Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (c) vs. Sting & Nikita Koloff – NWA Tag Team Championship match

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

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Sting is 1-0, Nikita is 2-4, Arn has won 5 and drawn 1, Tully has only won 1 and lost 5.

Match: It’s a frenetic start to the match with Sting and Nikita Koloff taking it to the champions. The crowd are really hot for this one. Nikita and Sting dominate the opening stages and get a few near falls. Arn Anderson takes a lot of offence from the babyfaces before tagging out to Tully Blanchard who faces the same fate. Nikita Koloff has lost a lot of weight. It’s not often you see the babyfaces dominate for so long in a match. It makes me think the heels may win this one. Sting and Koloff make quick tags as they keep Blanchard away from Anderson. J.J. Dillon is on the outside managing his team. Koloff clotheslines Blanchard over the top rope and both men go flying to the outside. It’s not a disqualification though .Koloff suplexes Tully back in the ring and covers him but JJ Dillon breaks it up from the outside. Koloff chases Dillon but misses with a clothesline and hits the ringpost.

The champions take control for the first time in this match. We’re told there’s only five minutes left of the time limit. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this end a draw. Nikita’s gear is too small. Anderson hits him with a DDT for a near fall. Koloff makes a hot tag to Sting to a huge pop. Sting really picks up the pace against both opponents. Sting is undefeated on PPV at this point. He counters a sunset flip attempt from Blanchard as the time runs down. Sting then hits a Stinger splash on Blanchard and then locks on the scorpion deathdrop but the time runs out! Sting and Nikita Koloff celebrate with the belts but this one ends a draw.

Result: Time limit draw.

Review: This was a really fun match. It was a fast pace for as long as Sting and Nikita Koloff were in control and the crowd loved it. Arn and Tully are such great workers, they were the perfect foil for Nikita and Sting tonight. Everyone comes out of this match looking good. Arn and Tully retain the titles tonight. A great way to kick off the show tonight.

Rating: 7.75/10

The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) (c) vs. The Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton & Stan Lane) – United States Tag Team Championship match with ten lashes to the losers

Background: The main tag team rivalry heading into the event was between The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers) and Midnight Express (Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane) for the NWA United States Tag Team Championship. On Clash of the Champions I on March 27, Midnight Express defended the NWA United States Tag Team Championship against Fantastics. Fantastics initially won the titles but the decision was reversed as Fulton had thrown the referee before the pinfall, resulting in Eaton and Lane retaining the titles. On May 14 edition of World Wide Wrestling, Fantastics defeated Midnight Express to win the titles. On June 11 edition of World Championship Wrestling, it was announced that Fantastics would defend the title against Midnight Express at The Great American Bash

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

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Bobby Eaton is 0-5, Stan Lane is 0-3 and The Fantastic make their PPV debut tonight.

Match: Before the match begins Jim Cornette is put in a straight jacket and then into a cage which is lifted him into the air. Bobby Eaton and Bobby Fulton kick off the match and it’s a long headlock from Eaton to begin with. Fulton hits a head scissors and hurricanrana and we have a stalemate. Stan Lane tags in and hits a really awkward looking kick combo. It’s back and forth between Tommy Rogers and both challengers. All four men get involved before long and it’s The Fantastics who clean house and cut a strut. Bobby Eaton makes a blind tag to take control for his team. The Midnight Express dominate from here, making quick tags and double teaming Tommy Rogers to prevent him from making a tag. Bobby Eaton hits Rogers with a neckbreaker and backbreaker but can’t keep him down. Bobby Eaton hits a flying legdrop off the top rope and tags in Stan Smith who covers Rogers but Bobby Fulton breaks it up. The Midnight Express look for the rocket launcher but Rogers gets his knees up!

Tommy Rogers makes a hot tag to Bobby Fulton who picks up the pace. All hell breaks loose with all four men and Tommy Rogers accidentally wipes out the referee. Bobby Eaton then nails Bobby Fulton with a chain wrapped around his knuckles. Eaton pins Fulton and gets the three! The Midnight Express win the match and the US Tag Team Championships! After the match Bobby Fulton finds the chain that was planted on him before going after Jim Cornette and whipping him with a belt!

Result: The Midnight Express win the US Tag Team Championships by pinfall.

Review: This was another really good tag team match. These two teams have a lot of chemistry and it made for some really good action. The Midnight Express win back the title they lost to The Fantastics a few months ago. It’s a result I’m fine with. I’m not sure the US Tag Team titles are actually necessary but it gives some lower card tag teams some exposure.

