The Great American Bash 1989

[Crippler]

The Great American Bash 1989
Baltimore, Maryland
July 23rd, 1989​

Triple Crown, King Of The Hill Double Ring Battle Royal
JESUS! What a long ass name just for a battle royal, this has a good mixture of jobbers and solid guys. I’m not gonna list all the guys just the guys that I think might win and that I like. Sid Vicious, A YOUNG Scott Hall, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Dr. Death & Kevin Sullivan everyone else can fuck off. Oh wait I just found out the rules. Everyone starts out in one ring and, once they're eliminated, they start a new battle royal in the second ring. The winner of the first ring faces the winner of the second ring in a match. Winner gets $50,000 Everyone comes out wearing a crown cause it’s a battle “Royal” get it well as many know it hard to review battle royals cause it’s just all punches and kicks with guys hanging on to the top rope, so I’m just gonna point out notice stuff. And as you guess nothing happens for a good 5 minutes, hell the first elimination didn’t happen until 5 minutes in, when Simmons eliminates Ranger Ross FUCKIN’ PHX ON PHX crime. Well Scotty eliminates Ron right after see what happens, anyway. The eliminations start happening pretty quickly but cause I have the WWE network version it had some sort of technical difficulties and I think it cuts like 5 minutes out cause only 2 guys are in ring one and most are in ring two I love you WWE. Oh it’s Sid/Brian in ring one as JESUS a ton of jobbers got eliminated on in ring two, as Sid throws Brian into ring 2 leaving him as the sole survivor and he just has to wait for everyone in ring two to be gone. Last 3 left are Doctor Death, Rotunda and Spivey they begin to brawl as Sid just catches on. Williams begins to hype himself up and goes at Rotunda but Rotunda gets the better until he tries to clothesline Williams out of the ring but he misses and he falls out of the ring. Moments later Doctor Death is eliminated after Doctor Death was distracted by Rotunda allowing Spivey to throw him out. OH SHIT! IT’S PARTNER VS. PARTNER. Suddenly, Teddy Long runs out and says the fans are stupid if they think they're going to fight because instead, they're going to split the money down the middle.

YAY More technical difficulties so the show skips ahead.

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Teddy Long, he tells him it was a cool move what he did tonight and Long says he told you all he was smart and now he’s 50,000 richer. All he’s waiting for now it Steamboat, Flair and Sting to step up cause his guys will take them down cause they are the best.

Flyin' Brian vs. Bill Irwin
Brian controls the early portion of the match with his “high flyin’” style and quickness, to frustrate Bill but Brian makes the mistake of going to one running move too many and Bill catches him in a side slam followed by a suplex. Bill may look like jobber by his trash talking is on point, he yells “so you wanna fly, fly out of here” as he throws Brian to the floor C’MON Flyin’ Brian fly around this guy is great. I just realized Bill just looks like a fatter version of Brian ‘cause they have the same hair style and beard. Bill heat was pretty shit once he stopped talking shit, but as soon as he did I found myself enjoying this. That lasts a good 3 minutes until Bill grabs Brian and throws him into the other ring. However, once he turns to jaw-jack with the ref, Pillman flies from one ring to the other, splashing Irwin for the win. **1/2

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Paul E Dangerously; Paul E says he doesn’t care if he wins. He’s only here to take him out. Paul E brings up his knee injury from Starrcade '87, and that he’s going to target that and he’s obsessed with taking him out and he will make sure Jim never walks again.

The Dynamic Dudes vs. The Skyscrapers
Shane and Johnny Ace picking some fat kid out of the crowd to play Frisbee with HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I can’t. I know the Skyscrapers’ theme is dubbed but it’s pretty great, and one of the better one’s WWE has done. OH SHIT! The crowd is chanting peanut head at Teddy Long as the camera man zooms into the top of his head that and the dudes entrance is a million times better than the match, hands down. Spivey controls the first portion of the match, and it takes the dynamic double moves of Shane & Johnny to get him off his feet. But Shane comes charging in and Spivey kills him with a boot, they do the high/low to take him off his feet as the crowd chant “WE WANT SID” Spivey does eventually tag Sid in and he gets a good little pop and he’s the most over man in this match, just a shame his wrestling is beyond awful. Spivey begin to beat on the Dudes, and it didn’t matter who it was they just got their ass kicked he does like all of the work as I think Sid has only spent 20 seconds in the match so far and we’re like 5 minutes in. HOLY SHIT! Sid is just over as over can be he just has to stand there and the crowd erupt, a few minutes later the Dudes do finally make a comeback with Ace making the hot tag and attempts to clean house well he does but it looks awful, but Spivey cuts that short. The Dudes deliver some double-team moves, but the Skyscrapers get the best of Ace while the ref is busy trying to get Shane into his corner, Spivey hits a 2nd Powerbomb on Ace for the win. Yeah! *1/4

