What the World Was Watching: Smoky Mountain TV – August 26, 1995

Chip Kessler hosts this edition of Smoky Mountain TV, with matches on today’s show coming from The Super Bowl of Wrestling and Fire on the Mountain.

The Billy Jack Haynes-Brad Armstrong match for the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship at The Super Bowl of Wrestling is shown.

Footage of Haynes regaining the title from Armstrong at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee several days later. This provides a reversal from the previous bout as Armstrong acted like a heel and Haynes played babyface. Haynes won after heel miscommunication between Armstrong and Mark Curtis, finishing Armstrong off with a chokeslam.

Kessler interviews Commissioner Bob Armstrong, who reads a statement criticizing the USWA for not treating SMW wrestlers equally. He says that SMW considers the USWA an enemy promotion and that any SMW wrestler has permission to go to Memphis to wage battle against them.

Footage of the six-man battle royal at Fire on the Mountain between Brad Armstrong and Cornette’s Militia airs.

Brad Armstrong’s match against Brian Lee at Fire on the Mountain is shown.

Armstrong’s lumberjack match against Buddy Landel for the SMW Championship at Fire on the Mountain is shown, along with Landel’s post-match argument with Jim Cornette.

The THUGS-Dynamic Duo “loser leaves town” match at Fire on the Mountain airs.

The THUGS cut a promo celebrating their victory over the Dynamic Duo. Tracy Smothers says that the THUGS want their tag team titles back and he mocks the behaviors of the Heavenly Bodies. The Dirty White Boy screams about how he wants to rip Jim Cornette’s eye out and shove it down his throat, shave Dr. Tom Prichard’s head, and make Jimmy del Ray scream like a woman.

Kessler interviews Jim Cornette, Tommy Rich, and the Punisher. Cornette says that Buddy Landel has been a disappointment and he has been demoted within the Militia to “buck private.” He announces that the members of the Militia will be gunning for Brad Armstrong. Rich tells Armstrong that he is coming after him until Landel interrupts. Cornette does a quick about-face, saying that he is working hard to get Landel a return match for the title but cannot make it work. Landel says he can fight for himself and tells Cornette that if he is not careful he is going to turn out like General Custer.

The Last Word: This was another catch-up show on all of the action that took place at SMW’s supercards at the beginning of the month. In contrast with other promotions, SMW aired unclipped matches from those events and it was a smart way for the promotion to save money on television tapings. The negative side effect, though, was an inability to quickly develop new angles, which really affected the SMW-USWA feud that got a lot more play in Memphis because the latter did live, weekly television.

SMW held a few house shows in the Tennessee and North Carolina area before its next television show. Here is the result of one of those shows, courtesy of prowrestlinghistory.com:

Morristown, Tennessee – Talley Ward Recreational Center – August 26, 1995 (400): Robert Gibson beat the Punisher via disqualification…The Ninja Turtle (Mark Curtis) pinned Jim Cornette…The THUGS defeated the Headbangers…Tommy Rich & Terry Gordy beat Boo Bradley & the Mongolian Stomper…SMW Champion Brad Armstrong defeated Buddy Landel in a best-of-three falls match, winning the final fall after dropkicking Landel into Jim Cornette. After the match, Landel argued with Cornette and Tommy Rich and Cornette and Rich went backstage and locked him out of the Militia’s dressing room, tossing his suitcase out of the door…Tommy Rich, Terry Gordy, the Punisher & the Headbangers defeated Robert Gibson, Boo Bradley, the Mongolian Stomper & the THUGS in an elimination match. Terry Gordy was the sole survivor, pinning Bradley after an elbow drop. After the match, Gordy and Jim Cornette beat on Bradley until Brad Armstrong tried to make the save. Cornette tossed powder in Armstrong’s eyes and Gordy flattened Armstrong with two powerbombs, with Cornette doing a three-count when Gordy covered Armstrong.

Up Next: Smoky Mountain TV for September 2!