Flashback Friday: Inside Wrestling, June 1989

This week, we look back at an issue of Inside Wrestling that went to press March 3, 1989 that sold for $1.95 in the U.S, $2.50 in Canada, and £1.35 in the U.K. In this issue, we look at a wrestling landscape shaken up by new AWA and NWA champions, plus we’ll get bonus Observer Newsletter coverage. Let’s go straight to the ratings and the roll call of champions, and we’ll take a quick look at the ages of the top five stars in each major wrestling company.

Here are the ages of those in the top five spots for each featured organization. (Interestingly, only one of the top five in the WWF is still alive!)

WWF

1. Randy Savage: 36
2. The Ultimate Warrior: 29
3. Hulk Hogan: 35
4. The Big Bossman: 25
5. Bad News Brown: 45

Average age: 34

NWA

1. Rick Steamboat: 36
2. Lex Luger: 30
3. Ric Flair: 40
4. Barry Windham: 28
5. Sting: 29

Average age: 32.6

AWA

1. Larry Zbyszko: 37
2. Greg Gagne: 40
3. Sgt. Slaughter: 40
4. Tom Zenk: 30
5. Manny Fernandez: 34

Average age: 36.2

Breaking news! Ricky Steamboat is the new NWA champion, and the magazine gives us coverage of the Chi-Town Rumble match. There’s also a new AWA champion, as Larry Zbyszko won the title in a battle royal in St. Paul.

We move on to Sincerely Yours featuring letters from the fans where Andrew from Naco, Arizona says he enjoyed the April, 1989 issue which featured four color pages with some of the most vibrant color photos he’s ever seen. Then there’s Larry from Calgary, British Columbia (which I’m assuming is yet another example of the New York-based Inside Wrestling magazine mixing up the Canadian provinces) who says Ronnie Garvin is nothing but a money-grubbing bum who, with his history, shouldn’t be trusted as a smiling good guy in the WWF. “What scares me,” says Larry, “is that he recently teamed up with Hulk Hogan and Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Mark my words, Garvin will turn against them.”

We also hear from Jess from Haddon Heights, New Jersey and Mike from San Diego who have their panties in a bunch after reading Diane Martin’s letter claiming the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express are better now than ever before. Jess says the Rock ‘n’ Rolls are has-beens that never were, and says all their title wins were flukes. (Jess runs down each title win and why they don’t deserve credit for each one, but I’ll spare you.) Mike says it’s clear their day has passed, and Ricky should retire and let Robert salvage a singles career out of his remaining days.

Another letter comes from Edgar from Rib Lake, Wisconsin who says he’s a former Marine who is appalled by the Iron Sheik, Col. DeBeers, and Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissie. Edgar says he regrets that he never had the chance to take up arms and defend the good ‘ol US of A, but he’s happy Sgt. Slaughter now has the chance to do so in the ring. Edgar is concerned, however, that Slaughter is just one man. “Perhaps it’s time for Slaughter to reenlist Private Terry Daniels or maybe even Greg Gagne, who withstood the rigors of Camp Slaughter as a trainee. The fate of American wrestling hangs in the balance. Sgt. Slaughter must not fail.”

We also hear from Patty from Burke Vermont, who says it’s unfair for people to blame Elizabeth for the Megapowers breakup. (C’mon, Patty, we all know she was the Yoko Ono of the Megapowers!) She says Hogan and Savage are grown men and should be able to conduct themselves like adults. “But there they are, arguing over Elizabeth like a couple of lovelorn 16-year-olds.” Patty suggests Elizabeth find another wrestler to manage to the WWF championship.

Then there’s Maury Dowd from Leroy, New York who says Flair’s attempt at making a secret pact with the Varsity Club (as mentioned in the April issue) shows that he can’t go it alone and is now desperate without having Tully, Arn, and J.J. Dillon around. “I think it’s all over for Flair,” she says. “Even the Varsity Club can’t help him now.”

We also get a letter from Dwayne from Medicine Hat, Alberta who says to keep an eye on Jeff Jarrett. “Recently, Inside Wrestling rated Jarrett in the top ten in the AWA, World Class, and the CWA. To do this, a wrestler must have a lot of talent. He might not have a lot of muscle or bulk, but Jeff has a lot of heart. That’s what’s making him a household name.” (Yep, even my Grandma knows Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Jeff Jarrett. They’re the household names of wrestling.)

