RESULTS FROM LAST WEEK’S SHOW AT THE MID-SOUTH COLISEUM (courtesy of www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com)
Jerry Jarrett/Jeff Jarrett over Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto
Dirty Rhodes/Don Bass draw Jerry Lawler/Tommy Rich (referee stoppage)
Tracy Smothers over the Ninja
Ric McCord/John Paul over Memphis Vice
Giant Hillbilly over Torch by DQ
Pat Tanaka over Nikita Molkovich
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcomed us to the show. Brown informed us that today we’d be seeing Akio Sato, Tarzan Goto, and the Ninja team up in a six-man, Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka would face the Memphis Vice, and Tommy Rich would make his return.
We returned from commercial to see Keith Erich waiting in the ring for Jerry Lawler. As he waited, Russell informed us that Fire, Flame, and Torch had been unmasked by Lawler and Rich. Fire was Dirty Rhodes, Flame was Don Bass, and Torch was Larry Wright. Randy Hales hurried to the commentary desk to tell Russell that Lawler wasn’t there and they’d have to postpone his match.
Russell and Brown tried to keep things moving as Erich was informed of the situation. Russell got up and joined Dirty Rhodes, Don Bass, and Larry Wright for an interview. Rhodes told the fans that Lawler was gone forever. He then showed off what Lance Russell identified as Lawler’s car keys and promised that Tommy Rich was next. When Russell pressed Rhodes about the keys, Rhodes only said that they’d had to repossess a car before we headed to break.
We headed backstage to see Russell ready to talk about Wednesday night’s show. Russell hinted that Lawler would not be there and promised that we’d find out later in the show, saying only that Lawler had been suspended for a week following an “incident.â€
Russell was joined by Rhodes, Wright, and Bass. Rhodes promised that we’d be seeing a dastardly deed by Lawler, then ranted about Lawler only being suspended for a week. He added that he’d heard that Lawler would be ringside, and promised he’d take care of Lawler if he was.
Tojo Yamamoto and Akio Sato joined the interview. Tojo gave the mic to Sato, who ranted in Japanese. As they left Russell informed them that nobody knew what they’d said and the Jarretts didn’t care.
We returned to the studio to see Russell introducing a tape of the Jerry Jarrett/Tojo Yamamoto match.
We joined the match in progress just in time to see Jarrett hiptoss Tojo down and lock in an armbar. Jarrett released the hold and yelled at Tojo for a moment as Tojo held his arm. Russell hypothesized at ringside that Jerry may have broken Tojo’s arm.
Jerry returned to cranking on the arm and finally the referee called for the bell. Jarrett continued throwing punches at Tojo’s wounded arm while referee Frank Morrell tried to pull him off. Morrell pulled Jarrett off by the hair and Jerry punched him.
That brought Sato and Goto to the ring only for Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka to intercept them. While those four battled outside the ring, the Ninja slid into the ring and head butted Jerry. Morrell grabbed the Ninja and wrestled him away while Jerry continued attacking Tojo’s arm.
The Ninja got loose and attacked Jarrett again only for Jerry Lawler to rush to the ring and attack the Ninja. Morrell pulled Jerry away from Yamamoto as we returned to the studio.
Russell was joined by Tojo and company as he said that despite his personal feelings, he felt that Tojo should get to have his say. Russell added that he would sue Tojo if he attacked him. Russell gave Tojo a minute and thirty seconds to say what he wanted.
Tojo said that Jerry never broke his arm (despite the fact he was in a sling). Tojo said that he’d withstood Jerry’s best hold and gave the microphone to Goto, who yelled in Japanese to finish out the time. Russell reclaimed the mic and shooed Tojo and his men away. Russell added that he hoped that Goto’s language had been clean.
Sato, Goto, and the Ninja headed to the ring to face David Haskins, Jim Jameson, and Mike Murphy. Goto and Haskins started the match. Haskins locked in a headlock and then hit a cross body to get a quick one count on Goto. Goto whipped him and Sato stopped him with a clothesline.
