[1988-12-26-NWA-Starrcade '88] Midnight Express vs Original Midnight Express

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Superstar Sleeze]

Midnight Express vs Original Midnight Express - Starrcade 1988

Let me say this to start, I implore everyone to watch the angle building to this. It will really enrich the viewing experience brutha. Corny gets a call on a telephone during a Saturday Night Squash a week after they dropped the belts to the newly heel Road Warriors. He is his usual incendiary self when all of sudden Loverboy Dennis and Randy Rose hit the ring. Cornette who is in all white gets busted open by Paul E’s Brick Cell Phone. The next week Corny brings out the jacket and cuts a babyface promo to end all babyface promos. He says his Mama says he needs to come home and it is too dangerous. He casts his Mama aside and says he is standing on his own two feet. The studio audience popped huge and so did I over 30 years later. That promo was delivered with such conviction and you couldn’t helped but be engrossed. Paul E was good and effective but in the weeks leading up to the showdown, Jim Cornette was in a class all by himself. You really wanted to see the Real Midnight Express whup The OMX. 
 

Jumpstart. MX back drop OMX out of the ring. Cornette and Eaton are great heels but my God are they great babyfaces too! Cornette has the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. He was whipping the crowd into a frenzy with his antics. He was terrific. A shine is supposed to be fun and this put a big smile on my face. All the challenges to Paul E! The best part was when Condrey or Rose was on the outside he would whack them when the racket. The crowd would go nuts! Paul E would ring the bell wanting a DQ and the crowd would be all over him. Great pro wrestling! Also it was so nice to finally see Eaton let his hair down and cut loose. No need to worry about feeding & bumping, he could let the fists fly and let rip it. Eaton has the offense of an amazing babyface great fists of fury AND high flying, high octane offense. Loved seeing Condrey & Rose shine up the MX, they did a great job. Great transition to the heat segment with Eaton taking a hard charge into the buckles. Condrey was the grit of the MX and so he was perfect working the heat segment. I do think Lane is a better seller than Eaton especially working all those years in the Fabs but so much of the story centered around Condrey’s sudden, inexplicable departure. Eaton felt betrayed by Condrey and vice versa so it only made sense we got this heat segment. Rose is a solid hand like a Doug Somers but Condrey is where the heat is at. I am a huge mark for great transitions. The heat segment builds to the OMX Rocket Launcher which they had been using in squash matches in the lead up to this. They feel they have Eaton sufficiently beat down for this. Rocket Launcher Crashes & Burns as Eaton moves! Great climax to a great heat segment! Hot tag was short but sweet. Lane gives a great fired up performance ref is bumped and Paul E cracks the brick cell phone over his head. Jim Cornette is in, has Paul E by the mullet and clocks him. Great bump by Paul E. Ref finds the phone, waives off the cover. TOTAL ELIMINATION(called Double Goozle) here! Great quick clean finish for the babyfaces. OMX attacks post-match but Eaton beats them back with the racket.

Pure MX fun but it feels so so refreshing because they are wicked over babyfaces. It was so nice to see them unleash that offensive arsenal to applause and so nice to see Cornette use his charisma to win the crowd over! Very underrated match and very fun! ****1/4