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KEEPING THE MEMORIES ALIVE: THE FIRST NWA CROCKETT CUP

Hello readers and welcome to the seventh edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive“. In today’s edition, I will be reviewing the first ever NWA Crockett Cup. It was held on April 19, 1986 from the Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keep your requests coming.

Note from Jim: I am handling requests in the order I get them. Please be patient, your request will eventually be reviewed.

We open with a nice little video package and generic music.

Its time for the First Round to begin. No commentary?

Match #1: “Chief” Wahoo McDaniel & Mark Youngblood vs. Mike Miller & Bobby Jaggers.

Tale Of The Tape: Wahoo McDaniel (280 pounds, from Midland, Texas, 47 years old, 4 time NWA United States Champion). Mark Youngblood (22 years old, 2 time NWA Tag Team Champion). Mike Miller (255 pounds, from Portland, Oregon, 34 years old, former NWA Pacific Northwest Champion). Bobby Jaggers (263 pounds, from Vancouver, Washington, 38 years old, former NWA Florida Champion).

This match like most from this release are heavily edited and joined in progress. Wahoo pins Jaggers with a simple chop and then a elbow drop...

Match #2: Nelson Royal & Sam Houston vs. The Batten Twins (Bart Batten & Brad Batten).

Tale Of The Tape: Nelson Royal (from Mooresville, North Carolina, 50 years old, 2 time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion). Sam Houston (222 pounds, from Texas, 22 years old, former NWA Mid Atlantic Champion). Batten Twins (from Mt. Hope, Virginia, 27 years old, former NWA Central States Tag Team Champions).

Over in the blink of an eye after Houston nails one of the twins with a bulldog.

Match #3: “The Ragin Bull” Manny Fernandez & “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant vs. Baron Von Raschke & The Barbarian.

Tale Of The Tape: Manny Fernandez (250 pounds, from El Paso, Texas, 31 years old, former NWA Florida Champion). Jimmy Valiant (252 pounds, from New York City, New York, 43 years old, former WWF Tag Team Champion). Barbarian (295 pounds, from Tonga, 27 years old, former WWC Puerto Rico Champion). Baron Von Raschke (281 pounds, from Germany, 45 years old, 3 time NWA Team Champion).

Match ends after Fernandez pins Barbarian with a sunset slip.

Match #4: Terry Taylor & “Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. “Superstar” Bill Dundee & “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel.

Tale Of The Tape: Steve Williams (275 pounds, from Norman, Oklahoma, 25 years old, former UWF Tag Team Champion). Terry Taylor (250 pounds, from Vera Beach, Florida, 30 years old, former NWA Mid South Champion). Buddy Landel (235 pounds, from Knoxville, Tennessee, 24 years old, former NWA National Champion). Bill Dundee (214 pounds, from Australia, 42 years old, 9 time AWA Southern Champion).

Williams gets the win for his team after the Oklahoma stampede on Landel.

Match #5: The New Zealand Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller, with Jack Victory) vs. Hector Guerrero & Chavo Guerrero.

Tale Of The Tape: Sheepherders (500 pounds, from New Zealand, former UWF Tag Team Champions. Butch is 41 years old, Luke is 39 years old). Guerrero’s (468 pounds, from El Paso, Texas. Chavo is 37 years old and a 15 time NWA Americas Champion. Hector is 31 years old and a former NWA Florida Champion).

The Sheepherders take this one after a double clothesline on Hector.

Match #6: The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) vs. the Fabulous Ones (Steve Keirn & Stan Lane).

Tale Of The Tape: Fantastics (442 pounds, on first reign as UWF Tag Team Champions, both are 24 years old. Fulton is from China Grove, North Carolina and Roger is from St. Petersburg, Florida). Steve Keirn (215 pounds, from Tampa, Florida, 34 years old, former NWA Florida Champion). Stan Lane (224 pounds, from Greensboro, North Carolina, 31 years old, 3 time NWA Florida Tag Team Champion).

Fulton pins Keirn with a rollup.

Match #7: Coco Ware & the Italian Stallion vs. Buzz Sawyer & Rick Steiner.

