The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 11.23.84

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 11.23.84

Originally written 07.10.26

GODDAMMIT the Vault has forsaken me and failed to post a new 1984 Mid-South episode this week, so I now I gotta do things the other way again. Good thing there’s places on the INTERNET that ARCHIVE stuff, if you know what I mean.

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts. Bill brings up Magnum’s challenge of a cage match from last week, but notes that Ernie Ladd has refused and so we’re not gonna get it.

Last week, Ted Dibiase interrupts a football helmet match and challenges Jim Duggan, and it turns into a huge heel beatdown by Akbar’s crew.

Hacksaw Jim Duggan v. Dale Burnett

Burnett talks a big game, but Duggan quickly blitzes him and chases him out of the ring before running him into the corner and dropping the knee on him for two. And the three point stance finishes at 1:12.

THE ALAMO BUSTERS v. Master G & Brickhouse Brown

OH MY GOD BILL WATTS. Bill on the Guerreros: “They’re not what Americans normally associate Mexicans with, because they’re not itinerant farmers, or laborers…”. DUDE. Come on, I know it was 1984, but this was wild business nonetheless. Hector controls Brickhouse on the mat , but G comes in and dumps them to the floor, countering their fancy headscissors with some power. Back in the ring, Hector splashes G for two and the Guerreros double-team G in the corner, which as Watts notes, “using some of that ghetto style, from the ghetto of Oakland” and everyone is brawling in the ring, but Brickhouse tries an airplane spin on Hector and Chavo hits Brown in the gut with the bandolier and puts Hector on top for the pin at 4:30. Bill Watts wasn’t afraid to say whatever came to mind here.

Steve Williams v. Lee Ramsay

Doc hits Ramsay with slams as Cowboy notes that yeah, they barred lots of weapons, but the football helmet is technically exempt because the rule didn’t explicitly state football helmets. Doc hits Ramsay with chop blocks and then finishes with the Oklahoma Stampede at 1:25. This brings out Duggan in his football gear, and Doc retreats and apparently doesn’t want any of that action.

Meanwhile, we get a clip from a local news station about the Rock N Roll Express visiting a cancer kid to fill a Make-A-Wish style request.

The Rock N Roll Express v. Ted Dibiase & Sheik Hercules

I presume this is non-title. I do know that Dibiase & Hercules ended up with the titles, though. Herc slams Gibson, but Robert cradles for two and takes him down with armdrags. Over to Dibiase and Gibson gets a bodypress for two. Over to Ricky and he frustrates Ted with dropkicks and a backdrop, but Dibiase cuts him off with a back suplex and the heels go to work. Dibiase hits him with a knee and goes up with a double axehandle before going to the chinlock. Herc puts the boots to Ricky and Dibiase goes for the figure-four, but Ricky kicks out of it and makes the hot tag to Robert. Akbar quickly pulls down the top rope and Gibson bumps to the floor for the DQ at 4:00. And then we get a FIREBALL from Akbar as they’re literally getting heat on the RNR and the heels beat them down until Butch Reed makes the save. Poor Ricky, always getting his pretty face smashed up by heels. So I guess the Midnights are now gone and they’re transferring the feud over to Akbar?

Buddy Landel v. Butch Reed

Second try at this match after Buddy used treachery to escape the match last week. Buddy offers a handshake to square things up, but Reed slugs him down and beats on him in the corner before tossing him out. Reed beats on Buddy and tosses him to the floor. Back in the ring, Reed gets two after more beatings but picks him up and adds a suplex. Reed drops him on the top rope and then follows with a lariat, but he goes after Akbar and gets caught from behind by Buddy. Landel goes to work on him until Reed makes a comeback, but Dr. Death comes in for the DQ at 4:00, wearing his football gear, and he drops headbutts on Reed until Duggan saves with the board.

Meanwhile, we take a look at Terry Taylor, making his return with a video package set to “Freeze Frame” as he does some cheesecake photo shots in between wrestling highlights. Bill puts over the video packages and he’s like “The kids love the music videos”.

Terry Taylor v. Dale Veasey

Terry works the arm and takes Veasey down, but Dale tries a headlock and Terry reveses out of that and goes back to the arm again. Coming soon: Brad Armstrong! Private Terry Daniels! I don’t know, Terry Taylor AND a music video is more than enough excitement for one reviewer. Taylor drops a fist on Veasey and hits him with a forearm in the corner, and then pins him with a FULL BODY LIFT AND SLAM at 2:33. I think he was supposed to win with the flying forearm there and Veasey sold it weird, so they had to improvise.

Magnum TA v. Jack Victory

Well, no cage match for TA this week, but he does get Dave Meltzer’s favorite wrestler as a consolation match. TA takes him down and works the arm, but Jack slugs away in the corner. Magnum fights back with a dropkick and drops a leg on him for two, and the belly to belly finishes at 1:33. And we wrap it up for the week there.

I dunno, basically advertising a steel cage match on TV and then just hand-waving it away is pretty carny behavior to be honest. I thought they delivered their big matches here in Mid-South, not like those other clowns in New York! Anyway this show continues to rule, although there’s only a few weeks left before we run into 1985 and then I’m caught up again.