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Wednesday, August 10, 2011

NWA/WCW Big Event Project #27: Clash of the Champions IX "New York Knockout"

-11/15/89


-From Troy, NY

-Hosts are JR & Gordon Solie

-Pre-recorded video features Flair & Funk. They both agree that tonight is not about the NWA World Heavyweight Championship.

-Match 1: NWA World Tag Team Champions The Freebirds VS The Road Warriors (w/Paul Ellering) [Non-title]

-Hayes tries to run from Hawk, but Animal throws him back in the ring. Huge "FREEBIRDS SUCK!" chant. Hawk dominates both Freebirds at the outset, but Animal soon becomes the face-in-peril. Hawk goes in to make the save, and tosses Tommy Young aside, drawing a DQ. This could have been good with more time and a definitive finish.

-Gordon Solie tries to call a replay of the finish, but the crack WCW production staff shows a portion from the early part of the match.

-JR interviews Terry Funk, who contrasts himself and Flair, before stating that both he and Flair love wrestling. Gary Hart tells Funk to not let Texas down, and not let Hart down. Funk says he doesn't want any help tonight.

-JR is with Bill Apter, and the two present the award for Most Popular Wrestler in the NWA to Sting, and the PWI Wrestler of the Decade to Ric Flair.

-Woman says she and Doom will dominate the wrestling world, and that she has a large surprise for Rick Steiner.

-Match 2: Tommy Rich & Eddie Gilbert VS Doom (w/Woman)

-Woman gets an entrance similar to Modonna's "Material Girl" video. The babyfaces control the early going with their speed, but eventually Doom take over, and Gilbert becomes the face-in-peril. The match breaks down, and Doom hit a version of the Hart Attack, with Simmons coming off the second rope with the clothesline. Another match that was too short to mean anything.

-Jim Cornette hosts his interview segment, "The Louisville Slugger" with the Steiners Brothers. They officially dub Scott's big move the Frankensteiner. The Steiners face the Skyscrapers tonight, but Scott says there's noone in the world they can't suplex. Scott basically says he's going to hit Woman. Rick wants Momma Steiner to do it.

-Match 3: The Dynamic Dudes VS The Midnight Express

-Cornette is in a neutral corner, as he has been managing the Dudes for a bit before this. Both teams try to convince them to go to their corner, to no avail. Lane & Douglas do some counter wrestling, and Lane starts pulling Douglas' hair to take the advantage. Cornette stoogers Lane off to the ref. Ace gets tagged in, and avoids the enziguiri. Ace hits a couple slams on Lane, who tags in Eaton. Things do not go any better for Eaton. Douglas gets tagged in, and keeps control over both Midnights, until Eaton gets a cheap shot and starts working him over, to a big babyface reaction. Shane avoids a superplex, and gets a couple two counts on Eaton. Ace gets back in and tries for a headscissors on Eaton, but Lane nails him from the outside to turn the tide.

Ace gets his knees up on the Rocket Launcher, and tags Douglas. Eaton gets a hold of a chain. Cornette gets into the ring to take the chain away...then clocks Douglas with the tennis racket, allowing Eaton to get the pin, to a big pop. Good match, and good idea to keep Cornette with the Midnights and ostensibly turn them heel.

-Match 4: The Super Destroyer VS Steve Williams

-Norman the Lunatic comes down to ringside dressed as Santa Claus. This allows the Destroyer to get the jump on Williams, who quickoy turns it around. Oklahoma Stampede finishes this one quickly. Norman gives Williams a small Teddy Bear in return for getting a big bear from Williams shortly before this. They hug and pose.