Tale Of The Tape: Buzz Sawyer (240 pounds, from St. Petersburg, Florida, 26 years old, on first reign as UWF Television Champion). Rick Steiner (280 pounds, from Detroit, Michigan, 25 years old). Coco Ware (229 pounds, from Union City, Tennessee, 28 years old, 6 time NWA Mid America Champion). Italian Stallion (265 pounds, from North Carolina, 28 years old).

In case you are wondering, Coco Ware is Koko B. Ware. Sawyer pins Stallion with a very nice scoop power slam.

Match #8: Brett Sawyer & David Peterson vs. Black Bart & “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin (with Precious).

Tale Of The Tape: Jimmy Garvin (235 pounds, from Tampa, Florida, 33 years old, former AWA Tag Team Champion). Black Bart (350 pounds, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, 37 years old, on first reign as NWA Mid Atlantic Champion). David Peterson (from St. Joseph, Missouri, 26 years old, former WCCW Television Champion). Brett Sawyer (from Orlando, Florida, 25 years old, former NWA National Champion).

David Peterson is DJ Peterson from the AWA. Jimmy Garvin gets the win for his team, pinning Peterson with a brain buster.

Now the second round begins.

Match #9: Nelson Royal & Sam Houston vs. the Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, with Jim Cornette).

Tale Of The Tape: Nelson Royal (from Mooresville, North Carolina, 50 years old, 2 time NWA Junior Heavyweight Champion). Sam Houston (222 pounds, from Texas, 22 years old, former NWA Mid Atlantic Champion). Midnight Express (483 pounds, from the Darkside, on first reign as NWA Tag Team Champions. Condrey is 34 years old, Eaton is 27 years old).

The reason some of the teams are automatically in the second round is because they were chosen to be by the NWA Board. They are referred to as “the top seeds”. Eaton ends up pinning Royal after Condrey nailed Royal with an elbow to the back from the top rope when the referees back was turned.

Match #10: Buzz Sawyer & Rick Steiner vs. Magnum TA & “The Man With The Hands Of Stone” Ron Garvin.

Tale Of The Tape: Buzz Sawyer (240 pounds, from St. Petersburg, Florida, 26 years old, on first reign as UWF Television Champion). Rick Steiner (280 pounds, from Detroit, Michigan, 25 years old). Magnum TA (242 pounds, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, 26 years old, on second reign as NWA United States Champion). Ron Garvin (236 pounds, from Atlanta, Georgia, 41 years old, 3 time NWA Television Champion).

Not a bad match for 2 minutes of action. Magnum pins Steiner with a nicely done belly to belly suplex.

Match #11: “Chief” Wahoo McDaniel & Mark Youngblood vs. the Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk, with “Precious” Paul Ellering).

Tale Of The Tape: Wahoo McDaniel (280 pounds, from Midland, Texas, 47 years old, 4 time NWA United States Champion). Mark Youngblood (22 years old, 2 time NWA Tag Team Champion). Road Warriors (580 pounds, from Chicago, Illinois, former AWA Tag Team Champions... Hawk is 28 years old, Animal is 24 years old).

Road Warriors get the W after Hawk hit’s a clothesline off the second rope on Youngblood.

Match #12: “The Ragin Bull” Manny Fernandez & “Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant vs. The Koloff’s (Ivan Koloff & Nikita Koloff).

Tale Of The Tape: Manny Fernandez (250 pounds, from El Paso, Texas, 31 years old, former NWA Florida Champion). Jimmy Valiant (252 pounds, from New York City, New York, 43 years old, former WWF Tag Team Champion). Koloff’s (523 pounds, from Moscow, Russia, on first reign as NWA Six Man Tag Team Champion. Ivan is 43 years old and Nikita is 27 years old).

The Russian’s pick up the win as Nikita clotheslines Valiant, allowing Ivan to get the pin.

The next match is supposed to be Steve Williams & Terry Taylor vs. Rick Martel & Dino Bravo. However, Bravo is unable to compete due to injury so Williams and Taylor get a bye. Shockingly, the ring announcer informing this to us is Bruce Prichard! Then again, this is 1986 in New Orleans. Prichard was in the UWF at the time of the 1987 buyout.

Match #13: The New Zealand Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller, with Jack Victory) vs. the Rock & Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson).

