The show opened with Phil Rainey and Jim Cornette standing outside the Knoxville Civic Coliseum, the site of Friday night’s Volunteer Slam. Cornette explained that we would be looking at each of the competitors in the heavyweight title tournament and would see them all in action.
We came back to see Rainey and Cornette in the arena. Cornette ran down the building’s history and displayed the heavyweight title. Rainey then introduced Dixie Dynomite and the Dirty White Boy.
We saw Dixie battling Carl Styles. Styles was clubbing on Dixie and whipped Dixie, then dodged a dropkick. Styles bit Dixie on the head and slammed him down before picking him up for a backbreaker. Styles covered for a one count and telegraphed a backdrop for a Dixie dropkick. Dixie chopped him and charged him in the corner with a clothesline. Dixie climbed the ropes and started peppering Styles with punches as Dutch Mantell headed to ringside.
Styles caught Dixie and hit a power slam. Dutch hopped onto the apron to offer some advice and Dixie regained his feet. Dixie hit a super kick and covered for the win.
We then went to an interview with Dixie. Dixie mentioned his match against Dirty White Boy and promised to come out on top.
We then went to a match between the Dirty White Boy and Joey Maggs with Ron Wright ringside. Maggs sent DWB into the corner and ate a boot following in. DWB hit a clothesline from behind and hit a swinging neck breaker. DWB got a two count and hit a head butt. DWB snapmared him and missed a standing splash.
Maggs regained his feet and started slugging away. He whipped the DWB and hit a backtoss. He hit a shoulder block and got a two. Maggs followed with an enziguiri and missed a dropkick. DWB hit the Bucksnort Blaster for the win.
DWB put over the tournament and said that Ron Wright had checked himself into a home to rest up for the Volunteer Slam. DWB then promised that he would be the first ever SMW champion.
We then returned to Rainey and Cornette, who sent us to commercial.
We came back after a break and Rainey introduced Buddy Landel.
We went to a match where Landel was facing Danny Davis. Landel strutted around the ring and raked Davis’s eyes. He popped Davis and choked him with his knee. Landel popped Davis with another punch and followed with a kick to the ribs. Davis hit a forearm and Landel stopped his advance with a rake to the eyes.
Landel snapmared Davis down and Davis countered into a hammerlock. Davis dropped knees on Landel’s arm and went for a submission.
Davis covered and Landel escaped. Davis caught a kick from Landel and started kicking Landel’s thigh. Davis tied up Landel’s leg and Landel hit another thumb to Davis’s eye. Landel climbed to the second turnbuckle and Davis caught him as he came in for a double axe handle. Davis kicked Landel into the corner and Landel answered with an elbow shot.
The two traded punches and Davis rolled up Landel. Landel grabbed Davis’s tights and rolled through for the win.
Landel then called Lee a loser and told him that he had to fight his way to the top of Smoky Mountain. Landel mentioned that SMW was where the tough guys got their opportunities and we returned to the arena.
Cornette mentioned that Landel was one of his favorite wrestlers and then mentioned that he’d be facing Brian Lee in the opening round.
We saw a video of Lee set to “Everybody Wants You.†We saw clips of Lee in matches against Joey Maggs, Dutch Mantell, Carl Styles, and Joe Cazana to show his dominance.
Lee then promised Landel that he’d be ready for him. Lee credited Landel with how well he talked, but said that Friday night would be the time to back it up.
Rainey and Cornette then sent us to commercial, with Cornette noting that Lee didn’t have a chance.
We returned to Rainey, who introduced the Coliseum’s executive director Paul Sherbikan. Sherbikan expressed his pleasure at having his facility selected to host the Volunteer Slam and expressed his excitement at seeing everyone coming out.
As Cornette tried to score a front-row seat for his mother, Rainey announced that the Heavenly Bodies would also be defending their tag team titles against the Party Patrol – Davey and Johnny Rich. Cornette then introduced a video to show Jackie Fulton’s injury.
Tom Prichard hit a suplex on Bobby Fulton and covered for a two. Prichard hit a snap mare and started squeezing Fulton’s head. Bobby hit a jawjacker and Lane tagged in. Lane cut off Bobby and telegraphed a back drop. Bobby started toward his corner and Prichard grabbed his tights to stop him. Prichard hit an atomic drop and followed up with a clothesline. Prichard covered for a two.
Prichard got a front face lock and tagged in Lane. Bobby dodged a charge from Lane and in came Jackie. Jackie fought off both Bodies and slammed them both, then followed with drop kicks. Jackie then cracked the Bodies’ heads together and hit a back elbow on Lane for a two.
Jackie slammed Lane and covered for another two. Jackie climbed the ropes and caught Lane with a clothesline. Bobby and Prichard started brawling and distracted the ref. Jackie got a sleeper and Cornette nailed him with the tennis racquet. Prichard covered and three seconds later the Heavenly Bodies had the titles.
Bobby popped Cornette and Lane hit him with one of the belts. Just like that the brawl was on. Lane hit Jackie in the knee with the racquet and locked on a figure four while Cornette whacked Bobby with the racquet. Prichard dropped knees on Jackie’s leg and Robert Gibson, Dixie Dynomite, and Brian Lee hit the ring to run off Cornette and the Bodies.
