April 18, 1981 Southeastern Championship Wrestling Television Show Review
By: Karl Stern (@dragonkingkarl, @wiwcool, karl@whenitwascool.com)
When It Was Cool continues our series looking at the promotion I grew up watching- Ron Fuller's NWA Southeastern Championship Wrestling (which becomes Continental Wrestling in the summer of 1985). If you missed the last episode click here.
Last week we learned at the very end of a show in an interview that Paul Orndorff had won the NWA Alabama title from Mr. Saito at one of the house show.
The YouTube clip actually starts with the end of an interview from last week. We get to the new show and join Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher who introduce the show.
We go to the ring for our first match: Dennis Condrey verses Roy Lee Welch. Condrey & Rose still have the NWA Southeastern tag team belts with them so they must have gotten past Bob & Brad Armstrong for another week. A good mat wrestling match but in the end, Randy Rose comes out and distracts Welch for a moment and Dennis hits him with his hooking clothesline for the win.
Bob & Brad Armstrong come out to narrate over a tornado tag team match footage from the arenas.
We get our hype segment for the upcoming Monday night Birmingham, Alabama Boutwell Auditorium card: Boxing Match: Ron Fuller (seconded by Ken Lucas) verses Jimmy Golden (seconded by Ron Bass), NWA Southeastern tag team title- four man elimination match: Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose verses Bob & Brad Armstrong, Mr. Saito verses Paul Orndorff, Ken Lucas & Jerry Stubbs verses Ron Bass & Stan Lane, Roberto Soto verses The Angel.
Interviews with Bob & Brad Armstrong and Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose. The only thing notable about this interview is Les Thatcher's hair.
Charlie Platt interviews Ken Lucas & Jerry Stubbs and Stan Lane & Ron Bass.
Our next match is in the ring: Jerry Stubbs verses Sonny Driver. I haven't seen Driver before, he's a short stumpy fellow. Les Thatcher keeps calling Stubbs "Stubby". Les' hair is amazing this week. He looks like he's on day five of a seven day bender and maybe he is... stubby. Driver is blown up and Jerry is whipping him pillar to post- literally. Stubbs wins clean in the middle.
Stan Lane comes out to the desk to review a video of him against Robert Gibson from the arena. Lane is still the NWA U.S. Junior champion. We find out in the interview that Gibson is now gone from the area after being "injured" by Lane. I assume he went to Memphis for a while.
Time for "Personality Profile" segment with Bob & Brad Armstrong.
Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose interview. At this point Condrey & Rose aren't yet known as the Midnight Express but if the gimmick they are going for is circa 1979-83 southern redneck version of douches then they have the gimmick down pat.
To the ring for our next match: Paul Orndorff verses Joe Turner. Turner has the most ridiculous ring gear on. An olive-drab colored, long sleeve, tight fitting shirt with black tights. He looks infuriating. Most of the match is Paul Orndorff working the arm. Basic match. Orndorff is mauling Turner when suddenly Mr. Saito comes out and throws salt into the face of Orndorff and attacks him.
After a break we come back for interviews with Mr. Saito and Paul Orndorff.
Jimmy Golden comes out to the desk wearing a cape. We see video highlights of the southern street fight between Jimmy Golden and Ron Fuller from the arena and hype about their upcoming boxing match.
Our next match is in the ring: Jimmy Golden verses Burrhead Jones. Hey, it's cult favorite jobber Burrhead Jones in action. Jones was quite the cult favorite wrestler in south Alabama. Golden is using this match to display his "boxing" skills. Golden wins in a squash.
We get an on location interview with Jimmy Golden sitting in a lawn chair bragging about his boxing skills and training. I am thrilled to say that Jimmy's training involves him sitting in a chair listening to Don Williams on a radio.
We then go to see Ron Fuller actually training for boxing with Ken Lucas.
The show wraps up with interviews with Ron Bass & Jimmy Golden and Ron Fuller & Ken Lucas.
April 18, 1981 (Television Show): Charlie Platt & Les Thatcher hosts... Dennis Condrey defeated Roy Lee Welch...Bob & Brad Armstrong interview...Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose and Bob & Brad Armstrong interview... Interview with Jerry Stubbs & Ken Lucas and Stan Lane & Ron Bass...Jerry Stubbs defeated Sonny Driver... Stan Lane video verses Robert Gibson... Bob & Brad Armstrong interview... Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose interview... Paul Orndorff defeated Joe Turner via DQ when Mr. Saito attacks him... Interviews with Mr. Saito and Paul Orndorff... Jimmy Golden interview and video verses Ron Fuller... Jimmy Golden defeated Burrhead Jones... Jimmy Golden interview... Ron Fuller training video with Ken Lucas... Ron Bass & Jimmy Golden and Ron Fuller & Ken Lucas interviews ... (Referee: Bruce Sorenson)
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