NWA

[Guest Kane Fan]

Hi,

 

I watched the Rock and Roll Express V Andersons on the Bloodbath dvd - excellent stuff. I also watched Flair/Rhodes from the same dvd - not amazing, but solid. What did you all think of these matches?

 

I'm starting to get into NWA. How good are the Flair/Race and Flair/Rhodes matches on the Flair DVD?

 

Thanks

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

Flair/Race is terrible, IMO. If you're accustomed to modern wrestling you'll probably hate it. A slow brawl with Flair actually hitting a (sloppy) pin cover off the top rope. Special referee hurt the match, as well. But still, it's the ME of the first Starrcade, so it's got significance.

 

The "real" feel to the match due to its buildup makes it watchable.

[cawthon777]

If you can find any, I'd recommend picking up some of the Turner Home Video tapes of the Starrcades and GABs from the 80s. The stuff from 86, 87, 88, and especially 89. It's cut down from the original airing but it's a good introduction to the product.

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

Flair/Race is good, but is definitely the OLD SCHOOL style. I grew up with NWA, so I can really appreciate that type of match, but I understand how some could see it as boring. And yes, Kiniski as ref is horrible.

 

While Flair/Rhodes wouldn't be rated ***** by most, it is a very entertaining encounter. Make sure to watch the extras with this one, as the lead up angle to the match was one of the best ever.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Hi,

 

I watched the Rock and Roll Express V Andersons on the Bloodbath dvd - excellent stuff. I also watched Flair/Rhodes from the same dvd - not amazing, but solid. What did you all think of these matches?

 

I'm starting to get into NWA. How good are the Flair/Race and Flair/Rhodes matches on the Flair DVD?

 

Thanks

Good to see that your getting into the NWA and all, but if you are looking at the Flair DVD you only need to see three things....

 

Flair vs. Steamboat 2/3 falls

Flair vs. Funk - "I quit"

Flair vs. Windham

 

all boss matches......

[Guest Kane Fan]

Thanks guys.

 

I was originally put off NWA by the cheap looking production and all that, but I guess you get used to it.

[UseTheSledgehammerUh]

1988-89 NWA got me addicted to wrestling.

[JustJoe2k5]

With the NWA it was more about the in-ring product than the presentation.

[nl5xsk1]

I used to only watch the NWA, and not the WWF at all. (well, only half true, I'd watch the AWA and the Texas leagues, too, but not with the same interest that I did the NWA.)

 

Yes, their presentation looked amateur-ish when compared to the WWF, but once they got in the ring the actual wrestling was 100x better.

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

I was never bothered at all by the production, I actually thought it had a certain charm. It seemed more like a sporting event.

[cawthon777]

I agree. The NWA was more of a no frills promotion.

 

As Jim Ross used to say "This is the NWA. We don't have guys posing to rock music, we have wrestling!"

[Guest krazykat72]

The best NWA (mid 80's matches) I can think of are:

 

Midnight Express vs. Fantastics, CLash I & 4/88 on Worldwide

Flair/Windham 4/87- my favorite Flair match IMO better than the Windham one on the DVD

Flair/Lugar from Wrestlewar '90 and Starrcade '88 are shockingly good, albeit repetitive.

Wargames I is a great brawl (not counting '91 and '92 since they're during the WCW era)

The Steamboat/Flair Clash match was excellent (on the dvd)

Flair/Funk Bash '89 I feel is better than the I quit match.

The MXE and R'n'R Express also had some great matches, though I prefer the Fantastics series.

Lugar/Pillman from HAvoc '89 is a *shockingly* really good match too.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[Guest whitemilesdavis]

You know, I was just watching some really old Luger footage from Florida, and it was also strangely good. Not ***** good, but watching it at the time, you would have certainly thought Luger had plenty of ***** encounters in his future.

