NWA: BUNKHOUSE STAMPEDE TOUR '88 1/9/88

[Kimmel]

JIM CROCKETT PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:

THE BUNKHOUSE STAMPEDE TOUR ‘88
JANUARY 9, 1988
NASHVILLE MUNICIPAL AUDITORIUM
NASHVILLE, TN
MATCHES SANCTIONED BY:
THE NATIONAL WRESTLING ALLIANCE

If you have not read this week's TV, you can do so here:
atomicgiants.proboards.com/thread/2098/world-championship-wrestling-1-88

Before the show began, David Crockett announced that the Rock N Roll Express would not be in action as advertised, but that the Road Warriors would take their place. Refunds were offered for anyone who wished to leave due to the change in card


Mark Starr pinned George South after a Sunset Flip in 5:22 to win the opening contest

The Barbarian with Kevin Sullivan defeated Todd Champion after a big boot to the face in 4:44.

The Road Warriors with Paul Ellering (sub for Rock N Roll Express) defeated Porkchop Cash and Troy Graham when Hawk pinned Cash after a Doomsday Device in 7:12. The fans were not happy that the hometown boys Ricky and Robert were not here but the unannounced Road Warriors taking their place seemed to ease some of the disappointment

British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith defeated ”Sweet” Stan Lane with Jim Cornette with a Running Powerslam in 12:31 after a back and forth match with several nearfalls and lots of interference from Jim Cornette.

World Heavyweight Champion “Nature Boy” Ric Flair with JJ Dillon defeated Brad Armstrong with the Figure Four Leglock in 45:39. Brad got several near falls on Flair and looked to have won the title a couple of times, but Flair is the World Champion for a reason and finally put Brad away in the end.

INTERMISSION
T Shirts for The Road Warriors, The Four Horsemen, Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, The Midnight Express, the NWA, and Jimmy Valiant were being sold. New shirts for the British Bulldogs and for Brad Armstrong debuted and a deal was offered, buy any two shirts, get a Rock N Roll Express T Shirt for free

Johnny Ace defeated Curtis Thompson with an inside cradle at 5:12


The Roughnecks (Ron Bass & Scott Casey defeated Ivan Koloff & Boris Zhukov in 9:44 when Bass pinned Boris after the Last Ride (Bearhug/Clothesline). The Russian duo attempted to sing the Russian National Anthem before the match but were interrupted by the Roughnecks


”Beautiful” Bobby Eaton with Jim Cornette defeated The Dynamite Kid at 20:11 in a high flying, edge of your seat battle after Cornette hit DK in the back with his tennis racket allowing Bobby to hit the Alabama Jam to steal the victory.


World Tag Team Champions Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson with James J Dillon wrestled to a 30 minute time limit draw with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and World Television Champion Nikita Koloff in an intense back and forth war that saw Nikita hit Tully with a Russian Sickle and cover him but the time limit ran out just before the referee slapped the mat for the third time.

Barry Windham won the first Bunkhouse Stampede last eliminating Lex Luger at 32:19. Windham survived a two on one beat down from both Luger and Big Bubba Rogers until Luger turned on Rogers and eliminated him but was then dumped over the top by Windham . David Crockett presented Windham with a big boot filled with $10,000 on behalf of the Crockett Family and a contract for Windham to take part in the big Bunkhouse Stampede finale on February 26 in the Superdome, live on PPV!!!!
Portions of this match were taped for television

The order of elimination was:
Jesse Barr by Boogie Woogie Man Jimmy Valiant
Mukhan Singh by Sting and Dusty Rhodes
Mike Rotundo by Big Bubba Rogers
Sting and Kevin Sullivan when Sting hit Sullivan with a clothesline that took both men over the top rope.
”Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant by Lex Luger
Dusty Rhodes by Big Bubba Rogers
Big Bubba Rogers by Lex Luger
Lex Luger by Barry Windham

[doctorfate]

You can't trust Luger! Intrigued by the team of Steamboat and Nikita. Love the t-shirt deal!! Get what you can out of it. Armstrong vs. Flair would have been awesome. Congrats to Windham.

[thecommish]

Fun card. Armstrong and Flair always had great matches, so it's fun to see them facing off. Windham obviously has the momentum going in his favor heading into the PPV.

[Chief]

First off, very sweet logo. Don't know if that was taken from the actual Bunkhouse Stampede logo but regardless, it looks super cool.

I like the realism with the card change and offering refunds.

Pretty strong opening matches. Davey Boy vs. Stan Lane was a fun mix of styles and they gelled very well together. It's neat to see the Bulldog under the NWA umbrella.

I could have left before the intermission and still have felt that I got my monies worth with that Flair vs. Armstrong match. Holy cow, what a duel. Brad Armstrong got his stock raised with me in this bout. And I like that Flair won in dominant fashion with the Figure Four while also giving Armstrong the illusion of having Flair on the ropes a couple times.

If that wasn't great enough, post intermission is followed by Eaton vs. Dynamite and that insane tag title match. What a loaded show! I loved the classic finish of Koloff and Steamboat looking to have the win but the time limit expired. That finish worked so well in this time period. I know Steamboat and Koloff can pull it off if they have just one more shot.

The Bunkhouse Stampede was the definition of a hoss battle, especially with the last 4 participants. Those guys really went at it. It's amazing the depth you have here in the NWA that despite the stacked show you had before it, that you still had enough good to great talent to put into the Stampede. I couldn't pick a more deserving winner then Windham and I hope this elevates him to get a future title shot against Flair.

Hell of a show, don't know what else to say about it. The depth and diversity of talent here is incredible.