kevinmcfl

I like it. I guess I kind of do that in Knoxville with the Fuller's but I should research my other towns.

No. I used AI to try and make the poster that I recently put up but really struggled to get pictures to look anything like the real guys. I did use AI to make a format of a 1-hour show and then copied it into word to save time with each show. This way, I don't need to keep filling in Les and Dutch and Commisioner Armstrong, etc and it also helped me to just fill in my 5 match format each week. So, I guess in a way, I did use it but not to write the show.

I always find this idea interesting and something I never pay attention two. I still have so much to learn about how the territory system worked. I recently listened to something on Georgia Championship Wrestling how Marietta, Georgia was under the umbrella of GCW but had their own TV show and promoter and their the Oates Brothers were huge while they were basically midcard everywhere else in the territory. I heard other stories about the WWF and how they really played into the immigrant population in certain cities. They had a wrestler from Portuguese decent whose name I can't recall and he was getting title matches in Providence becasue of the high number of Portuguese people here but he was a jobber everywhere else. You always seem to have some reason for certain wrestler's success in certain parts of your territory. Awesome job. Sometimes there is a reason for it or sometimes a wrestler and the fans just click in a certain place better then others.

Really interesting last two weeks of TV as you are doing a great job of getting everyone excited for the Happening. I am enjoying the Gamma-Norman issue and you did a nice job with the promos... "My name is Norman!" This just makes him look crazy! WOW... Bossman with the handcuffs on the Col. Fans would have loved this beat down. Bossman is a great tweeener that everyone could hate or love depending on his opponent.... and here, they really love him and his heel-like beat down of one of the worst heels in the game. Barbarian vs Warrior... I am interested to see where this goes as it means so much to the Warriors future in the AWA. Very interesting choice. Verne Gagne was so conservative but your AWA has been anything but. Can't wait to see who wins the National Tag Team Title... I know who I am rooting for. Bad News and Kokina in a wild in-studio brawl. That would take some big men to break up. So much excited in these shows. They would have been money if I was a kid and saw this on TV. Reminds me a lot of Southern Rasslin instead of the boring WWF I had here in NY. I recently heard that ESPN's pick for what territory they were going to originally air came down to Vern and the AWA against the Fuller's and Continental. Not sure if this was true, but I wish they had gone with the wild Southern promotion instead of the tuxedo wearing AWA. Your AWA is mo much like Georgia, Texas or Alabama and I just love it. Great job.

Wow... what an image... King Curtis and The Missing Link and then Papa Shango.

I enjoyed Clash of Champions. Great use of Abbie. He is gold is small doses and him and Cactus is shure to be a wild ride. I like that the tag team titles are being held up. This always adds a level of intrigued to an angle. I have never remembered to use this idea but may be now after you reminded me.... Undertaker vs Simmons in his prime.... this would be great! It is unusual that the world title match is in the background but your card was so fun, that Sting and Tenyru was like my 5th favorite match... WOW... that says a lot about your roster and booking! Great job with WCW

