Written by: Bob Colling
CWA TV
Date: 4/5/1986
From: Memphis, TN
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcome everyone to the program. Brown lets us know what we’ll see on the program this week. Russell mentions that there have been two title changes. Billy Travis has won the AWA International Championship from Sheik Abdul Gaddafi. Also, as previously mentioned, the Mod Squad have won the AWA Southern Tag Team Championships.
Eddie Marlin comes out and apologizes to Lance Russell for what happened with Bill Dundee when Dundee slapped Russell last week. A video shown of Russell reminding Dundee and Landell that they lost and was slapped afterward. Marlin fines them $1,000 each and if they put their hands on Russell again then they won’t be able to appear on television for five years.
Memphis Vice chat with Lance Russell and they say they want to talk only about themselves. They believe they are going to be the next AWA Southern Tag Team Champions in a short amount of time.
Opening Contest: Memphis Vice (Lou Winston & Jerry Bryant) vs. Jim Jamison & Keith Eric: Bryant gets tossed across the ring by Jamison. Eric enters the ring and gets decked by Bryant with a clothesline. Winston tags in and works over Eric with a few strikes. Bryant plants Eric with a powerslam. Winston continues to work over Eric with a knee drop and strikes. Jamison returns to the match and gets beaten on with strikes in the corner. Memphis Vice hit a middle rope Hart Attack clothesline. Winston comes off the middle rope with an elbow drop. Bryant delivers a clothesline and pins Jamison. (*. I was thinking that Jamison may get a little push after his win over Falk, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. I’m enjoying the Memphis Vice team.)
AWA International Champion Billy Travis makes his way out to be interviewed by Lance Russell. He says this is the happiest day of his life and credits the people for supporting him along with Phil Hickerson and Frank Morrell. He promises to defend it against anyone. That leads to Abdul Gaddafi coming out and hitting Travis with a mental trash can to lay out Travis.
Lance Russell promotes some local shows which will feature a Texas Death Match with elimination rules between the teams of Dundee/Landell and Lawler/Mantell. Dundee and Landell are pissed about everyone being against them. They are going to hurt them and eliminate Lawler. They are going to take out Mantell first and then focus on Lawler.
AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bill Dundee and Buddy Landell comes out for a segment and they knew that Lance Russell wouldn’t talk to them. They have a table and it’s labeled “The Bill And Buddy Show”. It looks like they are going to replace Russell and Brown.
Second Contest: Joe LeDuc vs. Benny Trailer & Jerry Garmen in a handicap match: Despite being at the disadvantage, LeDuc has little trouble destroying the two enhancement talents. LeDuc tosses Trailer over the top onto Garmen on the floor and that’s a disqualification giving the enhancement guys the victory.
Joe LeDuc goes to the Bill and Buddy table to cut a promo. LeDuc rambles about pulling his arm apart and sounds like he’s issued a challenge. He’s offered ten people to try and pull his arms apart.
Lance Russell promotes some more local cards.
Bill and Buddy Show say that they’ve taken over and they aren’t going to show the Jerry Lawler video tape. However, the director comes over and says they’ve got to show it and Dundee allows it. We return to seeing Buddy and Bill sleeping at the table. Lawler and Mantell are set to wrestle next.
Third Contest: Jerry Lawler & Dutch Mantell vs. Pat Rose & Bill Rose: Naturally, Lawler and Dutch look over and say a few things to Dundee and Landell. Pat takes Lawler over with a hip toss, but Lawler comes back with one of his own. Pat backdrops Lawler out of the corner and Lawler backs away into a corner to regroup. Lawler fights back with a backdrop and Bill tags into the match. Mantell tags in and delivers a double fist drop with Lawler on Bill. Dutch and Lawler want Dundee and Landell to come in the ring or leave the area. Mantell drops Pat with a short arm clothesline. Dutch continues with a scoop slam. Pat misses Lawler and decks Bill off the apron with a right hand on accident. Lawler almost hits Dutch on accident, but is able to stop himself. Lawler and Dutch nail Pat with a right hand to keep control of the match. Lawler and Dutch leave the ring and lose the match by count-out. After the match, Dundee and Landell are thrilled by this.
