Memphis Wrestling
February 9, 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. Russell says that today on the program, the Assassins will prove to the ENTIRE WORLD that they aren’t putting foreign objects into their masks to beat people.

• Ken Lucas vs. Jerry Ralph
  

We haven’t really seen much of Ken Lucas at all since he’s been here in Memphis. Not a ton of flash to him at all. Just black boots and black tights. He works very snug with Ralph and drops some nasty knee drops on the guy. The SLEEPERHOLD ends Ralph in 2:18. Lucas walks out of the ring and doesn’t bother to “wake up” Ralph.

Time for a Louisville Gardens promo. Sounds like Paul Ellering is doing some dastardly things lately. He’ll be facing Superstar Bill Dundee. Ricky Gibson gets a shot at Jimmy Valiant and the southern heavyweight title.

• Ricky Gibson vs. Tony Eaton
  

Not much physical difference between Jerry Ralph and Tony Eaton. Good grief. Even Lance Russell mentions it. Hurry up, Paul Morton! Gibson works over Eaton with headlocks. He catches Eaton with a Thesz Press for the win at 1:57.

• Jimmy Valiant (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Robert Gibson
  

Valiant comes over and sings a little bit of Kris Kristofferson for us. As you can imagine, lots of stalling from Valiant to start. Gibson gives him a hiptoss out of the corner, so Hart gives the champ a foreign object. Seems a bit of an overreaction. Anyways, Valiant hides the object in his tights until he needs it. Gibson works an armbar for a while. Valiant fires back with a knee to the gut and a backdrop. He telegraphs a second backdrop though and Gibson makes him pay. DOWN COME THE STRAPS! Gibson whips Valiant from corner to corner and punches him to the floor. Out comes the object. While Hart has ref Jerry Calhoun, Valiant jabs Gibson in the face with the object. He sends Gibson into the ringpost to knock him to the floor and then kicks him while standing on the apron. Gibson is BLEEDING. Valiant abuses Gibson in the corner by Jimmy Hart so that Jimmy can jab him with his fancy cane. Ricky Gibson has enough and saves the day for the DQ. (8:59) Not a bad little match from Valiant there. It added more heat to the Gibson and Valiant match scheduled, so mission accomplished. **

Another Louisville Gardens promo.

Back in the studio, the Assassins stop by to show how tough they are. They don’t use foreign objects under their masks, they just have hard heads that they have been able to develop. Hmm, I didn’t know that was possible. Anyways, one of the Assassins will break some pinewood with his head after their match. Alright then.

• The Assassins vs. Rick Morton & Steve Regal
  

Regal shines against the Assassins as long as it remains 1-on-1. Morton has similar luck. He plays face in peril and gets thrown around. He eventually dives into a tag to Regal. Regal runs into a double KO. The Assassins pull a switcheroo and the fresh Assassin puts something in this mask IN PLAIN SIGHT. Billy Robinson runs down and gets his hands on the Assassins for the DQ at 4:36. Afterwards, Robinson hits one of the Assassins with the boards. Ken Lucas comes out as well. Lucas breaks a board over the Assassin. Robinson wrestles the other one down tearing at the mask trying to get the object away from him. In standard Russell fashion, he tries to calm things down. Billy Robinson cuts a promo saying he wants a FIGHT – not a wrestling match with these Assassins. Awesome angle there.

Lance Russell talks with Superstar Bill Dundee about beating Jerry Lawler by DQ in a CWA world title match. Dundee wants to win the title by pinfall, not DQ. He looks forward to a rematch and blah blah blah. Then we see Dundee’s partner Paul Ellering feel a little slighted. Russell wants to talk to Dundee, but not him? Misunderstandings are the worst! Ellering says he deserves some interview time and he gives up on Russell when Russell asks him a lame softball question.

• Superstar Bill Dundee & Paul Ellering vs. Sugar Bear Harris & Bill Smithson
  

This is my first look at Sugar Bear Harris. We all know him best as Kamala. We see that Ellering doesn’t seem to really want to work today. When he’s tagged in, he makes contact with his opponent and that’s all – leaving Dundee to work the whole match here. Ellering even refuses to tag as well. Willie Mack resembles him quite a bit. Harris and Smithson continue to control Dundee while Ellering doesn’t bother to help out at all. When Dundee shoves Ellering back, Ellering comes into the ring and gives Dundee a suplex. Harris drops an elbow on Dundee and covers him for the win! (7:23) Ellering goes over to Lance and calls Dundee a “humpty dumpty wrestler”.

More Louisville Gardens promos. Paul Ellering stops by and he’ll be facing Superstar Bill Dundee. He shows off his muscles and threatens Dundee. Jimmy Valiant gets some time and calls his opponent Ricket Gibson. WOO MERCY!

Lance Russell and Dave Brown close out the show for another week.