Written by: Bob Colling
CWA TV
Date: 5/9/1987
From: Memphis, TN
Lance Russell and Dave Brown promote the show this week. Russell lets us know that Steve Keirn, who won the AWA International Tag Championships with Mark Starr, isn’t at the studio due to an injury he’s suffered.
Jeff Jarrett comes out to cut a promo with Lance Russell. Jarrett has a match coming up with Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Championship. Jarrett notes that Jerry Lawler defeated Austin Idol for the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship. However, Lawler was originally supposed to get the shot but was taken out by Idol and Rich. So, Lawler made a few calls and now Jarrett has a shot against Bockwinkel. Jarrett is here to thank Lawler for the opportunity. Russell doesn’t think a lot of people would bet Jarrett would win. Russell compares this to Rocky. Jarrett knows that nobody believes he’ll win. Jarrett is going to give his best shot on Monday night.
Opening Contest: Jim Jameson & Ron Nations vs. AWA International Champion Chic Donovan & Jack Hart: Paul E. Dangerously is on commentary and he’s bragging about how his men have all the titles. Dangerously thinks that Jack Hart deserves a shot against Nick Bockwinkel instead of Jarrett. Donovan wins the match following a swinging neckbreaker.
Jack Hart cuts a promo saying that he’s pissed about Jeff Jarrett getting a title. Hart wants to know why himself or Donovan don’t get a title shot, but Jarrett does. Hart grabs Russell by the jacket and threatens him. Randy Hales runs out and tells Hart to leave the studio. Hart gets in Hales face asking who he is. Hart ends up attacking Hales along with Donovan! Hart clotheslines Hales on the floor! Hart jabs Hales with a steel chair in the ribs! Donovan beats on Hales with right hands. Jeff Jarrett runs out and makes the save hammering away on both Donovan and Hart! Bill Dundee comes out of nowhere and helps out Jarrett by hammering away on both men! Dundee clotheslines Hart! Dundee and Jarrett chase Hart and Donovan backstage while we see Hales being helped to his feet! That was a nicely done segment!
A video promoting the Midnight Rockers is shown. Shawn Michaels and Marty Jannetty are on their way to the CWA.
Highlights from this past Monday where Mark Starr and Steve Keirn won the AWA International Tag Team Championships from the Mercenaries. Starr got the pin after a slingshot splash from the apron into the ring.
Lance Russell interviews AWA International Tag Champion Mark Starr. Starr says that Keirn isn’t there and he’s not going to forfeit the titles. Starr notes that he doesn’t have to beat Tanaka or Diamond and they have to beat him which isn’t going to happen.
Second Contest: AWA International Tag Team Champion Mark Starr vs. Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond: Starr and Diamond start the title match with Starr controlling Diamond with a headlock on the mat. Diamond slams Starr, but Starr takes Diamond over with a few arm drags. Tanaka enter the match and is also taken down to the mat. Starr beats on Tanaka with right hands several times. Tanaka runs over Starr with a shoulder block, but runs into a standing dropkick. Starr takes Tanaka down to the mat. Tanaka hits Starr with a few right hands and Diamond tags in. Starr hits a crossbody on both men! Diamond knee lifts Starr and tags in Tanaka while delivering strikes in the corner. Starr fights out of the corner and keeps a wrist lock on Tanaka for a moment. Downtown Bruno tosses a batting helmet at Starr in the corner. Diamond elbows Starr to the mat for a near fall. Diamond sends Starr through the ropes to the floor. Bruno gets a few more cheap shots in on the floor. Tanaka beats on Starr several times, as well. Diamond plants Starr with a front slam for a two count. Diamond scoop slams Starr, but Starr almost wins with an inside cradle. However, the referee was distracted by Tanaka. Diamond clotheslines Starr for a two count. Starr comes off the ropes to clothesline both men. Starr dropkicks Tanaka to the floor. Starr shoulder blocks Diamond, but gets dumped to the floor where Tanaka hits a DDT. Diamond comes off the ropes to elbow drop Starr and wins the match. We have new champions. (**. I enjoyed the action and they kept my interest throughout. Diamond and Tanaka being the champions makes the most sense to me. They gel very well together and I feel like they’d have good matches at the bigger events.) After the match, Starr is attacked some more. Billy Travis rolls into the ring and helps Starr fight off the heels.
We see highlights of the steel cage match that also had a hair vs. hair stipulation between Jerry Lawler and Austin Idol for the AWA Southern Championship. Tommy Rich came from under the ring and attacked Lawler having hit a few piledrivers. They drove Lawler groin first into the ring post. Idol was then able to pin Lawler and thus had his head shaved. A female fan tried to climb the cage, but they edited that out of the footage. The crowd is stunned that Lawler lost the match.
Backstage, Lance Russell talked to Austin Idol and Paul E. Dangerously who were celebrating. Tommy Rich is there, too. Rich kicks Russell out of the scene and says that he’s real hungry. Rich says that Lawler overlooked looking under the ring. Rich says that Lawler is too embarrassed to show his face. Idol chimes in and says that Rich is his ace card and proclaims they are the new kings of Memphis.
Bam-Bam Bigelow shares pre-tape comments about paying $5,000. He’s not happy that Idol and Rich don’t have to pay anything for what they’ve done. Bigelow is refusing to pay the money. Bigelow didn’t care about getting his head tattooed at 16 and talks about being in jail between ages 16 to 19. Bigelow tells them to kiss his ass in regard to paying a fine.
Main Event: Soul Train Jones vs. Keith Eric: Chic Donovan and Jack Hart attack Jones quickly and they do the same to Rocky Johnson. Hart used a loaded boot to beat on Johnson. Johnson gets powder thrown into his face. Donovan spikes Jones with a piledriver on the floor. Bill Dundee comes out along with Jeff Jarrett to make the save. That naturally leads to a wild brawl. Johnson sends Hart to the floor. Dundee sends Donovan face first into the ring post. Dundee slams Hart onto the floor, as well.
Final Thoughts:
I thought this was a strong episode for CWA this week. Chic Donovan and Jack Hart have been presented very well the last couple of weeks. Hart might be getting a bigger rub for what he did to Hales. It felt like every segment served a purpose and it flew by.
Thanks for reading.