National Wrestling Alliance / World Championship Wrestling - Saturday, April 6th, 1985
- This is the very first "NWA TBS show" when the WWF sold the TBS timeslot to Jim Crockett Jr in early 1985. See the Wikipedia entry for "Black Saturday" for the history leading up to this inaugural Crockett TBS broadcast.
- The show opens with a flashback to Tony Schiavone's interview with Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson, where Ole is dumping Thunderbolt as his partner. Ole: "Today is a free day....I'm leaving. Next time I see you, I suggest you watch out."
- Opening credits.
- Your announcers are David Crockett and Tony Schiavone. All the champions are here tonight...Ric Flair, the NWA World Heavyweight Champion...Magnum TA, the NWA US Heavyweight Champion...Ivan and Nikita Koloff, the NWA World Tag Team Champions. Arn Anderson will face Manny Fernandez, who are in the middle of a hot feud.
- In a (presumably) non-title match: NWA World Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Ivan & Nikita Koloff vs. George South & Greg Silm (sp?)
- Effectively a squash, with the Koloffs doing a good job of "cutting the ring in half".
- Nikita Koloff uses "The Russian Hammer" which is a combination clothesline and choke hold on Greg Silm during the match.
- Eventually, Nikita uses The Russian Sicle on George South, and gets the pin in the opponents' corner. Silm didn't even try to break the count...he'd had enough.
- Your Winner: The NWA World Heavyweight Tag Team Champions Ivan and Nikita Koloff via pinfall.
- Tony Schiavone interviews with NWA World Heavyweight Champion. A classic interview, referring to the "ten pounds of gold" and "to be the man, you've got to beat the man".
- Jimmy "Boogie Woogie Man" Valiant vs. A.C. Markio (sp?)
- Valiant's entrance song is "Cool, Cool Kitty".
- A.C. Markio really gets tossed around in a total squash..
- Valiant calls out Paul Jones and his men ("Superstar" Billy Graham and Barbarian) during the match.
- Valiant pulls up his opponent twice during the match at the count of two to administer more punishment.
- Finally, Valiant gets the pin after a back elbow and a big elbowdrop.
- Your Winner: Jimmy Valiant via pinfall.
- Tully Blanchard w/"Perfect 10" Baby Doll vs. Sam Houston
- Fun fact: Baby Doll is really Sam Houston's wife.
- Tully Blanchard starts off the match with a clean handshake. That's so cool for a heel to do.
- Dusty Rhodes, the current NWA Television Champion, does voice-over commentary during the match.
- Tully Blanchard had been the longest reigning NWA Television Champion when Dusty defeated him.
- Tully gets a two-count with a backslide during the match. Not a move you often see heels do.
- A pretty good back-and-forth match. Multiple times, when you think the end is nearing for Sam Houston, he mounts a comeback.
- Eventually, Tully hits a hot shot under the bottom rope, a slingshot suplex, and it's over.
- Your Winner: Tully Blanchard via pinfall.
- Interview with current NWA Television Champion, Dusty Rhodes. Man...he can talk. He, Tommy Rich, and a partner will be gunning for the current NWA Six-Man Tag Champions, Ivan Koloff, Nikita Koloff and Kruscher Kruschev. He rags on Ric Flair, Tully Blanchard, and Baby Doll.
- Superstar Billy Graham (sans hair) with "Number One" Paul Jones (with left arm in a sling) vs. Rocky King
- Graham totally manhandles Rocky King. Paul Jones gets a shot in with his cane.
- Graham does an over-the-shoulder back breaker, but purposely drops King before getting the submission.
- Graham eventually ends the carnage with the "unbreakable" full nelson. The referee drops King's arm three times, and it's over.
- Your Winner: Superstar Billy Graham via submission.
- Schiavone and Crockett are discussing Magnum TA, who has the record for the fastest pinfall in history.
- A promotional video of Magnum TA with "Born To Be Wild" is shown. While I laugh at his mullet, I am impressed with how high he gets on a standing dropkick, even though he is a big man. Twice, we have a close-up of the mouth of a woman licking her lips.
- Schiavone interviews Michael Hayes. Hayes wants Flair. At first, I didn't know if he was looking into the wrong camera or reading cue cards. Eventually, I figured out he was focusing on Ric Flair, who is in the ring.
- In a presumably non-title match: NWA/WCW World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair vs. Gene Ligon (sp?)
- The match starts off with amateur mat wrestling. Pretty even contest to start out.
- Flair gets a two-count following a double underhook suplex.
- Ligon gets in a lot of offense.
- "Now...it's time to go to school!". Figure-four, and Ligon submits.
- Your Winner: Ric Flair via submission.
- Schiavone interviews Jimmy "Boogie Woogie Man" Valiant. Valient really plays a screaming kook. He's got a baseball bat with Paul Jones' name carved into it.
- Schiavone and Crockett are discussing the situation between Ole Anderson and Thunderbolt Patterson, who are currently NWA National Tag Team Champions, and how Ole seems to be dumping Patterson for Arn. We go back to the complete version of the segment that the show opened with. Ole's interviews are interesting...very heartfelt.
- Arn Anderson vs. Manny Fernandez
- That Panama hat doesn't really help Arn's credibility.
- Schiavone says this is the hottest feud in wrestling. It started when Arn broke another wrestler's arm, and Manny jumped in to prevent further injury.
- Ole is at ringside with the announcers. Hmmmm...I wonder this is going to go.
- Ole claims that he and Arn are brothers. Schiavone corrects him with that their fathers are brothers.
- Classic wrestling moves, with Fernandez dominating in the early going.
- Ole is getting a little frustrated by Arn's slow start.
