The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 11.20.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 11.20.82

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts

Mr. Wrestling II & Buck Robley v. The Grappler & Kelly Kiniski

Weird that they’re already giving up on the Grapplers as a team after a few weeks. Wrestling II backdrops the Grappler and takes Kelly down with a headlock while Bill puts over II as usual for being a tough guy. Buck with a headlock on Kiniski of his own, so it’s back to the Grappler, who slugs it out with Wrestling II and loses that battle. Buck comes in with a slam on Kelly for two and the babyfaces double-team Grappler for two. Wrestling II hits him with the kneelift, so he tags out to Kelly again and Buck drops a knee on him for two. More double-teaming and II comes in with the kneelift to finish at 5:15. Robley seems really bored at this point.

Afterwards, we chat with Wrestling II, and there’s a defaced mask with a note saying “II, this is just the beginning”. Wrestling II doesn’t know who would be attacking him when he’s not a man who goes looking for trouble, but when he discovers the culprit, it’s gonna be D-DAY.

Meanwhile, we look back at Hacksaw Duggan starting some shit with Tony Atlas a couple of weeks ago over a pushup contest, and it goes badly for him.

Tony Atlas v. Marty Lunde

Marty is still using the tights from last week with the shoulder straps, which are NO BUYS. Atlas works a headlock and puts Lunde down with a headbutt, and then follows with a military press for the pin at 2:40.

Hacksaw Duggan v. Ted Allen

Allen tries some forearms and Duggan beats him down in response and hits a running slam and kneedrop for two. Allen fights back, so Duggan just bodies him down and runs him into the corner before adding a slam and a backbreaker for two. Duggan continues putting the boots to him. Duggan goes for the headbutt spear, but he hits the top turnbuckle by mistake and Allen tries a comeback. So Duggan just goes for it again, even harder, and smashes him with the headbutt to finish at 3:20. 1982 Duggan RULED.

Kamala v. Joe Gaines

Look, others have already made the obvious jokes on Twitter, so let’s just be mature and stay away from politics here. Kamala puts Gaines down with chops and a back elbow and then splashes him multiple times to finish at 1:00.

Chavo Guerrero v. Tony Anthony

Chavo takes him down and works the headlock to start before taking Anthony down with a series of monkey flips and into a surfboard. Bill Watts bitching that “we’ve gotten away from the scientific aspects of wrestling” here in 1982 is pretty hilarious given what’s still to come. No wonder he was so checked out of the business by the 90s. Chavo works the arm and tosses Anthony, but then he teases a dive and headfakes Anthony, before hitting a pescado anyway. Back in with a german suplex for the pin at 4:11. Chavo was incredible for the time.

Stagger Lee v. Vladic Smirnoff

Back to the generic Stagger Lee ripoff music again after last week. Lee chases Smirnoff out of the ring and puts him down with a clothesline on the way back in, and a headbutt finishes at 0:55.

Ted Dibiase & Matt Borne v. King Cobra & Tim Horner

You’re not an 80s enhancement guy unless you know how to wave half-heartedly to the crowd before removing your puffy jacket. It’s just a law. Horner takes Dibiase down with a shoulderblock, but Borne tries to come in with a Bombs Away and the ref chastises him because it’s not legal to come off the top rope. So Cobra comes in and puts him down with a dropkick and then fights off the champs with a bunch of more dropkicks as he’s doing a good job of getting himself over in this role the past couple of weeks. The champs double-team Cobra in the corner, but Dibiase makes the mistake of ramming Cobra’s head into the turnbuckle and he just dances in response. So Dibiase puts him down with a back suplex instead and it’s back to Borne, who also tries the turnbuckle gimmick and also fails. What a clown. My god, didn’t either of these guys study Elementary Racist Science in school? So they haul Cobra back to the corner and double-team him, before Dibiase drops an elbow for two. Cobra fights back and runs Borne into the turnbuckles, but he’s white so it works on him, and it’s hot tag Tim Horner. But then Dibiase quickly cuts him off like the geek he is, clotheslining him to set up Borne’s powerslam for the pin at 5:11. A very fun tag match to end the show.

Next week: Gino Hernandez! Hiro Matsuda! And more!