Taped from Shreveport, LA
Airdate: May 15, 1982 (taped 05/12)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts
Can DiBiase and Ladd overtake the formidable team of Roop and Assassin? Will Olympia survive the challenge of Gang? How will Murdoch handle a bounty match orchestrated by Akbar? Hold onto your britches, ‘cuz this blistering action will knock your socks off.
Opening montage.
According to Pierce, Mid-South President Charlie Le has fined DiBiase $2500 for leaving the broadcast table last week. Watts informs us that, on May 5, Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia captured tag team gold by defeating the Wild Samoans in Jackson, MS.
Match 1: The Grappler versus Coco Samoa
Highlights:
Although Coco flipped over him, Grappler didn’t fall for it and slammed him. He followed with a knee drop but hurt his own knee instead. When he dealt Coco a back elbow, Grappler followed with a double axe handle. He fed Coco a shoulder breaker and a clothesline. As he landed an elbow drop, Grappler got 2. Coco rebounded with a flying head butt, gave Grappler a cross corner whip, but got vaulted shoulder-first into the top turnbuckle. After he buried Coco shoulder-first into the mat, Grappler pinned him at 3:24.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Grappler.
SPOTLIGHT: In the ring, “Precious” Paul Ellering teaches some young children how to perform sit-ups. He calls time-out, while Jesse Barr and Buddy Landel place a bench in the center of the ring. As he sits on the bench, Ellering performs sit-ups with 135 lbs. of dumbbells on his chest.
Nevertheless, with Ellering flat on the mat, Barr mounts the top turnbuckle and double-stomps Ellering’s abs to test how strong they are. Landel mounts an adjacent top turnbuckle to perform the same trick, but Ellering withstands the punishment. To finish the segment, Ellering flexes his muscles which are quite impressive. It’s no wonder he’d hook himself up with a pair of bodybuilders like the Road Warriors. Cool segment that encourages younger viewers.
Match 2 (non-title): Mid-South Mississippi champion Mr. Olympia versus One Man Gang (w/ General Skandor Akbar)
Highlights:
Gang missed a clothesline, so Olympia jumped on his back to apply a sleeper. As Gang tossed him overhead to escape, he slammed Olympia. Gang dealt him a back elbow, but Olympia gave him a cross corner whip. When he ate knee on his follow-through, Olympia jumped on Gang’s back again. Olympia applied another sleeper, but Gang escaped once again.
After Olympia dropkicked Gang, he got 2. Gang gave Olympia a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through. While Olympia applied a third sleeper, Gang sandwiched him in the corner. Gang missed a 747, so Olympia mounted the top turnbuckle and connected with a missile dropkick. Due to momentum, Gang flew over the top rope to the concrete floor. Wow!
Akbar entered the ring to distract referee Alfred Neely, so Olympia grabbed and belted him. Upon dropkicking Akbar, Olympia fell victim to an elbow drop from Gang. 1-2-3. Gang won at 4:33.
Rating: **
Summary: Olympia gave it everything he had, but Gang had Akbar as an advantage that couldn’t be overcome. One would think this would entitle Gang to a title match, but, according to Cagematch, none would be forthcoming.
Match 3 (bounty): “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch versus Kim Duk (w/ General Skandor Akbar)
Highlights:
For those unaware, Duk was portrayed by Masanori Toguchi who began his career in 1968. Later in his career, Toguchi would portray Tiger Chung Lee in the WWF. To begin the match, Duk cheated worse than the 1951 Kentucky Wildcats, yet Murdoch responded with elbow smashes.
When Watts mentioned that “Dr. Death” Steve Williams from the University of Oklahoma wrestling team will turn pro during the summer, Akbar scampered over to Murdoch’s corner to swipe the entrenching tool. SNEAKY!
He climbed into the ring and tried to hammer Murdoch, but the sheer will of heel miscommunication could not be stopped. As Murdoch clocked Akbar, the entrenching tool flew out of Akbar’s hands. Murdoch retrieved the tool, whacked Duk, and pinned him at 4:23.
