Boon

Guys ive debuted Ricky Vaughan this week who is otherwise known in real life as Lance Von Erich. Now I dont think he has been used as Lance in the game, so Im going by his name he used in Portland in 1984. He's a big atheletic guy at 6'2 and 260 lbs, he had a run on the top of Portland tagging with Billy Jack Haynes, before his ill fated run with Fitz in World Class as Lance. Please forget he was ever Lance, because if anything he got the look of a superstar..

Monday 15th April 1985 Knoxville Civic Auditorium, Knoxville, TN Bell Time 19:30 ​- We open with this weeks dark match which is a 6 man battle royal for $500. Tom Lintz defeats Ron Ritchie, Larry Hamilton, Steve Gatorwolf, Josh Stroud and Tommy Wright in 9 minutes of action. Lintz last eliminated Josh Stroud for the victory. ​1. The Wild Hoggs (JR & LK Hogg) with Lou Albano defeat The Heartbreaker's ('Toy Boy' Tony Falk & 'Sexy' Steven Dunn) in 7 minutes with JR Hogg hit a running power slam followed by the pin. Following the match Lou Albano came on the house mic and challenged the Karachi Puraa's to a Tag Team Title match next week. ​- 2. In a heated match, Ken Lucas defeated Ron Starr in 14 minutes when he made him pass out with Lucas signature sleeper hold. Before the match, the ring announcer announced that this match will be the first in a best of 5 series, where the winner will be granted a heavyweight title match. Ken Lucas goes 1 nil up in the series. ​- 3. in the last match of the first have of the show, The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) defeat The Orient Express (Saito & Akira) with Ron Wright, in 19 minutes when The Rock n Roll Express hit a double drop kick on Akira and Gibson covers him for the 3 count. This match was fought at a super paced with loads of back of forth action and innovative wrestling ​- 4. Ricky Vaughan and Brian Adias defeated Ken Timbs and Pat Rose in 9 minutes when Ricky Vaughan hit a flying body press on Ken Timbs and covers him for the 3 count and the victory for his team. ​- 5. Gama Singh with the Karachi Puraa's (Vulkan & Mulkan Singh) defeated Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion Don Kernodle, in 14 minutes to become the new heavyweight champion. Both men came to the ring with their respective home nations flags, this was a heated battle as expected. The end came with Vulkan Singh distracted the referee Paul Morton on one side of the ring when Mulkan Singh jabbed the Pakistan flag into Don Kernodle throat. Gama Singh took advantage of this and put Kernodle into the Camel Clutch and Don Kernodle submitted to become the new heavyweight champion. ​- 6. In tonight's main event The Flame defeated Jerry 'The King' Lawler in 22 minutes. In an added stipulation both The Memphis Vice and The Infernos were handcuffed together to stop any tomfoolery. The end of the match came when Jerry Caulhon the referee was knocked down and The Flame threw a fire ball into Jerry Lawlers face and covered him for the 3 count. Following the bell, Jerry Bryant and Lou Winston check on Jerry Lawler as he makes his way to his feet, the crowd inside the Knoxville Civic Centre give him a standing ovation.

