The Name on the Marquee: Smoky Mountain Wrestling (12.10.1994)

-Originally aired December 10, 1994.

-Your hosts are Jim Ross and Les Thatcher.

BRUISER BEDLAM (with Jim Cornette) vs GEORGE SOUTH
-Bedlam charges and South ducks, causing him to crash into the corner. South follows with a dropkick and it looks like South might be due for a miracle, but Bedlam turns the tide with a suplex. Cornette taunts South for a moment and we need to stop this TV taping for a minute or two because one of the posts isn’t fully upright and it’s really worrying and distracting.

-Diving headbutt to the ribs looks like it could finish, but Bruiser wants to beat on South some more. Running powerslam could finish too, but instead, it’s a stomach claw, and Bedlam takes the win by submission.

-Jim Ross is here with Bryant Anderson and scolds the youngster for his reprehensible behavior in the submission exhibition.

-Tracy Smothers offers pre-taped words, sounding like he’s still in a lot of pain. Physical therapy is hell for him, but he’s coming back, Bryant.

-Bryant is remorseless, and he’s ready for Tracy any time he’s ready to come back.

BEAT THE CHAMP TV TITLE: “Prime Time” BRIAN LEE vs THE NIGHTMARE
-Last week’s match didn’t end with a pinfall or submission, so this is another match to try to fill the vacant title.

-Shoulderblock by Lee. He goes for a splash, causing The Nightmare to raise a knee as a block, which JR cites as more evidence that The Nightmare is a veteran wrestler, whoever he is. Nightmare with a series of punches and kicks, in veteranly style. Nightmare just dominates, slamming Brian Lee to the mat, but then making the classic SMW jobber mistake of climbing the ropes. Lee slams him off and then slams him again. Knee frop the top rope gets three, and Brian Lee is YOUR new TV Champion.

-SMW Director of something-or-other Ron West is here. They still don’t know who this mystery #1 contender, but he warns that California sports agent (I love how that’s their entire tack for heel heat in the south—LOL, CALIFORNIA, AMIRITE?) that whoever this guy is, he has to come in and get a few wins over a few jobbers before getting a title shot. DWB says that after fighting Terry Gordy and Jake Roberts in the past year, he figures this mystery man can’t be a tougher opponent than those guys, so West agrees and allows the title match.

-A camera crew was dispatched to watch a strategy session between Jim Cornette and the Rock & Roll Express. It’s not going well, as the Express basically is refusing to cheat and Cornette points out that they’ve lost every belt they’ve ever held because of Cornette’s tactics, and they damn sure aren’t the champions now.

-The busiest cameraman in the business is now with Chris Candido and Tammy Fytch. Since winter’s coming, Boo Bradley longer has to live outside. He’s living in the boiler room of Chris’ apartment complex. Tammy confiscates Boo’s kitty cat, promising to return Boots if Boo Bradley can win his match at Christmas Chaos.

-Cactus Jack says that his sense of humor is gone. He feels a scary hatred in himself AND in his friend Brian Lee.

SMW TAG TEAM TITLE: DA GANGSTAS (Champions, with D-Lo Brown) vs. SCOTT & STEVE ARMSTRONG
-Mustafa hammers Scott, which surprises the commentators because New Jack usually starts, so it looks like Da Gangstas have started mixing up their strategies. Armstrongs use double-teams to take control. Turnabout’s fair play and Da Gangstas go to work on Steve. Steve springs up and applies the lion tamer out of nowhere. New Jack survives, but the Armstrongs start tagging quickly and working the arm.

-Mustafa tags in and they have a really clumsy sequence involving an attempted half-crab and an attempted roll-up. Even New Jack’s cheating from the apron looks really crappy, as he misses Scott’s head by a foot and JR has to talk about how “he ducked.” Referee gets distracted and Scott gets tossed over the top rope. D-Lo goes to work while the referee is looking away.

-Gangstas cut the ring in half, which is the safest cutting you can ask of New Jack. Gangstas try to finish with a rocket launcher, but New Jack crashes and we have a hot tag. Referee gets distracted again while Steve connects with a top rope clothesline. Visual three-count, but Mustafa knocks him out with a billy club and New Jack rolls over to get the pin and retain.

-Da Gangstas say the Express is crazy for turning to a hated enemy to manage them; not to mention a hated enemy who has his own stable, so basically, the Rock & Rolls have elected to SURROUND themselves with enemies going into a title match.

6.3

The final score: review Average

The 411

Out of the ring stuff was more fun than the action in the ring this week. Jim Cornette was just crazy good at building intrigue for "mystery opponents," and the Cornette/Rock & Roll alignment is a stroke of genius.