Figures Friday: The Starrcade '83 Main Event!

Jack and Jerry Brisco: NWA World Tag Team Champions

The Assassination of Pvt. Jim Nelson

The Brisco Brothers Send a Message to Steamboat and Youngblood
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

"Jack and Jerry, you told me it was an accident." 
- Pvt. Jim Nelson

One of my favorite angles from Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s took place on the May 21, 1983  episode of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling where Pvt. Jim Nelson confronted the Briscos over their dastardly turn on Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. Nelson's stand against the Briscos, their subsequent destruction of the young Marine Private, and the mayhem that followed is to this day one of my favorite moments to watch over and over again, even 38 years later. Happily, that show and this angle are included on the WWE Network.

First, a little background:

In the spring of 1983, Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood were ready for new challengers to their NWA World Tag Team Championships, having just dispatched their arch enemies Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle in a blood feud that had boiled over since it began back in the fall of 1982. Sarge was headed to the WWF, and Kernodle would eventually regroup and align himself with Ivan Koloff to win the World Tag Team titles once again in 1984.

During Ricky and Jay's run up to winning the titles, they had some behind-the-scenes help in tormenting Slaughter and Kernodle in the form of Pvt. Jim Nelson, a member of Sarge's "platoon" and former tag partner of Pvt. Don Kernodle, who were once Mid-Atlantic Tag Team champions. Nelson had been somewhat discarded by Slaughter as the Sarge and Kernodle had moved on to win the NWA World Tag Team titles and left him behind. Nelson became somewhat of a "double agent," the secret ally of Steamboat and Youngblood, and was involved in several mysterious pranks that tormented and distracted Slaughter and Kernodle. Only recently had Pvt. Nelson revealed himself to be the co-conspirator of Steamboat and Youngblood, and this had made him a fan-favorite.

BRISCOS CLASH WITH STEAMBOAT AND YOUNGBLOOD
New challengers emerged for Ricky and Jay in the form of unlikely foes - their close friends Jack and Jerry Brisco. The Briscos had been making "quiet noise" about their desire to go after the tag titles for several months, acknowledging that they both had held many singles and tag championships over their storied careers, but had never held the world tag team titles. It was the one title they wanted the most. 

In a series of what were thought to be friendly (although quite competitive) contests between the two friendly teams, Jack Brisco had injured Ricky Steamboat's knee on two occasions, each time falling on Steamboat's leg and knee as Ricky was trapped in Jerry's figure-four leglock. The first appeared to be an accident, but the second clearly wasn't. 

As the video-tape of the controversial second injury to Steamboat was shown again on TV, Steamboat's new friend Jim Nelson came out to confront the Briscos over what they had done. 

PVT. NELSON CONFRONTS THE BRISCOS
Nelson felt betrayed as well, indicating that Jack and Jerry earlier had both promised him that the first injury was an accident. Angry, Nelson called Brisco a coward and challenged him to get in the ring with him. Brisco obliged and the two battled for a few moments until Jack got the upperhand with the figure-four and then it was Jerry this time who came off the top turnbuckle and landed on Nelson, badly injriing his knee. The injury (all storyline, of course) was so severe that Pvt. Jim nelson was put out of wrestling permanently. It would be the last time he would be seen in a wrestling ring.

In actuality it was Nelson's farewell to the Mid-Atlantic area only, as he was leaving to go work in the Mid-South area for promoter Bill Watts under a new persona, the mad Russian Boris Zhukov, a persona he would maintain for the rest of his career, culminating years later as the tag team partner of Nicolia Volkoff in the WWF.

The Brisco's elimination of Pvt. Nelson was masterfully executed, and served to fully cement them as "bad guys" to the fans, some of whom were still unsure what was happening with them. Their assassination of Nelson in the WPCQ TV studio that early Wednesday in May made it clear to everyone they were now dirty heels.

THIRTY EIGHT YEARS LATER, NELSON REMEMBERS
During a recent conversation catching up with our friend Jim Nelson, I told him I was writing a little article about the memorable angle, and asked him who came to him with the idea and how it was presented. Nelson was working a notice around the circuit before he would leave for Mid-South, and was no longer working TV. Knowing Jim would no longer be around anyway, the Briscos, Steamboat and Youngblood cooked up the angle to put Nelson out for good, and help drive home to the fans that the Briscos were now bad guys.

"Jack and Jerry worked it all out with me," Jim told me. "Gene Anderson and Johnny Weaver [who produced the TV shows] pushed and encouraged me to be direct and aggressive with Jack to get across I was mad and upset with what happened. I remember vividly Jack told me to come at him hard. 'Your upset and ticked off, so show it.'" 

Nelson did go at him hard, shoving Brisco so suddenly it almost knocked him off his feet. 

What really made the angle work though, in my opinion, was when Nelson said to them, "Jack and Jerry, you told me it was a accident." He came across so sincerely at that moment, with such sad disappointment in his voice.  It got over that not only had the Brisocs betrayed Steamboat and Youngblood, but they had betrayed him, too. Beautifully done.

Jim told me he thought he had given them what they were looking for. "It's my favorite all time angle I was ever involved in."

That's a pretty big statement. Jim Nelson as Boris Zhukov worked many angles in Southeastern Wrestling, the AWA, and the WWF, including headlining with Sgt. Slaughter over the AWA Americas title and teaming with Nikolai Volkoff as part of the famous tag team the Bolsheviks at a Wrestlemania. It indicates how much it meant to him personally to do an angle with the Brisco brothers, for whom he had such immense respect, and especially to have had this opportunity so early in his career.   

FLOWN IN JUST FOR THE ANGLE
Interestingly, the angle almost never happened. Nelson was days away from leaving for the Mid-South territory, packing up his belongings at his home in Roanoke, VA. The whole thing came as quite a surprise to him when he got the phone call to come back to Charlotte for one last shot.

"Jim Crockett flew me into Charlotte from Roanoke. I did the angle, and then flew directly home from Charlotte after the taping. Mike Rotunda took me to the airport. The show was still going on and being taped. I headed out to Louisiana a few days later, before it even aired." 

Nelson never saw it until many years later.  

"I enjoyed it immensely," Jim told me. "All the years I grew up watching Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as a kid, and then to get in the business, looking forward to a moment like that, the opportunity to work with guys like that. It was key for me that day. I wanted to make it real. You do something like that, you give it your best, your all."

 

THE TRANSCRIPT
If you have the WWE Network, you can go the 5/21/83 episode in the Territories section and watch this angle in it's entity in wonderful quality. It takes place at 18:48 into the WWE version of the show. It's also probably available somewhere on YouTube in less than wonderful quality. Either way, it's worth the trouble to see it. 

If you can't see it on video, we've included the transcript below, which starts just after Bob Caudle and the Briscos finish reviewing video tape of the controversial match with Steamboat and Youngblood.

BOB CAUDLE: All right fans, and there it was, and Jack, Jerry, that's the controversial part of the match. 

JACK BRISCO: You can see right there when Rick Steamboat deliberately tried to hurt me, threw me out here on the cement floor, intentionally trying to injure me. I looked up there in the ring and there's Youngblood and Steamboat both on my brother, so I go in there and save my brother. 

CAUDLE: Alright, and Jerry what are your comments about that? 

JERRY BRISCO: Well that's exactly right, I looked up and I saw Jay Youngblood trying to give me another shot right in the throat, and I guarantee you, if it hadn't been for my brother, I might not be able to stand out here and talk to you today.

(Jim Nelson approaches the Briscos...)

BOB CAUDLE: And Jim Nelson right here...

JIM NELSON: I can't believe you two guys. You were great friends with Steamboat and Youngblood, you wanted a chance at the belts. You said you'd wrestle them for them. I thought the first time it was a mistake. Jack and Jerry, you told me it was an accident. And after that right there - - (points at Jack Brisco) - - You tried to hurt him, you tried to put [Steamboat] out of wrestling, those belts mean more to you than anything, just like Slaughter and Kernodle. You stoop that low, a former world's champion - - You're a coward, Jack Brisco!

JACK BRISCO: I'm a coward?? (flares up, pushes Nelson)

JIM NELSON: Yeah, you're a coward! Why don't you get in the ring with me right now!!

JACK BRISCO: You don't call me no coward!! 

JIM NELSON: (shoves Brisco hard) Get in the ring with me right now! (jumps into ring)

BRISCO: I'll get in the ring with you right now....(Angrily removes jacket and shirt) 

The crowd pops!

