-6/13/90
-From Charleston, SC
-Hosts are JR & Bob Caudle
-Tony Schiavone previews the card.
-JR & Bob note that Lex Luger will be taking calls on the wrestling hotline until 8:30.
-Match 1: The Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (Steve Armstrong & Tracy Smothers) VS The Fabulous Freebirds
-Armstrong promises that if we thought the Civil War was something, then we haven't seen anything yet. OK then. Apparently pandering to certain elements of the South outweigh the need to be PC, as the Boys come out dressed like Confederate soldiers, and have the "Stars and Bars" on their tights.
The 'Birds double-team Smothers, but then are wiped out by a crossbody from the top by Armstrong. After getting tagged in, Garvin drops Armstrong throat-first across the top rope for two. Armstrong is the face-in-peril, and the Freebirds are great at pissing off the crowd in the meantime. Smothers gets the hot tag, but ends up eating a clothesline from Hayes when trying to rollup Garvin. Garvin appears to finish Smothers with a Knee Trembler, but Armstrong comes off the top with a headbut to Garvin's back, and rolls Smothers on top for the pin. Actions was decent but nothing special except for the finish, but damn the crowd was HOT for this, and went wild for the finish.
-Match 2: Tommy Rich VS Bam Bam Bigelow (w/Sir Oliver Humperdink)
-Don't like Rich's chances here. Young Bam Bam looks a lot like Mike Shaw, except for the tattoos. Rich uses his speed to keep control of the match, but eventually gets caught and slammed by Bigelow. Bigelow uses a blatant choke and won't let go, actually getting DQ'd for it. Bigelow beats Rich up some more before threatening to kill everybody. Big heat for Bigelow, but I don't see the point of the match.
-Hype video for BIG VAN MOTHERFUCKING VADER! He debuts at the Great American Bash. Video is only his entrance from a match in Japan. That mask is...something.
-Gary Michael Chapetta brings out El Gigante for in interview. Holy fuck, Gigant makes Chapetta look like a little kid. So weird to see Gigante as a babyface. Chapetta asks Gigante questions in Spanish and relays his answers in English.
-Match 3: The Samoan Swat Team VS Mike Rotunda & The Z-Man
-OK, two questions: 1.) How did Rotunda turn face? and 2.) What happened to the Pillman/Zenk team?
Crowd gets pissed when the Samoans do their pre-match ritual, and they have to try three times before actually finishing. Rotunda is the face-in-peril in short time, getting locked in the always exciting nerve hold by Fatu. Zenk gets the hot tag and cleans house, but gets taken down. Rotunda is tossed over the top. Fatu hits a Samoan Drop on Zenk and Tama follows up with a Vader Bomb, but they do not go for the pin. Rotunda switches places with Zenk (how is that supposed to work, exactly?) and rolls up Fatu with a small package for the pin. Decent sprint, but damn that finish was stupid.
-Match 4: Mean Mark (w/Paul E. Dangerously) VS Brian Pillman
-Paul distracts Pillman, allowing Mark to clothesline Pillman from behind. Mark uses the throat thrust that he would use a lot during the early days of the Undertaker. Pillman tries a crucifix rollup on Mark, but Mark is too big for it. Really good big man vs little man match as Mark is actually selling for Pillman. Pillman is great at fighting from underneath and eating Pillman skins the cat back in, and hits a missile dropkick. Pillman tries for a crossbody, but Mark catches him in mid-air, and hits a hot shot for the win. Best match so far, and none have been bad.
-Tony interviews Sting. He's here since the Horsemen are here.
-Match 5: NWA United States Tag Team Championship: The Midnight Express [c] (w/Jim Cornette) VS The Rock 'N' Roll Express
-Gibson takes Eaton down with an armdrag and a flying headscissors. Tags are made on both sides, and the RnR keep control on Lane. Gibson gets in, and gives Lane an atomic drop, which sends Lane right into Eaton. Eaton gets in with Morton, and turns the tide with an eyepoke. Eaton connects with an AWESOME punch. Eaton goes for a superplex, but Morton slides off him and gets a rollup, but Lane makes the save. Botched spot as Lane is supposed to have Morton in powerbomb position, and Eaton is to come off the top and drive Morton into the mat. Lane doesn't hold Morton and ends up almost sitting down with Morton on his shoulders, weakening the move.
