However, Smothers was no slouch, and actually upset Anthony in a surprising victory to become the Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion. Brian Lee was making some noise in SMW and turned " heel " by betraying friend Tracy Smothers. Lee also attacked Anthony and Ron Wright. Lee was " heat wallpaper " as he transformed Tony Anthony and Ron Wright into "babyfaces."  (Ron Wright a " face "? Damn, Lee MUST'VE been good after all.)

However, Smothers wasn't so quick to forgive and forget. He remembered all the "Yankee Bull Jive " as he so eloquently put it. Smothers and Anthony eventually become uneasy allies they try to dethrone Lee for the belt. Tony Anthony accomplishes this, in fact, at Sunday Bloody Sunday in February of 1994.

Tracy and Tony aid each other frequently throughout the ensuing year (1994-1995 ), but only when The Gangstas come to Smoky Mountain Wrestling do they call themselves " T.H.U.G.S ". They battle New Jack and Mustafa in arenas throughout the Smoky Mountain area in brawls that look more like literal street fights than wrestling matches. Everything that could be thought of as weapons were used ( chairs, cinder blocks, rope used to lynch, trash cans, tables, fire extinguishers, and New Jack promised if he wasn't a convicted felon, he would've bought a gun and shot 'em a time or two.) Things were never really settled between the two, when The Gangstas left for ECW in May of 1995.

Smothers and Anthony kept the team going by winning the SMW tag team title from Al Snow and Unabomb ( Kane ). A feud with the Rock and Roll Express appeared imminent, but Morton left SMW after a behind the scenes altercation with Smothers which spilled to their girlfriends. Smothers and Anthony defended the belts until they were defeated by the returning Heavenly Bodies, Pritchard and Del Ray. In the interim, Smothers took the THUGS (without Anthony) to the USWA and continued an inter-promotional war that PG-13 started in May. In Smoky Mountain, Smothers and Anthony continued to battle the Bodies, with a twist involving Robert Gibson turning heel and joining Jim Cornette's militia.

The THUGS had a "mystery" partner to face the Bodies and Gibson, who was none other than a returning Ricky Morton. That was, sadly, the last SMW show, which was held on Thanksgiving Day in 1995.

After SMW folded, Smothers continued with The THUGS in Memphis, while Anthony dropped out of sight for awhile. I guess somethings really DO die hard. Right now, I feel the need for a Diet Pepsi, another smoke and a good cry... " Smoky Mountain Memories... Of my home in Tennessee... "

NEXT MONTH: 

The Inter-Promotional War between SMW and USWA