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Jim Cornette; Jim says Paul E did his homework, and is right about the knee but he’s gonna prove himself and he doesn’t care if his leg breaks again cause he’s gonna crawl to him and get him. He then calls Paul E a copy cat and says he will never take his place in the NWA and the only time he will ever be him is when he’s 6 foot under.

Tuxedo Match: Jim Cornette vs. Paul E. Dangerously
OH MAN! Main event time. Right off the bat Jim rips off his jacket but as he throws it to the crowd, Paul E quickly goes for the cheap heat by throwing powder in Cornette's eyes, followed immediately by beating up Jim's knee with his phone. Paul E rips off Jim’s jacket now before punching him in the face; he goes back to the knee by kicking away at it. He begins to tie up the knee on the ropes but Jim breaks it with a slap to the face. Both men take turns choking one another with ties but Paul E manages to gain the advantage ‘cause Jim’s knee gives out allowing Paul E to kick him to the floor and he begins to punch away at the leg. He sends Jim shoulder and head first into the ring post, before taunting the crowd. Cornette's selling is fucking phenomenal. As he crawls just like he said he would in the interview trying to get his hands on him, Paul E misses an elbow drop but begins to slug away until Jim fires up and hits rights of his own he just begins to beat the shit out of Paul and rips off his shirt. Both men run into one another as Paul E pulls out more power, but as he walks over to Jim. Jim kicks the power into his face and pulls off his pants for the win. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Paul E running away as fast as he can with his tight light blue underwear on. This was fuckin’ great; they both beat the shit out of one another and sent the people home happy. ****3/4

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Gary Hart; Hart says the Great Muta is undefeated and Sting is good but, Muta is the best in the word and after tonight the world will see that Japan has the best athletes.

Kevin Sullivan & Captain Mike Rotunda vs. Steiner Brothers (w/Missy Hyatt)
Fuckin’ IRS before the IRS days, he does look like a jock douche though, all 4 guys waste no time and begin to go at it. It’s Rick/Kevin on the floor as Scotty/Mike go at it in the ring. I just noticed the power is still on the mat from the Paul/Jim match that’s dangerous Rick and Kevin trade chair shots on the floor before Kevin crotches Rick on the rails, he throws him on a table and slams his head off it before Rick just throws the table at his head. Back to the ring and Mike and Scotty are doing stuff until Kevin clotheslines Rick in the ring and they begin double teaming the Steiner's. Out of Desperation Rick hits a few suplexs before both brothers get close twos. Kevin and Rick brawl on the floor again and it’s great, so much shit going on I can’t even keep up. I did like the game plan of Mike and Kevin as they kept Rick out of the match and just tried to isolate Scotty. The match would end when, Sullivan nails Rick and lifts him up in a slam position but Scott leaps off the top and nails Sullivan in the face allowing both Steiner brothers to cover him for the win. Real fun brawl, I do really wanna see Kevin and Rick have a one-on-one brawl though, because that ruled. ***1/4

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Sting; he says he’s calm and has a lot of respect for Muta and he’s gonna keep it serious and he’s gotta go to the ring now cause this is SERIOUS! Eddie Gilbert then says this is his biggest match so far and just like Sting he has a lot of respect for Muta and he’s only here to make sure Gary Hart doesn’t get involved.

