NWA Bunkhouse Stampede 1988 Review

NWA Bunkhouse Stampede 1988 Review
March 17, 2014 (Edited July 11, 2025)
By Ryan Porzl

DVD Cover

Event: Bunkhouse Stampede 1988
Tagline: None
Date: January 24, 1988
Location: Uniondale, New York
Live or Tape: Live
Arena: Nassau Coliseum
Attendance: 6,000
Announcers: Bob Caudle and Jim Ross
Interviewers: None
Other: Jim Crockett (NWA President)
Broadcast: Pay-Per-View

As I said in my Starrcade 1987 Review, things were about to get a lot worse in 1988. Well, it didn't take long for the NWA to have a bad 1988 as they stumbled out of the gate with the Bunkhouse Stampede PPV. With Starrcade '87 not being the big success Jim Crockett needed, he decided to try another pay-per-view. The Pay-Per-View would be based off the yearly bunkhouse stampede which was a yearly tour held by Jim Crockett Promotions during the month of December that began in 1985. The concept would see various bunkhouse stampede battle royals throughout the month with the winners meeting for a final one at the last show. The winner of that battle royal would be awarded a large, bronze Cowboy Boot trophy. The Bunkhouse Stampede was a typical battle royal with the gimmick being that wrestlers would dress in “street clothes” like jeans and boots and could bring any weapon they wanted. Anyway, it all seemed like a good idea especially since cable companies forced Vince to promise he would never run a pay-per-view the same night as another company again.

Then it all went downhill. The first problem was Crockett didn't learn about his mistake of running Starrcade outside of the Carolinas. Likely still angry of Vince one-upping him, Crockett made the classic mistake that many promoters at the time made which was running the event in New York in attempt give Vince a taste of his own medicine and “invade” his home area. Unfortunately, like previous promoters, the tactic bombed as the Northeast fans weren't interested in another company going to their area of the country at the time. It also didn't help they were from the south and were looked upon as “Rasslin” and southern which was a stigma that continued to haunt JCP and later WCW as they never really got into the Northeast outside of trips to Pennsylvania and Maryland. In the end, JCP only got 6,000 fans in attendance which is only 1/3^rd of the building.

The second problem came when Vince shrewdly realized his promise to the cable companies had a technicality as he only promised to not hold a PPV the same night as another company. As a result, the WWF would hold the first Royal Rumble event for free on the USA Network the same night and once again Crockett was toast.

We open with Bob Caudle and Jim Ross welcome everyone to the show.

NWA World Television Championship: Nikita Koloff (c) vs. Bobby Eaton (w/Jim Cornette)- Kind of a weird title match since Eaton was part of the Midnight Express but I guess that's what happens when you stretch your talent out by doing a battle royal on this show and running a B-show the same night. To be fair, there a storyline here as the Midnights were briefly feuding with the Super Powers with Cornette claiming either Eaton or Stan Lane would win the Television title while the other would win the United States title. It didn't go anywhere but at least there was a story or a reason for this match.

We stall immediately as Eaton keeps hugging Cornette and arguing with the crowd because of it. We finally get a tie up with Eaton trying to muscle Koloff but that obviously doesn't work and the tie up is broken. More stalling with Eaton going to the corner for advice from Cornette. We get some more tie ups with Eaton muscling Koloff into the corner and cleanly breaking. Another tie up with Eaton getting a side headlock and transitioning to a hammerlock. Koloff reverses with his own and Eaton makes it to the ropes. Eaton gets Koloff back into the corner and starts punching to no effect. Koloff comes back with his own punches and goes for the side headlock. Eaton whips Koloff to the ropes but Koloff comes off with a shoulderblock. Tie up is teased but Eaton gets an overhead wristlock only for Koloff to muscle him off. Another tie up with Koloff grabbing the arm and hammering it with forearms. Koloff continues to work the arm over with a wristlock.

