Okay I'm mainly reviewing the matches on the DVD, the main feature is decent, with some fun clips and bios of each characters although they recycle alot of footage for the likes of Flair and Hogan, but there mostly fun recaps to give you a good introduction or a fun little trip down memory lane.
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Disk One
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NWA United States Title Dog Collar Match
Roddy Piper vs. Greg Valentine
Starcade 1983
The commentators are really selling the danger of this match and how deadly the chain is. We start with both men having a tug of war with their necks and then a more conventional tug of war. The tentatively draw closer together and Piper whips the chain into his face to score first blood, figuratively. Greg swings the chain wildly and Piper dodges and we're back to stand off. Slugfest but after a bit of a stalemate both men back off. They go together tentatively and Piper jumps up and unloads on Greg with some big chain asisted blows. Piper pulls Greg in with the chain for a big right. Piper then low blows Greg using the chain and it draws the Flair flop. Greg gets control and lays in some big slug, he then gets a chainmare and Greg wraps the chain around Piper's eyes and neck and locks in a choke. Piper fires back a with a fist and a knee to the gut. Piper then locks in a chain assisted camel clutch. Piper then wraps the chain around Greg's face and squeezes in a cool visual. Piper uses the chain and the turnbuckle to catch Greg in the corner and he lands a series of stiff shots. Piper pulls Greg in for a big shot and Greg has done a nice blade job. Piper whips the chain into Greg as they go to the outside and brawl. Greg regains control on the apron and Greg pounds away with the chain of Roddy dodgy ear. Greg then throws him ear first into the ringpost. Piper is bleeding from the ear and Greg beats Piper around the outside of the ring. Greg is now just pounding the hell out of Piper. Greg goes for a suplex but Piper punches out of it and both men exchange wild slugs. Valentine gets a bionic elbow to the ear followed by an elbow drop for two. Valentine gets a running elbow for two. Piper explodes with a takedown and kicks the shit out of Valentine. Piper whips the chain at Valentine and he does another Flair flop. Piper covers up and Piper hits him hard with the chain. Piper gets a fist drop with the chain. Slugfest but Piper wins with a flurry of jabs ending in a big Haymaker. Piper scores with a huge right hand. Valentine scores with a sloppy closeline. Knee drop from Greg gets two. Valentine drops a knee on the mid section of Piper and then another to the head and he's still getting twos. Greg goes for a suplex and both men blocks serval times but Piper wins and scores with the suplex and we get the awesome visual with the two blood covered men lying ontop of each over with the chains accros their faces. Hard Irish whip from Greg and on the rebound Valentine cinches in the Sleeper and it could be over. Piper fights back but fades again as his legs go he throws a punch falling backwards to break the hold. Valentine then comes off the second rope with an axe handle. Greg the drops a second rope elbow for two. he tries it again but Piper pulls him off top into a big right hand, Piper lays in a quick flurry of blows and gets the three count.
Well that was a terrible finish to a brutal and blood thirsty match that felt like an epic encounter in a real blood fued. The post match Angle with Greg hanging Piper slighty redeemed the anticlimatic finish. All in all a good bloody brawl sloppy in places. (**1/2)
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Sgt. Slaugther vs. Iron Shiek
Madison Square Garden 1984
Sarge scores with a standing dropkick to start the match. Sarge nails Shiek with a big boot, Sarge scores with a nice body slam and a jumping stomp. The ref wants to check the boots but Sarge turns his back and puts his fingers in his ears. Sarge gets a several headlock and closed fists while the ref isn't looking. Slaughter intodruces Sheik to the turnbuckle and then Sarge tosses him clean over the top. That pops a huge "USA" chant. Sarge scores with a big right hand. He follows up with a snapmare and two knee drops but Sarge breaks up his own pin. Sarge scores with a reverse elbow and then again won't let the ref get a count. Sarge then rakes Sheik's eyes over the top rope. Hard Irish whip from Sarge followed by a gut punch. Sheik reverse an Irish whip and its the Sarge corner spot, love that spot if you don't know he bumps over the top rope into the ringpost and to the outside. Sheik follows him out whips him into the ringpost and then nails him with a chair shot to the back. Sarge beats the count but Sheik is desperate to keep him out and stomps the tar out of him but Sarge won't give and inch and makes it back. Big right hand from Sheik who then introduces Sarge to the turnbuckle. He tries to ram Sarge into the spikey shoe but Sarge blocks and scores with a running shoulder block. Sarge can't keep the momentum however as he runs into a nice back elbow from Sheik. Sarge is doing a great selling job. Sheik gets a heavy shot to the back and sends Slaughter to the outside again and Sheik mocks the crowd. Sheik then stomps on Sarge's head and then rams Sarge's head into the pointed boot twice and Sarge has done and monster blade job and is blinded. Sheik claws at Sarge's cuts and the commentators are going nuts. That's a really great blade job by Sarge and Shiek is taking his time letting everyone get a good look. Sheiky bites into Sarge's wound. Sheik follows up with a really nice side suplex and Sheik drops an elbow drop. Sheik spits on Sarge and blows snot on him. Sheik scores with a scoop slam and he goes up top. Sheik goes for the flying stomp but Sarge rolls out the way. Sheik tries to recover with a suplex but Sarge counters and scores with an awesome vertical suplex, great stuff. Sheik is pounding away at Sarge's back but Slaughter is shaking it off and its stiff shots all round. Sarge unloads with a flurry and the mega windmill punch floors him, wow that was cool. Sarge scores with a running closeline and he tries to take Shiek's boot off but Sarge shoves the ref down, the ref shoves Sarge, Sheik shoves the ref, and its a DQ. Sarge swats away all sorts off bad guys before the numbers become too much.
