SMW Fire on The Mountain – August 8th, 1992
By Garth Holmberg on 7th September 2017
SMW Fire on The Mountain ‘92
– Taped on August 8th, 1992, from the Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, TN.
Phil Raney and Les Thatcher are at ringside to call all the action, unless otherwise noted. Like with the Volunteer Slam, there is some editing to keep the run-time down, but it’s not nearly as a clipped, with every match being left either completely intact or only a minimal amount of clipping, keeping most of the matches watchable without being turned into highlight reels.
Featured on the card is a Double Main Event (at least that’s what it should be), with most of the focus is on the Tag Team Titles. The Heavenly Bodies once again defend their Championship against the Fulton Brothers. After weeks of pull-apart brawls, both in the ring and backstage, and heavy fines being levied, it’s time to go the extra mile. To ensure a winner and no interference from Jim Cornette, the match is being held inside of a 10-foot tall barbwire cage, and on top of that, Commissioner Bob Armstrong will be the special referee.
Brian Lee is scheduled to defend his Heavyweight Championship against the Dirty White Boy. The Heavyweight Title has taken a backseat to the Tag Team Championship since Lee won the belt at The Volunteer Slam. It’s almost a surprise that they instantly put him in a non-title rivalry where he enlisted the help of Ron Garvin against the White Boy and Paul Orndorff. As soon as the match was signed, it was revealed that the White Boy has to win the match and the Championship, otherwise he must leave the Smoky Mountain area.
Underneath the Championship matches are three more attractions of various interest and levels of hype: Paul Orndorff and Ron Garvin will clash in a Piledriver Match, stemming from Summer Blast where Orndorff attacked Garvin after their match and laid him out with a Piledriver. The first man to his opponent with a piledriver will be declared the winner… After weeks of back-and-forth tormenting each other, Tim Horner challenged Buddy Landell to an I Quit Match. This match didn’t get much hype lately due to Landell pulling a no-show, and his appearance for this show is in serious doubt… Finally, Jimmy Golden enlisted the help of good friend Robert Fuller in his rivalry with Robert Gibson. To even the sides, Robert went back to his past and brought Ricky Morton back into the fold, apologetic for turning his back on friends and family for the last year and a half.
– I Quit Match: “White Lightnin” Tim Horner vs. “Nature Boy” Buddy Landell:
OK, am I the only one surprised that Landell didn’t no-show? Or that they never mentioned Horner losing at Summer Blast, where he promised to leave if he lost? Joined in progress, with Landell working Horner over in the corner. We cut ahead some more, with Landell choking Horner in the corner, but he won’t give up. Whip to the corner, Horner with a boot to the face, followed by a flurry of rights, and even keeping Landell from falling by holding his hair. He continues to punish Landell, but there’s no surrender. Clipped ahead, again, and Landell straddles Horner on the ring post. He uses the microphone as a weapon, smacking Horner across the head and choking him with the wire. Snap mare with the wire, but Horner won’t quit. Horner wrestles the microphone away and gives Landell a taste of his own medicine. They trade blows and eye rakes. Horner with a hip toss, but misses a knee drop. Landell picks the leg, but Horner fights him off. Whip to the ropes and Horner with an abdominal stretch. He goes for a spinning toe hold, but Landell counters with a handful of hair. Horner with a Scorpion Death Lock, but Landell pulls himself out of the ring. Whip to the ropes, Landell with a boot to the chest, then applies a Figure-Four. Horner refuses to quit and rocks back and forth to reverse the hold, and again Landell pulls himself to safety. Landell goes back to working the knee. Horner goes for a slam, but Landell lands on top of him. Landell takes his sweet time climbing the ropes and gets knocked down. Horner regains control, locking Landell in an Indian Death Lock, and he submits at 15:17 (shown). Match time was announced as 23:24. *** Good match, despite the clipping, with believable hatred between them and some solid submission wrestling towards the second half. This would mark the end of Landell’s run with SMW until Christmas 1994.
