-I took the day off this past Friday and enjoyed myself. I went and walked around a bookstore for an hour and then went to visit my family for the weekend.
-Halloween
-Today, Project 45 blasts back to 1981 as we look at an episode of Mid-South Wrestling from December 12, 1981.
-Intro.
-Boyd Pierce welcomes us to MSW and he is with Ernie Ladd to call the action. Pierce says what we're going to see on the show and then gives details of the dream card contest.
-The Monk vs. Bryan Blair: Blair's first name is spelled with a Y here. The bell rings and they circle each other. They lock up and Monk with a go behind and a takedown. Blair with a sit out to get out of the move. Another lock up and Blair with a roll up, but Monk's feet were in the ropes. They break, circle each other, and lock up. Monk gets a side headlock on. Blair counters with a leg sweep to get Monk down and gets a front face lock on Monk. Monk twists out and gets back to his feet. Another lock up and Monk goes back to the side headlock. Into a takeover, but Blair counters with a leg scissors. He pivots to a pinning position, but only gets a two count. Monk pulls Blair's hair to get him down and puts an arm bar on. Blair fights a wrist lock attempt. He hits Monk with several forearms to knock him down. Blair follows that up with a scoop slam and a leg drop. He only gets a one count. Blair with an Irish whip and a dropkick. He gets a two count. Blair with another Irish whip and dropkick. He gets a one count, so Blair with another Irish whip and an abdominal stretch. He brings Monk straight back and pins him.
-King Cobra vs. Tom Renesto, jr: The bell rings. They circle each other and lock up. Renesto pushes off. Another lock up and Cobra with a side headlock. Renesto pushes off and they run the ropes a bit. Cobra with a dropdown and then a back flip to Renesto. Cobra follows that up with an arm drag and into an arm bar. Renesto won't give up and gets back to his feet. Cobra keeps the arm bar on and Renesto pushes off. Cobra comes back with a pair of shoulder blocks that knock Renesto to the ground. Renesto gets back up while Cobra is running the ropes, so Cobra stops and dropkicks Renesto. Another dropkick and an arm drag right back into the arm bar. Cobra then drives his knee into Renesto's arm before applying pressure to Renesto. Renesto gets back to his feet, so Cobra hits him with another takeover to drive him back down to the mat. Renesto trying not to give up or be pinned in the move by Cobra. Renesto gets back to his feet and slams Cobra down. Renesto runs the ropes and Cobra catches him and scoop slams him. Cobra goes for a dropkick, but Renesto backs to a corner to avoid getting hit. Renesto following it up with punches to Cobra. Renesto with an Irish whip, but drops his head too early and Cobra kicks him in the face. Cobra with a shot to Renesto and Irish whips him and hits him with a backdrop. He gets a two count. He then hits Renesto with a headbutt and pins Renesto.
-Jim Garvin vs. Ed Wishkowski: Wishkowski is the Polish Prince here and will go on to be the future Col. DeBeers. Garvin will of course go on to be Gorgeous and a Freebird when no one cared about the group. The bell rings and they lock up. Wishkowski pushes off. They circle each other again and lock up. Wishkowski pushes off again. Another lock up and Wishkowski with a side headlock. Garvin with a forearm to the back to try to get out of the move and Wishkowski cranks on the move harder. Garvin powering out of the move. Wishkowski powers right back into the move and drives Garvin down to his knees. Garvin goes back to throwing forearms to the back to get out of the move. Garvin goes back to working on the arm to try to power out of the move again. Wishkowski with a foot to the back of Garvin's knee to drive him down, but Garvin does not let go of the arm and turns it into a hammerlock on Wishkowski on the ground. Wishkowski makes it back to his feet while still in the move. Wishkowski with a back elbow to break the hold and a shoulder block to knock Garvin down. Wishkowski running the ropes, but Garvin catches him with a drop toe hold and gets the hammerlock back on. Wishkowski trying to get a back elbow to Garvin to break the hold. Wishkowski back to his feet, but Garvin keeps the hold on. Wishkowski picks Garvin up and puts him in the tree of woe. He kicks Garvin several times before the referee gets Wishkowski away and gets Garvin down. Wishkowski goes back to kicking Garvin until Garvin is on the mat. Garvin tries to get away, but Wishkowski hits him with several forearms to the back. Garvin gets to a corner turnbuckle, but Wishkowski keeps hitting him with forearms. Wishkowski drives Garvin face first into the turnbuckle and hits him with another forearm. He beats Garvin down to his knees before the referee gets him away. When Wishkowski comes back over, Garvin hits him with right hands to the stomach. Garvin reverses a corner whip and hits Wishkowski with a flying forearm. He gets a two count. Garvin jumps on Wishkowski's back and puts a sleeper on and Wishkowski immediately goes to the ropes and spills Garvin to the outside. Wishkowski grabs Garvin as he gets up on the apron and body slams him back in the ring, but Garvin holds on and rolls through and gets a two count. Garvin up and runs the ropes. Wishkowski hits him with a high knee and hot shots Garvin on the top rope. Wishkowski drops Garvin down stomach first in sort of an inverted backbreaker move and pins Garvin.
-Boyd Pierce shows highlights of what happened in the match between JYD and Terry Orndorff. Paul Orndorff comes in and gives Terry something to put in his mask. JYD headbutts Terry and they both go down and when JYD falls, he falls into the referee and takes him out. Bob Orton Jr. comes down and puts the mask on and gets in and tries to piledrive JYD. JYD throws him out over the top rope and gets disqualified.
