November 1989

Lawler comes out with the USWA World Unified Title belt and I believe this is a title match. However, when this was taped, Lawler had actually lost the title to Soultaker (Papa Shango/Godfather) on October 23 and regained it on November 6, 1989. Talk about it here.

Three Legends and a young Eddie Guerrero at this point. Really fun match. Just smooth compared to what we watch today. The way they get from submission to the next is effortless. This had to be a house show right? Commentary mentioned how Casas lost a hair vs hair match to Eddie just days earlier. I love the sweeps and trips, it felt like watching a grappling exhibition. The third fall was the best out of the three. I'd give it a ****

NWA US Champion Lex Luger vs Dick Murdoch – NWA 11/89 If anybody still has any doubts about Luger’s being a phemnomenonal worker between 1988-1991, they will be effaced by this consummate heel performance. He put over Murdoch very strongly in the beginning selling well and constantly looking to break his rhythm by powdering. By constantly fighting out of Murdoch’s arm work with strong rights, he made Murdoch earn his shine. Murdoch did so with gusto really letting his hands fly and show great babyface fire. JR did his job so well putting Murdoch over as a legit challenger and how seriously Murdoch was taking this match. I really liked Luger going after the arm only to…

Skyscrapers vs Steiner Brothers - NWA Clash of the Champions IX I watched this yesterday so going off memory. I thought this was great craic. Honestly, it made me want to watch more Steiner Brothers. They are my kinda spot monkeys. They were just throwing these big lugs at will. The opening gambit of a Rick Steiner German Suplex and a Steinerline was awesome. Dan Spivey gets in on the action and almost paralyzes Rick Steiner with a crazy Tombstone. He did NOT look like he had Rick properly situated at all. The Scotty Steiner Frankensteiner and flip fallaway slam was also a ton of fun. According to Scott Keith it was that spot that injured Sid and put him out until Ju…

A much-heralded classic, I watched this for the first time ever recently (and watched it again 2 weeks later) and I sheepishly admit I'm not sure I agree with some of the 5-star talk. I understand there's a sense of "You Had To Be There..." involved, but I've been watching all the major shows (and some of the minor) leading up to the event via the Network and I feel like I have a fairly firm understanding of just how big this match and rivalry was. There is no doubt that this is an all-time great feud and, even before a punch is thrown, this match kinda starts off with at least a star or two based on aura and build alone. I get it. I also totally understand the prais…

Aaah the joy of watching wrestling. This is a long as fuck slow match between two stocky motherfuckers without any spectacular offense and it may very well be one of my favourite lucha title matches of all time. There has been some talk about "anti-workrate", and some folks may classify this kind of brainy contest under that. But screw that, because this was as epic as a title match can get, with nearfalls out the ass, huge dives, and selling that makes Shawn Michaels look like a master of subtlety. This is a rare chance to see these two doing some straight up wrestling, and there are some really beautiful trippy takedowns and arm rolls in this bout, contestants being…

NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs The Great Muta - NWA World Championship Wrestling 11/18/89 Up until the disqualification finish, I was wondering to myself how the hell was this not discussed more. It is two major stars in a TV match that is actually great and yet it is pretty under the radar besides a review on Where The Big Boys Play (shoutout to Parv & Chad). The DQ finish means it is does not feel definitive, but this is amazing Ric Flair performance. I dont know how you can come away not thinking Flair is one of the best of all time from watching this. All the same-y Flair bullshit goes out the window when he wrestles as a babyface. How can that l…

Masa Fuchi, Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas vs Kenta Kobashi & British Bulldogs - AJPW 11/19/89 BABY KOBASHI~! is a big draw also is watching the British Bulldogs in All Japan. Furthermore, I think watching more Masa Fuchi and the Can-Am Express is important too. This is on the same night as the opening of the Real World Tag League. It is a Late 80s All Japan tag match so I will be doing this stream of consciousness: Dynamite looks ghastly as a skinhead. Davey Boy looks pretty normal. It has been a long time since I watched a Dynamite or Davey Boy match. Fuchi and Dynamite to start. Dynamite wins a shouldertackle battle and a snap suplex with not as much snap …

Stan Hansen & Genichiro Tenryu vs Terry Gordy & Bill Irwin - AJPW 11/19/89 I do not understand why but Hansen & Tenryu have become a regular team, when Hansen teaming with a fellow gaijin and Tenryu teaming with a Revolution team member makes more sense. This left Terry Gordy out in the cold. I wonder if they wanted to elevate Gordy to the level of Hansen so he needed to have have his own team. Wild Bill Irwin is someone I have seen very little of so this caught my eye. I believe this is the beginning of the 1989 Real World Tag League. Late 80s All Japan Tag stream of consciousness: Irwin and Hansen have a bullrope vs bullwhip fight that leads to an …

