June 27, 1981 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 1981. If you missed last week click here.
Charlie Platt introduces the show so it looks like Platt is still solo. Charlie tells us that Brad Armstrong has suffered a "tragic injury" in Mobile, Alabama this past week. I'm not sure if this is a legit injury or if it's code for "going back to Georgia Championship Wrestling for a while" but before we can get further Ron Bass interrupts to issue a challenge to Ken Lucas for a match on TV. Also Norvell Austin is apparently back after being gone for a while. Well, Al what's-his-name is doing ring introductions so maybe he is back after all.
We go to the ring for our first match: Tommy Wright verses Barry Cummings. Tommy Wright was a journeyman wrestler in the early 1980's. He held the NWA U.S. junior title for a second or two but both these guys are new faces here on the June 27th show. Both are junior heavyweights. Tommy Wright wins with an airplane spin. It's every early 1980's junior heavyweight match you've ever seen. You could literally replace Tommy Wright with Les Freeman or Tim Horner and no one would notice the difference.
We get a jump in the tape and Ken Lucas is out and accepts the challenge of Ron Bass to a match. "Bullet" Bob Armstrong now comes out to sit with Charlie and I assume talk about this "tragic injury" to Brad Armstrong.
Apparently, we have had a referee heel turn. Tommy Weathers has turned heel. Last week we talked about the challenge of Randy Rose and Bob Armstrong being handcuffed while Dennis Condrey wrestled Brad Armstrong. I said then that Bob was being a stupid babyface... and he was... but it wasn't Mr. Saito or Ron Bass who caused the chaos to begin it was referee Tommy Weathers who took a payoff and uncuffed Rose and let the beating of young Brad Armstrong begin.
We see video tape of Brad verses Stan Lane for the NWA U.S. Junior heavyweight title earlier that same night. Brad defeated Stan Lane for the U.S junior title. Charlie Platt says he has the junior belt with him as it has been vacated because Brad will be out at least a month.
We then see the video of Tommy Weathers cutting Randy Rose loose so they can beat Brad Armstrong half to death. Babyface mad father Bob Armstrong has some FIRE in his promo. We also see video of the aftermath of the attack in the dressing room. They are claiming Brad has a chipped bone in his neck following a double piledriver from Rose & Condrey.
Charlie Platt then interviews Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose who gloat about it.
Charlie Platt says that Tommy Weathers has had his referee license pulled by the NWA and is suspended but has fled the area and no one can find him.
We get the hype promo for wrestling on July 13, 1981 for Birmingham, Alabama Boutwell Auditorium, so it looks like we have another skip week for Boutwell. So looking two weeks into the future this card is subject to change- Ron Fuller verses The Assassin managed by Jimmy Golden $15,000 bounty match (no idea who this Assassin is), Mr. Olympia verses Jimmy Golden for the NWA Southeastern title (so either Olympia or Golden have won or will be winning the Southeastern title), Southeastern tag team titles: Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose verses Bob Armstrong & Tommy Rich, Ron Bass verses Ken Lucas in a bullrope match, Ray Candy verses Norvell Austin for the NWA Alabama title (I guess Candy won the Alabama title from Golden), and Tommy Wright verses Mr. Junior America (no idea).
Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose promo about Bob Armstrong & Tommy Rich with a follow up promo by Bob Armstrong... pissed off Bob Armstrong promos are really good.
Charlie Platt is now doing various promos. Not only are they skipping Birmingham this week but Montgomery also. Jimmy Golden and Norvell Austin join Platt at the desk. Norvell is back and is a heel this time. The last time we saw Norvell he was a babyface teaming with Paul Orndorff.
Our next match is in the ring: Mr. Olympia (Jerry Stubbs) verses Mike Jackson. While Olympia and Jackson are tearing it up in the ring, veteran Mario Gallento joins Platt at the desk on commentary. The match between Olympia and Jackson is pretty good, as expected. Gallento is intolerable on commentary. Mr. Olympia wins with a powerslam. So I guess they have broken up Lucas & Olympia as a team and Olympia has dropped using the Lucas sleeper as a finisher.
They finally show Mario Gallento at the announce desk and he looks absolutely ridiculous.
