CWA TV 2/8/1986

Written by: Bob Colling

CWA TV
Date: 2/8/1986
From: Memphis, TN

Lance Russell and Dave Brown open the show and do their usual rundown for the show.

Opening Contest: AWA Mid-American Champion Buddy Landell vs. Lionel Green: AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee is at the commentary table for the match. Landell delivers a standing dropkick and a scoop slam, which Green didn’t help him with seemingly at all. Landell delivers another slam, elbow drop and gets the easy submission win with the figure four. (1/2*. This is exactly what you’d expect it to be.)

Lance Russell interviews Landell and a fan yells out “why don’t you show up on Sunday nights.” Landell talks about his date deal and says a lot of letters have been coming in. Buddy says he has no rules for his date and doesn’t care if you are married. Just send an 8×10 to the address and you might win. Landell shows film of his attack on Dirty Rhodes recently. Rhodes was busted wide open due to the attack. Landell leaves when Dirty Rhodes comes out but we go to a quick commercial.

We hear some localized promos with AWA International Champion Dutch Mantell taking on Rick Casey in a no disqualification match. Mantell doesn’t believe that Casey will be able to beat him for the title. AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee cuts a promo about the Fantastics, who have ran the Sheepherders from the company, which bugs Dundee.

Second Contest: Abdul Gaddafi vs. Bobby Fuqua: Gaddafi has Bill Dundee with him at ringside. He wrestles out of Libia and is making his debut. Gaddafi elbow strikes Fuqua and keeps control with chokes and various strikes. Gaddafi wins the match with a powerslam. (1/4*. It is safe to say that Gaddafi doesn’t know how to wrestle.)

The Mod Squad with JD Costello will be making their debut soon. We hear from Costello and says he is use to traveling and being rich. This is Costello’s final attempt to be successful because of over a dozen things didn’t work. He met Spike and Basher and wanted to make them a tag team in wrestling. You better not forget their names.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown chat about the battle of the Thunder Dome. The wrestlers can show up to compete in anything they want and then the two guys who have the best record will earn a heavyweight prize.

Third Contest: AWA Southern Tag Team Champions The Fantastics vs. The Undertakers: The Undertakers are just two guys wearing masks. The Fantastics have no problem winning the match easily following middle rope splash from Rogers.

A commercial shilling Jerry Lawler’s video is plugged. It costs $29.95 for a one hour video tape.

The Fantastics are interviewed and they thank everyone for their support against the Sheepherders. They also hype up their date contest. Bill Dundee comes out and confronts the Fantastics. Dundee doesn’t like that they are stealing his moves. Fulton tells Dundee he doesn’t tell him what to do and Dundee slaps him. Fulton decks Dundee much to the delight of the fans. Abdual Gaddan comes over with powder and helps Dundee attack the Fantastics! Dundee is pouring something on Fulton, but Fulton fights them off. Fulton gets back on the microphone and says that Dundee is in for it. They are declaring war on Dundee. It might have been black hair dye dumped into Fulton’s hair. Rogers says the same thing as Fulton and says tomorrow night it will go down.

Fourth Contest: AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee & Dutch Mantell vs. Dirty Rhodes & Tracy Smothers: Rhodes knocks Mantell to the mat early on and it sounds like one of the ropes snapped causing the ropes to be very loose. Rhodes decks Dundee into the corner and tags in Smothers. Dutch works over Smothers with overhand strikes and Dundee uses the bull whip while the referee was distracted by Rhodes. Dutch sends Smothers to the floor where Dundee whacks Smothers over the back with a steel chair. Smothers gets sent back first into the ring post, too. Dundee slams Smothers on the concrete floor. Dundee continues to work over Smothers lower back with a chin lock. Dundee scoop slams Smothers and Mantell comes off the middle rope with an axe handle. Dundee dumps Smothers to the floor where Mantell sends Smothers into the post again. Dundee slams Smothers but picks him up on the cover attempt. Smothers gets backdropped over the top to the floor by Dundee causing a disqualification. (**. I enjoyed this though it was more of an angle than a match. The beating on Smothers was effective.) After the match, Dundee continues to beat on Smothers with chair shots to the back. Dundee spikes Smothers with a piledriver on the floor. Dutch has busted Rhodes up with his bull whip handle. Dundee also hits Dirty with the chair.

Lance Russell interviews Dirty Rhodes and Rick Casey regarding their tag match against Dundee and Mantell. Rhodes says what we just saw weren’t fun. Now, they are going to be paying in blood. Rhodes believes he’ll win the Mid-American Championship. Casey isn’t going to let his fans down and will win the title from Dutch.

Back to the arena, officials are trying to use the chair as a stretcher for Smothers. Dirty Rhodes and Rick Casey pick Smothers up but Dundee leaps off the apron to drop Smothers again! This has been a heated segment. Dirty is hammering away on Mantell and Casey decks Dundee to the floor to send the heels running.

Lance Russell interviews Larry Hamilton and he is going to explain why he is here. Hamilton talks about Dundee and Mantell who think they are the best and attacking everyone. He is great friends with the Fantastics and always going to be on their side if they need him.

Main Event: Larry Hamilton vs. David Haskins: Hamilton delivers a running high knee but Haskins comes back with a scoop slam. Hamilton drives Haskins down with a belly to belly suplex for the win. After the match, they shake hands.

Lance Russell brings out The Spoiler who unmasks and goes by his name Frank Morrell. He talks about his friendship with Phil Hickerson. He thought Dundee and Mantell were his friends but when he helped Phil they called him and told him he is stupid. Frank is with Billy Travis and it appears they are going to be partners. Travis has cleaned up his act now. Tony Falk and Pat Rose come out to confront them. Falk says they can’t be like him no matter how hard they try. Rose tells Travis this doesn’t make him a man and there is a brief brawl.

Final Thoughts:
An enjoyable episode this week as the segment with Smothers getting attacked seemed to generate a lot of heat. I’m hoping it leads to a bigger role for Smothers.

Thanks for reading.