Autistic Dragon

NWA Live at the Memorial Auditorium in Greenville SC 6/8/87 Iceman Parsons wins a 20 man battle royal to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. Tough Guy Inc (Don Bass & Duke Myers) defeat Spartanburg Vice (Jerry Bryant & Lou Winston) when Bass pins Winston with a Lariat. "Black Magic" Norman Smiley defeats Billy Two Eagles with the "Norman Conquest" "The Polynesian Prince" Siva Afi defeats"Pretty Boy" Doug Somers w/"Sensational" Sherri Martel with a jumping headbutt. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Arn & Ole Anderson) w/JJ Dillon defeat Good & Plenty (Ray Candy & Sweet Brown Sugar) with a double gordbuster on SBS. NWA United States Tag Team Titles The Southern Boys (Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong) defeat Brutha's in Arms (Shaska Whatley & Tiger Conway)(c) Jr w/Slick by DQ when Whatley struck Armstrong with Slick's cane in clear view of the referee. Tully Blanchard w/JJ Dillon defeats "Raging Bull" Manny Fernandez after ducking under the "Flying Burrito" & rolling up Fernandez with his feet on the ropes. NWA World Heavyweight Title "Nature Boy" Ric Flair(c) defeats Iceman Parsons w/Slick with the Figure Four leglock.

PCW & NJPW bring together the best talents on both sides of the pacific. SSM gets the home crown into it with a win over the General in the opener. Pillman toughs it out impressing the Tokyo fans. The Pride bring home the trios win. Badd Company manage to keep things from getting too Wild in the PCW showcase. The Brigade demonstrate why they're on of PCW's longest running units. The Dragon returns home to take on the Playboy. Rose may have lost the match but he gained the crowds respect. Black Tiger takes his legendary run with the Light Heavyweight title to the land of the rising sun. Severn & Meade have the first of what promises to be many enjoyable slugfests. Owen gives his all but isn't able to bring the IWGP Jr Heavyweight title back to the states. Young shows why he's the golden boy of the Knights Templar. Bockwinkel & Inoki close the night by going full broadway. Great way to end a historic night. By my count the final score is 5-3-2 in PCW's favor.

Muta puts on a more sporting display in the absence of his teammate & manager. I'm liking the story of Doug not being ready for the big time so big brother & co have to keep him out of the action. Gonna be a big blow up eventually, only question is, does it come from Doug getting frustrated with Eddie's coddling or Eddie getting fed up with Doug costing them matches? Woman wants gold & with the crew she's built she may just find herself draped in it come July 4th. Dibiase has taken things a step too far & now has to deal with a pissed off Captain Redneck at Mississippi Mayham! The Freebirds don't wanna underestimate Cocoa. Not that JR cares but the Gauntlet for the Gold is shaping up great! Glad we finally find out what happened to Brad Armstrong. Now we just need to find Tony Atlas.

Rich gets the show off to an obnoxious start. He might wanna take Blackwell a little more seriously. Boone's gone Commando & has a whole list of people to take out. Glamour Boys vs Original Midnight Express is gonna be a fun feud. I'm afraid i've got some Bad News for the AWA! Larry Z vs Steamboat is about as clear cut heel/face dynamic you can get in this game. Morgan has had enough of Jack bring shame to Australia. The British Bombers & The Quebec Coalition are both looking strong ahead of their clash for the National titles. The Wild Bunch is back baby! Barr & Cooley are ready to wreck havoc on the tag division. Kelly is on a roll heading into a TV title shot next week. "Bullet" Bob takes down Dream Machine to send the fans home happy babay.

Rainbow Warriors get a big win over former tag champs. Big Bubba rebounds from losing his title with a win over the General. Hennig gets a bit of payback on Young. Furnas overpowers Sabu netting a win for the Pride. Double J takes BT to the limit. Looking forward to the rematch. Grizzly looks strong in defeat as it takes three spinning forearms & a elevated kneedrop to keep him down.

Oh yeah! Sometimes the card truly does change for the better.

Moretti flexes while getting the win over Combs. Case proves the dirtier heel in her season match. Robin gives a good effort but isn't quite on Little Heart's level. Yet. Richter once again takes the way road to retain her titles against McIntyre.

