wrestling / Video Reviews
Mid-South Wrestling (12.29.1984) Review
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...-Odd thing I just noticed about the Peacock summary for this show, it mentions Roddy Piper as one of the top stars of the territory. I mean, of all the issues I have with the way WWE is laid out on Peacock, that ranks no higher than 59th, but it’s still a weird mistake.
-Originally aired December 29, 1984.
-Your hosts are Boyd Pierce and Jim Ross.
-We lead off with a Terry Taylor music video. Ladies love him, men fly little American flags in his general direction.
BRAD ARMSTRONG & TERRY TAYLOR vs. DALE VEASEY & “Nature Boy” BUDDY LANDELL
-Ah, clever maneuver on Brad’s part. Sign for a non-title tag team match so he has an excuse not to haul the 300-pound title belt around today.
-Landell slaps Armstrong, Armstrong punches back, and JR declares it a pier sixer in under 30 seconds as the faces clear the ring with backdrops. Veasey eats the five-arm for the three-count.
-Next we get a Hacksaw Jim Duggan music video. Flag? Check. Truck? Check. He’s a southern babyface in the ’80s.
-Iceman King Parsons says that he’s coming to Mid-South on a permanent basis, but he’s already decided that the territory isn’t big enough for him and Skandar Akbar. JR is concerned that Reed and Parsons are more soul than Akbar can handle.
KAMALA (with Skandar Akbar & Friday) vs. MIKE STARBUCK
-Kamala does his Kamala stuff and gets the win with a splash.
ROCK & ROLL EXPRESS vs. MIKE HILL & BOB OWENS
-There’s a strong “week off” feel to this show, as we haven’t really had anything happen yet three matches into the show, and that’s rare for this territory. Express works Owens’ arm over, and a double dropkick finishes.
TED DIBIASE vs. SHAWN MICHAELS
-These guys’ primes didn’t really align, so this squash is as close as we’ll get to a dream match that we never really had a shot at.
-DiBiase drives knees into the back. Both guys try to work each other’s arms, with DiBiase getting frustrated and shoulderblocking him after some non-start attempts. Slam and an elbow by DiBiase, and he locks on an aggressive chinlock, but Shawn kicks off the turnbuckles to break the hold. He gets a one-count from that, then counters an attempted backdrop for another one-count, and DiBiase is embarassed about being shown up by the kid.
-DiBiase turns up the aggression with elbows and boots. Hard clothesline by DiBiase, and a powerslam could finish, but DiBiase is so mad about Shawn making him look bad earlier that he cranks on a figure four to get the submission. I feel like we’re at a point where Mid-South knows that Shawn could be something, but nobody has any idea what to do with him. They’re already awash in pretty boys who are over and have more experience than him, so I can get the spot they’re in. He really need to head somewhere else at this point.
ALAMO BUSTERS vs. TIM HORNER & TONY FAULK
-Guerreros bring a Mexican flag to the ring now, and since that flag is different from the flag of the country we’re in, it must mean they suck. Being a heel used to be SO easy.
-Horner armdrags Chavo all over, doing a really spiffy variation of the armdrag where he just Dukes-of-Hazzard leaps over Chavo’s entire body and hooks the arm on the way down to do the armdrag. Guerreros take over and Horner’s strategy is to tag in Faulk, and Hector just immediately surfboards him, and judging from JR’s reaction to it, I don’t think he’s ever seen a surfboard before. Chavo cannonballs Faulk from the second rope to finish.
SHEIK HERCULES HERNANDEZ (with Skandar Akbar) vs. MIKE JACKSON
-Herc rams Jackson in the turnbuckles and clamps on a front facelock. Shakey’s New Menu is locked on for the submission. Jackson didn’t even really get his usual token offense in, but he’s still getting booked 36 years later so in a larger sense, he won.
HACKSAW BUTCH REED vs. JACK VICTORY
-Reed with armdrags. Victory demands a test of strength and the commentators pretty much write him off as an idiot for it. Victory gets the usual cheap kicks to reveal his cunning strategy, but Reed throws some great-looking kicks of his own. Reed wasn’t a bad worker before, but you can definitely see him stepping up his game once they decided to take a shot with him as head babyface.
-Reed works the arm while JR announces that the ratings reports are in and they have 1.5 million viewers in the Mid-South viewing area. Football tackle finishes.
