-Today we look at the June 1989 Clash of the Champions from the NWA and WCW.
-Clash of the Champions VII: Guts and Glory took place on June 14, 1989 from the Ritz-Epps Fitness Center in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The show did a 3.8 rating on TBS. This show was used to build the Great American Bash 1989 PPV coming up on July 23.
-Lt. General Carl Stiner welcomes us to the Clash. It’s the Army’s birthday and he thanks WCW for bringing the Clash to Ft. Bragg.
-Rundown of the card and Opening Credits.
-Jim Ross and Bob Caudle welcome us to Ft. Bragg.
-Flags are presented as the National Anthem is sang. This crowd is hot, literally and figuratively.
-Some wrestlers are shown with the Army guys on the obstacle course.
-Semi-final of the NWA World Tag-Team Championship Tournament: The Dynamic Dudes Shane Douglas and Johnny Ace VS. The Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin with Terry Gordy: Jimmy Garvin replaced Terry Gordy who participated in the first round match. This is Garvin’s debut as an official Freebird, although he had been loosely associated with the team since 1983. The Freebirds beat The Road Warriors in the first round while the Dynamic Dudes beat Jack Victory and Rip Morgan. The Dudes start out hot. The crowd is really digging the Dudes. Freebirds start coming back. Back and Forth. Michael Hayes sneaks in and DDT’s Douglas so Garvin can pin him.
-Wrestling Hotline commercial.
-Ranger Ross VS. The Terrorist: Jack Victory is under the mask yet again, having previously appeared at past Clashes as Russian Assassin #2 and The Blackmailer. Ranger Ross is supremely over with the crowd. Ranger chant goes out. Jim Ross says that he would like a cold Coors Light and a slice of Domino’s Pizza.
-Jim Ross story.
-Ranger Ross wins with the combat kick in what is a total squash.
-A video of The Road Warriors is shown next.
-Jim Ross is in the ring for a Dragon Shai demonstration for The Great Muta who is with Gary Hart. Trent Knight and Mike Justice are the wrestlers in there for the demonstration. Gary Hart says they aren’t worthy. Muta wants real competition. Eddie Gilbert comes in to burn Muta, but Muta throws Trent Knight in the way and he gets the fireball.
-George South and Cougar Jay VS. The Ding Dongs: The Ding Dongs are Jim Evans and Richard Sartain. This was Jim Herd’s idea of a group that kids could cheer. This idea wasn’t released, it escaped. Jim Ross and Bob Caudle don’t want to have anything to do with it. They talk about where the NWA is going to be instead of the match for the majority of the time that the match is going on. Thankfully, the match doesn’t go on long and the Ding Dongs win after a flying knee drop/flying elbow double team move.
-Congressman Charlie Rose wishes the Army a Happy Birthday.

• Semi-final of the NWA World Tag-Team Championship Tournament: The Midnight Express Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton with Jim Cornette make their way to the ring. A drunken fan comes in and Cornette says they’re going to save his live and let him sleep it off. He then does his introduction of The Midnight Express. The Chroma key has been malfunctioning all night and not showing anyone’s name when it comes up. The Samoan Swat Team Samu and Fatu with Paul E. Dangerously come to the ring. The Midnight Express beat Bob Orton, Jr. and Butch Reed in the first round and the SST beat Ranger Ross and Ron Simmons. Cornette and Dangerously go at it. These teams go at each other hard during this match. Samoans have control for most of the match. The referee goes down and The Road Warriors and Paul Ellering come down to get revenge on the SST. They take them out and The MX win. The crowd loves it. -They replay the Funk attack on Ric Flair. They talk about the Triple Crown King of the Hill Battle Royals taking place on the Bash tour. -Terry Gordy VS. Steve Williams: Billed as a battle of the bulls. They start hard and just beat the hell out of each other. JR talks about this feud starting in Mid-South and the UWF. Jim Ross and Bob Caudle talk about the heat and the Coors Light again. Williams and Gordy fight in and out of the ring. This is the definition of a stiff match. It lives up to the Bulls moniker. JR is pushing Coors Light hard during the broadcast. They brawl down the aisle as both get counted out. A bullshit chant goes out. -Mike Justice VS. Norman the Lunatic with Teddy Long: Norman’s debut. Total squash win for Norman. They take Norman out locked onto a stretcher because he’s “crazy”. -Another King of the Hill Battle Royal promo. -Jim Ross talks to the Freebirds. They talk about being high on Freebird Mountain. I can believe that. -Video on Flyin’ Brian, who is coming to the NWA. -Australian Tag Team Match: Kevin Sullivan and Mike Rotunda VS. The Steiner Brothers Rick and Scott with Missy Hyatt: This match is one of the very first matches the Steiner Brothers had together. A Syracuse sucks chant goes out. Jim Ross again pimps Coors Light. He then again throws subtle shade at the WWF by thanking the fans of the NWA in Connecticut, especially Stamford. The Steiner’s are over with the crowd. Sullivan and Rotunda throw Scott onto the announce table at one point. The crowd is digging this match hard. Sullivan grabs Bob Caudle’s chair and distracts referee Nick Patrick while Rotunda suplexes Scott onto the chair for the pin. -Jim Ross talks to Jim Cornette. He hits on the Freebirds, the SST, and Paul E. Dangerously seemingly without taking a breath. -Governor Jim Martin wishes the Army, Ft. Bragg a Happy Birthday and a Happy Flag Day. -NWA World Television Championship Match: Sting VS. Bill Irwin: Crowd loves Sting. Irwin has a whip to start. He has the advantage to start. Sting takes over. Sting chant goes out. Sting hits the splash and gets a roll up pin to win the match. -Video on Scott “Gator” Hall -Jim Ross interviews Ric Flair in his home. Flair has a neck brace and a Lakers jacket on. He talks as if he is leaning towards retirement. Very low key, yet believable angle. They bring up the plane crash if you’re drinking at home. He announces that he will make a decision on July 1st. He says that he will get back at Terry Funk. -Yet another King of the Hill promo. -Finals for the NWA World Tag Team Championship: The Fabulous Freebirds Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin with Terry Gordy VS. The Midnight Express Stan Lane and Bobby Eaton with Jim Cornette. Paul E. Dangerously hits Jim Cornette with a loaded tennis racket before the match starts. The Dynamic Dudes take Cornette to the back. Freebirds have the early advantage. The crowd hates the Freebirds. MX start a comeback. Lane DDT’s Hayes. The MX hit a flapjack on Garvin. Gordy powerbombs Eaton and the Freebirds get the win and the titles. -Top 10 Rankings Match: Terry Funk VS. Ricky Steamboat. Piece of Work Bonnie Steamboat shown clapping in the arena. Even with no Ric Flair, they open the dueling chop houses. These two work well together. They battle in and out of the ring. Funk hits a neckbreaker. Steamboat spends a long time on the top rope because Funk is out of position. Steamboat finally hits Funk with a chop. They go to the outside. Funk hits a piledriver on Steamboat. Referee Nick Patrick gets knocked out. Funk hits a running piledriver on Steamboat on the outside. Funk gets several two counts. Funk hits Steamboat with a microphone to get disqualified. Lex Luger comes in with a chair to chase Funk off. Luger talks about what he’s been going through. He then attacks Steamboat. He clotheslines him, hits him with the chair, then puts the torture rack on him. -Jim Ross and Bob Caudle recap the night before signing off from Ft. Bragg.