Great American Bash '86 (7/26)

Legacy Review

Great American Bash '86 (7/26 show)

July 26, 1986 from Crockett home base, the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC

Once again there's no commentary as this wasn't originally shown on TV

Like the 7/5 show, I'm reviewing this on my very first viewing. Thanks to the WWE Network for putting these two shows (and all the hidden gems) up!

No opening this time around. We go right into the intros for the first match.

"Mr. Electricity" Steve Regal def Sam Houston- Once again, this is not William Regal. High pitch pop for Houston. Why? The guy is a bean pole. The crowd is red hot though. Quick start. Regal backs off. Man, the ringside cameras are in there tight. Talk about right in your living room. Houston screams "He's got my tights ref!" while Regal tries some sneaky style. Houston does what he does best, take a beating. There's a reason he was a jobber in WWF. The camera thing must be a coordinated plan, these guys are playing to them like crazy during the chinlock spots. They're so close it's hard to make action out sometimes. It's like a Kevin Dunn wet dream. Regal goes through the usual heel playbook before Houston reverses a suplex. Houston misses a charge in the corner. Regal stacks him up, gets hit feet up on the rope for leverage and gets the 3. Houston argues with Hebner and beats Regal down after the bell. Hebner says "FU, kid" and raises Regal's hand again on the way out. *1/4

NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Champion Black Bart and The Barbarian def NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion Denny Brown and The Italian Stallion- Paul Jones is announced as Barbarian's manager but he doesn't come out with him. Brown and Bart start. Brown gets a couple of flying headscissors. Bart retreats to his corner but doesn't tag. Brown bodyslams Bart! Everyone looks shocked. That's not quite Marty Scurll slamming Bad Luck Fale, but it's still a decent size difference. Stallion comes in and works the arm. Barbarian teases ambushing him from behind off the top rope but Hebner catches him. After Brown comes back in Bart counters and throws Brown's head into Barbarian's hard coconut. Barbarian comes in and rolls through some power moves. Brown is FIPed. We've got more super tight camera work going on here. I kinda feel like I'm watching an action sequence in Cloverfield. Bart misses a butt splash off the 2nd rope and Brown gets the hot tag. Stallion cleans house until Bart eye pokes him. A Bart suplex, a Barbarian headbutt of the top rope, and we're done. Pacey, efficient and inoffensive. **

Loaded Glove on a Pole Match: "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez def Baron von Rashke (w/Paul Jones)- That glove doesn't exactly look loaded or dangerous. Jones is in wrestling tights and a polo shirt instead of his pseudo army outfit because he's wrestling later. Thankfully both guys are in normal gear and not jeans so we don't have to worry about Rashke's pants falling down again. Rashke comes out swinging. He goes for the glove quickly but Fernandez pulls him down. After a bit of beating Fernandez goes for the glove, but while he's standing on the top rope he senses Rashke coming and leapfrogs backwards over him then gives him an uppercut. Jones tries to choke Fernandez and takes a shot. Rashke uses the distraction and almost gets the glove but Fernandez catches him and gives him the Flair throw off the top. Both times Fernandez has tried very hard not to pull Rashke's tights down. Fernandez misses a corner charge. Rashke locks in the claw. After holding it forever and Hebner doing some lip service to the fact that Fernandez should have been pinned or deemed unconscious by now Rashke lets it go and gets the glove. He whips Fernandez, Fernandez ducks a loaded glove punch, and hits a crossbody to get the pin. In the end the glove was completely superfluous. Rashke couldn't come close to keeping up with Fernandez so Fernandez couldn't do nearly what he was capable of. *

