Brian Armstrong (aka Road Dogg) was one of the ones who went over to shut up the USWA. Armstrong was fantastic on the mic, but at this point, still a little green, so Tracy Smothers was also sent in to help defend the honor of SMW. They terrorized the USWA under the name of the T.H.U.G.S (SMW's name for Tracy and Tony Anthony's team) and got help from The Heavenly Bodies (who held the SMW and USWA tag titles at the same time), The Rock and Roll Express, Bob Armstrong and two guys not even associated with SMW at the time Tex Salinger ("Mideon" Dennis Knight) and Koko B. Ware. Jackie, from the WWF, went from MISS TEXAS in the USWA to Sgt. Rock in SMW, at this point as well.

One particular incident occurred between Brian "Jesse James" Armstrong and Eddie Marlin in which Armstrong locked the decrepit old fossil in a figure four leg lock. His father, Bob, had been suspended from TV for slapping Randy Hales and was on vacation in the Bahamas. A gift arrived for Jesse James in the USWA studio and out popped none other than Jeff Jarrett.

Jarrett proceeded to inform Jesse James Armstrong that HE would defend the USWA against the T.H.U.G.S. and challenged him to a " winner take BOTH federations " match. Armstrong agreed and lost SMW to Jeff Jarrett. Armstrong put up his hair against the federations, but it was no use... Armstrong again lost (WITH A USWA REF, I MIGHT ADD) and SMW was no more.

It was over... a great piece of wrestling history ended with those two matches.  I don't consider this inter-promotion feud a highlight of SMW, but I chose to write about it this month because when my time ends writing for KAYFABE MEMORIES, and my last SMW column is turned in... I don't want the end to be on a down note. As I sat in the lobby of Sanford Hall at Methodist College and watched my last SMW TV show , my Resident Advisor walked by and said, "Ed, you look like you just lost your best friend." Sad beyond all reason, I walked out the door and lit a cigarette and said two of the hardest words I've ever had to say... " I have."

NEXT MONTH:

A recap of the year 1995