WCW Television Championship: The Great Muta (w/Gary Hart) vs. Sting (w/“Hott Stuff” Eddie Gilbert)
Muta is waiting in ring number two, for some reason so as soon as the bell rings and Sting takes his jacket off he hits a running dive from one ring to the other Sting makes a rookie mistake right off the bat as he tries to attack Hart which allows Muta to hit a chop off the top. He misses a moonsault but comes back with spin kicks sending Sting to the floor, Muta isn’t done as he connects with a sweet pescado. As he rolls back into the ring, the crowd is just going nuts and so am I Sting hits a clothesline and follows up with a flying clothesline, standing dropkick from Sting sends Muta out now as Sting leaps over the top rope to meet Muta down on the floor some punches as Muta rolls into the ring to get away. The match is all Sting now, but he locks in a sleeper but breaks it as he sees Sting almost at the ropes. The match goes back and forth for a while at a quick pace until Muta decides to slow it down with a chinlock, but just as Sting starts to rise up out of it; Muta turns it into an abdominal stretch and uses the ropes for leverage. Muta sends Sting to the floor which pisses Sting off so he jumps right in but Muta rakes the eyes to take over again AWESOME! He goes for another Handspring Back Elbow, but Sting moves out of the way and follows up with clotheslines. Sting delivers the running face slam and then dropkicks Muta out to the floor. But waits for Muta get in himself, he ducks the mist and the ref gets it as Sting misses the Stinger splash and Muta picks him up and connects with the monsault but that only gets two. Sting ducks the back spin kick and connects with a back body drop with a bridge and the ref counts to three, both men shoulders are on the mat but on the count of three Muta has his shoulder up. OH SHIT! Post-Match: The ref raises Sting's arm and his music plays. He puts the title down to go over to Nick Patrick, who's still blinded, Hart picks up the title and raises Muta's arm and they leave with the TV TITLE! Nick Patrick leaves with them; I guess siding with them, saying Muta won! HUUUUGE "BULLSHIT" chant to follows. This was fuckin’ great, they crammed a 20-minute match into almost 9 minutes and it ruled. ***3/4

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Lex Luger. Lex says he says what he means and has a big surprise for everyone tonight, He says the NWA may get to pick who challenges for the titles, but they can't pick how it's defended, and he guarantees that if this match is contested under No DQ rules, there will be no title match. The NWA may dictate the rankings but he’s the best US champion of all time.

WCW US Heavyweight Championship: Ricky Steamboat vs. Lex Luger
Good Ol’ Steamboat coming out with his wife and kid. Then being carried to the ring holding a lizard. What a fuckin’ guy. During Lex Luger's entrance, the announcer reminds us that it is a No DQ match. He shakes his head no and storms into the ring, grabbing the microphone. He tells Steamboat that if this No DQ stipulation stands, he won't defend the title. Steamboat's pissed and Luger starts to leave. Luger accosts one of the NWA Board members on the outside and tells him to waive the No DQ or they don't have a match. Luger paces on the outside as the official talks to Steamboat. Steamboat accepts the No DQ being waived, and it's now a regular match. Right off the bat Steamboat gets a couple of nears, and begins to quicken the pace sending Lex to the floor but Steamboat is so pissed he follows him to the floor. He rolls Lex back in, and that opening allows Lex to knee him in the head and begins to beat on Steamboat on the floor. Steamboat shops him a few time and sends him back in, but again Lex catches him with a punch to the gut and follows up with a backbreaker. Lex hits a couple of strikes and hits a sweet press slam before now targeting the lower back. OH SHIT! At one point, Lex gets in the ref's face, allowing Steamboat to grab Luger from behind with a roll up for a PRETTY FAST COUNT! LEX IS PISSED! And kills Steamboat with some hard clotheslines, Steamboat does his best punch-drunk oversell while Luger mouths off at the crowd again. Luger delivers a hotshot, but then Steamboat fires back with chops. The ref gets in the way and blocks one of Steamboats blows because he was attempting a closed-fist shot, which allows Lex to punch Steamboat in the face. He shoves the ref back and then gives Steamboat a powerslam for two. Steamboat ducks a clothesline and hits a crossbody block for two but Lex gets right on top of Steamboat and delivers an inverted atomic drop. He turns around and whips Steamboat into the ropes, but he ducks low and gets caught with a swinging neckbreaker. Steamboat brings Luger onto the apron and chops away. Lex falls on top of Steamboat on a slam attempt back in the ring for yet another nearfall. Steamboat takes a knee in the corner off a charge, but then slams Lex down off the top. Steamboat connects with a couple running chops and then heads up top for the JUDO CHOP, BUT THAT ONLY GET TWO! Steamboat talks it over with the ref, while Luger rests up against the ropes. Steamboat charges at Lex, but he takes a backdrop into the 2nd ring. Luger brings a chair into the ring and shoves the ref aside. That allows Steamboat to trip Luger up and catapult him into the corner while he has the chair Steamboat has the chair, as the ref tries to stop him, but Steamboat shoves him aside, AND STEAMBOAT BEATS THE SHIT OUT OF LEX WITH A STEEL CHAIR AND GETS DQ'D! HOLY SHIT BRILLIANT! I love this match so much, it has so many things that made it great and it has to be Lex’s best match ever Steamboat is GOD! I think he’s my new favorite wrestler of all time. ****1/4 - ****1/2

