quickly heads up top to hit a double axehandle. Savage grabs an armbar and puts a knee on Hogan’s chin to make it look even better. Once the ref gets out of position, Savage uses his skills to pull the hair of Hogan to get him back to the mat. The crowd chants for Hogan again, and it gets him back to his feet. Hogan no sells the hair pull this time, and pulls Savage by tights and fires him to the floor. Back inside the ring, and Hogan bounces Savage from buckle to buckle. Running clothesline drop Savage and he does his famous spot where he drops 2 elbows and rakes the eyes with his boot. The cheating of Hogan outrages Jesse. Savage catches Hogan with a boot to the face, and it opens a cut above the eye of Hogan. Jesse does of good job of mentioning that the cut above the eye is worse than below it. A reverse chinlock from Savage gives the fans a chance to chant for Hogan once more. Gorilla: “You’re not going to stop a championship match with a cut over the eye.” Oh, sick burn: NWA. Savage continues the onslaught and peppers the eye with some right hands. Hogan crawls on his hands and knees as Savage celebrates to a mix of boos and cheers (mainly boos from the Hogan pose). The stalling gives Hogan a chance to come back, and he brings the right hands. He running clothesline in the corner (a spot I always loved) follows, and Hogan slams Savage over the top rope to the floor. Sick bump there by Savage, and even the crowd gasped on that one. Liz goes to help, and Savage takes a swing at her. Hogan looks to cheat some more by ramming Savage head first into the steel post. Liz steps in front and Hogan can’t put her in danger. Macho doesn’t have any problem with that, and he slips off Hogan’s shoulder and posts him into the steel. Savage pushes Liz by her chin up the aisle, and Hebnar tosses her from ringside. Savage heads up top once again, and drops the axe to the floor, sending Hogan into the guardrail. Hogan is having trouble breathing, and Savage clotheslines him over the top rope (in another spot I love). A nasty elbow to the exposed throat of Hogan follows, as Savage looks for the kill. The throat work continues when Savage chokes Hogan down with the tape from his wrist. Ventura appreciates the cheating to win nature from Savage. Hogan starts to Hulk up, but the choke is too strong, and he goes out. Savage heads up top and hits The Greatest Flying Elbow ever (sorry, HBK), but Hogan pulls a George Steele and kicks out at 2. Hulk-up time, and everyone knows what is coming next as they pop like crazy. Big boot and leg drop led to Hogan’s 2nd reign as WWF Champion. Jesse is less than thrilled and makes his annual threat to be the one to take Hogan out. Seriously, I always had me hopes up for that match as a kid, and was always disappointed that I never got to see it. Hogan poses to send the crowd home happy, and end the show.

Winner and New WWF Champion: Hulk Hogan via pin at 17:55
-This is one of my favorite feuds, angles, and matches of all time. It’s not a secret I am a fan of both guys, and I still think this match stands up well today. I know a lot of people are mad Hogan won in the way he did, but this is WrestleMania. Hogan had to go over. A DQ where Savage keeps the gold would not have been that satisfying, unless they had some major surprise to send the crowd home happy (see WrestleMania VIII). If this match had taken place in the late 90s of the WWF it would have been a ***** brawl all over the place with lots of blood and intensity. Still, in my opinion this a damn fine match, and one that I can watch countless times.

2) NWA World Title: Ric Flair (c) vs. Ricky Steamboat ***** (NWA Chi-Town Royal Rumble)

