wrestling / Video Reviews
Leighty’s Retro Review: WCW Great American Bash ’92
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Our run of 4 straight WCW shows comes to an end with this one. This show is all about the NWA World Tag Title Tournament plus Sting’s first match with Vader. I am sure it will go well for him. Let’s get to it!
-Announce Team: Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura
-Albany Civic Center, Albany, GA
-July 18, 1992
-Attendance: 8000
-PPV Buys: 70,000 (same as Beach Blast)
-Tony Schiavone and Magnum TA welcome us to the show and they throw the screwy NWA Tag Tournament Bracket up on the screen. If you read my Clash review, you know, I am not thrilled with their lack of how a bracket should work.
-After Jim Ross and Jesse Ventura welcome us ringside, we go to Eric Bischoff in the back with Bill Watts. Cowboy is here to explain to the fans why they have different rules for the NWA matches vs. the WCW matches. When you have to explain different rules, you have a problem. Cowboy hits the “hook em up,” catchphrase.
NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: 2nd Round: Brian Pillman (USA) and Jushin Thunder Liger (Japan) vs. Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat (USA) and Nikita Koloff (USA)
-Both these teams come in unseeded after “upsets” in the first round. All four men shake hands before the bell. Winners of this one get the MVC. Koloff starts with Pillman and they start cautiously. Pillman with a side headlock and Koloff just lifts him off the mat and sends him back into the corner. Pillman tries again, but gets shoved off and Koloff hits a shoulder tackle. Pillman tries a front facelock and Koloff puts him on the top rope. He offers a clear break, but Pillman kicks at him. Well, that’s dumb! Koloff with an inverted atomic drop, but Pillman back with a roll-up for two. Liger in and he goes to work on Koloff’s arm and then brings Pillman back in. He comes off the top with a double ax to the arm. Liger back in off the top and then back to Pillman to continue working the arm. Liger back in with a kick to the arm and he sends Koloff shoulder first into the corner. Back to Pillman as the super timer lets us know 5 minutes have passed, but in real time it’s only been 3:44. Liger with a dropkick and then a shoulder tackle. Back to Pillman and Koloff has had enough and hits an elbow. Tag to Steamboat and he gets a dropkick. Dragon showing some aggression as he pulls Liger into the ring and sends him into Pillman. Ricky sends Liger to the floor where he crashes on Pillman. We go again with Dragon hooking an armbar on Pillman. Pillman and escapes and gets a series of leaps over Dragon, but a third try gets aught and turned into an inverted atomic drop. Clothesline from Dragon, but Pillman fires off one of his own. Double Dropkick from Liger and Pillman gets two. Dragon with a shoulder tackle for two and brings Koloff back into the match. Liger eats an elbow and tags out as he was close enough to his corner. Dragon back in and he hooks a side headlock on the mat and gets a couple two counts. Pillman fights to his feet and hits a backdrop followed by an elbow for two. Dropkick gets two! Liger back in and he throws some kicks and gets a backbreaker. Moonsault gets a great reaction, but only a two count. TOMBSTONE from Liger gets two! Now we are talking! The crowd is buzzing now! Senton splash gets a two count! Steamboat back with a belly-to-back suplex and he tags in Koloff. He boots Liger down and drops a series of elbow. This crowd loves Koloff! Steamboat back in with a backbreaker but doesn’t release and he ends up getting two more followed by a powerslam. Kind of cool seeing Dragon use a power offense. Koloff back in and we get a double back elbow for a one count as the ref was busy getting Steamboat out of the ring. Jesse is not a fan of Liger’s mask as he notes he looks like The Predator. I was waiting for Ross to add to that, but nothing doing. Liger nearly gets the tag, but Koloff cuts him off and brings Dragon back in. He comes off the top with a karate chop for two. He sets too early on a backdrop though and Liger punts him in the chest. Tag to Pillman and backdrop from Dragon and a dropkick knocks Koloff off the apron. Pillman goes to a side headlock on the mat for a bit. Liger gets the tag and hits a missile dropkick from the top. Dragon wakes up