Jim Ross hypes up the war games as the cage lowers. Freebirds & SST cut a pre-taped promo SST actually just bite each other and choke each other while the Freebirds do all the talking AWESOME!

The Midnight Express cut a pre-tape promo. They say they needed the craziest people on their side to take out the Freebirds and match off with the SST to beat them. DOCTOR DEATH! Just did the airplane while Bam was talking Dr. Death says he's going bird hunting tonight, and is looking for bug spray for the SST. Doc talks about all the meat they have on their team and the Road Warriors.

War Games Match: The Fabulous Freebirds & Samoan Swat Team (w/Paul E Dangeriously) vs. Road Warriors, Midnight Express & Dr. Death (w/ Jim Cornette)
Jimmy and Bobby start and they some brawling for 5 minutes, nothing spectacular happen. The heels win the coin toss so Bam Bam comes in next and it’s a 2-1 beat down on Eaton, as they beat the shit out of him from one ring to the other for 2 straight minutes. Dr. Death, Steve Williams evens the odds as he beats Gordy up and as he military presses Bam Bam 8 time with his back hitting the top of the cage before slamming him down AWESOME! All 4 now begin to brawl, until Samu joins in and the heels gain the advantage back and begin the assault on Bobby and Steve for two minutes until animal enters the cage to even the sides. Animal goes insane on everybody. He even delivers an awesome diving shoulderblock over both ropes on Samu, Fatu is the fresh man in and he jumps Animal allowing the heels to have the 4-3 advantage for the next two minutes. SST corner Animal for some stereo headbutts while the Freebirds control Williams and Eaton. Stan comes in and throws everyone into the cage that lasts 2 minutes until SST goes back to pounding on Animal until Michael Hayes enters the cage. He gives everybody DDTs and then goes over to the other ring and taunts Hawk who's down on the floor. The heels begin the usual choke and punch a man in the corner until Hawk comes in and cleans house.

He hammers away on Gordy and then he and Steve give him a double clothesline. Garvin gets thrown into the as Eaton flips out and hits a DDT on all the heels as Hawk now tries what Animal did earlier by delivering the diving shoulderblock over the ropes into Samu. Paul E. tries to squeeze his big phone through the cage but it won't quite fit. Everyone just pounds on each other until Garvin saves Gordy from a DOOMSDAY DEVICE! Since Hawk can't nail Gordy, he nails Garvin with the TOP-ROPE CLOTHESLINE instead. Animal drops Gordy with a clothesline while Hawk delivers a reverse neckbreaker to Garvin and then follows up with the Hangman's Neckbreaker submission as Garvin taps. Good match, Post-Match: all the faces meet up with Hawk in ring one and briefly celebrate. They all go to leave the ring and they immediately go to head backstage. BUT THE SAMOANS ATTACK ANIMAL IN RING ONE! Garvin crawls over and holds the cage door shut. The Freebirds & SST beat the shit out of Animal. Garvin & Hayes hold the door shut as Gordy & SST take turns with lariats on Animal. Fatu hits the big splash and Samu gets him held up for a sweet superkick. Gordy hits another lariat they continue to slam him, as a fan just threw a chair from the crowd to the top of the cage Lane gets on top of the cage and tries kicking it in as Eaton is trying to find another way into the rings. Doc & Hawk pull with all of their might and eventually rip the cage door off from Garvin & Hayes. The heels retreat into ring one and dangerously has the keys! He unlocks the door in cage 2 and the heels escape. AWESOMENESS! ***1/2

Backstage: Gordon Solie interviews Ric Flair. Solie brings up how if Flair gets the slightest injury to his neck, his career's over and he could get paralyzed. Flair says it's his destiny to go out to that ring and find out what his future is tonight. Solie says Funk is gonna go after it and Flair said Funk will be an idiot if he doesn’t but he’s gonna fight to make sure he doesn’t. Solie says Flair hasn’t even had a warm up match and asks if his timing will be off, as Flair says he doesn’t need a warm up match and on TV. Flair then says his his mind and in his heart he knows he’s 100% and we’ll find out.

