In The Arena: Missy Hyatt is getting a word with The Assassin & Mad Dog Vachon. She’s never met them, but she has heard stories. Vachon says he became a wrestling legend for his friends in Canada and the fans around the world. If he was in the ring for the last match, he would have taught those guys a lesson. It’s no secret that The Assassin has had bad blood with Dusty Rhodes and he offers an open challenge, anytime, anywhere.

Match #4: Thunderbolt Patterson & Brad Armstrong vs. Ivan Koloff & Baron von Raschke
Patterson takes the mic with no partner in site. He says that ‘Bullet’ Bob Armstrong is unavailable to wrestle tonight, but he offers to wrestle both men by himself. Koloff says the Armstrongs have always been cowards, so here comes Brad to defend the family name. A brawl breaks out with all four men. Patterson puts Raschke in a front facelock across the middle rope while Armstrong pummels Koloff with rights. Armstrong lifts him with a back body drop and hits a drop kick before knocking Koloff to the entrance ramp. He comes over to clear out Raschke and he and Patterson own the ring. Raschke pulls a chair over the guard rail but they let it go.

Order seems to be restored and Patterson is ready to go. He backs Raschke into the corner and continues to psyche him out. Raschke tries a side headlock but Patterson dances his way out of it. Raschke is frustrated and he tags in Koloff. Collar and elbow, Patterson grabs the wrist and tags in Armstrong. Koloff reverses momentum and takes him down with a snapmare before dropping the leg. He rakes the back and tags in Raschke. Double elbows before Koloff heads for the apron. Raschke grabs a handful of hair and drives Armstrong into the turnbuckle. Clubbing forearms by Raschke and he sends Armstrong for the ride. He grabs his signature claw but Patterson makes the save.

Koloff is tagged in but he’s backed up because so was Patterson. Thunderbolt hits some rapid fists of fire and takes both opponents down. He and Armstrong whip their opponents together for a collision. Armstrong hits Koloff with some rights in the corner while Patterson sends Raschke for the ride. Patterson hits a shot to the throat and that’s all it took.
Winners: Thunderbolt Patterson & Brad Armstrong (Patterson/Throat Thrust)

• EA’s Take: Not much of a match, just a way to put more veterans on the card to go along with the theme. The Armstrongs are definitely one of the more underrated wrestling families in history, so that was a nice moment.

In The Arena: Ric Flair is set to host another edition of A Flair For The Gold, stylin’ and profilin’ in his tux as he’s here to reunite The Four Horsemen. It comes with a lot of good news but a little bit of bad news. He first introduces his longtime best friend, ‘The Enforcer’ Arn Anderson. Barry Windham has been snubbing Flair as well as The Horsemen, but before long, Anderson will be the new NWA World Heavyweight Champion. The bad news is that Windham will not be a part of the Horsemen and Tully Blanchard will not be showing up, but Flair next introduces one of their mentors, Ole Anderson. He told him they cannot trust Windham. Next, it’s the special addition to the Horsemen, it’s ‘Pretty’ Paul Roma. These people don’t realize how many people Flair had to choose from, but he is going to help them achieve excellence. The Nature Boy calls out The Hollywood Blonds before continuing his party with the girls.

Match #5: Nick Bockwinkel w/Verne Gagne vs. Dory Funk Jr. w/Gene Kiniski
Johnny Valentine joins commentary for this AWA vs. NWA bout. They lock up and there’s a clean break. Another collar and elbow and Bockwinkel ducks out of the way. They lock up once more, and Bockwinkel is still avoiding contact. Funk goes for a single leg pick up but Bockwinkel moves. They tie up, Funk finally able to get some shots in. Collar and elbow, knee to the gut and an uppercut by Funk. He grabs a side headlock, maneuvers into a hammerlock, reversed by Bockwinkel and Funk is taken to the mat. Slowly to a vertical base and he manages a break in the corner. Funk with uppercuts and forearms before dragging Bockwinkel down to the mat.

Up to their feet, Bockwinkel with body shots but its Funk with a snapmare. Bockwinkel locks in a head scissor submission and Funk flips out of it. Funk checks in with Gagne. Collar and elbow, Bockwinkel grabs an armbar, Funk reverses with a scoop slam, but Bockwinkel gets his feet up and returns the favor. Funk rolls out to the floor. He comes back in, they lock up and Bockwinkel works on the left arm. Funk whips him and scores with a back elbow and takes him down with uppercuts. Reverse chin lock by Funk as the ref checks in. They exchange rights in the corner, Bockwinkel getting the better of it with heavy forearms. He tries a cover but Funk is in the ropes.

