499 Windham Edition

Barry Windham vs Dusty Rhodes Great American Bash 1988


I watched this a couple of years ago and had some problems with it at the time. Watching it now I see I was full of poop. This feud started after Barry Windham betrayed Lex Luger to join the Horsemen. Dusty came off suspension (He beat NWA president Jim Crockett with a baseball bat.) and was upset his protege Windham joined his most hated enemy.

So we get a match set for the 1988 Great American Bash. Which is a great name for a pay per view. If you want to know if Dusty is booking you'll notice the names of everything improves greatly.

So we get to the match. Dusty gets the better of Barry right away. Barry retreats to the floor before Dusty can gain much momentum. He comes back in and catches Dusty with an elbow. Barry charges him and Dusty hits him with a Gorilla press slam. Dusty then climbs to the top and hits a flying body press. Which looks like a dude getting a vending machine dropped on them.


Barry gains control with some well timed kicks and punches. Dusty goes to the floor Barry goes for a piledriver and takes a crazy looking back drop to the concrete. The Baltimore Arena is crazy here. Its hard to believe Jim Crockett Promotions was dieing when you see how alive the fans are on TV.

Barry comes back in and takes down Dusty again with a flurry of punches. Dusty retreats to the floor and Barry follows him. He tries to sling shot Dusty from the apron back into the ring. Dusty blocks and throws Barry out to the floor. Barry takes crazy bumps off everything. Dusty slams Barry on the concrete.

As Barry recovers Dusty is distracted by JJ Dillon. Barry runs in and ambushes Dusty. He picks up Dusty for a bodyslam. Barry has the slamming a big fat guy down. Now he is ready for the CLAW.

Now this is the part I did not care for originally. At the time i thought it was a Dusty ego thing. But this is strictly a Barry Windham deal. Barry likes to work the holds. So he really works the CLAW here. With Dusty doing teases of escaping. Dusty seems to Hulk Up. But the This goes on for a few minutes. Barry works the CLAW.

Every time Dusty is on the verge of escaping Barry puts the pressure back on.Dusty climbs a turnbuckle but before he can drop the elbow Barry pulls him down and puts the CLAW back on. Now if you're wondering why the hold was not broken by the referee, that is just a Crockett thing.

Dusty fights out of it. Hits three elbows and knocks Barry down breaking the hold. He goes for the figure four and Barry locks the CLAW back on.

Dusty gets back to the turnbuckle. He is on top and starts hitting Barry. Barry shuts him down and climbs up to do the Superplex. Dusty knocks him off the turnbuckle and Barry takes out the referee.

Now they are on even terms. Dusty drops the elbow but Barry moves. Barry is heading up top but Dusty catches him and hits a Super Slam off the top. Dusty runs over and finally drops the Bionic Elbow...... But the referee is still down.

Dusty is looking for the referee. When Ronnie Garvin comes in. Before Dusty can say anything he gets knocked out by the hand of stone. Barry locks back on the CLAW and the recovered referee counts three.

Barry Windham vs Lex Luger Chi Town Rumble 1989

Barry Windham vs Lex Luger Chi Town Rumble by Moonshame

Barry and Lex had been tag team champions in 1988. Until Barry betrayed Luger to join the Horsemen. Lex went on to feud with NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair while Barry defended the United States Championship against the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Sting,Bam Bam Bigelow and Eddie Gilbert. Lex lost his final match with Flair at Starrcade. So now he wants to settle the score with Barry Windham.

The match starts with both men trying to gain an advantage. But it remains even until Luger misses a flying body press. Barry presses the advantage until he hits a turnbucle outside the ring. Barry does a great job selling this. Since its his right hand he keeps trying to throw punches but each time it puts him in pain. He tries to get his CLAW glove off to relieve the pressure. His hand is bleeding.

This is important because punches are an important part of Barry Windham matches. Not in the WWF main eventer way. More in the way each punch changes the course of the match. He can be losing but land a solid right and regain control.

Barry is trying to find alternatives to punching. Mainly kicking Lex in the gut. He goes for a back elbow but that hurts too. He gets the Clasw but it hurts too much so he has to let go.

The hand goes numb and Barry starts landing some rights. I like how he hits the powerslam here. It looks sloppier than normal. Great job selling the pain. He puts Lex up top ready to finish him with a superplex. He slugs Lex with a right and he recoils in pain. He climbs up and falls down he is hurting so much. This is great stuff.

He finally hits the Superplex but it is not your normal crisp Barry Windham Superplex. Its sloppier, a sturggle to hit. It takes him too long to get the cover and Lex kicks out.

Barry backdrop suplexes Luger and Luger gets his shoulder up before three and wins the match. Barry is pissed. He attacks Lex with the belt post match and hits a nasty looking piledriver. This was it seems to set up a series of rematches. But Jim Herd fucked up negotiations with Barry and by summer he was in the WWF.


Barry "Widow Maker" Windham vs Gary Wolfe


Barry Windham vs Gary "Pitbull #1" Wolfe by Moonshame
This is a squash match from 1989.Gary Wolfe is Pitbull #1 of ECW fame. Barry attacks him right away hitting a sweet looking powerslam and forearm smash. Jesse Ventura and Vince McMahon have some fun bantering. With Jesse giving tips to the kids about going for the eyes and hair in a fight. They also heavily tease a match between Barry and World Wrestling Federation Champion Hulk Hogan. Its a shame that never happened. Its a shame in general how Barry was wasted at the peak of his powers. From 1986 to 1990, I don't think there was a single wrestler better than Barry Windham.