SMW 03-15-88 Kingsport Civic Auditorium
Mar 15, 2017 16:40:56 GMT
Post by Mickey Yarber on Mar 15, 2017 16:40:56 GMT
Kingsport Times-News
Sports Section
Thursday March 17, 1988
By K. Fabin
It was another night of action packed wrestling at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium last night as Smoky
Mountain Wrestling presented another top notch line up. The circuit is attracting a lot of the fan’s
favorites from around Tennessee, as well as some popular wrestlers who have been seen on local
television as part of the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions in the past. This influx of top wrestling
contenders is providing plenty of competitive matches up and down the cards.
In the main event last night, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan battled Lord Jonathon Boyd in a match where the
Disqualification ruled had been waved, so Duggan and Boyd both took plenty of advantage of the special
stipulation. The two men battled around ringside several times, with each man using a chair from ring
side on more than one occasion. In the end, Lord Jonathon Boyd attempted to use his New Zealand flag
pole again, but Duggan countered and used the American flag pole he had brought to the ring with him
to K.O. Boyd and score the winning pin fall at 14:10.
In the semi-main event, The Rock & Roll Express bested The Jive Tones in 23:12 when Ricky Morton
pinned Tiger Conway Jr. with an inside cradle move. The Jive Tone’s manager, Ron Wright, attempted to
get involved on his men’s behalf, but it backfired when he accidentally hit Shaska Whatley with his shoe,
knocking him out of the ring, and leading to the victory for the Rock & Roll Express.
The Rock & Roll Express, Rick Morton and Robert Gibson, are one of the most popular tag teams in the
world of professional wrestling. They have spent several years wrestling in the N.W.A. where they were
World Tag Team Champions several times. Both come from Tennessee, and are happy to be getting to
wrestle in front of so many of their fans in the area.
The Jive Tones, Shaska Whatley and Tiger Conway Jr., have both also spent time wrestling for the N.W.A.
They are currently managed by Ron Wright, who for years has been known as the “King of Kingsport”,
and has a long history in the mat wars in this region. Wright’s famous battles with the late Whitey
Caldwell are remembered well by all who saw them here, and his antics have helped him lead his
charges to many regional titles all throughout the South.
After the bout, I spoke to Ron Wright who was quite animated and said that no one embarrasses him in
his hometown of Kingsport TN. He said that the Rock & Roll Express is a good team, but he knows their
weakness, and his Jive Tones will exploit that weakness the next time the two teams meet. Wright has
issued an open challenge to the Rock and Roll Express for a rematch.
In another anticipated match up, Ole Anderson pinned Nelson Royal after 15:36 after coming off the top
rope, and driving his knee into the back of Royal’s shoulder. Ole had spent a good deal of the match
softening up the arm of Royal in anticipation of using a potential arm injury to gain victory. After the
decision was rendered, Anderson wanted to perform the move again, but was cut short when Sam
Houston slid into the ring, and slammed Anderson from the top rope to the mat to prevent it from
happening.
After the bout, Ole Anderson had stern words for Sam Houston for “sticking his nose in his business”,
saying that the last time Houston crossed paths with Anderson, Houston ended up with a broken arm.
He said that broken arm wasn’t personal, it was just business, but promised the next broken arm WILL
be personal. He then challenged Houston to a match next week at the Civic Auditorium which Houston
verbally agreed to.
Before the Anderson-Royal match, “The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff gave an interview with Chip Kessler
and said that next week at the Civic Auditorium he will be presenting his nephew, Vladimir Pietrov. He
said Pietrov has a match signed for next week, and he looks forward to looking on as a proud uncle as
Pietrov plows through the competition all the way to the World’s Heavyweight Championship.
In other bouts on the card, Johnny Rich defeated Phil Hickerson with a sunset flip after 11:29 of action,
and The Brooklyn Brawler pinned Mark Starr with a side walk slam in 9:55. Before the bout, The Brawler
had a lot of derogatory remarks about the fans in Kingsport, and the South in general.
Smoky Mountain Wrestling returns to the Kingsport Civic Auditorium next Wednesday night at 8:00pm
with another great lineup that includes the Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion, “Mr. Wonderful”
Paul Orndorff defending the title against perennial contender, Terry Taylor.
Orndorff won the championship last month in a tournament, beating Taylor in the finals. Orndorff has
wrestled all over the world, and hads recently posed a strong challenge to Hulk Hogan. Taylor is finally
getting his rematch from the tournament final where he felt cheated due to Orndorff using the
piledriver, a move that is illegal in Tennessee.
Here are the matches announced so far for next week’s card:
Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Title Match:
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff © vs. Terry Taylor
Ole Anderson vs. Sam Houston
Vladimir Pietrov’s Debut
Tickets for next week’s show are on sale at the Civic Auditorium Ticket Office, the Customer Service desk
at Singletons, and at Big John’s on Hwy 11W. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, and $6.00 at the gate. Bell
time is 8:00 pm. The Rock and Roll Express will be signing autographs in the concourse from 6:30 – 7:00
pm that night. See you at the matches!
