By Jon
VENUE: East High School (Morristown, TN)
COMMENTATORS: Bob Caudle & Jim Cornette
Brian Lee takes on Dutch Mantell in this week’s main event, plus Ron Wright continues to stoke flames, Ivan Koloff debuts his new tag team partner, and Robert Gibson tries to overcome the overwhelming power of…The Mighty Yankee? LOVE IT.
LINEUP
- Bob Holly vs. Pat Rose (*3/4)
- Joey Maggs vs. Rip Rogers (**1/4)
- Robert Gibson vs. The Mighty Yankee (*1/2)
- Tim Horner vs. Barry Horowitz (**1/2)
- Brian Lee vs. Dutch Mantell (**)
*****
-Caudle and Cornette hype today’s show, which will include Morristown’s own Tim Horner. The prodigal son has come home I guess!
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“Hollywood” Bob Holly vs. Pat Rose
Holly goads Rose into a high five then attacks him from behind. Rose reverses a corner whip and connects with a right hand, sending Holly scurrying to the corner. Rose backs Holly into the ropes and complains of a hair pull to force separation. Holly drops Rose with a shoulderblock, Rose responds with a hip toss, scoop slam, & an armdrag takeover! This is the most offense I’ve ever seen from Pat Rose, I feel like I stepped into a bizarro world. Rose ducks a back elbow, Holly changes gears and sends him to the canvas with an inverted atomic drop. Holly grabs a sleeperhold, Rose drops into the corner to force a break. Holly tries again, Rose reverses into a sleeperhold of his own but gets squashed in the corner. Rose connects with a backdrop that Holly pretty did all to himself for a two-count, Holly surprises Rose with a running neckbreaker and a flying kneedrop for the 1…2…3.
Bob Holly defeated Pat Rose via pinfall (3:42)
- Holly is now 2-0 against WCW jobbers, he’s really making a name for himself in SMW. This was a lot more fun than your standard major league squshes, with Pat Rose getting FAR more offense than I would’ve ever expected. I like this version of Bob Holly a lot, I can see why he got scooped up. (*3/4)
—
-Caudle is with SMW stars Tim Horner and The Fantastics (Bobby & Jackie Fulton) who are very excited to tour the south and wrestle for the fans, with a company presenting pro wrestling the way it used to be dagnabbit. Jackie Fulton is most excited to hug all the pretty young ladies so, uh, bring mace.
–Bobby Fulton has some pre-recorded comments about who Ivan Koloff’s new partner could be, as Vladimir has been sent back to Russia on business. Fulton tells Ivan to bring anyone he wants because The Fantastics will always win.
–Ivan Koloff walks in on the commentary area along with his new partner. Koloff confirms that Vladimir is back in the USSR on special business and introduces his new partner: Jimmy Golden. Looks like a buck who’d be right at home in a Bunkhouse to me. Golden wants to get he and Ivan a match with The Fantastics and tells SMW to just give them the Tag Team Titles now.
—
“Jumpin’” Joey Maggs vs. “Hustler” Rip Rogers
Rogers attacks Maggs from behind, throwing him repeatedly into opposite corners and sending him face-first into the canvas by the hair. Maggs fights back, wrapping Rogers’ robe around his neck and throwing him across the ring. Rogers catches Maggs with a kick and sends him to the floor, following up with a top rope double axhandle. EAT YOUR HEART OUT, MACHO MAN (I probably make this joke every time Rip Rogers wrestles). Rogers catches a charging Maggs with a boot and covers but can’t get the pin quite yet. Maggs surprises Rogers with a small package but only gets a one-count thanks to an unaware ref. Rogers headbutts Maggs, Maggs clotheslines Rogers in the corner and connects with a backdrop. Maggs ties Rogers up in the ropes and charges, Rogers catches him with a boot and goes for a slam, Maggs shifts his weight and lands on top for the 1…2…not yet. Maggs rolls Rogers up with a backslide for the 1…2…Rogers kicks out, Maggs with a crossbody for the 1…2…once again Rogers kicks out. Maggs climbs the ropes, Rogers staggers into the ropes and trips him up then connects with a middle buckle superplex (Ripperplex) for the 1…2…3!
Rip Rogers defeated Joey Maggs via pinfall (4:45)
- RIP ROGERS WON A MATCH? WAIT RIP ROGERS HAS A FINISHER? Smoky Mountain Wrestling is so cool! This was really fun, absolutely no time wasted as they cut a great pace. Both these guys are perennial favorites of mine from WCW and it was great to see them get some time to have a real match instead of needing to put some rando over on a C-show or something. (**1/4)
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“Rock & Roll” Robert Gibson vs. The Mighty Yankee
Yankee uses his size advantage to block a hip toss and counter with his own, Gibson comes flying back with a dropkick and lateral press to score a near-fall. Yankee slows it down with a side headlock, Gibson escapes and connects with a back elbow. Gibson drops Yankee with a kneelift and covers for the 1…2…Yankee kicks out, Gibson transitions into a rear chinlock. Yankee counters a backdrop and connects with a pair of elbowdrops for a two-count. Gibson gets sent to the floor with a shoulderblock, Yankee suplexes him back in but doesn’t cover. Yankee clotheslines Gibson in the corner, Gibson dodges the second attempt and comes out the corner with a bulldog for the 1…2…3.
