Lost Tennessee Footage: Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab Collection:Volume Six

Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab YouTube channel has been uploading old Tennessee wrestling footage from various promotions that were previously thought of as lost footage. Thankfully, much footage has been donated to Bryan, and he’s been posting new matches and segments every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Complete shows are published on Saturdays.

Match #1: Bart Sawyer & Steven Dunn vs. Ashley Hudson & Flash Flanagan — Steel Cage, Double Dog Collar — 1997
Reason For Reviewing: When I would do fantasy booking writing in high school, and well, still today here on Wrestling Recaps, I would sometimes do matches where there was a stipulation within a stipulation. As is the case here. I love cage matches, and tag team dog collar matches always catch my attention.

The cage isn’t all that high, so I can’t imagine there will be much in terms of escaping over the cage. Plus, considering there are dog collars involved, that is likely a wise approach. There are other weapons in the cage such as chairs wedged in the corners. So, I suppose this is essentially a double dog collar steel cage weapons match. They are stalling a little bit with the dog collars. There is at least four minutes of stalling.

They are finally attached and all four men are going at it. Hudson and Dunn are paired together while Flanagan and Swayer swing away on each other. Sawyer chokes Flanagan and delivers a chair shot to the head. Dunn sends Hudson face first into a wedged chair in the corner. Sawyer plants Flanagan with a DDT as Dunn rams Hudson into a chair a few times in the corner. Dunn uses a chain to low blow Hudson a couple of times. Sawyer hammers away on Hudson, but gets sent into a chair. Hudson decks Dunn with the chain wrapped around his fist several times. Flanagan nails Sawyer with a chair shot while Hudson stomps Dunn. Hudson punches Dunn several more times while Flanagan sends Sawyer into the cage. Dunn jabs Hudson in the corner and chokes Hudson while Sawyer works over Flanagan. Dunn clotheslines Hudson and Sawyer uses a chain on Flanagan to drop Flash to the mat. Sawyer climbs to the top rope, which is almost even with the cage anyway. Sawyer hits a fist drop on Flanagan with a chain wrapped around his fist. Sawyer low blows Flanagan and mocks Flanagan’s pain.

Hudson presses Dunn’s face against the cage and decks Sawyer with a right hand. Flanagan avoids a chair shot attempt by Sawyer. Dunn chokes Hudson with the chain in the middle of the ring. Hudson pummels Sawyer and delivers a scoop slam. Hudson elbows Dunn in the corner while Flanagan nails Sawyer with a fist drop off the middle rope with the chain wrapped around his fist. Dunn hits a cutter on Hudson off the middle rope to the mat. Dunn grabs Flanagan to deliver a few right hands. Sawyer and Hudson trade right hands from their knees until Dunn stops Hudson with an eye rake. Sawyer wraps a chain around Hudson’s throat and chokes Hudson in the middle of the ring. Flanagan saves his partner and trades blows with Sawyer. The referee goes down due to Dunn and Hudson brawling.

Sawyer is on the top rope and bulldogs Flanagan to the mat. Dunn misses a clothesline to Hudson and accidentally hits Sawyer. Dunn plants Hudson with a DDT and chats with Sawyer to clear the air, but Sawyer isn’t happy. Sawyer removes his dog collar while Hudson hits a DDT on Dunn. Sawyer has a key and plants Dunn with a DDT before leaving the cage. The fans are calling Sawyer a traitor. Dunn is left alone in the cage as Sawyer locks and tapes the cage door shut. Sawyer leaves the ringside area. Hudson climbs to the top of the cage and hits a leg drop onto Dunn as Flanagan held Dunn. The referee wakes up and Hudson pins Dunn for the win. (**1/2. I’m not all that familiar with Sawyer and his mindset, but he comes across as if he’s an unhinged character who doesn’t think actions through or something. In this kind of match it is incredibly difficult to not be repetitive. So, naturally the action was repetitive, but the violence part kept my interest and the match flew by once they actually got going.)

