Mid-South Wrestling January 30, 1982

by

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Airdate: January 30, 1982 (taped 01/20)

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts

Can Wiskowski capture the Mississippi title, or will Olympia find a way to retain? What happens when DiBiase confronts Roop? How will JYD and George fare against Orton and Orndorff? Grab your things, ‘cuz this train’s leaving the station!

Opening montage.

Match 1: “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch versus Tom Renesto

Highlights:

  • Murdoch leapfrogged Renesto and fed him a flying headscissors.
  • When he dropkicked Renesto, Murdoch connected with a back elbow.
  • He demolished Renesto with a brainbuster and pinned him at 2:52.

Rating: DUD

Summary: Showcase match for Murdoch.

Backstage, Reisor Bowden interviews General Skandor Akbar who’s upset about Iron Sheik’s absence and blames the babyfaces.

Match 2: The Wild Samoans (w/ Ernie Ladd) versus Terry Daniels & Frank Monte

Highlights:

  • The Samoans ambushed their opposition, and Afa connected with a back elbow to Daniels.
  • As Sika clotheslined Monte, he chopped Daniels in half.
  • Afa tagged in and dealt Daniels a Samoan drop.
  • When Sika tagged in, he mounted the second turnbuckle and scored with a flying head butt.
  • The Wild Samoans won at 1:27.

Rating: ½*

Summary: Showcase match for the Wild Samoans.

Match 3: B. Brian Blair versus Carlos Zapata

Highlights:

  • Blair countered a slam attempt with an inside cradle and got 1.
  • When he fed Zapata a sunset flip, Blair got 2.
  • He slammed Zapata, hooked an O’Connor roll, and earned another 2-count.
  • As he flattened Zapata with a pair of forearm smashes, Blair couldn’t get 3.
  • Zapata countered a side head lock with a belly-to-back suplex.
  • After Blair gave him a cross corner whip, he planted Zapata with his own belly-to-back suplex.
  • He hooked an abdominal stretch, took Zapata down, and pinned him at 3:34.

Rating: *

Summary: Showcase match for Blair.

Match 4 (non-title): NWA Mid-South tag team champions Junkyard Dog & Mike George versus “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff & Bob Orton

Highlights:

  • The brawl began before the bell, and the babyfaces conducted a meeting of the minds between Orndorff and Orton.
  • As George fed Orndorff an atomic drop, JYD sent Orton reeling over the top rope to the concrete floor.
  • Orndorff returned, but JYD reversed a cross corner whip and unleashed a flying head butt.
  • When Orton replaced Orndorff, JYD headbutted him too.
  • George tagged in, gave Orton a HARD cross corner whip, and conducted another meeting of the minds between the heels.
  • After JYD tagged in, he delivered a fist drop to Orton.
  • Speaking of Orton, he mounted the second turnbuckle and pounded JYD.
  • Orndorff tagged in and hit a lariat.
  • While George tagged in, he slammed Orndorff.
  • Orton tagged in, and the heels double-clotheslined George.
  • Splashing George, Orton got 2.
  • JYD distracted referee Al Neely, but George blasted Orton with a forearm smash.
  • Tagging in, JYD gave Orton a cross corner whip and nailed an incoming Orndorff.
  • He conducted yet another meeting of the minds including himself this time.
  • With all four wrestlers in the ring, the heels rammed the babyfaces together much to the dismay of the Shreveport faithful.
  • The heels double-slammed JYD, and Orton mounted the second turnbuckle.
  • Combined with Orndorff’s cross corner whip, George ate a flying knee to the face.
  • Orndorff grabbed JYD from behind while Orton mounted the top turnbuckle.
  • Instead of hitting JYD, Orton inadvertently hammered Orton with a flying elbow smash.
  • JYD headbutted Orton and followed with a powerslam.
  • 1-2-3.
  • JYD and George won at 6:07.

Rating: ***½

Summary: Flaming hot match with JYD as a massive superstar beating the dastardly heels at their own game.

