The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 08.21.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 08.21.82

Guess I better watch all this stuff while I can in case it disappears forever when WWE moves to Netflix.

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts

BREAKING NEWS: Precious Paul Ellering has injured his knee yet again and Cowboy is worried that his career might have come to an end. Not quite but very close.

So tonight, JYD & Mr. Olympia defend the Mid-South tag team titles against Ted Dibiase & Jim Duggan, and if they can successfully defend them, then JYD gets a title rematch with Ted Dibiase at a later date. Oh also Kevin Von Erich debuts tonight, as Bill relates the story behind the Von Erich boys down in Texas. You may have heard about it before.

Kevin Von Erich v. Billy The Star Child Starr

Kevin takes him down with an armbar while Bill repeats all of Fritz’s made-up athletic backstories about the Von Erich kids. Much like Wrestlemania attendance figures, they are part of the entertainment portion of the show. Kevin takes him down and works a leglock for a bit, but Starr attacks him in the corner. So Kevin slugs away and slams him to set up a big splash to finish at 3:17. Kevin looked kind of generic here but you could see the charisma.

Mid-South tag team title: Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia v. Ted Dibiase & Hacksaw Duggan

JYD is finally back on TV after weeks of protest! Duggan tries to slam the Dog and gets nowhere with that, so he backs off and chants with Ted about it. Cowboy, meanwhile, explains that Dibiase doesn’t just want to beat JYD, he wants to run him out of the territory and cement his place as the undisputed #1 guy and he can’t have that with JYD around. Over to Mr. Olympia, who takes Duggan down with a headscissors, and Dibiase comes in to give it a go. Watts of course makes sure to note that JYD & Olympia beat the Wild Samoans and forced them out of the territory. Dibiase tries a slam on Olympia and it’s reversed, so JYD tags in and Dibiase freaks out and tags out to Duggan again. Duggan manages to get the Dog in the heel corner and they double-team him, but JYD was FAKING and fights back on Dibiase, sending Ted running away again as everyone regroups. Olympia comes in and runs Duggan into the corner. Back to the Dog, but Dibiase gets a knee from the apron and the heels go to work for real this time, with Duggan dropping a knee and Dibiase adding a slam. Elbow misses and Olympia gets the hot tag and it’s BREAKING LOOSE IN TULSA as everyone slugs it out, but Dog hits Dibiase with an atomic drop and sends him running into the corner. Duggan knocks Dog off the apron, but Olympia had managed to make the tag first, and the heels double-team Olympia. But Dog is the legal man and makes the save, hitting Dibiase with the THUMP to retain the titles at 7:22. That was a very clever finish and now Dog is the #1 contender again.

Dick Murdoch v. Tug Taylor

Although JYD has a shot at Dibiase’s title on TV coming up, Murdoch gets the title match next week. Murdoch takes Tug down and works a headlock. He slugs away and dropkicks him, then hits a back elbow and finishes with the brainbuster at 2:22.

Louisiana title: Killer Khan v. Iron Mike Sharpe

They do the test of strength to start and Sharpe goes to the armbar, but Khan reverses to a facelock after a cheapshot. Khan takes him down and works the leg, stomping away on the ropes, but Sharpe takes him down and goes after the arm again, stomping on the hand to neutralize the Mongolian martial arts. Sharpe cranks on a headlock, but Khan puts him down and drops a knee on him. But Akbar takes the ref and Sharpe goes after him, allowing Khan to use the double chop to the throat and go up with the flying knee to apparently finish. But Akbar wants a PILEDRIVER, so Khan picks him up and tries it, at which point Sharpe backdrops out of it, hauls Akbar in, and the ref is bumped. So Khan and Akbar double-team Sharpe, but Buck Robley runs in to break it up, and Sharpe cradles Khan for the pin and the title at 7:35! Yes, Iron Mike Sharpe actually won a title, I didn’t think I’d ever see it either.

Mr. Wrestling II v. Mike Bond

Wrestling II takes Bond down and works the arm, taking him down with armbars. But then he puts his head down and Bond takes over with a backbreaker for two. Bond goes for the mask, so II freaks out and beats him down with forearms before backdropping him out of the corner, This sets up the Million Dollar Kneelift to finish at 3:25.

Buck Robley v. One Man Gang

But Skandor Akbar steps in and he’s sick of Robley so it’s time for them to settle it in the ring.

Buck Robley v. General Skandor Akbar

Akbar slugs away in the corner, but Robley beats on him with the cast. But then Gang comes in and Akbar loads up a fireball, which Robley kicks back in his face for the DQ at 0:50. So Killer Khan hits the ring as well and the heels all beat Robley down until the babyfaces hit the ring to save.

Ted Dibiase and Hacksaw Duggan join Cowboy at the desk and Ted thinks that the tag title match was a RIPOFF. Rules were not followed! Dibiase also points out that he’s only obligated to defend his North American title once every 30 days, so after he defends against Dick Murdoch next week, he’s done for the rest of the month. So no title shot for Junkyard Dog. So Dibiase wants a rematch for the tag team titles, and this time he wants an impartial referee who is not going to cheat and engage in conspiracies against him. He doesn’t even know who that might be, but they better find someone!

Man this was a loaded show! Lots of fun stuff this week.