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Leighty’s Retro Review: NWA Clash of Champions XI: Coastal Crush
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-We continue with NWA as this is the post Capital Combat show and is building towards The Great American Bash 90. That show is next up, but I think I am going back to WWE for their July edition of SNME to break up the NWA run. Bash will be after that and then I will have to decide if I want to redo SummerSlam 90. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Jim Ross and Bob Caudle
-McAlister Field House, Charleston, SC
-June 13, 1990
-Attendance: 4100
-TBS TV Rating: 4.1
The Wild Eyed Southern Boys vs. The Fabulous Freebirds
-I’m used to seeing The Birds sporting the Confederate Flag, but it’s The Southern Boys this time. The Birds attack before the bell and I don’t know if one even sounded, but we are off and running. Double backdrop and double shoulder blocks from The Boys. Ross goes over Steve Armstrong’s family, and funny enough the the one not mentioned (Road Dogg) ended up having the most famous career. The Birds are back in the ring, but things don’t go well and we get double dropkicks. The Birds bail to the floor again. Ross mentions the last time they had a show in this Arena, Hurricane Hugo hit. All the best for everyone dealing with the current run of Hurricanes blowing through the South. Armstrong and Hayes have a go in the ring and Armstrong gets the advantage, but heads up top and Garvin shoves him off from the apron. Garvin gets the tag and drops Steve throat first on the top rope for two. Backbreaker gets two! Hayes back in and he clubs Armstrong down trying a backdrop, He drops a heavy elbow for a two count. I will note these small buildings for the Clash shows have been great as even a small crowd comes off loud. Hot tag is made to Smothers and he catches Garvin with a backdrops. He goes nuts with back elbow and runs The Birds into each other. Smothers gets a roll-up but Hayes drills him with a clothesline. Garvin with a knee to head, but Armstrong comes off the top with a headbutt to the back and then puts Smothers on top for the pin as Hayes celebrates with his back turned thinking his team got the win at 7:25.
Winners: The Wild Eyed Southern Boys via pin at 7:25
-This was fine as it was short enough that The Birds couldn’t stall and the crowd was hot for all of it. **1/2
”Wildfire” Tommy Rich vs. Bam Bam Bigelow (w/ Sir Oliver Humperdink)
-Bigelow powers Rich into the corner as they jockey for position. Rich is able to escape, but gets tossed into the opposite corner. Rich avoids a splash and fires off a series of right hands. Bammer eats them and shakes his head a few times to clear the cobwebs. He backs Rich into the corner again and misses a right hand. Rich unloads with more punches, but backs off again. Lockup and Rich goes to work on the arm. That goes on for a bit before Bigelow delivers a headbutt. Rich gets a roll-up for two. He backs Bieglow into the corner and unloads with right hands as the crowd counts along. Bigelow walks around with Rich and then hits an inverted atomic drop. Gorilla Press Slam! He goes to a straight choke and the ref calls for a DQ at 3:45.
Winner: Tommy Rich via pin at 3:45
-What was that? Awful ending that did no favors to Bigelow. Match was nothing really, but again, the crowd is into everything. 1/2*
-Big Van Vader video package as he is coming to World Championship Wrestling! I remember this video package and it scared me and made me think Vader was the coolest dude ever. The crowd cheers the video package.
-Gary Michael Capetta brings out El Gigante and the crowd isn’t as happy to see him as they were to watch the Vader video. The visual of Gigante standing next to Capetta is pretty funny. We get an interview in Spanish and some broken English. He will be making his debut at The Great American Bash teaming with Mr. Wonderful and JYD. They didn’t say it here, but I assume that’s only if JYD loses tonight against Flair because if not, well, then WCW.
