[1986-07-26-JCP-Great American Bash-Greensboro, NC] Rock & Roll Express vs Ole & Arn Anderson

[paul sosnowski]

Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson face Ole & Arn Anderson in a #1 Contender's match.    Previously available in edited form (13:00 shown), on the Great American Bash 86 VHS tape.   Complete match available on the WWE DVD "United We Slam: Best of the Great American Bash".    Talk about it here

[Superstar Sleeze]

Rock N Roll Express vs Ole & Arn Anderson - JCP Great American Bash 7/26/1986

I gotta say I thought this match was absolutely terrific. I think it is Top 5 Rock N Roll Express match of all time good. There were a couple things I liked about the previous Saturday Night match more. I thought they did the cutoffs of Morton's tags better. They really made it was at the last second they grabbed the ankle and prevented him from making the tag. I thought that really built the tension. Other than that, I thought this match either incorporated everything I liked about the last match or improved upon it. 

Like the last match, this is also a 20 minute draw. The first 11 minutes are pure shine, Good Golly Miss Molly, for a man who love shine, this was tremendous. Arn talks about a bunch of trash about breaking Morton's nose again only to fall face first on his nose and then get DDT'd where he sold his nose/face and powdered. They did the same spots the last match but I thought Arn's trash talk in this match built to it better. Morton slipping out of the ropes to avoid being in the Anderson corner popped me just like when Gibson did the match prior. They go right into the heel in peril. At first I was bummed they were working Arn's leg as Ole was the one with the hurt leg from the Dusty injury at the beginning of the year. Not to be disappointed it was double heel in peril. It was still awesome. I loved the standard Rock N Roll somersault leg snap into the punches and Ole tried to cut them off but they bumrushed him anyways. Ole is great in these matches. He is The Rock. He minimizes his bumps so that when he does take them they are so meaningful. The climax to the babyface shine is the Double Figure-4 which gets a massive pop. This is especially rich because I just came off listening to an Ole Anderson shoot interview where he is interviewed by Ricky Morton. It was pretty interesting. If you can get by Ole's cantankerous attitude and his failing memory, somebody needs to properly interview because Morton bless his heart is not the right guy, you do learn some stuff and Ole's Jim Barnett impression is hilarious. Ole complimented Rock N Roll Express, Arn Anderson, Buzz Sawyer,  Sgt Slaughter and Don Kernodle of all people. Everyone one else was the shits or a dumbass. In the case of Ric Flair, both. It was so nice to see him forced to do a Ric Flair spot and hear the crowd pop. Take that, asshole.

Ole grinds Gibson's face and rams his head into Arn's knee. Arn sells the knee because he was just in a Figure-4. Nice Arn gutbuster. They start to work the arm of Gibson, but they cannot consolidate for as long as they like because Gibson whacks Ole's bad leg repeatedly as here comes Morton with slams for everyone. In a fracas, Ole lunges headfirst and butts Morton in the abdomen. Ole STOMPS Morton right in the face. It is on, brutha. Excellent 8 minute heat segment where the Andersons TORTURE Morton and his injured face. I think why I like this more than Starrcade is they still had the face injury hook. Ole is just in his fucking element grinding Morton's face. At one point, he wraps a Camera lanyard around his nose and just yanks as hard as he can. Arn rakes his face across the top rope and smokes Gibson on the apron for good measure. They even work in their finish at the time which is a cool one. Ole hits a flying kneedrop from the middle rope on the arm as Arn holds a standing Morton. It looks brutal Morton gets a couple good hope spots, Morton attacking the injured leg of Ole, but Ole drop toeholding him, a crossbody from the top. The finish is Arn comes charging in and takes a great crotch bump into the turnbuckles. Gibson is red hot with only 30 seconds left, meeting of the minds! Sleeper by Gibson on Arn as the bell rings to signal a 20 minute draw. I think the one change I would make it shorten the shine by like 2-3 minutes. Give Morton a couple more hope spots/cutoffs and then two minutes of blistering Rock N Rock Express finish stretch where they desperately try to win. Other than that, this rocked!

Consummate babyface tag team vs consummate heel tag team. For my money, their best match together. ****1/2