Alabama/Pensacola/Knoxville Wrestling
Continental Wrestling Federation ('85 - '89)
Southeastern Wrestling (Knoxville)
from 4/5/80 - 5/5/80 :
* Southeastern opening graphic.
* Les Thatcher and Allan Williams open up the show.
* Les interviews Killer Karl Kox at the booth.
* Troy T. Tyler vs The Seraph; Southeastern TV title.
Dutch Mantel joins Les on commentary at the booth. Dutch asks Les if he knows Virgil, and says that Dusty and Troy are related somehow.
* Les interviews The Matador (Jerry Stubbs), Steve Travis, Ron Slinker.
Slinker's eye brow is all burned up, and the make-up job is just what you'd expect for 1980.
* Great Mephisto promo.
They have a blue screen behind him, with an animated fire graphic. I honestly cant recall another promotion using this type of effect, and I'd bet Vince McMahon will claim he was the first to use this.
* Tommy Rich vs Austin Idol; from Georgia Championship Wrestling.
Harley Race, who was at the announce area throughout, runs in, and helps Idol destroy Rich's knee. Great angle!
* Les Thatcher discusses the aftermatch of the above angle, and then introduces a Tommy Rich interview from Georgia.
* Les interviews Troy T. Tyler at the booth.
Tyler was excellent as a Dusty clone!
* Ole Anderson vs John Irvey.
* Les interviews Ole Anderson at the booth.
They air a clip of Ole Anderson vs Killer Karl Kox in a "Lights Out" match, where ref Ron Catrone comes in, and lays out Ole. Ole then announces that Gene Anderson is coming in to help him get rid of Kox and Catrone. Great stuff
* Les introduces a match between Don Diamond vs Rick Oliver; Championship Wrestling from Florida.
* Les interviews Don Diamond at the booth.
* Les interviews Great Mephisto at the booth.
* The Manchurians (Tio & Tapu) vs Rick Stone & Mark Hill; Southeastern tag titles.
After the match, Ron Slinker and The Matador, in street clothes, come in to make sure the heels dont get in some cheap shots. The Manchurians end up jumping the faces, and the fans go bonkers.
* Les interviews The Great Mephisto at the booth, as The Manchurians look on from behind.
* Les Thatcher and Allan Williams close out the show.
(4/5/80 show)
* Bob Roop, Jeff Sword, Ron Garvin vs Doug Vines, Jim Ramsey, Wayne Davis; Angelo Poffo's ICW studios.
I always got a kick out of Poffo's studio audience. There was all of maybe a dozen of fans.
* Rundown of upcoming ICW cards in Kentucky.
* Randy Savage - RIP Rogers promo for a show that night in Combs, Kentucky.
* Ron Garvin interview about One Man Gang from the announce booth.
* ICW All-Star Wrestling closing video.
(4/5/80 show)
* Southeastern opening graphic.
* Les Thatcher opens up the show.
* Terry Taylor vs Ron Slinker.
One of Terry's earliest appearances in Tennessee. This is a very good match if you like mat-wrestling. Imagine that ...
* Rundown of this Monday night's Hazard, Kentucky Memorial Gym card 4/14/80, featuring Stan Hansen vs Harley Race.
* Les interviews Killer Karl Kox.
They air a Les interviewing ref Ron Catrone in the lockeroom. Storyline is that these two are friends going back to their Marine days.
* Les interviews Troy T. Tyler at the booth.
They air Allan Williams interviewing Killer Karl Kox about his upcoming T.V. title match with Troy in Hazard, Kentucky 4/14/80.
* Les interviews Ron Slinker at the booth.
* The Manchurians vs The Matador & Jerry Roberts.
Matador was Jerry Stubbs, and Roberts is Jaques Rougeau. In one of those classic moments, the studio lights just about go out in the building. Not to the point where you cant see, but it definitely was not supposed to happen. The fans are into this match big-time.
* The Manchurians hold Ron Slinker, and The Great Mephisto throws a fire ball at him!
* Les interviews The Matador.
They air a Great Mephisto, with The Manchurians, promo with a cool blue screen backdrop with moving clouds. The reason I'm stressing this is because you just didn't see this sort of stuff back then.
* Les interviews ring announcer Alan Williams and promoter Bob Faulk at the booth.
Stan Hansen comes out to do a interview. Great stuff, as Hansen was really good in this area as a babyface.
* Stan Hansen vs The Seraph.
Killer Karl Kox sits in on commentary, and says a little too much about Hansen, so Hansen comes over, and beats the hell out of him.
* Les interviews Stan Hansen at the booth.
Boy, did these fans love Hansen.
* Les interviews Troy T. Tyler at the booth.
I liked Troy better than the real one, Dusty Rhodes.
* Dutch Mantel vs Troy T. Tyler; Southeastern TV title.
The fans go crazy for Troy's offense. Very fun match.
(4/12/80 show)
* Les Thatcher opens up the show.
* Don Diamond vs Rick Connors.
* The Manchurians vs The Matador & Troy T. Tyler; Southeastern tag titles.
Fantastic, and very innovative stips :
~ If on of The Manchurians are pinned, The Great Mephisto must shave his head;
~ If The Matador is pinned, he must un-mask;
~ If Troy T. Tyler is pinned, he must shave his head.
The Matador turns heel on Tyler, who gets pinned, thus having to shave his head. GREAT STUFF!
* Les interviews a bloody Troy T. Tyler at the booth, who keeps his word, and shaves his head.
* Les interviews Troy T. Tyler at the booth.
Troy does a tremendous job here, explaining why he shaved his head since he really didn't lose. This guy was ultra underrated, so I wonder whatever became of him.
