Mid-South Wrestling (10.9.1982) Review

-Originally aired October 9, 1982.

-Your hosts are Boyd Pierce and Bob Roop. Roop is back from taking an extended vacation and says the great thing about being a pro wrestler is that he’s self-employed and he can take time off whenever he wants. Well, enjoy that while it lasts, Bob.

-Last week TV time ran out while Ted DiBiase and Mr. Wrestling II were doing battle, and the tape machines kept rolling at Bill Watts’ request. II throws a hard kick that really “pours the coals on Ted DiBiase.” II gets a series of II-counts as the fans begin freaking out about something, and in walks Hacksaw Duggan.

-II takes on both men for a bit but gets overwhelmed, and it’s a 2-on-II assault until II makes his own save with the best kneelift in the business. DiBiase tumbles out to the floor and Duggan misses the crappy version of the spear. Duggan spills out to the floor from that. DiBiase, still wobbly, stumbles back into the ring and gets kneelifted again for the three-count. Bill Watts’ unrestrained joy is incredible. He’s like a big redneck version of David Crockett as he screams “Look at them! They been whipped! They been whipped!”

-Next! We flash back to the Mongolian Stomper showing up during the Buck Robley/Skandar Akbar match and unleashing his lethal finisher, the Shiny Nose Monkey, on Robley.

MONGOLIAN STOMPER (with Skandar Akbar) vs. MIKE BOND
-Stomper rams Bond from turnbuckle to turnbuckle then hammers forearms into his chest. He stomps on Bond and Bob Roop marvels, “I can see why they call him the Stomper.” You think Gordon Solie would give you that kind of penetrating insight?

-Bond gets fired up and just starts throwing a flurry of punches at Stomper, but Stomper shakes it off, and the Shoney’s No Parking puts Bond away.

COL. BUCK ROBLEY vs. GRAPPLER #2
-Grappler slips out of a front facelock and wrings the arm. Robley pokes the eyes and reverses it as the camera pulls out and reveals this whole angle going on that we couldn’t see. Grappler #1 came to ringside, but then Mr. Wrestling II headed down to ringside to stare him down. And then Iron Mike Sharpe shows up for extra insurance.

-Robley goes after the shoulder but gets armdragged. Robley fights back with a headbutt and a slam while the Showdown at the Okay Boys Club continues on the floor. Robley applies the sleeper and Robley gets the win clean as a sheet because his friends made sure of it. Good, no-time-wasted back and forth action.

“Captain Redneck” DICK MURDOCH & IRON MIKE SHARPE vs. HACKSAW DUGGAN & TED DIBIASE
-Murdoch takes Duggan down with a side headlock but he’s too close to the ropes and DiBiase tags out. Roop tells a funny story about Murdoch on commentary, apparently putting him over by mentioning that Murdoch got into a brawl recently at some honkytonk bar and the other guy ended up being hospitalized, and he finishes the story by just throwing in, “By the way, I once injured Murdoch.”

-Duggan is caught in a front facelock by Murdoch but again Murdoch is too close to the corner, so DiBiase tags back in. Murdoch sunset flips him for two and everybody tags. Sharpe goes after Duggan’s leg. Duggan fights back by targeting the arm. DiBiase rakes the eyes and rams Sharpe shoulder-first into the turnbuckle. Heels have a strategy going as Duggan does a shoulderbreaker for two. DiBiase tags in but Sharpe slips away and makes the hot tag. Big rights by Murdoch and a bodypress gets two. Sharpe tags back in and goes nuts with Demolition-style forearms to the back. Roop warns that Sharpe is “a quiet man until he’s aroused.”

-All four men end up in the ring. Murdoch and Duggan brawl on the floor, which gives DiBiase an opening to slip on the glove and knock out Sharpe for the win. Top-notch tag teaming here.

KAMALA (with Friday) vs. VINNIE ROMEO
-Kamala’s changed to the more familiar spelling. Romeo gets chopped down, and a series of splashes finishes in seconds.

JUNKYARD DOG & MR. OLYMPIA vs. KELLY KINISKI & BOB STABLER
-Olympia and Kiniski have a nice back-and-forth as you can tell they’re trying to find a spot for Kiniski. Stabler tags in to take the beating for this match. Big clothesline by the Dog, and the Thump gets three.

JESSE BARR vs. TIM HORNER
-Scientific action to close out this week’s show. Barr applies a waistlock and Horner slips free. Headscissors by Horner as Boyd announces that Mid-South is returning to the Superdome on Thanksgiving night. Side headlock by Horner. Barr fights back with headscissors as the crowd is losing interest rapidly and the hard camera side is emptying out at astonishing speed. Bell sounds for TV time, not a moment too soon.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Two hot features this week, but the rest was total filler.