Nickrj’s rant for NWA Clash Of The Champions 6 Ragin Cajun
This event took place on April 2nd 1989 at the Superdome in New Orleans. The same day as Wrestlemania 5.
Your hosts are Jim Ross and Michael Hayes with Terry Funk doing commentary for the final match
We look at a banquet the previous night with some of the great legends of wrestling including Lou Thesz, Gene Kiniski, Sam Muchnick, Pat O Connor and others. Then a montage of the superstars we will be seeing this afternoon followed by our national anthem.
I’m redoing this rant because the previous one was very short. Before we get to today’s acton, here’s a word from our sponsor!
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The Midnight Express (with Jim Cornette) VS The Samoan Squat Team (with Paul E. Dangerously)
Welcome back. Man the ME used to have awesome music. The Squat team are better known as the Headshrinkers, Samu and Fatu. Crowd chants “Paul E. sucks” to start it off. Samu starts with Stan Lane. Samu with some hard shots on Stan and Lane gets a shoulderblock. Samu misses a bodypress and Lane hits his for 2. Tie up again and Samu hits his own partner. Lane is chopped down and slammed by Samu. Fatu comes in and they start to hammer on Stan but Lane gets an armdrag. Bobby Eaton comes in and hits an elbow drop. He goes to the top and hits a missle dropkick. Lane is back in and he gets a kick and a snapmare takeover into a chinlock. Jim nails Samu with his tennis racket in the process. Lane counters a monkey flip and Eaton is in and they hit a double elbow. Bobby with an armbar and Lane is back in. Fatu hammers on Stan though and tags in Samu. Lane gets a sunset flip for 2. Samu hits his own partner again. Eaton comes back in and goes to a side headlock. He takes over Samu as another “Paul E. Sucks” chant occurs. Eaton counters a head down and tags Stan Lane. Side headlock but Samu hits a back suplex. Fatu is in and they start double teaming on Lane. Slam by Fatu for 2. Lane with a dropkick and tags Eaton. Backdrop followed by a small package for 2. Side headlock and the ME does the illegal switcheroo which works. Lane with the sideheadlock now. Eaton comes back in and goes back to the headlock. He hits a hard right hand and tags in Stan and they do a nice double team. Lane gets a rollup for 2. Eaton comes in and Fatu gets a blind tag and Samu nails Eaton to take control. He’s choking on Lane in the corner and rakes at his face. Headbutt followed by a mid superkick for 2. Nerve pinch follows. Eaton gets up but is nailed from behind by Fatu. The samoans pound away on Eaton and Fatu gets an elbow and goes back to the nerve pinch. Fatu blocks a hiptoss and hits a hard clothesline for 2. Samu comes in now and he litteraly pounds on Fatu now. Eaton gets the hot tag however and Lane hammers on both Samoans and a 4 man brawl erupts. They ram the Somans heads but it has now effect. Lane is tripped from the outside by Paul and Cornette returns the favor on Fatu using his racket. Eaton comes in and hammers on both samoans but he’s not the legal man. Samu comes on in and they pound on Lane. Power slam by Samu for 2. He goes to the nerve pinch. Eaton tries to break it up but the Samoans hit a double headbutt for 2. Superkick by Fatu for 2. Samoans double team again. Lane tries a sunset flip but is caught. Fatu slams Lane but he misses the 2nd rope splash and Eaton gets the hot tag. Eaton pounds on both samoans but he rams their heads and pays for it. Samu hits his own partner and Eaton hits a neckbreaker for 2. 4 man brawl erupts and the ME hit their Rocket Launcher on Samu but Fatu from behind uses the TELEPHONE OF DOOM on Eaton and Samu gets the pin at 20:31. Good match but the cheap ending kinda ruined it for me. **3/4
