Posted October 20, 201410 yr comment_5634294 US Heavyweight Title: "Total Package" Lex Luger © vs. Ranger Ross (6/19/89) Luger wanting the fans to quit touching him as he comes to the ring is great. Luger jumps Ross right at the start and beats him down while being a complete douchebag. Luger would miss a diving elbow giving Ross a chance to mount a comeback but it was for naught as Luger was just too dominant and put him out with the Torture Rack. Jim Ross then interviews Steamer in the locker room and Steamer is hot at Luger for turning on him saying that he wants a No DQ match with him at the Bash. Luger then cuts a promo in retort with Ross and accepts in a swarmy way. The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy "Jam" Garvin & Michael "PS" Hayes) vs. Steve Casey & "Ravishing" Randy Rose (7/6/89) This Steve Casey is Steven Dane. Bammer is at ringside with his brothers who had issues early on with their opponents but in the end they would come out with their hands held high. It also didn't hurt to have Gordy getting his shots in as well. Next we get the Danger Zone with Terry Funk as the guest. Paul E. wearing a Batman shirt is so Summer 1989 it's not even funny. Funk is great here cutting a psycho promo on Flair saying that he will end his career. Extra material. The Midnight Express ("Beautiful" Bobby Eaton & "Sweet" Stan Lane) vs. The New Zealand Militia (Rip Morgan & Jacko Victory) (7/6/89) Corny joins Ross on commentary for the match. This had some really good hard hitting back and forth action with both teams throwing some bombs out there. Militia were underrated as a team mainly because it was two secondary partners becoming a team but as workers both men were solid. Eaton worked FIP and did a good job having some fun hope spots using his fierce punches. Lane would get the hot tag and he ran wild on the Militia before it turned into a 4-way brawl. Eaton would hit a big elbow smash off the top rope on Jacko as Lane was being pinned by him to get the win for the MX. Very fun TV match but not enough here for a nomination. Flair is out next for a live promo in front of the Cobb County Civic Center crowd and he fans are nuts for Flair. Believe me I was at all these shows and Flair was fucking molten hot as a babyface....if Dusty had turned him a year or two earlier Crockett may have still been in business. Flair cuts a great promo on Funk even ripping his shirt off. Extra material. Paul E. & Funk are together again for a promo this time Funk is more low-key but still psycho. Extra material. Scott Hall vs. Wild Bill Irwin (7/3/89) Hall's look in the 80's always got him work but if he had found his ability that he would have a few years later back then he would've been a much bigger star. Irwin was a good opponent for Hall because he made him look good while when Irwin was on offense he made the match more interesting. They were totally telegraphing this was going to a time limit draw but Hall would lock on an inside cradle with less than a minute left to win. Irwin then whipped Hall afterwards with the bullwhip as payback. Rick & Scott Steiner & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams vs. The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy "Jam" Garvin, Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy, & Michael "PS" Hayes) (6/21/89) That face team is a scary fucking team to face in a dark alley and they came out brawling at the start before the Birds went to the floor to regroup. This of course has some hard hitting action especially when Gordy was in with the faces as he would murder Rick with a clothesline but Rick would nail him with a Steinerline later in response. Rick would get tossed to the floor where they would throw him into the railing and Rick is taking some good punishment here. Doc would finally get the tag and he teed off on Gordy sparking a 6-way brawl when Paul E. comes out to ringside on the phone. Scott has Garvin in an O'Connor Roll when Gordy gets a tennis racket from Paul E. and used it on Scott who was pinned by Garvin. Corny comes out afterwards and tells Tommy Young what happened and Tommy reversed the decision. This was yet another fun TV match but could've been way better. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Jacko Victory (7/4/89) Steamer is at his old stomping grounds so the fans are nuts for him. Jim Ross on commentary talks about Jacko's personality disorder from working so many gimmicks. Steamer doing Jacko's chant right in his face was funny. The way that NWA did TV at this time is the template on how you do wrestling television. WWE writers should watch all the NWA they can from this time period to learn how to make TV matches. This had some really good back and forth action with Steamer making Jacko look like a very credible threat before getting the win with a cross body block off the top rope. I dug this match a good bit and I'm throwing it up for a low-end nomination. Then we get the WNN with Solie talking about Stampede Wrestling, Atlantic Coast, & AWA and Robert Gibson teaming with Sam Houston. Next we get Funk's Grill with The Great Muta & Gary Hart and this is good stuff. Funk gushing over Muta is hilarious it's like Piper & Kabuki in 1982 GCW and they even do the same mist spraying on the arm deal. Extra material. Steel Cage Match: The Fabulous Freebirds (Jimmy "Jam" Garvin & Terry "Bamm Bamm" Gordy) vs. The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) (7/6/89) The Samoan Swat Team was supposed to be in this match but Paul E. said that they had plane issues so the Birds were taking their place. The cage is set up as a buildup for War Games at the Bash. Gordy & Animal in the ring together was always a fun watch and it was no different here as these two big mofos teed off on each other. Hawk would come in and run wild before Gordy laid him out with a clothesline. Hawk works FIP and the Birds work him over as Hayes comes down to ringside to watch. Gordy hits a piledriver but Hawk no-sells like only Hawk can and he fights back but Gordy would hit a snap suplex to get him back down. Animal gets the hot tag and comes in taking out both Birds before Hawk joined him and the fans are going nuts. The SST show up and they help Hayes get the key from Tommy Young then they run in with handcuffs cuffing Animal to the ropes as everyone beats down Hawk. The heels bloody up Hawk and he had to leave on a stretcher. The match was kind of a disappointment considering the teams and the stipulation but it was all done to advance the War Games angle. Animal then cuts a pissed off promo in the locker room aftewards. I think this should go on as an extra though because you rarely ever saw the Roadies get beaten down like this. Terry Funk vs. Steve Casey (7/3/89) Funk spits right in Casey's face so Casey comes back slapping him hard a few times sending him to the floor. Funk gets some ringside fans really pissed off and the cops have to come down to settle them down. Fans then start throwing trash in the ring and chanting We Want Sting so Funk goes and gets in their faces especially women and old men with one pulling his shirt up showing his belly. Casey starts chopping Funk getting the fans hyped up but Funk posts him numerous times to stop that. Tommy Young then calls for the bell DQing Funk for those actions but that doesn't stop Funk as he tears up the ringside steps then throws the timekeeper's table in the ring wanting to drop it on Casey but Tommy Young stops him. Then a jobber comes in to get destroyed before Scott Hall comes in sending Terry to the floor. Terry then grabs a steel chair and nails Hall in the back of the head. Terry could've easily started a riot here he was so goddamn hot. Slam dunk extra. Next we get a contract signing with Sting, Gary Hart, Muta, & Sandy Scott for their NWA World TV Title match at the Bash The Great Muta vs. Ray Lloyd (7/3/89) Lloyd of course is the future Glacier and Muta is killing him as Sting & Gilbert come down to ringside to watch. Muta is impressive and Sting gets in Muta's face afterwards but Muta leaves. Then we get a promo from Corny about the War Games match coming up at the Bash and his match with Paul E. Really good promo. Steamer then cuts a promo on Luger about their match at the Bash. Rick & Scott Steiner vs. The Varsity Club (Mike Rotundo & Kevin Sullivan) (7/3/89) This had some good fast paced action with Scott doing a good job playing FIP taking some really hard bumps over the top rope to the floor. The intensity would really pick up as they even knocked Klondike Bill out of his timekeeper chair with Sullivan using it on Rick but Rick no sold it. Nick Patrick would call for the DQ after that ending the match. Flair come out next and the Columbia, South Carolina crowd is completely apeshit for the Icon of the Carolinas as he takes off his blazer throwing in the crowd then his glasses and throws them in the crowd. Holy shit Flair was a fucking fantastic babyface here cutting a psycho promo on Funk. Slam dunk extra. Then we get another psycho Funk promo. Extra material. Corny is out next talking about his history with Paul E. building up their match at the Bash and this is a slam dunk extra. Next we get the Danger Zone with Ric Flair where Flair ran Paul off the set and cut another great promo on Funk. Extra material.
