Great American Bash '86 (7/26)

Legacy Review

Great American Bash '86 (7/26)

July 26, 1986 from the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC

 

We're now coming to the end of the '86 GAB tour with this second of the two '86 GAB shows available in the WWE Vault. In fact this is the next to last of the 13 show, 13 city tour, taking place in Jim Crockett Promotions' home arena. No kind of intro this time, we go straight to the voice of the Greensboro Coliseum, the great Tom Miller, introducing the first match. Like with the earlier Charlotte GAB show there's no commentary since this wasn't broadcast live or complete. I'm assuming highlights or the top matches were shown on weekly TV later.

 

"Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal def Sam Houston in 8:56- The women in the crowd go nuts when Houston disrobes. I don't get that at all. He almost seems surprised by it too. Nice high energy back and forth to start. Houston gets the upper hand, drops Regal with a series of punches, and covers for 2. Off a speed run they do the bit where Regal does a leapfrog, stops to congratulate himself, then turns into a Houston slam. While in a headlock Regal tries to reverse into a cradle pin, apparently with a handful of trunks. That's certainly what Houston's screaming at least. Another speed run and Regal hits a high elbow to Houston's head to turn things around. Now for Houston to do what he did best, take a beating. There's a reason he was little more than a jobber when he hit WWF. Houston fights out of a chinlock into a top wristlock fight but Regal hair pulls him back down. Backbreaker from Regal for 2. Houston ducks one clothesline, but not the second. Another obvious hair pull as Regal continues to go the cheap heat route. Houston tries to punch out of a chinlock so Regal gives him some ground and pound. Regal goes for a suplex but Houston blocks it and hits his own. Comeback flurry. He monkey flips Regal out of the corner. Backdrop for 2. Regal is turning begging off into a high art form. Houston goes for the bulldog but Regal pushes him into the corner, gets the corner illegal leverage cradle, and gets the pin. Houston makes his argument and ref Earl Hebner goes over to ask Regal about it. We have a very extended discussion where VAR is probably being consulted. Regal gets back in the ring and Houston pounds him down for some revenge, but the decision stands. More proof replay doesn't automatically mean a decision will be right. All in all a perfectly acceptable opener. **1/4

 

NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Black Bart & The Barbarian def NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Denny Brown & The Italian Stallion in 7:58- A tag match featuring two singles champions with titles that would soon be made redundant. Paul Jones is announced as being with the Barbarian but he's nowhere to be seen. Bart and Brown start. Bart's coming in with a bandage on his head. They look like they're about to go, then Hebner realizes he hasn't rung the bell to start yet so he takes care of that. Brown gets a quick hiptoss and a couple of flying headscissors. Bart ends up in the wrong corner and both faces knock him back and forth. Brown leapfrogs over Bart and slams him. Stallion tags in and cranks on Bart's arm. Bart's long extended scream up to the rafters is something else. Bart turns the tables on Brown by running him into Barbarian's head. We know who's winning that battle. Barbarian comes in with a chop off the second rope. Off the ropes Barbarian does a diving....something. Brown still sells it. Press slam on Brown. Big boot. Backbreaker from Barbarian for 2. Bart hits a clothesline and fistdrop, then starts choking Brown. Series of three legdrops from Bart. I would have thought Brown would dodge one eventually but nope. Bart goes up to the second rope. Now Brown dodges that legdrop. Tag to Stallion. Bart cuts off the hot tag run with an eye rake and hits a suplex. Barbarian hits the headbutt off the top rope, covers and the heels get a clean as a sheet win. Once again, mostly fine. **

 