Match 5 for the NWA Mississippi title: Mr. Olympia (champion) versus the “Polish Prince” Ed Wiskowski

Highlights:

  • Wiskowski slammed Olympia but ate a mule kick.
  • When Olympia slammed him, Wiskowski rolled him up for 2.
  • He countered a side head lock with a suplex into the top turnbuckle. OUCH!
  • As he hip-tossed Olympia, Wiskowski got 2.
  • Olympia countered a second hip toss with a backslide and got 2.
  • After Wiskowski applied an abdominal stretch, Olympia escaped via hip toss.
  • Wiskowski reapplied the hold and hooked the trunks behind referee Jack Howe’s back. SNEAKY!
  • While Olympia escaped via hip toss again, he reversed an Irish whip, used momentum to overtake a cross body block, and got 2.
  • He dropkicked Wiskowski but missed a second attempt.
  • Trapped in a Boston crab, Olympia powered out to escape.
  • Wiskowski attempted his finisher—the backbreaker—but Olympia escaped again.
  • Hammering Wiskowski in the midsection, Olympia hooked a sleeper.
  • Wiskowski passed out; thus, Olympia retained at 5:15.

Rating: ***

Summary: Solid match where Wiskowski made Olympia look golden.

We revisit three weeks ago as Orndorff challenged DiBiase for the North American title with the DQ rule waived. DiBiase connects with a flying elbow smash from the second turnbuckle and locks the figure-four leg lock on Orndorff while Roop stands at ringside.

As Orndorff counters, DiBiase refuses to submit. Instead, DiBiase counters the counter until both wrestlers spill under the bottom rope to the concrete floor. Roop tosses Orndorff back into the ring despite Neely’s objection. When they return to the ring, DiBiase mistakenly bumps Neely to the concrete floor.

After Orndorff hooks a figure-four leg lock on DiBiase, Dick Murdoch approaches ringside to check on Neely. DiBiase counters the hold, but Roop mounts the top turnbuckle and clobbers him with a flying knee to the back. While Murdoch enters the ring, he sends Roop reeling back to the locker room.

Orndorff makes a cover, and Neely crawls back into the ring. 1-2-3. WE HAVE A NEW CHAMPION!

Murdoch converses with Neely, yet DiBiase catches Orndorff with an O’Connor roll. Orndorff CROWNS DiBiase with the belt, and Neely calls for the bell again. Since Neely has seen Orndorff’s shenanigans with the belt, he reverses the decision.

When we return, Orndorff enters the ring wearing a striped shirt. He claims bias by the referees and has been “cleared by Mid-South to referee this match.” Uh huh. Sure. Nonetheless, Neely goes to verify Orndorff’s claim, so Orndorff wants to start the match. When DiBiase objects, Orndorff threatens to suspend him.

DiBiase tries to leave, so Orndorff stops him. As you’d expect, DiBiase nails him. Roop jumps DiBiase from behind, and the heels double-team him. How dastardly! They dispose of DiBiase, but Murdoch arrives. Unfortunately for him, he’s outnumbered too. After DiBiase returns to even the odds, the babyfaces chase off Orndorff and Roop much to the delight of the Shreveport faithful.

Match 6 (non-title): NWA North American champion Ted DiBiase versus Bob Roop

Highlights:

  • No match.

Rating: NONE

REAL Match 6: Bill Ash versus Rick Ferrera

Highlights:

  • Ferrera slammed Ash and got 1.
  • When he hooked an inside cradle, Ferrara got another 1.
  • He dealt Ash a back elbow as the episode left the air.

Rating: NONE

Summary: Just time-filler.

Conclusion: Another blockbuster edition as the tag champs triumph over Orton and Orndorff while Olympia finds a way to overcome Wiskowski. In addition, DiBiase and Murdoch combine their forces to overcome the evil that is Roop and Orndorff. Since we missed the episode containing the DiBiase-Orndorff match, it’s great to witness its impact on the North American title. Thus far, this territory impresses me beyond belief, so you should see it for yourself.

Next week, JYD and George defend the Mid-South tag titles against the Wild Samoans!

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for MSW 02-06-82!

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