The SmarK Rant for Memphis Wrestling – 05.10.86

The SmarK Rant for Memphis Wrestling – 05.10.86

Originally written 09.06.26

Been nearly a year since I looked at these, so courtesy of KrisPLettuce let’s go back to Memphis again, during the reign of Bill & Budro and the impending rise of Jeff Jarrett. I had been going back to the Savage era here and there, but with the death of Bill Dundee yesterday, I thought it would be good to go back to my favorite era of Memphis with him.

Taped from Memphis, TN

Your hosts are Lance Russell & Dave Brown

BREAKING NEWS: We have TWO TITLE MATCHES on this hour of televison! But for bad news, we learn that Jerry Lawler has lost the Southern title to Bill Dundee at a show in Jackson TN. Not gonna lie, when Lance said he had bad news about Bill Dundee, it was an eerie moment today.

Last week, JD Costello’s mother has passed away and he’s pretty sad about it, but on the bright side, she left him a giant pile of money that he’s been directed to use to conquer the Memphis territory. Lance reading the will is tremendous, especially the dead mother throwing shade at JD’s brothers and sisters from beyond the grave. And then with his mourning period passed, JD perks up and is ready to use his new fortune to buy Dutch Mantel’s services. JD offers Dutch his entire salary from 1985 plus 50% if he’ll sign. So Dutch asks for some cash in advance, but JD doesn’t carry a lot of money with him because he’s afraid of Tennessee rednecks robbing him. So JD gives him $445 out of his wallet, and Dutch walks off with it.

Later in the show, Dutch and Pat Tanaka beat a pair of jobbers and JD comes out and demands that he wants a piece of Dutch to get his money back in the form of REVENGE. So he takes off his jacket and runs into the ring like an old-timey boxers with fists up, and Dutch quickly tackles him and starts beating on him until the Costello crew hits the ring and saves their manager, triggering a huge brawl with the babyfaces.

JD Costello joins us back at the studio this week, with a Jim Cornette knockoff green and red suit. So JD has a chart showing that you’re supposed to start at the bottom and build to the top, but that plan is OUT and he decided he was just gonna buy the services of Bill & Budro and shoot right to the top with all his money. Exclusive three year contracts for both of them! But Dundee and Landel threw him out of the dressing room so that plan was out. And now he’s going EVEN HIGHER and he’s going to buy Jerry Lawler instead. He’s got a booklet that says “Jerry Lawler Scouting Report” on the front, and it says that Jerry had the most success when he had a manager. So he’s got a briefcase full of money that he’s going to offer Lawler today and it’s guaranteed that he’ll sign a deal. It’s ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS in cash, in fact. He’ll even throw in the briefcase! It’s worth $500 by itself!

This naturally brings out the King, and JD makes his pitch. Lawler things Costello is a liar who actually is working with Bill Dundee already and wants to control Lawler’s matches so he never gets another title match again. Lawler talked about how he took pity on Jimmy Hart and brought him into the wrestling business because they used to go to high school together, and Jimmy turned out to be a leech who tried to steal all of Lawler’s money, and so Jerry fired him and chased him out of the territory. Lawler also talks about Sam Bass and how he earned his spot as Lawler’s manager and best friend, and JD needs to keep Sam’s name out of his mouth. So JD slaps Lawler, and then runs away, but not fast enough, because Lawler tackles him in the ring and tears his fancy new pants off. Shocked he didn’t open the briefcase and toss all the money out to the fans too.

Jerry Lawler v. Abdul Gaddafi

Gaddafi runs around like he’s Bruiser Brody and slams Lawler while Tony Falk subs for JD Costello at ringside as manager. Lawler slugs back and rams him into Tony Falk on the apron, but the Mod Squad runs in for the DQ at 2:05 and throws fires at him, and the heel beatdown is on.

Southern tag team title: The Mod Squash v. Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka

Diamond hits Basher with a bodypress for two, but he fights off both babyfaces and works on Tanaka’s arm. Tanaka chops him down. Over to Spike, but Diamond suplexes him for two. Diamond gets trapped in the heel corner and worked over. Diamond cradles Spike for two, but Basher cuts him off with an elbow. Spike with a powerslam and elbow for two, and we cut to the backstage area, where medics are checking on Lawler’s burns. They continue working on Diamond, but he fights back with a back suplex and makes the hot tag to Tanaka. Pat runs wild with chops and kicks and it’s BONZO GONZO, but JD hits Pat with the book behind the ref’s back and puts Spike on top for the pin at 7:33.

Eddie Marlin joins us and lets us know that Phil Hickerson is going to take Lawler’s place for matches with the Mod Squad, but Lawler storms out and declares that a little burn isn’t gonna stop him!

International title: Bill Travis v. Rip Rogers

Rip puts him down with a back elbow and puts the boots to him, and drops an elbow for two. They fight on the floor and Rip gives him an atomic drop out there, but Travis gets a sunset flip on the way back in for two. Rip with a slam, but Billy reverses into a cradle for two. Billy with a kneedrop for two, but Rip is in the ropes. Ref gets bumped, so Rip steals the ref’s belt and knocks Travis out with that before choking him out. And the ref wakes up and sees the tomfoolery, calling for the bell at 4:30.

Meanwhile, Bill & Budro are doing a promo with Lance, but we cut to the back, where Dutch and Lawler are brawling with the Mod Squad until security pulls them apart. Back at the studio, Buddy declares that they could have whooped everyone on their own if they were involved. And Bill declines working with JD Costello, because they’re only friends with big Hollywood stars like Farah Fawcett.

And we’re all out of time for this week! Not much Dundee on this one but it was a hell of a show regardless.