RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK’S SHOW AT THE MID-SOUTH COLISEUM (courtesy of www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com)
Jerry Lawler over Bam Bam Bigelow
Austin Idol over the Great Kabuki by DQ
Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka over Tarzan Goto/Akio Sato by DQ
Fire/Flame/The Torch over Giant Hillbilly/Cousin Junior/The Killer
David Haskins draw Mike Jackson
Paul Diamond/Tracy Smothers over the MOD Squad
Jerry Bryant over JT Southern
Big Lou Winston over Van Van Horn
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcomed us to the show. Brown informed us that today we’d be seeing the Great Kabuki, Jerry Lawler vs. Basher, Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka vs. the Memphis Vice, and Akio Sato and Tarzan Goto would also be there. Russell sent us to commercial after saying that Kabuki had sprayed green mist in Tracy Smothers’s eyes, so a Mid-America title defense had to be postponed.
After a commercial for Jerry Lawler’s new furniture store in Evansville, we went backstage to Lance Russell. Russell advised that at the Evansville Coliseum the week before Lawler had been set to face Bam Bam Bigelow in a Texas death match. Russell then introduced a video from the show.
We saw Bigelow with Lawler in a sleeper as Larry Sharpe wrapped a chain around his fist. Sharpe swung and blasted Bigelow with it Lawler and Bigelow both tried to fight their way to their feet as an apoplectic Sharpe pounded the ring to encourage Bigelow. Lawler pulled himself up the ropes and the referee called for the bell. Lawler left the ring as Sharpe entered and began berating Bigelow. Sharpe pushed Bigelow into a corner and slapped him before kicking him in the rear end. Bigelow responded with a right hand that sent Sharpe out of the ring.
Russell then returned us to the show where he was at the interview set with Kabuki, Sato, Goto, and Tojo Yamamoto. Tojo bragged that Kabuki had put Austin Idol out of commission for a month. Tojo put over Kabuki as Goto waved a Japanese flag behind them. Tojo promised that Kabuki would hurt David Haskins so bad we’d never see him again.
Haskins was waiting as Kabuki entered the ring. The two locked up and Kabuki muscled Haskins back into the corner before chopping him down to the mat. Haskins tried to fight back and Kabuki caught him with a back kick that put him back down. Haskins threw another punch and Kabuki chopped his shoulders before chopping him back into the ropes. Kabuki sent Haskins into the corner and stomped him before chopping him down again.
Haskins started throwing right hands and whipped Kabuki into the corner. Haskins charged and ate a kick before Kabuki back kicked him down for the win. After the match Kabuki choked Haskins and stomped him as referee Jerry Calhoun tried to pull him off. Kabuki finally dropped a fist from the second rope and Jim Jameson ran in to help only to get beaten down for his trouble. That brought out Mike Murphy, who ate a side kick. As Kabuki attacked Murphy, Tojo entered the ring and assaulted Haskins with his kendo stick. That brought out Lawler, and Tojo quickly pulled Kabuki in front of him. Lawler begged for Kabuki to fight him as Tojo pulled Kabuki out of the ring.
We came back to see Russell backstage with the Giant Hillbilly and Cousin Junior to talk about the show Wednesday night. Hillbilly and Junior were quick to say that their mystery partner would be Tommy Rich.
Jeff Jarrett, Pat Tanaka, and a masked Jerry Jarrett then joined the interview as Russell announced that their match against Sato and Goto would feature a mystery referee. The “masked referee†quickly said that he’d be using his kendo stick as freely as Tojo used his.
Jerry Lawler then came in to talk about his match as Russell revealed that Tojo would be wrestling a bear that night. Lawler talked about looking forward to tagging with Bigelow to face Larry Sharpe and a mystery opponent. Bigelow then came in and promised a slaughter.
We returned to the studio to hear Russell introduce the “Tough Enough†music video featuring Jerry Lawler.
After the video we found Basher and JD Costello waiting in the ring for Lawler. Lawler made his entrance and joined Basher in the ring. The bell rang and Lawler chased Basher around the ring before pausing to push Costello’s buttons.
Finally the two locked up and Basher backed Lawler into a corner. Lawler reversed a hip toss and sent Basher skidding across the mat. Costello headed to commentary to share his two cents.
Lawler and Basher locked up again with Lawler in a head lock. The two began crisscrossing the ring before Lawler stopped and watched Basher run for a moment. Lawler chuckled as he encouraged the crowd to get on Costello’s case.
Lawler and Basher locked up again and Basher finally landed a knee to the midsection and a right hand. Another right hand sent Lawler down and Basher kicked him out of the ring. The fight continued until Lawler ducked a punch and Basher punched the ring post. Lawler rammed Basher’s head into the post and he returned to the ring as Costello checked on Basher.
Basher reentered the ring as Costello returned to commentary. In the ring, Lawler caught Basher’s foot and pushed him down before dropping a right hand.
Basher caught Lawler’s foot and Lawler hit an enziguiri to send Basher down. Costello stormed around the ring as Lawler and Basher locked up again and Basher got the King in a headlock. The two began crisscrossing again and Lawler slid under the ropes before chasing Costello into the ring. Lawler grabbed Costello’s MOD Squad Rule Book and started reading it.
The referee took the book as Lawler laughed at Costello. Basher staggered Lawler with punches and kicks before whipping him across the ring and hitting a back elbow. Basher started to choke Lawler before throwing right hands. Lawler dropped the strap and started firing back. He took Basher down and started punching him as Costello tried to push past Calhoun into the ring. Lawler dropped a fist from the second rope and covered as Costello hit Lawler to draw the DQ at 6:57.