Koloff transitions into a hammerlock and takes Eaton down with it. Eaton eventually gets back up and elbows Koloff off. Eaton then works over Koloff and comes off with a running kick to send Koloff to the outside. Eaton follows out and we get a slugfest until Eaton rakes the eyes. Koloff gets thrown back in and Eaton grabs him from the apron. Eaton tries to ram Koloff to the turnbuckle but Koloff blocks and hits Eaton. Eaton gets whipped to the ringpost in a cool spot that I never seen before or if I did I can't remember. Eaton comes back in and gets a side headlock takedown. Koloff eventually gets up. Koloff whips Eaton to the ropes but Eaton comes off with a shoulderblock. Eaton runs the ropes, Koloff drops down, Eaton jumps over, Eaton comes off the ropes, Koloff leapfrogs, and Koloff catches Eaton coming off with a bodyslam. Eaton rolls to the corner and gets advice from Cornette. Eaton knees the stomach and gets another side headlock takedown.

Koloff reverses into a roll-up for 2 as Eaton rolls back into the side headlock. Koloff gets up and gets to the ropes but Eaton punches Koloff out of the ring. Eaton follows out and works over Koloff until Koloff rams Eaton to the ringpost with Eaton nearly stumbling into the cameraman. Koloff follows by ramming Eaton arm first into the ringpost and hip tosses Eaton on the concrete floor. Eaton comes back with an eye rake and works over Koloff before throwing him back in. Snapmare and elbow drop get 2. Eaton goes back to the hammerlock as the fans chant “Cornette sucks”. Koloff eventually gets back up and hits some elbows to escape. Koloff comes off the ropes with a shoulderblock but on the bad arm and has to shake it off. Koloff comes off the ropes but Eaton hits him with knee to the stomach but it's barely caught as the camera was panning to the fans. Eaton climbs the top rope and comes off with a missile dropkick for 2.

Eaton once again applies the hammerlock as the fans serenade Cornette with “Cornette sucks” chant. Cornette than starts trash talking Koloff while he's in the hammerlock. Koloff slowly gets back up and fights out of it. Koloff comes off the ropes, ducks an elbow, and hits the Russian Sickle but Eaton falls on the ropes and Koloff falls to the canvas. Eaton seems to recover first but the camera was on Cornette. Eaton his a single arm DDT and goes back to the hammerlock again. Fans chant “Nikita” with 2 minutes left. Koloff gets up and fights out again. Koloff comes off the ropes but Eaton catches him in the stomach and gets the single arm DDT. Eaton then goes back to the hammerlock AGAIN! Oh for fucks sake Eaton, do something else besides the fucking hammerlock. Koloff gets back up and makes it to the ropes and starts fighting back. Koloff knocks Eaton down with a punch with 30 seconds left. Mounted Punches in the corner with 15 seconds left. Koloff whips Eaton to the corner and catches him coming out with a running elbow. Koloff nails the Russian Sickle but time's up and Koloff retains at 20:00. After the match, Cornette comes in and Koloff corners him but the Midnight's eventually jump and double team him.

Thoughts: -* Wow that was slow as molasses and painfully boring. I get the match was going to a draw but that doesn't give them an excuse to work a snail's pace. Bobby Eaton is usually a very good wrestler but this was a pathetic excuse for a performance. I didn't need to see him spend at least a quarter of the match doing the same hold to kill time. The psychology was also pitiful. From a storyline standpoint, there wasn't much that made me think Eaton wanted to win the title. I've seen matches start slow but this started slow, went slow, and ended slow. At least when a match goes to a draw I see wrestlers give the illusion they want to win and pick up the pace by doing different moves and going for pins as the match goes on. Eaton kept the hammerlock on until 2 minutes were left and there was no urgency on his part to try and finish. I also don't get the draw. Eaton was a tag team wrestler and it wouldn't hurt him to lose. Even if it was to fill time, they could've done something else to fill time on the show. I don't get why Koloff got beat down afterwards since nothing came of it and it didn't help Koloff. Anyway, Koloff would end up losing the title to Mike Rotunda 2 days later.

