The SmarK Rant for NWA Crockett Cup 87 Night One – 04.10.87

The SmarK Rant for NWA Crockett Cup 87 Night One – 04.10.87

Originally written 12.19.25

Finally got a day off and a few hours to chill and watch some classic Crockett, baby. Thanks again to the WWE Vault for just being awesome all around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOmF6QPVC90&t=18s

Taped from Baltimore, MD, drawing 9000 for night 1

Your host is Tony Schiavone

First round: The Thunderfoots v. Bobby Jaggers & Rocky King

King quickly gets a bodypress on a Thunderfoot for two and the Thunderfeet bail to think it over. Back in the ring, King dominates #1 and Jaggers comes in with a back elbow and drops an elbow on him. I’m assuming this was supposed to be the Kansas Jayhawks on the babyface side and Dutch Mantel didn’t make it for whatever reason? Jaggers with a backdrop on #2 and then he gets caught in the heel corner and choked out, allowing the Feet of Thunder to take over and go to work on him. Much choking is done and many forearms are thrown. Jaggers with a small package on a Foot, but it only gets two and they go to a chinlock while the crowd expresses their displeasure at the pacing of this opener. Thunderfoots with a double elbow for two as the crowd is already leaving to beat the traffic because this match is so terrible. Hot tag Rocky King and he falls victim to a kick from a THUNDERFOOT and somehow forgets how to sell falling down properly, and then they do it again and the Thunderfoot gets the pin at 5:55 to advance. Horrible opener. DUD

First round: The Barbarian & Bill Dundee v. Tim Horner & Mike Rotundo

Rotundo headlocks the Barbarian while Dundee talks trash from the apron, and Mike takes him down and works the arm before bringing in Horner for more of the same. Over to Dundee and Horner also armdrags him a bunch until Dundee calls for time and hides in the corner. So it’s back to Barbarian as Dundee is confident that Horner can’t handle that. So Barbarian presses Horner and teases throwing him to the floor until Dundee yells instructions to turn around and slam him in the ring instead. Back to Rotundo and he goes after Barbie’s arm again, but Dundee gets the cheapshot from the apron and the heels go to work. Barbarian with the KICK OF FEAR and a short clothesline for two. Powerslam gets two. Dundee sends Mike to the floor and they brawl out there, with Dundee looking like a clown as usual, and it’s back in for a second KICK OF FEAR from Barbarian that gets two. Man should be legally dead now. Barbarian with a chinlock and Dundee is 100% confident that the match is over now, but Mike fights out of it for a double down. Barbarian slams him and goes up to finish, but the flying headbutt misses and it’s hot tag Horner. He runs wild and noggins are knocked to set up a bodypress for two on Barbarian, but the ref gets distracted and Dundee hits Horner with a cheapshot from behind and Barbarian is on top for the pin at 8:31. Very entertaining match. ***. Onto the Superpowers for Team Dundee.

First round: Shaska Whatley & Teijho Khan v. Jimmy Valiant & LAZERTRON

Honestly people make fun of the Lazertron gimmick but Hector would fit right in today with the gimmick. Jimmy and Shaska immediately renew hostilities and Jimmy elbows Whatley down for two. Over to Lazertron, who hits Khan with a dropkick. Shaska comes in and taunts Valiant before trying a high knee on Lazer, but it misses and he hits Khan instead, sending both heels running to the floor. Back in, they work Jimmy over as Khan uses MONGOLIAN CHOPS and Jimmy twitches on the mat. Over to Whatley, dancing as always, but Lazertron gets a hot tag and has the pin on Whatley. But the ref is distracted, so Lazertron gets angry and backdrops a charging Whatley over the top for the DQ at 4:27. Shit finish. ½*. It’s onto the Road Warriors next for the heels, so good luck to them.

