Written by: Bob Colling
CWA TV
Date: 8/22/1987
From: Memphis, TN
Lance Russell and Dave Brown welcome everyone to the program and rundown what we’ll see. Tracy Smothers and Scott Hall will be competing in singles action along with the regular guys.
Opening Contest: George Barnes vs. Ed Mattox: Hilariously, there isn’t a bell to ring so Dave Brown just says “ding, ding.” Barnes win the match in easy fashion following an elbow drop after a Samoan Drop. After the match, Barnes kicks Mattox a few more times.
Backstage, Lance Russell interviews Bill Dundee. Dundee says that Barnes has been spreading lies about flunking out of wrestling school. Dundee is proud to be from Australia but he’s American by choice and he’s proud to be here. Dundee doesn’t think Barnes has it anymore.
Second Contest: Bill Dundee vs. Keith Erich: Dundee wins the match following a top rope knee drop and puts one boot on Erich. The match lasts 45-seconds.
Backstage, Lance Russell is with Tracy Smothers, who is returning to the area. Smothers says he’s been in Florida and had a good run. He’s glad he’s back at home. Smothers knows there is tough competition and he’s the new sheriff in town.
Third Contest: Tracy Smothers vs. Keith Roberson: Smothers hit a twisting crossbody off the middle rope for a two count. Smothers wins the match with a regular crossbody. I’m thinking the twisting crossbody was the planned finish.
We see video of Big Bubba turning on Jerry Lawler and allowing Don Bass to win the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship in a tag team cage match. Bubba was paid off by Brickhouse Brown with $5,000. Russell announces that the committee has held-up the AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion.
Jerry Lawler makes his way out to chat with Lance Russell. Lawler says that the championship wasn’t given back to him. Lawler thinks this means nothing to him since they didn’t give the championship back to him. Lawler says that Big Bubba isn’t a referee and getting rid of his referee license means nothing because Bubba isn’t a referee anyway. Lawler promises to get the AWA Southern Heavyweight Championship back around his waist. Lawler is going to beat up Don Bass, and then Big Bubba before finishing off with Brickhouse Brown.
We see footage of a match between Jerry Lawler and Curt Hennig taking place at the Mid-South Coliseum. Lawler hit a fist drop, but Brickhouse Brown entered the ring as a woman and hit a piledriver on Lawler! Hennig is able to cover Lawler and retains the championship. Russell took that into consideration but also since Brown lied about being sick and didn’t wrestle Rocky Johnson on the same show. Brickhouse Brown has been suspended for thirty days.
Brickhouse Brown, Don Bass and Downtown Bruno come out to be interviewed by Lance Russell. Brown says the people don’t want to hear what Russell has been saying. Brown reveals that he’s suing everyone and claims he was sick. Brown says he had a 110 degree heat fever and wouldn’t lie about that. Brown isn’t afraid of a guy like Rocky Johnson. Brown repeats that he’s suing everyone and isn’t afraid of a suspension. Don Bass proclaims that he’s the people champion and he’s the champion still. Brown says he can’t wait thirty days and wants Jerry Lawler really bad. Brown wants Lawler to shine both his feet. Jerry Lawler makes his way back out to confront them. Rocky Johnson is with Jerry Lawler. Johnson tells Brown that he’s an Oreo cookie to begin with. Lawler knows that Brickhouse is going to be at ringside. Lawler tells Brown they have another thing coming because Lawler will have Rocky Johnson in his corner. Lawler is ready to fight Brickhouse right now. The rest of the Commission comes out to backup Brown and Bass. Brown wants them to slap him in the face, but that’s not going to happen with the numbers. Lawler brings out his friends, Jeff Jarrett, Alan West, Scott Hall, Tracy Smothers and Bill Dundee. They are all even and want to have a fight. Eddie Marlin comes out and says the first man to throw a punch will be thrown out. The Nasty Boys are out there in the middle not aligning with any team. Everyone leaves the studio with nobody brawling. Lawler says that Brown won’t be able to win the match with his mouth and Lawler will regain the title.
Backstage, Lance Russell talks to Rocky Johnson who talks about wanting Brickhouse Brown real bad. Johnson is going to have a foot race with Lawler to get to Brickhouse first.
Fourth Contest: Rocky Johnson vs. Buddy James: Johnson wins this in 24-seconds with a belly to belly suplex.
Fifth Contest: Superstar Bubba vs. Freezer Thompson: Superstar Bubba is drastically different to the bland Big Bubba. He’s dancing often and shows far more emotion. It’s goofy, but more enjoyable. Bubba wins the match following a leg drop after 32-seconds of action.
Brickhouse Brown comes back out and calls Jerry Lawler a redneck who will find out what’s he capable of. Brown says the Commission will be out there and murder Lawler. Bubba calls Rocky Johnson an Uncle Tom and calls Johnson an Oreo cookie. Brickhouse promises that Lawler is in trouble.
A video of three dudes wearing creepy masks are shown as Thriller is played. They are the Nights of Darkness, according to Dave Brown. They are part of the Commission.
Sixth Contest: Scott Hall vs. “King” Carl Fergie: Hall hip tosses Fergie to start the match followed by a few arm drags. Fergie works over Hall with strikes in the corner to get the advantage. Hall counters and hip tosses Fergie out of the corner. Hall gets his hands on Brickhouse Brown, but here comes Goliath and Superstar Bubba to attack Hall. After the match, Hall fights them off and that leads the faces standing tall in the ring.
We see footage of a match between the Nasty Boys taking on Alan West and Mark Starr. The Commission came out and attacked both teams. The Nasty Boys attacked Diamond and Tanaka in a different tag match, but were attacked by the Commission.
Main Event: Billy Travis, Alan West, Mark Starr & John Paul vs. AWA Southern Tag Team Champions Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka, Goliath & Don Bass: They are really doing this match with three minutes left in the TV show. All eight men are in the ring brawling as the referee has lost control of the match already. They go to the floor and beat each other out there, too. The referee throws out the match. So, that was basically nothing. The faces proceed to just walk off. That was a bit bizarre.
Final Thoughts:
CWA feels like it is getting younger and fresher with talent choices. I’m glad that Scott Hall and Tracy Smothers are back in the area. I’m starting to enjoy the Commission and think they are being presented well. There was a lot going on here for angle advancements and I’ll always enjoy that on a professional wrestling program.
Thanks for reading.