Lance Russell and Dave Brown are sad to inform Memphis fans that Eddie Gilbert passed away in Puerto Rico of a heart attack. A video package to the tune of Garth Brooks “The Dance” honors Gilbert’s career in the region.
Russell and Brown do commentary for today’s episode, once again coming from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis. Russell says that Susan Sapphire demanded to be part of today’s beauty contest between Miss Texas and Sweet Georgia Brown, so it will be a three-way contest.
Reggie B. Fine walks out, insisting that he is going to judge today’s beauty contest. Russell corrects him by saying that the people will get to be the judges and Fine is having none of that. After his rant is over, the women model evening gowns to “Pomp and Circumstance.” Instead of just getting the instrumental, they use it from Randy Savage’s entrance because are forced to cut it off when Savage’s voice is heard near the end of the song.
USWA Unified World Championship Match: Bill Dundee (6-2) beats Jerry Lawler (Champion) (4-1) with a schoolboy roll up to win the title at 9:58 shown:
Dundee earned this title match because he won the bunkhouse battle royal (or Super Brawl battle royal based on who you talk to) at the Coliseum. The crowd likes both guys and they play to the crowd in the early going and slowly exchange holds. Dundee spams double stomps, hitting one off the second rope for a near-fall. A double axe handle off the top is caught, but a Lawler DDT only gets two. After a commercial break the match loses its early momentum as Dundee begs off and punches are exchanged. The referee is bumped from a headlock spot, allowing Lawler to hit an illegal piledriver. When the referee goes to make the count, J.C. Ice stops it to argue and when Lawler gets distracted, Dundee rolls him up to win the promotion’s top title for the first time. Rating: **
Russell interviews Dundee, who gloats about winning the title. Lawler refuses to shake his hand and warns him that he will not be wearing the title long. Lawler demands to get the first title shot, with Dundee agreeing but only after he has held the title for thirty days. Dundee finally relents and agrees to face Lawler as soon as Lawler can draw up a contract for a rematch.
Big Daddy Cyrus, who dwarfs Dundee, demands a shot at the Unified World Championship. When Dundee tells him to get in line, Cyrus pushes him several times and Dundee attacks with some stiff blows until Crusher Bones saves his partner. They do a two-on-one beating until Lawler rescues his former tag team partner, setting up a tag team main event at the Memphis Coliseum show.
Sweet Georgia Brown, Miss Texas, and Susan Sapphire model their swimsuits. The crowd votes for Texas because she is the babyface.
Highlights of the PG-13-Tommy Rich/Gorgeous George III (who was substituting for Doug Gilbert) stretcher match at the last Mid-South Coliseum event are played. PG-13 won after Rich accidentally nailed Gorgeous George III with his baseball bat and after the match, PG-13 did a number on Rich’s arm with the bat.
Rich and Big Business Brown, who seems to be taking the place of Scott Bowden, are interviewed by Lance Russell. Rich brings an x-ray of his left wrist, which is in a cast, saying that his doctor in Nashville almost had to amputate it.
Wolfie D (0-0-1) defeats Tommy Rich (w/Big Business Brown) via disqualification when Rich’s mother interferes at 4:58:
Rich slowly works over Wolfie D until he gets crotched climbing the top rope. A superplex and bulldog follow and Gorgeous George III goes to interfere, only to be intercepted on the floor by J.C. Ice. As they brawl, Wolfie D gets knocked to the floor and Rich holds Wolfie D in place so his mother can spray paint yellow all over his back. That is…an interesting direction to that his feud. Rating: ¾*
Miss Texas is announced as the winner of today’s Miss USWA contest. When Texas accepts her flowers, she is attacked by Brown and Susan Sapphire. Jerry Lawler and Brian Christopher make the save.
In a taped promo, J.C. Ice says that PG-13 are “graffiti masters” and they challenge Tommy Rich & Gorgeous George III to a graffiti match, where the losers have to be spray painted. Wolfie D adds that he is going to bring his mother to neutralize Rich’s mother if she shows up at the Coliseum.
The Last Word: Unlike last week’s episode, things happened on this telecast. Bill Dundee’s title win would have meant more if they built to it. Instead, the fans are just supposed to be happy that his twenty-year quest to be world champion has been fulfilled. And even though the use of Rich’s mother seems lame on paper, the crowd was into the spray paint deal at the end of the last match so even without Doug Gilbert the company is finding ways to keep that tag team title program going.
Here were the results of the February 27 Memphis Coliseum show. According to prowrestlinghistory.com, 1,100 fans attended, 400 fewer than the previous two shows.
-Chad Carlson beat Doug Basham
-The Spellbinder (3-2) defeated Scott Studd (8-1)
-Big Daddy Cyrus & Crusher Bones (2-1) defeated Moondog Rex & Moondog Spot (4-0-2)
-Miss Texas defeated Sweet Georgia Brown & Susan Sapphire in a handicap match
-Corey Maclin (1-0) defeated Reggie B. Fine (0-5) in a match where Fine was blindfolded. Maclin won after the referee was bumped and Brian Christopher knocked Fine out.
-USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Christopher (9-5) defeated USWA Unified World Champion Bill Dundee (7-2) in a non-title “chain on a pole” match.
-PG-13 (9-5-1) defeated Tommy Rich & Gorgeous George III (0-1) in a graffiti match when Wolfie D’s mom spray painted George.
-Bill Dundee & Jerry Lawler defeated Crusher Bones & Big Daddy Cyrus (3-1) via disqualification due to outside interference. After the match, Brian Christopher saved Dundee and Lawler from the heels but decked Dundee with a chain and Christopher, Lawler, and Dundee brawled to end the show.
Backstage News*: It is not known when Doug Gilbert will return to the USWA as he is taking the death of his brother Eddie especially hard.
*Tommy Rich’s mother Peggy is used to doing wrestling angles as she was involved in a feud between Jimmy Valiant and Tojo Yamamoto in 1980.
*Backstage news provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for March 7.
Up Next: USWA Championship Wrestling for March 4!
