Written by: Bob Colling
CWA TV
Date: 8/9/1986
From: Memphis, TN
Lance Russell and Dave Brown promote what we’ll see on the program this week. Mr. Universe will be making his debut with the MOD Squad. Plus, Jerry Lawler will be on the program.
Opening Contest: JT Southern vs. Mike Murphy: Southern ducks a wild right early on and hits a quick powerslam for the easy win. That was literally five-seconds. (1/4*. I’m assuming that JT Southern isn’t very good in the ring and they are hiding that by having quick matches.) They say it lasted fourteen seconds and I don’t even believe that.
JD Costello comes out with the Mod Squad and says that anyone could have won that match so quickly. Costello is introducing his triple threat challenge. Costello insults the fans saying that $5,000 is probably a lot of money to them but it’s not a lot to him. Russell explains the challenge saying that Costello wanted the Nightmares and JT Southern in three singles matches. If his guys don’t win all three matches, then he’ll pay out $5,000 to the fans. Costello talks about how the fans have mud all over their body and don’t wear t-shirts. JD Costello introduces Mr. Universe to be the man to take out JT Southern. Universe comes out and he’s jacked and poses for the camera. Costello says he isn’t very smart but he’s big and that’s why he brought him in.
Second Contest: MOD Squad & Mr. Universe vs. David Haskins, Benny Trailer & Jerry Garmen: Universe really likes to pose for the camera. Costello believes that JT Southern is attempting suicide after seeing Universe. Universe decks Haskins with a clothesline and tags out to Spike as Garmen tags in and gets nailed with a shoulder block. Basher delivers a powerslam to Garmen and keeps control. Trailer tags in and gets press slammed by Universe. Universe drops Trailer to the mat with an overhand strike. Spike enters and Trailer tries to fight back with strikes but isn’t successful. Universe comes off the ropes with a double axe handle to drop Trailer. Spike backdrops Trailer and Basher hits a middle rope clothesline for a two count. Universe enters to put a bearhug on and wins the match by submission. After the match, the trio attack the enhancement wrestlers because they can. (1/2*. Universe didn’t come across all that impressive, but since he’s a big guy I can see him being a monster that Lawler eventually takes down.)
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville card. There will be a kendo stick lumberjack match. AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bam-Bam Bigelow will defend against Paul Diamond. Larry Sharpe enters the scene and says they don’t take anyone lightly. This is Diamond’s chance to step up and be a man. Bigelow wants to know where his belt is and looks around confused looking for it. Bigelow found the belt and Sharpe says they might just take a diamond for Bigelow’s tooth.
Third Contest: AWA International Tag Team Champions Akio Sato & Tarzan Goto vs. Tracy Smothers & David Baker: Sato chops Smothers a few times but Smothers comes back with a dropkick. The ropes appeared to have snapped and the top rope is loose. Goto and Baker trade strikes with Goto getting the better of the exchange. Sato tags back in and keeps Baker on the mat. Sato chops Baker to the mat and delivers a scoop slam. Goto continues with a swinging neckbreaker. Baker tries to fight back with chops but is knocked into the corner. Baker is sent into his corner and Smothers doesn’t tag in. Baker kicks Goto away and Smothers gets the hot tag. Smothers gets a good reaction as he cleans house with right hands. Sato gets tagged back in but misses a splash in the corner. Baker tags back in and gets slammed to the mat quickly for a near fall. Sato delivers a superkick and pins Baker. (*1/2. It hasn’t been any more clear to me that Smothers needs to be pushed in a bigger babyface role than what he did in this match. The crowd reacted very loudly for him and he’s seemingly on the verge of breaking out. The tag to Baker towards the end just didn’t make a lot of sense and it was noticeable how the crowd became dead upon Baker’s entry into the match. They just knew it was over.)
Lance Russell interviews Tojo, Sato and Goto. Russell wants Tojo to listen to what Jerry Jarrett had to say about the kendo stick lumberjack match. Jerry Jarrett talks about when he first got started in the business and how he was told to never promise something to the fans unless he can deliver. Jerry has said the past few weeks that he was going to help Jeff and Tanaka win the tag titles, but he hasn’t helped enough. Jarrett isn’t going to promise the tag titles will change hands. He talks about how himself and Tojo will have a kendo stick and it is legal as long as they don’t get in the ring to use it. Jerry promises to give Tojo a beating. He promises that and he’ll live up to it. Tojo responds to those comments saying that Jerry listens to the wrong people. Tojo says they legally won the matches. Tojo claims that Jeff and Tanaka can’t wrestle and he wouldn’t let his daddy get involved. Tojo says that Jeff Jarrett and Pat Tanaka are the guys who runaway from them. Tojo continues to call the Jarrett’s retards. Sato chimes in and says they will be tag champions forever. Tojo claims he never tries to interfere in any matches.
