wrestling / TV Reports
Mid-South Wrestling (11.16.1985) Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-We get a special opening from WWECock, warning us that this particular episode of Mid-South Wrestling is rated TV-MA. Oh, hot diggity dog. Funny thing is, we get a “technical issues” warning too, and you can see little warp lines all over the show’s opening, as if this particular tape was played over and over and over and over again.
-Originally aired November 16, 1985.
-Your hosts are Jim Ross and Joel Watts. Hacksaw Jim Duggan is at the commentary table. So, hey, quick heads-up, Ric Flair was supposed to defend the NWA World Title against Butch Reed this week, but Reed was injured in last week’s assault by Dick Slater and Ric Flair. Mid-South called Bob Geigel to notify him, and Geigel granted his approval for a substitution, so it’ll be Ted DiBiase getting the title shot instead. Oh, interesting, a rare heel vs. heel match. Okay, then…wonder how that’s going to work out.
-Anyway, Duggan calls bullshit at Buzz Sawyer and Dick Slater pleading innocence in the attack of The Unknown Girlfriend. Duggan blames them completely for what happened, but also said he suspects Ric Flair was involved because everyone found out Flair and Slater have been working out clandestine business deals. AND he pledges his full support to Butch Reed to help Reed get his own revenge on Slater when Reed gets medical clearance to return. We get pre-taped words from Reed, who promises to be back and ready to go as soon as his neck is healed.
-Ric Flair is out here to say that he’s extremely sorry that Butch Reed has to miss his big opportunity, but Ted DiBiase will get to—well, hold on, here’s Dick Murdoch. Murdoch complains that Bob Geigel can just declare a new number-one contender lickety-split without even considering other candidates, and Murdoch thinks he should have the NWA World Title shot.
NWA WORLD TITLE: RIC FLAIR (Champion) vs. TED DIBIASE
-Dick Murdoch hits the ring before the bell sounds. He helped Ted get into West Texas State, he helped train DiBiase for wrestling. The right thing to do is leave and let Murdoch have the title shot. DiBiase makes the case that he’s held the North American Title so many times that he’s entitled to crack at the big one, and besides, Murdoch is kind of over-the-hill. And that assessment triggers the fist fight. Murdoch ends up on the floor and DiBiase, for a moment, appears to have settled that issue, but Flair sneaks up with a knee to the back and sends DiBiase out to the floor. Murdoch rams him into the post, and DiBiase is just GUSHING blood. Steve Williams hurries to the ring, alarmed at how quickly and drastically his partner got maimed. Flair says it’s too bad DiBiase’s in no shape to wrestle now, declares victory by forfeit, and takes off.
HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. EL CORSARIO
-I’m a little surprised that Corsario is still a thing at this point.
-Duggan hits a backbreaker and a slam right away, and the spear finishes.
-We go to the locker room. Bill Watts says that they have to apply a pressure bandage because just a regular bandage isn’t getting the job done; DiBiase can’t stop bleeding. DiBiase, even in his weakened condition, is insisting that the match with Flair happen as scheduled because he’s worried that if he follows doctor’s orders, Flair will just use it as an excuse not to offer future title matches in Mid-South. So the match WILL happen; however, Watts thinks it’s very likely that the normal movement of a wrestling match will cause the pressure bandage to get loose, and DiBiase could start pouring blood again at any moment. He strongly advises parental discretion for the reminder of the hour and asks those of us who are squeamish to consider whether or not we’ll continue watching.
NWA WORLD TITLE: RIC FLAIR (Champion) vs. TED DIBIASE
-So DiBiase heads back to the ring, two weeks after he was one of the top heels in the company, and the crowd is chanting “Teddy, Teddy” as he enters. Flair doesn’t even wait for the bell, he just hammers and hammers. DiBiase manages to reverse an Irish whip and backdrops Flair. But DiBiase is too weak to keep going at that rate, so Flair just fights back and chops him so hard that his bandage flies completely off his head. Hidden highlight–a mother and a little girl at ringside. Little girl has had her back to the ring for the whole match because she’s too squeamish to watch. When the bandage flies off, the mother reacts like some of the blood managed to hit her, and she and the girl book it out of there.
