wrestling / Video Reviews
Memphis Wrestling (10.1.1983) Review
Image Credit: Memphis Wrestling
Loading...-Originally aired October 1, 1983.
-Your hosts are Lance Russell and Dave Brown.
JERRY “The King” LAWLER vs. THE DESTROYER
-Lawler backs Destroyer into a corner and offers a gentlemanly break. Destroyer shoves Lawler on his ass, so Lawler pops him in the mush and cranks on a side headlock, putting all of his weight into it and actually making it look incredibly painful. Destroyer rolls out and tries an elbow, but he hits the mat.
-Destroyer starts getting mad now, just firing punch after punch into the King until THE STRAP COMES DOWN, and now Lawler’s throwing punches, and a fist from the second rope gets the pin. Another classic example of something that Cornette’s pointed out repeatedly–Lawler got so much out of the crowd and did so LITTLE to elicit it. It’s incredible to watch.
-The Fabulous Ones are here because Jimmy Hart has put up $5,000 for a six-man tag match pitting himself and the Moondogs against the Fabulous Ones and a mystery partner, and The Fabulous Ones have a tape…
-And with that, we go to Jackie Fargo, who tells us about his brother, Nuthouse Roughhouse Fargo, and the Fabulous Ones say they went to a nearby mental hospital to get Roughhouse out of there for Monday night. I gotta be honest, I get that I haven’t seen Jackie Fargo in his prime, but hearing him work the mic post-retirement makes me scratch my head a little bit.
CWA WORLD TAG TEAM TITLES: THE FABULOUS ONES (Champions) vs. BRUISE BROTHERS (with Jimmy Hart)
-Stan Lane and Dream Machine trade arm work while the fans chant “Hart is a Wimp.” Steve Keirn tags in and works the arm, as everyone seems to be taking their time and making plans to stay here for a bit. Lane tags in and we’re still in the feeling-out process at the three-minute mark.
-Dream finally sends Lane into the ropes and elbows him down. Pork Chop Cash tags in and misses an elbow drop, and Keirn tags back in and clamps on a side headlock. Blind tags by the Bruise Brothers allow them to take control as we hit five minutes. Dream Machine clotheslines Keirn and drops the leg for two.
-Referee misses a tag to Stan Lane, but Stan refuses to leave the ring out of spite and we have all four men in the ring brawl in the ring, and suddenly two fat guys in the studio audience run in and attack the Fabulous Ones, and this is AWESOME, as the audience members beat down the Fabulous Ones for a few seconds before they reach into their pockets, pull out their masks, and put them on. It’s the ASSASSINS, and they were sitting in the audience in plain sight, undetected because they weren’t wearing their masks. That is an amazing angle to use a masked wrestler for, and the trick is, you can only do it once. Five stars. Loved it. Only thing is—for a finish you can only do once, they kind of wasted it on a TV match. If this had been the finish for a main event at Mid-South Coliseum, people would probably still be talking about it today.
KOKO WARE & DUTCH MANTELL vs. THE PINK PANTHER & THE EXECUTIONER
-Dutch wrings the Panther’s arm, then shoulderblocks him down. Koko grabs Panther’s mask and twists it backwards, not only blinding him but causing a slew of small lacerations to Panther’s face underneath, because that mask is made from Owens-Corning Fiberglass Insulation. Executioner comes in and takes a big elbow from the Dutchman, and it’s an easy win for the good guys. Dutch and Koko celebrate with a jumping high-five. The King of the Hill animators’ style guide had a note warning the animators never to draw Hank and his friends high-fiving each other because it was wrong for all of their characters. That’s about the feeling you get watching Dutch do a JUMPING high-five.
-We’re off to house show action from Definitely-Not-Mid-South-Coliseum, as they’re either in a massive high school gym or a small arena. Superstar Bill Dundee is battling Assassin #1. Predictable finish for this one, as the other Assassin ambles on down and helps render Bill a bloody mess until Jerry Lawler makes the save.
-We get words from Bill Dundee, who says he’s taking a few weeks off due to doctor’s orders, but when he’s healthy enough to wrestle again, he’s going to have Jerry Lawler as a partner.
-Lance touts Monday night’s card at Mid-South Coliseum. In the main event….the Southern Heavyweight Title is on the line. No time limit. No disqualification. On one side of the ring, champion Jesse “The Body” Ventura. In Ventura’s corner, Jimmy Hart. The opponent: Jerry “The King” Lawler. In Lawler’s corner…The San Diego Chicken. BONUS: Lance explains that due to the specific terms of the deal made to bring the San Diego Chicken to the venue, the TV cameras will be shut off during the main event, so you have to come to the arena to see him.
-Fast-forward nine months, Vince McMahon takes on the world by making a deal with Cyndi Lauper to work TV and a few choice house shows. His opposition: The company that was willing to pay for the San Diego Chicken, but not have the San Diego Chicken on TV.
-Jerry Lawler sets out one extra stipulation: If Lawler wins, Jimmy Hart has to wear a chicken costume 24/7 for a full week. But Lawler agrees that he’ll wear the costume if he loses.
-Jesse Ventura shows a photo of himself with Susan Lucci on the set of All My Children, just to make the point that he isn’t blowing smoke when he talks about hanging out with celebrities. The Body sweetens the deal for Monday night even further: If he wins, he’s pulling the mask right off the chicken.
JESSE “The Body” VENTURA (Southern Heavyweight Champion, with Jimmy Hart) vs. ROBERT REED
-Jesse hammers on Lee and slams him down. Elbow by the Governor gets the win. Jerry Lawler decides he’s in the mood for a post-match brawl, and Jimmy Hart is DEMANDING a $1,000 fine for starting the altercation.
-Austin Idol cuts a screaming promo, saying he wants to fight Stan Hansen over which state in the union has the right to start with the letter T. So, uh…WCW stole that angle? Really?
ELIMINATION OF TIME: KEN RAPER, JIM JAMISON, ROBERT crow, & ROBERT REED vs. RUSSIAN INVADER, BUDDY LANDELL, & THE ASSASSINS
-Some confusion among the commentators because apparently a jobber no-showed and Reed is being pressed into double duty as a result.
-Fall One: Reed rather stupidly volunteers to start the match after coming in here fresh from a three-minute ass-kicking. Heels dismantle him while Dave Brown even diplomatically says Reed is having a shit week.
-Jamison gets elbowed and choked. Double backdrop by the Assassins, and a big elbow by #1 takes the first fall.
-We have time for a second fall. For THIS group.
-Fall Two: Robert Crow, appearing in this territory on his day off from operating his workshop in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, takes an ass-kicking from all concerned opponents. Russian Invader apparently invades Samoa to pillage their Drop, and uses that to get the pin and bring the score up to 2-0.