Loaded Glove on a Pole Match: "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez def Baron von Raschke (w/Paul Jones) in 8:22- These two had a Bunkhouse match at the Charlotte show that was pretty awful, hopefully this one goes better. Of course part of the problem with that one was Raschke losing control of his jeans after removing his belt. That at least won't be a problem tonight as everyone's back in their normal wrestling gear. Jones is in his wrestling gear plus a polo shirt as he has a match later tonight. The glove isn't hung from the pole, it's actually been put on top of the pole like the pole is wearing it. That's hilarious. It also doesn't look in the least bit loaded or dangerous to me but who knows what kind of super thin space age high tech metals might be placed in there the naked eye can't catch. Quick start from Raschke. After a snap mare and a couple of elbow drops he goes for the glove. Fernandez grabs his tights to pull him back down. Back elbow from Fernandez and he goes for the glove. He senses Raschke coming so Fernandez leapfrogs him and hits another back elbow. Kneedrop off the second rope. Fernandez almost gets the glove but Raschke just barely pulls him back down. Backbreaker and kneedrop from Raschke for 2. Behind Hebner's back Jones chokes Fernandez with his riding crop. Raschke climbs while that's going on but Fernandez fights Jones off and gets to Raschke in time, slamming him off the top rope. Another back elbow from Fernandez for 2. Raschke dodges a charge and Fernandez splats in the corner. Raschke goes into goose stepping mode and puts the claw on. Fernandez is bleeding, I assume from the crash into the corner. Fernandez slowly starts to fight back up and tries to hiptoss out, but Raschke keeps the claw on. Fernandez's shoulders are down but Hebner takes forever to count. Raschke gets a few near falls. Finally Raschke lets go, goes up and gets the glove. Fernandez cuts him off with a crossbody, and that gets the pin! So much for the loaded glove of DEATH. Marginally better than their Charlotte match. Marginally. *

 

Indian Strap Match: Wahoo McDaniel def "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious) in 8:26- This is a straight rematch from the Charlotte show. In fact they work almost exactly the same match so I won't spend a ton of time on this one. Plus if you've seen one Wahoo strap match you've pretty much seen them all, but again having such a contrasting character to him as Garvin it does help a bit. Garvin does take some really hard strap whips to the chest that I don't think they did in the Charlotte show. The barricade is also too far away for Wahoo to crash through this time too. He does come up bleeding off a post shot again. Shit, Wahoo really is unloading on him with the strap like Garvin owed him money. Or Wahoo was feeling extra ornery that day. I don't think that man ever smiled a day in his life. Garvin starts bleeding for no particular reason other than you always bled in these matches. Again Precious trips Wahoo from the floor to try to give Garvin some hope, and again Garvin gets yanked down off the top rope. Like last time Precious gets on the apron to try to stop Wahoo winning but Wahoo just barrels past her. I do think that was a tick better than the Charlotte match, it was tighter and some of those strap shots were freaking brutal. Imagine being one of Wahoo's kids and misbehaving. **1/2

 

Taped Fist Match: NWA National Heavyweight Champion Tully Blanchard (w/JJ Dillon) def Ron Garvin (w/Wahoo McDaniel) in 11:32- Like last match this is a straight up rematch from the Charlotte show, same stips and everything. There will be some differences in this one though. Again this is a boxing style format with ten 3 minute rounds and 30 second rest periods. Let's see if they follow that a bit closer than last time. Like the last match Blanchard tries a pre-bell jump but Garvin backdrops him and flattens him with one punch. Dillon has to revive Blanchard with some water in the face again. The bell rings and Garvin lays into Blanchard, who still has his robe and belt on. Two more quick knockdowns for Garvin. Blanchard slowly takes his robe off while Garvin is still pounding him. He takes a wild swing at Garvin with his belt once that's off but it's still all Garvin. Blanchard is already bleeding. Garvin's had about seven knockdowns just this round, by Mike Tyson's Punch Out rules this thing should have been over in the first minute. Garvin knows how to use those star punches. When the bell rings to end round 1 Blanchard runs into another KO punch. Dillon waves a towel to try to revive him between rounds. Round 2 start and Blanchard is still out. Dillon uses smelling salts to wake him back up! This time when Garvin gets Blanchard down he doesn't care about the count, continuing to pound away on Blanchard. Blanchard takes a hilarious wild swing at Hebner, no idea where he is. Round 2 ends with still zero offense from Blanchard. Between rounds Dillon puts extra tape on Blanchard's primary hand with presumably something more than tape underneath. There's no start of round 3 bell, we just go. Blanchard suckers Garvin into a tights pull into the corner, finally getting Blanchard his first offense. Blanchard lands shots with his extra taped up first. That busts Garvin open. Blanchard snap mares Garvin over into some ground and pound, then hits a flying punch off the second rope. They go to the floor and Wahoo atomic drops Blanchard into a Garvin punch. The round ends with Blanchard out on the floor. The bell rings twice to start round 4, presumably making up for last time. Once again Garvin gets the upper hand. Blanchard goes out again but Dillon keeps Hebner distracted to he can't count. Dillon throws the water bucket in Wahoo's face! He then hands what's most definitely an international object to Blanchard. Dillon decks Garvin with it! Behind that Wahoo gave Dillon a post shot and Dillon's bleeding. Blanchard just barely drags himself up with the ropes before 10, and Garvin's still down! Blanchard takes the win. Miller then Lillian Botches the result, announcing Garvin as the winner before Hebner corrects him. I also liked that a bit better than the Charlotte match. It's largely the same, but with a few extra riffs and, even better, a completely different finish and result. Like the Charlotte match both guys were putting in max effort to make the whole thing work. If they'd gotten a straight wrestling match on this tour it probably would have been fantastic. ***

