Taped from Atlanta, GA
Airdate: April 20, 1985 (taped 4/20)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Tony Schiavone & David Crockett
Can Khrushchev win the World TV title? Or will Rhodes find a way to defeat the Soviets? Not an easy thing to do in 1985. After a good showing against Nikita, will Stroud upset Ivan this week? What’s going on with Flair? Since it’s mid-April, what might spring up besides the dandelions?
Opening montage.
Oh no! Have the Soviets taken over this episode too? The World Six-Man tag champions Ivan, Nikita, and Khrushchev join Schiavone and Crockett at the podium. Khrushchev cuts a promo on Rhodes claiming he’ll take the TV title tonight. Afterward, Nikita runs down Ric Flair.
Match 1: “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel (w/ JJ Dillon) versus Mack Jeffers
Highlights:
Mack reversed a cross corner whip and attempted a hip toss. When Landel blocked it and countered with one of his own, he dealt Mack a back elbow. He obliterated Mack with a standing dropkick and made him taste the mat. Ick.
As he slammed Mack, Landel landed a knee drop. He slammed Mack again and scored with a corkscrew elbow drop. After Landel applied a figure-four leg lock, Mack submitted. Landel won at 5:59.
- Was the match competitive? No, Landel toyed with Mack throughout the bout.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? Like last week, it was that outstanding standing dropkick.
- Could the match have been better? No, Mack sold extremely well for the cocky Landel.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Blanchard alongside Baby Doll. Blanchard issues an “open challenge to the winner of” the upcoming TV title match.
JCP on tour:
- Cleveland, OH: TONIGHT!
- Mansfield, OH: TOMORROW NIGHT!
- Saginaw, MI: April 22
- Toledo, OH: April 23
- Marion, OH: May 1
- Columbus, OH: May 3
- Cincinnati, OH: May 4
- Ocean City, MD: May 8
From NWA Worldwide, promoter Jim Crockett crowns Rhodes as WORLD TV champion. Rhodes talks about “risky business.”
POINT OF ORDER: I must apologize as I believed the title had already been designated as such before this promo.
Match 2 (non-title): NWA US champion Magnum T.A. versus Doug Vines
Highlights:
Vines charged and walked into an immediate belly-to-belly suplex. 1-2-3. Magnum won at 0:06.
- Was the match competitive? Nope, Vines fell straight into the trash compactor.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The most devastating maneuver in pro wrestling at the moment.
- Could the match have been better? Nope, Magnum didn’t even have time to remove his leather vest. King Kong Bundy, eat your heart out.
JCP on tour:
- Gainesville, GA: May 7
- Atlanta, GA: May 12
- Marietta, GA: May 28
Backstage, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair carries the “ten pounds of gold” and is “the best…whether you like it or not.” He namedrops lots of contenders including Kerry Von Erich. I popped for that one.
Match 3: Ivan Koloff (w/ Nikita Koloff) versus Josh Stroud
Highlights:
Stroud began to win a wristlock until Ivan cheated. SNEAKY! When Ivan dealt him a back elbow, Stroud leapfrogged him. Ivan unloaded another back elbow but missed an elbow drop. As Stroud dropkicked him, it slightly glanced Ivan.They tried a test-of-strength, and Stroud started to overpower Ivan. After Ivan bit Stroud in the clavicle, the Atlanta faithful chanted “U-S-A.”
Ivan landed a knee drop and followed with a knee to the midsection. While he backdropped Stroud, Ivan headbutted him. The effect was felt by both wrestlers, yet Ivan blasted Stroud with another knee to the midsection for 2.Hip-tossing Stroud across the ring, Ivan thwarted a back drop attempt and shook him with a forearm smash.
Ivan stopped another comeback by Stroud and sent him reeling to the concrete floor. With referee Scrappy McGowan distracted by Ivan, Nikita put the boots to Stroud. How dastardly! Ivan not only guillotined Stroud with the top rope but also brought him in the hard way. Unfurling yet another back elbow, Ivan demolished Stroud with a Russian sickle. He trapped Stroud in a Cobra clutch and forced him to pass out. As a result, Ivan won at 6:08.
- Was the match competitive? Somewhat. Stroud made a few comebacks, Ivan mostly stayed in control.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The Russian sickle put Stroud down before Ivan put him to sleep.
