RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK’S SHOW AT THE MID-SOUTH COLISEUM (courtesy of www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com)
Bam Bam Bigelow/Larry Sharpe over Jerry Lawler/the Killer
Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka over Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto
Fire and Flame over the MOD Squad
Tracy Smothers over Ron Sexton
Giant Hillbilly over the Red Demons
Mr. Universe draw Paul Diamond (double countout)
JT Southern over Jerry Bryant by DQ
Big Lou Winston over King Cobra
Gypsy Joe over Ira Reese
David Haskins over the Nighthawk by DQ
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcomed us to the show. Brown then informed us that today we’d be seeing Ron Sexton team with the Memphis Vice to face Tracy Smothers, Paul Diamond, and JT Southern. We’d also see Fire and Flame facing mystery opponents, Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka, Akio Sato and Tarzan Goto, Bam Bam Bigelow would be in a handicap match, and Jerry Lawler would team with the Giant Hillbilly.
We came back from commercial to see the Vice and Sexton preparing to face Smothers, Diamond, and Southern. Big Lou Winston started off against Paul Diamond. Diamond caught Lou in a headlock only for Jerry Bryant to slip in. Diamond responded by putting both Vice members down with dropkicks.
Winston brought in Bryant as JT Southern tagged in. Bryant put Southern in a headlock and then put Southern down with a shoulder block after Southern escaped by whipping him across the ropes. Southern returned to his feet and arm dragged all three members of the opposing team, sending them all out of the ring.
Bryant returned to the ring and tagged in Lou Winston while Southern brought Smothers in. Smothers caught Winston in a headlock and then shoulder blocked him down before dropkicking Winston through the ropes.
Smothers and Winston locked up again and when Winston hit Smothers with a punch Smothers responded in kind. Smothers tied up Winston’s arm and brought in Diamond. Winston raked Diamond’s eyes and began pounding on him before tagging Ron Sexton in.
Diamond scrambled across the ring and tagged in Smothers, who attacked all three opponents. Smothers slammed Sexton down and covered for a one count. Sexton kept Smothers trapped in a corner and the Vice hit the ring, which was the cue for all six men to attack.
Smothers came off the second rope and dove onto Sexton on the floor, where they continued brawling. Sexton slammed Smothers onto the concrete as referee Jerry Calhoun ruled the match a double countout. The Vice, Diamond, and Southern then pulled Sexton and Smothers apart. Smothers got free and the brawl started again before they were separated again.
We came back from commercial to find Lance Russell backstage to tell us about Wednesday night’s show in Evansville. He was soon joined by Sato, Goto, and Tojo Yamamoto. Yamamoto complained about Sato and Goto having to put their hair on the line (even though he knew they would win).
Fire and Flame then joined Russell to share their thoughts about their match against the MOD Squad. As Flame showed off a title belt, Fire said that he’d always known it would come down to them facing the Squad and Costello before promising to burn Costello.
Larry Sharpe and Bam Bam Bigelow then joined the fun. Sharpe promised Kenny D and the Killer that they’d see what he could really do when he came into the ring.
We headed back to the studio to see Russell at the interview set with Eddie Marlin. As always, Marlin called out Fire and Flame to be sure that they had the belts and were ready to wrestle. The champions obliged and asked Marlin how long the stipulations would continue. Marlin told them that they would continue until Fire and Flame were gone. Fire promised that something was getting ready to hit Marlin’s home as they headed to the ring.
Once the champions were in the ring, Marlin sent out their opponents – the MOD Squad. Fire and Flame headed to commentary to complain, and tried to call out Costello to talk this over. Russell pointed out that the Squad were former champions, and it looked like they wanted the belts back.
When Fire and Flame stalled, Marlin came out, confiscated the belts, and told them to either get in the ring or get out. All four men immediately entered the ring and started brawling. The Squad whipped the champions into each other before putting Fire down with a double shoulder block.
Jerry Calhoun soon restored order, with Flame and Basher inside the ring only for Fire to hit the ring whenever Basher got an advantage.
Fire tagged in for a quick double team, then made another tag for a double back drop. Flame hit a knee lift and brought Fire back in to kick Basher in the ribs before locking on a sleeper. Spike hit the ring to break the hold and the brawl started again.
Basher helped Fire along as Fire charged him and Fire flew over the ropes, taking Calhoun down. Basher suplexed him down and Eddie Marlin rushed out to make the three count. Calhoun came back out and grabbed the belts before heading to commentary to DQ the Squad for throwing Fire out.
The Squad and Marlin headed to commentary to demand a rematch with a no DQ stipulation. Marlin quickly agreed.
We came back from commercials to hear more about the week’s show.
After the card was run down we headed to the ring, where Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka were set to face the masked Renegades. Jarrett started off against Renegade 1. Jarrett arm dragged him down before locking in an armbar. Tanaka tagged in and put the Renegade down with a big chop. Tanaka tagged Jarrett in and Jarrett dropped an elbow onto the Renegade’s arm from the second rope.
The Renegade tagged in his partner and Jarrett immediately arm dragged #2 before continuing his focus on the arm. He whipped the Renegade, caught him with a back elbow, and covered for a one count.
The Renegade took Jarrett down but Jarrett tagged in Tanaka, who head butted the Renegade down , using chops to keep him down. Tanaka locked in an armbar and made the break when they wound up in the ropes.
