Playoffs start tomorrow. The Angels will win the World Series.

 

 

They skipped a week of NWA, I'm not going to complain, as the "main" was Krusher Khrushchev vs. Pez Whatley, for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Title.

 

The program starts off with some Dusty moments from the past, haha, then Dusty's in LIVE AND LIVING COLOR BRUDDA. Hey... He looks to be in pretty good shape, for Dusty anyway. Doesn't look like he's aged much at all.

 

Then the geniuses in the 24/7 department flashback to Halloween Havoc 1995, when the Horsemen reform by kicking the shit out of Sting. Flair, Arn, and Pillman version. I haven't seen much of this stuff, so I appreciate when the video department does this.

 

David Crockett and Schiavone host, and they talk about the TV Title tournament that's upcoming on the 4th of January 1986. The TV title tournament was booked when 3 of the future Four Horsemen (sans Tully) broke Dusty's ankle during the infamous angle after Flair defended his title against inside the not so high NWA steel cage. If you haven't seen the angle, you really need to. The tournament ends with

in the final; then they talk about the Championship Challenge series that's been occuring on these weekly shows for the past month or so. This show is from the TV studio.

 

 

Now, a forewarning. For these squash shows, my recaps are different. Highlights of the match, a brief thought and a rating. That's it. The long matches get a rating, then only the blow-by-blow, and a little analysis, but no prematch, as these matches start straight out of the commercial break. For Nitros and Raws, that will be dealt with accordingly.

 

 

1st match, one half of the National Tag Team Champions (don't ask), Ole Anderson w/Arn Anderson v. Bob Wayne.

 

Lame armwork by Ole and hey, Teddy Long's the ref!! He's sporting a skullet. Ew. All Ole does this match is an armbar, scoop slam, knee off the top rope and an armbar for the submission finish at 4:31. DUD. Way too long.

 

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Paul Jones cuts a promo for the Barbarian, because he's a mute, you know. Lame heelish verbage, and they talk about the TV Title tourney on the 4th. I kinda wish I had a video of that tournament.

 

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Commercial break, and we're back with the 2nd match, Nikita Koloff w/Uncle Ivan v. Tony Zane.

 

Zane tries a rollup but gets shrugged off, Uncle Ivan yells "WHERE ARE ROAD WARRIOR" as Nikita roughs up the jobber. Nikita no-sells some jobber punches and finishes with the RUSSIAN SICKLE OF COMMUNIST POWER AND MIGHT STRAIGHT OUTTA MOSCOW for 3 at 2:57. Better match, more bearable and ended quickly. 1/2*.

 

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Magnum and Dusty cut a promo, they're called America's Team here, and Magnum has some wear on his forehead from a ROUGH bladejob. It looks like the guy stabbed himself with a steakknife in the head. Poor promo by Dusty, nothing compared to the one he cut 2 weeks before.

 

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Barbarian's back out for the 3rd match with Paul Jones in tow, he'll be facing Richard Dunn.

 

He bites him, hits a delayed vertical suplex that's better than Davey Boy's, as much as I hate to say it. Big powerslam from Barbarian and a diving headbutt off the top finishes at 5:03. WAY too long, 1/4*.

 

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Tully with a promo about Magnum, where he declares that he wears this gym sweatshirt from Magnum's hometown so that he never forgets what Magnum TA took from him. He's also entering the tournament for the Television Title. I don't think much of Tully's promos.

 

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In the 4th match, Krusher Khrushchev w/Ivan Koloff takes on Bill Mulkey.

 

Big beel, HAMMERLOCK SLAM (I love that move), and a SICKLE finishes at 1:56. * for the hammerlock slam.

 

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JJ Dillon thinks Nature Boy Buddy Landel is a member of the New England Patriots, as Buddy and the National Title don't get any respect, but Buddy isn't out there. In fact, he dropped the belt before this show aired, and wasn't heard from again. Wiki says he had drug problems and left the company. Dumbass.

 

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In the 5th match, Tully Blanchard w/Baby Doll faces off against Vernon Deaton.

 

Supposedly Baby Doll is a perfect 10. Uh, no. Idiot jobber gives Tully no help on a headlock takeover, Tully hits a nice European Uppercut and finishes with the Slingshot Suplex at 4:34. *.