Argh that finish blows....seriously...I'm not happy. That was well on its way to four stars and beyond, it was just awesome, brilliantly executed, intense and bloody but we were robbed of the last ten or fiteen minutes, damn. Oh well. (***)
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WWE Intercontinental Title Lumber Jack Match
Tito Santana vs. Greg Valentine
Madison Square Garden 1985
I tell you what I better get a proper finish in this one. Greg goes straight on the offensive dropping elbows down on Tito. Tito dodges a closeline and scores with one of his own. Tito unloads on Valentine and he Flair flops to the outside and the heel lumberjacks protect him. Tito gives Greg a hammerblow and this time the lummberjacks put him back in. Tito blocks a kick spins Greg and scores with a atomic drop and then a knee lift. Greg tries to bail but the heels roll him back in. Tito goes for a ten punch but Greg counters into an inverted atomic drop. Santana comes back with a flurry of punches and a stump puller. Tito goes for a figure four but Greg bails and Rocky Johnson throws him right back in. Tito introduces Greg to the ring matt. Tito comes off stop with a flying chop, Greg does another Flair flop and that gets two for Tito. Tito again rams Greg into the matt. Greg tries to run away and he's thrown right back in. Tito runs straight into a mega hard knee lift for two. Greg drops a knee for two. Forearm drop gets two for Gregory. Hammer blow inside the ring gets two. Greg then gets a low blow body splash, yeah you read that right. Greg tries to get the half crab but Tito blocks it as the crowd start to get behind him. Greg begins to work down Tito and tosses him to the outside. Greg tosses Tito and they throw him back in on his face. Greg tosses Tito the otherside and the lumberjacks try to put him back in but Greg won't let him in. Greg scores with the hammer blows accross the ropes. Greg comes of the second rope with a forearm and a knee drop for two. Greg pulls him to the centre of the ring and bitch slaps Tito and tries the Figure Four but Tito counters with a roll up for two. Big running forearm from Greg floors Tito and an elbow drop gets two. Greg gets caught charging with a flapjack into the top rope. Forearms from Tito draw a cartoony sell from Greg. Slugfest and its another Flair flop from Greg, he really doesn't understand that timing is everything. Greg tries to escape but JYD won't let him. Tito scores with a nice suplex for two. Tito gets a short range knee drop then a jumping stop. Valentine's selling is really stupid. Tito pulls Greg to the centre ring and goes for the Figure Four but Greg counters with the droptoe hold. Tito levels Greg with a running forearm and Tito locks in the figure four but Hart distracts the ref and the heel lumber jacks pull Greg to the ropes. Tito gets into it with Studd through the ropes, we then get a slugfest and we then get a head to head collision and Greg falls ontop of Tito and claims the win.
