The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 01.11.86

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 01.11.86

Taped from Tulsa OK

Your hosts are Joel Watts & Cowboy Bill Watts

Mid-South TV title tournament semi-final: Dick Slater v. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

This is from an Oklahoma City house show, joined with them colliding for a double down. Duggan ties him in the ropes and beats on him, but Dark Journey assists with a pair of brass knuckles. Duggan steals them and gets the pin at 1:10 aired, but Duggan leaves the gimmick on his hand by mistake and the ref sees, it reversing his decision and sending Slater to the finals.

Ted Dibiase & Steve Williams join Jim Ross in the ring, having won the Mid-South tag team titles since the last episode. Dibiase talks about how he’s seen the light, and realized that all the money in the world don’t mean anything without his health. JR talks about how Dr. Death tore the door off a wrecked car, with help of young Rob Ricksteiner, in order to save the driver and his family inside, which was apparently big news in Louisiana at the time.

Ted Dibiase & Steve Willams v. JR Hogg & Sean O’Reilly

O’Reilly tries going after Doc’s arm, but he gets overpowered and it’s over to Dibiase. He blocks a charge and puts O’Reilly down with a back elbow, which brings in JR Hogg. That’s a great heel name. Doc takes him down and works the ankle, and it’s back to O’Reilly. So Doc slams him out of the corner and Dibiase finishes with the figure-four at 2:55.

Mad Dog Buzz Sawyer v. Perry Jackson

Buzz clobbers Jackson and puts the boots to him in the corner, and then powerslams him to finish at 1:11. And he’s not done, so he hits Jackson with a flying splash for good measure.

The Masked Superstar and Dick Murdoch join JR, and Superstar promises to be a trash collector in 1986, taking care of all the garbage in the promotion, so that Dick can concentrate on winning.

Dick Murdoch & The Masked Superstar v. Steve Doll & Tommy Wright

Superstar with a neckbreaker on Wight for two and Murdoch works him over before putting him down with a back elbow and adding the brainbuster for the pin at 1:28.

Terry Taylor v. The Nightmare

Watts notes that soon the Mid-South syndication package will be massively expanding. Hmm, the name still sounds a bit regional. Maybe they need a more universal name. Taylor works a headlock. Nightmare fights out of it, but mises a blind charge. Nightmare goes to work on him, but Taylor makes the comeback and slugs him down before finishing with the Five Arm at 3:30.

Dick Slater joins us and calls out North American champion Butch Reed, and he points out that they’re having a match where Reed gets Dark Journey if he wins, so Butch should put uip something as well…the North American title.

North American title: Butch Reed v. Dick Slater

Reed quickly hits Slater with a press slam and Slater bails to the floor. Back in the ring, Reed slams him again and drops a fist on his head for two. Slater with a neckbreaker for two. Suplex gets two. Slater with the spnning toe hold, but Reed escapes with the SOUP BONE and hits him with a piledrive fo r two. They collide for a double down while Cowboy lists all the demeaning chores that Reed can make Dark Journey on his farm, not even trymg to hide the tribute to the other, better angle from WCCW. Slater with the figure-fear, but Reed makes the ropes. Reed rolls him up for two, but Slater grabs the tights and rolls him over for the pin! But then the ref changes his mind nad calls no pin. Reed slugs away in the corner, but the ref is bumped, so Slater grabs Dark Journey’s boot, knocks Reed out and pins him to win the North American title at 8:00. Wow the booker wins the title and he’s in the finals of the TV title tournament next week, what a shock.

Al Perez & Brett Wayne Sawyer v. Broadway Joe Malcolm & Gustovo Mendoza

MENNNNNNNNNNNDOZZZZZZZZZA! Perez works the arm on Broadway Joe and Sawyer comes in with a bodypress for two. Perez works the arm and even Cowboy is like “Kind of weird that the North American champ is in the finals of the TV title tournament next week”. Over to Mendoza and Perez powerslams him into a flying splash from Wayne to finish at 3:23.

Hope you love watching Dick Slater matches this week.