-Jerry Novak and Aaron Holt vs. JYD and Mike George: They dub over Another One Bites the Dust when JYD and Mike George come out. Novak and George start. They lock up. Novak with a hammerlock. George comes back with a go behind and Novak immediately gets to the ropes. They break. Back to the center and they lock up again. Back and forth in the middle of the ring. All four men in the ring now. Faces run the heels into each other. Novak knocked out of the ring. JYD and George with a double Irish whip and shoulder block to Holt. JYD then hits the big thump power slam on Holt to pin him.
-The Iron Sheik with Skandor Akbar vs. Buddy Ryan: They misspell Sheik's name on the graphic and this is not the former defensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears that he is facing. The bell rings. They circle each other and when they go to lock up, Sheik kicks Ryan in the stomach. He then hits a forearm to Ryan's back. More shots to Ryan's back and stomach and he goes down. Sheik hits a high knee to Ryan's face. Sheik hits a suplex. He then drops an elbow on Ryan. Sheik with a double underhook suplex. He goes to cover Ryan, but Akbar says not yet, so Sheik gets up and kicks Ryan some more. Sheik picks Ryan up only to knock him back down with a right hand punch. He then does it again. Sheik then hits a nice belly to belly suplex. He goes to pin Ryan and again Akbar says not yet. Sheik with a belly to back suplex and finally pins Ryan.
-Mixed Tag Team Bout. Diamond Lil and Rick Ferrara vs. Barbie Doll and Tony Charles: Lil and Doll start. The bell rings. They circle each other, lock up, and drive to a corner. Lil with a slap to Doll before backing off. Another lock up and again they drive to the ropes and Lil with another slap. This time, Doll pushes Lil back and knocks her down. Lil complains to the referee. They circle each other again. Doll with a single leg pick up to knock Lil to the mat. Doll follows that up with a step over toe hold. Lil knocks Doll to the mat to get out of the hold. Doll goes back to the single leg and the toe hold. Lil kicks Doll off and Doll falls to the outside. Doll gets back on the apron and Lil grabs her and throws her in. Lil then slingshots Doll across the ring. Lil comes over and gets another slingshot on Doll. Doll with a shot to Lil when she comes over and Charles tagged in. Ferrara also in and they face off. They lock up and Charles pushes off. They circle each other again. Another lock up and Ferrara with an arm drag into an arm bar. Charles up and trying to power out of the move. He powers up off his feet and takes Ferrara down with a headscissors. Ferrara flips around to cover Charles, but only gets a one count. Back up and they lock up again and Charles with another arm drag and an arm bar. Ferrara comes back with a headscissors. Charles eases out of the move and gets Ferrara in a side headlock. Ferrara pushes off and drops down. Charles tries to catch Ferrara with a dropkick, but Ferrara grabs his legs when he does and turns Charles over into a Boston Crab. Charles flips out of it immediately with tremendous leg strength. Lil and Doll both tagged back in. They lock up and Lil slaps Doll to the ground. Lil continues the assault on Doll. Lil with a corner whip and continues the assault on Doll with kicks and chops. Doll with a big corner whip and gets a two count on Lil. They run the ropes and Doll with a backdrop. Doll grabs both legs and gets the pin.
-Mid-South North American Heavyweight Championship Match. Ted DiBiase vs. Paul Orndorff: The bell rings and they circle each other. Orndorff dives for DiBiase's legs, but DiBiase avoids him. They circle each other again and DiBiase goes for Orndorff's legs and Orndorff avoids him. They lock up and drive to the ropes and jockey for position. The referee breaks it up and they circle each other and lock up again. Orndorff with a side headlock and DiBiase pushes off. Orndorff comes back with a shoulder block. Orndorff with an Irish whip. DiBiase with a leap frog. Orndorff with a roll up, but only gets a two count. Orndorff complains and they circle each other again. They lock up and DiBiase with a side headlock and Orndorff pushes off. Orndorff with a side headlock and DiBiase pushes off. Orndorff with a shoulder block. Orndorff with a sunset flip, but DiBiase drops down and gets a two count. They lock up again and DiBiase with a wrist lock into a hammerlock. Orndorff with a flip over to get out of the move. DiBiase comes back with a headscissors. Orndorff gets out, so DiBiase comes back with a drop toe hold into the hammerlock again. DiBiase also driving his shoulder into Orndorff's back. Orndorff trying to get out of the hold and back to his feet. He does and hits DiBiase with several back elbows. DiBiase reverses a corner whip. Several reversals and DiBiase goes to push Orndorff into the corner and DiBiase goes head first into the top turnbuckle. Orndorff attacks DiBiase several times with knee drops. DiBiase reverses an Irish whip and hits a dropkick. DiBiase with several forearms and an Irish whip. He hits Orndorff with a knee lift. DiBiase with another Irish whip and a power slam. He puts Orndorff in the figure four. Orndorff fights and turns the move over. DiBiase in tremendous pain, but fighting it. DiBiase won't give up and the crowd chants go, Ted, go. The people in Mississippi today are chanting the same thing at DiBiase, but for different reasons. One minute left. DiBiase trying to hold on. 30 seconds left. The match is a draw. The referee tries to break the hold, but the announcers stress that DiBiase did not pass out.
-End Credits.
-Final Thoughts: This was a great hour of television. The program was dense, but the time moved quickly. You saw several current and future stars. Recommended.