Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.
Russell interviews newcomer Billy Jack Haynes. Haynes puts himself over as a heel and demands respect from the crowd, who get on his case. This segment started well but Haynes got distracted by the crowd and he lost his train of thought.
Opening Contest: Billy Jack Haynes pins Charlie Laird after a chokeslam at 2:03:
Haynes was a big wrestling talent in the 1980s, trained in Stu Hart’s Dungeon and making a name for himself in the Pacific Northwest. He wrestled for the WWF as a midcarder in the mid-1980s and WCW in 1991, but was fired from both promotions over pay and booking disputes. Coming to the USWA was a chance for him to make a comeback. Dressed in a black hat and trench coat, he already outclasses other USWA talent in terms of presence. Haynes beats on Laird and finishes him with a chokeslam, going an Undertaker-like pin afterward.
After a replay of Jerry Lawler’s peace summit on last week’s show, Russell interviews Doug Gilbert, who fakes crying over it.
Doug Gilbert (w/Brian Lee) (6-3-2) pins Scott Studd (20-7-2) after using a chain at 3:49:
A solid television match develops between these two, with Lee interfering so that Gilbert can retain the advantage. Studd eventually manages to knock Lee off the apron to get back at him for the interference, but Lee tosses Gilbert a chain before he falls and Studd goes down in defeat. This loss ends Studd’s six-match winning streak. Rating: **
Brickhouse Brown (1-3) pins Todd Johnson after a flying elbow drop at 1:48:
Johnson was a skinny Memphis jobber who made a name taking crazy bumps, including two consecutive back drops on the concrete courtesy of the Harris Brothers when they came into the territory. Billy Jack Haynes comes out during this squash, where Brown works quickly to dismantle Johnson. A side Russian leg sweep and a flying elbow drop finishes in less than two minutes.
Haynes tells Russell that he is going to show the USWA fans what fear is all about. He goes backstage, grabs Johnson, tosses him into the ring, and powerbombs him before reiterating the talking points from his promo early in the show.
After a commercial break, Haynes comes out again and says he deserves more respect for destroying a guy in five seconds when it took Brickhouse Brown five minutes. Brown takes exception to that, causing Haynes to say he is sorry. When Brown walks off, Haynes attacks him, which apparently turns Brown babyface.
Russell and Brown hype the Memphis Memories II event, which will take place next Saturday at the Coliseum. Jerry Lawler talks about Jackie Fargo, who will be inducted into the Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame. Lawler also announces that the Fabulous Ones will reunite on the card.
Brandon Baxter, who looks like a Chris Jericho clone, interrupts Russell ad Brown to say that he is the greatest manager in the world. Lawler confronts Baxter, saying that no one cares and slaps him. The segment ends with Lawler hyping his match against Jos LeDuc at the Louisville Gardens on June 11. This was Baxter’s tryout and he did well enough to get a job. On the Memphis version of the telecast this had more backstory, as Baxter was a fan in the crowd that Russell threatened to throw out.
A video package to the tune of Quiet Riot’s “Bang Your Head” hypes Jos LeDuc.
Russell interviews Bill Dundee, PG-13, and Brian Christopher. They hype a Quadruple Jeopardy match for this week in Memphis.
Bill Dundee, Brian Christopher & PG-13 wrestle Gorgeous George III, Mr. World Class, Jimmy Harris & the Gambler to a no contest:
Not much of this match airs as a wild brawl goes to commercial and then afterward, Russell and Brown tell fans that the referee could not control the participants, so the match was ended.
The Last Word: The first half of the show was good, but Billy Jack Haynes was overexposed. The video package for Jos LeDuc was good and it would have made you want to see he and Jerry Lawler square off in Louisville.