Caudle and Ross discuss the TV Title match and preview the Western States Heritage Title match.

NWA Western States Heritage Championship: Barry Windham (c) vs. Larry Zbyzsko (w/Baby Doll)- Oh boy, after having to watch that slow as molasses type opening match, I get to watch a Larry Zbyzsko match. Anyway, the Western States Heritage Title was a useless title that was created in the summer of 1987 with Windham defeating Black Bart to become the first champion. Apparently, this was created as a tribute to a previous title from the Western States promotion in Amarillo although it was never defended there but mostly in NWA and UWF areas until the latter was absorbed into NWA.
It takes forever to start since Baby Doll trash talks Windham and won't get out of the ring. JR being the master of euphemisms describes Zbyszko as a “master of mindgames” who “knows how to slow the pace down, control the tempo, and frustrate opponents” which means stalling. Trust me, opponents aren't the only ones Zbyszko frustrates with his style. 

They circle with Windham chasing Zbyszko which allows Larry a golden opportunity to actually avoid doing something entertaining. Tie up goes no where. Another tie up with Windham getting an armdrag. Zbyszko argues with the ref for a second. Another tie up with Zbyszko muscling Windham to the ropes and breaking the tie up. Windham gets a side headlock but Zbyszko whips him to the ropes and Windham comes off with a shoulderblock. Windham comes off the ropes with another shoulderblock. Windham comes off the ropes again with Zbyszko trying to catch him with a hip toss but Windham reverses into his own. Zbyszko bails out of the ring to consult with Baby Doll and showcase his skill of stalling. Back in, Zbyszko takes Windham down and applies a leglock but Windham gets out almost immediately. Windham gets a side headlock but Zbyszko whips him to the ropes, Zbyszko drops down, Windham jumps over, and Zbyszko goes for the dropkick but Windham holds the ropes to stop himself and Zbyszko crashes and burns to a small pop. 

We get more stalling until Zbyszko gets a hammerlock but Windham escapes with a fireman's carry takedown. Zbyszko muscles Windham to the corner and punches him but Windham gets his own. Once again, Zbyszko muscles Windham into the ropes. Rolling solebutt kick is blocked and Windham hits the atomic drop. Zbyszko bails again to stall. Back in, Zbyszko takes Windham down and goes back to the leglock. Windham rolls over for 2 but Zbyszko rolls back into position but Windham fights out by rubbing his elbow into Zbyszko's face. We get a shoving match, trash talking, and more stalling. Zbyszko gets a side headlock but Windham whips him to the ropes. Zbyszko comes off with a shoulderblock. Zbyszko comes off the ropes but Windham catches him with a drop toe hold and side headlock. Zbyszko gets back up, whips Windham to the ropes, and catches him with his own drop toe hold. Zbyszko follows with an ankle lock or heel hook. 

Windham starts to get up but Zbyszko takes him down again. Windham eventually gets up again and hits an enzuigiri. Windham hits Zbyszko with a punch which knocks him down. Windham whips Zbyszko to the ropes and hits a powerslam for 2. Windham bodyslams Zbyszko and climbs the top rope. Diving elbow drop misses and Zbyszko goes back to the leg. Windham eventually gets back up and punches Zbyszko off his leg. Zbyszko comes back with a rolling solebutt kick and backbreaker for 1.

Zbyszko hooks in a chinlock but Windham eventually gets up and hits a cool one handed belly-to-back suplex on Zbyszko. Zbyszko comes back with a drop toe hold and goes back to the heel hook. Windham starts elbowing to get out of it. The two trade punches with Windham winning. Windham whips Zbyszko to the ropes and connects with a dropkick but the leg is still bothering him. Windham follows with a suplex gets 2. 

