One Year in Memphis – August 23, 1986

Reviews, Shows, TV Shows

RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK’S SHOW AT THE MID-SOUTH COLISEUM (courtesy of www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com)

Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka/Austin Idol Double DQ Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto/Great Kabuki

Fire and Flame over Phil Hickerson/Giant Hillbilly

Bam Bam Bigelow Double DQ The Killer

Tracy Smothers over Mr. Universe

MOD Squad over JT Southern/Paul Diamond

Ron Sexton draw King Cobra

Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcomed us to the show. Brown informed us that today we’d be seeing Tracy Smothers defend his Mid-America title, and Fire and Flame would defend the Southern Tag Team titles against mystery opponents. Russell added that we’d be seeing Kenny D and the Killer as well.

We came back from commercial to find Russell at the interview set to talk to Mid-America champion Tracy Smothers. Smothers expressed his happiness at winning the belt and then started talking about how in demand matches against him for the title were. Smothers said that he knew it was his time and he was ready. He then ended the interview by promising to take on all comers.

Smothers headed to the ring as Juicy Johnny stopped by the interview set to tell Russell that he was going to be the new champion.

Johnny then headed to the ring for his title match. Smothers and Johnny locked up only for Smothers to overpower him. Johnny tried again and found himself flying backward into the corner. Johnny tried again and found himself in a corner. When he charged out, Smothers hip tossed him and locked in an armbar.

Johnny tried to escape by flipping Smothers, only for Smothers to keep the hold. Smothers did release it and dropkicked Johnny before returning to the armbar. He rolled Johnny up for a couple of quick two counts before Johnny escaped.

Johnny started cranking Smothers’s arm only for Smothers to reverse it. Johnny shoulder blocked Smothers down and then got body slammed for the trouble. Both men dodged elbows before Smothers hip tossed him again and locked in the armbar.

Johnny stopped a Smothers charge with a knee to the abdomen and followed with a knee lift. Smothers got in a shot or two of his own to turn the tide and back dropped Johnny. Smothers whipped Johnny and stopped him with a back elbow for the two count.

Smothers bounced Johnny’s head off the turnbuckle and hit him with a flying cross body for the win at 4:06.

We then headed to the interview set where JD Costello and Mr. Universe were waiting. Costello argued with Russell over the way he put over Smothers before adding that Mr. Universe should be the real champion. Costello brought up how Universe had battered Smothers after the match. Costello warned that Universe was looking for Smothers, so Smothers should get out of town now.

Universe headed to the ring to face David Johnson. Universe immediately started clubbing Johnson down. Universe hit a clothesline and a slam as Costello joined the commentary team to praise Universe.

A chop put Johnson back on the mat and Universe picked him up for a suplex. Universe slammed Johnson again before absorbing chops from Johnson. Another body slam was followed by two leg drops and Universe covered for the win at 1:31.

We returned from commercial to join Russell in the back to hear about Wednesday night’s show at the Evansville Coliseum. Tojo soon joined Russell to talk about Sato and Goto’s match. Tojo talked about how he was looking forward to seeing Jarrett bald. Tojo added that he’d still be better looking because Jarrett would look like a little retarded boy. Tojo then discussed how Jerry Jarrett had donned a mask after losing his hair (and how Jerry’s wife had kicked him out of the house until his hair grew back).

Sato then chimed in by saying that this time they had something to gain before showing off a pair of scissors.

We returned to the studio to find Russell at the interview set, where he was joined by Kenny D. D told Russell that he didn’t need to know anything about the Killer – he just had to watch him wrestle. The Killer joined D and Russell as D put the Killer over. Russell agreed that the Killer should be able to stand up to Bigelow.

The Killer headed to the ring for a handicap match against the masked Red Demons. Both Demons attacked and the Killer got them in stereo headlocks before cracking their heads together. The Killer hit one of the Demons with a flying clothesline before powerslamming the other for the win at a time of 46 seconds.

We came back from another commercial to hear more about the Wednesday night show.

Back In the studio Sato and Gato were getting ready to face Jerry Garmon and Benny Traylor. Goto wasted no time in going after Garmon. Goto slammed Garmon and Sato tagged in to continue the assault. Goto made another quick tag as Garmon escaped to bring in Traylor.

Goto chopped down Traylor and dropped a knee on him before stomping away. Sato came back in and caught Traylor with a knee to the gut before raking Traylor’s eyes.

Goto came in and began dropping fists and stomping Traylor. Sato slammed Traylor and Goto hit the fallen man. Sato then tagged in and raised Traylor so Goto could come off the top rope with a knee for the win at 2:19.

We headed to the interview set where Russell was set to talk to Larry Sharpe and Bam Bam Bigelow. Sharpe started by saying that Jerry Lawler was hiding and hiring people like the Killer to come in and take out Bigelow for him. Sharpe told Kenny D what he had in store while Bigelow took the Killer apart inside the ring. Sharpe closed the interview by challenging Lawler again.

Bigelow headed to the ring to face David Haskins and Larry Santana. Bigelow took both of them down and then continued battering both men. He took Santana down with a back elbow before sending Haskins flying. He cracked their heads together and then pitched Haskins over the ropes while Sharpe distracted the ref. Bigelow slammed down Santana for the win at 55 seconds.

