Written by: Bob Colling
CWA TV
Date: 8/2/1986
From: Memphis, TN
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcome everyone to show and they let us know what we’ll see on the program.
Opening Contest: JT Southern vs. The Invader: Southern gets a good face reaction from the crowd and promptly wins the match in less than twenty-seconds after hitting a powerslam. Southern had one move and it wasn’t hit very smoothly.
Second Contest: The Nightmares (Danny Davis & Ken Wayne) vs. Ron Sexton & Craig Carson: We go right into the second match of the evening as the newly turned face duo the Nightmares compete in a squash match. They’ve been having issues with JD Costello. There’s a few young women in the crowd sporting face paint like the Nightmares. Wayne gets worked over for a moment by Carson with a short arm clothesline and a kneeling headbutt, similar to Junkyard Dog. I’m actually surprised that Wayne was having so much difficulty. Davis gets the hot tag after Wayne was able to somersault to the corner. Davis cleans house and press slams Wayne onto Carson for the win. (1/2*. It went just over four minutes and I liked that the Nightmares showed some weakness. I think that will help them with sympathy in the future. I’m not sure if I’m sold on them being a top tag team, though.)
Lance Russell interview the Nightmares and JT Southern. Danny Davis says that JD Costello looks like a sissy from what he has heard and can’t wait to see what he looks like. Davis notes that Costello wanted a six man tag and could pick his own partners. Southern will be teaming with the Nightmares. Nightmares thinks that Southern will look good with a star on his face. Southern considers JD Costello to be only half a man.
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville card. There will be a no disqualification International Tag Team Championship match. Goto and Sato will defend against Jeff Jarrett and Paul Diamond. Tojo enters the scene with the tag champs and bad talks the Jarretts. That match will have no disqualification. Also, Bam-Bam Bigelow will be taking on Jerry Lawler. Larry Sharpe promises that Bigelow will hurt Lawler. There will also be a tournament to crown a new AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion.
We see footage of JD Costello getting a makeover to look like a Nightmare. Costello tried to hide his face from the camera, but the cameras caught it all. Costello is brought out with the Mod Squad. Russell can’t stop himself from laughing. Costello looks hideous and gets up close to the cameras to get a good shot of him. Costello hopes that everyone is happy this has happened to him. He believes the old saying of the person who laughs last, laughs loudest. That is going to hold true in this situation. Costello thinks everyone should thank him for coming out on television every week. Costello wanted a six man tag match and he doesn’t want to sit at ringside. Costello believes that the Mod Squad will beat the Nightmares within an inch of their lives.
Third Contest: Rock Steady Crew (King Cobra & Ira Reese) vs. Keith Eric & Keith Roberson: Rock Steady Crew appear to be a new face team entering the CWA. They don’t have much of an issue with Eric and Roberson this week. They hit several dropkicks, including a couple of double dropkicks, throughout the match. Cobra locks in the Sharpshooter and wins the match by submission. (1/2*. Is this before Sting or Bret Hart ever executed the move? If they incorporate a few more moves other than dropkicks, I can see them being enjoyable.)
Lance Russell interviews the newest manager of Fire and Flame, Billy Spears. Spears has the TV schedule and wants to know why the duo isn’t on the TV. Russell reminds Spears that Fire and Flame are off television due to their recent actions. Spears wants to talk to someone who has power because he isn’t liking this. Fire and Flame are the AWA Southern Tag Team Champions and should be allowed to defend their tag titles. Eddie Marlin, the man who made the ruling, comes out and tells Spears that Fire and Flame will not be wrestling on the channel. Spears wants Marlin to tell him that he’s responsible for this, which Marlin says that he is. Marlin will not allow them to wrestle as long as he is here. Spears tells Marlin that he is responsible for anything that will happen. He gives Marlin a shot to right the wrong and he doesn’t.
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville card again. An International Championship match between Jerry Lawler and Bam-Bam Bigelow will be taking place. There will also be a new AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion.
