1987 Best of Memphis Wrestling Yearbook (Vol. two, part one)

So, let’s saunter forward with our look at Memphis Wrestling from 1987 on the Tubi streaming channel. We have World Tag Team champs (in two promotions,) acts of bravery and not one, but two songs from one of the greatest female recording artists in history. So, let’s enjoy some totally Tubi-lar old school wrestling (like the song goes) All the way from Memphis. Shall we? We shall.

(As always, these matches are in no set order so helping me with dates are the fine people at Wrestlingrecaps.com and prowrestlinghistory.com. Thanks for the assist.)

Chick Donovan vs. David Haskins

What’s that sound? Seriously, announcers Lance Russell and Dave Brown would like to know. It’s not the Twilight Zone, as Russell hypothesizes. It is, in fact, the spoken word portion that leads to “Control” by Janet Jackson. And that means, among other things, Chic Donovan is headed to ringside with his manager, Paul Heyman E Dangerly. This is Donovan’s return to the area after about a six-year-hiatus. Donovan was a perennial fixture in Southern Territories (I remember watching him in Mid-South in 1981). His look never changed, think muscular Ric Flair. Haskins was also perennial fixture in southern territories in the 1980’s (only his pushes were upper-mid card at best.) This match is from a WMC TV taping from April 25.

Dangerly helped out on announcing as he regales us with how he discovered Donovan in L.A. whilst laying on the beach with Austin Idol, our Southern (Memphis version) champion. In the ring, though, sportsmanship is initially shown. Donovan gets an arm lock that is quicky reversed by Haskins. However, a knee to the gut in the ropes ends both Haskins offense and sportsmanship.

Haskins does duck a back elbow but a flying bodypress is shoved away by Donovan. Donovan chopped away at Haskins on the ropes and then hits the back elbow. Dangerly goes to the Donald Trump card by saying Donovan lifted the best weights and goes to the best gyms. Donovan hit a FULL BODYSLAM and legdrop off the ropes.

A snapmare and a chinlock kept the pressure on Haskins (he did the old school putting the knee to the back of the neck.) A series of elbow smashes and forearm smashes kept the offense going. A hope spot is performed by Haskins who pulled a sunset flip to reverse a back drop for two. Donovan sent Haskins to the turnbuckles and rammed his head there.

The squash match continued with a vertical and then a back suplex. Donovan hit a double thrust when Haskins came off the ropes. “The Golden Boy” mauled Haskins on the ropes with a series of chokes and rakes. Haskins tried to fight back but a reverse rollup got one.

But, darn the luck, Dangerly distracts the ref as Haskins, again, wrapped Donovan in a small package and the referee only got in a one count (he was pinned for more than three.) Donovan had enough and landed a short-arm clothesline and then a reverse neckbreaker gets Donovan the win.

Jack Hart vs. Allen West

We then cut to a match with Jack Hart (Barry Horowitz from WWE fame) and Allen West. The match is from Mid-South Coliseum but the date is not certain (actually our friend the internet pinpoints the match happening either May 4 or May 11, given the denouement of the match. Hart had a bit of a feud with West.) West has really dipped into the “Rocker” look with myriad bandanas around the boots and calves of his pants. The women seem to like him.

The match is joined in progress with Hart launching West between the ropes and onto the floor. Hart slugged away at West and choked him on the barricade. As West gets back in the ring, Hart did a boot rake and then a shoe sole rake on the forehead of West (careful, that’s his moneymaker, ask the ladies.)

Hart got a small package for two but missed a clothesline miss turned into a sunset flip reversal of a backdrop for two and then a small package for two by West. Hart reversed it by slugging away, hitting a snapmare and then a chinlock. West desperately tried to get to his feet but heel shenanigans by Hart kept him on the mat.

West did make it to his feet, and elbowed out of it. A shoulder block took Hart off his feet but a boot to gut ended that rally. Hart choked West with his boot (using the ropes for leverage) and then a dropkick for two. Another package got two for Hart.

However, both men clotheslined each other off the ropes and both went to the floor. Hart got up first and went to the top turnbuckle but West recovered and threw him down. Hart tried to escape the ring but West got him and slugged away. A back elbow off the ropes landed and Hart begged for mercy, which West wasn’t having. A big body backdrop landed for West who slugged away at Hart in the corner. A dropkick off the ropes got a two count.

