The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 05.15.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 05.15.82

It’s just been a long time since I’ve watched some Mid-South and I was in the mood tonight. So let’s pick up where I left off in 1982. I had been getting burned out by the Bob Roop era but really I want to get to the buildup of the Rat Pack and all that stuff so I might as well suck it up and get through it.

Thankfully I was able to wade through the nonsense of the WWE Network’s new interface and actually figure out how to FIND this one.

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts

BREAKING NEWS: Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia have teamed up to win the Mid-South tag team titles from the Wild Samoans!

The Grappler v. Coco Samoa

Atlhough he has “Samoa” right in his name, Coco is hailing from Pango Pango, so I’m assuming he’s not actually part of the Bloodline. Grappler takes him down and drops a knee, but Coco has a hard hard and he hurts his own knee, but comes back with a shoulderbreaker and clubbing clothesline for two. Grappler works the arm while Watts spreads rumors about what Dick Murdoch is carrying around in his backpack, maybe even unwashed laundry. Huge if true. Samoa comes back with chops in the corner, but misses a charge and runs himself into the post to further hurt the arm. Grappler takes him down with an armbar takedown combined with a bulldog, and cradles for the pin at 3:30. Decent little opener.

Meanwhile, Precious Paul Ellering teaches some kids how to do situps, back when he was doing a vaguely Superstar Billy Graham deal in the days before the Road Warriors. So he makes a bunch of kids do situps, and then he piles 135 pounds of weights on his own chest and does some of his own. Then he gets Jesse Barr and Buddy Landel to jump off the top rope with double stomps on his ABS OF STEEL. Well I’m sold. Actually I believe that we later learned through bro science that crunches give you the abs, not situps. Next week: PUSH-UPS. Truly they’ve got their finger on the pulse of America’s youth.

Mr. Olympia v. One Man Gang

Olympia is now a double champion, holding the Mississippi title and the tag team titles with JYD. Although usually JYD’s tag team partners end up turning on him. Olympia slugs away on Gang to start and tries a sleeper, but Gang flips him off and slams him. Gang uses the CLUBBING FOREARMS on him, but Olympia tries another sleeper and Gang throws him off again. Olympia keeps coming with a dropkick this time for two, and then he dodges a blind charge and gets a third sleeper. So Gang throws him off again, but he misses the big fat splash and Olympia goes up with a missile dropkick and Gang takes an impressive bump to the floor off that. Akbar comes in to protest this clearly illegal use of momentum, so Olympia tosses Akbar over the top rope, and that allows Gang to drop an elbow on Olympia for the pin at 4:45. Decent David v. Goliath match.

Kim Duk v. Dick Murdoch

Duk is better known as Tiger Chung Lee, although he did various versions of Evil Korean in the 80s. Duk threatens some martial arts and Murdoch yells Marine slogans while Bill Watts talks about how Murdoch “gets goose bumps” every time he watches a John Wayne movie. Even Rooster Cogburn? Or the one where he’s playing Genghis Khan and everyone died from radiation poisoning in real life? Duk works the arm and Murdoch fights out of that with elbows, but Duk takes him down while Bill Watts won’t shut up about some kid in the Oklahoma wrestling team named Steve Williams. He’s already got a cool nickname, at least. Murdoch makes a comeback while Akbar steals the shovel out of Murdoch’s backpack, but Murdoch steals it back and hits Duk with it for the pin at 4:25.

Iron Mike Sharpe v. Billy Starr

Boyd notes that Sharpe is one of Canada’s finest athletes, but that’s underselling him. He’s Canada’s GREATEST athlete! Sharpe takes “The Starr Child” down and works the arm, but Starr retreats to the ropes. Starr was apparently a journeyman who left the business shortly after this, but had a brief comesback on the indie scene in the 90s as “Hillbilly Festus”. He looks the part. Starr takes Sharpe down and drops an elbow while Watts is still going on about this Dr. Death fella who apparently wants to be a pro wrestler someday. Well he couldn’t do any worse than Gable Steveson at least. Sharpe comes back with a backdrop and grabs a bearhug. Starr fights out of that, but Sharpe puts him in the body vice for the win at 3:43.

Last week: Ernie Ladd is teaming with Mike Sharpe against the Assassin and One Man Gang, but Ted Dibiase is on commentary he gets so worked up about the cheating heels that he leaves the desk and costs himself $2500.

The Assassin & Bob Roop v. Ted Dibiase & Ernie Ladd

Ladd slams Roop to block Roop’s own slam attempt, and it’s over to Assassin. Ladd throws him around as well, so it’s over to Dibiase, who works on Roop’s arm as I keep wanting to type “Rooper” for some reason and have to keep correcting it. Rare insight into the creative process there for you, free of charge. The babyfaces double-team Roop in the corner and he runs away and brings Assassin back in, and Assassin gets a nice series of hiptosses and a dropkick on Dibiase. But Dibiase gets his own dropkick and goes for the leg, so Roop comes back in again. So Ted just smashes his knee instead and gets the figure-four, but Roop has the counter. BUT AHA, Dibiase spreads his arms out in a wide base, so he’s COUNTERED THE COUNTER. So Assassin comes in and breaks it up and beats on Ladd with the loaded mask, and the ref is bumped in the process. Dibiase with the powerslam on Roop and then he runs the Assassin into the ringpost, but One Man Gang runs in now and Ladd takes care of him. But then another masked man runs in, and loads up the BOOT this time, hitting Dibiase with that for the pin at 5:20. That was THE GRAPPLER! Well that was certainly wild.

Buddy Landel v. The Turk

Funny seeing old rookie babyface Buddy after all the Memphis stuff in 86. He hits the Turk with shoulderblocks, but the Turk puts the boots to him, and Buddy gets a crossbody for two. Turk with a gut wrench suplex for two. Buddy with his own suplex for two. Turk with a facelock, but Buddy gets a sunset flip for two. Cowboy: “I realize that watching this show, a lot of times your favorites don’t win. But that’s life.” I bet it was CM Punk’s fault. Buddy with some cradles but TV time expires at 3:40 and it’s a draw.

Ah, how I’ve missed you, Mid-South. I’ll try not to leave again.