Mid-South Wrestling (6.18.1983) Review

-Originally aired June 18, 1983.

-Your hosts are Boyd Pierce and Bill Watts.

MR. WRESTLING II vs. DENNY ALBERTS
-Bill acknowledges the new referee that I mentioned last week, identifying him as Joel Armstrong. Turns out it’s Joel Watts, the man that introduced his dad to music videos. In light of everything we’ve endured learning about Fritz Von Erich over the years, my hat’s off to Bill for actually just allowing his son to pursue refereeing and video editing instead.

-II gets good and fired up about something and seems to potato Alberts at one point. Backdrop by II. II takes some awful bumps into the corner, and II has just had enough and puts him away with a kneelift.

TITO SANTANA vs. KING KONG BUNDY
-They battle for a top wristlock and Bundy keeps shoving him down. Watts lays out the story of the match, noting that Tito finishes matches with a leglock, but he can only do that with his opponent down, and how is he ever going to get Bundy on the mat? Well, for starts, he avoids a corner charge and Tito applies a side headlock. Bundy has a fresh nick from blading recently on his forehead, and he ends up bleeding hardway from it and kind of makes Tito look like a badass. Tito works it into the match, targeting the wound with a forearm and dropkicking Bundy.

-Tito gets greedy, though, going for a slam and just getting his back hammered instead. Tito dodges an attempted dropkick and throws right hands, but Bundy puts him down with a “massive ham.” Bill Watts is referring to Bundy’s fist, but I think there’s potential for a gimmick a la a 2×4 or nightstick and Bill Watts just didn’t think to pursue it.

-Big splash by Bundy misses, so now, yup, Bundy’s on the mat. Tito drops a series of elbows instead of going for the leg, and Bundy powers out and returns to his feet.. And then Tito shocks the crowd by just taking Bundy’s leg out like it’s no thing and doing a stepover toehold. Bundy kicks him away and gets back to his feet but Tito just keeps coming at him.

-Bundy leans against the ropes and Tito charges after him. Bundy ducks, but doesn’t duck low enough, so Tito just grazes him then slumps on the mat. Bill Watts falling silent and the wrestlers having a conversation right on camera kind of tips that that was supposed to be the finish, so they trade punches, and wouldn’t you know it, Bundy slumps against the ropes again and Tito again charges, and this time Bundy hoists him over the top and Tito crashes to the floor. Bundy loses by DQ and attacks Tito on the floor after the bell. Botched finish didn’t hurt it too severely, they told a really engaging story and Tito looked like a rare threat to Bundy.

-We flash back to Butch Reed’s long, rambling heel turn from last week.

-We go to a video package produced in Houston, highlighting JYD’s matches there. Judging fromt he voiceover, Houston TV editors didn’t know about audio modulation yet. The voiceover guy sounds like he’s yelling into a telephone.

HACKSAW BUTCH REED vs. TIM HORNER
-Horner offers a handshake, and when Butch won’t reciprocate it, Horner just goes nuts on him with rapid fire punches. Reed gives it right back and stunguns him. Horner hangs in there and whips Reed, but misses a corner charge, just crashing full-force and getting the wind knocked out him. Backdrop by Reed, followed by a big press slam. Flying tackle, and Horner just lies motionless, a defeated man. But Reed is evil now, so he just gives Horner one more press slam to make a point, and Horner twitches while getting pinned to end it.

MR. OLYMPIA & BORIS ZHURKOV (Tag Team Champions, with Skandar Akbar) vs. ART CREWS & GEOREGE WEINGROFF
-Buddy Nichols of KALB sits in for commentary. Weingroff gets the early edge with a backdrop. Crews tags in and takes on both heels. Crews has Boris caught in an armbar. Weingroff comes in to apply his own but Boris fights it off. Crews tags in and makes something of a comeback for his team. Crews is being portrayed as the clear star of the team and the champs look overwhelmed until the pier sixer erupts. Olympia loads his boot, and a dropkick knocks Crews cold for a three-count.

MAGNUM T.A. vs. RIP ROGERS
-Buddy remains on commentary. I’m kind of intrigued by him because Bill Watts was clearly high on him, but the man defies all attempts at Googling and finding out whatever became of him.

-Hiptoss and a backdrop by TA. Rogers fights back but runs into an elbow. Atomic drop finishes as Magnum wins a noticeably shorter match than his last one.

-Mil Mascaras is scheduled for next week’s episode, so we close out the show with clips of a Mascaras/Black Ninja match from Houston.

7.7

The final score: review Good

The 411

Tito vs. Bundy was a heck of a feature, and Butch Reed is starting to break through! Good week.