Knoxville Civic Center September 12, 1991 Episode #22 LES THATCHER: "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Smoky Mountain Wrestling here at the Knoxville Civic Center! Tonight may very well be one of the biggest nights we've ever had! We've got championship implications, bitter rivalries, some of the greatest athletes in this sport, and a main event featuring the Smoky Mountain Champion, Terry Gordy, teaming with Michael Hayes against Dory Funk Jr. and Captain Redneck, Dick Murdoch!" DUTCH MANTEL: "And don't forget, Les, we've got the Nature Boy Buddy Landel, King Kong Bundy, Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig, IRS, and the Dirty White Boys! This isn't a wrestling card. This is a collection of people who don't like each other!" LES: "That's one way of putting it." DUTCH: "It's the correct way." MATCH #1: "Nature Boy" Buddy Landel vs. "Jumping" Joey Mags Joey Mags comes out to a strong ovation. He plays to the crowd before entering the ring. Then the music changes. "NATURE BOY" BUDDY LANDEL makes his entrance. Landel stops at the top of the aisle, looks around at the crowd and gives them an exaggerated smile before slowly walking to the ring. DUTCH: "Look at him, Les. That's a man who knows he's better than everybody in this building." LES: "Buddy Landel is a tremendous athlete, but his arrogance is going to get him in trouble someday." The opening minutes are fast-paced. Joey's speed gives Landel problems. Mags hits several arm drags and a dropkick and nearly catches Landel with a quick roll-up. ONE! TWO! Landel kicks out. Joey tries another quick pin. Again, Landel escapes. Landel becomes frustrated. He eventually cuts Joey off with a knee to the stomach and begins slowing the match down. Landel works the back and neck. Mags makes another comeback and catches Landel with a flying bodypress. ONE! TWO! Landel barely kicks out. The crowd believes Joey might actually pull the upset. Landel rolls outside. Joey goes after him. Landel catches him coming around the corner and rams him face-first into the ringpost. Back inside, Landel takes control. Joey attempts one final comeback. Landel catches him. He hooks the leg. FIGURE FOUR! The crowd comes alive. Joey refuses to submit. He reaches for the ropes. Landel pulls him back toward the center. Joey tries to turn the hold over. Landel uses the ropes for leverage when the referee isn't looking. Joey screams in pain. Finally, Joey has no choice. Winner: Buddy Landel by submission via the Figure Four Leglock Landel releases the hold and arrogantly raises his arms. MATCH #2: King Kong Bundy vs. Eric Embry Eric Embry comes out ready for a fight. Bundy looks almost bored. The bell rings. Embry fires punches at Bundy. Bundy barely reacts. Embry tries to whip him into the ropes. Bundy reverses. HUGE CLOTHESLINE! Embry goes down. Bundy picks him up. Embry tries another flurry. Bundy cuts him off. Bundy backs Embry into the corner. AVALANCHE! Embry crumples. Bundy drops on top of him. The referee begins counting. ONE! TWO! THREE! Bundy doesn't get up. Instead, he keeps his weight on Embry. FOUR! FIVE! Winner: King Kong Bundy Bundy stands over Embry. MATCH #3: Stunning Steve Austin vs. Dirty Dutch Mantel Dutch enters carrying Shoo Baby, his bullwhip. The crowd rains boos down on him. Stunning Steve Austin receives a tremendous ovation. Dutch spends the opening minutes antagonizing the crowd. Austin finally has enough. They begin exchanging punches. Dutch repeatedly attempts to use Shoo Baby behind the referee's back. Austin catches him once. The referee warns him. Later, Dutch tries to use the bullwhip again. The referee sees it. He grabs Shoo Baby and takes it away. Dutch screams at the referee. DUTCH: "That's my property!" STUN GUN! Austin hooks him and drops him across the top rope. Austin covers. ONE! TWO! Before three, King Kong Bundy's is seen heading to the ring. Bundy gets halfway to ringside. Suddenly— AHMED JOHNSON CHARGES OUT! Ahmed tackles Bundy. The two begin brawling. Punches are flying. Bundy tries to get past Ahmed. Ahmed grabs him again. Meanwhile, Austin turns his attention back to Dutch. STUN GUN #2 Austin hooks the leg. ONE! TWO! THREE! Winner: Stunning Steve Austin Ahmed continues brawling with Bundy as officials rush out. MATCH #4: Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig vs. Brad Armstrong THE WRESTLING MATCH OF THE NIGHT Brad Armstrong enters to a tremendous ovation. Then Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig appears. Hennig slowly walks to the ring, confident and smug. DUTCH: "There's your winner." LES: "The match hasn't even started." DUTCH: "Doesn't matter." The bell rings. The first several minutes are pure wrestling. Arm drags. Headlocks. Wristlocks. Counters. Neither man can gain an advantage. Hennig catches Armstrong with a dropkick. Brad responds with one of his own. Both men get back up simultaneously. The crowd applauds. Hennig offers a handshake. Brad considers it. Hennig pulls his hand away and laughs. The crowd boos. The match gets increasingly physical. Armstrong hits a beautiful dropkick that sends Hennig through the ropes. Hennig lands hard. Brad follows him outside. Hennig suddenly grabs Armstrong and drives his shoulder into the ringpost. LES: "That's the difference between these two men! Brad wants to beat you in the middle of the ring. Hennig wants to beat you any way he can!" Hennig works the injured shoulder. Armstrong absorbs punishment. Hennig repeatedly tries to pin him. ONE! TWO! Brad kicks out. Hennig gets frustrated. Brad finally starts fighting back. A series of punches. Clothesline. Dropkick. Arm drag. Powerslam. ONE! TWO! HENNIG KICKS OUT! The crowd explodes. Brad pulls Hennig up. He attempts another big move. Hennig pokes him in the eye. The referee admonishes him. Brad staggers backward. Hennig grabs him. PERFECT-PLEX! Hennig bridges perfectly. ONE! TWO! THREE! Winner: Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig Hennig immediately rolls away from Armstrong. He stands outside the ring and points to his head. MATCH #5 Irwin R. Schyster vs. Tommy "Wildfire" Rich Tommy Rich gets a huge ovation. IRS enters with his manager. Rich takes control early. IRS retreats repeatedly. Eventually, Rich catches him. Rich begins hammering IRS with punches. The crowd gets behind him. IRS' manager gets on the apron. Rich turns his attention toward him. The referee tries to get the manager down. While the referee is distracted— THE MANAGER SLIPS A CHISEL TO IRS! IRS hides it. Rich turns around. WHAM! IRS drives the chisel into Rich's forehead. Rich drops. Blood immediately pours down his face. LES: "GOOD LORD! TOMMY RICH HAS BEEN BUSTED WIDE OPEN!" IRS hides the chisel. The referee turns around. Rich is barely standing. IRS grabs him. AIRPLANE SPIN/SAMOAN DROP! IRS covers. ONE! TWO! THREE! Winner: Irwin R. Schyster IRS and his manager quickly escape. Tommy Rich remains seated against the ropes, blood streaming down his face. MATCH #6: Southeastern Title Match Ron Garvin vs. "The Tennessee Stud" Robert Fuller The atmosphere changes completely. The crowd is firmly behind Ron Garvin. Garvin walks toward the ring with one thing on his mind. Revenge. LES: "Twelve years, Dutch. Twelve years Ron Garvin has waited for this opportunity." DUTCH: "That was twelve years ago, Les!" LES: "To Ron Garvin, it was yesterday." Fuller enters. The bell rings. Garvin immediately charges. RIGHT HAND! Fuller goes backward. Fuller fires back. They begin brawling. Punches. Forearms. Eye rakes. Headbutts. The referee can barely maintain control. Fuller gets Garvin down. FULLER LEG LOCK! Garvin refuses to submit. Fuller leans back, putting tremendous pressure on the leg. Garvin crawls toward the ropes. He grabs them. The referee forces Fuller to break. Later, Fuller gets the leg lock again. Garvin refuses. Again. Garvin refuses. Fuller becomes increasingly frustrated. Garvin catches Fuller with a huge right hand. Fuller goes down. Garvin follows with another. And another. GARVIN STOMP! Fuller is seemingly out. Garvin covers. ONE! TWO! FULLER KICKS OUT! The building explodes. Garvin can't believe it. Fuller tries to get up. Garvin nails him again. Fuller collapses. Another cover. ONE! TWO! FULLER KICKS OUT AGAIN! Fuller desperately grabs Garvin's leg. FULLER LEG LOCK! Garvin screams but refuses to submit. Garvin fights his way toward the ropes. He gets there. The referee breaks the hold. Both men slowly get back up. Fuller swings. Garvin ducks. Fuller turns around. SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB! Garvin hooks both legs. ONE! TWO! THREE! WINNER: RON GARVIN! The Knoxville Civic Center erupts. Ron Garvin is the new Southeastern Champion!!! SEMI-MAIN EVENT SMW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TNT — Shawn Michaels & Jeff Jarrett vs. The Dirty White Boys with Ron Wright The champions receive one of the biggest reactions of the night. The Dirty White Boys enter with their manager, Ron Wright. Wright screams instructions from ringside. The match is classic tag-team wrestling. TNT rely on speed and teamwork. The Dirty White Boys use power and double-teaming. Michaels gets isolated. DWB #1 traps him. BUCKSNORT BLASTER! Michaels is crushed. DWB #2 covers. ONE! TWO! JARRETT BREAKS IT UP! The crowd erupts. Ron Wright is furious. The Dirty White Boys continue working Michaels over. Finally— TAG! Jarrett explodes into the ring. He cleans house. Clotheslines. Dropkicks. Hip tosses. The crowd comes alive. The match breaks down. DWB #2 catches Jarrett. Michaels comes flying in. SUPERKICK! DWB #2 staggers. Jarrett climbs the ropes. DOUBLE LEG DROP OFF THE TOP ROPE! Michaels and Jarrett hit it simultaneously. Jarrett covers. ONE! TWO! THREE! WINNERS AND STILL SMW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS: TNT — SHAWN MICHAELS & JEFF JARRETT The champions celebrate. Ron Wright is furious. The Dirty White Boys retreat toward the back. TNT stand in the center of the ring holding their championships high. Then— Suddenly, Two men wearing black masks suddenly sprint down the aisle. LES: "WAIT A MINUTE!" They slide into the ring. TNT never see them coming. DOUBLE ATTACK FROM BEHIND! One masked man grabs Jarrett. The other grabs Michaels. They smash the champions into the turnbuckles. Jarrett tries to fight back. He gets knocked down. Michaels comes off the ropes. One masked man catches him. DOUBLE TEAM! Michaels crashes to the canvas. The crowd is furious. The two masked men continue the assault. TNT are completely laid out. The masked men stand over the fallen champions. Then... MUSIC HITS. The crowd suddenly goes quiet. SENSATIONAL SHERRI MARTEL appears at the entrance. She is dressed elegantly and confidently. She slowly walks toward the ring. She doesn't look concerned. She looks pleased. Sherri enters the ring. She looks down at Michaels and Jarrett. Then she turns toward the two masked men. She points. SHERRI: "Take off your masks." The crowd buzzes. The men hesitate. Sherri points again. SHERRI: "I said... TAKE THEM OFF." The first man reaches up. He removes the mask. THE CROWD ERUPTS. THE "DOCTOR OF DESIRE" TOM PRICHARD! The second man removes his mask. ANOTHER MASSIVE REACTION. "HOTSTUFF" EDDIE GILBERT! The Knoxville Civic Center goes absolutely wild. LES: "OH MY! TOM PRICHARD! EDDIE GILBERT! WOW… I WAS BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THERE WAS NO TEAM.” Sherri smiles. She walks between them. She looks down at the fallen champions. Then back at Prichard and Gilbert. SHERRI: "Meet the future of Smoky Mountain Wrestling." The crowd rains boos down. Sherri raises both men's arms. TNT slowly begin to move. Prichard and Gilbert step toward them. Sherri stops them. SHERRI: "No." She smiles. SHERRI: "Let them get up." Sherri points toward the championship belts lying on the canvas. SHERRI: "Because we're coming for those." Sherri, Prichard and Gilbert leave the ring. TNT are left sprawled in the center. MAIN EVENT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP IS ON THE LINE Terry Gordy & Michael Hayes The Fabulous Freebirds vs. Dory Funk Jr. & "Captain Redneck" Dick Murdoch The crowd comes alive when Dory Funk Jr. and Dick Murdoch enter. Then the music hits. THE FABULOUS FREEBIRDS! Michael Hayes comes out first. He poses. Then Terry Gordy follows with the Smoky Mountain Championship around his waist. Gordy looks focused. Hayes looks much more interested in playing to the crowd. LES: "There's an interesting dynamic here tonight. Terry Gordy is the Smoky Mountain Champion, and he's taking this match very seriously." DUTCH: "And Michael Hayes is smart enough to let Terry do the heavy lifting." The bell rings. Dory Funk and Gordy start. Gordy explodes. He throws Dory across the ring. Murdoch tags in. Gordy destroys Murdoch with power. Hayes watches from the apron. Gordy tags Hayes. Hayes enters only long enough to stomp Murdoch. Then he immediately tags Gordy. LES: "Michael Hayes doesn't seem terribly interested in wrestling tonight." DUTCH: "He's conserving his energy." Gordy does most of the work. Gordy dominates both opponents early. Dory and Murdoch eventually begin double-teaming him. A quick tag. Another. Another. Gordy is trapped in their corner. Murdoch and Funk work him over. Hayes reaches out. Gordy finally gets close enough. TAG! Hayes comes in. Dory and Murdoch are both down. Hayes gets excited. He stomps Dory. Then tags Gordy. DUTCH: "See? That's teamwork." LES: "That's tagging a man who has already done all the work!" Gordy gets back in. But the double-teaming continues. Dory and Murdoch begin wearing Gordy down. Gordy is eventually trapped in a corner. Murdoch lands a series of punches. Dory follows. Gordy falls. The crowd begins rallying behind the champion. "GORD-Y! GORD-Y! GORD-Y!" Gordy slowly gets back up. Dory hits him. Murdoch hits him. Gordy absorbs it. He stands. Another punch. Gordy barely moves. LES: "Wait a minute..." Another. Gordy doesn't move. DUTCH: "He's getting mad." Gordy suddenly explodes. He throws Murdoch across the ring. He turns and levels Dory. He grabs Murdoch. HUGE SLAM! Dory attacks. Gordy turns around. BIG BOOT! Gordy is suddenly on fire. He begins battering both men. Murdoch gets thrown into the corner. Dory gets clotheslined. Gordy hits Murdoch. Then Dory. Then Murdoch again. Michael Hayes is standing on the apron watching. Gordy grabs Dory. HUGE SPEAR! Dory crashes to the canvas. Gordy stands over him. The crowd is going crazy. Hayes is smiling. Gordy grabs Dory. He looks like he's about to finish him. LES: "Terry Gordy has got them both! He's got this match won!" Gordy turns toward Murdoch. Murdoch is barely moving. Gordy goes after him. Then— WHAM! MICHAEL HAYES NAILS DICK MURDOCH WITH A STEEL CHAIR! The crowd explodes in boos. Murdoch collapses. The referee immediately calls for the bell. WINNERS BY DISQUALIFICATION: DORY FUNK JR. & DICK MURDOCH But Hayes doesn't care. He looks extremely pleased with himself. He drops the chair. He points at the fallen Funk and Murdoch. DUTCH: "Brilliant!" LES: "Brilliant?! Michael Hayes just cost the Freebirds this match!" Terry Gordy turns around. He looks at Murdoch. Then Dory. Then at Hayes. Gordy's expression changes. Hayes is still smiling. Gordy walks toward him. LES: "Wait a minute..." Hayes extends his hand as though expecting Gordy to congratulate him. Gordy doesn't take it. Hayes pats Gordy on the shoulder. Gordy brushes his hand away. LES: "Terry Gordy thought he was about to win this match!" Hayes shrugs. Gordy points at the chair. Then points at himself. He mouths: "I HAD 'EM." Hayes responds: "NOW WE GOT THEM BOTH." Gordy shakes his head. The crowd realizes there may be trouble within the Freebirds. Hayes picks up the Smoky Mountain Championship belt. He looks at it. Then looks at Gordy. He hands it back. Gordy takes it. But the tension is obvious. Dory and Murdoch are still down. Hayes walks toward the back. Gordy remains behind, staring at him. LES THATCHER: "Michael Hayes may have just created a problem for himself with Terry Gordy!" DUTCH MANTEL: "Problems? Those two are the Freebirds! They'll work it out!" LES: "Maybe. But tonight Terry Gordy wanted to beat Dory Funk Jr. and Dick Murdoch, and Michael Hayes decided the win wasn’t important!"

