Tracking the Territories 1984- Volume Three

by Liam Byrne

  The contest begins the second Reagan gets into the ring, with no time for introductions. Reagan manages to send Len Denton through the air with a back body drop after an Irish whip into the corner, but the Boys then just double team him with impunity to turn the tide completely. Tony Anthony hits a clothesline and a big elbow as the Boys turn the screw, before Denton uses a choke and breaks at the count of four. A clothesline off the second rope as Reagan is held up in the air seems to be enough, but Rufus R. Jones enters the ring with a chair in hand, wiping out both members of the Dirty White Boys with admittedly weak looking chair shots. This was a match that was just a set up for Jones’ appearance really, so it was over before it really got going.

  Jones joins Russell, telling Reagan to get in the ring and do his dance. Jones is his usual crazed self, talking about the dirty heart of the Dirty White Boys and how he is the ‘Dirty Black Boy’. To give him his due, the crowd are hot for his return and for the resulting promo.

  Not content with just bringing him back as a manager, Tojo Yamamoto is back in the ring as he takes on Ernie Kirkland in a singles match. An early chop has Kirkland wincing in pain and backing away, before he ends up getting sent to ringside by a handful of hair. A Kirkland eye rake threatens to give him control, but another couple of chops halt him and Yamamoto goes to the eyes himself. Kirkland flees to ringside after a barrage of chops, whilst his return to the ring is short as Yamamoto sends him back outside. One more chop, this time off of an Irish whip, is enough for the win. Just awful – Yamamoto is practically immobile at this point and just doesn’t really belong in the ring.

  King Kong Bundy and Ric Rude are out next, with their opponents Keith Eric and Ken Raper. It is Bundy and Raper who begin, with the big heel just smothering him in the corner. A turnbuckle smash and a chop send Raper to the canvas, before Rude enters and hits a rough looking slam to allow Raper to tag out. Eric gets several punches to the face and a vicious clothesline, whilst a slam by Rude sees him pull Eric up before the three. The match doesn’t last much longer though – another Rude slam is a set up for a Bundy elbowdrop that is enough for the five count.

  Russell is joined by Jerry Jarrett, with the focus on the Pro Wrestling USA tapings that took place last week. The two men run down a list of the wrestlers who were involved – names like Harley Race, Rick Martel and Nick Bockwinkel – and Russell hands Jarrett a trophy that had apparently been purchased by the other promoters as a tangible of respect to Jarrett for hosting the show. Bundy, Rude and Hart come out before Jarrett can leave, with Bundy shouting at Jarrett about not being on the card. Jarrett tries his best to leave, but he blocked off by all three members of the First Family. Jarrett states that he didn't make the decision on which wrestlers were involved, though Bundy makes it clear that Jerry Lawler was all over the tapings.

  Finally, Jerry Lawler and Randy Savage come out to instigate a wild brawl that sees all five men wipe out the announce table and Rude try and use the trophy as a weapon. The trophy eventually gets thrown at Rude by Lawler, whilst Hart is all over the place, kicking and punching. Rude and Lawler end up almost bringing down the temporary wall that serves as an entrance way, leading to several members of staff rushing over to push it back into place. The face locker room empties and puts a stop to a wild and heated segment that had the fans in attendance on their feet.

  It is now main event time, but no sign yet of Tommy Rich. Therefore, Dutch Mantell takes on the Nightmares in a handicap match, one that is for the titles as otherwise Mantell would need to forfeit the gold. With a thirty minute time limit, Russell is talking about how the match may need to run over the time allotted to the show, meaning the finish will be seen next week. Mantell actually takes the fight to both of the Nightmares with multiple hiptosses, leaving the challengers scrambling to ringside for a brief conflab with Hart. It is Hart’s distraction that allows the Nightmares to make use of a chair, Mantell getting fired head first into the steel as it is held at ringside. Mantell is bleeding and the Nightmares use the man advantage to keep the fresh one in at all times. A sunset flip has Mantell in a position to win, but Hart again distracts the referee to impact upon the match.

  A second rope elbow to the head has Mantell down for two, but an attempt to then hit a top rope shoulder attack sees the Nightmares collide and allow Mantell a route back into the contest. A pin after a clothesline requires interference to break it at two, though this does see the Nightmares regain control. Stomps and punches are the order of the day as they pummel the bleeding Mantell…and the show finishes. Hopefully, I’ll get the finish on the next episode of Championship Wrestling, but as this was sourced from a different feed, it isn’t guaranteed. The perils of watching old school wrestling!