and delivers some chops. Koloff back in and Liger fires off leg kicks, but Koloff eats those and drops Liger with a shoulder tackle. Slam! Pillman in and he hits a dropkick to the back of the head. Official tag to Pillman and he hits another dropkick and then one more for a two count. Liger gives Pillman an assist on a crossbody. Pillman gets sent to the apron, but comes back in with a clothesline off the ropes. He heads up top and gets a missile dropkick for two. Great near fall! Koloff runs into a boot in the corner and then a knee. Ugly kind of bulldog from Pillman off the ropes, though it may have been a sleeper attempt. He goes to a sleeper right after though. Jawbreaker leaves both men down and the crowd is rumbling. Big pop as each man makes the tag. Liger hits an enziguiri for two. Dragon blocks a dropkick and gets two. Backslide from Liger gets two! Pillman with a blind tag and he sling shots in with a shoulder tackle for two. Backslide from Dragon gets two! Pillman counters a headlock with a suplex and both men are down again. Pillman up top, but Dragon falls into the ropes and Pillman lands on his balls. Everyone in the ring! Pillman comes off the top with a cross-body, but Steamboat rolls through and gets the pin at 19:26.
Winner: Ricky Steamboat and Nikita Koloff via pin at 19:26
-Fun match that took a little to get going but they were rocking by the end. ***1/2
NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: 2nd Round: #2 Hirsohi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto (Japan) vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (USA)
-Hashimoto is a replacement for an injured Nogami. Cool thing I found doing some research is that Hashimoto is a former NWA World Champion and won the Championship in McKeesport, PA in 2001. I’ve been to McKeesport for high school basketball games. Crazy to think an NWA Title change happened there. Even if it wasn’t the NWA as it’s height. Hase starts with Michael Hayes, who has to get his strut and moonwalk in before we get going. The crowd appreciates it! Lockup and Hase gains arm control. Hayes kicks out and it’s a stalemate. Hase with a side headlock and he takes it to the mat, but Hayes rolls through with a head scissors. Hase fights his way out and then shoots in for a single leg. They grapple on the mat and Hayes gets a one count. Garvin gets the tag and Hashimoto is in as well. Garvin hooks a side headlock and transitions to a hammerlock. Hashimoto with a drop toehold and it’s another stalemate. Hayes has the crowd going again from the apron. Hashimoto with a side headlock on the mat for a two count. Hase back in off the top with a elbow to the wrist. Jesse notes you can take all the seeds and throw them out the window at this point. Well, when you don’t care about the seeding to start, why care now? Hayes back in and he goes to work on the arm. Hashimoto with a chop to the throat and then chokes on the ropes. Back elbow from Hashimoto and then Hase back in with a slam and then a somersault splash. Hashimoto back in and he hits a spinning heel kick. Fall Away Suplex into a bridge gets two. Hayes gets double teamed in the corner as the ref gest Garvin out of the ring. Hayes is able to run Team Japan into each other. Hayes ducks a double clothesline and lands a left on each man. Garvin with the hot tag and he throws some slams and clotheslines. The crowd wants to see a DDT. Everyone in the ring and as the ref gets Hayes out, Hashimoto hits a super kick and then Hase gets a Northern Lights Suplex for the pin at 9:16.
Winners: Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto via pin at 9:16
-The Birds were here to get heat and work the crowd and Team Japan just wanted to wrestle. Thankfully, they realized this one didn’t need 20 minutes. It was fine. **
-Tony Schiavone is with Bill Watts and Hiro Matsuda and they are holding the Big Gold Belt that is back to being the NWA World Title. The crowd is annoyed when Watts makes sure to point out Ric Flair was the last person to wear this belt, and he is taking his name off it. He also makes sure everyone knows that WCW Champion, Sting beat Ric Flair. A new NWA World Champion will be crowned in Japan and Watts wants the winner to face Sting to unify the two belts. Well, they got there eventually (without the NWA name) and funny enough, it ended up being Sting and Flair in the unification match.
