Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review

-Originally aired March 20, 1982.

-Your hosts are Lance Russell & Dave Brown.

STEVE KEIRN vs. INVADER
-Keirn works the leg as the commentators make the point that Invader has black mesh over the eyes on his mask and it’s going to be hard to win if he can’t see Keirn.

-Keirn applies a front facelock, but Invader makes the ropes, only for Keirn to take out his leg and apply a toehold. Wristlock takedown by Keirn, and this audience has been absolutely silent since the bell. It’s a good technical wrestling exhibition but they just have nothing to get invested in here.

-Invader tries throwing an elbow off the ropes. Keirn ducks and a German suplex pinning combo ends it for Keirn. Like I said, dead audience, but a pretty good “This is what wrestling is” match.

STAN LANE & ROBERT GIBSON vs. BILL OWENS & ERNIE KIRKLAND
-And we’re in a hurry I guess, because Keirn and Invader both bolt out of the ring after the bell sounds and the next four guys rush to the ring to start this one. We get a vague explanation that “Ricky is unable to wrestle this week,” so Robert gets a new partner for one match only.

-Lane applies a side headlock on Owens. Gibson takes in and applies his own side headlock, then switches to a toehold. Kirkland tags in and gets his leg worked over, a good strategy for a “big man,” as Lance calls him, and it’s funny because by the standards of this territory he’s big, but he’s interchangeable with a million guys who got squashed on Wrestling Challenge. Sunset flip by Gibson gets three.

-House show promo reveals that Bobby Eaton & Sweet Brown Sugar won the oddball tournament for the Southern Tag Team Title.

-Ricky Gibson is at the commentary table to explain that he cracked his sternum at a house show few nights ago, and his doctors have made it really clear that it’s too dangerous to wrestle until he’s healed, so he’s out of the ring indefinitely, and he’s eating only soup until his chest stops hurting.

BEAUTIFUL BOBBY EATON & SWEET BROWN SUGAR (Southern Tag Team Champions with Jimmy Hart) vs. ROY ROGERS & RICK MCCORD
-Champs dismantle Rogers in their corner. Eaton hits Rogers too hard and he falls back into his own corner, allowing the tag to be made. Eaton and Sugar double-backdrop McCord and keep beating on him, but he escapes and Rogers gets mauled some more. McCord tags back in, and a backbreaker by Eaton & Sugar gets the victory.

-We rewatch the “Winner Takes It All” music video from a few weeks ago in response from thousands of Memphis-area fans who called the station wondering if they had imagined that segment.

-Dutch is here and pledges that he’s getting that belt back from the king one more time.

-We go to the Mid-South Coliseum to watch Lawler taking the Southern Heavyweight Title back from Dutch. Dutch apparently takes a hardway shot to the eye and they run with that, with Lawler working over the eye for a bit before finishing Dutch clean with a back suplex to capture the title.

-Next on the injury report: Superstar Bill Dundee suffered every possible shoulder injury all at the same time, so he’s out indefinitely, and we get a tribute to Dundee set to “The Way We Were.” Did they make these music videos in an elevator?

STAN LANE vs. GYPSY JOE (with Jimmy Hart)
-Lane elbows Joe and elbows him. The educated feet go to work. Joe tries to neutralize it with a toehold, but Lane breaks free with an enziguiri. Neckbreaker by Lane gets the three-count.

THE MONK & THE ANGEL (with Jimmy Hart) vs. PAT HUTCHINSON & TOM MALEY
-Another one where everybody got the hell out of the ring and everybody got the hell in the ring after the last match.

-Angel bearhugs Hutchinson and lets him drop. Monk headbutts him and drops a knee for three.

5.5 The final score: review Not So Good The 411 Tune in next week for highlights of the Mid-South Coliseum curtain jerker between David Price and Pat Hutchinson, set to "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."legend$(document).ready(function(){ $('.legend').on("click", function(e){ e.preventDefault(); $('.legend-container').slideToggle(); }); }) 0 - 0.9 Torture 1 - 1.9 Extremely Horrendous 2 - 2.9 Very Bad 3 - 3.9 Bad 4 - 4.9 Poor 5 - 5.9 Not So Good 6 - 6.9 Average 7 - 7.9 Good 8 - 8.9 Very Good 9 - 9.9 Amazing 10 Virtually Perfect

Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review

Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review

Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review

Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review

Memphis Wrestling (3.20.1982) Review