West hit a powerslam on Hart for two, only for Dangerly to put Hart’s foot on the rope. West and the referee take umbrage with the situation (West focusing on Dangerly.) However, this gave Hart time to recuperate and reach into the trunks for the object of international origin which he put in his glove. As one could envision, Hart nailed West with the glove and got the three count.

The Hunter (with Bambi in tow, the valet – not a deer) vs. John Paul

We take a slight time jump back to April 4 in the WMC studio for this match. Paul was another of the next generation of young heartthrobs Jerry Jarrett tried to create but only really succeeded with his progeny. The Hunter was a veritable good hand and was more known as looong time enhancement talent Dale Veasey. Bambi has the standard heavy metal outfit (leopard print spandex shirt) and the most 1987 hair one could have. As the veritable enhancement talents go, Hunter/Veasey had a really good look as he got a midcard push here and a feud (also with West.)

Hunter jawed at the ref and the fans before locking and muscling Paul backward twice. Hunter also hit an armdrag. Paul returned the favor and Hunter complained to the ref. Hunter with a headlock and go behind but reversed by Paul.. Hunter again muscled Paul back to the corner and slugged away at Paul as a headbutt dropped him.

Paul tried to fi9ght back but a finger poke curtailed that for the Hunter as another headbutt dropped him to the canvas again. Brown noted that Hunter had a boot heavy offensive scheme as he laid the boots to Paul and then hit a double thrust. Paul tried to fight back but Hunter subdued him and a snapmare and a chinlock stopped Paul’s offense (much like Donovan, using the knee to the back of the neck and shoulders.)

Hunter also liked double thrusts to the throat as he hit another one. Hunter mauled Paul in the corner but missed a clothesline. Paul tired to capitalize with two clotheslines, a backdrop and a back elbow (all off the ropes.) Paul, however, went to the proverbial well once too often and another backdrop attempt was met with an elbow. This gave the Hunter an opportunity to hit a nice powerslam for the victory.

Moondog Spot (with Downtown Bruno in tow) vs. Jim Jamison

We do another time jump to May 23 in the WMC studio. In an not shown interview, Bruno complained about Jeff Jarrett stealing the Mid-American title from Spot by using his bone. Speaking of which, Spot has large bone in tow, too. We get an odd paleontological discussion. Russell said it looked like a dinosaur thigh bone and then asked if dinosaurs had thighs. Yes, yes they did (and, for all the naysayers, dinosaurs did exist.)

Bruno gave the Spot the pep talk and Spot went on the attack kneeing Jamison in the gut and hitting the FULL BODY SLAM. A clothesline/shoulder block dropped Jamison. Spot dragged him to the corner and hit a fist drop on Jamison from the second turnbuckle.

Standard Moondog mauling in the corner with Spot mauled Jamison and a flying knee dropped Jamison off the ropes. Jamison tried for a comeback and fired off some punches but Spot ended that – and the match – quickly, with an eye poke and a shoulderbreaker for the win.

Post-Match: Bruno gave Spot the bone and pounded Jamison in and out of the ring. Spot made his way with Jamison to the announcers’ table and slammed Jamison’ s head into it. He continued to pound away on Jamison with the bone and eventually the ring bell. Spot dismantled the announcers desk, throwing chairs into the ring and ramming his own head into one of the steel chairs. Spot finished the carnage by throwing Jamison over the announcers table before Bruno and the ref got control and sent Spot to the back.

The Clones #327 and #328 vs. Mark Starr and John Paul

We take another time jump to June 29 in the Mid Southern Coliseum as the Clones (aka Pat and Mike Kelley) were around throughout the 1980’s in myriad territories (in fact, they wrestled on my very first wresting card, I attended in 1980.) The had the Southern Tag Titles for a bit until one of the Clones/Twins was injured and a tournament took place (sadly, Pat died a year later and Mike suffered a severe leg injury in the Newfoundland car crash that claimed the life of Adrian Adonis.)