Maeda gets a decidedly more credible win over Mando. Garvin k.o's Snow. Humongous may have lost his mask but he's not finished with Konnan. The Brigade win a rough one with RPG's bruisers. TDT swerve Finley to claim their spots in the Playboy Club. The MXE try to pull a fast one to get their belts back but Black Gold won't be fooled easily. The Knights Templar give Bock a hand holding onto the PCW title. Though Tatum & Victory didn't seem too fond of their assigned role,

Ah, i see. I'm use to seeing lions on the NJPW logo & i remembered hearing that Dean had a few tours there so that's why my mind went there.

The Pride makes a successful debut as a trio. I'm guessing the name is a reference to NJPW? Meanwhile, Eddie is chafing under his brothers attempts at protecting him. Maeda dominates in his official debut. The Army finally address the elephant in the room & Cactus & Barr take the opportunity to wash out. Neidhart is really making his quick tapout everyone else's problem. Mr Backlund makes it clear he intends to have Bock honor his word, one way or another. The part where he has to stop mid-sentence to silence Tatum & Victory got a chuckle out of me. I'm sure Bock will have a plan when he gets back. Mr Backlund's frustrations mount as the Bomb Squad fall to the Hart brothers.

Taped at the Memorial Auditorium before World Championship Wrestling. Originally airing 6/5/87 With your host "The Dean of professional wrestling" Gordon Solie! El Santo Negro defeats "Tough" Tony Falk with a La Magistral cradle. The Outlaws (Ron Bass & Black Bart) defeat The Gladiator & Rocky King when Bart pinned The Gladiator with the "Texas Trash Compactor" Tracy Smothers defeats Dusty Wolfe with the "Tennessee Jawbreaker" Winner challenges for the TV title on next week's WCW. Joel "Dead Eye" Deaton defeats "Super Rookie" Hiroshi Hase with a handful of tights. In other news.... Solie informs the audience that the end of the Six Man Tag Title match is under review due to the Celestial Trinity claiming the wrong man was pinned. In a pre taped promo, Stan Hansen says now that he's the NWA United States Champion people can't afford to duck him anymore. Says he's ready to defend against "anybody man enough to step up to the plate". The Outlaws cut a pissed off promo accusing the Road Warriors if getting intentionally disqualified out of fear & say they'll keep coming until they get a fair shot at those titles.