Gutwrench suplex gets 2. Windham whips Zbyszko to the ropes and catches him with a sleeper but Zbyszko makes it to the ropes and bails. Windham follows with a double ax handle off the apron. Windham rams Zbyszko into a table and the steps but Zbyszko comes back by pushing Windham into the ringpost. Zbyszko heads back in and goes out again to break the count and stomps Windham from the apron. Zbyszko gets back in as Windham recovers. Windham pulls Zbyszko legs to trip him and crotches him on the ringpost which gets a reaction from the crowd as they love it. Back in, Windham whips Zbyszko to the ropes and comes off the other side with a lariat but Zbyszko ducks and Windham crashes and burns to the floor. Zbyszko follows out, rams Windham on the table, and goes back to the ring. Windham rams his shoulder into Zbyszko's stomach from the apron. Sunset flip is blocked as Zbyszko punches Windham off. Zbyszko goes for the pin but gets 2. 

Zbyszko attempts a swinging neckbreaker but Windham reverses into a backslide for 2. Zbyszko recovers first and goes for a piledriver but Windham gets out with a back body drop. Windham can't capitalize and Zbyszko tries another pin for 2. Windham starts to fight back and whips Zbyszko to the ropes. Windham drops down, Zbyszko jump over, and the two end up colliding into each other. Zbyszko whips Windham to the corner but misses the running knee. Windham punches Zbyszko into the corner and hits the mounted corner punches. Windham goes for an irish whip to the corner but accidentally whips Zbyszko to the previous corner where he runs into the referee. Windham school boys Zbyszko but no ref. Baby Doll hits the mat three times and Windham thinks he won it until he see the ref is out. Baby Doll hands Zbyszko her high heel and he nails Windham with it for the win at 19:16.

Thoughts: * Another slow and dull match but not as bad. This match felt like a bad styles clash. I feel bad for Windham as he tried to make it interesting but Zbyszko would always stall and slow the match down which just killed it. In all fairness, I did like Zbyszko working on Windham's injured knee which made sense. I just wished the match picked up the pace as it went on. I remember Windham once said working with Zbyszko was hard and this match shows it. I'm probably going to continue saying this in my other 1988 NWA reviews but I really believe Windham should've been the world champion that year. He definitely deserved better than losing a worthless belt to Larry Zbyszko. Given the year he had, I really believe Windham was probably the most wasted and misused wrestler in American Wrestling that year. Anyway, Zbyszko would hold the title for the next year until abandoning it in January 1989 to go back to the AWA because his father-in-law Verne Gagne needed a world champion.

Caudle & Ross discuss the match and preview the World Heavyweight Championship match.

NWA World Heavyweight Championship: Ric Flair (c) (w/JJ Dillon) vs. Hawk (w/Paul Ellering)- If this doesn't justify my claim that having Flair be the world champion at this point was a mistake, I don't know what will. I'm a big Road Warriors fan but who, even in 1988, thought Hawk had a hope in hell to win the title? Well apparently not many since the Nassau Coliseum was 1/3 full. I think I can sum up this match best by saying that this match is like if the WWF had Bret Hart defend the WWF Championship against one of the Headshrinkers at the 1993 Royal Rumble. When you have to resort to having a world champion feuding and defending the title against midcarders and tag team wrestlers on big shows, it's time for a new champion and freshen up.

Flair gets a wooo to start and the two circle. Tie up with Flair trying to muscle Hawk in the corner but Hawk easily shoves Flair. Another tie up with Hawk applying a side headlock but Flair gets him in the corner to break it up. Flair chops Hawk which, of course, doesn't work. Yeah, if I was taking on a guy that was built like a brick shithouse, first thing I would do is slap him in the chest. Another tie up with Flair hitting Hawk with a knee to the stomach and another chop. Flair comes off the ropes but the shoulderblock doesn't work with Flair ricochets off Hawk. Flair comes off the ropes again but Hawk catches him and hits a gorilla press slam to a good pop with Flair rolling out to the floor. Hawk grabs Flair and pulls him back in. Hawk hits another gorilla press slam. Hawk works over Flair in the corner and hits a headbutt with Flair doing a Flair flop.