-Steamboat is already in the ring like some jobber while Flair gets roses and a kiss from one of the women he has at ringside. JR notes there have been two World Titles changes in Chicago (Buddy Rogers over Lou Thesz and Flair over Garvin). I appreciate history lessons! Lockup and they jockey for position. Side headlock, but Flair shoves off so Steamboat gets a tackle and quickly goes for the pin. That seemed to surprise Flair, but he is out at two. Steamboat flips out of a belly to back attempt and gets a roll-up for two. Flair bails to the floor to break the momentum as Magnum mentions Steamboat is going for the pin at any chance. Winning is the name of the game! Lockup again and Flair backs Dragon into the corner. He lands a forearm and fires off a sick chop. Steamboat responds with some chops, sends Flair into the corner and sends him flying with a backdrop. Flair suckers Dragon into the corner and goes to the eyes and hair. They trade chops and Steamboat gets the better of the exchange as Flair gets dropped. Somewhere 18 month old GUNTHER was watching and taking notes. Dragon back with a dropkick and nearly gets a three count off a side headlock takeover. Flair grabs the tights for leverage and gets a couple two counts. Steamboat walks the ropes while keeping the hold so he can take it back to the mat. Flair quickly rolls to a pin for another two count, but Steamboat maintains control. Flair backs Dragon into the corner and more chops and Dragon responds. Flair fires back, but gets destroyed with a double chop for two. That had to suck! Flair bails to the floor to slow down the momentum again. Another lockup and Steamboat goes back to the side headlock. Flair throws forearms in the corner and gets a chop, but this time no response from Dragon. Flair shoots Steamboat off, and Dragon gets a leap frog and catches Flair coming back with another double chop. Flair staggers and falls through the ropes where Dragon teases coming off the top, but Flair moves far enough out of range. Flair talks some trash and he challenges Steamboat to see him in the middle of the ring. A very small, “Steamboat Sucks” chant breaks out. Flair with another chop, but Dragon catches him with a hip-toss and a head scissors take down. Dragon with a dropkick and back to the side headlock. Flair hasn’t been able to get out of first gear in this one as Steamboat has had the upper hand at each turn. Flair goes to the hair and starts throwing elbows mixed in with some chops. Dragon back with another tackle, but runs right into a back elbow. Dragon throws some more chops including one that sends Flair over the top and to the floor. Flair suckers Steamboat by the ropes and pulls him to the floor. Now we are in Flair Country as he takes advantage of The Dragon on the floor. He fires off some chops and sends Steamboat into the railing. Flair with an elbow to the forehead followed by a snap mare. He pulls down the kneepad and drops a knee for two. Flair goes for the cover several more times, but Dragon is out at two each time. Butterfly suplex gets two! They start trading chops again and Dragon gets the advantage. They are just lighting each other up. Flair gets sent into the corner and flips over the top. He runs the apron and comes off the top with a crossbody, but Steamboat rolls through and gets a two count in a fantastic near fall. Flair brings Steamboat out of the corner with an inverted atomic drop and quickly gets the figure four as the crowd is getting into this one big time now. Flair uses the ropes as you would expect and the crowd starts a loud “Steamboat” chant. The camera pans to a group of fans flashing the 4 Horsemen signal. Flair continues to use the ropes behind the ref’s back. Steamboat nearly gets counted down several times but always gets the shoulders up. Flair finally gets caught by the ref and he forces a break. The damage is done though as Flair targets the knee. Dragon fires off some chops and Flair responds in kind. Sweet! Flair dives on Steamboat and they both spill over the top to the floor. Why not trade some chops down there? Steamboat gets sent into the ring post and Flair seems content with taking the count out win. Don’t blame him! Dragon is up to the apron and Flair brings him in with a sweet delayed suplex for two. Flair goes back to the cover and then again, but Dragon is out at two each time. Belly to back suplex gets two and Flair gets into a shoving match with the ref, Tommy Young. Backbreaker from Flair and he uses the ropes for extra leverage. Dragon is out at two each time as Flair maintained the cover with his feet on the middle rope. Steamboat gets a roll-up for two as Flair was yelling at the fans. Steamboat tries to come off the middle ropes with a crossbody, but Flair ducks out of the way. They go through a reversal sequence and Dragon gets a suplex for two as Flair got his foot on the ropes. Backslide gets a two count! Chops from Flair and Dragon responds. Dragon comes out of the corner with a clothesline and chops Flair on the head. Flying tackle drops Flair and Dragon heads up top. He hits the karate chop and heads back up top again. Crossbody, but the ref gets knocked down in the process. Flair gets a roll-up with the tights, but there’s no ref. Flair goes to the eyes and he tries to dump Steamboat, but Dragon skins the cat. He comes off the top, but Flair avoids again. Flair goes for the figure-four, but Steamboat gets the small package for the win and World Title at 23:17.