Muta was a newcomer from Japan (the son of the Great Kabuki) and the announcers sell how awesome he is (and he really is awesome at this point.) Muta goes thru a mediation pose at the beginning of the match and he spits some green mist in the air and then he spits it in Casey’s face blinding him! Muta hammers on Steven now. Handspring elbow by Muta into the chinlock. Casey comes back with an armdrag into the armbar though. Muta hits a double mule kick in the corner however and throws Casey outside and Hart throws him back in. Muta with a missle dropkick. Casey reverses an armwringer and goes to work on the right arm of Muta. Muta trips up Casey and stretches the hamstrings of Casey. Spinning leg lock by Muta. He goes to the eyes and goes to the nerve pinch. Spinning heel kick and he goes back to the nerve pinch. Casey starts to fight back though and hits an elbow for 1. Dropkick followed by a hiptoss but Muta sidesteps a dropkick. Muta hits an reverse enzuguri sending Casey to the outside where he hits a slingshot bodypress on the floor! He sends Casey into the rail and hits another handspring elbow! Back inside Muta slams Casey and he hits his moonsault for the pin at 8:11. Squash match pretty much but there was some awesome stuff by Muta at the end **1/4
They tie up and Orton backs Murdoch in the corner. Tie up again and Orton gets a takeover. Tie up again and Orton gets another takeover. Murdoch gets a takeover of his own however. Tie up and Murdoch goes to an armbar. Orton with a nip up and he takes Murdoch down. Murdoch works on the right arm now. Orton gets an elbow on the button however and an armdrag takeover. Armbar by Orton now. Murdoch gets up but is taken down again. He turns over Orton on the armbar but Orton pulls the hair. Orton finally breaks the armbar and nails Murdoch but Dick gets up but Orton hits a knee drop and a weak stomp. Elbow drop by Orton followed by some right hands in the corner. Murdoch starts to fight back and he hits a dropkick sending Orton into the buckle. Murdoch has a nosebleed now but he doesn’t care. They go to the outside and Murdoch nails Orton in the throat. He tries the Brainbuster but Orton puts him on the top rope but he nails Orton off. Murdoch hits an elbow in the corner and he tries the Brainbuster again but Hart from the outside trips Murdoch and holds on to him as Orton gets the pin at 9:46. Another pretty much nothing match 1/2*
Tag Team Title Match: The Road Warriors (with Paul Ellering) VS Steve Williams and Mike Rotundo (with Kevin Sullivan)
Rotundo and Hawk start it off and Hawk gets a shoulderblock. Mike gets a hiptoss but misses an elbow. Hawk gets a clothesline and a dropkick sending Mike to the outside. Back in Animal gets the tag and goes to a sideheadlock. He nails Steve on the apron. Side headlock by Animal again and he hits a press slam and he hits one on Steve as well. Hawk continues with Steve and they staredown and slug it out. Hawk hits an atomic drop and a clothesline. Steve stars pounding and hits a clothesline. Mike comes in now and hits a snapmare and an elbow for 2. Animal comes in and goes to the side lock but Steve comes in and Animal dropkicks both of them. Animal goes flying to the outside though missing something and Steve drops him on the floor. Mike brings Animal in and hits a backbreaker and tags Steve who hits a top rope forearm. Clothesline for 2. Bear hug now by Dr. Death. Hawk gets the tag but ref Teddy Long doesn’t see it and the Varisty Club takes advantage of it. Ab stretch by Mike using leverage from Steve. Animal powers out of it but is still taking a pounding. Sort of a spear like maneuver by Steve. He sends Animal to the outside and Kevin hits him with a chair. Steve with a spinebuster inside for 2. Mike comes in and continues to hammer on Animal but Animal gets a clothesline but Steve comes in and gets a slam. Another spearlike manever and he tries it again but is clotheslined. Animal gets the hot tag and Hawk pounds on both club members and hits a powerslam on Mike and a press slam. Flying tackle by Hawk for 2. 4 man brawl erupts now and Animal throws Long down. The Roadies hit their Doomsday Device on Rotundo but Long refuses to count the pin. Steve comes in and rolls up Hawk and Long does a fast 3 count for the pin at 11:37 and Steve and Mike win the titles! Good match with a surprise ending! ***1/4
Ranger Ross VS The Iron Shiek (with Rip Morgan)
Ross drops down from the rafters carrying old glory. The Shiek sings the Iranian national anthem and then starts to hammer on Ross and chokes him with his robe. Gut wrench suplex by Shiek. Ross blocks and reverses a suplex for 1. Shiek gets an eyerake and kicks Ross. Ab stretch by Sheik which Ross reverses but is hiptossed. Shiek misses a cannonball and Ross hits his combat kick and Morgan comes in and hits Ross with the Iran flagpole drawing the DQ at 1:54. DUD Morgan and Shiek pound on Ross but JYD makes the save.
