Minutes to Bell Time

Nick Aldis vs. Flip Gordan

NWA Hard Times Pay Per View January 24: World Heavyweight Championship Match

Aldis and Scurll started out by trading chops and punches. Flip Gordan hit a drop kick sending Nick Aldis to the outside where Flip nearly hit a suplex on the announce table. Back in the ring, Flip Gordan locked in a hammerlock that Aldis would counter into an arm ringer. Flip then put Aldis in a side headlock first in a standing position and then later on the mat. Flip went for a dive to the outside, but referee Brian Hebner stopped him. In defiance of Hebner, Flip did a Tope Con Hilo over the top of Hebner to hit Aldis. Back in the ring, Gordan put Aldis in an arm-bar that Nick countered into a powerbomb followed by a belly to belly suplex. Taking his time, Aldis would then hit a pair of fall away slams with the second slam coming from the second rope. Gordan would mount a small comeback and attempted a cross body that Aldis caught and transitioned into a vertical suplex.

As has been a tradition in NWA Championship matches, Aldis next used the figure four leg-lock. Flip reversed the move and the referee broke the hold when Aldis made it to the ropes. Gordan would collect a near fall when he connected with a moonsault. Climbing the ropes, Aldis attempted a top rope German Suplex but Gordan flipped out of it. In the center of the ring, Gordan attempted to submit Aldis with a crossface, but Aldis made it to the ropes. When Aldis went for the cloverleaf, Flip Gordan blocked the move and escaped. After two star spangled stunners, Flip had another near fall, but couldn’t secure the victory. With Gordan in the electric chair position, Flip went for a victory roll, but Nick sat down and covered Flip Gordan for a pinfall. This is the same classic finish from WrestleMania 10 with Bret and Owen Hart.

 

Match Ratings

Six dimensions combine to make up the overall rating. Matches score ratings of 1-10 only if the match lasts for a minimum of 5 minutes.

  1. Match Quality– Was the match well wrestled or sloppy?
  2. Audience Engagement– Did the live audience care about the match?
  3. Competitiveness– Was the match competitive or one-sided?
  4. Stakes – Did the match matter?
  5. Finish– Did the match end in a satisfying manner?
  6. Performance: (1) Poor (2) Below Average (3) Average (4) Above Average (5) Excellent
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