Mid-South Wrestling (12.7.1985) Review

-Originally aired December 7, 1985.

-Your hosts are Bill Watts & Boyd Pierce. The TV Title Tournament is beginning….again…and Bill Watts announces that we’re doing things differently this time! Rather than having brackets, the tournament matches will be determined by a random draw. This change is due to the fact that the 9-year-old who normally draws the tournament bracket graphics for Mid-South is getting his tonsils out this week.

-Also, Ted DiBiase’s medical prognosis, according to Bill, has been changed to “positive,” and it turns out that what Bill means is that he’s been cleared to wrestle again. We get another phone call from Ted. He has an open contract for Christmas night, and he dares either Ric Flair or Dick Murdoch to sign it.

-We get words from Ric Flair, who pretty much laughs off the $5,000 fine and puts over the Dicks as men with class.

-Also, we were SUPPOSED to announce the winner of the Eddie Gilbert portrait contest, but Eddie Gilbert is claiming that the portrait has been stolen, so Mid-South is withholding the name of the winner until they figure out where the portrait is.

-Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s Girlfriend DEBRA are here, as we finally give her a name! Duggan still doesn’t want Debra getting into the wrestling business, but he’s no fool, and if guys are just going to randomly attack her, then Debra needs some training, and Duggan hints that he’s been tutoring her. Also, Hacksaw Butch Reed says he’s tired of giving Dick Slater title shots. Slater is a settled issue as far as he’s concerned, so no more title shots unless Slater can offer him some kind of incentive.

THE HACKSAWS (with Debra) vs. TIGER TABB & MIKE SCOTT
-Well I’ll be damned. Bill Tabb was this jobber over in JCP and I used to marvel that he didn’t get a shot at Mid-South because he checks a lot of Bill Watts boxes. And surprise surprise, here’s Bill “Tiger” Tabb getting a shot in Mid-South. and Duggan obliterates him with a spear in under a minute for the win.

TV TITLE, ROUND 1: RICKY GIBSON vs. TOMMY WRIGHT
-And per Bill Watts, this proves that it’s a random draw, because both of these men are “scientific.” Also, Bill announces a rule change–going forward, TV Title matches will not have a time limit.

-Scientific side headlock by Gibson. Wright scientifically pushes out and hiptosses him. Gibson gets him in headscissors back down on the mat. Picture quality goes to hell at this point, but it sounds like we aren’t missing much at all because Bill Watts is just recapping angles on commentary for two or three minutes. Stepover toehold roll-up by Gibson gets the win. Wouldn’t be fair to make any kind of judgment on this one.

“Hot Stuff” EDDIE GILBERT (Tag Team Champion, with Oliver Humperdink) vs. STEVE DOLL
-Gilbert works him over as Bill Watts has a big announcement: Terry Taylor AND the Rock & Roll Express are on their way back to the territory come Christmas. Rock & Roll Express is a guest-shot, but Terry Taylor is coming back after a run in Crockett where he and Dusty just immediately rubbed each other the wrong way, so Terry said “Fuck this” and checked out after Starrcade.

THE NIGHTMARE (Other Tag Team Champion, with Oliver Humperdink) vs. SHAWN O’REILLY
-O’Reilly is a student of Killer Kowalski, who gave the business a shot for about a year and then called it a career after 1986. Nightmare grants him some offense, but O’Reilly goes for a bodyslam and Nightmare clearly tells him no and then just puts him away with a piledriver.

AL PEREZ vs. DICK SLATER (with Dark Journey)
-Slater demands a title shot from Butch Reed just because he deserves it, so Reed comes to the ring and says he’ll put the North American Title on the line, but if Slater loses, Reed gets 30 days with Dark Journey, and since he knows what Dark Journey is, he says that on day one, he’ll just put Dark Journey back on the street. So…that’s the stipulation? If he wins, Dark Journey gets a paid vacation? Careful, Dark Journey! If you get Butch Reed REALLY mad, he might offer you a dental plan!

-Slater has some good luck with mat wrestling, working Slater’s arm. Elbow drop misses, but Perez can’t capitalize and Slater applies a side headlock. Perez finally hits the German suplex out of nowhere, but he’s close to the ropes and Dark Journey jerks Slater’s leg to get him to the ropes. Slater reverses a roll-up moments later and gets a handful of tights for the three-count. I feel like the finish was blown some how because Dark Journey got on the apron for no reason while Slater was getting his win.

“Dr. Death” STEVE WILLIAMS & “Mad Dog” BUZZ SAWYER vs. JIMMY BACKLUND & MARK COOPER
-Sawyer goes nuts on Backlund with elbows. Williams tags in and presses Backlund. Stampede gets the win. Why is Dr. Death still a heel?

5.0

The final score: review Not So Good

The 411

A solidly "meh" outing. Nightmare doesn't need to be there anymore, and the Slater/Reed/Journey issue is needlessly convoluted for something that's already pretty racist.