Paul we discussed a bit ago and Mark Starr was another attempt at..well, cloning a super young heartthrob. He is also Chris Champion’s brother and teamed with him in Wildside (winning tag titles in Memphis in 1989.) He also teamed with Kris Kanyon in Men at Work (the team, not the band.)
As long at it took me to research that, we get a real quick JIP and see the Paul and Starr win via disqualification as the Clones used the piledriver on Paul.

Post-match The Clones continue to pound away on the faces as they attempt to bring a table over the barricade (knocking the barricade down in the process.) They slam Starr on the table (non-gimmicked, and yes, I am the..you know the rest.) Paul was thrown over the top rope. The Clones took turns slamming Starr’s head into the table and hit an atomic drop as the other Clone ran Paul into the barricade.

The timekeeper rang the bell with the frequency you draw a vowel in Scrabble. It was all in vain (and annoying) as the Clones continue to beat on the faces as Downtown Bruno directed the chaos. Finally, Billy Travis came to the rescue only to be double clotheslined to the mat and he got the boots put to him they do an elevated choke on Travis with one Clone’s boot as the other picked him up by the legs. Starr and Paul got back in the ring but were beaten down and choked on the mat. Finally, Jeff Jarrett and Allen West made the rescue in time of us to fade to the next segment. Ah, Memphis brawls….

That next segment is Downtown Bruno with Goliath (Moondog Splat) and Big Bubba (Fred Ottman, who was Tugboat, Typhoon, etc..) in the WMC studio on April 11. They talk about an upcoming Coliseum match with Soul Train Jones (AKA Virgil) and “Mystery Soul.” Russell knows who it is (it doesn’t take much to connect the dots. When you reach a Rock, there you are. Also, the internet listed the match the week prior on April 6.) Big Bubba channels his brother-in-law (yup, Dusty Rhodes) and starts some jive talking and mentioned any brother and sister could not stand to him (using the Superstar Graham “man of the hour” couplet.)

But, what doth one knows, here is Jones and (what a surprise) Rocky Johnson with boards in tow and ready to break them on the Goliath and Bubba. Russell is excited and elated as Jones and Johnson continue to beat on Goliath and Bubba. Bubba was bleeding and headed out of the ring quickly, followed gradually by Goliath.

Jones and Johnson head to Russell and Johnson is excited to be back (he wrestled on and off in Memphis in the 1970’s.) He was in Hawaii training, minding his business and minding his business when Jones called him. Johnson no man should insult someone like they did to Jones. Regardless of where it is, Johnson doesn’t care and reiterates no one should say since this is the 80’s. There’s no room for both teams so guess who’s going.

Jones took the mic. He made the call to Johnson and we are going to see muscle and see damaging (his words) The war only began. Johnson reiterates his points, talks up Russell and Memphis as we fade.

Mark Starr and Billy Travis vs. Big Bubba and Goliath

We jump ahead in time to the WMC studios for the May 16 TV main event. The particulars you know (by this point, Travis was behind Jarrett in the baby faces not named Lawler.) The girls screamed for Travis and Starr, like it was the Rock and Roll Express.

Starr starts with Goliath and gets the armbar. Tag to Trais and the two hit the drop toehold/ elbow drop combo for two. Another quick tag and Travis leapfrogged the Goliath backdrop attempt and the faces hit a double dropkick.

Bubba got the tag and Starr grabbed the armbar. Another quick tag and Starr and Travis hit a double back elbow off the ropes. Bubba, though, managed to muscle Travis to the corner (not a huge task) and clobbered Travis with a series of forearms. Bubba hit a hiptoss and slugged away on Travis in the corner and tagged Goliath.

Travis, however, managed to rally and punched away at Goliath and had him reeling into the ropes and the turnbuckle. A flying back elbow got two. Travis thought about a bodyslam but reversed to a rollup for two. All this as Bruno wanted to press criminal charges against Travis (give it a decade and you’ll have your wish in a very odd circumstance.) In the ring, Travis tagged Starr who climbed to the top and hit a double axe handle on Goliath’s shoulder. However, an eyerake stopped the momentum and Bubba was tagged.

