January 30, 1981 Southeastern Championship Wrestling Television Show Review
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
Jimmy Golden (Photo by: Karl Stern)
I continue my series looking at NWA Southeastern Championship Wrestling from 1981 with the final television show of January. If you missed last weeks episode check it out here. January 1981 had five Saturday's so we get an extra show this month.
January 1981 has been dominated by the heel duo of Randy Rose & Dennis Condrey who are not yet known as the Midnight Express. Ron Fuller, Bob Armstrong, Brad Armstrong, Jerry Stubbs, and Jimmy Golden are your other top names joined last week by Paul Orndorff and Robert Gibson.
We start the show off by actually focusing on Jimmy Golden turning on Ron Fuller which was mentioned in passing last week. Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher are actually giving the turn some weight. They also finally acknowledge that Brad Armstrong won the NWA U.S. Junior title in a tournament.
But the biggest news historically is that Jerry Stubbs won the NWA World Junior heavyweight title from Les Thornton. This title change was missed by many wrestling historians over the years and still to this day you will run across title lineages that miss Stubbs as NWA World Junior champion here in the later part of January 1981.
Brad Armstrong comes out to the desk to show off his NWA U.S. Junior title belt.
Our first match is in the ring: Norvell Austin & Robert Gibson verses Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose (NWA Southeastern tag team champions). So we are starting off with a main event caliber match. Randy Rose pins Robert Gibson after interference from Ron Bass. A big brawl breaks out that also involves Paul Orndorff.
We get a promo from Paul Orndorff with Norvell Austin standing by. Austin & Orndorff have been teaming up recently and we get a clip of them verses Condrey & Rose.
Next up we get the promo for the first Birmingham, Alabama Boutwell Auditorium show of February 1981. Tony Atlas makes a rare Southeastern stop to take on Jimmy Golden, Randy Rose & Dennis Condrey defend the NWA Southeastern tag team titles against Norvell Austin & Paul Orndorff, Bob Armstrong verses Mr. Saito in a Karate is legal match, Brad Armstrong defends the NWA U.S. Junior title against Jerry Stubbs (Stubbs wouldn't be keeping the World belt long), Robert Gibson verses Ron Bass, and Charlie Cook returns to the area to face Oki Shikina.
We get dueling promos between Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose and Paul Orndorff & Norvell Austin.
We now get to focus on Jimmy Golden's turn against Ron Fuller. Golden is being interviewed by Charlie Platt and Golden is holding a bloody Tennessee Stud mask during the interview. Ron Fuller is now apparently injured and out for a while. Golden is putting down both Ron and Robert Fuller even though we haven't seen Robert in a while.
The next match is in the ring: Roy Lee Welch verses Jerry Stubbs (NWA World Junior heavyweight champion). Stubbs is introduced for his one week as World junior champion complete with the belt so this should finally silence all the historians who want to overlook this title reign by Stubbs. The matter was settled long ago but now that there is widely distributed video of Stubbs on television as champion it's no longer in the realm of discussion. As of 2016 Wikipedia at least now lists Stubbs in it's NWA World Junior title history. Jerry Stubbs wins with a good back and forth match and a roll up.
We get a Jerry Stubbs interview next. Stubbs talks about winning the NWA World Junior heavyweight title from Les Thornton the same night that Brad Armstrong won the NWA U.S. Junior title in a tournament. We then cut to a promo with Brad Armstrong about winning the tournament. The sound gets off in the video at this point unfortunately. There is also a seed of concern planted by Charlie Platt that Brad Armstrong knows a secret about Jerry Stubbs knee.
Mr. Saito now demonstrates his Japanese sleeper for Les Thatcher by putting it on Roy Lee Welch. Saito also puts the sleeper on referee Larry Brock as well. Of course, Saito won't wake Roy Lee Welch up and Bob Armstrong has to come out and save him.
We then get clips of Mr. Saito verses Bob Armstrong. Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose also run in to attack Bob.
The next match is in the ring: Jimmy Golden against Jimmy Jones. Of course this is an easy squash win for Jimmy Golden with the neck breaker.
We finally get to see Jimmy Golden turning on Ron Fuller. Golden beats down Ron Fuller running out of the area. Golden then rips on Johnny Valiant again saying he couldn't get the job done. Golden and Ron Bass beat up Ron Fuller for quiet a while.
Jimmy Golden has an all time great line that actually made television calling Charlie Platt a "knob polisher". The show wraps up with a video interview with Tony Atlas who is coming in for this weeks shows.
January 30, 1981 (Television Show): Hosts Charlie Platt & Les Thatcher: Jerry Stubbs announced as NWA World Junior champion... Brad Armstrong promo... Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose (NWA Southeastern tag team champions) defeated Robert Gibson & Norvell Austin... Clip of Norvell Austin & Paul Orndorff verses Randy Rose & Dennis Condrey... Jimmy Golden promo... Jerry Stubbs (NWA World Junior champion) defeated Roy Lee Welch... Jerry Stubbs promo... Brad Armstrong promo... Mr. Saito Japanese sleeper demonstration with Bob Armstrong run-in...Clips of Mr. Saito verses Bob Armstrong...Jimmy Golden defeated Jimmy Jones... Clips of Jimmy Golden injuring Ron Fuller... Tony Atlas promo ... (Referee: Larry Brock)
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