Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard vs. Sting & Nikita Koloff (7/10/88)

- We have this complete on the 4 Horsemen set

 

Midnight Express vs. The Fantastics (7/10/88)

- We only got about 7 minutes of a 16 minute match. I'll look to see if this is complete anywhere.

 

The Road Warriors, Steve Williams, Jimmy & Ronnie Garvin vs. Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda, Al Perez, The Russian Assassin, & Ivan Koloff (Tower of Doom) (7/10/88)

- This is everything that the Wargames aren't. Just one big convoluted mess.

 

Sting vs. Mike Rotunda (7/16/88)

- I think there 1989 TV match was much better and I wouldn't vote this high. No vote.

 

Barry Windham vs. Dusty Rhodes (GAB 7/10/88)

- One of the better non-Tully Dusty matches out there. The only thing that sucks is that this should have been the summer of Luger-Windham. Barry bouncing around for the dream really made this work while a lesser wrestler would have made it hard to watch. The ref bump was pretty weak but it allowed Ron Garvin to make his heel turn. I won't vote this high but I'll nominate it.

 

Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger (7/10/88)

- This is the excessive blood loss match. The ending sucked and when it bombed at Starrcade years before, you would think that they learned thier lesson. Nope. The shitty ending is enough for me to not nominate it.

NWA World Tag Titles: "The Enforcer" Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard © vs. "The Russian Nightmare" Nikita Koloff & Sting

 

14,000 are here at the Baltimore Arena for the Great American Bash PPV. I loved the story on the Horsemen DVD about this match with Arn & Tully saying that this match shouldn't have been made and that the Road Warriors should've been in this spot not some makeshift team. Sting would get a nearfall on Tully very early with an inside cradle before Sting would go for a fucking insane plancha from the ring to the floor clearing the top rope. Sting was so fucking awesome before his injury. The crowd goes nuts for Nikita and his Russian Sickles with Arn & Tully making him look great. Nikita & Sting did show some good teamwork and like I just said going against Arn & Tully can make just about anyone look good. Nikita showed some different moves here like a full-nelson and then gave Tully the sickle over the top rope ala Cactus Jack with the fans popping big. Dillon would break up a pin that Nikita had on Tully so Nikita jumped him on the floor but would miss a Russian Sickle into the ringpost. This was the perfect lead in to the FIP section with the Horsemen working on Nikita's left arm and Arn especially looked at home working on the arm. Nikita tried to fight back but Arn just destroyed him with a DDT that unhinged the roof of the Baltimore Arena. The fans start booing with Gary Michael Cappetta starts announcing how much time is left in the match as they could see what was coming and Baltimore was always considered a smart wrestling crowd. Sting would get the hot tag and he came in blazing firing shots at the Horsemen then locked a sleeper in on Arn with a minute left in the match but Arn would tag in Tully who came off the top with a sunset flip that Sting would punch out of as Nikita gave Arn a Sickle. Sting would then hit the Stinger Splash on Tully and went for the Scorpion Deathlock as there was 10 seconds left then the time ran out. The champs retained their titles on the draw as the faces paraded around the ring with the belts. The finish wasn't great but the match was awesome and a true showing of how great Arn & Tully was as a team. Easy nomination.

 

US Tag Titles: The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) © vs. The Midnight Express ("Beautiful" Bobby Eaton & "Sweet" Stan Lane)

 

Corny has to get in the black cage while wearing a straitjacket no less and he is hilarious fighting his way into it. This starts out quite differently than their Clash I match as they start slow working on the mat although Fulton uses a nice headscissors and huracarana to take Eaton down. Lane uses his "educated feet" to send Fulton to the floor but Lane would eat a post shot and a sliding dropkick for his trouble. Rogers comes in and he gets to work over both MX on the mat but gets some nearfalls that has the MX reeling. Fulton comes back in and it turns into a quick 4-way brawl with the Fants getting the better of the deal sending the MX to the floor so they can do the Fargo Strut. Rogers gets Lane in an O'Connor Roll but he didn't know that Eaton got the tag and he gave him a bulldog from behind to kickstart the MX control section. MX are really strong here with the high impact offense and Rogers is just as strong taking the punishment. Rogers had some fun hope spots as well as the MX would absolutely not let him tag in Fulton trying to keep him in their part of the ring. Ross & Schiavone were really good on commentary here as well selling everything that is going on and making Rogers' battle important. Eaton just NUKED Rogers with the Alabama Jam which got the crowd going OHHHHHHH but it still wasn't enough to put away Rogers. MX would go for the Rocket Launcher but Rogers got his knees up and got the hot tag to Fulton who was a house of fire until Eaton kneed him in the back and Lane powerslammed him on the floor. Rogers then hit a cross body block on Eaton but poked Tommy Young in the eye in the process. Rogers now fights off both MX until Eaton gets a chain that Lane brought in and used the chain to KO Fulton to win the titles. The fans went nuts cheering the MX which made this different than the previous match as they were highly pro babyfaces. Fants do get to strap Corny after the match so they get something out of the deal. This wasn't the Clash I match but it was a really strong match and a fairly easy nomination.

