Taped from Atlanta, GA
Airdate: June 1, 1985 (taped 6/1)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Tony Schiavone & David Crockett
When Magnum confronts Flair, does he follow suit? What happens between Sawyer and the Andersons? Since Bart has possession of the National title belt, how will Garvin respond? With the Koloffs on his mind, can Rhodes find a method to capture the World tag team titles alongside Slater? This is a brisk 60-minute episode, so tread lightly!
Opening montage.
Match 1: “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer & Ron Garvin versus Randy Barber & Mike Simiani
Highlights:
Due to Garvin’s confrontation with Black Bart last week, his right hand was taped. Barber came off the ropes but ate boot from Sawyer in the corner. When Sawyer tagged in, he hip-tossed Barber. Tags were exchanged on both sides, and Garvin hip-tossed Simiani. As tags were exchanged on both sides again, Sawyer and Garvin double-backdropped Barber.
Sawyer suplexed Barber and got 2. After Simiani tagged in, Sawyer literally carried him back to his corner. Garvin tagged in and suplexed Simiani. While he hooked a crucifix, Garvin got 2. Sawyer tagged in and blasted Simiani with a back elbow. Flattening Simiani with a gutwrench suplex, Sawyer picked him up at 1.
Garvin tagged in and dealt Simiani a knee drop followed by an elbow drop. Hooking a single-leg crab, Garvin couldn’t achieve a submission. Sawyer tagged in and powerslammed Simiani. 1-2-3. Sawyer and Garvin won at 5:57.
- Was the match competitive? Nope, Sawyer and Garvin had it in hand from the start.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? Sawyer’s array of suplexes.
- Could the match have been better? Nope, Simiani and Barber made Garvin and Sawyer look dominant.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Magnum who cuts a promo on Flair and promises to become World champion.
JCP on tour:
- Cincinnati, OH: TONIGHT!
- Gainesville, GA: June 4
- Albany, GA: June 7
- Florence, SC: June 8
- Philadelphia, PA: June 12
- Salisbury, MD: June 14
- Cleveland, OH: June 15
- Jekyll Island, GA: June 17
- Talladega, AL: June 19
COORS PLAY OF THE WEEK: On Thursday, Edmonton defeated Philadelphia to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
Commercials: Matt Harmon shills Coors. Oxy 10! Dom DeLuise shills Ziploc.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and Dick Slater who claim to be the World tag team champions. Footage of said match is shown, and Slater pins Ivan following a suplex back into the ring. I smell a Dusty finish.
Match 2: (non-title): NWA US champion Magnum T.A. versus Larry Clark
Highlights:
Magnum slammed Clark and connected with a standing dropkick. As he demolished Clark with a belly-to-belly suplex, Magnum won at 0:17.
- Was the match competitive? Nope, it barely got off the ground before it was over.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The vicious slam he gave Clark to open the match.
- Could the match have been better? Nope, Magnum’s star continues to shine brightly.
OK, maybe not that brightly.
JCP on tour:
- Boston, MA: TONIGHT!
- Atlanta, GA: TOMORROW!
- Zanesville, OH: June 8
- Wheeling, WV: June 9
- York, PA: June 11
- Youngstown, OH: June 13
Commercials! Ivory dishwashing liquid! Pert shampoo! Duracell! Catch the Braves against the Pirates TONIGHT following this show! Watch Safe At Home on Monday at 6:35pm ET.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Flair who “leave(s) a lasting impression.” Footage airs of Flair’s victory over Harley Race back at Starrcade ’83. Next, we see footage of Flair’s victory over Kerry Von Erich in Japan in May 1984. The next footage airs of Flair’s victory over Rhodes for $1,000,000 at Starrcade ’84. Afterward, we revisit last week when Flair won a game of cat and mouse against Magnum. Following all Flair’s highlights, Flair hands Schiavone a $1500 suit for Magnum before heading to the ring. Hmmm…I wonder what happens next.
Match 3 (non-title): NWA World champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair versus George South
Highlights:
Flair unloaded a knee drop, but South reversed a cross corner whip. When South backdropped him, Flair recovered and tossed him to the concrete floor. He joined and beat up South down there. Back in the ring, Flair hooked a double underhook suplex and followed with a belly-to-back suplex. He landed an elbow drop for 2.
As Magnum joined the broadcast table, Schiavone handed him the $1500 suit. Flair dealt South a back elbow and trapped him in an abdominal stretch. Upon releasing the hold, Flair suplexed South. Flair secured a figure-four leg lock causing South to submit. As a result, Flair won at 4:37.
- Was the match competitive? Not especially. Flair allowed South only a tiny bit of offense before dominating.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? Flair’s series of suplexes stymied South.
- Could the match have been better? No, South sold for the World champion like there’s no tomorrow.
Thanks, Apollo.
After the match, Magnum carefully approaches the ring with the suit. He shows the suit to Flair but tears the jacket to SHREDS. Astonished, Flair can’t believe what Magnum is doing. Magnum rips up the pants as well, so Flair charges him. If you blink, you’ll miss Magnum catching Flair with a belly-to-belly suplex.
A determined Magnum grabs the World title belt and returns to the podium. He promises to “own it” next time. Agitated, Flair yells out of sheer humiliation but believes Magnum took the World title belt. Instead, David produces the belt from under the podium to soothe Flair’s rather childish temper tantrum.