Well I'm not so annoyed at that finish, good use of the lumberjack match but make no mistakes this was mediocre and Valentine's selling is just too over the top, he did five Flair flops for God's sake. (**1/4)
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Wrestling Classic Tournement Final
Randy Savage w/Elizabeth vs The Junk Yard Dog
Wrestling Classic 1985
Randy won't get in the ring, he throws a chair in and JYD hits himself in the head and Savage bails again and again. Savage gets in the fans faces. They lock up but JYD shoves Savage down again and again. JYD scores with an atomic drop and then locks in a bear hug, oooh interesting. Randy eventually breaks the hold to the thrill of nobody. Terrible start to this one. JYD whips Savage backwards into the ropes and gives Savage a back pound, JYD then headbutts Savage in the back and he hangs himself up in the ropes. JYD kicks him while he's down. This is a really bad start. Savage scores with a diving closeline but JYD kicks out with authority. Randy takes JYD to the outside and scores with the bombs away axe handle. We get a lot of mild brawling and stalling. Savage scores with another bombs away elbow drop. Savage hits JYD in the back with a chair shot. Savage chokes JYD on the guard rail and drops and elbow drop. Back in the ring and this time JYD counters the bombs away with a punch to the gut. JYD scores with the doggy style head butts and Randy oversells to the moon. JYD pulls Savage out of the corner hard and scores with a headbutt. Savage charges JYD and he's back body dropped to the outside in a nice bump and that gets the count out victory.
Yawn, man they are really trying to bury Savage, not only is he snubbed by not being one of the "80s wrestling stars" they then put this travesty on there. JYD was no great worker but come on, geez, they had better matches than that, oh and another lame finish. (1/2*)
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Weasel Suit Match
Bobby Heenan vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Madison Square Garden 1988
Heenan runs away too start, well durh, Heenan won't get involved and Warrior shakes the ropes, that'll show him. Warrior hides and waits for Heenan to come round and gives him a lifting choke. Heenan hits Warrior in the throat with some knucks. He then jabs the Warrior in the throat with a pen or something but the ref can't catch him. He know jabs Warrior in the kidneys and then the side of the head with the foriegn object. Warrior blocks it this time however and unloads with the knife edges chops and throws away the foriegn object. Warrior sends Heenan though the ropes into the ringpost, he then gives Heenan a hard irish whip and he does a hard flipping sell. Warrior gives Heenan a hard Irish whip and Heenan does the hammock sell and Warrior chokes Heenan out with the sleeper and its Weasel suit and Bobby does what he does best.
Fun fans revenge match, Heenan was a total pro, erh...Warrior didn't mess up. (1/2*)
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Disk One Final Thoughts: Really fun stuff in the main feature with a quick walk down memory lane, as far as the matches go, its a mixed bag, poor finishes all round. The first two matches are well worth a watch, a good bloody brawl and an 2/3 of a superb Sarge match. Bobby Heenan's match is fun and you can see why everyone loved Heenan incase you'd forgot. JYD match is awful and I suspect its there to make Savage look bad. The Tito match was like all Tito matches competent.
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Overall Star Rating: *1/2
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Disk Two
Well with one exception the wrestling didn't really set the world alite on the last DVD but never fear Flair is here and he's brought Arn Anderson, Ricky Steamboat, Jerry Lawler and Kerry Von Erich with him, oh yeah.
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Million Dollar Challenge Match
NWA Heavyweight Title Match
Dusty Rhodes vs. Ric Flair
Specail Guest Referee: "Smokin" Joe Fraizer
Starcade 1984
The circle each other and Dusty wins the first exchange with a bionic elbow and Flair pops up but is met with a headlock. Flair tries to pick a leg but Dusty drives him down. Clean break in the ropes as both men stare each other down. Knee to the gut and a series of big chops from Flair, but Dusty explodes with a jab medley and Flair is down again. Dusty slaps the side head back on. Dusty scores with a shoulderblock, leapfrog by Flair but he turns right into a running foreram. Flair regains control with an eye rake. Snapmare and knee drop gets two for Flair. Flair introduces Rhodes to the turnbuckle, Flair gets the Flairmare but misses the knee drop and Dusty slaps on the figure four right away, Flair won't give it up but he isn't going anywhere. Dusty gets a few two counts out of the hold before Flair makes the ropes. Hot start. Dusty pulls Flair out of the corner and he drops an elbow drop on the leg and locks in a hold. Flair rolls out of a Dusty headlock into a wristlock but Dusty powers him down into an arm bar. Flair works his way to the corner and Ric lays in some shoulderblocks but Dusty immediately comes back with a bionic elbow and a body slam. Dusty slugs Flair and its Flair flop time, bionic elbow and this time Flair fires back with a series of chops but Dusty just beats him down. Hard Irish whip and it Flair Flip to the outside time. Dusty suplexes Flair into the ring for two. Dusty scores with a shoulderblock but they run the ropes again and Flair gets the reverse elbow. Flair goes up top but of course he's military pressed down, Dusty misses his elbow drop. Flair comes right back with a sleeper but Dusty runs around and dumps him out of the ring, they really recovered from the mid match slump. Flair pulls Dusty to the outside and they have a frantic slugfest ending when Flair pushes Dusty headfirst into the ringpost. Dusty has bladed over the left eye. Smokin' Joe checks the eye and holds Flair back but let it continue. Flair charges with a high knee, a snapmare and he mounts Rhodes and he throws a mega fast flurry on the eye. Dusty pops right up and says its go time. Flair goes right for the eye and and pounds and rakes away. Joe gets in between again and this time he stops the match and declares Flair the winner.
