Tracking the Territories 1984- Volume Three

by Liam Byrne

  ‘The Fabulous One’ Jackie Fargo is pretty much always on the pre-tape rather than in the studio and this week he is speaking about the previous week at the Coliseum in which he teamed with Steve Keirn to take on Bundy and what should have been Ric Rude, but apparently wasn’t; I assume we’ll find out why later on. Next week’s Coliseum show has Fargo and Keirn taking on Bundy and Hess, with Fargo in particular complaining about how he is sick and tired of Hart, especially when he attacks with his ‘pogo stick’ of a cane. We cut back to the studio with Hart, Bundy and Hess offering pretty standard heel promos: Hart promises to continue hassling Fargo, Bundy says he is still standing no matter what they did the previous week, and Hess believes Fargo will know exactly who he is by the time the match finishes.

  As was mentioned before, what seems like a fairly non-descript event – a Tag Team of the Year Award (in August, no less) – follows, but it is the set up for one of the greatest angles in Memphis history. With the voting taking place in the Spring, Wrestling Fans International voted for the Fabulous Ones, Tommy Rich and Eddie Gilbert, who we have seen split up in front of our very eyes over the past weeks. It is Gilbert who is out first to accept one of the trophies, but he uses the window of opportunity to speak down about how Rich is too big to turn up on television now since he is the International Heavyweight Champion, or that he is just chicken. This brings Rich out in a suit and he jumps straight on Gilbert, running him into the ringpost twice, splitting him open and hitting him with a chair. Gilbert is pouring with blood as several members of the roster come out to drag Rich back into the locker room.

  Even though the commercial comes and goes, things aren’t quite over yet. Gilbert is covered in blood, but is still out with Russell. Surprisingly, Gilbert appears contrite, questioning whether he was actually jealous of his partner and had made a huge mistake in behaving the way he had. Gilbert tells Russell to talk to Eddie Marlin to make it clear that he’d rather forfeit all his matches against Rich than wrestle him ever again as he considers Rich his brother. The imploring tones of Gilbert brings Rich out, though the fans are booing as they worry that things are not quite as they seem. Gilbert makes his request for them to accept his apology and for them to team back together; they shake hands and hug before walking off together.

  Gilbert’s inevitable assault begins off camera. Rich is soon a bloody mess as well as Gilbert gains some measure of revenge by using a chair to smash Rich across the head. The New Generation come out to halt the brawling this time, whilst Gilbert rolls into the ring and struts to a reasonable number of cheers from the fans in the studio. Russell is suitably disgusted by what he has seen, whilst blood is covering the floor at ringside from both men. Gilbert’s duplicitous nature was a bit too obvious, everything felt a bit too insincere to be taken seriously, but that comes with the benefit of hindsight and knowledge. It has been a small while since a really big brawl on Memphis television, and this showed that the promotion still knew how to do it after a pretty weakly shot Lawler/Rude angle over the smashing of Lawler’s car the previous week.

  Speaking of which, the booking team decide that it would be apropos to show the smashing of the car once more. All it does is highlight how badly done this angle was by Memphis’ usually pretty good standards.

  Tommy Rich is not quite finished for the evening as he briefly rejoins the Russell to talk about how he is going to get crazy against Gilbert on Monday night. Rich does look like a wildman as he is in a ripped suit, covered in blood with a soaked bandage wrapped around his head. In the past match, Rich says he tried to wrestle Gilbert; now he is going to fight him.

  With some suggestions throughout the show as to Ric Rude not being able to compete in the tag team main event the previous week, we finally have Jerry Lawler out to speak about the match last Monday. Lawler speaks about his car getting destroyed, whilst also talking about how the camera probably missed a lot of what actually happened. After the car was attacked, Lawler was apparently called by Gary Faulkner, from Gary Faulkner’s Body Shop, and his car was fixed for free. Therefore, it was not only a waste of time for Rude, but it angered Lawler so much that he wasn’t able to make his way back for the main event. Lawler ups the ante this time, suggesting that Rude will be leaving the Coliseum in an ambulance come the end of this Monday’s show.

