March 12, 1983 Southeastern Championship Wrestling Television Show Review
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
We continue our look at the NWA Southeastern Championship Wrestling promotion and television program from Dothan, Alabama television studio. There isn't a lot of footage from 1982 and 1983 unfortunately. What little does exist (like this clip) is incomplete and poor quality.
This clip is from the March 12, 1983 episode of television. This is the only clip from the show to surface so far but it is one of the most memorable from my childhood. The Mongolian Stomper had been a babyface (good guy) since the fall of 1982 and had recently been training with Austin Idol. He had been feuding with The Executioner (Frank Savage) over the unofficial Brass Knux title. The past week in the arenas he had unmasked The Executioner. I believe on this same show Frank Savage turned babyface after the Midnight Express, Inc. (Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose & Norvell Austin) attacked him and beat him down with a cowboy boot. That was a bloody angle but things were about to get really intense.
The video kicks off with the beginning of the show and hosts Charlie Platt and Rick Stewart welcome us in. They announce that on TV today is the new NWA Alabama champion Tom Jones and that Brad Armstrong has returned to the area and will face Robert Gibson on television. Also, the heel Bob Armstrong will be in action. They also say that Austin Idol & Mr. Olympia will team up to face The Executioner & Norman Fredrick Charles III. Maybe Frank Savage didn't lose his mask at the arena after all, maybe he loses it in the attack by the Midnight Express, I don't remember and it's not yet surfaced on tape.
The tape skips about the time Charlie Platt & Ric Stewart were going to tell us about The Executioner and we are joined by Austin Idol and the Mongolian Stomper. Idol has won a tournament of some sort but it isn't elaborated on. They now show footage of the Stomper and Idol training together along with Robert Gibson. The Mongolian Stomper is ominously pacing in the background.
Austin Idol is training to meet the NWA World champion Ric Flair. The training is basically Idol trying to get on his Las Vegas leg lock from various positions while the Mongolian Stomper coaches him. A really good old school wrestling video. They then show a brief clip where it appeared that Idol had beat Ric Flair for the NWA title (the decision was reversed, of course).
Then we get a need video clip of Gordon Solie talking to "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers about the history of the Figure Four leg lock.
When then cut back to the desk where Idol is seated in front of a fidgeting Mongolian Stomper. Charlie Platt then superbly sets the scene for what is about to happen. He says he spoke with Ric Flair earlier and originally he was irate about having to face Idol again but this time, Charlie says, he was arrogant and told Idol that Flair said he had, "found the cure for Idolmania". Everyone momentarily seems baffled about what this is supposed to mean when suddenly...
... The Mongolian Stomper yells, "I know exactly what he meant!" and grabs Idol by the hair and slams him face first into the desk. Then he grabs a steel chair and behind the desk out of sight appears to hit Idol three times in the face while Ric Stewart exclaims, "Oh Jesus!". Stomper then picks Idol up and slams him face first into the chair again, spits on him, and walks away. Idol is screaming in distress behind the desk. Stewart then runs for help from the dressing room. They then cut to break with a chaotic scene unfolding.
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March 12, 1983 (Television Show) (Dothan, AL): No complete results... Hosts Charlie Platt & Ric Stewart... They announce that Tom Jones is the new Alabama champion and Brad Armstrong is returning... Training video featuring Mongolian Stomper coaching Austin Idol against Robert Gibson in training to meet Ric Flair... Interview with Austin Idol and the Mongolian Stomper. Stomper attacks Idol and beats him up violently with a steel chair... Also on this show the Midnight Express, Inc. (Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose & Norvell Austin) attack, bloody, and possibly unmask The Executioner (Frank Savage).
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