- Could the match have been better? No, while Ivan was a wily veteran, Stroud looked like an up-and-comer especially with how he’s being agented.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Jones who’s wearing a golden tuxedo. He shows off his surgical scars allegedly at the hands of the “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant. During his promo, we see video of Valiant creaming “Superstar” Billy Graham with a stick before falling short against Barbarian. Jones hammers Valiant in the back with his cane, and he and Graham double-clothesline Valiant with it. Finishing his promo, Jones promises his Army will conquer Valiant.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Rhodes who gets interrupted by Ivan. Upon calling Nikita and Khrushchev “gorillas,” Rhodes shoos hm away splendidly and cuts a promo on Khrushchev.
Match 4: Abdullah the Butcher (w/ Paul Jones) versus Gene Ligon
Highlights:
Abdullah shoulder-blocked Ligon so hard that the latter fell out of the ring. As Abdullah distracted referee Scrappy McGowan, Jones gave Ligon the business. Nefarious! Ligon escaped the dreaded trapezius hold, but Abdullah cheated to win. When Crockett sent a shoutout to WCCW referee Bronko Lubich, Abdullah rearranged Ligon’s face. He SQUISHED Ligon with a massive elbow drop and pinned him at 4:40.
- Was the match competitive? No, Ligon couldn’t climb the mountain named Abdullah.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The shoulder block to the concrete floor spelled doom for Ligon.
- Could the match have been better? I wish, but Abdullah’s not scientific whatsoever.
Match 5: Tully Blanchard (w/ Baby Doll) versus T.J. Trippe
Highlights:
Blanchard beat up the big guy before landing a forearm smash. When he dealt Trippe a reverse facebuster, Blanchard scored with a pair of elbow drops for 2. He trapped Trippe in an inside cradle for another 2. As he hooked a slingshot suplex, Blanchard won at 5:13.
- Was the match competitive? No, Blanchard took his guy on a trip to catch tripe.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The slingshot suplex wiped out the kid.
- Could the match have been better? No, Blanchard toyed with him enough before putting him away.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Patterson and Fernandez. Patterson calls out Ole for his “attitude” while Fernandez calls his team “B&B Incorporated” and stops short of swearing. He’s been around Patterson long enough, I see.
Match 6 for the NWA World TV title: The “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes (champion) versus Krusher Khrushchev (w/ Ivan Koloff)
Highlights:
Note the date, because you didn’t see Rhodes wrestle on TV often.
As Rhodes slammed Khrushchev twice, the Atlanta faithful chanted “U-S-A.” He applied a headscissors and followed with an elbow drop. When Khrushchev gave Rhodes a cross corner whip, he followed with a knee to the midsection. Khrushchev tossed Rhodes to the concrete floor, so Ivan rammed Rhodes back-first into the apron. Evil!
Following a commercial break, Khrushchev applied a bear hug, but Rhodes escaped via a bionic elbow. Khrushchev reapplied the bear hug only to succumb to another bionic elbow. After Rhodes missed an elbow drop, Khrushchev worked on the back before reapplying the bear hug. The Atlanta faithful chanted “go, Dusty, go,” and their hero escaped via hip toss. While Khrushchev rebounded with his own elbow drop, he got 2.
Khrushchev reapplied the bear hug once more, but Rhodes headbutted him to escape. Headbutting Khrushchev again, Rhodes wobbled before launching a dropkick. Rhodes landed on his back, so he couldn’t capitalize. Oh no!
Moments after a mid-ring collision, Khrushchev gave Rhodes a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through. Rhodes rolled up and pinned Khrushchev. As a result, Rhodes retained at 7:27 shown.
Rating: **
Summary: Extremely early version of a HOSS match where Rhodes overcame Khrushchev’s psychology and outsmarted him with a rollup following a grave error by the Soviet sympathizer.
After the match, Ivan storms into the ring only to fall victim to a figure-four leg lock. The numbers game catches up to Rhodes, and the Soviet team is prepared to destroy him. Upon getting rid of referee Scrappy McGowan, Khrushchev mounts the top turnbuckle and annihilates Rhodes with a Koloff-assisted double axe handle to the back. They stomp a mudhole into Rhodes until the babyface locker room empties to save the World TV champion. Evidently, the Soviets don’t go down without a fight.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Fernandez and Patterson again. Fernandez refers to the Andersons as “Daddy and little boy Arnie.” HA! As Fernandez challenges the Andersons, Patterson gives him kudos for saving his hide. Patterson must stop himself short before unleashing any profanity toward Ole.
