FanPost

Review: Clash of the Champions 1988

In 1987, well before the Monday Night War, Jim Crockett and Vince McMahon went toe to toe. McMahon had created a new pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, and scheduled it for the same day as the NWA's 5th annual Starrcade event. McMahon's trump card was threatening to pull Wrestlemania IV from any cable company who aired Starrcade over Survivor Series. The WWF had all the cards on this night, winning the buy rate battle with its shrewd business tactics. Carriers immediately pushed back, demanding the two promotions not run their PPV events against each other again. Jim Crockett Promotions had to come up with an idea to fight back.

The Clash of the Champions would be his counter. A major event, free on TBS, airing head to head with Wrestlemania IV. The NWA would put its biggest stars and matches up for free, hoping to steal money out of the WWF's pocket, and slow the juggernauts momentum. The result was a night of (mostly) intense action, a hot crowd, a whopping 5.6 rating, and the birth of a new star, a man who would carry the banner against the WWF for the next decade.

NWA Clash of the Champions

March 27, 1988
Greensboro Colliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina.

The show begins with a short video package putting over the 3 big matches on the card. It's not quite what we expect from WWE these days, but it's quick and gets the stories over. Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone will call the action while Bob Caudle handles interviews.

NWA Television Championship: "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin w/ Precious vs "Captain" Mike Rotunda (C) w/ Kevin Sullivan

This match is contested under "amateur rules" which in this case means three 5 minute rounds, and a one count is all it takes for a pinfall. Rotunda spends most of the first round hiding behind referee Teddy Long and taking cheapshots when he can. He even kicks Garvin during the 30 second rest period. In the second round Sullivan causes a distraction that lets Rotunda retain on a schoolboy. The real action here is after the match, when Rick Steiner runs down to make it a 3 on 1 beating. At least until Precious picks up a board and cracks Steiner with it before strangling Kevin Sullivan with a coat hanger. The crowd goes nuts for the lady getting physical, and cheer the babyfaces as they slip away.

NWA United States Tag Team Championships: The Fantastics vs The Midnight Express (C) w/ James E. Cornette

Everything you'd expect from two legendary tag teams in the middle of a bitter feud. It begins as 1988's answer to TLC with the men hitting each other with chairs and tables before the match even starts. Cornette even throws a chair at Bobby Fulton before running away. Eventually The Midnight Express take control and batter Tommy Rogers for the rest of the match. The referee's inability to keep Rogers from being double teamed, and keeping Cornette out of the match, finally pushes Fulton over the edge as he tosses the official over the top rope. Fulton decking Jim Cornette is the second biggest pop of the night. The Fantastics are declared the winners after a replacement referee counts the pinfall, but the original ref calls for the DQ. In the confusion, Sweet Stan and Beautiful Bobby pounce on the babyfaces, whipping Fulton with Cornette's belt before slinking away. Arguably the best match on the show. A heated brawl followed up with fantastic tag team psychology.

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I wasn't planning on recapping the interview segments, but I wanted to take the time to say everyone should be watching Gary Hart promos. He was a master of speaking softly but still drawing the viewer in to what he was saying. Tonight he puts over his man Al Perez, saying Dusty Rhodes will eventually have to give him a US Title shot, and that Rhodes will need a baseball bat to beat him.

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Barbed Wire Six Man Tag Match: The Road Warriors and Dusty Rhodes vs The Powers of Pain and Ivan Koloff

Thankfully this one is kept short. As we've seen recently, wrestling matches suffer horribly when the ring ropes are gimmicked. For this match they're wrapped in barbed wire, leaving all six men to punch and kick at each other before trying to push each other into the deadly ropes. The babyfaces are still super popular though, and they get cheered for their spots. Animal gets the pin after Barbarian accidentally hits Koloff with a diving headbutt. Post-match, the heels attack Animal's eye injury he sustained in a weight lifting contest gone wrong with the Powers of Pain. Hawk eventually saves his partner and we all move on.