Only Thirteen minutes but a good fast past all action thirteen minutes. Only the one lull when Dusty had to catch his breath. Its another none finish, but it made sense in the context of the match and was a good use of Fraiser and made wrestling look tuff next to boxing. As well as setting up the rematch. Fine match again missing an ending. (**3/4)
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NWA National Tag Team Title Match
The Minesota Wrecking Crew vs. Wahoo McDaniels & Billy Jack Haynes
Starcade 1985
Arn and Haynes lock up and Haynes shoves Arn off with ease. Shoulder block from Haynes. Leapfrog from Arn but he showboats and Billy gets a military press. Ole tags in Arn has had enough. Slugfest but Haynes wins and Ole gets bounced around the faces corner. Wahoo in and he starts with a big running chop and Ole's had enough and Arn is back in. They lock up, Arn tries a cheap shot in the ropes but he get levels by a bit chop from Wahoo. Sideheadlock takedown by Wahoo but Arn counters into a headscissors. Wahoo tries to headstand out but Arn blocks it until Wahoo pops up with a diving closeline. Ole in and he begins pounding Wahoo and he scores with a snapmare then cinches in an armbar. Wahoo comes back slugging Ole off, but Arn makes a blind tag and takes down Wahoo with a spinning arm lock. Arn then hammerlocks the arm and stomps and drops knees on it. Ole in and he continues stomping down on the arm. Ole scores with a body slam for two. Ole throws Wahoo arm first into Arn's knee, Haynes has had enough and he slugs down both men. Wahoo chops out of Arn's armbar but Arn gets a clever leg trip and stops the tag. Ole can't stop him and Wahoo rolls to a HOT TAG. Haynes cleans house, a noggin knocker, a knee to the gut, but the Anderson's double team him and Wahoo has to tag back in. Wahoo scores with a big back chop for two when Ole makes the save. Ole trips Wahoo and Arn gets two. Wahoo is all over Arn and so Ole trips him and holds his legs down right in the corner and Arn smothers him with the pin for the quick win.
Well I'm sure they have better Wrecking Crew matches in the Archives but as a quick introduction that wasn't bad at all. (*1/2)
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Championship Unification Match
Jerry Lawler vs. Kerry Von Erich
AWA Superclash III 1988
They lock up and Jerry rings Kerry's arm over the top rope cutting it open early (or covering up for a cut he got last night). We have another lock up and a stand off. King fakes a clean break and goes for the cheap shot but Kerry see it coming and blocks and slugs Jerry down. Jerry bails to the outside. Kerry combs his chair and makes Jerry jump. Kerry scores with a brutal closeline to start the action. Kerry dodges a Lawler closeline and Kerry levels him with another one of his own. They lock up yet again, Jerry dodges a closeline, goes for one of his own but Kerry dodges and scores with one of him own and gets a roll up for two. Jerry is pissed, Kerry's one step a head all the way so far, nice start. They go to a knucklelock and Kerry takes him straight down to his knees and holds him down. Jerry manages to take him down but he misses the fist drop and Kerry floors Lawler with a discuss punch. Both men start pulling each others hair. Kerry is checking on his arm and Lawler goes to work with a flurry of big punches with the final uppercut sending Kerry up and over the top rope. Jerry catches Kerry coming in with some uppercuts but Kerry comes back with a discus punch. Kerry goes for a slingshot splash but Lawler gets the knees up, nice exchange. Jerry takes control with a kitchen sink and goes for the piledriver and scores with it but Kerry NO SELLS IT and while Lawler struts Kerry flaws him with the discus punch for two, welcome to third gear. Kerry gets the snapmare and goes for the Iron Claw but Lawler crosses his arms and blocks it. Kerry decides to lay in some big punches. Kerry goes for a knee drop but misses. Lawler gets a snapmare for two and Kerry presses Lawler off onto the ref. Kerry scores with a killer piledriver but the referee is down and he eventaully gets a two count. Kerry slugs down Lawler and they fight to the outside. Kerry misses a discus punch and nails the ringpost by mistake. Jerry pulls something out of his tights and nails Kerry with it, Kerry is busted wide open and Jerry scores with the Second rope diving piston punch. Lawler then scores with a fist drop, Lawler goes up to the second rope with his knucks and goes for the piston punch but Kerry catches him in the stomach with the Iron claw and he has it locked in. Kerry's blood is just pouring all over Lawler and the mat, its a monster blade job, Kerry switches the claw to Lawler's head and he has Lawler down but Lawler makes the ropes. The ref is checking Kerry's head, Kerry pulls Lawler back to