bluedevil71
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The Midnight Rider gimmick started in the aftermath of the March 26, 1988, WTBS TV incident where Tully Blanchard and JJ Dillon attacked Magnum T.A. Barry Windham came out and got knocked down. Then Dusty Rhodes took the baseball bat that Magnum had with him and started swinging at Tully, Jim Crockett and other NWA officials. Dusty was suspended for 120 days and was stripped of the U.S. title, which he won from Lex Luger at Starrcade in November 1987. The Midnight Rider wrestled a match or two on TV on WTBS and World Wide Wrestling. He wrestled JJ Dillon in a bullrope match at the Crockett Cup. The Midnight Rider entered the May 13, 1988, U.S. title tournament in Houston, but it was the Italian Stallion under the mask. He lost to Windham in the tournament's first round. The suspension was later lifted and Dusty was back in time for the June 1988 Clash of the Champions to wrestle in a tag match with Sting against Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard. Dusty then wrestled Barry Windham for the U.S. title at the Great American Bash on July 10, 1988, in Baltimore. Barry won that match with the gloved right hand and the claw.
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