Clash of the Champions IX

Legacy Review

Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout

November 15, 1989 from the Houston Field House in Troy, NY

Commentary: Jim Ross and Gordon Solie

 

We're heading into Starrcade '89 and the rather flat Iron Man tournaments they did that year but, hey, it's Starrcade. This show is also the first glimpse of what would be a regular thing for most of 1990: tag team heavy cards, taking advantage of the deepest tag division in history.

The Turner lads have the stage set up like a music video set, an idea they would reuse at Starrcade. For a wresting show, it doesn't really work. It does give this Clash a PPV-like feel though. The "New York Knockout" show graphic is pure late '80s/early '90s Turner graphics.

The Fabulous Freebirds def The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) by DQ in 5:18- The on screen graphic lists the Freebirds as the world tag champs, but they don't have the belts and they're not introduced or mentioned by commentary as such. It's because they had taped the match where they drop the belts to the Steiners but it didn't air until the following Saturday. Hayes and Hawk start. Hawk cocks a fist and Hayes bails. Animal sneaks up behind him and press slams him back in. Big Hawk clothesline on Garvin. The crowd gets going with the "Freebirds suck" chant, letting Hayes stall a bit reacting to it. Pretty hot crowd for upstate New York actually. Hawk with a press slam. A confused Hayes tries to tag in the LOD corner and Animal pops him. Hayes leverages Hawk into Garvin's knee and Hawk has to fight out of the heel corner. Animal no sells a Garvin suplex and kills him with a clothesline. Then he no sells a Hayes back elbow and hits another clothesline. JR plugs the upcoming title change match. Garvin dodges an Animal charge and the Freebirds double team while hotheaded Hawk keeps running in, distracting the ref. After a few times Hawk has enough and tosses Tommy Young out of the way. Young calls for the bell. The LOD beat down the Freebirds and stand tall. Everyone was going through the motions here. *1/4

PWI head honcho Bill Apter is with JR for some year end awards. Sting has been named the most popular wrestler in the NWA. Specifically the NWA, because Hulk Hogan won the actual PWI award. And he presents Ric Flair with a special Wrestler of the Decade award. Just more fuel for the eventual Sting/Flair fire.

 

Doom (w/Woman) def "Hot Stuff" Eddie Gilbert and "Wildfire" Tommy Rich in 5:15- Troy wants nothing to do with Tommy Rich. This is one of Doom's first matches and they're still in masks. Gilbert and Doom 1 (Ron Simmons) start. Simmons shows off the power, tossing Gilbert out of the lockup and throwing him across the ring out of a headlock. Gilbert gets a shock roll up that Simmons instantly kicks out of. Gilbert does get a face plant in and the faces work Simmons' arm a bit. Rich blocks a Doom 2 (Butch Reed) hiptoss and hits his own. Gilbert leapfrogs out of a backdrop but Reed catches him and side suplexes him. Simmons hits a swinging neckbreaker for 2. Rich tags in and gets a hot tag-ish sequence. Donnybrook. Doom hits a decapitation device-like move for the win. Extended squash, but a spunky one. *

Next up is an edition of Jim Cornette's (still face, for now) Louisville Slugger talk show with guests the Steiner Brothers. The Steiners officially name Scott's move the Frankensteiner because they were watching Frankenstein and Rick had a brain wave. Their opponents tonight, the Skyscrapers, come up. "There's ain't a person in the world my brother and I can't suplex." True. Rick also says some unflattering and borderline non-PG things about Woman. If you think Scott's insane rambling promos were a new thing after he went singles, watch this and think again.

 

