Mid-South Wrestling: Week of 2/18/80-2/24/80
For the week ending February 24th, 1980: a rather surprising name leaves the territory for a month-long tour of Japan, a third man interjects himself into the Freebirds' feud with JYD & Robley (and no, it's not Buddy Roberts...yet) & more!
Here's a look at the talent roster along with SPOT ratings, Rankings and FEUD scores for the week.
Other wrestlers advertised for shows this week but not listed in the SPOT ratings: Tommy Rich and Tony Atlas. Rich & Atlas were both booked in the territory on Saturday night, Rich in Alexandria and Atlas in Kosciusko, MS. Atlas worked Houston the night before. In the case of Rich, results on wrestlingdata.com show Paul Orndorff working twice in Alexandria and subbing for him. That site also lists results from a show in Columbus, GA the same day where Rich defeated Austin Idol.
Two newcomers to the roster this week are The Gladiator and Terry Lathan. I don't know who this version of the Gladiator was other than it couldn't have been Ricky Hunter. Lathan's name was sometimes spelled as Terry Latham. He had been working in the Pensacola area for a promotion running opposition to Ron Fuller's Southeastern territory. It appears this promotion was run by Billy Golden, which (I think) means Billy was running opposition to his own cousin.
Mike Bowyer (Boyette) left the territory to go on a tour of Japan for the IWE. He would return here after the month-long tour. Other North American wrestlers on the tour were Mongolian Stomper, Jake Roberts, Eddie Sullivan and Tom Stanton; Dick the Bruiser came in for the final week of the tour. This was Boyette's first Japanese tour; he apparently did well enough to be brought back for another tour a year later.
Bob Sweetan jumps ahead of Mike George this week in the SPOT Ratings and the Rankings. George is still feuding with Ted DiBiase over the North American title. Sweetan becomes an extended part of the feud between Junkyard Dog & Buck Robley and The Freebirds. Sweetan faced Dog in a singles bout in Baton Rouge this week, and the two were on opposite sides of a six-man tag in Shreveport. The JYD & Robley vs 'Birds feud seems to have peaked, at least as it regards the specific pairing of JYD & Robley. We know JYD and The Freebirds are not done with each other by a long shot. The FEUD Score for JYD & Robley vs Hayes & Gordy fell from a 46 to a 41 this week. The feud between Bull Ramos and Iron Mike Sharpe heats up significantly, as their FEUD Score increased from a 20 to a 37. Ramos and Sharpe squared off in Jackson, Greenville and Shreveport this week, with Greenville being a lumberjack match and Shreveport being a no-disqualification match (which was won by Ramos).
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Here's a look at the talent roster along with SPOT ratings, Rankings and FEUD scores for the week.
Two newcomers to the roster this week are The Gladiator and Terry Lathan. I don't know who this version of the Gladiator was other than it couldn't have been Ricky Hunter. Lathan's name was sometimes spelled as Terry Latham. He had been working in the Pensacola area for a promotion running opposition to Ron Fuller's Southeastern territory. It appears this promotion was run by Billy Golden, which (I think) means Billy was running opposition to his own cousin.
Mike Bowyer (Boyette) left the territory to go on a tour of Japan for the IWE. He would return here after the month-long tour. Other North American wrestlers on the tour were Mongolian Stomper, Jake Roberts, Eddie Sullivan and Tom Stanton; Dick the Bruiser came in for the final week of the tour. This was Boyette's first Japanese tour; he apparently did well enough to be brought back for another tour a year later.
Bob Sweetan jumps ahead of Mike George this week in the SPOT Ratings and the Rankings. George is still feuding with Ted DiBiase over the North American title. Sweetan becomes an extended part of the feud between Junkyard Dog & Buck Robley and The Freebirds. Sweetan faced Dog in a singles bout in Baton Rouge this week, and the two were on opposite sides of a six-man tag in Shreveport. The JYD & Robley vs 'Birds feud seems to have peaked, at least as it regards the specific pairing of JYD & Robley. We know JYD and The Freebirds are not done with each other by a long shot. The FEUD Score for JYD & Robley vs Hayes & Gordy fell from a 46 to a 41 this week. The feud between Bull Ramos and Iron Mike Sharpe heats up significantly, as their FEUD Score increased from a 20 to a 37. Ramos and Sharpe squared off in Jackson, Greenville and Shreveport this week, with Greenville being a lumberjack match and Shreveport being a no-disqualification match (which was won by Ramos).