NWA World Tag Team Title Tournament: 2nd Round: #3 Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham (USA) vs. #6 Steve Austin and Rick Rude (USA) (w/ Madusa)
-Austin with stripes on his tights just looks so weird, and again, with the short white boots. Amazing how black tights and boots become iconic on someone. Austin and Barry start us out and Austin shoves Barry into the corner. The winners of this match get Hase/Hoshimoto in the second round. Barry backs Austin into the corner and offers a clean break, so Austin kicks him in the gut. Seems fair! Austin fights for a backslide and gets a two count. Roll-up with the tights gets a two count. Barry with a leap frog and hammers Austin with the taped first and Jesse is PISSED! Austin wants the win by DQ but the ref just ignores him. Austin counters a side headlock with a head scissors. Barry escapes and fakes throwing another punch and then SLAPS THE SPIT out of Austin’s face. Ouch! Rude in and Dustin follows. Rude pounds away in the corner with forearms. Dustin gets a boot up to block a charge and hits a lariat. Belly-to-back suplex followed by an armbar then into a hammerlock. Nice! Ross notes that Dustin has great years ahead of him. Here we are 33 years later and he is still winning Championships. Rude goes for a Tombstone, but Dustin flips back and ends up getting one of his own for a two count as Austin makes the save, Splash is blocked as Rude gets the knees up. Austin back in and he drops a series of knees on the chest and then lays in some heavy kicks. Austin fires out of the corner with a clothesline for two. He lands a knee to the gut and a punt to the ribs. Dustin hooks abdominal stretch as Ross lets us know he has been told this inflicts pain on multiple points of the body. Good thing Ross will never have to get in the ring and find out. Windham gets the tag and comes off the top with a clothesline for two. Austin reverses a whip and gets a backdrop. Tag to Rude and he fires off forearms to the lower back. Belly-to-back suplex followed by an elbow gets a two count. Austin back in and he sets Windham on the top buckle. Barry head butts his way out of the position and then gets a cross-body for two. Madusa on the apron which lets Rude grab Windham by the hair from the apron. Rude heads up top and hits a dropkick and I figured Madusa’s distraction of the ref was so that Rude could come off the top, but this is NWA rules so you can come off the top. See how confusing this can be? Austin in as he comes off the top with a double ax. He hits a vertical suplex to show off some power and that gets a two count. Austin goes to a side headlock as I guess the crowd was getting into this one a bit too much. Barry escapes and crawls to his corner, but Austin pulls him back and makes the tag to Rude. Barry gets rammed into the buckle, but blocks a third try and sends Rude into the buckle. He can’t follow up though and Rude gets a slam and then swivels the hips. Front facelock from Rude, but Barry back drops out. He can’t get the tag though as Austin cuts him off. Jesse rightly points out that Dustin was on the ring side of the buckle. That’s a nice catch actually! Barry lands a right hand and instead of making a tag, he goes for another punch and Austin kicks him in the face. Back to the mat with a reverse chinlock. The DA switch off behind the ref’s back and the ref starts a five count and makes Rude and Austin switch back out. Cool! Backdrop from Austin and I think Barry was supposed to get a sunset flip but it didn’t work. Instead Barry get’s a small package and then a double clothesline leaves both men down. Austin up first, which should be expected, and he hits another belly-to-back suplex. Tag to Rude and Barry gets an inverted atomic drop and Rude sells that as you would expect. They end up cracking heads to leave both men down and hey, the crowd is finally into this one. Austin gets the tag and Barry collapses backwards and tag to Dustin. He runs wild as the crowd is full throat now. Dropkicks sends Rude to the floor. Dustin off the middle ropes with a back elbow to Austin. Everyone in the ring! Austin tries a piledriver on Barry, but Dustin comes off the top with a clotheslines for the pin as we go split screen for some reason at 19:16.
