Mid-South 07-17-82
Taped from Shreveport, LA
Airdate: July 17, 1982 (taped 07/07)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts
Can Roop outwrestle Olympia and become Mississippi champion? How will JYD and Ladd fare against Assassin and Harris? How will DiBiase be involved? Speaking of DiBiase, will Landel find a way to pull an upset by beating him? All this and Duggan too? Read on, RSG-ites!
Opening montage.
Match 1: Grappler versus Colonel Buck Robley
Highlights:
Robley hip-tossed Grappler and thwarted a monkey flip attempt with a knee drop. When Grappler slammed him, he dealt Robley a pair of elbow drops. He fed Robley a back elbow and got 2. As he gave Robley a cross corner whip, Grappler pummeled him. He followed another cross corner whip with a backbreaker for another 2.
After Robley rebounded with an elbow smash, he locked Grappler in a sleeper. Grappler escaped by utilizing the top turnbuckle clotheslining Robley. While Grappler loaded his boot, referee Alfred Neely almost caught him. Robley, meanwhile, adjusted his arm brace and played possum on a Grappler punt attempt. Scoring with a loaded forearm smash, Robley pinned Grappler at 6:51.
Rating: **
Summary: Solid opener as each wrestler went to his bag of tricks, yet Robley succeeded whereas Grappler failed.
Match 2 (non-title): Mid-South North American champion Ted DiBiase versus Buddy Landel
Highlights:
Landel hip-tossed DiBiase but missed an elbow drop. As DiBiase attempted a sunset flip, Landel countered by sitting atop him. Since he’s neither Bret nor Vader, he only got 2. Landel, however, successfully connected with a sunset flip and got another 2. When he hooked an inside cradle, Landel couldn’t get 3. DiBiase rebounded with an elbow smash followed by a back elbow.
After DiBiase landed a knee drop, Landel halted a back drop attempt with a punt. He gave DiBiase a cross corner whip followed by another hip toss. While Landel dropkicked him, DiBiase sought refuge on the concrete floor. Landel brought DiBiase back into the ring the hard way, gave him a cross corner whip, but ate a right cross from the maniacal black glove on his follow-through.
With Landel crashing to the mat, DiBiase planted him with an elbow drop. He powerslammed Landel, crushed his skull with a crazed fist drop, and secured a figure-four leg lock. Due to Landel’s submission, DiBiase won at 4:29.
Rating: ***
Summary: Landel gave DiBiase his money’s worth but fell victim to the diabolical black glove.
Match 3: “Iron” Mike Sharpe versus Bill Ash
Highlights:
Sharpe bounced Ash from pillar to post before backdropping him. When he locked Ash in a Canadian backbreaker, Sharpe won by submission at 1:24.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Powerful showcase match for Sharpe.
Match 4: Killer Khan & One Man Gang (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus Cocoa Samoa & Vinnie Romeo
Highlights:
The heels took turns dominating Romeo, yet Coco tagged in. As Coco dropkicked him, Khan reversed a cross corner whip. Coco leaped to the second turnbuckle, but Khan swatted him like a fly during a cross body block attempt. When he mounted the second turnbuckle, Khan buried Coco with a flying knee drop. 1-2-3. Khan and Gang won at 2:37.
Rating: ½*
Summary: Pure destruction by the heels.
Match 5 for the Mid-South Mississippi title: Mr. Olympia (champion) versus Bob Roop
Highlights:
A criss-cross ensued, and each wrestler blocked a hip toss attempt. When Olympia hooked a backslide, he got 2. Roop demolished him with a back elbow but got kicked out of the ring during a rope-assisted knee drop attempt. As Roop attempted a slam, Olympia countered with a sunset flip for 2. The match segued to the floor, yet Olympia returned only to catch Roop with a tope suicida. Spectacular!
Back in the ring, Olympia hooked an inside cradle but only got 1. Roop responded with a high knee, pounded Olympia, and got 2. After he blasted Roop in the midsection, Olympia trapped Roop in a sleeper. Roop countered with a sidewalk slam and applied his own sleeper. While Olympia escaped, Roop reapplied it. Olympia escaped again via the ropes and caught Roop with another sleeper.
Avoiding Roop’s counter, Olympia sent him reeling before locking it in once more. Roop took an un; thus, Olympia retained at 7:09.
Rating: ****
Summary: Back and forth counter-wrestling as Roop did everything he could to try to capture the belt, yet Olympia remained one step ahead of him. Great match!
Match 6: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan versus Mike Bond
Highlights:
Duggan hip-tossed Bond but missed a knee drop. As he dealt Bond a swinging neckbreaker, Duggan got 2. He planted Bond with a back elbow, landed a knee drop, and picked him up at 2. When he slammed Bond, Duggan missed an elbow drop. Bond leapfrogged Duggan but got steamrolled. After he sandwiched Bond in the corner, Duggan split him in two with a backbreaker. 1-2-3. Duggan won at 3:04.
Rating: DUD
Summary: Bond had better get the license plate of the truck that ran over him.
Match 7: The “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd & Junkyard Dog versus Assassin & Hangman Harris
Highlights:
Prior to the bell, DiBiase took a seat in the heels’ corner. JYD blocked a hip toss attempt and dealt Assassin one of his own. When Harris tagged in, he got mauled by both JYD and Ladd. Unbeknownst to JYD, Harris tagged out yet fell victim to a bear hug. Assassin cleverly loaded his mask and headbutted JYD in the back of the head. SNEAKY!
As JYD fell to the concrete floor, Ladd exchanged fisticuffs with Harris. DiBiase, in the meantime, badmouthed JYD like he’s owed money. After referee Alfred Neely got knocked to the concrete floor, JYD took one look at DiBiase and socked him into the middle of 1986.
JYD climbed back into the ring, blocked a second shot with the loaded mask by Assassin, whipped him into the corner, and smacked him silly into the top turnbuckle. While DiBiase jumped into the ring with a chair, he WHACKED JYD with it. How dastardly!
Ladd creamed DiBiase into Omaha stew and sent the chair halfway to Lake Charles. Suddenly, Grappler, wearing a mask like Assassin’s, stormed the ring and loaded his boot. JYD avoided a dropkick by Grappler, brought Assassin back into the ring the hard way, pounded on the heels, and ultimately powerslammed Grappler. In the nick of time, Neely returned to the ring. 1-2-3. JYD and Ladd won at 2:45.
Rating: ***
Summary: Wow! Absolute mayhem with six wrestlers involved in fast-paced action. Awesome main event, RSG-ites!
After the match, JYD and Ladd approach the broadcast table. An incredulous Ladd showcases the broken steel chair while JYD cuts an angry promo on DiBiase.
Conclusion: Unquestionably, one of the most SIZZLING hot episodes thus far in 1982.
DiBiase’s inserting himself into the main event mix just to antagonize and get his EVIL hands on JYD made for great wrestling TV. Also, Roop and Olympia were like soup and sandwich as they made counter-wrestling very entertaining. Lastly, you can see a glimmer of brightness shine in Landel as he took DiBiase as well as he could before falling short.
In two weeks, Khan defends the Louisiana title against Sharpe while Assassin and Robley collide!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for MSW 07-31-82!
Comments? Suggestions? Send them to me at rsg@rockstargary.com and follow me on Twitter (@rockstargary202).