And finally, Edgar from Ozone Park, New York writes in to say wrestling at Madison Square Garden used to be prestigious, and he remembers attending classic events there that featured Antonino Rocca vs. Verne Gagne, and Pedro Morales vs. Don Leo Jonathan. But in the last five years, wrestling at the Garden has degenerated markedly, with poor performances replacing the great action of the past. “The present stars can’t even wrestle beyond 20 minutes. Too much managerial interference has also ruined recent cards.” Edgar says that if things don’t turn around, crowds at MSG will start to dwindle.

Next, Editor’s Notebook with Stu Saks, where Stu reports that Stanley Blackburn is stepping down as AWA president after 37 years of service to the sport. Stu says Blackburn had a relatively calm presidency until making a string of unusual decisions beginning in 1981 when he awarded the AWA World title to Nick Bockwinkel after champion Verne Gagne retired. Blackburn says he doesn’t second guess any of his decisions and has many fond memories of his time as president. “I always get a kick out of thinking back to 1981 when I took a trip to Japan. They treated me so well. I had a sciatic nerve problem and had trouble getting out of chairs. King Tonga, who is now Haku, was assigned to follow me all over Japan, and his sole job for the entire trip was to lift me out of chairs.” Blackburn says he’ll still keep in touch with the AWA in some way or another. “You can’t do something for a quarter of a century and walk away and not give a damn.” (Well, you can if you’re paid enough.)

Next, Behind the Dressing Room Door with David Rosenbaum, where Dave reports that Bam Bam Bigelow has changed federations. “What else is new?” Dave asks. He says Bam Bam has basically gone full circle. He started out in the CWA, a regional federation, then went to World Class, Japan, the WWF, and the NWA before signing with Florida Championship Wrestling, another regional promotion. Dave says Bam Bam’s excuses about not getting treated right are getting old, and guys like Kendall Windham and Sam Houston must look at Bigelow, who has “star” written all over him, with disgust over how he’s wasting such potential they wish they had.

Onto another subject, Dave says Kidsday, a feature geared toward children in the Long Island newspaper Newsday, recently ran a poll asking kids who should play Elvis Presley in ABC’s new series based on the King’s life. The winner, by a significant margin, with more votes than Patrick Swayze, Tony Danza, and John Stamos, was the Honky Tonk Man. Dave doesn’t think the Honky Tonk Man would really be a good fit, but the show itself is likely to be a big hit because of Elvis’s popularity. (The part went to Elvis look-alike Michael St. Gerard, and the show was a flop.)

In other news, Dave says Gulf + Western has scrapped plans to build a new Madison Square Garden, opting to instead renovate the existing building. That means that in 1989 and 1990, summer construction will force the WWF to hold events elsewhere. (And indeed, this is exactly what happened.)

Next, On the Road with Craig Peters, where Craig says he recently talked to Bruno Sammartino about new AWA champion Larry Zbyszko, and Bruno said, “I feel like I’ve created something that’s gone out of control.” Longtime wrestling fans may recall that Bruno trained Zbyszko before Zbyszko turned on his mentor and became a hated rulebreaker. Bruno says he now has little respect for Zbyszko and the man is devaluing the AWA championship. “I mean, let’s face it, there have been sensational athletes who have held the AWA title,” Bruno says. “Verne Gagne, Fritz Von Erich, Nick Bockwinkel, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Rick Martel… but Zbyszko? Doggone it, the man is just not world-champion material.” Zbyszko, for his part, says Sammartino was a crybaby before, and he’s a crybaby now. “He should be the one to talk about devaluing a championship. I’ve heard Buddy Rogers was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack a week before Bruno beat him for the WWF championship. At least I was in the ring with 18 of the sport’s toughest competitors. He’s a jealous, bitter old man no longer competing, and by today’s standards, he wasn’t really good at all.” Bruno’s response: “Lets see him hold his belt for 11 years, then he can come back and discuss what being a worthy world champion is all about. Until then, he’s nothing but a load of hot air.”