Spike hit the ring and Lawler fought off both members of the MOD Squad before returning his attention to Costello. Costello wasted no time in making a retreat as Lawler celebrated for the fans.
We returned to the back to hear more about Wednesday night’s show from Russell.
After another commercial we headed back to the studio as Lawler introduced a video. We saw a clip from the Jerry Lawler Show that saw Lawler interviewing Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka before we headed to a music video set to “Object of my Desire.“ We saw clips of Tanaka and Jarrett’s matches against Sato and Goto as clips of the interview were interspersed in it. We also saw a quick video of Jarrett and Tanaka in a clothing store at the mall.
We headed back to the studio to see Jarrett and Tanaka on their way out to face the Memphis Vice. Bryant and Jarrett started as Russell read the backs of the Vice’s tights (So Bad on Lou Winston and Mean and Bad on Bryant). The two locked up and Bryant whipped Jarrett across the ring and wound up eating a dropkick. A second dropkick stopped Winston and the Vice left the ring for a quick conference.
Bryant reentered the ring and Jarrett whipped Bryant across the ring and back dropped him then followed with a body slam. Lou dropped an elbow to break the pin and Jarrett rolled out of the way before Winston hit. Jarrett then kicked the Vice out of the ring.
Bryant returned to the ring again. The two locked up and Bryant got a headlock. He slipped a punch to Jarrett’s throat and Winston got a punch behind the ref’s back. Bryant and Winston took a second to choke Jarrett in the corner. Bryant whipped Jarrett and power slammed him down for a two count.
Winston tagged in and kicked Jarrett in the ribs before a punch put him down. Winston suplexed Jarrett down and dropped an elbow before bouncing Jarrett’s head off Bryant’s boot. Bryant tagged back in and stopped Jarrett with a back elbow. A right hand put Jarrett back down and Bryant followed with a body slam.
Winston tagged back in and Winston hammered him down while the Vice kept him in their corner. Bryant tagged in and Jarrett caught Bryant with a kick for the opening to tag in Tanaka.
Tanaka put both Vice members down with back kicks before all four men began brawling. That brought Sato, Goto, and Tojo out to help pound Jarrett and Tanaka. Tojo tossed one of his wooden shoes to Sato as the Vice headed to the back.
Sato and Goto continued hammering the bloody Tanaka and Jarrett as Tojo got in shots with his kendo stick whenever he got an opportunity. Sato busted Jarrett open as Calhoun kept trying to break up the fight. Finally Jerry Jarrett hit the ring to attack all three men and Tojo blasted Jerry with the kendo stick. That brought out Lawler and as Lawler held off Sato and Goto, Jarrett got Tojo’s kendo stick and started giving some shots to Tojo and his team. That convinced Tojo and his team that it was time to retreat and they wasted no time in returning to the back.
We returned to the studio to see Russell introducing a music video of Tracy Smothers set to “When the Going Gets tough.†We saw clips of Tracy battling the MOD Squad and Pat Rose with the occasional shots of Tracy posing in a barn and under a tree.
We came back to Russell at the interview set as he welcomed Tracy Smothers in for a word. Tracy was wearing sunglasses as he explained that Kabuki’s mist had damaged one of his eyes and his doctor had ordered him to wait a week before wrestling again.
Russell added that Idol had also fallen victim to the mist as Costello and the MOD Squad came out for a word. Costello brought up that Spike was supposed to be wrestling Smothers for the title that week. Costello called Smothers a coward before Spike slapped the sunglasses off Smothers. Smothers charged both MOD Squad members before Paul Diamond ran out to hold Smothers back. Smothers raged about his treatment as Diamond forced Smothers to the back.
Eddie Marlin came out and advised that Smothers had demanded a match against the Squad. Smothers said that if he didn’t get the match, he’d take the title and leave the area. Marlin said that Smothers had a point and added him to the match against the MOD Squad that week.
We came back to Russell backstage to talk to Fire, Flame, and the Torch. Fire talked about how they’d always been able to defend their titles, but they’d put Tommy Rich down.
Tojo, Sato, and Goto then came in. Tojo said that he knew that the referee was Jerry Jarrett. Tojo advised that if Jerry cheated Sato and Goto out of the belts, then he’d take care of Jarrett personally.
Larry Sharpe then came in. Sharpe promised that Wednesday night would be the last match for both Bigelow and Lawler. Sharpe promised that Man Mountain Link would finish Lawler.
We came back to see Sato and Goto taking on Mike Jackson and William “the Bear†Thompson. Goto quickly ran Jackson out of the ring before attacking Thompson. Sato tagged in and hammered away on Thompson before tagging Goto back in. Goto stomped away and hit a chop before Jarrett and Tanaka hit the ring with boards. Jarrett and Tanaka nailed Tojo, Sato, and Goto with the boards, sending the Japanese team running to the back.
We took the last commercial break and returned to hear Brown give the rundown on the day’s events. We also saw a replay of Jarrett and Tanaka attacking Tojo, Sato, and Goto. Russell said goodbye and the show ended for another week.
FULL CARD FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S SHOW AT THE EVANSVILLE COLISEUM
Jerry Lawler/Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Larry Sharpe/Man Mountain Link
Fire/Flame/Torch vs. Giant Hillbilly/Cousin Junior/Tommy Rich
Tojo Yamamoto vs. Gentleman Ben the wrestling bear
International Tag Team titles
“Mystery†referee
Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto vs. Jeff Jarrett/Pat Tanaka
MOD Squad vs. Tracy Smothers/Paul Diamond
Nick Adams vs. the Ninja
