The Italian Stallion & Denny Brown vs. The Barbarian & Black Bart

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time tag team match between these two thrown together teams.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Denny Brown drew his previous GAB match, Barbarian and Black Bart lost their previous matches. Italian Stallion wrestles at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: Mid-Atlantic champion Black Bart starts the match against Junior Heavyweight Champions Denny Brown. It’s a back and forth start to the match with Denny Brown using his pace against Black Bart’s power. Denny Brown takes control and tags in Italian Stallion who keeps the momentum for his team. The Barbarian tags in and uses his power to take control for the heel team. Barbarian has Paul Jones in his corner. The heels make quick tags, keeps Denny Brown away from his corner until eventually Denny makes the hot tag to Italian Stallion but Black Bart immediately puts an end to that, tags in Barbarian who hits the headbutt off the top for the three.

Result: Black Bart & The Barbarian win by pinfall.

Review: This wasn’t the best tag team match. Two teams thrown together in order to give Barbarian and Black Bart the win.

Rating: 3/10

Manny Fernandez vs. Baron Von Raschke – Loaded glove on a pole match

Background: Manny Fernandez has been helping his good friend Jimmy Valiant in his battle against Paul Jones army.

Previous PPV matches: Manny Fernandez actually beat Baron Von Raschke in the previous PPV event on this Great American Bash tour. The previous match was a Bunkhouse match.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Manny is 2-0, The Baron is 0-1.

Match: It’s a back and forth start to the match with both men attempting to retrieve the glove. Baron Von Raschke’s attack is far more slow and methodical whilst Manny Fernandez has a quicker pace to his assault. Paul Jones also gets involved, helping his man by hitting Fernandez with right hands from the outside. Baron avoids a splash in the corner and then goosesteps around the ring before applying the claw. Fernandez is busted open now, I’m assuming as a result of the claw. The claw lays Fernandez out so Von Raschke climbs up and grabs the glove before putting it on. He attempts to use it but Fernandez ducks and then hits the flying burrito for the three!

Result: Manny Fernandez wins by pinfall.

Review: This match was ok, it was better than the previous two matches. The psychology was much better in this and I wasn’t 100% sure which way it would go which always helps. Manny Fernandez gets another big win, he’s beaten Von Raschke twice on this tour now. I think this rivalry will probably continue.

Rating: 4/10

Wahoo McDaniel vs. Jimmy Garvin – Indian Strap match

Background: This is a rivalry that has been going on for many months. It started the Jimmy Garvin debuted with Crockett, targeting McDaniel for seemingly no reason whatsoever. Wahoo is not a man to step down from a fight and the match was made between the two at the Great American Bash. The Indian Strap match stipulation was added and it’s a match type that McDaniel has never lost.

Previous PPV matches: Wahoo McDaniel beat Jimmy Garvin in their previous encounter on this tour.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Wahoo is 1-0, Garvin is 0-1.

Match: Jimmy Garvin is reluctant to put the strap on, especially with Wahoo McDaniel whipping him. McDaniel has the advantage in the early going until Garvin rakes the eyes and takes the fight to the outside. Wahoo is busted open before long. Garvin is the first man to attempt to touch all four corners but McDaniel stops him after 2. Jimmy has his wife Precious in his corner. There’s a blade job on Garvin, attempted by Wahoo but finished b y Garvin himself. Wahoo then drags Garvin around the ring and hits two turnbuckles before Precious trips him up. This is very similar to their previous match. McDaniel hits a big chop to the head and then drags Garvin again, this time hitting all four turnbuckles despite the interference from Precious.

Result: Wahoo McDaniel wins.

Review: This was exactly the same as the previous match on this tour. Wahoo wins again, protecting him and his gimmick match. Wahoo was pissing blood come the end of this match and the two men went at it after the match had finished. I like Jimmy Garvin a lot but I’m not sire how much chemistry these two men have. Not as good as their previous match.

Rating: 3.5/10

Tully Blanchard vs. Ronnie Garvin – Taped fist match

Background: This is a rivalry that has been going on a long time. The Four Horsemen injured Ronnie Garvins hand and when he returned, Garvin had taped hands which The Horsemen said gave him an unfair advantage. Blanchard would then lay out Garvin with taped fists of his own which led to this match being a taped fist match.

Previous PPV matches: This is technically the second match between these two men, Garvin previously beat Tully earlier on this tour.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Tully is 0-2, Garvin is 1-0.