From the Memorial Auditorium in Spartanburg SC. On Commentary: Bob Caudle & Tony Schiavone Ring Announcer: David Crockett Previously recorded Airing on 6/4/87 on the USA Network. "Black Magic" Norman Smiley vs George South Commentary hype Smiley as a British wrestling prodigy who's come to America to further refine his craft. They also make a point to mark him as a student of Boris Malenko which he demonstrates by taking South apart with almost surgical precision. After a series of painful holds, victory comes in the form of a crossface chickenwing which commentary inform the audience is called the "Norman Conquest" The Celestial Trinity (Angel of Death & Jason the Terrible) vs Spartanburg Vice (Jerry Bryant & Lou Winston) Commentary mention the controversial ending to the Six Man Tag Title match at the "Memorial Day Spectacular" which explains the foul mood the two Trinity representatives are in. They tear into the "hometown" team seemingly more interested in venting their anger then actually winning the match. It culminates in an instant where, as referee Tommy Young is trying to pull Jason off of Winston in the corner, Jason snaps & headbutts Young with the hockey mask! This sends the match completely over the edge with Bryant & AoD coming in for a wild brawl which continues as referee Theodore Long comes down & calls for the bell. It takes security to pull the teams apart & while the fans take some comfort in the announcement that the Vice have won via DQ, the ferocity of the Trinity mean they don't exactly look like winners. Bruiser Brody vs Barry O The fans need a pick-me-up after that last segment & it comes in the form of Barry O doing a masterful impression of a pinball as he bounces around the ring. Brody utterly dominates the match before ending things with the "King Kong Knee Drop" The S&S Express (Joe Savoldi & Shaun Simpson) vs Radiance (Doug Somers & Jimmy Del Ray) w/"Sensational" Sherri Martel These teams have been a highlight of the house show circuit over the past couple months with no clear advantage being established. Perhaps in an attempt to tip the balance, Radiance have aquired the services of Sherri Martel, a woman familiar to fans of CCW. She wasted no time making her presence known, spending the whole match shouting insults to the Express & fans alike. She also played a critical role in the finish, as when Del Ray as being backed away from Savoldi who's head was hanging outside the ropes, Martel removed one of her heels & drove it straight into Savoldi's face causing him to stumble back in pain where a waiting Del Ray pulled him into a schoolboy. If Martel was brought in to play the difference maker in this feud, she's off to a fine start. TS: Ladies and gentlemen, my guest at this time is your NEW NWA World Heavyweight Champion, the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair! (Massive pop as Flair arrives to the ring dressed to the nines and with the ten pounds of gold draped over his shoulder. After a minute of slapping hands & kissing a few lucky ladies on the cheek, he joins Schiavone in the ring) TS: You know champ, when I interviewed the Horsemen after you were excommunicated from the group, they accused you of not living up to their standards. Well I think it's safe to say you put that argument to rest at the "Memorial Day Spectacular". How does it feel to stand before the people as their new NWA World Heavyweight Champion? RF: Tony Woohoo Schiavone, it feels almost too good for words. I can remember as though yesterday, winning this title for the first time on September 17th 1981 in Kansas City. I went on to hold on to hold it for over a full year. Now after four long years, the ten pounds of gold is back where she belongs, around the waist of the Naitcha Boy! Woohoo! (Schiavone goes to follow up but is cut off by JJ Dillon arriving to a chorus of boos) TS: Now JJ, you weren't scheduled for tonight. JJ: I'm well aware of that Schiavone. But I couldn't sit backstage & listen to this drivel any longer. Ric Flair wants to come out here & gush about how it's *in a fake crying voice* it's been four whole years since I held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. *Drops the act & fixes Flair with a look of disgust* Well Ric, why don't you remind everyone how that first title reign ended? (A gasp passes through the Memorial Auditorium. Schiavone looks shocked at what's being referenced while Flair originally looks angry before adopting a look of.... regret?) JJ: Oh you don't remember? Allow me to refresh everyone's memory. It ended when, in the final days of 1982, you dropped it on Bob Geigal's desk before you walked out the door because you were stupid enough to believe that Verne Gagne had what it took to run the wrestling business. And what did that get you? A year or so of playing second fiddle to some juiced up cartoon character come to life until you had to come beg Jim Crockett Jr to give you another chance. Now these people may not like Tully Blanchard but nobody can claim he wasn't fighting champion, no one can say he didn't carry that title with pride. The fact that you've been allowed within a hundred miles of that title is a disgrace to this company & to this industry! (Fans look to Flair expecting anger, indignation, a passionate defense. But instead Flair has a look of penitive acceptance & when the mic returns to him he actually sounds regretful) RF: You know JJ, I'm not gonna stand here & lie to these people by pretending there isn't some truth to what you're saying. Four years ago, I let a personal dispute with Bob Geigal blow up into what stands without equal as the least professional act I've ever committed, an act I can never take back, an act I may never be able to truly make up for..... but I'm willing to dedicate every second I hold this belt to trying. As long as I can call myself the NWA World Heavyweight champion I will put every once of my being into removing the dishonor I put on it four years ago & I'd be glad to start by offering Tully Blanchard the rematch we ALL know you came out here to ask for. JJ: *light chuckle* Alright Ric, you got me. I did come out here partially to announce that Tully Blanchard has been granted his well deserved rematch & that rematch will take place on July 4th at the Great American Bash in the Miami Orange Bowl....in an 60 Iron Man match! NWA World Television Title Tom "MegaMan" McGee(c) vs Giant Haystacks w)Ms Linda Since there was no match to determine who would challenge for the TV title this week, it was decided that Giant Haystacks would receive the shot due to having the most eliminations in the battle royal to determine who would receive the shot at the "Memorial Day Spectacular". This meant he was challenging the man who eliminated him to win that very battle royal. Haystacks was clearly looking for payback in addition to the title & really laid into McGee with crushing blows. The champ had to dig deep to withstand the onslaught but was eventually able to use his speed & athleticism to employ a stick & move strategy. Towards the finish a winded Haystacks tries for a splash in the corner only for McGee to duck out of the way at the last moment. As the man mountain staggered backwards, McGee leapt to the top rope & came off with a crossbody that just barely kept the British giant down for 3.