Next, we look at Names Makin’ News with Bill Apter. Three titles changed hands at the NWA’s Chi-Town Rumble. Rick Steamboat upset Ric Flair for the NWA World championship, Lex Luger downed Barry Windham for the U.S. title, and Mike Rotundo regained the NWA TV belt from Rick Steiner. In another match, Jim Cornette and his Midnight Express defeated Paul E. Dangerously and his Midnight Express, with the latter team featuring Jack Victory substituting for Dennis Condrey. Rose was pinned, and as per the match’s stipulation, he must leave the NWA. “He knew what he was getting into,” says Dangerously, “so now he’s history.” (Well, not really, thanks to a legal loophole.) Dangerously has already pivoted to a new tag team, the Samoan Swat Team, which has just jumped from World Class to the NWA. Other NWA newcomers include Dan Spivey, who has joined Kevin Sullivan’s Varsity Club, and the Iron Sheik.

In the WWF, word is Elizabeth is tired of being in the middle of the Hogan/Savage war and is looking to leave the sport. This could throw a wrench in the WWF’s plan to market a new perfume under her name. (Liz’s Choice, the fragrance that makes men fight.)

In World Class, Robert Fuller and Jimmy Golden defeated Kerry and Kevin Von Erich for the tag team title. Kevin appeared to have pinned Golden, but Golden stuffed a foreign object into Kevin’s trunks and pointed it out to the referee, and the ref disqualified the Von Erichs. (In World Class at this time, titles changed hands on disqualifications.) Eight days later, Fuller & Golden won the CWA tag team title from Jed Grundy and Scott Steiner.

Meanwhile, Col DeBeers has been a busy man. He continues to battle Sgt. Slaughter in the AWA, he’s starting another feud with Ken Patera in the Windy City territory, and he’s challenging Jules Strongbow for the NWF title.

Elsewhere, Carlos Colon won the WWC TV title from Jason the Terrible in a barbed-wire match on March 1 in Carolina, Puerto Rico. Colon also holds the WWC Universal title. (Colon seems to do very well in this territory.)

In Stampede, Larry Cameron has started a violent feud with Davey Boy Smith. Cameron claims Smith gets preferential treatment because Smith is Stu Hart’s son-in-law.

Elsewhere, Vic Steamboat won a $20,000 battle royal at Kutsher’s Country Club just two days before his brother won the NWA World title.

Breaking: The Fantastics have left the NWA.

Also of note: Johnathan Holliday is challenging Leo Burke for the IWA title in Canada.

Just in: Eddie Gilbert & Rick Steiner are the new NWA U.S. tag team champions! They defeated Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan on February 28 in Columbia, South Carolina when Sullivan was distracted by Missy Hyatt at ringside, and Gilbert rolled up Sullivan from behind for the surprise victory. (What a clever and innovative finish.)

And finally, on a sad note, Mildred Burke, the world women’s wrestling champion from 1935 to 1954, died on February 18 at the age of 73. And you’re up to date!

Next, The Insider with Eddie Ellner, where Eddie reports that he hung out with Ric Flair for a week leading up to Flair’s match against Rickety Steamboat at the Chi-Town Rumble. Flair, we’re told, runs his household with an all-female staff and treats them like an Egyptian slave-driver. The week began with him angry about not being able to find the right shoes to go with his suit, despite a closet full of 200 pairs in every conceivable style and make, some costing thousands of dollars. Flair made a phone call to place an order and took Eddie to the airport where a private pilot awaited to fly them to Los Angeles. Once on board, Flair surprised Eddie by stripping down to his boxers and beginning a series of stretches and calisthenics before, at 40,000 feet, lifting weights. Eventually, they arrived in L.A. where Flair spent $24,000 to satisfy his feet.

Then they headed right back to Flair’s house where the champ locked himself in his library to watch old matches with Steamboat for six hours. Eddie lost track of him after that, but a member of the household staff said Flair had gone to the gymnasium to practice moves. “At five in the morning?” Eddie asked. “Who’s he wrestling with? His sportcoat?” The staff member said, “Mr. Flair has sparring partners available to him on a 24-hour basis.”

Eddie flashforwards to the Chi-Town Rumble. “For nearly 23 minutes, Flair and Steamboat made fans forget that the WWF has a stranglehold on the sport. They gave new NWA chieftain Ted Turner a reason to cheer, and perhaps to invest more money. They gave the performance of their lives.”