Russell was back at the interview set to talk to Eddie Marlin. Marlin called out Fire and Flame. The champions came out and Marlin once again promised that there would be a title match every week as long as they held the belts. Fire promised that it didn’t matter who they faced because they’d beat them.

Marlin told Fire and Flame to head to the ring and then they’d meet their opponents. Fire and Flame did so and out came Phil Hickerson and the Giant Hillbilly.

Hickerson started by going after Flame and running him out of the ring. Fire protested Hickerson’s participation in the match, which brought Marlin out to claim the titles and invite the champions to leave.

Hickerson began by taking Flame down and Hillbilly got a shot in before Fire tagged in. Fire head butted Hickerson repeatedly, sending the challenger to the mat and cutting him open. Flame tagged in and got a cheap shot on Hickerson to keep the blood flowing.

Flame continued pounding on Hickerson’s head as Fire got in cheap shots wherever he could. Fire tagged in and a double back elbow put Hickerson down. Fire dropped a leg and got a one count.

Fire continued attacking the cut on Hickerson’s forehead. Flame tagged in and they missed a double back elbow only for Hickerson to hit a double clothesline. That brought the Hillbilly in to fight Flame while Hickerson and Fire brawled to the commentary position. As the ref ruled the match a double count out, Hickerson started going for Fire’s mask. He got it off and we caught a glimpse of blond hair as Fire ran to the back.

The Hillbilly headed to commentary and demanded a no DQ match before we headed to commercial.

We came back to find Russell backstage with Jeff Jarrett, Jerry Jarrett, and Pat Tanaka. Jeff admitted that he was nervous, but he also thought that Tojo was getting scared. Tanaka said that he knew that they could beat Sato and Goto as long as the match was two on two.

Kenny D and the Killer then joined Russell. Kenny said he wasn’t worried at all about Larry Sharpe before showing off the Killer. He admitted that Bam Bam was tough, but he wasn’t tough enough to take out the Killer.

We headed back to the studio to find Russell at the interview set to talk to Fire and Flame. Fire, wearing a black mask, ranted against Marlin for not only putting their belts on the line, but their masks as well. Fire added that Hickerson would be the next to be burned. He called out Eddie Marlin and got a chair shot from Hickerson as the Hillbilly attacked with a boot.

Hickerson showed off that he’d gotten Fire’s mask again before saying that LeDuc was good, but he’d needed somebody bigger and stronger. Hickerson promised to show off Fire’s face as the Hillbilly got bleeped while he explained what he was going to do with his boot.

We headed to the ring for our main event – Pat Tanaka, Jeff Jarrett, and Paul Diamond against the MOD Squad and Ron Sexton. Russell discussed Hickerson’s booty – two masks, two title belts, and a chair before sending us to commercial.

We came back to see all six men making their way to the ring. Spike and Tanaka started off. Tanaka backed Spike across the ring before the ref ordered a rope break.

JD Costello headed to commentary as Tanaka took Spike down with an arm drag. Spike protested a hair pull as Sexton wandered around the ring. Spike grabbed control of Tanaka before a flying elbow put Spike down for a one count.

Tanaka followed with a chop before starting to work on Spike. Spike took Tanaka down and tagged in Basher as Jarrett tagged in across the ring. Costello bashed Jarrett as the two men locked up in the ring. Jarrett took Basher down and locked in an armbar. Basher raked Jarrett’s eyes to escape and then shoulder blocked Jarrett down only to get back dropped and dropkicked.

Basher tagged Sexton in and Sexton slowly entered the ring. Sexton caught Jarrett in a headlock and started cranking away. Jarrett whipped him across the ring and tagged in Diamond, who dropkicked Sexton for a one count.

Diamond returned to the headlock as Costello continued to offer his wisdom. Diamond got into a heated flurry of moves with Sexton that ended with Diamond tagging in Tanaka. Tanaka planted Sexton with a chop and Spike was tagged back in.

Spike planted Tanaka with a face plant and then followed up with a stomp before hitting a bulldog. Spike slammed Tanaka and tagged Basher in. Basher put Tanaka in with a back elbow and dropped another elbow before tagging Sexton back in.

Sexton started throwing punches before Tanaka chopped him. Jarrett tagged back in and Jarrett back dropped Sexton for a two count before the MOD Squad broke it up. That brought Diamond and Tanaka in and we had a melee. Jarrett locked Sexton in a sleeper only for Sato and Goto to attack with a kendo stick. The locker room emptied to run off the Squad, Sexton, Sato, and Goto before the wrestlers helped Jarrett to the back.

We headed back to commentary for Brown to give a quick rundown of the day’s events. Russell closed by saying goodbye for another week.

FULL CARD FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S SHOW AT THE EVANSVILLE COLISEUM

International Tag Team title match
Titles vs. Jeff Jarrett’s Hair
Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto © vs. Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka

Southern Heavyweight title
Kenny D will be handcuffed to Larry Sharpe
Bam Bam Bigelow © vs. The Killer

Southern Tag Team titles and the masks of Fire and Flame
No Disqualification
Fire and Flame © vs. Giant Hillbilly/Paul Diamond

Mid-America title
Tracy Smothers © vs. Mr. Universe

MOD Squad vs. JT Southern/David Haskins