Mid-South Wrestling 05.29.1982

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Airdate: May 29, 1982 (taped 05/26)

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts

Who does Akbar have in store for Murdoch this week? Can DiBiase outwrestle the Grappler? Who’s this Williams kid? Plus, JYD, Mr. Olympia, and more!

Opening montage.

POINT OF ORDER: If you’re wondering why I skipped the 5/22 episode, let me run down the results for you:

1. Dick Murdoch murders Rick Ferrera. Will he resurface, or is he playing dice with Jimmy Hoffa?

2. The Assassin scares Buddy Landel so much that his hair changes from black to platinum blond.

3. Bob Roop makes soup out of Coco Samoa.

4. Ernie Ladd turns Kim Duc into a condiment.

5. One Man Gang & Grappler flavor Mike Sharpe & Jesse Barr with Duk.

6. Mr. Olympia dims the brightness of Billy Starr.

7. Ted DiBiase makes burgers out of the Turk.

As you can see, not one, not two, but SEVEN enhancement matches to waste precious valuable time. Considering the meat and potatoes that this episode contains, I’ll take this stew over that slop any day. Let’s roll!

With ‘Pac-Man Fever” by Buckner & Garcia playing in the background, ring announcer Reisor Bowden interviews “Precious” Paul Ellering who teaches a pair of youngsters how to perform a military press. Next, he adds weight to a bar to no less than 300 lbs. His goal is 1500 lbs. in 5 reps but can only accomplish 4. Impressive!

Match 1: Ted DiBiase versus the Grappler

Highlights:

DiBiase leapfrogged Grappler and leveled him with a forearm smash for 2. When Grappler blocked an O’Connor roll, DiBiase dropkicked him. He reversed an Irish whip, leapfrogged Grappler again, but ate a forearm smash like he’d been force-fed gruel.

As he tied DiBiase to the Tree of Woe, Grappler stomped the BEJEEZUS out of him. He clotheslined DiBiase, landed another forearm smash, and got 2. After Grappler dealt DiBiase a swinging neckbreaker, he got another 2. Grappler missed a knee drop, so DiBiase gave him a cross corner whip followed by a back drop.

While he hip-tossed Grappler, DiBiase dropkicked him again. He fed Grappler a back elbow but missed an elbow drop. Following a mid-ring collision, Grappler spilled down to the concrete floor. Assassin approached the ring and jumped onto the apron. Distracting referee Alfred Neely to avoid a countout loss for Grappler, Assassin got nailed. DiBiase unceremoniously brought Assassin into the ring and pounded on him. Meanwhile, Grappler returned to the ring and began to load his boot. Notorious!

On the other hand, Ernie Ladd also approached ringside and blasted Grappler with a steel chair. Revenge! Instantaneously, DiBiase caught the stunned Grappler with a powerslam and pinned him at 6:15.

Rating: ***

Summary: Solid encounter where the cruel hand of irony led to the heels’ missed opportunity as well as some comeuppance for the Grappler. The Shreveport faithful ate this up with a spoon.

At ringside, Bowden interviews General Skandor Akbar who introduces Harris and dismisses any type of “bounty” matches. However, he emphasizes that should Harris put Murdoch on the shelf, he’d give Harris a substantial BONUS. What an evil oil baron!

Match 2: “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch versus Rick “Hangman” Harris (w/ General Skandor Akbar)

Highlights:

For those unaware, Harris transformed into the future Black Bart who became WCCW World champion in 1986 via a phantom title match in Oakland, CA. Harris gave Murdoch a cross corner whip followed by a back drop. As he guillotined Murdoch with the top rope, Harris subdued him with a camel clutch. Akbar snuck over to Murdoch’s corner to steal the bag and taunted the “former Marine” with it.

When Murdoch escaped, he ducked a clothesline and knocked Harris down like a California redwood with a vicious elbow smash. TIMBER! A battle for an abdominal stretch transpired, so Akbar stepped into the ring with the bag. After Akbar inadvertently clobbered Harris with the bag, Murdoch pounded Akbar hard enough to send him reeling to the concrete floor. He flattened Harris with a brainbuster and pinned him at 4:37.

Rating: **

Summary: Once again, heel chicanery was thwarted by a rugged “Marine” who knew his mission.

After the match, Murdoch exits the ring and socks Akbar again. He threatens to part Akbar’s hair with the entrenchment tool, but Gang arrives to save his manager’s bacon. As Gang held Murdoch at bay, Harris took his noose and wrapped it around Murdoch’s neck. How dastardly! Sharpe and Barr storm the ring to prevent a successful lynching as Gang and Harris scamper back to the locker room.

Match 3: One Man Gang (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus Coco Samoa

Highlights:

Coco attempted to shoulder-block Gang but hit a brick wall. When Gang unloaded a big boot, he planted Coco with a knee drop. Gang gave him a cross corner whip, but Coco ducked a clothesline, leaped to the second turnbuckle, and attempted a cross body block. As Gang caught him, he decimated Coco with a belly-to-back suplex. He landed an elbow drop and pinned Coco at 3:39.

Rating: DUD

Summary: Showcase match for Gang.

Match 4: Bob Roop & the Assassin versus “Iron” Mike Sharpe & Mike Reed

Highlights:

For the WCCW faithful among us, yes, it’s the same Mike Reed although he’s referred to as Mike Hudspeth. Roop hooked an arm bar, but Sharpe countered with a slam. As Assassin tagged in, Sharpe hip-tossed him. Tags were exchanged on both sides, and Assassin slammed Reed.

When Roop tagged in, he also slammed Reed. Roop tagged out, but before he exited, he dumped Reed with a gutwrench suplex. After Assassin dropkicked him, he headbutted Reed. 1-2-3. Assassin and Roop won at 2:38.

Rating: *

Summary: Once Reed tagged in, it was purely a showcase match for the heels.

Match 5: “Dr. Death” Steve Williams versus the Turk

Highlights:

For those unaware, this was Williams’ debut match. I find it peculiar that Watts would trot Williams out on TV without any house show exposure. Let’s see if the kid from Oklahoma’s got any moxie. Williams scored with a fireman’s carry takeover and got 2. When he dumped Turk with a gutwrench slam, Williams got another 2.

Turk charged, but Williams caught, slammed him, but couldn’t get 3. As he reversed a cross corner whip, Williams backdropped Turk. He gave Turk a cross corner whip and bowled him over with a three-point stance tackle. After he steamrolled Turk with another one, Williams gave Turk a second cross corner whip, caught, and powerslammed him. Watts referred to the move as an “Oklahoma Stampede,” yet methinks it needed more seasoning. 1-2-3. Williams won at 3:55.

Rating: *

Summary: Showcase match for the extremely nervous albeit rightfully so Williams.

Match 6 (non-title): Mid-South tag team champions Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia versus Randy Base & Jim Starr

Highlights:

Wait a minute! If one guy on a team was named Base, the other must have been named after ascorbic acid, right? Oh, wait…that would make him OJ.

Sorry, Chester.

Starr lost a battle of fisticuffs to Olympia who leapfrogged him. As JYD tagged in, he pummeled Starr into mashed potatoes. Base tagged in, but JYD slammed him. When Olympia tagged in, he fed Base a gutwrench suplex. He blasted Base with sulfuric acid a back elbow and tagged out. After JYD stymied Base with hydrochloric acid a side-Russian leg sweep, he got 2. He powerslammed Base, but Starr interjected himself. While JYD darkened Starr, Olympia snuck in with an elbow drop. Referee Rick Ferrara’s seen enough and declared JYD & Olympia winners at 1:42.

Rating: *

Summary: Ferrara must’ve had a headache due to Base’s drubbing and needed some acetylsalicylic acid.

POINT OF ORDER: I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge Watts’ saying everything derogatorily possible about the Wild Samoans’ sudden departure stopping just short of calling them pussies.

Match 7: Jesse Barr versus Billy Starr

Highlights:

Barr connected with a knee lift and hooked an inside cradle for 1. When Barr held a cross-arm breaker, Starr stood up and cheated worse than the 2017 Houston Astros. With thirty seconds left, Starr floored Barr with a back elbow and got 2. Just before the bell, Starr split Barr in two with a backbreaker. Referee Alfred Neely ruled the bout a time-limit draw at 2:17.

Rating: DUD

Summary: Mere time-filler to finish the episode.

Conclusion: With DiBiase-Grappler and Murdoch-Harris on the bill, this episode’s a no-brainer must-see. Thanks to Ladd, DiBiase triumphed, and all’s right with the world again. Before Murdoch can visit Japan, he gets Akbar’s goat one more time albeit not unscathed. One Man Gang steamrolls Coco as expected while Roop and Assassin sentence Reed back to WCCW. In his professional debut, Williams wins though not impressively. JYD and Olympia also win over the makings of a chemistry class.

Next week, Roop defends the North American title against JYD!

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for MSW 06-05-82!

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