NWA’s The Great American Bash 1985 Results
NWA/Jim Crockett Promotions “The Great American Bash: Freedom Challenge” results from Charlotte, North Carolina, USA at American Legion Memorial Stadium on Saturday, July 6, 1985:
The was the first of The Great American Bash events created by NWA/JCP booker Dusty Rhodes. It aired on closed circuit for those living outside of the Charlotte area (The NWA’s first pay-per-view wasn’t until Starrcade 1987).
“Nature Boy" Buddy Landel (with JJ Dillon) went to a 15-Minute Time Limit Draw with Ron Bass. Bass brawled with Landel a little more after the match and he then put an iron claw on Dillon’s head until Landel was finally able to pull Dillon out of the ring.
NWA National Tag Team Champions Ole Anderson and Arn Anderson defeated Buzz Sawyer and Dick Slater when Ole pinned Sawyer with an elbow drop to the back of the head as the referee was trying to get Slater to get back to his corner of the ring in 9:33. The ring announcer then oddly said The Andersons did win the match but by a Disqualification. He made sure to say it and stress it a few different times after the match ended.
Manny Fernandez, Sam Houston, and Buzz Tyler defeated The Barbarian, Superstar Billy Graham, and Abdullah The Butcher when Houston pinned Graham with an inside cradle in 7:49.
Jimmy Valiant (with Buzz Tyler) pinned Paul Jones (with Abdullah The Butcher) in a Dog Collar Match after the elbow drop when Abdullah’s attempted interference backfired as he collided with Jones in 3:44. Abdullah gave Valiant a shot to the head with the fork to bloody him before the match started as the referee was trying to get the dog collar around Jones’ neck. Abdullah attacked Valiant with the fork again after the match but Tyler made the save by hitting Abdullah with a chair.
NWA World Tag Team Champions Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev went to a Double Disqualification with AWA World Tag Team Champions The Road Warriors (Hawk and Animal with Paul Ellering) in 14:38. Kruschev hit Animal with a chair as Animal was about to give Ivan a finishing move. Hawk then grabbed the chair and hit The Koloffs with it. Only The NWA World Tag Team Titles were on the line in this match.
NWA United States Champion Magnum TA defeated Kamala (with Gen. Skandor Akbar)by Disqualification when Akbar attacked TA just as he was about to pin Kamala after three dropkicks in 6:40. Kamala accidentally squashed Akbar in a ring corner while charging wildly at TA after the match. TA managed to pick Kamala up to give him a bodyslam. TA then punched Akbar to knock him right out of the ring.
NWA World Champion Ric Flair pinned Nikita Koloff (with Ivan Koloff) by falling on top of Koloff when Koloff tried to bodyslam him from the ring apron back into the ring in 23:14. David Crockett was the special referee.
This match (and this first Bash as a whole) sadly feels like it has been forgotten over time. Crockett was named the referee after a big angle on NWA TV in June 1985. He was interviewing Ivan and Nikita which led to an argument. Ivan accused Ric Flair of trying to avoid a title match against Nikita. Crockett stuck up for Flair’s honor noting that Flair had been defending the title constantly against other challengers who were ahead of Nikita as contenders. Nikita got tired of listening to it and he gave Crockett the Sickle which knocked Crockett down to the ground.
Nikita came out to the ring for The Great American Bash wearing his third of the NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Titles that he held at the time with Ivan Koloff and Krusher Kruschev. Flair arrived by helicopter to this outdoor show and he was accompanied by area sports reporter Harold Johnson. Johnson did the guest ring announcing for the match as well. Flair bled badly after getting posted on the ring post by The Koloffs when the action spilled down to the floor. Crockett was bumped a couple of times by The Koloffs near the end of the match. A fan ran into the ring while Crockett was down and tackled Nikita from behind. A bunch of police and security then rushed in to go after the fan. After the match, The Koloffs attacked Flair and Crockett. Sam Houston and a couple of unidentified babyfaces tried to make the save but they got beat up too. Ivan held Flair up against the ropes for Nikita to give Flair the Sickle which knocked Flair over the ropes and down to the floor.
Dusty Rhodes pinned Tully Blanchard (with Baby Doll) after a piledriver in a “Lights Out” non-sanctioned Steel Cage Match to win the title and 30 Days of Baby Doll’s valet services in 11:22. Baby Doll cried and yelled “No! No! No!” after she saw Blanchard getting pinned. Several of the babyface roster came out to congratulate Rhodes on the win and they also stopped Baby Doll from trying to run herself away from the stipulation. They forced her into the cage and Rhodes left with her back to the locker room after a little more celebrating in the cage.