Rating: 7.5/10

Jimmy Garvin, Ronnie Garvin, Dr Death Steve Williams and The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk) vs. Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotunda, Al Perez, Ivan Koloff and The Russian Assassin – Tower Of Doom match

Background: Another secondary rivalry heading into the event was between Jimmy Garvin and Kevin Sullivan. On the March 27 edition of Clash of the Champions I, Sullivan’s Varsity Club teammate Mike Rotunda defeated Garvin in a College Rules match to retain the NWA World Television Championship. At the 3rd Annual Jim Crockett, Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament, Garvin defeated Sullivan in a Prince of Darkness match. On June 8 Clash of the Champions II, Garvin and his brother Ronnie Garvin defeated Rick Steiner and Rotunda in a tag team match. After the match, Sullivan, Steiner and Rotunda attacked the Garvins, resulting in Steve Williams making the save for Garvins. Williams became an ally of the Garvins against Sullivan and Rotunda. On the other side, The Road Warriors were scheduled to compete against The Powers of Pain in a series of Scaffold matches but Powers of Pain left the company and were replaced by Ivan Koloff and Russian Assassin. On June 11 edition of World Championship Wrestling, a Tower of Doom match was announced to take place between a team of Jimmy Garvin and a team of Sullivan. Road Warriors were added to Garvin’s team and Koloff and Assassin were added to Sullivan’s team.

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

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Jimmy Garvin has won 1, drawn 1 and lost 2, Ronnie Garvin has won 2, drawn 1 and lost 1, Dr Death is 2-0, Animal has won 5 and drawn 1 and Hawk has won 4, drawn 1 and lost 1. Kevin Sullivan is 1-0, Mike Rotunda is 1-0, Ivan Koloff has drawn 1 and lost 3 whilst The Russian Assassin and Al Perez wrestle at this event for the first time tonight.

Match: Well this match looks mad. It’s a cage on top of a cage on top of a cage with a trapdoor between them. The teams start in the top cage and have to make it to the bottom where Precious has a key to get out of the bottom cage. There’s a flimsy ladder that referee Tommy Young climbs up as all the wrestlers watch on. Ronnie Garvin and Ivan Koloff are the first two men to climb up. Dr Death and Mike Rotunda climb up and wait outside the cage. The cage’s are shaking all over the place as Ivan and Ronnie go at it. A buzzer goes off at two minutes to signal Dr Death and Mike Rotunda entering the match and the trapdoor being opened. Ronnie Garvin climbs down to the next cage and shuts the trapdoor leaving Dr Death to get beaten down by Ivan Koloff and Mike Rotunda. Dr Death climbs down to the second cage with Ivan Koloff in pursuit. Meanwhile Ronnie Garvin has climbs down to the third cage and Precious left him out. That’s one man out. Animal and Al Perez go at it in the top cage with Mike Rotunda there as well. Hawk and The Russian Assassin enter the match as Al Perez and Animal climb down to the second cage.

This triple cage does not look safe at all. The final buzzer goes off and Jimmy Garvin and Kevin Sullivan enter the match. Al Perez and Animal climb down to the bottom cage and go at it there. Animal then exits the cage, followed by Al Perez. The Russians battle with Dr Death and Hawk in the middle cage. Sullivan and Rotunda battle with Jimmy Garvin in the top cage. The Russians drop down to the bottom cage with Hawk, beating him down 2 on 1. Jimmy Garvin and Kevin Sullivan still fight in the top cage. Hawk then exits the cage! The Russians soon follow. Dr Death drops down to the bottom and walks out. So we’re left with Kevin Sullivan and Mike Rotunda against Jimmy Garvin in the middle cage. Mike Rotunda is next out so we’re down to Jimmy Garvin and Kevin Sullivan. Both men drop down to the bottom cage where Garvin hits the brainbuster! Precious unlocks the door and Jimmy Garvin falls out! Jimmy Garvins team win! But Sullivan locks the cage door with he and Precious in there. Sullivan then tries to rip her clothes off and choke her. Jimmy Garvin and Hawk get in the cage to save the day.

Result: Jimmy Garvin, Ronnie Garvin, The Road Warriors and Dr Death win the match.

Review: Well that was unlike anything I have ever seen before but I enjoyed it. There was a big sense of danger which added to it. The psychology was spot on and it came down to Jimmy Garvin and Kevin Sullivan with Precious having to make the big decision. It was nice to see Precious and Jimmy Garvin back together. It was a good showing for the likes of Dr Death and Mike Rotunda too. A different variant of War Games really but a lot of fun.

