This week, Matt Connolly made his debut pick and went all the way back to 1987 for the NWA Tag Team Championship match at Starrcade featuring Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson against The Road Warriors.
Let's get to it!
Matt - Well I've picked something on the network. Have you guys ever seen any of Starrcade 1987?
Ross - I don't think so
Pete -No actually. Is that Flair vs Garvin?
Ross - Loving the era, though
Matt - We are gonna watch Arn and Tully defend them tag titles against Road Warriors! It is Garvin vs Flair and it kind of sucks
Ross - YIKES. Hype for this! An LOD run in last week, and an actual match this week!
Pete - Ohohoho I know this match. People point to this as a prime example of what killed Jim Crockett Promotions
Matt - Its 1.15.22 for start of match. Including entrances and post match it has a just under 20 minute run time
Ross - Ooooooh what a rush. Perfect
Matt - This PPV got trashed by Survivor Series but I think this match is a Gem.
Pete - Vince went to the cable companies and basically said if you show Starrcade and not Survivor Series, you don’t get Wrestlemania, right?
Matt - As far as I know, yeah
Ross - Under the learning tree here, I know none of this
Pete - Ok I’m paused there
Matt - Main event was meant to be Magnum vs Flair I think
Pete - Vinnie Mac is one hell of a businessman
Matt - Actually that might be wrong
Pete - That was the previous year I think. Ended up being Nikita. They did the respect angle
Matt - Yeah. They gave it Garvin just so Flair could take it. Nobody wanted to job their first title run so they choose an Old Dog Like Garvin
Pete - You guys ready?
Matt - I'm good to go
Ross - Lets do it!
Pete - 3, 2, 1 Go
Matt - Ok. Wanky Network Music entrance
Pete - This crowd aren’t fans of Arn and Tully lol. The boos are like a drone in the background
Matt - BUT THEY LOVE THE ROAD WARRIORS!!!!!!!!
Pete - This sounds like a Mega Man level select screen
Ross - The music! No Iron Man but some jazzy number
Matt - How weird does Ellering look in this era
Pete - Did any of you see the flair 30 for 30? Animal did his interview in his face paint
Matt - I love that a man that looked like Animal is so pro face paint. Also, why are Warriors billed from Chicago?
Ross - Those are some good looking titles
Pete - The template for a bajillion indy belts. I think Arn was born at age 45 and JJ was born at age 55. They did all their aging in the womb
Matt - LOOK AT HAWK. Arn is so big but selling like a chief
Ross - A heel that looks petrified on the top rope is my sauce
Pete - Arn taking a bump like Alicia Fox with a few too many to drink at a house show... As someone whose family comes from Chicago in part, I can confirm that everyone looks just like the Road Warriors in Winnetka. You’ve got moms in SUVs and Road Warriors!
Ross - Love that Arn is getting overpowered to start with - he needs to use his brain and nefarious means to turn the tide here...
Matt - I love the delay tactics
Pete - Tully is my favourite shithead in wrestling
Matt - Tully reads the big boot. Not the Lariat. FOOL
Pete - His match with Magnum is still perfect
Matt - Yep. It's a stormer
Ross - This is so one sided - what will be the momentum shift folks?
Matt - Its just 2 huge men doing huge men things. I think Tully from this era is up there with greatest ever heels. The strut alone is so hateable
Ross - I must admit I am a latecomer to his greatness
Matt - We all are I think! Nobody starts with this shit
Ross - Haha
Matt - Although I would of definitely been the biggest Road Warriors Mark! My earliest memory of them is Hawk on the sesh
Ross - Wrestling 101. Arn looks devastated to tag in. What a bloke.
Matt - Arn instantly regretting the tag haha
Pete - The problem with the Revival is they are both kinda like Arn
Matt - Animal won't sell shit
Pete - They need to add Johnny Gargano as their rat faced third member now Ciampa is hurt
Ross - This is such a prolonged squash - yet the crowd are eating it up!
Matt - I love how they are desperately trying to come up with something
Ross - Oh wow, Warriors had never been champs at this point?
Pete - Not going to lie I’m not a fan of Road Warriors or Road Warrior type teams
Ross - 2 on 1 still don't get it done!
Matt - Even at 2 on 1 Hawk smash!
Pete - Give me the Rock and Roll Express any day
Matt - Tully and Arn are such a better team than Arn and Ole
Pete - This is basically a house show match. I don’t think the heels have got one thing in
Ross - Jeeeez Tully and Animal are hitting each other hard
Pete - Here we go. A headlock! Never been so happy to see a headlock
Matt - LOOK AT ANIMAL. The strength of the man
Ross - The old duck and run by Arn - but he eats a gorilla press. Literally meeting dead ends at all times are the Horsemen.