  After a commercial break, we get word from Ric Rude, though it is a pre-taped interview rather than in the studio. Rude refers to Lawler as a scumbag and the fans as filthy pigs, before suggesting that Lawler crossed the line by trying to ruin Rude’s body by breaking his neck. Rude talks about how Lawler used the piledriver three times in a row whilst the fans cheered him on, but Rude was down and not out. In words that echo Lawler’s from earlier, Rude promises to send Lawler to the hospital the next time he gets his hands on the King.

  Another man who has been around in other places this year, Mark Reagan (Ragin in Mid-South) finds himself in Memphis now after his run under Bill Watts somewhat fizzled out. Gimmick-wise, he is basically the same Michael Jackson-lite character he was in Mid-South, though Keith Roberson looks less than impressed about the dancing. His lack of love bleeds into a sneak attack, but Reagan uses a leapfrog and a dropkick to instantly turn the tide. A second dropkick barely clips Roberson, yet that is enough for a very quick three count. An impressive debut I guess, though it would have perhaps been better to showcase more of what makes Reagan a potentially exciting addition to the promotion.

  Strangely, considering his general jobber status, Keith Roberson was considered worthy enough to have a Coliseum match with Dutch Mantell the previous week, the finish of which we are shown. Mantell would catch a boot from Robertson, nail him with a clothesline and grab the three count, yet Roberson would attack Mantell from behind after the match. This seems to be as much about getting Mantell into a feud as Phil Hickerson and the Spoiler, two men who are out for the next contest, attack Mantell to saver Roberson. We then see the finish to the Southern Tag Team Title match, with The Spoiler hitting a headbutt on Ricky Morton, only for Mantell to attack the Spoiler with the referee’s back turned, reverse the pin and help crown new champions in the Rock and Roll Express.

  Dutch Mantell is out and has words for the Spoiler and Hickerson before he takes on Pat Hutchinson. Mantell is due to face the Spoiler on Monday and spends his time hypothesising as to why his opponent wears a mask, landing on the belief that he is on the run from some ex-wives. Mantell is going to deal with the Spoiler first and then move on to Hickerson. Mantell runs Hutchinson out of the ring and he is hot from the opening bell, landing an atomic drop and using a top wristlock. Hutchinson rakes the eyes to try and take control, but the next move is completely blown as what looks like a Mantell slam off of an Irish whip sees both men crash to the mat. Mantell hits a suplex and drops an elbow, finishing the contest, though the blown spot really doesn’t help the match at all.

  We head to the expiration of time contest between The Nightmares and the New Generation, with Jimmy Hart rushing over to Russell to say he isn’t used to so many women screaming for him and the Nightmares for a cheap laugh. Nightmare #1 and Johnny Wilhoit begin the contest, but two collar and elbow ties ups lead to nothing. Both men trade arm wringers, with Wilhoit’s allowing him to tag in Mark Batten. Nightmare #2 is brought in but he is sent across the ring with an armdrag and locked into an armbar. The tags are coming thick and fast as Wilhoit is back in and rolls through a body slam attempt by holding onto the arm and securing the arm bar properly. An unceremonious punch is used to break the hold, with the Nightmare – their identical outfits working to confuse the referee and myself – hitting a slam and a kneedrop. The decision to go to the turnbuckle is a poor one, with Wilhoit slamming the Nightmare off of the top rope before landing a dropkick.

  Nightmare #2 is tagged into the ring (cheers, Lance) and he uses a knee to the stomach on Batten to initially threaten to take over, but a reversed Irish whip into the corner allows Batten to land a hiptoss and two flying headscissors in a row. From the second heads
cissors, Batten tags out to Wilhoit and he uses an armbar. Even as the Nightmares tag, Wilhoit is pretty much instantly into an armbar. An odd altercation where it looks like a miscommunication has Wilhoit charge into Nightmare #1’s knees as he is on the canvas has them somewhat reset, before Batten pretty much reprises the reverse Irish whip into the corner spot, though finishes with an armdrag this time. Batten keeps returning to an armbar on the canvas, but after Hart distracts the referee, an illegal knee from the apron halts Batten’s momentum.