Captain Mike and Tom Zenk vs. The Samoan Swat Team
-Zenk is fresh of losing the US Tag Titles with Pillman and now is teaming with Captain Mike. The crowd boos The Samoans as they try to Samoan prematch ceremony and Caudle calls them weird. As we know, The Samoan Dynasty will get the last laugh when they control the top wrestling promotion in the world. Again, I never heard an opening bell. Fast paced as this is a 10 match Clash show, so nobody is getting a lot of time here. Rotunda comes off the top with a double ax to the arm of Savage and catches him with a crossbody for two. Zenk is dumb and comes in the ring which draws the ref over and Fatu kicks Mike in the back of the head. Double clothesline from The SST. Clothesline from The Savage gets two. The crowd is even rumbling for this match, bless their hearts! Fatu hooks a nerve hold as Caudle talking about hitting a mule in the head with a 2×4. Rotunda gets pitched to the floor and Savage gets a slam. Double thrust chop and then Savage hooks the nerve hold. Rotunda ends up getting a double clothesline and makes the hot tag to Zenk. SUPERKICKS and DROPKICKS for everyone! He runs The Samoans heads together, and that’s dumb. They shake it off and Rotunda gets thrown over the top behind the ref’s back. Fatu with a Samoan Drop and then Savage hits a Vader Bomb. Mike switches places with Zenk as The Samoans celebrate and that lets Mike gets a small package on Fatu for the upset pin at 5:25. That’s some crappy officiating as Mike wasn’t the legal man.
Winners: Captain Mike and Tom Zenk via pin at 5:25
-Just a tag match, but again, the crowd is popping for everything so it makes it enjoyable. The Samoans losing to a thrown together team was kind of weird, but I guess that’s why they called it an upset. **
Mean Mark (w/ Paul E Dangerously) vs. Brian Pillman
-I hope Mark can trust Heyman and he doesn’t end up finding a client to ruin a famous winning streak 24 years down the line. Mark attacks before the bell and boots Pillman in the face. We have a bell this match! Pillman leaps over Mark from the middle ropes and gets a dropkick. He rams Mark into the top buckle, but an elbow ends that rally. Running boot knocks Pillman off the apron and he crashes off the railing. Cool! Mark rolls Pillman back into the ring and tries a sidewalk slam, but Pillman rolls through. He tries a crucifix, but Mark runs him into the corner. Scoop Slam from Mark that had me briefly thinking Tombstone, but we are five months from that. Mark hooks a chinlock as Ross notes he has a US Title shot against Luger next month at The Bash. Pillman elbows his way out, but runs into a clothesline and there is an audible pop from the crowd. That gets two and Mark is pissed! Chops from Pillman and Mark just sucks up the pin and hits a sidewalk slam. Nice! That gets two though it sounded like three as Heyman was slapping the mat at the same time. Mark misses an elbow in the corner and Pillman comes back with more chops. Mark shakes that off again and gets a power slam. He tries to drop a leg, but Pillman rolls to avoid. Pillman is relentless with the chops even though they aren’t working. He tries a dropkick which is better. Mark throws Pillman over the ropes, but he skins the cat and heads up top. He comes off with a dropkick to knock Mark down and Heyman gets caught with one as well. Pillman tries a crossbody, but gets caught and a stun-gun ends this one at 5:30.
Winner: Mean Mark via pin at 5:30
-The result makes sense as Mark has a US Title Match next month against Luger. He is getting a nice little push, but we know how it ends. The match was short and it was solid as Pillman worked from underneath and got caught in the end. **
-Tony Schiavone is with Sting, who promised to be anywhere Ric Flair is. He mentions there are some Dudes with Attitude here and he screams a lot.
-The Rock N Roll Express get a pre-taped interview in front of a green screen with a train.
-The Midnight Express get the same exact green screen though the train is moving in the opposite direction. I guess that’s the evil direction!