I enjoyed the Piper-Rose cage match. Rose is like Jerry Lawler in Memphis. No matter what stage of his career, he is the MAN in PCW! I love how you have kept this consistent since the beginning. Also, I like how now matter the difference in ability (or at least what I think the difference is), you make it a quality match. This just makes your jobbers or JTTS believable. It also allows you to give your entire roster a push when ever you want as they have already had good matches. Smart booking

Michael Hayes wants to know who are these Fabulous Creebirds you speak of. lol

Episode #21 September 5, 1991 WBIR-TV (Channel 10-Knoxville) Syndicated across Eastern Tennessee, Kentucky and Western North Carolina Les Thatcher: Welcome wrestling fans, coming to you from Knoxville Auditorium Studio for Smoky Mountain Wrestling… wrestling the way it used to be and wrestling just the way you like it. I’m Les Thatcher along with “Dirty” Dutch Mantel and we are just over a week from the big event in the Knoxville Civic Center where there will be a triple main event!! The Smoky Moutain Tag Title will be on the line as Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett will have their hands full with the Dirty White Boys, Dory Funk Jr. and his new tag team partner, Captain Redneck Dick Murdoch will face the reunited Freebirds, Michael Hayes and Smoky Mountain Champion Terry Gordy and let’s not forget the title match that is over 12 years in the making as the Southern Champion, “The Tennessee Stud” Robert Fuller faces Rugged Ron Garvin. Dutch Mantel: Wow…. It never ceases to amaze me… Smoky Mountain Wrestling Commissioner Bob Armstrong doesn’t give his top wrestler a match! Les: And who might that be? Dutch: Me you idiot Les: Well Dutch, you will be in action that night as you will be facing “White Lightening” Tim Horner. Dutch: Well, all I can say is that White Lightening is going to be Black and Blue. Les: We will have to wait and see but let’s get to today’s show and what a show it is going to be. We will have “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig in action tonight against the double tough Tracy Smothers. Tim Horner will be back in action tonight. Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong will tag up to square off against the Hustler Rip Rogers and “Gentlemen” Ken Timbs. Ron Garvin will have, what he hopes is a tune up for his Southern title match, against the Mighty Yankee and in a main event tonight, we have a big one as Terry Gordy defends his Smoky Mountain title against Irwin R. Schyster. Dutch: Ohhhh, your girlfriend is here!! Les: Dutch, I’m a married man. Dutch: Married maybe… man, not that’s a question. Les: Can I continue… Dutch: If you must. Les: Never mind, let’s just get to the ring. Match #1: Curt Hennig vs. Tracy Smothers LES: Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig been running his mouth since the day he arrived in this territory, but he's about to find out that Smoky Mountain Wrestling has some very talented athletes. Tracy Smothers is one double tough wrestler. DUTCH: Les, Tracy Smothers has about as much of a shot of beating Mr. Perfect as you do. LES: All I'm telling you is that Tracy Smothers is one of the finest young competitors we've got here. He's one-half of the Wild Southern Boys, he's quick, he's tough, and he's beaten some very good men. DUTCH: And none of that matters! This is Curt Hennig. As for the match, Smothers comes out aggressively, circling Hennig before locking up. Tracy catches Hennig with an arm drag and immediately follows with another. The crowd cheers. Smothers backs Hennig into the corner and fires off several punches. Hennig covers up before suddenly raking Smothers across the eyes. Hennig takes control, driving Smothers into the turnbuckles. He methodically works over Tracy, delivering a series of crisp right hands and a knee to the midsection. Smothers tries to fight back but to no avail. Hennig immediately grabs him from behind. Hennig lifts Smothers into position. DUTCH: PERFECT-PLEX! LES: Oh no! Hennig executes the Perfect Plex. He bridges perfectly as the referee counts. ONE! TWO! THREE! DUTCH: Mr. Perfect wins! LES: Curt Hennig has defeated Tracy Smothers, and I'll tell you what, Dutch—he made that look far easier than I thought he would. DUTCH: Because I told you exactly what was going to happen! LES: Tracy Smothers is a tremendous competitor, but tonight he simply got caught. That Perfect Plex is an impressive maneuver. DUTCH: Caught? Les, he got destroyed! LES: I wouldn't go that far. DUTCH: I would! Somebody better tell the rest of these Smoky Mountain wrestlers to stay home when Curt Hennig is in town! Hennig stands in the middle of the ring, arrogantly brushing imaginary dust from his shoulders while looking down at Smothers. POST-MATCH INTERVIEW Hennig has a smug grin on his face Les: Curt Hennig, an impressive victory over Tracy Smothers tonight. Your thoughts? HENNIG: My thoughts? (Hennig laughs) My thoughts are that I'm starting to wonder where all the talent is around here. I was told Smoky Mountain Wrestling was supposed to be full of tough competition. I was told there were some great athletes down here. Well, I've been here for a few weeks now, and I'm still waiting. Tracy Smothers? He's supposed to be one of the top guys? I just beat him without breaking a sweat. I've competed against the best in this business, and believe me, Smoky Mountain Wrestling hasn't shown me anything yet. So let me make something perfectly clear: Curt Hennig isn't here to become another wrestler in the Smoky Mountain Wrestling roster. I'm here to become the Smoky Mountain Champion. And whoever is holding that championship better start worrying. LES THATCHER: Well, Mr. Hennig, you may want to listen up because he's going to get plenty of competition this week at the Knoxville Civic Center. Curt Hennig will be in action against Brad Armstrong! DUTCH: Brad Armstrong isn't competition for Curt Hennig. LES: Oh, really? DUTCH: He's an Armstrong. He’s a stepping stone! HENNIG: Brad Armstrong? Brad Armstrong is supposed to stop me? That's funny. Very funny. Armstrong, when you step into the ring with Mr. Perfect...you're stepping into the ring with the future Smoky Mountain Champion. LES: Well, there you have it. Curt Hennig certainly has confidence—and plenty of arrogance to go with it. COMMERCIAL BREAK We see, RON WRIGHT, in his wheelchair along with the Dirty White Boys and IRS LES: Ladies and gentlemen, we're back here on Smoky Mountain Wrestling television, and I've got to tell you, as much as I don’t like Ron Wright, he has gotten his men in position to win the two titles here in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. First, tonight it will be Irwin R. Schyster taking on Terry Gordy tonight for the Smoky Mountain Title and then this Saturday night at the Knoxville Civic Center, the Dirty White Boys will get their opportunity to take the Smoky Mountain Wrestling Tag Team Championship away from Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett! RON WRIGHT: Les Thatcher, I want you to listen to me real careful now, because I'm fixin' to tell you something that every man, woman and young'un in the state of Tennessee oughta hear. All I've ever done... ALL I'VE EVER DONE... is try to do the right thing. I've tried to help people. I've tried to give these wrestlers a chance. I've tried to make an honest dollar in this business. And what do the people of Tennessee do? They turn their backs on me! They point their fingers at me! They laugh at a Christian man who's been sittin' in this wheelchair, unable to walk, unable to work like a man oughta work, unable to earn the money that I deserve! LES: Ron, you've blamed practically everybody for your condition— RON: You hush up now, Les! I'm talkin' about the truth! Who could look at an old mountain man like me and treat him the way these people have treated me? DUTCH: Nobody with a conscience, Ron. RON: That's exactly right, Dutch. But I'm here to tell you something tonight. My men are finally gettin' what they deserve. Irwin R. Schyster is gonna put a stop to Terry Gordy once and for all! Because everybody knows what's goin' on around here! Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes are obviously part of that organized crime that's runnin' rampant through these parts! LES: Now, come on! RON: Don't you "come on" me! That organized crime is the reason I've been stuck in this wheelchair for so long! It's the reason I can't get out there and earn the money that belongs to me! He’s been a stealin the money that these fans have been sending me each week. And Terry Gordy is gonna find out today that you don't cross Ron Wright and get away with it! IRWIN R. SCHYSTER: You know, Ron Wright is absolutely correct. Terry Gordy has been living off his reputation for far too long. He's been allowed to walk around here pretending to be some kind of hero. Well, Saturday night I'm going to expose him. I'm going to take Gordy, and I'm going to break him down piece by piece. Michael Hayes can’t save him. And when that bell rings, the only thing Gordy is going to understand that everyone must pay the Tax Man … and he will pay with the Smoky Mountain Title. LES: Let's talk about the Tag Team Championship match. Dirty White Boys, you've got Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett this Saturday night. The champions have defeated some very good teams to hold those titles. DIRTY WHITE BOY #1: Yeah, Les, they have beaten some good teams. I'll give 'em that. They've got speed. They've got those fancy moves But they've never faced anything like the Dirty White Boys. DIRTY WHITE BOY #2: That's right! Saturday night they're gonna be fightin' the Dirty White Boys! There's a difference! We're not comin' to Knoxville to have a wrestling match with those two pretty boys. We're comin' to destroy 'em! DUTCH: That's what I've been saying! Michaels and Jarrett have had a nice little run as champions but they are outclassed now.! Les: Let’s get back to the ring Match #2 Ron Garvin vs The Mighty Yankee Garvin is just pummeling The Mighty Yankee as Dutch is going wild at the tactics of Garvin but Les seems to ignore it all. Wrestling is funny how the babyfaces are so tough when they stomp and punch away at their opponents but the heels are criminals when they do it. Anyway, Garvin tosses the Mighty Yankee out onto the floor but doesn’t follow him to the floor. The camera picks up the Mighty Yankee rolling under the ring but when he reemerges something is different. He is much taller and seems to be thinner. Garvin doesn’t notice. WHAM… shoulder to the gut of Garvin by the “Mighty Yankee” The Mighty Yankee now enters the ring and is pounding away on Garvin. Wait… another Mighty Yankee appears… also taller and from the other side of the ring and they do quite a number on Garvin they are beating him from pillar to post. Garvin begins to show a little blood on his head but the attack continuous! Finally, Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong hit the ring and the “Mighty Yankees” exit stage left. As Rich and Armstrong tend to Garvin, The Mighty Yankees who are out on the floor take off the masks and we see that it is The Tennessee Stud Robert Fuller and his cousin Jimmy Golden! Even though both are no strangers to Knoxville, Les makes it clear who they are and that they are here for one reason… to hurt Ron Garvin before the Southern Title Match this week in Knoxville!! Dutch says Garvin and Commissioner Bob Armstrong got exactly what they deserved as Garvin has no right to a Southern Title Match and that Armstrong had no right taking the Fuller’s to court over a title he has no jurisdiction over! We see Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong help Ron