 

The Minnesota Wrecking Crew and The Rock 'N' Roll Express 20:00 time limit draw- Now we're talking. This is a #1 contender's match for the tag titles. The RNR Express are, unsurprisingly, bonkers over in Greensboro. Ole and Gibson start with some lockup stalemates. Ole thinks he has Gibson trapped in the heel corner a couple of times but Gibson escapes both times. Arn drops Gibson with a big shoulderblock. Another speed run and Gibson gives both Andersons dropkicks. Early DONNYBROOK with the RNRs outfighting the Andersons. Reset and Arn wants Morton to tag in. Morton obliges to an insane pop just for walking in. Lots of jockeying. Arn hits a couple of shoulderblocks against the ropes. Morton slides under and does a nice double leg takedown faceplant on Arn, then he hits a DDT! Arn sells the hell out of it too, bailing all the way to the floor. Morton follows and pops him on the nose before backing off. Arn tags Ole in, but promises Morton he'll get him back. Ole backs Morton into his corner. Morton casually steps through the ropes to escape! That's one way to do it. Arn comes back in and does indeed give Morton some receipt shots. Another speed run and Morton drop toe holds Arn, then drags him into the RNR corner and Gibson slingshots over the top rope onto Arn's knee. The RNR have their target and go to work on it. They do a great double team roll cutting off Ole trying to come in before getting back on Arn's knee. Arn eye rakes free and hobbles over and gets the tag. Ole tries to jump Morton but Morton goes nuts with hammy kicks on him. Now they have Ole trapped with some leg work. Full on double team wishbone on Ole. Gibson tries more hammy kicks on Ole but Ole fights through them to get over and tag out. Now Gibson finally gets trapped in the heel corner. Morton runs in to create just enough distraction. Arn snap mare on Gibson. Gibson dodges the follow up kneedrop. He gets Arn in a figure four! Ole tries to break it up but Morton cuts him off. Morton figure four on Ole! Hebner gets Morton out, allowing Ole to eye rake Gibson and grind on his face to get Arn free. Now Gibson goes fully in peril. Arn, naturally, is still selling the knee. One of those guys that always gets all the little details right. What separates the really good from the truly great. Gibson doesn't stay in peril long though, as he lands punches on Ole's bad hammy and gets a tag to Morton! Morton slams both Andersons, but then Ole TACKLES him right into the corner. Great flop out sell from Morton. Arn drags Morton out and pops him in the nose on the floor. Full receipt given. Still selling the knee by the way. The Andersons fully target Morton's face and nose that had been injured back in the lead up to his World title match with Flair at the Charlotte show. Ole hits a back elbow for 2 as we get the 5 minutes left call. Ole distracts Hebner so Arn can dump Morton over the top rope to the floor. Ole finds a random camera laying down there and chokes Morton with the strap. Dammit Bill Apter, leaving those things lying around. The Andersons continue to work Hebner to hit double teams. Ole hits a kneedrop off the top rope to Morton's arm/shoulder. Now Ole has his usual target and he goes to work on it. He wraps Morton up in an ARMBAR. Again Morton goes to the bad hammy to try to get free, but Ole traps him to keep him from tagging and tags Arn back in. 2 minutes left. Arn hits a kneedrop for 2. He tosses Morton out to the floor again. Morton blocks a buckle shot and gives Arn one. Morton crossbody off the top! Arn kicks out! Ole ran in to break the pin up and nails Morton in the back of the head. 1 minute left. Morton starts to slug back on Arn. He dodges and Arn crashes in the corner! Tag to Gibson! Double noggin knocker for the Andersons. Gibson gets Arn in a sleeper! Arn fades down, but the bell rings for the time limit. Ole wants to keep fighting but Gibson fights the Andersons off with a chair. Magnificent stuff, with easily another good 10 minutes or more of life left in it. The best part was unlike most other time limit draws at no point did it feel like they were stalling or killing time to get to the time limit. The even better part is they'll have an even better match at Starrcade. I also can't stress enough how completely and utterly insane the crowd was for the RNR Express at every point of the match. I can only imagine how loud it was to actually be inside the building for that. ****

 

The RNR Express would end up taking the #1 contendership and regain the tag titles from the Midnight Express in mid-August. 

