Mid South Wrestling 23/01/1982

Brian Blair vs Tom Renesto

Really enjoy Blair squash matches in Mid South. He always does at least one goofily fun thing. Here it’s a through-the-legs sunset flip to catch Renesto unawares. Dug the double sledge to the stomach to set up a nice kneelift, before the abdominal stretch pin gets the win.

The Wild Samoans vs Jesse Barr & Tommy Wright

The most fun thing about this is how utterly worthless Barr is as a tag partner. Wright starts and gets roundly beaten by the Samoans. Just a fun massacre. Barr tags in, takes one move, avoids a diving headbutt and leaps across the ring to tag out again. Wright fares no better and eats a Samoan drop to finish it.

Mike George vs Carlos Zapata

Very short squash, with George looking comfortable in control at all times. Not much to this, but my notes do say “lovely right hand”, so that’s a good sign. Side Russian legsweep gets the win.

Mr Olympia vs Bob Orton Jr

This is for Orton’s Mississippi title. You’d think this would mean it’s more competitive, but this is pretty short and Olympia pretty much controls things. Olympia keeps Orton on the floor with a headscissors, which they work a pretty fun sequence with. Orton hits a nice forearm after getting whipped into the corner, looked like a sudden instinct blow, but Olympia locks on a sleeper from nowhere to win.

Paul Orndorff & Bob Roop vs Ted DiBiase & Dick Murdoch

Too short tag bout, but what we get is really fun. Loved the opening team work by the faces, as a quick tag leaves Roop disorientated, DiBiase dropkicks him from behind right into a Murdoch slam. They continue the story of Orndorff having a counter for DiBiase’s figure four leglock, with DiBiase locking it in midring. The commentary discusses the possibility of Orndorff reversing it again, and true to form he does. Really convincing battle over it. DiBiase suffers for a bit, before turning it back on Orndorff by rolling it back around. Nice bit of continuity and it shows some development by DiBiase. The ending was some creative bullshit, in the best possible way. The ref gets bumped in a melee, and Bob Orton Jr comes in to help the heels. The faces fends them off and Murdoch hits a top rope brainbuster on Orton, covering him and getting a pin as the groggy ref doesn’t realise Orton isn’t part of the match. Novel way to keep the heels strong. Not a great night for Orton though.

Ed Wiskowski vs Terry Daniels

Daniels gets a little shine, using his speed advantage to get a roll up for two, but the larger Wiskowski controls hitting a driving knee from the second rope and a backbreaker for the three.

Bill Ash vs Frank Monte

They play out an odd sub-four minute time limit draw, as TV time elapses. Neither guy looks too concerned about winning as time ticks away, but they both work some fun work on each other’s arms. Like Ash ramming a kneedrop into a hammerlock. Felt like the start of a good ten minute bout.

Mid-South Wrestling 16/01/1982

Bryan Blair vs The Monk

Fun stuff with Blair just working smoothly around the Monk, looking for ways to take him over to the mat. Monk gets a little shine, nice suplex, but Blair takes him down with an Abdominal Stretch pin for the win.

Ernie Ladd & the Wild Samoans vs Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant & Junkyard Dog

My opinion on this hasn’t changed since reviewing it for the True Giants DVD:

This is a really quick sprint, but it’s a load of fun. It’s not pretty, but they work a high tempo and keep the tags quick enough to maintain that pace. Loved the heels trying to isolate Andre in their corner, only for him to free himself, dragging Ladd and one of the Samoans with him as he gets to his own corner. The heels find it hard to gain any traction, until Ladd breaks an Andre pin with a legdrop, and

the Samoans slam Andre. Things quickly break down and Andre is able to hit a 2^nd rope splash on Ladd for the win.

Mr Olympia vs Carlos Zapata

Olympia just works circles around Zapata, moving quickly and with pace. Loved the match winning sleeper, Olympia just hooks Zapata viciously around the neck and Zapata makes these amazing facials as he dozes off.

Ed Wiskowski vs Tommy Wright

Wiskowski is a fun beast here, dominating the bout after stomping Wright on the mat following a roll-up, and Wright is never able to fully recover. Wiskowski is nicely stiff, with fun little touches like holding Wright by the hair in order to punch him in the face. Love the splash to the back as Wright is sat up, and a backbreaker gets the easy win.

Dick Murdoch vs Bob Roop

This is really neat, loved the start with Murdoch anticipating a Roop cheapshot, and sidestepping, causing Roop to amusingly spin past him. Roop does a lot of work on Dick’s wrist, adding just enough little touches and bits of digit manipulation to keep it interesting. In places it verges on just holding Murdoch by the wrist, then Roop will just add a little something at the right time to mix it up. Murdoch fires back, but Paul Orndorff interferes on the outside, tripping Dick’s leg on the brainbuster attempt, causing Roop to fall on top for two. Murdoch leaps over a trip attempt when running the ropes, but Orndorff interferes to draw the DQ. Fun stuff.

The Wild Samoans vs Frank Monte & Jesse Barr

Ernie Ladd paid off the original opponents for Monte and Barr to let the Samoans replace them, and this is a massacre. Lots of stiff looking headbutts from the Samoans, both standing and diving, whilst an attempted crossbody by Barr is met with a stiff elbow to the face. Samoan Drop ends the beating.

Mike George vs Bob Orton Jr

Surprisingly brief – only four minutes long – but a lot of fun. Both men throw some meaty looking blows, and I loved the stiff looking elbows thrown by Orton. The end is pretty nifty, as George powers Orton into the turnbuckles and fluidly grabs him in a side Russian leg sweep for the win. Wish this was 3-4 times longer.