 

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This show is really dragging along, as Arn comes out and has some words to say about the TV title tournament, and his favorite tag team, the Rock N Roll Express. Words of anger and spite, as he wants the World Tag Team Titles.

 

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In the 6th match, it's Sam Houston v. Kent Glover.

 

Houston screws around way too long with Glover and gives him way too much offense, IMO. A bulldog finishes at 6:13. A complete AND TOTAL FUCKING WASTE OF TIME. DUD. I noticed earlier that Teddy Long's been the ref for each match, and I've gotta wonder, is the promotion about to go out of business here? Everyone's turning in shitty performances, and Schiavone hasn't said more than 20 words. The enthusiasm isn't there tonight. Must've been the last taping after a long day.

 

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THE REAL WORLD'S CHAMP, the NATURE BOY RIC FLAIR BABY comes out and has a message for everyone. He's a modern-day sex symbol, he's the best dressed, best lookin' man out there. He doesn't go on the jet flyin' rant, Space Mountain WHOO, but he puts Jim Crockett and the Championship Challenge over instead, the kind of action you only get on the Superstation, hear that. Dusty's gonna get it when they rassle on Christmas, and since it's Christmas, Flair's in the season of giving. 300 dollars for Tony so Tony can take his wife and kids to dinner. Dinner must be good for the Schiavone's. 200 bucks for Magnum so he can buy some nicer clothes, and get this, a whopping 500 BUCKS for Dusty, so he can buy himself a ticket out of ATLANTA DADDY.

 

WHOO.

 

WHOO.

 

WHOO.

 

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Great stuff from Flair. Livened things up a bit, until this, anyway.

 

Ron Garvin and the Ragin' Bull vs. Black Bart and Thunderfoot, which is one of the worst gimmicks I've ever seen in my fucking life. He's dressed sorta like Radioactive Man, and I can't believe they previously had JJ Dillon with this clown. This match is part of the SuperStation Championship Challenge Series.

 

Blow-by-blow: Ragin' Bull has a deep cut on his forehead from the houseshow circuit that looks as if it's going to bust open any moment. It looks terrible. Garvin and Black Bart start, Garvin tries to throw Bart out but he holds on. Garvin works on the leg and tags Bull in, and he takes over the leg work with a splash to the leg of Bart, and a headbutt to the groin of Bart. Thunderfoot comes in and establishes himself as a real tough guy in the squared circle with a clothesline and an elbow drop. But he gets dumped and Bull tries to take Thunderfoot's boot off (What the fuck? I find out why later.) Bart comes back in and hits the Bull with a back elbow, and Bull bails out with a tag to Garvin. Garvin's terrible offense consists of a snapmare, a crucifix for a two count, a headscissor, and Teddy Long (still in there) breaks it up once Bart grabs hold of the ropes. Garvin steps on Black Bart's hand. Wow. Anyway, they both exchange chops, but Bart says no more of that, and Thunderfoot's in. A slam and elbow drop get a 1 count, and a headlock by Thunderfoot takes us to a commercial break.

 

Garvin doesn't know what selling is. Pitiful.

 

We're back, with Bart and Garvin inside the ring. Garvin with PUNCHES OF STONE and thankfully Bart no-sells it. Something we're seeing a lot of here. 2 of the guys in this match don't sell, and Thunderfoot has a mask, so he can't. It's like watching children wrestle in the living room. Thunderfoot grabs a tag-rope choke on Garvin, but thankfully this isn't the start of a heat sequence with Garvin as FIP, as Ragin' Bull gets in. He hits his third back elbow of the match, and gives a bodyslam and kneedrop from the second rope to Thunderfoot for a 2 count. Heat sequence time and I'm not going to recap that part, but once Thunderfoot gets in, a backbreaker is served up to Bull. Bull rages for a second, gives a suplay to Thunderfoot AND WE HAVE BLOOD, as the Ragin' Bull's cut on the forehead magically opens up. If I were to wager, I bet that blade-job left a scar. Words don't do it justice. This match is fuckin' terrible, so I'll skip ahead to Thunderfoot loading up his boot (and that's why the Bull tried to get TF's boot off, HIS FEET ARE ENDOWED WITH A POWER THAT CAN ONLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THAT OF WCW THUNDER). From there, literally 2 seconds after the boot gets loaded up, Garvin tags in quickly with no build for a sunset flip off the top at 14:34 for the three count. Where to start with this mess? The match had no flow, and I'm really tempted to give it negative stars. I'll give it 1/2*, don't try that at home kids. Everyone will fall asleep and there'll be nobody to call an ambulance when you break your necks. I recommend a fastforward through this part if you plan on watching it. A complete waste of time.

