The Great American Bash 1988 review features the summer spectacular for Jim Crockett Promotions. We’ve got a highly-anticipated main event in Ric Flair vs. Lex Luger and several undercard matches that seem to have to potential.
But will JCP get in its own way?
Let’s jump right into Blake’s Great American Bash 1988 review.
Date: July 10, 1988
Location: Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, MD
Sting and Nikita Koloff vs. (c) Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard (w/JJ Dillon) – NWA World Tag Team Titles
Hell of a matchup to start the show and a hell of a brawl to start the match. While it may seem odd for Sting to go from main event star at Clash of the Champions I to opener, this is far from a step down. Sting with a small package less than a minute into the match and you can already tell this crowd is gonna be insane. STING THEN LEGITIMATELY FLIES OVER THE TOP ROPE ONTO ARN ON THE OUTSIDE. HOLY HELL. That may have been one of the loudest pops I’ve ever heard.
Koloff immediately slows things down with an armbar, but then goes damn insane with clotheslines on both Arn and Tully that sends the crowd into a frenzy. We have Sting back in as the good dudes control the match. Now we have Sting dropkicking Arn and Tully. Match slows back down but the story is the same. No one is stopping Sting and Koloff. Like there’s zero point in this match where Arn and Tully have control. Maybe a move here and there but that’s it.
Dillon has had enough of that and gets involves by pulling Koloff to the outside. Then the Russian charges at Dillon but gets speared into the ring post by Arn. This eventually leads to a big DDT from Arn but Koloff kicks out. After more control from Arn, IT’S HOT TAG TO STING TIME. He’s full steam ahead and we get to splash mountain.
And then in what was a recurring finish during this era, Sting locks on the Scorpion Death Lock but Tully doesn’t tap out before the time limit expires at 20:00. Good match, not a good finish.
• Rating: ***1/2
The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette) vs. (c) The Fantastics – NWA US Tag Team Titles
We saw how awesome their Clash I match was (I gave it **** and honestly think that may have been too low). Let’s see if this can top it. Cornette is put in a straight jacket and locked in a cage above the ring. The process of getting him in there drags out for about 10 minutes.
Fulton all over Eaton in the early going. Match continues to favor the champs, but it’s lacking a flow and heat. That wasn’t a problem at Clash I. You also have to keep in mind that the crowd was absolutely exhausted after the previous tag match. Not a great spot to be in.
Now we have Eaton and Lane in control by working on Rogers. He fights back to get a near fall and then Eaton prevents the hot tag to Fulton. Double team by the Express but Rogers gets the mild tag. Surprisingly zero heat for this. And then Lane powerslams Fulton on the outside. That hurt. And it’s time for the ref bump as Tommy Young goes down. This allows Lane to bring a chain in and Eaton uses it on Fulton to get the pin at 16:23 and win back the titles. Cornette gets whipped after the match.
Another wonky finish and the match wasn’t their best. But when your best is really, really good, this is still more than fine.
• Rating: ***
Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotundo, Al Perez, Ivan Koloff, and The Russian Assassin vs. The Road Warriors, Dr. Death Steve Williams, Ronnie Garvin, and Jimmy Garvin – Tower of Doom Match
Here’s the deal: Good luck trying to figure out the rules. All I know is that we have three cages stacked on top of each other, with the smallest one at the top, and the objective is for all five team members to eventually make it out of the bottom cage, which Precious is occupying. Also, every two minutes Tommy Young blows a horn and trap doors are open. Let’s agree to throw all logic out in the window for this portion of the review.
So we start with Ronnie Garvin and Ivan Koloff climbing ladders to the top. They are fighting in the cage while Williams and Rotundo wait right outside the top cage. This is already giving the DOOMSDAY CAGE MATCH in 1996 a run for its money. Who am I kidding? It’s not even close to that monstrosity. Yet.
Let’s try to figure out our first big development of the match. So after the first horn blows and Williams and Rotundo come in, Ronnie manages to escape through the trap door to the next cage. But no one else does. Therefore, now we have Koloff and Rotundo beating the piss out of Williams while Garvin is down there chillin’ and watching his friend get destroyed. How does that make any sense?
I’m not even trying to figure out what’s going on here anymore. We’ve got Hawk whipping that ass in the top cage while Williams/Animal vs. Koloff/Perez are happening in the second cage. We then get a camera shot of a kid in a mask (I do love masks!) and he looks like he just found out Santa wasn’t real. He’s confused as can be. Me too, kid. Me too.
Give the crowd credit though. They are reacting well. Thus far we have Garvin and Animal escaping for the good guys and Perez escaping for the bad guys. Bless Jim Ross for over the top selling this thing. We’re down to Jimmy vs. Sullivan. We all knew was happening with Precious at stake. Sullivan gets to Precious and Jimmy fights him off. Sullivan then pushes Jimmy out of the cage to give Jimmy’s team the win at 19:55. But this was all done to allow him to be locked in the cage alone with Precious.
