NWA Clash of the Champions II

While the initial Clash stands on its own as a spectacular, this Clash serves as a promotional vehicle for the upcoming Great American Bash tour. Get out your beach umbrella, fruity cocktail, and sunscreen as we head to Miami, Florida for some NWA wrestling action!

Jim Ross welcomes us to the show as limousines pull up to the Knight Center. Former Denver Bronco and Oakland Raider Lyle Alzado and Frances Crockett emerge from the first limo. From the second limo, Gary Juster and Elliot Murnick make their way into the arena. Some of you who watched Mid-Atlantic wrestling from the 70s will remember Elliot and/or his father Joe.

Match 1 for the NWA US title: Barry Windham (champion w/ JJ Dillon) versus Brad Armstrong

As ring announcer Bruce Owens made the introductions, the Miami faithful chanted “Horsemen suck.”
For those unaware, Windham won the US title in the finals of a tournament held on May 13 in Houston by defeating Nikita Koloff in the final. The tournament originated due to the suspension of Dusty Rhodes by promoter Jim Crockett.
Promotional consideration paid for by Hanes. Go ahead and insert your own wrestling in underwear joke here.
After an arm drag by Windham, Armstrong responded with a slam.
He then ducked a haymaker, gave Windham a hip toss, and followed with a side headlock takedown.
Shortly after, Windham slammed Armstrong but missed a fist drop.
After a leap frog by Windham, Armstrong slammed him.
He then tried another side headlock takedown, but Windham countered with a belly-to-back suplex.
Next, Windham delivered a powerslam for 2.
Upon slamming Armstrong, Windham applied a Dillon-assisted figure-four leg lock. SNEAKY!
After he tossed Armstrong down to the concrete floor, Windham guillotined him using the steel railing.
Windham then brought him in the hard way, slammed him, and then mounted the top turnbuckle.
He subsequently tried a flying elbow drop but missed.
Armstrong came back with a dropkick followed by a knee lift.
Upon slamming Windham, Armstrong mounted the top turnbuckle and hit a flying body press for 2.
Again, Armstrong mounted the top turnbuckle, hit another flying body press, but Windham used momentum to land on top and apply the claw.
1-2-3.

After what seemed like a LONG commercial break (*cough* promotional segment removal *cough*), Caudle interviews the Rock’n’Roll Express who came out to “Boogie Woogie Dance Hall.”

We then see a video from the Blackhawk yacht in West Palm Beach, Florida where the contract signing for the NWA World title match between Flair and Luger on 7/10 at the Great American Bash takes place. For those interested, the yacht was owned at the time by then-owner of the Chicago Blackhawks Bill Wirtz.

After a commercial break, Ross awaits the limousine for the Four Horsemen. Decked in a black tuxedo, Flair cuts a promo on Luger.

Prior to the next match, a silver limousine arrives. As Luger emerges, the Four Horsemen ambush him. After they ram him a couple of times into the limousine’s trunk, Luger is BUSTED OPEN! According to Luger’s book, this is the first time he ever bladed.

Match 2 for the US tag team titles: The Fantastics (champions) versus the Sheepherders (w/ Rip Morgan)