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Known house show lineups for the week:
Tuesday - Baton Rouge, LA
-Mike George vs Ted DiBiase
-Iron Mike Sharpe & Paul Orndorff vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Bob Sweetan vs Junkyard Dog
-Bull Ramos vs Ricky Fields
-Mike Blood vs Terry Lathan
-Ben Alexander vs Frenchy Martin
Wednesday - Jackson, MS
-Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs Paul Orndorff & Ted DiBiase
-Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Mike George vs Ricky Fields
-Frenchy Martin & Tank Patton vs Igor Putski & Terry Lathan
Thursday - Greenville, MS
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Lumberjack match: Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Paul Orndorff vs Tank Patton
-Bill Irwin vs Ricky Fields
-Ben Alexander vs Mike Blood
Friday - Shreveport, LA
-Elimination match: Bob Sweetan & Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog & Paul Orndorff
-No disqualification: Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Frenchy Martin vs Ted DiBiase
-King Cobra vs Tank Patton
-Mike George vs Ricky Fields
-Mike Blood vs Terry Lathan
Saturday - Alexandria, LA
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-North American title: Mike George vs Ted DiBiase
-Tank Patton vs Tommy Rich
-Frenchy Martin vs Paul Orndorff
-Ricky Fields vs Steve Hall
-Gladiator vs Terry Lathan
Saturday - Kosciusko, MS
-Mississippi State title: Ernie Ladd vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Bob Sweetan vs Tony Atlas
-Bill Irwin vs Bull Ramos
-King Cobra vs Mike Blood
-Ben Alexander vs Igor Putski
-plus a Wrestle Royal
Sunday - Houma, LA
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Bob Sweetan vs Paul Orndorff
-Frenchy Martin vs Ted DiBiase
-Bill Irwin vs Terry Lathan
Tuesday - Baton Rouge, LA
-Mike George vs Ted DiBiase
-Iron Mike Sharpe & Paul Orndorff vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Bob Sweetan vs Junkyard Dog
-Bull Ramos vs Ricky Fields
-Mike Blood vs Terry Lathan
-Ben Alexander vs Frenchy Martin
Wednesday - Jackson, MS
-Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs Paul Orndorff & Ted DiBiase
-Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Mike George vs Ricky Fields
-Frenchy Martin & Tank Patton vs Igor Putski & Terry Lathan
Thursday - Greenville, MS
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Lumberjack match: Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Paul Orndorff vs Tank Patton
-Bill Irwin vs Ricky Fields
-Ben Alexander vs Mike Blood
Friday - Shreveport, LA
-Elimination match: Bob Sweetan & Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy vs Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog & Paul Orndorff
-No disqualification: Bull Ramos vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Frenchy Martin vs Ted DiBiase
-King Cobra vs Tank Patton
-Mike George vs Ricky Fields
-Mike Blood vs Terry Lathan
Saturday - Alexandria, LA
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-North American title: Mike George vs Ted DiBiase
-Tank Patton vs Tommy Rich
-Frenchy Martin vs Paul Orndorff
-Ricky Fields vs Steve Hall
-Gladiator vs Terry Lathan
Saturday - Kosciusko, MS
-Mississippi State title: Ernie Ladd vs Iron Mike Sharpe
-Bob Sweetan vs Tony Atlas
-Bill Irwin vs Bull Ramos
-King Cobra vs Mike Blood
-Ben Alexander vs Igor Putski
-plus a Wrestle Royal
Sunday - Houma, LA
-Mid-South Tag Team titles: Buck Robley & Junkyard Dog vs Michael Hayes & Terry Gordy
-Bob Sweetan vs Paul Orndorff
-Frenchy Martin vs Ted DiBiase
-Bill Irwin vs Terry Lathan