BOB CAUDLE: All right, Jim Nelson calling Jack Brisco a coward, says get in the ring, and Jack's taken off his coat...

Jack angrily takes off his shirt and prepares to enter the ring, as the crowd cheers

JERRY BRISCO: Nelson has turned into nothing but a stooge for Youngblood and Steamboat! He's completely loosing his mind, he's the one that caused an awful lot of trouble (for Slaughter and Kernodle)

Jack Brisco charges into the ring.

CAUDLE: Jack's got his street clothes on! His (cowboy) boots and his jeans...

Referee Ron West seems to indicate he'll allow a match. Brisco quickly gains the upper hand with punches that back Nelson into the corner. Brisco snap-mares him out of the corner...

CAUDLE: And here goes Jack with a knee drop right down across Jim Nelson! With a boot to the forehead now, a couple of kicks to Nelson...

Nelson gets to his feet, blocks Brisco's punch, and throws two haymaker tomahawk-type punches that have Brisco reeling. Nelson whips Brisco int the ropes and catches him with a big boot coming back off the ropes sending Brisco prone to the canvas. Nelson mounts Jack and begins to pound away with a series of right hand punches to Brisco's head. The crowd is loving it. Jerry Brisco, meanwhile, has climbed to the ring apron. Nelson picks up Jack and delivers a big body slam, bounces off the ropes and goes to deliver his own knee-drop...

CAUDLE: These two have really went at each other, Jim Nelson calling Jack Brisco a coward - - and Jack rolls right out from under that knee! 

Nelson crashes to the mat on his knee, and cries out in pain...

CAUDLE: And it looks like now he is going to the figure-four!! 

As Jack applies his patented figure-four leg-lock to a helpless Nelson, Jerry Brisco climbs to the top turnbuckle...

CAUDLE: And now here's Jerry Brisco on that top rope!...

Jerry Brisco dives from the top turnbuckle...

CAUDLE: ...right down across Jim Nelson's leg and knee! As Jack had him in the figure four - -

 Jim Nelson screams in agony on the mat, holding his injured knee.

CAUDLE: And now there is Jerry Brisco taking his coat off. The Brisco brothers simply going wild. Jim Nelson, who really baited Jack into a match - - and Jack is going to put the figure-four on him again!! Again he's going to put it on that leg, and he continues to apply the pressure...

Jerry taunts Nelson as Jack clamps down tighter on the figure four. Within moments, Johnny Weaver, Mike Rotundo, Rufus Jones, and Jimmy Valiant all hit the ring to save Nelson. The Briscos retreat to the set with Bob Caudle.

JERRY BRISCO: (back at the desk with Caudle) He comes out here and preaches to us, Nelson comes out here and preaches - - you know, that's the thing about it, all they can do is complain, come out preaching, trying to convert us. The only way, Bob, to win those world tag team championships is to prove we are the number one contenders.

JACK BRISCO: Jim Nelson's finished! I felt the knee go!

Johnny Weaver approaches the Briscos

JOHNNY WEAVER: I thought this was all an accident, I can't believe you guys would stoop this low..

JACK BRISCO: Another preacher, huh? Get back in that ring and check on your stooge!

WEAVER: You're darn right I'll get back in there and check on him, he's my partner!

JACK BRISCO: I felt that knee go, Bob, I had that figure-four on him, and Jerry came across there, I felt the knee go. Believe me, Jim Nelson's finished. You'll never see him wrestle around here again.

Jimmy Valiant now leaves the ring and approaches the Briscos

JIMMY VALIANT: (Pleading) C'mon baby, c'mon brother! Why?

Jack sucker-punches Valiant in the gut, and the Briscos both pick Valiant up...

BOB CAUDLE: And Jack Brisco now hits Valiant and they both pick him up and slam him to the floor! The Briscos slamming Valiant to the concrete floor, grab their jacks and out they go!

The Briscos leave the studio, with Valiant hurt on the floor and Jim Nelson still in agony in the ring.

* * * * * * * * *

Missing Shows: Mid-Atlantic Wrestling, February 19, 1983

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

The WWE network's line up of Mid-Atlantic shows on their OTT network is sometimes a double-edge sword: while I love having the shows they put up, it hurts when they leave out key episodes in important storylines. 

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling  February 19, 1983

Now it goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that I'd rather have the shows they do put up than not have any of them at all. But one of most frustrating things about the situation is that it seems the missing shows fall out at often the worst time in the Mid-Atlantic historical timeline.

Such is the case with three weeks worth of missing shows in late February and early March of 1983, in the weeks leading up to the huge so-called "Final conflict" show in Greensboro on March 12, 1983 where Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood defeated Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle in a steel cage match to win the NWA World Tag Team titles, and avoided the dissolution of their tag team partnership in the process. 

Likewise, there are two key shows missing in the build-up to the Brisco's famous heel-turn some weeks later in early May.  

Thanks to David Chappell's audio cassette recordings of these shows, we will be able to fill in the blanks in the week to week timeline, and they will be chroniocled here in our "Missing Shows" series. Plus, we've offered the folks over at the Mid-Atlantic Championship Podcast the audio clips to include on their episodes covering shows not included on the WWE network. (This was first most successfully done on this special episode of the podcast covering week of 8/14/82.)

In this article below, I'll summarize some the key events that took place on the missing February 19, 1983 show in the lead-up to the "Final Conflict", including the big contract signing for the main event (those were relatively rare in those days) and a rare (and somewhat strange in retrospect) appearance by Ricky Morton in the WPCQ TV studio, shortly before the advent of the Rock and Roll Express.)

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 02/19/83
(taped 2/16/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
This program does not appear on the WWE Network.

FILM: Jimmy Valiant pins Terry Funk
Booker Dory Funk, Jr. brings in his brother Terry Funk as a quasi bounty hunter to try and eliminate Jimmy Valiant, who was chasing Dick Slater and the other members of the House of Humperdink. After the commercial break, Humperdink and crew continue to rant and rave about Valiant beating Funk when suddenly Valiant comes out of nowhere to attack Slater and throw him into the ring. Greg Valentine and One Man Gang quickly come to Slater's aid, and Slater and Valentine hold Valiant while the One Man Gang cuts his hair! It's eventually broken up by the surprise appearance of Bugsy McGraw, who has come to his "street brother's" aid. It was such a surprise, in fact, that Bob Caudle had no idea who he was.

Special Segment: The 'Final Conflict' Contract Signing
Recorded earlier in a conference room, NWA official Sandy Scott hosts a contract signing between the NWA World Tag Team Champions Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle and their challengers Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. The date and location of the climactic title match is announced (Saturday March 12, Greensboro) and the stipulation is announced that the match will take place within the confines of a steel cage. But Sarge and Kernodle have another stipulation to announce if Steamboat and Youngblood want them to sign for the match. If Steamboat and Youngblood don't win, they can never tag as a team again. This causes Steamboat and Youngblood to pause for a moment, but then they resolve their apprehension and the contracts are signed by all parties. 

I'm pretty sure the big cage match in Greensboro was never actually official billed or dubbed as The Final Conflict (unless it happened on local promos), it's just a name that has become associated with the event over the years. 

Special Live Segment: Steamboat & Youngblood bring out Guests
Steamboat and Youngblood celebrate the contract signing by bringing out and thanking two special guests who helped them get to this point.

First was Johnny Weaver, who had helped them train and dvelope negiotiating tactics to finally get this big match signed. 

But more notably, the second guest would be the person who had helped them torment Slaughter and Kernodle behind the scenes over the previous weeks, including the theft of Slaughters' iconic drill-sergeant hat and the engineering of the destruction of Kernodle's expensive sport coat (seen way back on the January 8th episode). It was revealed to be none other than Pvt. Jim Nelson, who had quietly and covertly been helping Steamboat and Youngblood annoy Slaughter and Kernodle.  

Gary Hart Recruits Mike Rotundo
Gary Hart announces he is in the process of recruiting Mike Rotundo to join his stable with Kabuki and the Magic Dragon. Hart does commentary during Rotundo's match with Ricky Harris. Hart is peeved that Rotundo hasn't given him the common courtesy of a reply yet. he says he is sure that he can instill the killer instinct in Rotundo. (I'd just settle for some enthusiasm in Rotundo's interviews!)

