By Jon
VENUE: Memorial Auditorium (Greenville, SC)
COMMENTATORS: Bob Caudle & Jim Cornette
This week on Smoky Mountain Wrestling we’ve got a tag team main event as The Fantastics (Bobby & Jackie Fulton) take on The Russians (Ivan & Vladimir Koloff). Also on the show Paul Orndorff takes on Rip Rogers, Scott Armstrong takes on Dutch Mantell, and much more.
‘LINEUP
- Bob Holly vs. Tim Frye
- Paul Orndorff vs. Rip Rogers
- Scott Armstrong vs. Dutch Mantell
- The Fantastics vs. Ivan & Vladimir Koloff
*****
-Caudle and Cornette welcome the home audience and hype tonight’s show.
“Hollywood” Bob Holly vs. Tim Frye
OH DIP WE GOT US A PRE-SPARK PLUGG BOB HOLLY! I always wondered what he was doing before he joined the WWF, now I know how he got there in the first place. Cornette goes into full hype mode for Holly as he easily takes control, throwing Frye to the mat by using the hair behind the ref’s back. Ron Wright shows up at ringside in his wheelchair for scouting purposes. He’s looking to find someone to manage so he can make some money for surgery. Frye grabs a wristlock, wringing the arm repeatedly to bring Holly to his knees. Frye connects with a hip toss followed by a pair of armdrags into an armbar. Holly escapes with a right hand and connects with a standing legdrop for a two-count. Holly drops an elbow and arrogantly covers for a two-count. Big boot, lateral press for another two-count. Snap suplex, another two-count. Frye fights back with kicks and hits another armdrag, dropping a leg across the arm before grabbing a wristlock. Frye charges, Holly drops him with an elbow. Scoop slam, top rope flying kneedrop, Holly takes a second to drop the straps and arrogantly pin for the 1…2…3.
Bob Holly defeated Tim Frye via pinfall (4:30)
- Holly got the star treatment on commentary and a solid debut win as well.
–Ivan & Vladimir Koloff have some words about the main event. They are going to finish what they started last week, Ivan puts over Vladimir as being on par with Nikita Koloff which is a LIE but whatever.
-Book Smoky Mountain Wrestling for your charity event today!
–Robert Gibson says it’s a pleasure to be in SMW and is ready to prove that he’s ready to wrestle after spending nine months on the shelf with a knee injury.
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. “Hustler” Rip Rogers
Rogers attacks Orndorff from behind, hard whip into the corner. Orndorff reverses a corner whip and connects with a pair of clotheslines. Rogers bails to the floor, Orndorff attacks him from behind and sends him into the apron and the timekeeper’s table. Orndorff belts Rogers with the announcer’s mic, then hits a flying elbow back inside the ring. Rogers bails to the ropes, Orndorff slingshots him off and drops an elbow between the legs followed by a hard right hand. Orndorff settles into an armbar, Rogers whips him off but gets slammed, Orndorff with an armdrag right back into an armbar. Rogers escapes with back rakes and connects with a clothesline. Rogers stomps him out to the floor and follows him out, sending Mr. Wonderful into the guardrail. Rogers rolls him back in and clubs him in the back of the head. Snapmare, Rogers drops an elbow and applies a sleeperhold in the center of the ring. Orndorff almost passes out but finds a second wind and sends Rogers face-first into the middle buckle. Orndorff catches Rogers with a suplex and follows up with a beautiful kneelift. Kneelifts rule. Rogers asks for a time out, Orndorff gives him a right hand instead and Rogers ties himself up in the ropes. More lefts, Rogers counters a backdrop with a kick. Orndorff counters a Piledriver attempt with a backdrop and drops down for the 1…2…3.
Paul Orndorff defeated Rip Rogers via pinfall (6:29)
- The day I’m not entertained by Rip Rogers is the day I stop watching professional wrestling. This felt like they were calling it all on the fly which broke my brain a bit as I’ve gotten used to choreographed stuff over the years but I dug it. Cornette mentioned on commentary that the Piledriver is banned in SMW which is a bummer since that’s Orndorff’s finishing move so I hope that doesn’t stick.
-Caudle tells the home crowd to keep watching SMW every week, wrestling the way the way it used to be and the way you like it DAMMIT. “Nightmare” Danny Davis is introduced to also hype SMW and say he’s now “NITRO” and not “NIGHTMARE”. Cool cool. He leaves and in comes SMW Commissioner “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. Armstrong says SMW is trying to bring the sport of pro wrestling back, making it affordable and family-friendly. Cool.
-After a break Caudle welcomes “Prime Time” Brian Lee. Lee is very willing to settle any beef that Dutch Mantell has with him.
Scott Armstrong vs. “Dirty” Dutch Mantell
Mantell comes out to the theme song from Rawhide which is the funniest sh*t. SMW spelling his name right with two Ls at the end, THANK YOU.
Armstrong works Mantell’s arm over with a wristlock, twisting it for extra torque. Mantell grabs the rope, ref kicks it away instead of breaking the hold which is DUMB. Mantell finally escapes by grabbing the air, the two reset. They trade wristlocks, Armstrong brings Mantell to the mat with an armbar. Mantell escapes, Armstrong connects with a hip toss and dropkick forcing the Dirty One into the corner to create some separation. Mantell clubs Armstrong with forearms and brings him to the mat with a snapmare. Abdominal stretch, grabbing the middle rope for extra leverage behind the ref’s back. Ref finally catches him, Mantell releases the hold and gets into the ref’s face. Armstrong almost gets the win with a small package, Mantell dodges a dropkick and hits a short-arm clothesline. Overhead armbar, grabbing the tights for more leverage. THIS GUY IS DIRTY, Y’ALL. Armstrong almost escapes with a series of rights, Mantell keeps hold of the wrist and throws him to the mat by the hair. Another right sends Armstrong to the floor, Mantell follows him out and rolls him back in. Armstrong counters a backdrop with a kick and lays in a series of jabs. Mantell grabs his bullwhip and hits Armstrong in the throat with it causing a DQ.