Indian Strap Match: Wahoo McDaniel def "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious)- This is almost identical to the match they had on the 7/5 show so I'll whip (no pun intended) through it quickly. The usual stalling at the start. Precious jaws with Wahoo and gets whipped for giving him lip. Garvin takes a whipping and gets pulled back in every time he tries to go outside. Wahoo gives him some super stiff whips in the chest. Garvin gives him an eye rake. Wahoo rolls out and Garvin uses the strap to post him. Garvin gets up to 3 before Wahoo fights back. Wahoo gets 2 and Precious trips him. Garvin goes up top and gets flipped. Wahoo barrels through Precious' distraction attempts and wins. This match was a bit truncated this time and didn't have as much of the fun character interplay as the last one did. **1/4

Taped Fist Match: NWA National Heavyweight Champion Tully Blanchard (w/JJ Dillon) def Ronnie Garvin (w/Wahoo McDaniel)- Again, this match is very similar to last time. Tully takes the shot before the bell again. Unlike last time he spends most of the first round getting pummeled with his robe and belt still on. Round 1 ends with another KO punch after the bell. Hebner starts counting Tully down at the start of round 2. Dillon uses smelling salts to revive him. After the round 2 bell Garvin gives Tully a crotch shot. Dillon retapes Tully's hands in between rounds. At the start of round 3 Tully begs off and suckers Garvin into a tights pull into the turnbuckle. Toward the end of round 3 they do the Wahoo atomic drop spot. Round 4 brings more Garvin domination. Dillon throws a bucket of water in Wahoo's face. With the distraction he slips Tully brass knucks. Wahoo posts Dillon. Tully nails Garvin with the knucks and gets up before 10 while Garvin is counted down. Like the previous match, this one didn't have as much time to breathe as they did on the 7/5 show and wasn't quite as good. **3/4

The Rock 'N' Roll Express and The Minnesota Wrecking Crew II go to a 20:00 time limit draw- This is a #1 contender's match for The Midnight Express' world tag titles. Arn is still the NWA TV champion. The RNR get an absolutely insane pop. Gibson and Ole start. They have several lockup stalemates. Gibson squeaks out of the heel corner a couple of times. The Andersons confer and strategize in the corner. Another sequence ends with both Andersons eating dropkicks and getting pummeled to the outside. Well, that plan didn't work. Arn wants Morton and mocks his recent nose "injury". Morton faceplants and DDTs Arn. Arn takes a powder. Morton follows him out and gives him a punch in the nose. That'll teach you. Back in, Morton escapes the heel corner by casually striding through the ropes and out. Morton gets Arn with a drop toe hold, drags him to his corner, and Gibson slinghots himself over the top rope and onto Arn's knee. The RNR go to work on the hurt body part. They do a double roll of Arn's legs, and follow their momentum all the way to the corner and hit Ole! Arn escapes with an eye rake and sells the knee while getting over to tag. Morton gets Ole down and they do the same move to his knee. The Andersons keep trying to double team but the RNR have been one step ahead of them the whole match. Stereo figure fours! The crowd is going completely ape shit. While Hebner is getting Morton out Ole eye rakes Gibson and the Andersons finally get on offense. They work Gibson's arm a bit, but Gibson doesn't stay down long and quickly gets into his corner to tag out. Morton comes in and bodyslams both Andersons. Morton slamming Ole is even more impressive than Brown slamming Bart. Ole finally kills Morton with a flying shoulder tackle. We get the 5 minutes left call as Arn works Morton over, still selling the knee. While the ref is distracted Arn throws Morton over the top rope. Ole finds a camera under the ring (who the smeg left a camera under the ring?) and chokes Morton with the strap. The fans are throwing trash into the ring. The love these southern fans had for the RNR in the mid-80s was one step away from restraining order needed stalker territory. Ole cranks the armbar. Morton counters a buckle shot from Arn, goes to the top and gets a crossbody for 2. Less than a minute left. Morton dodges an Arn charge. At the 30 second call he gets the tag to Gibson. Gibson hooks a sleeper in on Arn while Morton pummels Ole. While it's on the bell rings for the time limit. They keep fighting after the bell. Eventually Gibson chases the Andersons off with a chair. This was really good (duh) but not either team's absolute A game. That would come later in their Starrcade '86 classic. It's also an interesting change of pace as both teams worked the bulk of the match almost with reversed roles. The RNR would get the #1 contendership later in the tour and regain the titles from the Midnights in August. ***3/4