Ricky Morton makes his short-lived Mid-Atlantic Debut
One of the most disappointing aspects of this show not being on the WWE Network is not being able to see the exciting debut of young superstar Rick Morton (as he's called at this time) in the Mid-Atlantic area, and in the WPCQ studio. 

Morton's first appearance is on the losing end with partner Frank Monte against the duo of Dory Funk, Jr. and Dick Slater, managed by Paul Jones. Morton shines in this match, to the point that it annoys Jones, who is doing color commentary with Bob Caudle. 

When the tag match is over (originally scheduled to be the last match of the show) Funk and Jones are still so annoyed at Morton that they offer a special challenge match to which Morton quickly agrees. He and Funk go at it in a fast paced match with Paul Jones ranting and raving at ringside with Bob Caudle. Morton gets the majority of the offense in with quick arm-drags, and flying head-scissors and dropkicks. The match is still going on as time runs out in the show and the credits roll.

It certainly appears there were plans to develop Morton into something given the show-closing angle with Funk and Jones. But two weeks later he is in Memphis, teaming in successive weeks with Jim Dalton, Terry Taylor, and finally Robert Gibson. The team of the Rock and Roll Express was apparently born that night. Morton would not return until July of 1985, when he and Robert Gibson defeated the Russians to win the NWA World Tag Team titles on their first night in. And the rest is history. 

Other Notables:

• Jim Nelson represents himself well in his special segment where he is revealed as Slaughter and Kernodle's saboteur, especially given he hasn't had much promo time at that point. It was a nice angle that sets up tag matches to fill time in house show slots in the weeks leading up to 3/12 in Greensboro featuring Weaver and nelson teaming uop to go against Slaughter and Kernodle. Nelson delivers a funny line about while Sarge and Kernodle were out eating steak, they had him getting his supper at the 7-11.
• In Jack Brisco's halftime interview, he mentions Terry Funk being in, and that he and Jerry would love to fight the Funk Brothers. Not sure if the Briscos vs. Funks match took place in the ensuing weeks here or not, but the Funk brothers and the Brisco brothers each challenged Slaughter and Kernodle for the World Tag Team titles in the weeks leading up to the March 12 Final Conflict show.  I would have loved to see those matches.
• During the Funk/Slater tag team match, Paul asks can you imagine if the Funk brothers and the Brisco brother faced each other in a match? Almost as if he had thought of this concept all by himself. It was one of the little things that made Paul hilarious during this early stint as a manager and color commentator.  
  

 

MATCHES: 
Arena Film: Terry Funk vs. Jimmy Valiant
Mike Rotundo vs. Ricky Harris
Dory Funk, Jr. & Dick Slater vs. Frank Monte & Ricky Morton
Dory Funk, Jr. vs. Ricky Morton (as time expires)

SPECIAL FEATURES
Contract Signing: Sandy Scott signs a Cage Match for the NWA World Tag Team Titles
Recogocnition: Steamboat and Youngblood thank Weaver and Nelson

CURRENT CHAMPIONS:
World Heavyweight Champion: Ric Flair
World Tag Team Champions: Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle
United States Champion: Greg Valentine
Mid-Atlantic Champion: Dory Funk, Jr.
Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Champions: Vacant
NWA TV Champion: Dick Slater

* * * * * * *

SHOW SUMMARY
In the same general format as the summaries in our TV & Podcast Section.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 02/19/83
(taped 2/16/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
This program does not appear on the WWE Network.

FILM: Jimmy Valiant pins Terry Funk in Charlotte
Interview - Sir Oliver Humperdink, Dick Slater

[Break]

Confrontation: Jimmy Valiant jumps Dick Slater, who is saved by Greg Valentine, One Man Gang. Slater and Valentine hold Boogie while One Man Gang cuts his hair. Valiant is saved by Bugsy McGraw (and Bob has no idea who he is at first.)

[Break]

Local Promos

[Break]

[VCR] Contract signing: Slaughter/Kernodle and Steamboat/Youngblood hosted by Sandy Scott

Interview - Steamboat & Youngblood they bring out Johnny Weaver and Pvt. Jim Nelson

[Break]

Halftime Interviews: Mike Rotundo (TV Champion), Jack Brisco

[Break]

Interview - Gary Hart

Match #1
Mike Rotundo pins Ricky Harris
guest commentary by Gary Hart

[Break]

Local Promos

[Break]

Paul Jones joins Bob Caudle on commentary.

Match #2
Dory Funk, Jr./Dick Slater defeat Frank Monte/Rick Morton 

Interview - Slaughter, Kernodle

Match #3
Special challenge match: Dory Funk, Jr. vs. Rick Morton (Show ends with match in progress.)

The Final Show at WPCQ Studio in Charlotte (1983)

A series of posts about our favorite episodes available for streaming on the WWE Network
by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling

WWE Network Data: First Airdate Saturday July 2, 1983
(Taped Wed. June 29, 1983) [WWE Network Link]

United States Heavyweight Champion Greg Valentine

FINAL SHOW AT WPCQ STUDIO
This show would be the very last taping at WPCQ studios in Charlotte, and the last time Mid-Atlantic and World Wide Wrestling would ever be taped in a studio setting. Jim Crockett Promotions had moved their TV production to these cramped quarters two years earlier, moving from WRAL in Raleigh when that station needed the studio every night for their locally produced insert-segments of the new show "PM Magazine."

WPCQ was a real step down in production quality for the programs with noticeable declines in the quality of video and audio during this time. Additionally, and most noticeably, the studio was too small, and the ring had to be turned catty-cornered in order to have room for Bob Caudle's set, as well as the cameras and production crew.

So the move of TV production out into the arenas was a welcome development, although I love the old studio settings by and large, and miss that era. But there wasn't a Saturday that at some point during a show from WPCQ that I didn't think to myself, boy, do I miss WRAL.

They certainly went out with a bang as this episode was a ton of fun, particularly due to the work of Jerry Brisco on the mic as one of the most annoyingly cocky heels ever. His performance, along with brother Jack, is just masterful.

The Briscos confront Ricky Steamboat

THE BRISCOS

This episode is a showcase for the Brisco brothers as heels.  Jerry calls it "The Brisco Brothers Hour." Jack and Jerry are basking in the glow of their victory over Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood for the NWA World Tag Team titles, and are really rubbing it in. The Briscos are on my list of all-time favorite tag teams, largely due to their work in this area as heels in 1983.

During this episode they get in the face of Mike Rotundo at the opening of the show, and later provoke Ricky Steamboat to lose his temper, although Jerry came out on the wrong end of that as Steamboat knocks him out cold!

The Briscos wrestle Keith Larson (aka Wally "Rocky" Kernodle) and Rick McCord on this show in what can only be called a scientific wrestling clinic. As part of their heel personas, the Briscos were always out to prove they were superior technical wrestlers and they just have their way with Larson and McCord who, by the way, were two of the more talented undercard/mid-card wrestlers to ever work the territory.

Rufus R. Jones defends the honor of the winner of Paul Jones's picture.

PAUL JONES GIVES AWAY HIS PICTURE
For about six weeks leading up to this show, manager Paul Jones has been conducting a contest where the winner will receive a huge, oversized poster of Paul in a Tuxedo. The big poster has been on display for weeks and provided some hilarious moments over that time as Paul talked weekly with Bob Caudle about the contest. This week, he finally awards the photo to the contest winner at the end of the show. Paul is very rude to her and Rufus R. Jones comes out to defend the honor of the contest winner. Paul and the two wrestlers he manages, Dory Funk, Jr. and Jake "The Snake" Roberts, beat up Rufus in the ring as the credits roll at the end of the show.


DORY FUNK, JR.'s LOVE AFFAIR WITH MIKE ROTUNDO
One thing is clear re-watching these late 1982 and early-to-mid 1983 episodes: booker Dory Funk, Jr. was in love with Mike Rotundo. There can be no other way to describe it. No other wrestler during this time period got more exposure in the ring, on interviews, and doing color commentary on TV than the mid-card All-American from Syracuse.

This week, Rotundo is the color commentator with host Bob Caudle. As great a performer as Rotundo would prove to be in the ring, he was just as bad on the mic during this early part of his career. Rotundo definitely got his groove going and developed a personality in 1988 when he was a heel in the Varsity Club and was playing off goofy, lovable babyface Rick Steiner. But in 1983 he was as green, dry, and dull as you could possibly imagine. But Dory was intent on giving Rotundo ample opportunities to improve. And this was one of them, doing color commentary the entire program. I actually love Rotundo's work in the ring. But this was painful. Somehow, it did not detract from me enjoying this awesome episode, though, and I hope it won't for you, either.