It would not be Memphis without a schmozzapalooza and here it is. All four combatants are in the ring with Travis pounding on Goliath and Starr on Bubba. However, Badd Company (Pat Tanaka and Paul Diamond) hit the ring and tilt the odds to the heels with Tanaka on Travis and Diamond on Starr. To even the odds are Rocky Johnson and Jeff Jarrett and Bill Dundee as the heels beat a retreat. No decision was listed but presumably Travis and Starr won via disqualification.

International Tag Team Title Match: Badd Company (with Downtown Bruno in tow) vs. Steve Keirn and Mark Starr…..or is it?

It is a WMC TV studio match from May 9. Keirn and Starr won the titles a week earlier against the Mercenaries (who, according to the Internet, were a team.) They entered Memphis and were dubbed the International Tag Titlists. Badd Company hit the ring but Russell said Keirn hurt his shoulder previously. Starr heads to the announcers’ table and confirms just that. Starr mangled the promo by first saying they don’t have to beat me but then said you have to beat him and that Starr doesn’t have to beat them (we lost the plot here) He said Keirn made a promise to him but he isn’t going to forfeit the titles (which would happen if he didn’t defend them.) Russell reiterated the rule about forfeiting the title. Russell helped Starr make sense by saying he didn’t have to beat them, he could run out the clock.

Starr recovered and said there’s no way Badd Company was going to pin him. It took Kerin and Starr long enough to win and he won’t lose them to these two goofs.

Diamond started. Starr grabbed the headlock and got a takeover with it. Bruno joined the announcers and hyped up Badd Company just as Diamond hit a shoulder block off the ropes and hit a FULL BODYSLAM on Starr. Starr, however, kicked Diamond as he was going for the pin. Starr got an armdrag and an armbar and did the same to Tanaka when he was tagged.

An eye rake broke the hold and a series of chops stopped Starr but, after a Tanaka shoulderblock, Starr got a huge dropkick off the ropes and then went back to the armbar. Tanaka punched his way out and tagged Diamond but a Starr bodypress on both members of Badd Company slowed the onslaught.

It was only temporary as Diamond resumed control with a knee to the gut. Diamond mauled Starr in the corner as Tanaka did the same after a tag. However, Starr managed to fight off Tanaka and grab the armbar. Another eyerake broke the bold as Tanaka started to slug away in the corner.

Starr, though, reversed a turnbuckle toss and set Tanaka for a monkey flip but Bruno (somewhat late and weakly) hit Starr with the batters helmet (the Pirates, naturally) and Starr crumpled to the mat. Tanaka chopped away on Starr and tagged Diamond who hit a back elbow for two. Diamond threw Starr through the ropes and to the floor as Tanaka held Starr for Bruno to continue to hit him with his helmet (at one point, completely whiffing.) What didn’t miss was Tanaka throwing Starr into the ring post. The referee was distracted by Diamond as Tanaka continued to beat on Starr.

Tanaka threw Travis into the ring and Diamond hit a gourdbuster (but Starr’s head landed like a DDT) for two-and-a-fraction. The fans were rabid for Starr to rally. Diamond hit a bodyslam but Starr reversed another slam for what would have been a three count; had the referee not been distracted by Bruno and Tanaka. The crowd went bat feces for the spot.

Tanaka retagged into the match and chopped and kicked away at Starr. Diamond tagged and hit a clothesline off the ropes for two. Tanaka entered the ring and hit his own clothesline off the ropes for two. However, the two tried for a double clothesline which Starr ducked and landed a clothesline of his own on both Company men.

Half the crowd was standing and going hoarse as Starr tried to fight off bother members of the heels. Tanaka tried to chop away but a drop kick sent Tanaka to the floor. Starr got a shoulder block off the ropes on Diamond but Diamond caught Starr on a second one and ran him through the ropes and onto the floor.

Cue the ominous music as Diamond jumped on the top rope to distract the referee as Tanaka grabbed Starr and hit a DDT on the floor. It was academic as Tanaka rolled Starr into the ring and an elbow drop off the ropes gave Badd Company the win and we have new tag team title holders.

Post-Match: Badd Company continued to beat on Starr as Bruno went to the announce table. Russell astutely noted that if the beating continued, the referee had every reason to disqualify Badd Company and Starr would retain. Meanwhile, Diamond set Starr for a piledriver but Billy Travis ran in to save the day and chase the heels away.

