"Flashback" Mid Dec 1978 & 1983 by Mark James

We’re continuing our journey back 25 and 30 years ago to the 2nd week in Dec for 1983 and 1978.

Dec 12, 1983

Randy Savage and Jerry Lawler continued their new feud. This week it was inside a steel cage match. The Memphis steel cage was only chicken wire and 2x4s, but it still did the job. The match was won by Lawler when Joe LeDuc interfered. LeDuc ran to the ring and scaled the cage like a cat, (I’m not joking here, it was amazing to see). Savage and the crazy lumberjack then proceeded to destroy the King.

Speaking of Joe LeDuc, he was disqualified in his Southern Heavyweight title match with champ, Terry Taylor.

In the big 10 man tag match, the Fabulous Ones, the Rock n Roll Express, Bobby Eaton and Stagger Lee defeated the A-Team, the Moondogs, the Russian Invader and Norvell Austin.

Other matches had Bill Dundee successfully defending his US Jr Title against the Jaguar, Tom Pritchard and Art Cruise defeating Angelo Poffo and Franklin Hayes. Finally, the Grapplers and the Bruise Brothers went to a no contest. The attendance was 4,500.

Dec 11, 1978

The big main event was Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee going at it one more time for the Southern title. At the time, they were both huge babyfaces in Memphis. They ended up going to a 1 hour
draw in an excellent match in front of 4,600 fans.

Another big development on this card was the first Memphis appearance of Austin Idol. A lot of things have been said about Idol, good and bad, but it all started 30 years this week. Idol got the win over a young Robert Gibson.

Also on the card was a 9 match, one night tournament. The participants were Jimmy Valiant, Don Fargo, Koko Ware, Bounty Hunters 1 & 2, Wayne Farris, Jackie Welch, Terry Sawyer and the legendary Lou Thesz. When the smoke had cleared, Koko Ware defeated Don Fargo in the finals.

----Mark James is the author of “Memphis Wrestling History – Cards, Matches, Results, Newspaper Clippings” Vol 1 and "Vol 2: The Programs 1972 - 1976" James also is the webmaster to the BEST Memphis Wrestling site in the area – memphiswrestlinghistory.com - Click on his site and order his books!!