DOTT - MIDSOUTH (the Watts Way)

olympia · October 5, 2009

MIDSOUTH – HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

The promotion evolved from the old Leroy McGuirk Tri-State area which encompassed Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana (later Mississippi without changing name to Quad-States). Danny Hodge was the early star, then later it was Cowboy Bill Watts who was Walking Tall. Watts bought the territory from McGuirk . He formed an alliance with Paul Boesch in Houston so he could run shows in one of the largest cities in America as well as other fabled arenas around the Lone Star State. Couple this with the wildly successful SuperDome shows that he ran 3-4 times a year in New Orleans. Most drew over 20,000 with a $100,000 + gate (the best drew 30,000 in 1980. I’m not sure the game will be as generous any time soon). He often brought in outside talent to headline these shows and give it an even bigger feel (something else I’m not sure I’ll be able to pull off inside the confines of the game - nor his coming out of retirement once a year to compete at a Supershow. But we'll see)

Watts made a couple attempts to go national. First (1985), Ted Turner invited him to put his show on the Super Station as an alternative to the WWF programming after Black Saturday. MSW became the highest rated show on the WTBS. This run came to an end when Jim Crockett bought the WWF 2 hour slot – part of the deal was the elimination of MidSouth from the TBS schedule. His last attempt under the UWF name fell on hard times with the recession and decline of the oil industry in Oklahoma, Texas, etc. This led to him selling out to Jim Crockett.

Now, once again Bill Watts sets his sights on national glory. Hoping to avoid some of the mistakes made in the past, he calls on the services of an outsider to come in and help with the book. He has trusted allies like Grizzly Smith and Ernie Ladd by his side, but with fresh perspective from “Donnie Rampage” (the Don) he thinks this time they will avoid the pitfalls of the past. Only time will tell.

Up next, I will publish the Roster Sheet.

This is my first attempt at all this so any tips and advice - be it on the Diary itself or booking ideas - are all greatly appreciated. While it is unavoidable to reprise some of the historic matches and angles, I hope to do a few things differently to keep it interesting - and hopefully just as exciting and enjoyable.

djthefunkchris · October 5, 2009

The most important thing, I would think.. Is to have fun with it.

Save_Us.Necro · October 5, 2009

As a Mid South mark, Im sure I'll like this. Need any help with history or anything like that holla lol.

Oldschool · October 5, 2009

reading your analysis in my diary, you will have absolutely have no problem booking this... and I'm going to assume you'll have some great talent... JYD, Reed, Duggan (When he didn't seem like a joke) Dibiase, Mr. Wrestling II, a young Terry Allen... Potentially Murdoch, The Freebirds would be awesome... I believe Midnights and Rockn Rolls came through Mid South... I'm loving the DOTT love going on

BHK1978 · October 5, 2009

Yeah, I have to agree with Oldschool. You should have no problem running this diary as you seem to have a great understanding of old time wrestling! As a matter of a fact the minute I saw that you were doing a diary I thought Olympia doing a Bill Watts diary? This should be great!

BoomKing · October 5, 2009

Colour me excited! as far as tips go, just follow your instincts and enjoy what your doing.

djthefunkchris · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BHK1978" data-cite="BHK1978" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Yeah, I have to agree with Oldschool. You should have no problem running this diary as you seem to have a great understanding of old time wrestling! As a matter of a fact the minute I saw that you were doing a diary I thought Olympia doing a Bill Watts diary? This should be great!</div></blockquote> I did as well. It was why I immediately read it when I seen it. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Oldschool" data-cite="Oldschool" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> I'm loving the DOTT love going on</div></blockquote> I'm at awe at it, to be honest. I don't remember seeing so much of it before... I thought it was just me and less then a dozen that was into this time period. I don't recall seeing so many diary's based on it, for sure. Maybe I'm just more observant now?