Tale Of The Tape: Sheepherders (500 pounds, from New Zealand, former UWF Tag Team Champions. Butch is 41 years old, Luke is 39 years old). Rock & Roll Express (453 pounds, 2 time NWA Tag Team Champions. Morton is 29 years old, from Bristol, Tennessee. Gibson is 27 years old, from Pensacola, Florida).

The Express get screwed here. The Sheepherders are down and Victory marches in with the New Zealand flag. Before he can do anything, Morton attacks him. The referee disqualifies the Rock & Roll Express.

Match #14: The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) vs. Tully Blanchard & “the Enforcer” Arn Anderson.

Tale Of The Tape: (442 pounds, on first reign as UWF Tag Team Champions, both are 24 years old. Fulton is from China Grove, North Carolina and Roger is from St. Petersburg, Florida). Arn Anderson & Tully Blanchard (486 pounds. Anderson is from Minnesota, 27 years old, on first reign as NWA Television Champion. Blanchard is 32 years old, from San Antonio, Texas, on first reign as NWA National Champion).

The Fantastics score a major upset here. Anderson is about to slam Rogers but Fulton comes in and dropkicks his partner in the back, allowing Rogers to land on Double A and the Fantastics to advance.

Match #15: The Giant Baba & the Tiger Mask vs. Black Bart & “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin (with Precious)

Tale Of The Tape: Jimmy Garvin (235 pounds, from Tampa, Florida, 33 years old, former AWA Tag Team Champion). Black Bart (350 pounds, from Fayetteville, North Carolina, 37 years old, on first reign as NWA Mid Atlantic Champion). Giant Baba (330 pounds, from Niigata, Japan, 48 years old, 3 time NWA Champion). Tiger Mask (242 pounds, from Saitama, Japan, 23 years old, former NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion.

At this point in time, the man in the Tiger Mask costume is Mitsuharu Misawa. He is the second of the four Tiger Mask’s. Baba gets the win for his team, pinning Bart with a big boot.

Quarter Finals time.

Match #16: The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk, with “Precious” Paul Ellering) vs. the Midnight Express (“Loverboy” Dennis Condrey & “Beautiful” Bobby Eaton, with Jim Cornette).

Tale Of The Tape: Road Warriors (580 pounds, from Chicago, Illinois, former AWA Tag Team Champions. Hawk is 28 years old, Animal is 24 years old). Midnight Express (483 pounds, from the Darkside, on first reign as NWA Tag Team Champions. Condrey is 34 years old, Eaton is 27 years old).

The matches are still clipped pretty good but not as bad as the first 2 rounds. Road Warriors have early control in the match due to Hawk’s offense. TME take a break on the outside with Cornette and talk strategy. Condrey and Eaton double team Animal and end up getting disqualified. Ellering chases Cornette to the back.

Match #17: Terry Taylor & “Dr. Death” Steve Williams vs. the Koloff’s (Ivan Koloff & Nikita Koloff).

Tale Of The Tape: Steve Williams (275 pounds, from Norman, Oklahoma, 25 years old, former UWF Tag Team Champion). Terry Taylor (250 pounds, from Vera Beach, Florida, 30 years old, former NWA Mid South Champion). Koloff’s (523 pounds, from Moscow, Russia, on first reign as NWA Six Man Tag Team Champion. Ivan is 43 years old and Nikita is 27 years old).

Lots of back and forth tags early on. Good mat wrestling from a young Terry Taylor. The crowd popped huge when Nikita and Williams squared off. Ivan is eventually tagged back in and he trades numerous pin fall attempts with Williams. The match ends in a time limit draw, both teams are eliminated. Williams cleans house on the Russian’s afterwards. Krusher Khrushchev (aka Repo Man/Smash of Demolition/Barry Darsow) makes the save for his fellow “countrymen”.

Match #18: The Fantastics (Bobby Fulton & Tommy Rogers) vs. The New Zealand Sheepherders (Luke Williams & Butch Miller, with Jack Victory).

Tale Of The Tape: Sheepherders (500 pounds, from New Zealand, former UWF Tag Team Champions. Butch is 41 years old, Luke is 39 years old).(442 pounds, on first reign as UWF Tag Team Champions, both are 24 years old. Fulton is from China Grove, North Carolina and Roger is from St. Petersburg, Florida).

