The SmarK 24/7 Rant for Championship Wrestling From Florida – July 11 / 87
– Are ya KIDDING me? Are they, like, tapping into my mind and only putting stuff on WWE 24/7 that I love or something? GET OUT OF MY HEAD, WWE 24/7!
– Hosted by Mike Graham in the present (who was hired strictly to get this tape collection, I’m assuming) and Gordon Solie in the past.
– This is the Great American Bash episode, which means marquee matchups instead of the usual squashes and video packages. I always loved July on NWA TV.
– Florida title: Mike Rotundo v. The Barbarian. In the neverending debate between “Rotundo” and “Rotunda”, this show seems to fall on the “o” side of things. I don’t know that we’ll ever have a definitive answer, much like the purported existence of Santa Claus or algebra — there’s just no way to know for sure. We’re pre-Varsity Club at this point, although that would change soon, once he called up to the big leagues. Barbarian stomps him in the corner, but Mike fights out. They do the test of strength, but Rotundo would rather grab a headlock, which results in him getting shoved off. Another try, and Barbie overpowers him again, so Rotundo takes him down with a flying forearm and sends him to the floor. Ad break and we return with Barbarian on the top, but Rotundo slugs him down for two. He works the arm, but Barbarian powerslams him and it’s a double KO until Barbarian gets up first and hits the big boot for two. They head out and Mike meets the railing, but fights back and returns the favor. Back in, Barbarian catches him with a shoulderblock, but gets cocky and Rotundo sneaks in with a small package for the pin. ** Pretty slow paced, not much of a story, but it did the job.
– JJ Dillon stops by the announce table and runs down the upcoming Bash cards (David Allen Coe, live in concert!), including some stupid Dusty Rhodes gimmick match they’re trying out called “WarGames” or something.
– Florida tag titles: The Sheepherders v. Mike Graham & Steve Keirn. The Sheepherders are seconded by some goof named “Johnny Ace,” who has a mullet long enough to make any redneck proud. I wonder what ever happened to that guy? Keirn quickly fights out of the corner to start and tries a sleeper on both Herders, but it gets broken up each time. Ad break, and we return with the Herders double-teaming Keirn as a pop-up helpfully informs us that he became Skinner in 1992. I appreciate the effort, but the only people who REMEMBER him as Skinner already know who he was. Butch gets two after a double-team. Luke cuts off a tag for two, and we get the false tag bit before heel miscommunication results in the real hot tag to Graham. Rather abbreviated match, I’d say. Graham puts Luke in the figure-four, but a flag to the face breaks it up. I love Gordon Solie, but remembering names is apprarently not his forte, so he just distinguishes the Sheepherders by calling each one “The Sheepherder” or “Keirn covers his man” or whatever. It’s a pier-six brawl (and it’s Solie, so he’s authorized to call it that) until a double-countout ends it. Too short to be worth much. *1/2
– Big Dust promo video, same one as all the NWA TV shows got.
– The Mod Squad v. The Freebirds. It’s the Gordy and Roberts version here, not the crappy Hayes & Garvin one from WCW. The Birds work the arm and Gordy gets a bodypress on Spike for two. I think it’s Spike, because as noted Solie is no help here and I’m just working off what little of these guys I can remember from 20 years ago. Basher comes in against Roberts, and gets hit with a missile dropkick. Back to Spike, who stomps on Gordy and distracts the ref while Basher chokes him out. Roberts comes in and gets caught with a cheapshot, and Basher chokes him out. Spike gets a backbreaker and drops an elbow for two. Camel clutch, but Buddy powers out, so the Mods keep pounding and choking him until Buddy fights back. Basher grabs a chinlock, but Roberts comes back with a sunset flip for two. Back to the chinlock, and Spike tries to finish with a flying elbow, but it misses. Hot tag Gordy, and he’s just had enough and beats the crap out of the Squad until finishing with a powerslam. Basic as it gets, but it was fine for what it was. **1/2
– Ric Flair promo, again the usual one. If you were around in the 80s, you know the one.
– Bunkhouse match: Blackjack Mulligan, Ed “The Bull” Gantner & Bugsy McGraw v. Sir Oliver Humperdink, Dory Funk Jr. & Black Assassin. I would be remiss in not mentioning the brilliantly minimalist gimmick of the Black Assassin, as he is a black man who dresses like an assassin, thus giving me the truly descriptive names that I need to recap without getting confused. Sadly, my favorite info site, Obsessed With Wrestling, doesn’t list his identity so I can mock him further. Big brawl to start, and Mulligan is already bleeding, so the faces clean house. Bugsy whips Dory Funk while Ganter dumps the Assassin. Finally they get organized and take their corners, and Bugsy starts the match proper with Assassin. However, McGraw is all KOOKY and stuff, and Assassin has no clue what to do with this guy, so we take a break. Back with Funk pounding on Gantner, but he gets slammed. Ganter gets worked over in the heel corner, and Funk facelocks him on the mat. Assassin comes in with a kneedrop, but Mulligan tags in and he’s the house of fire. Humperdink throws the dreaded BABY POWDER OF DEATH in his face and all hope seems lost, but Kevin Sullivan runs in, spikes everyone in the face with that appears to be a utensil or some sort, and puts Mulligan on top of Assassin for the pin. Fun brawl. **1/2
The Pulse: Nothing to complain about here. I’d watch again, and probably will. Bring on World Class next month!