Sports Section
Thursday March 17, 1988
By K. Fabin
It was another night of action packed wrestling at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium last night as Smoky
Mountain Wrestling presented another top notch line up. The circuit is attracting a lot of the fan’s
favorites from around Tennessee, as well as some popular wrestlers who have been seen on local
television as part of the NWA and Jim Crockett Promotions in the past. This influx of top wrestling
contenders is providing plenty of competitive matches up and down the cards.
In the main event last night, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan battled Lord Jonathon Boyd in a match where the
Disqualification ruled had been waved, so Duggan and Boyd both took plenty of advantage of the special
stipulation. The two men battled around ringside several times, with each man using a chair from ring
side on more than one occasion. In the end, Lord Jonathon Boyd attempted to use his New Zealand flag
pole again, but Duggan countered and used the American flag pole he had brought to the ring with him
to K.O. Boyd and score the winning pin fall at 14:10.
In the semi-main event, The Rock & Roll Express bested The Jive Tones in 23:12 when Ricky Morton
pinned Tiger Conway Jr. with an inside cradle move. The Jive Tone’s manager, Ron Wright, attempted to
get involved on his men’s behalf, but it backfired when he accidentally hit Shaska Whatley with his shoe,
knocking him out of the ring, and leading to the victory for the Rock & Roll Express.
The Rock & Roll Express, Rick Morton and Robert Gibson, are one of the most popular tag teams in the
world of professional wrestling. They have spent several years wrestling in the N.W.A. where they were
World Tag Team Champions several times. Both come from Tennessee, and are happy to be getting to
wrestle in front of so many of their fans in the area.
The Jive Tones, Shaska Whatley and Tiger Conway Jr., have both also spent time wrestling for the N.W.A.
They are currently managed by Ron Wright, who for years has been known as the “King of Kingsport”,
and has a long history in the mat wars in this region. Wright’s famous battles with the late Whitey
Caldwell are remembered well by all who saw them here, and his antics have helped him lead his
charges to many regional titles all throughout the South.
After the bout, I spoke to Ron Wright who was quite animated and said that no one embarrasses him in
his hometown of Kingsport TN. He said that the Rock & Roll Express is a good team, but he knows their
weakness, and his Jive Tones will exploit that weakness the next time the two teams meet. Wright has
issued an open challenge to the Rock and Roll Express for a rematch.
In another anticipated match up, Ole Anderson pinned Nelson Royal after 15:36 after coming off the top
rope, and driving his knee into the back of Royal’s shoulder. Ole had spent a good deal of the match
softening up the arm of Royal in anticipation of using a potential arm injury to gain victory. After the
decision was rendered, Anderson wanted to perform the move again, but was cut short when Sam
Houston slid into the ring, and slammed Anderson from the top rope to the mat to prevent it from
happening.
After the bout, Ole Anderson had stern words for Sam Houston for “sticking his nose in his business”,
saying that the last time Houston crossed paths with Anderson, Houston ended up with a broken arm.
He said that broken arm wasn’t personal, it was just business, but promised the next broken arm WILL
be personal. He then challenged Houston to a match next week at the Civic Auditorium which Houston
verbally agreed to.
Before the Anderson-Royal match, “The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff gave an interview with Chip Kessler
and said that next week at the Civic Auditorium he will be presenting his nephew, Vladimir Pietrov. He
said Pietrov has a match signed for next week, and he looks forward to looking on as a proud uncle as
Pietrov plows through the competition all the way to the World’s Heavyweight Championship.
In other bouts on the card, Johnny Rich defeated Phil Hickerson with a sunset flip after 11:29 of action,
and The Brooklyn Brawler pinned Mark Starr with a side walk slam in 9:55. Before the bout, The Brawler
had a lot of derogatory remarks about the fans in Kingsport, and the South in general.
Smoky Mountain Wrestling returns to the Kingsport Civic Auditorium next Wednesday night at 8:00pm
with another great lineup that includes the Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion, “Mr. Wonderful”
Paul Orndorff defending the title against perennial contender, Terry Taylor.
Orndorff won the championship last month in a tournament, beating Taylor in the finals. Orndorff has
wrestled all over the world, and hads recently posed a strong challenge to Hulk Hogan. Taylor is finally
getting his rematch from the tournament final where he felt cheated due to Orndorff using the
piledriver, a move that is illegal in Tennessee.
Here are the matches announced so far for next week’s card:
Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Title Match:
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff © vs. Terry Taylor
Ole Anderson vs. Sam Houston
Vladimir Pietrov’s Debut
Tickets for next week’s show are on sale at the Civic Auditorium Ticket Office, the Customer Service desk
at Singletons, and at Big John’s on Hwy 11W. Tickets are $5.00 in advance, and $6.00 at the gate. Bell
time is 8:00 pm. The Rock and Roll Express will be signing autographs in the concourse from 6:30 – 7:00
pm that night. See you at the matches!
Working on it now.