Collar and elbow, Funk with positioning, he grabs a front face lock and takes him down. They roll for pinning position on the mat and no one gets three. Double leg take down by Bockwinkel, he slowly tries rolling him into a Boston crab but Funk throws him off. Collar and elbow, Bockwinkel with the side headlock, belly to back suplex by Funk. Dory grabs an arm bar, he works him all the way to the mat. Funk works on the back, Bockwinkel trying to strength out but cannot escape. They chain wrestle and Bockwinkel reverses the double wrist lock. Funk breaks the hold, collar and elbow, Bockwinkel with the side headlock, Funk backs him into the corner and delivers shots.

Bockwinkel turns him around and lays in his own forearms. Snapmare and a cover, Bockwinkel gets two. Front face lock is applied on Funk. He works up to his feet, Bockwinkel hangs on with a side headlock. Funk breaks it with a knee and knocks Bockwinkel out with uppercuts. Forearms to Bockwinkel, and he brings him back in with a vertical suplex. Funk scores with a piledriver but Slick Nick gets his boot on the ropes. Bockwinkel reverses a double underhook and moves into a backslide. Funk is able to avoid the three count. Bockwinkel is sent to ropes, back elbow and a single leg pickup by Funk. He goes for the spinning toe hold, Bockwinkel reverses with an inside cradle and gets a two count.

Bockwinkel locks in the Figure Four. Kiniski tries to break it up and the referee has to get him out of there. There is a break on the ropes. They exchange shots, Bockwinkel with a scoop slam and a two count. Funk tries an inside cradle but Bockwinkel is too close to the ropes. Time runs out and we have a draw.
Winner: Time Limit Draw

• EA’s Take: More nostalgia in this one. The pace was about what you would expect of a 52-year old Funk squaring off with Bockwinkel, who was nearing 60 and coming from a much more basic era of wrestling. These matches are fun purely to see some of the all-time greats, but aren’t going to give you much in terms of great entertainment.

Match #6: ‘The Natural’ Dustin Rhodes & Kensuke Sasaki vs. ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude & WCW World Television Champion ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff
Rude and Sasaki get us started. Rude talks some trash and looks his opponent over. He shoves Sasaki and poses. Kensuke does the same and then violently shoves Rude into the corner to a big pop. Rude avoids the tie up and takes control with clubbing forearms and a shot to the throat. Sasaki avoids a clothesline and grabs a strong wristlock. He lifts Rude up and down for more pressure. Orndorff is tagged in and he gets the same treatment. Rhodes is tagged in, he hangs onto the wrist and delivers some elbows as well.

Orndorff is taken to the mat with a hammerlock, Rhodes driving the knees into his back. Sasaki is tagged back in, he grabs the hammerlock, using his feet to fall back for leverage. Sasaki kicks a hole in Orndorff’s back and Rhodes is back in. Wristlock by The Natural, but Orndorff is able to back up and make the tag. Rude and Rhodes have a long staredown. They exchange quick rights, Rhodes takes control and he sends Rude for a high elevation back body drop. Irish whip but Rude gets his boot up. He measures Rhodes with a right, sends him to the corner but Rhodes gets the knee up. The Natural tries a crossbody, Rude ducks and Rhodes hits the floor.

Rhodes is driven into the apron and Orndorff takes liberties while the referee is distracted. Swinging neckbreaker by Rude and he gets two. Rude poses to a sea of boos. Orndorff is tagged back in and the partners power Rhodes back first into the corner. Mr Wonderful digs at Rhodes’ face and the ref backs him off. Rhodes is sent and eats a back elbow. Rhodes hits the turnbuckle and Rude’s back in. He drives his shoulder into the midsection of The Natural and sets up for a piledriver. Rhodes hangs on, Rude finds a different way to lift him up, Rhodes reverses with one of his own. He makes the cover and the US Champ kicks out.

Orndorff is tagged in and he drives Rhodes into the corner. Irish whip and they both go down on a shoulder tackle. Rude is tagged in but so is Sasaki, he hits a diving clothesline and an inverted atomic drop. He mocks Rude and hits three consecutive clotheslines.He tries a back drop, Rude kicks him, Sasaki ducks a clothesline and lifts him with a military press. Orndorff charges in so Rhodes responds. Rude and Orndorff have their heads knocked together and the ref restores order. Sasaki heads for the top rope but he’s knocked off by Orndorff. Rhodes tries dealing with him on the outside, but inside Sasaki takes a Rude Awakening and that’s enough for the win.
Winners: ‘Ravishing’ Rick Rude & ‘Mr. Wonderful’ Paul Orndorff (Rude/Rude Awakening)

• EA’s Take: I love me some Rick Rude and Orndorff makes a good partner for him. Sadly, we’re now less than one year removed from the back injury that would effectively end his in ring career and he would leave the world permanently before the turn of the century. He had such a great mind for the business, it would have been nice to have his voice around in the years since. It’s nice to get away from the nostalgia business for a bit too after three straight matches of it.

Pages: 1 2 3 4