NWA sends Mark Fleming to AWA for Norman Smiley.

AWA kicks off with a highlight reel set to a Megaman approved theme. Oh damn! Jarrett breaks out the Dusty finish & awards the title back to Rich! Slater ain't having it & clobbers the boss with the title before heading to Chicago. I agree, the fans needed a pick-me-up & the Superfly always delivers. Looking forward to Polynesian Power. Gama is certainly ready for that title shot. Canek may be in trouble. Jack tries for payback on Putski but it ends the same as on WrestleRock. "Terrific" Terry Taylor is already an getting on fans nerves. Jumbo & Fujinami's run as duel champions is cut short due to company rules. But good news is we've already got intrigue on how we're gonna crown new National champs. The Bruise Brothers always a delight to see. HAHAHAHA! I completely forgot about Brenda during WrestleRock but that story cracked me up. Billy Jack Strong returns with a convincing win over Allen. And of course, there's no better way to close the show than with the return of the King. His rematch with Rich is gonna be war.

Bigelow wows the crowd in his singles debut in WCPW. Williams & Saggs get the Chicago Streetfight title tournament started with a wild one. Orton & Slater seem like a natural pairing. Spivey defeats the monster Khan to advance to round 2. Idol & Budro get dirty to get past the Bees. OMG & Mulligan both arrive with a bang as the beat the daylights out of each other to advance in the tournament. Unfortunately for Mulligan, it seems Gang thought ahead & renewed his relationship with Akbar. The Rockers retain despite Jannetty's injury. Garvin gets a solid win then throws the gauntlet down for anyone who wants some. But he wasn't expecting Jake Roberts to slither into town. AKbar gets his man OMG the Chicago Streetfight title & gets himself payback on Spivey. The general doesn't forget. Race retains over Dundee & fends off the post-match assault. What will Idol do next?

Rising Sun crosses the line, getting two out of three of them suspended. Nice of Watts to give Muta a break since he wan't involved. Ricky Morton may be down a partner but he isn't gonna back down from Hyatt International. Luger makes his signing with Woman known in the most tasteless way possible. On the bright side, we can all look forward to the worlds hossiest six man! Murdoch was on fire this week. His eventual title match with Dibiase is gonna be money. Freebirds being dicks always makes for entertaining tv. Wonder what's going on with Atlas & Armstrong. Luger's alliance immediately pays off as he gets the World title shot at Mississippi Mayham. Ross may be ignoring these commercials for Gauntlet for the Gold but the rest of us are paying close attention!

British Steel are firmly back on the winning path with a victory over the former Golden State Tag champs. The MNE are also back in their winning ways thanks to Crony's racquet. Red hitting the Tombstone on Easy Ed would've been a sight to see. OMG puts a major dent in US Steel. Simmons & Dingo power their way to victory over MR Backlund's problem children. TDT fend off Los Guerreros to secure their first defense. Mr Backlund takes advantage of double J's single mindedness to retain his duel straps.

NWA Live at the Dorton Arena in Raleigh NC 6/5/87 El Santo Negro defeats Joe Lightfoot with a Missile dropkick. Santo offers a handshake after the match but a dejected Lightfoot walks away. non title NWA United States Tag Team Champions Brutha's in Arms (Shaska Whatley & Tiger Conway Jr) w/Slick defeat "Super Rookie" Hiroshi Hase & "Lone Star" Brian Adidas when Slick passed Whatley his cane which he used on Adidas. Road Warrior Hawk w/"Precious" Paul Ellering defeats Arn Anderson w/JJ Dillon with a clothesline from the top rope. Road Warrior Animal w/"Precious" Paul Ellering vs Ole Anderson w/JJ Dillon ends in a double DQ when both managers get involved. NWA United States Title Stan "The Lariat" Hansen (c) "Shooting Star" Keiichi Yamada with the Lariat.