– Piledriver Match: Ron Garvin vs. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff:
The winner is the first man to successfully hit his opponent with a piledriver, and they won’t be fined, I assume. Orndorff hides in the corner to start, then cut ahead to them fighting over a wrist-lock. Whip to the ropes, and a malfunction at the junction puts both down. Orndorff goes for the piledriver, but it’s countered. Orndorff stalls, so the crowd jeers him with a “Paula” chant. Orndorff takes control with a cheap shot in the corner and stomps Garvin down. Snap mare, followed by an elbow drop. Garvin with rights and lefts, followed by a pair of knees. He goes for a pin, and I’m getting flashbacks to the 1990 Royal Rumble. Garvin with an unsuccessful piledriver attempt on the floor. Orndorff boots him down again and chokes with the microphone wire. He grabs a soft drink cup and scrapes it across Garvin’s face. Garvin rallies, with the wire still around his throat, then it’s time for his patented Garvin STOMP. Orndorff blocks another piledriver attempt. Garvin puts him down with a sleeper and goes for another pin attempt. Orndorff counters another piledriver, this time with a low blow. The referee gets bumped, so expect shenanigans. He lays out Garvin and tries to convince the referee he hit the piledriver… and Mark Curtis accepts him on his word and calls for the bell at 18:47. Unfortunately for Orndorff, “Nitro” Danny Davis makes his way to the ring and informs the referee of the false verification. Orndorff gives Davis a piledriver for sticking his nose in his business, and walks out on the match. They booked a NON-FINISH in a match where nobody had to be pinned. *1/2 The brawling was decent, but this was too long, and that finish is terrible.
– The Rock N’ Roll Express vs. Jimmy Golden & Robert Fuller:
The much-anticipated reunion of Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson. The crowd goes nuts for them, and I’m sure Cornette sees cents signs thinking of all the money they will make him. Golden and Fuller attack before the bell, but the RNR quickly clear them out. Lots of stalling early on. Morton with a dropkick to Golden, followed by an arm drag. The RNR with a wish-bone, then a double strike to Fuller on the apron. Things finally look good for the nogoodniks, as Ricky Morton gets to do what he does best: take a beating. Fuller pounds away, and Morton’s already bleeding. Whip and Golden with a boot to the face. They send Morton to the floor and introduce him to the post. Gibson gets suckered into the ring, allowing extensive double teaming. Golden with a bear-hug and our first fake hot tag spot. Whip to the ropes and Fuller spikes Morton for a near fall. Morton with a sunset flip, but the referee misses it. Small package for a two count. He scrambles between the legs of Golden and finally tags to Gibson. He runs wild on Golden with rights and hits a diving body press for two. We get heel miscommunication, and a RNR Double Dropkick on Golden gets another two count. Gibson grabs a sleeper, but Fuller comes from behind with a double axe-handle. Golden lands on top for a cover, but Morton turns it over, with Gibson on top for the three count at 14:36. Post-match, Fuller and Golden get their revenge, beating the tar out of the Express for several minutes. **3/4 Started slow, but it turned into a classic performance from Ricky Morton, who single-handedly carried the match out of the dumpster.
– SMW Heavyweight Championship Match:
“Primetime” Brian Lee (c) vs. The Dirty White Boy (w/ Mr. Ron Wright):
If The White Boy doesn’t win, then he’s forced to leave the Smoky Mountain Area. We saw how well they held that stipulation up for Horner when Summer Blast came and went. We cut ahead in the action with Lee connecting with an atomic drop, followed by a slam. He knocks the White Boy out of the ring with a clothesline, then brings him in with a suplex for two. We clip ahead again, with the White Boy being knocked across the ring. Whip to the ropes, Wright trips Lee up, allowing the White Boy to knock him through the ropes. He pounds away and hangs Lee across the top rope. Swinging neck breaker for two. DDT for another two-count. Whip to the ropes and Lee with a sunset flip for two. White Boy with another DDT for two. Whip and Lee connects with his own DDT. He hits the White Boy with clotheslines, a dropkick, and power-slam for a near fall. White Boy grabs something from Wright and nails Lee, but it only gets a two count. Whip to the ropes and Lee comes back with a diving clothesline. He goes to the top rope, but misses a splash. Lee continues to rally and hits the Cancelation, but Wright has the referee distracted. Suddenly, a MYSTERY MAN appears from out of nowhere, lays Lee out with a clothesline, and White Boy covers for three at 8:37 (shown of an announced 13:18) to win the Heavyweight Title. ** This had its ups and downs, and I’m sure the clipping helped. The big question is… who was the man that attacked Lee, and why?