U.S Tag Team Title Match: The First Family (with Missy Hyatt) VS Kevin Sullivan and Dan Spivey
The first family are the late Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner. The Varsity club jumps Gilbert and Dan hits a spear for 2. Gut wrench powerbomb and Dan throws Eddie hard into the corner. Tilt a Whirl slam by Danny. Kevin comes in and nails Rick and they throw Gilbert over the top rope (which was illegal) Dan rams Eddie into the post. Kevin hits a headbutt. Dan comes back in and hits a flying clothesline for 2. He sets up Gilbert upside down in the corner and Kevin comes in and hits a running knee but misses a 2nd one and Gilbert gets the hot tag. Rick comes in and hammers on Spivey. Powerslam for 2. 10 punch count by Rick but he blocks an atomic drop and gets a belly to belly. All 4 men are in and Eddie is knocked outside. Rick and Dan are both outside now. Eddie grabs Missy’s purse and nails Sullivan with it for the pin at 3:52. Short but a very energenic match **. Afterwards both Kevin and Dan destroy Eddie with Spivey hitting a powerbomb and Rick makes the save as Gilbert’s eye is busted open.
NWA World Title Match 2/3 falls: Ricky Steamboat VS Ric Flair.
Steamboat won the title from Flair on Feburary 20th in Chicago and Flair wants it back for the 6th time.
1st Fall: They tie up to start and Steamboat get a chop in the corner. Tie up again and Flair gets a drop toe hold and they go thru a nice amateur sequence as Flair shoves off Steamboat in the corner for intimidation. Headlock by Ricky and Flair turns it into a wristlock. Rick takes down Flair and they go to the ropes as Flair gets a breather outside. They tie up again and go to the ropes. Flair gets a tackle but Ricky gets a hiptoss into an armdrag for 2. Chinlock by Ricky now but he’s rolled up for several 2 counts. Shoulderblock by Ricky and an elbow to the neck and back to the chinlock. Flair gets up and chops Steamboat hard in the corner. Ricky starts chopping away and hits a hiptoss into a flying head scissors and a dropkick and another armdrag into the chinlock. This is good because Steamboats also working on the neck in trying to get Flair to submit possibly. Snapmare and back to the chinlock by Steamboat. Flair rams him to the corner and hits an elbow and chop to the rips but Steamboat knocks Flair down and starts chopping him away. Backdrop by Ricky. Dropkick for 2. Flair gets some time by begging. He gets a kick in the ribs and knocks down Ricky. Ricky slides under Flair and gets a roll up for 2 and a clothesline followed by a headlock take over for 2. Ricky goes back to the chinlock and works on the neck. Chops by Ricky in the corner and Flair does a flop. Chinlock by Ricky again but Flair gets an inverted atomic drop. Hard chop by Ricky for 2. Headlock again but he hits some shoulderblocks on Flair and a chop for 2. Flair goes to the outside and flops on the floor. He gets back in and they tie up and Flair gets some hard chops. Ricky fights back and they slug it out in the corner. Ricky gets a 2 count. He suplexes Flair from the apron to the ring but Flair counters a big splash. Flair gets a snapmare and a double stomp. Double arm suplex for several 2 counts. Ricky kips up and another chop fest ensues. Hiptoss by Steamboat but he misses a dropkick. Flair tries the Figure Four but Ricky cradles him and Flair cradles him again for the pin at 19:33 and Ric Flair takes the first fall.
