Tuned in for my second consecutive installment of Mid-Atlantic. It was pretty much the same as the first. Modern fans like to bitch about how current program can run for 30 minutes without showing an actual match....well, this episode went up to 20 minutes before showing a match. When they did show a match, it was another remote Tommy Rich jobber squash. Followed immediately by more remote footage of Angelo Mosca. In fact, it may have been the exact same Mosca match from the previous episode.
This reminded me of how repetitive pre-1990 shows used to be. You'd go for WEEKS, seeing the same replays, interviews and run-ins from previous shows.
But one match featured Blackjack Mulligan and Jake Roberts vs. Charlie Fulton and Nikolai Volkoff. The cameras completely missed Mulligan finishing off Fulton, as they zoomed in on Jake drop-kicking Nikolai out to the floor. Funny thing, but Nikolai was wearing his old USSR skullcap-- or swimmer's cap-- or flight helmet, for the entire match.
Most of the focus of the first half of the show was on the upcoming 1982 Cadillac Tournament, with Sgt. Slaughter and Roddy Piper chiming in, again. Mulligan even said he'd be interested... after all, Sally Mae and everyone back at the ranch in Texas were in hard times and they needed something to help pay the mortgage. Some of the old blue-collar themes that made old rasslers so popular.
The second half seemed to focus on the ongoing Roddy Piper/Ricky Steamboat issue. But overall, it was to drive fans to an upcoming houseshow in Charlotte, which would feature Steamboat and Roberts teaming up to face Piper and Ole Anderson.
There was also a "Pvt. Jim Nelson" squash worked in. Where Nelson was very much a protege of Slaughter. Nelson was much more mobile and active than the stompy/kicky lump he became as "Boris Zhukov". For instance, he started off with a quick waistlock into an underhook pinning combo.
Noticeably absent from the show were Jay Youngblood and Wahoo McDaniel. Slaughter seemed to tie-up his issue with Wahoo, saying how it was over because Wahoo never answered his challenge. Not sure of the details, but it made it seem like Wahoo had left the area, at least temporarily.
Ric Flair cut a promo for the Charlotte show, pumping his bout against Ray Stevens. Flair threw in a warning to Ole Anderson. Just seemed weird to hear Flair at odds with one of the original Horsemen.
I wasn't into this episode, too much, but I like how they're airing them in chronological order. The main crop of Slaughter, Piper, Ole, Steamboat, Roberts and Mulligan (both Jr and Sr) is excellent.
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