Their sights were set immediately upon reigning Title holders Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden, ( the good ole boys ). The Sheeps won the belts early on and started an incredible feud with the Fuller - Golden family. One of the first acts of dastardly intentions was injuring Jimmy's father Billy Golden on TV. During this feud Ron Fuller would also join his brother and cousin at different times to battle the New Zealanders. The running storyline was the Sheeps almost always had the upper hand often "injuring" one of the Welch's, so the feud was kept fresh with different combinations of Ron, Jimmy, and Robert taking on Jonathon & Luke. I remember an incident outside the Houston County Farm Center, ( work or shoot?? ), in which Ron and Boyd got into an altercation and Fuller was escorted by the Sherrif's Dept. in handcuffs off the premises and it could be picked up on local police scanners as a good friend asked us what had happened that night at the Farm Center cause that's how he heard about it. Other teams to battle the Herders for the tag titles were Tony Charles & Coco Somoa and Bob & Brad Armstrong. Another interesting tidbit from the Sheepherders - Golden, Fuller feud was that this also setup the return of the Midnight Express to the area. During a two-ring Triple Chance Battle Royal held in Mobile, Alabama the final two teams ended up Williams & Boyd and Robert Fuller & (surprise entrant ) Randy Rose. Rose would form a short lived "face" team with Fuller to battle the 'Herders, even gaining the Southeastern titles at one point. However something curious was happening each week on TV as announcers Charlie Platt and Ric Stuart were constantly questioning Rose about a team called the Midnight Express, to which Rose would attempt to change the subject on, and also Ron Fuller was warning brother Robert of Randy's past habits in the area. Well, of course Robert should have listened as during a televised match Randy turned on Fuller "breaking" his leg in the angle. That night in Dothan guess who makes their debut coming into the Farm Center riding in a big white limo .. yup, the Midnight Express consisting of Rose, Dennis Condrey, and Norvell Austin. The next week would see a 3 Way match for the tag titles between the Express, Sheepherders, and Ron & Jimmy, with the Express coming out on top with the belts and eventually the Sheepherders leaving for other pastures to graze in.

Another chapter in the Fuller - Sheepherders book was their battles were the backdrop for the beginning of the "War of the Freebirds", Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy. Terry had entered the area first, challenging Jimmy Golden over the Alabama Heavyweight Championship. Gordy would win the title eventually in of all places Panama City, Florida. During this was Golden's continuing battles with the Sheepherders, and with both Robert & Ron hurt, he needed a partner. So one Saturday on TV during a Gordy - Golden confrontation at the desk comes the playing of Freebird signaling the arrival of Hayes who immediately came across the desk with luggage and all attacking Gordy. Of course we all know Hayes ability on the mic, as well as Gordy, so you can imagine how fun this was to see. Their feud would last for all the summer of 1982 ending in a bloody, wild Freebird Fantasia Cage Match in Dothan. For anyone not familiar with this particular match, the stipulations are come as you are anything goes with loser leaves in a Cage to boot. The end of the match came about with Gordy, Hayes, and referee Larry Brock all "bumped" and the CommonWealth Connection, Sheepherders & Jos Leduc, coming in the cage to help Gordy beat Hayes. That was fine with Gordy, but one problem, the Connection had brought a pair of scissors also and wanted Gordy to cut Hayes hair. Of course Terry wanted nothing to do with that, so when the Connection turned on Gordy, Hayes came to his defense and the 'Birds reunited running all three men out of the cage. In one of those "what could of been" things, how great would a Freebird - Sheepherder & Leduc feud have been with Buddy Roberts coming in to aid his brothers. However with the stipulations of the match, Michael Hayes did leave the area.   Terry Gordy, however, did stay and began a violent stiff feud with Leduc over the Southeastern Heavyweight Title. Funny that during Gordy's run at the time he wasn't called Freebird but rather Dirty White Boy Terry Gordy.

With all the above happening, I haven't even touched on the hottest feud in the promotion that was over the Southeastern Heavyweight Championship. This feud was fought between the most popular wrestler in the area, Montreal's Jacques Rougeau, and the area's most hated wrestler, Canadian Lumberjack Jos Leduc. Their feud came about as a part of tournament for the Championship on the night of Rougeau's debut in the area. As a matter of fact, Jacques's very first match he defeated legendary Southeastern wrestler Mongolian Stomper, quite a feat in itself. These two men fought in every match thinkable, Street Fights, Canadian Lumberjack, Canadian Death Matches ( both men tied up in respective corners by the other man's second with the object being to untie yourself first so you can beat your opponent till he finally unties himself .. brutal to say the least ). Their battles included what I consider maybe the hottest angle ever in the studios of WTVY Dothan. During a Southeastern title defense against Leduc, Jos throws Jacques into the referee, leaves the ring, comes back with a towel, an aerosol can, and electric shaver. After applying the towel to Rougeau he begins shaving him bald. When Jacques finally comes to, man, he goes into a wild tirade at the desk, all in French of course and almost in tears of anger. I tell you, I don't know what Jos used but I remember the studio definitely had a strong odor in it and it stunk!! Leduc would continue to reign over the Southeastern Title in battles with Rougeau, Gordy ,and Ron Fuller, even winning the Alabama Championship at the same time. What was funny is that Leduc would wear the Southeastern Title around his waist but would drag the Alabama Title on a piece of rope as it was "disgusting" to him. Leduc would later lose the Alabama Championship to the returning Austin Idol, who had come in as a partner to Robert Fuller, (as the masked Mr. Las Vegas ), during Fuller's war with the Sheepherders.

As you can see, 1982 was another good year for the fans of Southeastern Wrestling.

NEXT MONTH:

A look at 1983 with the Midnight Express, Mr. Olympia, Wayne Farris, and the very entertaining "heel" run of Bullet Bob Armstrong.