The Ultimate Warriors (Ultimate Warrior, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, The Rockers) vs The Heenan Family (Andre The Giant, Arn Anderson, Haku & Bobby "The Brain" Heenan) - Survivor Series 1989 Everyone is riding the white lightning in the opening promo. I have no clue how anyone could focus on a promo with Warrior grabbing their heads. He ends the promo with Shawn and Neidhart between his biceps. We need more gibberish promos (no, Bray Wyatt does not scratch that itch). I love the WOYAH~! This is a fun, WWF-style match and my favorite Survivor Series match (not that I have seen many). It is action-packed, but it tells a clear story and everyone pla…

El Dandy vs Emilio Charles Jr. had been a hot feud during the summer, but it had cooled off, at least on TV, after their inconclusive hair match. Heading into the last shows of the year at Arena Mexico, the promotion decided to revive it in order to settle things between the two men. This match was what made their rivalry an issue again. It's not a display of classic three on three wrestling full of athleticism and doubleteaming, and it's not a crazy brawl all over the arena. It's more of a one on one with four other wrestlers involved, and a captivating performance by Emilio Charles. Dandy was on his game for this one. TVF cheapshotted Atlantis early on, and Dandy j…

The Rockers vs Hart Foundation MSG 11/89 For my money, the most underrated match in WWF history. This is an amazing transformative babyface vs babyface match where you see tempers flare and by the 20 minute time limit blood is boiling over. To me, easily the best Hart Foundation match and the second best Rockers match in the WWF a close second to the Rougeaus match in London. Making this one of the best tag team matches in WWF hitsory. This match is equitable without trading spots back and forth with not rhyme or reason. If there is one thing that is Bret's bread and butter it is the face vs face matches. He is an incredible subtle heel. Most babyface vs babyfac…

WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs The Genius - SNME 11/89 Huge fan of The Genius' promos. Shockingly I have never seen this match. I LOVED THIS!!! Pure camp but it was well GENIUS!!! The left handed handshake attempt had me rolling. The Genuis frolicking in the ring was too funny. Hogan tossing him out of the ring on the lock up was a great bump by Lanny. Genius slaps Hogan hard does some cartwheels. Hogan gets this wicked look and just blasts Genius great stuff kicking ass. Mr. Perfect waltzes down and Genius takes control with dropkicks and steel posts shot. Genius Moonsault! Hulk up! Genius eye rake and back take stops Hulk Up no one can do that. Jesse call…

The Rockers vs The Brainbusters w/Bobby The Brain Heenan - 11/89 SNME 2 out of 3 Falls This is a pretty good match in the Rockers series. I would put it below the January MSG match and the barnburner 3/89 SNME match. There is dissension in the Heenan Family due to the Busters' loss of the tag belts and whether Heenan is meaningful to the success of the team. Marty gets wrist control and Tully tries to use some hair to get the advantage, but Marty keeps kipping up. Marty attempts a sunset flip, but Tully holds onto Arn and Shawn comes crashing down on Tully's back. The Rockers go up 1-0 quickly and Heenan is irate and berates the Busters. Heenan shoves Tully and …

We start this thing off with Tenryu diving through the ropes attacking Baba on the outside before he even takes off his robe! So, Kimura starts the match while Baba recovers on the outside. The guys are working with a lot of energy and lots of really stiff blows. Kimura gets busted open either from getting his head rammed into a table by Hansen, or from nailing Hansen with multiple impactful headbutts. Tenryu & Hansen go to work on the cut from there. Kimura gets multiple boots to the head that just look vicious. The chemistry with Baba and Tenryu is great once he makes it back to the apron. The facial expressions they trade with each other, and the wrestling (…

Jumbo Tsuruta & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs Dan Kroffat & Doug Furnas - AJPW 11/29/89 I wanted to see how Kroffat & Furnas would hang with the heavyweights. This is towards the end of the Real World Tag League. Jumbo & Yatsu were the dominant heavyweight team all year and the Can-Ams were pretty dominant in the junior ranks. Lets see what happens! Stream of consciousness: Yatsu is wearing headgear that would make the Dog Faced Gremlin jealous. Yatsu and Furnas to start. Yatsu gets a hammerlock early and reversal by Furnas. Stump puller by Yatsu and Furnas kangaroo kick off. Jumbo asks to come in. Jumbo headlock takeover. Jumbo wrenches the headlock. Furnas…

Here we are, at the peak of Akira Maeda's tumultuous career, main eventing his group's biggest show, against 1984 Judo Olympian and World Championship silver medalist Willy Wilhelm. The UWF has seen heretofore unimaginable growth over the past 18 months, selling out (in order of capacity) Tokyo Bay NK Hall, Ariake Coliseum, Nippon Budokan, Yokohama Arena and Osaka Baseball Stadium over the period, all while putting on a mere 17 shows in total. Higher stakes are at play here as they attempt to capitalise upon this incendiary popularity, promoting their biggest venue yet by a hefty margin - the cavernous 60,000-seat Tokyo Dome dwarfing Osaka Stadium's 32,000 capacity. …