 

Tower of Doom Match: "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin, "Hands of Stone" Ronnie Garvin, The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk), & "Dr. Death" Steve Williams vs. "Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff, "Latin Heartthrob" Al Perez, "Captain" Mike Rotundo, Russian Assassin (Angel of Death), "Gamemaster" Kevin Sullivan

 

This isn't a match that is going to be good in the natural sense but it was a total spectacle and was pretty fun but in no way is it a nomination. The fans were hot for everything and especially the finish and wild post match angle. The one thing of note on the whole thing was that everyone in the match was still at ringside except Ronnie Garvin.

 

US Heavyweight Title: Barry Windham © vs. "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes

 

Here is the culmination of their big rivalry and as Schiavone brought up, Dusty never lost the title it was taken away from him. There was some fun back and forth action early as this matchup was very fresh unlike most Dusty matchups over the recent years. Dusty hit his big DDT and a cross body block early on as he wanted to finish the match quickly but Windham would scurry to the floor to recover. Dusty just keeps taking it Windham when he gets back in the ring and Dillon as well and the place is hot for this action. The battle goes to the floor where Windham starts getting some shots in but he goes for a piledriver and Dusty reversed it with a backdrop but when they got back in the ring, Windham just started beating the shit out of Dusty but when he tried to slingshot him back in the ring off the apron, Dusty reversed it and Barry took a wild bump to the floor. Dusty then slammed Windham on the floor again and Barry just taking all kinds of abuse but keeps coming back. Dillon though would distract Dusty long enough for Windham to cheapshot him and now it looks like Barry will get full control. Barry locks on the Iron Claw with Ross saying that Dusty has never submitted in his wrestling career which is funny. I really wished Barry would've worked more offense before going to the Claw because he had the hold on for a long time and it made Dusty look like a superman compared to the others that had fallen to it earlier. Dusty shucks and jives trying to get the power and finally starts hitting bionic elbows so the hold gets broken but when Dusty goes for the figure-four, Barry locks the claw back on and we are back to square one. Barry gets Dusty on the ropes and goes for the Superplex but Dusty knocks him off onto Tommy Young so now we are refereeless while Dusty goes up on the ropes and backdrops Barry off the ropes before hitting the bionic elbow. Dusty has Windham pinned but there is no Tommy Young so Dillon jumps on the apron as Ronnie Garvin comes in the ring to KO Dusty as Dillon picks up Tommy Young as Windham puts the Claw back on Dusty for the count. I liked this match a lot but Barry's main offense just being a long ass fucking claw hold wasn't too hot. I'll pass this on as a low-end nomination.

 

Next we get Bob Caudle talking over Ronnie Garvin getting paid off by JJ Dillon & Gary Hart and this is a definite extra.

 

NWA World Heavyweight Title: "Nature Boy" Ric Flair © vs. "The Total Package" Lex Luger

 

Man are the fans hot for Luger and as I said many times before this was the right time to make the switch. Funny seeing Flair with white tights and yellow kneepads while Luger wears yellow tights with white kneepads. Luger works over Flair's back early and often here setting up for the Torture Rack. Flair takes the battle to the floor which is what he has to do as he must roughhouse Luger to get the advantage. Flair takes it back to the ring where he keeps up the pressure but Luger hits a desperation clothesline for a nearfall then Flair goes up top and Luger crotches him. Lex though goes for a dropkick and misses and we have both men struggling but Luger comes back strongly getting some nearfalls until Flair goes after Luger's left knee. Flair then would go for the figure-four which Luger does a good job of selling the move but Luger would break free and would fight his way back to hit a clothesline on Flair over the top rope to the floor. Luger can't capitalize though as he is selling his knee so Flair comes back in and starts firing chops which fires Luger up for his comeback hitting a big gorilla press slam but he is still selling that knee and can't capitalize again. Luger would then miss a kneedrop which wasn't the smartest move to try but he still was able to press slam Flair off the top rope and now Luger is fighting through the pain. Luger is now full force and he no-sells an inverted atomic drop only to nail Flair with a clothesline for a nearfall. Luger is now beating Flair from pillar to post and there is a real awkward spot where they try going over the top rope to the floor with Flair acting like he hurt his leg for real and it didn't look good. Flair then posts Luger as he is limping around then Dillon gets his shot in an this is where Luger starts juicing which was the beginning of the end. Flair takes Luger right to where the commission was placed and the main commissioner is calling for Tommy Young as Luger gets Flair in the Torture Rack. Young calls for the bell and the building explodes thinking Luger won the title and Luger is jumping around like crazy with Sting, Nikita, & Doc running out to congratulate Lex. Young tells Gary Michael Cappetta the finish as the crowd chants LUGER but that stops when Cappetta announced the blood stoppage. Boy was this a kick in the balls and the crowd went nuts in the wrong way. This wasn't their best match and god that finish was horrible but this was still a really good match and I'm throwing it on the block.