Eaton misses a Stinger Splash, and hits the ringpost, allowing Morton to make the tag. Match breaks down. Morton tosses Eaton off the apron and into the guardrail. Morton sends the RnR into each other. Gibson gets a sleeper on Lane, but Eaton nails Gibson from behind. Lane gets two off that. RnR hits a double dropkick on Eaton, but Lane grabs Nick Patrick to stop the count and draw a DQ. RnR clear the ring as the bell rings. Another good match, but the second straight tag match with a weak sauce finish.
-Match 6: Doug Furnas VS Barry Windham
-Windham is a Horseman again at this point. Furnas is ridiculously tanned. Furnas takes Windham down with shoulder blocks. Furnas counters a powerbomb with a sunset flip for two. Furnas almost botches a springboard backflip out of the corner, but makes up for it with an impressive military press slam. Windham hits a HUGE clothesline, which knocks Furnas for a summersault. Windham pounds away, but gets caught with a small package for two. Dropkick sends Windham outside, but he comes back with a belly-to-back suplex, and uses the ropes for leverage to get the pin. Don't think I've seen that before. Another solid match.
-Match 7: Sid Vicious (w/Ole Anderson) VS Lex Luger
-Sid, IN A TUX for he pre-match video, calls himself a "suicidal machine". Too bad emo wasn't around when Sid was in his prime, as Emo Sid would be either the greatest or worst thing ever. Ole charges Luger at the bell. Luger fights both off for a moment, before getting nailed by Sid. Ole calls for Sid, allowing Luger to hit a running clothesline for the pin. BOO-URNS.
-Match 8: NWA World Tag Team Championship: Doom [c] (w/Theodore R. Long) VS The Steiner Brothers
-Steiners completely dominate the first few minutes, impressively tossing Doom around at will. Doom finally turn the tide when Reed sends Rick outside, allowing Simmons to get some shots in. Crowd chants PEANUT HEAD at Teddy! It's official, I LOVE this crowd. Rick counters a Simmons' backdrop with a kick to the chest. Reed gets in and tosses Rick over the top, and Simmons again pounds on Rick on the outside. Reed hits a second rope elbow on Rick for two.
Reed misses a high knee in the corner, allowing Rick to make the hot tag. Match breaks down and Teddy tosses something to Reed. Scott hits a superplex on Simmons, but Reed KO's him with the international object. Simmons pins Scott as Rick pins Reed, but since Scott and Simmons are the legal men, Doom retains. Another good match in a show chock full of them.
-Tony interviews JYD. JYD is going to have the Dudes With Attitudes watching his back to counteract the Horsemen.
-Match 9: Paul Orndorff VS NWA World Television Champion Arn Anderson
-Orndorff dominates the first couple minutes. AA counters a sleeper with one of his own, but Orndorff drives AA face-first into the turnbuckle to break. Orndorff locks in a Figure 4. AA hits a spinebuster, but can't make a cover because of the damage caused by the Figure 4. Orndoff exposes AA's ass while trying for a sunset flip, to a surprising amount of approval from both male and female members of the crowd. AA locks in an abdominal stretch, but gets caught holding onto the ropes.
Orndorff wins a slugfest to take control. Orndorff measures AA for elbows, and gets near-falls off them. Orndorff goes for a Vader Bomb, but AA gets the knees up. AA gets a small package for two, but Orndorff reverses into one of his own for the pin. They didn't do anything flashy, but everything they did had intensity and purpose behind it, which is better, IMO.
-Tony is with the Horsemen. Ole says that the Horsemen will NEVER let anyone take the title off Flair. Flair gives his usual promo.
-Match 10: NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair [c] (w/Ole Anderson) VS The Junkyard Dog
-If you ran this match in EWR, the match report would read "The Junkyard Dog didn't sell very much, and ruined the match". He no-sells EVERYTHING, including a chairshot to the head. The Horsemen get tired of this shit and jump JYD, drawing the DQ. Sting, Luger, and Orndorff rush the ring to make the save. JYD sells the beat down by laying on the canvas while getting stomped, then popping up immediately after. WTF was THAT?
-JR is in the ring. Rocky King is tired of the Horsemen jumping on people. Sting challenges Flair to a title match at the Great American Bash. Sting says that with the Dudes With Attitudes watching his back, the match would be one-on-one. The Horsemen stupidly rush the ring, and Flair is left in the ring with Sting, who kicks Flair's ass as the credits roll.
-FINAL THOUGHTS: This is actually a pretty terriffic little show, which good matches all over the undercard and an insanely hot crowd that never let up. Don't know what was up with JYD in the main event though.
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