Mid-South Wrestling (1.14.1984) Review

-Unfortunately, the first episode of 1984 appears to be lost, and so we jump ahead one week.

-Originally aired January 14, 1984.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross and Bill Watts.

-Luckily, we start off with a flashback to the missing episode. Krusher Darsow and Nikolai Volkoff are in the ring, and Darsow demands some actual competition for his friend Nikolai, preferably someone like Junkyard Dog, Hacksaw Duggan, or Magnum TA. Terry Taylor comes out instead and says that, no, he’s not one of the guys that Darsow asked for, but he’s here to make a name for himself.

NIKOLAI VOLKOFF (with Krusher Darsow) vs. TERRY TAYLOR
-So the Russian contingent just blows off Taylor as a jobber and Volkoff attacks him with a blindside punch. Corner charge is countered by Taylor, who turns it into a sunset flip, and he gets a three-count on Volkoff in about 30 seconds. Volkoff and Darsow are in total shock, and Taylor is instantly a star.

TERRY TAYLOR vs. DOUG VINES
-And it’s obvious from the crowd reactions that the “bring pretty boys into the territory” strategy is already working. Taylor takes Vines to the mat and works the arm. Monkey flip by Taylor as the Russians show up and stare silently. Bill Watts suddenly mentions that referee Joel Armstrong is actually Joel Watts, his son.

-Taylor knocks out Vines with a five-arm for the three-count, and the Russians head into the ring and put their dukes up, but now, a week later, JYD and Hacksaw hit the ring to answer the Russians’ challenge, and the Russians skulk off.

JUNKYARD DOG vs. HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. JEFF SWORD & LARRY HIGGENS
-Actually I like this because it carries the implication that JYD and Hacksaw were just heading out for their match and it happened that the Russians were in there. Like Terry Taylor would say to them, “Wow, you guys came to help me, you’re such great friends!” And Hacksaw and JYD would look at each other like sitcom characters and say “Uh, yeah.”

-JYD snapmares Higgens around. Wait, come to think of it, has Mid-South had a match between Magnum and Higgens yet? Because that would be fantastic. Duggan tags in and clears the ring. Swords heads back in and gets double-teamed as Bill Watts points out that King Carl Fergie is working as referee. Fergie did such a great job officiating the Tag Team Title match on Christmas night that Mid-South is paying him extra to be a referee instead of a wrestler. Duggan finishes Swords with a spear, and with Hacksaw and JYD a little bit tired after wrestling and turning their backs to wave to the crowd, NOW the Russians enter the ring for a sneak attack. But Duggan and JYD are ready for them, and they clear the ring.

MR. WRESTLING II & MAGNUM T.A. (Tag Team Champions) vs. PAUL GARNER & DON RALSTON
-TA hammerlocks Garner…and then Jim Cornette calmly walks into the ring, carrying some sacks, and he demands a microphone. Cornette declares II and TA of being CHICKENS. That’s worse than being communists! So Cornette says he and his mother have orchestrated something to convince the champs to give them a title shot, and the Midnight Express hits the ring and knock out II with a blackjack. Midnights hit their finisher on Magnum, and then Cornette opens the sacks and covers TA with glue and feathers, like the CHICKEN that he is! Crowd is freaking out!

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS vs. GEORGE WEINGROFF & LEAPING LANNY POFFO
-They didn’t even bother clearing the ring of the feathers first. Cornette says that the Cornette family fortune makes anything possible and takes pride in introducing a new mascot to the territory: The Mid-South Chicken.

Watts is just disgusted. Poffo is extra-fired-up about the heinousness and clears the ring with hiptosses. Weingroff tags in and works Condrey’s arm. Eaton tags in and gets backdropped, and it looks like Poffo and Weingroff are going to pull this off, but Eaton backs Poffo into the wrong corner and allows Condrey to slip in a cheap shot. The Midnights are really starting to come into their own with the double-teaming at this point and do an amazing job of cutting off Poffo from tagging out over and over again.

-Condrey applies a bearhug, and the crowd is going nuts, as they want literally ANYBODY to do a run-in and just kick these guys’ asses now. Poffo finally, finally makes the tag and Weingroff takes on both guys by himself, noggin-knocking the Express, but he’s just one man and he gets overwhelmed, and the Midnight Massacre finishes.

-Bill Watts is at ringside with Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum TA, who hasn’t even washed off the feathers yet, and it’s a powerful visual. II promises to pluck and peck the Midnights until there’s nothing left of them.

JIM “The Anvil” NEIDHART vs. TOM LENTZ
-I like how apparently, as soon as they decided to turn Neidhart babyface, the first order of business was making him wear more tights. Neidhart unloads on Lentz and heaves him across the ring, and it’s impressive with a guy that size. Neidhart follows that with a series of shoulder rams in the corner, and he does it so hard that the post wobbles back and forth. Samoan drop finishes quickly.

“Dr. Death” STEVE WILLIAMS vs. KRUSHER DARSOW
-Williams hates Russians so much that he attacks Darsow from behind before the bell and slams him again and again. Come off the turnbuckles backfires though and Darsow chokes Williams out. Chinlock by Darsow, but Williams is still in in. Darsow slams Williams and tries to finish with an elbow, but Williams hulks up and punches him in the gut repeatedly. Football tackles by Doc, and Darsow goes out to the floor for a break.

-Volkoff hurries to ringside to check on his friend, actually passing a weapon to him, and Darsow knocks Williams out cold with the mystery weapon and gets the three-count. Considering how green both guys still were at this point, this was really good, with both guys going 100 MPH for almost the whole match and delivering a good hoss fight.

HACKSAW BUTCH REED vs. RICK ROOD
-Reed attacks right away and dumps Rood on the floor. Rood gets a second wind and whips Reed into the corner, with Rood apparently slipping on whatever the mystery substance is that Cornette left on the mat earlier. Reed walks it off and heads back in, hammering Rood down and applying a front facelock. Watts seems surprised to see him applying a rest hold as he says “We have a minute left.” And apparently someone got the signal because Rood immediately breaks and misses a charge, and the press slam finishes.

8.9

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

They're coming into 1984 ready for a fight. I'm excited!