  In ring, this was nothing special. However, the wild brawl involving Bundy, Rude, Savage and Lawler showcased what Memphis does between the fights perfectly as things looked like they were legitimately out of control as the studio itself threatened to fall down. The best match had been the main event – can only hope I’ll get a chance to see the finish.

  Championship Wrestling from Florida 22.9.84

  After a break that has seen Florida lose some serious talent to the Mid-Atlantic area, we have returned to visit with Gordon Solie as they are still shilling – as they would do – Scott McGhee’s victory over Ric Flair as the pinfall forms part of the opening sequence. Barbary Clary’s ‘Take Five’ will help fill in some gaps as it is with Oliver Humperdink and Kevin Sullivan as they explain what happened with Billy Graham the previous week, whilst Buddy Colt talks about the card for the show, which includes Pez Whatley, Jim Neidhart, Billy Jack and a big Scott McGhee versus Buck Robley contest.

  The Saint is up first though, facing Chief Joe Lightfoot (or Chief Lighthart, as the chyron states), with the Chief making the challenge to gain some measure of revenge for events a couple of weeks ago, events that we don’t have. Lightfoot wins an early exchange of strikes and takes the Saint down with a shoulderblock, whilst he uses a missed falling headbutt by his opponent to continue to push the pressure. A snapmare allows Lightfoot to try and take the mask off, but a Saint elbow halts him and turns the tide briefly, only for Lightfoot to score a two count following a chop and a kneedrop respectively. The Saint strikes his way out of a side headlock, but more strikes are eventually shrugged off as Lightfoot fired up and almost scores a win with a sunset flip.

  Amazingly, Lightfoot kicks out of a Saint swinging neckbreaker following a knee to the stomach – a move he uses as a finisher – but it is all to set up a scuffle between Lightfoot and the referee as the Saint is tied up in the ropes. This leads to the Saint putting on a loaded glove, punching Lightfoot in the face and scoring the three count. A competitive spring that was a fine way to start the show.

  Blackjack Mulligan has been hospitalised recently, and we are shown footage of Mulligan with his family as he discusses Kevin Sullivan’s involvement in his injuries. What has happened in our time away is Mulligan (with Kendall Windham in tow) has managed to wrestle the young lady from their past away from Sullivan, as she speaks out and thanks not only Mulligan, but also Billy Graham, who had some involvement in her release it seems. Otherwise, it is the usual Mulligan ‘devil versus the family’ stuff that is becoming a big old hat to be honest. The footage finishes with a three way hug.

  After a shill for Terry Funk being in the corner of Dory Funk Jr. and Jesse Barr as they face Billy Jack and Mike Graham, we actually have Funk Jr. and Barr in the studio as they offer an open challenge to Graham to fight either one of them and stop being a chicken. Solie then introduces footage of Barr versus Graham from the week before, with an attempt at a roll-up by Graham knocking the referee down. Graham would avoid Funk Jr. trying to swing for him, tripping him and slapping on a figure four leglock, before avoiding a Barr elbowdrop and escaping the ring.

  Jim Nighthart faces off against Larry Hamilton next, starting things off with two emphatic bodyslams. As Hamilton tries to repay the favour, Nighthart blocks it but get suckered i
nto a small package for a one count. Hamilton works the arm, holding on to roll through a third bodyslam attempt. It takes a reverse atomic drop to break the hold, whilst Nighthart uses a neck crank to wear Hamilton down. A running forearm is effective, but a second attempt sees Hamilton use a back body drop. Nighthart misses a charge in the corner moments later, allowing Hamilton to hit a flying headscissors as he threatens an upset. However, a second attempt sees him caught in a running powerslam and down for a three count. Another fun little match, if a little bit limited by Nighthart’s limited offense.

  This week, Mike Graham faces Jeff Davis, and instantly applies a side headlock that ends in a clean break, a world away from the action of last week. A trip allows Graham to work the knee, driving his own one against the leg for added pressure. Davis has some success with an arm wringer, but Graham is straight back to working the knee to cut him off. Davis shrugs off a top wristlock attempt to smash Davis headfirst into the turnbuckle, but a charge into the corner is cut off by a Graham forearm. This is enough to set up for the figure four leglock, forcing a submission out of Davis. A decent, if unspectacular, victory, followed by a quick interview with Solie in which Graham denies being a chicken, instead focusing on the fact that he can’t get either Funk Jr. or Barr in a one on one situation.

