Thoughts on the DVDVR Memphis set

[floyd]

Floyd - Memphis Disk #2:

 

I'm way late, but hopefully I can manage to catch up before the deadline:

 

Here's my Disk #2 picks:

 

1. Ricky Morton & Eddie Gilbert vs. Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl) (9/4/81) [bLUESKIES-3] - Awesome brawl that went everywhere. Even today it still holds up. Mustard + Blood + hysterical mark wives!

2. Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (Barbed Wire Match) (3/29/82) [bLUESKIES-8] - Exhausting rematch in barbed wire. This time it's Mantell who drops the straps!

3. Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (No DQ) (3/22/82) [bLUESKIES-6] - Good match for the Southern title. And a clean finish!

4. Bobby Eaton & Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Dutch Mantell & King Cobra (7/19/82) [bLUESKIES-10]- Fun Midnight Express type match with a hot crowd. Whoa, check out Koko's insane bump out of the ring at the end!

5. Jerry Lawler vs. Ric Flair (8/14/82) [bLUESKIES-12] - Flair brings a touch of class to Memphis but discovers Lawler's a pool shark. Blending the angle and the match seamlessly is awesome TV. Plus what a great open-ended angle. Even as Flair is off defending the belt, The Flair/Lawler feud could continue because he hired Hart to take him out. Then when Flair finally comes back to Memphis for the big match is already hot. Sad to hear the big Flair/Lawler rematch didn't take place (Did it?).

 

6. Stan Lane & Koko Ware vs. Eddie Gilbert & Ricky Morton (No DQ, 2/3 Falls) (10/81) [bLUESKIES-5] - Cool old school house match playing up to the crowd. Hey ref, Koko's got a chain! Reminded me of watching wrestling live as a kid.

7. Bill Dundee, Steve Keirn, Rick & Robert Gibson vs. Dream Machine, Nightmare #1 & Heartbreakers (7/25/81) [bLUESKIES-1] - Great short TV match with all action.

8. Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantell (Loser Leaves Town) (3/27/82) [bLUESKIES-7] - Lawler proves the Spaceballs proverb of "Evil will always win because good is dumb".

9. Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee vs. Masa Fuchi & Atsushi Onita (8/1/81) [bLUESKIES-2] - Fuchi/Onita were a fun tag team.

10. BONUS MATCH: Dream Machine & Bill Dundee Vs. Kevin Sullivan & Wayne Ferris - Lawler' bump down the stairs was something else.

 

11. Masa Fuchi, Atsushi Onita & Tojo Yamamoto vs. Roy Rogers, Rick & Robert Gibson (9/5/81) [bLUESKIES-4]

12. Bill Dundee vs. Bobby Eaton (7/24/82) [bLUESKIES-11] - Jimmy Hart gets kept in check.

13. Bill Dundee vs. Sweet Brown Sugar (2/3 falls, Scaffold Match) (6/21/82) [bLUESKIES-9] - The idea of 2/3 falls is insane. I guess I'm a mark but scaffold matches are still the scariest for me to watch. As far as scaffold matches go this was really good though.

 

*****************

 

I know my picks are a bit different then some of the others I've seen. Feel free to comment or discuss!

[floyd]

Almost finished with Disk #5. I hoping I can still make the deadline!

 

Floyd - Memphis Disk #3:

 

1. Jerry Lawler vs. Nick Bockwinkel (No DQ) (11/8/82) [WINNING-4] - Bockwinkle throws out his scientific AWA wrestling and goes all Memphis on Lawler.

 

2. Jerry Lawler vs. Nick Bockwinkel (10/25/82) [WINNING-3]

3. Bill Dundee vs. Adrian Street, Miss Linda & Jim Cornette (Lumberjack Strap Match) (2/6/83) [WINNING-13]

4. Jerry Lawler vs. Nick Bockwinkel (10/18/82) [WINNING-2]

5. Ronnie Garvin vs. Randy Savage (Cage Match) (ICW 1982/83) [WINNING-11]

6. Bobby Eaton & Sweet Brown Sugar vs. Jacques Rougeau & Terry Taylor (1/1/83) [WINNING-12]

7. Ronnie Garvin vs. Lanny Poffo (ICW 1982/83) [WINNING-10]

8. Bill Dundee & Bobby Fulton vs. Bobby Eaton & Sweet Brown Sugar (11/15/82) [WINNING-7]

9. Fabulous Ones vs. The New York Dolls (2/3 Falls) (11/13/82) [WINNING-6]

10. Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell & Terry Taylor vs. Bobby Eaton, Sweet Brown Sugar, Rick McGraw & Sabu (12/4/82) [WINNING-9]

 

11. Bill Dundee & Jerry Lawler vs. Adrian Street & Apocalypse (11/27/82) [WINNING-8] - Big thanks to goodhelmet for including the Apocalypse video!

