Post by Mickey Yarber on Jun 15, 2017 5:30:50 GMT
Smoky Mountain Wrestling
Saturday June 10, 1988
Taped Tuesday June 6, 1988
Knoxville Civic Coliseum Ballroom, Knoxville TN
The show opened with Les Thatcher and Johnny Weaver standing at the desk with the SMW backdrop in the background, and with them as usual to start the show was promoter Ron Fuller. To start with, Fuller pulled out the name for today’s challenger for the TV Title, and it was Mike Enos…one half of the Destruction Crew. Later today, Scott Armstrong will defend the TV Title against Mike Enos and try to win another $1000!
Thatcher said he heard that Fuller had a major announcement today. Fuller confirmed that and said he is here today to announce the Hot Summer Nights Tour this summer. He said it will feature the hottest action in the hottest cities in the Smoky Mountain area. Every night for two weeks, at football fields and arenas around the area you can see the best wrestling action around, and it all kicks off on Saturday night July 1st at Chamberlain Field in Chattanooga TN! He said every night will be filled with the top matches Smoky Mountain has to offer, including the Thunderdome Battle Royals! He said this is one of the more dangerous matches in wrestling, as it’s a battle royal with every man for himself, and the wrestlers can come dressed however they want to, and bring whatever they want to as well. He said there will be one of these Thunderdome Battle Royals each night of the tour, and the finals will be on July 15 in Johnson City. To reach the finals, you have to win a Thunderdome somewhere along the tour. In Johnson City, every man who has won one will compete in the final and the winner will take home $25,000! They then ran down the list of dates and cities on the tour:
7/01 – Chattanooga TN – Chamberlain Field
7/02 – Gatlinburg TN – Mills Park Pavilion
7/03 – Morristown TN – East High School Football Field
7/04 – Knoxville TN – Chilhowie Park Ampitheater
7/05 – Kingsport TN – Dobyns Bennett High School Football Field
7/06 – Barbourville KY – Union College Football Field
7/07 – Hazard KY – Hazard High School Football Field
7/08 – Pikeville KY – Pike County Central High School Football Field
7/09 – Beckley WV – Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center
7/10 – Bluefield VA – Bluefield Auditorium
7/11 – Wilkesboro NC – North Wilkesboro Raceway
7/12 – Boone NC – Appalachian State Football Field
7/13 – Asheville NC – UNC Asheville Football Field
7/14 – Bristol TN – Tennessee High Football Field “The Stone Castle”
7/15 – Johnson City TN – The Mini-Dome at ETSU
Thatcher and Weaver urged the fans not to miss the action when it was close to their town, as these will be the hottest shows thus far in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. They then threw it to the ring for the first match of the show…..
MATCH: “White Lightning” Tim Horner pinned Pat Rose with the Natural Bridge
Out of the match, Thatcher presented video highlights of the main event this past Monday in Knoxville where Jim Duggan and Doug Furnas defeated Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Pietrov when Furnas pinned Ivan. Footage was shown of Duggan having to use three of his patented football tackles to even knock Pietrov out of the ring. At the end, a still shot was shown of Pietrov standing in the aisle staring down Duggan.
=== Commercial Break ===
Out of the break, where Thatcher and Weaver were joined by Ivan Koloff and Vladimir Pietrov. Ivan said that last Monday night in Knoxville, Pietrov showed everyone that he is capable of squashing Jim Duggan like a bug, and soon the time is coming that Duggan has to get in the ring with Vladimir and Duggan is scared. Vladimir will be the Smoky Mountain champion when it happens. Ivan then went on to say that the Kremlin is very pleased with Vladimir and they know he will be champion soon, and now, the Kremlin wants even more gold. They want Ivan to win the Smoky Mountain Tag Team titles as well, so they have sent one of their top KGB trainers to the USA to be Ivan’s partner. (Out walks a man in the same colored singlet and a mask..about the same size as Ivan) Ivan introduced his partner as The Russian Assassin, and the two of them will be tag team champions soon. All of Smoky Mountain Wrestling will soon be under the control of Russia. The Kremlin has ordered them to turn the Hot Summer Nights tour into a showcase for Mother Russia, not the USA, and that is what they are going to do. Vladimir will beat this Jim Duggan on the tour and they will rule Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Ivan then led The Russian Assassin to the ring for a match.
MATCH: The Russian Assassin (Don Kernodle) def. Rex King after a gut wrench suplex and Boston Crab for the submission.
At the desk, Ole Anderson said that he’s heard Ivan Koloff’s speech before, but the Russians need to get in line because he is the one who will be taking Duggan’s title. He said that Duggan is tough, but he is tougher, and it’s just a matter of time before he wears him down and takes the title. He said he has some contracts signed with Duggan for the Hot Summer Nights tour, and before it’s over, Duggan will be without the belt.
