The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 09.18.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 09.18.82

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts

Meanwhile, we take a look at the impending debut of KAMALA, the Ugandan Warrior. This was the original form of the character from Memphis, with a much more menacing facepaint pattern, back when he was supposed to be a vicious savage and not an idiot heel.

Hacksaw Duggan v. Jesse Barr

Barr controls with dropkicks to send Duggan to the floor and frustrates Jim with armdrags on the way back in. So Duggan stomps him down and runs him into the turnbuckles, and a back elbow gets two. Jesse slugs away and monkey-flips him, but Duggan hits him with the shoulderblock and finishes with the Oklahoma Stampede at 3:35.

North American champion Ted Dibiase v. Johnny Rich

Johnny is introduced as the cousin of Tommy Rich, although I don’t know that the relationship was ever really brought up again. To be honest I’m not even sure if that’s a real thing. Cowboy continues casting aspersions on the legitimacy of Dibiase’s black glove, as Ted beats on Rich in the corner and puts the boots to him. Backbreaker gets two. Rich catches him with his head down and makes a comeback with a cradle for two. Rollup gets two. Dibiase goes to the tights and comes out swinging with the black glove, and that finishes at 4:17.

Meanwhile, General Akbar makes a wager with Buck Robley for this week, as he’s got $1000 that says he can beat an opponent faster than Buck.

General Skandor Akbar v. Tim Horner

So Akbar attacks at the bell and puts the boots to Horner, but Tim slugs him down before missing a dropkick. Horner comes back with a small package for two, but Akbar pounds him down and hits a backbreaker before finishing with the camel clutch at 2:00. So that’s a strong time for Robley beat after the break.

Buck Robley v. Kelly Kiniski

I like how Watts describes Kelly as the FORMER NWA WORLD CHAMPION…..’s son. Really putting him over there. Akbar joins us before the match and offers Kelly a bonus if he can hold Robley off for the 2:00. So Buck dropkicks Kelly into Akbar, drops an elbow, and pins him at 0:20 to win the bet. Akbar tries to steal the money back, but Robley gives him the atomic drop and collects the cash.

Mid-South tag team title: Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia v. One Man Gang & Killer Khan

This is the exit for both of the heels, I believe. Olympia gets a bodypress on Gang for two, so it’s over to Khan. He puts Olympia in a facelock, but JYD breaks it up and beats Khan down. Back to Gang, but Dog clotheslines him and the champs double-team him in the corner and work the arm. Dog gets caught in the heel corner and Khan beats on Dog with chops and chokes him down on the mat. Gang tries the piledriver, but Dog backdrops out of it and makes the hot tag to Olympia. Gang with a slam on Olympia for two to cut him off again and Khan gets the Mongolian chop in the corner and a backbreaker for two. Gang with another slam and he goads Dog into the ring while Khan tries the flying knee behind the ref’s back, but that misses and it’s hot tag Dog. He beats on both of the heels and hits Gang with another effortless Thump, and that finishes at 5:20 to retain the titles.

Mr. Wrestling II v. The Grappler

So after Grappler impersonated Wrestling II for the past few weeks, Watts is now convinced that this isn’t even the real Grappler in the ring! The fans are also hip to the room and quickly realize that it’s someone else. This is probably a DIRTY trick from some WHITE BOY, if you know what I mean. Wrestling II with a facelock and he switches to a headscissors on the mat while Watts wonders what skullduggery is going on here. The “Grappler” takes him down with a snapmare and drops elbows for two, but II puts him down with a clothesline and beats on him with forearms before going to a leglock on the mat. Wrestling II with a kneelift and he goes for the mask, but the ref is bumped as a result and the real Grappler runs in and switches off with the fake one, hitting a pair of kneelifts before Wrestling II comes back with his own. And then Grappler 2 runs in for the DQ at 5:55. So I have no specific information on this subject, but I assume what happened was that the crowd at the taping wasn’t buying the fake Grappler deal, so Bill recorded commentary after the fact where he “figured it out” so that he wouldn’t look like an idiot by pretending it was the same guy. Of course, the second Grappler was Tony Anthony and he went on to be a regular tag team with Len Denton for many years afterwards.

Louisiana champion Iron Mike Sharpe v. Larry Clark

Sharpe quickly finishes with the piledriver at 1:30 after beating him down with forearms.

Meanwhile, Bill Watts gives some footage from Florida.

The Mongolian Stomper v. Jimmy Jones

Stomper beats on Jones in the corner while Don Carson makes some racist comments towards Jones on commentary that are bleeped out, and even Gordon Solie no-sells it and moves on. So apparently the Stomper will be debuting in Mid-South soon, which I’m looking forward to seeing.

Next week: Apparently One Man Gang gets to do one more job, for Buck Robley, on his way out of the territory. Man just let the poor bastard go already.

We’re getting closer to some really great stuff now. I’m glad I went back and stuck with 1982.