World Championship Wrestling (5.27.1989) Review

-Originally aired May 27, 1989.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross and Michael Hayes. Hayes declares that even though he’s the reigning US Champion, he felt a duty to return to commentary because ratings have plummeted since he left the show.

TERRY FUNK vs. DAVEY RICH
-This is a sudden demotion for Davey Rich, who looked to be getting a minor push as a member of the…ahem…Party Patrol. Rich slaps Funk, who no-sells it and demands more of them. He slaps Rich back and throws him out to the floor. Rich gets back in and starts armdragging Funk around. Funk goes to the floor in frustration and does a pratfall in the ropes on his way back in, and now he’s all riled up because the fans are laughing at him.

-So Funk takes it out on Rich, but Rich reverses an Irish whip and Funk does a Flair flip clear down to the floor. Back in, Rich throws right hands, but Funk comes back on the offensive with headbutts. He brings Davey Rich out to the floor and sets up for a piledriver, but Rich backdrops out and punches him, with Funk staggering face-first into the post. Back in, Rich looks like he might actually finish Funk off, but Funk catches him with a clothesline and Davey takes a Hennig bump from it. Piledriver by the Funker finishes. Another great squash, as Funk lets these guys hang with him and then makes himself the bigger star.

ORIENTAL TORTURE MATCH: GREAT MUTA (with Gary Hart) vs. COUGAR JAY, MIKE JUSTICE, & TRENT KNIGHT
-Bad-ass name, but it turns out it actually just means an elimination match with a ten-minute time limit. Justice starts. Muta targets his ribs and goes for a full nelson. Justice reverses it, but Muta backs him into the corner and mule kicks him with a nice flourish. Savate kick sends Justice to the floor. Muta slingshots himself on top, and Tommy Young counts the pin on the floor, so I guess that’s a rule. Muta immediately springs up to the top rope and lands on Trent Knight, pinning him immediately. Cougar Jay eats a dropkick. Backbreaker by Muta, and the moonsault finishes. The crowd just does NOT want to boo Muta, no matter how hard they try with him.

-And now, a debuting new feature on the show: THE NWA TOP TEN! Here are the Top Ten challengers to Ric Flair’s world title for this week:
10. Dick Murdoch
9. Kevin Sullivan
8. Danny Spivey
7. “Honey, I Shrunk the Pants”
6. Great Muta
5. Butch Reed
4. Lex Luger
3. Buttafuoco Farms Hickory Smoked Sausage
2. Michael Hayes
And the number-one contender for Ric Flair’s world title this week: Ricky Steamboat! (keyboard riff)

-Commercial bumper teases the next segment with footage of a blown spot, so I have high expectations for this one.

ROAD WARRIORS (with Paul Ellering) vs. SAMOAN SWAT TEAM (with Paul E. Dangerously)
-From whichever syndicated show JR was doing at this point. SST attacks before the bell, Warriors clear the ring, SST come right back in, and it’s still a brawl. Fatu manages to clear Animal from the ring and takes over on Hawk. Samu goes to the floor and beats on him to keep him from getting to the apron, but all four men end up on the floor and Tommy Young is just visibly giving up on this. The fighting continues and finally Tommy has enough and just calls for the bell to throw this match out.

-Lex Luger is willing to do whatever it takes to get his US Title belt back, and agrees to a Badstreet match against Michael Hayes.

SCOTT STEINER (with Rick Steiner & Missy Hyatt) vs. JACK VICTORY
-Rick Steiner’s cute nerdy fan is at ringside again, and she gives him a Teddy Bear. Awww, I think they’ll make a great couple if they ever get together.

-Teddy Long sits in on commentary while Victory works the arm over. Long explains that he needs everyone in the NWA to promise no booing because Norman is sensitive to that.

-Steiner and Victory have a struggle to fall over the top rope together in the moment that the commercial bumper teased. Back in, Steiner elbows Victory and Victory tries to out-Hennig Davey Rich, doing three complete spins on his way to the mat. Victory takes control, attacking with forearms and elbows. Victory boots Steiner to the floor. He slams Steiner back into the ring, but Steiner holds onto him and rolls through to cradle him for three. This was fine.

WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE TOURNAMENT, FIRST ROUND: RON SIMMONS & RANGER ROSS vs. SAMOAN SWAT TEAM (with Paul E. Dangerously)
-Something’s up because Simmons was pretty clearly a heel in his last few appearances. All four men brawl to start. Simmons and Samu end up on the floor and the referee has to break that up while Fatu is choking out Ranger Ross in the ring. Fatu misses a charge and Simmons tags in. Simmons works the arm with a wringer and some headbutts to the shoulder. Ross and Simmons are tagging frequently and they’ve got control of this…but hey, here’s Teddy Long again.

-Ranger Ross throws punches at Fatu but gets kicked in the face. SST double-teams the Ranger as Teddy Long suddenly taps Ron Simmons on the leg to have a chat with him. Simmons tries to blow him off while Ross is trying to make a tag, but Long keeps trying to get his attention and shows him something on a paper. Whatever’s on the paper, it has Simmons’ attention, and Simmons completely misses Ross’ attempt to tag, so he’s stuck in the ring wrestling the SST by himself. Ranger screams for help and now Ron takes a look at him…then just shakes his head and keeps talking business.

-Ross hangs in there and goes out to the floor, slapping the paper out of Teddy Long’s hand. Simmons finally goes back up to the apron, but refuses to tag in, and the SST finally manages to put Ross away with a top rope splash.

-Jim Cornette promises that next week, WCW will be back to two hours, and it’s a good thing because the Midnight Express will be returning to the show.

-We get a report from Ric Flair’s doctor. Nature Boy has a ruptured disc and a pinched nerve. Flair reported in his last visit that he can’t bench press as much as he used to, and he has a lot of weakness in his arms.

-Terry Funk comes out and is suddenly in “nice old man” mode again out of nowhere and says that he’s personally arranged for Ric Flair to come out for a visit next week, and promises that he’ll give Flair a chance to fully recover before signing for a title match.