The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) def The Dynamic Dudes in 9:22- The Express were technically still faces but had started to hint at going back to the dark side again. Cornette is in a neutral corner because he's been consulting the Dudes while still managing the Express. The Dudes offer a handshake. The Express blow it off and go out to argue with Cornette about not being in their corner. Eaton and Douglas start. Douglas tries an abdominal stretch. Eaton counters to a hammerlock and sandbags a Douglas armdrag a bit. Lane gets a drop toe hold but Douglas turns it around into his own hammerlock. Lane pulls his hair to get him into an armbar. Cornette gets on the apron to rat on Lane. Ace ducks a Lane enzuguri and goes on a dropkickfest on everyone. Eaton goes outside. Douglas with a plancha! Lane back suplexes out of a headlock but misses the follow up elbow. Eaton pops Douglas with straight rights, props him on the top turnbuckle, slaps him, and goes for a superplex but Douglas flips out of it and covers for 2, then hits a reverse crossbody for 2. Ace gets a big hiptoss and monkey flip on Eaton. He goes for a flying headscissors but midmove Lane punches him from the apron, to the delight of the crowd. Lane murders Ace with kicks in the corner. The Express go for the rocket launcher but Ace gets his knees up and tags. Douglas hits a Samoan drop on Eaton. Donnybrook! Eaton gets a chain. Douglas sees it and backdrops him. Cornette comes in and throws the chain out....the nails Douglas in the back with his tennis racket! Eaton covers for the win. The whole thing was a RUSE! The Express and Cornette officially turn back heel. That was a very condensed version of what could have been a great match, but the angle work was first rate. **3/4

 

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams def The Super Destroyer in 1:41- Super Destroyer is Jack Victory in a mask. Drink! During Williams' entrance Norman comes out as Santa Claus (It's not even Thanksgiving yet! I'm a stickler for no Christmas until after Thanksgiving. None.) causing TV to miss a lot of the first part of the match. Destroyer jumps Williams as Norman's coming out. Shoulderblock standoff. Williams hits a press slam, stiff clotheslines Destroyer to the floor, then hits the Stampede to win. For a guy that really wasn't going anywhere, Williams got a lot of squashes on Clashes. 1/2*

The Steiner Brothers def The Skyscrapers (w/Teddy Long) by DQ in 6:08- Rick comes in through the crowd with a box of popcorn he tosses on everyone. When he gets in the ring he steals Long's beret until Tommy Young takes it back. Spivey and Rick start. HUGE Rick German suplex on Spivey, followed by a Steinerline that sends him 360 and out. Back in Spivey catches Rick and spins him into a tombstone! Scott breaks the pin up and is tagged in. Frankensteiner on Spivey! Fallaway slam on Sid that Scott nearly dropped himself on his head on. Sid gets Scott into the heel corner and he's murdered with a Sid clothesline. Spivey with a big boot. Scott blocks and reverses a Spivey suplex. Steinerline! Tag to Rick. Steinerline! Rick powerslam. A member of Doom runs in and get Frankensteinered. Rick hits a belly to belly on Spivey and covers, but Young ignores it, shouts at everyone a bit, and calls for the DQ. In the chaos Woman comes in and hits Rick with her shoe. Bad move. But a big guy comes in and saves her. This was Woman's teased "big surprise", the debuting Nitron. Now the Road Warriors come in and we've got a massive brawl to set up the Ironman tag tournament at Starrcade. Except for somewhere in there Sid got hurt and suffered a punctured lung, which would lead to the Scrapers being removed from the tournament and replaced with the Samoan SWAT Team. It would also, strangely enough, lead to a guy named Mark Callaway getting his first break in the big time, temporarily replacing Sid on the team. The match was fine for what it was. The Steiners throwing and stiffing the shit out of people never gets old. **1/4

 

NWA United States Heavyweight Championship: "The Total Package" Lex Luger (c) def "Flyin'" Brian Pillman in 12:38- These guys had a great match at Halloween Havoc, so why not do it again? The crowd is pretty split, foreshadowing Luger's heel run wasn't going to last much longer. Pillman's fired up and Luger wants some space. A long speed sequence ends with Pillman dropkicks. Luger pounds Pillman down in the corner. Heading to the opposite corner, Pillman leaps over Luger, gets a shot in and Luger powders. Pillman hits some chops. Luger ducks and lifts Pillman, Pillman flips out and tries a roll up, Luger hangs on to the top rope, Pillman charges, Luger ducks, Pillman flies over but skins the cat back in and hits Luger with a spinning heel kick. Luger begs off. Pillman gets a boot up in the corner and hits a missile dropkick for 2. Luger blocks a corner whip so Pillman snaps his arm over the top rope, then works it around the ring post. Pillman works the arm a bit. Luger powers back. Pillman takes a Bret bump and Luger back suplexes him off the rebound. Luger hits a press slam and a Ultimate Warrior style gorilla press. Pillman chops back so Luger uses his tights to leverage him out to the floor again. Slam on the floor. Luger suplexes him back in and covers for a long 2 count. Pillman gets a shock rollup for 2. Luger hits a powerslam and calls for the rack. Pillman with another rollup for 2. Chop/punch exchange. Pillman ducks and hits a diving clothesline and backdrop. He goes for a crossbody off the top rope but ref Nick Patrick gets hit too. Luger goes out and gets a chair, whacks Pillman clean in the head with it, and covers to win. After the bell Luger continues the chair beatdown and puts Pillman into the rack until Sting comes in and makes the save. Luger and Sting stare down then fight back up the aisle. That was almost as good as their Havoc match. ***1/2