2nd Fall: They tie up and Flair gets a shoulderblock but Steamboat gets a press slam. He goes to the top and hits a flying chop for 2. Headlock by Ricky. Back suplex by Flair. Flair hits a running kneedrop. He misses a 2nd one though and Ricky starts working on the right leg of Flair dropping 100 elbows on the knee. He hooks the Figure Four on Flair now and Flair is almost pinned. He reaches the ropes though. Ricky drops Flair on the back and he hooks a Boston Crab now working on Flair’s back that was broken in a plane crash in 1975. But Flair makes it to the ropes. Steamboat hammers on Flair now in the corner. Flair with some chops now but Ricky retaliates. Snapmare by Flair for 2 and Ricky gets a headscissors but Flair is on top of him for 2 but Steamboat gets up and tries the backslide and hooks it for 2. They both go outside now and Ricky is thrown into the rail and slammed on the floor. Ricky is thrown into the rail again. Flair goes back in the ring and hopes for a countout to win the title. Flair knocks Ricky off the apron. Flair suplexes Steamboat back in for 2. He hooks an ab stretch now as goes for a pinning maneuver trying to pin Ricky and he tries it with his feet on the ropes. Flair hammers on Steamboat some more. Steamboat comes out of a suplex and rolls up Flair for 2. Steamboat trips Flair and rolls him up for another 2. Flair counters a headdown for 2. He goes to the top but Steamboat crotches him and hits a superplex. Flair’s back is really hurting now and Ricky goes to work on it. He hooks a double arm chicken wing and Flair submits at 34:14 tying the match at one fall a piece.
3rd Fall: Flair goes after the back of Steamboat now and they chop each other and Flair does another flop for 2. Ricky chops Flair in the corner. Backdrop and Stamboat goes to work on the back as Flair hits a knee smasher and he hooks the Figure Four but Ricky makes the ropes. Flair kicks Ricky in the corner and hammers on him some more with some more chops but Ricky fights back again with some double chops. He sends Flair upside down and on the apron and he chops him on the apron. Flair buys some time by begging and he trips Ricky and tries to pin him with the feet on the ropes but can’t do it. Hard chop in the corner by Flair and he hits a boot in the corner on Ricky. Double axhandle to the neck and he goes for the right knee of Ricky now. Ricky misses a charge and hooks his leg in the corner and Flair starts to work on the injured leg now. He slams his back and he hits a knee drop on the knee. Flair hooks the Figure Four right in the middle of the ring. Ricky makes it to the ropes. Flair continues to work on the leg some more on the apron. Ricky comes back with some chops and he sends Ric upside down in the corner and Flair hits a top rope bodypress for 2. Flair falls on top of a slam attempt for 2. Flying headbutt by Ricky. He goes to the top and hits a flying bodypress for 2. Ricky misses an elbow. Flair with some chops and hard punches but Ricky with a reverse neckbreaker for 2. Ricky is thrown to the outside. Ricky gets back in and hooks a sunset flip for 2. Shoulderblock but Flair hooks the sleeper and they’re going all out at nearly 48 minutes in now! Ricky almost has his arm dropped a third time so he’s still alive. He throws Flair into the corner breaking the hold and Flair goes to the outside. Flair kicks Ricky in the injured leg though but Ricky hits an enzuguri for 2. Steamboat goes to the top and misses a flying chop. Flair goes to work on the injured right leg again of Steamboat. Flair with some hard chops and punches. Steamboat answers back with some hard chops and he knocks Flair down. Flair begs for mercy now. Steamboat does the 10 punch count but blocks an atomic drop and hits a clothesline for 2. Flair counters a headdown and hits a back suplex. He goes to the top but Ricky catches him and he slams him off the top. Ricky hooks the Double arm chicken wing again but he collapses yet he still gets the pin at 54:29!!!! Replays however showed that Flair had his foot underneath the bottom rope however. Anyways what an awesome match. Nearly one hour of exhibition by these two great athletes and it’s one of the greatest matches I’ve ever seen. It’s in my top 5 easily J! *****
Summary: Well everybody should watch the Flair/Steamboat
title match because it’s 55 minutes of classic wrestling. You can’t go wrong
with that. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED