SMW TV (Re-Visited) – Sneedville, TN Taping – 04.09.92

We’re still nudging things along at a slow pace, working our way through the Tag Team Championship Tournament and setting the table for the one-night tournament to crown the inaugural Smoky Mountain Wrestling Champion at The Volunteer Slam on May 22nd. We’ve got a short turn-around time for this taping, with the first episode making it to broadcast just two days later, and we’re covering FOUR WEEKS of TV with this one, though there’s an asterisk attached to that. We’re at the Hancock County High School in Sneedville, TN on April 9th, covering TV through May 2nd.

April 11th, 1992:
Bob Caudle and Dutch Mantel (with Carl Stiles STILL lurking in the background) welcome us to the program. On today’s show, we’ve got “Hollywood” Bob Holly, two 1st-Round Tournament matches, an update on Prime Time Brian Lee, a word from Mr. Wonderful, and FINALLY, the reveal of Jim Cornette’s new team!

“Hollywood” Bob Holly vs. Ben Jordan – I thought it was clever how they explained his absence from the tournament, saying it’s a suckers game to wrestle three times when all he needs to do is challenge the Champion and win one match. Holly works this like a WWF squash match, taking all but 20-seconds of the action before putting Jordan away with the Star Drop (flying knee) at 3:18.

Ivan and Vladimir Koloff are back, having paid the fines levied to them, though they still claim their story about a family emergency is legit. They promise to work their way through and win the Championship Tournament, and teases a possible Finals with The Fantastics.

SMW Commissioner Bob Armstrong makes an appearance, letting us know that the finals for the Tag Tournament will take place at The Volunteer Slam along with the one-night tournament for the SMW Championship and talks about a talent exchange with “the Japanese organizations.” Oh, and Orndorff’s piledriver is still banned. SHORT AND SWEET, BABY.

SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament 1st Round Match: Nitro Danny Davis and Jumping Joey Maggs vs. Ivan and Vladimir Koloff – You know, looking at the brackets, and considering the side with the Koloff’s features Cornette’s Team… I don’t like the odds for the Russian contingency, even if Davis and JOEY MAGGS are so randomly thrown together. Ivan may not move too quickly these days, but he’s a pro’s pro and can still bring enough to the table to be entertaining. The Koloffs get the heat on Maggs. Hot tag and Nitro Danny is ready to EXPLODE. He’s cut off quickly, but suddenly the Fantastics appear at ringside, distracting Ivan and Vladimir. Vlad tries using the chain, but Bobby pulls Davis to safety. Vladimir knocks himself out in the corner, and Davis falls on top for three at 7:20 to advance. This was decent enough, and the brackets left no doubt we’d see the babyfaces advance. That’s also the end of the road for Ivan and Vladimir in Smoky Mountain Wrestling.

We recap last week’s angle featuring Brian Lee and the Dirty White Boy. Armstrong has handed out fines, and now poor Mr. Ron Wright is taking generic medicine that isn’t nearly as effective. Dirty White Boy is hot and ready for the Volunteer Slam.

Bob Caudle is with the random trio of Hector Guerrero, Dixie Dy-No-Mite and a disgruntled looking Mr. Wonderful, several of the “wild card” entrants for the Tournament. Mr. Wonderful has an unblemished record in SMW, but is stuck with this group of losers, and he’s not afraid to complain about it, which sets us up for the next match…

Hector Guerrero vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff – Winner gets a spot in the Championship Tournament. Orndorff asks Guerrero what “arriba” means, and I guess it’s “swim faster, the border guards are coming.” Yikes. I’m not surprised, considering some of his material on Mr. T leading to WrestleMania the 1st. We’ve got a solid back-and-forth, with Hector getting enough to hang with Orndorff without feeling like Orndorff is giving too much as a heel. Guerrero gets the fired up comeback going and comes off the top with a body press, but Orndorff rolls through and grabs the tights for three at 5:43. Post-match, Orndorff gives Hector the dreaded PILEDRIVER. Ben Jordan, Reno Riggins, and Joey Maggs all run in and get the same, and then it’s a second piledriver for Mr. Guerrero. Finally, Dixie Dy-No-Mite makes the save, but the damage is done. Fine match with a great heat angle afterwards.

SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament 1st Round Match: Brad and Bart Batten vs. Jim Cornette’s Team – Final Match of the 1st Round. The Batten Twins enter to Foreigner’s “Double Vision.” Jim Cornette comes out with Pink Floyd’s “Time” playing, and after weeks of hype, his new team is revealed; “The Doctor of Desire” Tom Prichard and “Sweet” Stan Lane, THE HEAVENLY BODIES (and they’re using Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein”). Brad and Bart don’t have the smoothest of offense, but Prichard and Lane bump well for them when giving some shine. Batten runs wild from the hot tag and takes care of business for a while, but then the referee becomes distracted by trying to get the other Batten out of the ring, allowing the Bodies to hit the Meteor Shower (a combo back-drop and gut-wrench suplex) to advance at 6:15. No shock with that result, considering the hype and name value of Lane and Prichard for the territory. Post-match promo from Cornette and the Bodies. They’ve beat every man worth beating, had every woman worth having, and know all the words to the long version of American Pie. MOST IMPRESSIVE.

April 18th, 1992:
Another week and another introduction from Bob Caudle and Dutch Mantel. We’ve got Robert Gibson in action, the debut of Buddy Landell, an update on the actions of Mr. Wonderful, and in a WILD CARD MATCH, Dixie Dy-No-Mite faces Carl Stiles.

“Rock ‘N’ Roll” Robert Gibson vs. “Hustler” Rip Rogers – I feel like I’ve watched more singles matches from Gibson in the first two months of SMW TV than I have for the rest of his career. He’s got a guaranteed spot in the Tournament, so it’s yet another showcase for him. Lots of chatter about Gibson and Jimmy Golden, who have had beef since Golden started appearing for SMW. Solid meat-and-potatoes match with Rogers getting some shine in a losing effort as Gibson finishes with his signature bulldog at 5:09.

We recap Paul Orndorff’s actions from last week. Hector Guerrero is out with a neck injury and vows to take care of business when he returns. Bob Armstrong isn’t happy, throwing fines at Orndorff, $500 per Piledriver, totaling $2,500. Orndorff shrugs it off and brags about his bank account, so now it’ll be $2,500 PER Piledriver.

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. Davey Rich – Thank the Wrestling God that we’re done with babyface Orndorff. I know it was just to establish him with the audience to set up the turn, but it’s much better getting him at maximum douchebag levels. A slow, by-the-books effort as we’re giving Rich some respect here despite Orndorff being in the Volunteer Slam Tournament and Rich being a scrub. Rich gets a fired up comeback, but Orndorff blocks an O’Connor Roll and turns him inside-out with a clothesline… and that’s it for three at 6:30. Orndorff DID signal for the Piledriver, but opted against it.

Mr. Ron Wright is here to speak on behalf of the Dirty White Boy. He’s running up and down the alleys of this redneck town. The police tried to send their dogs after him, but the White Boy bit one of them and gave the dog rabies instead! Wright assures us that nobody can beat the Dirty White Boy and he’ll leave the Volunteer Slam as Smoky Mountain Wrestling Champion.

Nitro Danny Davis and Joey Maggs standing by with comments. Maggs’ neck is hurt because of Paul Orndorff, but they’re going to fight through and show them why you can’t count out the underdogs. We follow that with an interview with Jim Cornette and the Heavenly Bodies. Maggs’ neck is going to look like a rubber band when they’re done with him, and “The Gangster of Love” Stan Lane says that they’re tired of the poor, deprived, fat, corn-fed women of this town groping them.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Landel vs. Reno Riggins – The in-ring debut for Buddy Landel in SMW. He’s using Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” for his entrance music. Despite having ZERO matches, Landel is a Wild Card for the Volunteer Slam and has been granted a spot! Mr. Wonderful was justified. For a guy who got wrecked by Orndorff, Riggins gets plenty of offense on Landel, and again I complain that if you’re going to give the geeks so much shine, put them in matches with guys who aren’t expected to be major players for your territory. Landel gets it together, hits the corkscrew elbow and finishes with the Figure-Four at 5:10. Landel with a boisterous post-match promo about receiving a spot in the tournament and promises to leave with the belt.

Wild Card Match: Dixie Dy-No-Mite vs. Carl Stiles – What a sad sack of a match to determine the final spot for the Championship Tournament! Carl Stiles’ back acne is out of this world, and it’s not like he has THAT great a physique. I guess that’s the best you can buy on Smoky Mountain wages. Dixie is trying, but Stiles looks like a lost cause out there, stumbling through some of the most basic stuff. Dirty Dutch comes to the ring to offer advice, but that just distracts Stiles, and Dixie finishes with the Confederate Kick at 4:13. Dutch has unkind words for Stiles, calling him the dumbest guy he’s ever met. He’s also the worst wrestler in SMW at the moment.

April 25th, 1992:
We’ve got Hollywood Bob Holly, Jimmy Golden, and Prime Time Brian Lee in action! Mr. Wonderful is in the building, we’ll have the latest on the Volunteer Slam, and in the Main Event, Nitro Danny Davis and Joey Maggs face the Heavenly Bodies to see who moves to the Finals of the Tag Team Championship Tournament.

“Hollywood” Bob Holly vs. Bart Batten – Interesting to see them use one of the Batten twins for solo enhancement work, but we’re clearly not wasting time with a bunch of enhancement tag matches with a tournament in progress, so might as well pay them for something. It’s more of the same from Holly, a decent showcase, and he’s victorious with the Star Drop at 4:19. Unfortunately for us, this is it for Hollywood Bob, as the pay wasn’t good enough and he left wrestling briefly to return to welding (Holly would do the same in 96-97 when WWF business fell off and they eliminated a bunch of live events). I do like Holly as a worker, and would have been interested in seeing where this slow-burn push went.

Bob Caudle is with Commissioner Armstrong, who has an update on the Volunteer Slam. The following matches will make up the 1st Round of the Championship Tournament; Robert Gibson vs. Jimmy Golden, Tim Horner vs. Paul Orndorff, Brian Lee vs. Buddy Landell, and Dixie Dy-No-Mite vs. The Dirty White Boy, with Semi’s and Finals taking place afterwards. As mentioned last week, the Tag Titles Tournament Finals will take place that night as well.

Local Promos from The Fantastics, Brian Lee and the Batten Twins for Beckley, WV on May 17th. The Fantastics did not appear as advertised.

Jimmy Golden vs. Davey Rich – Didn’t we just see Rich get scrubbed out by Paul Orndorff? It’s another showcase for Golden as we inch closer to the Volunteer Slam. Longer match than usual, though most of it features lengthy holds like a side headlock from Rich and a spinning toe hold from Golden. Rich with the comeback, hitting a diving body press for two. Both men hit the ropes and Golden strikes first with his signature dropkick, and that’s good for three at 6:43. Another OK match, nothing special. Post-match, Robert Gibson has words, and Golden retorts that he kicked the butt of Gibson’s brother years ago, and will do the same on May 22nd.

“Prime Time” Brian Lee vs. “Golden Boy” Joe Cazana – Showcase! I’m going to be so happy once we clear the Volunteer Slam on the timeline. Lee crushed Cazana a few weeks ago, but who is really paying attention? Lee works the WWF squash style formula, making short work of Cazana and finishing with the Cancelation at 2:22. Post-match, Prime Time and Buddy Landel exchange words at the announcer’s table.

Bob Caudle gets a word from Carl Stiles on his unexplained absence. According to Carl, he had a speeding ticket that Dutch neglected to take care of, resulting in him spending several weeks behind bars. Uh-huh. Possibly the WORST promo I’ve ever heard. Also, no more beating around the bush, we bid farewell to Stiles at this taping as well, and good riddance.

Killer Kyle vs. Reno Riggins – I know there’s a tight budget, but we’re seeing a lot of double-dipping with enhancement workers. It’s another short and to the point match, with Riggins throwing everything he has at Kyle, but none of it has any lasting effects. A dive from the turnbuckles backfires and Kyle finishes with the Rub-Out at 2:35. It’ll be a while before we see Riggins again.

