Mid-South TV #34 Page 2

- Butch Reed vs. Jim Duggan. The battle of the Hacksaws, in a twist that might intrigue longtime MSW fans. Reed is still a new baby and Duggan is the heel although each is months away from the most significant turn of his career. I wish I could hear the crowd because Duggan might be getting some cheers at this stage, but there's not much audio. Reed gets the press and then a shoulder block for the pin. Another good match based on what was shown.

- In matches not shown, JYD beat DiBiase and Kamala and II went to a double DQ and both were eliminated. The DDQ helps Olympia get a bye into the semifinals. That doesn't make any sense, but pro wrestling brackets have always been sketchy.

- Santana vs. Black Ninja. No time for highlights, the match lasts a minute. Santana starts off with his fire, even before Ninja can get his headgear off. Watts calls it a birdcage. The ref gets the cage and as he turns to take it out of the ring, Ninja blows the mist in Santana's eyes. Tito falls out of the ring and is counted out. "Boyd Pearce calls it the 'green phleen,' " Watts tells us. Not sure what that was all about.

- Reed-Olympia. Dog beating Ninja in the other semifinal is not shown. Watts reminds us that Olympia had only one match, "probably the easiest of the tournament." Sorry Arn. Reed has had two tough foes. There is a handshake in this match, but Olympia shows heel by being aggressive and with the finish. Reed press slams. Olympia gets a two count with a rolling reverse cradle. Kickout into the ref bump. Reed gets another press slam, but Duggan appears with his goofy heel headgear and he spears Reed. Olympia takes full advantage of the interference, gets the sleeper and we see a proper demonstration of how the ref calls someone out from the sleeper.

- The tournament final and Olympia-Akbar interview are shown again.

- 4-8-83

- Show opening with lots of stern talk about the betrayal of Olympia. The clip is shown of II discovering Olympia's suitcase with the masks. II is so angry and mean, this may have planted the seed for his heel turn. Even Watts says he thought maybe II had lost it. But when the suitcase opens, there are the II masks, and II gives Olympia the kneelift. "I wanted to believe the man," Watts says, "but we kept going back to the suitcase, and asking if it was his and it was his."

- The tournament final and Olympia-Akbar interview are shown again. You might end up fast forwarding this part having seen it twice on the last hour.

- Tim Horner vs. Mr. Olympia. In case you weren't aware, Olympia turned heel. That's pretty much the way Boyd and Bill sell this match. What follows is a traditional Watts diatribe that begins, "You know Boyd, it seems like something is wrong these days in athletics, perhaps in all of society..." Regular MSW viewers should be able to do the rest of the interview, inserting the names Olympia, Akbar and JYD when applicable. I was wrong about the Duggan turn; it is just weeks away as Watts mentions that even Duggan has said he would never sell out to Akbar and has warned DiBiase to stay away as well. Good action here, Olympia sleeper for the win.

- Highlights of March 24, 1983. II and Tiger Conway Jr. vs. Hacksaw Duggan and Matt Borne. The Rat Pack gets a non title match against the new champs but Duggan hits Borne with a spear when II moves and Borne goes down for the kneelift.

- Highlights of post-match argument between Duggan and Borne. Duggan and Super Destroyer say goodbye to Borne with a spear and a superplex. The Rat Pack is all but dead.

- JYD vs. Super Destroyer. Super D is Scott "Hog" Irwin. This match is pretty good for a Dog match too. Wow, two on one tape. Superplex and Super D gets a clean win. Just kidding. Thump, Dog bounces off the canvas and it is one masked man down, one more to go. The sell is still on of course as Watts notes that Olympia, "put out his hand to Dog, said, 'no matter what else, you can always trust me.' That was right after DiBiase, and Olympia told Dog he could always trust him. He lied, Boyd."

- King Kong Bundy vs. John Davidson. Bundy is at least 100 pounds lighter than in his WWF days and still immense. Splash and five count. Yawn.

- Kamala-Black Ninja vs. Art Crews-Ron Ellis. When Kamala worked tags, Akbar and Friday always sold that they had to guide him in the rules. Nice touch. Not a bad squash either.

- Reed vs. Kelly Kiniski. A quick match, but Reed is really on here, looking great on every move. Shoulder block and pin.

- Bottom line: Not a bad tape at all. Good looks at Santana, Reed and Duggan and a great big spotlight on JYD-Olympia. The tournament explanations make my head hurt (why does Olympia have a second round bye?), and there's some overlap, but the tape captures a nice era of MSW. 1983 doesn't get the attention of 84 or 85 MSW, (and business went down late in 83), but this is still a fun and entertaining era.

FYI The next week was the big show, April 16, 1983 in New Orleans, LA.

With a loaded up show (Andre-Kamala and the Freebird-Von Erich feud underneath), the JYD-Olympia rematch drew 21,400 fans to the Superdome.  Here are the results courtesy of prowrestlinghistory.com

1.  Art Crews beat Kelly Kiniski.
2.  Chavo Guerrero beat Bill Irwin.
3.  Butch Reed beat Black Ninja (Kendo Nagasaki).
4.  King Kong Bundy beat Tim Horner.
5.  Kerry & David Von Erich beat The Freebirds (Gordy & Roberts).
6.  Andre the Giant pinned Kamala.
7.  Mid-South Tag Champs Mr. Olympia & Ted DiBiase beat Mr. Wrestling II & Tiger Conway, Jr.
8.  Junkyard Dog pinned Mr. Olympia in a steel cage match to win the held-up Mid-South North American Title.

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