Charlie Platt is back for a sit down interview with the new NWA Alabama heavyweight champion Ray Candy and two contenders for the NWA U.S. Junior title- Mike Jackson and Tommy Wright. Mike is actually an excellent promo but he and Tommy Wright look like they wish they were anywhere else on earth but here. Also, I notice Stan Lane is missing from all the hype so I assume he's gone back to Memphis along with Bill Dundee.
Oh lord, Tommy Wright needs to never do a promo again. He's... what's the word I'm looking for? Really dopey. Mike is a really good speaker. It's too bad he's undersized because he was a great worker and good promo and was really under utilized.
Ray Candy's character is so goofy. His gimmick is that he gives candy to kids. In order for Jimmy Golden to get a title match he has to put up $300 so Ray can buy candy for his kids... seriously.
Jimmy Golden promo now calling Ray Candy fat. He also says that Ray is going to eat all the candy for himself while he is going to take that same money and go buy some good Tennessee drinking whiskey like a real champion ought to. Jimmy Golden- under rated promo.
Our next match is in the ring: Norvell Austin verses Mike Norris. This is Norvell's return to the Southeastern area after having been gone for several weeks. He is now a heel managed by Jimmy Golden. The match, of course, is just a showcase for Austin. Norvell wins with a head butt.
Ron Fuller comes out to the desk to join Charlie Platt. The gist of the interview is that Ron Fuller couldn't less about Jimmy Golden nor his $15,000 bounty and that he actually likes all these new people coming through the area getting him back in fighting shape again. They show video of Ron Fuller beating The Bounty Hunter which was last weeks big match at Boutwell. He was supposed to have been a famous Canadian wrestler but I guess they couldn't get whoever they originally wanted (Jos LeDuc I imagine) and this guy looked like a random jobber in a mask. Fuller beats him with the Fuller leg lock. Fuller unmasked him after the match but no idea who he was and they never said.
Ron Fuller has brought a stretcher out with him. The Tennessee Stud says he is sending all of Golden's bounty hunters out on a stretcher.
Mr. Olympia & Ray Candy are out at the desk with Charlie. Olympia is described as the "new" NWA Southeastern champion and has the belt with him. We go first to Norvell Austin & Jimmy Golden. I've just noticed that Mr. Saito is also missing now. Golden mentioned him in the interview but no other mention of him. Also no mention of how or why Mr. Olympia is Southeastern champion.
Main event time: Ron Bass verses Ken Lucas. Lucas is a good tough-guy baby face. Think a 1981 version of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Lucas might sell something but he isn't going to look weak doing it. Lucas gives Bass the old Ric Flair toss off the top rope. The referee gets bumped while Lucas has the sleeper on Bass. Bass is now doing the loaded glove claw hold since the heart punch has been banned. The match falls apart and the jobbers are sent in to get killed. Lucas is bleeding and it's a no contest.
Back from the commercial we get promos from Jimmy Golden & Ron Bass. Then we get promos from Ron Fuller & Ken Lucas. They are insinuating that the Assassin is going to be the "famous one" Jody Hamilton. I don't know if it will be him or not.
June 27, 1981 (Television Show): Charlie Platt and Al Roberts hosts... Ron Bass challenges Ken Lucas to a match on TV.... Tommy Wright defeated Barry Cummings... Ken Lucas accepts challenge of Ron Bass... Bob Armstrong interview and tape of Brad Armstrong being injured and Brad defeating Stan Lane for the NWA U.S. Junior title and subsequently vacating it...Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose promo...Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose promo...Bob Armstrong promo...Jimmy Golden & Norvell Austin interview... Mr. Olympia defeated Mike Jackson...Ray Candy & Mike Jackson & Tommy Wright promo...Jimmy Golden promo... Norvell Austin defeats Mike Norris... Ron Fuller promo and video of him beating the Bounty Hunter...Mr. Olympia & Ray Candy and Norvell Austin & Ray Candy interview...Ron Bass battles Ken Lucas to a no contest ... Jimmy Golden & Ron Bass promo... Ron Fuller & Ken Lucas... (Referee: Bruce Soronson)
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