22 June 2011

Episode # 2 Recap

Mid-South 1984 TV – Episode 2 (Mid-South 228) – Irish McNeil Boys Club, Shreveport, LA

Hosts: Boyd Pierce and Bill Watts

Ring Announcer: Jim Ross

Boyd is wearing a purple suit. Cowboy runs down the card, including welcoming back Buddy Landell and saying Masao Ito is a new “Japanese Manchurian star.” Bill throws it to a pre-taped interview he did with Jim Cornette.


Pre-Tape: Watts runs down a list of more “manly” managers from the Mid-South past, including Skandar Akbar (a former North American champion), Gary Hart (who is a street guy from Chicago) and Rock Hunter (who managed the Assassins). Watts calls Cornette a “non-athlete” who is arrogant, audacious, flamboyant, rude and a Mama’s boy. Cornette has great smirking facial expressions during this list of insults. Cornette informs us that “people with money don’t have to sweat.” We see a clip of Cornette interrupting an interview Reiser Bowden did with the new tag team champions, Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum II. Cornette is upset the MX was not listed as a top contender. Cornette accuses II of turning Magnum from “a frustrated sex symbol” to a coward. He then calls II and Magnum “chicken.” Magnum says Cornette “would be at home in a hen house and not as a rooster.” Back in the studio, Watts says they didn’t realize that being called chicken would be taken literally and describes the tar and feathering as something once done when the Ku Klux Klan ran roughshod over scared folks. Cornette says he’s heard rumors of that group. Is it coincidence that Cornette just happens to be wearing a white jacket? We then see the clip from last when when Cornette and the MX tar and feather Magnum and hit II with a slapstick. Watts sees the attack as very dishonorable, and real mean settle things face to face. Cornette says seeing Magnum tar and feathered is “the funniest thing I’ve seen in a week or two.” He also says he can match Watts multisyllabic term for multisyllabic term and “that is a masterpiece.” Watts says that is “a man in agony and turmoil.” Watts with a great metaphor: “On a hot night, it only takes a small spark to ignite a whole forest fire and you may have lit something that you can’t put out.” We then see the post-incident interview from last week with II and Magnum. Cornette says the MX are going to play Smokey Bear with II and Magnum. Watts informs Cornette he has been fined $5000 for his actions, but Cornette says it’s just a phone call to Mother. After he leaves, Watts says Cornette is the kind of guy that makes your hands sweaty and that you just want to back hand.

This was an 11-minute (with 3 clips) to start the show, exhibiting just how important Cornette and the MX will be in the near future for Mid-South.

Match 1: Nikolai Volkoff vs Terry Taylor. There is no sign of Volkoff, but Khrusher Darsow is in the ring to let us know that Volkoff hurt his shoulder training and that he will take the match vs. Taylor and “send that tan back to Florida.” Taylor gets jumped by Darsow before he can remove his jacket and the heel has heat to start the match. Watts again tells us that Darsow is more dangerous than Volkoff because he is a traitor to his country. Taylor takes control after a dropkick and then puts him in an abdominal stretch. As some fans walk through the crowd with a giant flag, Volkoff his the ring for the DQ. Volkoff has his hangman’s noose, and tries to hang Taylor. Taylor gets the advantage but then Darsow comes back in the ring for a two-on-one. They put the noose back on Taylor and then hang him over the top rope. After a few minutes of peril, the save is made by Ric Rude and Brian Adias.

Match 2: MX vs Roger Bond and Mike Jackson – II (sports coat) and Magnum (leather jacket and gloves) are out with Boyd to do color commentary. Magnum is very fidgety. Boyd explains that they can say whatever they like, but if they leave the commentary booth to interfere, they will be fined $2500. Magnum says they are going to try and be professional. Cornette has a bag of feathers he is blowing toward II and Magnum. Cornette is taunting II and Magnum, saying the fine would be nothing for him. Bobby comes to the ring flapping like a chicken. Jackson (who might be the best job guy of the 1980s) starts out in control, but a knee to the guy by Dennis puts the MX on top. We see a wonderfully 80s inset of II and Magnum doing commentary as the MX whip up on Roger Bond. Bobby continues to make chicken gestures. Dennis hits a running powerslam on Bond, which probably did not make Watts too happy. II tells Magnum to watch their moves. Bobby gets the pinfall on Bond after a flying clothesline. After the match, the MX gives Jackson a spike piledriver and attempt to repeat the tar and feather on Bond. Magnum can’t take it and hits the ring, while II screams for him to stay back. The four men are brawling in the ring as we go to commercial.

Match 3: Nature Boy Buddy Landell vs Mike Starbuck - This is Buddy’s return to Mid-South, now with bleach-blond hair and Flair/Rogers gimmick. Watts mentions his change in attitude, from reports he has gotten from around the country. Watts continues to discuss how much he wants to slap Cornette. Watts says he’d rather be punched than slapped and matchmaker Grizzly Smith will not give the MX a title shot, as a reward for their action. Buddy does some amateur wrestling on Starbuck, as well as rubbing Starbuck’s face into the mat. Starbuck tries a flying bodypress, but Buddy catches him and gives him an over-the-knee backbreaker. And then the corkscrew elbow for the win.

Match 4: Brian Adias vs Mickey Henry – This is also a return to Mid-South for Adias, who we learned has toured the country since last here and is currently the Texas TV champion. Watts also announces in two weeks, we will see the details on the new Mid-South TV title tournament. Watts says that we will see Adias team with Hacksaw Duggan next week versus the Russians. The big burly Henry has been in control most of the match so far. Adias changes the momentum with a dropkick. And then a very sloppy leapfrog and a botched victory roll. He then does a small package for the win.

Match 5: Masao Ito vs Ric Rude – Ito is billed this week as “from Japan” and Rude is, of course, from Robbinsdale, MN. Watts says this is like Beauty and the Beast. Ito gets the quick win with his jumping throat kick.

Video: Rock and Roll Express – Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – “I love Rock and Roll” – The first music video introducing Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. Notice this is a music video from Memphis, with the R-n-R facing off against people like the Moondogs and the Galaxians (Danny Davis and Ken Wayne).

This episode (volume 54) can be ordered on DVD from Universal Wrestling Archives