the centre of the ring a reapplies the hold but Lawler fights up, there's blood everywhere. Lawler dodges a Stinger splash and Kerry goes headfirst into the ringpost. Jerry nails a big jab but Kerry comes right back with a huge flurry. Jerry uses the knucks in his tights to floor Kerry. The WCCW chairman tells the ref to check Lawlers tights but Lawler puts the knucks behind his head and lets the ref check. Jerry then floor Von Erich with a knuck shot. Jerry then gets a mount a hails down a tonnes of piston punches. Kerry misses a discuss punch and Lawler just starts teeing off with the jabs . Kerry comes back charging but Lawler nails him with the object again. The ref asks Kerry if he's okay and Lawler runs in with a big right hand. Kerry has had enough and starts unloading on Lawler drawing the hamock sell in the corner. They do the double knock out spot and both men are down. Kerry's face is a total mess and the ring is blood red. Kerry gets a near fall and then he locks in the Iron Claw he gets a couple of two counts and just as Lawler passes out the ref calls for the bell and the ref stops the match on a blood stoppage. Jerry is the unified champion.
Bloody, brutal and brilliant. Kerry's blade job was a nasty sight. The match was an intense brawl, Jerry played his role brilliantly and was a total pro, Kerry wasn't quite on his level but he wasn't too far off. This was just a gruelling brawl, good stuff. (***1/2)
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NWA World Heavyweight Title Match
Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair
The Chi-Town Rumble 1989
Here we go! They dance around each other and lock up. Steamboat gets a shoulderblock and drops down for a two count. JR is suprised by a shoulderblock to start a match. Steamboat gets a shoulderblock, Ric tries to drop down but Ricky Steamboat jumps right down into a headlock, Flair fights up into back suplex but Ricky flips out and lands on his feets. Ric is frustrated and bails and they square up again. Ric gets a big chop and Ricky explodes with three of his own. Hard Irish whip from Ricky and a back body drop and Ric is begging off. Ricky blocks a kick but Ric chops out and Steamboat absolutely levels Flair with a monster chop. Flair tells Steamboat to watch it and grabs a headlock, he spins into a hammerlock, Ricky counters to a droptoe hold and then follows up with a dropkick and a sideheadlock takedown for a 2.9 count. The crowd for that was it. Flair rolls Steamboat over for two but can't break the headlock. Ric runs Ricky up the turnbuckle but Rick runs up the Turnbuckle and gets a headlock takedown which Ric rolls through into a pin for two but Ric still can't get out of the hold. Ric finally gets a break in the corner signalling a chopfest. Hard Irish whip from Steamboat and a monster running chop gets a near fall and Ric bails to regain his composure. Great start. They lock up and Steamboat gets the sideheadlock and Ric breaks it in the corner and gets a chop and a shoulderblock, Ric runs the ropes, Steamboat gets a leapfrog and Flair runs right into a double back handed chop and Flair Flops through the middle ropes in a nice exchange. They go to the knucklelock, but Ric breaks it and tells Steamboat if he's got any guts they'll lock it up in the middle of the ring. Flair gets a chop, Tries an Irish whip but Steamboat runs up the second rope and leapfrogs Flair and then hiptosses Flair out of the corner, flying headscissors, running dropkick and its back to the sideheadlock takedown for a near fall and were back in the headlock, great exchange, the change of pace in this matchup is excellent. Ric comes back with a chop and a couple of bionic elbows but Steamboat comes right back with a shoulderblock but Flair catches him with a reverse elbow and just as it looks like Flairs gonna take control Steamboat explodes with a series of chops and one big chop sends Flair backwards over the top rope, basic moves but a fantastic pace and superb execution. Great story of Steamboat kicking it up a gear to not let Flair get in a groove. Flairs had enough he pulls Steamboat outside, gives him a big chop and eye rake and introduces Steamboat to the barracade. Ric lays Ricky on the top rope and gives him a bionic elbow. Back in, Ric gets the snapmare pulls the pad down and scores with the knee drop for two. Ric Flair scores with the double arm suplex for two. Ric scores with a chop and he slugs down Ricky in the corner and Woooh!s to the crowd. Chopfest, Ricky wins knocking the absolute shit out of Ric. Hard Irish whip, Flair Flip and Ric comes off top with a flying crossbody but Ricky rolls through and nearly wins it. Ric tries to beg off but Steamboat comes Straight at him but Ric nails an inverted atomic drop and Ric cinches in the Figure Four Leglock, awesome sequence. Ric is cheating