 

Hair vs Hair Match: Paul Jones (w/Baron von Raschke) def Jimmy Valiant (w/Manny Fernandez) in 4:28- This is part of the long ongoing Valiant vs Paul Jones' Army feud. At the Charlotte show Valiant defeated Jones' current frontman Pez Whatley in a hair vs hair match and shaved him bald, so now Jones is getting into the ring himself to try to get revenge. We've seen this matchup already at Starrcade '84 and it was pretty horrendous, but so are all of Valiant's matches. Raschke tries to jump Valiant before the bell, allowing Jones to do an actual jump on him. Here's the spasm selling already. Jones drops a knee for 2. He hits some punches and Valiant, of course, is already bleeding. Valiant fires back with one of his big windmill punches. Jones gets a spike out of his tights and hits Valiant with it. Cover for 2. Valiant hits a buckle shot but takes another spike to the gut. Jones tries to solve the puzzle of putting on a figure four like it's the paradise lock but Valiant pulls him away before he can do it. Backdrop counter from Valiant. Another spike shot to Valiant's gut. Valiant blocks another shot. Jones drops the spike and Valiant picks it up. Jones takes a couple of shots with it. Valiant digs it into Jones' bleeding head. Not sure how Hebner's not seeing it. Then again, he's reffed the entire show so far so he must be exhausted. Valiant mixes up the spike shots with a back elbow. Raschke gets on the apron and tosses in his loaded glove to Jones. But Valiant sees it and has his own loaded glove! Valiant colored of course. This is like the Royal Rumble when Mick Foley and Santino had their Socko vs Cobra battle. Valiant hits the shot! He covers, but Raschke gets in. Fernandez runs in to fight him off. Behind all that here comes Pez Whatley with a chair! He nails Valiant with it and drapes Jones over. Hebner turns around, counts, and it's over. Fernandez is FURIOUS and the whole face locker room comes in to protest, but Hebner called it like he saw it. For a Valiant match that was not too shabby. Keeping it short certainly helped, as did the overbooking. Two guys that need smoke and mirrors. 3/4*

 

Unlike the Charlotte show we do have an official barber on site. Guess the union did have a word after all. Despite all the protesting going on around him Valiant slams the chair down, takes a seat, and takes his head shaving like a man. Great close up shots of it while it's happening too. Very well done all around. 

 

Best of Seven Series for the Vacant NWA United States Heavyweight Championship Match 4 (Koloff leads 3-1): Magnum TA def Nikita Koloff (w/Ivan Koloff) in 13:31- When this feud started up in the spring Magnum was stripped of the title after being goaded into attacking NWA President Bob Geigel. A best of seven series was set up to determine the new champion, with most of the matches taking place during the GAB tour. Koloff is coming in with a 3-1 lead, so obviously a win for him here and it's over. Miller announced Magnum as the "vastly popular". If you're really vastly popular you don't need anyone to announce you as vastly popular. Which honestly he really was, but not RNR Express popular. Tommy Young finally checks in to ref and give Hebner a breather. I'm not sure how much AC they had going in the old Greensboro Coliseum in '86, most everyone has been sweating bullets so far. Koloff is all f'n give no fucks business. At the bell he gestures "3" and "1" at Magnum, making sure he knows the score. After initial lockup jockeying they have an extended speed run ending with Magnum hitting a running forearm. Koloff immediately bails to regroup. Long lockup leverage fight back in. Magnum breaks clean in the corner, refusing to take advantage. A Koloff headlock leads to a long top wristlock fight. Koloff allegedly hair pulls to get Magnum back in. Another long top wristlock fight and this time Koloff legit powers Magnum down, but Magnum has a nice counter on the mat to get a hammerlock on. Koloff backs him into the corner and does not clean break. He drops Magnum on the top rope. Magnum takes a series of buckle shots. Koloff still wasn't capable of much more than the most basic heel offense, though he's definitely gotten crisper and smoother. As I say that though he puts on about the loosest chinlock imaginable. Magnum armdrags free but Koloff is quickly back on him. Magnum ducks a Sickle and hits a crossbody for 2. Koloff's kickout sends him all the way out to the floor. Ivan distracts the ref and Koloff gives Magnum a shot on the full metal part of the turnbuckle. Magnum flops to the floor and hides his head by the ring skirt, so when he gets up I expect his forehead to be as red as his trunks. Yup, there it is. After another couple of buckle shots Koloff hits a back suplex for 2. Koloff seems to run out of ideas, giving Magnum a couple more shots on the ropes then snap maring him over for another 2 count. Back in a chinlock Magnum's forehead is completely caked in blood. He powers up and pushes Koloff into the corner chest first. Koloff gets up shaking his wrist off and Magnum is all over him. Back elbow. Koloff counters a backdrop attempt and Magnum is down again. Backbreaker for 2. Straight slam for 2. Koloff gets frustrated and tosses Magnum out to the floor. As soon as he gets in Koloff tosses him back out the other side. Ivan sneaks over and gets a cheap shot in. Koloff brings Magnum back in just so he can toss him out AGAIN. Magnum comes back in with a sunset flip! Young kicks Koloff's hand off the rope, then very possibly fast counts and gives Magnum the win! Magnum steals a win and he's back in the series. Tommy Young is the best referee ever, or at worst second best to Red Shoes, but honestly he looked more biased than an NBA ref during the playoffs there. And here I thought the Soviets were the experts in buying off sports officials. Good stuff mostly thanks to Magnum. Koloff was improving but still very limited, as longer singles matches like this exposed. I'm very doubtful Magnum was ever going to become a Hulk Hogan level star as the NWA seemed to hope, but he was pretty damn good between the ropes and it's a shame we didn't get to see how much better he would have been with a few more years' top level experience. ***1/4