NWA United States Tag Team Titles: The Midnight Express (c) (w/ Jim Cornette) vs. The Rock N Roll Express
-Gibson and Eaton start us out and the crowd is pretty jacked for this one. Eaton works the arm, but Gibson counters into a hammerlock. Eaton gets to the ropes for the break. We go again and Eaton gets tossed across the ring by an arm-drag. “Rock And Roll,” chant thunders through the arena. Eaton gets into it with Nick Patrick before we get another lock-up. Eaton with a knock down, but gets caught with a hip-toss and then a head scissors takes him to the mat. Eaton is able to back Gibson into his corner and gets the tag to Lane. Gibson knocks him down, but Lane hits a super kick to the gut and then a head kick. Gibson back with an enziguiri! Morton gets the tag and Gibson lands a chop on his way out to the apron for fun. Morton gets a hip-toss as The Midnight Express can’t get on track yet. Lane backs Morton into the corner and lands a heavy right hand. Lane misses an elbow in the corner and rushes out into a backdrop. Jim Ross mentions Lane is friends with Vanna White. Eaton makes the tag and lands an elbow on the ropes. Morton slides between the legs and gets a dropkick. He snaps off a rana that was kind of a head scissors. Lane gets the tag and he gets caught with an arm-drag. This was has been all Rock N Roll! Gibson back in and he sends Lane into Eaton off an atomic drop. Morton back in and he gets a roll-up for two. Lane goes to the eyes to escape an arm-bar and makes the tag to Eaton. He sets Morton on the top buckle and fires off some right hands. The crowd is starting to rumble again. Morton avoids a superplex and that nearly went wrong, but he saved it. He tries a roll-up but Lane makes the save. All four men in the ring as things start to break down. The ME hit Gibson with a double backdrop. The Rock N Roll get a double roll-up, but no count as ME kick out quickly. Things slow down as both teams go to their corners to regroup. Weird! Morton with an arm-drag on Lane. He charges and Lane alley-oops him into the corner where Eaton knocks him off down. That didn’t really work they way they wanted to, but again, kind of saved it by sheer force. Eaton misses a charge in the corner and the hot tag is made to Gibson as the heat segment on Eaton is shortened. Gibson runs wild with right hands and knee-lifts. Clothesline on Lane gets two as Eaton makes the save. Eaton and Morton end up on the floor and Eaton gets tossed into the railing. Gibson and Morton end up colliding. The ME use a Cornette distraction to get a two count. All four men back in the ring and The RNR hit a double dropkick. That gets two as Lane stops the ref’s count and that draws a DQ at 12:05.
Winners: The Rock N Roll Express via DQ at 12:05
-Fun match as you would expect, but an abbreviated version. Crappy ending with some awkward moments. Another DQ finish though! ***
Doug Furnas vs. Barry Windham
-Yes, this would be the same Doug Furnas that popped up in the WWF in 1996 and he is billed as the World’s Strongest Man here. JR is ready to go as he mentions Furnas played high school football in Oklahoma. Man, that’s the jackpot for JR as it’s football in Oklahoma. Furnas gets a sunset flip in the early going for two and hits a football tackle that sends Windham to the floor. Back in the ring Windham goes to the eyes and fires off some right hands. Furnas flips over in the corner and shows the power with a Gorilla Press Slam! Nice! He gets the mounted punches in the corner, but only gets to eight. Windham tries an atomic drop, but no go and Furnas gets a clothesline for two. Windham bails to the floor again. Furnas slings him back into the ring and fires off chops in the corner. He runs into a knee in the corner and Windham hits a lariat to pop the crowd. Suplex from Windham gets two as Furnas kicks out with ease. Windham runs Furnas’ face on the ropes, but nearly gets caught with a small package but it only gets two. Weird looking atomic drop follows, but then Barry sets too early on a backdrop and Furnas plants him on his face. Belly to belly suplex from Furnas gets two. Powerslam gets two! Backdrop as Furnas is showing out here! Furnas kind of hits a dropkick that Windham bumps to the floor and into the railing to sell. Furnas tries a suplex back into the ring, but Barry floats over and hits a German Suplex into a pin and keeps his feet on the bottom ropes for added leverage to get the pin at 5:39.
Winner: Barry Windham via pin at 5:39
-Best match of the show so far as I give it the edge over the Express Tag Match due to this match having a winner. Furnas looked good here and credit to Barry for letting him get some shine. ***1/4
-Sid is still in his tuxedo as he does his green screen promo. He has wild horses running behind him.
Lex Luger vs. Sid Vicious (w/ Ole Anderson)
-Luger still has his SLAPPER of a theme! Pink tights for Lex tonight which is different. The bell sounds and Ole gets too close, so Luger decks him. That lets Sid goes to the eyes and he rakes the back. He checks on Ole which lets Luger hit a clothesline for the pin at 0:28.
