Our main event tonight pits former NWA Texas Heavyweight Champion, “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin, against former WCCW American Heavyweight Champion, Kevin Von Erich, in a huge singles match! Plus, Bruiser Brody appears again in The Sportatorium, this time, tagging with “Iceman” King Parsons to take on “Freebird” Buddy Roberts and The Mongol. All that, plus much more.
WCCW TV*
Date: 07/16/1983
From: Dallas, Texas
MATCHES
1. Johnny Mantell vs. Rip Rogers
2. Bruiser Brody & “Iceman” King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts & The Mongol
3. “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin vs. Kevin Von Erich
*BROADCAST NOTE
This playback copy has been presented in the most complete form possible, due to original production technical difficulties. Reported by the WWE as of 01/28/2026.
BREAKDOWN & REVIEW
- Bill Mercer welcomed us to The Sportatorium tonight for a tremendous card. He discussed our featured matches for the evening and threw to commercial.
- Johnny Mantell vs. Rip Rogers: Our opening contest was set for one fall with a ten minute time limit. Both guys kind of got a mixed reaction here from the crowd during the introductions. Mantell worked in some wrist control, keeping hold of Rogers for the first few minutes of the match. A shoulder block into an arm drag ekpt Mantell in firm control. Rogers was forced to bridge out of a hammerlock in an effort to get some momentum going, he got an armdrag off, but then Mantell hit him with two of his own and continued the wrist and arm work. If you love stagnant holds, you’d love this match! A bodyslam kept Rogers down for a two count. Rogers was able to land a back elbow and an awkward throat thrust on Mantell, only keeping him down for a one count after that. The finish came when Mantell hit a Side Russian Leg Sweep and rolled through and on top of Rogers for the three count.
- This match was the shits. Crazy boring. As Ken Mantell is booking at this point, there’s no doubt in my mind that’s why Johnny Mantell has been getting somewhat of a spotlight on the undercards lately… because he isn’t that good at all. This was a waste of a Rip Rogers appearance and I just hope we see Rip a little more before he moves on with his touring. Rogers and Jimmy Garvin would’ve made for a nice tag team, I’d bet! This was a series of wrist locks, not really a match. A prime example of a dud here, plain and simple.
- Back from commercial, Buddy Roberts and Terry Gordy were ringside with Bill Mercer for a pre-match interview. Buddy was asked about his hair and said this whole thing was the biggest ripoff he’s ever seen. He beat King Parsons in the middle of Reunion Arena and should’ve been able to shave him down. Instead, he was sucker punched and had the cream put on him. He claimed that underneath his headgear was his real hair and brushed Mercer off from talking too much about it, as Mercer doubted it was real hair underneath. He blames the headgear on a head injury he suffered in Reunion Arena and that it is doctor ordered if he wanted to wrestle. He wants “Iceman” in the ring and once he gets him, he will send him back to selling ice where he belongs. Bill Mercer then had a few words with Terry Gordy, with Gordy demanding the NWA take a look at what happened to Buddy. Something needs to be done before he takes it into his own hands and something drastic is done!
- This was a good promo from Buddy here, as he was finally given some good airtime to vent his frustrations with “Iceman” King Parsons. I like their feud and I think it works well as a pairing, with the veteran in Buddy being able to help further getting Parsons over. I also got a kick out of Gordy basically giving terroristic threats out to the NWA if they don’t intervene in this situation and right the wrongs The Freebirds have suffered.
- Bruiser Brody & “Iceman” King Parsons vs. Buddy Roberts & The Mongol: Our next match was set for one fall to a finish, tag team match, with a twenty minute time limit. Bill Mercer mentioned Buddy probably wearing a wig on commentary. Some stalling in the heel corner delayed this match a bit, until The Mongol and King Parsons performed the lightest, weakest lock-up I’d ever seen. In no time, Buddy was in and the crowd exploded with the idea of a rematch of sorts from Reunion Arena. Buddy locked in a deep standing side headlock, but Parsons fought out of it quickly. Then, it was time for Brody and The Mongol to lock horns. They collided in a few shoulder blocks, but then Brody threw out a huge big boot and body slammed Mongol down with one arm! The crowd absolutely loves Bruiser Brody, they were going nuts! The Mongol jumped Brody with some clubbing strikes but another huge body slam put The Mongol down again. After The Mongol bailed out to speak with Skandor Akbar, he met Parsons on the inside and got right to work. Headbutts and axe handles shook Parsons enough for Roberts to tag in and take advantage. “Iceman” was knocked out to the floor by Buddy following a headbutt with his headgear on. Back in the ring, he put the boots to the “Iceman” and hit a backbreaker for a two count. The heels isolated Parsons for several minutes, tagging in and out while beating Parsons down. Body got the hot tag, hit a big boot on The Mongol, and put Buddy Roberts down with a spinning body slam. He then Irish whipped Roberts toward the ropes, tagged in “Iceman” and “Iceman” caught Roberts with his Butt Butt hip attack finish and pinned him before The Mongol could make it in to break up the pin. After the bell, the four men slugged it out with Parsons going after the headgear of Buddy Roberts, nearly pulling it completely off!
