Memphis Wrestling
January 19, 1980
Memphis, TN
WMC-5 TV Studio

The current Memphis wrestling champions are as follows:
AWA World Champion: Nick Bockwinkel (11/8/1975)
CWA World Champion: Jerry Lawler (11/8/1979)
AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion: Jimmy Valiant (1/3/1980)
AWA Southern Tag Team Champions: The Assassins (1/7/1980)

Your hosts are Lance Russell and Dave Brown.

• Rick Morton & Steve Regal vs. Jerry Ralph & Bill Smithson
  

Not much to say about Jerry Ralph, but Bill Smithson will go on to become Moondog Spike and an important part of the USWA days in the early 1990s. Ricky Morton’s dad is the referee for this match. Morton and Regal use wristlocks and headlocks to wear down these two ham and eggers. Ralph and Smithson try to heel it up on Regal, but Regal is too smart and aggressive for that. Same goes for Morton. He gets trapped on the wrong side of town and pounds away on Ralph. He tags in Regal for a sunset flip and the good guys pick up the win in 6:52.

Lance Russell talks with Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Valiant (with Jimmy Hart standing behind them not saying anything) about a NO-DQ match scheduled for the Louisville Gardens between Jerry Jarrett, Superstar Bill Dundee, and Ken Lucas against Jimmy Valiant, Jerry Lawler, and Jimmy Hart. It’ll happen Tuesday night. Be there.

Back to the WMC-5 studio, Lance Russell talks with Jerry Jarrett concerning the problems with Jerry Lawler. Essentially, Lawler does whatever he wants around here and something has to be done about it. They mention having problems with how Lawler defends his CWA world title. We go to a clip from last week in Jonesboro, Arkansas where Lawler is defending against a novice in Paul Ellering. Lawler wins with the Fist Drop and pulls the tights to get the win. Paul Ellering comes up to Jarrett and Russell taking offense to Jarrett’s comment that Ellering is a novice wrestler. In fact, Ellering thinks Jarrett can’t beat Lawler either. Ellering walks away mad, but Jarrett plans to go and straighten out the confusion.

• Big Red vs. The Avenger
  

Red plays his usual charismatic fat guy games to start. The HOLY GHOST SPLASH ends the Avenger in 1:49.

We get an update on Billy Robinson who injured an arm at the end of 1979. The cast is coming off and he’ll get back to training, but mentally we will see a Billy Robinson we’ve never seen before. WRESTLING IS HIS LIFE – and he’s coming for the Assassins.

Lance Russell runs down the card for the Louisville Gardens this Tuesday night:

• Paul Ellering versus Buddy Wayne
  
• Sonny King versus Steve Regal
  
• Ricky & Robert Gibson versus the Medics
  
• Southern Tag Team Titles: The Assassins (c) versus Rick Morton & Big Red
  
• NO-DQ Main Event: Jerry Jarrett, Superstar Bill Dundee & Ken Lucas versus Jimmy Valiant, Jerry Lawler & Jimmy Hart
  

Back in the studio, we go to a clip from last week at the Mid-South Coliseum of Rick Morton, Big Red, and Steve Regal challenging Jimmy Valiant, Jerry Lawler, and Jimmy Hart. This shouldn’t surprise you, but Morton is working face in peril. Behind Jerry Calhoun’s back, Lawler sneaks a PILEDRIVER on Morton. This builds to a HOT TAG TO BIG RED which Calhoun doesn’t see. The match breaks down and Big Red manages to hit the HOLY GHOST SPLASH on Hart. Meanwhile, Lawler lowers the boom on Morton from the middle rope. Calhoun finally gets everybody to go to their corners when Lawler puts Hart on top of Morton for the three-count.

• Jimmy Valiant & Jerry Lawler (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Ricky & Robert Gibson
  

FIRST FALL: We have TV time limit remaining. Lawler starts off against Ricky Gibson. Ricky delivers a couple HUGE hiptosses out on the corner on Lawler and he complains of Ricky pulling the tights. They make a big deal about it because that’s pro rasslin. Ricky and Lawler start to criss-cross on the ropes and Gibson slides out to get his hands on Jimmy Hart. Back in, Robert tags in and they work off a headlock. Lawler shoves Robert off into the ropes and drops down hoping Valiant would nail Robert on the way back around, but Robert nails Valiant off the apron. Now the Gibsons concentrate on Valiant with headlocks. These guys are amazing at never making something like a headlock seem boring. They are constantly moving around and making things happen. Lawler gets in and takes a DOUBLE NOGGIN KNOCKER with Valiant. This is a little different seeing Lawler sell so much. Just as I say that, Valiant catches Ricky with a knee and tags out so he and Lawler can take control. Lots of (good) punches from Lawler and Valiant. A double KO spot sends Ricky falling back into his corner to tag Robert. Robert finds himself in trouble quickly too and gets thrown over the top rope for a bump to the floor. Hart and Valiant shove a chair down into Robert’s throat just for kicks. Back inside, Lawler misses a punch on Robert allowing Robert to scurry back to his corner to tag his brother Ricky. The match breaks down and Jimmy Hart gets in the ring attacking Ricky as ref Jerry Calhoun DQ’s Valiant and Lawler. (11:47) Good back and forth three part tag match here with a limited amount of Jimmy Valiant. I like it. ***

Lance Russell talks with Jerry Jarrett, Ken Lucas, and Superstar Bill Dundee as they look forward to this no-DQ six-man tag in the Louisville Gardens. It does sound like a doozy!

No time left for another fall so Lance Russell awards the match to the Gibson brothers.

Until next time, so long for now.