First round: Ricky Lee Jones & The Italian Stallion v. Jimmy & Ronnie Garvin

Jimmy was getting really hot as a babyface at this point thanks to the Flair feud, but he wasn’t the one who ended up with the World title. Jones takes Ronnie down with a headlock, but Jimmy comes in to break it up and the Garvins bring Jones to their corner and start beating on him. Ron with a backdrop for two and Stallion comes in and hits Jimmy with a dropkick for two, but Jimmy sunset flips him to finish at 2:22. They were way nicer to those geeks than I would have bet on. ½*. Garvins face the Midnight Express but I heard Dennis Condrey is gone so I’m not sure what’s gonna happen there.

First Round: Denny Brown & Todd Champion v. MULKEY-MANIA

The Mulkeys are of course the inspirational babyfaces here, having defeated the internationally renowed Gladiators to qualify for this. Randy controls Brown with armdrags to a GIANT babyface reaction, but Champion comes in and slams him and drops a leg for boos from the crowd. Champion works a chinlock, but Randy rolls him up for two and BALTIMORE BELIEVES. Champion with a headlock and Denny comes in with a kneelift, but Randy takes him down with armdrags and a double Mulkey elbow gets two for Bill. Double backdrop gets two. Suplex gets two for Randy as the crowd is MOLTEN for every move. But then Brown wraps him up in an Oklahoma roll and pins him at 4:00 to advance, drawing a gigantic heel reaction. And that was the end of the Mulkeys and it was never followed up on again. That’s a shame, you could have made them into a lower card team with some house show juice at the very least. *1/2. Brown & Champion face Team Baba in the second round, which is interesting because the All Japan team was totally edited out of the previous VHS release of this show.

First round: Nelson Royal & Mike Graham v. Steve Keirn & George South

So this was supposed to be the Fabulous Ones in the first round, but Stan Lane was suddenly moved to another thing instead. I hear Mike Graham took credit for thinking of it. Royal takes South down and works the leg and it’s over to Graham for more of that. Keirn comes in and has a spicy showdown with Nelson Royal for some reason as Nelson appears to be working heel. The crowd is already sick of this match anyway. And then Royal teases a clean break on the ropes before hitting a blatant knee to Steve’s fabulous ones, and they go to work on Keirn’s leg. Graham, noted inventor of the toehold, keeps Keirn on the mat, but Steve reverses to an armbar and the South comes in with his own armbar as this drags on. Nothing like George South working an armbar to juice the crowd. Back to Nelson as the Royal-Keirn feud that’s suddenly become the talk of wrestling erupts again, and Keirn slams him for the big highspot of the match thus far. South drops a fist on Royal for two and drops a leg for two, but the heel side takes over again and Graham gets a suplex for two. South with a sunset flip for two. But Mike of course invented the two count and is easily able to escape. Graham goes back to his patented toehold as we hit 10:00 and crowd is OVER this match. Royal with a kneebar as Keirn probably has to be wondering why he bothered flying up from Florida for this. So now the babyfaces double-team Graham, who also invented selling, and Keirn slams him for two. Keirn with a shoulderbreaker and South excitedly tags in to help, but then doesn’t do anything and just covers for two. And we go to the chinlock as everyone in the building knows exactly where this is going. South with a clothesline on Graham for two. Keirn comes in and spits at Royal on the apron. Steve Keirn, SPITTING? Well I never. They toss Graham and Keirn suplexes him back into the ring for two. Keirn and Graham with a double down as the crowd gets more bored and angry, but it’s tags on both sides and Royal gets a terrible Thesz Press on South for two. South tosses Royal after some shots in the corner, and back in for an elbow that gets two. Keirn works the back, but Graham comes in with a german suplex on Keirn for two. Another suplex gets two. The crowd sarcastically applauds the announcement of two minutes remaining. Keirn tosses Graham over the top rope and then plays dead like Eddie Guerrero behind the ref’s back, but Royal gets one last tag and cleans house. Elbowdrop on South gets two and thank god, time expires at 20:00. Luckily Mike Graham invented time limit draws too so that this boring match could finally end. ¼*. The Rock N Roll Express gets a bye past the second round as a result of this. Which is quite the feat since Ricky Morton was injured a while before this show and wasn’t even there for it.