-Referee looks completely disgusted but DiBiase won’t allow him to stop the match. Flair goes for a pin and DiBiase kicks out. Flair is COVERED in DiBiase’s blood and multiple fans are covering their faces. DiBiase throws chops and punches, then whips Flair hard enough to flip him onto the apron. DiBiase suplexes him back in, but he’s too tired to roll over in a timely manner and Flair kicks out. Flair goes for a hiptoss, but DiBiase turns it into an abdominal stretch/roll-up combo, but he’s too weak to hold it and Flair gets loose.
-Flair goes for a piledriver but DiBiase backdrops out. DiBiase chops and chops, and Flair collapses. Referee checks the cut and still wants to stop the match, but DiBiase won’t allow him and keeps up the fight. Flair elbows DiBiase down and goes to the top rope, which Joel suspects is an attempt at an intentional DQ. DiBiase slams Flair off, because duh,. Powerslam by DiBiase, but he’s too weak to even make an effective cover and Flair just kinda rolls his body off. But DiBiase still has some fight left in him. Atomic drop, and a poetic figure four is clamped on, but DiBiase grabs the ropes. DiBiase drags him to the middle for another figure four, but Flair kicks him out with enough force that DiBiase falls over the top rope and onto the floor, and DiBiase has NOTHING left after all that, so the referee counts ten, and Ric Flair retains the World Title.
-Post-match, Murdoch comes to the ring and and gives DiBiase a brainbuster on the floor, and the fans are aghast. Williams runs to the ring but he’s so concerned for his partner that he pretty much just forgets to kick Murdoch’s ass and tends to his partner instead. End of segment, end of one of the great angles from the entire history of the promotion.
-Back from commercial, Joel Watts looks like he’s about to burst into tears while JR assures us that an ambulance is on the way to the locker room.
BRUISE BROTHERS vs. RICKY STARR & SHAUN O’REILLY
-Dead match walking!
-Porkchop Cash fights both opponents to zero reaction. Mad Dog Boyd tags in, does his part, and Starr runs into an elbow. Big splash by Boyd gets three. Oof. That was a tough spot for everyone involved.
-Update: The paramedics are here and they’ll try to have a medical update before the show is over.
“Hot Stuff” EDDIE GILBERT & THE NIGHTMARE (with Oliver Humperdink) vs. STEVE CONSTANCE & PERRY JACKSON
-Timeout because WWECock is missing an angle at the start of this match and we need to cover it. They have the portrait of Eddie Gilbert in the ring again. He also has a huge bag of his fan mail and reads a letter from “Gina Tilly,” who wants to win the portrait contest because an Eddie Gilbert portrait would prove to all her friends that she has class.
-The Bruise Brothers dance their way back to the ring, and the ensuing angle is just one long, great visual, as Eddie takes the portrait down to the mat and dives on top of it like a bodyguard to keep the Bruise Brothers from doing anything, and the Bruise Brothers just dance around and do absolutely nothing except mess with Eddie Gilbert by pretending to ALMOST do something and then not doing anything at all. They head off without incident, and Eddie is upset because he knows he looked like an absolute doofus.
-Constance backdrops Gilbert and tags in Jackson. Jackson applies a bearhug, but he makes a blind tag and Nightmare attacks. Hot Stuff tags back in, and the Hot Shot finishes.
-Joel Watts says that they’ve opted to scratch the last match of the show in favor of rolling the footage that the cameras got during the commercial break after the title match. Ted DiBiase has convulsions on the floor, and Steve Williams finds a plank to place DiBiase on so they can carry him back to the locker room.
-Next, we get footage of the EMTs tending to him, and they have DiBiase on oxygen. The situation looks bad, and while additional disciplinary measures may be coming, Bill Watts has already deemed that Dick Murdoch is suspended. More updates next week…