Match #2: Rick Santel vs. Cassidy Riley — Showtime All-Star Wrestling 2008
Reason For Reviewing: I’ve never seen a Rick Santel singles match, ever. He had a couple tag matches with Vaughn in TNA, but never a singles one on PPV, at least. So, it will be wild to me to see how he works in a singles role and doing so many years after his TNA run. Riley tends to be a lot of fun to watch.

Riley goes right after Santel with right hands to drop Santel to the mat. Riley sends Santel into the corner and hits a backdrop. Riley rams Santel into the corner and drops Santel with a dropkick. Santel knee lifts Riley and is sent to the floor. Riley rams Santel into the apron a few times before they return to the ring. Santel begs off as Riley delivers a boot to the midsection. Santel decks Riley after Paul Adams distracted Riley. Santel hits a back suplex for a two count. Santel continues with strikes in the corner. Santel sends Riley into the corner and taunts the crowd. Santel chokes Riley over the ropes and pulls back on Riley over the middle rope. Santel clubs over Riley’s back, but Riley responds with right hands in the corner. Santel boots Riley in the corner and delivers another strike to the back. Santel goes for the cover, but Riley kicks out at two. Santel keeps control with a chin lock on the mat. Santel knee lifts Riley on the back and steps on Riley’s back in the middle of the ring. Santel delivers a strike to the lower back managing a two count. Santel presses his knee into Riley’s back and pulls back on the arms. Riley battles to his feet, but Santel clubs away on Riley to maintain the momentum. Riley comes off the ropes, but a knee lift to the midsection stops Riley. Santel continues with a chin lock, but Riley avoids being down for too long. Santel misses a clothesline and Riley hits a handspring back elbow followed by a clothesline and scoop slam. Riley hits a moonsault for a near fall. Riley rams Santel into the corner and continues with chops. Riley misses a handspring elbow in the corner and Santel nearly steals a pin with rope leverage. Santel delivers a facebuster, but Riley counters a slam with a rollup. Riley decks Adams off the apron and spikes Santel with a DDT for the three count to win the match. (*1/2. Santel didn’t impress me here as his offense didn’t grab my attention. Riley may be one of the more underrated talents out of Tennessee. Riley as a babyface seems to fit incredibly well for the area and he just “gets it” in that role.)

Match #3: James Storm vs. North American Champion Chris Harris — USA Championship Wrestling 6/1/2002
Reason For Reviewing: It’s the match that got them their jobs in TNA just a few weeks later. America’s Most Wanted collides before they were ever a team.

They shake hands before the bell sounds. They lockup with Storm backing Harris into a corner and cleanly backs off. Harris backs Storm into a corner, but also cleanly backs off. Harris shoulder blocks Storm, but Storm responds with an arm drag. Storm shoulder blocks Harris, but Harris monkey flips Storm across the ring. Harris hip tosses Storm and keeps control with a headlock. Storm counters a hip toss and gets a two count with an inside cradle. Harris goes back to a side headlock on the mat, but Storm breaks free with a head scissors and gets a headlock on Harris for a moment. Harris counters with a head scissors on the mat. Harris kicks Storm, but misses a clothesline. Storm clotheslines Harris over the top to the floor. Harris returns to the ring and backdrops Storm over the top t the floor.

Storm returns to the ring and they shove each other and begin to trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Harris hits a Thez Press and follows up with left hands on the mat. Harris hits a running bulldog, but Storm kicks out at two. Harris leaps off the top hitting a flying crossbody for another two count. Storm blocks a kick and nails Harris with a couple of kicks of his own. Storm goes for the cover, but Harris kicks out. Harris sends Storm over the top, but Storm pulls himself up and hits a head scissors. Storm atomic drops Harris followed by a clothesline for a two count. Storm takes Harris over with a hurricanrana for a near fall. They begin to trade strikes with Storm getting the advantage. Harris attempts a spear, but misses Storm and takes out the referee on accident. Storm goes to the top rope, but Harris crotches Storm on the top turnbuckle. Harris decks Storm with a few left hands and hits a superplex. Harris has the cover, but there’s no referee to count the fall. Harris climbs to the top rope and hits a flying elbow drop. Harris covers Storm, but the referee continues to be laid out. Another referee slides into the ring, but Harris only manages a tow count.

