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Memphis Wrestling (1.18.1980) Review

November 17, 2021 | Posted by Adam Nedeff
Memphis Wrestling 1-18-1980 Image Credit: Memphis Wrestling/YouTube
6.7
The 411 Rating
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Memphis Wrestling (1.18.1980) Review  

-Originally aired January 19, 1980.

-Your hosts are Lance Russell and Dave Brown, and the picture quality of these old episodes I’m reviewing takes a GIANT jump forward starting with this week.

STEVE REGAL & RICK MORTON vs. JERRY RALPH & BILL SMITHSON

-Morton manages to take both much larger opponents to the mat and they walk it off. Ralph tries to make it a slugfest, but Morton shakes it off and gets Ralph on the mat with a waistlock. Regal tags in and shoulderblocks, then applies a side headlock. And the side headlock becomes pretty much the story of this match as nothing happens for several minutes.

-Smithson finally tags in and Regal gets double-teamed in the corner. Regal shakes it off and applies headscissors. Morton comes back in and he’s all fired up out of nowhere, unloading a flurry of punches and then tagging Regal back in. Regal slingshots himself in for a sunset flip to get the three-count.

-This week’s episode comes to us from the Louisville market, so we’re focusing our attention on Tuesdays at the Garden. Jerry Lawler tells us that this past week, Jerry Jarrett stepped into the ring as a wrestler for once, with Jimmy Hart as his opponent, and Jarrett got his brains beat out so badly that the referee had to stop the match to save his boss’ life. Now this coming Tuesday, get ready for a six-man tag team match with Lawler and Hart teaming up with on-again friend Jimmy Valiant, and heel Jimmy Valiant cuts 100% the same promo he usually does. No-DQ, no time limit, their opponents will be Bill Dundee, Ken Lucas and his dummy Scorch…ha, just kidding, Bill Dundee, Ken Lucas, and Jerry Jarrett.

-Back in the studio, Jerry Jarrett needs to explain something. There was supposed to be a lights-out piledriver match between Ken Lucas and Jerry Lawler, but Lawler’s contract allows him to negotiate match-by-match instead of being openly contracted and signed for any match, and Lawler refused to sign the contract, and Jarrett is just completely irritated that Jerry welched on Jarrett/Welch. Jerry also fumes that Lawler’s CWA World Heavyweight Title reign is a joke because he refuses to defend it unless he can handpick his opponents. Case in point, he only JUST finally defended the thing against Paul Ellering, who’s good but still a rookie and not really in World Title contention.

-We watch footage of Lawler’s CWA Title defense in Jonesboro, Arkansas, in a tiny tiny ring (it’s MAYBE 10×10) and Lawler pins Paul Ellering in about 11 minutes and doesn’t even bother pulling down the strap on his singlet to do it! Paul Ellering walks out in the studio after they finish watching the footage, and Ellering resents what Jarrett just said about him being too green to qualify for a title match. Ellering simply says his piece and walks off, and Jarrett says he’ll go to the locker room to apologize to Ellering, because he certainly didn’t mean it the way Ellering took it.

BIG RED vs. THE AVENGER

-Avenger tries a waistlock, and the fans just laugh at him. Avenger tries striking blows and Red just strikes back and shoulderblocks him down. Holy Ghost finishes.

-Billy Robinson still has the cast on but promises that he’s on his way back.

-We go to Mid-South Coliseum last week: Big Red, Rick Morton, and Steve Regal vs. Valiant, Lawler, and Hart. Lawler beats down Morton and with Morton sufficiently weakened, Jimmy Hart (wearing what looks like a little kid’s Superman costume) tags in and takes some easy shots. Valiant tags in and Morton takes some absolute rag doll bumps for Valiant, and it’s the most badass Jimmy Valiant has ever actually looked as a result. Referee gets distracted and Lawler takes full advantage, piledriving Morton. All six men end up in the ring and that’s instant danger for Jimmy Hart. Red just pancakes him with the Holy Ghost splash, but Red’s not the legal man so the referee refuses to count the pin. Meanwhile, Valiant & Lawler have been double-teaming Morton, and Morton’s tank is empty, so they just roll Hart on top of Morton, and to the entire building’s disgust, Jimmy Hart gets the winning pinfall.

EXPIRATION OF TIME: GIBSON BROTHERS vs. JERRY “The King” LAWLER & HANDSOME JIMMY VALIANT (with Jimmy Hart)
-FALL ONE: Ricky flings Lawler completely across the ring to start the match. Heels protest vigorously because there’s no way to throw a man that far WITHOUT pulling his tights. Lots of stalling follows, and Rick notices Jimmy Hart getting ready to do something illegal on the floor and scares the hell out of him by just running out of the ring and grabbing him. By the way, we’re now in 1980 and Jimmy Hart still isn’t Jimmy Hart as you think of him, he’s out there in jogging gear with no sunglasses. And he still hasn’t uttered a word on the mic yet.

-Gibsons take turns working the arm. Ricky applies a side headlock as some confusion is erupting about which Gibson is legal and the heels are protesting. Ricky noggin-knocks his opponents and slams Valiant. Everyone tags and Lawler takes over, backdropping Robert and grinding his face. They collide on a shoulderblock, but Lawler recovers first and whips Robert back and forth. With the referee’s back turned, Lawler throws him over the top and onto the concrete, and the Jimmies attack with a chair before the referee turns around.

-Back in, Robert finally escapes all the punishment and tags Ricky. We have a pier sixer, and Jimmy Hart runs in to help his men, which gives the Gibsons the fall.

-And TV time is up, so the Gibsons win the match!

6.7
The final score: review Average
The 411
Another solid week, but nothing about it really jumps out as "you gotta see this!"
legend

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Memphis Wrestling, Adam Nedeff