First Round: Ivan Koloff & Vladimir Petrov v. Brad & Bob Armstrong

The Russians are the #10 seed in the tournament, but only first 8 seeds get byes so they have to compete in the first round. The Armstrongs double-team Ivan and work the arm, but Bob takes a cheapshot from Petrov and the Russians take over. Petrov with a facelock and some flexing, which is about the extent of his moveset, and Ivan drops a leg for two. Petrov with a Russian Bearhug, but Bob slugs out of that and makes the hot tag to Brad. Backdrop and dropkicks for the Ruskies, and a bodypress on Ivan gets two. It’s BONZO GONZO and Brad gets a sleeper on Ivan, but Petrov breaks it up with a chain to the head and the Armstrongs advance by DQ at 4:20. So they meet AA & Kevin Sullivan in the second round. Nothing to this one. *

First Round: The Mod Squad v. Wahoo McDaniel & Baron Von Raschke

Mod Squad are the #9 seed as we wrap up the first round. Wahoo blasts Basher with a chop and it’s over to the Baron for some headlocks. Wahoo with a chinlock, but Spike breaks it up and the Mods work Wahoo over. But then Baron gets a hot tag and puts the clawhold on Spike, until Basher uses a foreign object to break it up, putting Spike on top for the pin at 4:47 to advance. ½*. And they get the Horsemen in the second round.

ROUND #2!

Second round: The Thunderfoots v. Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez (#1 seed)

The tag champs are the #1 seed, although Rude wasn’t long for the promotion. The Bull hiptosses #2 out of the corner and goes to work on the arm, and Rude comes in for more of that. Manny drops a knee on him and it’s over to #1, but Bull chops him down and the champs double-team him in the corner. Rude with a snap suplex for two. Rude Awakening DDT finishes at 4:36. Total squash for the tag champs. DUD

Second round: The Barbarian & Bill Dundee v. Dusty Rhodes & Nikita Koloff (#2 seed)

Although Capetta says they’re known as “America’s Team”, they are of course the Superpowers. America’s Team was Dusty and another guy who may or may not show up. Dusty with an immediate barrage of clubbering on the Barbarian, and it’s over to Dundee. Dusty hits him with an elbow and Dundee takes a clown bump to the floor off that and then runs in terror from Nikita flexing at him. Back in the ring, Dundee tries to box with Dusty and gets clobbered, and he goes flying all over the ring from those. So it’s Nikita v. Barbarian, which gets a huge reaction while Dundee freaks out on the apron. They battle for the shoulderblock and Nikita dropkicks him instead, sending the heels running again. Back in, Dundee goes after the neck brace to take over on Nikita and chokes him out in the corner. Barbarian with a bearhug, but Nikita flexes out of that and no-sells Bill’s punches. It’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA as Nikita hits Barbarian with a Sickle and Dusty slams Dundee off the top rope, and then Nikita his Dundee with another Sickle and pins him at 7:53 to advance to the quarterfinals. This was exactly what it needed to be. **1/2

Second round: Shaska Whatley & Teijho Khan v. The Road Warriors (#3 seed)

The Warriors are already grumpy at only being seeded #3 despite being the defending champions, and will likely take it out on the Jones Army here. And the heels foolishly attack them and THAT’S a bad idea. Warriors chase them out of the ring and Hawk beats on Khan in the ring before hitting him with a backbreaker. Animal with a press slam as Khan can barely even go up for him, but Animal misses an elbow and Khan uses MONGOLIAN CHOPS to take over. The heels double-team Animal in the corner and he casually flings them away, but Khan cuts him off and drops an elbow for two. Double suplex on Animal follows, but he’s had enough he makes the hot tag to Hawk, who destroys Khan and powerslams him for the pin at 3:46 just like that. Teijho Khan was so bad and this did nothing to help his case. ½*

Second round: Ronnie & Jimmy Garvin v. The Midnight Express (#4 seed)