* Bobby Eaton vs The Beast.
This is the oldest wrestling match I've found of Eaton. The Beast looks like The Cuban Assassin out of Calgary Stampede.
* Troy T. Tyler interview at the booth with Southeastern promoter Bob Faulk.
Another good segement.
* Les Thatcher's "Wrestling News Update".
Les does a sit-down interview with Harley Race, concerning Austin Idol, and recap the angle from Georgia where they try to break Tommy Rich's leg.
* Austin Idol interview; Georgia Championship Wrestling.
* Les interviews the newly turned Matador at the booth.
* Les interviews Brett Wayne Sawyer in front of the ring.
Dutch Mantel comes out, and chokes him out. Terry Taylor makes the save, and go's at it with Mantel; Karl Kox then jumps Taylor, and gives him a brain buster; and Ole Anderson makes the save. I love this promotion ...
* Terry Taylor vs Killer Karl Kox.
Ole Anderson, in street clothes, comes in and pounds Kox.
* Les interviews The Great Mephisto at the booth.
* Les Thatcher shows some of Troy T. Tyler's hair, and then closes the show with Allan Williams.
(4/19/80 show)
* Phil Rainey and Allan Williams open up the show at ringside, then interviews The Matador about Troy T. Tyler cutting his hair.
A newly buzz cut Troy T. Tyler runs out, throws Matador in the ring, and then go's to work. Dutch Mantel runs in, and Don Diamond makes the save.
* Don Diamond explains that Troy T. Tyler's arm was injured in the last fracas, so he's been given permission (by Tyler) to meet Dutch Mantel :
* Don Diamond vs Dutch Mantel; Southeastern TV title.
Mantel gets DQ'd, as The Matador interferes.
* Allan Williams interviews Dutch Mantel and The Matador in front of the new downtown Knoxville backdrop.
Matador shows a picture of a monkey, and Dutch claims it's Troy's sister!
* Phil Rainey interviews Dutch Mantel and The Matador.
* "Wrestling News Update" with Phil Rainey and Allan Williams, recapping the bounty angle on Tommy Rich.
They air a Tommy Rich interview from Georgia, and show the finish of the Tommy Rich vs Austin Idol "Cage" match; Tommy Rich vs Harley Race from the Knoxville Coliseum.
* Phil Rainey interviews Troy T. Tyler and Don Diamond.
* Ron Slinker vs John Fulton.
* The Great Mephisto promo.
* Phil Rainey interviews Ole Anderson.
* Terry Taylor vs Ron Sexton.
* Ole Anderson vs The Beast.
* Phil Rainey and Allan Williams close out the show from the booth.
(4/26/80 show)
* Phil Rainey and Allan Williams open up the show at ringside, then interview Dutch Mantel.
* Randy The Mountaineer vs Rick Connors.
The Mountaineer is better known as Randy Culley, a Moondog.
(5/5/80 show)
Good/Average Quality - 3.5 hours.
This is a SUPER tape, recorded off of Ch.
57 in the Hazard market. For 1980, Knoxville was ahead of its time, just
as Memphis.
Southeastern Wrestling (Alabama) from 12/84 - 1/85 :
* Steve Armstrong & Johnny Rich vs Pat Rose & Randy Rose.
Steve Armstrong helps the faces get the win.
* Bill Ash, and Randy and Pat Rose bitch about the loss.
* Johnny Rich - Steve and Scott Armstrong promo about Pensacola card the next night.
**
Very Good Quality - 4 hours.
Best of Continental Wrestling from '86 - '88 :
* The Dirty White Boys vs The Nightmares; Continental tag title match from Birmingham 11/10/86.
* Mr. Olympia vs Dutch Mantel; Birmingham, Alabama 8/87.
Tony Anthony interferes.
* Doug Furnas vs Tony Anthony; Birmingham, Alabama 8/87.
Dirty White Girl double-crosses Furnas. Great stuff
* Missy Hyatt and Charlie Platt open up Continental Wrestling from the Houston County Farm Center in Dothan, Alabama; 5/88.
* Opening of CWF.
* Missy interviews Jerry Lawler in the lockeroom after beating Curt Henning for the AWA title, then Curt Henning about losing; May 9, 1988, from the Mid South Coliseum.
* Charlie Platt interviews Austin Idol at ringside.
* Danny Davis vs Ricky Nelson.
Winner go's on to the upcoming "Road To Birmingham" tournament.
* Downtown Bruno promo with Detroit Demolition, Lord Humongous (Sid) and heel ref Alan Martin.
Great stuff!
* Tom Pritchard vs The Destroyer.
* Charlie Platt interviews The Southern Boys and Shane Douglas at ringside.
Danny Davis comes out and tells them that Tom Pritchard & Dirty White Boy are going at it.
* Tom Pritchard - DWB parking lot brawl.
Tony Anthony cracks a bottle over Pritchard's head!
* Tom Pritchard gets loaded up in an ambulance.
This was a tremendous angle. Now you'll understand why Continental was the promotion of the year.
* Charlie Platt interviews Shane Douglas.
Eddie Gilbert and Paul E. Dangerously come out. Lord Humongous, turns face, and makes the save for Shane. Great!!!
* Charlie Platt interviews The D.I. at ringside.
* Mark Young gets his head shaved to join the D.I.'s "Honor Gaurd"
* Charlie Platt interviews Danny Davis, Tracy Smothers & Shane Douglas in an empty Houston County Farm Center.
* The Southern Boys vs The D.I. & Missippi Hoodo Man.
They run out of television time, so the finish was shown the following week.
**
**
Good Quality - 4 hours.
I have so many scraps of Continental lieing around that I decided to just compile it all onto one tape. Some really good stuff!