However, Lawler and Dutch return with chairs and destroy the Bill and Buddy table causing the heels to runaway. So much for the new commentary team, I’d say. Dundee and Landell return and this leads to a brawl in the ring between the four men. Lawler and Dutch begin to strip their rivals of their clothing. Bill and Pat Rose are also in there brawling but not accomplishing much success. Several people from the backstage area to breakup the situation.
Fourth Contest: AWA Southern Tag Team Champions The Mod Squad vs. Henry Rutledge & David Johnson: Johnson gets worked over by Basher with strikes, a leg drop and a powerslam. JD Costello gets on the microphone at the commentary table and talks about how he promised to be the tag team champions and they are just that. Johnson does an awkward somersault to tag in Rutledge and he gets worked over by the tag champions. They hit an assisted standing leg drop but don’t go for the pin attempt. Mod Squad has continued to beat on Rutledge seemingly well past the needed amount to obtain a victory. The champions are acting like the enhancement guys are Paul Diamond and Michael Lee. They win the match following a clothesline to Rutledge. (1/4*. This went nearly seven minutes and that wasn’t needed at all. I found myself losing interest in the action. I understand the attempt to get them over and bullies, but I wasn’t connected to the angle.)
Lance Russell interviews JD Costello with the Mod Squad by his side. Costello bought a copy of USA Today and has the sports section. Russell reads the paper that puts over Mod Squad winning the titles. Costello wants to pause for the defeated Fantastics, but it’s a quick moment. Paul Diamond and Michael Lee will be the next challengers to the tag titles. Costello thinks his team is on the same level of Ric Flair and says that there’s nobody around that can beat them. Costello insults Diamond and Lee as being not much competition for them. Russell reminds Costello that Lee and Diamond won the titles. Costello ignores that and puts over his team.
Lance Russell promotes the local cards. Jerry Lawler and Dutch Mantell enter the scene for an interview. Lawler says they have survived Dundee and Landell from last week and now they are back for more. He explains the rules to the Texas Tornado elimination match. Lawler says they are going to focus on Dundee for last. Mantell wants them to admit if they are scared. Mantell promises that Dundee and Landell will not win.
Tony Falk comes to the commentary table and he’s annoyed about not hearing from Jackie Fargo and Jeff Jarrett. He hasn’t heard from either man. He wants Jarrett to prove that he’s a man and agree to get in the ring with him.
Main Event: Paul Diamond & Michael Lee vs. Tony Falk & The Masked Patriot: Diamond and Falk start off the main event with Diamond controlling Falk with an arm drag. Lee comes in and takes Falk over with several arm drags. Diamond comes off the middle rope to axe handle Falk followed by an arm drag for a two count. Patriot gets tagged in and tries his luck against Diamond. Diamond keeps Patriot on the mat and Lee comes off the middle rope with a splash onto Patriot. Lee drops Patriot with a clothesline for a one count. Diamond scoop slams Patriot followed by a leg drop for a two count. Falk enters and gets tossed across the ring a few times by Diamond. Lee enters to take Falk down with a double backdrop for a one count. Diamond gets worked over in the corner by Patriot, but Diamond fights back with a backdrop. Diamond delivers a superkick for the win. (1/2*. Some constant action, but there isn’t much going on here for the most part. Diamond continues to get momentum and most of the shine for his team. Judging by the presentation, I can see Lee not sticking around very long and this all being a singles push for Diamond in the future.)
Final Thoughts:
The feud between Landell/Dundee against Lawler/Mantell is still carrying television, but aside from that there’s nothing really grabbing the my interest. Billy Travis doesn’t strike as an entertaining guy and he’s a champion. The Mod Squad as tag champions doesn’t come across very well, either. They’ve got to find another angle to keep the interest going. The show isn’t bad this week or anything. I just found myself not overly invested in what was provided.
Thanks for reading.