Jump to content
TSM Forums
Sign in to follow this  
Guest TSMAdmin

SMW August 5, 1995 (Part 1)

Recommended Posts

Guest TSMAdmin

SMW August 5, 1995 Part 1

 

The last traditional regional wrestling federation in America was Jim Cornette's Smokey Mountain Wrestling. As most of you could probably guess, the company was ran as an old-school federation. Cornette is a well-known advocate of kayfabe and thoroughly enforced it in the SMW. The SMW would run a "fan week" once a year. Basically, the talent would have BBQs or eat restaurants and fans could join them. Of course all of the heels had to eat in one place, the State Park for this instance, while all of the faces ate in a restaurant. There is also footage of the face dinner, but I always preferred the SMW heels, so I bought this tape instead. The fan week also included some big house shows and a Jim Cornette Question & Answer bit. One of these Q & A tapes is critically acclaimed. If I had to guess I would say it was the 1994 Q & A, but don't quote me on that. Seeing how Smokey Mountain was dead by 1996, I would say that this was their final fan week.

 

This tape encompasses most of the SMW events from August 5, 1995, which of course means the Heel BBQ in Morristown, Tennessee. On the very same night, SMW ran Knox County Knockout in Barbourville, Kentucky. The first two matches from that show are also on that tape. This is the reason why I call this tape SMW August 5, 1995 Part 1. Now before you ask me to review Part 2, the truth of the matter is that I don't own the rest of Knox County Knockout, so until I get it, this will have to be enough.

 

If you are interested in buying any SMW Fan Week tapes, I'll link you up when we're all finished. One last piece of information, the night before this, August 4, the SMW held it's second biggest show ever, The Super Bowl of Wrestling, which featured some WWF Superstars like Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. The biggest SMW show ever from was from one year earlier, The Night of Legends.

 

August 5, 1995: SMW Heel Cookout ~ Morristown, Tennessee

 

The tape starts in the parking lot. So far we have Al Snow, The Headbangers, Isaac Yankem (he was in the WWF at this point, but still working dates for Cornette), D-Lo Brown and Bill Apter. I didn't know Mr. PWI was considered a heel, but unfortunately he is here. They chat for a few minutes until Apter decides to start with his incredibly lame wrestler imitations. I don't even know who he is trying to impersonate this time. Bill wants to put the Figure Four on Al, who declines his offer. Glen Jacobs (Unabomb AKA Isaac Yankem AKA Kane) is up for the challenge though. Bill snaps it on and Jacobs seems to be hurting. Al makes the save with a giant stick. Al pretends to be the Sandman, which triggers Thrasher to bring up that he is the only guy who ever fought a sober Sandman. You know what’s funny? Everytime Apter talks everyone else gets real quiet, almost as if they are silently telling him to shut the fuck up.

 

Jim Cornette, one of my all-time favorites in the wrestling business, joins the party. Jim was pretty heavy in 1995. He probably shouldn't have tucked in that skin tight t-shirt he was wearing. It's also weird seeing him in anything but colorful polyester. The late Brian Hildebrand makes a quick cameo. WHY IS CORNETTE WEARING SHORT SHORTS??

 

They have made it past the parking lot into the park. Cornette makes some small talk. They quickly discuss the Undertaker fighting Unabomb on The Super Bowl of Wrestling card. Cornette to Jacobs, "Hey it's good to see you. You still flossing?" Someone asks Glen if he visits Dr. Mike Lano (dentist/wrestling journalist from San Francisco). Just hearing the name causes Cornette to rip Lano a little, although he adds that they have no active heat. Supposedly Meltzer said that they did. Cornette wonders where Meltzer is hiding, he thinks that everyone should check the trees.

 

We jump to Al Snow talking to some people about his negotiations with the WWF and WCW. A lot of background noises here, so it is kind of hard to hear. The gist of it is the WWF flew Al into Stamford and had a limo waiting for him. Whereas WCW, in typical WCW fashion, played phone tag with Al for numerous weeks. Kevin Sullivan also accused him of asking for $160,000. You know, all the usual WCW inane bullshit.

 

Back to Cornette. James E. goes into what makes a good independent wrestling promoter. He brings up the late Dennis Corraluzo as a bad example of a promoter. Instead of thinking about what the fans want, Dennis would think about what he wants. Dennis could have a great card with 10 matches, but the first 3 matches didn't influence the house that he drew, therefore he didn't need to spend money on the 6+ guys who worked those 3 matches. Jimmy Del Ray shows up. "It's better to draw $4,000 and spend $3,000 than draw $10,000 and spend $12,000." Some fat guy behind Cornette is wearing a "Bad Girls Go to Hell" t-shirt.

 

Someone shows Cornette the edition of Wrestling Perspective, which featured an interview with Ronnie Garvin. Garvin had some choice words to say about Cornette in that interview. Cornette, "I'm not gonna say anything bad about Ronnie Garvin because I have always respected him. He is a friend of Tim Horner's and I think that's what the problem is because Tim Horner is a no good piece of shit. He's a thief. He's a liar and he's a fucking jerk." Someone in the back adds that he is jobbing for WCW. Cornette, "It occurs to me that Ronnie hasn't liked anything that has happened since 1963, which in the some cases in the wrestling business is good, but hell Ronnie hasn't liked anything since 1958, which is a little too far back." Buddy Landel stops by and asks why they are talking about Tim Horner. Cornette, "Oh...He's a piece of shit, a thief, a liar, a bum, and he's a lazy bastard." I love you Jimmy. Cornette and Landel remember that they lit Marty Matsunaga's head on fire at last year's BBQ. They think of ways to top that one.