– SMW Tag Team Championship; Barbwire Cage Match:
The Heavenly Bodies (c) (w/ Jim Cornette) vs. The Fantastics:
(Tom Prichard & Stan Lane vs. Bobby & Jackie Fulton)
Commissioner Bob Armstrong is the special referee, and this is under Texas Tornado Rules. Cornette cuts a pre-match promo on the crowd and whining that everyone is jealous of the Heavenly Bodies, and that’s why they’re forced into defending the titles in this kind of situation. He continues, doing every trick in the book to get desired heat, until the Fantastics come out and chase them into the ring. The Fantastics counter a battering ram and connect with dropkicks. Prichard tries to bail out, but there’s nowhere to run. Lane with a snap mare and rake of the eyes to Bobby. Jackie with a snap mare and elbow to Prichard for two. Lots of teasing with the barbwire, but no blood… yet. Bobby with a small package on Lane for two. Jackie with a pump-handle slam on Prichard for two. Bobby gets sent into the barbwire, and you can bet your aunt fanny that he’s busted open. Prichard rubs his head into the cage some more, while on the opposite side of the ring, Lane is doing his best to shred Jackie. Lane takes Jackie down with a low blow while Prichard sends Bobby into the barbwire again for a near fall. Cornette pokes the tennis racket through the cage to get some cheap shots on Jackie, and according to Thatcher, Jackie is busted open, too.
Bobby tries to fight off both Heavenly Bodies, but the numbers catch up to him quickly. Jackie recovers, but doesn’t offer much help. Bobby rolls away from an elbow drop and comes to his brother’s aid. Jackie with a headbutt to Prichard, but he ends up selling it worse. Lane and Prichard regain control and do some more shredding. The Fantastics try to rally, but they just can’t build any momentum™. Prichard with a figure-four leg lock on Bobby in the center of the ring. Jackie fights off Lane and makes the save for Bobby, dropping an elbow on Prichard. Lane side-steps a dropkick from Bobby and covers for two. Bobby and Jackie simultaneously fight out of chin-locks and pound away with rights. Prichard tries climbing out, but Jackie stops him and slams his head into the metal frame of the cage, and FINALLY Prichard gets sent into the cage. Cornette with assistance from the floor, throwing powder in the eyes of Jackie. Prichard from behind with the O’Conner Roll, but it only gets two. Armstrong must’ve seen the interference, and ejects Cornette from ringside!
Back to the action, Bobby has the head gear removed from Lane and sends him into the barbwire! “We’ve got a donnybrook on our hands!” Jackie saves Bobby from a double suplex with a dropkick to the back of both Heavenly Bodies. Prichard with a Liger-Bomb on Jackie, but Bobby saves from a pin attempt. Lane with a Russian leg sweep on Bobby for a 2.9 count. Prichard with a suplex, but Jackie rolls away from the drifting second rope elbow. Cornette returns to the ring area, tossing the tennis racket into the ring, but Armstrong catches the interference before Prichard could use the weapon, and the distraction allows Jackie to cradle him from behind for three at 13:06 to win the SMW Tag Team Championship! Post-match, Cornette throws a hissy fit. **** A satisfying conclusion to the night, and the Fantastics finally get their due after chasing the Heavenly Bodies for most of the Summer. Great brawl, with the Fantastics doing an outstanding job of fighting from underneath and building drama with the cage. The commentary, though, didn’t feel very engaging, so there’s the one negative I can say viewing this.
Final Thoughts: The main event met the high expectations these two teams were capable of, while the rest of the card was a collection of hit and misses, with nothing standing out as something worth checking out, and only the finish of Garvin/Orndorff standing out as something that was a real head scratcher. Based on the results we’ve seen, we’ll likely see most of these rivalries continue, with the big question mark being where do we go with Brian Lee and the Dirty White Boy.
There might not be recaps next week, with Hurricane Irma due to hit over the weekend. We should be out of the danger zone, but you never know.