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville card coming up. It will feature the triple threat challenge where JD Costello could throwaway $5,000. AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bam-Bam Bigelow defends against Paul Diamond and the kendo stick tag title match.
Fourth Contest: AWA International Champion Jerry Lawler vs. Juicy Johnny: Early on, Johnny gets the cheap advantage by yanking Lawler’s hair a few times, but the referee sees it. Lawler fights back by yanking Johnny down to the mat by his hair a few times. Johnny elbow strikes Lawler followed by a standing fist drop for a two count. Lawler begins to get a second wind and decks Johnny with several strikes and rams him face first into the top turnbuckle several times. Lawler elbows Johnny and comes off the middle rope with a fist drop for the win. (*1/2. Well, it was far more competitive than I thought it would be and the crowd was loving what Lawler was doing.)
Fifth Contest: AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion Bam-Bam Bigelow vs. Jim Jamison & David Johnson: This handicap match has both Jamison and Johnson in the ring at the same time. That doesn’t matter for Bigelow as he runs over both of them with a clothesline. Larry Sharpe doesn’t understand why he would be handcuffed to the bottom rope during an upcoming match between Bigelow and Lawler. Bigelow press slams Johnson followed by a leg drop. Bigelow sends Johnson to the floor and powerslams Jamison. Bigelow goes for a splash, but Lawler comes out with a chair and whacks Bigelow, but Bigelow doesn’t budge. Lawler backs off and gets clotheslined over the top to the floor! Bigelow won the match by disqualification. Lawler has a look of concern while standing on the floor with the chair. Bigelow wants Lawler to get in the ring, but Lawler is held back. (*. The aftermath was incredibly effective to show Bigelow as a monster that Lawler is going to have some serious trouble with. It sold me on Bigelow as a monster in his feud with Lawler. I like that Lawler failed on the run-in and gives Bam-Bam even more momentum.)
Sixth Contest: Jeff Jarrett, Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond vs. Keith Roberson, Rough & Ready: Diamond starts off with a vertical suplex before tagging in Jarrett. Tanaka enters and keeps control with a headbutt. Roberson didn’t have any interest in getting involved in the match. Roberson does get tagged in and is worked over by Diamond and Tanaka. Roberson quickly tags out of the match. Jarrett wins the match with a Thez Press. (1/2*. It was fine for what it was. I liked that Roberson showed personality and got some heat for not wanting to compete in the match.)
Eddie Marlin comes out and calls out Fire & Flame to talk to them in person. Remember, they have been banned from competing on television. Marlin says they were fined $1,500 each for a situation with the fans and $500 each for what they did to his car. Apparently, Billy Spears has been suspended and is no longer with them. Marlin will only allow them to compete on television as long as they defend the tag titles every week and they will not know the challengers. We hear from the masked duo. One of them says that Marlin isn’t one of the best promoters. They will put on the AWA Southern Tag Team Championships. Marlin suggests they vacate the titles and move along. They promise that Marlin will be seeing them as champions for a long time.
Lance Russell promotes the Evansville show, yet again. We hear from the Nightmares and JT Southern regarding their triple threat challenge matches against the Mod Squad and Mr. Universe. Danny Davis says there is no way that they can beat all three of them. Ken Wayne wants a piece of the $5,000. JT Southern says Mr. Universe is going down and they are getting the money.
Main Event: Rock Steady Crew (King Cobra & Ira Reese) vs. Memphis Vice (Jerry Bryant & Lou Winston): Bryant and Cobra start the match with Bryant taking him over with a hip toss. Cobra hip tosses Bryant and Winston a few times sending them to the floor. Bryant is met with a double backdrop and Winston is met with a double dropkick. Reese backdrops Winston over the top to the floor, but the referee doesn’t call for the bell. The referee says it was Winston’s momentum, which I don’t think is accurate. Winston is met with another double backdrop and Reese keeps control in the ring. Winston stops Reese with a big boot and tags in Bryant. Bryant hits a powerslam on Reese but only gets a two count. The bell sounds because the match has ran out of time. The match ends with all four men brawling.
Final Thoughts:
Originally, I didn’t care all that much about Fire and Flame but they have done a really good job promoting the duo and making them actually mean something to the promotion. Bigelow was presented strong this week and is making a case for himself to be taking seriously as a monster, which was mostly credited to Lawler’s reaction to him no selling the chair shot. The show is getting back to a being consistent and I like that Bigelow/Lawler has been dragged out a bit.
Thanks for reading.