Rating: *
Summary: Akbar’s plan to put him back on the shelf backfires as Murdoch survives some heel chicanery and beats them at their own game.
Match 4: “Iron” Mike Sharpe versus Billy Starr
Highlights:
For those unaware, Starr, also known as Hillbilly Festus, had migrated to Mid-South from St. Louis among other places. Sharpe leapfrogged Starr and followed with a pair of dropkicks. As Starr gave Sharpe a cross corner whip, he came up empty on his follow-through. He dealt Starr a back elbow but missed an elbow drop.
When Sharpe backdropped him, he trapped Starr in a bear hug. Starr escaped via knuckle sandwich, attempted a lariat, but ate a shot to the midsection. After Sharpe locked him in a Canadian backbreaker, Starr submitted. Sharpe won at 3:45.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Sharpe.
We revisit last week when DiBiase left the broadcast table to halt vicious heel chicanery at the hands of Akbar, Gang, and Assassin. The Shreveport faithful LOST THEIR DAMN MINDS.
Match 5: The “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd & Ted DiBiase versus Bob Roop & the Assassin
Highlights:
Roop tried to slam him, but Ladd blocked it and force-fed him one for breakfast.
When DiBiase tagged in, Roop unloaded a high knee to him. Ladd tagged in and hip-tossed Roop. As Ladd sandwiched Roop in the babyface corner, DiBiase tagged in and dealt Roop a shot to the midsection. Assassin tagged in and hip-tossed DiBiase. After Assassin dropkicked him, DiBiase blocked a second attempt and hooked a Boston crab.
Assassin escaped but ate a dropkick. While Roop tagged in, DiBiase countered a side head lock with a knee crusher. He trapped Roop in a figure-four leg lock and blocked a counter, yet Assassin baited Ladd into the ring. With referee Alfred Neely distracted, Assassin saved Roop’s bacon. All four wrestlers were in the ring, so Assassin nefariously loaded his mask.
Headbutting Ladd twice, Assassin charged him but ate boot. Referee Alfred Neely became collateral damage and fell to the concrete floor. Meanwhile, DiBiase powerslammed Roop, but Assassin dragged him to the concrete floor. DiBiase blocked a head butt and made Assassin HIT THE POLE. Suddenly, Gang jumped into the ring, but DiBiase whipped him into a tackle by Ladd.
Grappler, donning Assassin’s mask, also jumped into the ring and blasted DiBiase with his loaded boot. How dastardly! 1-2-3. Assassin and Roop won at 4:59.
Rating: ***
Summary: HOT main event with loads of shenanigans ultimately leading to a heel victory.
Match 6: Buddy Landel versus the Turk
Highlights:
For those unaware, the Turk was portrayed by Jacobo Kerszberg. Turk floored him with a forearm shiver, but Landel responded with a cross body block for 2. As Turk delivered a gutwrench suplex, he got 2. Landel hammered Turk with a forearm smash and followed with an atomic drop. When he landed a rather normal elbow drop, Landel got 2.
Landel hip-tossed Turk and caught him with a flying headscissors. After Landel made a second attempt, Turk countered by splitting him in half with a backbreaker for 2. Landel hooked a sunset flip and got 2.
While Landel countered a slam with an inside cradle, he got another 2. Thirty seconds remained, and Landel secured a second inside cradle. Unable to achieve a 3-count, Landel took Turk down to the mat yet again. The time limit expired, and referee Jerry Usher ruled the bout a draw at 3:35.
Rating: **
Summary: Although it was meant to just be time-filler, Landel looked sharp.
Conclusion: Couple the scorching hot main event tag match with the Gang-Olympia encounter, and this episode stands rather tall and strong.
In addition, Murdoch overcame Akbar’s tomfoolery by defeating Duk while Sharpe and Grappler succeeded in their matches. The Ellering footage represents something good for both Mid-South and Ellering during his recovery from knee surgery.
Next week, Ladd and Duk tangle, so a Cat versus a bird should be quite a battle.
Maybe a bit rougher than that, actually.
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for MSW 05-22-82!
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