Taped from Shreveport, LA
Airdate: May 1, 1982 (taped 04/28)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts
How will DiBiase fare against the wily Roop? Will Murdoch conquer Duggan? Plus, JYD and Olympia in tag action! It’s May Day, so belly up to the bar and settle in!
Opening montage.
Earlier, ring announcer Reisor Bowden interviewed General Skandor Akbar with Duggan. Akbar touted Duggan as his newest protégé at the cost of only $1,000! What a bargain!
Prior to the opening bout, Assassin halts Bowden’s progress out of the ring to grab the microphone. He cuts a promo on Ladd while proclaiming that he did it for…THE MONEY!
Match 1: The Assassin versus Tony Torres
Highlights:
The bell rang while Assassin was babbling his greedy garbly-gookie nonsense, so Torres instantly hooked an O’Connor roll and got 2. When he dealt Torres a knee lift, Assassin applied a front face lock, took him down, and got 2. Torres countered another front face lock with an inside cradle, but it was too close to the ropes. As he stymied Torres with another knee lift, Assassin followed with a knee drop for 2. He flattened Torres with a flying head butt, headbutted the grimace right off his face, and pinned him at 1:51.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Assassin.
Match 2: The “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd versus Larry Higgins
Highlights:
Ladd slammed Higgins and applied a bear hug. As he sandwiched Higgins in the corner like Italian beef, Ladd gave him a cross corner whip followed by a kick to the midsection. He headbutted Higgins and unloaded a big boot. When he scored with a leg drop, Ladd pinned Higgins at 1:50.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Ladd.
We revisit the 3/20 episode when Roop not only snaked his way into getting a title match but also wormed Gang and Akbar into helping him rob DiBiase of it.
Match 3 (non-title): Mid-South North American champion Bob Roop versus Ted DiBiase
Highlights:
DiBiase slammed Roop, landed a leg drop, planted an elbow drop, and got 2. When Roop locked a stepover toe hold, DiBiase escaped with a wrist lock. Roop fed him a swinging neckbreaker and snapped DiBiase’s right leg across the apron. OUCH!
As Roop tried to drag him toward the ring post, DiBiase kicked him causing Roop to SPLAT on the concrete floor. Roop attempted a figure-four leg lock, but DiBiase escaped. After he connected with a back elbow, DiBiase knocked Roop silly with an elbow smash. He powerslammed and pinned Roop at 6:59.
Rating: ***
Summary: Just when Roop was getting the upper hand on him, DiBiase applied his scientific know-how and overpowered the champion to earn a title shot. Solid encounter!
After the match, Roop approaches him, but DiBiase demolishes him with his own shoulder breaker and counts his own pin to mimic a title victory. The Shreveport faithful, as you’d expect, LOSES ITS DAMN MIND! Outstanding!
Match 4: “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch versus “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan (w/ General Skandor Akbar)
Highlights:
Duggan ambushed Murdoch upon his entrance and dealt him a hip toss. As he gave Murdoch a cross corner whip, Duggan assumed a three-point stance, charged, but came up empty on his follow-through.
Murdoch attempted to slam Duggan, but Akbar tripped him. SNEAKY! When Duggan missed an elbow drop, Murdoch flattened him with elbows. He dropped Duggan like a bad habit with a brainbuster but sought his entrenchment took from his bag in lieu of pinning him. After he chased Akbar around and into the ring, Murdoch swung at him but missed. Duggan placed a knee into Murdoch’s back and grabbed the tool.
Not like that!
While Duggan swung the tool wildly, Murdoch ducked and ruined Duggan’s weekend with an atomic drop. Akbar climbed into the ring to attain the weapon, but Murdoch kicked him away. Planting Duggan RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES with it, Murdoch pinned him at 4:53. Um, ref?
Rating: **
Summary: I hope you weren’t seeking a wrestling match here like the previous one, because neither guy was going to give it to you. Nevertheless, good psychology and a strong reception from the Shreveport faithful make this effort worthwhile.
Match 5: Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia versus Bob Sweetan & Kelly Wayne
Highlights:
Since I’m watching the non-WWE a.k.a. VHS version, JYD arrived to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen. Olympia leapfrogged Wayne and followed with a hip toss. When Sweetan intervened, he ate a hip toss from Olympia too. JYD tagged in and took Wayne down with a tackle.
As Sweetan tagged in, JYD slammed him. Wayne tagged in but ate a head butt from JYD. After Olympia tagged in, he locked Wayne in a sleeper. Sweetan tried to intervene again, but Olympia hooked him in a sleeper. With all four wrestlers in the ring, JYD clotheslined Wayne. Olympia landed an elbow drop and pinned Wayne at 2:02.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for JYD and Olympia.
Match 6: One Man Gang (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus Coco Samoa
Highlights:
The mismatch in size between the wrestlers for this match was STARK.
As Coco leaped, Gang trapped him in a bear hug. Coco escaped by ringing Gang’s bell, ducked a clothesline, but got nailed in the midsection. When Gang slammed him, he SQUISHED Coco with a 747. 1-2-3. Gang won at 1:56.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Showcase match for Gang.
Match 7: The Grappler versus Buddy Landel
Highlights:
Grappler leveled Landel with a clothesline but missed a diving headbutt. When he hammered Landel in the midsection, Grappler dealt him a double thrust. He silenced Landel with a forearm smash and got 2.
As Landel scored with a cross body block, he got 2. He dropkicked Grappler twice and blasted him in the midsection. After Grappler blocked a suplex, he fed Landel a swinging neckbreaker. 1-2-3. Grappler won at 2:19.
Rating: *
Summary: Grappler’s experience over the young Landel proved to be the difference maker.
Conclusion: If you want scientific wrestling between two guys who are familiar with one another, you’ve got Roop-DiBiase. On the other hand, if you want two guys who could clear a bar with a lights-out brawl, call on Murdoch-Duggan. Although the rest of the episode seemed rushed, this was grade-A quality entertainment.
Next week, JYD defends the Louisiana title against Sweetan! Also, Gang & Assassin square off against Ladd & “Iron’ Mike Sharpe!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for MSW 05-08-82!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).