And yes, this is the debut of Sweet Stan Lane with the Midnight Express, replacing Dennis Condrey after Dennis departed. So this is immediately a crazy brawl as Cornette gets hauled in and beat up by the Garvins, before the Express bails to the floor to talk it over. Back in the ring, Bobby slugs away on Ronnie while Cornete protests the match due to Ronnie being a “psychopathic idiot”. Not the worst thing he’s ever been called. Stan Lane officially debuts and works the arm on Jimmy, but takes a back elbow and bails off a dropkick. Man, Stan just slid in there like he was made for the part. He hits Jimmy with a knee from the apron and the Midnights take over, as Stan uses some karate and Bobby gets a back elbow for two. Ronnie gets a hot tag and runs wild, backdropping Bobby and hitting him with HANDS OF STONE to put him on the floor, but Cornette waffles Ronnie with the racket from behind and the MX wins by countout at 6:20 to advance to the quarters. But then the brawl with the Garvins continues. **

Second round: Todd Champion & Denny Brown v. Giant Baba & Isao Takagi (#5 seed)

We lost Mulkey-Mania for this? Champion takes Takagi down with a headlock and works on that, but then Baba comes in and beats on Denny in the corner. Denny fights back and gets chopped down, and Takagi slams him for two. Over to Todd, who works the arm on Takagi. Baba comes in and facelocks Champion, shrugging off Todd’s comeback attempts and then putting him down with a neckbreaker. And Baba pins him with a big boot at 6:10. This didn’t work at all. DUD.

Second round: Bob & Brad Armstrong v. Kevin Sullivan & Arn Anderson (#7 seed)

The Rock N Roll Express are the #6 seed and get a bye due to the draw in the first round, but now it’s announced that they’re actually injured so they’re out of the tournament and the Japanese team goes all the way to the semi-finals. Arn was originally advertised as teaming with Ric Flair here, but then they changed it to Ric defending against Barry Windham and we get Horsemen adjacent Kevin Sullivan instead. Brad takes AA down with a drop toehold, but Arn rakes the eyes and puts the boots to him on the ropes to take over. Arn with a slam and he drops a knee for two, and Kevin comes in to work the arm. Over to Bob, and Kevin clotheslines him to cut off his comeback attempt, but he slugs away on the heels anyway. But then Sullivan trips him up and goes to work on him in the corner. Bob comes back with a kneelift and Brad tries to come in and save, but Sullivan throws him over the top rope behind the ref’s back. The heels double-team Bob, but Brad hits Sullivan with a sunset flip for the upset win at 5:33 to advance to the quarterfinals and take out their second seeded team. Nice basic match here. **1/2

Second round: The Mod Squad v. Tully Blanchard & Lex Luger (#8 seed)

We get a rather long stall to start as the crowd isn’t really sure who to cheer for here, and oddly enough Tully gets caught in the Squad corner and double-teamed and I guess he’s the face in peril? Over to Luger and he beats on Spike with elbows and slams him to set up an elbow, and now the Horsemen go to work in the corner. Spike chokes out Lex on the ropes after some cheating, but then the Horsemen take over again and Tully tosses Spike and tries a suplex back into the ring. Spike falls on top for two, but it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA and Tully drops an elbow off a blind charge for the pin at 6:31 to advance to the quarters. Pretty bad, and I think the match with Baron & Wahoo could have been a way better choice. DUD

Cage match: Big Bubba Rogers v. Ole Anderson

This is a Last Man Standing match rather than escape or pinfall rules. The story is that Bubba is a hired goon for the Horsemen, paid to take out Ole. They slug it out and Ole runs Bubba into the cage, but Bubba gets his own shot to the cage and pounds on Ole in the corner. Ole fights back and beats on Bubba with knees, but Bubba puts him down and chokes him out to take over. Ole fights back out of the corner and they slug it out with Ole busted open, and Bubba throttles him and chokes him out on the cage before going to the top. Flying splash misses and Ole hits him with a piledriver for a double down, and Bubba seemingly pops up, but then falls down again and can’t answer the count at 7:00. ***

And that’s night one!

Nothing really outstanding on the first half of the show, which probably shouldn’t be terribly shocking, but the star power overall of this show was kind of lacking to begin with.

Tomorrow we do NIGHT TWO with the Quarterfinals, Semis and Finals, plus Flair v. Windham for the NWA World title!