The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 06.15.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 06.15.82

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Bill Watts

Iron Mike Sharpe v. Randy Base

Base tries to overpower Sharpe and that goes badly for him while Cowboy explains why they couldn’t just overturn Ted Dibiase getting screwed out of the North American title back in March. Because REAL SPORTS don’t do it that way, so they’re not gonna either. And then Bill goes on a rant about “guys in the back” who are complaining about Junkyard Dog and Mr. Olympia winning the tag team titles while holding singles titles, and dismisses them as whining crybabies who were thinking they were gonna win titles for themselves without having to beat anyone like JYD and Olympia did. Sometimes I feel like we need an annotated director’s cut of Bill Watts on commentary to understand the hyper-specific references from 1982. Anyway Sharpe finishes with a backbreaker at 3:30.

Bill Watts explains the Ted Dibiase-Bob Roop storyline again, with Dibiase getting robbed of the North American title by Roop via a car accident to Paul Orndorff that was caused by Roop. This sets up…

Ted Dibiase joins us from the back, and he’s serving notice that he’s going to get a North American title shot with a no DQ stipulation within the next two weeks. And if he doesn’t get it, he’s leaving Mid-South. And if he does get the shot and he doesn’t win the title, he’s also leaving Mid-South. Back at the studio, Bill Watts is all for this tactic. And yeah, I think there was one more rather interesting plot twist in this one to come.

Ted Dibiase v. Mike Bond

Thing I just noticed: When the ring announcer references the “blue corner” and the “red corner”, the ringposts behind each guy are actually painted that color. I just thought it was an expression. Dibiase comes out swinging and slams Bond twice, for two, and follows with a backdrop. Powerslam gets the pin at 1:34.

Bob Roop responds to the challenge of Ted Dibiase, and he’ll be happy to beat Ted up again and send him packing.

Bob Roop v. Mike Hudspeth

Roop takes him down and goes to a facelock while Bill speculates that JYD might get a piece of Roop before Dibiase has a chance to get his title shot. Oh yeah, there we go. Roop with a high knee and legdrop to finish at 1:43. What kind of a champion finishes with a legdrop?

Last week: JYD has the North American title won from Bob Roop, but One Man Gang runs in and all hell breaks loose. So Bill chats with JYD this week, and Dog has never been the type of guy to chase titles, but now he’s knocking at Roop’s door. Bill informs him that if he wins the North American title, he’ll have to vacate the Louisiana state title, and Dog is fine with that. OK now the pieces are falling into place.

Junkyard Dog v. Billy “The Starchild” Starr

Dog slams Starr and chases him out of the ring and then back in for a foreaerm before going to a neck vice. And the Thump finishes at 2:29.

Ernie Ladd v. The One Man Gang

And it’s a HOSS FIGHT right away as they slug it out in the corner, and Ladd slams him before choking him out on the mat. Gang fights back, so Ladd chokes away in the corner and Gang backdrops him. Gang misses an elbow and Ladd throws some weak forearms on the ropes, but now KILLER KHAN debuts in the territory and runs in for the DQ at 2:00. Khan was coming off the red-hot Andre feud at this point so this was a big get for Watts. Ladd was taking some impressive bumps here while it lasted.

Hangman Harris v. Tony Torres

Harris tosses Torres around with headlock throws and goes to a chinlock on the mat. Torres fights up from that and Harris slams him again and goes back to the chinlock while Watts announces that Dibiase has in fact been granted a no DQ match against the North American champion within his two week deadline. Harris with a neckbreaker and then he drops Torres on the top rope before finishing with a Hangman’s noose submission at 4:00. It was a good gimmick for Rick Harris but he’s still not super exciting in the ring or anything.

The Assassin & The Grappler v. Jesse Barr & King Cobra

Barr takes Grappler into the corner with an atomic drop and brings in the Cobra, who trades wristlocks with Assassin. Barr works the arm in the corner, but runs into a knee and gets double-teamed by the masked men. Cobra comes in with a snapmare into a kneedrop for two, but Assassin headbutts him. Sadly, Cobra is a black guy, so even a loaded headbutt doesn’t work. So Barr gets a hot tag and runs wild, but Assassin hits HIM with the loaded headbutt and that gets the pin at 4:00. Science.

Ernie Ladd joins us at the desk and he’s coming after Akbar and his people and if someone has to go to the hospital, so be it, and we wrap it up for the week.

Next week: JYD defends his Louisiana title against the Grappler!