DragonKingKarl Podcast Digs Into August 1986 Observer, Including Dusty Rhodes’ Final NWA Title Win

History gets another look courtesy of Karl Stern and the DragonKingKarl Show, as the latest episode puts the August 3, 1986, Wrestling Observer Newsletter under the microscope for a deep dive into one of professional wrestling’s most eventful periods.

The centerpiece of that particular issue was coverage of the NWA Great American Bash, and specifically the moment Dusty Rhodes captured the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair. It was Rhodes’ third and final reign with that title — a significant footnote in the long, storied rivalry between the American Dream and the Nature Boy that defined the National Wrestling Alliance throughout much of the 1980s.

The Great American Bash was one of the NWA’s signature touring events during that era, and a Dusty Rhodes title win over Flair was always a massive moment for the promotion’s fanbase. Rhodes and Flair traded the championship multiple times throughout the decade, with each exchange carrying enormous weight given their status as the two biggest stars in the territory-based wrestling landscape of the time.

Stern’s ongoing project of reviewing vintage Observer issues week by week offers wrestling historians and casual fans alike a chance to revisit how the business looked and felt during its territorial heyday — through the lens of the newsletter that was covering it in real time. For anyone with a interest in NWA history or the broader story of how wrestling evolved in the mid-1980s, this episode looks like a worthwhile listen.