 

The series would of course end up going to match 7, which took place in Charlotte in mid-August after the GAB tour concluded. Koloff won that match to win his first ever singles title. In the long run it wasn't supposed to be a big loss for Magnum as he was already earmarked for bigger things, but fate intervened in the form of a serious car crash in October, nearly ending Magnum's life and leaving him with serious enough injuries that he could never wrestle again. Plans for Starrcade would have to change, which I'll get into more on that show's review. 

 

Steel Cage Match: The Road Warriors & Baby Doll (w/Paul Ellering) def NWA World Tag Team Champions The Midnight Express & Jim Cornette in 9:26- Another near rematch from the Charlotte show, with the Roadies replacing the team of Magnum and Dusty. After intros Cornette takes the mic and tries to goad Baby Doll into starting up with him. As in wrestling. I think. For all we know calling a woman "pig" is a come on line for Cornette. Like the Charlotte match Doll ducks a Cornette swing, then armdrags a charging Eaton to set off the big brawl between the regular wrestlers while Cornette climbs up to the top rope to hide as best he can. But this time the Midnights are in with the Roadies so it's clear who's taking charge early and often. Reset with Condrey and Animal. Condrey charges and bounces off Animal like he was dwarf star alloy. The Midnights take a minute to restrategize while Hawk tags in. Condrey does a nice slide to stop a corner whip, but turns around into a Hawk big boot. Press slam/fistdrop combo from Hawk. Condrey scurries over and tags Eaton in. Hawk runs him over with shoulderblocks and gives him a big boot. Double backdrop from the Roadies. Eaton goes over and tries to tag Cornette in but Cornette wants NOTHING to do with it. Eaton actually lands a couple of shots on Animal before taking a hiptoss and dropkick. Animal presses Eaton into a snake eyes. Again Cornette refuses a tag so Condrey takes it. Condrey eye rakes and slams Animal. NOW Cornette will come in. And immediately misses an elbow drop. He tags Eaton right back in. Hawk does some more no selling and decks Eaton. Eaton gets his knees up on an Animal big splash to finally give the heel team some momentum. Condrey works Young so Cornette and Eaton can choke Animal on the ropes. Eaton goes up to the top of the cage and hits a fistdrop. Clothesline from Condrey for 2. Eaton goes way up top again. This time Animal  hits him on the way down. Tag to Hawk. Powerslam on Eaton. Dropkick. Flying tackle. DONNYBROOK! Doll runs over, grabs a trying to flee Cornette, hits one punch and gets the pin. Everyone was going through the motions until the expected Cornette/Doll confrontation. Not bad by any means, but nothing at all special. **

 