  After the commercial, Funk Jr. and Barr are back out, dubbing Graham a ‘Florida chicken’, before waiting to see whether he is going to come out and accept their challenge. He doesn’t, but Scott McGhee does come out to on Graham’s behalf. McGhee isn’t concerned about Barr’s Olympic pedigree as he has two arms and two legs like the rest of us, and just like that, we have ourselves a match.

  The earliest exchange has McGhee escaping from the canvas as Barr tries to use his wrestling to keep the Florida Champion grounded. Barr uses a hiptoss and a slam with visible frustration, only for McGhee to slip out of the back of another slam attempt and apply two of his own. European uppercuts and kneelifts have Barr in trouble, whilst also bringing Funk Jr. down to ringside. Barr manages to work his way out of a side headlock, though he still is struggling to fight back against the uppercuts of McGhee. Having briefly been in a hammerlock, McGhee finds himself stuck in a headscissors, yet forces his way out and drives a knee into the thigh area.

  Barr regains control with a bodyslam that shows him liberally throw McGhee to the canvas, but McGhee gets his knees up on a charge in the corner. A missile dropkick isn’t enough to knock Barr off of his feet, but a Funk Jr. trip allows Barr to nail a shoulderbreaker and a cobra clutch. It is unclear as to what the finish is as the referee is spending time reprimanding Funk Jr., but before we can find out, Funk Jr. grabs a sack he was carrying around earlier and the two heels tar and feather McGhee! It perhaps was given as a disqualification victory to McGhee in a good little match, yet he definitely doesn’t look like a champion as he is left laying in the ring and covered in feathers.

  It is hard to find a more 80s set of shilling promos than those that follow. They include Pez Whatley telling Kevin Sullivan that he is going to get his Southern Heavyweight Title, Terry Funk talking up Jesse Barr and Dory Funk Jr. (with Funk referring to Billy Jack as a ‘steroid freak’) and Sullivan threatening to lynch Whatley, all sitting alongside promos by Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes about an NWA World Heavyweight Title match between the two men. Very of its time.

  The ring is a complete mess as Billy Jack steps into the ring to take on an unnamed jobber, primarily unnamed because Solie gets busy speaking with Terry Funk. As Jack displays his power to escape a top wristlock and a waistlock, Funk talks about ‘roids – nimroids, haemorrhoids and steroids, all that go together to make Jack. A drop toe hold is the first real offensive move by Jack, but a right hand has his opponent KO’d in the middle of the ring. The referee looks like he is about to wave it off, only for the jobber to try and fire back after he is slapped awake by Jack. This just prolongs the agony as he is slapped in the full nelson for a submission victory. The match is nothing to write home about, yet the post-match does see Funk invite Jack up to the booth in order to call him synthetic to his face. Jack isn’t much for talking, so he instead invites Funk to step into the ring with him.

  Just as it looks like we might be getting a Funk versus Jack confrontation, we head to commercial and end up returning with Clary’s ‘Take Five’. She is joined by Oliver Humperdink and Kevin Sullivan as she asks why they did what they did to Billy Graham. Humperdink believes that Graham gave in to the weakness of the flesh, before Sullivan talks about how he sensed something within Graham that needed to be eradicated. We are shown footage from the previous week, with Sullivan slapping the young girl around the face and knocking her to the canvas. A second attempt is blocked by Graham, but only leads to a Humperdink chairshot that allows Sullivan to hang Graham from the ring ropes.

  Humperdink lauds over the belief that they have got rid of Graham for good from Florida, though Clary shows pictures and plays audio of Graham talking about where he is now. The pictures have Graham apparently shackled to the bottom of a river bed in order to gain power and cleanse himself from his time with Sullivan. It is all pretty ridiculous, which is saying something considering it is in response to Sullivan’s overall gimmick. Sullivan does seem upset by the revelation, though Humperdink tries to calm his charge, making it clear there is nothing to worry about.

  In an amazingly poor piece of editing and production, we head back to the ring as Krusher Kruschev dumps his opponent to the canvas after making him submit. Way to help promote one of your newer heels in the territory.

