Tuesday, May 04, 2021

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: July 30, 1983

The WWE Network is no longer available
in the United States.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
TV Summaries & Reviews
by David Taub
Mid-Atlantic Gateway Contributor

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it once appeared on the WWE Network. Results are included for the week (Monday-Sunday of the given week) as available. Please email with any corrections, typos, results, other details at 1davidtaub@gmail.com. Follow @TaubGVWire

For links to all available summaries as well as links to the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast, visit our TV Summary Index.

Please note
: The WWE Network ceased operation in the United States on April 4, 2021. Their press release stated that their entire archive of material (which would include the Mid-Atlantic Wrestling shows) would be transitioned to NBC's Peacock streaming service by the end of the summer 2021. We'll update as we know more.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 07/30/83
(taped 7/20/83 in Winston-Salem, NC; Memorial Coiseum)
Review is from the now defunct WWE Network (U.S.) feed.

NWA Champion Harley Race places a $25,000 bounty
on the head of former champion Ric Flair.


Match 1
Mike Rotundo d. Golden Boy Grey

Action is already underway as the show comes on the air. Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. After a competitive match, Rotundo gets the pin following the airplane spin. Replay has the original Mid-Atlantic music.

Bob Caudle throws to a video segment of the Briscos injuring John Bonello’s knee from last week’s World Wide Wrestling. Steamboat & Youngblood make the save and chop the Briscos into oblivion. Jerry is bloodied up.

[Break]

Match 2
Non-Title: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
d. Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco [World Tag Team ch.] by DQ
The Briscos are set to face John Bonello & Vinnie Valentino. But out come Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood who come out with Sandy Scott. They bought the contracts. Scott sanctions it and we are on. Bob Orton Jr. briefly joins Caudle to explain what happened.



Steamboat & Youngblood start fast. Briscos take over when Steamboat misses a charge in the corner. All the wrestlers are wearing red trunks. This match is non-stop action. Jay has Jack in the leglock/bridge combo. Jack comes off the top rope and nails him in the exposed midsection. He sells like he got shot. Referee Tommy Young calls for the bell. TV match of the year thus far for 1983.

Jay Youngblood attacks Jerry Brisco before Brisco can remove
his NWA World Tag Team championship belt.

[Break]

Match 3
Non-Title: Greg Valentine (U.S. heavyweight Champion) d. Brett Hart

Caudle talks about the upcoming $100,000 challenge. Valentine works on Hart’s left arm, Anderson style. Hart has one flurry of offenses, ended with a knee after a corner charge. An elbow smash for the win.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart
This is in lieu of local promos. Hart says Kabuki has not been Americanized. He compares him to Indians Wahoo McDaniel and Jay Youngblood, who lost their native style to the American style. Kabuki, like the Briscos and Greg Valentine, has self-denial.

[Break]

Match 4
Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson

No mention of the NWA TV championship again. It must be a hot night. Hart is a sweaty mess. Kabuki wins with a fist drop from the middle rope (not the turnbuckle).

[Break] 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Rufus R. Jones; Piper
Rufus talks about the upcoming $100,000 challenge. He loves the money. Piper has taken the tape off his hear. He has everything he needs, except for Greg Valentine in the ring.
“James Dean isn’t dead, brother. He’s just wrapped a little different.”

[Break]

[VCR] Comments from NWA World Champion Harley Race
Race has his NWA World championship belt and cash in a case. $25,000 to be exact. It’s a bounty to take Ric Flair out. He name drops most of the heels who could collect.
“Somebody, take the damn money! I want rid of Flair!”

Match 5
Bob Orton Jr. d. Joel Deaton

Deaton has “Texas” on the back of his tights. Caudle mentions Youngblood suffered injured ribs from the match vs. The Briscos. The fans pop for Orton’s superplex, finishing off Deaton. Some production issues with the star wipe. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ric Flair
Flair reacts to Race’s bounty. It doesn’t make anything to him. Rick Steamboat comes out, talking about the injury to Youngblood. He may be knocked out for a while. Flair offers his hand to step in. Flair does come off as a big star.

[Break]

Match 6
$100,000 Challenge Match
Non-Title Match: Rufus R. Jones d. Dory Funk Jr. [Mid-Atlantic ch.] (w/Paul Jones)

Rufus gets distracted by Paul. Dory charges with a knee to the back and appears to get the pin. The referee disallows it. Rufus gets a roll up for the victory. Jake Roberts comes in for the double team. Bob Orton Jr. comes in for the save and cleans house. Dory comes in and nails Orton with Roberts’ boot. Rufus now has to make the save. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: The Assassins
For the second week in a row, Paul Jones interrupts an Assassins interview. Paul Jones says Rufus cheated, so he won’t get the $100,000. Bob Caudle is upset that Paul is reneging on the deal. Paul rips up the check. BTW, Jake looks like a giant standing next to Hercules.
The Assassins finally get to talk. They are willing to work their way from the bottom. They will intimidate their opponents.

