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.
Showing posts with label Mid-Atlantic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mid-Atlantic. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling - 11/18/81
No idea why this randomly popped up on WWE 24/7, but I'm glad it did. From late 1981, it doesn't feature great matches, but a lot of good ol' fashioned angle-development fun.
Matches/interviews of note:
Jay Youngblood vs. Tony Harris
Pretty sure Harris was a young Black Bart. He was allowed to get a fair amount of offense in, but in the end Youngblood made the Spinach Comeback, chopped him and got the pin.
Special Interview with Sgt. Slaughter
Sarge introduced tape from the previous week, when Wahoo McDaniel complained about Sarge ducking him. Sarge was pissed, offered to put his US belt on the line against Wahoo, then ran to the ring and demolished a jobber. All the while, yelling for Wahoo. Also of note: Sarge was accompanied by "Pvt. Nelson", a young Boris Zhukov.
Special Interview with Roddy Piper
Claimed he was the baddest dude in MACW, etc. He showed a past clip, where he ran into Ricky Steamboat's match and dropped him with a blindside elbow.
Special Look at Tommy Rich
Taped from a different promotion, as Rich pinned a jobber. Bob Caudle and Sandy Scott were excited about new talent coming into MACW and wondered how to get more. Which segued into...
Special Interview with Sandy Scott
Scott's plan: offer a new $17,000 1982 Cadillac to attract new talent! They planned to give it away, somehow, be it in a battle royale or a tournament. This brought out the unofficial heel alliance of Ole Anderson, Roddy Piper and Sgt. Slaughter. They all expressed interest in the Cadillac, with Piper saying he'd sell his Grandma to the Huns for $17,000. Sarge also offered to wrestle his mother. This led into...
Special look at Angelo Mosca
Footage from the WWF of "King Kong Mosca" and his manager Lou Albano beating up a jobber. Scott then said how cool it would be to have Ole, Piper, Sarge and Mosca all in the ring at once, competing for a Cadillac.
Special Interview with Jay Youngblood,Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts
Steamboat contradicted Piper's early claim...then showed the rest of the match and how he rebounded from Piper's attack to win the match. Also kinda' funny how Jake Roberts was wearing a cowboy hat and playing up his Texas heritage.
Ricky Steamboat & Jake Roberts vs. Super Destroyer and the Grappler
Like a lot of folks, I remember Steamboat and Roberts and blood enemies from the WWF in 1986...so it's weird to see them as partners. Everyone went toe-to-toe with basic 'rasslin until Ole, Piper and Sarge all invaded the ring area. Super-D and Grappler were then DQ'd and the babyfaces cleared the ring. No idea who this Super-D was, but he was wearing blue n' gold. Pretty sure Grappler was the real deal of Len Denton.
Also, interspersed throughout the show were local promos for an upcoming card. Fun stuff, as we got to see Jimmy Valiant, Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. (Barry Windham) and an odd tag-team pairing of Jay Youngblood and Ray Stevens.
Overall, the show had a great cast of characters and some vintage old-school angles. 24/7 has been tossing up some random episodes of territorial promotions for the past few months, and these have been somewhat of a treat.
Matches/interviews of note:
Jay Youngblood vs. Tony Harris
Pretty sure Harris was a young Black Bart. He was allowed to get a fair amount of offense in, but in the end Youngblood made the Spinach Comeback, chopped him and got the pin.
Special Interview with Sgt. Slaughter
Sarge introduced tape from the previous week, when Wahoo McDaniel complained about Sarge ducking him. Sarge was pissed, offered to put his US belt on the line against Wahoo, then ran to the ring and demolished a jobber. All the while, yelling for Wahoo. Also of note: Sarge was accompanied by "Pvt. Nelson", a young Boris Zhukov.
Special Interview with Roddy Piper
Claimed he was the baddest dude in MACW, etc. He showed a past clip, where he ran into Ricky Steamboat's match and dropped him with a blindside elbow.
Special Look at Tommy Rich
Taped from a different promotion, as Rich pinned a jobber. Bob Caudle and Sandy Scott were excited about new talent coming into MACW and wondered how to get more. Which segued into...
Special Interview with Sandy Scott
Scott's plan: offer a new $17,000 1982 Cadillac to attract new talent! They planned to give it away, somehow, be it in a battle royale or a tournament. This brought out the unofficial heel alliance of Ole Anderson, Roddy Piper and Sgt. Slaughter. They all expressed interest in the Cadillac, with Piper saying he'd sell his Grandma to the Huns for $17,000. Sarge also offered to wrestle his mother. This led into...
Special look at Angelo Mosca
Footage from the WWF of "King Kong Mosca" and his manager Lou Albano beating up a jobber. Scott then said how cool it would be to have Ole, Piper, Sarge and Mosca all in the ring at once, competing for a Cadillac.
Special Interview with Jay Youngblood,Ricky Steamboat and Jake Roberts
Steamboat contradicted Piper's early claim...then showed the rest of the match and how he rebounded from Piper's attack to win the match. Also kinda' funny how Jake Roberts was wearing a cowboy hat and playing up his Texas heritage.
Ricky Steamboat & Jake Roberts vs. Super Destroyer and the Grappler
Like a lot of folks, I remember Steamboat and Roberts and blood enemies from the WWF in 1986...so it's weird to see them as partners. Everyone went toe-to-toe with basic 'rasslin until Ole, Piper and Sarge all invaded the ring area. Super-D and Grappler were then DQ'd and the babyfaces cleared the ring. No idea who this Super-D was, but he was wearing blue n' gold. Pretty sure Grappler was the real deal of Len Denton.
Also, interspersed throughout the show were local promos for an upcoming card. Fun stuff, as we got to see Jimmy Valiant, Blackjack Mulligan, Jr. (Barry Windham) and an odd tag-team pairing of Jay Youngblood and Ray Stevens.
Overall, the show had a great cast of characters and some vintage old-school angles. 24/7 has been tossing up some random episodes of territorial promotions for the past few months, and these have been somewhat of a treat.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)