Mr. Ron Wright is here to hype up the Dirty White Boy and complain about how he’s being mistreated when it comes to his medical needs. American Health Care screwing people over? NEVER.

SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals Match: “Nitro” Danny Davis and Jumping Joey Maggs vs. The Heavenly Bodies (w/ Jim Cornette) – After taking a week off, we resume business with moving along to crown the first Tag Team Champions. Maggs was one of Orndorff’s victims two weeks ago and still feeling the effects of that Piledriver. Lane and Davis go back-and-forth evenly, but Maggs doesn’t have the same luck, getting cut off several times. Prichard and Lane take turns punishing Maggs, not even bothering to go for pin attempts. Lane slows things down as Dutch suggests that they’re trying to get Maggs to quit from all the abuse he has absorbed. Maggs manages to create separation and gets to his partner, but the referee misses the tag, and the Bodies spike Maggs face-first to finish him and advance to the Finals at 8:39. A mostly-one-sided drubbing, with Prichard and Lane taking advantage of the injured Maggs and mopping the floor with him.

Tim Horner finally gets some promo time (BOO!), hyping up his first round match with Paul Orndorff at the Volunteer Slam. He doesn’t care if Orndorff has beaten Hulk Hogan or Ric Flair (they like to name drop stars here), because Orndorff hasn’t defeated White Lightning.

May 2nd, 1992:
We’ve reached week four of this taping cycle, but don’t worry, this is mostly a recap episode that catches everyone up on the Tag Team Championship Tournament, with highlights of all the matches that have taken place in the previous weeks of TV. We even recycle some local promo spots and Bob Armstrong’s promo against the use of steroids.

Jim Cornette and the Heavenly Bodies are standing by with words on the Tournament. Cornette doesn’t care who advances to the Finals because the Maulers can slobber all over themselves and the Fantastics are a bunch of lollipop wrestlers while the Heavenly Bodies are the hard candy dream of every woman in America.

SMW Tag Team Championship Tournament Semi-Finals Match: The Fantastics vs. The Maulers – For those who lost track, the Maulers are Rip Morgan and Jack Victory, and the winners move on to the Volunteer Slam to face the Heavenly Bodies. It’s your classic tale of size vs speed, with the Fantastics having the early advantage. Morgan trips up Bobby to help swing momentum back in their favor and dumps him across the guardrail. Back inside, and a hard whip to the corner, followed by a clothesline gets a near-fall. The Maulers continue getting the heat on Bobby until breaking free of a chin-lock with a jaw breaker. Morgan with the cut-off, but the elbow drop misses, allowing Jackie the hot tag and running wild with dropkicks. Heck breaks loose, the Maulers have a miscommunication, and Jackie flies from the top with a cross body press on Morgan for three at 8:01, sending the Fantastics to the Finals.

Bob Caudle runs down the card for Beckley, WV on May 17th, with the following matches…

The Batten Twins vs. Killer Kyle and Joe Cazana

Dixie Dy-No-Mite vs. “Hollywood” Bob Holly

Tim Horner vs. Buddy Landel

Robert Gibson vs. Jimmy Golden

Brian Lee vs. The Dirty White Boy with Bob Armstrong as Special Referee

The Fantastics vs. The Heavenly Bodies

The card saw quite a bit of reconstruction, but making note of the changes would spoil upcoming TV, but obviously Bob Holly won’t appear as we mentioned he won’t be around again.

The Fantastics with a post-match promo thanking the fans for support, they wouldn’t be here without them. They may not be as “pretty” as the Heavenly Bodies, but they can out-wrestle them, and we’ll find out what kind of men they are. If they are anything like Jim Cornette, it won’t be much.

Final Thoughts: It seems daunting to cover so much TV in one shot, but we’re making steady progress, and can finally see the true form of SMW taking shape with the Volunteer Slam around the corner to crown our Champions, the Starter Deck Roster getting adjusted with several names that were used on Day 1 wrapping up at the same time, and planting the seeds with slow-burn pushes to establish everyone once we get through these tournaments. 45-50 minute episodes are easy to digest, and a stretch like this is very easy to get through with some decent wrestling, solid promos, and a consistent approach to episodic television, giving you a hook to check out the next episode.