Garvin out of the ring where he goes right to the podium and is all fired up. Ron Garvin Robert Fuller… you coward! You come here with your inbreed cousin and think the two of you can stop me from getting in the ring with you this Saturday for a title Ive been waiting 12 years to get back. (Garvin rubs the blood on his forehead) You two think this hurts… you think I’m afraid of a little blood! Think again Fuller. This Saturday night …. There will be more blood. Maybe mine. Maybe yours but one thing is for sure… There will be another Southern Champion! As the trio walks off, Les thanks Tommy and Brad for their help out there and promises the fans that they will see these two a little later on in the show. This seems to upset Dutch again. COMMERCIAL Bob Armstrong is with Les and Dutch for a big announcement. BOB ARMSTRONG: Smoky Mountain Wrestling is heading to the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky, to the Alumni Coliseum for the …. Battle of Kentucky on Saturday, September 26! And we've got something special planned. There will be an eight-man, single-elimination tournament. Eight men will begin the night. One man will walk out the winner. And that winner gets five thousand dollars—and a future shot at the Smoky Mountain Heavyweight Championship! We'll also have a Smoky Mountain Tag Team Championship match that night, and I can promise you there will be plenty more announcements concerning Battle of Kentucky in the weeks ahead. LES: Five thousand dollars and a future title shot! That's going to bring out the very best competitors in this territory. DUTCH: Or the very dirtiest. LES: Speaking of competition, let's get to the ring. Match #3: “White Lightning” Tim Horner vs. “Bad Boy” Billie Black. Horner controls the early action with crisp wrestling, taking Black down repeatedly. Billie Black attempts to slow the pace with cheap shots, but Horner keeps coming back. LES: This is what Tim Horner does better than almost anybody. He makes you wrestle. DUTCH: And that's the problem with wrestling. Eventually somebody gets tired of it and starts fighting. LES: That's usually when you get in trouble. Horner catches Black with a rolling cradle and scores the three-count. Suddenly, King Kong Bundy storms toward the ring. LES: Wait a minute! What's Bundy doing here? Did you have something to di with the Dutch. Bundy enters the ring and blasts Horner with a massive Avalanche in the corner. LES: Good Lord! Bundy hits Horner with a second Avalanche! DUTCH: That's what you call making an impression! LES: There's no reason for this! Bundy backs Horner into the corner one more time and crushes him with a third Avalanche! LES: THREE AVALANCHES! Somebody get help! Officials rush toward the ring as Bundy finally leaves. LES: Dutch, I'm going to say something that everybody watching this program already knows. King Kong Bundy is your man … and you were supposed to face Tim Horner this week in Knoxville. DUTCH: All coincidence. Anyway, Bundy is his own man plus…. Now it looks like I now have a date with a pancake. LES: I don't believe in coincidences like this! BOB ARMSTRONG: Dutch Mantel! Get back over here and you listen to me. Dutch reluctantly turns towards Bob. BOB: I saw what happened, and I've got the same suspicions Les Thatcher has. I believe you had something to do with that attack! DUTCH: Commissioner, I had absolutely nothing— BOB: Save it! I've been told Tim Horner may be out of action for some time because of what just happened tonight. BOB: Now, Dutch, I know you're probably pretty happy about that because you were scheduled to face Tim Horner in Knoxville next week. DUTCH: Well, Commissioner, if the man's injured, that's not my fault! BOB: You're right. It's not your fault that he's injured. But it IS my decision who you wrestle. DUTCH: Wait a minute— BOB: Next week in Knoxville, Dirty Dutch Mantel will wrestle Stunning Steve Austin! [Huge crowd reaction.] DUTCH: WHAT?! BOB: You heard me. DUTCH: You can't do this! I'm a commentator! BOB: Stop playing both sides of the fence. Next week, you're a wrestler. DUTCH: I protest! BOB: Protest denied. LES: Dutch Mantel has just gotten a taste of his own medicine! DUTCH: This isn't over, Thatcher! COMMERCIAL Dory Funk Jr. and Dick Murdoch are seated at the interview area. LES: Fans, the West Texas Outlaws are with us. Dory Funk Jr. and Dick Murdoch have a bit of a grudge to settle next week in Knoxville against the Freebirds. DORY FUNK JR.: Michael Hayes has done a lot of talking. DICK MURDOCH: Too much talking! DORY: Next week, we're going to shut that talking down. MURDOCH: The Freebirds may think they're tough. They may think they're untouchable. But they've never been in the ring with the West Texas Outlaws! DORY: Next week, Michael Hayes is going to find out that words don't hurt us but we do hurt sissy boys like him. MURDOCH: Can’t wait to see that hair of his go flying back after a Texas right hand whacks the smile off his face. DORY: Terry Gordy… sorry but you are guilty by association. My brother didn’t have a problem with you. I didn’t have a problem with you but your so-called Freebird Brother… Michael Hayes… No we got a problem with him. We're coming to Knoxville to destroy the Freebirds. MURDOCH: And if Hayes wants to run his mouth afterward, it might be a bit hard with a broken jaw! Match #4: TOMMY “WILDFIRE” RICH & BRAD ARMSTRONG vs. “THE HUSTLER” RIP ROGERS & “GENTLEMAN” KEN TIMBS The heels spend much of the match using every shortcut available. Rogers distracts the referee while Timbs attacks Armstrong from behind. Rich eventually gets the hot tag and cleans house. LES: Look at Tommy Rich! He's had enough! Rich and Armstrong work together, but Rogers and Timbs continue their cheating. Late in the match, Timbs attempts another illegal maneuver. Armstrong catches him and delivers a Russian Leg Sweep. LES: Armstrong caught him! DUTCH: That wasn't very gentlemanly. LES: Neither was what Timbs was doing! BRAD ARMSTRONG: You know, next week in Knoxville, I've got a match against a man who calls himself “Mr. Perfect.” Well, Curt Hennig can call himself whatever he wants. I've heard all about how perfect he is. I've heard about how he's better than everybody else. But I've never backed down from a challenge in my life. And I'm not starting next week. Curt Hennig, you're coming to Knoxville looking for a fight? You've got one. BRAD: You can bring the attitude. You can bring the confidence. You can even bring that perfectplex. But when that bell rings, you're going to find out that Brad Armstrong doesn't scare easily. See you in Knoxville! COMMERCIAL Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett walk to the interview area carrying the championship belts. LES: There they are, your Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions—TNT, Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett. DUTCH: Two kids with championship belts. SHAWN MICHAELS: That's right, Dutch. Kids. Too small. Too young. That's what everybody said. JEFF JARRETT: Everybody doubted us. They said we couldn't hang with the bigger teams. They said experience would beat youth. They said we'd never become champions. SHAWN: But here's what happened. We won. JEFF: And then we won again. SHAWN: And we're still holding these belts. SHAWN: Next week in Knoxville, we've got the Dirty White Boys. They're big. They're rough. They're mean. JEFF: And they probably think they're going to take these championships away from us. SHAWN: But we've heard that before. JEFF: So have we. SHAWN: The Dirty White Boys can bring everything they've got. Because next week, TNT is going to do what TNT has always done. BOTH: WIN! DUTCH: You boys better enjoy those belts while you can. SHAWN: Dutch, you seem to forget something. You're wrestling Stunning Steve Austin next week. JEFF: I'd worry about yourself. [Dutch looks irritated.] LES: Fans, we are joined by the Freebirds, Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy. And Michael Hayes, next week you face the West Texas Outlaws. MICHAEL HAYES: Les, let me tell you something. Everybody keeps talking about next week. Dory Funk Jr. Dick Murdoch. The West Texas Outlaws. Well, they better understand one thing. This ain't Texas. This ain't the place where they can walk in here and run over the Freebirds. This is Smoky Mountain Wrestling. And wherever the Freebirds go, the Freebirds take over! HAYES: Have we've been stopped before? No! Have we been beaten before? No! Have we been chased out of town? No! So why in the world would anybody believe that Dory Funk Jr. and Dick Murdoch are going to be the first two men to stop us? They won't! Because next week in Knoxville, the West Texas Outlaws are going to find out what everybody else already knows. Freebirdmania Rules! We'll run right through Dory Funk! We'll run right through Dick Murdoch! And when the dust settles, Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy will still be standing with all the pretty girls from Tennessee who will be volunteering their …time with us. LES: Terry, you've also got Irwin R. Schyster coming up tonight. TERRY GORDY: That's where my focus is. IRS is a different kind of wrestler. He's smart, he's technical, and he's got that bad man Ron Wright in a wheelchair in his corner. But IRS better watch himself. Because tax men in these parts of the country? They've been known to have short life spans. MAIN EVENT: SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH TERRY “BAM BAM” GORDY (C) with Michale Hayes vs. IRWIN R. SCHYSTER with Ron Wright Ron points toward Hayes. RON WRIGHT: That man doesn't have a manager's license! He can't be at ringside! HAYES: Fine! I'll watch from right here with Les! As for the match, Gordy uses his power early, but IRS surprises him with technical wrestling, holds and counters. LES: IRS is wrestling a very smart match. DUTCH: He's not trying to outmuscle Gordy. He's trying to outthink him. IRS repeatedly targets Gordy's leg and uses every opportunity to bend the rules. LES: He's also using some questionable tactics. DUTCH: Questionable to you. Brilliant to me. Gordy begins to fight back. He catches IRS with a series of hard shots and takes control. LES: Now we're seeing the Terry Gordy that became Smoky Mountain Champion! Gordy pounds IRS from corner to corner. Ron Wright begins shouting instructions. RON: IRS! Get up! Get up! DUTCH: Ron Wright is earning his money tonight. Gordy hits IRS with a tremendous clothesline. LES: IRS is in trouble! Gordy whips IRS into the ropes. LES: Gordy setting him up! Gordy lowers his shoulder, preparing to drive IRS down with the spear— HAYES: COME ON, TERRY! Hayes suddenly moves toward ringside and grabs the top rope. LES: Wait a minute! [Hayes pulls the top rope down.] IRS goes sailing over the ropes and crashes to the floor. LES: HAYES PULLED DOWN THE ROPE! Referee immediately calls for the bell. RING ANNOUNCER: The winner of the match by disqualification—Irwin R. Schyster! LES: IRS wins by disqualification, but Terry Gordy RETAINS the Smoky Mountain Championship! LES: Look at Gordy's face! He doesn't look happy at all! DUTCH: Hayes just saved his friend from losing the championship. LES: Or he cost Gordy the chance to beat IRS decisively! [Hayes retrieves the championship belt and tosses it into the ring.] HAYES: Terry! Get your belt! [Gordy catches it.] HAYES: Come on! Let's go! [Gordy stares at Hayes for a moment, then looks down at the championship.] LES: I'm not so sure the Freebirds are all on the same page after what we've just witnessed. LES: Well, fans, we've seen a lot tonight but if your anywhere near Knoxville next Saturday night, get yourself a ticket to the Civic Center. It is sure to be a great show. I'm Les Thatcher. Until next time, So long from the Smoky Mountains!

