Television Rewind Episode 8: WCW World Wide 8-26-89 Review

Introduction:
Hello and welcome back to Television Rewind right here on CrazyMax. Last time you saw me was when we did the back to back WWF Face to Face special followed by Wrestlemania 5. Well this time we are heading back to WCW but this time we are going old school. Thats right we are going back to August of 1989 and we are going to the syndicated show World Wide Wrestling. The reason we are doing this show is because the Skyscrapers decide to destroy an entire gimmick and send them on their way and I can’t wait to see the brutality. I hope you are just as excited as I am to get this show going so let’s get to it.

Show Opening
There is no real opening to the show as we come on with the Skyscrapers coming out for their match against the Ding Dongs. So I guess we are diving right in so let’s get to it.

Match 1: Skyscrapers vs. Ding Dongs

Skyscrapers come to the ring and Spivey goes right after both members of the Ding Dongs. He’s not wasting any time just destroying these guys. Sid finally gets his jacket off and he starts going in on the members of the Ding Dongs. Spivey picks up one of the Ding Dongs and just drops him with a Razor’s Edge type move. Spivey whips the guy into the ropes and drops him with a big boot. Spivey picks up the Ding Dong and drops him with another power bomb. Spivey goes for the cover and he gets the 1-2-3. Your winners by pinfall….the Skyscrapers.

Oh but it’s not over yet. After the match Sid gets in the ring and just destroys a Ding Dong with a vicious clothesline. Long then tells Spivey and Sid to remove the masks of the Ding Dongs so they go ahead and do that. Sid picks up one of the Ding Dongs and drops him with a brutal power bomb and then he removes the mask. It’s so long for this shit gimmick idea and they will never been seen or heard from again. Thank goodness for that.

To add insult to injury, Norman is on the outside and he is trying to put the mask on but he can’t fit it on his fat ass head. They go to the replay and when they come back they go to Norman who finally got the mask on his head. He also put the second mask on a pole of some sort, not really sure what is going on there.

Recap:
This match lasted all of 50 seconds or so but it was just brutal. Spivey dropping the kid with two power bombs then the pin was all she wrote. The clothesline on the guy after the match was just brutal and uncalled for. You know he laid it in stiff because he didn’t give a shit about anyone or anything and you can tell here. All in all just a brutal 1-2 minutes of action here and I love it. Definitely worth checking out and definitely worth reviewing the show because of it. Thats how you get rid of a terrible gimmick idea.

Promo by: Wildfire Tommy Rich

Rich says it is good to be back in the NWA. Rich is calling out Lex Luger. Rich reminds us all that he beat Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight title. Rich says that Luger is saying Rich is easy pickings. Rich says that Luger has the big muscles and he has it all. Rich says the one thing he doesn’t have is the fans on his side and they are all saying whip Luger, whip Luger, whip Luger!

Match 2: Terry Funk vs. Lee Scott

Funk drops his hat on the mat so Lee Scott goes over and picks it up and puts it on his head. Funk turns around and sees this and he gets pissed off and just starts destroying Scott here. He’s laying in the lefts and rights to the back of Lee Scott. Funk then takes Scott and throws him through the middle rope but Scott holds on and he comes in and hits Funk with a drop kick but Funk no sells it and ends up nailing Scott with a clothesline. Funk then picks up Lee Scott and just dumps him with a brutal looking pile driver. Funk goes for the cover and he gets the 1-2-3. Your winner of the match by pinfall….Terry Funk!

After the match Funk takes his branding iron and brands Lee Scott right on his chest.

Recap:
Another quick squash match here and again it was just brutal. JR on commentary says you never touch a cowboys cowboy hat and that’s exactly how Funk reacted. He just took it to this guy and then dumped him with a brutal looking pile driver. No thanks on signing up for a match with Funk during this time frame. By the way, Funk looked in phenomenal shape here and he looked like a guy who was ready for a main event push and he really took it to a whole other level here. Funk in 89 was just amazing and it’s shame it seems to have been forgotten because of what he did later on in his career. If you ever get the chance go back and check out the work of Funk during this time frame. You won’t be disappointed.

Match 3: Sting vs. Bounty Hunter

The Bounty Hunter flexes in front of Sting and then Sting returns the favor by doing his scream to the fans. The Hunter calls for a test of strength and Sting obliges. Hunter kicks Sting but Sting isn’t fazed so he starts kicking the hell out of the Bounty Hunter and drives him to the corner. Sting then whips the Hunter into the other turnbuckle and Sting follows him in with the big time Stinger Splash in the corner. Sting then goes for the cover and he gets the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall…..Sting!

Recap:
Another quick squash match here. These guys are not wanting to work on this show because they are coming in and just hitting their finishers and getting the hell out of dodge. Can’t say that I blame them but shit can we get a 4-5 minute match here. Sting spent more time with the fans than he did in the ring. The splash was pretty sweet and we got the nice quick victory. Can’t really be upset with that.