Fourth Contest: Bam-Bam Bigelow vs. Jim Jamison: Bigelow splashes down onto the canvas as Jamison looks petrified on the floor. Bigelow will be wrestling on his knees. Jamison hooks Bigelow’s body on the mat and doesn’t have any luck with his attempted offense. Bigelow stands up and plants Jamison with a Samoan Drop for the easy victory. (1/2*. An effective segment, but Bigelow doesn’t present himself as a major star. His attire is very basic and doesn’t scream like a top level talent, just on appearance alone.)
Fifth Contest: Giant Hillbilly & AWA International Champion Jerry Lawler vs. Memphis Vice (Jerry Bryant & Lou Winston): Bryant and Lawler kickoff the tag match with Bryant avoiding Lawler early on. Bryant gets a headlock on Lawler and tags in Winston. Bryant runs the ropes and collides with Winston before they both go to the floor to regroup. Lawler kicks Bryant several times followed by a right hand to drop Bryant. Winston gets in the ring and he’s ready to fight Lawler. Winston backs Lawler into a corner and delivers a right hand. Lawler battles back with a right hand to drop Winston. Bryant enters the match and gets a few punches in until Hillbilly tags in and backdrops Bryant followed by a leg drop, twice. Hillbilly sends Bryant into Lawler’s boot in the corner before Winston gets tagged in and he’s yelling at the fans. Winston hammers away on Lawler in the corner as five minutes have gone by. Hillbilly is splashing Bryant in the corner. Lawler has a rollup on Winston, but Bigelow enters to clothesline Lawler and that allows Winston to pin Lawler! (*. The match didn’t have much going on, really. However, I enjoy the Memphis Vice team and the involvement by Bigelow advances the issues with Lawler. I wasn’t expecting Lawler to be pinned, especially by a lower level tag team even if there was interference.)
Fire and Flame are apparently out in the parking lot causing trouble. They pull back the curtains and we see that Fire and Flame have spray painted Eddie Marlin’s car! Marlin drives a Lincoln in case you were wondering. Several babyface wrestlers run them off.
Eddie Marlin comes over and says that Fire and Flame will pay for that, and he doesn’t mean money.
Sixth Contest: Jeff Jarrett & Paul Diamond vs. Rough & Ready: Remember, Rough and Ready are a masked duo. I’m not even sure if Lance Russell and Dave Brown know which one is which. Jarrett seems to be improving his physique already as his upper body looks more muscular and he has done some work on his legs. Diamond wins the match following a sidekick. (1/2*. There’s nothing really going on here.)
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville card. Jeff and Jerry Jarrett are interviewed. Jerry says he told Tojo what he’d do if Tojo got involved. Last week, he was a little late and cost his son and Diamond the match. However, this time it’s no disqualification and promises that Tojo will be carried out of the arena. Jerry Lawler enters the scene and says he has been waiting for this one against Bam-Bam Bigelow. Lawler has heard a lot of talk from Bigelow and Sharpe and he’ll hear it from other people. Lawler will also be in the battle royal to compete for the Southern Heavyweight Championship to go along with the International Championship.
Main Event: AWA International Tag Team Champions Akio Sato & Tarzan Goto vs. David Haskins & Jerry Garmen: Haskins takes Sato down with a few running football tackles, but that is likely his only offense for the evening. Sato misses a running shoulder strike and Garmen gets tagged in. Garmen controls the arm of Goto for a moment and tags in Haskins. Haskins nearly wins with a crossbody on Goto. Garmen dropkicks Goto but misses a second attempt. Tojo whacks Garmen with a stick on the floor. The referee was distracted during the beating. Goto slams Garmen and gets a two count after a splash. Garmen is held in the air and Sato delivers a superkick for the win.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this week as a decent overall episode. JD Costello is carrying the feud with the Nightmares, Fire and Flame are getting presented well in recent weeks. Bigelow costing Lawler a tag match adds another layer to the feud. I’m curious to see who wins the Southern Heavyweight Championship.
Thanks for reading.