The SmarK Rant for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – 01.01.83

The SmarK Rant for Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – 01.01.83

Hey, it’s a new year here in 2025, so let’s start a new year in 1983. Now that I’m done with 1982 Mid-South and I still access to the WWE Network, the two promotions can sync up again and I can do both at once so you can get an idea of who was where.

Taped from Charlotte, NC

Your host is Bob Caudle

Paul Jones & One Man Gang v. Jimmy Valiant & Mike Rotunda

We join things in progress and learn that Rotunda has won the NWA TV title from Bad Bad Leroy Brown on Christmas Day after weeks of losses to him. Jones and Gang double-team Rotunda in the corner. Gang was just coming off a quick Mid-South run and he’s still in his long-haired hillbilly phase before learning the magic of a mohawk. Jimmy gets a hot tag as his music cuts in for some reason while he’s making his comeback, or at least his rip-off music does. Is this like a 1983 New Jack deal? Valiant runs into OMG and doesn’t really know what to do with him, but starts punching him and hits a back elbow anyway. But then Rotunda comes in again, and Jones trips him up and allows Gang to splash him and pin him at 3:12 shown. Geez poor Mike just won the title and he’s already doing TV jobs.

Bill Apter joins Bob at the desk, awarding Inspirational Wrestler of the Year for 1982 to Rowdy Roddy Piper. Piper, however, is not there to accept it, so Bob instead shows footage from a few weeks back with Flair and Valentine attacking him and rubbing his face in the concrete floor. Finally Bob Orton runs in and makes the save with his boot and chases the heels away.

Rowdy Roddy Piper joins us from Worldwide, doing a crazed promo where he declares that it wasn’t the first time someone has grinded the flesh off his face and won’t be the last time, so Flair just has to give him one shot at the title and he’ll learn why.

Bruiser Brody v. Vinnie Valentino

Rare to see Brody outside of Texas at this time, but I’ll take it. Brody slams Vinnie and beats him down in the corner, then follows with a big boot and beats on the back. Dropkick and Brody drops the knee on him for the pin at 1:42. Man watching these Brody squashes only makes it all the more obvious what a ripoff that the Berzerker was. The barking, the kneedrop, the furry boots, you name it.

Mike Rotunda joins Bob with his new TV title, and he credits Jimmy Valiant with taking him under his wing and showing him how to fight while they were on the road together. So Jimmy joins us and he’s just proud as punch of Mike, although you can’t hear anything he’s saying over the ripoff music that plays whenever he’s on screen.

Don Kernodle v. Tommy Gilbert

Kernodle beats on Tommy on the ropes and drops a knee on him before going to a chinlock. Tommy tries to escape that, so Kernodle drops him on the top rope for two and puts him back in the chinlock. Neckbreaker and Don drops an elbow for two before choking him out on the ropes. Gilbert with a small package for one and he slugs away in the corner, but he misses a charge and Don drops him with a back suplex for two. Gilbert fights back again with a high knee for two and a European uppercut for two. Tommy slugs away on the ropes with some impressive punches, so a desperate Kernodle pokes him repeatedly in the eyes and necks him on the top rope before hitting another neckbreaker and then going to the corner for a move that was basically a Russian Sickle. And a cobra clutch looks to finish, but even then Gilbert won’t die and fights to the ropes, so the ref calls for the DQ at 9:40 because Kernodle won’t break. So Ricky Steamboat isn’t gonna put up with this shit and comes out to break up the hold himself and takes care of Kernodle. Man this was looking like a standard squash but Tommy Gilbert gave Kernodle everything he could handle and had some great comebacks. Gilbert was largely a journeyman territory guy, but obvious his two sons had more success on a national level.

Don Kernodle joins Bob back at the desk, and now Ricky Steamboat is getting in their way, so he must pay!

Oliver Humperdink joins us and he sheds no tears for Roddy Piper being banned from the TV studio. One Man Gang, still not really great on promos, stands in the background making faces and trying to figure out what to do with himself.

The Brisco Brothers v. Jim Dalton & Ken Timbs

Jack Brisco, the current Mid-Atlantic champion, works on Dalton’s arm and Dalton has to tag out. Timbs goes after Jack with a headlock, but Jerry comes in with a facelock and then the Briscos go after Dalton again and work the leg for a while. Jerry goes after Timbs and works his leg with a toehold on the mat. Jack with a half crab, but Timbs manages to bring Dalton in again,and Jack quickly puts him away with the figure-four at 7:45. They took FOREVER to get to the point with this one, which is weird because usually the Briscos did really fast squashes and got out of there.

The Briscos join Bob at the desk and they’ve run a bunch of Humperdink’s men out of the territory and they’ll keep doing it. Also they wish Steamboat & Youngblood luck against Slaughter & Kernodle, but they might just put in a challenge themselves if the babyfaces win! Also Jack wants that $100,000 offered by Dory Funk Jr, because who doesn’t need $100,000?

Ricky Steamboat v. Masa Fuchi

Bob keeps calling him “Fuji” but the man has “F U C H I” right on his ass. Fuchi works the arm and puts Ricky down with a chop, giving us some great pained babyface selling from Steamboat. Fuchi with a short arm scissors and he rolls Steamboat around the ring. Steamboat tries to flip out of the armlock but Fuchi rolls with him and hangs on. Steamboat drops knees on Fuchi’s knee and starts going to work on that to take over and then puts him in Octopus to finish at 5:05. Lots of cool sequences and selling in this one.

Ricky Steamboat joins Bob and he’s sick of all the interference in his matches against the House of Humperdink and Slaughter. So Don Kernodle interrupts and Ricky tells him to take a hike, and then beats the stuffing out of him with chops when he won’t leave. Steamboat beating on him while the credits play over them is a cool visual to end the show on.

Who doesn’t love some Mid-Atlantic? Glad to be back on that horse again.