Very interested to see the outcome of the Lex Luger-Cactus Jack match. The way I see it, you are in a difficult spot. Lex is obviously one of your top, top guys and has been perfectly built this way. If he lost to Cactus Jack, that would really elevate Jack quickly from not even being in the top 10 to a contender! But this would be hard to pull off considering Cactus Jack could not go over El Gigante cleanly. I think there is going to be some chaos here!!!! Really looking forward to all the matches at the Clash. Those are some awesome matches for free tv. This is why I was always a WCW fan and not a WWE fan. They just had better things for free.

Enjoying the Tournament of Lions... that prize seems like it could set one of these youngsters on a road to rehab. Give some young guy that much money and he could get in trouble.

Nice job starting the ground work for the Happening! That should be an aweosme main event. Always liked Manny Fernandez.... he adds a lot as he can do whatever you ask of him on the card. I like the desolate town video of the Hangman and Neil. Always interesting to see those little segments. Ok.... So who did Idol trade Dundee and Iceman for.... Jackie seems happy! Can't wait to find out. Chicky and Carlon .... this one is perfect for PR!

Awesome show. Attorney Madril is must watch TV. Great idea putting them with Bart and Deadeye Dick. UWF has become a very fun read.

Nice show. I like that your promotion looks like itis going to be giving some serious time to the women. This is something that our game has been missing. Hope you are enjoying the new territory. I am enjoying learning about a scene I knew nothing about.