Flair crawls in the corner and Hawk proceeds to stomp the shit out of him. Hawk gets Flair up and hits a standing dropkick. Jumping fist drop follows. Hawk works over Flair in the corner and biels him out. Flair heads out to regroup. Flair gets up on the apron only for Hawk to suplex him back in the ring. Hawk whips Flair to the ropes and catches him with a bear hug. Hawk positions Flair's shoulders to the floor but only gets a few 2s. Flair tries to comeback with more chops but Hawk no-sells them and Flair starts begging. Hawk whips Flair to the ropes and comes off the other side with a jumping shoulderblock. Flair starts to crawl out of the ring but gets to the apron when Hawk stomps him and he falls out. Hawk goes out to follow with Flair raking the eyes and ramming him to the guardrail but it has no effect. Hawk starts stalking Flair around ringside with Flair trying to use the steps to block Hawk but Hawk picks them up and throws them to cheers.

Back in, Flair jumps Hawk coming back in with a chop which doesn't work. Hawk starts choking Flair but Flair hits a desperate low blow. Flair starts working over Hawk and even rakes the eyes. Flair hits a snapmare and a knee drop get 2. Flair tosses Hawk to the outside and follows out. Flair whips Hawk to the guardrail two times. Flair follows up by ramming Hawk to the guardrail and heads back to the ring. Flair climbs to the top rope as Hawk makes it back in and, HOLY SHIT, Flair actually comes off with a diving double ax handle. Snapmare and the knee drop get 2. Flair whips Hawk to the ropes but lowers his head too early and Hawk gets a hangman's neckbreaker to a pop. Hawk misses a jumping fist drop and his knee is bothering him for some reason. Huh? What sense does that make? Wouldn't missing a fist drop hurt your, you know, FIST!?

Oh, wait it's time for the figure four spot. Never mind. Sure enough, NOW Flair decides to work over the leg which he should've done 10 minutes ago instead of chopping the chest. Flair sets the leg up on the ropes and hits a seated senton on it. Flair then hit's a low blow behind the ref's back though I don't know why since he should be going for the leg. Flair then works the leg over with kicks and knees for a bit. Then we get a weird bit where Flair starts chopping, Hawk goes for a side headlock, and Flair counters with a belly-to-back suplex. Why? Not to keep beating on Flair but why not keep going for the leg? Then things get more fucked up as Flair drags Hawk's leg to the ringpost and rams it on the post. The problem is that Flair rammed Hawk's right leg when the left leg was the “injured” one. Back in, Flair remembers the left leg is the bad one and kicks it again. Figure Four Leglock is applied. Flair grabs the ropes for leverage and Hawk shoulder's fall on the canvas for 2.

Hawk eventually turns it over and it's broken up. Flair then climbs the top turnbuckle and to no surprise, Hawk stops him and throws him off. Hawk works over Flair in the corner but Flair reverses by putting Hawk in the corner. Hawk get whipped to the corner but rebounds with a clothesline out of the corner that hits Flair and the ref. Flair regains control and whips Hawk to the ropes. Hawk ducks the chop and clotheslines Flair over the top rope. Flair pulls Hawk out and tries to ram him into the ring post but Hawk blocks and rams Flair. Hawk goes after Flair and rams him to another post and Flair is bleeding. Back in, Hawk whips Flair to the ropes and hits a powerslam. Flair crawls in the corner and Hawk works in over. Hawk whips Flair to the corner and catches him coming out with a clothesline. Flair rolls to the apron and rakes the eyes.

Flair goes back to the top but Hawk stops him and hits a superplex. Hawk covers but no ref. Dillon comes in and hits Hawk with a chair to no effect. Hawk goes after Dillon which allows Flair to nail Hawk with the chair. Ellering tries to wake the ref up as Flair goes for the pin but Flair gets 2 to a big pop. Flair hits a suplex but Hawk no-sells it and the fans are going nuts. Hawk corners Flair and hits the mounted corner punches. Flair does another Flair flop and Hawk nails another fist drop. Flair crawls to the corner, knees Hawk in the stomach, and hits him with the chair for a lame disqualification at 21:39. After the match, Hawk doesn't sell it and Flair eventually escapes.