Moderndaywarrior · October 5, 2009

Mid-South's roster is good: If you count the entirety of its existence....you'd could have: DiBiase,JYD,Butch Reed,The Freebirds,Dick Murdoch,Midnight Express, Rock & Roll Express, Jim Duggan, Dr.Death Steve Williams, Matt Borne(The original Doink), Arn Anderson,Mr. Wrestling II, Mr.Olympia,Kamala, Terry Taylor(before the WWF ruined him), Krusher Kruschev, Nikolai Volkoff, Magnum T.A.(this is where his rise to stardom stardom,the classic "Mentor turns on his student" feud with Mr.Wrestling II), The Fantastics, The Sheepherders(when they were a super violent,brutal,and feared tag team instead of a joke),you could also include Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes to a small extent as they did guest shots there at times....if you include the UWF era you could also throw in Bubba "Big Boss Man" Rogers and One Man Gang.

I believe that record setting gate was the JYD/Michael Hayes Dog Collar Match during the "Freebirds Blind JYD" storyline.

Anyway, I know Olympia knows his stuff(as evidenced by his background post)...this should be interesting! <img alt="" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/smile.png.142cfa0a1cd2925c0463c1d00f499df2.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

tizzyt · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Moderndaywarrior" data-cite="Moderndaywarrior" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div> The Sheepherders(when they were a super violent,brutal,and feared tag team instead of a joke)</div></blockquote> Man! The Sheepherders were awesome! Their battles with The Fabulous Ones, The Fantastics, their time in Puerto Rico... I'd love to get some old Sheepherders again, even if it's on VHS.

Moderndaywarrior · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="tizzyt" data-cite="tizzyt" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Man! The Sheepherders were awesome! Their battles with The Fabulous Ones, The Fantastics, their time in Puerto Rico... I'd love to get some old Sheepherders again, even if it's on VHS.</div></blockquote> Look for some of the old Bill Watt's MSW/UWF stuff on VHS/DVD...at one point he was selling DVD's and VHS of classic MSW and UWF episodes on his website before he passed away,copies of it are still out there and usually cheaply had. You may also find some of the Puerto Rico stuff on some of the older "best of WWC" type discs and tapes.

Oldschool · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Moderndaywarrior" data-cite="Moderndaywarrior" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Look for some of the old Bill Watt's MSW/UWF stuff on VHS/DVD...at one point he was selling DVD's and VHS of classic MSW and UWF episodes on his website before he passed away,copies of it are still out there and usually cheaply had. You may also find some of the Puerto Rico stuff on some of the older "best of WWC" type discs and tapes.</div></blockquote> I'm pretty sure Bill Watts is still alive... If not then I completely missed this... I thought he was recently negotiating a sale of his library to McMahonland... Part of me hopes it never happens and Bill Watts stuff pops up on ESPN classic...But if that never happens then at least we'll get to see a DVD and maybe 10 matches before McMahon buries it in his video vault

olympia · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Oldschool" data-cite="Oldschool" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I'm pretty sure Bill Watts is still alive... If not then I completely missed this... I thought he was recently negotiating a sale of his library to McMahonland... Part of me hopes it never happens and Bill Watts stuff pops up on ESPN classic...But if that never happens then at least we'll get to see a DVD and maybe 10 matches before McMahon buries it in his video vault</div></blockquote> from what I read, Bill's ex-wife has control of the video library (along with his sons). She's asking for a mint if Vince wants to buy lock, stock, and barrel. Otherwise, she seems content to selling them one tape at a time to the general public. Thanks to everyone for their interest and support. FYI: I opted to go with MidSouth over a Southeastern league that I'd be more familiar with. but part of the fun is learning more about new things

