MACW #25 Page #2

July 25th, 1986 Norfolk, Virginia  

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair defeated Magnum T.A. to retain the NWA World Title.  (Anytime these two got together, it was exciting to watch.  Unfortunately, Magnum’s career was cut short in October 1986)

 

August 16th, 1986 Charlotte Coliseum  

Nikita Koloff defeats Magnum TA in the seventh match of their series to determine a new U.S. Champion.  

(This best-of-7 series produced some great matches.  Koloff won the first three, and then Magnum wins three in a row.  Great finish match)

 

July 4th, 1987 The Omni in Atlanta  

WARGAMES - The Road Warriors, Dusty Rhodes, Nikita Koloff & Paul Ellering defeated The Four Horsemen (Flair, Arn, Tully, Luger, Dillon) when James J. Dillon submitted to the Road Warriors when they used a spike on him. (What can I say about this match?  I think wrestling was changed forever by this bout.  If not my all-time favorite, it’s in the top 3)

 

"Dr. Death" Steve Williams defeated "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdoch in a Texas Death match. (Can you imagine these two brutes in a TDM?  ‘Nuff said!)

 

July 11th, 1987 Greensboro Coliseum

A deranged fan attempts to scale the cage and attack Flair after he beat Jim Garvin in Greensboro, NC. Due to a pre-match stipulation Flair won a dream date with Garvin's valet (and wife) Precious. (This fan took things way too seriously!  Still, a good match.)

 

July 10th, 1988 Baltimore, Maryland

Barry Windham defeated "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes by pinfall to retain the NWA U.S. Title after Ronnie Garvin sucker-punches Rhodes.  (A great, and totally unexpected, heel turn by Garvin.  If I remember, they showed footage of Garvin in the back getting a briefcase full of money from Gary Hart.)

 

Well, there you have it.  Ten of my personal favorites from the Great American Bash circa 1985-88.  I know that the 1988 GAB was really just a PPV event, but the Windham/Rhodes match with the Garvin interference made extend the period by one year.  From 1988 on, the GAB became a single night’s PPV event rather than the actual tour that had graced many arenas for the previous three years.  That, my friends, was how we spent our summers here in JCP country!  Happy Birthday, America!

 

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