Renegade 1 tagged back in and Tanaka brought Jarrett in. Jarrett hit a dropkick and followed up with a second before bringing Tanaka in. Tanaka hit a tiger suplex and held him for the win at 3:02.
We came back from break to see Sato and Goto set to face Jim Jameson and Mad Dog. Goto and Mad Dog started with the Dog fighting Goto down before tagging Jameson in. Jameson tried to keep the advantage with punches, but a head butt put him down. Sato tagged in and continued punishing Jameson. Sato slammed Jameson and stomped him before bringing Goto in.
Goto hit a chop and hit another head butt before stomping away on Jameson again. Goto slammed Jameson and dropped an elbow. Jameson caught Goto with a couple of knee lifts and started fighting back.
Goto regained control with a punch and Mad Dog tagged in, but the momentum was on Sato and Goto’s side. Sato tagged in and put Mad Dog down with a chop for a two count. Dog hit a head butt and Goto came in. Dog hit a back elbow and covered for a one count. Dog hit a shoulder block for another one count.
Goto caught Dog with a side kick to the throat that put him down. Jameson tagged in and was caught as he came through the ropes. Tojo tagged Jameson with his kendo stick as Goto hit a gut buster then tagged in Sato. Sato hit a piledriver (that actually almost turned into a power bomb) as Goto distracted the referee for the win at 4:00.
We joined Russell backstage again as he was joined by Jarrett and Tanaka. Jeff advised that Jerry would be in their corner and Tanaka warned Tojo that they chose the stipulations now.
Jerry Lawler, the Killer, and Kenny D then came in. Jarrett and D showed off the Killer and again put over the Killer’s athleticism. Lawler said that Sharpe could say that he was running, but he’d be right beside the Killer on Wednesday night. Lawler also reminded the fans that the Killer had slammed Bigelow the week before.
We returned to the studio to find Russell at the interview set, waiting for Larry Sharpe and Bigelow. Russell pointed out that Sharpe was wearing wrestling gear. Sharpe said that Lawler had been ducking them all along. Sharpe then brought up that he had 10 years of amateur experience and 13 of pro experience, and he was the weak link on the team. Sharpe promised that Lawler would realize Bigelow’s power when he was lying on the mat while Bigelow took the Killer apart. Russell expressed his doubt that Sharpe had made a good move and Sharpe replied by saying that Lawler and the Killer just weren’t good enough.
Bigelow headed to the ring to face Benny Traylor and Jerry Garmon. Both men hit dropkicks and Bigelow wasn’t moved. Bigelow dropkicked both men and then cracked their heads together. He shoulder blocked down Garmon and head butted Traylor. Bigelow pushed both men into the corner and then locked them in a bear hug at the same time. They submitted and Bigelow had the win at 1:19.
“Don’t Go Messing With a Country Boy†started playing to usher out the Giant Hillbilly and Jerry Lawler followed. Their opponents, Mr. Universe and the Nighthawk, wasted no time in joining them in the ring.
Jerry Lawler and Mr. Universe started the match. The two locked up and Universe whipped Lawler into the corner, where the King dodged a charge from Universe. They locked up again and Lawler was backed into Universe’s corner. Nighthawk grabbed Lawler only for Lawler to escape as Universe charged his partner.
Universe caught Lawler in a headlock and the Hillbilly tagged in. The Hillbilly caught Universe in a headlock and started throwing right hands. The Hillbilly hit a snap mare and Lawler tagged in. Lawler dropped a fist and covered for a one count.
Universe called for the test of strength, but Lawler wasn’t falling for it. Universe tried again and Lawler accepted before being overpowered down to one knee. Universe played to the fans as Lawler fought back to his feet and punched Universe in the face.
The Nighthawk tagged in and the two locked up. The Nighthawk whipped Lawler across the ring and caught him with a bear hug. Lawler clapped the Nighthawk’s ears to escape and tagged in the Hillbilly.
The two men locked up and the Hillbilly caught the Nighthawk in a headlock. The Hillbilly started clubbing the Nighthawk and snapmared him down before tagging Lawler back in.
Lawler wound up backed into the wrong corner and Universe tagged in. Universe threw shoulders into Lawler’s midsection and began punching him down. Lawler responded by dropping the strap and throwing punches of his own. He sent Universe to the mat and staggered the Nighthawk before trying to drop the fist. Lawler crashed to the mat as Universe rolled out of the way.
Nighthawk and Universe hit a double shoulder block and Nighthawk got a two. Nighthawk posed for the crowd and Lawler grabbed his tights and rolled him up for a three count. Russell and Brown pointed out that Jackie Fargo had likely taught Lawler the maneuver.
After a quick commercial, Russell and Brown quickly recapped the day’s events. Russell closed by putting over Bigelow’s double bear hug one more time before saying goodbye for another week.
FULL CARD FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S SHOW AT THE EVANSVILLE COLISEUM
Jerry Lawler/the Killer vs. Bam Bam Bigelow/Larry Sharpe
Southern Tag Team titles
Fire & Flame © vs. the MOD Squad
International Tag Team titles
Titles vs. Sato and Goto’s hair
Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka © vs. Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto
Mid-America title
Tracy Smothers © vs. the Great Kabuki
Giant Hillbilly vs. Mr. Universe
Paul Diamond vs. Ron Sexton