Moderndaywarrior · October 5, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Oldschool" data-cite="Oldschool" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I'm pretty sure Bill Watts is still alive... If not then I completely missed this... I thought he was recently negotiating a sale of his library to McMahonland... Part of me hopes it never happens and Bill Watts stuff pops up on ESPN classic...But if that never happens then at least we'll get to see a DVD and maybe 10 matches before McMahon buries it in his video vault</div></blockquote> I could have sworn I read a while back that he had passed away,I could be wrong though. EDIT: That's it Olympia....Watts got a divorced and his wife won ownership of the MSW Tape Library...and yes what she does is make "Best of MSW Volume #" Tapes and DVD's and sell them,you can still get your hands on them and they are good. /Rant on Heard about the possible sale of the MSW library to Vinny Mac,I kind of hope it doesn't happen either....it's sad to think the WWE now "owns" much the history of professional wrestling as it has appeared on television....and we'll probably never see much of any of it ever again since V.K.M. would rather try to re-write history and have us believe wrestling didn't exist until Jesus H McMahon descended from the Heavens and bestowed upon us,the great unwashed masses,the gift of his genius and sports entertainment......than let us enjoy some classic wrestling,but then again that could just be because the good old territories really expose the flawed and bland nautre of is current product. /Rant off Back on topic....good luck with this Olympia and remember when booking MSW: -Bill Watts could explain ANYTHING in professional wrestling in a way that made sense and made people care. -In "The World According to Watts",if you were a heel you kicked puppies,stole candy from little babies,and generally were the worst thing since Hitler.....If you were a face you helped little old ladies cross the street and were best friends with St.Peter himself. -Taking regular shots at the WWF during interviews is encouraged. -The only proper way to run TV Tapings are at The Irish McNeil Boy's Club. -Reeser Bowden sported,quite possibly, the loudest collection of sport jackets known to man kind.

Nobby_McDonald · October 5, 2009

Oooo... Olympia goes old school.

olympia · October 5, 2009

<pre class="ipsCode">Wrestler Cost disp. Momentum

Main Event

Dick Murdoch $1400 Heel B+

Ted Dibiase $1400 Heel A

Kamala $1400 Heel B+

Junkyard Dog $1800 Face B+

Mr Wrestling II $1400 Face B+

upper mid card

Matt Borne $800 Heel B-

Jim Duggan $800 Heel B+

N. Volkolff $1000 Heel B

Buddy Landell $800 Heel C

Butch Reed $1000 Face A

Mid Card

Mr Olympia $800 Heel B

Mike Sharpe $500 Heel C

Kendo Nagasaki $800 Heel C+

Bill Irwin 800 Heel C

Magnum TA $500 Face C

Steve Williams $500 Face B

Tiger Conway $500 Face B

Lower midcard

Jim Neidhart $200 Heel E

Terry Taylor $350 Face C-

Art Crews $100 Face D

opener / enhancement

Perry Jackson $100 Face E

Tim Horner $100 Face D-

Mike Bond $100 Face E-

</pre><div></div>

Managers: Skandar Akbar $800 and Friday $100

The announcers and staff are all on written contracts!

Bill Watts $10,000

Jim Ross $3,000

Boyd Pearce $1,000

Grizzly Smith $2,000

Joel Watts $500

so $16,500 in guaranteed monthly expenses for this staff!!!

Referees:

Jerry Usher $1200 Exc PPA

Alfred Neely $800 PPA

and we also have Big Cat Ernie Ladd on the roster as an occassional wrestler - $1800 per appearance

olympia · October 6, 2009

Back on topic....good luck with this Olympia and remember when booking MSW:

-Bill Watts could explain ANYTHING in professional wrestling in a way that made sense and made people care.

-In "The World According to Watts",if you were a heel you kicked puppies,stole candy from little babies,and generally were the worst thing since Hitler.....If you were a face you helped little old ladies cross the street and were best friends with St.Peter himself.

-Taking regular shots at the WWF during interviews is encouraged.

-The only proper way to run TV Tapings are at The Irish McNeil Boy's Club.

-Reeser Bowden sported,quite possibly, the loudest collection of sport jackets known to man kind.

oh so true. Doing some background reading this weekend, and there were some killer quotes from Ross and Watts during the broadcasts. I'll try to work a few of those in along the way for fun. But one that stands out was when Rock and Roll Express clearly missed Jim Cornette with a dropkick - Watts did not miss a beat ... "look at Cornette. He didn't even get touched, but he passed out from fear"

I'm enjoying

One quirk from the game vs real life. Back in the territory days, you had small crowds for TV and large crowds for the events. It's just the opposite in the game (but reflective of current trends where everyone comes to the tv tapings and non-televised shows draw less). In Midsouth though, they booked most of their big matches and title changes on tv (unlike other territories who put squash matches on tv and brought cameras to the arenas to tape title changes, etc.). That will bode well for game play (I think).