NWA Live at the Citrus Showcase in Winter Haven FL 6/3/87 "Mr Excitement" Johnny Ace defeats a local talent with the "Ace Crusher". Tough Guy Inc (Don Bass Duke Myers) defeat George South & "Stray Cat" Brodie Chase with a double clothesline on South. "The Polynesian Prince" Siva Afi defeats Barry O with a jumping headbutt. "Super Rookie Hiroshi Hase defeats Tiger Conway Jr w/Slick with the "Scorpion Death Lock" The Outlaws (Ron Bass & Black Bart) defeat The S&S Express (Joe Savoldi &Shaun Simpson) when Bass pinned Savoldi with the "Texas Gordbuster" "Shooting Star" Keiichi Yamada defeats Zodiac with the "Shooting Star Press" (The advertised main event was Randy Savage vs Robert Fuller. However it was announced at the beginning of the show that Savage had suffered an injury to his neck at the Memorial Day Spectacular and wouldn't be able to compete tonight. The NWA official assured the audience that a suitable replacement had been found. Come match time, Fuller was strutting around the ring claiming that nobody really wanted to step up to him. He was cut off when "White Lightening" by the Rods came over the pa system. A mountain of a man burst through the curtain, sporting long, unruly black hair & a massive unkempt beard. He wears a fur covered vest with matching boots. As he stomps to the ring, he swings a large chain overhead while letting out a barking "huss" sound. To the delight of the fans, and the horror of Fuller, BRUISER BRODY has arrived in the NWA ) The debuting Bruiser Brody defeats "Tennessee Stud" Robert Fuller with the "King Kong Knee Drop".

Furnas gets a more credible win while showing off his new allegiance. Billy Jack has to take to the sky to defeat Grizzly. Tiger sends off another challenger. Rose steals another win over Finley, this time with some help from is friends. Black Gold claim their first successful defense over the Bomb Squad. The Malenkos correct their mistake from Seattle Showdown. St Clair fends off a tough first challenger in the form of Gary Young.

Lady Apache puts in a good effort against the TV champ. Though Moretti would suggest otherwise. We get our first real look into how the Season matches are playing out. I'm with Pat, can't go wrong betting on McIntyre. Carranza begins the second round with a solid win over Majors. McIntyre shows why Patterson named her as his pick to win the season. We end on a high note as Simmes leads Heidi & Nellie to becoming the new Trios champions.

After a slightly bumpy start, The Malenko Brothers correct course. Speaking of athletes correcting course, Neidhart is getting back on track. Furnas arrives with a win & perhaps makes some new friends. It seems Gary Hart has found himself a new Japanese enforcer. But why target Severn? Barr wins a bloody cage match with a jaw dropping frog splash from the top of the cage! The aftermath is somehow even crazier as Barr begins to assault Eddie...only to suddenly stop. All the while Cactus is losing his mind on the outside. Really interested in where this is all going.

NWA sends Randy Savage & MS Elizabeth to WCPW for Bruiser Brody & Sherri Martel

NWA places Randy Savage, Ms Elizabeth, Wahoo McDaniels, Mark Fleming, Chris Youngblood, Mark Youngblood & Brian Adidas on the block.

