The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 02.26.83
By Scott Keith on 7 November 2025
The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 02.26.83
Originally written 11.06.25
Taped from Shreveport, LA
Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Buddy Nichols
Oh hey, did I mention that Brian Solomon interviewed me for his latest Shut Up and Wrestle podcast? It was a fun hour of conversation about old times back in the day online and his own experiences on the WWE writing team.
First up, we take a look back at a match from January, featuring Chavo Guerrero and Gino Hernandez. I’m not really sure why they’re randomly showing a month old match between two guys who aren’t in the promotion full time. The ref is accidentally bumped and Chavo steals a chair from Gino and puts his lights out for the pin. Man don’t try to use a chair on a Guerrero, it never works out for you.
Tiger Conway Jr. v. Sonny Rogers
Rogers charges and misses and Tiger ties him up with a leglock on the mat and works the arm. Boyd defers to Buddy Nichols here to let him do play by play, but Buddy sounds really flat and needs a color commentator to bounce off. Tiger with a flying headscissors and he goes up with a flying headbutt to finish at 3:12. Buddy sounds enthused and knows the names of the moves, but he sounds more like a sports guy than a traditional wrestling announcer.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan v. Tony Torres
Duggan shrugs off a dropkick attempt and puts the boots to Torres before hitting him with a hiptoss and dropping a knee on him for one. Duggan with a spinning slam and he drops an elbow for two. Duggan pounds him with the clubbing forearms and follows with a backdrop, and he finishes with the spear headbutt at 2:20.
Kamala v. Mike Bond
Thankfully COWBOY BILL WATTS steps into the commentary role here to save the show from Buddy Nichols and his boring commentary. Kamala beats the shit out of Bond with chops while Bill buries Killer Khan for disappearing from the territory already. He’s probably a GUTLESS COWARD, I bet. Kamala with the double chop and big splash to finish at 1:20. But this brings Tiger Conway down to the ring for words with Skandor Akbar, as he issues a challenge to Kamala because he’s ready for the Ugandan Warrior. Yeah I don’t think he is. So Akbar calls him a “monkey” and threatens to send him back to Houston with his tail between his legs, but Tiger attacks Kamala and gives it a go. Bill notes that it’s a long way to the top if you want to rock n’ roll (or words to that effect) and Tiger obviously wants to move up the ladder quickly by challenging the biggest dog. So they slug it out all over the ring and Tiger holds his own, but Jim Duggan runs in and takes out Conway to end the impromptu match.
Ted Dibiase & Matt Borne v. Junkyard Dog & Mr. Wrestling II
The Rat Pack are still the Mid-South tag team champions, but this is non-title. Bill is still buzzing about Tiger Conway stepping up LIKE A MAN and challenging Kamala, but he’s confused by Duggan’s interference and he’s not sure about his motivations. Wrestling II hits them both with kneelifts and Dog comes in to send the Rat Pack to the floor. Back in the ring, the babyfaces work the arm while Bill is ONCE AGAIN promising the big Brass Knuckles tournament in Houston “sometime this summer”. This shit is worse than Trump’s “in two weeks”. WHEN ARE WE GONNA GET TO THE FIREWORKS FACTORY?!? JYD works the arm on Dibiase and tosses him out of the ring and then back in from the apron. Over to Borne and he slugs Wrestling II down, but Dog comes in and it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA and the ref is bumped. So then Jim Duggan runs in again, but this time Tiger Conway intercepts him with a chair to the face to get some revenge, and then Kamala also runs in and the match is thrown out at 5:57. And then JYD gets the chair and cleans house to send them running.
Kendo Nagasaki v. Joe Stark
So last week Nagasaki debuted by riding a motorcycle into the arena and now we get a video package about him, with a soundtrack that sounds like music you get in the background of a Chinese restaurant. This also introduces JJ Dillon to the area as his manager. Kendo finishes quickly with a superkick at 0:50. He looked more like an evil clown than a dark ninja.
Kelly Kiniski & Marty Lunde v. Tim Horner & Art Crews
This would be your “running out of TV time” main event and we’re graced by the dulcet tones of Buddy Nichols again since Watts was able to put over all the big storylines he needed. Horner and Crews double-team Kiniski in the corner, but Kelly gets a backbreaker on Horner and puts him down with a back elbow. Lunde with a back elbow of his own and they all brawl in the ring with time running out. The heels bail and regroup on the floor. Back in, Horner with a small package on Lunde, but Kelly breaks it up and we’re all out of time for the week.
Next week: Mr. Olympia returns from his loser-leaves-town suspension and that leads to some pretty cool stuff.