The SmarK Rant for Mid South Wrestling – 01.04.86

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 01.04.86

Well, now that we’ve got 1984 wrapped up, it’s time to move to the beginning of 1986, as they move from the TV studio to an arena, in advance of rebranding the company.

The available 85 episodes actually end with the 12.14.85 one, so I’m thinking they took a couple of weeks off to do the new tapings? Anyway, if you need a refresher where we left off, here you are:

https://www.blogofdoom.com/rant/the-smark-rant-for-mid-south-wrestling-12-14-85/

Taped from Tulsa, OK

Your hosts are Jim Ross & Joel Watts

Mid South TV title tournament quarterfinal: Dick Slater v. Steve Williams

This is an immediate visual upgrade, going from looking like a 70s wrestling show to something more in line with the modern product being put out by the WWF at that point. Watts was always great at that. Doc slams him to start and works the arm as JR reminds us that Slater is MR. UNPREDICTABLE. Unless you predicted that he would take over as booker of the company and make himself champion at some point. They trade elbowdrops and Slater takes him down with an STF, and a legsweep for two. Neckbreaker gets two. Slater tries for the crab, but Doc powers out and backdrops him for two. Slater with a back suplex and that gets two, and he tosses Doc to the floor as we take a break. Back with Doc backdropping out of a piledriver, but Slater catches him in the sleeper. Doc powers out and rams him into the corner to break and then hiptosses him out and follows with a three point stance clothesline to make the comeback. Slater is bumping all over for him, but they headbutt each other and it’s a double down. Slater tries a toehold and Doc slugs him down for two and then follows with a delayed suplex before dropping headbutts on him for two. Doc powers up and hits the Stampede, but Slater lands in the ropes and it only gets two. So Doc pulls him out again, but Dark Journey pokes him in the eyes from the floor and Doc is blinded. So Slater rolls him up, grabs the tights, and gets the pin at 12:10 to advance. HOLY CRAP this was like a real match. This was like night and day from the short and simple Boys Club matches on the previous TV shows. ***1/4

Hacksaw Butch Reed v. Mike Scott

Reed is the North American champion here, and Scott is a big beefy boy. Reed tosses him into the ropes and slams him, and then hits a shoulderblock for the pin at 0:55. Reed had actually lost the title to Dick Slater by this point, and Slater actually has the belt later in the show when they do a house show hype center.

Mid-South tag team title: The Nightmare & Eddie Gilbert v. The Bruise Brothers

Nightmare is our friend Randy Colley, long unmasked and soon on his way back to the WWF. The Bruise Brothers were the bane of my review existence during the 85 era, stinking up the TV show weekly. Porkchop Cash backdrops Eddie out of the corner and slams him, and Gilbert goes to the wrong corner and gets punched by Boyd. Over to the Nightmare and Cash slugs away on him and slams him out of the corner as well. Mad Dog Boyd comes in and he also slams Gilbert, and then Cash runs wild on both heels until Nightmare hits him from behind to take over. Cash and Gilbert collide for a double down and Boyd gets the hot tag. He just runs into the heels over and over and splashes Gilbert for two. But it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA and the ref calls for the DQ at 5:49. Usual shitty Bruise Brothers match. *

Mid South TV title tournament quarterfinal: Jake Roberts v. Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer

Jake was over huge as a babyface by this point, but considering that he showed up in the WWF literally a couple of weeks after this show aired, it’s kind of surprising he was pushed as hard as he was. Jake takes Sawyer down and works the arm. Buzz fights out of that and Jake reverses him down to the mat again and stays on the arm, but Buzz beats on him with forearms to escape. Jake dodges an elbow and goes back to the arm. Slater fights out and takes him down for a chinlock. Jake fights out of that and goes for the DDT, but Sawyer retreats to the ropes and then backdrops Jake over the top to draw the DQ at 7:57. *1/2

Humongous v. Perry Jackson

Humongous beats Jackson down with a clothesline and drops a leg on him before finishing with the cobra sleeper at 0:45. Humongous had a good run at the end of 85 but kind of ran out of steam.

Al Perez & Ricky Gibson v. Ricky Starr & Rob Ricksteiner

Ricksteiner would of course get his day in the sun soon enough. The babyfaces double-team in the corner and Gibson works the arm. Over to Starr, but Gibson takes him down and works his arm as well. Double dropkick follows and Gibson finishes with the Ricky Gibson Cradle at 2:35. Gibson was getting a bit long in the tooth to be a plucky rock n’ roll babyface but I guess they were trying to cash in on his brother. Gibson was done pretty quick here and went to Crockett as jobber Ricky Lee Jones to finish out his career.

And we finish with an interesting video package from Joel Watts, talking about all the concussive blows that the wrestlers take, complete with slow motion replays.

NEXT WEEK: The TV title tournament semi-finals! Ted Dibiase returns to the territory!

This must have been mind-blowing for fans at the time who tuned in for the Boys Club version of the show and got this instead.