wrestling / Video Reviews
Mid-South Wrestling (5.12.1984) Review
Image Credit: WWE/Peacock
Loading...-Originally aired May 12, 1984.
-Your hosts are Jim Ross and Joel Watts in the headlights. BREAKING NEWS: Jim Ross announced during last week’s show that Kerry Von Erich would be wrestling on the program this week. However, last week, in a match you may have heard about, Kerry defeated Ric Flair for the NWA World Title, and as such, he has been required to honor the champion’s commitments, so he’s dropped out of his Mid-South booking.
-Joel talks about the Super Date at the Superdome, saying that he knows from experience that there’s no better place to take a date than a wrestling show at the Superdome. They’ve whipped up a whole video package with fancy graphics to lay out the rules and run down what the “prize” is exactly, and it’s kind of funny as the graphic makes it clear that you’re getting a hotel room for ONE person.
JAY YOUNGBLOOD vs. DOUG VINES
-And we start the show with a squash from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, but with Bill Watts on commentary, because Youngblood is joining the Mid-South roster shortly. Watts mentions Starrcade ’83 and explains that Youngblood is coming into Mid-South as a singles wrestler because–and stop me if you’ve heard this one–Ricky Steamboat has retired to devote more time to running his gym.
-Chops and an atomic drop by Youngblood, but Vines gets a foot on the ropes and avoids getting pinned. Vines biels him, but Youngblood just goes on the war dance and chops him down, and a flying tomahawk gets the three-count.
“Dr. Death” STEVE WILLIAMS vs. STEVE BRINSON
-Hot take: I always thought Dr. Death was an AWFUL name for him, at least at this stage in his career. It’s just weird to hear him being touted as this nice young man who happens to have a lot of strength and a college background, and they’re calling him “Dr. Death.” Turn him heel first, at least. And as soon as I finish typing that rant, Williams finishes with the Stampede.
-Butch Reed brags about painting JYD last week and says everyone should call him “High Yellow Dog” now. I hardly see why JYD’s marijuana habit merited covering him in yellow paint, Butch.
HACKSAW BUTCH REED vs. AL SCOTT
-Scott surprises Reed with a dropkick, but gets rammed into the corner and hammered down. Press slam and a tackle finish.
-Jim Cornette makes a statement about the title loss to the Rock & Roll Express. He specifically had it in writing that the Rock & Roll Express weren’t allowed to have a title match, and they only got the match through deception. So Cornette has called his mother and she sent him $50,000, which he is putting up for a title rematch, if the lying cowards Rock & Roll Express have the guts to accept.
THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (Tag Team Champions, with Jim Cornette) vs. LEAPING LANNY POFFO & MIKE JACKSON
-Worth noting that the Midnights seem to be winning over a small contingent in Mid-South, and Cornette’s introduction of them actually draws a bit of a pop.
-Jackson hiptosses Eaton and the jobbers get some momentum going, with Poffo throwing dropkicks until Condrey pulls his partner out of harm’s way. Poffo crashes and the Midnights take over. Hart Attack gets thew win.
MAGNUM T.A. vs. THE SHADOW
-Shadow, a burly masked man, slaps Magnum right in the face. Magnum gets mad and charges at him, but Shadow chokes Magnum in the corner with his own t-shirt. And it turns out Shadow has scouted his opponent, as Magnum bled last week, and Shadow targets the wound with punching and biting. He dumps Magnum on the floor and the commentators are shocked at how the unknown masked guy is dominating this.
-Shoulderblock by Shadow, and he targets the neck next. Magnum finally gets a slam out of nowhere and the fans are just relieved that Magnum did something. Shadow completely shakes it off and cradles Magnum, but TA kicks out. Shadow looks to go for a bulldog, vbut instead of dropping down, he just takes Magnum all the way across the ring and drills his skull into the turnbuckle. Neckbreaker by Shadow, and he heads to the top rope. Magnum slams him off. Magnum is so damn mad, he goes for the mask, but when Shadow resists, Magnum just settles for a belly-to-belly suplex for three. Kind of a surprising match with real suspense there for a while. Fairly certain that Shadow was a name guy hiding under a mask for a one-shot gig, but no idea who.
BUDDY LANDELL & MASAO ITO vs. JOHN KING & TONY TORRES
-King gets the early edge but gets overwhelmed quickly. Ito throws kicks and chops and I really just to scream “shit or get off the pot” at him at this point. They keep touting Ito as this dangerous killing machine but he’s been there for months and they don’t really do anything with him. Big-ass chop finishes.
TV TITLE: KRUSHER KRUSHCHEV (Champion) vs. TERRY TAYLOR
-THE NECKBRACE IS OFF! Aw, damn, it’s on now. Terry is on fire right away, punching away at Krusher and driving knees into his arm. Crowd is frantically waving American flags, and with JR’s commentary, it’s beginning to feel like this is Taylor’s week.
-Krusher with a hard clothesline, and JR points out that, yeah, the neckbrace is off, but he still had an injured neck. Stungun by Krusher, and JR and Joel pack up their microphones and call it a week but TAYLOR KICKS OUT AT TWO!!! Bodypress by Taylor out of nowhere. Krusher starts to panic and rams Taylor into the corner. He goes for a backdrop, but Taylor kicks him in the shoulder, and then awwwwww shit here come Butch Reed & Nikolai Volkoff. Taylor valiantly fights all three of them, and then Steve Williams heads in the ring to offer a hand, and together they clear the ring. Good match, but the finish let the air out a little bit because it really did have all the atmosphere of “This is IT.”
-So after the match, Williams notices that Krusher left without the TV Title medal, so he puts it around his own neck and dares Krusher to come get it, if he ever decides he wants it back.
-The Mr. Wrestlings are here and Mr. Wrestling has straight up raised Boyd Pierce’s closet. They are still demanding action for having their gear stolen by the Rock & Roll Express.
MR. WRESTLING II vs. BIG BOB OWENS
-II slams Owens around but doesn’t even attempt the torture rack, just dropping and big elbow and wrapping it up quickly.
