The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 12.25.82

The SmarK Rant for Mid-South Wrestling – 12.25.82

OK, let’s wrap up Mid-South in 1982 with the Christmas episode. I know it was suggested that I also check out the Feb 26/83 episode with Andre in a six-man before the Network goes away, so I’ll probably add that one next week as well.

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Your hosts are Boyd Pierce & Cowboy Bill Watts

Mr. Olympia v. Tug Taylor

Olympia hits Tug with a dropkick and goes to a headlock while Watts talks about how Olympia may have lost the Mississippi title to Mr. Wrestling II, but he obviously holds no grudge and would accept a rematch in another fair fight. I mean, OBVIOUSLY he holds no grudge. Olympia holds him down with a headlock for two and cradles for two, but Taylor beats on him with elbows until Olympia slams him. Meanwhile someone is still messing with Wrestling II’s mask, as Watts points out, but Olympia wouldn’t know anything about that and finishes Taylor with a sleeper at 3:30.

Hacksaw Duggan v. Chavo Guerrero

Non-title match here. Chavo offers a handshake and Duggan wants none of that fancy-dan sportsmanship stuff, tough guy. So Duggan makes fun of Chavo’s diminutive stature and grinds him with a headlock, but Chavo rolls him up and goes to the leg. Bill points out that Chavo may be small, but so was Danny Hodge and BOY HOWDY he never backed down from a fight from anyone. Find someone in your life to love as much as Bill Watts loved Danny Hodge. Duggan hits him with the spinning slam and then follows with a backbreaker for two. Chavo fights back with a monkey flip while Bill puts over his young 13 year old son who apparently pins guys in wrestling who are way bigger than him. 10 years later and poor Marty Lunde will be putting HIM over, too, I bet. Chavo keeps fighting back, kicking at Duggan’s knee to work it over and then carries him around the ring in a horse collar while Duggan tries to walk away from it. That was a unique spot. They slug it out and Chavo wins that battle with speed as Duggan gets increasingly desperate and realizes he’s in trouble. So he tries the three point stance headbutt in a hail mary, misses the move, and knocks himself out on the post to allow Chavo to pin him with a sunset flip at 6:30 in a huge upset. This was some GREAT pro wrestling with a simple story about David slaying Goliath.

Last week: Duggan defends the Louisiana title against Tony Atlas, as the Rat Pack interferes and allows Duggan to headbutt Atlas with a loaded mask for the pin.

Tony Atlas v. John & Rick Davidson

Look y’all can make your silly John Davidson jokes and reveal your age, but I want my material to be timeless and youthful, just like the Outrunners. The Davidsons try to take Atlas down with wristlocks and he overpowers both of them at once while Bill talks about “counting coup” in the old Native American tribes. That’s some freaky coincidence because the first time I ever heard that phrase was just last night on Yellowstone when Kayce did a pretty badass explanation of the term and now I’m hearing it AGAIN. Anyway Atlas finishes with a big splash on a Davidson at 3:20.

Kamala v. Tony Torres

So this week the jobber gets to wear one of Wrestling II’s defaced masks, which leads Bill to think that Akbar is behind the scheme against Wrestling II. Kamala quickly finishes with a big splash and adds the mask to his trophy stick filled with masks. But then Akbar is busy yelling at the fans, and Wrestling II hits the ring and accuses him of being the guy behind the scheme, beating him down and then brawling with Kamala and sending him flying with kneelifts. But then Friday attacks, so II takes him out and goes for THAT mask, which allows Kamala to jump off the top rope and splash Wrestling II, leaving him open to be unmasked until Mr. Olympia makes the save. This is like the best use of Kamala I’ve ever seen.

Bill Watts announces after the break that Mr. Wrestling II has been taken out on a stretcher and is unable to participate in the main event tonight.

Mid-South tag team title, Loser Leaves Town: Ted Dibiase & Matt Borne v. Stagger Lee & Mr. Olympia

With Wrestling II injured, Mr. Olympia steps up to take his place in a show of masked man solidarity. Also they were the team that originally lost to the Rat Pack to send JYD out of the territory, so this is Olympia’s chance to redeem himself. I mean, they WOULD be the same team if Stagger Lee was actually JYD, which is there no solid evidence of. Stagger slugs it out with Dibiase and then dodges a backdrop attempt and hits him with a fistdrop, before chasing the Rat Pack out of the ring. Back in the ring, Olympia blocks a monkey flip from Borne by stomping on his head, and everyone comes in for the brawl as Dibiase hits Olympia with a backbreaker to take over. Stagger Lee gets a hot tag and they all brawl again, with Olympia getting the sleeper on Dibiase while Stagger Lee chases Borne out of the ring, but now Duggan runs in, hits Olympia with the loaded mask, and Dibiase falls on top for the pin at 4:08 and Olympia is gone for 90 days. Is he gonna come back unmasked as Jerry Stubbs now?

Gino Hernandez v. Tim Horner

We’re rapidly running out of time while the building is literally emptying out behind them, so Gino finishes with a legsweep and they wrap it up immediately.

Goddamn this was another banger of an episode to wrap up the year.

So depending on how things shake down with the Network and what I can access after December 31, this might be the end of the line for the show, but what a great way to go out. Sadly we never learned the identity of the mysterious Stagger Lee, though.