Murphy and Sato tagged in and Murphy rolled up Sato for a one count only to get attacked by Goto. The Ninja tagged in and got back dropped by Jameson. The Ninja dodged an elbow and started throwing shots at Jameson’s head. The Ninja head butted Jameson down and stopped an Irish whip with a chop.
Goto tagged in and stomped away, then hit a head butt. Jameson returned to his corner and brought Murphy back in. Murphy hit a dropkick and Sato tagged in. Sato dodged another dropkick and stomped him.
Goto came back in and hit a boot before tagging in the Ninja. Ninja hit a double shop to Murphy’s head and got the win.
Russell was at the interview set and was joined by Jeff Jarrett, Jerry Jarrett, and Pat Tanaka. Russell brought up Tojo’s sling. Jerry admitted that he wasn’t proud of what he’d done to his former friend. Jerry admitted that he’d gone against everything he believed to hurt Tojo. Jerry discussed how he believed in fair play, but he also knew that Tojo had to be stopped. Jerry added that Sato and Goto were next before thanking Pat Tanaka for being willing to step aside so Jerry could take his place in the strap match.
Jeff said that he’d always wanted to tag with his dad, and the day had arrived. Jeff promised that they’d get the strap and would take care of Sato and Goto.
We returned from break to hear more about the Evansville show for this week.
After the show’s rundown, we saw the Memphis Vice on their way out to face Jarrett and Tanaka. Bryant and Jarrett started the match. After Bryant took a second to yell at a fan, the two locked up. Jarrett got a headlock that Bryant escaped by backdropping Jarrett. Jarrett flipped and sent Bryant into the ropes. Bryant held on to avoid a dropkick but still got arm dragged down. Bryant got arm dragged again and then Big Lou got two as well.
The Vice regrouped on the floor as Jarrett joined the referee in the count. Bryant returned to the ring and called for time out to consult with Big Lou. The two locked up again and Bryant backed Jarrett into the Vice’s corner. Jarrett dodged a forearm shot and then hit a dropkick that sent Big Lou to the floor with Bryant following.
Bryant returned to the ring at nine and Pat Tanaka tagged in. Bryant jawed with the fans and paid for it as Tanaka landed a chop on his back.
The two locked up and Tanaka got Bryant in a headlock. Bryant whipped Tanaka and ate two shoulder blocks to pay for it before Tanaka hit a kick to Bryant’s head.
As they locked up again Sato and Goto went after Jarrett, so the Vice took advantage of the opportunity to assault Tanaka. Jerry Jarrett came out to help save his son only for the Ninja to attack Jerry. Sato and Goto hit Jeff with a piledriver and Paul Diamond rushed in to even the odds. Sato grabbed a chair and cracked Diamond in the knee while Tojo nailed Jarrett with his kendo stick.
Sato and Goto set up the chair and while Goto held Diamond’s foot on the chair Sato came off the top rope to land on the extended leg. The assault continued as Russell called for an end to the chaos from commentary.
Goto continued assaulting Diamond while Sato and the Ninja held Jerry Jarrett to allow Tojo to whip him with his belt.
Eddie Marlin rushed out of the back with a garbage can and cracked the Ninja in the head with it. Goto jumped Eddie from behind and Sato hit Marlin with the can to bust him open while Tojo and Jerry brawled outside the ring.
Finally Jeff got the kendo stick and attacked Tojo as Jerry Garmon and Benny Traylor rushed out to help, only for the Vice to keep them out of the ring. David Haskins and Jim Jameson were next and the Vice pitched them as well.
Finally Tommy Rich and Tracy Smothers came out with chairs to send the heels running for the back. With that done, the faces checked on Diamond. They took their time easing him out of the ring and carried him to the back as Russell sent us to commercial.
We returned to see Keith Roberson waiting to face Tommy Rich. Rich greeted the ringside fans and entered the ring. The two locked up and Rich arm dragged Roberson down. Another lockup saw Rich headlock Roberson, then shoulder block him down and arm drag him down again into an armbar.
Rich released the armbar but kept attacking the arm before locking it in yet again. Rich suplexed Roberson down for a one count and out came Rhodes, Bass, and Wright. Wright popped Rich with a chain and handed it to Rhodes, who hammered Rich in the head and busted him open with it.
