Footage of Jerry Lawler throwing a fireball in Mabel’s face at the recent Mid-South Coliseum show is played.
Lance Russell and Dave Brown are handling commentary and they are coming to us from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Brown notes that the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship is held up due to referee problems in Brian Lee’s matches with Brian Christopher.
Opening Contest: Brian Christopher (17-7-2) pinned Chris Kanyon (1-5) after a Tennessee Jam at 2:49:
These two had a match several weeks ago that was pretty good but this one is slower since Kanyon takes his time to yell at the crowd. That allows Christopher to cut a promo in the split screen to tell Lee that he is going to win the vacant USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. Christopher uses a superkick and Tennessee Jam to finish Kanyon once the action gets going.
Russell interviews Jimmy Harris, who cuts a deliberate, awful promo about how the USWA is cheating Lee. USWA General Manager Randy Hales makes his first appearance of the year to tell Harris to get Lee out for the segment and his match that is booked for today’s show. Lee finally shows up, but says little of note.
Brian Lee (w/Jimmy Harris) (2-0-1) beats Scott Studd (13-4-2) after hitting him with a billy club to the back of the head at 4:00:
These two have a small backstory since Lee assaulted Studd a couple of weeks ago when he made his debut. Studd’s strategy is to use his quickness to keep Lee off guard, which works until Studd accidentally takes out the referee with a body press off the ropes. Harris tosses a billy club to Lee, who smacks Studd in the back of the head with it for the win. Lee’s work is deliberate and limited, which made this a boring match to watch. Rating: ½*
After the match, Brian Christopher runs out to try to get the referee to reverse the decision, but Lee and Harris attack him before the decision can be reversed and they pound away until PG-13 make the save.
Brown interviews Downtown Bruno and his wife, who is named Uptown Karen. Karen says the beatings of Miss Texas will continue until she apologizes to her husband for making fun of his looks. Texas runs out and chases Bruno into the ring, but Bruno and Karen successfully escape to the locker room. Texas then issues some threats before leaving.
Kenny Kendall pins Crusher Bones (2-4) after a powerslam at 2:21:
Kendall was a jobber for the WWF and WCW in the early 1990s and wrestled for the USWA in 1992 as Dr. Death. His appearance here is part of WCW’s recent agreement to send talent to Memphis and he is booked as a plucky babyface like Scott Studd, cutting an insert promo about how he will do his best to win every match in the USWA. Kendall works the arm for a long time until he powerslams Bones and hands his opponent a fifth straight loss.
The Gambler, another WCW talent, makes his debut and is interviewed by Brown. The newcomer works his way through a poor promo where he clarifies his gimmick, which is to take other people’s money. He wants to bet $10,000 against PG-13’s tag team titles, saying PG-13 only needs to put up $10 on top of that. In terms of a partner, the Gambler says he is going to be with Brickhouse Brown, who is also returning to the promotion. PG-13 walk out and accept the challenge. Why should PG-13 have to put up any money? Are we to assume the tag team titles are only worth $9,990?
USWA Tag Team Championship Match: The Gambler & Brickhouse Brown defeat PG-13 (Champions) (13-7-1) when Brown pins Wolfie D after Gorgeous George III interferes to win the titles at 4:50:
The Gambler was an early trainee of the WCW Power Plant who developed his character during a USWA run in 1992. He was mostly used as a jobber on WCW programming throughout the 1990s. Brickhouse Brown had a longer history in the business, breaking in with Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship Wrestling in the early 1980s. He started working for Memphis in 1987 and won the Continental Wrestling Association’s (CWA) Heavyweight title and went on to win the World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW) Texas Heavyweight title in 1989 after Jerry Jarrett purchased a majority stake in that company. Prior to this, Brown wrestled in Portland in the closing years of that territory. This match is evidence that the USWA has no good follow up to PG-13’s hot program against Doug Gilbert and Tommy Rich. A sloppy match unfolds, due in part to the ring ropes being so loose they look unsafe. That likely causes Wolfie D and Brown to botch body press efforts. After trading offense and getting the hot tag, Wolfie D rolls up Brown only to have George spray something in his eyes, allowing Brown to roll up Wolfie and win the titles in an upset. Rating: ½*
Highlights of Tommy Rich buying a front row seat to the recent Memphis card and the end of the Bill Dundee-Jerry Lawler number one contender match for the USWA Unified World title are shown. Lawler beat Dundee after Dundee collided with the referee and Rich pushed Lawler on top of Dundee. After the match, Dundee pulled Rich into the ring and they brawled until Rich prevailed after blasting Dundee with a foreign object.
Russell interviews Dundee, who blasts Rich for costing him the USWA Unified title and his latest match against Lawler. He hypes a first blood match between the two that is booked for this Monday in Memphis. Rich interrupts and the two brawl.
A Brian Christopher video package airs.
The Last Word: A really poor show today, with matches that just weren’t very interesting and some horrid promo segments. There are few captivating storylines right now, as Brian Lee is looking weak because his title is held up against Brian Christopher and PG-13 have gone down a notch after winning their feud against Doug Gilbert & Tommy Rich. Rich’s feud with Dundee has potential, but it lacks something now that Dundee is no longer the USWA Unified Champion. And if the company put the title on Razor Ramon, why not have him do a taped promo for the show?
Here were the results of the April 17 Memphis card, courtesy of prowrestlinghistory.com:
-Kenny Kendall (1-0) beat Ken Raper
-The Gambler pinned Scott Studd (13-5-2)
-Moondog Spot (4-0) pinned Jack Hammer (4-5-1)
-David Haskins (3-0-1) beat Gorgeous George III (8-6-1)
-Uptown Karen pinned USWA Women’s Champion Miss Texas (6-2) to win the title.
-PG-13 (13-8-1) beat USWA Tag Team Champions the Gambler & Brickhouse Brown (1-0) via disqualification.
-Brian Lee (3-0-1) beat Brian Christopher (18-7-2) to win the vacant USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship.
-Tommy Rich (0-2) defeated Bill Dundee (11-6) in a first blood match
-Mabel beat Jerry Lawler (6-2) via disqualification
-Bill Dundee and Brian Christopher won a two-ring battle royal where the two remaining finishers would form a tag team to wrestle WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart & Yokozuna.
Backstage News*: Vince McMahon has told Jerry Lawler that he does not like the working agreement Jerry Jarrett has brokered with WCW. However, McMahon will keep letting the USWA use some of his talent.
*Backstage news provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for April 24.
Up Next: USWA Championship Wrestling for April 22!