  The show finishes with Pez Whatley celebrating Billy Graham’s turn, whilst also denouncing the Funks and Jesse Barr for their behaviour and the attack on Scott McGhee. For some reason, Whatley has the belt in hand he is due to fight for later that night in another poor piece of production.

  It is quite pleasing to have Florida back, as it is one of the best promotions for being able to offer both the sublime and the ridiculous within the same show. The in-ring action this week was really strong, at least in the first half, yet you also had the neverending Mulligan/Sullivan stuff and Kruschev beating someone off camera. Sullivan’s character and the feuds he is having in that gimmick are beginning to drag for me; lord knows how it felt for people considering how long this had been going on for/would last.

  MACW World Wide Wrestling 22.9.84

  Following the altercation the previous week, we begin our show with ‘The Ultimate Assassin’ or Johnny Weaver to you and me, as he takes on Doug Vines. It is David Crockett and Tully Blanchard on commentary, with Blanchard implying that the Ultimate Assassin looks familiar. A modified monkey flip follows the avoidance of two collar and elbow tie ups, before a side headlock and shoulderblock leads to a spot that sees Ultimate avoid a modified monkey flip by stomping on Vines’ stomach. After a side headlock on the canvas, Ultimate punches his way out of the corner and continues to dominate with a snapmare and neck snap. Vines does manage to apply a hammerlock, though a unique use of the ropes sees Ultimate flip out of the hold and begin to work the knee. Vines utilises an eye rake to stop Ultimate, only to miss an elbowdrop and get planted into the canvas with a bulldog that sets up for the match winning sleeper. Nothing special, though it is at least a storyline that has Weaver and the Assassin doing something that is watchable, if lightweight.

  The push is on for the United States Heavyweight Title Tournament on the 7th of October, with pre-taped footage from Florida of Billy Graham talking about entering the tournament. Graham lists his accolades as including being the arm wrestling, bear hug and full nelson champion of the world.

  Next up in the ring is the team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotunda against Bob Owens and Randy Barber, with Rotunda instantly bringing Windham in the contest to double team the arm of Barber as they hit successive top rope strikes to the targeted limb. A double dropkick almost sends Barber into the heel corner, but Windham cuts him off and lands a flying forearm. Rotunda is in again scores a two count off of an elbowdrop, though Owens is bro
ught in moments later after what looks like a missed spot on an attempted Rotunda leapfrog. Owens is no more successful, taking a double back elbow and a Windham suplex with following kneedrop for two.

  The quick tags keep coming as Rotunda hits a dropkick after a Windham Irish whip, yet there are still more kick outs from the jobber team as Rotunda tries to hold him down with his superior wrestling skill. Owens eventually tags out to Barber, only to get dropped with a Windham powerslam that has the face pull up the heel at two. After a couple more exchanges, Barber is tagged back in, but mainly to eat the pinfall from a Rotunda airplane spin. The tag team work of Windham and Rotunda is good, naturally, but I feel that they go much longer than they need to in their Mid-Atlantic squashes.

  After some shilling that sees Black Bart stand in for Ron Bass in promoting a Bass versus Mike Rotunda match, the Assassin to voice his disapproval of the Ultimate Assassin for stealing his mask, and Tully Blanchard talk up his Television Title defense against Barry Windham, we return to the Koloffs and Don Kernodle with Crockett. Nikita has a picture of Dusty Rhodes in his hands upon which he spits before scrunching it up. Ivan complains about Rhodes defeating Koloff in an arm wrestling match, including Rhodes using the wrong arm for a competitive arm wrestle.

  As Ivan talks about Rhodes attacking them, Crockett cuts him off and throws to the footage of a match between Nikita and the team of Sam Houston and Brett Hart. Nikita is still very green, so his offense is limited to strikes and chokes primarily, whilst he shrugs off attempts by Hart to hit some knees. A gutwrench suplex sets up for the Argentine backbreaker submission on Hart, yet it doesn’t end there as Koloff attacks Houston with a modified clutch. The fans are suddenly on their feet as Rhodes hits the ring and clobbers Koloff with a cowbell from behind. Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda and Brian Adias hit the ring to block Ivan and Kernodle from getting involved as Rhodes wails away on Nikita. The segment ends on a four on three stand-off with Rhodes and his crew standing tall.