Match: Ronnie Garvin has Wahoo McDaniel in his corner whilst Tully Blanchard has JJ Dillon. Much like the previous match, Blanchard attempts to attack Garvin before the match but Ronnie sees him coming and fights him off before knocking him out. The previous match between these two men ended in round 5, I wonder if this will be the same. It’s all Ronnie Garvin in the first round, hitting some big jabs, not allowing Tully out of the traps. Much like the previous match between the two Ronnie knocks Tully out between round 1 and 2. Garvin then dominates the second round and busts Blanchard open. Blanchard takes control in the third round by pulling Garvin into the ringpost. Round 3 is definitely the turning point. Tully swings a right at McDaniel who hits him with an atomic drop as the round comes to an end. On the outside JJ Dillon throws salt in the eyes of Wahoo McDaniel who responds by knocking him out. Tully Blanchard then knocks Ronnie Garvin out wot brass knucks! Ronnie can’t beat the count so Tully wins!

Result: Tully Blanchard wins by knockout.

Review: This was a decent match, the best match of the night so far. It was a different result and finish to the previous match on the tour which was nice. It was a result fitting of Tully Blanchard.

Rating: 5.5/10

The Rock n Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs. The Minnesota Wrecking Crew (Ole & Arn Anderson) – #1 contenders match for the NWA Tag Team Championships

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time PPV match between these two teams.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Ole and Arn are both 2-0, Robert Gibson is 1-0 and Ricky Morton is 0-1.

Match: Ole Anderson and Ricky Morton kick off a cagey match. Arn tags in and soon all four men are in the ring with The Rock n Roll Express hitting some quick paced double team moves to get the crowd on their feet. Ricky Morton tags in and you can hear the screams from all of those teeny-bopper fans Ric Flair likes to talk about. Ricky takes control for his team and busts Arn’s head open in the process. Ricky and Robert make quick tags and even bend the rules at times to keep their advantage. Ricky and Robert lock figures fours on their opponents but Ole helps out his brother by breaking the hold from Gibson. This allows Ole and Arn to take control, making quick tags to keep Robert away from his partner. Ricky tags in but Ole Anderson goes right to work in him. Time ticks down as Ole continues to lay into Morton. Neither team can finish the job with two minutes to go as Ricky dives off the top with a cross body for a near fall. Gibson gets a hot tag with 30 seconds to go and all four men go at it. The bell rings though, this one is a time limit draw!

Result: Time limit draw.

Review: This was a good match and the crowd were really into it too. Classic babyfaces against classic heels. It was back and forth and both teams dominated for long periods but in the end there was no winner. It’s amazing how sweaty the two teams got, they were gassed by the end of it. There remains no clear number one contenders for the tag team championships.

Rating: 7/10

Jimmy Valiant vs. Paul Jones – Hair vs. hair match

Background: This rivalry has been going on for years. More recently Jimmy Valiant has had some of his beard cut off by Shaska Whatley who recently joined Paul Jones army. Valiant is out to get revenge and shave heads and he’s already shaved Shaska’s head bald. Now he wants to shave Paul Jones.

Previous PPV matches: These two men met at Starrcade 84 and on that night Paul Jones was successful. At last years Great American Bash event Jimmy would beat Paul Jones in a dog collar match.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Jimmy Valiant is 2-0, Paul Jones is 0-1.

Match: A distraction from Baron Von Raschke allows Paul Jones to take the early advantage and bust Jimmy open. Jones nails Valiant with something and looks to hit him again with the spike but Valiant grabs it off him and stabs him with it repeatedly all whilst the referee has to pretend he hasn’t seen it. Jones is busted open too now. It’s all Valiant until Von Raschke slides in the loaded glove but Valiant hammers Paul Jones down first. Baron Von Raschke and Manny Fernandez then get into it which distracts the referee and allows Shaska Whatley to nail Valiant with a chair. He then slides his manager Paul Jones on top of Jimmy and the referee counts the 3! Manny Fernandez and Sam Houston argue the result and out come NWA authority. But the result stand and Jimmy Valiant has to have his head shaved!

Result: Paul Jones wins by pinfall.

Review: This was a surprising result, I was not expecting Jimmy Valiant to lose. It wasn’t the best match and all the business with the spike was ridiculous. Earl Hebner had to keep looking away. But in the end it was Paul Jones that won the match but has he won the war? Will this rivalry ever end?

Rating: 3.25/10

Magnum T.A. vs. Nikita Koloff – fourth match in a best of seven series to determine a new United States Champion

Background: This is the four match in the best of 7 series to determine a new United States Champion. Nikita has won the first three matches which means a win tonight would give him the title.

