In this Mid-South Wrestling 5/22/82 review, The Grappler teams with One Man Gang, Ted DiBiase goes one-on-one with The Turk, and much more.
Let’s jump in.
- Show: Mid-South Wrestling
- Date: May 22, 1982
COMMENTARY: Boyd Pearce runs through the matches, and Bill Watts is still trying to get his voice back after going wild during the Ted DiBiase and Ernie Ladd vs. The Assassin and Bob Roop match. Watts isn’t buying that Assassin was the person who pinned DiBiase after the shenanigans, and he thinks it was The Grappler. Watts then throws it to the spotlight with Paul Ellering, who is gonna do some push-ups.
VIDEO: Sure enough, Ellering is in the ring with a bunch of kids, and they’re doing push-ups. There is some cheesy 1980s music to really highlight the effectiveness of Precious Paul’s motivation tactics. Ellering decides to show off by doing push-ups with two women on his back. These women were ready to risk it all for this man. Watts notes they’re gonna do this every week until Ellering returns, which is a really good idea.
Rick Ferrara vs. Dick Murdock
Boyd tells a story about Murdock finding an armadillo with horns in it, and that became the Texas armadillo. You aren’t gonna find gold like this anywhere in the world. Watts reveals that Murdock is headed for tour of Japan in July. Murdock calls for the brainbuster, and he hits it on Ferrara for the win.
The Assassin vs. Buddy Landell
Watts is onto Assassin’s shenanigans with his mask in recent weeks. Assassin loads the boot, and Watts is on it. Assassin drives his boot into Landell’s arm and forces him to tap.
Bob Roop vs. Coco Samoa
More storytelling from Watts about Roop rigging Paul Orndorff’s car, which is still the greatest episode of Mid-South Wrestling that I’ve seen to this point in the rewatch series. Roop hits the legdrop for the victory.
Ernie Ladd vs. Kim Duc
Duc takes the fight to Ladd in the early going, but Ladd’s power is the story. He hits a big boot and leg drop for the easy win.
VIDEO: Highlights from the finish to last week’s episode, which featured The Grappler outsmarting the referee.
One Man Gang and The Grappler vs. Mike Sharp and Jesse Barr
Sharp tries to bodyslam Gang, but he can’t do it. Barr gets the hot tag and gets some momentum going. However, Gang drops the elbow on him for the victory.
Billy Starr vs. Mr. Olympia
Watts announces that The Junkyard Dog will be back next week. Olympia showcases some technical prowess, and Starr taunts him. Olympia locks in the submission on the knee for a bit, and he eventually hits a few dropkicks before locking in the sleeper for the win.
Ted DiBiase vs. The Turk
Once again, give Watts credit for putting over the roster and the impressive talents. DiBiase throws Turk into the corner, but Turk kicks out at two. DiBiase hits the powerslam for the victory.
BLAKE’S TAKE ON MID-SOUTH WRESTLING 5/22/82
- Overall Rating: 4.0/10
- Thoughts: Not much to this particular show. It was mostly matches with little storyline advancement. Watts was excellent as usual, but that was the highlight.