JCP Clash of the Champions
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NWA Clash of the Champions (3/27/1988)- Greensboro, NC
â€"COLLEGE RULES†MATCH FOR THE NWA TV TITLE: Mike Rotunda(c) (w/Kevin Sullivan) vs. Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious)-4/10
Not sure I would have started the show out with a funky gimmick match (three five minute rounds, and you only need a one-count to win), but that’s what they did. The finish comes when Sully grabs Precious on the apron so Garvin comes over to defend his girl, but he takes his eyes off of Rotunda, allowing Rotunda to school boy him for the one-count and the victory (that is so damn weird to type. Like the opposite of the Canadian Rules match between Storm and Awesome at New Blood Rising).
After the match Garvin beats the heels down until Rick Steiner comes out and the numbers game catches up to Jimmy. The heels have the advantage for all of about four seconds, though as Precious hits Steiner with a 2x4 and uses a coat hanger to strangle Sully. The heels almost get to precious but Garvin pulls her out of the ring to safety. I certainly wasn’t expecting Precious to go nuts like that.
NWA UNITED STATES TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane)(c) (w/Jim Cornette) vs. The Fantastics- 7/10
A wild and crazy brawl with a good old-fashioned Dusty finish. After the match, the Midnights whip one of the Fantastics because they are AMAZING heels.
BARBED WIRE MATCH: The Road Warriors & Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff & the Powers of Pain (Paul Jones)- 2/10
A very short match and the similarities in face paint combined with the low productions values to make it very hard to keep track of who was who. After the match the heels go after Animal’s injured eye.
NWA WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson(c) (w/James J. Dillon) vs. Lex Luger & Barry Windham- 6.25/10
NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Ric Flair(c) vs. Sting- 9.25/10
An absolutely phenomenal match with a super-hot crowd. They really made you feel that this was Sting’s night, and that Flair didn’t so much have a draw with Sting has as he did survive him. A true star-making performance.
The only things in here I didn’t like (aside from the fact that Sting just stopped selling his knee at one point) was two consecutive spots late in the match. The first had Sting crotch Flair on the ringpost, and the second had Sting lock in a figure four. Both of these are heelish actions (low blow, a use your opponent’s finisher) especially when Sting has a finishing submission hold of his own which also targets the legs. An absolutely amazing match, though.
Overall, a very up and down show from the NWA, but the main event was good enough to make up for it. This was great for a show that ran under two hours.
â€"COLLEGE RULES†MATCH FOR THE NWA TV TITLE: Mike Rotunda(c) (w/Kevin Sullivan) vs. Jimmy Garvin (w/Precious)-4/10
Not sure I would have started the show out with a funky gimmick match (three five minute rounds, and you only need a one-count to win), but that’s what they did. The finish comes when Sully grabs Precious on the apron so Garvin comes over to defend his girl, but he takes his eyes off of Rotunda, allowing Rotunda to school boy him for the one-count and the victory (that is so damn weird to type. Like the opposite of the Canadian Rules match between Storm and Awesome at New Blood Rising).
After the match Garvin beats the heels down until Rick Steiner comes out and the numbers game catches up to Jimmy. The heels have the advantage for all of about four seconds, though as Precious hits Steiner with a 2x4 and uses a coat hanger to strangle Sully. The heels almost get to precious but Garvin pulls her out of the ring to safety. I certainly wasn’t expecting Precious to go nuts like that.
NWA UNITED STATES TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane)(c) (w/Jim Cornette) vs. The Fantastics- 7/10
A wild and crazy brawl with a good old-fashioned Dusty finish. After the match, the Midnights whip one of the Fantastics because they are AMAZING heels.
BARBED WIRE MATCH: The Road Warriors & Dusty Rhodes vs. Ivan Koloff & the Powers of Pain (Paul Jones)- 2/10
A very short match and the similarities in face paint combined with the low productions values to make it very hard to keep track of who was who. After the match the heels go after Animal’s injured eye.
NWA WORLD TAG TEAM TITLE MATCH: Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson(c) (w/James J. Dillon) vs. Lex Luger & Barry Windham- 6.25/10
NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH: Ric Flair(c) vs. Sting- 9.25/10
An absolutely phenomenal match with a super-hot crowd. They really made you feel that this was Sting’s night, and that Flair didn’t so much have a draw with Sting has as he did survive him. A true star-making performance.
The only things in here I didn’t like (aside from the fact that Sting just stopped selling his knee at one point) was two consecutive spots late in the match. The first had Sting crotch Flair on the ringpost, and the second had Sting lock in a figure four. Both of these are heelish actions (low blow, a use your opponent’s finisher) especially when Sting has a finishing submission hold of his own which also targets the legs. An absolutely amazing match, though.
Overall, a very up and down show from the NWA, but the main event was good enough to make up for it. This was great for a show that ran under two hours.