 

Al tells a funny story from an independent show he worked several years earlier. Al does the Full Nelson -> Father Nelson joke on Apter. Everything gets quiet......until Apter goes back to his horrid imitations. They really suck. For a while people laugh at him, but they seem to get sick of his wrestler imitation fetish quickly. Al Snow relates a story of Terry Funk cutting a promo on Sabu. Funk was going on and on about how Sabu couldn't be stopped, but he kept calling him Shampoo. Sabu's reaction after the show, "THAT'S NOT FUCKING FUNNY. WHO THE FUCK DOES HE THINK HE IS? WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHAMPOO SHIT? HE KNOWS MY FUCKING NAME." Landel remembers crossing the border (not sure which) with the Iron Sheik and Ricky Morton. The Sheik had pot stuffed in his pockets. The border patrol recognized all 3 of them, so he offered to show them a big bust they had just made. The border guy unveils two huge suitcases full of marijuana. The Shiek, "UNBELIEVABLE!! How about you give Iron Sheik, WWF World Heavyweight Champion, free sample of American marijuana?" I guess the border patrol took that as a joke because Landel doesn't elaborate anymore on the experience. Landel's relatively young daughter takes a seat, but I think Apter's Capt. Lou Albano impression scared her off. Landel is also wearing short shorts. They must have been "in" for the south in the mid-90's. It's time for some Hulk Hogan/Dungeon of Doom jokes. Cornette tells a story about Thunderbolt Patterson.

 

Al talks about a New Jack-Buddy Landel altercation where New Jack kept yelling, "I AIN'T NO BUDDY LANDEL!!" about 20 times. Buddy hears this and asks Al, "What do you think he means by that." Just as everyone has moved on from the imitations, Apter feels the need to do Buddy Rogers AND IT BOMBS!! I thought he would stop after that one, but he recovers with an Ed Sullivan joke.

 

Al has mounted Cornette's back and starts cracking it. DAMN THAT APTER!! HE IS STILL DOING HIS FUCKING IMITATIONS!

 

Jimmy Del Ray tries to light Marty Matsunaga's ass on fire, but Marty gets up before his pants catch fire. Apter delivers the obligatory, "I always heard Marty had a hot ass."

 

August 5, 1995: Knox County Knockout Part 1 ~ Barbourville, Kentucky

 

Brian Armstrong vs. Mosh

Armstrong is better known to most as the Road Dogg. Is Mosh (Chaz) still employed by the WWE? I'm drawing blanks. Then again, I don't really care either way. Mark Curtis AKA Brian Hildebrand is the referee for all of the matches. The Headbangers are now the greatest tag-team in wrestling because of that Red Hot Chili Pepper’s theme they were using here. Now I can see why Armstrong always wore a shirt in the WWF. He is flabby and hairy, which is not a nice combination. Mosh pearl harbors to start. They trade some Andre the Giant style chops/slaps. Armstrong with a side-headlock. Mosh fights out, but gets shoulderblocked to the floor. Back in, Armstrong goes back to the side-headlock. Same result as last time, until Thrasher trips Brian up. Mosh dropkicks Armstrong to the floor, where Thrasher gets some shots in. As Armstrong tries to reenter the ring, Mosh guillotines him. Thrasher follows up with a short-arm clothesline. Armstrong is pissed and goes after Thrasher. Mosh attacks Armstrong as he gets in the ring. Mosh chokes him and misses an elbowdrop. Mosh recoups with some kicks. Armstrong counters a leapfrog with a sit-down powerbomb for 2. Thrasher gets on the apron with one of those rather small plastic chairs. Armstrong reverses a whip and sends Mosh into the chair. A roll up puts him away. (5:20) ½* Mosh sulks in the ring, which actually generates a nice amount of heat.

 

USWA Tag-Team Titles: PG-13 vs. Robert Gibson & Bobby Blaze

One of the greatest feuds in Smokey Mountain was when the USWA invaded them. This led to an extensive feud between the two companies. A whole lot of stalling from PG-13. After about 4 minutes, Gibson and JC Ice start. Gibson with a backbody drop. PG-13 have a chat on the floor. Back in, JC runs into a backelbow. They once again regroup. Blaze gets the blind tag and hits a kneelift. Wolfie tags in, but is caught in a side-headlock for a while. Wolfie eventually whips him off. Blaze comesback with some armdrags and an armbar. Gibson and Blaze do the double-switch and Robert goes back to the arm. I love when the faces cheat like that. Gibson charges shoulderfirst to the post. JC pounds him on the floor. Back in Wolfie works the arm and PG-13 do the double-switch. JC connects with a DDT. PG doubleteam. Wolfie comes in and works the arm More doubleteam stuff gets 2. JC applies a camel clutch. Wolfie comes back in with a snapmare and a kneedrop for 2. Gibson hits some kicks and tags Blaze, but Hildebrand didn’t see it. PG with a double backelbow, JC covers for 2. JC with a sleeper. Wolfie tags and misses a senton off the top. Blaze gets the hot tag and kicks PG-13. Seriously, that is like his only move, kicking. Blaze comes off the top with a crossbody on to JC, but Wolfie nails him with a hubcap. JC covers for the win. (11:10) *3/4 This match was your formula old-school Memphis style tag encounter.

 

THIS IS IT

 

The wrestling was subpar, so only get it for the BBQ, which takes up majority of the tape. If you like shoot interviews, you will like this tape, which is essentially a very short interview with a few different people along with some comedy thrown in for good measure. You can buy this tape and dozens of other SMW tapes at Wrestling Power.

 

I’ll be back later tonight, or tomorrow afternoon with Confidential. Don’t you just hate it when your favorite internet writer gets bogged down with a personal life? I know I do. Also, be sure to check out Smark Talk and be sure to visit the Smark Talk.com forum where I am a mod.

 

Retro Rob

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Sign in to follow this  

×