Robert Gibson defeated The Mighty Yankee via pinfall (3:18)
- I love jobbers with dumb mask gimmicks so much. Match was alright, I appreciate SMW trying to give Robert Gibson something to do but seeing him as a singles wrestler just feels…off. Ricky Morton I get, and I think he did great, but I don’t know Gibson needs that second guy to play off of. Maybe SMW figures it out though and I get surprised.. (*1/2)
—
-Cornette goes off about famous people falling from grace and having no fiber, then says that you can believe in him and vows to bring in the most dynamic tag team in wrestling history for the upcoming Tag Team Title tournament. Cornette obviously vows that his team will be the ones to win it.
-LAST WEEK: Dutch Mantell gets himself DQed against Scott Armstrong after using a bullwhip. Brian Lee makes the save with a GIANT PIPE and Mantell threatens to whip 75 pounds off of him if he gets in his business again. They meet in tonight’s big main event.
–”Dirty” Dutch Mantell and Mr. Ron Wright have a pre-recorded conversation. Mantell tells Wright he knows he’s looking for people to manage and while he doesn’t want a full-time manager he wants Wright to be in his corner in the main event tonight.
—
“White Lightning” Tim Horner vs. Barry Horowitz
Horner is wrestling in his hometown and the crowd seems…alright with it. I wouldn’t say super excited but one kid has a lightning bolt so I’m sure they’re psyched. Horner controls things early, countering out of Horowitz’s attempts at offense and frustrating the veteran. Horowitz catches Horner with a European uppercut, Horner floats over and catches him with a right hand after stopping himself from going into the buckles. Horowitz backs Horner into the ropes and catches home with an elbow and hits a side Salto, patting himself on the back as he goes on the offensive. Horowitz connects with a kneelift and an inverted DDT into a backbreaker (!!!) for a two-count. Horowitz hits a Northern Lights suplex and tries to keep the shoulders down for the 1…2…Horner kicks out. Horner dodges an inverted atomic drop and pulls Horowitz back into the ring when he tries to bail. Horner mounts a string of offense, Horowitz blocks the first O’Connor Roll attempt and pats himself on the back leaving him open to a second attempt, Horner bridging for the 1…2…3!
Tim Horner defeated Barry Horowitz via pinfall (5:04)
- Competent f*ckin rasslin’, I really enjoyed this one. Horner’s counters and ring awareness were great here, and I loved Horowitz pulling out offense that baffled Caudle and Cornette on commentary. Super fun. (**1/2)
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-Caudle gets some comments from Tim Horner following his win. Horner is happy to be in Morristown and in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. He appreciates the support. What a guy!
–”Nature Boy” Buddy Landell (spelled Landel but I hate it) says that he was told he could be himself in Smoky Mountain Wrestling so that’s why he’s here instead of other places that are too chicken. Landell doesn’t do favors for anybody and is here to be a GAWD. HELL YEAH, LANDELL TIME BAYBAY.
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“Prime Time” Brian Lee vs. “Dirty” Dutch Mantell
Mantell tries to quiet the crowd down and gets tossed on his ass off the first lock-up. Mantell drops Lee with a shoulderblock, Lee comes back with a hip toss and press slam. Mr. Ron Wright wheels out to ringside to watch the match as Mantell offered earlier in the day. Lee drops Mantell with a right, Mantell bails to the corner to prevent a follow-up. Caudle brings up Wright’s history as the most hated man in TN back in his wrestling days while Cornette says he has changed now that he’s a senior citizen and broken down. Lee grabs a wristlock, Mantell grabs the ropes but the ref KICKS HIM OFF so Lee can drag him to the center. WAY OUT OF LINE, REF. Mantell turns things around, using the ropes for leverage as he bends Lee in an abdominal stretch. One of the old ladies in the crowd is REAL MAD the ref isn’t catching Mantell’s underhanded tactics. Love it. Pro wrestling crowds need more old ladies. Mantell connects with a clothesline, he and Lee slug it out, Lee connects with a powerslam out of the corner. Wright hands Mantell a foreign object, Lee blocks the punch and nails Mantell with the foreign object for the 1…2…the ref sees the knux on Lee’s hand and calls for the bell!
Dutch Mantell defeated Brian Lee via DQ (5:21)
- I don’t know my southern wrestling history so I don’t really know how big of a deal Ron Wright was, but I like how he’s trying to play broken down senior citizen while also helping heels cheat. That’s pretty great. I liked the match well enough, especially the finish where Brian Lee was too stupid to remove the foreign object from his hand before making the cover. Way to be a dope, dope. (**)
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-Caudle is very excited for SMW to come to my town soon and has Mr. Ron Wright say some words. Wright puts himself over as a living legend and hasn’t found the right team to manage to get money for his surgery but he’s going to get there. Caudle brings in “Hollywood” Bob Holly, who doesn’t have a lot of time because he’s got a dinner date with Julia Roberts tonight. Jim Cornette runs in too and puts over Bob Holly HUGE before once again hyping his mystery team.
-Caudle interviews an irate Brian Lee, who wants a rematch with Dutch Mantell. He vows Mantell and Wright will go down; they may be good but they aren’t ready for Prime Time! Ah sh*t that’s a great catchphrase.
*****
FINAL THOUGHTS
Another fun episode of Smoky Mountain Wrestling; all the matches had something worth checking out and I dug the promos as well hyping up the product for their eventual touring. Full-blown territory sh*t and I had a smile on my face the whole time. I’m finding myself weirdly invested in who Ron Wright will eventually manage and I hope Bob Holly gets to do some cool stuff before getting called up to be a race car driver in the Dubba Dubba Eff. Easy watch for sure.
