The SmarK 24/7 Rant for World Championship Wrestling – August 16 1986

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The SmarK 24/7 Rant for World Championship Wrestling – August 16 1986

– They seem to be sneaking more SMW stuff into the channel, with a clip before this show and a clip of Rock N Roll Express v. Gangstas in the Shorties section, and yet still no weekly TV show. Where’s the Smoky Mountain love, WWE 24/7 Classics on Demand?

– Hosted by Tony and David and Jim F’n Cornette.

– So once again Ric Flair is the World champion, having regained the belt in St. Louis, but Magnum and Nikita are tied at 3-3 in the US title series.

The Kansas Jayhawks v. Bill Mulkey & George South

South gets elbowed down by Dutch, and one from Jaggers, followed by an elbowdrop. Mantel comes in with an atomic drop and brings in Mulkey, and Jaggers drops an elbow on him, too. Dutch with a backdrop and double axehandle and Jaggers slams him for two. Mantel with a snap suplex and Jaggers drops yet another elbow, setting up a shoulderbreaker. Hart Attack clothesline finishes at 3:44.

– Jim Cornette interviews the Russians, who cry about injustice in the tying match and announce that Bob Geigel will referee the deciding match tonight in Philadelphia. Although Nikita doesn’t win the title until the 17th in Charlotte, so obviously that match wasn’t as deciding as they would have liked.

– Jimmy Valiant pledges that he’ll shave Paul Jones’ head by the end of the year or else he’ll retire.

The Road Warriors v. Pablo Crenshaw & Tom Pittman.

Usual destruction here, as Hawk dropkicks Pablo and Animal puts him down with a shoulderblock, then follows with a press slam. Hawk clotheslines the other guy and pins him at 1:04. Cornette’s still not impressed.

– Dick Murdoch has words for Ric Flair.

– So back to Kansas, as Dusty pins Flair with a clothesline to retain the title, only to be attacked by Tully Blanchard, thus giving him an excuse to drop the title to Flair the next night. Tully and JJ deny that the Horsemen sit around a table plotting the demise of Dusty, they just all happen to hate his guts and want to destroy him at any opportunity given.

– And now we go to St. Louis with some super-rare footage, as Flair smashes a chair into Dusty’s bad knee on the floor, but Dusty sucks it up and heads back in. Dusty makes the comeback and elbows Flair down, then pins him with a lariat, but Flair’s foot is on the ropes so the ref calls it off. Flair clips him and finishes with the figure-four to regain the title, as Dusty blacks out from the pain and gets pinned.

– Flair, apparently celebrating his title win by dealing blow in Miami if we’re judging by his suit this week, gives his standard victory speech, ready to take on all comers again.

– The Road Warriors don’t really have much to say, but they’re still upset at the Four Horsemen and they’re coming to various towns near YOU!

Bill Dundee v. Vern Deaton

Dundee elbows Deaton down and tosses him, allowing Budro to toss him back in and Dunee to apply an armbar. He grabs a headlock and puts him down with a big boot for two, then works a hammerlock on the mat. Stiff clothesline and the top rope double stomp finish at 3:46.

– Bill Apter has a special interview with former champion Dusty Rhodes, who makes sure to note that the NWA doesn’t have any “movie stars holding the World title”. He’ll be back!

– Paul Jones and his army are still pursuing Manny Fernandez with a great deal of money.

Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard v. Todd Champion, Sam Houston & Italian Stallion

Ole starts with the Stallion and Arn comes in with a headlock, then switches to the arm. Houston comes in and the face jobbers work on Arn’s arm in turn, but Champion gets caught in the heel corner and taken down by Ole. The Andersons beat on Champion and Arn goes to a chinlock, then Tully drops an elbow. Champion fights over and tags Houston, who is a toothpick of fire, but he quickly gets mauled by the heels. Arn rakes the face across the top rope, but Houston comes back with a bodypress out of the corner for two. Tully quickly cuts him off again and tosses him. We take a break and return with the Andersons finishing Champion with a double gourdbuster at 6:13.

Dick Murdoch v. Tony Zane

Brainbuster and we’re done at 0:17.

– The Andersons are all over Dusty Rhodes for being such a pussy and not winning with a bad knee. Yeah, tell him! Be a man, Dusty!

– And now, the saddest part of the show for me, as Cornette and Midnight Express cut their very last promo as World tag team champions. I’m saddened we don’t get one last squash with the belts, too. So let us take you back to Worldwide, as Cornette calls Baby Doll fat yet again and Bubba goes to beat her up, but Dusty and Magnum make the save and trigger a huge brawl.

The Russians v. Randy Barber, Clement Fields & Paul Garner

Clement Fields sounds like a serial killer or something. Garner gets triple-teamed in the corner while Cornette goes on an epic rant on color, and Nikita kills Fields dead with the sickle at 1:06.

– Back to North Carolina for the Magnum v. Nikita match, as we pick it up with Magnum making the comeback with a dropkick for two. Khruschev lays out Magnum from behind and wipes out the ref, allowing Nikita to hit the sickle and get the pin via a second ref. However, the first ref revives and Magnum pins Nikita with the belly to belly to tie up the series. Interesting reversal on the usual Dusty Finish. Magnum and Baby Doll join us with last words for Nikita before the final match in the series.

– Let us take you back to the final stop on the Rock N Roll Express Super Summer Sizzler Tour, as they mack on young girls.

The Rock N Roll Express v. Bill Tabb & Art Pritts

This should be quick. Morton dropkicks Tabb and brings Pritts in, as Cornette promises that tonight in Philly will be the RNR’s final shot at the Midnights’ belts. Sadly, that is true. The RNR work on Pritts’ leg in their corner and add a double backdrop, then finish with the double dropkick at 1:48.

– And we finish with a group Horsemen interview, as they award Dillon a $40,000 ring that was, in real life, already his. And we’re done for the week.

Good bye, World tag team champion Midnight Express. It’s been a good ride.