Mid-South Wrestling April 10, 1982

by

Taped from Shreveport, LA

Airdate: April 10, 1982 (taped 03/31)

Attendance: unknown

Hosted by Boyd Pierce & “Cowboy” Bill Watts

Who is Ladd’s mystery partner? Will Coco upset Blanchard? Can Barr upset Roop? And how will JYD fare against some guy named Ferris?

Opening montage.

We revisit the 2/3 episode when Gang and the Samoans injured Ernie Ladd putting him on the shelf. Next, we revisit the Samoans injuring Mike George en route to winning the tag titles.

Match 1: One Man Gang (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus Mike Boyer

Highlights:

  • Boyer attempted both a flying shoulder block and dropkick but couldn’t take Gang off his feet.
  • When Gang employed a standing choke, he backdropped Boyer.
  • He slammed Boyer and SQUISHED him with a splash.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Gang won at 1:33.

Rating: DUD

Summary: Showcase match for Gang.

Prior to the next match, Akbar interrupts ring announcer Reisor Bowden by demanding to know the identity of Ladd’s mystery partner.

Match 2 (non-title): Mid-South tag team champions the Wild Samoans (w/ General Skandor Akbar) versus “Iron” Mike Sharpe & Buddy Landel

Highlights:

  • Watts listed a litany of places that Mid-South would host shows, and you’d think these guys would get gas money on top of their payouts with the miles between them. For example, the distance between Tulsa, OK and New Orleans, LA is 655 miles. That’s a full day of driving for some folks.
  • As Sharpe gave Sika a cross corner whip, tags were exchanged on both sides.
  • Afa bounced Landel’s head off Sika and tagged out.
  • When Sharpe tagged in, Sika stormed into the ring only for Sharpe to conduct a meeting of the minds.
  • He gave Afa a pair of cross corner whips but came up empty on his follow-through.
  • After the Shreveport faithful chanted “go, Mike, go,” Sharpe trapped Afa in a bear hug.
  • Tags were exchanged on both sides again, and Landel dropkicked Sika.
  • While Landel missed a second dropkick, he ducked a clothesline from Sika.
  • Afa clotheslined Landel from the apron, yet, in the meantime, Sika distracted referee Alfred Neely. SNEAKY!
  • Dumping Landel with a Samoan drop, Sika pinned him at 5:47.

Rating: **

Summary: Showcase match for the tag champs as they gave Sharpe and Landel a fighter’s chance before employing chicanery to win.

In the ring, Bowden interviews Ladd who instantly gets interrupted by Akbar. Ladd clobbers Akbar, but the Samoans intervene on behalf of their manager. Accompanying Ladd against the Samoans, a masked man backdrops Sika. Watts namedrops him as the Assassin while Ladd and the new guy clean house much to the delight of the Shreveport faithful.

POINT OF ORDER: The Assassin was portrayed by Jody Hamilton—father to future referee Nick Patrick.

Bowden joins Ladd and Assassin in the ring to interview them, and Ladd yells and screams like he’s ingested a pot of coffee. Assassin adds his $.02.

Match 3: Tully Blanchard versus Coco Samoa

Highlights:

  • Coco dealt him a flying headscissors, but Blanchard responded with a slam.
  • When Blanchard landed an elbow drop, he followed with a back elbow.
  • He split Coco in two with a backbreaker and got 2.
  • As Blanchard used momentum and the trunks to send him to the concrete floor, Coco returned to the apron and scored with a shot to the midsection.
  • He launched a springboard sunset flip and got 2.
  • After Blanchard rebounded with a stungun, he suplexed Coco.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Blanchard won at 5:08.

Rating: ***

Summary: You didn’t see springboard maneuvers in 1982, folks. Coco and Blanchard fought a fierce five minutes, and everyone got their money’s worth.

Match 4 (non-title): Mid-South Louisiana champion Junkyard Dog versus Wayne Ferris

Highlights:

  • The Shreveport faithful chanted “J-Y-D,” and their hero reversed a cross corner whip.
  • As Ferris took advantage of referee Alfred Neely’s admonishment of JYD with a mule kick, he mounted the second turnbuckle and planted him with a flying elbow drop for 2.
  • JYD no-sold some shots and demolished Ferris with a forearm smash.
  • When he powerslammed Ferris, JYD pinned him at 3:08.

Rating: **

Summary: Showcase match for JYD, but Ferris hung in there.

Match 5 (non-title): Mid-South North American champion Bob Roop versus Jesse Barr

Highlights:

  • Barr snuck in a rapid belly-to-belly suplex and schooled Roop with some strong amateur moves.
  • When Roop attempted a monkey flip, Barr evaded him and collected a series of 2-counts.
  • Roop responded with a backbreaker and got 2.
  • As Roop hooked an abdominal stretch, Barr used momentum to hook one of his own.
  • Roop missed a haymaker, so Barr delivered a German suplex with a bridge for 2. Wow!
  • After Roop shoved referee Jack Howe out of the way, he unloaded a knee to the midsection.
  • He guillotined Barr with the top rope and landed a running leg drop.
  • 1-2-3.
  • Roop won at 4:27.

Rating: **

Summary: You can’t doubt Barr’s amateur credentials, but the North American champion’s professional ones outranked him in this match.

Match 6 (non-title): Mid-South Mississippi champion Mr. Olympia versus Ron Cheatham

Highlights:

  • As a proud supporter of the University of Oklahoma, Watts rattled off the tale of the tape for Steve “Dr. Death” Williams who graduated in 1981. Methinks someone might have had an upcoming job opportunity.
  • Nevertheless, Mr. Olympia fed Cheatham a dragon screw leg whip, and I wondered on what continent this match occurred.
  • Cheatham tried to take liberties with him, but Olympia SHUT THAT SHIT DOWN mightily quick.
  • When he hammered Cheatham in the midsection, Olympia unfurled an atomic drop.
  • He locked a sleeper on Cheatham and won by submission at 4:03.

Rating: *

Summary: Showcase match for Olympia.

Conclusion: The reveal of the mystery partner may not be the sole highlight, but who would have thought it’d be the Assassin?

Also, Akbar’s proteges, Gang and the Wild Samoans, achieved victory while Blanchard, Roop, and Olympia did the same. Finally, JYD sent the future Honkytonk Man a decent sendoff to Houston.

Next week, Ladd and Assassin square off against the Wild Samoans!

TV Rating: NONE

Stay tuned for MSW 04-17-82!

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