Thoughts: 1/2* Another dull match. It started well but fell apart as it went on. Flair was especially awful here. As is the case with almost every match, he showed zero psychology. He spends a lot of the match chopping Hawk in the chest and not going for the leg which makes no sense. I guess some would say it's because Flair wants to show vulnerability while Hawk looks like a beast but he looks foolish. Then in typical Flair fashion, he waits ten minutes until he targets the legs which is usually after his opponent magically injures it. Then he applies the figure four leglock which doesn't get the finish and then he ignores the leg for the rest of the match. Then there's the fact he hit the wrong leg onto the ring post. Along with these issues, it was the same Flair formula that's been done to death by 1988 with a lame finish.

Caudle and Ross talk about the World Heavyweight Championship match and preview the Bunkhouse Stampede as the ring crew set up the cage.

Steel Cage Bunkhouse Stampede Battle Royal: Dusty Rhodes vs. The Barbarian vs. Lex Luger vs. Arn Anderson vs. Tully Blanchard vs. The Warlord vs. Animal vs. Ivan Koloff- Yes, you read it right. A steel cage battle royal. Guess we can chalk this up as another sign that Rhodes was burnt out. Paul Jones, JJ Dillon, and Paul Ellering are all out. The major stories here is Luger had just quit the Four Horsemen and went on his own, Dusty Rhodes won all the previous Bunkhouse Stampede finals, and Animal won the most battle royals in the month of December.

The usual battle royal craziness begins things. To much going on right now. Rhodes tries to send Blanchard out of the door but Anderson stops him. Rhodes rakes Koloff on the cage and tries to eliminate him while Animal tries to eliminate Blanchard over and out of the cage but Barbarian saves him. Blanchard and Anderson double team their former teammate in Luger and then try to eliminate him but he holds on. Rhodes and Koloff fight on the ropes with the Barbarian coming to help Koloff. Barbarian nearly gets dumped over the cage but hangs on and Animal helps him. Koloff is busted open and gets tossed into the cage by Rhodes. Anderson nearly goes out the door by Rhodes but Koloff makes the save. Blanchard is bleeding and Luger hits an atomic drop on Koloff which sends Koloff to the cage. Rhodes gets Blanchard's belt and starts whipping people to a big pop. There's really nothing to say here as nothing is going on besides mindless brawling.

Animal gets double teamed by Barbarian and Warlord. Koloff works over Rhodes in the corner with the belt buckle and ties Rhodes' arm on the ropes with the belt. Luger gets Anderson's boot that Anderson took off and is using it. Animal frees Rhodes as everyone slows down for a second and then get their second wind. Animal tries eliminate Anderson by dumping him while Blanchard is trying to eliminate Koloff through the door. Rhodes' arm is a bloody mess. Animal gets Koloff over the cage. Koloff holds on with Animal hitting him until he finally falls to the floor which finally gives us our first elimination after nearly 15 minutes. Animal presses Blanchard and tosses him onto Anderson. Warlord and Animal fight near the door with Animal trying to kick Warlord out. Warlord gets kicked out but holds on the door. Barbarian hits the kick of fear on Animal and both he & Warlord go out. Rhodes and Luger team up against the Horsemen.

Luger whips Blanchard to the ropes and hits a powerslam. Luger goes for the torture rack but Blanchard gets out by grabbing the ropes and getting an assist from Anderson. The Horsemen double team Luger and try to eliminate him but he fights out of it. They try again with Anderson even leaving through the door and standing on the steps to try to pull Luger out. Finally all three fall out and are eliminated leaving us with Rhodes and the Barbarian. Rhodes works over Barbarian near the cage which allows Jones to hand him something which he uses to nail Rhodes with. Barbarian drop an elbow. Barbarian climbs the top turnbuckle and comes off with a diving headbutt. Barbarian climbs the top again and hits another diving headbutt. Fans chant “Dusty” as Barbarian tries to push Rhodes out of the cage but Rhodes fights out. Rhodes whips Barbarian to the ropes and hits an elbow. They climb the ropes with barbarian hitting Rhodes with a headbutt. Barbarian tries to dump Rhodes but can't. Rhodes fights back and gets Barbarian half way. Big bionic elbow knocks Barbarian over but he holds on. Another big bionic elbow sends Barbarian to the floor and Rhodes wins the Bunkhouse Stampede at 26:21.