MidSouth is set up for 1 weekly TV show (Wednesday). And one monthly event (The Big One or The Blowout) on the 3rd of 4th Sunday. The last 3 months have appropriately named holiday shows. Do I need to wait until I reach CULT status to add a weekly event show and venture out?

Now that we know who works for Midsouth, it's time to sit down with Mr Watts and the staff to find out the goals and set up our first big event.

olympia · October 6, 2009

Creative Meeting

First let's look at our Current Champions:

North American Title (B)

Junkyard Dog

the strange recent history. Ted Dibiase had won the title from JYD then defeated Dog in a loser leave town match. Stagger Lee comes in to avenge JYD and defeats Dibiase for the title. After 90 days, JYD returns to the area (without the mask) and the title is vacated since Stagger Lee disappears. In a tournament to crown the new champ, Mr. Olympia pins JYD who is laying on his stomach. The title is held up, and JYD wins the rematch.

Mid South TV Title (D-)

Terry Taylor

no history at this time

MidSouth Tag Team Titles (B-)

Mr Wrestling II and Tiger Conway Jr

the recent history saw this team defeat the Rat Pack of Ted Dibiase and Matt Borne in a major upset

Herewithin lies one of our first problems. Tiger Conway also wrestles with the WWF and gives them priority. Conway will not show up for our TV shows on Wednesday (but is available for the once a month Supershow).

AS you look at the roster, it seems to be Heel-heavy at the moment (7-3 on the upper end). Historically, Duggan (heel) and Reed (face) reversed roles right about this time - but I want them to stay where they are for now. On the lower midcard (and openr) it's 5 faces and 1 heel. Definitely there is room to make some sort of adjustments in the nearterm - but don't think I will in the first month.

Bill Watts scowls and addresses the team he assembled:

MidSouth is ranked #16 in the world. In the US, we are only #12 in importance but 7th in prestige. Gentlemen, we all know about the big boys out there: WWF, AWA, Mid-Atlantic, and Georgia Championship. They have cult status and are looking to go national. What I am most concerned about is that we are 7th among the regional promotions. Let's start thinking about what we can do about that. I think it all starts at home. We are only 45% here in MidSouth - tied with 3 other promotions!! And we trail WCCW who is at 60%. That's where we need to be. In Midwest and Southeast we are E (30) and #7 in both areas. We are an after thought in the rest of the country. Maybe not the best position to start out in, but we have a great product and plenty of room to grow. Only $250,000 in the bank so need to work on a tight budget for now (by contrast, the WWF has a Million dollars and the other cults a half mil). We need to solidy our homebase. Then we can think about branching out. How nice would it be if we got to #2 or #3 in the midwest. But gentlemen, I don't know how aggressive we can be right now. Let's crawl before we run.

Goals:

1) For now all I am going to say is for the next 23 months, it is CRITICAL that we at least maintain our current popularity.

2) Two wrestlers that work for us are HIGHly important. For that reason, we must maintain their momentum - Ted Dibiase (B+) and my protege Dr. Death Steve Williams (C+). (17 months)

3) Lastly, I'm concerned about the kind of wrestlers we hire. I want to insist that we only have D- or better charisma and under no circumstances hire any pyschopaths.

by my calculations, we need to keep payroll costs under $10,000 at each TV taping (if we sell out a very small building with 2000 people). Depending on what other expenses look like at month-end, that should keep us afloat.

olympia · October 6, 2009

Creative - key players

Here are my notes on who the key players are:

Dick Murdoch: Franchise, Show Stopper, Ring General and Talker

Ted Dibiase: Franchise, Show Stopper, Ring General and Talker

JYD: Franchise, talker

Mr Wrestling II: Franchise, Show Stopper

Kamala: Franchise

Mr. Olympia: Show Stopper and Ring General

Kendo Nagasaki: Show stopper

Ernie Ladd and Jim Ross are the other 2 Talkers.