 

I Quit Match: NWA World Heavyweight Champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair def Terry Funk (w/Gary Hart) in 18:33- This is a non-title match because both guys agreed this wasn't about the belt, it was about pride. Funk is still Crazy Ass Terry Funk but he's also trending more face again, promising to shake Flair's hand if he loses. Flair says if he says I quit it's "all over for him". Special entrances for both guys: cowboys with Funk, the usual women with Flair. Funk gets the mic before the bell and offers Flair a chance to quit now. Not happening. Flair ducks a Funk chop and chops Funk 360 and out! More chops in the corner. Chops on the floor. Funk with a shoulderblock, but as Flair goes down he trips Funk and they both try to choke each other on the mat. Fight on the apron. Big Funk headbutt. He throws Flair out and gives him a rail shot. Funk takes the mic and hits Flair with it. Flair chops back. Funk hits mounted punches with running commentary and sticks the mic in Flair's face. Flair's response is to inverted atomic drop out. Funk hits a swinging neckbreaker and slaps Flair. Flair goozles and chops. They go outside again and this time Funk takes rail shots. Flair pushes Hart out of the way. Flair gets the mic, chokes Funk and tells him to quit. Hart distracts Flair with the branding iron and Funk hits him from behind. Another neckbreaker. Funk gets the mic, says "You remember your neck?" and cinches up a piledriver. He tells Young to "ask him before I piledrive him". Flair tries to fight out but Funk hits the piledriver. Flair won't quit. Funk hits a legdrop and throws Flair outside. Funk hits Flair with a piledriver on the entrance aisle! Flair still won't quit. Another mic shot. Funk slams Flair on a ringside table. Flair chops back and smashes Funk's head hard into the table then LEAPS on Funk from behind. He whips Funk and Funk slides all the way across the table and ends up hitting a nearby chair face first! Flair gives Hart some shots and crotches Funk on the guardrail. Back in, Flair hits the kneedrop. After an inveted atomic drop he starts working Funk's knee. Flair pummels Funk with chops and another knee shot. Funk limps up the aisle. Flair hits him from behind. Kneebreaker on the floor. Flair suplexes Funk back in. "NOW!" He goes for the figure four. Funk fights it off and gets an eye poke. Flair rolls to the apron. Funk tries to suplex him back in the ring, but Flair reverses it and drops Funk on the apron! They go back in and Flair hooks in the figure four! Funk "NO! NEVER! NEVER!". He fights and fights and screams and finally "YES I QUIT!". One final Ric Flair masterpiece for 1989, the best year of his all time greatest career. This had all the intensity, drama, logical booking and feud callbacks you could ask for. *****

After the match, Hart is livid with Funk. Funk wants to keep his word and shakes Flair's hand despite Hart's attempts to stop him. Hart hits Funk! Flair pounds away on Hart until The Great Muta and the Dragonmaster come in. After a minute of beating in runs Sting to save Flair again! Flair and Sting hook Muta and Dragonmaster in their respective submission holds. Luger is out with a chair! He whacks Sting with it and while he's out the heels beat Flair down some more and walk out. On his way out Luger goes full petty and smashes one of the PWI trophies presented to Sting and Flair earlier. Another big brawl to sell the upcoming Iron Man tournament at Starrcade, as well as Flair and Sting getting the Four Horseman band back together on the long road to Flair turning back heel and Sting beating him for the title. Flair knew what he was doing as a booker too.

OVERALL SHOW THOUGHTS- Mostly a so/so show until the last two matches, but outside those the Express heel turn is good and worth watching. In the old tape trading days, Flair/Funk was as "beg, borrow or steal" must see watch as you could get.

OVERALL SHOW GRADE: A-