CWA TV 1/17/1987

Written by: Bob Colling

CWA TV
Date: 1/17/1987
From: Memphis, TN

Lance Russell is by himself this week due Dave Brown “suffering from a little voice issue” and he’ll hopefully be back next week. Russell promotes the show and says that Jonathan Boyd has promised a surprise for the show.

Lance Russell cuts into the show to provide some footage from the last Coliseum show. Russell says that Jerry Lawler was supposed to wrestle in two different matches against Tommy Rich and Austin Idol. The footage starts off with Rich hammering away on Lawler and the referee gets tossed down. Lawler tosses a fireball into Tommy’s face to end the match in disqualification. The match went just under eleven minutes. Austin Idol comes out and decks Lawler from behind. Lawler makes his comeback with several strikes to stagger Idol a few times. Lawler tried for a piledriver, but the referee stopped him and Rich decks Lawler causing a disqualification. Idol and Rich double team Lawler ramming Lawler groin first into the ring post! Russell suggests that the injury could cause Lawler’s career to end. Russell says that Lawler suffered a ruptured testicle, which was censored.

Randy Hales tried to talk to Tommy Rich and Austin Idol, but they toss him out of the locker room. The question remains just how long Jerry Lawler will be out of action. Rich and Idol have been fined $2,500 each.

There’s another incident involving the Fabulous Ones and the Sheepherders. Luke and Butch have done something to Steve Keirn and Stan Lane in Florida. We see footage from the area where Keirn was handcuffed to the ropes. Lane saves Keirn from getting a chair shot and Lane whacks Butch with the chair. Luke whacks Lane over the back with a flagpole. Sheepherders set a chair up in the middle of the ring with Lane placed chest first over the chair. Luke comes off the top rope to hit Lane over the chair with a flagpole.

Stan Lane calls into the Florida show and says that he promises to be back to Florida and he’s coming for revenge against the Sheepherders. We see more footage between the two teams that includes some wild brawls and plenty of blood loss.

Lance Russell chats with Jonathan Boyd, who will be bringing in the Daughters of Darkness. Boyd says he’s going to bloody everyone and he’s bringing in everyone. He’s focusing his attack on Eddie Marlin because he’s out for revenge. AWA Southern Tag Team Champions Rock & Roll RPMs will be taking on Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis in a last chance match. They said that Jarrett and Travis have challenged and failed. They will be looking for someone else to beat up.

AWA International Champion Soul Train Jones comes out. This is hilarious as the crowd seemingly couldn’t care any less about the guy. Jones says that Big Bubba is slow and he was able to study film to take advantage of that fact. Jones says everyone is supportive him and the belt is the people’s championship. He believes that he’ll be champion as long as the fans support him. I’m not kidding even a little bit when I say the fans were dead silent for Jones.

We get a music video of Soul Train Jones, which is mostly him just dancing during his entrance and flexing in interviews. There are clips of Jones in action against Goliath. He’s got a fan club that people can join by writing a letter. Man, that just doesn’t seem to make much sense.

Downtown Bruno, Boy Tony, Big Bubba and Goliath come out for an interview. Bruno is dismissive of Jones and says he’s a real American from Pittsburgh. Bruno claims he’s a true winner. Bruno thinks that Jones cheated when he came off the top rope. Bruno thinks the referees have been paid off by Jones and allowing the cheating. Bruno mentions that Tracy Smothers is their valet for a day. We see footage of what Tracy Smothers had to do…

Boy Tony is with Tracy Smothers in the video and Smothers is doing Tony’s laundry. Downtown Bruno is there as well as Smothers has a maid apron on. Smothers irons a shirt for Boy Tony, too. Smothers dusts the floor for Tony, but Smothers is kind of forceful as he’s not enjoying the experience. Tony tells Smothers that he’s hungry and wants some eggs, which Smothers begins to make. Smothers proceeds to put dish soap and pepper on the eggs while Boy Tony left the room. Boy Tony spits out the eggs and is disgusted. Boy Tony demands that Smothers clean the dishes and throw the eggs away. Bruno wants Tracy Smothers to be dressed up nice for when Boy Tony wins the CWA International Championship. Bruno is wearing a t-shirt that is calling Jeff Jarrett a weasel.

Tracy Smothers comes out and says he will be Boy Tony’s valet but warns Tony that he will beat his brains out if he presses his luck.

Opening Contest: Big Bubba, Goliath & Boy Tony vs. John Paul, David Johnson, & Ed Mattox: It only took 24-minutes for their to be wrestling on the show this week. Paul slams Tony for the early advantage. Bubba tosses Mattox across the ring and knocks Johnson down to the mat. Bubba slams Johnson and hits a big splash, but decides against the cover. Goliath delivers a splash and tags in Boy Tony. Tony delivers a weak looking knee drop and wins the match. (1/4*. I’m liking the angle between Tony and Smothers. That finish was rather lame, though. I think it was the point to show Tony winning the match in a cheap manner, but it clearly deflated the crowd.)

Lance Russell is joined by Randy Hales on commentary. Crusher Blackwell will be returning to the area, apparently. There is a video shown to remind fans of the wrestler. They use old footage of Mean Gene promoting the man using his head to put a spike through a board. He had a piece of cloth over the nail, so it’s not all that impressive. Blackwell also breaks the metal spike.

AWA Southern Tag Team Champions Rock & Roll RPMs cut a brief interview saying that they aren’t going to talk about the last chance match for Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis because they will beat them.

Second Contest: AWA Southern Tag Team Champions Rock & Roll RPMs vs. Jerry Garmen & Benny Trailer: RPMs dominate the match hitting a lariat and vertical suplex in the early moments of the match. They easily pin Trailer following their slam/backbreaker combo.

Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis come out for an interview. Jarrett promises that they will be ready and they will walk out as the tag champions. Travis is a brutal promo just again saying they are coming to win the titles again.

Third Contest: Jeff Jarrett & Billy Travis vs. The Red Demons: As expected, Jarrett and Travis dominate the match not allowing the Red Demons to get any momentum. Jarrett wins the match for his team following a standing dropkick. After the match, Jonathan Boyd distracts them walking around with a flag. That allows the Sheepherders to attack Jarrett and Travis from behind.

Jarrett is driven down with a double gut buster as Travis was sent to the floor. Jarrett is met with another double gut buster. Boyd says they are his cousins. It is Butch and Luke. Boyd wants to know if Eddie Marlin is listening because the Sheepherder family is here now.

Lance Russell promotes the Evansville show and brings In CWA International Champion Soul Train Jones for an interview. He’ll be defending against Boy Tony and he promises to defend against anyone. Jones calls Boy Tony “she” several times. Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis enter the scene to talk about their last chance opportunity. Jarrett promises they will walk out as the champions. Travis says that they might have something under their sleeve to regain their titles.

Main Event/: The Sheepherders vs. Randy & Robert Bryant: Jonathan Boyd is on commentary while the Bryant Brothers get destroyed by Butch and Luke for several minutes. The Sheepherders win the match following a battery ram, They do the flagpole and chair spot they did to Stan Lane on one of the Bryant’s to end the segment. (1/2*. I’ve always hated the Bushwhacker gimmick in the WWF, but I can get behind the Sheepherders.)

Final Thoughts:
There are a few strong angles taking place with the Fabulous Ones/Sheepherders, Lawler vs. Idol/Rich and Tony/Smothers standing out to me. The RPMs run as tag champions has been enjoyable, as well. I think I’d be inclined to see the last chance tag match. The TV has been good the last couple of weeks with the top of the card being rather strong.

Thanks for reading.