Episode #20 August 29, 1991 WBIR-TV (Channel 10-Knoxville) Syndicated across Eastern Tennessee, Kentucky and Western North Carolina SMW opening music plays. Highlights from K-Town Showdown flash across the screen: Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett raising the Tag Team Titles, King Kong Bundy fighting Stunning Steve Austin, and the chaotic finish involving the Funk Brothers and the Freebirds. LES THATCHER: Hello, wrestling fans, and welcome to another exciting hour of Smoky Mountain Wrestling! Wrestling the way it used to be and wrestling the way you like it. I'm Les Thatcher, and alongside me, as always, is the man who somehow manages to make every situation worse— DIRTY DUTCH MANTEL: You're welcome, Les. LES: I wasn't thanking you. DUTCH: You should. I'm the reason people watch this program. LES: People watch in spite of you. DUTCH: That's what they tell you because they're afraid of me. LES: Let's get right to it. We have an awful lot to talk about following K-Town Showdown, and joining us right now is Smoky Mountain Wrestling Commissioner Bullet Bob Armstrong! [Bob Armstrong enters to a big ovation.] BOB ARMSTRONG: Les, I couldn't be happier! K-Town Showdown proved something to me and proved something to every wrestling fan in this part of the country. Smoky Mountain Wrestling can stand toe-to-toe with anybody! LES: And you mean the WWF? BOB: That's exactly who I mean! The big boys from up north came down here expecting to make Smoky Mountain Wrestling look second-rate. Well, they found out something different! DUTCH: Hold on, Commissioner. You say "anybody." I saw Terry Funk taking it to Terry Gordy. BOB: Tell the whole story for once Dutch. You say Dory Funk Jr. and Terry Funk taking it to Terry Gordy in a 2-1 attack. That it until Mr. Michael Hayes showed up! LES: And you believe that if it weren't for some outside interference, SMW could have swept all three of those major matches? BOB: I absolutely believe it! We were that close. BOB: That's why I'm proud of Smoky Mountain Wrestling. We're growing, and we're not afraid of anybody. LES: Commissioner, thank you for joining us. BOB: Thank you, Les. And … never mind, that’s all. DUTCH: Like I’m not even here. LES: Wishful thinking. Try not to cause any trouble today. DUTCH: Les, I am the model of professionalism. LES: Well, Dutch, let's run down today's lineup. DUTCH: Let's start with my favorite part. LES: Your favorite part? DUTCH: The debut of Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig! LES: I knew you'd like him. DUTCH: He's everything I admire in a wrestler. Good-looking, confident, arrogant— LES: Arrogant? DUTCH: Yes… nothing wrong with that. I’m arrogant. LES: Not sure Curt Hennig wants to be compared to you. DUTCH: Everyone wants to be compared to Dutch Mantel. LES: Also today, fan favorite Ron Garvin is in action, your man King Kong Bundy will wrestle— DUTCH: My man! LES: Dutch, please stop interrupting. Captain Redneck Dick Murdoch is here, and our main event has Wildfire Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong taking on Ron Wright's Dirty White Boys. DUTCH: That's going to be a rough night for Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong. LES: We'll see about that. MATCH #1 — MR. PERFECT CURT HENNIG vs. SWEET BROWN SUGAR [Curt Hennig makes his SMW debut. He receives a mixed reaction, confidently soaking in the attention.] DUTCH: Look at this guy, Les! That's a professional wrestler. LES: Curt Hennig certainly has an impressive reputation. DUTCH: He doesn't even sweat walking to the ring. LES: Give him time. [Bell rings.] Sweet Brown Sugar tries to take Hennig down, but Hennig quickly counters and controls the match. Sugar fires back with several quick moves and nearly catches Hennig with a huge missile drop kick but Hennig swiftly dodges. LES: Don't underestimate Sweet Brown Sugar. He's a formidable opponent. DUTCH: Not formidable enough. He’s laying on the ground again. Hennig catches Sugar coming off the ropes and plants him with a picture-perfect Perfect Plex. REFEREE: ONE! TWO! THREE! LES: That's it! Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig wins his Smoky Mountain Wrestling debut! DUTCH: PERFECT! LES: I have to admit, Dutch, I'm impressed. Sweet Brown Sugar is no pushover, and Hennig disposed of him very quickly. DUTCH: I told you! Mr. Perfect is perfect! LES: Let's go to commercial. DUTCH: Don't go anywhere! I want to watch that Perfect Plex again! [Michael Hayes and Smoky Mountain Champion “Bam Bam” Terry Gordy stand at the interview podium.] MICHAEL HAYES: Well, well, well! Knoxville, Tennessee! How sweet it is to be back home with my Freebird brother! [Hayes smiles and puts his arm around Gordy.] HAYES: Terry and I have been through a lot together. We've fought, we've traveled, we've partied, we've raised a little Cain everywhere we've gone. And when I saw Dory and Terry Funk double-teaming my brother? HAYES: Ohhhhh, baby! I felt that Freebird blood starting to rise up again. HAYES: I couldn't just sit at home and watch that happen! GORDY: Michael came in when I needed him. I appreciate it. HAYES: "Appreciate it"? GORDY: Yeah. HAYES: Terry, baby, we're Freebirds! You don't just appreciate a Freebird. You celebrate a Freebird! And once a Freebird … always a Freebird and you can take that to the bank Jack! DUTCH: Michael… you’re laying it on a little thick. I mean you haven’t even been in a match here in Smoky Mountain Wrestling and your acting like the Freebirds are in charge. HAYES: Freebirdmania is alive and well baby. And Knoxville, you better get ready because the parties are coming back! The lights, the music, the beautiful people, the Freebirds— Michael “Purely Sexy” and Brother Bam Bam are back in town…. GORDY: We're here to wrestle. I am the Smoky Mountain Champion. HAYES: And soon to be the Smoky Mountain tag team champions. Nobody and I mean nobody gets in a Freebirds way. GORDY: Again Michael, thanks for you’re help… glad you’re here. [Hayes winks at camera.] HAYES: The b b b b b b b boys are back in town! MATCH #2 — KING KONG BUNDY vs. “JUMPING” JOEY MAGS DUTCH: Here comes my man! LES: King Kong Bundy is certainly a formidable individual. DUTCH: Formidable? He's a human earthquake! [Bundy dominates immediately.] LES: Joey Mags is trying to use his speed. DUTCH: Speed doesn't matter when you're standing in front of a five-hundred-pound problem! Bundy catches Mags and launches him across the ring. DUTCH: Look at that! He's playing with him! Bundy crushes Mags in the corner, grabs him and delivers the Avalanche. DUTCH: AVALANCHE! Bundy covers. REFEREE: ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! FIVE! DUTCH: YES! Nobody can stop this man! LES: Including Ahmed Johnson and Stunning Steve Austin? DUTCH: Especially Ahmed Johnson and Stunning Steve Austin! LES: You seem very confident. DUTCH: I'm going to the top of Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Les. And if I have to ride King Kong Bundy all the way there, that's exactly what I'm going to do! LES: I don't think that's how you're supposed to phrase that. DUTCH: You know what I mean. [Sensational Sherri Martel makes her way to the desk.] SHERRI: Well, hello, Les. LES: Hello, Sherri. SHERRI: You look awfully handsome today. [Les becomes visibly flustered.] DUTCH: Oh, brother. SHERRI: You know, Les, I always thought you were a very distinguished gentleman. LES: Well... that's very kind of you. DUTCH: He's melting! LES: I'm not melting. DUTCH: Les, you're sweating through your jacket. SHERRI: I've been meaning to ask you something, Les. LES: Anything. SHERRI: When are you going to ask me about my team? LES: Actually, that's exactly what I wanted to ask. DUTCH: Here we go. SHERRI: First of all, Les, it's not just a tag team. It's the hottest, best and sexiest team in all of professional wrestling. LES: You've certainly built-up expectations. SHERRI: And last week wasn't my fault. LES: What wasn't? SHERRI: The introduction. DUTCH: Security’s fault. Commissioner Armstrong let’s everything fall through the cracks. SHERRI: Exactly! Smoky Mountain Wrestling didn't send enough security. When my boys walked into that Hooters restaurant, those waitresses went wild! We couldn’t even see my men. They were surrounded. DUTCH: I knew they were there. We just couldn’t see them. Sherri, you are always a woman of your word. SHERRI: They were screaming! They were climbing all over the place! I had to get my boys out of there before somebody got hurt! LES: So when do we finally meet them? SHERRI: At the end of today's show. LES: Here? SHERRI: No. SHERRI: A secret location in Knoxville. LES: A secret location? SHERRI: That's right. The camera man and I are leaving right now. LES: Sherri— SHERRI: Bye, Les. [Sherri kisses Les on the cheek and leaves.] DUTCH: I'm sick. LES: Dutch, I think I need a moment. DUTCH: You need a cold shower. LES: Let's go to break. [Dick Murdoch enters to boos.] DUTCH: Now this is my kind of wrestler. He means business. LES: Captain Redneck Dick Murdoch is certainly one of the toughest men in wrestling. Murdoch batters Dixie Dynamite and eventually catches the masked fan favorite with a devastating Brainbuster. REFEREE: ONE! TWO! THREE! LES: Dick Murdoch wins but maybe Commissioner Bob should take a look at that finishing move. It does resemble the piledriver if you ask me. DUTCH: Captain Redneck just drove him straight into the mat. Nothing illegal there. This is professional wrestling Les… not Hop Scotch like you used to play. [Murdoch comes to the interview podium.] MURDOCH: I'll tell you something. I ain't real happy right now. LES: What's wrong? MURDOCH: Ivan Koloff. LES: The Russian Bear? MURDOCH: Yeah. Seems like Ivan's left town because of that little mishap we had against Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels. DUTCH: He's talking about the punch. MURDOCH: It was an accident. I got a lot of respect for Ivan Koloff. He's been in this business a long time, he's one of the toughest men I've ever met, and I hope he understands that. [Dory Funk Jr. enters.] DORY FUNK JR.: Dick Murdoch! MURDOCH: Dory Funk. DORY: I'm looking for a partner. MURDOCH: For what? DORY: The Freebirds. DUTCH: Oh, boy. DORY: Michael Hayes interfered at K-Town Showdown. Nobody interferes with a Funk! MURDOCH: I like where this is going. DORY: My brother Terry would be the perfect partner. MURDOCH: But he's up north with WWF commitments. DORY: Exactly. So if my brother can't be here, what better than my brother from West Texas? [Dory extends his hand.] DORY: Dick? MURDOCH: You got yourself a partner! [Handshake.] MURDOCH: Let's go beat some Freebird hide! DUTCH: This could get ugly. Just the way people from West Texas like it. LES: It almost certainly will. [Ron Wright is wheeled to the podium with the Dirty White Boys standing behind him.] RON WRIGHT: Well, I'll tell ya, Les, this here is one of the finest days ever in the history of Smoky Mountain Wrestling! LES: Why's that, Ron? WRIGHT: Because my boys have finally got themselves a tag team title shot! DIRTY WHITE BOY #1: That's right! WRIGHT: In two weeks, right here in Knoxville, we're gonna take on Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett for those here tag titles! DIRTY WHITE BOY #2: And we ain't asking for those titles. DIRTY WHITE BOY #1: We're taking 'em! WRIGHT: That's right! My boys ain't gonna wrestle those championships away from 'em. WRIGHT: They're gonna bully those titles away from 'em! DUTCH: I like this strategy. LES: Of course you do. WRIGHT: And when we get those titles, maybe I'll finally have enough money to get these surgeries and get myself back up on my own two feet! DUTCH: Now that's something I can support. LES: I have a feeling there's more to Ron Wright's plans than helping himself walk again. MATCH #4 — RON GARVIN vs. KILLER KYLE Now this a brawl. LES: This has been a slugfest from the opening bell! DUTCH: Killer Kyle is giving Garvin everything he's got. Kyle attempts to press the advantage, but Garvin absorbs the punishment and finally catches him with a massive right hand. DUTCH: That's not a wrestling move! It's a punch! LES: And you had no problem when Killer Kyle used the same move! DUTCH: Exactly! REFEREE: ONE! TWO! THREE! [Bell.] DUTCH: He punched him! LES: Ron Garvin wins! [Garvin walks to the desk and Dutch is just staring him down. GARVIN: What's your problem, Dutch? DUTCH: I just told Les…. That wasn't wrestling. GARVIN: You don't like how I wrestle? DUTCH: No. GARVIN: Then get in the ring and do something about it. DUTCH: Well— LES: Dutch? DUTCH: I'm an announcer! GARVIN: That's what I thought. [Crowd laughs.] DUTCH: I'm not afraid of you! GARVIN: Then prove it. DUTCH: Where is that King Kong Bundy? [Commissioner Bob Armstrong enters.] BOB: That's enough! Ron, I've got some news for you. GARVIN: What is it? BOB: Wrestling fans … Do you remember the Southern Championship? It was defended here in Knoxville and was the major championship in nine southern states. LES: I certainly remember that title. It was a huge deal here in the South. Second only to the world title I believe. BOB: Well, folks, Ron Garvin was the Southern Champion in 1979. GARVIN: And I never lost that title. BOB: You're right. The title was stripped from you by then-promoter Ron Fuller because you wanted to be a fighting champion and defend it throughout the South and he wouldn’t let you leave Knoxville with that title. DUTCH: That's ancient history. BOB: Maybe to you. BOB: But I recently won a major court case in Knox County Court establishing that Ron Garvin was wrongly stripped of that championship. GARVIN: You're kidding me! BOB: I'm not kidding. DUTCH: I think I know where this is going and I’m going to be sick again. BOB: In two weeks, right here in Knoxville, Ron Garvin gets a Southern Championship match! GARVIN: Against who? BOB: The irony is... the current Southern Champion is Tennessee Stud Robert Fuller. Garvin's face changes as he starts to smile. GARVIN: Robert Fuller? BOB: That's right. GARVIN: I've waited over ten years for this. DUTCH: This is completely unfair to the Fuller family! GARVIN: Dutch, you better worry about yourself. BOB: Congratulations, Ron. You've waited a long time. Now you get your opportunity. Garvin raises his fist as the crowd cheers. MAIN EVENT: WILDFIRE TOMMY RICH & BRAD ARMSTRONG vs. THE DIRTY WHITE BOYS [Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong receive a huge ovation.] LES: Here we go! Our main event! DUTCH: And here comes Ron Wright's army. [Ron Wright is wheeled to ringside with the Dirty White Boys.] The opening minutes feature Tommy Rich and Brad Armstrong using crisp technical wrestling to gain control. LES: The Armstrong family and Tommy Rich have tremendous teamwork. DUTCH: They're wrestling fair which I’m not a fan of. LES: Of course not. The Dirty White Boys begin bending the rules, using cheap shots and double-team tactics. DUTCH: Now the Dirty White Boys have turned the tide. That's experience. LES: That's cheating. DUTCH: Same thing. Rich and Armstrong eventually answer with a furious brawl. LES: Now we're seeing the fists fly! DUTCH: I thought you just said that was cheating. [Ron Wright begins shouting toward the locker room.] WRIGHT: Get him! Get him now! [Irwin R. Schyster suddenly runs toward the ring.] LES: Wait a minute! Here comes Irwin R. Schyster! DUTCH: Three against two! IRS has joined the attack. Time for Wildfire and Armstrong to pay the Tax Man! REFEREE: [Calling for the bell.] LES: The referee has thrown this match out! DUTCH: Who cares? This is the best part of the show… an Armstrong getting a beating! [Dirty White Boys and IRS continue destroying Rich and Armstrong.] LES: Somebody needs to get out here! [Suddenly, Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels sprint down the aisle.] LES: HERE COME THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS! DUTCH: What are these two brats doing out here. [Jarrett and Michaels hit the ring. Wright's Army immediately retreats.] LES: Jarrett and Michaels have driven them away! [Ron Wright, the Dirty White Boys and IRS back up the aisle laughing and celebrating.] DUTCH: They're not scared! They don’t want to show Jarrett and Michaels anything before their title match in two weeks… Very smart. LES: Very cowardly! DUTCH: They're strategically relocating! LES: They're running, Dutch! [Wright's Army disappears backstage.] DUTCH: You know what? They accomplished what they wanted. LES: They tried to injure two men. DUTCH: Exactly. Professional wrestling. LES: Well, wrestling fans, earlier today Sensational Sherri promised us that we would finally discover the identity of her mysterious tag team. DUTCH: And our cameraman left almost an hour ago with her. LES: Let's go to that location now. [CUT TO OFF-SITE CAMERA.] [The camera shows the area outside Neyland Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus.] SHERRI MARTEL: Okay, everybody. This is it! The moment you've been waiting for! [A limousine approaches.] SHERRI: There they are! [The limo stops.] SHERRI: That's my team! [The limo door begins to crack open.] Suddenly, a large group of Tennessee cheerleaders rush toward the limousine. CHEERLEADERS: AAAAAHHHHH! [The cheerleaders begin screaming and surrounding the limo.] SHERRI: What are you doing?! [The limo begins rocking.] SHERRI: Stop! Stop! CHEERLEADERS: AAAAAHHHHH! SHERRI: Driver! DRIVER! Pull away! [The limo begins moving.] SHERRI: WHO TOLD THEM OUR LOCATION?! [The limo speeds away as the camera struggles to keep up.] SHERRI: WHO?! [The camera cuts abruptly.] LES: Well... I don't think that's what Sherri had in mind. DUTCH: Well at least I got to see cheerleaders. LES: Dutch those girls are half your age. DUTCH: Maybe! LES: What would your wife say? DUTCH: Who? LES: Oh brother. Dutch, you are Dirty! Folks, Smoky Mountain Wrestling returns to Knoxville in just two weeks for another major event! Be sure to get your tickets now. We've got Ron Garvin challenging Tennessee Stud Robert Fuller for the Southern Championship, the Dirty White Boys challenging Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett for the Smoky Mountain Tag Team Championship, and much more! DUTCH: And King Kong Bundy! LES: Yes, Dutch. King Kong Bundy might be in action. DUTCH: And Mr. Perfect! LES: Possible. DUTCH: And me! LES: Hope not. DUTCH: You'd miss me if I wasn't there. LES: Let’s try it so I know for sure. DUTCH: You'd be lonely. LES: Good night, everybody. DUTCH: Good night, fans. And remember: if you want to be smart, listen to Dutch Mantel! LES: Don't do that. DUTCH: Too late. LES: So long from the Smoky Mountains!