(Their Chi-Town Rumble match is the shortest of their 1989 trilogy, and it sometimes gets overlooked because of that. But it was such a magic moment. Nobody knew going in that it was going to be as good as it was, and you could see the electricity and tension building throughout. As the match neared its conclusion, everyone was up on their feet, and when Steamboat scored the decisive pin, ending a title run that had begun and ended in Chicago that had lasted 452 days, it sent shockwaves through the crowd, as everyone realized they were part of one of the great moments in wrestling history. It deserves to be right up there with Savage/Steamboat and probably would be remembered more that way if it had happened at WrestleMania.)

After the match, Eddie, looking for something Flair could have done differently, said to the ex-champ that maybe they shouldn’t have gone shopping for shoes after all. “Don’t worry,” Flair said with a smile, “I’ll be right back on top. I always am.”

Next, On Assignment with Liz Hunter, who spent the week before the Chi-Town Rumble with the Steamboat family unit.

So Liz, hanging out with Rick, Bonnie, and their boy, Ricky, watched the future NWA champion rise each morning at 5:30 a.m. to chop wood for 30 minute before fixing breakfast for everyone and going on a four mile jog, greeting schoolkids along the way. (Did he also stop by an orphanage and make a donation?) Rick told Liz about the importance of balance in his life, and says he learned it from studying martial arts. He says that’s where he and Flair differ. “Out of the ring, he’s a poor role model for millions of children who follow wrestling. It’s his life, and he’s welcome to it, but I just can’t accept that for myself.”

Liz, however, is concerned. It’s not that she thinks Steamboat will wrestle poorly against Flair. She’s concerned that the fans are no longer interested in family values and the wholesome entertainment they once cheered for when Bob Backlund was champion. This is 1989, and Flair, with his women, his leer jets, and his fast life, often gets more cheers, especially in the big cities, and embraced by those who drink too much, lie to get ahead, and cheat on their taxes and girlfriends. Will the fans turn against Steamboat? Or worse, will they become ambivalent toward him and his family? “Sadly,” Liz says, “Most Americans seem to want a champion just like they are.”

Next, Where Are They Now?

Today in 2023, Black Bart is now 75. Sky Low Low died in 1998 at the age of 70. Nord the Barbarian (The Bezerker) is 63 and has all sorts of legal and health issues. And Buzz Sawyer, whose wrestling school was basically a scam, died in 1992 of a drug overdose. He was 32.

Next, Capsule Profile looks at the Latin Heartthrob, Al Perez, who has left the NWA for Florida. (Al was a good wrestler, but he got lost in the shuffle in the NWA.)

Next, News from the Wrestling Capitals, with reports from fans…

Next, Matt Brock’s Plain Speaking sees Matt reporting from different locations.

First, Matt saw Ricky Steamboat win the NWA World championship in Chicago and says it might have been the greatest match ever in the Windy City. “Last month, I wrote that the biggest story of the year—Steamboat coming out of retirement to wrestle Flair—had already been written. Well, now the Match of the Year has already been fought.” Matt says there’s never been a better 23 minutes of NWA wrestling in the last five years, and we’re looking at the NWA’s feud of the decade.

Second, Matt reports from his office in New York to say that while Flair/Steamboat is something else, Savage/Hogan has an equal intensity and will probably get more media attention and make more money because the WWF knows how to promote. “But I have to agree with Jesse Ventura. Elizabeth doesn’t belong anywhere near a wrestling ring. If not for her, there’s a good chance Savage and Hogan would still be friends.”

Next, reporting from Los Angeles, Matt praises former women’s champion Mildred Burke. “There’s never been a gal as strong or one who could wrestle better. She was also quite a looker.” Matt talks about the match where Mildred lost the title to June Byers. (This match turned into a shoot because of backstage politics.) “I was down in Atlanta that night, and let me tell you something: she was robbed. She lost the first fall, but in the second fall they went about an hour and couldn’t reach a decision. Finally, they just stopped the damn thing and Mildred retained the belt, but six months later they announced that the decision had been reversed and Byers was champion. What a ripoff!”

Finally, Matt reports from Tokyo where a series of matches involving the Japanese, the Russians, and the Americans is a go. New Japan says the first matches would be held on April 24 at the 65,000 seat Korakuen Stadium. Lou Thesz will be a special guest referee, and there will even be some kickboxing. Word is ESPN will carry some of the matches.

