The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 03.13.82
Well, I still want me some Bill Watts and since they’re never going to go past the end of 1985 on the Network, I’ll have to circle back to 1982, where I left off way back in 2019.
Taped from Shreveport, LA
Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Ted Dibiase, who is the North American champion at this point.
Buddy Landell & Jesse Barr v. Bill Ash & Jesse Tanner
This is from the wacky early days of Budro’s career, before he started bleaching his hair and ripping off Ric Flair. Or ripping off Buddy Rogers, depending on your perspective, I guess. Buddy tries for a takedown on Ash and then goes with a backdrop and dropkick instead, so Ash tags out to jobber #2, Jesse Tanner. Jesse Barr, the future Jimmy Jack Funk, works Tanner’s arm while Dibiase doesn’t have much to say on commentary and Boyd has to fill in a bunch of dead air. Ash manages to hit a back elbow on Barr and slugs away, but Barr brings Landell back in and he cleans house on the jobbers before finishing Tanner with a belly to belly suplex at 3:45. Buddy was the blandest, most white bread babyface ever here. 0 for 1.
Dusty Rhodes v. Ed Wiskowski
Dusty gets introduced as “Stardust” here, which sounds like a gimmick for some dork with a neck tattoo. Dusty takes Ed down and works on the leg. Wiskowski breaks free, but misses a charge and runs knee-first into the turnbuckle, allowing Dusty to take him down and lay on the knee again. Ed rakes his face on the ropes to escape that and takes him down with a knee to the splotch, but Dusty fights back with the Flip flop and Fly, and Wiskowski goes FLYING off the elbow. He goes up for a splash, but Dusty gets the knees up to block, and drops the bionic elbow for the pin at 3:30. Wiskowski was a pretty good worker before he turned into a gimmick as Col DeBeers. 1 for 2.
The Grappler v. Frank Monte
Grappler beats Monte down with forearms, but Monte gets a small package for two while Dibiase accuses Grappler of having a loaded boat. Boyd plays devil’s advocate and notes that Grappler does indeed have a note from a doctor for the special boot, so maybe he’s legit? Grappler hangs Monte in the Tree of Woe and drops elbows on him, then brings him down for a slam and pounds the back. Monte fights back again and gets a back elbow, but he puts his head down and gets hit with a shoulderbreaker. Grappler runs his shoulder into the corner and then takes him down with an armbar takedown to finish at 3:24. A very decent squash! 2 for 3.
Killer Karl Kox v. Don Cerrano
Only in Bill Watts’ Mid-South could 50 year old bald former Marine Karl Kox be a babyface. Kox hits him with a knee to the gut and finishes with a brainbuster at 0:56. 2 for 4.
Bob Orton Jr. v. Iron Mike Sharpe
Sharpe was actually a babyface at this point in his career, which is a weird fit. Dibiase, on commentary, notes that Sharpe is a “gentle giant” who is very soft-spoken backstage. He certainly didn’t end being soft-spoken in the ring. Sharpe with a bearhug, but Orton dropkicks him and gets a pretty impressive slam. Orton misses a legdrop, so Sharpe beats on him with the clubbing forearms and Orton retreats to the floor. Sharpe slingshots him in and gets a press slam for two, but Orton is in the ropes. He hides in the corner and suckers Mike in for a cheapshot before putting the boots to him. Sharpe whips him into the other corner and hangs him in the Tree of Woe before making the comeback with a backdrop. Orton hides in the corner again, so Sharpe whips him into the post and goes to work on the back. Sharpe with the body vice, and Orton submits at 4:38?! Did not see that one coming. I can’t recall ever seeing Sharpe winning many matches, period. 3 for 5.
Paul Orndorff and his good friend Bob Roop join us in the ring for an interview, as one of them will be getting a title shot at Ted Dibiase next week, but we don’t know which one yet. Furthermore, one of them gets the shot, but the other one is barred from ringside, which Roop notes is prejudicial. Further, Orndroff says that Bill Watts thinks they should wrestle each other to determine the contender, but Paul says that Watts should sit down and keep his big fat mouth shut. Well we know that’s not likely to happen.
Paul Orndorff v. Tony Torres
Orndorff with chest hair and a beard is just weird and off-putting. Torres tries a headlock and Orndorff takes him down with a wristlock and works the arm. For those who have forgotten, Dibiase and Orndorff were feuding at this point over the figure-four, with Dibiase essentially inventing the reversal for the move. Torres tries to go after Orndorff’s knee, but Paul hits him with an enzuigiri and stomps him down for two. Orndroff drops the elbow and follows with a powerslam for the pin at 3:10. 3 for 6.
Mr. Olympia v. Bob Roop
They trade takedowns to start and Roop tries for a Boston Crab, but Olympia reverses out of it and goes to a headlock. Roop takes him down with a half crab, but Olympia reverses to his own, which brings Paul Orndorff out as a cheerleader. So Karl Kox chases him off, and Olympia rolls up the distracted Roop for two. Kox is carrying a shovel around and acting crazy, so no wonder Roop was distracted. Olympia takes Roop down and holds a facelock, and then dodges a charging Roop and gets an atomic drop for two. Roop slugs out of a wristlock, but Olympia gets a bodypress for two. Dropkick gets two with TV time running out. Forearm gets two. Sunset flip gets two, but time runs out at 7:40 and we wrap it up for another week. 4 for 7.
Next week: Ted Dibiase defends against either Paul Orndorff or Bob Roop, and we don’t know which one yet!
Love this stuff.