Lex Luger vs Barry Windham 9 19 87

Lex Luger vs Barry Windham 9 19 87 by Moonshame

This is from September 19th 1987. Looking at old newsletters the TBS NWA show gets unfairly slagged. Not sure why because it is consistently the best wrestling show I keep up with. Clear defined characters. Nice roster depth with everyone getting some focus.

Now I hope everybody reading this is aware of how awesome Barry Windham is. So I'm going to focus on Lex Luger. He is United States champion and feuding with Dusty Rhodes. Starrcade is two months awayu and they are already building up this feud. The Luger version of the Horsemen is very underrated. Luger just grew so much as a member. As a personality, a work guy and on promos. Then they go and create an even better group with Barry Windham.


Okay to the match. Barry is Western States Champion and is looking to win the U.S Title. First part is Barry out wrestling Luger. Basic stuff just frustrating him. He can't match Lex in power so he uses finesse. Barry has great looking punches. Luger does a good job selling them and getting over his frustration. Not really cartoonish like Flair (which is great too but different)but more aloof. Like he can't believe anyone can be his equal.

At the five minute mark Luger avoids a dropkick and gets on offense. One thing I liked about the NWA/WCW is they always brought up the time limit whether or not the match went to a draw.

Luger gets Barry in a bearhug. I really prefer the bearhug as a wear down move to chinlocks. Since a lot of guys just tend to lay there resting instead of trying to break the hold. With bearhugs you need to work out of it which you see here. Barry tries going for punches but is in too much pain to lay them in. He gets out of it in this cool looking move. He manages to wedge his arms between Lex's and hits a belly to belly suplex which got a pop.

Barry gets on offense. Hitting the big flying dropkick on Luger. Before he can get three JJ Dillon (Lex Luger's manager) pulls Barry out of the ring. Barry slugs him which brings out fellow Horsemen Arn Anderson. I like this since it was a natural way to get your shmozz finish. Not a guy coming out just to intefere. Arn wanted to check on his manager.

Barry gets back in the ring and tries the lariat but Arn trips him. Lex drops the elbow but before he gets three nosy ass Earl Hebner buts in getting Lex DQed.

Post match Arn and Luger beat down Windham. Lex gets him in the torture rack. Until the Rock and Roll Express come in for the save.