[Coffin Surfer]

Windham vs. Flair 2/86 Battle of the Belts II

 

-Windham was a smarter worker than Steamboat and Flair does some of the better selling of his career especially for the back work. If it was alot shorter and faster it would probably have ended up being better than Chi-Town. As it is, it's as good as the Clash 2/3 falls match and better than Wrestlewar.

[Guest MikeSC]

Windham vs. Flair 2/86 Battle of the Belts II

 

-Windham was a smarter worker than Steamboat and Flair does some of the better selling of his career especially for the back work. If it was alot shorter and faster it would probably have ended up being better than Chi-Town. As it is, it's as good as the Clash 2/3 falls match and better than Wrestlewar.

Windham, in his prime, was amazing.

 

It's just a shame he lost his passion.

-=Mike

[razazteca]

Windham vs. Flair 2/86 Battle of the Belts II

 

-Windham was a smarter worker than Steamboat and Flair does some of the better selling of his career especially for the back work. If it was alot shorter and faster it would probably have ended up being better than Chi-Town. As it is, it's as good as the Clash 2/3 falls match and better than Wrestlewar.

Was this match clipped on one of the Turnbuckle Memories DVDs?

[Guest Kane Fan]

Mmmmm - so it's worth handing out the money? I'm still a bit reluctant because I'm not sure if I'll enjoy it.

 

I've also been put off wrestling slightly because my friends run it down and make fun of it.

[MillenniumMan831]

Awww dude, who gives a shit what your friends say. If the little man inside you tells you to get the dvd, get it. If you really don't want it, don't get it. But don't let your buddies discourage you from getting it just cause they're not into rasslin.

[DMann2003]

As Jim Ross used to say "This is the NWA. We don't have guys posing to rock music, we have wrestling!"

And here's Brian Pillman out to Def Leppard's "Rocket"

[JHawk]

As Jim Ross used to say "This is the NWA.  We don't have guys posing to rock music, we have wrestling!"

And here's Brian Pillman out to Def Leppard's "Rocket"

But at least they didn't have Pillman singing his own theme song...and then making it his gimmick for three years.

 

Koko B. Ware: "I'm gonna hurt Greg Valentine. ::singing:: Piledriver, ooo!"

[Rendclaw]

Point to JHawk.

 

I agree in that the NWA of the mid-to-late 80s looked much more legit than the WWF, or as the phrase goes, "cartoon wrestling". Both had their appeal to me, though watching the Road Warriors destroy a jobber team in ten seconds flat while "Iron Man" Played in the background NEVER got old to me.

[Guest theoldxpac]

The best NWA (mid 80's matches) I can think of are:

 

Midnight Express vs. Fantastics, CLash I & 4/88 on Worldwide

Flair/Windham 4/87- my favorite Flair match IMO better than the Windham one on the DVD

Flair/Lugar from Wrestlewar '90 and Starrcade '88 are shockingly good, albeit repetitive.

Wargames I is a great brawl (not counting '91 and '92 since they're during the WCW era)

The Steamboat/Flair Clash match was excellent (on the dvd)

Flair/Funk Bash '89 I feel is better than the I quit match.

The MXE and R'n'R Express also had some great matches, though I prefer the Fantastics series.

Lugar/Pillman from HAvoc '89 is a *shockingly* really good match too.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

Was that the Crockett Cup match?

[Guest krazykat72]

"Was that the Crockett Cup match? "

 

yes. you can get the full verison from Bob Barnett among others.

 

-Paul Jacobi-

[Guest BobBacklundRules]

I watched the Rock and Roll Express V Andersons on the Bloodbath dvd - excellent stuff. I also watched Flair/Rhodes from the same dvd - not amazing, but solid.

Magnum TA vs. Tully is on the Bloodbath DVD and is a must see. I would give it 5*.

[Guest wayzing]

Magnum TA vs. Tully is on the Bloodbath DVD and is a must see. I would give it 5*.

When it comes to old school matches that could get a positive reaction out of most of the fans who started watching during or after the Attitude era this is probably the oldest one, right?

