The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 07.21.86

Reviews, Shows, Top Story

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South (Power Pro) Wrestling – 07.21.86

Sadly, we come to the end of Mid-South on the Network.  It was truly amazing to watch these shows for the first time, and I will happily devour and continue to review anything more they add to the section.

Your host is Jim Ross

Brett Wayne Sawyer v. The One Man Gang

All of the matches on this show are taped from the Superdome show in June.  Sawyer runs away for a bit to start, but Gang suckers him into the corner and pounds him down.  What’s the deal with “MOON” on Gang’s tights, by the way?  Gang chokes him down and tosses him, as you have to think that Vince and Hogan were salivating at the thought of bringing this guy in for a run at this point.  Gang starts beating on him with a chair on the floor and the ref calls for the DQ, at which point Gang throws Sawyer back in and finishes destroying him anyway.  DUD

UWF TV title:  Terry Taylor v. Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer

So yeah, we’re into the UWF era now, and the TV title is a real belt instead of a medal.  It’s a nice belt, too.  Buzz desperately wants a handshake to start, but then kicks Taylor in the balls anyway to start.  Buzz misses a blind charge and hits the post, and Taylor goes to work on the arm.  Buzz escapes for a criss-cross, but Taylor gets two off a bodypress and goes back to the arm.  We take a break and return with Taylor missing a bodypress and Mad Dog takes over with a slam on the floor.  Suplex back in gets two.  Buzz with the bearhug, which Taylor counters into a headlock, so Buzz puts him down with a backdrop suplex and goes back to the bearhug.  So that goes on for a good while and Taylor makes the comeback, but walks into a powerslam for two.  Buzz goes up and misses a flying splash, and Taylor finishes with a sunset flip to retain.  Mostly a dull house show match.  *  Sawyer complains that Taylor held the tights and cheated, so Taylor comes back in, hits him with a Thesz Press, and pins Sawyer AGAIN.

Jack Victory v. Koko B. Ware

Koko quickly chases Victory to the floor with a dropkick.  Of note here:  Victory’s valet is Lady Maxine, who was supposed to be a big deal in the Rock N Wrestling aftermath in the WWF.  She was brought in as a foe for Wendi Richter, and looked like a big scary monster (picture a six foot tall Cyndi Lauper but with a Mohawk), and even had a character designed for Hulk Hogan’s Rock N Wrestling cartoon!  As it turned out, she did one match in the WWF and then disappeared from wrestling forever.  They actually had to replace her cartoon appearances with Fabulous Moolah in the production stages.  Just one of those things, I guess.  Victory pounds away on Koko in boring fashion, but Dark Journey comes out to yell at Maxine, and Koko gets the distraction rollup for the pin.  Another throwaway junk match.  ½*

The Blade Runners v. Ted Dibiase & Steve Williams

This one actually comes from Houston instead of the Superdome.  Now, we’re only four months after the last show I did, but both Sting and Rock are noticeably smaller, lighter and faster.  Sting in particular looks almost the same as he does when he becomes a star in late 87.  And Jim Ross says the same thing, noting that the Blade Runners are much more mobile at this stage, as compared to their debut matches.  Sting tries to overpower Dibiase and gets sent out of the ring as a result.  Back in, Sting works a headlock and hangs on tenaciously, but Dibiase escapes and dropkicks both heels out of the ring as we take a break.  Back with Doc as the face-in-peril, and Sting drops a pair of elbows for two.  He hits the chinlock and Doc powers out, but a blind charge misses and Rock comes in to maintain control.  He misses an elbow and it’s HOT tag Dibiase, who goes crazy on Sting and drops the fist on him.  Dibiase goes for a slam, Eddie Gilbert comes in and dropkicks Sting on top, and Dibiase rolls through for the pin.  This was a real match and everything!  What a stunning difference from the crap Blade Runner squashes we’ve seen up until now. **1/2  Jim Ross notes that maybe Sting and Rock should find a different territory with easier competition.  Ouch.

Jim Ross wraps it up, and that’s it for Mid-South Wrestling on the WWE Network.

Next up:  SMOKY MOUNTAIN WRESTLING!