CWA TV
Date: 4/23/1988
From: Memphis, TN
Matches:
1.) Tommy & Doug Gilbert defeated Scott Steiner & Rikki Nelson
2.) CWA Heavyweight Champion Maxx Pain defeated Rodney Napper in a non-title match
3.) Scotty The Body & Tom Brandi defeated The Cuban Assassins by disqualification
4.) Jeff Jarrett, Billy Travis & Ken Wayne defeated Brickhouse Brown, Gary Young & Terry Adonis by disqualification
Angle Developments/Notes:
1.) Lance Russell and Dave Brown host the show where Brown runs down the card for the show.
2.) Tommy and Nelson kickoff the tag match with Nelson almost pinning Tommy with an inside cradle after Tommy had hit a hip toss. Nelson gets a one count with a sunset flip. Doug gets involved, but Steiner keeps arm control as Steiner had tagged in. Doug counters with a fireman carry and arm control. Steiner arm drags Doug, but Doug doesn’t let go of the hold. Steiner is double teamed in the corner and Tommy keeps headlock control for a moment. Steiner knee drops Tommy on the back and keeps a hammerlock on Tommy. Tommy fights back with strikes to stagger Steiner, but Steiner hits a crossbody off the ropes for a one count. Doug returns to the match and scoop slams Steiner followed by a knee drop for a two count. Steiner backdrops free and Nelson enters to clean house. Tommy knee lifts Nelson and backdrops Nelson into a powerbomb by Doug for the win. (**. For an enhancement match this wasn’t bad, at all. The backdrop into the powerbomb is a crazy finisher and the announcers completely downplayed it. Steiner is in crazy condition even early into is career. If I was Jerry Jarrett I’m not sure I wouldn’t be pushing Steiner to the moon right now.)
3.) Lance Russell interviews Missy Hyatt about a match in Evansville where if Lawler loses he’s a man servant, but if Robert Fuller loses than Hyatt is a maid for Lawler for one day. Hyatt notes it was horrible being a maid for Lawler for one day.
4.) Lance Russell interviews Jerry Lawler in the studio regarding a match on May 9th. Lawler wants to talk about an important development. Lawler talks about the match either being his last match or his first match as champion. Lawler will be fighting Curt Hennig on May 9th. Lawler claims Hennig has a problem with the referee Jerry Calhoun. Lawler admits he’s good friends with Calhoun. Lawler thinks Calhoun is the best referee in the area. Lawler would be fine with Frank Morrell, but Hennig didn’t want Morrell as a referee. Lawler vetoed a referee choice by Hennig. So, now they will choose a referee and let the fans decide who will be the referee. Hennig picked his father Larry “The Axe” Hennig. Lawler picked “Fabulous” Jackie Fargo. The crowd erupted for that. Lawler says there are two telephone numbers to vote for each referee. There is a $1 charge for each call. Lawler says it would mean a lot to have Fargo referee the match. Lawler warns the kids to not just make the phone calls and insists to get parents permission.
We hear from the AWA World Champion Curt Hennig via a pre-tape promo. Hennig knows the man he picked is an honest person, just like he is. Hennig credits his father as being the honest man. Hennig says everyone knows the Fargo’s are the biggest rulebreakers and will do whatever it takes to win matches. Hennig brags he’s a millionaire and he’s the new boss in wrestling. Hennig wants all the people to call and have his father as the referee.
Back to Lawler at the studio we proceed to see a video package highlighting Fargo wrestling in the ring against the Moondogs in a wild brawl. Lawler has important business to take care before May 9th. The voting starts tomorrow morning and can only vote on the weekends leading into the event.
5.) Pain dominates his enhancement and wins following a middle rope splash in just over a minute of action.
6.) Lance Russell interviews CWA Heavyweight Champion Maxx Pain and Brother Ernest. Russell talks to Ernest about a dream match where Ernest will wrestle Jerry Lawler. Ernest apparently asked for the match with Lawler. Pain will be the referee for the match. Ernest tells Russell sometimes you’ve got to face the devil straight on and that’s what he’s going to do against Lawler. Ernest thinks sometimes you gotta take the bull by the horns. Ernest taunts Russell with some fake jabbing. Pain swears on the good book that he will be unbiased in the match between Ernest and Lawler. Pain is excited about the match and suggests Lawler could be retired before he wrestles AWA World Champion Curt Hennig. Ernest is confident that he’ll crown Lawler.
7.) The Cuban Assassins are disqualified due to choking Scotty The Body in the ropes for longer than five seconds. The crowd responded well to Scotty and Brandi, but I think this is more designed to put over the Assassins as two guys who don’t follow the rules than it would be to protect Scotty and Brandi.
8.) Quiet Time with Brother Ernest for the fourth week. Ernest thinks time has flown by since he’s having fun doing this. Ernest complains about the lack of donations a little bit. Ernest wants to cut the cancers out such as Lawler and Jarrett. Ernest wonders how they get up in the morning being the cheaters they are. Ernest talks about Pro Wrestling USA and continues to promote the good book.
9.) Lance Russell and Dave Brown promote the Renegade Rampage for a bit.
10.) Lance Russell interviews Jeff Jarrett and Ken Wayne. Jarrett will be challenging Wayne for the Junior Heavyweight Championship. Wayne respects Jarrett, but says Jeff has made a name because of his father running the promotion. Wayne says Jarrett has had a silver spoon. Wayne gives Jarrett a cup of water because he knows Jarrett gets nervous. Jarrett tosses the water into Wayne’s face and says he’s fought just as hard as anyone else. Jarrett says he’s gotten in the gym and worked hard in the ring. Wayne isn’t impressed because Billy Travis is Jarrett’s friend. Jarrett tells Wayne to give him some time to prove what he’s capable of. Wayne promises to not turn on Jarrett as partners, but when they wrestle he shouldn’t be trusted. Wayne puts over Jarrett as a good wrestler, but to not trust him because he’ll do what he has to do to retain the title.
11.) Wayne and Young kickoff the main event. Young controls Wayne with a headlock, but Wayne counters with an arm drag and keeps arm control. Young puts a full nelson on Wayne, but Wayne breaks free with an arm drag. Jarrett enters and accidentally dropkicks Wayne as Young moved out of the way. Jarrett and Adonis are in the ring now. Jarrett backdrops Adonis out of the corner followed by an arm drag. Travis tags into the match and Adonis is double teamed with elbow strikes. Travis keeps a top wrist lock on Adonis. Travis shoulder blocks Adonis for a one count. Wayne returns to the match, but Brickhouse tags into the match. Jarrett strikes Brickhouse and keeps arm control. Jarrett hip tosses Brickhouse followed by an arm drag. Travis returns to the match, but Brickhouse strikes Travis a few times. Adonis tags back into the match and strikes Travis several times. Travis puts an abdominal stretch on Adonis. Brother Ernest hits Travis with the good book as everyone gets involved and that leads to a disqualification. (*. There wasn’t much to this as expected, but they teased some issues between Jarrett and Wayne, which should surprise nobody since they are wrestling at the arena.)
Final Thoughts:
It’ s a bit comical to suggest that the fans would ever vote for Hennig’s father to be the referee for the title match with Lawler. This feels kind of obvious that Lawler is going to win the AWA World Championship, but you can’t count out some kind of swerve, I suppose. A mostly average episode this week.
Thanks for reading.