Jack Victory gets a series of kicks in when Fulton is on the arena floor. Williams gets color during this match. Its strange to see the smiling Bushwackers as heels. I wonder why Vince never tried it with them? The referee (Tommy Gilbert) gets in the middle of the combat and is knocked out. Once he regains consciousness, the ring is a bloodbath and he rules the match a double disqualification, eliminating both teams.

Match #19: “The Man With The Hands Of Stone” Ron Garvin & Magnum TA vs. The Giant Baba & the Tiger Mask.

Tale Of The Tape: Magnum TA (242 pounds, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, 26 years old, on second reign as NWA United States Champion). Ron Garvin (236 pounds, from Atlanta, Georgia, Quebec, 41 years old, 3 time NWA Television Champion). Giant Baba (330 pounds, from Niigata, Japan, 48 years old, 3 time NWA Champion). Tiger Mask (242 pounds, from Saitama, Japan, 23 years old, former NWA International Junior Heavyweight Champion.

Babe is just destroying Garvin with his chops. I’m disappointed with the lack of high risk moves from the Tiger Mask. It would had been nice to see him against the Fantastics or Rock & Roll Express. The match ended quite nicely. Tiger Mask went for a cross body off the top rope on Magnum but Magnum catches him and turns it into a belly to belly suplex.

Match #20: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan defends the NWA Mid South Title against “Mr. Unpredictable” Dick Slater.

Tale Of The Tape: Dick Slater (236 pounds, from Tampa, Florida, 34 years old, 2 time NWA Mid South Champion). Jim Duggan (282 pounds, from Glens Falls, New York, 32 years old, on first reign as NWA Mid South Champion).

First match of the evening to get a full introduction. The man doing the ring announcing is none other than Jim Ross. The match is still edited a bit. Slater and Duggan brawl on the floor. Duggan gets whipped into the barricades and knocks it down. True 80s Mid South Wrestling right here, the good stuff. Duggan ends up retaining with the three point stance.

Match #21: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair defends the NWA Title against “the American Dream” Dusty Rhodes (with Baby Doll).

Tale Of The Tape: Dusty Rhodes (265 pounds, from Austin, Texas, 40 years old, 2 time NWA Champion). Ric Flair (243 pounds, from Charlotte, North Carolina, 37 years old, on fourth reign as NWA Champion).

Nothing real special, just your usual Dusty/Flair battle. Color, constantly going outside the ring. The match ends when Baby Doll gets on the apron and attacks Flair, disqualifying Dusty. Flair retains the NWA Title. This however does not stop Dusty from nailing Flair with the belt and leaving with the title as well.

Match #22: The Road Warriors (Animal & Hawk, with “Precious” Paul Ellering) vs. “The Man With The Hands Of Stone” Ron Garvin & Magnum TA for the Crockett Cup.

Tale Of The Tape: Ron Garvin (236 pounds, from Atlanta, Georgia, 41 years old, 3 time NWA Television Champion). Magnum TA (242 pounds, from Virginia Beach, Virginia, 26 years old, on second reign as NWA United States Champion). Road Warriors (580 pounds, from Chicago, Illinois, former AWA Tag Team Champions. Animal is 24 years old, Hawk is 28 years old).

Tony Schiavone is the ring announcer for this one. Pretty quick match. Animal pins Garvin with a simple clothesline. The Road Warriors are then awarded a check and the trophy by Frances Crockett, Jim Crockett and Bill Watts.

The show closes with stills from all the matches.

I realize this will probably not be one of my most fan appreciated reviews due to all the edited matches in it. But, someone wanted to see it reviewed. My take on this event, it was a fresh new idea 23 years ago and they did it again 2 more times after this. I do feel however that they needed to narrow down the teams they include. I mean, 8, 10, maybe 12 teams maximum would be good enough for this tournament. 23 teams is way to much for an entire crowd to sit through. Like I said before, would have loved to see Tiger Mask wrestling with Ricky Morton or the Fantastics.

I hope you enjoyed reading the seventh edition of “Keeping The Memories Alive”. In the next edition, I will be reviewing the very first WWF Summer Slam. Now I ask, what would you like to see reviewed? My complete collection can be found at www.freewebs.com/jbryan1984/. Email me your feedback and requests at jbryan21408@yahoo.com.