Memphis Wrestling (5.2.1981) Review

-Originally aired May 2, 1981.

-Your hosts are Lance Russell & Dave Brown.

PERSONALITY PROFILE
-Lance opens the show with a special profile of Jerry “Crusher” Blackwell, a good friend of Terry Funk who’s coming into the territory at Funk’s behest. We get a pretty well-done montage of Blackwell’s exploits in the AWA and Southeastern Championship Wrestling. We get a brief cameo by Mean Gene Okerlund, hosting a feat of strength demonstration from Blackwell, who drives a nail through a board using his head. This ate up a solid ten minutes, so Crusher’s going right to the top when he gets here.

TV TITLE: DUTCH MANTELL (Champion) vs. VINNIE ROMEO
-Yep, the TV Title still exists. This promotion just never has enough people on its roster to justify having a TV Title, and considering they’ve never even made a belt for it, I’m amazed that they’re still making a go of it.

-Dutch works the arm. Right hands by Dutch, and a big elbow finishes. Easy week for the champ.

MASSA FUCHI & MR. ONITA (with Tojo Yamamoto) vs. ROY RODGERS & RON SEXTON
-Fuchi & Rodgers start. Neither man can really string anything together. Rear chinlock on Sexton, but Sexton pretty much push-ups out. Everybody tags and Onita gets armdragged. Rodgers gets caught in the heel corner and worked over. The dreaded NERVE HOLD wears Rodgers down. Big chop finishes.

HANDICAP MATCH: DREAM MACHINE vs. DAVID PRICE & PAT HUTCHINSON
-Machine tosses around both opponents easily. Legdrop and a splash on Hutchinson for the quick win.

EXPIRATION OF TIME, MIXED TAG MATCH: SUPERSTAR BILL DUNDEE & SUZETTE FERREIRRA vs. DAVID OSWALD & WENDI RICHTER
-FALL ONE: The men start, so I already don’t like the heel side’s chances. Oswald backs Dundee into the corner and Wendi locks on a chokehold. Dundee escapes and Wendi is feeling froggy enough to leap into the ring and pick a fight, and the referee has to convince her to follow the rules. Ladies tag in and Wendi is towering over Suzette. Dropkick takes Wendi off her feet. Suzette comes off the second turnbuckle but misses a splash, and Wendi tosses her to the floor to give herself a breather. And then Dundee shocks everyone in the studio by getting a receipt for the chokehold earlier and just bodyslamming Wendi, to a standing ovation from the crowd.

-Wendi is demanding that the referee let her and Dundee go at it, but the referee won’t have it, so Suzette heads in and manages to get Wendi on the mat again for a side headlock. Men tag in again, and this match has been a disaster for Oswald so far. And sure enough he takes over as soon as I type that. It’s like they know. Dundee breaks free from a wristlock and Suzette takes a cheap shot at Oswald. The women tag back in and Suzette keeps going with the dropkicks because they’ve been effective. Wendi slams her but misses a legdrop. The men tag in and Dundee connects with a bodypress to get the three-count

4.1

The final score: review Poor

The 411

Well, that was quite a fall from Empty Arena week.