Hair vs Hair Match: Paul Jones (w/Baron von Rashke) def Jimmy Valiant (w/Manny Fernandez)- We cut in to Valiant with the mic getting the crowd to chant "bald headed geek". For some reason Valiant jumps Rashke at the bell, allowing Jones to ambush Valiant from behind. Spasm selling! Valiant is already bleeding. Jones gets an international object out of his trunks and nails Valiant with it. Every time Valiant gets a little bit of momentum Jones gets it out again and gives Valiant a shot in the gut. After a few Valiant gets a hold of it and hits Jones with it, then grinds it into Jones' forehead. Jones is gushing blood. Rashke jumps on the apron. Valiant grabs him, and Rashke throws Jones the "loaded" glove from the earlier match. But wait! Valiant sees it, goes into his tights and pulls out a glove of his own! The plot twists and turns in this match are leaving me breathless. Valiant gets his shot in first. He goes for a pin, but the seconds charge in and start to fight. As Hebner is dealing with them Shaska Whatley comes in, nails Valiant with a chair, and drapes Jones over. When Hebner gets back in he counts the 3. Fernandez protests. The faces run in from the locker room and whine but Valiant plops the chair down, plops himself down, and takes his head shaving like a man. As he's getting shaved he goes through the whole gamut of anger, acceptance, and sadness. When it's done he gathers up his lost hair as the heels mock him. Jones grabs the mic and chants "bald headed geek" back at him. Thanks to the brevity and good overbooking this was easily the "best" Valiant match I've reviewed, and the whole postmatch angle was actually a very well done piece of business. Valiant would get his revenge on Jones in another hair match at Starrcade, ironically after Fernandez turned on him and joined Jones' stable. Er, army. 3/4*

Best of 7 Series for the Vacant NWA United States Heavyweight Championship Match 4, Koloff leads 3-0: Magnum TA def Nikita Koloff (w/Ivan Koloff)- Magnum was stripped of the US title in May when he attacked the NWA president in a brawl that Nikita started. Nikita is only one win away from the sweep and the title so tensions are high here. This is the one match on both shows that could have really benefited from commentary to push that point. Nikita counts the wins so far up on his fingers and gestures this will be #4. After locking up a hard Magnum forearm sends Nikita out to recover. Lots of caution from both guys. Nikita shows the power advantage on a headlock but Magnum out wrestles him on the mat. Nikita picks him up for a slam but instead drops him throat first on the top rope. Nikita mocks the crowd's USA chants. Ironic as he'd end up doing a quickie face turn not long after this. A comeback crossbody from Magnum gets 2. On the kickout Nikita throws him over the bottom rope and out to the floor. Ivan distracts Tommy Young and Nikita gives Magnum a straight turnbuckle shot on the apron. Magnum sticks his head under the ring to blade. On closeup we can see Magnum's forehead is caked in blood. He gets out of a chinlock by ramming Nikita's arm he had worked earlier into the buckle. Nikita yells and shakes it off but doesn't sell it for long. Nikita gets the advantage back with a kick to the face on a backdrop attempt and goes for quick (well, quick for Nikita) pins. He gets frustrated and throws Magnum out. Young: "What's the idea, man?". Nikita throws him outside again. Ivan gets a shot in. Nikita throws him outside AGAIN. This time while on the apron Magnum gives him a shoulderblock and sunset flip. Nikita tries to hang on to the top rope but Young kicks it off and frankly fast counts Nikita down, hitting 3 as he's kicking out. And here I thought the Soviets were the experts at buying off sporting officials. Magnum finally gets on the board. Nikita being in control almost the whole match played well into the drama of him only being a win away from the sweep and the title, but it also meant the match barely got into second gear. Magnum would go on to tie the series 3-3 but lose match (game) 7 due to extensive outside interference. He was earmarked for bigger things anyway, that unfortunately wouldn't happen due to his car crash and injury. **1/2

