Bill Dundee

Welcome back to more Dream Matches! Now, if you’re anything like me, every once in a while you wake up and go “I really want to watch a dozen Roadblock matches”, but I wasn’t sure about doing a “Best of Roadblock” column or just spreading the joy throughout multiple columns. But watching him fight Tugboat in 1991 just needs some focus on its own, you know?

Also, this week we’ll see the TV debut of some tall guy named Dwayne Johnson as “Flex Kavana”, as he teams up with Brian Christopher against Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee in the Memphis territory, while Dwayne prepares for his WWF callup in one of the few old territories left. Also, it’s a Berzerker frenzy, as John Nord squashes both Shawn Michaels and Jim Powers in different decades! Who knows if either of those pretty boys will recover their careers?

Also, come watch Blitzkrieg fight Super Calo! With NO BOTCHING! Swear to God! Except once. Where Blitzkrieg nearly dies. But other than that it was clean!

USWA TAG TEAM TITLES:
FLEX KAVANA & “TOO SEXY” BRIAN CHRISTOPHER vs. “THE KING” JERRY LAWLER & BILL DUNDEE:
(USWA, mid-1996)
* So yes, this is the first EVER televised match for one Dwayne Johnson, as he appears in his USWA incarnation, with barely any training under his belt (he graduated college only the year before), as “Flex Kavana” (a nickname 411/Inside Pulse’s Eric S would always use to make fun of him). And he’s teaming with “Too Sexy” against the old men of the territory, Jerry & Bill, at a combined age of 970, with Bill in yellow tights and Jerry in his blue one-strap. Flex is in black trunks, Brian in white tiger-striped tights. Flex, with the same heelish tint in his voice that the Rock would later use, declares his team “Naughty by nature and violent by design”. There’s barely anyone at all in this embarrassingly-tiny red TV studio as the USWA promotion dies and dies. Lawler is actually a heel at this point.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call today’s action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee

Brown interviews Richard Lee, a longtime Tennessee manager to worked for Nick and George Gulas in the 1980s and then started working for Jerry Jarrett in 1985. He was best known for managing the Moondogs, who he hypes as the most violent team in the territory. On today’s show he is returning after being gone for three years and brings with him Moondog Cujo, a man he claims is going to bring more violence to the USWA.

Doug Gilbert delivers a promo vowing to win the USWA Southern Heavyweight Championship on today’s broadcast.

Dave Brown and Corey Maclin are today’s announce team and they are calling the show from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are back in the booth and they are calling the action in the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell talks with Jesse James Armstrong, who is not happy that Randy Hales has suspended his friends in SMW.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

A video package hypes Brian Christopher, who must be on the verge of returning to action after a shoulder injury.

The regular team of Lance Russell and Dave Brown are calling the action and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are continuing their regular commentary duties from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

(Based on comments, it seems like the Blog is favoring SMW in its feud with the USWA.  SMW’s TV is missing most of this inter-promotional feud because of its taping schedule, sadly)

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are in the booth and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews Tracy Smothers, who runs down the USWA.  He repeats a lot of the same talking points that he used last week.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are calling the action and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are calling the action, broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

A video package highlights Brandon Baxter’s issues with Jimmy Valiant.

Lance Russell returns to today’s broadcast alongside Dave Brown and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews Brandon Baxter, who is upset that he is not being treated like a star in the USWA like he was in the Global Wrestling Federation (GWF).  Baxter demands that Russell tell him who Bill Dundee is going to have as his mystery partner for an upcoming match and that brings Dundee out.  As expected, that leads to Doug Gilbert and Brian Lee backing up their manager, but PG-13 make the save.

(I was doing a 2.5 hour move yesterday, so I was not able to get my regular USWA column up.  Read below about what was happening in Memphis in mid-June 1995!)

Dave Brown and Corey Maclin are handling the announcing today and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Brown interviews Brandon Baxter, who proclaims a new era in the USWA.  He welcomes out Doug Gilbert, Brian Lee, and Jimmy Harris and dubs his group “the Legend Slayers.”

This show took place at the Louisville Gardens in Louisville, Kentucky on June 11.  According to Dave Meltzer’s Wrestling Observer, the show drew a crowd of 3,500 and a gate of $25,000.

Corey Maclin welcomes out Jim Cornette, who walks to the COPS theme and is sporting his military-style jacket from WrestleMania X.  Cornette puts over how the Gardens is better than the Omni or Madison Square Garden and then welcomes out Lance Russell.  Russell and Maclin will be doing commentary.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown call the action and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Russell interviews newcomer Billy Jack Haynes.  Haynes puts himself over as a heel and demands respect from the crowd, who get on his case.  This segment started well but Haynes got distracted by the crowd and he lost his train of thought.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are in the booth and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Footage of Doug Gilbert turning against Jerry Lawler in their tag team match against Brian Lee and Jimmy Harris at the Coliseum is shown.  After this, a brawl broke out between Gilbert, Lee, and Harris against Lawler, Bill Dundee, and PG-13.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are doing commentary and they are taped from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.  Since Russell missed last week’s show, he is oblivious about what happened so Brown clues him in.  That is not a good look to start the broadcast.

Russell interviews Downtown Bruno, who puts himself over as the best manager in the WWF.  He says Uptown Karen will be Gorgeous George III’s new valet and he is forming a stable known as the Downtown Connection that includes George, Karen, the Gambler, Brickhouse Brown, and Johnny Rotten.  Bruno runs down Miss Texas and challenges her to a match where the loser must eat dog food.

Dave Brown and Corey Maclin are today’s announcers.  The show airs from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Brown interviews Jimmy Harris, who says Doug Gilbert does not want to face USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Lee today because he does not want to get hurt.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are in the booth and they are broadcasting from the WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Footage of Jerry Lawler defeating Razor Ramon for the USWA Unified World title in Memphis is shown.  Ramon was initially declared the winner after decking Lawler with Jimmy Harris’ walkie talkie, but the decision was made to restart the match and when Sid distracted Ramon, Lawler schoolboyed his opponent for the victory.

USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Lee and Harris tell Russell that Lawler is a marked man.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are in the booth and they are broadcasting from WMC-TV5 studio in Memphis, Tennessee.

Brown interviews Scott Studd, who argues that USWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Brian Lee will not give him a title shot.  Lee walks out and says Studd does not deserve one.