Joe Pedicino Knows:

Joe’s fat ass lets us know where the NWA/WCW will be going forward. Joe says there is a challenge that he is interested in seeing and that is between Steve Williams and Mike Rotunda. They then show us some highlights of what has gone on between Williams and Rotunda. Joe tells us that the feud is going to come to a boiling point soon. Joe then talks about Clash of the Champions 8 and the tag team match between Ric Flair/Sting vs. Great Muta/Terry Funk. Joe says that he believes Funk is going to trap Flair during the tag match. Joe says the goal is to get Muta and Funk to stop Flair but Joe doesn’t think it is going to work.

Ringside Interview: Fabulous Freebirds

Ross says he knows the Birds have a lot to say about the teams that are challengers for their tag team titles. Garvin then says that sometimes he wants to smack him right in his face and that sometimes it makes him sick to his stomach. Garvin says at some point people are going to have to realize that they are the greatest tag team in wrestling today. Garvin says they are the champions and that they are the best. Garvin says they are the best looking tag team as well. Hayes tells us that Gordy shows up whenever he wants too. Hayes says last week that they have proven beyond a shadow of doubt that Gordy doesn’t need to be there because last week they took care of business against the stupid Steiner Brothers.

Hayes then asks Ross that the finest tag team competition is in the NWA. Ross says he agrees. Hayes then asks Ross that the guys holding the tag belts would have to be the best tag teams and Ross says it should be that way. Hayes says they are not sissies but they are the sexiest. Hayes says that the Midnight Express can forget it and the same for the Skyscrapers. Hayes then says that the Steiners have been forgotten a long time ago.

Promo by: Terry Funk & Gary Hart

Hart says he wants everyone to listen very carefully. Hart says that everyone knows that Flair is running scared from Terry Funk. Hart says that sooner or later Terry Funk is going to take what is more precious than anything Flair has owned and thats his gold. Hart says that his time as champion will be over sooner. Funk then starts singing a song of One Day At a Time. Funk says that Flair should change his theme song to One Day At a Time. Funk says that he knows the Lord only helps those who help themselves and that he is going to help himself to the World Championship. Funk says that Sting and Flair better watch out because the Jaytex Organization is coming their way One Day At a Time.

Match 4: Steiner Brothers vs. State Patrol

Scott and Wright start the match. Steiner gets a leg trip and then a leg lock to get control early. Wright then lays in some right hands and some boots as he tags in Parker. Scott then reverses an irish whip and drops Parker with a frankensteiner with ease. Steiner then picks up Parker and drops him with a brutal looking suplex. Rick gets the tag as they tie up in the middle of the ring. Parker drives him into the ropes as both members of State Patrol start working him over. Rick reverses the irish whip and drops Parker with a big time clothesline. Rick then gets on all fours and ends up biting Parker in the chest.

Wright gets the tag back in and he ties up with Rick and he rakes the eyes and goes for a head butt but Rick no sells it. Rick then picks up Wright and puts him on the top rope. Rick goes up to the middle rope and hits him with a power slam off the middle rope. Rick tags in Scott and he comes in and hits Wright with a running slam into the turnbuckle and then a shoulder breaker. Wright hits Scott with a right and tags in Parker but Scott immediately nails him with some right hands then a twisting belly to belly suplex for the 1-2-3. Your winners of the match by pinfall….the Steiner Brothers!

Recap:
The Steiners were amazing at this point. Both weren’t to big for their own good and they could just do some things in the ring that people their size shouldn’t be able to do. He nailed a frankensteiner like it was nothing at the start of the match. Just an amazing feat there. The suplexes were awesome and just their power was off the charts. The match itself was nothing special but these two were just awesome and are a joy to watch when they can just steam roll their opponents.

Joe Pedicino Knows:

Pedicino talks about the fans in South Carolina and where they are going to be on the road at. Joe says that fans are going crazy for what is going on between Rick Steiner and Robin Green. Joe says didn’t Green become a butterfly out of her cocoon. Joe says that the Steiners are looking forward to their opportunity against the Freebirds for the tag team titles at Clash of the Champions. They show highlights of the Steiners vs. the Freebirds from one of their matches. Joe says another match at the Clash that he is interested in and thats Lex Luger vs. Tommy Rich. Joe says a lot of the fans that he talks to don’t think Rich has a chance against Luger and a lot of fans don’t think anyone can stop Lex Luger. Joe says Rich has a lot of heart and he has the fans behind him so he has a chance. Joe tells Luger he wouldn’t under estimate Tommy Rich at the Clash.

Backstage Interview: Ric Flair

Flair gets rewarded with the A&W King of the Slam. Flair thanks everyone for voting for him.

Match 5: NWA Heavyweight Title Match: Ric Flair vs. Brad Armstrong

Really? A NWA Heavyweight Title match on syndicated television? I’ll take it. This should be a really good match and this is definitely a pleasant surprise. We start this one off with a tie up but Flair quickly pushes him off but gets dropped with a shoulder block by Armstrong. We get a second tie up and this time Brad pushes off and Flair drops him with a shoulder block. We get a drop down and a leap frog and a hip toss by Brad Armstrong on Flair. We get a third tie up and again Flair hits Brad with a shoulder block but Brad hits Flair with a drop toe hold and he goes for a figure four but Flair kicks him off and ends up hitting him with a body slam.