- We go to mat wrestling, Fernandez with the advantage, working on Arn's left knee.
- Commercial.
- Arn is able to kick Manny out of the ring with his good leg. Arn does some damage on the floor, and throws Fernandez back into the ring.
- Arn continues to do damage on Manny's left arm back in the ring.
- Fernandez tries to turn the tide, but he runs into Arn's knee in the corner. Arn maintains pressure on the left arm.
- Fernandez turns things around with a back body drop, but then he misses an elbow drop and Arn goes back to working on Fernandez' arm.
- Ole is coaching Arn (via screaming) from ringside.
- Fernandez turns things around with one good arm.
- Fernandez puts Arn down with a flying forearm. He would have gotten the three-count, but Ole points out to the referee that Arn's leg is under the ropes.
- Fernandez faces down Ole, and that gives Arn the opportunity to kick Fernandez in the back and send him out of the ring.
- Ole and Fernandez start brawling outside the ring, and Arn joins in.
- They are beating the snot out of him.
- Thunderbolt Patterson gets between the Andersons and Fernandez.
- Arn attacks Patterson and tosses him into the ring.
- Arn is working on Patterson in the ring. Ole is standing on the outside, seemingly not sure what to do.
- Patterson gets the advantage on Arn. Finally Ole jumps in and helps to beat up Patterson.
- Patterson is double-teamed. Ole does a stomp from the top rope onto Patterson's leg with Arn handling Patterson down. He tries to do it a second time, but Fernandez jumps in to cover Patterson, and Fernandez gets stomped in the back.
- Fernandez and Patterson are both out, getting stomped by the Andersons. Finally, a number of wrestlers run in and clear the ring.
- Your Winner: Presumably Manny Fernandez via disqualification.
- We cut to Schiavone interviewing the World Tag Team Champions, the Koloffs, at ringside.
- Ivan is very happy to see that his former partner, Ole Anderson, has seen the light.
- Ivan is very proud of Nikita, and feels that the best competition is in the NWA.
- Nikita wants the Road Warriors, and he wants Flair.
- Ric Flair is back again to be interviewed by Schiavone, this time with three lovely ladies.
- In addition to his full-time job as the greatest wrestler in the world, Flair runs his financial empire and always leaves ladies with a smile on their face.
- "Ric Flair is forever, and so is the NWA."
- In a presumably non-title match: NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA vs. Paul Barnett
- Barnett gets a few shots in.
- Tables are turned, a belly-to-belly suplex, and it's over. Maybe 30 seconds tops for the match.
- Your Winner: NWA U.S. Heavyweight Champion Magnum TA via pinfall.
- Schiavone and Crockett discuss Tully Blanchard and Dusty Rhodes.
- A promotional video of how Tully Blanchard found his "Perfect 10" is shown. It shows him turning down one of his rejects. It's unintentionally hilarious...and the REO Speedwagon song laid over as soundtrack adds to the comic value of the segment.
- The Barbarian vs. Joshua Straud
- Barbarian manhandles Straud, including catching him in mid-air on an attempted body press and a body slam on the floor outside the ring.
- Flying headbutt from the top rope, and it's over.
- Total squash.
- Your Winner: The Barbarian via pinfall.
- Schiavone interviews Dusty Rhodes. Rhodes says that he prefers cowgirls rather than the girls Flair had with him. Also, Rhodes notes that Flair has a big nose. Rhodes is gunning for Ole Anderson.
- Schiavone interviews former TV Champion Tully Blanchard and The Perfect 10.
- Numerous close ups of The Perfect 10 during the interview. She's a mouth-breather.
- "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel w/JJ Dillon vs. David Dillinger
- The announcers are very complimentary of Landel.
- Slow going as Landel methodically takes his opponent apart. Every time Dillinger gets a move in, Landel counters.
- Landel keeps slamming his opponent's head into the mat, like double-dribbling a basketball.
- After the initial flurry of moves, Landel does various damage while keeping Dillinger's arm in an arm bar.
- Landel really shows himself to be a very good counter-wrestler.
- Finally, Landel locks in the figure-four and gets the submission. Landel puts in on by just snapping it in versus locking it in from a spinning toe hold like Flair does.
- Your Winner: Buddy Landel via submission.
- Schiavone interviews JJ Dillon. Dillon says he and Paul Jones will be joining forces.
- Black Bart w/JJ Dillon vs. Ron Rossi
- Black Bart takes Rossi apart with power moves and clubbing blows.
- Black Bart throws Rossi through the second and third ropes, and the second rope breaks all the way around the ring. Dillon adds a few boots in as an insult on Rossi on the floor.
- Dillon throws Rossi back in and, after a big leg drop, Bart finally puts Rossi out of his misery.
- Your Winner: Black Bart via pinfall.
- Schiavone interviews Ole and Arn Anderson. Ole refers to Arn as his brother again.
- Schiavone asks about the National Tag Team belts since Ole and Patterson are obviously no longer partners, and Ole rails on Patterson but doesn't answer the question.
- Promo video for Jimmy Valiant. Not sure what clips of girls walking on the beach has to do with anything but, whatever. Ditto for Valiant standing amongst a collection of highway signs.
- The show ends with the interview of Dusty Rhodes right after he won the NWA Television Title. What a nut. I find it ironic that the Television Champion was the only major belt holder not to wrestle on the show tonight.
- The Good: This was a star-studded show. Also, the "Search For The Perfect 10" segment was hilarious.
- The Bad: Sorry, fresh out. It was a solid show, and an excellent first outing for NWA on TBS.
- The Ugly: Jimmy Valiant. Look up "ugly" in the dictionary and you'll see his picture.