THE LOCAL PROMO SPOTS
Most of these episodes on the WWE Netowrk do not include the local promotional spots that were some of the most entertaining parts of the programs back in the day. Those localized interviews were recorded during the day prior to the taping of the shows and then inserted into the tape that went out to the various market stations. Since these archived episodes don't have the local promos, they include a "live" studio interview taped right along as the main program was being taped. For much of late 1982 and 1983, these segments were largely aimed at the Florida territory. The Mid-Atlantic show was seen on a few select stations throughout Florida and so the guys being interviewed would aim many of their comments towards the wrestlers in Florida. Fans in the Mid-Atlantic area would not see these interviews; they were seeing their local promotional spots at that moment.

A good example of these is the interview Dick Slater does in the second promotional spot location. Slater directly addresses Dusty Rhodes (at that time a regular in Florida, and also the booker of the territory) and tells him he might be the American Dream and the Midnight Cowboy (a reference to Dusty working as the Midnight Rider) but he will never be the Errol Flynn of wrestling!


TIDBITS:

• Interesting to see a very young Joel Deaton on this show. Deaton would later wrestle under a mask as "Thunderfoot" managed by James J. Dillon in 1985. He would work several smaller southern territories in the late 1980s before making a name for himself in the 1990s in Japan. I always liked Deaton's work in the ring.
• Greg Valentine methodically works over John Bonello in an entertaining opening match.
• Roddy Piper mentions he has a new partner "Mr. T" - - and then pulls out a tire iron. I did do a double-take when he said that though, thinking about where Piper would be less than two years later with the real Mr. T at the first Wrestlemania.
• During Dick Slater's match, Bob Caudle mentions that the Assassins are coming into the area soon, and that one of them is reportedly the son of the Great Bolo. This would turn out to be the new Assassin #2, which later turned out to be Hercules Hernandez under the mask. They played up the Great Bolo son angle for several months. The Great Bolo was a huge star for Jim Crockett promotions in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and it's cool that they were calling back that far into their history.
  
• Harley Race makes it clear he doesn't want to wrestle Flair anymore, and claims Flair was a "fluke" champion since all he really did was slip past a "fat man" to win the title. This was a shot (a "rib on the square" as Steve Austin is famous for saying) at the wrestler Flair beat for the NWA title, Dusty Rhodes.
• Flair, Piper, and Race all appeared in pre-taped interviews from the brand new make-shift studio at the main office building of Jim Crockett Promotions on Briarbend Drive. The studio was established as the location for taping the local interviews that would be inserted to the syndicated programs. The interviews had previously been taped at the WPCQ studios prior to the taping of the shows. But with the move out to the arenas to begin next week, JCP needed a spot to record the shows, and so they set up a make-shift studio at the Briarbend offices.
• Wahoo McDaniel does his famous war dance and tomahawk chop (Bob Caudle affectionately called it the "tommy-hawk" chop over the years) before defeating the Magic Dragon. Considered by most to be politically incorrect today, that war dance and chop was one of the things that made Wahoo so exciting and so special to me when I first started watching wrestling.

CHAMPIONS ROLL CALL
NWA World Champion: Harley Race
NWA World Tag Champions: Jack & Jerry Brisco
United States Champion: Greg Valentine
Mid-Atlantic Champion: Dory Funk, Jr.
NWA TV Champion: The Great Kabuki

STUDIO MATCHES ON THIS PROGRAM
[1] Greg Valentine (US Champion) vs. John Bonello
[2] The Briscos (NWA Tag Champs) vs. Keith Larson / Rick McCord
[3] Jimmy Valiant & Bob Orton Jr. vs. Bill Howard & Joel Deaton
[4] Dick Slater vs. Vinnie Valentino
[5] Dory Funk Jr. (Mid-Atlantic Champ) & Jake Roberts vs. Bret Hart & Mike Davis


FILMED MATCHES FROM THE ARENA:
Wahoo McDaniel vs. The Magic Dragon (with Gary Hart)

INTERVIEWS
Jack and Jerry Brisco
Ric Flair and Roddy Piper (pre-taped at the Briarbend Drive studio)
Mike Rotundo
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Harley Race (pre-taped at the Briarbend Drive studio)
Dick Slater
Paul Jones (with Jake Roberts and Dory Funk, Jr.)

WWE NETWORK
FREE MONTH FOR NEW SUBSCRIBERS!
Check out all of the Mid-Atlantic episodes currently available!

MID-ATLANTIC CHAMPIONSHIP PODCAST

Don't miss this great podcast, hosted by Mike Sempervive and Roman Gomez, as they look back at classic early 80s episodes of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as seen on the WWE Network.

 

MID-ATLANTIC TV REPORT AND SUMMARIES

David Taub reviews and summarizes all the episodes of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling airing on the WWE Netowrk. Visit our TV Report & Podcast page for links to all the shows.

Edited from a story originally posted January 30, 2018 on the Mid-Atlantic Gateway. 

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: April 30, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

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

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it 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.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 04/30/83
(taped 04/27/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 04/30/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.] 

Match 1
Mike Rotundo & Johnny Weaver d. Masa Fuchi & Red Dog Lane
Paul Jones joins Bob Caudle on commentary, as this match is underway as the show starts. Stu Schwartz is the referee for the hour. Nothing spectacular. Rotundo pins Fuchi after an airplane spin.

[Break]

[TAPE] Int. w/David Crockett: Dick Slater & Greg Valentine
We’re on the World Wide set. Crockett says the NWA is warning the two regarding their behavior. Valentine says this is professional wrestling. It is his job to hurt people. Slater chimes in with some comments. 

[FILM] Charlotte: We now go to a clip of Flair vs. Valentine, with Crockett & Caudle voicing over the clip. Just a few minutes, of Valentine working head locks on Flair.

[TAPE] Charlotte: We jump now to a bloodied Ric Flair with a mic in the locker room. Flair wants Valentine again, he wants his title to be on the line too. When he gets hold of Valentine, whoo, he will be his all night long!

[Break]

Match 2
Non-Title: Roddy Piper [U.S. Champion] d. Ben Alexander
Piper doing some wrestling in this contest. He wins with the swinging neckbreaker.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Roddy Piper
Brief interview. Says when Valentine & Slater talk about going after him, they are just shooting blanks.

[CLIP][FLORIDA TV]: Jake Roberts vs. Barry Windham
Caudle then throws to a clip from Championship Wrestling from Florida, Roberts vs. Windham. No date given on the match. Gordon Solie & Magnum T.A. are on commentary. Jake slingshots Windham’s neck over the top ropes, then a high knee, but only a two count. The bell rings indicating a time limit draw. Roberts goes to the TV desk to complain to Solie. It looks like he loads his knee pad, and unloads on Windham on the outside. Windham crashes through the wooden partition.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle:  Mike Rotundo
Rotundo comments on the video that just played. He wants Roberts and feels he can beat him. Rotundo says he doesn’t like Paul Jones.

-Halftime Int. w/Bob Caudle:  Mike Rotundo
This is in lieu of local promos. Back to back Rotundo. Repeats many of the same talking points that we just saw.

[Break]

- Int.: Humperdink says he’s purchased this time. They are on the World Wide set. Humperdink says Kelly Kiniski has joined the House of Humperdink. He talks about OMG beating on Andre, and the $5,000 slam challenge is still in effect.

Match 3
Rufus R. Jones vs. Bill White
Paul Jones is on commentary. Jones says Rufus is a changed man. Paul continues to tout Jake Roberts ansd mentions Mike graham is coming in from Florida to avenge the beating Windham took from Roberts.
Paul says if Rufus wants the Mid-Atlantic belt, he has to go through Dory Funk, Jr. Lots of dancing while wrestling for Rufus. Lots of trash talk by Paul on Rufus. Rufus wins with a headbutt.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco
Caudle mentions they had a controversial match. Jack disagrees. We go to a tape. 

