CWA TV 3/8/1986

Written by: Bob Colling

CWA TV
Date: 3/8/1986
From: Memphis, TN

Lance Russell and Dave Brown are on commentary promoting the show and what we’ll see. The Mod Squad will be making their in-ring television later on in the main event.

Opening Contest: Dirty Rhodes vs. Benny Traylor: Jeff Jarrett is the referee for the match, who is making his debut in the role on television. The commentators note that he’s officiating. Rhodes doesn’t have much of an issue with Traylor this week hitting a nice overhead suplex and finishes Traylor off with an elbow drop. The match lasts one minute.

Lance Russell promotes some local shows and says that the programs coming up are perhaps the biggest ones coming but refrains from telling us. He also promotes the main event for the Coliseum, but again, refrains from revealing anything. JD Costello and the Mod Squad enter the scene and cut a promo. Costello talks about how talk is cheap but now it is time to show what they are capable of in the ring. Costello doesn’t really have much depth to his interview and just believes his guys will defeat the Fantastics to win the AWA Southern Tag Team Championships.

Eddie Marlin recently had a sit-down interview with Dutch Mantell at his home. Marlin talks about Dutch having Dundee and Landell’s back in the past. Marlin wants Dutch to tell us what happened. Dutch proceeds to say that the story is lengthy. Dutch talks about going to Florida and Dundee went to Louisiana. Dutch went to Louisiana and teamed with Dundee all over the country. He thought they had a good thing going when they traveled together. They returned home at roughly the same time until Landell came around. Dutch thinks Dundee changes who he is whenever it benefits him, or for whomever is around him at the time. Dutch notes that Dundee would start to dress like Landell and call Dutch a bum. Dutch says they stopped liking him and he’s fine with that. Marlin says he likes the same kind of music as Dutch and would like to travel the roads. The segment ends with Dutch playing the guitar.

Second Contest: Dutch Mantell vs. Jerry Garmen: For a guy who was part of a hated trio, the fans were quick to embrace Dutch as a face. Dutch wins the match with a powerslam after two minutes.

Lance Russell promotes some local shows. He just runs down the card and then doesn’t promote the main event.

Third Contest: AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee & AWA Mid-American Buddy Landell vs. David Johnson & Jim Jamison: Dundee and Landell are getting some good heel heat. Dundee has decided to dress like Elvis this week. I don’t notice other times when they announce who is the referee, but they do it yet again for Jeff Jarrett. As expected, Dundee and Landell spend the entire match destroying the enhancement guys. Dundee slams Jamison on the floor because he doesn’t care. Landell pins Jamison following an elbow drop. After the match, Dundee and Landell continue to beat on their opponents. Landell slaps Jarrett and decks him a few times with right hands and stomps. Jerry Jarrett runs into the ring and cleans house with right hands. Landell holds Jerry and Dundee punches Jerry. Jerry is put on the mat and Dundee goes after Jerry’s eyes. Jeff gets up and decks Dundee and pummels Landell. Russell and Brown left the commentary table to go to ringside. Jeff tries to fight off both Dundee and Landell but a right hand from Dundee stops him. Dutch Mantell comes out, seemingly out of the shower, and makes the save. I just noticed that the crowd today is almost entirely young women. Dutch carries Jeff to the backstage area. Jeff is lifeless. Lance Russell knows that Eddie Marlin is going to do something about this. Russell is pissed about Dundee and Buddy beating on Jeff, who just came out of high school. Russell has to leave the commentary table he’s so disgusted.

Jerry Jarrett comes out prior to the next match with a towel on his eye and he’s crying. He’s really upset over what just happened to his son, Jeff. Lance Russell tries to tell him that they don’t need to talk about it right now. Russell walks Jerry off the set and assures Jerry that Jeff will be okay.

Eddie Marlin comes out and says that Jerry Jarrett is a leader and has never seen him in this kind of situation. Marlin knew about Jerry’s eye and nobody else knew. Marlin knows what to do. He believes there is one man who can go into the ring with Dutch to take care of Dundee and Landell. That man is Jerry Lawler! Marlin doesn’t care about the contract and he’ll try to convince Lawler to come down. Lawler will be here.

Fourth Contest: AWA Southern Tag Champions The Fantastics vs. Tony Falk & Keith Eric: The match was delayed twice for those promos, which are a rather big deal. Fantastics are fired up, likely because of the 50 young women in the crowd, which appears to be by design. Falk gets a few moments of offense on Fulton with strikes, but that doesn’t last long at all. Rogers gets the pin on Eric with a crossbody after four minutes.

Lance Russell has some local shows to promote and he’s still pissed about Dundee and Buddy. He reveals that Jerry Lawler is returning at the Coliseum on Wednesday. We hear from Dundee and Buddy. Dundee says he was beaten in a loser leaves town match and left for a year to work in Louisiana. He tried to return but Eddie Marlin wouldn’t let him back. However, Lawler gets to return no problem. Dundee helped build the company just as Lawler did. Dundee is going to get rid of Lawler. He’s not scared of Lawler. He is really pissed off. Dundee says he’s suing them.

Dutch Mantell comes out to be interviewed by Lance Russell. Dutch is happy he fell out with Dundee and Buddy. He says it takes a lot of guts to beat up a guy fresh out of high school. He’s also not happy with them going after Jerry’s good eye. Dutch has done some bad things, but nothing like that before. Dutch hopes that Jerry Lawler returns to fight off Dundee and Buddy. Dutch doesn’t think that Lawler is going to let this happen. Eddie Marlin comes out and has Lawler on the phone. They’re trying to get the phone feed into the arena. You’d think they’d try this prior. They are literally talking to Lawler on speaker phone! Lawler says this has gone way too far. He hates Dundee’s guts and has hated to be gone from Memphis for the last several weeks. Lawler talks about how good friends he is with Jerry Jarrett and how he stuck with Jerry to make the promotion successful. Jerry talks about getting on a plane and traveling all over the country. He’d rather be at home competing for all the fans. He has an opportunity to do it now. Lawler knows that Dundee can sue them but he thinks that Jerry and Marlin have enough money to keep Dundee in court. Lawler says he’ll cancel any other bookings he has and will return to Memphis. Dutch chimes in and asks Lawler to be his partner. Lawler knows how Jerry feels and what he’s going through seeing Jeff get attacked. Lawler just wants Dutch to promise he’ll wrestle hard with him just as he has done against him. Dutch gives Lawler his word. The King is back and everyone is going to know it!

Main Event: Mod Squad (Spike & Basher) vs. Thunderbolt Hamilton & David Haskins: This is an expiration of time match, which means they’ll wrestle until the show runs out of time. Hamilton is able to get some offense on the Mod Squad hitting a dropkick to send one of them to the floor and the other into the corner. Haskins almost wins with a crossbody on Basher. Spike knee lifts Haskins from the apron and that gives the duo a cheap advantage. Mod Squad hit a middle rope elevated clothesline, similar to the Hart Attack, for the first fall. Actually, that will be the only fall for the match.

Lance Russell and Dave Brown discuss what we’ve seen on the show and they’re still disgusted about what Dundee and Buddy did earlier in the program.

Final Thoughts:
Another intense episode for CWA as the segment involving the beating of Jeff Jarrett was good and makes me interested to see how it plays out for Dundee and Landell. Plus, I think it adds interest in Jeff and how he’ll recover. It was bizarre to see a skinny, inexperienced, Jeff Jarrett. I think I’ll enjoy seeing his career develop over the next several years of CWA television. The return of Jerry Lawler has to be expected as I never thought he’d be back in six months. The context makes sense and Lawler returning will only help the TV even more.

Thanks for reading.