Thoughts: *1/2 It had it's moments but went far too long for a battle royal which is what hurt it the most. Unless it's a Royal Rumble, battle royals usually shouldn't go 25+ minutes. Even worse is there were only eight participants and some eliminations were simultaneous. Rhodes can be a genius in terms of wrestling booking but this match was one of those matches that doesn't work. It wasn't bad but it just didn't work. I've never seen a steel cage battle royal before or after this and it's probably for the best. It felt like Rhodes was trying to reinvent the wheel but it wasn't necessary. A lot of fans shit on Rhodes for booking himself to win but there were some reasons outside Rhodes' ego. Given this show had a lot of heels winning or getting the last laugh, they needed a babyface to win to send the fans home happy. Anderson and Blanchard were already the tag team champions and with Flair as the world champion, the Horsemen had two titles. Not to mention, the NWA/JCP was becoming the Four Horsemen Show and would only get worse as the year progressed. Koloff was well past his prime and wouldn't benefit from this. Animal, Barbarian, and Warlord were tag team wrestlers and it didn't make sense for tag team wrestlers to win a singles battle royal. Not to mention Anderson, Blanchard, Warlord, Barbarian, and Koloff were all heels. The only other person that should've won this was Luger but it wasn't the end of the world as Rhodes had big plans for Luger throughout the year.

NWA President Jim Crockett presents Rhodes with the $500,000 check and trophy.

Caudle and Ross recap everything to end things as we go to clips from the show

Final Thoughts and Verdict
Believe the hype, this show is bad and nothing good came out of it. Not one match broke the two star barrier which, for a PPV even in 1988, is inexcusable. Eaton/Koloff may be the worst match I ever saw Eaton in and maybe Koloff too. The Western States Heritage Title meant nothing and Flair as the World Champion was running on empty with stale matches and the fact he was facing a tag team wrestler. While Flair's run would pick up later with Sting and Luger, he was getting boring by this point. The steel cage battle royal was interesting but it didn't work and went way too long for an eight man battle royal. Along with no good matches, there wasn't any entertaining promos or segments and no big blow offs. Another issue were too few of matches as four is not enough, even for a two hour PPV. Outside of Royal Rumbles and Survivor Series' events, PPVs with four or five matches doesn't interest me. I didn't care for it when Triple H would book them for NXT TakeOvers and 2020 WWE PLEs and I don't like them here. There was nothing to go out of your way to see unless you're interested in watching a steel cage battle royal. You could miss this event and miss nothing in the long run.
Having watched this and the Royal Rumble 1988, I can say the Royal Rumble was the better show. It had the same timing issues but there wasn't a bad match on that show and a few of the matches were very good.

Strong recommendation to avoid

Bunkhouse Stampede 1988 Facts
The only Bunkhouse Stampede Pay-Per-View

The last PPV the NWA/WCW would do in the month of January until nWo Souled Out in 1997.

The Bunkhouse Stampede was the first PPV held in the state of New York. It would also be the last PPV to be held in the state of the New York until Fall Brawl 2000.

The Bunkhouse Stampede has the fewest matches in the history of NWA/WCW PPV with 4.

The Bunkhouse Stampede was the only PPV to have the NWA Western States Heritage Championship defended.

Though this was the only “Bunkhouse Stampede” PPV, WCW would later tweak the name as “Spring Stampede” which would be their April PPV in 1994 and again from 1997-2000.

Went head-to-head with the WWF Royal Rumble 1988 event which aired on the USA Network