After the marathon review that was WrestleMania V, next up is the Clash of the Champions VI review.
After Ricky Steamboat captured the NWA World Heavyweight Title at Chi-Town Rumble, it’s time to move to the next installment of Clash of the Champions, which happened to air at the exact same time as WrestleMania V.
Let’s jump right into Blake’s Clash of the Champions VI review.
Date: April 2, 1989
Location: The Superdome in New Orleans, LA
OUTSIDE THE RING: Jim Ross and Michael Hayes are your announcers for the evening. Hayes is already loaded. We then go to a video package of Jim Herd giving a speech about some of the wrestling greats of the past.
The Samoan Swat Team (w/Paul E Dangerously) vs. The Midnight Express (w/Jim Cornette)
The feud between Cornette and Dangerously continues, but with a different team representing the latter. With the original Midnights out of the promotion, Paul E found himself a new duo. Samu accidentally nails Fatu in the early going as Lane moves out of the way. But Samu answers a hellacious chop and slam before bringing in Fatu.
Eaton makes his way into the match and he goes up top to deliver the dropkick to Fatu. Cornette makes his presence felt by hammering Samu with the tennis racket as Hayes goes nuts on commentary. Samoans control for a bit but another miscue from Samu pisses Fatu off. Paul E does what Paul E does and calms him down.
Back and forth we go with both teams finding some offense. Things pick up yet again when Eaton gets in and gets a near fall on an inside cradle. Lane and Eaton make a tag behind Tommy Young’s back and that leads to a funny spot where Cornette jumps on the apron and encourages the crowd to admit they saw a tag. A brouhaha breaks out temporarily but Samoans use the double team to get the momentum back.
Young finds himself occupied with Lane and that gives the Samoans another shot at double teaming Eaton. We work to all four men in the ring and the battering ram from Lane and Eaton causes Samu and Fatu to start hitting each other. What teammates. Cornette uses the racket again but the Samoans use kicks to the momentum. And now we’ve got all four in the ring brawling once again. Crowd seems to enjoy this.
These guys are putting in a good effort, but the match is just too long. Fatu misses the headbutt off the top and Eaton gets the hot tag. Another Samoan miscue allows Eaton to hit a neckbreaker for a two count. Then we get the Rocket Launcher but Young is once again distracted by Lane. Samoans use Paul E’s phone to score the win at 20:32. This had some very good spots, but really long for what it was.
• Rating: **1/2
The Great Muta (w/Gary Hart) vs. Steven Casey
Something tells me Casey doesn’t have a shot here. I absolutely LOVED Muta back in the day. Casey is a complete dumbass to start this match, as he gets right in Muta’s face after he sprays the mist. Naturally, Muta sprays the mist in Casey’s face. Muta goes to work. Casey’s face and hair are all green.
Casey gets a small amount of offense before Muta decides to start kicking his ass again. Not even sure why Casey is trying at this point. The next seven minutes is Muta completely decimating Casey and that’s about it. What a unique talent. He hits the Moonsault for the victory at 8:11. Muta is spectacular.
• Rating: **
Junkyard Dog vs. Butch Reed (w/Hiro Matsuda)
JYD comes out with his own New Orleans band. The entrances for this match lasted longer than the Muta match I think. They get some good heat early with JYD bringing it. Eye rake from Reed turns the tide. This leads to Matsuda getting involved while Teddy Long has his back turned. Go figure.
Chinlock from Reed slows things down. Crowd loves them some JYD. He fights out and gets a two count after a back drop. Double clothesline and both men are on the mat. Flying shoulder block from Butch and he goes for the pin, but JYD’s foot is on the ropes. At least Teddy saw that one.
But Teddy’s efficient refereeing did not last long, as he goes over and gets involved with Matsuda. This leads to JYD throwing Reed into Matsuda and scoring the pin at 9:56. Crowd enjoyed it.
• Rating: *1/2
Kevin Sullivan and Danny Spivey vs. (c) Eddie Gilbert and Rick Steiner (w/Missy Hyatt) – NWA U.S. Tag Team Titles
So apparently the WWE Network cut out three matches: Bob Orton vs. Dick Murdoch, Mike Rotunda and Steve Williams vs. The Road Warriors, and Ranger Ross vs. The Iron Sheik. Fuck those first two, but GIVE ME SHEIKY BABY. Of course, it’s worth noting that Rotunda and Williams won the titles from Hawk and Animal thanks to Teddy Long going rogue and screwing them over. Good moment there.
Spivey slams Gilbert early and lets off the pinfall. More work from Spivey and Steiner gets the hot tag and hits a huge powerslam for a near fall. Belly to belly from Steiner but Sullivan breaks up the count. And then Sullivan goes after Hyatt to the surprise of no one. Out of nowhere, Gilbert scores the pin at 3:51 as we rush to commercial break. So yeah that was that. Extremely short match due to what was coming next.
• Rating: 1/2*
Ric Flair vs. (c) Ricky Steamboat – 2/3 Falls Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Title
Here we go. Terry Funk is on commentary. They exchange slaps to start the match. Amateur wrestling moves and then Steamboat slaps Flair again. Wristlock from Flair until Steamboat breaks it and Flair regroups to the outside. JR takes a shot at the boys up north by saying Flair and Steamboat are in the best shape of any two men battling for a world title on April 2. SHOTS FIRED AT THE MACHO MAN AND HULKSTER.