POINT OF ORDER: This segment remains one of the most historical confrontations in pro wrestling history. It led to several house show matches between them that I’m certain were more than the fans’ money’s worth.
Commercials! Buy Eddie Rabbitt on LP, 8-track, or cassette for only $8.98!
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Rhodes who’s smiling from ear-to-ear about what Magnum did to Flair. Tomorrow night at the Omni, Rhodes and Slater get another shot at the Koloffs with TWO referees.
Match 4: Black Bart versus Jim Jeffers
Highlights:
Bart fed Jim a hammerlock slam while the Atlanta faithful chanted “we want Garvin.” As he suplexed Jim, Bart landed a knee drop. He guillotined Jim with the top rope and followed with a slam. When he mounted the second turnbuckle, Bart launched a flying leg drop. 1-2-3. Bart won at 3:37.
- Was the match competitive? No, Bart controlled the match from the onset.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The hammerlock slam ensured Bart’s strong psychology on Jim’s arm.
- Could the match have been better? No, Bart couldn’t look any better.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Garvin, but Bart interrupts to challenge him NEXT WEEK for a loser-leaves-town match. Garvin accepts the challenge.
JCP on tour:
- Charleston, WV: June 14
Commercials! High Point decaf! Kawasaki jet-skis! Alexis Arguello shills Miller Lite! Catch The Chase Sunday at 10:35am ET.
Match 5 for the NWA World TV title: Tully Blanchard (champion w/ Baby Doll) versus Paul Garner
Highlights:
Blanchard nailed Garner in the midsection and destroyed him with a slingshot suplex. 1-2-3. Blanchard won at 1:34.
- Was the match competitive? No, Blanchard made quick work of Garner.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? The belly shot took the starch out of Garner.
- Could the match have been better? Nope, Garner went quickly to make Blanchard look strong.
At the podium, Schiavone interviews Arn who calls the Andersons “the measuring stick.” Ole joins him and runs down Garvin and Sawyer. In fact, he states “(Sawyer) wouldn’t make a…pimple on a hog’s backside.”
JCP on tour:
- Athens, GA: June 13
- Saginaw, MI: June 24
- Los Angeles: June 29
Commercials! Kodiak smokeless tobacco! Miller High Life! Tums! Catch Larry King Live on CNN! Watch The World At War Sunday at 8:05pm ET!
Match 6 (non-title): NWA National tag team champions Ole & Arn Anderson versus Alan Martin & Mark Cooper
Highlights:
As referee Tommy Young called for the bell, Sawyer approached ringside to take issue with a hog’s backside. Arn mauled Martin while Sawyer joined the broadcast table for this match. When Ole tagged in, Sawyer gave him a whole lotta what-for. Arn tagged in and slammed Martin.
After tags were exchanged on both sides, Ole tossed Cooper out of the ring. On the other hand, Sawyer caught Cooper before he SPLATTED on the concrete floor. Sawyer yanked Martin out of the corner to replace him.
While Arn tagged in, Ole took a cheap shot at Sawyer. Not to be outdone, Sawyer infiltrated the ring to hammer Ole. He beat up the Andersons much to the delight of the Atlanta faithful until the numbers game caught up to him. Slamming Sawyer, Arn mounted the top turnbuckle and leaped. Sawyer instantly caught him and attempted a pin. Amazing!
Mounting the top turnbuckle, Ole fired a flying knee into Sawyer’s back to make the save. For some unknown reason, Young called for the bell, and I believe the Andersons were disqualified at 3:28.
- Was the match competitive? Once Sawyer got involved, it was on like Donkey Kong.
- What maneuver made the difference in the match? Sawyer’s catch-and-shoot of Arn is a sight to behold.
- Could the match have been better? With limited time left in the show, this was much more exciting than standard Andersons fare.
Following the match, the Andersons double-team Sawyer while the Atlanta faithful clamors for Garvin’s involvement. Regardless, Slater storms the ring to chase off the Andersons and save Sawyer’s bacon.
FYI: Best of Championship Wrestling was included on the tape following this episode.
Conclusion: Between the Sawyer involvement in the final match and the unbelievable Flair-Magnum suit confrontation, this is MUST-SEE for all. What a great show! It’s quite apparent that everyone was gearing up for the Omni show the next night because it showed in their actions and words. I wonder if anything happened.
At the Omni on June 2, the following matches occurred:
- Arn Anderson defeated Italian Stallion.
- Bob Roop beat Gerald Finley.
- The “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant, Ron Garvin, & “Mad Dog” Buzz Sawyer defeated “Superstar” Billy Graham, Abdullah the Butcher, & Barbarian.
- Tully Blanchard beat “Pistol” Pez Whatley.
- Thunderbolt Patterson defeated Ole Anderson via DQ.
- Ivan Koloff & Krusher Kruschev beat the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Dick Slater via DQ.
- “Nature Boy” Ric Flair retained the NWA World title by wrestling Magnum T.A. to a 60-minute draw.
Also, pre-empting the second hour of this show, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Atlanta Braves 6-3.
Next week, Garvin defends the National title against Bart in a loser-leaves-town match!
Stay tuned for NWA World Championship Wrestling 06-08-85!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).