From the Boutwell Memorial Auditorium in Birmingham Alabama. The National Wrestling Alliance is proud to present.... THE MEMORIAL DAY SPECTACULAR! (Before the show properly begins the fans at home see a graphic that reads) "Tonight's show is dedicated to all the brave Americans who gave their lives in the service to our nation. You may be gone but you will NEVER be forgotten". (We cut to a series of clips highlighting the different branches of the United States military set to "God bless the U.S.A" by Lee Greenwood that ends with the logo for the event. We then cut to a sweeping shot of the sold out Boutwell Auditorium before transitioning to Caudle & Schiavone at ringside all dressed up for the event) BC: Wrestling fans welcome to the event the world has been waiting for, the Memorial Day Spectacular brought to you by the National Wrestling Alliance LIVE on the USA Network. I'm Bob Caudle alongside Tony Schiavone and we will be your hosts on what promises to be one of the most exciting nights of professional wrestling in the year 1987. TS: Indeed it will Bob because not only will all six championships be defended here tonight but fans we received word just before we came on the air that there will a major announcement made before the main event. Not only that, but we can announce that for the main event, anyone without a valid managers license had been barred from ringside! NWA officials believe this is the most prudent method to ensure that the better man comes out on top. But before all that, let's send it to the ring where David Crockett will officially begin tonight's festivities. (We cut to Crockett in a finely tailored suit standing mid-ring. The ropes are, in descending order, red, white & blue & the mat has the events logo emblazoned on it) DC: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls welcome to the Memorial Day Spectacular, brought to you by the National Wrestling Alliance! Now please rise & remove your hats for the national anthem sung by Birmingham's own Emmylou Harris! (The fans erupt as the anthem finishes... only to switch to boos as "Black Magic" by Slayer roars over the pa system as The Celestial Trinity march down the walkway bridging the entrance to the ring. The mood changes however as "The Ecstasy of Gold" by Ennio Morricone heralds the arrival of the NWA World Six Man Tag Team Champions, The Posse. The two sides have to be held apart by security while Crockett makes the introductions) NWA World Six Man Tag Team Titles The Posse (Bill Irwin, Bobby Jaggers & Dutch Mantel)(c) vs The Celestial Trinity (Zodiac, Jason the Terrible & Angel of Death) A pier-sixer breaks out as soon as the bell rings, much to the delight of the Birmingham crowd. By some miracle, Randy Anderson manages to establish order, though it never lasts long. The whole match is a wild affair with very little in the way of actual wrestling even in the period where there are just 2 men in the ring. The end comes during one of several instances of all 6 men brawling with each other. During the melee, the Angel of Death has Dutch Mantel in position for his second rope clothesline only for the former army infantrymen to drop down at the last second causing AoD to crash down on the mat. Sensing the opportunity, Mantel waits only until his adversary manages to get back to his feet before pulling him into the "Tennessee Chainsaw" for the 1...2...3! *Huge pop* (As the champions return up the walkway in triumph, Zodiac was seen arguing with Randy Anderson with the people at home being able to hear him insist that HE was the legal man for his team. The announce team see this & say that the tape may have to be examined as they themselves aren't too sure who was legal or not) Winners and STILL NWA World Six Man Tag Team Champions: The Posse. (Big-time cheers as McGee makes his way down to "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC. When he gets to the ring, instead of entering through the ropes, McGee climbs to the top rope before performing a moonsault & landing on his feet. He then goes through a series of bodybuilder poses that make the women in the crowd go nuts. As the music shuts down, the lights go for a minute before a single spotlight shines down on the entrance illuminating Mark Fleming. Title strapped proudly around his waste, Fleming marches stoically to the ring, the spotlight on him the entire walk. No music, no fancy gear, just a man coming to defend HIS title. Even the introductions showoff the differences between the combatents, McGee bounces to the second rope & strikes a double bicep pose while the champion simply raises an arm, a single finger pointing to the sky) "The Natural" Mark Fleming(c) vs Tom "MegaMan" McGee Announcers mention that the last time these two met in the ring, it ended in a draw. McGee extends a hand at the bell which Fleming accepts. After that sporting start, we get a very enthralling contrast of styles. McGee's combination by physical strength & raw athleticism gives him a number of methods to escape the variety of submission holds Fleming locks him in. However, it seems that for every hold the challenger is able to power/slip out of, the champion appears to have another...and another... and another. After several minutes of back and forth action, Fleming changes tactics. He begins targeting his opponents leg in which