Taped from Shreveport, LA
Airdate: July 3, 1982 (taped 06/23)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts
Another battle of giants! Who will become the conqueror? Can Grappler snag the Mississippi title from Olympia? Will JYD rebound against the wily Roop? Plus, DiBiase, Duggan, and that dadgum Robley!
Opening montage.
Match 1: “Iron” Mike Sharpe & Jesse Barr versus Jeff Sword & Doug Vines
Highlights:
Barr, feeling especially funky, attempted an O’Connor roll on Sword, but Vines tagged in and hammered him. When Vines dealt Barr a back elbow, Sword tagged in, mounted the second turnbuckle, and launched a flying right cross. He split Barr in two with a backbreaker and tagged out. As Barr blocked a vertical suplex, he fed one of his own to Vines. Sharpe tagged in, slammed Vines twice, and hooked a Canadian backbreaker. After Vines submitted, Sharpe and Barr won at 3:45.
Rating: *
Summary: This type of match is normally reserved for the end of the episodes to fill time.
We revisit the 6/19 episode with a promo with Ted DiBiase and his mysterious glove. Afterward, we revisit last week when DiBiase used said glove to steal the North American title.
Match 2 (non-title): Mid-South North American champion Ted DiBiase versus Tom Jones
Highlights:
DiBiase blocked a hip toss and unfurled one of his own. As he hooked a sunset flip, DiBiase got 2. Jones evaded a dropkick, slammed DiBiase, and got 2. When DiBiase gave Jones a cross corner whip, he followed with a back elbow. He slammed Jones and gave him another cross corner whip. After Jones blasted him with a forearm shiver, he headbutted DiBiase twice. DiBiase recovered a foreign object from his trunks, reversed an Irish whip, and destroyed Jones with a right cross. While he piledrove Jones, DiBiase pinned Jones at 3:57.
Rating: **
Summary: Jones came to fight, but DiBiase used his newly found evil ways to conquer him.
Match 3 to become #1 contender to the Mid-South North American title: Junkyard Dog versus Bob Roop
Highlights:
They played a bit of cat versus mouse until JYD clotheslined Roop. When he leveled Roop, JYD headbutted him into the middle of 1985. He unloaded a right that a young Mike Tyson would emulate in the coming years. As Roop attempted a hip toss, JYD blocked it and supplied one of his own. He nailed Roop in the midsection and followed with a powerslam. 1-2-3. JYD won at 1:38.
Rating: **
Summary: JYD wasted no time whatsoever annihilating the former North American champion.
Match 4 for the Mid-South Mississippi title: Mr. Olympia (champion) versus the Grappler
Highlights:
Olympia leapfrogged Grappler and followed with a dropkick. As Grappler flapjacked him, he slammed Olympia. He dealt Olympia a knee drop but only got 1. When he split Olympia in two with a backbreaker, Grappler got 2. He slammed Olympia again, landed another knee drop, but couldn’t get 3 due to a foot on the bottom rope. After Grappler applied a bear hug, Olympia escaped, hooked a sunset flip, but only got 1.
He thwarted Grappler’s efforts to unmask him, fed Grappler a shot to the midsection, dropkicked him, and tried to reveal Grappler’s ugly mug to no avail. While Grappler gave him a cross corner whip, Olympia leaped to the second turnbuckle, attempted a cross body block, but there wasn’t any water in the pool. Grappler loaded the boot behind referee Rick Ferrara’s back and tried to stomp a Mississippi mudhole into Olympia.
Instead, Olympia eluded Grappler’s nefariousness and locked a sleeper. Grappler tried to escape, but Olympia unlocked the hold, pushed him into the corner, and rolled him up. 1-2-3. Olympia retained at 5:00.
Rating: ***
Summary: Since you can’t or shouldn’t tell the same story twice, Grappler’s shenanigans didn’t help him to capture the title. On the other hand, Olympia’s agility allowed him to survive the onslaught and overtake his fellow masked opponent.
Match 5: Killer Khan (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus the “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd
Highlights:
Ladd delivered a big boot to Khan knocking referee Alfred Neely to the concrete floor. When Ladd attempted a leg drop, Khan skedaddled to the concrete floor. Akbar jumped onto the apron and held a steel chair. As Ladd reversed a cross corner whip, Khan hit the chair back-first. Ladd unceremoniously brought Akbar into the ring and smacked him with a big boot.
After Khan grabbed the chair, he WALLOPED Ladd with it. How dastardly! Khan stymied Ladd with a thrust kick, mounted the second turnbuckle, and launched a flying knee drop. 1-2-3. Khan won at 4:20.
Rating: *
Summary: Heel chicanery got the better of Ladd here as Khan’s wickedness prevailed.
Match 6: Hangman Harris versus Colonel Buck Robley
Highlights:
Harris fed Robley a swinging neckbreaker and got 2. As Harris applied a hangman’s noose, Robley flipped out of it and demolished him with his arm brace. He landed an elbow drop and pinned Harris at 4:10.
Rating: **
Summary: Lots of psychology in the beginning before Robley used what he had on him to put Harris down.
Match 7: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan versus Frank Monte
Highlights:
This match occurred on 5/28 in Houston, TX and was joined in progress. When Duggan scored with a back elbow, he planted Monte with a vicious shoulder breaker for 2. Monte thwarted a back drop attempt and hip-tossed Duggan. As he gave Duggan a cross corner whip, Monte ate knee on his follow-through. Duggan gave him a cross corner whip, but Monte leaped to the second turnbuckle. After Monte attempted a cross body block, Duggan caught, sandwiched, and split Monte in two with a backbreaker. 1-2-3. Duggan won at 1:55 shown.
Rating: *
Summary: Abbreviated showcase match for Duggan to end the episode.
Conclusion: Copious amounts of subterfuge transpired that resulted in two heel victories (Khan, DiBiase) and one defeat albeit with significant effort (Grappler).
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Roop getting decimated by JYD so quickly that JYD’s post-match meal hadn’t finished cooking in the microwave.
Next week, Ladd and Robley battle Roop and Harris! Plus, the return of “Precious” Paul Ellering!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for MSW 07-10-82!
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