Clash of the Champions 8 - Fall Brawl 89
September 12, 1989 from the Carolina Coliseum , Columbia, South Carolina
So we arrive at Clash Of The Champions 8, this follows on a few months after the last Clash I watched and we kick off with rumours and back stage whispers about Gary Harts camp. There's problems in the Hart stable it seems.
Straight into an interview with Gary Hart - Hart denies any feud or unrest in his stable. This will be the theme of this particular clash as we will continue to cut back to Hart and interviewer Gordon Solie. There's really no need, each segment is just a repeat of the last, that there is NO PROBLEM in the camp Hart. In fact even Gordon Solie seems to be out of interest by the last interview.
Road Warriors vs Samoan Swat Team
Two juggernauts collide.
Animal looks HUGE in this match, sorry but it's the first thing i noticed, the man was always big but this is got to be the biggest I've ever seen him look, he looks totally jacked in this one. Which might be why in the early stages the SST want nothing to do with the Road Warriors. The Warriors are commanding the early brawling. But as these matches usually go the SST get back into it and take control and start wearing down Hawk.
This goes on for a while till Animal hot tags in and with that it's a Doomsday Device (was it called that at this stage?)and the Road Warriors take the win.
Post match Paul Ellering smashes Heymans phone, and if that wasn't bad enough for the Paul.E the SST are not happy with him at all and walk off to the backstage alone, leaving their crestfallen manager to wonder how he was gonna call for a taxi home.
Cuban Assassin Vs Tom Zenk the Z man
This is Tom Zenks NWA debut. I wonder who will win??
Is this Cuban Assassin 'The Terrorist' from the last Clash of the Champions?? Could be and he's out from under the hood. Step up for that man!!! Zenk uses the sleeper as his finisher...is that cos he's the zzzzzzz man?? Clever
Not quite the squash id expected, still pretty easy for the Z man though.
Teddy Long is talking jive and quite frankly I'm not listening.
Flyin Brian Pillman video package again just like the last Clash..Deja Vu,things haven't moved on much it seems.
Nope they haven't cos it's Ranger Rod or whatever his name is on his way to the ring, I presumed this guy was a one time deal!!! Oh well..
Ranger Ross vs Sid Vicious
Sid looks in great shape in this one, hell when didn't Sid look in great shape? He's straight on Ranger Ronny, throwing him to the outside and then fetching him easily back in, DDT, followed by Helicopter Slam, followed by Power Bomb and it's over in seconds..is that the end of Ranger Rodger? I hope so
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| Even Yogi thought this guy was Badass! |
The Freebirds are defending the tag titles they won at Clash of the Champions 7.
The Steiners enter to 'Welcome to the Jungle', get in!!! It doesn't suit them at all, in fact it's probably the least appropriate entrance music ever, but still, get in!!! (in fairness this guys had a decent stab at making it work for the Steiners, Steiners Custom Tron)
Jim Cornette on commentary lists Scott Steiners likes during the match, like he's looking for potential suitors, skiing and eating apparently ladies..at the same time maybe??
This is a great back and forth contest between two great teams which includes some outside brawling which even prompts a ringside policeman to kneel down and look concerned at the fallen Rick Steiner, that guy should have been on the payroll if he wasn't already.
But alas the Midnight Express wins when Hayes DDT's Scott.
Buuuuuuut, Who tripped Scott?? It's a mystery, see leading up to the DDT someone tripped Scott Steiner but no one knows who, the cameras didn't pick it up when we go to the replay. Some are saying it was Missy Hyatt, some are saying it was Robin Green. Jim Ross does a great job here of looking startled, bewildered, confused and concerned all at the same time here as he voices the drama of the situation.
Norman the Lunatic vs Flyin' Brian Pillman
Pillman throws everything but the kitchen sink at Norm in the opening exchanges, sweet looking drops, kicks, a close line off the top rope and a flying body press to the outside. He's distracted by Teddy Long though and the Lunatic comes back at Pillman with some offence of his own. Pillman kicks out of a splash from the second rope. Norm telegraphs a splash onto Pillman against the ring post though and suddenly Pillmans back. He throws around the 300 plus pounder here with remarkable ease, it's a little too easy if you ask me, body slamming him and delivering a back body drop like Norms a cruiser weight.
Pillman kicks out of a huge slam from Big Norm. And after a crucifix take down Pillman eventually gets the victory.
Pillman is made to look absolute dynamite in this match and credit has to go to Norm for helping to do so. Pillman must have been on a huge push at the time. A more enjoyable match than I'd expected when the two men's names were announced.
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| Stevie Wonders blind date turned up |
Jim Ross is in his absolute element here, talking about the two men's college backgrounds and sporting achievements. Cornette has caught the bug too seemingly having a go at out doing Ross in the college football knowledge. Cornette says there are huge similarities between the two men, maybe college football wise but for me Rotunda is head and shoulders above Williams in the ring - unfair??
Match goes back and forth and in a huge miscarriage of justice Dr Death somehow flukes a win.
Lex Luger vs Tommy Rich
U.S Title Match
I'll be honest, I don't know much about Tommy Rich, wrong time and wrong promotion for me, but he gets a huge pop here on his way to the ring and seems over in a big bad way with the crowd. The opening exchanges are impressive from Rich too. He looks pretty slick in the ring as he takes it to Luger. A few near falls mainly from small packages and roll ups threaten to take Lugers belt in fact, but each time Luger comes back at Rich. Rich finally makes a huge mistake by trying to mix power with Luger and Luger takes advantage by showing Tommy what power is all about, working the lower back of his opponent with Powerslams and Suplexes. Tommy Rich shows a huge amount of guts to come back into the match and it looks like he might get the victory, but he just doesn't have enough to beat Luger and indeed it's the Total Package that gets the win. I was impressed by Rich though, hopefully I'll see more of him.
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| Pre-match the hospitalised Funker Warns Flair of the Perils of masturbation |
Dick Slater is revealed as Muta's partner in for the injured Terry Funk
Sting and Muta start and the two put together some great exchanges. Both men look in great shape here, I know I keep saying that but honestly every one on the bill looks on top of there game for this Clash. Flair comes In and it has to be said even the Naitch looks in great shape here too. Flair throws the classic Nature Boy offence at Slater. Muta dives outside the ring onto Flair, Sting dives on Muta, Slater comes out and the four men brawl outside the ring. Great stuff.
Back in the ring Flair and Sting regain the upper hand. Slater and Muta come back into it and the crowd are going nuts for this match. The match goes back and forth at a fast pace as the crowd start to lose their minds, all four men seem to be feeding off the crowd. A great example of the electricity missing in today's wrestling business.
It was always on the cards and right on cue here comes Terry Funk. He invades the ring and puts plastic bag on Flairs head,whilst this sounds pretty ridiculous and comical it actually works quite well and you believe that Flair is in real danger of suffocation here when Funk ties a rope round the neck of Flair. Funk grabs a branding Iron and 'burns' Ric's leg for good measure.
The show goes off air with Flair being helped by paramedics, good last match and attack by Funk which keeps their story going, i dare say into the next Clash and certainly the upcoming Halloween Havoc.
