CWA TV
Date: 4/9/1988
From: Memphis, TN
Matches:
1.) Tom Brandi defeated Keith Eric
2.) Jerry Lawler defeated Tommy Punk
3.) The Mighty Yankees defeated Doug Dancing & Alan Reynolds
4.) The Cuban Assassins defeated Ken Raper & William Thompson
5.) CWA Tag Team Champions The Bruise Brothers & Scott Steiner fought Maxx Payne, Gary Young & Brickhouse Brown to a time limit draw
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Lance Russell and Dave Brown promote the show, which features the Mighty Yankees making their debut as they are coming in from Florida area.
2.) Brandi vs. Eric went a lot longer than I was expecting and Brandi wasn’t exactly made out to look the strongest. Brandi pulls through with a flying forearm smash, though.
3.) We get some highlights from a recent Eddie Gilbert vs. Jerry Lawler match. Lawler is trapped in the corner by his neck being wrapped around the corner and Gilbert is pummeling Lawler with strikes. Lawler has gotten loose from the corner and kicks Gilbert. Lawler decks Gilbert with a series of right hands. Lawler goes for the piledriver and spikes Gilbert since it was a no disqualification match. Lawler leaps off the middle rope missing a fist drop. Lawler tossed a fireball into Gilbert’s face. Gilbert got out of the ring and Doug Gilbert came out to protect Eddie. The referee ended up counting Eddie out of the match and Lawler won by count-out.
4.) Lance Russell brings out Jerry Lawler for an interview. Lawler say that when you play with fire, you’re going to get burned. Lawler asks where Gilbert is now after saying he was going to take Lawler out of wrestling. Lawler warns Gilbert to wait a while before coming after him again.
5.) Lawler pummels Punk with several right hands and a middle rope fist drop for the quick win. Lawler showing some intensity in this quick performance.
6.) Lance Russell brings out promoter Eddie Marlin for an interview. Marlin says that he proved to Tommy Gilbert that he had a little bit of fight left. Marlin doesn’t think he can do matchmaking anymore and is giving that position to Randy Hales. Doug Gilbert enters the scene and says that Marlin has been protecting Jerry Lawler. Doug demands that Lawler be suspended for throwing that fireball. Marlin gets in Doug’s face about other people getting burnt. Doug and Tommy end up attacking Marlin with Tommy hitting Marlin with a boot and Marlin goes over the announcers table. Doug holds Marlin as Tommy delivers a few more shots. Marlin is rolled into the ring and pummeled some more. Tommy comes off the middle rope with a boot shot. Jeff Jarrett finally enters the ring and makes the save. Gary Young slides into the ring and attacks Jarrett. Marlin has been busted wide open. Billy Travis gets in the ring to make the save.
7.) Lance Russell interviews Jeff Jarrett and Billy Travis. Jarrett says that this is far from over and Travis has his back. Jarrett says they will take care of Doug Gilbert and Gary Young. Travis chimes in and says they will take care of business. A bloodied Marlin comes back out and is holding his head. Marlin says that he will get his chance to get his hands on Tommy Gilbert. Marlin wants Tommy to know how it feels.
8.) The Mighty Yankees are masked wrestlers. Yankees dominate the tag match. Dancing gets some momentum with strikes, but that doesn’t last long. This one is extended as well with the Yankees winning after a forearm off the middle rope onto Dancing over the other Yankees knee.
9.) Lance Russell interviews Pat Tanaka, who is one half of the AWA Tag Team Champions with Paul Diamond. They have beaten the Midnight Rockers recently. Tanaka is quite happy about being champion. Tanaka knows that the tough part starts and mentions they have the Cuban Assassins coming up next. Tanaka believes they will win that match, though.
10.) The Cuban Assassins win the match easily in under two minutes after a strike to Thompson.
11.) Steiner and Young kickoff the six man tag main event. Young backs Steiner into a corner and is shoved away. Steiner keeps a headlock on Young on the mat. Payne enters the match and slams Steiner, but misses an elbow drop. Steiner elbow strikes Payne a few times and Ron hits an axe handle off the middle rope. Ron yanks on Payne’s arm before tagging in Don. Payne clubs Don over the back with a strike and Brown tags into the match. Brown delivers a fist drop to Don and hits a backdrop. Young returns to the match with a kick to the ribs. Brown knee lifts Don from the apron to help out Young maintaining control of the match. Payne has a sleeper on Don, but doesn’t get a submission. Payne clotheslines Don and delivers a scoop slam. Young returns to the match, but Don hits a clothesline for a near fall. Brown misses an elbow drop and Ron gets the tag to hammer away on Brown. Ron cleans house as all six men are in the ring now. Ron clotheslines Payne. Brown hammers away on Steiner in the corner and sends Scott into the corner. Steiner backdrops Brown as all six men brawl. The match has been thrown out as time has expired.
12.) Quiet Time with Brother Ernest is next. Ernest says that Lawler, Marlin and Jarrett’s aren’t going to be on his wrestling ship. Ernest wants the fans to put their hands on the TV set so he can feel what they feel. Ernest needs some donations to keep the show going.
Final Thoughts:
The Marlin/Gilberts segment was nicely done, but it feels repetitive for how they keep feuds going. Lawler continues to show some intensity and I like that side of him. I’m figuring Eddie Gilbert is going to be gone for a bit, which sucks. This weeks episode was average overall.
Thanks for reading.