Match 7: Ole & Arn Anderson versus George South & Gerald Finley
Highlights:
Finley headbutted Arn before tagging out. When Arn dealt South a knee to the midsection, Ole tagged in. Ole yanked on South’s arm before Arn tagged in and stymied him with a hammerlock slam. As Ole tagged in, he mounted the top turnbuckle and “dislocated” South’s shoulder with a flying knee. OUCH! Arn tagged in and applied an arm bar for the submission. In 3:04, the Andersons won.
- Was the match competitive? No, they turned South into the one-armed man.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The flying knee off the top turnbuckle.
- Could the match have been better? No, the Andersons squashed South as far as Key West.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Magnum whose competition includes Graham, Barbarian, the Soviets, Blanchard, and Landel. Hopefully, we get to see him face some stiffer competition.
Match 8: Black Bart (w/ JJ Dillon) versus Ron Rossi
Highlights:
Again? Will the ropes sustain the carnage? Black Bart guillotined Rossi with the top rope and followed with a vertical suplex. As he landed a knee to the back, Black Bart stupefied Rossi with a swinging neckbreaker. He reversed an Irish whip and slammed Rossi. When he mounted the second turnbuckle, Black Bart unleashed a flying leg drop. 1-2-3. Black Bart won at 2:21.
- Was the match competitive? Nope, Rossi got mauled.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The flying leg drop since it was impossible to perform last time.
- Could the match have been better? No, Black Bart took charge from the get-go.
Match 9: The “Raging Bull” Manny Fernandez & Thunderbolt Patterson versus Jim Jeffers & Randy Barber
Highlights:
Fernandez tagged in and fed Jim a knee drop. When Barber tagged in, Fernandez dropkicked him. He dealt Barber a knee drop and tagged out. As B&B Inc. hammered Barber with a double shot to the chest, Patterson tagged out. Fernandez back-handed Barber and followed with a flying burrito. 1-2-3. Fernandez and Patterson won at 2:35.
- Was the match competitive? No, it wasn’t a close shave whatsoever.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The flying burrito did more than give Barber a trim today.
- Could the match have been better? Yes, Patterson did very little in the match leaving the bulk of the work to Fernandez. He deserves a good clipping.
At the podium, Arn refers to Patterson and Fernandez as “weenies.” Ole says Patterson and Fernandez are hiding from the Andersons while the Atlanta faithful chanted “we don’t wanna hear it.” HA! Nevertheless, they answered the challenge as Arn gave me a horrible visual about feeling “naked.”
Conclusion: With the Cold War in full swing, Jim Crockett Promotions, and in this case Rhodes, is milking the animosity between America and the Soviet Union. It makes for good theater, and that’s what the Rhodes-Khrushchev match was.
In other segments, the challenge has been issued and accepted regarding the National tag team titles. Let’s hope we at least see footage of its outcome. Magnum’s six-second victory is a direct potshot to Bundy’s “nine-second” victory at WrestleMania. I truly like this Stroud kid and hope he sticks around to handle the bigger wrestlers in the promotion. Lastly, the less we see Abdullah “wrestle,” the better off we are.
Next week, Magnum defends the US title against Scott “Hog” Irwin plus a National title defense by Ron Garvin!
Rating: NONE
In case you’re wondering, the episode was only ninety minutes instead of two hours due to Braves baseball. How’d the Braves do?
Houston Astros 8
Atlanta Braves 1
Joe Niekro gave up only two hits while Craig Reynolds homered the Astros to victory in front of 32,887 within Fulton-County Stadium located in downtown Atlanta.
Also, at the Cleveland Convention Center that evening, the following results were:
- “Wild” Bill Irwin defeated Ben Alexander.
- Joel Deaton beat Paul Diamond.
- In a lumberjack match, Thunderbolt Patterson upended Kareem Muhammed.
- The Italian Stallion defeated Ron Starr.
- Ron Garvin beat Bob Roop.
- In a loser-leaves-town match, “Pistol” Pez Whatley sent Rip Rogers packing.
- In the main event, the Road Warriors defeated Buzz & Brett Sawyer.
Stay tuned for NWA World Championship Wrestling 04-27-85!
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