Mid-South Wrestling – January 26th, 1984

January 26, 1984

Your hosts are Jim Ross and Bill Watts

This week’s surprise match will be Magnum TA & Mr. Wrestling II vs. Midnight Express. Also, Jim Duggan & Brian Adidas vs. Nikolai Volkoff & Barry Darsow and more!

We are shown an interview that took place just before the show with Ross and Jim Cornette. Ross reminds Cornette how this is a non-title bout as Cornette said it must be due to the fact he was anxious and did not read all of the clauses. Cornette said since Magnum & Mr. Wrestling are too chicken to put up the titles then they will continue to humiliate them and will do whatever it takes for everyone to believe that the Midnight Express are the best team. Cornette’s tone certainly made it seem like he had something up his sleeve.

Midnight Express w/ Jim Cornette vs. Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum TA

Cornette makes fun of ring announcer Boyd Pierce’s suit and asks him if he got dressed in the dark again. Mr. Wrestling II & Magnum storm the ring and immediately beat down the Midnights as Pierce scurried about after screaming “I’m leaving.” The Midnights bail then the match settles down with Condrey and Magnum locking up. The champs work over the leg of Condrey and use quick tags to maintain control. Eaton tags in and Magnum works over his leg too as the fans are strongly behind Mr. Wrestling & Magnum. Condrey knees Mr. Wrestling two from the apron then tags in and hammers away. The Midnights cut off the ring and stomp a mudhole into Mr. Wrestling but Mr. Wrestling finally fights back then escapes and makes the tag. Magnum runs wild until Cornette low-bridges him as the ref was distracted. Mr. Wrestling heads in and beats on Condrey then Eaton comes in with Cornette’s belt and whips Mr. Wrestling as the ref calls for the DQ (5:29) **1/2. Condrey lays on top of Mr. Wrestling as Eaton uses the belt. Magnum comes in then the Midnights whip him with the belt. Mr. Wrestling slides a chair inside to Magnum and comes in with a chair of his own as the Midnights bail.

Thoughts: The action was really good while it lasted and the whipping of the Tag champs extremely effective as this feud is just firing on all cylinders.

We come back from commercial with Ross interviewing Mr.Wrestling II & Magnum TA. The champs show off the welts all over their body then Magnum & Mr. Wrestling both promise the Midnights will feel the same pain as they are both pissed off and screaming. Good stuff with the pissed off champs vowing revenge.

“Hacksaw” Butch Reed vs. Mike Starbuck

Reed beats down Starbuck as the announcers talk about the fans being shocked due to what happened in the previous match. Reed continues to beat down Starbuck as Watts says he has never seen a whipping like that and that Cornette will do anything to fulfill a threat. Reed then hits a press slam before putting Starbuck away with a flying shoulder tackle (1:12).

Thoughts: An easy win for Reed as Watts was putting over the whipping from the prior match

Mickey Henry vs. Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart

Neidhart works the arm as the announcers talk about his feud with Butch Reed. Watts puts over Neidhart’s shot put and anvil toss records as Neidhart hits a gutwrench suplex for two then hits a clothesline for the win (1:32). After the match, Reed runs in and hits Reed with a flying shoulder tackle then tosses him outside. Reed yells at Neidhart before leaving.

Thoughts: And now we know why this feud was not discussed during Reed’s match as they had this angle planned.

Masao Ito vs. Joe Savoldi

Ito tosses Savoldi around as Watts talks about Ito crushing Rick Rood’s throat last week and compares Ito to a living nightmare. Ito hits a slam and a flying headbutt as Watts says no one knows who is his representative as he shows up everywhere but does not speak English. Ito kicks Savoldi then chokes him out and refuses to break as that earns a DQ (1:32). Savoldi starts bleeding from the mouth as Ito refuses to break. John King and Mike Jackson come out for the save but get dropped then Ito leaves after bowing and smiling to the fans.

Thoughts: They are trying to get Ito over as a threat with his choke hold in order to build up whoever will stop him.

Watts talks about last week when Terry Taylor was supposed to face Nikolai Volkoff but Krusher Darsow came out to say that Volkoff was hurt and took his place. Volkoff came out to attack Taylor then hung Taylor over the top rope with a noose.

Volkoff & Darsow are out for their match. They stand for the Russian National Anthem but we see Brian Adidas and Taylor run out for the attack. Watts says Taylor took Duggan’s place.

Nikolai Volkoff & Krusher Darsow vs. Terry Taylor & Brian Adidas

The Russians bail and regroup outside as the fans are into Taylor. Darsow tries a kick but its caught by Taylor and then Taylor hits a dropkick. Taylor & Adidas work the arm of Darsow for a bit. Volkoff tags in and his arm worked over too but he’s able to trap Adidas in his corner. Watts tells us that Darsow believed he lived in Russia during a previous life as Adidas escapes and makes the tag. Taylor runs wild then the match breaks down after a crossbody sequence that took forever to play out. Taylor runs Volkoff into the post then Ito runs out and chokes out Adidas then the ref finally rings the bell for the DQ (5:08) *3/4. Several wrestlers run out of the back to break this up then Taylor decks Ito and chases him off.

Thoughts: Decent action and the post-match was designed to put over Taylor and possibly a Taylor vs. Ito match in the future.

“Nature Boy” Buddy Landel vs. “Leaping” Lanny Poffo

These two fight over a lockup and end up in a stalemate. Watts talks about the TV Tournament starting next week as the winner will receive a medal and a $10,000 check. Poffo grounds Landel on the mat then works a nice spot where he kips-up and takes a charging Landel down with a single leg crab. Landel remains frustrated but manages to send Poffo through the ropes with a back elbow smash. Landel brings Poffo back inside with a vertical suplex then stomps away. Poffo fights back and takes Landel down with a front facelock before he chokes him out on the mat. Watts says that Adidas was taken to the dressing room and bleeding from the mouth but has no further updates. Landel now has Poffo in a reverse chinlock as the crowd chants for Poffo. Watts talks about what the Russians had in store for Duggan if he was here tonight as Poffo gets a nearfall with a slingshot splash then tries a moonsault but Landel got his knees up as both men are down. Landel then slingshots Poffo to the floor as Watts says that is not a DQ because Landel did not have his hands on Poffo. Landel then rolls Poffo back inside and hits a back elbow smash then uses a corkscrew elbow drop for the win (6:29) **3/4.

Thoughts: Good TV match and it gives Landel a win over a credible opponent to put over his new character in his return to the territory.

We get another video package on the Rock N’ Roll set to the song “Rock n’ Roll is King” by the Electric Light Orchestra. This is all wrestling highlights for the most part.

Next week, Junkyard Dog and Jim Duggan will be here and the TV Title Tournament will begin.

Final Thoughts: We had another chapter in the Midnights/Magnum TA & Mr. Wrestling II feud and they are continuing the Russians vs. Terry Taylor feud too. And next week will kick off the TV Title Tournament as things continue to move fast and furious in Mid-South.