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk (w/Gary Hart)
Oh shit! Flair and Funk start brawling right away and Flair is getting the better as Funk is pissed and tries to rip the rails apart He begins jawing with the fans so Flair jumps him but Funk grabs a chair and throws it to try to keep Flair backed up. They finally lock up in the ring as Funk takes some shots but Flair delivers a sick chop and punches him out of the ring, that begin to brawl on the floor as Funk throws Flair head first into the post. Funk begins to kick away at the head even using his own head as a weapon before bringing him back in the ring with a suplex for two. He tries another but can’t get him up so he punches him to the floor, back on the apron now and Flair tries to suplex Funk to the floor but I think he foot slipped and they both tumble to the floor. More awesome brawling and chop exchanges until both men go to one another’s eyes I love this, Funk goes for the piledriver but Flair backdrops him to the outside. Falair snapmares Funk and begins to twist and stretch Funk’s own next. Back in the ring, and Flair drops the knee to the neck twice for two. OH SHIT! Flair piledrives Funk to the mat, but doesn’t go for the cover instead he hits another one. BUT FUNK IS UP! BUT HE FALLS OUT OF THE ROPES TO THE FLOOR! He tries to crawl away but Flair brings him back in. Big sick chops follow a flying forearm for two, he hits a belly-to-back suplex before he locks in the figure-four. Gary Hart sneaks Funk's branding iron into the ring and distracts the ref so Funk can nail Flair in the face with it. Flair is BUSTED OPEN! Funk works the cut by punching away at it as he now hits a piledriver on Flair but his foot is under the rope. Funk drives his knee into Flair's neck several times and then goes out to the floor to lift up the protective mats, Funk has him in position for the piledriver but Flair backdrops Funk out of that. Funk is first up as he simply falls on Flair to gain the advantage again. Funk brings Flair back in for a swinging neckbreaker, Funk wants Flair to say that he quits while Gary Hart is pleading for Funk to take the pinfall, showing how obsessed Funk is with destroying Flair. Funk gets a hold of the branding iron again, but Flair fights back and nails Funk with it instead. Funk is now BUSTED OPEN! Flair smashes Funk’s head to the ringpost and then brings him in the ring for a ten-count corner punch. He charges knee-first in the corner, but Funk moves out of the way. That leaves the opening for Funk to apply the spinning-toe hold, only to be countered into figure-four by Funk counters with a roll-up but Flair momentum is too much and Flair rolls him up for the win. I LOVE IT!

Post-Match: Gary Hart rushes in but Flair immediately decks him, The Great Muta comes out and helps Funk assault Flair, setting him up for a pile-driver to a steel chair before he is rescued by Sting. Funk comes back in with a new chair but Sting splashes him into the corner. Muta goes to sneak up on Sting but Flair finds the branding iron and chases after both men into the crowd. Every time it looks like it's over, Flair goes after them again until finally he stops to talk to Ross and Caudle. And Flair cuts a top 10 promo of all time. As for the match, I love it so much hell this whole event was something else. ****1/2

 

[Kiffy Lube]

My favorite pay-per view off all-time for sure. Fuck Wrestlemania X7 when it comes to this.

Funk/Flair tear down the house, not to perfection like their IQ match but damn near it. Luger/Steamboat and Muta/Sting were great as well. Luger/Steamboat is one of Luger's best matches of his entire career. Muta/Sting was very solid and would probably be the best match on some pay-per view. Then fill that out with some tag team wars and you got yourself greatness, son.

 

[Keith]

Might dig this out for a re-watch this week. A pure classic for sure, even Paul E. and Cornette was hot!

 

[Crippler]

Yeah i might have to move this into my top 5 all time, i urge everyone to watch it ASAP