We then went to an interview with Bob Caudle and Bob Armstrong. Armstrong said that Jackie would be out a while and then said that Bobby Fulton had refused any temporary partners. Armstrong then announced that the Bodies were the tag team champions. Bobby came in to say that they were taking Jackie to the hospital and when they came back they’d be gunning for the Bodies.
Armstrong reiterated that the piledriver was illegal and Hector Guerrero would get a shot at him.
We then returned to Rainey, who announced that Jackie could be out for up to six weeks. Cornette expressed his disappointment at not getting to see Jackie wrestle, but promised that if the Fantastics ever came back, then the Bodies would give them even worse. Cornette then told the Party Patrol that people would be calling the highway patrol to clean up what looked like the aftermath of a car wreck. Cornette told the Patrol that the Bodies partied by roughing up rednecks.
We returned to see Rainey introducing Jimmy Golden and Robert Gibson.
We went to footage of Gibson taking on Joe Cazana. Cazana backed Gibson into the corner and caught him with a chop to the throat before choking him over the ropes. Cazana whipped Gibson across the ring and pulled him up. Cazana hit a snap mare and went to a chin lock.
Gibson fought back to his feet and arm dragged Cazana. Cazana fired back and sent Gibson back into the corner. Cazana telegraphed a back toss and Gibson rolled him up for two. Cazana hit a slam and headed up top. Gibson dodged the elbow drop and whipped Cazana, then back dropped him.
Gibson caught Cazana charging in with an elbow and then hit a knee lift before following up with a bulldog for the win.
Gibson expressed his pleasure at getting to face Golden. Gibson mentioned he was undefeated and that wasn’t going to change.
We then saw Tommy Angel inside the ring while Jimmy Golden recovered on the outside. Golden took his time in returning to the ring. The two locked up and Golden raked Angel’s eyes, then followed with a punch. Golden hit an arm drag and back dropped him. Golden covered for a two and telegraphed a backdrop. Angel got a backslide for two and then Angel fired a punch and covered for a one.
Angel slammed Golden and covered for another two. Golden nailed a dropkick and covered for the win.
Golden then threw another shot after the bell and started kicking Angel in the ribs. That brought Robert Gibson out for the save..
Golden mentioned his reputation of beating up Gibson’s relatives. He then promised to take care of Gibson on his way to the main event.
Rainey and Cornette sent us to commercial as Rainey said that we’d see Paul Orndorff and Tim Horner after the break.
We came back to see Cornette on the phone with Ticketmaster, still trying (and failing) to get his mother a front row ticket.
Rainey mentioned next week’s Mountain Mayhem match and Cornette took over. Cornette mentioned that eighteen men would compete. The first two men would fight for two minutes, and then someone else would enter every two minutes. The only way to be eliminated was to be thrown over the top and the winner would receive five thousand dollars.
Rainey then introduced Paul Orndorff. Cornette said that Orndorff may have been a wild card, but he was worthy to win.
We went to the interview where Orndorff expressed his disgust at being a wild card as Dixie and Hector Guerrero watched. Orndorff mentioned that he’d beaten Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair. Caudle interjected that he hadn’t competed enough in Smoky Mountain.
Orndorff told Caudle he shouldn’t have to prove himself and then said that he could beat Hector and Dixie at the same time.
Orndorff shoved Hector and he headed to the ring after threatening to use the piledriver no matter what Armstrong said.
Hector was peppering Orndorff with punches before switching to forearms. Hector hit a hiptoss and then a dropkick. Hector dodged a charge from Orndorff and covered for a two. Hector went up top and hit a cross body. Orndorff rolled through and got the win (with a handful of tights).
Orndorff argued with Hector and the ref before attacking Hector from behind. Orndorff picked up Hector and hit a piledriver. He then hit piledrivers on Ben Jordon, Reno Riggins, and Joey Maggs.
Orndorff left the ring and retrieved a chair. He picked up Hector and hit a piledriver on the chair.
Rainey then introduced Tim Horner.
We went to a match where Horner faced Joe Cazana. Horner had Cazana down in a side headlock and Cazana fought back to his feet. Cazana hit a back elbow and slammed Horner’s head into the turnbuckles. Cazana popped Horner and choked him over the ropes. Horner fought back with punches and wound up back dropped.
Cazana stomped Horner and dropped a knee. Cazana slammed Horner and played to the crowd before heading up top. Horner caught him and threw him down into the ring. Cazana tried to beg off before Horner started slamming his head into the turnbuckle and then hit a back elbow. Horner rolled up Cazana and bridged back for the win.
We then went to an interview with Hector and Horner. Hector asked Horner to save a bit of Orndorff for him. Horner displayed a foam lightning bolt and promised that lightning was going to strike. Horner stood up for the fans and promised that Orndorff was going down.
Rainey then sent us to commercial as Cornette called Ticketmaster again to straighten things out because, after all, his mother wouldn’t be sitting in the back row with the rednecks.
We returned to Rainey and Cornette, who were back outside. Rainey went over some of the special guests for Friday night and Cornette reminded everyone that they’d be seeing nine total matches and told the fans that they needed to be there for that show.
Rainey reminded everyone of next week’s Mountain Mayhem match and said goodbye for another week as we closed with the tournament brackets.