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c) in 21:04- Dusty's had several close calls at getting this title back, especially at Starrcade when he won on the night but later had the decision reversed in an ultimate Dusty Finish. Tonight he's getting one more shot. Flair has defended the title at every stop of the GAB tour and against a different opponent each time (including an incredible match with Ricky Morton at Charlotte), you have to figure that schedule is going to catch up to him at some point. Kind of a mixed reaction for Dusty initially. Interesting. And Flair continues to get some cheers in his home territory even well after his big heel turn. They go nose to nose before the bell. Bell ring, "WOOOOOO" and here we go. Flair gives Dusty a little Slick Ric. Dusty responds with Slick Dusty, which gets a way bigger pop than his intro did. Maybe the crowd's just working themselves into the match. Flair immediately starts going down off Dusty jabs and an elbow. He tries to roll out by instinct but can't because of the cage. Flair takes a headlock into his hammerlock workaround but Dusty quickly reverses it. Flair tries to run Dusty into the cage but Dusty blocks it and poses a bit more. Again Dusty outmaneuvers Flair into an arm wringer. Flair fights out but takes a shoulderblock. Dusty blocks a hiptoss and hits Flair with one. Flair responds with the first chop. Dusty again puts him back down and Flair retreats to the corner. Dusty reverses a corner whip and press slams Flair. Hard beg off from Flair into the corner. Dusty stays on him, but Flair counters with a knee to the gut. Dusty gets a sleeper on. Flair fades down, but slowly stretches out and manages to grab a rope. Elbow drop from Dusty for 2. Another Flair punch to Dusty's gut that quickly puts him down. It is a big target. Well it is. Dusty takes the first cage shot. Another one with a crazy flop from Dusty. He's now busted open. Flair hits a kneedrop for 2. He gives Dusty the cheese grater spot. Dusty's laid out against the cage and Flair snaps him over the top rope. Kneedrop to Dusty's leg. Wonder if that broken ankle has finally fully healed? Flair starts attacking it regardless. Figure four! Flair gets a couple of near falls off of it before Dusty fights back up and reverses it. Flair takes a rope break. Dusty's still too hurt to follow up and Flair kicks at the bad leg again. Another kneedrop for 2. Another big chop in the corner. Flair sets Dusty up. Dusty pops out with a clothesline! Cover but Flair just gets a foot on the rope. After a strike exchange Flair climbs up the cage. Dusty follows and rams him head into the support pole. Flair gets down and begs off hard. Dusty gives him a cage shot! Time for Flair to bleed and take a bit of cheese grater. Another cage shot with Flair screaming "NOOOOOOO" all the way in. Flair tries to escape over the top again but Dusty drags him back down and gives him more shots on the top of the cage. When Flair falls down he crotches himself on the top rope for good measure. More begging off and more cheese grater. Flair dodges a swing and Dusty punches the cage, hurting his hand. Finally the opening Flair was trying to get. But then he goes up top and he know how that goes. Dusty figure four! Flair gets a a pretty quick rope break. "Get him off! AH SHIT!". Dusty hits some chops in the corner. He loads up another elbow but Flair walks by into a Flair Flop! Flair tries a snap mare coming back up but Dusty gets him into a backslide for 2. Clothesline from Dusty. Elbow drop for 2. Flair climbs again, kicks Dusty away, then manages to hit a top rope crossbody for 2. Same move he won the title with in this building at Starrcade '83. Flair tries to run Dusty into the cage but Dusty pushes him in instead, then cradles Flair for 2. Back elbow from Dusty. Flair dodges an elbow drop. Flair tries a slam but Dusty gets a Paul Smackage for the pin and the title! MASSIVE POP! Blew the damn roof off. Even Tom Miller sounds shocked, selling it fantastically as he announces Dusty as the winner. The whole face locker room runs in to celebrate. It's Dusty's third World title win, and ends the longest of all of Flair's more than 16 reigns at 793 days. Dusty looks genuinely emotional as he takes the belt. It's an amazing moment. Great match of course, and I really like the story they told of Flair clearly being a step behind Dusty due to all his title defenses on the tour wearing him down, knowing it and trying to compensate as Dusty dominated the second half of the match, but in the end Dusty was too much for him on this night. ****

 

"Fans, thank you for coming to the Great American Bash, please exit at the regular exits." That's the regular exits. Not the irregular exits. Don't use those. 

 

Dusty's last reign would be a short one, as Flair took the title back exactly two weeks later in St. Louis to kick off another year plus reign. That would pretty much be Dusty's final dalliance with the main event, after that he'd move back to the TV and US title pictures as he got into the wind down phase of his in-ring career, while continuing to serve as the promotion's head booker.

 

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- A pretty decent slice of classic mid-'80's JCP action, this. There's nothing truly awful, most is at least solid, and a couple really of good matches are in there. Dusty's title win is also a great cherry on top moment even if it didn't last long. When even the Jimmy Valiant match is passable (by his standards), it's a pretty damn solid night.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B+

 

v2.0 published 6/2/26