[1988-12-07-NWA Clash of the Champions IV] Ric Flair & Barry Windham vs Midnight Express

[Superstar Sleeze]

Ric Flair & Barry Windham vs Midnight Express - Clash of the Champions IV

The Midnight Express had turned babyface after their feud with the Fantastics and were being positioned against Dangerously's Original Midnight Express. I have never seen that angle nor the subsequent matches I should fix that. I had seen this once before maybe ten years ago and had no real recollection of it. It is tremendous. The only reason I can imagine this does not get talked about more is the match exists in a vacuum. Flair was feuding with Luger and MX like I said with the OMX so there is not much build or follow up.  Flair is the World Champion & Windham is United States Champion, the Midnights do not have either tag belt. From bell-to-bell, this is action-packed there is almost no respite from the action. The babyface shine is extra long. They do a tremendous. I just watched face Flair vs heel Eaton and now watching face Eaton vs heel Flair I fucking loved that. Flair was really peacocking and he stuck that big beak out and Eaton damn near smacked it into the front row. I popped huge. I loved the firefight that broke out with Eaton overwhelming Flair with those rights. If you love punching, you gotta check this out. Eaton and Windham put on a master class. Hell even Flair has a really good closed fist that Eaton sells. Windham had one on Eaton towards the beginning of the heat segment that was thunderous. There was one towards the end of the heat segment where Eaton fucking nailed Flair in the nose with a straight right and Flair had the best delayed sell...tries to make the tag...Flair Flop. I was just lapping this all up with a spoon.  Jim Ross was in his wheelhouse because this was a very physical match and a lot of flesh on flesh, brutha.  I got off on a tangent. A natural story would be the great tag team vs two great singles wrestlers. I wouldnt say they play that up too much. Besides the Double Flapjack not much double team moves. Bob Caudle does point that MX has been tagging at a 2:1 ratio to the Horsemen and I give him credit for putting over the natural story but we werent seeing frequent tagging from MX. I will say Flair did take more of the shine than Windham without it feeling like heel in peril. I enjoyed Sweet Stan doing his little dance after kicking his old teacher's ass. I am surprised they didnt bring up that Lane is Flair's only student during the match. Stereo Figure-4s as one would expect. The transition to the heat segment is that Windham decks Eaton from behind on an O'Connor Roll, which I like. Blows from behind should be treated as extra devastating. Windham takes most of the heat segment seemingly to let Flair recover as Flair took most of the ass-kicking during the shine. Flair really paintbrushed Eaton a couple times as a receipt for being shown up early. Windham looked smooth as ever here and Eaton was great in the Ricky Morton role. I covered the transition to the hot tag earlier and Stan Lane was a house on fire. He looked like money here kicking some serious Horsemen ass. TOTAL ELIMINATION! ALABAMA FUCKING JAM! There is chicanery afoot Cornette whacks Dillon with the racquet but his shoe falls in the ring and Flair whacks Eaton in the back of the head with it. Windham rolls up Eaton for the win. If you like action, you will love this match. If you love physical, hard-hitting blows, you will love this match. If you like big bumping and just generally fun wrestling, you will love this match. If you are a pro wrestling fan, you will love this match. ****1/2