commentary speculate is an attempt to neutralize McGee's two main assets. Every potential rally is cut off by a renewed attack on the leg. Regardless of how many tortuous submission holds he's placed in however, the challenger refuses to submit & his resilience really wins over the crowd. Fleming seems to get frustrated and, abandoning his attack on the leg, tries to lock in the Rear Naked Choke only for the challenger to lean back, pressing Fleming to the canvas. He then kicks his legs up and over bringing him up behind the champion, but the landing aggravates the injured leg causing him to stumble backwards into the corner. Fleming, perhaps finally letting his frustration get to him, charges in only to catch both feet to the chest. As Fleming is picking himself off the mat, McGee turns around and jumps -essentially on one leg as commentary point out- first to the second then the top rope before flying off with a moonsault that drives Fleming back down to the canvas. The ref dives into position & 3 seconds later, we have a new TV champion. Winner and NEW NWA World Television Champion: Tom "MegaMan" McGee! (The Renegade Warriors make their way to the ring to the sound of "As Long as the Grass Shall Grow" by Johnny Cash. They're usually energetic entrance is a bit more subdued -commentary take the opportunity to remind them that this is the Youngblood's last chance to reclaim the U.S tag straps- though they still put on a good show for the fans. Boos erupt throughout the arena as "Jive Soul Bro" plays over the speaker system. Slick dances down the aisle in a purple business suit & a fedora with peacock feathers in it with Whatley & Conway strut behind him) NWA United States Tag Team Titles Brutha's in Arms (Shaska Whatley & Tiger Conway Jr)(c) vs The Renegade Warriors (Chris & Mark Youngblood) Perhaps remembering him from the days CCW, the Birmingham fans were solidly against Slick, jeering his every move & getting particularly irate when he would interfere on his clients behalf. Despite all the animosity & hoopla at ringside, the Youngbloods were able to use the fast paced offense & seamless teamwork to nearly claim victory on a number of occasions. More than once, Slick interjecting himself was the sole reason his men were able to maintain their grip on their titles. Eventually, Mark Youngblood had Conway in position for the Tomahawk chop only for Conway to not only move out of the way but pull referee Nick Patrick in harm's way causing him to get k.o'd. This seemed to be the chance Slick was waiting for as he hurriedly signaled to the back at which point, Iceman Parsons & Big Daddy Ritter emerged from behind the curtain & rushed the ring. A 4-2 beatdown followed culminating in Parsons drilling Chris with a Piledriver & Ritter planting Mark with a powerslam. Conway covers Mark while Ritter revives Patrick who groggily makes the count. BOOOOO! Winners and STILL NWA United States Tag Team Champions: Brutha's in Arms. (The Outlaws prowl to ringside to the tune of "Death Rides A Horse" by Ennio Morricone. Bart's cursing out everyone while Bass cracks Miss Betsy at any mouthy fan. The roof of the Boutwell Auditorium nearly comes off as "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath roars to life & the Road Warriors storm the ring with Paul Ellering waves about a copy of the Wall Street Journal.) NWA World Tag Team Titles. The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal)(c) w/"Precious" Paul Ellering vs The Outlaws (Ron Bass & Black Bart) Look, you don't need me to describe this one. This is just four hosses beating each other black and blue to the delight of the southern crowd. Joel Deaton tries to run down at one point but is intercepted by Ellering & the two brawl to the back. However, the loss of their manager seems to lead to a loss of focus for the champions & there's nothing to stop them from meeting the challengers vitriol with their own. Eventually it comes down to all four men brawling in the ring and referee Theodore Long trying to get the two illegal men, Bart & Animal, out of the ring. First time he tries to come between them Bart shoves him to the mat. The second time he tries it's Animal. Give Long credit, he doesn't give up easily. He tries for a third time at which point both men shove him away, finally causing him to call for the bell. Not that the men in the ring seem to notice as they continue fighting for several minutes, finally having to be cleared out by security. Official result: Double DQ. (Stan Hansen stomps to the ring as "A Fistful of Dollars" by Ennio Morricone plays in the background. Hansen looks every bit the western villain in his prominent black hat, leather vest & chaps. For added effect, he comes to the ring swinging a bullrope overhead. The fans go nuts as "Pomp & Circumstance" hits and Randy Savage & Ms Elizabeth make their way to the ring. Elizabeth looks stunning in bright red cocktail dress while Savage is decked out in a glittering golden robe with "Macho Man" written across the back. Once again, security has to keep the wrestlers sperated while introductions are made) NWA United States Title. "Macho Man" Randy Savage(c) w/Ms Elizabeth vs Stan "The Lariat" Hansen These two tear into each other as soon as the bell rings. Commentary inform the audience that the referee has been instructed to show