like mad using the ropes, "Steamboat" chant, the crowd work themselves into a frenzy. Ricky isn't going anywhere, Ric gets a couple of twos and continues to use the ropes eventually the ref catches Ric and forces the hold to be broken. Ric is now in charge and he's kicking away at the leg. Chopfest, Slugfest, chopfest Ricky wins he whips Flair but he misses the karate chop and Flair goes for the crossbody and both men go up and over the top rope. They don't let up its straight into a chopbattle on the floor. Ric shoves Steamboat headfirst into the ringpost. Flair scores with a hanging vertical suplex bringing Steamboat in off the apron for a nearfall. Ric scores with a back suplex and that gets two and now he gets in the referees face but Tommy Young shoves Ric back. Ric scores with a back breaker and pins with his legs on the rope for a series of twos, Ric gets distracted by the crowd and Ricky gets a roll up for two. Ricky counters a whip jumping off the second rope with a crossbody but Ric dodges it. Ric gets a headlock takedown, Ricky counters to headscissors, Ric rolls ontop, Ricky bridges up and scores with a butterfly suplex for a nearfall. Ricky counters a reverse elbow into a backslide for two. Both men trade chops, Ric tries a hard Irish whip but Ricky comes out of the corner with a closeline, a chop drop. Steamboat gets a flying shoulder tackle, Steamboat goes up top and scores with a flyign judo chop. He goes up top and scores with a flying cross body but he hits Flair and the ref. Ric gets a roll up with the tights but there's no ref for that either. Ric tosses Steamboat and goes to revive the ref, but Ricky skins the cat and climbs the top rope and goes for the flying crossbody but Ric side steps it and Ricky crashes and burns sucking the life out of the fans. Ric Woohs and goes for the figure four and Ricky counters into the inside craddle for the win just when all hope is lost.
Absolutely brilliant, perfect. Twenty three minutes of excellent action going up through the gears execellently. They had the crowd believing in the near falls from the second minute. There ability to pick up the pace out of nowhere and then sustain it is superb. Nothing particularly flashy, mostly basics but it shows you what you can do, with great selling, prefect timing and a good attitude to make each other look good, one of my favorite matches of all time. (*****)
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Ric Flair vs. Jay Youngblood
Mid Atlantic Wrestling 1982
We join this one in progress. Jay grabs a sideheadlock and runs Ric over with a shoulderblock, Ric goes for a hiptoss but Youngblood counters and Ric looks pissed in the corner. Youngblood counters Ric's hammerlock into one of his own, Flair comes back with a shoulder block but runs right into a droptoe hold and Flair turns it into a deathlock Flair scrambles to the ropes to break it. He's making Youngblood looked a million bucks. Ric gets in the refs face. Youngblood scores with a back body drop, two dropkicks and a body slam. Ric is not happy at all. Flair shoves over Youngblood down like a bitch and its Styling and Profiling time. Flair offers a clean break but Youngblood kills him with a chop flooring Flair. Ric's had enough and he unloads but Youngblood comes right back at him and its a Flair Flip with Ric landing in the corner of the ring. Ric manages to shoot Youngblood through the middle ropes to the outside. Ric gives Jay a hammerblow and then brings him back with the hanging vertical suplex and a knee drop. Jay counters the Figure four with a roll up for two. Jay gets a crossbody for two. The double back chop draws the Flair flop. Jay gets a rollu up for two, an inside craddle for two but the time limmit bell sounds. Flair starts laying into Jay, he absolutely tosses the ref accross the ring before Steamboat breaks it up. We then go to promos by Ricky and Flair.
Well that was a superb seven minutes of wrestling. Fast paced and fun. It shows you what Flair did best, he goes to a town takes on anyone the promotion wants, in this case Youngblood, and makes him look like a superstar. He just sold for an effective no body for seven straight minutes and by the end of it Steamboat is refering to Youngblood as a title contender. This match was put on the DVD for that reason, plus it came with promos from Flair and Steamboat attach. Short but very sweet. (**1/4)
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Disk Two Final thoughts: The main programme isn't so hot as they recycle alot of clips from other DVDs but the extra matches are excellent. Get this just for the Flair-Steamboat match, it still baffles me that that match didn't make it onto the Flair collection, either of them, but I guess they had to sell this DVD somehow. The AWA match is very good and everything else is solid fun stuff.