-Match 5: The Skyscrapers (w/Teddy Long) VS The Steiner Brothers

-Spivey catches Rick with a Tombstone, but Scott makes the save. Scott gets in, and hits the Frakenstiener on Spiver, and a FLIPPING POWERSLAM ON SID! Holy shit, Scott literally did a backflip with Sid in his arms, and the announcers completely undersold it. Sid misses a charge, but muscles Scott into the corner. Scott becomes the face-in-peril. Spivey looks like he's going to tombstone Scott too, but opts to slam him instead. Scott gets a suplex and a clothesline on Spivey, allowing him to tag Rick. Rick gets a powerslam on Spivey. A member of Doom runs into the ring and right into a Frakensteiner, and Tommy Young goes nuts calling for the bell. Woman hits Rick with her shoe, and some giant guy comes out to save her from Rick. Doom & The Skyscrapers try to beat the Stieners down, but the Road Warriors rush out to make the save.

-JR interviews the Steiners and the Road Warriors about their respective matches at Starrcade. The video cuts out in the middle of Animal's story about the Roadies growing up together. Hawk tells the Skyscrapes to be careful, and that "the life they save may be their very own".

-Match 6: NWA United States Championship: Lex Luger [c] VS Brian Pillman

-Luger stalls quite a bit. Back-and-forth early on. Pillman misses a flying clothesline and it looks like he'll go out, but Pillman skins the cat and takes Luger down with a spin kick. Pillman gets a missile dropkick for two. Pillman tries to work over Luger's arm, but Luger fights that off. Luger slams Pillman on the floor. Luger struggles ot suplex Pillman off the apron into the ring. That gets two. Luger gets a powerslam and motions for the Torture Rack, but Pillman gets a schoolboy for two. Pillman lands some HARD chops. Pillman turns up the heat on Luger. Pillman gets a crossbody off the top, but Nick Patrick is KO'd, in one of the more ridiculous ref bumps I've seen. Pillman gets another visual fall off a rollup. Pillman tries to revive Patrick, but Luger KO's him with a chair, and gets the pin to retain. Match was pretty heated and pretty good, but that ref bump was just awful. Luger wants to injure Pillman and tosses Patrick down. Luger hits Pillman in the back with the chair, then locks in the Torture Rack. Sting comes out for the save.

Luger gets on the mic and applauds Sting for finally having the guts to face him. Sting says because they were friends he overlooked the jerk Luger has become, but Luger has stepped over the line, so Sting pops him. Luger thinks about fighting Sting, but opts to walk away. Sting catches up to him and punches him again.

-Flair promo before the main event. Nothing special.

-Match 7: "I Quit" Match: Terry Funk (w/Gary Hart) VS NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair [non-title]

-Flair chops the shit out of Funk to kick things off. Funk pounds on Flair and tries to get him to quit, but it doesn't work. Flair fights back and rams Funk's head into the guardrail. Flair gets distracted by Hart and blindsided by Funk. Funk goes to work on Flair's neck, including a piledriver on the floor. The two battle all around ringside. Back in the ring, Flair gets a kneedrop to the face. Flair finally goes to work on Funk's leg. Flair goes for the Figure 4, but Funk fights it off. Flair suplexes Funk onto the ring apron. Flair gets the Figure 4, and the crowd goes nuts. After a long struggle, Funk gives it up. Great match. Intense brawl that looked a lot like a real, heated fight.

Gary Hart loses his shit. Funk follows through on his promise to shake Flair's hand if he had won. Hart kicks Funk in his injured knee. Flair goes after Hart, but Muta and the Dragon Master attack Flair. Sting runs out for the save, hitting the Stinger Splash and locking in the Scorpion Deathlock on the Dragon Master as Flair locks Muta in the Figure 4. Lex Luger comes in and KO's Sting with a chair. Muta, Luger, and Dragon Master triple team Flair as Hart bashes Funk's leg with a branding iron.

Since it's pro wrestling, Luger walks up the aisle with a chair, then smashes Sting & Flair's trophies.

-JR & Solie applaud Funk for being a man of his word, and get in one last plug for Starrcade.

-FINAL THOUGHTS: Decent show with a great main event. Undercard was too short for the most part. The U.S. title match was the best out of those matches.

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