Mid-South Wrestling (3.24.1984) Review

-Originally aired March 24, 1984.

-Your hosts are Boyd Pierce and Jim Ross. Boyd and JR both look troubled by something as the show starts, and Boyd, after quickly running down the card, takes a deep breath and explains that Bill Watts was supposed to be commentating this week, but there was an incident right as taping was scheduled to start.

-We go to pre-taped footage before the card was to formally begin, with Bill Watts at ringside to interview each of the semi-finalists in the TV Title tournament. Terry Taylor cuts a modest promo about his big opportunity. And then it’s time for Watts to chat with Butch Reed, complete with a Butch Reed training montage edited with whatever it was that existed before Video Toaster. Reed cuts an arrogant promo when Jim Cornette storms out and screams at Bill Watts, and Watts considers Cornette such a non-inssue after last week that he just straight-up ignores the little punk and continues trying to interview Reed.

-And then the Midnight Express shows up, knocking Watts cold, whipping him with a belt, and opening up his forehead. Babyface locker room empties out to come to his aid and the Express and Cornette get out of there. The damage is done, though, and everybody is standing by waiting for a medical update on the boss.

MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (with Jim Cornette) vs. OBIE DAVIS & JOSH STROUD
-A rich tradition begins as Cornette goes straight to the commentary table, grabs a mic, and calls the commentary for the match while Jim Ross just sits there, completely disgusted.

-Eaton boots Davis, and the Midnight Massacre…doesn’t finish. Davis kicks out. Elbow by Bobby finishes, with Bobby cinching up on the pin a bit just to make sure.

-Cornette insists on hanging out at the commentary table.

MR. WRESTLING II (North American Champion) vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO
-Cornette complains about how poorly the headphones fit due to Jim Ross having a massive head. Side headlock by Mr. Wrestling II as Cornette asks why Boyd Pierce didn’t plug his suit in, and the usually pleasant Boyd insists on sticking with the match. Front facelock, and since Cornette doesn’t have much to work with, he insists on bragging about what his men did while Boyd desperately tries to get him to maintain focus on the match. II pops Lanny with a mini-kneelift and applies a front facelock, and Pierce gets so fed up that he finally just openly tells Cornette that he hopes Watts kicks his ass.

-Another kneelift by II, and he just drags this out with holds and body blows. Back suplex while Boyd and Jim bicker on commentary and this is honestly the most entertaining Boyd has ever been on commentary, an old man who’s stuck having to put up with a bratty kid for five minutes. Kneelift by II finally finishes. Lanny got obliterated here, not even getting token offense for the full match. Commentary was the salvation of the segment.

-Last week, Hacksaw Jim Duggan returned out of nowhere to kick some commie ass.

NIKOLAI VOLKOFF & KRUSHER KRUSCHEV vs. RANDY BARBER & JOHN KING
-Kruschev takes on both opponents while Jim Cornette insists that his mother only invests in American companies, however the Cornettes DO admire the Russians just for how honest they are. Press backbreaker by Volkoff gets a quick win.

-Boyd Pierce is finally fed up and says that Jim Duggan is a personal friend and he’s in the next match. Either Cornette leaves by his own choosing or Boyd will leave ringside before the match and ask Jim Duggan for some help, and Cornette suddenly remembers an appointment that he has and it happens that he needs to leave anyway.

HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. MASAO ITO
-Duggan beats the hell out of Ito, backdropping him and driving a knee to the skull for two. Ito fights back with shots to the throats and a headbutt, but Duggan shakes it off and applies a chinlock. Duggan chokes Ito out while screaming “Darsoooooooow!” Spear connects , but before he can go for the pin, the Russians are coming, quite literally, to ringside, with a board AND a coal miner’s glove that Krusher stole from Duggan. Babyface locker room empties once more, and before any real damage can be inflicted, the Russians get away.

TV TITLE SEMI-FINALS: TERRY TAYLOR vs. HACKSAW BUTCH REED
-Due to byes, this is the only semi-final, and the winner faces Krusher in the finals next week. UPDATE: Bill Watts is still unconscious and is being taken to the hospital.

-Dropkicks by Taylor, and Reed gets out of town right away. Back in, Taylor levels Reed with rights and backdrops him for a one-count. Taylor starts working the arm, but Reed finally gets some fire going and rams Taylor’s beautiful face into the turnbuckle, alarming the fans, and we pause for commercial.

-We return with Taylor back in control and Reed doing a DRAMATIC sell of a kneedrop. Taylor sends him into the ropes and Reed manages to put on the brakes and then kick Taylor in the face. Suplex by Reed as the commentators suddenly notice that TV time is running out and that puts everything into a tricky spot, as every match is supposed to go to a finish in the tournament AND the final is scheduled for next week. And they actually work it into the match, with the referee giving the guys a time signal in pain sight and Reed now knows that he has two minutes to win this match.

-Reed tries to wear Taylor out with a front facelock. Taylor reaches down deep and slugs free, and it turns into a fist fight with less than 30 seconds remaining in the show. Atomic drop and a dropkick by Taylor, and the bell sounds for the end of the show, which means this match doesn’t have a winner and with the finals scheduled for next week, we have a problem. TO BE CONTINUED!