 

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Crockett comes out and I fucking marked, as in the last installment of the SuperStation Championship Challenge next week, we will have a US TITLE MATCH BETWEEN MAGNUM FUCKING TA AND OLE ANDERSON. I don't care for Ole, but hot shit, that's going to be fun. Flair comes out and puts Crockett over again, and says he's pissed about not being a part of the action, but pesky old Ron Garvin's standing at the other side of the announce table, looking for some promo time. Uh-oh, you don't cut off the World's Champion, JACK. Flair and Garvin have words, mostly Flair, and Garvin says he wants to wrestle. Flair says, why wait when we can do it next week. Ric says he'll buy a whole hour from Turner and they'll do it. Bad as Garvin is, a Flair match is most certainly welcome. I don't know why anyone put a World Title on that clown.

 

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In match #8, the Rock N Roll Express face the other Mulkey, Randy, and Larry Clarke.

 

Rock and Roll chant halfway through a boring match, neckbreaker from Ricky Morton, and a backsuplex from Ricky Morton, and a sunset flip finishes at 6:49. Almost 7 minutes for a squash? Get out of here. 1/2*

 

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Magnum TA faces George South in a US Title match that will surely get a full recap. Magnum shoulderblocks him, press slam's him, and a side belly-to-belly finishes at 0:27. My kind of squash match. *.

 

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In the 10th match, of which there have been far too many, as this lacked a long 6 man tag like the last aired episode to speed things up, it's Arn Anderson vs. Josh Stroud.

 

This Stroud guy definitely has the "WWF look", he's roided to the gills. I'm surprised Vince didn't see this, hire him, and give him a push. Arn works the left arm for the full duration of the match, but it's not like Ole's match where it was literally ALL HE DID. Arn wants Dusty Rhodes in this very ring, a hammerlock slam leads to a Gourdbuster that finishes the match at 4:27. *

 

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Dusty Rhodes is bad, baby. Ric Flair's bad, Tully Blanchard's bad, the Russians are bad, the Barbarian is bad, Buddy Landel is bad, JJ Dillon is bad, the Andersons are bad, the Midnights are bad...ok, you get it, but nobody's as bad as Dusty Freakin' Rhodes, you hear me?

 

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In the last match, Ivan Koloff brings one of the Russians down with him as he faces Dan Turner.

 

Ivan dumps him in a hurry and JUMPS DOWN TO THE CONCRETE ON TURNER. Holy crap, he can fly. Koloff gives Turner a stiff looking swinging neckbreaker, but on the first Russian Sickle attempt he misses. Turner hits a crossbody for two, but you absolutely cannot fuck with Moscow, which leads to the ever-so-obvious Russian Sickle to finish at 3:58. The best match of this show, I shit you not. *1/2, mostly for the jump by Ivan to the studio floor.

 

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To finish, RIC FLAIR cuts ANOTHER PROMO, puts over Ivan Koloff, and says he's going to screw 8,000 women on Christmas morning. That's a visual. He ain't afraid of no Ron Garvin, and Dusty's gonna see what happens Christmas night, when Naitch' WALKS DOWN THAT AISLE and into the squared circle, it's gonna be lights for Rhodes.

 

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I rate the television shows this way. Great, good, above-average, decent, poor, bad, absolutely terrible. Teddy Long officiated EVERY SINGLE MATCH and the match in the middle of the show that can usually be counted on to deliver wasn't so hot. Terrible, at that. The squash matches were too long. Very little talent was used, what about the Midnights and Cornette? The Road Warriors? What about Billy Jack Haynes, who they were giving a decent push, and Terry Taylor? This show wasn't the same without Jimmy Valiant, sad to say. That's the type of character that should be on a squash show.

 

 

 

Rating: Bad.

 

Comments are welcome.