Winner and New NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat via pin at 24:08
-Just fantastic work here as they put in the time and built this thing perfectly. The crowd bought into everything and were rocking by the finish. Dragon had Flair at every turn until the action went to the floor and that let Flair take over. I like that Flair’s chops were always answered back by Steamboat which was a cool psychological touch. Just great stuff and it’s no wonder this match has stood the test of time. Do I have matches that I like more? Sure, but this was still amazing.

1) NWA World Title: Ricky Steamboat (c) vs. Ric Flair ***** (NWA WrestleWar)

-As mentioned earlier we have three judges at ringside in case this goes to a 60 minute time limit. Flair has 40 women with him for his entrance. That seems a tad excessive! Not to be outdone Steamboat comes out with his son and wife. The Little Dragon is riding a pony to the ring. Flair being introduced as a 5 Time World Champion is weird. Lockup to start and Flair backs Steamboat into the ropes, but offers a clean break. Another go and Dragon gets an arm drag, but Flair struts as he is still confident. Another lockup and Flair gets a side headlock. Flair runs Dragon down, but gets caught with a hip-toss and then an armdrag. They start trading slaps to the face and Dragon gets the better of that exchange as Flair falls on his ass. Lockup again and this time Flair doesn’t offer a clean break in the corner. Loud chop from Flair pops the crowd. Dragon responds with his own chops and they start trading leather. Heavy chop nearly sends Dragon over the top and to the floor. Dragon back with more chops and he gets a backdrop out of the corner. Flair rolls to the floor to stop the momentum. Back in the ring Flair gets a side headlock. Steamboat breaks and gets a wrist lock. They fight over that as it becomes a test of strength. Steamboat takes Flair to the mat and transitions to an armbar. Dragon drops a series of knees to the shoulder as Flair yells out for God. Dragon with another shoulder tackle and another armdrag as we are past the five minute mark. Hammerlock from Steamboat, but Flair counters with a drop toe hold which Steamboat counters back into a hammerlock. Sweet! Steamboat turns Flair over and gets a one count. Chop from Flair and another and another and another. Steamboat slides between Flair’s legs and drops Flair back to the mat and hooks another hammerlock. Flair is able to get Dragon in the corner and delivers a cheap shot. CHOP! Right hand from Flair followed by some body blows and rabbit punches. CHOP from Steamboat. How about four more and Flair Flops! Steamboat goes back to the arm as we see the judges taking notes at ringside. Flair is able to get Steamboat on his shoulders and carries him to the corner. Steamboat leaps over Flair and then throws some chops followed by a dropkick that sends Flair to the floor. We have hit the ten minute mark as Flair regroups on the floor. Steamboat has controlled this one, so he should be ahead with the judges. Back in the ring Dragon goes back to the armdrag and right back to control of the arm. Flair shoves off, but Dragon gets a shoulder tackle. Flair then catches him with a hip-toss. Elbow misses and Dragon right back to the armdrag. To the corner and Flair buries a shoulder to the ribs. The judges give their 15 minute notes to Jim Ross (only been 13 minutes) and they all have Steamboat ahead on points. Chops from Flair! Dragon returns fire, so Flair goes to the eyes. He pitches Steamboat to the floor, but Dragon is right back in and pissed. He pounds away on Flair in the corner. Flair upside down and stuck in the Tree of Woe. Dragon stomps and gets another tackle. Flair sends Steamboat over the top to the floor and apparently no DQ as the ref rules that was momentum. Flair follows out and fires off a chop that sends Steamboat over the railing and into the front row. Another chop and an elbow as the fans encourage the Dragon. Flair doesn’t want a count-out