The contestants in this week’s “Rewind-Mania,” in a match that aired on Aug. 30, 1986, are “Action” Mike Jackson and NWA world heavyweight champion Ric Flair.
The venue was the WTBS TV studio. The promotion was Jim Crockett Promotions, aka Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling.
This match was recommended to me by the AFP managing editor Chris Graham.
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If you would like to recommend a match, please feel free to email me at [email protected]
For those who would like to follow along at home, this match is available on Peacock. It’s on Season 2, Episode 34 of “World Championship Wrestling,” and begins at 1:07:44.
Mike Jackson
To borrow an expression coined by Finn Balor, they just don’t manufacture the cloth that Mike Jackson was cut from anymore.
Born in Alabama, Jackson began his career in Nick Gulas’ NWA Mid-America, which promoted shows in Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. From there, he became a true journeyman, working for wrestling promotions all across the country, albeit predominantly in the South.
While Jackson never became a featured player in the pro-wrestling industry, he gladly accepted his role as an enhancement talent — excelling in the same vein as George South or the Mulkey Brothers.
‘Nature Boy’
Jackson’s opponent, however, was anything but an enhancement talent.
The centrifugal force here is the “Nature Boy,” Ric Flair, who was in the midst of his fourth reign as the NWA world heavyweight champion.
While the NWA world heavyweight championship’s value was in freefall in the mid-to-late ‘80s, it was still the most prestigious championship in all of professional wrestling in 1986.
As for its champion, this was Flair at the peak of his powers.
Flair was accompanied to the ring by legendary valet, “Perfect 10,” Baby Doll.
When Baby Doll first debuted in Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, she was Tully Blanchard’s valet. In January 1986, she defected from Blanchard, opting to work for their rival, “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes.
With Baby Doll by his side, Rhodes defeated Flair during the Great American Bash on July 26, 1986, to capture his third and final NWA world heavyweight championship. Fourteen days later, on Aug. 9, Flair recaptured the title.
Days before this match, Baby Doll infamously betrayed Rhodes during his rematch against Flair; helping the “Nature Boy” retain his championship.
The match
David Crockett, Tony Schiavone and Jim Cornette provide commentary for this bout, the latter of whom shines with his insight and predilection for Flair.
Cornette cites Jackson as one of the top five junior heavyweights in the world, which is evident in the early portions of this match. After a ceremonial collar-and-elbow tie-up, Flair sent Jackson to the ropes. Jackson responded in kind with a shoulder tackle, followed by an arm drag and a flying head scissors.
After Flair regained his composure, Jackson applied a headlock, followed by another shoulder tackle and a flying cross-body.
For a wrestler of Jackson’s caliber, matches against the world champion are seldom seen. So, there’s a frenetic quality to Jackson’s work that typifies that sense of desperation. For Jackson, it’s all-or-nothing.
Flair wisely escaped to the outside to reassess the situation, before re-entering the ring and applying a headlock of his own. Flair transitions his headlock into a wristlock, which Jackson quickly reverses.
Flair used the opportunity to lift Jackson (who is easily 30 pounds lighter) into the corner of the ring and leveled him with a chop to the chest.
Flair slammed Jackson headfirst into the adjacent turnbuckle, before launching him through the ropes and hard onto the concrete floor below.
Once Jackson reentered the ring, Flair tried to stun him with a handful of chops, but Jackson quickly began to trade blows with the champion.
Their exchange ended after Jackson nailed Flair with a dropkick.
Flair got on his knees and pleaded with Jackson, but his words fell on deaf ears — with Jackson striking Flair and knocking him over the top rope.
Testament to the territory days
For decades, NWA member promotions operated on a simple formula: pitting their regional heroes against the vaunted NWA world heavyweight champion.
Flair was, arguably, the greatest benefactor of that formula.
In this instance, the fans in attendance were enraptured by Jackson, which is the ultimate testament to Flair.
Their anticipation reached a fever pitch when Jackson applied Flair’s own finishing maneuver, the Figure-Four Leglock, against him. Unfortunately, Flair was able to reach the ropes, and quickly regained control of the affair.
Jackson tried to deliver a flying cross-body to Flair, but the “Nature Boy” brilliantly dodged the maneuver, leaving Jackson to crash into the steel ring ropes.
While Jackson was stunned, Flair delivered a standing elbow drop, and then applied his own patented Figure-Four Leglock; forcing Jackson to submit.
For an otherwise mundane television match, this was terrific. While it’s short, lasting a little over eight minutes from bell-to-bell, there’s something bespoke about this matchup.
Mike Jackson shined bright opposite of the world’s champion, fueled by a palpable sense of desperation.
Conversely, this was a quintessential performance from Flair, who excelled in the subtleties of psychology and selling.
Rating: ***½
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