Wait a minute! Back at the Crockett Cup, the Midnight Express held these belts. What happened? Oh.
After a leap frog, Rogers hit a cross body block on Luke for 2.
Fulton tagged in and gave Luke a dropkick.
After Butch tagged in, he gave Fulton a back elbow and got 2 while the Miami faithful chanted “U-S-A.”
Upon giving Luke a dropkick, Fulton followed him to the concrete floor and nailed him.
While Butch occupied referee Teddy Long’s attention, Rip Morgan hammered Fulton from behind. How dastardly!
Morgan then tried to clothesline Fulton but hit Luke instead.
After Fulton gave Luke and Morgan a double noggin knocker, Rogers came over and made Morgan taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the South Beach Classic at Perricone’s.
Back in the ring, Luke gave Fulton a cross-corner whip but fell victim to a sleeper.
Rogers tagged in, gave Luke a cross-corner whip, and slammed him.
He then delivered an elbow drop for 2.
Shortly after, Butch gave Rogers a back drop, but Rogers landed on his feet and dropkicked him.
Next, he slammed both Sheepherders as all four men were in the ring.
Luke tagged in and hooked Rogers in an abdominal stretch, but Rogers escaped.
After Butch tagged in, Rogers reversed his cross-corner whip but ate knee on his follow-through.
As Luke held Rogers, Butch tried to whack him but nailed his partner instead.
Luke tagged in, gave Fulton a forearm smash, and got 2.
Fulton came back with a knee lift, but a double shoulder block put both he and Luke down on the mat.
After a blind tag by the Sheepherders, Fulton hit a cross body block on both of them and got 2.
The Fantastics then tried a series of pin attempts but only got 2. Clever!
As Fulton held Luke, he tagged in Rogers who mounted the second turnbuckle and lowered the boom.
While Morgan distracted Long, Butch lowered the bridge for Rogers to land on the concrete floor.
The Sheepherders then rammed Rogers back-first into the steel railing.
As Luke held Rogers, Butch used one of the tag team belts to WALLOP Rogers in the back.
Afterward, while Luke occupied Long’s attention, Butch annihilated Rogers with a chair to the back.
Back in the ring, Luke gave Rogers a back drop followed by a knee drop for 2.
Butch tagged in, mounted the second turnbuckle, but nailed Luke instead of Rogers.
Rogers came back with a clothesline to Butch; however, Butch responded with a knee to the midsection followed by a fist drop.
Do we have new champions?
1-2-NO!
Luke tagged in and applied a sleeper.
As Fulton distracted Long, Luke tried to ram Rogers into a chair held by Butch. Instead, he rammed Butch.
Hot tag Fulton.
After giving Luke a HARD cross-corner whip, he rolled him up off the ropes for the pin before Butch could make the save.

Summary: If you’ve never seen the Sheepherders and only know them as the Bushwhackers, then you owe it to yourself to see this match as a good example of their capability as a heel tag team. They were certainly more than just strange wrestlers who liked WWF ice cream bars.

After a commercial break, Tony interviews “Dr. Death” Steve Williams. Initially, he tells us that he’s “speechless” then contradicts himself. The pitfalls of a live microphone, folks.

Prior to the next match, Ross supplied an update on Luger who was rushed to the hospital. We then get a replay of the Horsemen attack.

Match 3: Ron & Jimmy Garvin (w/ Precious) versus the Varsity Club (w/ Kevin Sullivan)

Williams was so “speechless” that he joined the broadcast table for this match.
Tonight’s outfit for Precious leaves me with only three words. Hopefully, Crockett and Tubbs were not there.
For those interested, Sullivan was placed in a shark cage. Luckily for him, Bruce was nowhere nearby.
Meanwhile, a double sleeper by the Garvins occurred until the Varsity Club exited the ring to escape.
Afterward, a clothesline by Ron caused a 360° sell by Steiner. Woohoo!
Jimmy tagged in as Tony mentioned the Tower of Doom. Did Scott Keith create that?
Shortly after, Rotunda occupied referee Teddy Long’s attention as a false tag occurred.
While Jimmy distracted Long, Rotunda mounted the top turnbuckle and lowered the boom on Ron.
Jimmy tagged in and dropkicked Steiner for 2.
In the meantime, Sullivan kept his eye on Precious. While she had the key to unlock the cage, he taunted her with a piece of paper in his hands.
In the ring, Ron rolled up Steiner for 2.
After Rotunda tagged in, Ron gave him a sunset flip but only got 2 thanks to a save by Steiner.
Rotunda then reversed an Irish whip and gave Ron a back drop followed by a leg drop.
While Steiner distracted Long, Rotunda choked Ron using the tag rope.
Steiner then tossed Ron down to the concrete floor.
While there, Rotunda rammed Ron face-first into the apron.
Next, he took Ron over to the cage where Sullivan nailed him.
All four men were in the ring.
As Steiner gave Jimmy a back elbow, Ron made Rotunda taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Johnny Utah burger from Kush Wynwood.
Precious then went over to the cage as Sullivan stole the key from her.
Meanwhile, Jimmy rolled up Steiner for the pin.

Summary: Boring match that was merely a backdrop for the Sullivan-Precious storyline.

After the match, Sullivan escapes the cage and chokes Precious. Like a gentleman, Williams leaves the broadcast table to nail Sullivan. After Williams rescues her, Precious shoves Jimmy away and storms off.

Tony and Caudle discuss a Skywalkers match at the Great American Bash between the Road Warriors and the Powers of Pain as highlights of their feud are shown. Next, a diagram of the Tower of Doom is displayed. Caudle then shows us a parchment of the “original rendition of the Tower of Doom” per Tony. Yeah, the tower of doom was created by Neanderthals, and I’ve got some oceanfront property in Phoenix, AZ I’ll sell you DIRT CHEAP.

