Currently watching Chi-Town Rumble 89. I had this on VHS ages ago so this is my first time watching the full show.
A few points I noticed:
* The ref in the Michael Hayes/Russian Assassin match counted three like he had just gotten a mani and didn't want to ruin it.
* Why do a significant number of people in the crowd have a t-shirt on for WrestleWar 89, a PPV that would not occur for
another 3-4 months?
* The Sting/Butch Reed never really got out of second gear, which is odd considering the people involved. I loved Jim Ross's
subtle dig at the Ultimate Warrior.
* It is scary bizarre to hear the crowd pop for Jim Cornette in the Midnights/Midnights blowoff -- especially in Cornette's full body
suit. Taking aside any of the backstage/"real life" reasons for subbing Coundry for Jack Victory, on a face value/logic standpoint,
Jack Victory has everything to lose (losers leave NWA) and next to nothing to gain (a victory with a tag partner that is already
spoken for) Or did they explain that Victory was exempt from the NWA expulsion? (yeah, they just said one hour later only Rose is
gone. But still, not much of an incentive to be thrust into a blood feud.)
* Rick Steiner/Rotundo was hard-hitting fun and then Kevin Sullivan goes out, threatens Rick's dog (?!) who is apparently in the
back (unattended?) and Scott, who is Rick's 2nd, sits there in Rick's corner and does NOTHING. And then Rick puts Mike Rotunda
in the sleeper and pins himself. Between this and in the future when Woman befriends and then will dupe Rick, they have no problem
insinuating that Rick Steiner is hella dumb.
* I was not able to follow NWA weekly at this point, but what was the point of Hiro Masuda as the manager du jour on just about every
heel? Was there a storyline to him b/c they don't really play them as a unified stable. It's like Hiro is just bored businessman who hangs
out with badasses as a weird by-product of a mid-life crisis.
* Ref Tommy Young with a 2.8 and then showing the distance between his hand and the mat like the length of a guppy he caught.
* Two "I'm so into doing this move I forget my shoulders are down" finishes in a row? And followed by a tag team title match with a "Two
pinfalls at once, who is the legal man?" finish?
* Magnum TA is perfectly acceptable as a color commentator. I love all the realism Jim Ross brings to the commentary and Magnum feeds
right into it. But I suppose mentioning what's trending on Twitter and what's on the WWE app at the moment is captivating too. I will love that
Jim Ross didn't get duped by the two shoulder down scenarios, which was a nice change of pace from the WWF model of the time which was
generally McMahon pulling a "B-b-b-but wait! Who won? We have a situation here!"
* Steve Williams almost biffing a top rope axe handle yet recovering. Jim Ross covers and credits Dr. Death's agility drills in high school as being
the difference. Yuh huh.
* Wrestler introductions in the undercard? Who needs stinking wrestler introductions? Not even Ricky Steamboat gets shown entering the ring.
* FLAIR v STEAMBOAT: I love Jim Ross outing Brad Muster as a Ric Flair groupie (he wears a Ric Flair t-shirt underneath his jersey EVERY WEEK?)
Still, a Ric Flair t-shirt might be easier on the eyes than the mint green number Dave Meltzer's sporting in the front row, which once I noticed it could
not ignore it and kept coming back to it.(Esp when Dave is in full MARK OUT MODE. But hell, if I was first row, I'd mark the hell out too.) This Flair/Steamboat
match typically does not get the love the other two 1989 meetings do, but I love the brisk pace (Flair goes from zero to figure four leglock in 2.3
seconds) and Flair's growing uneasiness in putting away Steamboat turning into desperation, and finally frustration after Tommy Young gets wiped
out and Teddy Long takes his place. The end has enough controversy to keep the feud going but not not enough to discount Steamboat's triumph
which is all you can hope for. I like how Steamboat (who to be honest was never a great stickman) in the post-match interview is honestly overwhelmed
and lost for words which IMO says more about finally winning and climbing the last step of the mountain than having a pondered over and thrice rewritten
speech memorized.
* What match is going on as Ross and TA are wrapping things up?
