Post by Mickey Yarber on Apr 29, 2017 6:09:37 GMT
Smoky Mountain Wrestling TV
Saturday 04-29-88 11:30 PM
Taped on Thursday 04-27-88
Civic Coliseum Ballroom, Knoxville TN
The show opened with Les Thatcher and Johnny Weaver standing in front of the desk, which is in front of the SMW back drop. Thatcher said that it was an incredible week at every stop of the Bluegrass Brawl tour, and he thanked the fans for coming out. Weaver chimed in and said that Paul Orndorff is still the Smoky Mountain Champion, but The Rock & Roll Express are now the official tag team champions! Thatcher jumped back in and said that Ole Anderson won the King of the Mountain competition, so he has now firmly secured his claim as a top contender to the heavyweight title.
They were then joined by promoter Ron Fuller, who said that speaking of championships, today is the day we crown the Beat the Champ TV Champion. We’ll be drawing two names to wrestle for the title here today, and the champion will come back next week where he’ll face a challenger drawn at random. With that, he held up a bowl full of names and asked Johnny Weaver to draw one…
WEAVER: “It says Nelson Royal!”
Fuller then held the bowl up for Thatcher to draw a name….
THATCHER: “Oh my….it’s Sam Houston.”
Fuller then said that he knows those two are good friends and tag team partners, but that’s the nature of this title. One day we might see Ricky Morton vs. Robert Gibson for the TV title! But here today, it’s going to be Nelson Royal vs. Sam Houston to crown a TV champion, and the winner gets the big $1000 bonus!
Fuller left the area as Thatcher said that match will be coming up a little bit later on, but let’s go to the ring where our first match is standing by….
MATCH: Terry Snuka pinned Mike Enos after a superfly splash from the top rope.
After the bout, Thatcher was about to send the show to a commercial break when manager Ron Wright stormed onto the set. He demanded interview time. He said that what happened Monday night in Barbourville was a crime, and the Rock & Roll Express stole the Smoky Mountain Tag Team titles from his Jive Tones, and he ain’t gonna stand for it! He said the Jive Tones want a title match this Wednesday night in Kingsport TN! He said that Ricky and Robert know that the Jive Tones are so tough that they’d wade through hell just to fight a circle saw, and they’ye yellow dogs if they won’t put the belts on the line this Wednesday night! Wright was animated but Thatcher told him they had to cut for a break, but he’d see if he could get the Rock and Roll Express out here to see if they’ll accept the challenge. He then threw it to commercial break.
Commercials
Out of the break to a taped promo from Cpl. Kirchner. It was taped last Wednesday night after the match in Kingsport with him and Ranger Ross vs. The Russians. He has a bloody and taped up head. In it he said that Ranger Ross is hurt and on his way to the hospital, but he (Kirchner) is still right here and ready to take the big Russian apart! He said the Russians are known for two things in wrestling. Their dirty tricks and using the chain. He said he wants to fight Vladimir Pietrov next week in Kingsport, and he wants the chain out in the open for both of them to use…not just the Russian! So right here, right now, he is challenging Pietrov to his own kind of match…a Russian Chain Match, this Wednesday in Kingsport TN. He said he’ll be there, and if Pietrov is a man, he’ll be there too.
Out of that and Thatcher was about to throw it to the ring when big ol’ Phil Hickerson came out and started to the desk, but Thatcher cut him off, telling him that we don’t have time for an unscheduled interview right now because we’ve got a match line up. Hickerson seemed frustrated and started to the back as The Deaton Gang came out…Joel & David Deaton along with Black Bart. Phil was heading to the back when Bart bumped into him. Hickerson told him to apologize. Bart looked him up and down and then spit a huge wad of tobacco on his chest! Hickerson was furious and started towards Bart but was cut off by several people from the back and they held him back as Bart laughed and went on to the ring.
MATCH: Joel & David Deaton w/ Black Bart defeated George South and Mark Starr when they caught Starr with a double clothesline. During the bout, Thatcher and Weaver talked up seeing Bart in singles action later in the show.
Out of the match, the Rock and Roll Express were out to the desk for an interview. Thatcher relayed the comments from Ron Wright earlier on. Morton said that the people around here know that he and Robert ain’t yellow, and have never had a problem proving that. He said if Wright wants a title match for the Jive Tones Wednesday night, he has to show he ain’t yellow. The way he can do that is if the Rock and Rolls beat the Jive Tones, ol’ Ron will get in the ring alone with him or Gibson for 5 minutes Wednesday night! He said if the Jive Tones want a title match Wednesday night, then that’s the deal!