  Quick tags are the order of the day now as the Nightmares rely on keeping Batten in their corner and distracting the referee to illegally double team and choke Batten behind the back of the official. A snapmare leads to a rear chinlock, before a tag leads to a double back elbow and multiple elbow drops for a two count. Batten attempts to fight back but is held by one of the Nightmares in a bear hug. A bell slap breaks the hold, but the other Nightmare uses a hair pull to stop any tags being made. This continuous distraction of the referee is also seen as Batten lands a sunset flip for only a one count as the referee is out of position. Russell has lost track of which Nightmare it is now, with one of them hitting a clothesline on Batten for a two count.

  Finally, Batten lands a dropkick and makes the tag to Wilhoit, who lands five dropkicks in a row to take out both Nightmares. A second rope dropkick should be enough for the win, but Hart jumps in to break up the pinfall and cause the disqualification. Tojo Yamamoto is quickly in to even the numbers and the faces eventually run off the heels. A better match than you might see on most wrestling television shows, though a step down on recent Nightmare matches in the studio.

  A good, not great show, mainly carried by the main event and the huge Rich and Gilbert angle. The viciousness of the two ex-Fabulous Ones busting each other open either side of the commercial break was emphasised by every hard camera shot from thereon out – the blood of both men was visible throughout the show as reminder of the brutality that had come before. It would have been hard not to be excited by the prospect of Rich and Gilbert going at it in the Coliseum after this episode.

  Championship Wrestling from Florida 18.8.84

  We begin with footage of Scott McGhee defeating Ron Bass with a small package from last week’s episode as the Championship Wrestling from Florida title screen is shown. Gordon Solie, Barbary Clary and Buddy Colt are at the commentary booth, whilst the show is back in the studio this week. Solie gives the hard sell for McGhee, something that isn’t hard to do considering his victory over Ric Flair that was shown the previous week (whilst also being something that is increasingly necessary as Mid-Atlantic have taken so many Florida stars in recent weeks). Clary does a shill for an upcoming show in Sarasota, a Lights Out Cage Match between Billy Graham and the One Man Gang, with Oliver Humperdink suspended in a ‘rat cage’. Colt’s job is to announce that McGhee will be on the show later, defending his Florida Heavyweight Title.

  When CWF do the arena shows, I get joining a match in progress; in what is effectively their studio setting, it makes next to no sense. However, that is what we see here as Mike Graham battles with Mike Allen. Graham is initially down in an armbar, with Allen using his feet to gain further torque, but Graham is soon in control with a side headlock takedown. A shoulderblock and a hiptoss lead to the next side headlock takedown by Graham as he looks to wear down his opponent, whilst Billy Jack joins Solie in the commentary booth to give his usual generic platitudes about the company. Graham ties up the leg of Allen and slams down onto the canvas twice to add some extra oomph to the hold, before a reversed whip into the corner sees Graham power out with a big forearm. This allows Graham to apply the figure four leglock for the victory. What we saw was fine, though I have no idea why we had to join it in progress.

  Jack has offered very little since he joined Solie, but he does talk about how his match that evening with Dory Funk Jr. has now been turned into a Texas Death Match. In further promotion for shows to come, Scott Mcghee talks up the scientific quality of one of his upcoming opponents for the Florida Heavyweight Title, Mike Graham. McGhee doesn’t really offer much on the microphone, though that clearly isn’t his forte.

  Solie is inundated with heels as we return, with Oliver Humperdink alongside Billy Graham, The Lock and Kevin Sullivan. Humperdink is still upset about how the One Man Gang tricked him into signing a contract for a tag match against Gang and a mystery opponent. Graham takes the microphone and it is pure Graham madness as he talks about shaving his head to become a Buddhist monk, crawling through the desert, being buried up to his neck in the sand – the works. Mid-promo, Sullivan puts a necklace around Graham’s neck, before ending the segment by talking very briefly about a coalition being formed. After Graham’s magical mystery tour, the promo feels like it ends pretty abruptly, though Graham and Sullivan head straight to the ring for a match to be fair.

  Their opponents aren’t exactly easy, with Mike Rotunda teaming up with Chief Joe Lightfoot to take on this new duo. Sullivan and Rotunda begin the contest for their respective teams, and after some brief grappling, Rotunda throws a punch to show he is willing to throwdown if necessary. They go back to some more grappling that Rotunda is winning, but he needs to fight his way out of the heel corner as Graham is tagged in. Rotunda screws up a leapfrog that sees him crash into the middle rope, but they repeat the spot they seemed to be working up to moments later as a sunset flip by Rotunda gets two.

