Memphis Wrestling
February 2, 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 (1/28/1980)

Your hosts are Lance Russell and Dave Brown.

• Jerry Bryant & David Oswald vs. Mike Roberts & Tony Eaton
  

Bryant is clearly the one being featured here even though this is a tag. He works over both Roberts and Eaton with headlocks and leglocks. Oswald plays face in peril for a while. Despite Bryant being the one featured, Oswald ends up losing the match taking a big elbow drop from Tony Eaton for the win at 7:53. Bryant must just be terrible at picking partners.

We get another update from Billy Robinson. He seems fine and delivers another threatening message to the Assassins by talking about wrestling in snake pits.

Over to Lance Russell for promos in Kentucky. On Tuesday night, Jimmy Valiant faces Superstar Bill Dundee in a “strap on a pole” match. Valiant stops by and talks about hosting Saturday Night Live and talking with Joe Cocker. Boy, he’s delusional. Valiant says he’ll let Dundee climb the pole and grab the strap. When he does, Valiant will take it from him and whip his head?

• The Assassins vs. Paul Ellering & Slim the Hillbilly
  

Lance thinks he can tell the difference between the Assassins. Ellering remains competitive with the Assassins, but then he tags Slim the Hillbilly who gets owned. They look to finish with a big powerslam, but the Assassin lifts Slim off the mat at two. The Assassins continue to show off their strength by continuing to slam Slim all over the place. Finally, a Samoan Drop ends Slim at 5:33. This seemed like a more brutal version of the previous match.

• Ken Lucas & Steve Regal vs. Jerry Ralph & Bill Smithson
  

I don’t expect this one to be all that competitive. Regal and Lucas are heavy favorites these days. While Regal does most of the work, Lucas gets a blind tag and puts Smithson in the SLEEPERHOLD for the win at 6:15. Ralph is left to wake up his sleeping afro’d buddy.

• Superstar Bill Dundee vs. Harry D’Amato
  

D’Amato is absolutely no trouble for Dundee. Dundee works the back with a Boston crab, a backbreaker, and a big slam. D’Amato attempts an inside cradle, but Dundee rolls him over and gets the advantage for the three-count at 1:04. This almost looked like D’Amato wasn’t smartened up.

• Jimmy Valiant & Jerry Lawler (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Rick Morton & Larry Hardin
  

We pick up where we left off last week when it was supposed to be Morton and Ellering against Valiant and Lawler, but that was not to be when Ellering had some technical difficulties — at least that’s how it was explained to us. Morton had a pretty competitive match with Lawler instead. Lawler has a drawing of a dragon of some sort on the back of his tights. He and Morton trade hiptosses to start. There’s almost some heel miscommunication when Valiant grabs hold of Morton from the apron. Morton absorbs a punch from Lawler and slugs Lawler down. He covers Lawler. Just as Valiant goes to stomp Morton, Morton stands up and Lawler gets stomped. Lawler continues to have trouble with Morton and Hardin until he big boots Morton. That’s right — Lawler BIG BOOTS someone. You know you’re a shorty when Lawler can hit you with a big boot. Tag to Valiant, he and Lawler beat up Morton until Morton has enough and fights back. He tags Hardin, but he gets hit with Lawler’s loaded elbow pad and Valiant pins him for the win. (5:53) This actually proves to be the last TV match for Lawler before the “Dreaded Broken Leg Incident of 1980” occurs when he’s playing football with his buddies.

• Ricky & Robert Gibson vs. Dick Greb & Chuck Kelly
  

This is an “expiration of time” match. Dick Greb? I feel sorry for that guy. It’s a quick first fall as Kelly lets Robert bring him over to Ricky for a blind tag and a sunset flip to win at 0:52.

We get another Louisville Gardens promo. Ken Lucas looks forward to teaming with Steve Regal to take on the Assassins over the southern tag titles. Superstar Bill Dundee stops by and snaps the strap since he’ll be in a “strap on a pole” match against Jimmy Valiant.

Aaaaand we’re out of time.