Here were the results of the Mid-South Coliseum show on June 5. The card drew 1,050 fans, 100 fewer than the previous week:
-Mr. World Class (1-1) beat Cory Williams
-Billy Jack Haynes (1-0) beat Brickhouse Brown (2-3)
-USWA Tag Team Champions PG-13 (20-9-1) defeated Gorgeous George III & the Gambler
-USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Christopher (23-10-2) wrestled Tommy Rich (1-3) to a double count out
-USWA Women’s Champion Miss Texas (11-3) beat Uptown Karen (2-4) in a hair versus hair match
-Brian Lee, Doug Gilbert, Max Muscle & Tommy Rich defeated Bill Dundee, Brian Christopher & PG-13 in a Quadruple Jeopardy match. J.C. Ice, who was pinned, had to wrestle the heel team four-on-one and was beaten down as a result. The other participants faced the following stipulations if they had lost: Lee (leaves town), Muscle ($1,000 would be thrown into the crowd), Rich (head shaved), Dundee (retirement), Christopher (head shaved), and Wolfie D (disband PG-13 forever).
Also, the June 10 edition of USWA Championship Wrestling that was circulated outside of Memphis recapped the events of Memphis Memories II and the Louisville show, called A Night to Remember. The promos and events of that show will be recapped after A Night to Remember, which the USWA videotaped and distributed.
Here were the results of Memphis Memories II, which drew a crowd of 3,850 and a gate of $24,000. The show took place on June 10, 1995 at the Mid-South Coliseum. Results were obtained from prowrestlinghistory.com:
-Corsica Joe, Eddie and Tommy Gilbert, Gypsy Joe, Jerry Jarrett, Sara Lee, Eddie Marlin, Frank Morell, Buddy Wayne, and Jim White were introduced to the crowd as legends.
-Jackie Fargo, Eddie Gilbert (posthumously), Phil Hickerson, Jos LeDuc, and Billy Wicks were inducted into the Memphis Wrestling Hall of Fame.
-Mr. World Class, Max Muscle, the Gambler & Gorgeous George III defeated David Haskins, Super Mario, Scott Studd & King Cobra when World Class pinned Mario.
-Bob Armstrong pinned Gypsy Joe at 2:30
-Billy Jack Haynes (2-0) pinned Brickhouse Brown (2-4) at 3:41
-In the first round of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, Doug Gilbert & Tommy Rich (8-5-2) defeated Bill Dundee & Brian Christopher (0-2) when Rich pinned Dundee
-In the first round of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, Jerry Lawler & Jimmy Valiant beat Phil Hickerson & Jos LeDuc when Lawler pinned LeDuc at 11:00
-In the first round of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, Moondog Rex & Moondog Spot (8-1-2) beat USWA Tag Team Champions PG-13 (21-9-1)
-In the semi-finals of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, Tommy Rich & Doug Gilbert (9-5-2) defeated Jerry Lawler & Jimmy Valiant (1-0) when Gilbert pinned Valiant
-In the semi-finals of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, the Fabulous Ones beat Moondog Rex & Moondog Spot (9-1-2) when Stan Lane pinned Rex and Steve Keirn pinned Spot at 5:08
-In the finals of the “Best of Memphis” tag team tournament, the Fabulous Ones (1-0) beat Doug Gilbert & Tommy Rich via double pinfall at 20:00
Backstage News*: The June 11 show in Louisville, Kentucky, billed as A Night to Remember, will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first pro wrestling event to take place at the Louisville Gardens. This show, along with Memphis Memories II, will celebrate Jackie Fargo. Legend Jos LeDuc will wrestle Jerry Lawler in Louisville and was hard to locate in Montreal as Jim Cornette wanted to use him for Smoky Mountain’s Night of Legends show last year and could not find him. Smoky Mountain talent will appear on the Louisville card as the Rock N’ Roll Express will face PG-13 for the USWA Tag Team Championship and Buddy Landel will defend the SMW title against Tracy Smothers. The USWA is hoping to break the 1983 Louisville attendance record that was set from a match pitting the Fabulous Ones against the Road Warriors.
*Backstage news is provided courtesy of Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer for June 12.
Up Next: USWA: A Night to Remember!