And now Jimmy and Hawk climb all the way back to the top and come back down through all the cages as Sullivan chokes Precious. My goodness. Hawk is the first one down and he demolishes Sullivan while Jimmy takes her out of the cage. The crowd went wild for this.
How do you rate something like this? The heat was there, but the rules were obviously beyond stupid. Still, it’s better than the DOOMSDAY CAGE MATCH. Just throwing out a star here like in Super Mario Galaxy.
• Rating: *
Dusty Rhodes vs. (c) Barry Windham (w/JJ Dillon) – US Heavyweight Title Match
Here’s Dusty trying to get back his title. Vicious press slam and DDT from Dusty to get things started. Now he’s up on the top rope and hits a flying cross body. Dusty flying is not something I thought I’d ever type. Windham starts heading for the locker room but for some reason changes his mind. Why not? You retain the title in a countout. Smart wrestling in my opinion.
Dusty back in complete control after elbows to Windham and Dillon. Match now on the outside and Dusty delivers a back drop to Windham on the concrete floor. This was before mats were invented. Don’t forget that. This has been a squash so far. Windham finally gets some sort of offense with THE CLAW. We’re now going on three minutes or so with the claw, with the only thing in between being Dusty dancing to try and get out of it. We are now over five minutes with this one move.
Finally we get a break and ref bump number two on the night is here. Dusty hits the big elbow and goes for the pin. Guess what we don’t have? A referee. And here comes Ronnie Garvin into the ring. HE CLEANS DUSTY’S CLOCK. What the hell, what the hell, what the hell! JR didn’t say that, but if this was 10 years later, that would be the call. Shocking turn and Windham claws him for the pin to retain at 15:55.
Remember what I said about Garvin not helping anyone in the Tower of Doom? Could it be that this was planned? I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that it was. That’s great booking. No one saw Garvin turning, so the finish was well done and the crowd was buzzing afterwards. The match itself was not great, but kudos to all parties involved for the finish.
• Rating: **1/2
IN THE BACK: Garvin is rolling around in a suitcase of money, so the story is that Dillon and Gary Hart paid him off. Beautiful work.
Lex Luger vs. (c) Ric Flair (w/JJ Dillon) – NWA World Heavyweight Title
Luger with good offense to start this thing off and Flair is bumping like a mad man. Impressive press slam from Luger as well. I think that guy lifts weights. Funny spot with Flair calling for Tommy Young, and then Young goes out and pushes him. Flair chases him back into the ring and Luger blocks the path to Young. Small stuff like this is why Flair is the GOAT.
Now we’ve got Luger with the Bear Hug to apply pressure to Flair. Considering how hot the parking lot attack was on Luger in the build to this show, you’d think he’d be a bit more aggressive and really sell the hatred between these two. Anyways, Luger gets a near fall and then we get more battling back and forth. Flair goes up top and then gets the mini-Flairs racked after Luger pushes him onto the ropes. But Flair gets the momentum back and starts going at Luger’s knee. And now the Figure Four is locked in.
Flair using the ropes for leverage as any good heel would. Luger manages to break out and Flair goes back at the knee. Luger tries to mount offense but the knee is out of commission. This just doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere. Flair takes control and Luger no sells the shit out of it and comes back with a vicious clothesline. Backslide gets a near fall, then we get a terrible spot with both trying to go over the top. Luger seemingly voluntarily throws himself over with Flair.
Dillon takes a cheapshot at Luger by throwing him into the ring post. He’s busted wide open. Meanwhile, the wrestling commissioner is calling for the referee. Luger puts Flair in the Torture Rack to win at 23:13, BUT SCREWJOB FINISH AGAIN BOYS AND GIRLS. Young awards the match to Flair after the SUPERVISING INSPECTOR OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND STOPS THE MATCH DUE TO LUGER’S FOREHEAD BLEEDING.
Think about the build to this match. Luger was busted open in the parking lot brouhaha and really bled like a stuck pig. In this match, the cut was nowhere near that impressive. And it left the crowd extremely unhappy after having the wool pulled over their eyes yet again. This was a mega match for the promotion, and once again, JCP makes a complete mockery of it with a pathetic finish. Why should anyone pay for a ticket to this? It made Luger look terrible and the promotion look even worse. Match was fine, but it gets knocked for the brutal finish.
• Rating: **1/2
Blake’s Great American Bash 1988 Awards
- Best Match: Sting and Nikita Koloff vs. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard
- Show MVP: Ric Flair
- Overall Great American Bash 1988 Rating: 4.5/10
- Thoughts: The state of JCP can be wrapped up with one of the final moments of the pay per view. No, not the unbelievably stupid finish in the biggest match in the company at the time. It was the final scene where JR and Schiavone were discussing the ending, and a random fan in the background gives the middle finger to the camera for about five seconds before the camera cuts away. He wasn’t the only one that wanted to do that. Why should anyone pay money for this event when you know you’re getting screwy finishes by the dozen? This company had the superior wrestlers, but it didn’t have the superior minds. This show was proof of that despite several decent matches. Luckily, all of this would start to change by the time we reach our next big event involving these guys.
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