1983 Mid-Atlantic TV gems thread

[Sean Liska]

It's one of the most important years any wrestling company has ever had - Mid-Atlantic in 1983 builds up a Steamboast/Youngblood-Slaughter/Kernodle match that causes a legendary traffic jam in Greensboro. And it leads to the creation of Starrcade, closed-circuit, indirectly to PPV, a million different things. You all know the story, this place is smart. While pieces of episodes from this year have previously been available, we now have entire episodes from the first 10 months up on the WWE Network.

 

So my goal here is to just post when I see something significant, and Mid-Atlantic experts can let me know if it's new or something in circulation.

[Sean Liska]

The 1/1 episode has some Final Conflict build with Kernodle not releasing a cobra clutch on Tommy GIlbert and Steamboast making the save. Kernodle cuts an angry promo saying Slaughter is at the White House for an important event but they promise to finish Steamboat and Youngblood in 83,

 

Masa Fuchi was in Mid-Atlantic? And he's facing Ricky Steamboat? If that's not the point of this thread, I don't know what is. Solid TV match built around Fuchi working Steamboat's arm.

 

Steamboat cuts a promo after his match, Kernodle interrupts, a brawl ensues, and it continues through the entire closing credits. Good stuff.

[Sean Liska]

1/8:

Slater/Orton//Brisco-Dory/Valentine/Red Dog Lane: Solid match, maybe not as good as you would think with the talent involved. Seeing Orton as a face is fun. But the big story if Slater turning heel and joining the House of Humperdink (Humperdink is managing all the heels here). The heels all attack and Piper comes out for the save.

Don Kernodle has a match with Johnny Weaver. Steamboat is at ringside,and somehow Kernodle gets a hold of Ricky's coat and tears it up. But wait! It's a trick! Steamboat was actually wearing Kernodle's jacket, Kernodle tore up his own clothes! Slaughter comes out and yells about how he bought the coat for Kernodle and it cost him $300, I love this,

There's a ton of Humperdink on these shows, who's solid, but if they had a Heenan/Hart/Cornette level guy the territory would really be flying.

[Sean Liska]

Bit of a gem on 1/22 at the 27 minute mark with Piper and Slater having a fun verbal duel and then pull-apart brawl.

[Sean Liska]

2/12 has the crazy Steamboat/Youngblood-Slaughter/Kernodle brawl that I think was on that Jim Nelson set, also has Sandy Scott telling Sarge and Kernodle that there will be a cage match in March,

[Sean Liska]

If you ever wanted to see Ric Flair vs. Masa Fuchi, check out 3/12.

[Flyin' Brian]

Haven't got to dive into the Mid Atlantic yet, but I'm looking forward to seeing what else you find, Sean. Thanks for the thread.

[peachchaos]

Unfortunately there are some major pieces of the Final Conflict storyline missing from the Network. Mid Atlantic Gateway has the details on all the missing content.

 

 

A full three weeks of shows (2/19, 2/26, and 3/5) are missing leading up to the huge and historic Greensboro cage match featuring Sgt. Slaughter and Don Kernodle vs. Ricky Steamboat and Jay Youngblood. This show is known generally as the "Final Conflict" and was the show that convinced Jim Crockett Promotions to try closed-circuit events, which led to the first Starrcade later that year.

[PeteF3]

Hopefully they drop at a later time. I remember when the '88-'89 episodes of WCW dropped, the first thing I sought out was the Original Midnight Express debut, only to find that episode skipped. It did show up afterward.

[Sean Liska]

4/16 is a really fun show. A good Rotundo-Fuchi match, hot angle with Valiant and Kabuki, hot angle with Slaughter/Kernodle-Steamboat/Youngblood, good promos throughout the show, this show had some juice, good stuff.

[Sean Liska]

I'm still working through these!

 

The 5/21/83 episode has a real gem! I want to limit my spoilers here, but the Briscoes officially go full heel here, and it's a great segment, starts at 17:30. Also, at the end of the show, Paul Jones reveals the huge portrait of himself and the contest to win it, hilarious stuff.