The SmarK Rant for Pro Wrestling USA – 10.27.84

The SmarK Rant for Pro Wrestling USA – 10.27.84

What better way for me to celebrate the fourth of July than PRO WRESTLING USA? I had done a couple of these and then dropped it for a long time, but I was in the mood for something different this morning. This promotion was of course the unholy union of the AWA and some NWA territories, put together to fight the impending threat of Titan Sports by doing exactly what they were accusing Vince of doing.

Taped from Memphis, TN

Your hosts are Jack Reynolds & Terry Funk

Bob Backlund, introduced as the WWF champion, joins us first and talks about how they’re fighting for what they believe in. And Bob was told that no one believes in him anymore, but he went home and got a job and provided for his family, and now THANK GOD that Pro Wrestling USA gave him a chance to come back to wrestling and be in our living rooms again, all said with a dead eyed serial stare. So this was pretty creepy.

The Fabulous Ones v. The Nightmares

I’m assuming that the Nightmares are the usual Danny Davis & Ken Wayne version. The Fabs do some wacky shtick with them and Keirn gets them to collide on a drop down spot to clear the ring. Back in, Lane works the arm on a Nightmare and hits a press slam, sending him flailing back to the corner like a clown. Over to the other Nightmare and the Fabs double-team him before Keirn monkey-flips him out of the corner. Keirn finally misses a charge and the masked geeks get some offense. Headbutt gets two. Lane quickly tags himself back in and the Fabs hit a double backdrop before Lane finishes the guy with a savage kick and a cradle at 6:00.

Meanwhile, we get a video package for the Fabs done to “Sharp Dressed Man”, complete with mini-skits where they can’t get any women while shirtless in jeans, but then manage to lure their females out of the truck with tuxedos before morphing back into their redneck attire again and leaving in the limo. I didn’t understand the storyline here but it was a different time.

Superstar Billy Graham v. Craig Carson

Superstar is using “Kung Fu Fighting” and managed by Jimmy Hart so you know it’s 1984. Graham puts Carson down with KARATE and goes to a chinlock, then puts Carson down with a back elbow and puts the boots to him. Superstar with more KARATE and he finishes with a full nelson at 2:50. This character was so bizarre for Graham, as he couldn’t decide if he was a martial arts master or power wrestler. But then some guy at ringside decides to flex at Graham and then runs in to attack, and Graham beats him down and puts him out with the full nelson as well. VQ isn’t the best on this show but I believe that was Tommy Rogers with a blond dye job playing the fan.

AWA World champion Rick Martel joins Jack, talking about the hard schedule he’s faced since winning the title.

Dory Funk Jr. v. Dutch Mantel

Always interesting to see Dutch being used as an enhancement guy for these Memphis tapings. Terry of course proudly puts his brother over on commentary while Dory gets taken down by Dutch with armdrags. Dory reverses to his own armbar and beats on Dutch with forearms in the corner, which get two. Dutch with a bodypress for two and he doubles up his fists, which OFFENDS Terry as a gentleman. “That’s a no no!” Oh man when you’ve lost Terry Funk. Jack calls him “Duke Mantel” showing how invested he is in this gig. Dory hits Dutch with a back suplex for two and a forearm for two. Dutch comes back with a backslide for two. They fight for a suplex and Dutch wins that battle and then slugs Dory down, as the crowd gets behind him, but Dory puts him down with a knee and his own backslide for the pin at 7:00. Man Dory gave him a TON of offense here and Dutch got himself over with the Memphis crowd. Very good TV match. Afterwards Dutch wants some more, but Dory tosses him to the floor and he seemingly hurts his knee on the way down. Luckily “King Jimmy Lawler” is there to help him out.

Tommy Rich stops by the desk to talk about Dutch’s match, but Paul Ellering comes out and talks shit to Tommy until Tommy slaps him. So the Road Warriors aren’t gonna stand for that, and they hit the ring and mess him up good, slamming him on the concrete and then leaving.

Mr. Saito v. Keith Eric

Saito beats on Eric in the corner, continuing his 40 million yen challenge, and hiptosses him out before choking him out on the mat. Saito stomps away on him and follows with the Saito suplex for two, but picks him up. And the Scorpion deathlock finishes at 1:45. Of note, Lance Russell when announcing the win calls it a “Scorpion leglock”. So there you go.

Rick Martel v. The Spoiler

Spoiler: It’s not the usual Spoiler, probably just Frank Morrell or Roger Smith or something. Martel works the arm while Nick Bockwinkel joins us at the desk and talks shit about Terry Funk in dignified manner. Terry tries to be zen and notes that every title reign has to come to an end eventually, but Nick is like “Well I’m glad you accept that premise but I don’t”. Tremendous. Spoiler gets a hiptoss and Martel comes back with an atomic drop while Nick continues bitching very politely at Terry, talking about how Funk was the special referee when Jumbo Tsuruta won the title in Japan, and Martel wins with a bodypress at 2:00. And then Martel puts him in a Boston crab for a submission as well after the fact. Bockwinkel was hilarious here while Terry tried to maintain his calm demeanour while getting buried.

The Fabulous Ones join us, and Stan Lane clarifies that they like to do two things: Have fun and pin guys! I know one other thing Lane liked to do at the time.

Butch Reed & Tony Atlas v. Len Denton & Tony Anthony

Interesting that they’re using Denton & Anthony as TV job guys here, since they were already well established as the Grapplers and/or Dirty White Boys by this point. Denton beats on Reed in the corner, but Atlas comes in with a monkey flip to break that up. Denton runs him into the turnbuckle and of course Atlas shrugs off the blows to the head and makes the comeback. The heels double-team Atlas and Anthony works him over with a headlock, but Tony suplexes out of it. Reed gets the hot tag and knocks some noggins, and then Atlas comes in with a flying headbutt to finish at 3:37. Dirty White Boys looked really good here in losing.

Barry Windham & Mike Rotunda v. Jeff Sword & Paul Kelly

This one is weirdly added onto the end, from another arena with a Spanish speaking commentator, who then suddenly switches to English to welcome us English speaking fans and runs down the upcoming hour of NWA wrestling. And the US Express does some standard double-team stuff on the jobbers and we’re done at about 2:00.

Not sure what was up with the abrupt edit at the end but this was an entertaining hour of TV with some good angles set up and a couple of good TV matches. I’ll probably go back to reviewing this again for a while.