=== Commercial Break ===
Smoky Mountain Champion, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan was out and said that there are a lot of men around here saying they’re going to do this to Hacksaw, and they’re going to do that to Hacksaw, but he ain’t seen none of them do it yet! He said he ain’t afraid of nobody, and he ain’t hard to find, so all these people who want a title match, all they gotta do is get in line and he’ll knock’em down one at a time. He said that he and Furnas showed that to the Russians last Monday in Knoxville, and when Pietrov gets in the ring with him, he’ll send him packing back to Russia! Hooooooooo!
MATCH: “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel made an impressive debut as he beat Denny Brown with a corkscrew elbow and a Figure Four leglock for the submission.
Afterwards, he went to the desk where Thatcher welcomed him to Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Landel said he is the finest example of a wrestler walking God’s green Earth, and anybody who gets in the ring with him will want to hang up their boots when he’s done with them. He said he’ll beat Tim Horner (snaps fingers) like that! Scott Armstrong, he’ll pick his teeth with him like the tooth pick he is. The Bullet, he’ll poke his eyes out and blow smoke through his skull Daddy! And “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, that Smoky Mountain title belongs to Buddy Landel whenever he feels like coming to get it! The Hot Summer Nights Tour was named for “The Nature Boy” because he’s the hottest show in town, and that ain’t bragging, that’s just the facts. That’s right, I said it.
Buddy strutted off camera as Thatcher threw it to commercials.
===Commercial Break ===
Out of the break, and Ron Wright was at the desk in his wheel chair still complaining about finding a wrestler to manager to make some money so he can get his hip fixed up. Thatcher said that maybe nobody wants to get involved with him since his recent history shows that he just costs his men big matches. Wright fired back that maybe Thatcher don’t rassle no more cause he beat his butt more times than he can remember, and if he keeps giving him lip, he’s gonna climb outta this chair and do it again! He said that the Hot Summer Nights tour is making a stop at his old stomping grounds, Chilhowie Park in Knoxville on the 4th of July, and he is so confident that he can find someone to manage by then, that if he don’t, he’ll pack up and leave the Smoky Mountains! Thatcher said that he doubts he can find anyone, but if he can, then he’ll be sure there is someone there to wrestle Wright’s new man. Wright called Thatcher a no good trouble maker, and he’ll put him in his place on the 4th. Wright then rolled off as the next match was about to get underway….
MATCH: TV TITLE – Scott Armstrong vs. Mike Enos w/ Wayne Bloom
It was a back and forth match that saw Bloom keep interfering and almost costing Armstrong the match as he tried to hold down Armstrongs leg from the floor to keep him from kicking out, but the referee saw it. As Bloom pleaded his innocence, Johnny Rich came to ringside to even the odds. The match ended up going to a 10 minute draw, but Armstrong and Enos continued the fight so Bloom and Rich got involved as well, and the four of them fought their way out of the studio and to the locker room.
Sam Houston was at the desk, and said that last week, Nelson Royal tried to live up to his word and take a piece of his hide, but he didn’t get the job done. He said that he’s just as tough as Nelson Royal is, and he’s gonna prove it this Wednesday night in Kingsport. He has signed on to fight Nelson in his match, a Bunkhouse match where anything goes, and falls count anywhere. It’s what Royal wanted, and now he’s got it this Wednesday night, and he’s gonna show Nelson once and for all that he’s a man, and he’s tough, and he ain’t gonna take his crap no more.
=== Commercial Break ===
Out of the break, and a VTR was played of “The Boogie Woogie Man” Jimmy Valiant cutting a promo saying that he’s coming to Smoky Mountain Wrestling to see all his people and he’s gonna be on the Hot Summer Nights Tour and he’s coming after that $25,000 Thunderdome money daddy! Whoo! Mercy Daddy! The Boogie Mans gonna win the money, Jack! He’s a street fighter! He’s a lover! He’s a lover of street fights! This is his match momma! The Boogie Mans bringing home the bacon daddy!
MATCH: The Rock & Roll Express def. Barry Horowitz and Carl Stiles with a double drop kick on Stiles.
Afterwards, they went to the desk and said that the Original Midnight Express talk a real big game when they know Ricky and Robert aint around. He said Condrey and Rose are as low as you can get, and he and Robert will have to fight fire with fire with them, but they are ready for it.
Condrey and Rose came out yelling at them and got to jawing back and forth at the desk. A challenge was issued, and accepted, and the four headed to the ring, but before they could get there, Condrey and Rose attacked from behind and threw Morton and Gibson into the ring. The advantage didn’t last as the R&R was back up standing toe to toe as Thatcher said we were out of time and the credits rolled as action continued in the ring……
End Show
Working on it now.