[TAPE] World Wide: Steamboat/Youngblood vs. Briscos (Brief)
This is the famous match from World Wide, where Jerry had a figure four on Steamboat. Youngblood chops Jack, who lands on Steamboat’s legs. Steamboat joins the interview, as Jerry explains it was just an accident. Steamboat says he doesn’t think it was deliberate, but doesn’t think it was an accident either. Jack says let’s prove it next week. Steamboat agrees.

[Break]

Match 4
Jos LeDuc d. Snake Brown
Brown gets some offense in, before LeDuc responds. A longer match than expected. LeDuc wins with the backbreaker.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart, Great Kabuki, Magic Dragon
Hart says his team should be number-one contenders for the tag team championship. Hart insists on a tournament to determine the top contenders. He gets a dig in at Jimmy Valiant as well.

[Break]

Match 5
Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon d. Vinnie Valentino & Ron Rossi
Hart joins Caudle on commentary. Valentino briefly puts up a fight after a one-sided affair. Dragon pins Rossi after the Macau Roll, a forward somersault splash. After the match, he team joins Bob Caudle throwing out challenges.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sgt. Slaughter
Slaughter is carrying one of the World tag team championship belts. Slaughter welcomes a top contender’s tournament. He taunts Steamboat & Youngblood and the Briscos, saying if they were men they would have the belt around their waists. He talks about an upcoming cage match, where the losing team has to split up. Steamboat then jumps Slaughter from behind. A short, intense brawl, as Steamboat is trying to wrestle belt away. The tussle continues in the ring, as the credits roll.  With a big right hand, it looks like Slaughter wins the battle. He escapes as the show goes off the air.

* * * * *

Results for the week, 4/25/83-5/01/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 4/25/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Vinnie Valentino beat Masa Fuchi
Johnny Weaver beat Ricky Harris
Jake Roberts beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon
Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine in a no DQ match
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Dick Slater by DQ

Mon., 4/25/83 Elizabethton, NC
Jay Youngblood, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang, Don Kernodle & Oliver Humperdink
Mike Rotundo beat Bill White
Mike Rotundo beat Larry Lane
Pvt. Nelson beat Ken Timbs

Tue., 4/26/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Ricky Harris d. Vinnie Valentino
Keith Larsen d. Ken Timbs
Jos LeDuc d. Red Dog Lane
Andre the Giant & Roddy Piper & Bugsy McGraw d. Greg Valentine & One Man Gang & Sir Oliver Humperdink
Ric Flair DCO Jimmy Valiant

Roddy Piper, Jos Leduc & Bugsy McGraw beat Greg Valentine, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
NWA World Champion Ric Flair no contest with Jimmy Valiant

Wed., 4/27/83 Charlotte, NC(TV)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
Johnny Weaver & Mike Rotundo beat Masa Fuchi & Larry Lane
Roddy Piper beat Ben Alexander
Rufus R. Jones beat Bill White
Jos LeDuc beat Snake Brown
Magic Dragon & Great Kabuki beat Vinnie Valentino & Ron Rossi
World Wide Wrestling:
Johnny Weaver & Mike Rotundo beat Ben Alexander & Snake Brown
Rufus R. Jones beat Masa Fuchi
Roddy Piper beat Larry Lane
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Gene Anderson & Bill White
Magic Dragon & Great Kabuki beat Jim Nelson & Keith Larson

Wed., 4/27/83 Sumter, SC
NWA World Champion Ric Flair vs. Dick Slater
Andre The Giant, Bugsy McGraw & Jimmy Valiant vs. Jake Roberts, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Ricky Harris
Ken Timbs vs. Mike Davis

Thu., 4/28/83 Norfolk, VA
NWA Champion Ric Flair beat Dick Slater
Jimmy Valiant beat Great Kabuki
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco beat Jake Roberts & Magic Dragon
Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang
Jos Leduc beat Bill White
Gene Anderson beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Ricky Harris beat Mark Fleming
Keith Larsen beat Massa Fuchi 

Fri., 4/29/83 Wilmington, NC; Legion Stadium
Wayne Jones vs. Masa Fuchi
Mike Davis vs. Keith Larson
Johnny Weaver vs. Ricky Harris
Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Red Dog Lane
Jack Brisco & Gerald Brisco vs. Kabuki & Magic Dragon
World tag team title/cage match: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood [ch.] vs. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kerndole

Fri., 4/29/83 Charleston SC
Jos Leduc beat Dick Slater
Jimmy Valiant, Bugsy McGraw & Mike Rotundo beat One Man Gang, Jake Roberts & Oliver Humperdink
Jim Nelson beat Bill White
Vinnie Valentino beat Ken Timbs

Sat., 4/30/83 Richmond, VA
Mike Rotundo beat Bill White
Rufus R. Jones beat Ricky Harris
Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang
Jake Roberts beat Mike Graham
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco beat Gene Anderson & Angelo Mosca
Jos LeDuc beat Dick Slater to win NWA TV title in a lumberjack match
Jimmy Valiant beat Great Kabuki in a New York street fight
Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine
Cage match/loser leaves town: Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle

Sun., 5/01/83 Greensboro, NC; Greensboro Coliseum
Keith Larson beat Ken Timbs
Jos LeDuc beat Ricky Harris
Bugsy McGraw beat One Man Gang
Jake Roberts beat Mike Graham
Dick Slater beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Angelo Mosca & Gene Anderson
Jimmy Valiant beat Great Kabuki in a New York street fight
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper to win United States Title
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle

Father and Fighter: Roddy Piper Delivers the Ultimate Babyface Promo

by Dick Bourne
Mid-Atlantic Gateway

"You take a look at me, man. I'm just like James Dean, the only difference is the wrapping is a little different, jack."  - Roddy Piper

On the April 23, 1983 episode of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, the show's first interview is with the new United States Heavyweight Champion Roddy Piper, who has the belt and speaks with show host Bob Caudle. 

Piper had just a week earlier defeated Greg Valentine in Greensboro for the title. It was his second time around holding the belt, the area's most prestigious championship. Valentine was stinging from the loss, promising Piper he would make him the shortest lived U.S. champion ever, and hurt him in the process.

Piper gave the ultimate rebuttal. If you were to look up "perfect babyface interview" in a online digital dictionary, this interview would be the example used to illustrate it. Piper just nails it on every level. He is humble and happy, funny yet serious, but most of all he is real. Not only was Piper celebrating his win over Valentine, he was celebrating some personal landmarks in his life outside of the ring, and he expertly wove them into his interview with Caudle. These were real events and not part of the wrestling storyline, but like so many of the wrestlers of that era, he used part of his real life and his real personality to augment his work. The result was one of the strongest babyface promos you'll ever see.

"I had a week you wouldn't believe, man," Piper told Caudle with a big grin on his face. "On April the 15th you see, I won the United States Heavyweight Championship from Greg Valentine in Greensboro. On April the 17th, I had a birthday." Then looking over at the TV studio audience in attendance, he said, "And on April the 19th I became the father of a 7.9 pound baby girl!"

The crowd exploded with cheers, like it was someone in their family that had just given them this great news. There was this sudden and organic moment of bonding with the fans as Piper grinned ear to ear looking over Bob Caudle's shoulder at them seated on the bleachers in the cramped studio. "That's not a bad week, huh?" he giggled, "Not a bad week at all."

Piper had just connected with his audience in a way few babyfaces could. It was real. And it set the stage for what was next. Piper wasn't grinning anymore; he became deadly serious, and it was his delivery during all of this that added the proper emphasis.

"You see, I got a whole change of thought happening here, Valentine, I'm probably meaner now than I've been in my whole life," Piper said, looking down at the floor. "Because you see, when I first started to fight, I used to fight to feed myself, and it was positively I should win." Piper then looked straight into the camera. "And now it's kind of a necessity, you see, because I'm fighting for others now."

This wasn't someone pretending to be a babyface, this was a real babyface, a guy ready to man up and fight for his family, become a provider, a father, and likely a better husband. Then Piper brings it back around, stepping away from hearth and home, and gets back to the business of selling tickets. 

"I'm fighting for others now, and if you want to beat me Valentine, you're going to have to kill me for this belt." 

Wrestling's James Dean left the interview position shortly after, clearly a man on a mission to defend his title and to take care of his family. 

Valentine, however, made good on his earlier promises to Piper. Just a little over one week later on May 1, back in the ring in Greensboro, Valentine regained the championship, badly injuring Piper's ear in the process. But the people were behind their hero. And now the chase was on.

