Mid-South Wrestling (4.21.1984) Review

-Originally aired April 21, 1984.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross and the beneckbraced Terry Taylor. JR commends Terry for a gallant effort, and Terry somberly says he feels like he let the people down because the guy that won the championship doesn’t represent the people, and the TV Title is supposed to represent the people. People. Terry thanks the people for being behind him 100%, and he vows to win the TV Title for the people. People.

-We go back and watch the entire segment from last week, with Butch Reed mounting a surprise attack and injuring the people’s neck, and then Krusher Darsow winning the people’s medal by defeating the people’s wrestler.

-And suddenly, the Midnight Express shows up. They’re supposed to be defending the Tag Team Titles against the Rock & Roll Express next, but something weird is going on. They haven’t seen Jim Cornette in the building and they have no idea where he could be. And JR is like, “lol no” and tells them to get in the ring. Kind of weird to see JR put into the Bill Watts position for this segment.

TAG TEAM TITLE: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (Champions) vs. ROCK & ROLL EXPRESS
-So with Cornette still MIA, Bobby Eaton reluctantly starts with Ricky Morton. Gibson tags in quickly and trips Eaton up. Rock & Rolls start working the leg, but Eaton manages to slip away from Gibson at one point and tags Dennis Condrey in. Condrey looks to take control with striking blows, but they catch him by the toe and work the leg over just like they had done to Eaton. Condrey rakes the eyes to break and retreats to the corner for a breather.

-Morton tags in and traps Eaton on the mat with a side headlock. Eaton turns it into a criss-cross, but runs into a hiptoss and a dropkick. Eaton tags out while hanging on to Morton, and even Taylor gives them props for a clever manuever there, as it allows Eaton to take some unprotected shots at Morton, and the Midnights finally take control of the match. All four men endup in the ring, and as the referee tries to break it up, a woman runs in from the stands and knocks Ricky Morton old cold with a loaded brick. Robert Gibson manages to snatch “her” wig off as she runs away, and it’s Jim Cornette. JR uses the expression “came out of the closet” about 30 times while recapping the finish of the match, which is WWE-level subtlety. Match was fine and dandy, though.

MR. WRESTLING II (with Mr. Wrestling) vs. STEVE BRINSON
-II hammers down Brinson and slams him with one arm. II gives him a clothesline with extra mustard, and the torture rack…goes real, real bad, so II just does a suplex instead and gets the win with that.

TV TITLE: KRUSHER KRUSCHEV (Champion) vs. HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN
-Krusher attacks during the intros, but Duggan is ready for a fight and hammers Krusher repeatedly. Clothesline and an elbow by Duggan. Krusher fights back, dropping Duggan’s neck over the top rope, which was how Krusher won the title last week. Duggan is reeling, but when Krusher charges at him, Duggan slips out of the way and shoves Krusher neck-first into the top rope. Sheer poetry.

-Krusher tries an Irish whip, but Duggan bounds out of the corner and spears Krusher, but instead of going for the pin, he just punches Krusher a bunch of times, which should be a hint that we’re waiting for a run-in…yep, here’s Nikolai with a coal miner’s glove. The people’s commentator runs in to rescue his friend, but Butch Reed heads to the ring to lay out the real people person, and one by one, guys empty the locker room, and the heels and faces brawl on the floor while Nikolai pulls out a set of electric clippers and takes off Duggan’s beard. Magnum TA comes to the rescue and clears the ring with a board. Commies are such sissies that he didn’t even need a board with a nail in it. JR, who was so proud of his “came out of the closet” bon mot earlier, declares Duggan’s beard-shaving to be “shear humiliation,” like he’s trying to win a job hosting TNT.

HACKSAW BUTCH REED & BUDDY LANDELL vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO & JOHN KING
-Story about Lanny at this point. He actually was supposed to be finished with Mid-South at the end of March after they decided they weren’t going to do anything with him. But then Tom Zenk came to the territory, worked four matches at house shows, and quit with no notice. Yes, I know, Tom Zenk burned a bridge with a wrestling promotion. I’m sorry, I should have made sure you were sitting down before I told you this. So they just gave all of Zenk’s bookings for the next two months to Lanny.

-So Poffo manages to get Reed on the mat and work the arm over. Reed backs him into the ropes as JR clarifies that the reason that trimming the beard is so humiliating is because Duggan’s beard is a symbol of the freedom he has to live and look the way he enjoys living and looking, not 15 minutes after we listened to “coming out of the closet, GET IT???”

-King tags in and gets booted down. Slam by Landell, and the tackle by Reed gets three. As always, Lanny’s fatal mistake was tagging.

MASAO ITO vs. JOE SAVOLDI
-Chop, chop, kick, kick, oh what a relief it is. Splash by Ito gets three. Ito chokes out Savoldi and Savoldi starts gushing blood from his mouth, so they’re trying to make Ito a thing again.

NON-TITLE: MR. WRESTLING (North American Champion) vs. STAGGER LEE
-Stagger Lee with the early attack on Mister. Choke and a headbutt by Stagger, but Mister rams him into the ropes, and they’re trying to choke each other out. Stagger tries to finish with the Thump, but Mister kicks out at 2 to everyone’s shock. Hey, speaking of II, here’s Mr. Wrestling II with the loaded kneepad. Referee gets bumped as the Mr. Wrestlings try to pull Stagger Lee’s mask off, but Magnum TA comes to the rescue.

-JR tries to close the show, but Magnum TA and Stagger Lee show up to demand a tag team match against the Misters.

7.7

The final score: review Good

The 411

The commentary was uncharacteristically irritating, but hey, if that's the worst of it, then it's still a good show.