12. Jackie Fargo vs. Jimmy Hart (11/8/82) [WINNING-5]

13. New York Dolls vs. Steve Regal & Spike Huber (10/4/82) [WINNING-1]

 

Floyd - Memphis Disk #4:

 

1. Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee (Loser Leaves Town) (6/6/83) [EWY-6] - It's loser leaves town FOREVER for the Southern title!

 

2. Fabulous Ones vs. Moondogs (6/13/83) [EWY-7]

3. Fabulous Ones vs. The Moondogs (Stretcher Match) (5/2/83) [EWY-4]

4. Jerry Lawler vs. Randy Savage (Cage Match) (12/12/83) [EWY-16]

5. Austin Idol vs. Stan Hansen (Texas Bullrope Match) (10/3/83) [EWY-11]

6. Koko Ware vs. Tommy Rogers (10/24/83) [EWY-13]

7. Fabulous Ones vs. Bobby Eaton & Duke Myers (Hair vs. Titles) (5/16/83) [EWY-5]

8. Jerry Lawler & Austin Idol vs. Jesse Ventura & Stan Hansen (9/25/83) [EWY-10]

9. Bill Dundee vs. Tommy Rogers (11/7/83) [EWY-14]

10. Austin Idol vs. Stan Hansen (Bunkhouse Match) (10/10/83) [EWY-12]

 

11. Fabulous Ones vs. The Moondogs (4/4/83) [EWY-3]

12. Jerry Lawler & Cowboy Lang vs. Plowboy Frazier & Little Tokyo (12/24/83) [EWY-17]

13. Bill Dundee vs. Terry Taylor (4/4/83) [EWY-2]

14. Bill Dundee vs. Assassin #1 (9/25/83) [EWY-9]

15. Dutch Mantel, Koko Ware, Bobby Eaton & Jaguar vs. The Grapplers & Bruise Brothers (12/10/83) [EWY-15]

16. Rock N Roll Express & Bobby Eaton vs. The Moondogs & Jimmy Hart (7/25/83) [EWY-8]

17. Dutch Mantell, Steve O & The Fabulous Ones vs. Adrian Street, Jesse Barr & The Sheepherders (Stipulations Match) (3/28/83) [EWY-1]

[AA484]

So, I have OCD and like to have things chronologically ordered.  This adds context to the matches watching the promos and angles leading up to it.  GH already had dates for many of these "extra" or "bonus" segments but I've tried to pinpoint exact dates for all of the segments.  I've made it through 1983.  1982 was tough.  1980 and 1981, interestingly enough, were pretty easy.

The matches were all pretty accurately dated so I only did it for the extras.  Segments are dated by the Memphis television air date.  If it didn't not air on television, I used the date of the card it was filmed (mostly for extra matches from the coliseum).

1980

Memphis Music: "Bad News" (pre-1980)
Memphis Music: "Son of a Gypsy" (pre-1980)
BONUS: Wayne Ferris & Larry Latham vs. Rick & Robert Gibson (Concession Stand Brawl) (3/29/80 TV)
More Memphis Extras: Jerry Lawler Contract Signing (5/31/80 TV)
Special Moments: Jimmy Valiant Commercial (9/27/80 TV)
Extra Matches: Battle Royal (11/22/80 TV)
More Memphis Moments: Tommy Rich's Mother (11/22/80 TV)

