Kris is joined by David Bixenspan & Dylan Hales to discuss Part 2 of the end of Jim Crockett Promotions spanning from October-December 1988. We talk about the continued odyssey of Lex Luger, the evil Road Warriors, and most importantly the nuclear war between Ric Flair & Dusty Rhodes plus lots more. Listen to us talk about how this 2 part series is even more important today considering the pending demise of Total Nonstop Action.

 

http://placetobenation.com/exile-on-badstreet-6-the-price-of-ridiculousness-part-2/

Also in regards to the Road Warrior/Sting angle was the Roadies refused to tag Sting. The only reason Sting got in the ring was a blind hot tag.

Hope this is as long as the previous episode. Looking forward to the slaying of Jim Herd, Flair vs Dusty and more 'aiight's from Kris.

Watching through late 80s on WTBBP, a frequent talking point was how lost and aimless the Road Warriors felt, like they literally drifted and were hanging around doing nothing in particular for what seemed like years.

 

I think you might argue that as an act they weren't very well set up for an extended run in a national promotion. Once they've run through everyone what then? What's there left for them to do? I agree that a heel turn makes sense on paper, but what they REALLY needed to do was go away (i.e. to another territory) and come back refreshed. The new climate and landscape didn't allow for that and so instead we got, as Kris said, staleness. And even with them never jobbing to anyone, it's difficult to maintain "aura" over an extended period like that. They never stopped being over, but I was pretty shocked by just how directionless they felt right up to their departure to WWF.

Hope this is as long as the previous episode. Looking forward to the slaying of Jim Herd, Flair vs Dusty and more 'aiight's from Kris.

Noticed those too!

 

Cool.

Kris, is Flair wanting to work heel really Flair being a mark for Flair, or do you think it's because he didn't like working babyface because he thought he had no offense for the comeback? I've heard him say it a few times now.

Flair loves being heel because it plays into his character more although he was a fantastic babyface

Had no idea about the ramifications of Dusty's spike to the eye.

 

"Dusty shares a lot of similarities with Tito. Not Tito Santana but the Yugoslavian dictator".

 

Best of these shows so far for me.

Terrific episode as usual. I'm already looking forward to your multi-part 89 shows. More great in-ring product that unfortunately failed at the box office.

 

Your point about WCW being a horribly-run organization from day one is spot on. It's a shame too, since they had an ideal roster to build a wrestling company with IMO. Has a promotion ever had such obvious can't miss future superstars than WCW did at this point in Luger, Sting and Windham (and Rick Steiner to a lesser extent)?

They were loaded with high end young talent and botched all of them

Great show, as usual. Found this:

 

There it is......what a tremendous angle that was man

Interesting little info about Valentine, Piper and One Man Gang possibly defecting in '88, I was unaware of that. Another great show - obviously.

 

Bix, what was your point about Stan Lane being trained by Flair - does he go on and on and on about it or something?

Piper actually heated up more in 1989 and it got close but he went back and did Mania with Morton Downey Jr.

 

Stan is known for bragging about Flair training hin yes

Stan is known for bragging about Flair training hin yes

 

Of course he does. If you were trained by Ric Flair, which you couldn't be, because only Stan Lane was trained by Ric Flair, then why wouldn't you constantly brag about being trained by Ric Flair? Like Stan Lane, the only wrestler ever trained by Ric Flair.

One of my favorite part of these is when someone's doing an extended Dusty impression and it goes on long enough that I forget who's doing it and can't figure it out.

 

(It was Kris)

 

Stan is known for bragging about Flair training hin yes

 

Of course he does. If you were trained by Ric Flair, which you couldn't be, because only Stan Lane was trained by Ric Flair, then why wouldn't you constantly brag about being trained by Ric Flair? Like Stan Lane, the only wrestler ever trained by Ric Flair.

 

Cool. Funny stuff.

This series is marvelous. There has yet to be a disappointing episode. I look forward to the next installment.

Wasn't Matysik the one who pushed for Flair to go over Luger clean, and it was Flair who suggested the feet on the rope as a compromise.

That is what has been said yeah. Larry was a big Flair guy and he mentioned that to Herd even though he wasn't supposed to start until January

On one part of the show it was hinted that Flair had major heat with the Japanese, what is this in reference to?

The j-tex angle in 89 I'm guessing. I'm pretty sure the guys had their tongue firmly in their cheek.

I always loved Starcade 88 as a card. My main problem was the amount of tags in a row on the show. So it didn't seem as diverse as it was suggested it was . Great show guys. So Windham left cause he made a play for the book. So the story of him leaving to have surgery , but not having the surgery is false?

On one part of the show it was hinted that Flair had major heat with the Japanese, what is this in reference to?

 

I think I zoned out during that part, but I believe they were referencing Ross' cry at Clash IX: "THE JAPANESE HAVE ATTACKED RIC FLAIR! THE JAPANESE HAVE ATTACKED RIC FLAIR!"

Yeah it was a call to the next year