The SmarK Rant for NWA Power Hour – 03.30.90

The SmarK Rant for NWA Power Hour – 03.30.90

Taped from Miami Beach, FL

Your hosts are Jim Ross & Gordon Solie

Tommy Rich & Johnny Ace v. Samu & Cuban Assassin

What kind of a drug-induced WCW fever dream did someone wake up from and think THIS up as a result? Johnny shows his PEOPLE POWER and tours ringside slapping hands to start, and then controls both heels with armdrags back in the ring. Over to Rich as he controls the Cuban with more armbars, and the babyfaces double-team him in the corner. I feel like there HAS to be a funny name for Rich & Ace but I’m stumped. The Blow-Jobbers? Big Johnny gets chopped in the throat by the Cuban and necked on the top rope, and he’s Ace-in-peril. Samu with a superkick for two. Ace gets tossed over the top behind the ref’s back, and back in for another superkick from Samu for two, but he misses a blind charge and it’s hot tag Tommy. Backdrop for the Assassin and the heels get noggins knocked, but the Thesz Press only gets two as Samu makes the save. Rich with the sleeper on the Cuban with time running out, but everyone brawls as time expires at 10:00 for the draw. A fine opener, actually. **1/2

WRESTLING NEWS NETWORK! WITH GORDON SOLIE!

Apparently Lex Luger continues nipping at the heels of Ric Flair, chasing the World title. Also this guy Mean Mark Callous will be returning from Japan soon, and we might find out what’s in the black box of Norman the Lunatic soon. WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Cactus Jack v. Eddie Gilbert

Hey, we get a rematch from last week, although this is shot in a totally different arena than the rest of the show. Gilbert gets a backdrop for two and goes up with a flying bodypress for two, and then chases Cactus to the floor with a dropkick. Back in, Eddie works the arm and takes him down with a hammerlock, but Jack fights out with elbows and takes Eddie down with a headlock. They fight over a wristlock and Eddie hammerlocks him on the mat again, but Jack catches him with a shot to the throat to take over. Jack with a legsweep for two as the crowd completely turns on the match with a “boring” chant, and Jack conducts them for a bit. Jack with a kneelift for two while Kevin Sullivan joins us at ringside to cheer Jack on, and Jack goes to a chinlock. Eddie powers out with an electric chair, but Jack catches him with an atomic drop and takes him to the floor with a Cactus Clothesline. Sullivan gets a cheapshot on Eddie and then Jack dropkicks him off the apron as Eddie takes a wacky bump to the floor off that. Jack follows with an attempt at the elbow off the apron, but he can’t navigate around the Roos turnbuckle pad and just goes after Eddie on the floor instead. But then Gilbert gives him a backdrop suplex on the floor, and they fight back in the ring and exchange cradles for two. Double clothesline and they’re both down, but Eddie is up first and Sullivan necks him on the top rope and puts Jack on top for the pin at 9:40. This had moments but was very subdued compared to the crazy brawl from last week. **1/2

Terry Funk interviews the Wild Samoans, and they’ve gone from being illiterate savages to doing a normal promo while clowning on Funk. That was certainly an interesting direction for them. Don’t think it ever went anywhere.

NWA World tag team title: The Steiner Brothers v. Doom

Ron slugs it out with Scott to start after they exchange words, and Scott powerslams him and hits him with an atomic drop. Over to Rick as Doom regroups, but Rick hurls Simmons with an overhead suplex and basically just spits on gravity. Reed comes in and Rick flattens him with the Steinerline, and it’s back to Scott again. Reed beats on him with forearms, but Scott gets a dropkick and his own Steinerline, then he hits both of them with suplexes but gets sent to the floor and takes a bump on his bad arm. Back in, Doom takes over as Reed crotches him on the top rope and clotheslines him for two. Reed with a backdrop and a NASTY high knee, and it’s over to Simmons, but he walks into a Frankensteiner out of nowhere and that gets two. They all slug it out and Rick rolls up Reed, but Simmons takes the ref and Teddy Long runs in and hits Rick with the loaded boxing glove, putting Reed on top for the pin and the TITLES at 8:00?!? But no, Paul Ellering runs in and stooges Teddy out to the ref, and they check the glove and find brass knuckles inside, resulting in a reversed decision. I mean, that’s kind of bullshit, since the ref can’t call what he didn’t see. Although the signs were already there that Doom was getting closer to being a top team after getting unmasked and humiliated weeks earlier. This was a HOSS FIGHT, bad finish aside. ***1/4

A really solid show this week! The tag title match is a bit of a hidden gem and this was a fun hour of wrestling.