Smoky Mountain All Star Wrestling Saturday 13th April 1985 Knoxville Civic Ballroom, Knoxville, TN Taped in front of a live studio audience at the Knoxville Civic Ballroom, Knoxville, TN Hosted by Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Champion - Don Kernodle Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions - The Karachi Puraa's (Mulkan Singh and Vulkan Singh) Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher welcome the fans at home and in the Civic Ballroom to another exciting week of wrestling action here on All Star Wrestling. Charlie Platt announcers from next week All Star Wrestling will be changing its name to Smoky Mountain Wrestling Power Hour, it’ll be the most powerful hour of wrestling each and every week. Charlie Platt announcers we have a new heavyweight champion, and that man is Don Kernodle, and we would like to welcome him out here now. Don Kernodle walks out to the announcers set, shakes Les Thatcher and Charlie Platt hand. Kernodle said this was one of his proudest moments of his life, right behind winning the NWA Tag Team Championship. He says he is going to be a fighting champion, and it starts this week with the challenge of Gama Singh. At this moment, Gama Singh walks out to the announcer’s desk, Singh wearing both tag team title belts, is closely followed by Mulkan and Vulkan Singh, the actual champions. Both Mulkan and Vulkan come out carrying the national flag of Pakistan, Gama tells Kernodle that he has 2 more days with the title before he hands it over to him. Kernodle getting offended by Mulkan and Vulkan waving the Pakistan flag, Kernodle tells Gama Singh this is America and there is no place for those flags, this gets an almighty roar. Gama Singh says when he wins the Heavyweight Title on Monday he will lay the flag down on Kernodle, Kernodle replies by saying over his dead body, as the Karachi Puraa’s walk off, Singh tells Kernodle if that’s the case so let it be. === Commercial === Following a short commercial break, we return to Platt and Thatcher who are joined by Robert Gibson and Ricky Morton, The Rock N Roll Express, the crowd are going wild. Robert tells Platt and Thatcher they are here for the best competition, the best music and the best woman, this gets a massive reaction as the Express make their way to the ring to make their debut. Waiting in the ring already are the new team of the Heartbreakers, ‘Boy Toy’ Tony Falk and ‘Sexy’ Steven Dunn, the bell rings and the Heartbreakers attack the Rock N Rolls straight away, this doesn’t last long and Express take fall control and finish of the Heartbreakers with a double drop kick to Falk and Morton covering him for the 3 count in 4 minutes. === Run down of this week’s action coming to Smoky Mountain area === After a few short local promo’s we return with veteran wrestler Ron Wright with Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher. Wrights says he isn’t going to bother introducing himself, but he’s here and he has his manager licence, which he’s going to used. He introduces his new tag team he has searched the world for, two Japanese men come to the announcers table, Wright introduces us to the Orient Express, Saito and Akira, Wright tells us they have held tag team title all around the world and he great friends with Baba and Inoki and paid a pretty penny for them. He knows another Express came out earlier, but there are rip offs of the best Express tag team in the world, and they don’t work over night and they don’t need music. Wright tells Platt and Thatcher to watch his boys go. In the ring are the Orient Express opponents Josh Stroud and Larry Hamilton. The bell rings and Akira and Saito start their attack, the match goes for about 2 minutes when Saito hits a German Suplex and gets the 3 count for an impressive debut win for the Orient Express. === Commercial === After the commercial break, Ron Starr is out sitting in Les Thatcher’s chair with Charlie Platt next to him, Starr tells Charlie Platt that he will refuse to even acknowledge Les Thatcher going forward for his stupid decisions that he believes cost him his Heavyweight Title this past Monday. And although he knows he must wait for his rematch he got more concerning issues and that’s with that wash up old has been Ken Lucas, and this Monday he’s going to teach that old boy a lesson in respect. Ken Lucas has heard enough of this and comes out to confront Starr, before Starr gets to say anything, Lucas clocks him with stiff right and a brawl kicks off between the two. Moments later the locker room empties to split the two of them up, as the two groups manage to get Lucas and Starr to the back. We go to the ring with newcomer Ricky Vaughan facing off with Steve Gatorwolf. Ricky Vaughan is 6’2 and 264 lbs and is in great shape and a real blue chipper from Arlington Texas. As quick as the match starts it finishes, Steve Gatorwolf charged at Vaughan with a clothesline, Vaughan ducks and runs the ropes and comes back at Gatorwolf with a flying body press and covers for the 3 count in 18 seconds for the win. What a debut for 25-year-old from Arlington Texas. === Run down of this week’s action coming to Smoky Mountain area === We return with Ron Ritchie in the ring as the Gama Singh comes to the ring wearing both Tag Team titles closely followed by the actual champions Vulkan and Mulkan Singh. Gama makes light work of Ron Ritchie and makes him submit in 4 minutes following a Camel Clutch. Following the bell, Gama signals to the Puraa’s to pass him the Pakistan national flag. Gama Singh goes to place the flag over a motionless Ron Ritchie when Don Kernodle comes flying into the ring to stop this from happening, Gama quickly leaves the ring as Kernodle checks on Ron Ritchie. === Commercial === Today’s main event see’s Fire and Torch accompanied by The Flame face of with the team of Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler and Jerry Bryant, one half of the Memphis Vice, and accompanied by Bryant’s tag team partner Lou Winston. The match gets underway but it doesn’t take long for The Flame and Lou Winston get involved and a 6-man brawl breaks out. Once again the locker room is out again to split the two teams up, when Jerry Lawler goes over to Charlie Platt and Les Thatcher and challenges The Flame to a cage match this Monday to put an end to this rivalry, The Flame agrees as we fade out of another great week of wrestling action. === Show Ends ===​​

Surely Reigns can't be in the last three 5 years on the bounce? But I suppose that's what they could do. Is there enough on Smackdown to keep him busy for a year, that's probably the real question...