That angle would serve as the beginning of what Piper would call "the year of the ear" and would lead to climactic dog-collar match seven months later on Thanksgiving night as part of the very first Starrcade. But it was this interview by Piper that first gave the whole program with Valentine a sense of realism and consequence on a level not always achieved in a pro-wrestling storyline. 

You can watch this interview on the 4/23/83 episode of Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling on the WWE Network. It takes place at the 4:27 mark of the show. 

* * * * *

For you title history buffs out there, Piper mentions in this interview that he defeated Greg Valentine for the U.S. title on April 15, but it was actually Saturday April 16, 1983.

 

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: April 23, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

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

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it 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.


Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 04/23/83
(taped 04/20/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 04/23/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.] 

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: April 16, 1983 (taped 4/13/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network feed

Match 1
Mike Rotundo d. Ken Timbs
The action starts with the match in progress. Bob Caudle previews what the next hour of wrestling will feature. Ron West is the referee for the hour. Mostly Rotundo. He wins with the airplane spin.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: New United States Champion Roddy Piper  -
A-Plus babyface promo from Piper. Caudle introduces him as the new United states champion. Piper says it has been a big week for him. On April 15 in Greensboro, he won the title. On April 17, it was his birthday. On April 19, his daughter was born. Before, he just fought for himself. Now, he has a mouth to feed. Wow!

[Break]

[TAPE] Comments from former Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
Caudle throws to taped comments from Slaughter and Kernodle from the World Wide set. They are gloating about beating down Steamboat & Youngblood. They say it will come down to the ultimate match. In a cage, and the losing team must break up. NWA representative Sandy Scott sneaks up behind them. He demands they return to the belts they stole last week. Slaughter & Kernodle play dumb. Scott tells them they have been fined $1,000 a day for the last seven days. Still nothing from the heels. Scott then raises the fine to $2,000 a day. That upsets Kernodle plenty.
[TAPE] Sarge and Kernodle steal the tag belts. 

[Break]

Match 2
[TAPE from Florida] Mike Graham d. Chic Donovan
Commentary by Les Thatcher and Coach John Heath
Something cut edited out, because we go to a jump cut from a tape from Florida. John Heath & Les Thatcher are on the mic. Bill Alfonso is the referee. I’m not a Heath fan. He tries to call wrestling as a shoot, and tries too hard. This is taped from Sept. 1982 as they reference the “Dual in the Dome” in Tampa. Graham wins with the Figure Four.

Match 3
Jake Roberts (mgd. by Paul Jones) d. Wayne Brown
Paul Jones joined Caudle on commentary. All Jake. Not even Jones knew the name of Roberts’s finisher (i.e. the DDT). He calls it a bulldog, but more effective than a piledriver.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jake Roberts & Paul Jones
Studio interview in lieu of local promos, aimed at the Florida market.
Caudle brings up Mike Graham. Jones calls him the Dudley Do Right of professional wrestling. Roberts calls him a punk, among other smack talk. 

[Break]

Match 4
One Man Gang d. Ron Rossi
Sir Oliver Humperdink joins Caudle on commentary. He talks about OMG beating Andre the Giant. Caudle has his doubts. Gang wins with the Big Splash. (Pleasant surprise: WWE fails to remove

Match 5
The Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson & Mark Fleming
We go directly to the next match. Dragon is a protégé of Kabuki from Macau. Gary Hart joins Caudle, and calls Kabuki and Dragon the All Asian Tag Team Champions. Lots of chops and punches. Fleming runs right into a Kabuki thrust kick. Dragon has Fleming in the corner. He performs a backflip and then a kick to the chest to make the pin.

[Break]

-Halftime Int. w/Bob Caudle: Greg Valentine & Dick Slater
Valentine said it’s hard to accept he is not the United States champion. (Says he was voted greatest U.S. champion of all time.) He will get the belt back. Slater talks about Jos LeDuc. Slater says he will retire the NWA TV championship, because he wants Ric Flair and the World title.

[Break]

[TAPE] Int. w/David Crockett: Jimmy Valiant
We go to the World Wide Wrestling set where Jimmy Valiant is ranting. We then go to a tape of last week’s incident where Valiant interrupts a Kabuki and Hart interview. It leads to a quick match won by Valliant. Kabuki then sprays the mist in Valiant’s eyes.

Back to Valiant and Crockett. The WWE Network edit music plays and drowns out most of what is said. Valiant thanks the doctor who helped with his eyes. He pulls out his wallet that presumably has a picture of his son. Valiant says he had to wear a patch on his eyes. He pulls out a chain, wraps it on his knuckles, and says the Boogie Man is coming.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Steamboat is low key, talking about Slaughter & Kernodle stealing their belts. It appears the interview cuts out with Youngblood still talking.

[Break]

Match 6
Non-Title: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood [NWA World Tag ch.] d. Red Dog Lane & Bill White
Caudle talks about who the top contenders are. Is it Slaughter & Kernodle? The Briscos? Also talks about Roddy Piper as new champion. Lane & White are showing resiliency, as the champs have a hard time putting them down. A loud chop by Youngblood. Steamboat slingshots Youngblood on top of White for the pin.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco; Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Caudle brings out how the Briscos are friends with Steamboat & Youngblood. Jack feels they are the number-one contenders. They say they want the winners of Steamboat & Youngblood vs. Slaughter & Kernodle. Jerry adds some words in about the Briscos being the best.
[Gateway edit: Love hearing Jerry bring up the other brother teams so prominently including the Funk Brothers and the Anderson Brothers. This was part of the Brisco's early very-subtle heel turn, with Jack taking care to point out that if he and Jerry were world champions, Sarge and Kernodle would never be able to steal the belts from them.]
Jay says they want their belts back. He namedrops a bunch of other teams. They are looking for revenge on Slaughter & Kernodle.

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

Results for the week, 4/18/83-4/24/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 4/18/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Keith Larsen d. Bill White
Don Kernodle beat Jim Nelson in a boot camp match
Sweet Brown Sugar beat Jacques Goulet
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Paul Jones & Jake Roberts
Jimmy Valiant beat Greg Valentine

Tue., 4/19/83 Raleigh, NC; Raleigh Civic Center
Mike Davis d. Ken Timbs
Ricky Harris d. Wayne Jones
Johnny Weaver d. Masa Fuchi
Jos Le Duc & Bugsy McGraw d. One Man Gang & Dick Slater
Great Kabuki d. Mike Rotundo
Jimmy Valiant d. Greg Valentine

Wed. 4/20/83 Columbia, SC
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Jake Roberts & Larry Lane
Don Kernodle beat Jim Nelson
Jake Roberts beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Gene Anderson & Larry Lane beat Keith Larsen & Mark Fleming
Bill White beat Vinnie Valentino

Wed., 4/20/83 Charlotte, NC; WPCQ-TV studio (TV)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
Mike Rotundo beat Ken Timbs
Jake Roberts beat Wayne Jones
One Man Gang beat Ron Rossi
Magic Dragon & Great Kabuki beat Keith Larson & Mark Fleming
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Larry Lane & Bill White
World Wide Wrestling:
Dick Slater d. Mike Davis
Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon d. Ron Rossi & Vinnie Valentino
Jake Roberts d. Mark Fleming
Greg Valentine d. Wayne Jones
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood by DQ

Thu., 4/21/83 Harrisonburg, VA
Magic Dragon vs. Keith Larson
Larry Lane vs. Mike Davis
Jos LeDuc vs. Ken Timbs
Great Kabuki vs. Mike Rotundo
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood vs. Sgt. Slaughter & One Man Gang

Fri., 4/22/83 Charleston SC; Town Center
Bill White d. Wayne Jones
Sgt. Jacques Goulet d. Abe Jacobs
Magic Dragon d. Johnny Weaver
Dragon Shai match: Great Kabuki d. Mike Rotundo in
Sgt. Slaughter vs. Jim Nelson in a boot camp match

Sat., 4/23/83 Cownay, SC
Ken Timbs d. Vinnie Valentino
Bill White d. Wayne Jones
Sweet Brown Sugar d. Ricky Harris
Mike Rotundo d. Greg Valneine
Cage: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle d. Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood

Sun., 4/24/83 Asheville, NC
Mike Davis beat Bill White
Jacques Goulet beat Vinnie Valentino
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Gene Anderson & Larry Lane
Jos LeDuc beat One Man Gang
Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Great Kabuki & Magic Dragon
Roddy Piper beat Dick Slater
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Greg Valentine

Sun., 4/24/83 Charlotte, NC
Ricky Harris beat Keith Larson
Johnny Weaver beat Masa Fuchi
Magic Dragon beat Jim Nelson
Jake Roberts beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Jimmy Valiant beat Great Kabuki
Roddy Piper beat Dick Slater
Sgt. Slaughter/Don Kernodle beat NWA Tag Champs Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood by DQ
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Greg Valentine by DQ

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: April 9, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

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

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it 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.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 04/09/83
(taped 04/06/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 04/09/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.] 