our hot prospects as many of you pointed out:

Magnum TA, Terry Taylor, Tim Horner, Jim Anvil Neidhart, and Bill Irwin

While Iron Mike Sharpe is not on any of these lists, in MidSouth he was a viable wrestler, not the comedy act we saw in WWF (guess the same can be said for many guys that came thru the area like Duggan and Sheepherders). Maybe he can get involved in something (not sure what at the moment)

Anvil, Ladd, Crews, and Taylor are cold right now. All our Franchise players are HOT

Time Decline could be affecting:

Ernie Ladd (7 years past prime and in terminal decline).

Mr Wrestling II (at 46, he is 3-4 years past prime - just now showing signs of slowing down).

Tiger Conway (at 32, he is 3-4 years past prime. showing signs of slowing down).

Kendo Nagasaki (at 37, he is in the early days of decline. It could be several more years before it begins to affect his ringwork.

The creative team put together a list of Hidden Gems:

Dutch Mantel, Arn Anderson, Rick Rude, Koko B Ware, and Al Madril

Now as my "ad hoc" Booking team, if any of you think one of these gems is a must get, let me know. I have working agreements with Florida, GA, MAC, PNW, and WCCW. I think I need to approach Lawler (CWA-Memphis) for a similar agreement. If they agree, that could open the door to some of their talent including Dutch and Koko listed in the gems.

likewise, if there is anyone on the roster that is expendable in your eyes, please share (PM if you want). I don't plan to make drastic changes in the first month as I kick the tires and check things out. The first contracts to expire are announcer Boyd Pierce (55 days) and Dick Murdoch (115 days). I see one as a must keep. The other is replaceable (imo).

The tag team situation in MidSouth is bleak at the moment. No real solid teams once you get outside the Brat Pack - only makeshift teams. (most historic teams are on opposite sides of the law). But with the salary budget, it could be difficult to build up a solid tag team roster until we grow a bit (guess I'm looking to learn from any of your past experiences). I have some longterm ideas, but nothing concrete for the immediate future. There is a rich history of tag teams in MidSouth. This was the birth of the Rock and Roll vs Midnight Express feud that lasted for decades. Fantastics vs Sheepherders. Fabs vs Guerrerros. The historic cross-federation 4 corner tag match featuring Rock & Roll Express, Dirty White Boys, Road Warriors, and Freebirds. The Freebirds had several different successful runs in the area. I dont want to neglect this aspect - financially it looks like I can put 8-10 guys on a card. A Tag team match takes up half of that (2-3 other matches). And to build a good tag team division, I'd need more than just 2 good teams. My plan is try and find some guys on the roster who team well together for now - that way if/when I bring in some more established teams there will some competition for them. I don't know - this part is a work in progress. :-)

thanks for your help!! and I've been enjoying the rants and the nostalgia.

now it's time to put together the first show. I have some ideas for who to put on the first "supershow" in week 3, so I will work backward and fill in the TV matches.

Main event for the first TV show.....Dirty Dick Murdoch vs Mr Wrestling II (stupid me - I advance booked it as Murdoch vs Tiger Conway - I forgot Tiger was not available for TV. Lucky me, Mr Wrestling II was there to tape some promos and filled in

BHK1978 · October 6, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="olympia" data-cite="olympia" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>While Iron Mike Sharpe is not on any of these lists, in MidSouth he was a viable wrestler, not the comedy act we saw in WWF (guess the same can be said for many guys that came thru the area like Duggan and Sheepherders). Maybe he can get involved in something (not sure what at the moment)</div></blockquote> Iron Mike Sharpe in yet another diary=Gold!<img alt=":D" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/biggrin.png.929299b4c121f473b0026f3d6e74d189.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

Moderndaywarrior · October 6, 2009

IIRC, the ending of the JYD/Olympia match and the JYD win in the rematch was the start of a slow heel turn by Mr.Olympia

Historically,Taylor lost the TV belt(though I forget to who),eventually it ends up in the hands of Magnum T.A. during the famous T.A./II storyline.