Winner: Lex Luger via pin at 0:28
-Yeah! Weird to have Sid job that quickly, but here we are. I have seen some thinking they were punishing Sid for missing dates and others saying the show was running long. DUD
NWA World Tag Team Titles: Doom (c) (w/ Teddy Long) vs. The Steiner Brothers
-This is a rematch from Capital Combat and my review is here! Ron and Scott come nose to nose and talk some trash as this one starts a little slow. Scott starts throwing right and Ron responds. Scott gets a REVERSE SLAM and it looked SICK! Another one to Reed! Yo, that was awesome and someone needs to bring that back. Doom bail to the floor as the crowd is popping like crazy for Scott. No wonder those in the NWA were drooling over him being World Champion one day. Simmons back in and he backs Scott into the corner. Scott reverses a whip and hits a Steiner-line to the back of the head. Ouch! Butch Reed in as this crowd is rocking! Reed backs Steiner to the ropes and throws some forearms. JR notes Reed is a monster and that all four men in this match are. I guess you would call this a HOSS FIGHT then or BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPING MEAT! Scott slams Reed down and he has had enough and tags Simmons. Ron wants some of Rick, so he gets the tag. Ron uses the ref to create some space and lands a punch from behind. Rick blocks a suplex and gets an overhead belly to belly. Reed back in and he is a little cautious now as The Steiners are dominating the first five minutes. Steiner-line to Reed and a slam! Rick pulls Reed out of the corner, but gets pushed back by the ref. Doom talk strategy in the corner while the crowd stays hot and barks along with Rick. Reed goes to the eyes, but Rick escapes a slam and gets a roll-up for two. Rick fights his way out of Doom’s corner and preps for another Steiner-line, but Reed puts on the brakes and heads to the floor. Rick follows and Ron is waiting to deliver a clothesline. Ron with a slam on the floor as the crowd is pissed! Back in the ring Reed gets a swinging neckbreaker for two. He delivers some piston right hands as “peanut head” chant rings out in the building. Reed with another clothesline that turns Rick inside out. Simmons in and he goes for multiple pins, but no dice. He sets too early on a backdrop and Rick kicks him in the chest. Reed gets the tag and comes off the top with a double axe. Scott rushes in which gets the ref’s attention so Reed throws Rick over the top and to the floor. Ron sends him into the post for good measure. Slam from Reed back in the ring. Double under-hook suplex! Reed drops an elbow from the middle rope for two. Reed misses a high knee in the corner and Rick comes off the middle ropes with a double axe before collapsing. The race is on and the tag is made to both men. Scott with a dropkick to Ron and here’s one for Reed as well, who falls to the floor. Powerslam to Simmons and Reed gets punched on the apron. All four men brawl in the ring as Long throws a foreign object to Reed. Scott gets a super-plex, but Reed decks him with the foreign object. Rick hits a Steiner-line and we get a double pin, but the ref count’s Scott down at 11:18 as he was the legal man in the ring with Ron.
Winners and Still NWA Tag Team Champions: Doom via pin at 11:18
-Fun match that had a hot crowd! These teams meshed well together as they were cool with throwing each other around the ring and hitting each other with bombs. ***1/4
-JYD cuts a promo as he faces Ric Flair tonight!
-Paul Orndorff gets green screen promo time!
”Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. Arn Anderson
-Man, that’s some awful music for Arn! Arn is the reigning TV Champion, but his championship isn’t on the line here. These two will be part of a Six Man Tag at Great American Bash. Orndorff poses with The TV Title before the match and even that doesn’t draw that much of a response. JR is all over Orndorff’s college football background as he played for The University of Tampa. Wonderful with a side headlock and gets shoved off. Arn sets for a monkey flip, but Paul puts on the brakes and delivers a shot to the midsection. Arn goes to work on the arm, but Paul reverses to a hammerlock. Even here you can see the atrophy of Paul’s arm from his run with Hogan when he didn’t want to take time off to get surgery. Orndorff gets a backslide and Arn is frustrated. He eats some right hands and ends up on the floor. Paul gives chase and gets a sleeper back in the ring. Arn counters to one of his own, but gets ran into the top buckle for two. Wonderful with a heel trip and he locks in the figure-four. Cool! Arn gets to the bottom ropes to force a break. Paul wraps the bad leg around the ring post! Effective! Arn snaps off a spinebuster off a reverse and he plants Paul with that one. There’s the rumbling of the crowd again! Arn hits a backbreaker as now he has a body part to focus his attention. Arn beats Paul down in the corner but sets too early on a backdrop and Paul tries to get a sunset flip and we get a Full Moon to pop the crowd. I guess that was Arn’s tribute to Flair! Arn punches Paul in the face and then chokes on the middle ropes. Arn hooks an abdominal stretch and uses the rope for good leverage. The ref finally catches Arn and forces him to break the hold. Arn drops a knee for two and then hooks a reverse chinlock. Orndorff elbows his out, but Arn just knees him in the ribs to regain the advantage. Arn misses a punch in the corner and Wonderful gets an atomic drop. Arn bounces into the corner and back which causes him to crack heads with Paul and both men are down. The ref gets to an eight count, but both men are up and they start slugging it out again. Wonderful wins the boxing contest and goes to the mounted punches in the corner as the crowd counts along. Arn brings him out, but gets caught with a leaping forearm. Elbow from Wonderful and another gets two! Nice running knee-lift and then another elbow drop for two. Sloppy covers from Wonderful! Paul hits a clothesline and heads up top. He tries a Vader Bomb, but Arn blocks with his knees. Arn with a small package, but Wonderful turns it and gets the pin at 11:36.
Winner: Paul Orndorff via pin at 11:36
-Fun match as they put in some work here. It’s still weird for me to see Orndorff as a babyface, but here we are. ***
-Ric Flair cuts a promo and dares anyone to jump on him and The Horsemen.
NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair (c) (w/ Ole Anderson) vs. The Junkyard Dog
-For those keeping track, Ric is announced as a six time World Champion at this point. Ross notes that JYD would like to keep this match short. No kidding! Flair slaps JYD and gets knocked on his ass for it. Cool! Lockup and Dog shoves Flair on his back and then again. Another lockup and Dog controls with a side headlock. Flair drops down, but Dog goes down as well and hits a head-butt. Right hand sends Flair over the top and onto the ramp. FLAIR FLOP! Flair fires off chops back in the ring and JYD just stares him down. Flair backs off into the corner and Dog throws some soup bones per Jim Ross. Slam and Flair begs off! He suckers JYD into the corner and gets a thumb to the eye. Flair fires off punches and chops and drops a knee, but Dog is right back up. The Dog has a hard head, you see? Flair tries to send Dog into the buckle but nothing happening. Chops and again, Dog just stares. Flair Flop off some right hands and then a backdrop sends Flair to the corner where he begs off again. Flair suckers JYD to the apron and drops him throat first on the top rope. Flair gets a chair and blasts Dog in the head, but again, hard head, so nothing happening. Flair begs off again and Dog lands more mounted punches as the crowd counts along. Flair flips over the top in the corner and runs the apron to head up top. He comes off, but JYD meets him with a right hand. Backdrop to Flair. Ole on the apron, so JYD punches him. Flair with a knee to the back, but he heads up and Dog slams him down. Head-butt from JYD and he goes to ground and pound. That brings in Ole for the DQ at 6:08.
Winner: The Junkyard Dog via DQ at 6:08
-This match has a reputation of being awful, but I just don’t see it. It was one of the shorter Flair matches you will see, but he knew what to do with Dog and bounced around the ring for him. They didn’t overstay their welcome as Dog didn’t have much to offer, but the crowd was into it. Now Flair losing match after match by DQ isn’t making him look like a strong champion heading into The Great American Bash. Our third DQ of the night! *3/4
-The Horsemen hit the ring, but here comes Sting, Luger, and Orndorff for the save. It’s chaos as everyone hits everyone with the crowd losing their mind.
-Flair gets out of dodge, so Sting goes back to beating on the other Horsemen.
-After a commercial break, Sting challenges Flair to a match for the World Title at The Great American Bash. The Horsemen hit the ring again and it settles into Flair and Sting. Sting’s backup holds off The Horsemen as Sting beats Flair’s ass much to the crowd’s delight. Cool touch as the ass kicking continues as the credits roll. Fun ending as they are basically having a match as the show goes off the air.
-Thanks for reading!
