NWA Starrcade '88: True Gritt (1988)

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

1. US Tag Title Championship: Kevin Sullivan/Dr. Death Vs. Champs: Rock 'N Roll Express - Too long and too boring, some action missing. 5/10 2. Original Midnight Express Vs. Midnight Express 6/10 3. Junkyard Dog/Ivan Koloff Vs. Russian Assassins Junkyard dog and Koloff are not even poor wrestlers they are bad faces here: No fan response. I want to give 4/10 but Assassins wins :) so 5/10.4. TV Title Match: Rick Steiner Vs. Mike Rotunda 5/10 5. US Title Championship: Champ Barry WIndham Vs. Bam Bam Bigelow - Wow I never knew that young Bigelow so often acts like an idiot :) 6/10 6. Tag Title Championship: Sting/Dusty Rhodes Vs. Champs: Road Warriors - Continues phenomena of "Don't give Sting a title.." Young Sting is really flexible and quick, but these 4 can do it better. Average match. 6.5/10 7. World Heavyweight title match: Lex Luger Vs. Champ: Ric Flair - Maybe one of the greatest and longest matches in Lex Luger's career, but that doesn't mean extra much. 6.5/10

Ratings out of 10.* The Fantastics vs Kevin Sullivan & Dr Death (5) Fulton & Rogers do their best to carry the Varsity Club to a good match. Not bad, just very sloppy in spots.* Midnight Express vs Original Midnight Express (7) Great old school NWA tag match. Originals are Randy Rose & Dennis Condrey. Super hot crowd in this one. Jim Cornette and Paul E are a riot inside and outside the ring.* JYD & Ivan Koloff vs Russian Asassins (1) This is the match to skip. Pretty boring affair involving 4 of the most nonathletic wrestlers you'll ever see.* Mike Rotunda vs Rick Steiner (6) Some great mat wrestling in this one. Too long but the finish is satisfying as Steiner goes over. The crowd goes insane for the victory.* Barry Windham vs Bam Bam Bigelow (7) Windham is the man and he proves it by carrying Bigelow to the most entertaining match of his career (IMO). Countout finish is my only complaint about this one. * Sting & Dusty Rhodes vs The Road Warriors (7) Another super hot match where the crowd is just crazy. Everyone busts ass in this one (even Dusty). Very entertaining match with a disappointing DQ finish.* Ric Flair vs Lex Luger (8) The rules in this one are if Flair gets DQed, he loses the title. Good action for most of this 30 minute match. Luger's repetitive move-set gets annoying from time to time but Flair's brilliance makes up for it. Good finish to the PPV as Flair goes over clean and seemingly ends his feud with Luger.