Winner: Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham via pin at 19:16
-Long heat sequence on Barry and it took time, but they eventually got the crowd into it and they popped for the tag to Dustin. They put in work here and I can appreciate the old school nature of the match. ***
-Ross and Jesse hype Halloween Havoc and discuss what they may be wearing as costumes.
NWA World Tag Team Tournament: Semi-Finals: Nikita Koloff (USA) and Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. #4 Miracle Violence Connection (“Dr. Death” Steve Williams and Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy)
-Williams and Gordy won the titles a week ago at The Omni from The Steiners Brothers. That puts them at 2-0-1 vs. The Steiners. Reminder that Doc and Gordy won their 2nd round match against The Steiners at last month’s Clash of The Champions. Also, I have read horror stories about this match over the years, but this is obviously my first time watching it. Steamboat and Gordy start and Gordy immediately takes it to the mat with a side headlock. Steamboat gets to his feet and hits a series of arm drags. Doc in and Steamboat catches him with one as well and holds the armbar. Doc with a drop toehold to counter and transitions into a side headlock. Dragon escapes and hooks a hammerlock. JR goes over Doc’s football background at Oklahoma. Shocked it took over 3 minutes. The hammerlock continues so Doc pushes Dragon into the corner and brings Gordy back in. Steamboat fights out of the corner with chops and brings Koloff into the match. He pounds away on Gordy and then catches Williams coming with a drop toe hold and hooks an armbar. Oh man, I don’t need Koloff doing mat wrestling. Let him and the MVC just throw bombs at each other. Doc scampers to his corner and tags Gordy. Jesse notes that over in Russia Koloff probably had to wrestle for his food. That made me laugh! Koloff with a dropkick and that gets the crowd into the match with a “Nikita” chant. Doc with a single leg and drops Koloff right on his head with a throw. Ouch! Body scissors as the crowd goes quiet again. Steamboat pounds on the buckle to get the crowd back into it, but it’s not very effective. Koloff counters with a front face lock and the amateur wrestling continues. Gordy back in and Koloff gets to his feet and makes the tag to Steamboat. Side headlock and then some chops from Dragon before getting an arm-drag. Gordy pushes back to his corner and Doc gets a tag and hits a clothesline for two. Steamboat rolls over with him to escape and we get some more amateur stuff on the mat. Doc misses a clothesline which lets Dragon go for a crucifix. Doc shuts that down by running Dragon into the corner. Chops from Dragon as he fights back, but Doc stops that rally and tags Gordy. He hits a pair of body slams as Jesse keeps promising me that power moves are coming. Gordy with a clothesline and he sends Steamboat into Doc’s knee. Double shoulder gets a two count. Doc drops an elbow for a two count. Gordy back in and he slams Dragon down by the hair. Gordy decks Koloff on the apron which gets the ref’s attention. Double suplex and the ref refuses to count as he never saw a tag between Doc and Gordy. That actually makes sense! Gordy is forced back in and then tags back to Doc. He runs Dragon down and then hits a backbreaker to counter a Dragon cross-body. Doc goes to a submission where is looks like he is spooning Dragon. Thankfully, Dragon realizes his hand is free and he punches Doc in the face. Gordy back in with some elbows but sets too early on a backdrop and Dragon hits an ugly DDT. Oh man that looked awful. Tag to Koloff and he hits a series of shoulder blocks, but Gordy spikes him into the mat on one try too many. Doc in and he drops Koloff throat first across the top rope and hooks a head scissors. Blah! Gordy back in as Koloff tries to scramble to his corner, but Dragon looks to be toast on the apron so probably not wise. Gordy hooks the STF and makes bring Doc back in as Koloff won’t quit. Doc hooks a Boston Crab because we need all the submission holds in this match. Gordy back in and right back to the STF. Koloff is able to move enough to free an elbow and catch Gordy with a few shots. Doc back in and he back hands Dragon off the apron. Powerslam to Koloff as that is what I want from these two! Oklahoma Stampede is escaped and they end up cracking heads to leave both men down. Dragon in and he takes on the MVC all by himself. He sends them into each other and hits Doc with a belly-to-back suplex. Koloff back in as Dragon comes off the top with a chop to the back of the head. He heads up again, but Gordy shoves him off and Doc catches him and hits a modified Stampede for the pin at 21:39.
