Mid-South Wrestling (5.14.1983) Review

-WWE Network has the “most complete form possible” warning, so we’re only going to see a really, really awesome episode, instead of Mid-South’s usually really, really, really awesome episodes.

-Originally aired May 14, 1983.

-We recap all the clothes-tearing and outside interference that’s been going on these past few weeks. Mid-South is gonna do something about it too. As a result of the 30-second match between Duggan and the Black Ninja last week, there’s going to be a return match this week, and this time it’s a lumberjack match.

-Oh, the Chavo Guerrero thing! We have footage this week! Chavo Guerrero is in the ring in Houston. On the other side of the ring are King Kong Bundy, Ted DiBiase, and Mr. Olympia. Boyd Pierce announces a fan vote to determine which opponent Chavo will face. DiBiase grabs the house mic and cuts a heated promo to whip up the crowd, so they vote DiBiase.

-Mr. Olympia gets in Chavo’s face as he gets out of the ring, and Chavo gives him a hard shove. It turns into a brawl, and DiBiase pulls out the loaded glove and knocks him out. Chavo is busted open, and DiBiase and Olympia follow it with TWO spike piledrivers and leave Chavo for dead. Boyd and Bill agree that it looks bad for Hacksaw Duggan now that they know these guys would stoop to that. Booking wrestling really isn’t that difficult, is it?

MR. OLYMPIA & TED DIBIASE (Tag Team Champions, with Skandar Akbar) vs. ART CREWS & JERRY CALDWELL
-DiBiase hammers on Crews and slams him for one. Olympia heads in and slams him for another one count. Crews deflects an attempted backdrop and gets out of there, and Caldwell pays for it with a fistdrop and a dropkick from Olympia. Crews tags back in and dropkicks Olympia. DiBiase tags in and hits a clothesline suitable for framing. Crews gets out again and DiBiase is all over him with forearms. Caldwell heads in one more time and falls victim to a powerslam from DiBiase for three.

LUMBERJACK MATCH: HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. BLACK NINJA (with Skandar Akbar)
-Mid-South has dispatched only the finest goony-looking jobbers to surround the ring for this one, although Butcher Vachon has unexpecedly arrived in the territory and he’s out there too.

-Duggan attacks and keeps tossing Ninja to the floor just to make the guys throw him back in again. Akbar runs over to Butcher Vachon and whispers something in his ear, then abruptly leaves ringside. Bill Watts says that, gee come to think of it, he has no idea why Vachon is here. So Duggan hits the ropes for an attempted clothesline, but Vachon trips him and drags him out of the ring. Duggan trades punches with Butcher until the lumberjacks separate them and shove Duggan back in there.

-Duggan keeps bringing the fight to Ninja, and the three-point stance and quote-unquote spear finish. Duggan squashed him! And that’s it for the entire segment!

-Mr. Wrestling II is at the commentary table to voice some stern, Shatnerly-inflected words about his disapproval for wrestlers who depend on outside interference to win matches. Case in point, Bundy got a tainted victory over him recently because of the shenanigans of Mr. Olympia. II is coming for both of them, for the outside interference and for the threatening mail that compelled II to come for Olympia previously.

SUPER DESTROYER vs. RON ELLIS
-Side headlock and punches by Destroyer, and that’s pretty much the entire moveset. Big boot and a superplex finish it.

BUTCHER VACHON vs. TONY TORRES
-Snapmare and slugging from Vachon and oh, apparently Freebirds/Von Erichs will be NEXT week. After I changed my weekend plans in 1983 and everything. Honestly though, this feels like a dick move on somebody’s part. Hangman gets the submission.

JOHNNY RICH & TIM HORNER vs. TONY ZANE & RIP ROGERS
-Horner and Rogers start. Watts touts it as future stars all looking for a chance to break through. Rogers is already on point with his bumping and selling for Horner’s offense. Everybody tags and Rich & Zane trade arm wringers. Everybody tags again while Watts mentions that Zane has an unbeaten record so far in his career. Woah. Horner backdrops Rogers for a two-count. Zane tags back in and has a fist fight with Rich. Horner tags in and dropkicks Zane for a close two-count. Rogers heads back in as the TV time runs out, so Zane’s legendary streak lives for another week, I guess.

6.1

The final score: review Average

The 411

Started off good but went over a cliff in the 2nd half.