The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 06.05.82
Suffering through my first legit head cold since Covid restrictions basically eliminated them three years ago, and I need some chicken soup for the wrestling soul. Hopefully Sudafed mixes well with Bill Watts, because it sure doesn’t mix well with vodka. Thankfully I don’t have Covid again because twice was enough.
Also I got gifted the complete archive of Saturday Morning Slam this morning but I want to be a better mental state to review that. Because I’m gonna.
Taped from Shreveport, LA
Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Bill Watts
Precious Paul Ellering is back with another training vignette with his group of kids. But first he tells a story about not feeling good and going to see the doctor, who told him he had PAC MAN FEVER. You know what, young 1982 Scott would probably be completely blown away by 2023 Scott having actual Pac-Man arcade cabinets in his home. Well, Arcade1Up ones, but still pretty cool. Anyway Paul never actually does his training this time around, I believe because he actually was injured and on the way out.
Dick Murdoch v. The Turk
Murdoch works the arm while Bill puts over how Murdoch loves the USA and is keeping his Marine gear with him on the current international tour, just in case they need him to re-enlist at any point in the next few weeks. Pretty sure they’ll be OK without him. Brainbuster finishes at 2:30.
Ted Dibiase v. Randy Base
Dibiase takes him down and works a headlock on the mat, and then gets sick of it and powerslams him for the pin at 1:48. Well not much to that one.
Dr. Death Steve Williams v. Billy “The Star Child” Starr
Of course Watts made sure to bring Doc back immediately for another look, and he makes sure to chronicle his football and wrestling records in college and proudly reveals that he let Doc train in his home and literally gave him a pair of his old wrestling boots to wear in the ring. Williams gets a couple of awkward slams, looking very stiff and immobile, and then he sells for a bit in the corner for Starr and that looks bad. BAD. So then Williams fires back with clubbing forearms like a parody of a wrestler while Bill tells the story of how he’s basically adopted Dr. Death into his family and his sons all look up to him as a role model and idol. And then 10 years later Erik Watts would throw the worst dropkick in history at him! It all ties together. Oklahoma Stampede finishes at 3:38 and HOLY SHIT is Dr. Death appropriate because he is death in the ring at this point.
Last week: Akbar’s new Hangman Harris has Dick Murdoch in some trouble, but Akbar’s interference backfires and Dick hits Harris with his shovel and the brainbuster and pins him to get revenge.
Hangman Rick Harris v. Mike Hudspeth
They trade forearms to start and Harris wins that battle and beats him down before dropping Hudspeth on the top rope. Hangman submission finishes at 2:56. Why doesn’t anyone bring that one back?
North American title: Bob Roop v. The Junkyard Dog
Roop tries to climb the top rope to escape a lockup and Dog slams him off the top as a result, then chases him to the apron. Roop necks him on the top rope to escape that, and then drops a knee on him in the ring to take over. Neckbreaker gets two. Dog comes back with a legsweep and hits the Thump, but One Man Gang hits the ring and destroys Dog for the DQ at 2:46. Ernie Ladd quickly makes the save, but Roop lays out JYD again, and this time Dibiase sacrifices himself to save Dog from a flying knee. And then Dog makes his own comeback and Thumps Roop again, beating on him until the heels pull Roop out of the ring to save him. Nothing to the match but a really hot angle that I’m sure built up a big house show rematch.
The Grappler & The Assassin v. Coco Samoa & Jesse Barr
The masked men double-team Barr in the corner, but he fights back on Grappler and brings in Samoa, who tries a monkey flip in the corner and runs into a loaded headbutt from the Assassin. And then Grappler finishes him with the running armbar takedown at 4:09.
Iron Mike Sharpe v. Jim Starr
Sharpe works a headlock on the mat while Bill goes off on a tangent about the mechanics who fixed his plane because the whole show is basically just a vehicle for him to air his grievances with the world sometimes. Sharp takes him down and works a wristlock while Bill clarifies what we were all wondering about: There’s no relation between Jim Starr and Billy “The Star Child” Starr. Sharpe pounds away with forearms in the corner for two as we run out of TV time and they wrap up the match at 4:20.
NEXT WEEK: Ernie Ladd v. The One Man Gang!
Well if nothing else these shows are fascinating to watch how terrible Steve Williams could be at the start before going on to become a legend in Japan.