- Seeing Brody is such a treat for both the live crowd and the viewer at home. He comes off like the biggest star to ever grace The Sportatorium. He and Parsons made a solid team here, with Parsons doing a lot of the selling for Brody to come in and clean house. I really don’t like how they keep pairing Buddy with The Mongol, but I suppose it is to protect the other Freebirds from having to eat any losses. Regardless, this was a solid bout that I was in to. Two stars here, had Brody got more substance and time in this one, it could’ve ranked much higher!
- Back from commercial, we got a special featurette in the form of a sit-down interview on some new interviewing set with “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin and Sunshine. They were there to discuss the possibility of Garvin having to be David Von Erich’s valet and personal assistant should he lose to him in their next bout. Garvin said that he’s beat David time and time again, without a shadow of a doubt, most recently in Reunion Arena. They can strip him of the Texas Heavyweight Title all they want, but he won it fair and square against David. Garvin also mentioned that he reviewed the film and wanted to clarify that Sunshine was only protecting herself from David, not interfering, as David was kicking down at her at ringside. Garvin said Von Erich has hit Sunshine before! Mercer skirted away from that, as it was obviously false. Garvin wondered if this was all going to ever end with Von Erich. This whole thing is a conspiracy against the sport’s greatest athlete today and he won’t be doing any mediocre chores and neither will Sunshine! Bill Mercer brought up how the NWA has mandated these chores as part of the stipulation and if he doesn’t do them, Garvin will no longer be sanctioned to wrestle. Garvin told Mercer that was a matter of his opinion and that he and Sunshine are just victims of the Von Erichs in Texas… and they aren’t going to lie down! Garvin said he’d take on David Von Erich any time, any place, any stipulation, but there’s no way he or Sunshine are doing any chores. They simply don’t do that!
- Man, oh man. I love “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin. He works SO WELL as a territory heel. This is the perfect guy to feud with a star like David Von Erich in World Class right now. They struck gold with getting Garvin in Dallas this year. Promos like this make the viewer salivate at the thought of Garvin actually having to clean horse stalls or mow hundreds of acres of grass with a push mower! So, so well sold by Garvin here.
- “Gorgeous” Jimmy Garvin vs. Kevin Von Erich: Our main event tonight would be contested under one fall to a finish, with a forty-five minute time limit. A lockup ended with a shove-off across the ring that landed Garvin on his ass. He complained of a hair pull, but the official was having none of it. A test of strength put Garvin on his knees, allowing Kevin to bring him back up for a well-placed dropkick that sent Garvin out to the floor. Back in the ring, Garvin worked on a shoulder of Kevin, but then found himself in a flying headscissors into a head vise. Garvin got to the ropes to break the hold, but was back into the same situation in no time. The headscissors vise turned into a modified bow and arrow stretch, with Garvin screaming out in pain. The ropes would come into play again, allowing Garvin out of the hold and take advantage of the break with some well-placed punches to Kevin’s midsection. A missed kneedrop put Garvin on the defensive again. Garvin was monkey flipped out of the corner, got caught with a flying headscissors again, but this time was rolled up for a surprise three count! The crowd exploded with excitement as Kevin was declared the winner of the match, but Garvin quickly jumped him from behind. Garvin was dropkicked for his trouble and Sunshine was even pushed away by Kevin as she tried to stand over her downed man.
- Somewhat of a lack-luster match, in my opinion. Not nearly a dud, but it just kind of felt these guys put in a half-speed effort here. The vise on the mat made up a majority of this match, so that didn’t help things either. I have a feeling Garvin will make something out of Kevin pushing Sunshine away in the ring following the match, though. Star and a half for me, as Garvin’s losing streak with the Von Erichs continues!
- Following a commercial, Bill Mercer was standing by with Buddy Roberts at ringside for a pre-taped interview. Bill asked about the $500.00 bounty placed on Roberts’ headgear and ‘hair’ by “Iceman” King Parsons. He expects that from someone like Parsons. He said he wasn’t wearing a wig and reiterated the headgear was required by a doctor! He asked if Bill remembered the story of David Versus Goliath and told Bruiser Brody to keep that story in his mind when he meets him in the ring next week. He told Brody not to be surprised if this little guy knocks the big guy down with a little surprise and then Roberts patted his headgear and stormed away.
- So, an obvious tease that Buddy’s headgear is loaded with something, either a metal plate, or something else that is hurting his opponents more than it should. I like this spin, as it is dual purpose. The headgear gets heat for keeping the wig on AND being a weapon. It’ll be interesting to see what happens between Roberts and Brody next week.
- Bill Mercer then proceeded to close out our episode of WCCW TV, by officially announcing the match between Buddy Roberts and Bruiser Brody next week.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Well, our action this week was a little slower and weaker than desired, but I’m still riding the high of seeing Bruiser Brody a bunch lately. Jimmy Garvin was our MVP this week, with a nice featurette and a decent headlining match against Kevin Von Erich. I’m still very much invested in the David Von Erich / Jimmy Garvin feud, as well as “Iceman” King Parsons and Buddy Roberts’ feud. Such stories definitely carried us through this week. Simply, easily-investable storylines like this are what good territory wrestling is all about… something I sorely miss from today’s scene. I look forward to next week’s show!
See you all then!