Commercials
MATCH: Beat the Champ TV Title
Nelson Royal pinned Sam Houston to win the title. Houston used his speed to control most of the action which frustrated Royal. Royal then waited on Houston to come after him in the corner where he double legged him, rolled him up, put his feet on the ropes, and grabbed onto his tights to hold him for the pin. After the match, Houston looked confused as Royal celebrated.
Royal went to the desk for a post-match interview, and Thatcher asked him what just happened in there? Royal said that the better man just won is what happened. Sam Houston then came over and got in Royal’s face about it, which got Royal livid. Royal said he was tired of carrying a punk kid on his back, he was tired of acting like he and Houston were friends, and he was tired of pampering to all the fans around here. From now on, he’s going to wrestle HIS way, with his real friends, and he don’t really care what Sam thinks about it. Sam started to say something back, but Royal popped him in the mouth with a right hand and stormed off with the $1000 bonus check.
Commercials
Out of the break, and Thatcher was about to throw it to the next match, but Ron Wright marched back on to the set. He said the Rock and Roll Express aren’t man enough to call him a coward, and he would get in the ring with both of those punks if he didn’t have a heart condition, so lucky for them, he won’t be doing that. Thatcher said the only way he could get a contract for a title match on Wednesday night is to agree to do that. Wright stomped around for a minute before coming back to the microphone and agreeing to the match, saying there is no way his Jive Tones will lose Wednesday night. He said he guarantees new tag team champions, and he accepts the terms of the contract!
MATCH: Brooklyn Brawler pinned Joey Maggs
Afterwards, the Smoky Mountain Champion Paul Orndorff was out for an interview. He bragged about being so tough and how nobody can beat him for the belt. “Exotic” Adrian Street interrupted, and started making fun of Orndorff. Orndorff was visibly getting hot, especially when Adrian started talking about how sooner or later, either he or Duggan is going to beat him and be champion. Street accused Orndorff of not being so tough when he couldn’t sneak around and use the piledriver. Orndorff stormed off screen at that comment. Street told Thatcher that he guesses Orndorff didn’t like hearing the truth. Street then turned to leave the opposite way, but Orndorff flashed back on the scene once his back was turned and hit Street in the back of the head with the title belt. He then started yelling at Street about seeing who’s tough. He then lifted Street up and positioned him for a piledriver, and then delivered it on the concrete floor in front of the announce position!!! Street was out as Orndorff jawed at him. Police came and removed Orndorff as Duggan ran out to check on Street. Thatcher sent the show to a commercial break.
Commercials
Back from the break, and Duggan was on scene pacing around. He told Thatcher that he just helped load Street in the Ambulance, and he looks like he’s hurt bad. He then got loud and was threatening Orndorff that he is coming for him, and he don’t just want the belt, he wants his blood! Promoter Ron Fuller came on the scene and said he was disgusted by what he just saw out here. He said that this Wednesday night, he is ORDERING a match for Paul Orndorff to face Jim Duggan in Kingsport in a no DQ match. He told Duggan that since it’s no DQ, he can’t force him to defend the belt, be he can make him wrestle that night. He left as Duggan said on Wednesday night, he’s gonna paint Kingsport with Orndorff’s blood!
MATCH: Black Bart vs. Paul Garner Phil Hickerson
Bart came to the ring as Thatcher and Weaver discussed what they saw earlier out of Bart. Before the match could get underway, Phil Hickerson came to the ring still in his street clothes, including the shirt with a big tobacco stain on it. He got in the ring and talked to Garner for a bit, who then hit the trail. Hickerson removed his shirt as Thatcher and Weaver said it looks like there is a change of plans for this match! He and Bart hooked up and went at it with haymakers for a bit which Hickerson got the better of. He was whipping Bart from corner to corner as the crowd cheered. Joel and David Deaton hit the ring and jumped Hickerson from behind and took a three on one advantage. That was until Scott Armstrong and Johnny Rich hit the ring to even the odds. The two popular babyfaces, and the suddenly popular Phil Hickerson drove the three rulebreakers from the ring as Thatcher and Weaver signed off for the day!
Working on it now.