wrestling / Video Reviews
Mid-South Wrestling (4.16.1983) Review
Image Credit: WWE/Peacock
Loading...-I just realized I wrote this review eons back but never uploaded it, and it’s a big episode, although the WWE Network thumbnail for this episode sort of gives away a big angle.
-Originally aired April 16, 1983.
-Your hosts are Boyd Pierce and Bill Watts. Skandar Akbar has offered $25,000 to Tiger Conway, Jr. and Mr. Wrestling II for a Tag Team Title match against a new tag team. Bill Watts figured after last week that it would obviously be Kamala and Black Ninja.
-We go to Reeser Bowden, who is with Skandar Akbar. His offer of $25,000 for a title match is unprecedented, but it comes with the condition that he does not have to reveal the team until they accept. So Conway and II have accepted, and here’s his new team, Mr. Olympia and Ted DiBiase. Skandar Akbar further reveals that he will use the $25,000 to build a Skandar Akbar cloning booth so that Skandar Akbar can manage every heel in Mid-South Wrestling while Skandar Akbar takes over color commentary. He’s not even a BAD manager, that’s the thing. He’s fine, but goddamn, Jim Cornette cannot come to this promotion fast enough.
-Skandar Akbar.
KING KONG BUNDY vs. KELLY KINISKI
-Bundy just shoves Kiniski around as the fans look around ringside, utterly confused by the absence of Skandar Akbar for more than 10 seconds. Bundy slams and pounds Kiniski. Avalanche and a big splash get the five-count.
JUNKYARD DOG vs. WILD BILL IRWIN
-Irwin backs JYD into the corner, but JYD whips and backdrops him. Hammerlock by JYD. Irwin tries throwing punches, but JYD just snapmares him into a chinlock. Clothesline and a big forearm by the Dog, and the Thump finishes.
-Mr. Wrestling II and Tiger Conway, Jr. have words about their surprise challengers. Both of Akbar’s men are guys they have grudges against, so $25,000 and a chance to get some revenge? Hey, bring it on.
HACKSAW BUTCH REED vs. FRANK VERT
-Jobbers sounds like a joke name in an SNL sketch.
-Butch Reed applies a front facelock on Vert. Vert escapes but Reed meets up with a bodypress. Front facelock on the mat. Running forearm b Reed, and the flying tackle finishes.
TAG TEAM TITLE + $25,000: TIGER CONWAY, JR. & MR. WRESTLING II (Champions) vs. TED DIBIASE & MR. OLYMPIA (with Skandar Akbar)
-Conway and DiBiase start. DiBiase goes right to work with a series of rights, but Conway reverses an Irish whip and backdrops him. Series of dropkicks sends DiBiase out to the floor, and Conway brings him back in with flying headscissors. Conway atomic drops DiBiase into a II kneelift on the apron for one, and DiBiase escapes with his life and tags out.
-Olympia tries mat wrestling, but Conway manages to overpower him with a front facelock and tags in II, and this is the moment II’s been waiting for and he just knocks Olympia’s jaw through the back of his mask with a kneelift and Olympia goes out to the floor to recover. DiBiase reluctantly tags in and II gives him a knee too. DiBiase immediately wants out after that but Olympia doesn’t want any part of it, so DiBiase is stuck in there. Conway tags in and whips DiBiase back and forth, but he charges and meets a knee.
-So DiBiase and Olympia cut the ring in half from there, teeing off on Tiger without letting him make a tag…well, until they do. And II takes on both opponents, throwing knees because it keeps working for him, but he misses a corner charge and DiBiase slams him into position for the Backward Falling Elbow that Never Hits, and II rolls out of the way and tags out. Conway takes on DiBiase while Skandar Akbar distracts Mr. Wrestling II, and Olympia sneaks in and kicks Conway in the face. Olympia tags in properly, and the sleeper looks to finish, but Conway fights out of it.
-DiBiase loads up his glove, but II sees it and goes in there to stop him from using it, but Akbar slips in the ring and sticks something on the bottom of Olympia’s boot, and Olympia knocks Conway out cold with a dropkick, which gets the three-count and gives Akbar’s new team the Titles. Well, you knew there was going to be a title change here, but it was a good match and a good finish leading up to the obvious conclusion.
KAMALA & BLACK NINJA (with Skandar Akbar & Friday) vs. ART CREWS & MIKE JACKSON
-Kamala chops away at Jackson. Jackson throws a dropkick and slips out to tag Crews. Ninja tags in and throws chops, but Crews ducks and CRACKS him across the chest. Jackson tags in and monkey flips Ninja. Ninja shakes it off and superkicks him, and Kamala splashes him a few times to finish it.
RIP ROGERS vs. RANDY BARBER
-We move on to the standby matches now. Rogers takes a cheap shot and celebrates to establish himself as the heel, but he misses a forearm and Barber hiptosses him for two. Barber slams him , but Rogers cradles him for a sudden three-count. Barely went a minute.
TIM HORNER vs. TONY ZANE
-Hot damn, it’s the Human Bruise, Tony Zane! Waistlock takedown by Zane, but Horner rolls out and applies a side headlock. Zane counters with headscissors, but Horner kicks free. Of note is that Bill Watts mentions that we’ll have a midget match next week. I’ve been ignoring this for weeks now but it seems worth bringing up at this point…Bill Watts has advertised a midget match for next week’s episode for the past six episodes, and it just never happens, and I’m starting to wonder if there’s some sort of hilarious story behind it, because Watts touts the shit out of it every time he brings it up and somehow the match keeps not-happening.
-Dropkick by Horner. Zane kicks out of the pinfall attempt and Horner goes for a sunset flip as TV time runs out.