Flair grabs Brad and tries to suplex him into the ring but Brad goes over and hits Flair with a roll up for a 2 count. Brad gets up and when he turns around Flair nails him with a big time chop. Flair whips Brad into the corner but Brad comes out of it and hits Flair with a big clothesline. Brad then whips Flair into the corner and Flair goes up and over and then runs to the other corner and comes off the top rope with an elbow and he actually hits it this time. Flair then tosses Brad across the ring and a couple of times but after the second one Brad gets up right away and nails Flair with a drop kick. Flair blocks a hip toss and gets a quick pin using an abdominal stretch pin for the 1-2-3. Your winner and still NWA Heavyweight Champion…..Ric Flair!

Recap:
This was a pretty damn good match right here. They didn’t have a lot of time but Flair sold well and worked well with Brad here and did his best to make him look good. Brad held his own and really made the match believable. Just a really good tv match here and its worth checking out if you ever get the chance. Brad was underrated and could have been something with the proper push. Shame he never really amounted to much of anything in the long run.

Promo by: Jim Cornette:

Cornette tells us that the Freebirds have been blocking a title defense against the Midnight Express every chance they get. Cornette says they know what is going to happen if they ever get them in the ring. Cornette says no one should forget that anything that has happened in the tag team division in the last 5 years was all done by the Midnight Express. Cornette then tells us that the Midnight Express are going to be the same team in the 90s and that no one should forget it.

Match 6: Flyin’ Brian vs. Cruel Connection

The Connection attacks Brian from behind and he ends up whipping him into the corner but Pillman goes up and over and hits a drop kick and then an arm drag on the Connection. Connection whips Pillman into the ropes and gets hit with a shoulder block and then a flying clothesline. Pillman then arm drags the Connection over and gets him in an arm bar but the Connection breaks free with a poke to the eye. Cruel Connection follows it up with a couple of right hands then a body slam. He goes for a splash but Pillman moves out of the way and quickly goes to the top rope and nails the Cruel Connection with a a beautiful drop kick.

Pillman gets the Connection in a head lock but the Connection pushes him off and he hits Pillman with a shoulder block. Connection ends up throwing Pillman to the outside. And he tries to ram him head first into the turnbuckle but Pillman blocks it. Pillman then jumps to the top rope and ends up hitting a cross body off the top rope for the 1-2-3. Your winner by pinfall…..Flyin’ Brian!

Recap:
Pillman looked pretty good here. His drop kick was pretty damn awesome off the top rope. It looked really good and it looked like his feet were pinned to the chest of the Cruel Connection as he went down. A quick squash here to wrap up the show but it was entertaining and went fast.

Ringside Interview: Steiner Brothers w/ Missy Hyatt & Robin Green

Scott says that before we talk about the title match he wants to know what happened to the glasses and the ponytail. Rick says he went over to her place and this is what he ended up with and that he isn’t sure where those things went. Woman looked amazingly hot here. Scott asks if Rick is happy. Scott says if he is happy then Scott is happy. Scott says there is one peanut head manager who thinks he has the tag team of the 90s. Scott says he has to give credit where credit is due to the Skyscrapers. Scott says it’s not the size of the man that makes the man and that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog.

Ah yes these stupid cliches for the under dog. Gotta love it. Rick says that the Freebirds come out here and say they are going to do all these things but with Gordy gone they will do what they can to win the match. Robin starts flirting with Rick and he loses his train of thought. Scott says that the Steiner Brothers have what it takes to take what they got. Scott says if his brother is happy then he couldn’t be happier. Rick then says that he will be all right as Jim Ross wraps up the show.

Show Recap:
Well there you have it. Just a random ass show from WCW in 1989 and it was actually pretty entertaining. The matches went really fast and it made this show go by rather fast as well. All of the matches delivered one way or another and you can be entertained by any of them if you really want to be. There was some brutal squashes from the Skyscrapers and Terry Funk. You had some back and forth stuff between the Steiners as well as the Pillman match.

We also got a pretty good NWA title match between Flair and Armstrong that i was happy to see. Flair really did do what he could to help Brad get over and it worked if you ask me. I left the match wanting to see some more of Brad Armstrong and I was a little bit disappointed that it ended so quickly. I would have been fine if they didn’t have the Pillman match at the end and they just gave Flair and Brad 2-3 more minutes of action.

All in all this was a pretty good syndicated episode of World Wide and I was surprised. I did this show for one match and I went away enjoying the whole card. It is definitely worth checking out if you ever get your hands on it. Well that does it for this episode of Television Rewind right here on CrazyMax. Coming up next is the one and only SummerSlam Spectacular 1991. That will be followed by one of my favorite WCW PPV’s but you will have to wait to find out what one that will be. I hope you tune into the next installments of the Event Center and Television Rewind. Until next time, have a good one and I will see you all again very soon.