Rating: 8/10

Barry Windham (c) vs. Dusty Rhodes – United States Championship match

Background: On April 15, Rhodes was stripped of the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship and suspended for 120 days due to attacking NWA President Jim Crockett. On May 13, a tournament occurred for the vacated title. Barry Windham defeated Nikita Koloff in the finals of the tournament to win the title. On June 8 Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem, Rhodes and Sting competed against Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard for the NWA World Tag Team Championship. The match resulted in a double disqualification after the referee was attacked and Ric Flair and Windham interfered in the match. Windham attacked Rhodes outside the ring. On June 11 edition of World Championship Wrestling, it was announced that Rhodes would challenge Windham for the United States Championship at The Great American Bash.

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

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Barry Windham is 3-0, Dusty Rhodes is 6-0.

Match: This one is all Dusty Rhodes in the early going, throwing Windham around the ring and hitting him with a high cross body for a near fall. Windham then walks back towards the dressing room but then walks back to the ring. Windham takes control with some strikes and then looks for a piledriver on the concrete but Rhodes back body drops him. Rhodes gets distracted by JJ Dillon which allows Windham to take back control and then lock on the claw! Rhodes nearly powers out of the claw but Windham takes him back down to the mat. Dusty gets out of the claw with a few bionic elbows. Windham manages to lock on the claw again but Dusty goes up to the middle rope to break it up. Dusty shoves Windham down and Barry takes out the referee as he does. Rhodes hits a back body drop and an elbow drop but there’s no referee to make the count. JJ Dillon gets up on the apron but out comes Ronnie Garvin who lays out Dusty with a right hand! Windham locks on a claw and the referee counts Dusty’s shoulders to the mat for the three!

Result: Barry Windham retains the United States Championship by pinfall.

Review: This was a decent enough match. I was really surprised by the heel turn from Ronnie Garvin. That came from nowhere. But Barry and Dusty put on a good back and forth match between them, it was a good title defence from Windham. The loss doesn’t hurt Dusty too much either, he’ll go in to a rivalry with Ronnie Garvin.

Rating: 7/10

Ric Flair (c) vs. Lex Luger – Worlds Heavyweight Championship match

Background: Luger was a member of Flair’s group Four Horsemen since 1987 but left the group in 1988 after he thought that he was being held back. Luger became the top fan favourite of the company and Horsemen’s top rival. On Clash of the Champions I on March 27, Luger and Barry Windham defeated Horsemen members Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard to win the NWA World Tag Team Championship. On the April 23 edition of World Championship Wrestling, Luger and Windham lost the title to Anderson and Blanchard when Windham turned on Luger and joined the Four Horsemen. Luger continued his rivalry with the Horsemen, resulting in Luger becoming the #1 contender for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship held by Flair.

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

The Great American Bash PPV Record: Ric Flair is 3-3, Lex Luger is 1-2.

Match: Lex Luger out-powers Ric Flair in the early going and toys with him as Flair looks to compose himself. Lex hits a big gorilla press slam causing Flair yo toll out of the ring and over a barricade. Luger applies a bearhug and looks for an elbow drop but Flair moves which gives the champion the advantage. Ric hits a kneedrop for a two count and it’s a big kickout from Luger. Luger hits a big clothesline for a two count. I love how dramatic they are about a sunset flip. Flair takes control back with a cheap shot. Flair applies a figure four, using the bottom rope for extra leverage but Lex counters the hold for a few second before Ric breaks it. Luger clotheslines Flair out of the ring which should be a disqualification but isn’t. Luger hits another gorilla press slam but sells his knee. Flair goes to the top but Luger throws him back down to the canvas. The two men battle over the top rope and to the floor below where Flair smashes Luger into the ringpost. With Flair distracting the referee his manager JJ Dillon launches Luger into another ringpost. Luger hits a big powerslam as someone from the state commission speaks to the referee about Luger bleeding. Lex then applies the torture rack and the referee calls for the bell! Sting, Dr Death and Nikita Koloff come out to celebrate with Lex but the ring announcer announces that Ric Flair is the winner due to the blood!

Result: Ric Flair wins by bloodying Lex Luger.

Review: This was a decent match but I hated the finish. It was similar to the finish between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade 84. Lex Luger has shown he can go though and will be a main event star for years to come. Ric was classic Ric in a lot of ways if a little toned down. It’ll be interesting to see who will challenge Flair at Starrcade, I wouldn’t mind seeing Luger or Sting in that spot. This match was good but not great. Ric Flair walks out with his championship again.

Rating: 6.5/10