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Overall Star Rating: ***
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Disk Three
WWE World Title Steel Cage Match
Jimmy Snuka vs. Bob Backlund
Madison Square Garden 1980
Backlund drags Snuka into the ring and unloads. Snapmare and a he stands and spins on Snuka's head. Knee lift from Bob and he continues to pound down on Snuka. Backlund headbutts Snuka, and then slugs him down. Snuka tries to crawl out the door but that ain't happening. Snuka comes back with his unique chops and strikes. Snuka lays in some big blows. Snuka rams Buckland into the cage and drops a knee. Snapmare from Snuka and he drops a fist. Snuka tries to make an escape but Bob grabs his ankle. Snuka whips bob into the cage, backbreaker by Snuka, knee drop, second drop elbow drop from Snuka. Snuka goes for the door but again Bob grabs ahold of his ankle. Bob blocks and punch and he slugs Snuka down. Bob crawls for the door but can't make it and he whips Snuka hard face first into the cage and Snuka does a really good job of the sell. Bob catapults Snuka into cage and he takes another big bump. bob then rakes Snukas face accross the mesh and Snuka has done a pretty big blade job. Bob is pounding away. Bob tries a headbutt but he comes off worse. Bob throws Snuka into the cage and tries to escape but Snuka blocks it with a back kicks. Snuka chops down Backlund. Snuka scores with a backbody drop and then scores with a second rope knee drop. Snuka scores with a running elbow drop then a knee drop and then another. Bob is selling like he's dead. Snuka scores with a suplex and he heads up to the top of the cage and he makes the monster leap but misses the crowd go ape shit as Backlund wins.
Well a slow start but that one really built up and got going and that was quite the incredible finish. Sure by modern standards it wasn't that big a leap but Snuka just looked incredible doing it flying perfectly through the air and the crowd went nuts for it, decent match big bonus for the ending. (**1/4)
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WWE World Title Match
Iron Shiek vs. Bob Buckland
Madison Square Garden 1983
Sheik jumps Bob to start choking him with him ring robes and laying in the boots. Iron Sheik goes straight after the injured arm of Backlund but Backlund manages to spin him off but Sheik runs back in and applies the arm bar. Bob again manages to roll Shiek off but the Sheik comes right back and reapplies the hold. Bob fights up but gets knocked down with a shoulderblock but Bob comes back with a hip toss, Bob does it with the right arm (good one) but falls down and sells the left arm which then The Sheik then locks in the arm bar on his left arm. Shiek pounds away on the arm. Sheik switches to a hammerlock and front chancery for two. Bob kicks out and fires away. Shiek cuts him off and goes to the surfboard. Bob drops down and kicks Shiek off. Bob comes back with a headbutt and a club. Bob scores with a forearm but hurts his own arm. Bob follows up with the stump puller. Bob goes for a swinging neckbreaker but both men go down. Sheik goes to a kind of abdominal stretch rings of saturn move. Sheik goes back to the surfboard and Bob tries to power up and scores with a headbutt. Bob gets the twisting stomp. Shiek prays to Bob to get him to stop but he's having none of it. Shiek falls on top off a body slam attempt for two. Sheik goes into a surfboard again, ugh....this one is really stuck in second gear. Bob powers up but Shiek rolls through his counter and back into the surfboard. Bob tries the counter again but meets with the same result. Finally he counters rolling Shiek into a clever pin for two. Bob gets a headscissors Shiek rolls on top and Bob bridges out and goes for the backslide but Bob collapses holding the arm. Sheik misses an elbow drop. Bob floats over on a suplex and gets a roll up for two. Bob is selling the neck for some reason and Shiek cinches in the camel clutch and Arnold Scolder throws in the towel.