Winner: The Miracle Violence Connection at 21:39
-So this isn’t as bad as I had read and heard, but it’s certainly boring. I want to see the MVC throw people around the ring and in this match trade BOMBS with Koloff, but instead it’s 20 minutes of mostly submission holds and some fun stuff thrown in every few minutes. There are some out there that love this style and that’s cool, but not me. **
NWA World Tag Team Tournament: Semi-Finals: #2 Hiroshi Hase and Shinya Hashimoto (Japan) vs. #3 Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham (USA)
-Hase and Dustin start us out. Lockup and Hase backs Dustin into a corner. Clean break from Hase. Rhodes with a fireman’s carry and he tags in Barry. They do a reversal sequence as Jesse notes you get wrestling in WCW. Hase wants a test of strength and Barry easily breaks him down, but Hase bridges back up and escapes. Hashimoto in and he wants a test of strength. Jesse always perks up when this move gets used. Barry turns it into a suplex as this slow and deliberate start to this one continues. Dustin back in and he offers a clean break out of the corner. Hashimoto hits a shoulder tackle and we kind of wait to go again. Dustin tries a shoulder block and Hashimoto just stares at him. Side headlock and Hashimoto escapes that one with little trouble. Young Dustin trying to out wrestle someone from Japan is kind of funny. Hase in and he goes to work on the arm with a hammerlock and takes Dustin to the mat. Dustin slides to back control and makes the tag to Barry, who comes off the top with a shot to the arm. Hammerlock slam followed by Euro uppercuts. He gets a top wrist lock and goes to the mat. Look, I appreciate mat wrestling, but man this is just a run of slow, deliberate matches with a bored crowd. Hashimoto back in with a few strikes and then right to a head scissors. Barry fights back with strikes out of the corner and Dustin is back with a bionic elbow. He goes to work on the arm now and we get another submission hold. Dustin fights to his feet and fires off elbows which wakes the crowd up. Hashimoto goes to the eyes and lands a series of kicks to the chest. Spinning heel kick drops Dustin and we get a SPIKE PILEDRIVER that looked like it stuffed Dustin into the mat. We get another spot where the ref doesn’t see the tag and makes Hashimoto and Hase switch back. I dig the ref’s enforcing the rules. Dustin and Hase start trading chops and where has this been? Give me more! Windham just comes into the ring and punches both Hase and Hashimoto before the ref sends him back. Hashimoto with a knee to the gut and then a suplex for two. The crowd is starting to wake as they want Dustin to make the tag to Barry. Double suplex by Team Japan and Hase follows with a Boston Crab. Joy! Dustin escapes, but Hase hits a sweet overhead release suplex. Hase misses double knees off the top. Clothesline from Dustin and hot tag to Barry. He runs wild and hits Hase with a suplex for two. Powerslam gets two! Abdominal Stretch with punches to the ribs. Hashimoto in and Dustin sends him to the floor. Barry hits a lariat on Hase for the pin at 14:55.
Winners: Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham via pin at 14:55
-Well, it wasn’t as boring as the last match, but it didn’t really pick things up either. A theme tonight as its was technically fine, but nothing I really want to seek out and watch again. **
-Tony and Magnum have Ron Simmons with them and apparently in WCW you either kick it or get kicked. He stills wants to be World Champion and is watching the next match with interest.
WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Sting (c) vs. Big Van Vader (w/ Harley Race)
-Vader with helmet just has an aura about him and it’s awesome! Scared me as a kid when I saw it the first time. JR makes sure to note that Sting holds wins over Ric Flair, Lex Luger, and Sid Vicious. Hey, I know what those guys have in common at this point. Lockup and Vader pushes Sting back into the corner. They go again and Vader lands heavy forearms and boxes the ears of Sting. Cool! Clothesline and Sting bails to the floor as he has no clue what has happened to him. Harley Race tells Sting to get back in the ring. Back in Sting ducks a clothesline and hits one of his own and Vader just stares him down. Crossbody and Vader catches Sting and just drops him. You can see the wheels turning for Sting as he tries to figure out what he’s gotten himself into. He finally uses his speed and avoids a splash. He gets a belly-to-back followed by a series of clotheslines. The final one sends Vader over the top to the floor. The crowd went crazy for all of that. Vader gets some advice from Race before heading back into the ring. Vader wants a Test of Strength and we have had a lot of that tonight. Sting isn’t sure what to do as the crowd urges him to try something else. This is Sting though and he goes through with it. Vader immediately takes control, so Sting just thumbs him in the eye. Cool! Sting lands a head kick and brings Vader in from the apron with a clothesline. He then gets stupid and charges at Vader. That goes poorly. Sting blocks a whip to the ropes and gets a small package for two. Back in Sting tries a sunset flip, but Vader just squashes the piss out of him. Jesse and JR take shots at The WBF, which is kind of funny. Elbow from Vader followed by a splash for two. Vader lifts Sting off the mat by his throat for a choke and then throws Sting across the ring. Vader hooks as step over toe-hold and turns it into a Scorpion Death Lock just to piss on Sting a little more. I will say it’s kind of a weak one as Vader is standing up too much. Sting actually uses his leg strength to force Vader off, but he is not in the best shape. Right hands from Vader as Sting is stumbling around the ring. Race wants Sting to quit. Vader with a clothesline followed by a powerslam for two. Vader unloads with headbutts in the corner and fires off body shots. Sting starts to fight back with strikes of his own and hits a somersault heel kick. Sting hits a desperation DDT but can’t follow up with a pin. He opts to just throw his body at Vader in a attempt to knock him to the floor. Vader is up first and heads up top for some reason. Sting knocks him off balance and has Vader stuck on the top rope. He actually gets Vader up on his shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop to pop the crowd. It only gets two though! Sting tries another suplex, but Vader lands a back elbow. The ref gets bumped and this time Sting gets a bridging German for a two count, as the ref was late getting there. Sting lands a kick that sends Vader into the corner and he hits a Stinger Splash. He goes for another one in the opposite corner and he slides up Vader’s back and hits his head off the steel support between the buckle and post. Sting is bleeding and now the crowd is freaking out as he is a dead man walking. He kicks out to give the fans one more glimmer of hope, but he is toast. He throws homer run punches that Vader easily avoids and one powerbomb later we have a New World Champion at 17:17 to the shock of most of those in attendance. There are quite a few cheering Vader though.
Winner and New WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Big Van Vader via pin at 17:17
-This is the first of their many wars against each other and is must see. It shows that Sting had heart, but didn’t know what to do with Vader and it took future matches for him to finally figure it out. This was the right time and right guy and Vader was a made man after this match. Future matches would steal the template from this one (and future matches between these two). Rock/Brock at SummerSlam is a good comp for this one and it wouldn’t shock me if they used this match. ****
-For extra effect, Ron Simmons and others are out to check on Sting.
-Eric Bischoff is backstage with the new World Champion and Eric asks about Sting’s power. Man, read the room Eric! Vader just smoked The World Champion and needs to be praised. Race covers it though as he is just ecstatic. Vader says shows off his Championship Belt and screams a lot.
NWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament: Finals: #4 The Miracle Violence Connection (Japan) vs. Dustin Rhodes and Barry Windham
-We have Ole Anderson out in a ref’s shirt plus two other refs for this one. The Steiners are out and wants some of The MVC, who make sure to hold the WCW Tag Titles above their heads for The Steiners to see. Ole will be the ref inside the ring as this is our Main Event for the night. So after a heel heavy night where Sting just got smoked, perhaps we get an uplifting ending. Yeah, no! We know how this is going down. Ole gives instructions to both teams before the bell. For Windham and Dustin this is their third match of the night. Barry and Doc start us out and both are cautious. Nothing really happens, so Gordy and Dustin tag in. Gordy shoots in and grabs a leg, but nothing happens as they get to the ropes. The crowd is so quiet It’s scary. After two minutes Gordy gets the first offensive move with a suplex. Dustin with a flurry of elbows and he goes to work on the leg. Barry in and he gets a figure-four and that kind of wakes up the crowd. Gordy get to the ropes to force a break. Back to Doc who gets a belly-to-belly suplex and they grapple on the mat from there. Jesse notes the crowd is still stunned after Sting lost and I can buy that, so why follow it with a match like this? Gordy in and hits a running clothesline in the corner for two. Dustin gets the tag and goes to the knee. Joy! That goes on for a bit until Gordy gets close enough to his corner to make a tag. JR goes over Doc’s football background and mentions Mongo, which had my ears perk up. Kind of cool that a little name drop is now an easter egg. Future Horseman and nobody in that building would ever believe it had you told them. Gordy back in and he gets the STF on Dustin, which is at least something though still boring. Dustin throws elbows to break and hooks a sleeper and even that doesn’t get a pop. Sting/Vader really should have gone on last. Doc comes off the top after a tag to break up the sleeper. Reverse chinlock on the mat and sure, that’s what we needed. Dustin gets to his feet and gets a jawbreaker followed by a roll-up for two, but can’t follow up. Gordy back in and he hooks a Boston Crab. Barry comes in to break but doesn’t do anything as Doc is back in and hits a Powerslam for two. Front facelock. Ugh! This seriously might be the most boring main event to close a PPV I have ever seen. Even the hot tag to Barry doesn’t wake up the crowd. He runs wild and gets a suplex on Doc for two. Gut-wrech suplex gets a two count. Now a sleeper from Barry, but Doc runs him into the post. Gordy in and he hits a vertical suplex for two. Side headlock as Ross talks about Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Jesse needles him about being old enough to have watched Strangler in person. Williams off the top and holds the leg until Gordy can make the tag. He is in and drops a series of elbow as Dustin frantically tries to tag in, and when that doesn’t work, he just comes in and fires off punches. The MVC just stare at him and go back to torturing Barry. Doc with a modified abdominal stretch and I really didn’t need that in this one. Gordy in and he ends up cracking heads with Barry to leave both men down. Doc in and about 10 people care that Barry made the tag to Dustin. He doesn’t even get to run wild as Doc gobbles him up and hooks a front face lock. That’s awful! I know this is Bill Watts’ idea of wrestling and cool, but wow. Dustin starts a comeback, but hey, it gets cut off again. Heavy clothesline from Gordy gets two. I can understand the story that Dustin is out of his league since he was young in his career, but Barry should be treated as being on the same level as The MVC. Doc with Stampede on Dustin, but Barry with a dropkick that leads to Dustin getting a two count. Everyone battles in the ring and Windham hits a clothesline for the pin at Dustin at 21:09.
Winners and New NWA World Tag Team Champions: The Miracle Violence Connection at 21:09
-Bill Watts ladies and gentlemen! The earlier match with Steamboat and Koloff seems to get more hate, but this was worse. It was the Main Event and they gave us a boring 21 minutes with one of the quietest crowds you will ever hear. I get both teams worked early in the show, but put this before Sting/Vader and cut like 8 minutes off. You are ending the show with a downer anyway, but at least Sting and Vader was a fun match that the fans were into. DUD
-The MVC celebrate on stage with Tony Schiavone as people quietly walk out of the arena.
-Thanks for reading!