Nasty Boys vs. “Hangman” Bobby Jaggers and “King” Karl Fergie (with “Prince Brickhouse Brown and Nate the Rat in tow)

Well, we started this with a Janet Jackson song, let’s say we finish with one. As one can imagine, it’s for the Nasty Boys as they head to ringside. The Nasty Boys eschewed the gold and black they wore previously and are wearing all-black outfits as you can see their familiar look start to take shape. They are wearing facepaint, which looks really odd. This is the main event of a December 5 TV taping at WMC studios. Jaggers is a week removed from losing his Southern Title to Jerry Lawler on TV (as noted in last week’s review.) Fergie as covered previously, is Lawler’s cousin.

Knobbs and Jaggers started and Knobbs immediately threw Jaggers to the mat and then bodyslammed him. Fergie is quickly tagged and backed Knobbs to the ropes and slugged and kicked away on Knobbs. However, a back elbow is ducked and Knobbs hit two FULL BODYSLAMS and Fergie bailed to the floor. The crowd let Fergie have it as they chanted “Nasty.”

Sags is tagged and Fergie offered a handshake which Sags no sold. Fergie managed to get an armbar and wrung it until Sags reversed it. Jaggers is tagged was also caught in an armbar. Knobbs held Jaggers in the corner. They lampshade the old hitting your partner when the opponent evades. Jaggers evaded Knobbs but Sags stopped his punch. Instead, they locked arms and double clotheslined Jaggers.

Sags grabbed a headlock and Jaggers threw him to the ropes. Jaggers dropped to the mat and Sags ran into Fergie’s knee on the rebound. Jaggers started to boot and pound away on Sags. Fergie grabbed Sags and pounded away whist the referee was distracted. Jaggers hit a back elbow off the ropes and again waited for the referee to be distracted as the heels started to pound away on Sags. A clothesline dropped Sags to the mat and Fergie got a two count.

Jaggers tagged back into the match and continued to pound away on Sags until Sags hit a clothesline out of the turnbuckle. Sags and Jaggers tagged their partners and Knobbs cleaned house on Fergie. Knobbs pounded away on Fergie and hit a huge backdrop on Fergie and slugged Jaggers for good measure.

However, Knobbs hit a clothesline on Fergie and Jaggers stopped the count by kicking Knobbs. This brought Sags into the match to clear Jaggers but also distracted the referee. This gave Brown and opportunity to slug Sags as Fergie and Jaggers threw Knobbs to the floor. Jaggers followed and grabbed Nate’s cane and started to pound away on Knobbs on the floor as Fergie and Brown mauled Sags in the corner. Nate helped Jaggers with extra leverage to choke Knobbs as we fade to black. Suffice to say, the Nasty Boys won via disqualification.

Long Distance Information

One: Give Jerry Jarrett credit for acknowledging they needed young babyfaces to keep the fans watching the product (I won’t give the Jarrett terminology but if you have ever listened to Jim Cornette talk about the great Memphis/Mid-South talent trade, you know the term.) It is odd, though, to see the babyfaces in late 1980’s eyes vs 40 years later. They looked the part and were cute. They were, to use the term in these parts, perfectly cromulent in the ring. However, their mic skills were vanilla – at best (the Starr promo is an exemplar of that.) You really didn’t need charisma as long as you could be fired up at a moment’s notice. It is a nice slice of time to see and the women went nuts when they arrived.

Two: Badd Company were such a great team. I think they made the wrong decision going to WWE/F after their AWA run vs. WCW, where I do honestly think they would have had success and been in line for a possible tag title.

Three: On the other hand, I never have seen the appeal of the Nasty Boys. I know Knobbs and Hogan were friends and that might be a saving grace. Because, this match and their body of work just struck me as very underwhelming. THe upside is they chucked the face paint after their Memphis stint.

Four: Jack Hart was great. He understood the business inside and outside the ring and was just great to watch. I am glad they treated him like a legitimate threat in Memphis.

Five: For the record (no pun intended,) “Control” was the best song from Janet’s Jackson’s album of the same name. Arguably, it is a top five song of hers.

Keep fighting the good fight.