Speaking of Mr.Wrestling II/Magnum T.A.,I think that might be one of those spots where going with history would be very helpful...with Tiger not available much, the II/T.A. team would give you a consistent babyface team and we know how much potential T.A. has...you don't neccessarily have to do the heel turn if you don't want,I think doing the tag team would be good for you.

As far as the hidden gems,my thoughts are:

Dutch Mantel: Good brawler and a good talker,he has a little experience.Good as a tough guy heel.

Arn Anderson: He will turn out good but right now he's still green,good tough guy heel.

Rick Rude: He will also become good in the ring,as a pretty good interview,right now he's REAL green,excellent ****y heel.

Koko Ware: Good fast paced wrestler,eventually he'll be able to have a good match with almost anyone,not a good talker at all though.IMO he's better as a face.

Al Madril: Not many remember him now,at one time though he was a decent wrestler and great at getting heat,IIRC he can be kind of a pain to deal with backstage though. Great as a whiny heel in the tradition of Piper.

Traditionally, Watts did work with Lawler and it could work for you...IIRC that should get you access to The Midnight Express & The Rock N' Roll Express.

olympia · October 6, 2009

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Moderndaywarrior" data-cite="Moderndaywarrior" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>IIRC, the ending of the JYD/Olympia match and the JYD win in the rematch was the start of a slow heel turn by Mr.Olympia Historically,Taylor lost the TV belt(though I forget to who),eventually it ends up in the hands of Magnum T.A. during the famous T.A./II storyline. Speaking of Mr.Wrestling II/Magnum T.A.,I think that might be one of those spots where going with history would be very helpful...with Tiger not available much, the II/T.A. team would give you a consistent babyface team and we know how much potential T.A. has...you don't neccessarily have to do the heel turn if you don't want,I think doing the tag team would be good for you. As far as the hidden gems,my thoughts are: Dutch Mantel: Good brawler and a good talker,he has a little experience.Good as a tough guy heel. Arn Anderson: He will turn out good but right now he's still green,good tough guy heel. Rick Rude: He will also become good in the ring,as a pretty good interview,right now he's REAL green,excellent ****y heel. Koko Ware: Good fast paced wrestler,eventually he'll be able to have a good match with almost anyone,not a good talker at all though.IMO he's better as a face. Al Madril: Not many remember him now,at one time though he was a decent wrestler and great at getting heat,IIRC he can be kind of a pain to deal with backstage though. Great as a whiny heel in the tradition of Piper. Traditionally, Watts did work with Lawler and it could work for you...IIRC that should get you access to The Midnight Express & The Rock N' Roll Express.</div></blockquote> thanks!! Magnum and MW2 would be a great face team on top - and play nicely into a little storyline I have on the drawing boards. I may be crazy, but trying to map out how one story will morph to the next - at least for a couple angles. But you know what they say about the "best laid plans of mice and men"! I have ideas for Arn that would work out nice historically (just not in the immediate future - not that he's going gain that much experience in a couple months, lol). Right now the roster is void of any flash, and Koko would certainally bring that to the table. And if Madril is trouble, I may need to stay away....I already have Dr. Death I did some "roster diving" last night. Found that The Midnight Express are actually divided right now (Eaton, Morton, and Gibson are in Memphis though), other is in SECW. Don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to kick off some MidSouth action in the ring!!!!! You better Call Somebody!!!! (as Ernie Ladd was overheard saying)

Moderndaywarrior · October 6, 2009

I know for a fact MSW and SECW don't have any scheduling problems(from some tinkering I did with SECW during D.O.T.T. Testing)...so you probably could get Condrey as well....failing that Bobby Eaton and Koko Ware also worked as a tag team at one point.