Yawn the last minute or so was okay. (*1/4)
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Paul Orndorff vs. Salvator Bellomo
Madison Square Garden 1984
Orndorff attacks from behind and he beats the crap out of Bellomo, elbow drop, body slam and Paul plays to the crowd. Orndorff works over Bellomo for a minute or two. Orndorff scores with a big back body drop and that gets two, Orndorff isn't happy about that and says its a slow count. Bellomo falls onto of Orndorff for two, Paul pops up and stomps the hell out of thim. Bellomo dodges a blind charge and Orndorff mets the ringpost. Bellomo scores with a couple of mule kicks, Orndorff misses a elbow drop. Bellomo applies an arm wringer and then more of an arm bar dropping down on the arm. Orndorff fights out but Bellomo goes for the arm, Bellomo rolls through an arm drag and hangs onto an arm wringer. Orndorff scores with a norhtern lights suplex but Bellomo applies a headscissors as they land. Orndorff scores with a back suplex and he lays in the boots. Orndorff chucks Bellomo to the outside where Piper gets in his face. Orndorff scores with a sloppy body slam on the outside and then poses to the camera. Orndorff gives Bellomo a hammer blow, then a stalling vertical suplex and that gets two. Bellomo tries to fight back but he keeps getting cut off. Body slam by Orndorff, he goes up top and misses his move. Bellomo fights back with a headbutt to the gut. A tame shoulder block, a Cartwheel? Orndorff scores with a powerslam but refuse to accept the pin and instead finsihes him with a pin.
Extended squash match, not particularly good. (*1/4)
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WWE World Title Match
Hulk Hogan vs. Iron Sheik
Madison Square Garden 1984
Hogan sneak attacks the Sheik and the crowd are going nuts. Hogan closelines the Sheik with his own robe. Hogan unloads, scores with the axe bomber closeline and follows up with the knee drop. Eye rake from Hogan, choke lift, Hogan then spits on the Shiek. Big boot from Hogan and that gets two. Running lariat and elbow drop gets two for Hogan. Hogan misses a blind charge and he Sheik lays the boots in. Sheik scores with a back breaker and Hulk powers up at two. Sheik lays the boots into Hogan and then locks in a boston crab. Hogan powers out of that too. Sheik scores with a side suplex and its camel clutch time but Hulk eventually powers up and the Atomic Leg Drop ends it.
Well that was a fun five minutes. (*)
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Bob Orton vs. Jimmy Snuka
Madison Square Garden 1985
They lock up and break in the corner. They lock up again and Snuka sends him to the mat. Snuka gets the hard Irish whip and does the reverse hamock sell, Snuka kicks him and he bounces up, he kicks him up again and this time he crotches himself on the top rope. Headlock from Snuka, Orton can't escape. He eventually does and they criss cross, two leapfrogs from Snuka but Orton rolls under the chop. Snuka chases Bob around the ring but Orton ends up running into the chop for two and its back to the headlock. Orton tries a reverse leapfrog but he gets caught with an atomic drop and Orton bails. Orton scores with an inverted atomic drop, he then pulls Snuka accoss the edge of the apron and then drops an elbow. Orton follows it up with a knee to the face. Orton brings Snuka in with a hanging vertical suplex. Orton goes up top but he eats knees on the big splash. Back chop from Snuka floors Orton. Side kick, snapmare, second rope fist drop, elbow drop, sloppy backbreaker and he goes for the second rope head butt and misses. We get a stupid axe hand to the back spot sending Orton into the ringpost. Orton gets a knee lift sending Snuka to the apron allowing Snuka to win with a sunset flip.
Nothing much to see here. (*1/4)
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The War To Settle The Score
Roddy Piper vs. Hulk Hogan
Madison Square Garden 1985
Big slugfest to start as both men unload. Piper gets a mount and flurry but Hogan comes back with a running back elbow in the corner. Hogan follows up with two body slams and a running elbow drop. Piper scores with an corner closeline for two. Piper kicks Hogan in the side of the head and that gets two. Piper is working over Hogan, and Piper locks in the Sleeper hold jumping on Hogan's back. Hogan of course comes straight back running Piper into the top turnbuckle and both men are down. Piper rakes the eyes. Hogan knocks Orton off the apron and unloads on Piper. They trade eye rakes in a funny spot. Axe bomber from Hogan. Atomic drop from Hogan. The ref gets bumped, Piper holds Hogan and Orndorff scores with the top rope knee drop and the heels lay the boots in. Cyndi Lauper is on the apron. The heels go to attack her when Mr. T comes to the rescue, they tell him to come into the ring. Piper jumps T and lays him out, the heels lays the boots in and Hogan recovers and T and Hogan work together and the heels run away and the police seperate them.
Not really a match just an angle to set up the first Mania (N/A).
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Disk Three Finally Thoughts: Again the main package is fine but there's not anything worth watching on the extras. The cage match is okay but not must see. But then this was 80s WWE what were we expecting?
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Average Star Rating : *1/2
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