Steel Cage Mixed Tag Team Match: The Road Warriors & Baby Doll def NWA World Tag Team Champions The Midnight Express & Jim Cornette- No Big Bubba Rogers with the heels this time. Cornette takes the mic to taunt Baby Doll before the match. Even though the face team is different this is essentially the same match as the 7/5 show, just a little smoother because it's two proper tag teams in there. The LOD and Midnights work some basic stuff. Eaton comes off the top of the cage a couple of times and gets caught the second time. As before, it's all just buildup to the money shot of Baby Doll knocking Cornette out and getting the win. **

Steel Cage Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship: "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes def "Nature Boy" Ric Flair (c)- Very mixed crowd at the start. Sounds about 60/40 for Dusty. Tommy Young doesn't give Flair instructions, Flair gives Tommy Young instructions. Dusty and Flair get nose to nose and we're off. There's a strut off to start. Punches from Dusty rock Flair and he has to take a step back. Dusty blocks an attempted cage shot. Woman in crowd: "Flair you've got it baby!" Flair turns around: "You'll get some of this tonight baby!" and hip thrusts. I think she just got pregnant. Dusty works the arm and wins a chop exchange. Flair backs off again. Dusty hits a press slam and Flair goes into full begging mode. Sleeper! Flair juuuuuuuuuuuust reaches out enough to grab the ropes. Flair gets some knucks out of his tights and gives Dusty a shot in the gut with them. Dusty takes a cage shot and is bleeding. Cheese grater! Flair starts working Dusty's previously injured ankle. Figure four! Dusty's yelling at almost Flair-like levels. He reverses it and Flair gets in the ropes. Flair goes back to the ankle. Dusty gets a shock clothesline and quick covers but Flair just gets a foot on the rope at 2. Flair goes to the top. Dusty follows and rams his head on the top of the cage. Back down, Flair takes a cage shot and starts bleeding. He tries to escape again but Dusty drags him back in and gives him multiple shots off the top of the cage. Flair dodges a punch and Dusty punches the cage. Flair goes to the top rope and takes the Flair throw. Dusty figure four! Flair gets to the ropes. "Get if off! AH SHIT!" Dusty lays in chops and cocks the elbow to strike, but Flair wanders off and Flair Flops! Flair tries a neckbreaker but Dusty counters it into a backslide for 2. Flair goes up top and actually successfully gets off with a crossbody for 2. Flair eats cage again. Dusty stacks him up for 2. Flair tries a bodyslam, but Dusty counters it into a Paul Smackage for the 3! MASSIVE, Earth shattering pop. Tom Miller announces the winner like he just saw the most shocking and amazing thing he's ever seen. After the delayed Dusty Finish at Starrcade '85 Dusty officially wins his third (and final) world title, and ends the longest of Flair's many title reigns at just over two years, 793 days. The face locker room empties to celebrate with him. Huge Dusty chants from the crowd. It's as perfect a title change moment as you could ask for. The match wasn't as outright fun as Flair/Morton on the 7/5 show, but it had tremendous drama and physicality and built well to the surprise title win for Dusty. The celebration would be short though, as Flair would win the title back just two weeks later. ****1/2

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS: Between the two GAB '86 shows available I think this was the better one. Of the two matches that were the same on both shows (the Indian Strap and Taped Fist matches), the 7/5 versions were better, but on this one the undercard is a bit more solid, the Valiant match was shockingly watchable, the RNR/Andersons match is easily the best tag match on either show, and as great as Flair/Morton was, Flair/Dusty was a hair better and featured a classic title change.
OVERALL SHOW GRADE: B-