Matt - That knee is very delicate
Pete - Yessss. Work that limb
Ross - FINALLY they take a Road Warrior down - decent selling from Hawk actually. Chair to the knee!
Matt - Hawk has to sell because Animal aint!
Pete - Hawk’s hair is so goddamn bad. Love that DDT
Ross - The crowd are dying for a comeback, it's been about 40 seconds!
Matt - Road Warriors kind of a Pre Goldberg
Pete - Tessa has Tully’s chin. You would expect that given genetics but still...
Ross - Hawk is as useful as a one legged man in an ass kicking contest right now
Matt - Isn't 80s Crockett without a Figure 4
Ross - Ellering doing his job of getting the crowd behind Hawk in the figure 4.
Pete - Literally everyone uses it
Matt - Some shady tags here the ref is letting go
Pete - I think I have seen maybe 3 matches from 80s Crockett that didn’t end in a cradle
Ross - Was that a low blow?! HOT TAG!
Matt - Unintentionally
Pete - What was that spot
Matt - But crowd going Bananas for the tag
Ross - REF BUMP!
Pete - I think that might be the bump that killed JCP
Matt - Hebner getting involved. The Mug
Ross - Doomsday Device! Safely administered. No backflips here from Arn, just flat back bumps.
Pete - His leg is fine!
Matt - REF!!!
Ross - Hebner makes the three count but the original ref spots Animal throwing Arn over the top before and DQ's LOD.
Pete - Oh my god a Dusty finish! In this promotion? Unheard of!
Matt - Warriors dont give a fuck about ref decisions
Pete - I respect that. Someone should try that with Chris Roberts
Matt - Crowd are PISSED
Ross - Love that they turn the lights out when giving the fans the news of the disqualification!
Matt - Well that was that then
NERD RATINGS
Matt - Well I love it. Huge Men beating up dudes. Tully and Arn sell like Champs. Warriors Mega Over Finish is crap but it gets heat on the Horseman and that's the bit. I'll give it a biased 9/10.
Pete - The leg work while it lasted was nice but ultimately this just felt like a complete house show match complete with poor finish. On the biggest show of the year! I’d like to say I saw innovation but tbh I wasn’t a huge fan of this. 4/10. I’m cranky today.
Ross - When you hear 1987 you assume the action will be slow paced and fairly one dimensional, but this was great. So much going on, so many layers, a molten crowd and a very busy finish. The heels were a brilliant mix of chicken shit and cerebral, Hawk showed good selling ability and Animal was HENCH. Enjoyed it and the match flew by. The finish was hokey for a big show, so that takes it down a notch - a shame we didn't see the heels smugly congratulating each other at the end. 6/10
OVERALL NERD RATING 6.5/10
NERD WATCH WEDNESDAY TABLE
09/01/2019 – SIMON – TLC (WRESTLEMANIA 17) – 9/10
30/01/2019 – DOM – SUPER CRAZY v YOSHIHIRO TAJIRI (GUILTY AS CHARGED) – 9/10
13/02/2019 - JAMES - CESARO v SAMI ZAYN (NXT ARRIVAL) - 8.75/10
05/12/2018 – PETE - 6 MAN HELL IN A CELL (ARMAGEDDON 2000) – 8.5/10
21/11/2018 – ROSS - RICKY STEAMBOAT v STEVE AUSTIN (CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS) – 8/10
12/12/2018 – DOM – SHAWN MICHAELS v MANKIND (MIND GAMES) – 8/10
06/03/2019 - MIKE - DEMOLITION v HART FOUNDATION (SUMMERSLAM) 7.5/10
16/01/2019 – SHAFI – WOMEN’S TAG (SURVIVOR SERIES 95) – 7/10
24/01/2019 – ROSS – DOOM v STEINER BROS (CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS X) – 7/10
20/03/2019 - MATT - ARN & TULLY v ROAD WARRIORS (STARRCADE 87) - 6.5/10
28/11/2018 - MAT - UNDERTAKER v JEFF HARDY (RAW) – 6.5/10
06/02/2019 - PETE - JUMPING BOMB ANGELS v GLAMOUR GIRLS (ROYAL RUMBLE 88) - 6.5/10
19/12/2018 – JAMES – ROCK N SOCK v NEW AGE OUTLAWS (ARMAGEDDON 99) – 3.5/10
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