 

Or can someone find an older match that could do the same thing?

 

I was thinking about the Sgt Slaughter vs Iron Sheik/Patterson brawls but even with the crazy amount of blood in the Patterson match I'm not sure it would impress a first time viewer anymore.

[Guest Staravenger]

The 1st ever War Games match is a must see. Just an intense, non-stop action brawl with plenty of blood. For those who don't know, it was The Superpowers (Dusty Rhodes & Nikita Koloff) & The Road Warriors & Paul Ellering vs. The four Horsemen (Flair, Blanchard, Anderson, Luger) & J.J. Dillon.

 

The Road Warrior just absolutely beat the crap out of Dillon in the end. This is the first match on the GAB 87 Tour tape and here is the rest of the tape...

 

1. Barry Windham vs. Rick Steiner (Match is only about 3:00 thanks to a clip-job)

 

2. Nikita Koloff vs. Lex Luger in a Steel Cage for the United States Title. Match is also clipped, but I've seen the more full version (aired on TBS but w/ commercials) and it's pretty good.

 

3. Steve Williams vs. Dick Murdoch in a Texas Death Match. a pretty boring match, and only about 6:00 long.

 

4. The Fabulous Freebirds vs. Manny Fernandez, Ivan Koloff, Paul Jones. Didn't like this one.

 

5. Dusty Rhodes vs. Tully Blanchard in a $100,000 Barbed Wire Ladder Match. Don't let the name fool you, the match sucked.

 

6. Ric Flair vs. Jimmy Garvin in a Cage Match. Flairs Title against one Night with Precious. Good match, but Garvins selling sucked. "OW MY LEG!!!" Come on, at least Luger grunted more. Highlight is a fan getting his ass beat for trying to climb into the cage.

 

7. Rock N' Roll Express vs. Midnight Express. Both teams hold tag titles, so we get a lame finish. Still a very good match.

 

8. And the finale is War Games II: The Rematch, except War Machine replaces J.J. Dillon as Job-Boy. WM is just Big Bubba Rogers dressed like an Executioner...and FATTER than his early WWF days. Not even close to the greatness of the first, mainly because of the Orange Bowl stadium not having the best sound for crowd reactions, and the violence isn't as extreme.

 

The tape overall is very good if you don't pay attention to the three matches sandwiched in the middle, but they are short, so it's not too bad.

[Austin3164life]

I recommend:

 

Flair/Windham- Crockett Cup 87

Flair/Steamboat- Chi-Town 89

Flair/Race- 2/28/82, 5/22/84, 6/10/83

Race/Steamboat- 7/8/79

Race/Backlund (Title vs. Title)- 9/22/80

[Guest Loss]

I recommend:

 

Flair/Race- 6/10/83

Race/Steamboat- 7/8/79

Do these exist in full anywhere? I'd love to see them if they do.

[Guest Loss]

Some of the lesser known good-great matches worth tracking down:

 

Ric Flair v Ricky Morton - Happened on a house show in 1986; 35 minutes of a 60-minute draw are shown on the tape.

 

Midnight Express v Barry Windham & Ron Garvin - US tag finals from May of '87. I just rewatched this recently and found it excellent.

 

Rock & Roll Express v Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard - These teams went 40 minutes on TV around the fall of 1987.

 

Tully Blanchard v Barry Windham - 2/88 - 30 minutes of great action.

 

There are lots more, but those stand out right now to me more than any.

[JHawk]

I'd like to ask about the availability Race-Backlund 9/22/80 MSG match. I know the WWF taped it since it was at MSG, but that was the only match they didn't air on the MSG network that night for some reason.

 

Tully Blanchard v Barry Windham - 2/88 - 30 minutes of great action.

 

Is that the one where JJ Dillon rang the bell with two minutes left to try to induce the draw? Great match if so (the first truly great NWA match I ever saw)