TV Reviews Memphis and NWA 605 Saturday night show 3/8/86

Memphis TV 3/8/86 Simply put one of the best/most memorable/biggest money angles in the long history of Memphis on this show. I remembered everything about it and I was 7 when it took place. Jeff Jarrett made his TV debut as a referee just out of high school. He was the referee for a Bill Dundee/Buddy Landell squash match. The heel duo was taking liberties the whole match. Not breaking chokes on 5 counts pulling hair/tights. Slamming the poor job guys on the floor hard. Taking clear advantage of the rookie referee. After the match the beating continued has Landell went for his figurefour young Jarrett tried to stop him and Buddy slaps him and knocks him flat. Jerry Jarrett(Jeff's father and the booker) flies out and attacks Dundee. Bill and Buddy double team the Elder Jarrett. They get him down and start digging at his only good eye!(If you recall the Promo Jerry Jarrett had done several weeks prior where he announced his active in ring retirement sighting his partial blindness.) This angle was ultra realistic the announcers started screaming when they were going after Jarrett's eye. They both got up and ran to the ring yelling and begging Bill and Buddy to stop. At this point Jeff comes back around sees what is being done to his dad and tackles Dundee. I think Lance gets the elder Jarrett out of the ring. So it's now 2-on-1, the heels punch and kick Jeff until Dutch Mantell comes out and chases them off. Eddie Marlin(Jeff's grandfather, Jerry's father-in-law and the on air promoter also comes out to help as Mantell scoops up a lifeless Jeff Jarrett and carries him to the back! That's only half the story folks. When they come back from break The announcers are still highly shaken-up and pissed off. The Fantastics come out for their squash. During that match Jerry Jarrett comes out bleeding and crying saying "I don't know what to do!!!" Lance takes him to the back saying "Jerry you did the best you could you don't need to be out here yet!" (Legit tears folks)! Soon after Eddie Marlin comes out and says he has never seen Jerry like this and that Jarrett may not know what to do but he does. He is gonna call Jerry Lawler(who had lost a loser-leave-town match to Dundee the last week of 85, and was supposed to be gone 6 months(Lasted 6 weeks! Marlin Mantell and Russell talk to Lawler on speaker phone(hunched down with their backs to the camera. Lawler Says Dundee/Landell crossed a line today. He Says he and the Jarretts have been close for years and Dundee and Landell can sue if they want,but the "King" and "Dirty Dutch are gonna beat their brains out! This was compelling believable fantastic Pro Wrestling storytelling here. In other action Dutch Mantell did a taped interview with Eddie Marlin talking about his history with Dundee and his distain for Landell) The piece closes with Mantell playing "the Wildwood Flower on guitar!  Mantell, Dirty Rhodes, the Fantastics and the Debuting Mod Squad all have squash wins! What a show!
     NWA 605 Saturday night show 3/8/86 I have no idea why but the 1st half hour is a "best of"from Feb 7th 86 skip it I did! They showed a clip of Tully Blanchard winning the National Heavyweight Title from Dusty Rhodes. The match took place on an episode of Worldwide Wrestling I will cover in the next week. (I have no idea why that show is after this one,but I'd rather cover the match in full context so I will wait.)  The only other major thing on this show was the Rock N Roll Express attacking the Midnight Express when the heels were beating the squash match victims after the bell. Ricky and Robert knocked both midnights outside. Their manager James E Cornette charged at Ricky Morton with his tennis Racket who ducked and hit a back drop on the "Louisville Lip" before he and Robert hit a double dropkick sending Cornette crashing over the top rope! The Midnighters collected their manager and scurried to the dressing room. Besides that squashes and great promo's (normal NWA in other words!)