We move on to an article about The Rebirth of Florida Wrestling. Dusty Rhodes is back, and it looks like he’ll be bringing in some new guys and Florida Championship Wrestling will experience a renaissance. (Unless he gets an offer from the WWF. But that could never happen, right?)

And now to an article about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, where we learn that Ricky Morton teamed up with The Master of Pain to take on Robert Gibson & Jerry Lawler. During the course of the match, however, Lawler and Gibson got into an argument, at which point Gibson and Morton reunited and teamed up with The Master of Pain (Mark Calaway) to triple-team Lawler. Lawler says he’ll never trust either Ricky or Robert again. “I thought Robert Gibson was a better man than that, but I should have realized that the Rock ‘n’ Express comes as a team, and it was a mistake to team with Gibson.” Meanwhile, the magazine can’t make out who the good guys and bad guys are because fans in different areas are reacting to the wrestlers in different ways.

Then we move on to an article that asks fans to vote on whom they support following the breakup of the Megapowers: Macho Man or Hulk Hogan? A ballot is included:

Next, a Hotseat Interview with Lex Luger, who finally got back at his former tag team partner, Barry Windham, defeating Windham for the U.S. Championship at the Chi-Town Rumble. Luger says that after losing to Flair in December, everybody began doubting him and seemed to forget that he was U.S champion before, but now he’s a champion again, and this time he’s doing it on his own. “But I have something to say to Flair: I still want your hide in the ring. I want you to come after my U.S. title. I’m inviting you to wrestle me as many times as you want with my title on the line.” (And indeed, this match would happen at house shows in 1989 as well as later at Clash of the Champions XII in 1990.) When asked if he’d like to wrestle Ricky Steamboat for the World title, Luger says, “I’d like to. I think everybody would find it fascinating. U.S. champion versus World champion: both belts on the line. That could be the match of the century. In reality, though, they probably won’t let me wrestle Steamboat. But Steamboat won’t have the belt forever, and I’ll be around a long time. When the year 2000 rolls around, I will still be putting on the tights. So there’s plenty of time for me to win the big one.”

Next, an article about Jimmy Jack Funk who’s now a fan favorite in World Class. He says he’s not trying to replace the Von Erichs, he’s just trying to live up to the Funk name and defend the great state of Texas.

Moving on, current AWA champ Larry Zbyszko and former AWA champ Jerry Lawler talk on the phone in One on One. Jerry says he’s the real champion, but Larry points out that Jerry missed seven scheduled title defenses, so he must not care about the belt too much. Lawler says he was trying to defend two belts at the same time and promoters were booking him in two different locations at once. Larry says Lawler’s competition was pathetic: guys like Austin Idol and Tommy Rich, one who never amounted to anything and another who’s a washed-up has-been who held the NWA title for five days. “And then there’s Bill Dundee, a real killer at 5’7.” Jerry says Larry can’t compare to the champions of the past, summoning his inner Lloyd Bentsen by saying “I knew Nick Bockwinkel, and you’re no Nick Bockwinkel.”

And finally, let’s see what Uncle Dave had to say around this time in The Wrestling Observer Newsletter:

Dave’s Chi-Town Rumble review:

• Michael Hayes pinned Russian Assassin #1 after a DDT. (Actually, it was Russian Assassin #2, aka Jack Victory, because #1, aka Dave Sheldon, got fired earlier in the week. Victory was still announced as Russian #1. presumably because people would have demanded refunds had they realized they were seeing Russian #2.) ½*
• Sting pinned Butch Reed with a sunset flip in 20:07 in a match that bored the crowd to death. ½*
• The Midnight Express & Jim Cornette beat Randy Rose, Jack Victory & Paul E. Dangerously when Lane pinned Rose at 15:51 to banish him from the NWA. (Dave jokes that of the 50 wrestlers employed by the NWA, 12 of them are played by Jack Victory.) Victory wrestled because Dennis Condrey left over a pay dispute, but Cornette and Dangerously have hilarious chemistry together in the ring and it ended up a pretty good match. ***1/4
• Mike Rotunda won the TV title back from Rick Steiner at 16:21 by falling back on a sleeper and getting the pin. (This also marked the debut of Scott Steiner in the NWA.) Match wasn’t that good. *1/2
• Lex Luger won the US title from Barry Windham in 10:43 with the old double backdrop suplex pin. Dave notes that the crowd was turning on Luger and cheering for Windham, but that didn’t really come across on TV. Great stuff from Barry as he punched the ringpost at one point and bladed his hand. ***3/4
• The Road Warriors retained the tag titles over Steve Williams & Kevin Sullivan in 8:27. The Warriors were fully babyfaces again at this point, especially in Chicago. They did a double pinfall gimmick for the finish, with the ref ruling that Hawk’s pin on Sullivan was the legal one. **3/4
• And finally, Ricky Steamboat pinned Ric Flair in 23:18 to win the NWA World title. Dave was there, and it managed to exceed his expectations. Many people called it the best match they’d ever seen, and the other wrestlers were watching from the dressing room like little kids. *****
• Kendall Windham pinned Steven Casey at 25:00 (!!!!!!!!!!) in a dark match to close the show, which didn’t even air on PPV. The building literally emptied out while it was going on.

– Linda McMahon went to the New Jersey senate this week and admitted that pro wrestling is fake to avoid regulation from the athletic commission. (I really should have preceded that with a spoiler alert.) The WWF wants to avoid the commission’s regulation to avoid a 3% tax that would go with it since the WWF is holding Wrestlemania there in a little over a month, and the tax applies to not only the live gate but to any money generated from TV revenues as well. A Current Affair turned Linda McMahon’s admission into a big story and interviewed Roddy Piper. His stance: Linda McMahon is a liar. (In general, yes. On this, no.)

– Larry Zbyszko was triumphant in the battle royale to determine the new AWA champion, although he was beltless because Verne was so aggressive in burying Jerry Lawler on TV that Lawler didn’t send the belt back. And because it’s the AWA, Larry did a job to Wahoo earlier in the show for no real reason before eliminating Mr. Nobody Tom Zenk to win the title.

– More notably, Stanley Blackburn no-showed the taping, which ends his “250 year association” with the Gagnes. Dusty Rhodes also no-showed, although no one seriously thought he’d show up anyway. Don Muraco, Iron Sheik and Tommy Rich were also no-shows.

– Larry Cameron is set to be the next top star in Stampede.

– The continuing saga of The Master of Pain: Dave notes that although he’s terrible in the ring and super green, his punches do look good so maybe he has some boxing experience.

– Chavo Guerrero (Senior) got caught leaving Canada with a gram of pot in his suitcase after an AWA show in Winnipeg, and blamed it on fans planting it there.

– Verne had to cancel three shows due to snowstorms.

– Carlos Colon went into PR overdrive during the Jose Gonzales trial, spending so much time and effort into turning him babyface on TV that fans who were in attendance for a show the day after the trial cheered when the verdict was announced.

– Dave awards the “stupid slogan of the week” to “This is the NWA: We Wrestle”.

– The NWA is pressuring their big names to sign new contracts immediately to avoid people jumping ship, and things are quite tense. Barry Windham was offered a big contract, but he’s hesitant to sign.

– Randy Savage is on fire as champion, selling out every arena he’s main eventing in thanks to the heel turn. This includes near-record gates in St. Louis (which was supposedly a dead territory), MSG and Chicago.

– Roddy Piper accepted a verbal deal for $500,000 a year with the NWA but reneged on it after Vince called and asked him to appear at WrestleMania V instead. Word is Piper will be involved in a segment with Brother Love.

– Dave feels like WM5 will be the highest grossing live show in history, and Clash VI, which will go up against it, probably won’t affect it in the least.

– The WWF is doing consumer surveys in selected cities to try and find out what people like and dislike about wrestling. The thing they’re pushing most is that they want people to say “There’s too much wrestling on TV” so they can take it to rival stations and get the competition canceled.

– There’s a lot of heat on George Scott as booker because he turned down both Brian Pillman and Tom Pritchard and signed Chief Jay Strongbow’s son instead, who immediately got booed out of the studio at TV tapings.

That’s all for this week! Tune in next week, same time, same channel. And if you’re new here, be sure to leave a comment and check out the archive. Also, check out my website to see what books I’ve written!