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[1990-06-16-USWA-Championship Sports] John Tatum nervous breakdown


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  • 1 month later...

Tatum is still trying to show how much of a changed man he is. He feels guilty for covering a jobber after sidestepping a charge into the corner. He picks him up to hug him in the post-match, then superkicks him. A heckling fan calls him a jerk and he responds by THROWING THE GUY INTO THE CROWD. People start screaming and the woman who was already standing up to yell at him says that he could have hurt someone. He immediately apologizes, freaks out and runs away. Just unbelievable.

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Tatum dodges a dropkick in the corner by Todd Overbow who crotches himself on the turnbuckle. Tatum profusely apologizes for this and rather guiltily pins him. He gives him an apologetic hug after the match, then superkicks him when he turns his back. Then he takes exception to a ringside fan calling him a jerk and fucking HEAVES Overbow directly at the fans. And he didn't throw him "into the crowd," he threw him AT people--presumably honest-to-God paying fans. Then Tatum apologizes again and runs to the back.

 

Now I'm really wishing we could see what Jerry Jarrett could do on a national stage, at least when he still had some zip on his booking fastball. The Memphis and Texas promotions are putting out what are easily the two most fascinating angles of the moment.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Tatum’s opponent misses a charge and crotches himself. John feels bad about winning like this and apologizes. A nice hug too before kicking him in the back. Then it gets real good as he mouths off to a female fan and then throws the jobber into the second row. The female fan reaches out trying to catch him too. That’s what you get for calling Tatum a jerk. Tatum was awesome here.

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  • 4 months later...
  • 6 months later...

I'm pretty sure that Overbow was another that was trained by Chris Adams. I wonder if being thrown headfirst onto the Sportatorium's hardwood floor is on that ABC's of Professional Wrestling Video.

Yes, he was. Austin said on Art of Wrestling that he was the standout in class.
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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 11 months later...

I've never seen anything like that before. It's certainly one way to shut a heckler up. I just hope no one (including Overbow) was seriously hurt.

 

Again, though, Craig takes away from the angle. Where's the sense of outrage? Any announcer worth his salt would have called it the worst moment he's ever seen in wrestling bar none, whether it was true or not. Instead, Craig registers a bit of surprise, a moment or two of befuddlement, and then it's on with business as usual. If he doesn't visibly give a damn about the angle, how can he possibly get it across to the fans at home? If I'd been in Jarrett's shoes, I'd have either been throwing money at Bill Mercer or arranging for a plane to pick up Dave Brown at the Memphis airport right after his early Friday newscast at WMC. Craig's kind of announcing just doesn't cut it in wrestling.

 

Announcing aside, the angle was still fascinating. What could possibly top it?

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  • 5 months later...
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  • 8 months later...

Its John Tatum vs Todd Overbow joined in progress from the Sportatorium. Overbow whips Tatum into the turnbuckles and charges at him, but he moves and Overbow crotches himself. Tatum starts apologizing and saying that he’s sorry, before reluctantly pressing Overbow shoulder’s to the mat for the win. Tatum looks distraught that he’s won and again says that he’s sorry. He lifts Overbow to his feet and gives him a hug, but then superkicks him and Overbow takes a bump over the top rope to the floor that the camera nearly missed. A rather large woman in the front row is on Tatum’s case now calling him a ‘jerk’. He says ‘if she thinks he’s a jerk…’, then lifts Overbow up and throws him right into the audience next to her! Tony Falk comes over and tells him to get out of there and Tatum is all distressed over his actions and starts apologising again!

 

That throw into the crowd was a jaw hits the floor moment for me, so who knows what that woman in the audience thought! This Tatum gimmick is one of the most fascinating things I’ve seen in wrestling in a long time.

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  • GSR changed the title to [1990-06-16-USWA-Championship Sports] John Tatum nervous breakdown

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