Great shows in Phoenix as it showed off the depth of your roster. Some many great matches. The fact that Windham and Martel go head to head in a prelimanary match is WWF like in real life. I also found it interestng that Sabu gets the pin by using the table in a regular match instead of the DQ loss. ECW rules are in effect in AZ! I think this would be a perfect place for this. Just look at the fans at their annual PGA Golf event. They would love this. NIce touch.

Very interesting article. Two things jumped out at me. First, how rare it was for someone 160 pounds to make such a big name for himself; especially as a heel wrestler. Other people of that size might make it as a manager but very few in the ring. Next, I never new how big the wrestling scene was in Winnipeg. I had heard of the AWA going there and also thought that Stu ran some shows in Manitoba but it looks like there were multiple promotions in Winnipeg. Thanks for the article. I enjoy wrestling history.

I love that Cactus Jack comes right in and goes after Lex. Speaking of Lex... Wow, does it say a lot about your roster and your use of your roster when Lex is ranked #8. Looking forward to the Clash.

Awesome job with Summerslam from the angle reviews to the promos to the match write-ups. This took a lot of work. So many choices going forward for Flair. He will have a tough road for sure.

Great job witt title night! While Bad News is always a huge threat, the way you had him walk through the Gauntlet Match makes him look so strong! All the chaos throughout the night would have kep all the fans on the edge of their seats waiting for whats next. Really fun show. Also, while catching up on your last few weeks, I couldn't help but notice the depth of the tag team division. So many teams. Perfect time to bring the National Tag Title back.

Really enjoying all the comedy angles of the UWF so far. Madril has been magic on the mic and I love the Desparados videos. Nice little shoutout to SMW in the News from the Universe.... Thank you. Us little guys need to stand up to the Big Boys!

Really creative start to Winnipeg Wrestling. I agree with Eric that I had no idea how big Caveman was. Loved the song clip. Nice touch! The poor Pink Panthers have gotten off to a rough start. The Dundees are my new favorite stable.... The Book of Dundee was a great touch.