Match 1
Jack Brisco & Mike Rotundo d. Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. (w/Paul Jones)
We start with action in the ring. Paul Jones joins Bob Caudle at the announcer’s desk. Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Jake is wearing white karate-type pants. Competitive match. We take a break in the middle of the match, highly unusual.

[Break]

We're back, Jack is on the outside, and trips up Dory. As Funk turns around, Rotundo rolls him up for the pin. After the match, Funk tosses Rotundo out, and Roberts DDTs Brisco.

[Break]

-Int. w/David Crockett: Dick Slater & Greg Valentine
Dick Slater is holding the TV championship. 

[FILM] Crockett throws it to Slater vs. Piper tape from a “recent” match. It’s 4/03/83 from Greensboro. Crockett and Slater narrate. Piper and Slater are slugging it out. Piper is thrown outside, but Valentine, at ringside, tosses Piper back in. The brawl continues. Valentine has the house mic and is yelling something. Piper punts Slater’s head. More brawling. Valentine gets on the apron. Piper goes to nail him. With the referee distracted, Slater pulled something out of his tights, nailed Piper with a punch, and made the pin.

Valentine says he and Slater will coach each other. Slater insults Piper. Crockett tells the duo that both men have to give Piper another title shot. Valentine objects, but says when that happens, he and Slater have each other’s back.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
This is in lieu of local interviews. Kernodle says they want to go Florida and face all those underdog teams.  Slaughter namedrops the Midnight Rider. Slaughter talks about an upcoming cage match vs. Steamboat & Youngblood in Savannah, GA. Caudle makes a face when Slaughter makes fun of Georgia’s basketball team. He busts on other basketball teams before ending the interview.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
Caudle notes Slaughter has his hat back. Slaughter says he beat Jim Nelson in a match with the hat on the line. Slaughter blames Nelson for causing them to lose the tag championship. Slaughter trash talks Nelson and other babyfaces.

Match 2
Mike Davis & Jim Nelson d. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
The theme is Slaughter & Kernodle looking for revenge on Nelson. He is holding his own. Davis gets knocked off the apron at one point, and Nelson has to go at it on his own. The double-teaming becomes too much. Slaughter has the Cobra Clutch with Kernodle grabbing Nelson’s feet. The referee calls for the bell. Steamboat & Youngblood and Rotundo make the save.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart and Kabuki
Gary Hart says he will find a tag partner for Kabuki to challenge for the World tag team championship. He name drops Flair and Andre. Kabuki’s partner will be the Magic Dragon.

Match 3
Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson
Gary Hart sits in on commentary. He talks about why the armpit claw is effective, because you can develop the chest and arms, but not the armpit. Larson charges Kabuki in the corner, but Kabuki counters with the thrust kick for the pin.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Gary Hart and Kabuki
Post-match interview has Hart talk about the Asian quest for the World tag team championship. He says Kabuki will accept a challenge from any man, accept one (unnamed, but implied to be Jimmy Valiant).

[Break]

Match 4
Non-Title: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood [World Tag ch.] d. Masa Fuchi & Ken Timbs
Youngblood pins Timbs after being slingshotted in by Steamboat.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
A winded Steamboat talks about Slaughter & Kernodle’s efforts for a rematch. He said the match in Greensboro caused a lot of anxiety and tension. An equally winded Youngblood gets some comments in. They talk about upcoming challenges, including the Brisco Brothers.

“So long for now!”

 * * * * * * * * * *

Results for the week, 4/04/83-4/10/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 4/04/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Mike Davis beat Masa Fuchi
Great Kabuki beat Jim Nelson
Jake Roberts beat Johnny Weaver
Jack Brisco beat Larry Lane
Andre the Giant & Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw d. Greg Valentine & One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink

Tue., 4/05/83 Raleigh, NC; Civic Center
Jake Roberts d. Mike Davis
Pvt. Nelson & Wayne Jones d. Bill White & Ken Timbs
Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Sweet Brown Sugar
Dick Slater d. Roddy Piper by DQ
Andre the Giant & Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw d. Greg Valentine & One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink 

Wed., 4/06/83 Charlotte, NC; WPCQ-TV studio (TV)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
Jack Brisco & Mike Rotundo d. Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. (w/Paul Jones)
Mike Davis & Jim Nelson d. Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) d. Keith Larson
Non-World tag team championship: Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood d. Masa Fuchi & Ken Timbs
World Wide Wrestling:
Jack Brisco beat Ken Timbs
Jim Nelson & Mike Rotundo beat Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle by DQ
Jake Roberts beat Vinnie Valentino
Great Kabuki beat Mike Davis & Abe Jacobs
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Masa Fuchi & Ben Alexander

Thu., 4/07/83 Norfolk, VA
Vinnie Valentino beat Mark Fleming
Ken Timbs beat Wayne Jones
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Andre The Giant, Bugsy McGraw & Jimmy Valiant beat Dick Slater, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink 

Thu., 4/07/83 Sumter, SC
Jack & Jerry Brisco vs. Dory Funk, Jr. & Paul Jones
Johnny Weaver vs. Great Kabuki
Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Jake Roberts
Jos LeDuc vs. Ricky Harris
Mike Rotundo vs. Paul Ellering 

Fri., 4/08/83 Charlotte, NC; Charlotte Coliseum
Mike Rotundo beat Masa Fuchi
Larry Lane beat Sweet Sugar Brown
Jos LeDuc beat Gene Anderson
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Jake Roberts & Great Kabuki
Greg Valentine draw Roddy Piper
Andre the Giant, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Dick Slater, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood in a steel cage match

Sat. 4/09/83 Conway, SC
Gene Anderson d. Wayne Jones
Jos LeDuc d. Bill White
Sweet Brown Sugar -draw- Red Dog Lane
Jack Brisco & Jerry Brisco d. Rick Harris & Masa Fuchi
Roddy Piper d. Dick Slater
Andre the Giant won a 12-man battle royal 

Sun., 4/10/83 Asheville, NC
Larry Lane beat Bill White
Jerry Brisco beat Ricky Harris
Great Kabuki beat Mike Rotundo
Jake Roberts beat Jack Brisco
Jos LeDuc beat Dick Slater
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle

Sun., 4/10/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Jay Youngblood & Ricky Steamboat by DQ
Jos Leduc beat Dick Slater
Kabuki beat Mike Rotundo
Jack Brisco beat Jake Roberts
Jerry Brisco beat Ricky Harris
Larry Lane beat Bill White

Sun., 4/10/83 Toronto, ON; Maple Leaf Gardens
Nick DeCarlo & Bob Marcus beat Kurt Von Hess & Bobby Bass
Jim Nelson draw Sweet Sugar Brown
Johnny Weaver beat Leo Burke to win North American Title
Jimmy Valiant & Tony Parisi beat One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink
Andre the Giant beat The Destroyer & the Executioner in a handicap match
Jimmy Snuka beat Ray Stevens by countout in a Texas death match
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Roddy Piper by DQ

Sun., 4/10/83 Fayetteville, NC
Mike Davis beat Masa Fuchi
Vinnie Valentino beat Gene Anderson
Bugsy McGraw beat Ken Timbs
Jimmy Valiant beat Oliver Humperdink
Roddy Piper beat Dick Slater
Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
NWA World Champion Ric Flair beat Greg Valentine

Mid-Atlantic TV Report: April 2, 1983

Mid-Atlantic Wrestling on
the WWE Network

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

This is a review of Mid-Atlantic Wrestling as it 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.

Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Original broadcast: 04/02/83
(taped 03/30/83 at WPCQ-TV studios in Charlotte)
WWE Network Direct Link to this show Mid-Atlantic 04/02/83
WWE Network feed.   [How to watch this show on the WWE Network.] 

