Memphis Wrestling
September 13, 1980
Memphis, TN
WMC-5 TV Studio
(first aired on 9/6/80)

The current Memphis wrestling champions are as follows:
CWA World Champion: Billy Robinson (8/11/1980)
AWA Southern Heavyweight Champion: Tommy Rich (9/1/1980)
AWA Southern Tag Team Champions: Tommy & Eddie Gilbert (8/25/1980)

Your hosts are Lance Russell and Dave Brown.

• Tommy Rich vs. Tony Boyles
  

Considering how popular he is in Atlanta at this time, it’s probably more creatively satisfying for him here to be able to work heel 400 miles away in Memphis. As soon as you see him on camera, he’s loudmouthed about beating Valiant for the AWA southern heavyweight title, he beats on Boyles before the bell and while he’s still got his jacket on, and then possibly has a loaded elbow pad as Boyles goes down like a ton of bricks after a Dusty Rhodes Elbow to give Rich the win at 3:41.

Louisville Gardens promo. Since Killer Karl Krupp reinjured Jerry Lawler’s leg, Lawler had to have his leg put back in a cast to help it heal. He will be wrestling Krupp this Tuesday night so long as Krupp puts one of his legs in a cast. So you’ll have two one-legged men in a butt kicking contest in the Gardens. DON’T MISS IT. They really need Lawler back bad, huh? Superstar Bill Dundee and Tojo Yamamoto come over to talk about their tag match against Gypsy Joe and Bill Irwin.

Back in the studio, Lance Russell talks with the *new* AWA southern heavyweight champion Tommy Rich. He claims all Valiant ever had was the title and now he’s taken it away from him. Rich doesn’t feel like he should have to give Valiant a return match because he wants to go after Billy Robinson and the CWA world title instead. Rich just feels he’s all-around better than Valiant. He came back to Memphis for competition, but he doesn’t feel like Valiant is competition. If you decide to bow out Valiant, Rich will understand. HE’S THE WILDFIRE AND HE’S BURNING EVERYTHING IN HIS WAY! Awesome.

• Frank Savage & Tom Stanton vs. Carl Fergie & David McGee
  

Lance and Dave bring up how Savage and Stanton are from New York City. NEW YORK CITY? Yes, New York City. Both guys worked the WWF territory – Frank Savage had some success in the lower mid-card, but Tom Stanton wasn’t much more than a jabroni. Stanton can’t handle Fergie and tags out to Savage. Savage has an easier time with a jobber like McGee and brings him over to Stanton to get some heat. Carl Fergie gets the tag and it looks like he and Savage could go, but then Fergie tags out and stupid McGee immediately takes an atomic drop. Savage and Stanton try this double-team move that doesn’t look all that pretty, but it’s effective enough to get the three-count at 4:33.

Lance Russell brings out Killer Karl Krupp and Jimmy Hart to challenge Jerry Lawler to any kind of match he wants after all that Lawler did to Krupp’s manager Jimmy Hart in their match last Monday night in the MSC. Well, we already know there’s a cast match coming. Jerry Lawler comes over to say that he’s not to let Krupp goad him into a match because his leg is not well enough to fight an actual wrestler. When he’s healed, Lawler will get his payback.

• Lou Thesz vs. David Oswald
  

64 year old Lou Thesz spends a week in Memphis going after Billy Robinson and the CWA world title. Oswald has a snowball’s chance in hell of beating Thesz. Oswald makes Thesz mad by pulling on what’s left of his hair in a headlock. Thesz then drills him with a back suplex and mounts Oswald to pin his shoulders to the mat in 3:27.

Louisville Gardens promo. Lance Russell runs down the whole card for the week.

Back in the studio, Bill Irwin interrupts a Bill Dundee interview saying Dundee never beat him and never will. In fact, Irwin challenges Dundee to a match – right now.

• Superstar Bill Dundee vs. Dr. Bill Irwin
  

AN IMPROMPTU MATCH~! After they struggle on the mat, they go after each other’s arms. Irwin fights back and jabs Dundee in the throat with his thumb. He follows up with a backdrop and a hotshot. Dundee gets Irwin back on the mat though and puts the boots to him. Once they are both standing, Dundee punches away on Irwin. Irwin goes to the eyes and turnbuckle smashes Dundee. Irwin hits a backbreaker and counts along with the ref, but only gets two. A back elbow gets two as well. Irwin telegraphs a backdrop and takes a knee drop. Dundee mounts Irwin for a bunch more punches and covers him for 1-2-NO! Dundee hits Irwin with a back elbow and covers him, but that’s when Gypsy Joe comes in to jump him for the DQ. (6:12) Gypsy Joe and Bill Irwin beat on Dundee until Tojo Yamamoto makes the save to set up the tag match for the MSC on the rare Tuesday night. We don’t get a lot of these competitive matches on TV and it’s a good thing when we get to see them. ***

• Tommy & Eddie Gilbert vs. Sonny King & Mike Meroni
  

Why does Sonny King keep tagging up with these jabronis? I’m just waiting for him to pull a Cactus Jack and start beating the crap out of these losers. Sonny stalls for well over a minute. Tommy forces Sonny to HOOK EM UP and delivers an armdrag and a backdrop. Tag to Eddie, he grinds King down to the mat with a headlock. Sonny gets up and backs Eddie into the corner for a tag to Meroni. They get some heat on Eddie for a while. At one point, Meroni goes over to brawl with Tommy while Sonny throws Eddie over the top rope behind the ref’s back. Sonny breaks it up and claws Tommy across the face while Meroni puts Eddie in an inside cradle for two. Big backdrop by Meroni, but then Eddie reverses a whip into the ropes and powerslams Meroni for the 1-2-3. (4:55) Yeah Sonny, you need to get you some better partners because jabronis like Meroni won’t get it done. *½

Louisville Gardens promo. Lance Russell talks with Gypsy Joe and Dr. Bill Irwin about their match with Superstar Bill Dundee and Tojo Yamamoto. Irwin claims he’s manipulated this whole scenario with Dundee. He’s in total control of everything happening in that ring. Did Irwin say Gypsy Joe was going to steal their hearts out of their bodies and sell them? Something like that. Killer Karl Krupp stops by to talk about the cast match with Jerry Lawler. He’s been smoking and drinking heavily lately to give Lawler every advantage. Krupp says Lawler should not only worry about his leg, but also Krupp will slap the daylights out of his body. WHAT. Crazy Krupp.

Back in the studio, Lance Russell talks to the people about sending mail to the wrestlers that request a reply. He says there’s no way in the world they could answer all the mail that comes in, but don’t expect replies from them. If you want to send something to a wrestler, send it to your local station care of Championship Wrestling and they will be forwarded to the party intended. So in 2017, every wrestling fan should be thankful for Twitter, because in 1980 you won’t hear back from anybody in the biz.

That wraps things up for another week. Until next time, so long for now.