Here's his turn in Portland... https://youtu.be/Tx0T3zVIULs

Bubby Rose returning to Portland, as a face, in a no DQ match, I buying a plane ticket today (I wonder if Heathrow flew to Portland in 1985?), I'm assuming it's in the Portland sports arena? Someone find Don Coss and Dutch Savage to call the match from the crows nest. Rose will be as over as RVD in the ECW Arena, Ric Flair in Charlotte, Punk in Chicago and Bullet Bob in Birmingham. And against the perfect opponent in Rick Rude, great work... (Massive Buddy Rose Mark)

If Reigns moves to Smackdown, which I think is a good move at this point, how does the Brock-Reigns match come about?

One of favourite parts of any booking project is when the Japanese promotion get involved, it's just so different to everything and just educating for someone who knows very little.

And that will become less of an issue as the years go on, as wrestlers won't be tie to territories as we didn't have them really in the 90s..

I think with roster sizes as they are could also be a factor on people not building stock in this timeline. It'll be interesting to see if any one would trade for example Ron Starr, who will be a centre point for me, for let's say Harley Race whose stock in real timeline was starting to drop...

The only way would be to be sat on a roster, that's not me making a case, just stating. A question I have got to ask, and looking for more of an opinion, how do grow my roster with my current guys? That's something we have to look at long term. We do have the rookie draft and the beginning of the year... that along with possible alliance loans... those would be the two ways right off the top of my head. In regards to Lawler and Rock N Roll... with all the turnover on the Memphis rosters over the last year they just sat there... now they are being used, quite a bit actually, and shouldn't prove to be too unavailable. If they are, then I would reach out to the individual who has times with them that conflict with yours. If we go down the line and look at a time in which it would be beneficial to have them full time on a roster for the best of the group, then we would go that route. At this point, I would say that freelance is the best thing for them with all the different avenues we've got. And that is in no way plead about new talent, I'm more that happy with my roster at the moment but can only do so much with those guys before it becomes hard work and boring. Another question, how much value do you guys see in wrestlers and they way there are booked in this project or do you think they will always be based on real life. Can anyone really add stock or value through booking from us?

The only way would be to be sat on a roster, that's not me making a case, just stating. A question I have got to ask, and looking for more of an opinion, how do grow my roster with my current guys?

Ron Wright will be active as a manager for me going forward.

Gotcha, will they ever be drafted back out?

Just out of interest, why and how did the Rock N Roll Express and Jerry Lawler become freelancer?

This is epic, Ron Wright is the master...

No issues here

Still pumped from this last week, so booked up a hotel for next year, there from the 4th to the 10th so miss Smackdown but hopefully catch loads from Wednesday to Monday....

Thanks for your feedback lads, enjoying booking this at the moment. I have to be super creative with this roster, but its fun researching and watching random YouTube videos of these guys. I'm going to be using Rock N Roll Express and Jerry Lawler as tools to get some of the other guys over to create an identity while there a talent gap. Glad your enjoying this mishap of a roster..

My searching of him involved "Les Freeman wrestling" and "Les Freeman cage match". I always felt sometimes they just didn't have enough people to fill out there cards for TV and jobbers would just fill the gap in multi mans, it was a trait in Memphis also, where guys like Ron Sexton would end up in 6 mans with Lawler...

It is a really great article and amazing to think of the influence Southeastern and more specifically the Armstrong/James have had on the industry. Watched a great episode of Southeastern last night from early 1985. The show had an odd elimination 6 man tag match with Porkchop Cash/Les Freeman (can't find any info on him)/Mr Olympia vs Bill Ash/Jimmy Golden and Arn Anderson, its was more of a gauntlet match than anything. Also with the old studio Rom Fuller is as tall as the top rope and blocks a lot of the action jumping about...

http://prowrestlingstories.com/pro-wrestling-stories/a-ghost-story-how-a-long-forgotten-territory-still-haunts-wwe/ Great article on Southeastern territory...

I believe uwf and nwa do but with the others were individual so the champ is the champ Cool, I've heard from the UWF, are the NWA recruiting?

Does everyone run these as governing bodies with touring champions etc?

Who are the gvoerning bodies in the game now?