  Rotunda tags out to Lightfoot, but this almost instantly allows the heel tandem to begin working over the Chief. Impressively, Lightfoot turns a whip into the corner to a second rope crossbody on Sullivan for two, but he is cut off soon after that and cut off from his partner. Graham lifts Lightfoot in a bearhug and Sullivan hits a second rope clothesline for the three count. As Graham continues to try and put a beating on Rotunda post-match, Blackjack Mulligan hits the ring to run off both Graham and Sullivan. A decent match, if somewhat underwhelming due to them decided (as they seem to do from time to time) that Lightfoot isn’t much more than a jobber.

  After a commercial, Dory Funk Jr. is mid-ring and swinging his whip around prior to a match with Denny Brown. Brown is usually fun to watch, but finds himself grounded early on and struggling to compete against Funk Jr’s technical ability. Brown does manage to throw Funk Jr. out of an armbar, before sending the ex-champion over with an armdrag of his own. However, Funk Jr. is soon back in control, hitting a back elbow and a big European uppercut. Funk Jr. controls the arm to take Brown into the corner and unload with several more European uppercuts, though Brown does fire back out of the corner after an Irish whip.

  A side headlock by Brown just allows Funk Jr. to hit a back suplex and after some more strikes in the corner, Funk Jr. sends his opponent to ringside through the middle ropes. When Brown returns, Funk Jr. hits him with a slam and an elbowdrop for two. As he tries to repeat this sequence, Brown avoids the elbow and begins to fire up with punches and a shoulderblock, only to charge into an elbow underneath the chin. A butterfly suplex has Brown down long enough for Funk Jr. to lock on the spinning toe hold for the submission victory. A fun match which allowed Brown just enough to make it interesting.

  Scott McGhee’s title match later in the evening is against Ron Bass – the same Ron Bass who we saw beaten by McGhee last week and whose loss was repeated at the start of the show. To give Bass his due, he joins Solie and explains that it was a fluke, promising that no-one can beat him in four or five seconds in a fair fight. Bass stomps off to the ring as McGhee is in the ring waiting for him. The delay to engage with each other actually allows Bass to last longer than the previous week, whilst McGhee fights out of a side headlock takedown with ease as they finally do come together. A second rope crossbody by McGhee almost has him picking up the victory in short order once more, but Bass kicks out at two. McGhee also uses a backslide in another attempt to put this away quickly, though the momentum sends Bass into the ropes at a one count. Bass ends up bloodied following some quick strikes by McGhee in the corner, but an eye rake hal
ts the champion and allows Bass to try and mount some offense.

  However, McGhee slips out the back of a slam attempt and gets another nearfall following a roll-up, before taking Bass down to the canvas with a side headlock and a bodyslam moments later. Bass has the clear power advantage and he uses it to good effect by sending McGhee head over heels into the corner to turn the tide in his favour. Three elbows to the back of the head and a swinging neckbreaker allow the first nearfall for the challenger, whilst another two count follows a bulldog out of the corner. Bass uses the second rope for leverage to hit another elbow to the back of the head, before doing the same with two vicious knees. McGhee shows great fight to kick out of a pinfall following a piledriver, as well as one following a high knee. A second high knee has McGhee tumbling to ringside, but an attempt to slam McGhee into the ring by Bass backfires, with the champion turning it into an inside cradle for the three count. A very hard hitting contest that told a good story as McGhee tried to embarrass Bass once again, and the challenger’s desire for revenge eventually caught him out.

  After some shilling with Billy Jack in which he never mentions who he is actually fighting in a No-Disqualification match, Oliver Humperdink is joined by The Saint, Billy Graham, Kevin Sullivan and the American Dream as he talks about the Saint against Jack. Another match on the show will be the One Man Gang and Blackjack Mulligan teaming together in a combination strap/chain match against Sullivan and Graham. Sullivan continues to talk about how the Superstar has been through the desert and met Abudadein, whilst the two men push and pull at Graham’s judo belt. Back in the studio, Mulligan and Gang give their thoughts on the match, with Mulligan promising to rip off Sullivan’s arms and ram them down his throat. The difference in intensity between these four men and Jack is staunch; the guy doesn’t know how to talk people into the building.