(01/14/1995) USWA Title Match: Brian Christopher (champion) def. Doug Gilbert (with Scott Bowden) in 6:00. This was a disappointing match. I’ve seen much better uses of these two than Christopher as a bland babyface and Gilbert as a slapstick heel, but that’s what we got here. When the ref was distracted, SID!~ came out with a shitty chokeslam on Christopher. Fuck, that looked bad given the size dynamics of the two involved in the move. You’d think Sid would just kill him dead and it would look stupendous. Even after that, Christopher got a rollup win just to make sure Gilbert looked like the biggest dork possible. Poor Dougie. *1/2
(03/1993) Scotty Flamingo and Brian Christopher cut a promo as USWA tag team champions. They were an acceptable upper-midcard/midcard heel tag team here. They were both over-the-top, but in a gentle way that wasn’t overbearing.
(03/1993) Southern Title Match: Jeff Jarrett def. Scotty Flamingo by DQ in 4:12. They did some chain wrestling that Jarrett got the better of until Brian Christopher ran in and attacked Jarrett. This was the beginning of a match, then a DQ. These two could have had a good match, but this was really nothing more than an angle to set up a future tag title match with Jarrett & Lawler v. Christopher & Flamingo. *1/4
(1988) Lance Russell interviews a sponsor. A young punk heel Curt Hennig came out pissed that Lawler beat him for the AWA title, so he started grappling with the sponsor – a middle-aged man in a suit – and took him down in a fucking front facelock. Lance was appalled at Hennig bullying this civilian. Hennig kept challenging Lawler to come out and when he didn’t, Hennig started destroying the set. Now, I will say I thought he needed a little more anger shown here, but it still worked. Lawler being out $40 for the very basic WMC TV set didn’t push him to obtain revenge, so Hennig grabbed Lance and was counting down punching him to get Lawler out. Lawler walked out in all his splendid douchiness and 80s beard, taking his jacket off and the two hooked up. Two guys came out and helped Hennig beat up on Lawler, one of which was the disgusting Buck Zumhoffe, holding him so Hennig could spit in his face and kick him right in the ding ding. Fuck, this was one of those incredible, memorable Memphis angles. Hennig wasn’t completely polished, but it worked because he was young, so he really shouldn’t have been in storyline. He came across like q Stan Gable-level heel from Revenge of the Nerds. Lawler was Christopher Reeve-like in the role of the hero, which is a compliment of the highest kind.
(12/04/1987): Jerry Lawler def. Curt Hennig in 5:19. This was when Hennig was AWA champion, but the title wasn’t on the line. Hennig was incredible here just by working Lawler’s Memphis style with all the solid punches, but also taking the occasional big bump. It’s amazing how he could adapt like that. This was pretty fat-paced, as they even managed to sneak in a ref bump in just over five minutes. Lawler eventually won a very good match with the fist drop off the middle rope. ***1/2
(06/25/1984) Rock & Roll Express def. Randy Savage & Lanny Poffo (with Angelo Poffo) by DQ in 8:49. I just love Memphis Randy Savage. Honestly, as great as he was in the WWF, Memphis might be his best work. It was out of control Savage in an out-of-control territory and it just clicked. He and Morton were easily the two best here, which is completely expected. Ricky Morton bladed in this one just to put it over the top. Angelo Poffo pulled down the top rope so Gibson went crashing to the floor for the disqualification. That seemed like a shitty finish, but both teams started brawling on the floor until Savage gave Ricky Morton a piledriver on top of a table like a fucking madman. Gibson eventually chased the brothers off, but after the damage was done. This was excellent. ****
Carny Speak 