Match 4: The “Russian Nightmare” Nikita Koloff versus Al Perez (w/ Gary Hart)

Koloff reversed a cross-corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
After Perez tossed Koloff outside the ring onto the concrete floor, Hart rammed Koloff face-first into the apron.
Perez then joined Koloff outside the ring and rammed him back-first into the apron.
While Perez distracted an especially tired referee Teddy Long, Hart nailed Koloff.
As Koloff sauntered after Hart, Perez leaped from the apron and nailed Koloff with a double axe handle.
He then slammed Koloff on the concrete floor. OUCH!
Perez tried to suplex Koloff back into the ring, but Koloff landed on top for 2.
Koloff then countered a reverse chin lock with an electric chair.
Again, Perez tossed Koloff out to the concrete floor.
This time, Koloff used a sunset flip to re-enter the ring, but Perez kept backing up until he got to the ropes.
Afterward, Koloff blocked a vertical suplex with one of his own then gave Perez a back elbow followed by a flying shoulder block.
Next, he gave Perez the ten-punch count-along.
After giving Perez a cross-corner whip, Koloff delivered another back elbow sending Perez over the top rope to the concrete floor.
While Hart got up on the apron to argue with Long about the possible DQ, Larry Zbyszko ran in but ate a Russian sickle.
Long called for the DQ.

After the match, Hart cloaks Koloff with his jacket while Perez nails him with a chain. This whole match would have been better with a Hart promo attached to it somewhere.

Match 5 for the NWA World tag team titles: The “Enforcer” Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (champions w/ JJ Dillon) versus the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes & Sting

As the bookerman was being introduced, the Miami faithful chanted “Dus-ty.” Florida was definitely Rhodes country.
After Arn tossed Sting outside the ring, he backed Sting up against the ring post but nailed it instead.
Blanchard tagged in, tried to hip toss Sting, but received one himself.
Sting then gave him a flying headscissors and tagged in Rhodes to a HUGE ovation.
Rhodes then reversed a cross-corner whip but ate boot.
Afterward, Blanchard mounted the second turnbuckle but got caught and nailed with a bionic elbow.
Rhodes then applied the figure-four leg lock, but Dillon distracted a totally exhausted referee Teddy Long so that Arn could break the hold.
While Blanchard held Long’s attention, Arn made Rhodes taste the steel railing. It must have tasted like the Strange Magic at El Mago de las Fritas. Mmmm…comida Cubana.
Back in the ring, Rhodes escaped a suplex from Blanchard and delivered a lariat.
He then gave Blanchard a dropkick.
Sting tagged in, gave Blanchard a gorilla press slam, and then delivered the Stinger Splash.
However, when he attempted the Scorpion death lock, Arn came in to break the hold.
After Blanchard tossed Sting outside the ring, Arn guillotined him using the steel railing.
Upon his return, Sting ate an elbow smash from Arn who got 2.
After a slam, Arn tried a Vader bomb but ate knees.
As Arn tagged out while trying to suplex Sting, Blanchard mounted the top turnbuckle, hit a sunset flip, and Arn clotheslined Sting down for 2.
Upon being tossed back outside the ring, Sting fell victim to a DDT by Arn on the concrete floor. GET OUT THE SPATULA!
While Rhodes distracted Long, Dillon tossed Sting back in.
Miraculously, Sting countered a hip toss by Arn with a backslide for 2.
Blanchard tagged in, but Sting gave him a stungun.
Hot tag Rhodes.
Upon delivering bionic elbows to the champs and Dillon, Rhodes gave Arn a DDT.
After a back elbow, Rhodes gave Arn an elbow drop but only got 2 as Blanchard made the save.
All four men were in the ring.
Bleary-eyed, Long got in Sting’s way to Blanchard, so Sting tossed him down.
After Rhodes gave Arn another bionic elbow, he tossed the certainly staggering Long outside the ring.
Windham, in a suit, ran in, mounted the top turnbuckle, and nailed Rhodes from behind.
Long, struggling to keep it together, called for the DQ.

After the match, Windham applies the claw to Rhodes. Meanwhile, Flair joins the fray to beat up Sting.

Conclusion: Bash tickets! Bash tickets here! Get your hot, fresh Bash tickets! This show was a lot of sizzle with a really good main event but nowhere close to being as good as the original Clash. Unless you’re dying to see Luger’s first blade job, I’d skip this one. By the way, kudos to Teddy Long for working the entire show. You don’t usually see one referee work every match on the card.