Flair works out of the headlock and Steamboat takes him down to lock it on again. We get to the corner where Flair starts chopping the life out of Steamboat. Then Steamboat fights back with chops of his own and hits the hip toss. Steamboat on fire now as he controls the action. We work back to the corner and more chops from both men. These things are vicious. Backdrop from Steamboat and then a dropkick for the two count. Flair pleading for Steamboat to stop. Something tells me he won’t.
Pace picks up as Steamboat gets a couple of near falls before going back to the front facelock. BACK TO THE CHOPS. Flair does the Flair flop for another near fall. They are really telling the story of Steamboat staying aggressive to try to get that first fall. He’s going for pins after all of the impact moves and it works well. Flair is pissed now and he’s chopping away. BUT STEAMBOAT IS NOT DONE CHOPPING. Flair regains the advantage and goes for a series of pins of his own.
Flair goes for the Figure Four but Steamboat reverses it into a small package for two. That leads to Flair reversing into a small package of his own to score the first fall at 19:33. Flair leads 1-0.
Quick pace to start the second fall as Steamboat is showing the aggressiveness again to try to tie it up. Flair misses a knee drop and Steamboat takes advantage by going after Flair’s knee. Steamboat locks in the Figure Four on Flair and Nature Boy is in pain. Flair finally reaches the ropes. Steamboat pulls him off and then locks in the Boston Crab. Flair reaches the ropes yet again. Good wrestling sequence to work to the backslide from Steamboat that gets two and a half.
Business really picking up as both men go outside and Flair tosses Steamboat into the railing before slamming him. Another rail shot from Flair before he goes back inside. Steamboat back on the apron and Flair is beating the hell out of him. Vertical suplex from Flair back into the ring and he gets a two count. We’ve reached 30 minutes and it’s easily the quickest 30 minutes I’ve ever seen in a match. Even Funk points out that it feels like this one hasn’t been going that long. That’s what happens when you have two legends in their prime.
Shenanigans from Flair as he uses the ropes to try and get that second fall. Steamboat gets it and tries to fight back with the chops. Quick rollup from Steamboat gets another near fall. Choppy choppy from Flair as get goes up top. Steamboat catches him and delivers the superplex to get the momentum back. Steamboat goes to work on the lower back. DOUBLE CHICKEN WING and Flair gives up at 34:14. Tied at 1-1.
Flair chops Steamboat’s knee to start the third fall. That of course leads to more chopping from Steamboat. Seriously, these chops are brutal. You’ll never see two dudes chopping each other like this. Flair locks in the Figure Four but Steamboat quickly reaches the ropes. Of course, Flair isn’t happy with that, so he pushes Tommy Young. Flair goes back to working on Steamboat’s leg. MORE DAMN CHOPS. Hell of a sequence where Flair flops over the turnbuckle and then Steamboat chops the nipples off his chest on the apron. Flair works his way back and uses the feet on the ropes to try and get multiple falls. It doesn’t work.
Figure Four locked in again from Flair. Steamboat holding on for a while here before rolling it over and reaching the ropes. Flair rams Steamboat’s leg off the apron multiple times. THAT WON’T STOP THE CHOPS. Flair gets thrown into the corner again and then comes off the top with the flying cross body for two and a half. We’re at the 45-minute mark. Flying cross body from Steamboat gets a two and a half of his own. Reverse neck-breaker from Steamboat gets a near fall. Flair retaliates by throwing Steamboat to the outside.
Sunset flip from Steamboat and it gets a two count. Now Flair locks in the sleeper hold. Steamboat launches Flair into the turnbuckle to get out of it, and Flair falls outside the ring. Steamboat is stumbling as Flair sneaks back in behind him. But karate kick from Steamboat gets another near fall. We’re at 50 minutes. Steamboat misses the splash off the top and Flair goes back to the knee. Flair exchanges chops and knees. He’s getting pissed that Steamboat won’t go down as he’s hobbling all over the place.
Chop exchanges again and Steamboat sends Flair to the mat. Clothesline from Steamboat and Flair gets his foot on the ropes on the pin. Elbow to the head from Flair before hitting the suplex. Flair then goes up top but Steamboat stops him and presses him to the mat. DOUBLE CHICKEN WING again as both men go to the mat after Steamboat’s leg buckles. Young counts the three as Flair’s foot is visibly under the bottom rope and Steamboat is the winner at 55:19.
What can you say that hasn’t already been said? This wasn’t 55 minutes of stalling to work to a dramatic finish. They never slowed down and get you invested the entire time. It was in essence the perfect match, and the finish sets up the rematch at WrestleWar the following month.
• Rating: *****
BACKSTAGE: JR with Steamboat. He says he’s beaten Flair twice now and is ready to move on to a new challenge. They roll the video of Flair getting the foot under the rope and Steamboat admits that Young simply missed it. Steamboat says if he was Flair he’d be upset.
SHOW SUMMARY
The entire card was nothing special, but the main event was one of the best matches in wrestling history. Some would even argue that it was the best match ever. If you’ve never seen this match then I have no idea what you’re doing with your life. It is truly a one of a kind match.
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