olympia · October 7, 2009

MIDSOUTH show #1 week 1, April 1983 - Shreveport, LA in front of 2,000 fans {dark match: Jim the Anvil Neidhart defeats Art Crews. E-. These 2 did not click and Art the jobber Crews complains about having to lose} Terry Taylor is seen warming up backstage when Skandar Akbar comes by with Kendo Nagasaki and Kamala. Akbar wonders out loud how a man like Taylor could be the TV champion. Any of his men could easily beat him, even the Great Kendo. Taylor takes exception to the comment and argument breaks out. Cowboy Bill Watts walks by on his way to the broadcast table and puts an end to it: "Gentlemen! There's only way to settle your dispute. This is Mid-South Wrestling, not the WWF. We don't talk about it, we get it done inside the squared circle. Terry you already have a match today, so next week let's HOOK EM UP! Taylor vs Nagasaki for the TV title and let's just see who is the better man. Now excuse me, I'm late. (D rating - hope the link below works -- opening) <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="24735" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><a href="http://strongmail.real.com/track?t=c&mid=156004&msgid=87700&did=1249003350&sn=1219705941&eid=dgonce@aol.com&uid=425742&extra=&&&2001&&&http://tulsatvmemories.com/wav/midsouth.wmv" rel="external nofollow">http://strongmail.real.com/track?t=c&mid=156004&msgid=87700&did=1249003350&sn=1219705941&eid=dgonce@aol.com&uid=425742&extra=&&&2001&&&http://tulsatvmemories.com/wav/midsouth.wmv</a></div></blockquote> Jim Ross welcomes everyone to the inaugraul broadcast. His broadcast partner needs no introduction - "he's been Walking Tall in this area for many years - Cowboy Bill Watts". Watts walks out right on cue to join Ross. Shortly after they are joined by Big Cat Ernie Ladd!! "Mr Announcer Man, you better CALL SOMEBODY!!!" Ladd stirs up the pot "I'm out here to demand a title match. The North American Champion - I call him the Junkyard DUMMY has been ducking me for years. Tag team champs "Kitty" Conway (not sure the other word would get thru the censors, lol) and the Masked Vomit want no part of the Big Cat. I'd like to rip that hood right off his face and show everyone the criminal that he is. © Bill Watts interupts: "now hold on Big Cat. I know how tough you are from our many wars thru the years. You may very well get a title shot, but not right now. At the end of the month, we are going to have "The Blowout" and the Junkyard DOG (emphasis as he corrects what Ladd called him) will be defending the NA title against the Big Russian Nicolai Volkolff. He's gonna win one for America, Ladd. Something you know nothing about since you sided with the Wild Samoans until that very same JYD ran them out of town - they couldn't handle facing real men so now I understand there off somewhere playing footsie with a couple French pansies. Now if the Dog gets by the Russian, then we'll talk about your possible title shot. As for the other men you mentioned. Mr Wrestling II and Tiger Conway will also be in action at The Blowout. They will be defending their newly won Tag Titles against former champs Ted Dibiase and Matt Borne. If you want the masked man that bad, why don't you contact the Rat Pack and see if you can take one of their places. (C rating for the announcement of The Blowout) Now for BHK1978 - here comes Iron Mike Sharpe!!! Iron Mike easily defeats Perry Jackson in 4:32. (E+). Announcers, Boyd Pierce and Watts clashed at the broadcast table (that could be career suicide if his style clashes with the boss). 2) Kendo Nagaski (w/ Skandar Akbar) vs Magnum TA Akbar was quite active in this match and his interference helps Kendo get the win at 10:27. (D- brings down the crowd, Magnum improves rumble, technical, and performance so all was not lost). Dick Murdoch comes out to hype his match with Mr. Wrestling II in the main event. "I want some respect around here Jim Ross. No one mentions my name when they talk about contenders for the NA title. That will change tonight when I beat Mr Wrestling II. You can tell Ernie Ladd to get in line behind me when it comes to North American title shots. © 3) Rat Pack (Ted DiBiase and Matt Borne) vs Terry Taylor and Tim Horner Dick Murdoch joins the broadcast team of Ross and Boyd to lift the match. Rat Pack score a fairly easy win over the rookie Horner in 11:43. (Everyone had skill increases in this D rated match) After the match, Kendo Nagasaki runs in and attacks both Taylor and Horner. He leaves them lying after his Kendo Stick assault (E+ - not a good start for the Taylor-Kendo story). 4) MAIN EVENT: Dirty Dick Murdoch vs Mr. Wrestling II Ted Dibiase slides into the broadcast position. He reminds everyone that with that win the Rat Pack is back! "We're going to regain our titles at The Blowout, Ross. Now if you don't mind I need to scout Mr. Wrestling II and develop some new strategy - so quit yelling in my ear." The match itself was a borderline classic. They start off using submission moves to wear the other down (Murdoch using leglocks while MW2 works on Dick's arm). Murdoch grabs a chair, but Mr. Wrestling II is able to take it away and use it against him!! Murdoch is busted open!! This gave the masked man the advantage and he poured it on with a barrage of suplexes. DiBiase was beside himself at the broadcast table ("the ref needs to step in there and stop this madman. he allows him to use a chair and now all these illegal moves. Jim Ross tries to calm him by saying there "is nothing illegal about those suplexes" But Ted will not be deterred as he claims he pulls the trunks each time to get him up in the air.). DiBiase finally had enough and gets up from his broadcast position despite Ross telling him to sit back down. With the ref checking on a prone Dick Murdoch in the ring, Mr Wrestling II turns his attention to Dibiase on the outside, but that was a mistake. Ted pulls him from the ring and proceeds to run him into the ringside barrier headfirst. Ross goes ballistic!!! "OH MY GOSH. Mr Wrestling II is bleeding from the eye after that heinous act!!!!" Murdoch takes full advantage of the attack. He rolls Mr Wrestling back into the ring, delivers his patented Brainbuster, and gets the 3 count!!! (19:32) Winner: Dick Murdoch Match Rating: C+ Bill Watts closes the show by telling the fans that Mr. Wrestling II will get his chance at revenge next week. He's signing a match between him and Ted Dibiase. overall - the show was a C rating and considered "awesome" by internet fans. Good news is it will boost our popularity a little bit (.4 in MS and .2 everywhere else but MW and SE which stay same). Bad news is we lost $1050 (but that's ok - not bad for the first time out). Oh and Tim Horner got used too much. oops