Storm elbows free from Harris, but Harris tries for a slam. Storm avoids the slam and boots Harris in the corner. Storm tries for a swinging DDT, but Harris counters with a middle rope cutter for a near fall. Harris heads to the top rope, but misses a flying elbow drop attempt. Storm recovers to nail Harris with a superkick for a near fall. Storm waits in the corner for another superkick. Harris avoids the superkick, but Storm ends up accidentally nailing the second referee with a superkick. Harris plants Storm with a Rock Bottom, but there’s no referee. Prince Justice (Abyss) enters the ring and nails Harris with a middle rope splash. Justice puts Storm on top of Harris and leaves the ring. Harris manages to kick out at two. Justice grabs a chair, but Bert Prentice runs down to the ring and grabs Justice. Prentice tells Justice to leave and shoves Justice on the floor! Harris has grabbed the chair, but Storm superkicks the chair into Harris face. Storm covers and wins the title! (***1/2. That was a really good match that may be knocked down a bit for the referee bumps and interference. I don’t think two referee bumps were needed in this match. After seeing this match it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that TNA would want these two involved in the upstart promotion.) After the match, Prentice turns on Storm by hitting Storm with a steel chair. Prentice takes his shoe off and beats on Storm. Prentice continues to use the chair on Storm. Chris Harris gets into the ring and backs Prentice into a corner. Harris puts the championship over Storm’s body before leaving the ring. Wait, Harris ends up hitting a top rope elbow drop and smashes Storm with another chair shot. Harris pummels Storm with left hands. Harris aligns himself with Prentice.

Match #4: Sid vs. Bobby Eaton — SCW Wrestling 5/14/2005
Reason For Reviewing: Sid is awesome, right? Eaton has always been a guy that I’ve liked watching. It’s 2005 and they are both wrestling still. So, of course I will watch it.

Sid attacks Eaton and says on the microphone that he told Eaton to not show to the event. Sid chokes Eaton in the corner and continues with strikes to the back. Eaton is upside down on the apron, but gets back into the ring. Sid keeps a front face lock on Eaton in the middle of the ring. Eaton fights back with a few right hands, but Sid eye rakes Eaton. Sid continues with right hands to the back of Eaton in the corner. Sid nails Eaton with a running big boot in the corner. Sid stomps on Eaton in the corner. Eaton tries to slam Sid, but Sid blocks the attempt with a forearm to the back. Sid nails Eaton with another running boot in the corner. Sid keeps a chin lock on Eaton, but doesn’t get a submission. Sid switches to a camel clutch, but Eaton refuses to give in. Sid splashes down onto Eaton’s lower back and stomps on Eaton. Sid sends Eaton into the corner and continues with right hands. Sid chokes Eaton in the corner for a few moments before backing off.

Sid continues with another kick to the midsection. Sid continues to beat on Eaton in the corner. Sid knee lifts Eaton a few times causing Eaton to stumble into the corner. Eaton tries for a slam, but Sid lands on top of Eaton for a near fall. Sid keeps a chin lock on Eaton while using the ropes for leverage. Sid continues to wrench on Eaton with a chin lock. Sid forearms Eaton several times in the corner. Sid continues to rely on forearms and the referee calls for the bell as Sid continues to beat on Eaton. (DUD. Could you imagine a Sid match where he essentially did zero power moves and relied on only strikes and submission wrestling? Yeah, this was not the kind of Sid match I’d ever want to watch again.)

That wraps up the sixth installment. Be on the lookout for volume seven! Thanks to Bryan Turner’s VHS Rehab the continued uploads of Tennessee wrestling that we’d likely never see without his work!