though and heads back out. They chop the crap out of each other and Dragon gives chase as he seems pissed. He comes off the top with a chop to the head. Flair Flip in the corner and Dragon catches Flair with a clothesline on the apron. Snapmare by Dragon and back to the armbar. Dragon just buries his shin on the bicep which would probably suck. Dragon tries a crossbody, but Flair drops down and Dragon lands on the ropes and falls to the floor. Elbow to the head from Flair and another chop. He uses the rope to sling Dragon back into the ring and drops a knee to the head. CHOP! CHOP! Right Hand! Flair yells for a fan at ringside to keep their mouth shut. More trading of chops! Flair with a belly to back suplex for two. Another two count! Another two count as we are just past the 20 minute mark. Flair continues to try to hold Steamboat down, but Dragon is out at two each time. Flair drops a knee to the head and gives us a WOOO. The Flair fans are alive now! Double under-hook suplex from Flair gets a two count. Elbow drop gets another two. Flair bitches at Tommy Young about the count. CHOP! Dragon ducks a clothesline and leaps at Flair, but gets dropped on the top rope with a stun gun. No count though as Dragon is under the ropes. Flair makes sure to put his shin on Dragon’s trachea as the ref yells at him. Terrific! Suplex on the floor from Flair as the latest judges votes have it 2-1 Flair this time. According to Ross that means Steamboat is up 4-2. Back in the ring Dragon rallies and gets a suplex for two. Flair jumps at Steamboat and they both topple over the top to the floor as they tease a double count-out. If it ends in a DCO then we go to the judge’s decision. Flair is up first and decides to head up, but Dragon catches him and tosses him down with a slam. We have hit the 25 minute mark as the crowd is going crazy now. CHOP from Steamboat! He lands a bunch of chops to the head and another backdrop. Flair begs off and catches Dragon coming in. Dragon flips out of a suplex and gets a roll-up for two. He sets Flair on the top and CHOP! Superplex brings Flair down as he starts screaming in pain. Double Arm Chicken Wing is attempted, but Flair is close enough to get his feet in the ropes. Flair sent into the buckle and Dragon heads up. Karate chop hits the mark! Up again, but Flair falls into the ropes which throws Dragon off balance. He falls to the floor and is now grabbing his knee. Ross notes he has never seen anyone fall that far from the top. Mick Foley: Hold My Beer! Flair goes after the knee and gets a suplex. Back to the knee as he is preparing for The Figure Four. He is able to lock it in and the crowd is losing it. We hit the 30 minute mark with Dragon fighting to survive the Figure Four. He gets to the ropes, but Flair kicks at the knee and fires off more chops. Dragon throws some chops, but doesn’t have much behind them. Steamboat with an enziguiri which pops the crowd. Slam is countered by Flair into a cradle for the pin at 31:37. Yep, he beat Steamboat in the same manner, Steamboat beat Savage at WrestleMania III.

Winner and New NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair via pin at 31:37
-Awesome match as we all know at this point. The last 10 minutes was just breathtaking stuff. The chops were flying and they were working here. I love the finish as a call back to Mania III as well and that is a big reason why I give it the edge over Chi-Town Rumble.

-As you can see it was a banner year for that Ric Flair fellow. I guess he is pretty good at this wrestling thing. This was a fantastic year for both companies as far as in ring work. WWE was obviously getting all the money though because of the Hogan/Savage feud. Many feel this is the last great year of the boom before things started to turn in 1990. We will get to that next as I will be rolling along into 1990 for my next year of Retro Reviews. There will be a lot to discuss there as a pair of Blade Runners get their shot at the top of each company. Thank you for reading!