leniency due to the building tension between the two men. Leniency may be something of an understatement as the two don't just brawl in the ring, but also on the floor, in the aisle & even in the crowd. What time they do spend in the ring Is comprised of stiff strikes & hard slams that by match end, has both men beaten, bruised & bleeding. The end comes as the two are exchanging blows in the middle of the ring. Hansen staggers Savage with a hard right hand only for the champion to respond with a boot to the gut. He then grabs Hansen by the neck before running to the ropes. He then jumps over the top rope, snapping Hansen's neck across it at the cost of landing on the concrete floor. Using sheer willpower, he manages to get back on the apron before climbing to the top turnbuckle & coming off for an axhandle. Unfortunately, he took to much time as Hansen catches him coming down with a hammer blow right to the ribs, sending the champion down on the mat. As the champ is pulling himself up, Hansen runs the ropes before putting everything he has left into a devastating Lariat. Hansen slowly crawls into the cover for the 1..2..3! To the shock of the crowd -and the tearful disappointment of Elizabeth- We have a new U.S champion. Winner and NEW NWA United States Champion: Stan Hansen! (Before the main event, we see a promo for the next major event for the NWA. Jim Crockett Jr personally announces the return of the "Great American Bash" which will air live July 4th on Pay-Per-View from the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami Florida!) (The lights go down, "Also Sprach Zarathustra" begins as a light emerges on stage among billowing smoke. From this emerges Ric Flair. Birmingham goes wild as the Nature Boy makes that long walk in a dazzling sequence, silver robe. Almost deafening boos break out as Tully Blanchard arrogantly makes his way to the right as "Money, Money, Money" by ABBA plays. The World champion looks resplendent in a black robe with red trim and the phrase "24 Karat" bedazzled across the back while Dillon cleans up nicely in a finely cut Italian suit) DC: Ladies and gentlemen, this is your main event of the evening....one fall with a sixty minute time limit for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship! This match has been sanctioned by the Alabama state athletic commission.... when the bell rings the man in charge will be NWA senior official, referee Tommy Young.... introducing first...in the corner to my left, the challenger.... from Charlotte, North Carolina.... weighing 243 lbs..."Nature Boy" Ric Flair!....And his opponent, in the corner to my right... accompanied to the ring by his manager, trainer & advisor James J Dillon.... representing The Horsemen... from San Antonio, Texas... since November 25th, 1986... he has been your... reigning... defending... undisputed NWA Heavyweight Champion of the World.... Tully Blanchard! This is it. Two of the very best to ever lace up a pair of boots going one-on-one for the most prestigious prize in the industry. Despite the animosity between the two, most of the match is surprisingly clean, almost as if the two want no question that they are the superior athlete. The result is over 25 minutes of absolute technical mastery as the two exchange hold & counterholds. A great deal of the match actually takes place on the mat as the two combatents try to jockey for position. Even JJ is surprisingly restrained in his actions at ringside, largely keeping to shouting instructions to his client & insults directed at Flair. However, as the match progresses, fans can see him becoming increasingly concerned about the direction the match is taking. This becomes especially pronounced when Flair manages to not only counter Blanchard's slingshot suplex but connect with one of his own for a close 2 count. When Blanchard is just barely able to avoid the Figure Four by kicking Flair off into Tommy Young, Dillon decides he can wait no more. Grabbing the World Title, he enters the ring & hands the strap to Tully before lifting Flair to his feet with his arms behind his back.Blanchard takes a moment to line up his shit before charging in, determined to wipe the challenger out once & for all. However, at the very last second, Flair breaks free & moved out of the way causing Blanchard to strike Dillon with the title, knocking his manager through the ropes to the floor. The look of Blanchard's face had to be seen to be believed. As he went to check on his advisor, Flair regrouped and, seeing Young still down shrugged as if to say "what the hell?" before walking up behind Blanchard, dropping to a knee & delivering a uppercut right to the uprights. He then pulled the champion down in a schoolboy but instead of floating over into the pin, he stood up and grabbed Blanchard's leg which he used to drag his opponent into the center of the ring before applying the Figure Four! Young stirs & goes to ask Tully if he surrenders. Give the champion credit, he resists for a brief period, even making a couple of attempts to drag himself to the ropes. Each time however, Flair drags him back to the center. With his manager down & teammates barred from helping, Blanchard eventually realizes there is only one way out & he begrudgingly submits. Winner and NEW NWA World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair!