Memphis Wrestling (9.26.1981) Review

-Originally aired September 26, 1981.

-Your hosts are Lance Russell & Dave Brown.

EDDIE GILBERT & RICK MORTON vs. THE HEARTBREAKERS (with Chic Donovan)
-Gilbert & Morton don’t have the Tag Team Titles with them, and in fact, a check of Wikipedia says we’ve had TWO Tag Team Title changes since they had their bruhaha with Tojo! They lost it to the Heartbreakers, who then dropped the belts within days to the Gibson Brothers, and on further inspection, the belts are going to change hands again at a house show tonight. Oh no, I gave away something important in Memphis Wrestling in advance of it actually happening!

-The former champs work the arms of the former champs. Chops are exchanged, and Joseph Cagle tags in Rocky S. Eddie Gilbert clamps on a headlock, but Rocky drops him and tags in Cagle. Morton tags in with a double underhook suplex for a one-count. Heartbreakers get Morton caught in the corner and work him over, but Morton fights back with dropkicks right as Tojo and his crew hit the ring for a surprise attack.

-We get a house show promo for Tuesday night in Louisville. Sweet Brown Sugar, the artist formerly known as Koko Ware, is now sporting a shaved head, and while it’s possible that he’s just changing up his look, it wouldn’t shock me if that means he comes out with a full head of hair later in the hour and some babyface exacts revenge on him.

DUTCH MANTELL & ROY ROGERS vs. MASA FUCHI & MR. ONITA (with Tojo Yamomoto)
-Fun fact: Oil Trough, Texas doesn’t exist, but there’s an Oil Trough, Arkansas.

-Fuchi goes to Dutch’s eyes and brings him into the villainous corner. Dutch fights back and tags in Rogers. Rogers drops an elbow for two and Dutch heads back in to work the arm, then DEMANDS that Fuchi tags back in. Fuchi throws chops but Dutch chops back. Rogers tags in to be the official face in peril for today’s action. Rogers keeps up the fight, but Onita uses handfuls of tights to stop Rogers from crawling to the corner and making the hot tag. Chaos breaks out in the ring and Tojo abruptly takes a swing at Rogers with a kendo stick to knock him out, and Fuchi & Onita get the win. Feels like they got the go-home signal kind of suddenly there because that finish was out of nowhere.

-We head to Mid-South Coliseum, with a battle royal where pinfalls count, and we’re down to our final two, Bill Dundee battling Sweet Brown Sugar. Jimmy Hart, who eliminated himself earlier in the match, returns to provide distraction as needed, and as the crowd gets antsy waiting for Jimmy’s chicanery to make the difference, Dundee simply bodypresses him for a three-count, and the fans were not expecting THAT outcome.

STEVE KEIRN & SUPERSTAR BILL DUNDEE vs. THE NIGHTMARE & SPEED (with Jimmy Hart)
-Jimmy is dressed like Uma Thurman in Kill Bill this week and it’s a weird sight. Here’s the thing about this match: One of the soapboxes Jim Cornette a lot is that today’s guys are so small that you can’t believe they’re tough guys who can actually possibly be pro wrestlers. And here we are in the territory that Cornette grew up with that Keirn is the only guy in that ring who “belongs” by that standard. This territory was loaded with guys who looked like cosplay wrestlers. I don’t think Onita & Fuchi combined cleared 300 pounds.

-Masked men collide into each other on a failed double-team and Dundee goes for the quick win but doesn’t get it. Dundee gets distracted for a split second while Nightmare loads something in his mask and headbutts him, and Dundee is dazed. It’s funny how pro wrestling taught us that a headbutt really doesn’t hurt very much unless there’s a weapon involved.

-So the heels beat on Dundee until he can make the hot tag. Keirn cleans house but can’t quite put the heels away due to Speed breaking the pin again and again. Masked guys take over again. Dundee tags in and takes his beating. Chaos breaks out and Jimmy Hart hits the ring with a cane and attacks, but that’s different than the booking for the previous match because the referee sees it this time. Never have tag team matches back-to-back.

-Gibson Brothers accept Lance’s congratulations on winning the Tag Team Titles. Hope it’s a long and fruitful reign for you two!

NON-TITLE, EXPIRATION OF TIME: GIBSON BROTHERS (Southern Tag Team Champions) VS. DREAM MACHINE & SWEET BROWN SUGAR (with Jimmy Hart)
-FALL ONE: Everyone jockeys for position. Dream Machine gets the edge over Rick. Sugar tags in and drops the fist. Rick counters a backdrop and everybody tags. Even battle for everyone, with Machine taking control by targeting Robert’s back and dropping elbows. Sugar clamps on a chinlock. He climbs the turnbuckles for a splash but crashes. Dream Machine blocks the hot tag, just as we saw in a previous match. Chaos breaks out, just as we saw in the previous two matches, and then the manager runs in and attacks with a big stick, just as we saw in the previous two matches. And even Dave Brown calls attention to the fact that we got repeating finishes.

-FALL TWO: Rick chases Jimmy Hart out of the studio while Robert takes on the heels. Rick tags in and keeps up the fight while Jimmy Hart sneaks back into the studio and cowers behind a curtain to yell advice. Rick ends up on the floor and the heels give him a beatdown as TV time runs out.

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

Andy Kaufman, hurry up and get here, this promotion needs a kick in the pants.