This is a new series I’m starting where I’ll watch a three-pack of matches of a specific title. I’m starting with the NWA/WCW TV title because I fucking loved it growing up, down to the silver design of the first notable TBS version. Most fellow JCP/WCW marks loved the TV title because it was so heavily featured on various television programs and boasted some great champions.

With the preamble out of the way, here we go.

11/23/1996 WCW Saturday Night: TV Title Match: William Regal (c) vs. Dean Malenko: This looks fun on paper, but who the fuck knows. The match was almost all mat work. It looked a little clunky in spots, but I also liked that because it looked less like two guys working together and more like a wrestling match. Tony and Dusty took the slower start opportunity to push World War 3 and the NWO. I thought the smoothness of the work improved, but because it stayed on the ground, it also never reached another level. The finish was a fucking conundrum. Malenko went for a roll up with a bridge a la Tim Horner, but Regal grabbed his arms and held his shoulders to the mat while raising one of his own in 5:28. It looked fucking awesome, but the live crowd was confused, and it did seem out of nowhere since the guys stayed in first gear. It feels like there’s a lot of contradiction in these few sentences, but some of the parts that worked for me did not work for the live crowd. **1/4

05/11/1985 NWA Worldwide: NWA TV Title Match: Tully Blanchard (c) vs Don Kernodle: This was almost a squash match despite the duration, but Tully Blanchard was a fucking master here, as he managed to keep it interesting throughout. The match started with an awesome spot where Tully jumped off the top, and Kernodle caught him in a powerslam position over his head, held him there, and drove him to the fucking mat to the delight of the Carolinians who bought tickets. I’ve probably always liked Kernodle more than most, but he was very good here as well, playing to the crowd before so many moves that made him explode with impact when he used them. Tully did so many things well, including little things like selling on each individual stomp during a flurry by flailing just enough so the crowd in the back row could see him, without overdoing it. Jesus – I love shit like that. His bumping and selling also included so many attempts at trying to get to the floor and avoid the savage ass beating. Also, the Crockett crowd was fire. Because Kernodle was just recently with the Russians, there were loud “USA” chants during a match with no foreign wrestlers. Baby Doll’s interference was also so good because it built as Tully appeared in more trouble and had some tight nearfalls. It went from none, to very little, to shoving Kernodle off the top at 11:29 to avoid losing the title. Fuck, call me an idiot, or a Tully mark or whatever you want, but even the DQ finish made sense. ***1/2 

After the match, Magnum TA came into the ring to stop a Tully & Baby Doll beating of Kernodle, but Tully laid him out from behind and left him lying with a slingshot after Big Dust ran him off. I miss pro wrestling like this! 

03/14/1992:  WCW Saturday Night: TV Title Match: Steve Austin (c) vs. Scott Steiner: Holy shit, imagine both these men at their characters’ peak working a program together. Granted, Scott was physically falling apart, but it would have drawn at least once. Scott dominated with a lot of mat wrestling early, and it was good, but Austin was a lot more fun playing chickenshit heel. Paul E. was doing commentary with Schiavone, and they kept plugging upcoming eight-and-a-half-man tag matches that included Heyman against various babyfaces. Austin got some good heat on the floor (Madusa threw some nice kicks to Scott, who didn’t call her a bitch because it’s not 1999), but the finish was so lazy. Austin went for a backdrop during the heat sequence, Scott hit the tilt-a-whirl, and then a suplex before nailing the Frankensteiner. Bobby Eaton ran in for the DQ at 11:43: An abbreviated comeback and a shit finish did this no favors. **1/2