Scott Armstrong defeated Dutch Mantell via DQ (4:45)
- Perfectly fine match, Mantell doing his usual thing. Announcers set up the bullwhip DQ by nonstop talking about it.
Mantell whips Armstrong until Brian Lee and a pipe of some sort I guess makes the save and chases him out of the ring. Mantell grabs the mic and vows to whoop Lee with his bullwhip if he sticks his nose in his business again.
-Caudle is with the Principal of Morristown High School, putting over the charity event SMW put on.
-Caudle is with “Bullet” Bob Armstrong. Armstrong says Mantell can bring the whip to the ring if he wants but every time he uses it he’ll be fined. Armstrong announces that Lee will face Mantell on next week’s show. Armstrong walks off, Cornette walks back in and hypes his new tag team which he won’t reveal until champions are decided.
-Caudle is standing by with Wally Yamaguchi. Yamaguchi says he’s here to exchange talent from his company in Japan with SMW.
-LAST WEEK: Ron Wright shakes Ivan Koloff’s hand, Koloff knocks Bobby Fulton out with whatever was put in the hand to get the win. Jackie Fulton comes out to SNITCH and attack Koloff. In comes Ivan’s OTHER nephew Vladimir Koloff who attacks Jackie from behind. Ivan grabs the chain and they HANG JACKIE FULTON OVER THE TOP ROPE. Bobby Fulton breaks it up.
-EARLIER TODAY: Ron Wright says he’s a crippled man in a wheelchair, and has never harmed a HURR on anyone’s head. He pleads innocence to the Koloff thing from last week.
The Fantastics (Bobby & Jackie Fulton) vs. Ivan & Vladimir Koloff
Fantastics charge in and go right after The Koloffs, clearing the ring of the EVIL FOREIGN MENACE. Things settle down, Vladimir throws Jackie into the corner for a show of strength. Jackie grabs a wristlock, bringing him to the mat and turning into a cross armbreaker. Ivan tags in, Jackie backs off to avoid a cheapshot. Ivan rolls Jackie up for a two-count, Jackie grabs a hammerlock and tags Bobby in for a monkey flip. Ivan picks the ankle and works over Bobby’s left leg, Bobby trips him up and knocks Vladimir off the apron. Jackie tags in and leapfrogs Bobby onto Ivan’s arm. Ivan with a wristlock on Jackie, Jackie reverses and tags in Bobby who whips his brother into Ivan in the corner. Jackknife cover by Bobby for a two-count. Bobby with a front facelock, Vladimir goads Jackie to distract the ref so he can hit a flying double axhandle on Bobby. Koloffs take over, connecting with a double back elbow. Vladimir with a backbreaker for the 1…2…Bobby gets his foot on the rope. Vlad misses an elbow, quickly tags out to Ivan who rakes the eyes to prevent any attack. Bobby hits a sort-of enzuigiri, Vlad tags back in and stomps Bobby. Bobby sent to the floor, ref is distracted allowing Ivan to ram him into the guardrail.
Bobby catches Vlad with a sunset flip but he’s too distracted to make the count and Vlad escapes. Ivan tags in and rams Bobby’s head into the Russian chain draped over the top turnbuckle. Ivan connects with a legdrop and covers for the 1…2…not yet. Front facelock by the former WWWF Champion as Jackie tries to wake the crowd up. Bobby almost makes the tag, Ivan knocks him off the apron. Koloffs with a double vertical suplex, Vlad covers for the 1…2…Bobby kicks out. Chinlock time. Bobby escapes and connects with a clothesline. Ivan tags in but so does Jackie, and it’s the latter who’s a house of fire. Dropkick to Ivan, dropkick to Vlad, slam to Ivan, slam to Vlad. Jackie takes both Koloffs down, one in a headlock and one in a headscissors. Ivan sends Jackie to the floor, Bobby fights out of a double team and Jackie catches Ivan with a flying crossbody for the 1…2…3.
The Fantastics defeated Ivan & Vladimir Koloff via pinfall (9:02)
- Solid tag team main event, but it’s a bummer that it’s two teams in their weaker combinations. Jackie Fulton is decent but he’s no Tommy Rogers and Vladimir Koloff comes off like a much skinnier and less intimidating Nikita. He’s a lot hairier though so I guess that counts for something? No it doesn’t.
-Jim Cornette rants about bringing SMW to all these redneck towns, calling it an albatross. Okay. Cornette leaves and in comes Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy who vows to drop the biggest bomb in whatever town SMW goes to next. I love you, Terry Gordy.
-After a break we go back to Caudle who’s with “White Lightnin” Tim Horner, a local boy. Horner is excited there’s a promotion to allow people to compete at the level they should be. He says SMW isn’t a body competition or a rock show and is really happy to be here. He’s happy to be here. He’s real happy to be here. Happy to be here he is.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS: Easy breezy episode of Smoky Mountain Wrestling this week, as some feuds started to get established and we got our first look at some new talents. The charm of watching this 20+ years later hasn’t worn off yet so I’ll probably be a lot more nice to these shows than I should but I don’t care.