Due to family vacation and lack of time, I thought I would try something new to catch up and keep Smoky Mountain Wrestling on track. So here it is... Magazine style. And yes... AI did help with the cover. Fallout: Fire on the Mountain Smoky Mountain Wrestling’s Fire on the Mountain left the fans talking, but the fallout from the wild night in Chattanooga may be even more explosive than the action inside the ring. Smoky Mountain Commissioner “Bullet” Bob Armstrong came down hard on two of the territory’s most controversial figures, issuing fines to both Dutch Mantel and Ron Wright. Mantel received the largest fine in Smoky Mountain Wrestling history — $2,000 — for throwing a fireball directly into the face of Ahmed Johnson. “I’ve seen just about everything in this business,” an angry Armstrong said. “But throwing a fireball into a man’s face has no place in Smoky Mountain Wrestling. Dutch Mantel crossed the line, and he is going to pay for it. Two thousand dollars is the largest fine I’ve ever handed out, and frankly, he should consider himself lucky that’s all he got.” Mantel, however, claims Armstrong is simply protecting his favorites. “Steve Armstrong and Ahmed Johnson have been cheating their entire time in Smoky Mountain Wrestling, and that biased commissioner has done absolutely nothing about it,” Mantel fired back. “But the minute I fight fire with fire, suddenly I’m the bad guy? Bob Armstrong has made it clear that there are two sets of rules around here.” Wright was also fined, receiving a $500 penalty after giving his man, Irwin R. Schyster, a chisel that was used during the wild six-man tag team battle involving Steve and Brad Armstrong. “I did absolutely nothing wrong,” Wright protested. “I am a Christian man! I have done so much good for the sport of rasslin’, and this is the thanks I get? Bob Armstrong knows that I need money for the much-needed surgeries that will allow me to walk again. He is trying to prevent me from making that money!” While controversy dominated the aftermath, there was plenty of good news for the Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions. TNT, Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels appear to have finally settled their war with “The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff and “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch. The champions scored a huge victory by defeating Koloff in his own specialty — the Russian Chain Match. If this is indeed the end of the feud, the champions certainly finished it in impressive fashion. And then there was the main event. Smoky Mountain Champion Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy proved once again why he is considered one of the very best in professional wrestling when he went toe-to-toe with the dangerous Stan “The Man” Hansen. The two battered each other in a wild, hard-hitting contest that eventually became so chaotic that the referee had no choice but to disqualify both men. A double disqualification may not have produced a definitive winner, but one thing is certain: Terry Gordy proved he belongs at the top of Smoky Mountain Wrestling. With Mantel and Wright furious, Hansen still hunting the championship, and the tag team champions riding high, the fallout from Fire on the Mountain promises to shake Smoky Mountain Wrestling to its foundation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the Mat: K-Town Showdown Smoky Mountain Wrestling — Knoxville Civic Center — August 22, 1991 If there was ever any question about whether Smoky Mountain Wrestling belonged on the same stage as the mighty World Wrestling Federation, K-Town Showdown put those questions to rest. On August 22, the Knoxville Civic Center became a battleground as the upstart SMW joined forces with the WWF from up north for a night packed with championship pride, bitter rivalries, wild brawls and more than a few surprises. The evening opened with Killer Kyle overpowering “Jumping” Joey Mags. Mags showed plenty of heart, but Kyle was simply too powerful. A crushing sidewalk slam put the fan favorite down for the three-count. The Southern Boys, Tracy Smothers and Steve Armstrong, were next, taking on the Dirty White Boys. What started as a heated tag team battle ended in controversy when Dirty White Boy #1 smashed a chair over Armstrong’s head, forcing the disqualification. The Southern Boys got the victory, but the Dirty White Boys certainly left their mark. Brad Armstrong then gave the Knoxville faithful something to cheer about when he defeated the arrogant “Nature Boy” Buddy Landel. Armstrong caught Landel in an abdominal stretch and brilliantly turned the move into a lateral roll and cradle for the pin. What a move by the fan favorite! Things took a much darker turn when King Kong Bundy met Stunning Steve Austin. With Dirty Dutch Mantel distracting Austin, Bundy seized the opportunity and crushed him with the Avalanche before delivering the five-count. Austin never had a chance to recover. Then came one of the most disturbing moments of the night. Irwin R. Schyster, managed by the sinister Ron Wright, defeated Wahoo McDaniel after Wright handed IRS a chisel. Schyster used the weapon to bloody Wahoo before finishing him with the devastating Samoan Drop-Airplane Spin combination. Ron Garvin scored a wild victory over “The Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff after “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch tried to interfere. Murdoch accidentally struck Koloff, allowing Garvin to unleash huge right hands on both men and score the three-count. Koloff was furious afterward, and the two had a heated confrontation. Then came the match everybody will be talking about for years: Tommy “Wildfire” Rich vs. Jerry “The King” Lawler in a Tennessee Street Fight. It was nothing short of a war. When the dust finally settled, Wildfire drove Lawler into the mat with a piledriver for the victory. Normally, that move is outlawed in Smoky Mountain Wrestling—but in a Tennessee Street Fight, there are no rules! The semi-main event featured champion vs. champion as SMW Tag Team Champions Shawn Michaels and Jeff Jarrett faced WWF Tag Team Champions Power and Glory, Paul Roma and Hercules. The match appeared to be slipping away from SMW when Slick managed to get involved and create an opening. Hercules locked Shawn in the full nelson, and when Michaels appeared to be unconscious, Jarrett had no choice but to throw in the towel. But nothing could prepare Knoxville for the main event. Smoky Mountain Champion Terry Gordy vs. WWF Champion Terry Funk was an absolute bloodbath. Momentum swung back and forth, but every time Gordy appeared ready to put Funk away, his brother Dory Funk Jr. found a way to interfere. Finally, the referee was knocked down, and the Funk brothers began laying into Gordy. The champion appeared to be in serious trouble. Then—Freebird Michael Hayes hit the ring! Hayes evened the odds, and suddenly the Civic Center exploded as the Funk brothers battled the Freebirds. It was the kind of wild, chaotic brawl that only professional wrestling can produce. In the end, the Freebirds won the fight, and the moment Knoxville will remember came afterward. Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy stood together in the center of the ring, embraced, and soaked in the deafening roar of the fans. K-Town Showdown proved that Smoky Mountain Wrestling may be the new kid on the block—but it can fight with anybody. And after a night like this, everybody is going to want to see what happens next. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHO IS SHERRI BRINGING TO SMOKY MOUNTAIN WRESTLING? The mystery sweeping the Smoky Mountain territory! For the past two weeks, one question has been on the lips of practically everybody in Smoky Mountain Wrestling: Who in the world is Sherri Martel bringing to the territory? Sherri made her first SMW appearance two weeks ago and immediately turned heads when she promised to “turn up the heat” with a tag team she described as “the best, the sexiest, and the hottest team ever to come to this territory.” During her appearance, Sherri spent plenty of time flirting with commentator Les Thatcher, leaving the veteran announcer looking more smitten than he has in years. “I've interviewed a lot of people in this business,” Thatcher admitted, “but there is something about Sherri Martel. She knows exactly what she wants, and I can't wait to find out who she's bringing. Frankly, I'm hoping she tells me first!” Dutch Mantel isn't nearly as surprised by the commotion. “Look, I've known Sherri long enough to know one thing,” Mantel said. “Whatever she says she's gonna deliver, she delivers. If Sherri says she's bringing the hottest tag team in wrestling, then you'd better believe we're gonna have some serious competition around here.” The Smoky Mountain Tag Team Champions, Jeff Jarrett and Shawn Michaels, aren't exactly shaking in their boots. “Sherri says she's bringing the hottest team ever?” Michaels laughed. “Well, she's already got two of the hottest guys in wrestling right here!” Jarrett added, “We've already taken care of Destruction Company, and we've beaten Ivan Koloff and Dick Murdoch. Whoever Sherri brings, they're going to find out why we're the champions.” And then came perhaps the strangest development yet. Sherri invited SMW cameras to meet her mystery team at a local Hooters. Unfortunately, the cameraman came back empty-handed! Apparently, the moment Sherri's team arrived, the beautiful waitresses surrounded them in such an excited frenzy that the camera crew couldn't get a clear shot of either wrestler. “It's like they were seeing Elvis!” one witness claimed. So the mystery continues. Who are Sherri's mystery men? Why has she kept their identities secret? And just how “hot” can things get in Smoky Mountain Wrestling? For Les Thatcher, Dutch Mantel, Jeff Jarrett, Shawn Michaels and every SMW fan, there is only one question left: WHO IS SHERRI BRINGING TO TOWN? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is Dutch Mantel the Dirtiest Man in Smoky Mountain Wrestling? If there is one question being debated throughout the Smoky Mountain Wrestling territory, it is this: Is “Dirty” Dutch Mantel the dirtiest man in professional wrestling? After everything that has happened between Dutch Mantel, Stunning Steve Austin and Ahmed Johnson, there may not be much debate left. The trouble began with Mantel’s bitter feud with Stunning Steve Austin. Dutch quickly discovered that Austin wasn't intimidated by his threats, so he turned to his favorite weapon—his bullwhip, “Shoo Baby.” When Austin continued coming after him, Mantel decided he needed protection. His answer was Ahmed Johnson. Johnson proved to be an outstanding bodyguard. No matter what Commissioner Bob Armstrong said or did, Ahmed made sure Stunning Steve Austin couldn't get anywhere near Dutch. For Mantel, it was the perfect arrangement. He had a dangerous man standing between himself and Austin, and Dutch could continue doing what Dutch does best. But there was one problem: Dutch didn't seem to want to pay Ahmed. According to Johnson, Mantel actually claimed that Ahmed should be paying him for teaching him the wrestling business! That arrangement didn't last long. When Johnson finally decided he had enough of Mantel's excuses and began turning against his former employer, Dutch resorted to perhaps his dirtiest trick yet. Mantel called the police. He accused Johnson of stalking him and attacking him, telling a story that many around Smoky Mountain Wrestling considered completely outrageous. Johnson was actually arrested and spent a short period in jail. But Dutch still wasn't sleeping comfortably. He was still terrified of Stunning Steve Austin, so Mantel went looking for another bodyguard—and this time he found a monster. King Kong Bundy. While Bundy kept Ahmed Johnson away from Mantel, Johnson had only one thing on his mind after getting out of jail: finding Dutch Mantel and collecting the money he believed he was owed. Bundy made sure Ahmed couldn't get close. That changed when Commissioner Bob Armstrong had enough and ordered a tag team showdown: Stunning Steve Austin and Ahmed Johnson vs. Dutch Mantel and King Kong Bundy. The match took place at Fire on the Mountain in Chattanooga, and what happened next may have been Mantel's most disgraceful act yet. Rather than fight, Dutch tried to end Ahmed Johnson's wrestling career permanently, throwing a fireball directly into Johnson's face. Commissioner Armstrong responded by handing Mantel a record $2,000 fine. But will it change Dutch Mantel? Don't count on it. The bullwhip, the bodyguards, the police story and now the fireball all tell the same story. Dutch Mantel doesn't play fair. He doesn't play nice. And he certainly doesn't plan on changing his ways. In Smoky Mountain Wrestling, that may make him more than just “Dirty” Dutch. It may make him the dirtiest man in the entire territory. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rumor Mill Is the Russian Bear Ready to Walk Away? The usually cold and calculating “Russian Bear” Ivan Koloff is reportedly furious with his tag team partner, “Captain Redneck” Dick Murdoch, following a recent match with Ron Garvin. During the bout, Murdoch accidentally caught Koloff with a hard punch, leaving the Russian Bear seeing red. Koloff has not been quick to accept the explanation that it was simply an accident. “I do not know if Dick Murdoch punch me by accident,” Koloff said. “He is American, and Americans are not always very smart. Maybe he make mistake. Maybe he make mistake on purpose. I do not know!” Murdoch, however, insists there was nothing intentional about the blow. “I hit Ivan by accident, plain and simple,” Murdoch said. “I’ve known that man a long time, and I consider him my friend. But if Ivan wants to throw away our friendship over one punch, that’s his business. I never back down from a fight!” Now, rumor has it that Koloff has left Smoky Mountain Wrestling temporarily to think things over. Is this the end of one of the most dangerous tag teams in the territory, or will the Russian Bear and Captain Redneck settle their differences? Is Mr. Perfect Coming to Smoky Mountain? The biggest rumor currently circulating through Smoky Mountain Wrestling concerns one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the world—“Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig. Hennig has already built a tremendous reputation, including championship success wherever he goes. His arrival would instantly give SMW one of the most technically gifted performers in the business. And apparently Hennig has his eyes on Smoky Mountain Champion Terry Gordy. Sources say Hennig was impressed watching Gordy hold his own against the likes of Stan Hansen and Terry Funk. But don't mistake admiration for fear. Hennig reportedly believes Hansen and Funk are great wrestlers—but simply aren't in his league. “Stan Hansen and Terry Funk are tough,” Hennig reportedly said. “But they aren't in my league. Then again, who is?” If Mr. Perfect really does walk through the Smoky Mountain doors, Terry Gordy may have just found his most technically dangerous challenger yet.

Fun show rhis week with some great writing with the back and forth between Madril and Bruno. Nice opening with the fans getting what they want with a babyface win over a known name like Koloff. I think your tag team division is shaping up nicely. Some good feuds on the horizon. It will be interesting to see who steps up for the babyface side of this division.