Bass grabbed the chain and hit Rich with it as Rhodes grabbed a chair and blasted Rich with it. The three stomped away on Rich. Eddie Marlin came out and threatened to suspend the three of them if they didn’t leave the ring.
The three slowly left the ring and started for the back, leaving a bloody Rich behind. Rhodes told Russell they’d promised to take out Rich after getting rid of Lawler. Russell protested as Rhodes continued to tell him that this was what happened when the three of them were crossed.
Referee Jerry Calhoun intercepted Rhodes, who was carrying a chair and heading toward the fallen Rich. As Eddie Marlin helped Rich to the back, Rhodes and Bass were set to face Jerry Garmon and Benny Traylor.
The bell rang and Garmon and Traylor came out. Bass grabbed Garmon immediately and attacked him while Rhodes put the three of them over on commentary. Bass pitched Garmon and attacked Traylor. Rhodes came in and pitched Traylor and dropped a knee on Garmon, then tagged Bass in. The two put Garmon down with stereo back elbows and Bass hit a knee lift.
Rhodes tagged back in and the two back dropped Garmon and covered before pulling him up at one. Rhodes head butted him and tagged in Bass. Bass raked Garmon’s eyes and brought Rhodes in as Traylor tagged in.
Rhodes slammed Traylor and covered for the three count at 2:03. Russell headed to the interview set for another word from Rhodes. Rhodes put on a pair of sunglasses and issued a challenge to Marlin if he had anybody left for them to face.
Rhodes paled as Lawler and Tommy Rich came in. Lawler smashed a Coke bottle on Rhodes and battered him as Rich fought off Bass and Wright. Lawler grabbed a chair and blasted Rhodes with it before running him into the ring post. Lawler and Rich traded opponents as Bass flew into a post. With Rhodes and Bass heading to the back Lawler and Rich attacked Wright and sent him that direction as well.
Lawler explained that the three of them had run Lawler off the road and attacked him. Lawler promised to kill them when he got them in the ring before heading to the back.
We came back from commercial to hear one last rundown for the Evansville show as Russell again explained that Lawler had been suspended for a week following his attack on Rhodes. He also advised that even though Lawler couldn’t wrestle, there was nothing that said he couldn’t be there.
Tommy Rich praised Lawler for nailing Rhodes with that bottle. He then promised that he and Tanaka were coming for blood and for the titles. Rich closed by hinting that he may wind up suspended before the match ended.
We returned to the studio for Russell to introduce Rick McCord and John Paul as they prepared to face Rough and Ready.
McCord and Paul joined Russell at the interview set and he welcomed them to town. McCord said that everyone was talking about how Memphis was the place for tag teams and he wanted in on the action. They headed to the ring where their opponents were already waiting.
McCord and Rough started off. McCord backed Rough into the ropes and then started wrenching Rough’s arm before tagging Paul in. Paul continued working the arm and brought McCord back.
McCord and Paul continued making quick tags while focusing on the arm. Paul finally slammed Rough down and brought McCord back in. The two whipped Rough and a double chop put Rough down. Ready broke the pinfall and Paul came back in.
Paul brought McCord back in and he put Rough down with a dropkick. Rough tried to fight back only for McCord to come back in. Paul clotheslined Rough then put him down with a power slam. He tagged McCord, picked him up and slammed him onto Rough for the win.
We came back from our last commercial to hear Russell and Brown run down the day’s events. Russell said a quick goodbye and the show closed for another week.
FULL CARD FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT’S SHOW AT THE EVANSVILLE COLISEUM
Sixteen Man Tag Team Battle Royal
Winner receives $10,000
Leather Strap on a Pole match
Jerry Jarrett/Jeff Jarrett vs. Akio Sato/Tarzan Goto
Southern Tag Team titles
Dirty Rhodes/Don Bass © vs. Tommy Rich/Pat Tanaka
Mid-America title
Tracy Smothers © vs. the Ninja
Rick McCord/John Paul vs. Boy Tony/Big Bubba
Nikita Molkovich vs. Speedy Tall Trees