NWA World Tag Team Championships: Lex Luger and Barry Windham vs Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard (C) w/ James J Dillon

The story of this match is that Lex Luger is in fact The Total Package and can beat the hell out of the best tag team in the world by himself. Luger runs wild at the start, tags out to let Windham take the heat from Arn and Tully, and then gets back in after the hot tag to clean house. Windham is a fantastic babyface in peril, kicking out of a spinebuster from Arn and a brainbuster from Tully before Luger gets back in. The Horsemen try to cut Luger off over and over to no avail. JJ Dillon climbs onto the apron with a chair, but Luger throws Anderson into him and covers him to win the tag titles. Crowd pops huge for the title change, Dillon is outraged, and the babyfaces celebrate on their way back.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Sting vs Ric Flair (C)

JJ Dillon comes out with Flair, but is suspended from the ceiling in a cage for the duration of the match. A slow paced match, for obvious reasons, but the storytelling and build to the endgame are well worth the time. Flair tries to out wrestle the youngster, but Sting matches him move for move. Sting's chest bleeds after the first chop Flair hits him with, but doesn't sell anything early on. He dominates with headlocks and bearhugs, grounding the champ. Flair makes Sting look like a million bucks, screaming in pain and flopping around when Sting hits high impact moves. After 20 minutes, Sting finally slips up, missing several moves in a row before Flair turns the tide and earns his Dirtiest Player in the Game moniker. It doesn't last long, as Sting fires up and scares even the referee with a scream. At 25 minutes Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock, but Flair gets the ropes. The crowd explodes for the first real nearfall of the match when Sting hits a cross body.

The Stinger goes back to the headlock, but Flair counters with a pair of kneebreakers and works his way up to the Figure Four. Flair uses the ropes over and over until Sting pulls him to the center of the ring and turns the hold over. Sting eventually makes his comeback, wishboning Flair on the post and slapping on a Figure Four of his own! Flair makes the ropes, only to be thrown into the corner. The champ flips over the top rope and crashes over the judges table to the floor. Both men are selling exhaustion as they start picking up more nearfalls.

As soon as the ring announcer tells us 5 minutes remain, the match proves itself a classic.. Sting works faster, trying so hard to take the title. Flair does all he can to slow the younger man down, before both end up face down after a sleeper and counter. They trade nearfalls and the crowd starts BEGGING for Sting to get the 3 count. With less than 2 minutes left, Flair hits a chop and Sting ignores it. Flair is out of ideas and begs off. With 45 seconds left, Sting hits the Stinger Splash. The crowd erupts and Jim Ross screams "HE NAILED HIM!" Sting locks in the Scorpion Deathlock. Flair screams in agony, and we can see JJ Dillon in his cage, first shaking his fist, but then throwing his head back as if he's given up hope. The countdown begins and Flair holds on, the bell ringing to signify the 45 minute time limit has been reached. Flair lies face down and Sting needs several seconds before he's able to pull himself up by the ropes. Both men sell the effects of the war they just endured.

Oddly, despite five ringside judges, only three scores are announced. One for Flair, one for Sting, and one a draw. This is apparently good enough for the ring announcer, who declares the match a draw. Still champion: Ric Flair. JJ Dillon throws his arms up in celebration. Sting looks to referee Tommy Young in disbelief. Flair stumbles from the ring, his title over his shoulder, limping down the aisle. Not even The Nature Boy can ignore the effects of the beating his opponent just put on him. It could be argued Sting is the rightful champion. Regardless, going toe to toe with the best wrestler in the world for 45 minutes was enough to turn The Stinger from popular babyface to superstar.

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Clash of the Champions is a must-watch for any wrestling fan. Strictly in terms of entertainment value, the first Clash of the Champions was a rousing success. Two absolutely awesome matches featuring some of the greatest talents of all time. Watching this show in a bubble, it seems like Jim Crockett has everything under control and the NWA is a legit threat in a war with the WWF. Because wrestling is awesome like that.

In eight months, Ted Turner and Jim Herd would take over. THIS BUSINESS-ah sucks.

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