Previous PPV matches: This is a first PPV match between these two men.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Magnum is 2-0, Nikita is 0-2.

Match: I like this match in paper a lot. Magnum TA takes the early advantage and knocks Nikita Koloff out of the ring. Nikita takes control from here, out-powering Magnum and dropping him in the ropes. Nikita hits elbows and then applies a sleeper. Koloff throws Magnum out of the ring and at this point Magnum TA is busted wide open. Magnum powers out of a sleeper and picks up the pace, hitting strikes but he lowers his head and gets kicked in it. Nikita throws Magnum out of the ring and his Uncle Ivan takes a shot at him. Magnum hits a sunset flip on the way in and Nikita hangs on to the top rope but Earl Hebner kicks his hands off which means Magnum successfully hits the sunset flip and gets the 3!

Result: Magnum TA wins by pinfall.

Review: This match wasn’t amazing. To be honest it could have done with more time and it would have potentially been a real classic. Nikita dominated for the most part but in the end it was Magnum TA who gets the win and keeps the series alive. Not one for the ages but the two are a good match for one another. Should it go to match 7 then I hope they’re given time to tell a real story.

Rating: 3.5/10

The Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal) & Babydoll vs. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Dennis Condrey) & Jim Cornette – Six person cage match

Previous PPV matches: This is a first time six person tag team match involving these six individuals.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Animal and Hawk are 1-1-0, Babydoll is 1-0, The Midnight Express and Jim Cornette are 0-1.

Match: Jim Cornette challenges Babydoll to start the match against him. Babydoll accepts and lands a slap before everyone else comes in. Hawk and Dennis Condrey officially start the match and it is all Hawk. Hawk tags in Animal who is dominant against both members of the Midnight Express. The champions are struggling to get out of the gate. Jim Cornette tags in, misses an elbow drop and then quickly tags back out. Bobby Eaton finally takes control for his team and he hits a big knee drop off the top of the cage on Animal. The advantage doesn’t last long and it’s shoulder charge city from Hawk. All six competitors then get into the match with Babydoll pulling Jim Cornette down from the top turnbuckle before laying him out with a right hand for the three!

Result: The Road Warriors and Babydoll win by pinfall.

Review: This match was ok. The crowd were definitely into it. This was another match that I think could have been given more time. This keeps Hawk and Animal in the running for a tag team title shot which I’d love to see. Jim Cornette takes the fall so it doesn’t make the champions look too weak. The quality wasn’t amazing, it was pretty average, it was a match deserved of more time.

Rating: 5.75/10

Ric Flair (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes – Cage match for the World’s Heavyweight Championship

Background: This is opponent #14 for Ric Flair of 14 consecutive title defence son this Great American Bash tour. Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes are old rivals having main evented two Starrcades together.

Previous PPV matches: This is a third PPV match between these two men, Ric Flair has won the previous 2.

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Ric Flair is 2-0, Dusty Rhodes is also 2-0.

Match: Dusty Rhodes has the early advantage, dictating a quick pace and frustrating Ric Flair. Ric gets more and more frustrated as Dusty dominates the match with strikes and sleepers. Flair takes control with underhanded tactics and launches Rhodes into the side of the cage. It’s all Flair from here as he slowly picks apart The American Dream. Ric applies the figure four but Rhodes manages to counter it just for Ric to break it. Both men are bleeding from the head as they battle on top of the cage. Dusty crotches Flair on the top rope and then goes back to work on the champion. Flair goes up top but as expected he’s thrown right back down. Rhodes then locks on the figure four but Flair won’t tap out. Flair breaks the hold and the two men go at it. Flair then goes to the top and hits a cross body in the same manor that he beat Harley Race but only gets a near fall this time. Dusty then rolls Flair up out of nowhere and gets the 3! Dusty Rhodes wins the match and the World Heavyweight Championship! I did not expect that. The babyface locker room pours out to celebrate with the new champion!

Result: Dusty Rhodes wins by pinfall.

Review: This was a really good match. I enjoyed this one. It was back and forth, the psychology was spot on and I honestly didn’t believe that Dusty Rhodes was winning tonight. It’s nice to see Rhodes win but it does give me the fear that we’ll see Rhodes and Flair against Starrcade later this year. The spots were good and it was a well crafted match. In the end though it was Dusty Rhodes who was crowned World Heavyweight champion.

Rating: 7.5/10