Mid-South Wrestling (7.21.1984) Review

-Originally aired July 21, 1984.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross & Joel Watts. So back in April they introduced a new set, they used it for two weeks, then they went right back to the usual set, but now they’re on the new set again.

-Bill Watts is at ringside with Magnum TA for a special presentation. Bill Watts feels like the North American Championship needs a belt that matches the prestige of the title itself, so he unveils the new North American Championship belt, and this thing is GIGANTIC. Watts says the belt is 27 pounds, and I honestly believe him. Magnum tries to drape it over his shoulder but it’s so big that he can’t really do that, he has to hold it and flex to keep it from sliding off because it’s so big it just casts a shadow over the shoulder. This belt is MUCH larger than need be; in fact, it’s just plain big.

-Ernie Ladd moseys down to ringside, dressed to wrestle and demanding a match RIGHT NOW, no bullshit about waiting for the end of the show like last time, just get in the ring and wrestle. Magnum isn’t dressed to wrestle and Watts refuses to approve the match.

HERCULES HERNANDEZ (with Jim Cornette) vs. JOSH STROUD
-Slams and elbows by Hercules, and Hercules finishes with an awful version of the Shiny New Monkey, with Stroud’s arm nowhere near his face, and your commentators are stuck for an explanation of how this hold would even be effective.

NON-TITLE: MIDNIGHT EXPRESS (Tag Team Champions, with Jim Cornette & Hercules Hernandez) vs. THE P.Y.T.s
-PYTs work Condrey’s arm. Eaton tags in but he gets caught and they work his arm too. Austin slams and armdrags Eaton. Condrey comes back in and the Midnights are simply having a bad night, as the PYTs toss him around and go back to the arm. Eaton comes back in and takes another beating. Tag is made behind the back and that finally allows Condrey to sneak in and give Norvell Austin a knee from behind to take over.

-But the advantage ends up being short-lived, as Koko makes the hot tag and cleans house, but the referee gets caught up in all the action, Cornette slips in a tennis racquet shot and knocks Koko kold, and the Midnights get the pin. Short but fun.

-We get a Terry Taylor music video set to “Do You Think I’m Sexy?” but the WWE Network staff has apparently answered “No” and replaced the music.

TV TITLE: TERRY TAYLOR (Champion) vs. PAT ROSE
-Watts goes on a dissertation about the refereeing in the last match and you can tell his dad is coaching him between segments. Taylor monkey flips Rose and follows with a fireman’s carry takedown to work the arm. Five-arm retains, although Taylor still needs to get his medal back.

JUNKYARD DOG & HACKSAW JIM DUGGAN vs. HACKSAW BUTCH REED & “Nature Boy” BUDDY LANDELL
-Faces kick ass as soon as they hit the ring. Battle of the Hacksaws go Duggan’s direction. By the way, Reed’s ridiculous “__TCH REED” tights were finally fixed to say “HACKSAW REED” so that’s one less thing for me to think about.

-Landell refuses to tag in and Reed is clearly already exhausted. Faces double-team Reed. JYD won’t let him fall down, holding him up just for the pleasure of headbutting him over and over and over again. Heels take over and of course Landell eagerly tags in now, with the commentators drawing attention to how Landell will not do ANYTHING until Reed actually accomplishes the hard part. Landell uses the tights to stop Duggan from tagging out and JYD just comes in out of frustration, and we have a brawl as Jim Cornette and Hercules suddenly show up at ringside. Duggan hits the ropes, but Cornette yanks the rope down and Duggan tumbles out to the floor.

-Referee catches it and calls for the DQ, and Sonny King comes flying into view from out of nowhere in a surprisingly great visual and just tackles Herc. Cornette runs for his life back to the locker room and Duggan fetches his 2×4 to clean house, but he gets tripped and drops the 2×4, and Hercules gets his hands on it. Herc drives it into King’s shoulder again and again as Landell & Reed hit a spike piledriver on Duggan, and JYD finally puts an end to this by grabbing his chain, and the heels clear out.

-Back from commercial, Jim Ross announces that the next scheduled match is cancelled. Bill Watts is in the ring where everyone is tending to the injured Sonny King. Hacksaw warns that he, JYD, Terry Taylor, Magnum TA, and Sonny King are going to band together to take care of Cornette, his men, Butch Reed, and Buddy Landell. My god, we are tantalizingly close to War Games being invented three years early, but it wasn’t meant to be.

-Since we can’t get a Fantastics match, they make it up to us with a music video.

-We close the show with Terry Taylor announcing that Mid-South has already booked his matches for the TV Title. He has a rematch scheduled against Krusher Kruschev, but if he wins that one, he promises that he’s going to demand a match with Steve Williams, just to settle this.

8.8

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Didn't even have a chance to stop and take a breath this week.