“So long for now!”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Results for the week, 7/25/83-7/31/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 7/25/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Keith Larson beat Joel Deaton
Bugsy McGraw d. Bill Howard
Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine
Magic Dragon beat Brett Hart
Ric Flair beat Dick Slater
Cage match: Bob Orton, Jr. & Jimmy Valiant beat Kabuki & Gary Hart
Greg Valentine d. Roddy Piper by DQ

Mon., 7/25/83 Newton, NC
Rick McCord beat Tom Lentz
John Bonello beat Jerry Grey
Rufus R. Jones beat Dory Funk, Jr. by DQ
Ricky Steamboat & Bugsy McGraw beat Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco

Tue., 7/26/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Vinnie Valentino d. Masas Fuchi
Johnny Weaver d. Gene Anderson
Keith Larson & Rick McCord d. Joel Deaton & Bill Howard
Dick Slater d. Mike Rotundo
Non-United States Heavyweight championship: Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine [ch.]
Ric Flair & Ricky Steamboat beat Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco by DQ

Tue., 7/26/83 Rocky Mount, NC ;  Municipal Stadium
Rufus R. Jones beat Jake Roberts
Bob Orton, Jr. & Jimmy Valiant beat Great Kabuki & Gary Hart by countout
Kelly Kiniski beat Brett Hart
The Assassin beat Mike Davis
Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang

Wed., 7/27/83 Spartanburg, SC; Memorial Auditorium (TV)
MACW:
Bob Orton Jr. d. Golden Boy Grey; Stu Schwartz
Roddy Piper d. Masa Fuchi; Stu Schwartz
Non-NWA TV championship: Great Kabuki [ch.] (w/Gary Hart) d. Rick McCord; Stu Schwartz
The Assassins d. John Bonello & Brett Hart; Stu Schwartz
WWW:
Bugsy McGraw d. Golden Boy Grey; Stu Schwartz
Bob Orton Jr. d. Ben Alexander; Stu Schwartz
The Assassins d. Mike Davis & Mike Rotundo; Stu Schwartz
Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon (w/Gary Hart) d. Rick McCord & John Bonello; Stu Schwartz
Non-United States Heavyweight championship: Greg Valentine [ch.] d. Brett Hart; Stu Schwartz

Wed., 7/27/83 Lumberton, NC; Recreation Center
Jimmy Valiant & Rufus R. Jones vs. Dory Funk, Jr. & Jake Roberts
Kelly Kiniski vs. Vinnie Valentino
Jacques Goulet vs. Mark Fleming
Cy Jernigan vs. Abe Jacobs

Fri., 7/29/83 Culpeper, VA
Jimmy Valiant & Bob Orton, Jr. beat Great Kabuki & Gary Hart
John Bonello vs. Magic Dragon (sub for Armand Hussein)

Fri., 7/29/83 Charleston, SC; County Hall
Abe Jacobs beat Masa Fuchi
Gene Anderson beat Vinnie Valentino
Jake Roberts beat Brett Hart
One Man Gang beat Bugsy McGraw
Mike Rotundo beat Kelly Kiniski [Rotundo sub for Steve Musulin]
Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight championship: Rufus R. Jones beat Dory Funk, Jr [ch.]. by DQ

Sat., 7/30/83 Wilmington, NC
Jimmy Valiant & Bob Orton, Jr. vs. Great Kabuki & Gary Hart in a steel cage match
Greg Valentine vs. Roddy Piper
Keith Larson & Rick McCord vs. Bill Howard & Jacques Goulet
Gene Anderson vs. Vinnie Valentino
Mike Davis vs. Joel Deaton

Sat., 7/30/83 North Wilkesboro, NC ; Wilkes Memorial Park
Ric Flair vs. Dory Funk, Jr.
Jos LeDuc vs. Armand Hussein
Mike Rotundo vs. The Assassin
Johnny Weaver vs. Jerry Grey
Abe Jacobs vs. Masa Fuchi

Sat., 7/30/83 Emporia, VA
Rufus R. Jones & Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang & Kelly Kiniski to win NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Title
Ricky Steamboat & Johnny Weaver beat Dick Slater & Jake Roberts
Magic Dragon beat Brett Hart
Cy Jernigan beat Tom Lentz
Mark Fleming beat John Bonello

Sun., 7/31/83 Savannah, GA; Savannah Civic Center (TV)
MACW:
Jimmy Valiant d. Bill Howard; Tommy Young
-Comments from Harley Race
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Ric Flair [clip of Briscos vs. Steamboat & Youngblood from last week’s MACW]
Jake Roberts (w/Paul Jones) d. Tracy Stoher; Tommy Young
Dick Slater d. Keith Larson; Tommy Young
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Paul Jones [in lieu]
Mike Rotundo & Rufus R. Jones d. Golden Boy Grey & Bob Brown; Tommy Young
The Assassin d. Mike Davis; Tommy Young [Assassin aka Assassin 2 aka Hercules]
-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart
Non-NWA TV championship: Great Kabuki [ch.] (w/Gary Hart) d. Joel Deaton; Tommy Young
WWW:
Jimmy Valiant d. Bob Brown
Sir Assassin d. Vinnie Valentino
Jake Roberts d. Brett Hart
Dick Slater d. Glenn Lane
Rufus R. Jones & Mike Rotundo d. Bill Howard & Ben Alexander
Great Kabuki d. Tracy Stoher
Dark matches:
Mike Davis d. Godlen Boy Grey
Ric Flair & Rufus R. Jones d. Jake Roberts & Dory Funk Jr.
Great Kabuki d. Jimmy Valiant

Sun., 7/31/83 Roanoke, VA; Roanoke Civic Center
Tom Lentz d. Abe Jacobs
Mark Fleming d. Sgt. Jacques Goulet by DQ
Kelly Kiniski d. Rick McCord
Bugsy McGraw d. One Man Gang
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Rick Steamboat & Bob Orton Jr.
Greg Valentine DDQ Roddy Piper