Oldschool · October 7, 2009

Welll, hopefully it takes Money to make money and the return you get at the gate next time will pay off...

But the show established everyone that it needed to establish as players (Ladd, II, Murdoch, Dibiase... Great job with Ernie Ladd with his promo... Boyd Pierce's days could be numbered....and the youngster Magnum TA improving in all these areas out of the gate has got to be great news

Moderndaywarrior · October 7, 2009

Kind of ironic that Boyd Pierce(or Boyd Pearce as MSW always spelled it) clashed with Watts as IRL Boyd and Bill were the classic MSW announce team,with Ross coming slightly later.

Not too shocked about Crews,I believe if you check his profile you'll see he is actually a pain in the rear end,not a good attitude for a jobber to have.

T.A. is kind of already showing some signs of why he got the mega-push and would have won the NWA World Title in 3 years time if not for the career ending auto accident....good thing is right now he is still an "underdog" type guy(his real oush started when II "mentored" him) so you can put him in with your best guys and let him learn.

I wouldn't sweat overusing Horner,he needs it for his development.Good to see Terry Taylor is there too,he was actually very good and had potential at this point,he should devleop into one of those "you can throw him in there with anyone and he'll produce for you" guys if you lives up to the potential.

I can picture Watts at the desk at the end...

Watts: Ted DiBiase,you disgust me.....Let me tell you something,since you like to stick your nose in Mr.Wrestling II's business,you'll get your chance next week against him,right here!"

DiBiase: Watts, this is a farce and you know it! I went down to the ring to watch the match....Mr.Wrestling fell out of the ring,I tried to help him up,but that masked idiot slipped and hit his head! You're just trying to make me miserable because can't stand to see someone as talented as I am get a fair shake around here!

Overall it wasn't bad at all considering the very first show is always a tough one,you end up having to do alot to get all your storylines and major players established...once that's out of the way you'll be able to start finding your groove for the weekly show that will turn out a decent grade without breaking the bank.

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