Bob Caudle opens the show a little differently than normal. He is in the stand, like he is Phil Donahue or someone. He introduces the new NWA TV champion, Roddy Piper. Piper interacts with the audience, and hands out T-shirts raising awareness for the Easter Seals. Piper talks about the importance of Easter Seals before hopping in the ring.

Match 1
Non-Title: Roddy Piper (NWA TV Champ) d. Ricky Harris
Tommy Young is the referee for the hour. Harris jumps Piper at the start. Roddy recovers. Harris swings and misses, and Piper turns it into a back suplex for the win.

-Comments from Greg Valentine
Valentine talks about being the greatest U.S. champion ever. The NWA bestowed him a new title belt (which is already falling apart). He talked about how he used to be friends with Flair, but fame and fortune turned Flair. We are really missing context of Flair’s babyface turn with those three missing episodes from the Network (Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 5). Valentine also talks about beating Piper.

[Break]

-Great Kabuki martials arts demonstration vs. Bill White
Second week for the demonstration. White has a kendo stick and must hit Kabuki anywhere but his hand/wrist. Kabuki wears a device, that Caudle keeps calling a Dragon Shoe. Gary Hart notes it’s a Dragon Shai. White is having no luck. Kabuki takes a way the kendo, and Caudle notes those aren’t the rules. Kabuki reluctantly returns the stick. Kabuki blocks all Whites shots, then takes the stick away again, uses nunchuks and beats on White. Hart races in the ring and covers White for his own protection. Hart “speaks foreign” according to the closed captioning to calm Kabuki down. 

Hart and Kabuki rejoin Caudle. Jimmy Valiant comes out and says he played stickball since he was three, he knows how to hit people with sticks. He wants those “100 canaries.” He’ll hit Kabuki 50 times. Seemingly Hart accepts Valiant’s challenge. “The only thing to become a king is to destroy a king.” Hart says as ridiculous as it is, Valiant is king of Mid-Atlantic.

[Break]

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jos LeDuc
LeDuc says his face may looked messed up (and it does), but that’s nothing to what’s going to happen to Dick Slater and Greg Valentine. We go to a clip of last week’s attack by Slater and Valentine.

Match 2
[TAPE] Georgia Championship Wreslting
Non-Title: Ric Flair [NWA World Champion] d. John King
This match is from World Championship Wrestling on WTBS. Charlie Smith is the referee. Solie is impressed how long King lasts. Solie fails to acknowledge that King had 0% of the match. Flair wins with the Figure Four.

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jos LeDuc
This is in lieu of local promos. LeDuc talks mainly about getting revenge on Slater and Valentine, similar to the interview he just gave.

[Beak]

Match 3
Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw & Jos LeDuc
d. Ben Alexander & Ken Timbs & Masa Fuchi
More LeDuc. He tells the three men in the ring he isn’t alone. Boogie Woogie and Bugsy McGraw come in the ring dancing, Network edit music in tow. And, no, they don’t make LeDuc dance. All babyfaces. LeDuc hits Fuchi with the one-armed backbreaker and Valiant pins him following an elbow.

[Break]

[TAPE] Int. w/David Crockett: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle
The three men are in another studio, behind the steel cage. Kernodle says they were robbed. Slaughter makes more threats to Steamboat & Youngblood. For the record, Slaughter made his first reappearance with the WWF at a TV taping during the week, 3/30/83.

[Break]

Match 4
Dory Funk, Jr. & Jake Roberts (w/Paul Jones) d. Johnny Weaver & Mike Davis
Jones joins Caudle on commentary. He says this is another tryout for his team. A back-and-forth match. Dory holds Davis in the Texas Clover Leaf. Weaver makes the save, which drives Jones nuts. Roberts nails Davis with the DDT, which still doesn’t have a name yet, and scores the pin. Caudle called it a piledrive-like and bulldog-type maneuver. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Mike Rotundo & Sweet Brown Sugar
This is in lieu of local promos. Standard babyface fare, about the future success of their team.

[Break]

Match 5
Mike Rotundo & Sweet Brown Sugar d. Red Dog Lane & Bill White
Sir Oliver Humperdink joins Caudle for commentary. He talks about how he made LeDuc. Caudle makes a plug for fans who want to attend the TV tapings live to send in a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Jim Crockett Promotions offices in Charlotte. First time I remember seeing that in a show on the Network. Rotundo pins White following an airplane spin. Sugar nails Lane with a sweet dropkick to prevent him from breaking up the pin. 

-Int. w/Bob Caudle: Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw & Jos LeDuc
First, we see Andre highlights, the same clip they played last week. This time, Valiant narrates over it, extolling the strength and power of Andre. The Network edit music plays. Valiant talks about a new record he has coming out. Bugsy yammers on. Sugar shows up, but says nothing. LeDuc just looks stoic.

And, we’re done. Seems like a jump cut to the credits.

 * * * * * * * * * * * *

Results for the week, 3/28/83-4/03/83
(source: Clawmaster’s Archive via Sports and Wrestling blog posted by David Baker; “Wrestling” newsletter by Joe Shedlock)

Mon., 3/28/83 Greenville, SC; Memorial Auditorium
Ben Alexander beat Vinnie Valentino
Ricky Harris beat Wayne Jones
Dick Slater beat Jos LeDuc in a taped fist match
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Dory Funk, Jr. & Jake Roberts
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper in a match with 2 referees

Tue., 3/29/83 Columbia, SC; Township Auditorium
Vinnie Valentino beat Ben Alexander
Masa Fuchi beat Wayne Jones
Bill White beat Mark Fleming
Great Kabuki beat Sweet Brown Sugar
Dick Slater beat Jos LeDuc by DQ
Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine by DQ

Tue., 3/29/83 Wytheville, VA
Abe Jacobs beat Ricky Harris
Johnny Weaver beat Gene Anderson
Pvt. Kernodle beat Jim Nelson
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang
Jimmy Valiant beat Oliver Humperdink 

Wed., 3/30/83 Charlotte, NC; WPCQ-TV studio
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling:
Roddy Piper beat Ricky Harris
Great Kabuki beat Bill White
Jos LeDuc, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Ben Alexander, Ken Timbs & Masa Fuchi
Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. beat Mike Davis & Johnny Weaver
Mike Rotundo & Sweet Brown Sugar beat Bill White & Red Dog Lane
World Wide Wrestling:
Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. beat Mike Davis & Vinnie Valentino
Roddy Piper beat Ken Timbs
Jos LeDuc, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Ben Alexander, Bill White & Ricky Harris
One Man Gang beat Ron Rossi

Fri., 4/01/83 Charleston SC
Roddy Piper beat Greg Valentine by DQ
Jake Roberts & Dory Funk, Jr. beat Sweet Brown Sugar & Wayne Jones
Mike Rotundo beat Gene Anderson
Johnny Weaver beat Bill White

Fri., 4/01/83 Richmond, VA; Richmond Coliseum
Bugsy McGraw d. Rick Harris
Great Kabuki d. Mike Rotundo
Dick Slater DDQ Jos LeDuc
Street fight: Jimmy Valiant d. One Man Gang which led to…
Lites out: Jimmy Valiant d. Sir Oliver Humperdink
Cage match: Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle d. Rick Steamboat & Jay Youngblood

Sat., 4/02/83 Charlottesville, VA
Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood beat Sgt Slaughter & Don Kernodle
Also including Bugsy McGraw, Great Kabuki

Sun., 4/03/83 Greensboro, NC; Greensboro Coliseum
Larry Lane beat Mike Davis
Jake Roberts beat Vinnie Valentino
Mike Rotundo beat Gene Anderson
Great Kabuki, Sgt. Slaughter & Don Kernodle beat Jim Nelson, Ricky Steamboat & Jay Youngblood
Jack & Jerry Brisco beat Dory Funk, Jr. & Paul Jones
Dick Slater beat Roddy Piper to win NWA(Mid Atlantic) Television Title
Andre the Giant, Jimmy Valiant & Bugsy McGraw beat Greg Valentine, One Man Gang & Oliver Humperdink

Sun., 4/03/83 Columbia, SC
Greg Valentine beat Roddy Piper
Bugsy McGraw, Jerry Brisco & Jos Leduc beat One Man Gang, Dick Slater & Oliver Humperdink
Jimmy Valiant beat One Man Gang
Larry Lane beat Wayne Jones
Bill White d. Vinnie Valentino