1981

Joe LeDuc: Joe LeDuc Special (1/18/81 TV)
More Memphis Moments: Austin Idol Promo (2/7/81 TV)
Extra Matches: Jerry Lawler vs. Hulk Hogan (Arena Clips) (2/9/81 Coliseum)
More Memphis Moments: Diamante Negro (2/14/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart Retirement Recap (4/4/81 TV)
More Memphis Moments: Dutch Mantel Interview (4/11/81 TV)
BONUS: 1981 Terry Funk Promo #1 (4/11/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart + Jimmy Kent (5/2/81 TV)
BONUS: 1981 Terry Funk Promo #2 (5/9/81 TV)
BONUS: 1981 Terry Funk Promo #3 (5/16/81 TV)
BONUS: Louisville Brawl (6/6/81 TV)
The First Family: First Family Picnic (6/20/81 TV)
The First Family: The New Southern Champion (6/27/81 TV)
The First Family: "We Are Family" (6/27/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart vs. Jerry Lawler (Arena Highlights) (7/4/81 TV)
The First Family: First Family Interview (7/11/81 TV)
The First Family: Buddy Wayne vs. Jerry Lawler (7/25/81 TV)
The First Family: Tarred and Feathered (8/1/81 TV)
The First Family: Tarred and Feathered (8/8/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart + Steve Keirn (8/15/81 TV)
Music Videos: Jerry Lawler (My Way) (8/22/81 TV)
The First Family: "Alley Oop" (8/22/81 TV)
The First Family: Oldies Medley Music Video (Jerry Lawler vs. Jimmy Hart feud) (8/29/81 TV)
More Memphis Moments: Miss Macho Man (ICW) (9/12/81 TV)
Music Videos: Jimmy Valiant (Boy From New York City) (9/12/81 TV)
The First Family: Koko Ware + First Family (9/12/81 TV)
The First Family: Rick Gibson vs. Nightmare & Speed (9/26/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart + Tojo Yamamoto (10/3/81 TV)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart + Tojo Yamamoto (10/10/81 TV)
The First Family: "Big Bird" (10/31/81 TV)
The First Family: Dutch Mantel vs. The Shadow (11/7/81 TV)
The First Family: Jerry Lawler vs. Super Destroyer Feud (11/14/81 TV)
Andy Kaufman: Andy Kaufman comes to Memphis (11/23/81 Coliseum) (For the Kaufman clips, I dated it by the latest dated segment in the chapter)
The First Family: Jimmy Hart vs. Dennis Upton (12/26/81 TV)

I'll follow up tomorrow with what I have from 1982.

[AA484]

1982

The First Family: Stan Lane quits the First Family (1/23/82 TV)
Extra Matches: Norvell Austin vs. Steve Keirn (Part 1) (1/23/82 TV)
Andy Kaufman: Andy Kaufman Promos + Jerry Lawler Promos (1/30/82 TV) [I had no idea where to place these. Lawler was obviously interviewed on the Saturday morning program but I'm not sure this episode is part of the existing episodes that we have.  He was also introduced as the Southern champion.  If we are to believe that these are on "lost" episodes, the only ones from 1982 that would match up with Lawler being Southern champ and air prior to the Kaufman match are 1/30/82 and 2/6/82 -- neither of which are currently out there.  So I'm going with one of those dates.]
The First Family: We Hate School (2/27/82 TV)
Music Videos: Jerry Lawler vs. Dutch Mantel (The Winner Takes It All) (2/27/82 TV)
Extra Matches: Norvell Austin vs. Steve Keirn (Part 2) (2/27/82 TV)
Andy Kaufman: Andy Kaufman vs. Jerry Lawler (4/5/82 Coliseum footage)
The First Family: Ricky Gibson Interview / The First Familly attacks Robert Gibson (4/10/82 TV)
More Memphis Moments: Sonny King & Jerry Lawler Interviews (4/17/82 TV) [This airdate may be on the following week's program because I don't recall seeing it on 4/17.  I do not have 4/24].
Promos & Interviews: Ronnie Garvin (on Ox Baker) (ICW) (6/10/82 TV) [The ICW Universe site implies that this happened on the 6/10 show, so that's what I'm going with]
Andy Kaufman: The David Letterman Show (7/28/82 Letterman Show airdate)
BONUS: Kamala + Jimmy Hart (8/28/82 TV)
Promos & Interviews: Ronnie Garvin (on Pez Watley) (ICW) (Summer 1982) [ICW dates are impossible, but Pez started using the "king" moniker around summer of '82, so I'm placing this here]
Extra Matches: Al Snow & Big Boy Williams vs. Ronnie Garvin & Hoot Gibson (ICW) (August 1982) [ICW Universe guesses August 1982 for this match, which is good enough for me]
BONUS: Jim Cornette + Jerry Lawler + Bill Dundee (9/4/82 TV)
The First Family: New York Dolls (9/25/82 TV)
Fabulous: Introducing The Fabulous Ones (10/9/82 TV)
Music Videos: Terry Taylor (Some Days Are Diamonds) (11/20/82 TV)
Fabulous: Music Video (Keep Me Satisfied) (12/18/82 TV)