-I’m finding myself watching more wrestling than before.
-I haven’t gone anywhere this week.
-Today we look at Clash of the Champions IV from WCW and the NWA.
-Clash of the Champions IV took place on December 7, 1988 from the UTC Arena in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This was the first Clash to take place following the sale of JCP to Turner Broadcasting and the company name change to World Championship Wrestling. There were 8000 people in attendance and the show drew a 4.5 rating on TBS.
-Highlights of what’s led to tonight’s matches.
-Clash Opening Credits.
-Jim Ross previews what’s coming up tonight. He and Bob Caudle are the announcers for the event.
-The Fantastics Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers VS. Ron Simmons and Eddie Gilbert: This is the finals of the US Tag Team Championship Tournament. Gilbert and Simmons had originally lost to The Sheepherders in the semi-finals but the decision was reversed when The Sheepherders signed with the WWF. Simmons starts off using his power against Fulton. Fulton uses his speed but gets caught by Simmons. Gilbert in, back and forth. Shoving match. Simmons back in and Fulton gets a near fall. Simmons hits a shoulder block on Rogers. Gilbert and Rogers do some chain wrestling. Simmons in and slows things down. Fantastics even things up. The crowd is really getting into this. Quick Tags by Simmons and Gilbert. Back and Forth. Simmons with some big power moves. Gilbert stringing together some great moves. Rogers selling hard, Fantastics come back again. Simmons hits a big power slam. Jim Ross has of course been talking up Simmons’ FSU career if you’re drinking at home. Gilbert gets his arm hit on a post. Fantastics focus on the arm. Gilbert trying to continue and will not give up. Fantastics constantly tagging. Gilbert falls out of the ring. Back in, Gilbert hits a hot shot out of desperation. His arm hits a corner post again, he gets rolled up for the pin. Fantastics are the new US Tag Team Champions.
-Tony Schiavone is with special guest host Lex Luger. They talk about the last match and about Starrcade coming up.
-Jim Ross talks to Mike Rotunda and Kevin Sullivan. They talk about Rick Steiner and the upcoming Starrcade match.
-The Italian Stallion VS. Steve Williams with Kevin Sullivan: Even match starting. Stallion with the early advantage. Williams comes back, then back and forth. Stallion can’t get the pin. Williams takes over. Both men trade the advantage. Williams bench presses Stallion outside to the floor. Sullivan attacks Stallion on the outside. Williams can’t get a pin. Puts a sleeper on Stallion. Stallion fights out and hits a clothesline on Williams. Williams hits a shoulder tackle and puts on a leg hold. Stallion gets knocked outside again and attacked by Sullivan. Back in, Stallion hits a power slam, but doesn’t cover. Williams hits the Oklahoma Stampede for the win.
-Magnum T.A. interviews The Junk Yard Dog, who’s just come to the NWA. He is after Paul Jones. He and Ivan Koloff are going to take on the Russian Assassins at Starrcade.
-Flashback to the Road Warriors putting the spike in Dusty Rhodes’ eye, which would ultimately cause him to be fired from the NWA.
-I had an autographed picture of Ivan Koloff framed. I took that picture to college.
-Ivan Koloff VS. Paul Jones: Koloff has one hand tied behind his back. Jones trying to avoid Koloff. Lots of stalling. Koloff gets Jones by the hair and throws him around. Jones begs off. Jones then gets the advantage. Jones using the rope to choke Koloff. They go outside. Jones with the advantage back in. Koloff coming back. Jones has a weapon. He thrusts it in Koloff’s throat. Then Jones drops it, Koloff picks it up, uses it, and gets the pin. The Russian Assassins attack Koloff. JYD chases them off.
-Tony Schiavone and Lex Luger talk about the last match and the Dusty Rhodes/Road Warrior Animal match coming up.
-Magnum T.A. interviews Rick Steiner. Steiner is doing his crazy guy shtick. It does nothing for me.
-Road Warrior Animal with Paul Ellering VS. Dusty Rhodes: Rhodes comes to the ring with an eye patch ala John Wayne in True Grit which is ironically or maybe not ironically the tag line for that years Starrcade. Rhodes nails Ellering with the Bionic Elbow to start. The winner of this match gets possession of the 6-man tag team titles. The DQ rule has been waived so the belt can change hands on a disqualification. Back and forth. Rhodes goes for Animal’s leg. Rhodes knocks the referee out. He puts the figure four on. Ellering come in and he and Animal attack Rhodes’ eye. Rhodes comes back, so Hawk hits the ring, followed by Sting. It breaks down. Rhodes grabs a chair and hits Animal. A bell rings. Rhodes is disqualified for using the chair. The Road Warriors would go on to choose Genichiro Tenryu to be the third champion on the December 10th edition of NWA World Championship Wrestling.
-Tony Schiavone and Lex Luger talk about the last match.
-The Midnight Express Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton with Jim Cornette VS. Ric Flair and Barry Windham with JJ Dillon: Flair and Eaton start and Eaton slaps Flair hard. They slug it out as Flair is selling everything. Windham tagged in. He takes over on Lane. Back and forth. Both teams doing multiple tags in. Hot and heavy action. Both teams then slow it down. Lane puts the figure four on Flair and Eaton puts it on Windham. Lane goes for a cover but only gets a two count. Flair comes back. An inset by Paul E. Dangerously about the feud of him and The Original Midnight Express VS. Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express. Flair goes up but gets caught if you’re drinking at home. Eaton hits a nice neck breaker. Near falls galore. Windham hits Eaton with a right hand that knocks him out of the ring. More near falls. Eaton dropped on the railing outside by Flair. Windham hits a lariat. He then puts a sleeper on Eaton. Flair in and he opens the chop house. They slug it out. They both tag. The Midnight Express hit the total elimination on Windham. Eaton then hits the Alabama Jam. JJ takes his shoe off before Cornette can attack him, but Flair uses the shoe on Eaton. Flair then puts Windham on Eaton for the pin.
-Tony Schiavone interviews Jim Cornette who is irate at the outcome. He runs down everything that is happening with The Midnight Express for several minutes seemingly without breathing.
-Jim Ross and Bob Caudle run down some things that have happened that night.
-Tony Schiavone and Lex Luger talk about the last match of the night. They seemed to have ran short and are filling time. They do a final push for Starrcade ’88 before signing off from Chattanooga.