The SmarK Rant for NWA Worldwide – 05.24.86

The SmarK Rant for NWA Worldwide – 05.24.86

Originally written 07.11.26

Taped from Fayetteville, NC on 05.19.86

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & David Crockett

Arn Anderson joins us, bragging about how he’s defended the TV title week after week against TOP GUYS. Like Italian Stallion? But tonight he’s defending against Wahoo McDaniel.

Magnum TA & Dusty Rhodes join us, and apparently if the James Boys are unmasked and revealed to be them, fines will be levied and suspensions will occur. Magnum and Dusty want a tag title match against the Midnight Express, but David points out that Nikita wants a shot at the US title on TV and Magnum is also going to have to deal with that.

The Rock N Roll Express v. The Golden Terror & Vern Deaton

Robert takes Vern down with a snapmare and goes to the chinlock, and then Ricky comes in and works a headlock, and the double dropkick finishes at 1:11.

Meanwhile, Tony and David discuss the GREAT AMERICAN BASH. With FIREWORKS! And country music! So much country music!

Shaska Whatley v. The Italian Stallion

Shaska runs the Stallion into the corner and slugs him down before choking him out on the ropes before tossing him out to the floor. Paul Jones gets some shots out there and Shaska hauls him back in and slugs away, but Stallion comes back with elbows until Whatley tosses him out again. This time it’s some shots from from Baron, and back in the ring for the pin off a headbutt at 3:00. And then he goes for Stallion’s beautiful locks, but Jimmy Valiant and Manny Fernandez make the save.

Tully Blanchard joins us, and JJ Dillon bitches about Ronnie Garvin constantly being forced on them with National title shots that they do not want to grant. So Tully accepts this fate and he will tape up his fists and fight with Ronnie whenever he wants on the Bash tour.

Manny Fernandez v. Tony Zane

Bull quickly hits the flying burrito and then picks him up and does it again and pins him at 0:55. Weird squash as Zane was looking confused about where he needed to be.

Jimmy Valiant joins us with a new t-shirt that reveals Whatley will be a BALD HEADED GEEK, with help from his friends Hector Guerrero and Manny Fernandez, who are apparently both registered barbers.

Todd Champion v. George South

Todd takes South down and works the arm, and then backdrops him out of the corner and headlocks him on the mat. Champion with a back elbow and that’s the finish at 3:10. Todd was a mayonnaise sandwich on white bread with a side of tap water.

Ron Garvin joins us and his broken hand is feeling better, and now he’s ready for his rematch with Tully, and he wants taped fists on both sides.

The Midnight Express v. Rocky Kernodle & Sam Houston

The babyfaces double-team Condrey in the corner while the announcers point out that Houston is wrestling the Express night after night, even though he has different partners every night and never wins. But he never tags in and Condrey powerslams Rocky and puts Bobby onto him with a legdrop to finish at 1:30.

World TV title: Arn Anderson v. Wahoo McDaniel

Wahoo takes him down with a headlock and Arn bails to the floor off that, and back in to work the arm. Wahoo puts him down with a chop, which Tony calls “The great equalizer”. I thought that was something else? Arn tries a headlock, but Wahoo kicks him in the knee and goes to work on that, although Arn makes the ropes quickly. Wahoo stays on the leg, but Arn rakes the eye and goes to a chinlock. Arn puts the boots to him and chokes him out on the ropes before going back to the chinlock, but Wahoo chops him down again. Arn drops a knee on him and we get another chinlock as there’s not a lot of wrestling on display here and they just feel like they’re stalling until the 10 minute time limit. Wahoo with a suplex and Arn bails to the floor to buy time. Back in, Wahoo with a backbreaker for two and Arn goes out for another stall, literally pointing at his pretend watch to indicate that he wants to stall out the match. Back in, Wahoo gets the chop for the pin, but Arn’s foot was in the ropes, so Arn just decides to throw Wahoo over the top rope and get DQ’d at 10:00. Very underwhelming match.

The Russians join us, and Ivan notes that they don’t need American dollars because they have lots of rubles from the Kremlin every week. And they’re gonna have the US title match on TV, but not until they’re allowed to have a press conference. David: “Why?” Ivan: “…..” Well that clears it right up.

Just kind of a filler episode building up to the start of the Bash tour.