1981 Georgia Championship Wrestling: May (2/2)
The Freebirds claim conspiracy, Bruce Reed steps up to Bruiser Brody, and Tommy Rich gets his World Title rematch. Plus, links to watch along!
Welcome to Georgia Championship Wrestling, in this edition you’ll read about Tommy Rich, Harley, Race, The Fabulous Freebirds, Ted Dibiase, The Andersons, Junkyard Dog, Ken Patera, Iron Mike Sharpe, and a whole lot more!
Sat. May 23 Georgia Championship Wrestling
Bruiser Brody vs. Johnny Howard. Brody rushes the ring and demolishes Howard. A total menace. Brody hits the big knee drop and pins him knee on belly. A very good effective squash match. Brody and Solie have a great dynamic together. Brody puts Howard in a wheelchair and boots him!! There are no limits with him. Absolutely awesome. He feels like a big money player in an instant.
New Georgia Heavyweight Champion Tommy Rich interview. He’s proud to represent Georgia. They show Omni clips of the tournament. Volkoff was tough and bloodied him up. It looks like a great match with Hayes all upset at ringside. It ended up with Rich and Greg Valentine in the finals. Rich’s cut got opened up but he survived and was able to pin Valentine.
Georgia Champion Tommy Rich vs. Buck Robley. They get off the a fast start. Robley is an interesting character and a tough looking guy. This turns out to be really fun as Tommy’s super consistent in TV matches. Rich wins with a Thesz Press. Ted Dibiase congratulates Rich. They have a bond. Robley’s an idiot. Rich and Dibiase will face The Freebirds at The Omni on May 31st while Junkyard Dog has Michael Hayes in a dog collar match! Rich and Dibiase will get Roberts and Gordy in a cage match. It’s time to get nasty and fight fire with fire! A great money promo and two big matches for The Omni. Once again, I have to reiterate the immense value The Freebirds act provided promotions. The constant rotation of tag matches, six mans, singles, with opponents in and out has kept things very fresh.
Ken Patera interview. He does a bar bending feat of strength. Offers a $5k challenge for anyone who can break his full nelson.
The Oates Brothers flip a coin to see who faces Ernie Ladd. Dibiase and JYD bought their contract to face The Freebirds later in the show! I like that aspect where babyfaces can outsmart the heels.
Ernie Ladd vs. Ted Oates. Ted surprises him and Ladd has to resort to a loaded thumb. Jerry Oates helps out and there’s a DQ. Ladd is here looking for JYD
Ted Dibiase interview with a blood soaked shirt. They show clips from during the break where Buck Robley attacked Tommy Rich and bloodied him up bad. Fans were screaming. Ted made save but Rich has a shoulder injury now. Ted talks about Rich lifting his spirits. What is this sport becoming? Buck was trying to collect the bounty. We can be animals! Ted is very fired up!! He’s gonna clean up Georgia. Dibiase has progressed a ton from when he first started and he feels like a top act now. As a babyface he has presence and charisma but feels more like a classical World Champion.
Freebirds interview. They’re claiming conspiracy. Hayes is not gonna wrestle! Gordy will take his place.
Terry Gordy vs. Mike Jackson. Gordy viciously pummels Jackson. Dibiase comes out after Hayes!! Rich and JYD too. There’s a big brawl and the match is no contest.
Michael Hayes cuts a wild promo on the dog collar match. He’s going to find something to get JYD again.
National Tag Team Champions Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) vs. Ted Dibiase & Junkyard Dog. What a great single show arc this has been. The TV is compelling while also building the Omni card at the same time. A good tag match for a few minutes before Hayes comes in for the DQ.
Junkyard Dog interview. Show Omni clips of the tag match against The Freebirds where he had it won. Hayes attacked him with a dog collar. No ones does that to the dog!
Results: Steve O d. Bob Garrett. Junkyard Dog d. Buck Brannigan. Bruiser Brody d. Johnny Howard. Tommy Rich d. Buck Robley. Terry Gordy d. Mike Jackson. Ted DiBiase d. Gypsy Joe. Robert Gibson & Ricky Gibson d. Bobby Eaton & Bryan St. John. Ernie Ladd d. Ted Oates by disqualification. Ted DiBiase & Junkyard Dog d. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) by disqualification. Ken Patera d. Tommy Wright
Sat. May 30 Georgia Championship Wrestling
National Tag Team Champions Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) vs. Bruce Reed & Bobby Garrett. Reed will become known as Butch Reed. He gets some shine and Solie’s impressed. Gordy’s such an impressive bumper for a big man. Hayes gets them DQ’d. It feels like they’re using more DQ’s. The faces clear out and they really put over Reed. Hayes speaks of a conspiracy against. People want to hurt them and run them out of Georgia.
Bruce Reed interview. Solie puts him and his football background over big. Bruiser Brody interrupts and smacks him! Reed won’t back down. A great way to establish Reed quick.
Bruiser Brody vs. Tommy Wright. Another vicious squash. Brody gets big boos. He wants everyone to get the drift. Abdullah The Butcher, the World Champion, he won’t change. He goes back after Wright but Reed comes in and Brody bails! The crowd pops big for Reed backing Brody down.
Tommy Rich & Ted Dibiase interview. They’re pals and put each other over. It seems like things have changed as now Tommy Rich has Harley Race tomorrow in The Omni. His rematch for the World Title. This time he has home field advantage. Once again, these things with Rich seem to happen out of nowhere.
Georgia Champion Tommy Rich & Ted Dibiase vs. The French Angel & NWA World Champion Harley Race. Harley takes the spot in this match. The faces get most of it and Rich pins Race on TV!
Harley Race interview. He came here to eliminate obstacles like Rich and Dibiase. He’s never ran in his life. Harley is in quite the mood here and it results in a good promo..
Ole Anderson interview. It’ll be The Freebirds and The Andersons tomorrow night in the Cage Match. Wow again an out of nowhere switch and that makes The Andersons defacto faces. I’m curious as to the story behind these switches.
Ken Patera interview. This time he hammers a screwdriver through boards as his feat of strength. He has three open contracts for competition.
Ken Patera vs. Zane Hickey. Quick squash. Larry Brock next. Another squash. Iron Mike Sharpe is the third man. Patera’s upset. They fight over a full nelson and Sharpe gets it on Ken! They call it a draw.
Austin Idol interview. Look who is back! He’s still very popular despite being gone. He got an SOS from the promoters to come back to pack arenas. He’s going on his own and mentions Flair and Dusty by name.
Austin Idol vs. Gypsy Joe. Ok squash for Idol.
Jim Duggan vs. Wahoo McDaniel. Wahoo wins a simple match.
Bruiser Brody interview. Reed sacrificed for a job no one else will do. He’s gonna run him out of town. Brody has a mop. He’s the janitor here to clean up the stink. The original cleaner. He wants to be the number one guy! This is my favorite setting and presentation of Brody.
Results: Bryan St. John d. Jerry Mahoney. Bruce Reed & Bobby Garrett d. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) by disqualification. Bruiser Brody d. Tommy Wright. Tommy Rich & Ted DiBiase d. Harley Race & French Angel. Robert Gibson d. Ole Anderson by disqualification. Ken Patera d. Zane Hickey. Ken Patera d. Larry Brock. Ken Patera vs. Mike Sharpe ended without a winner as a time limit draw. Austin Idol d. Gypsy Joe. Wahoo McDaniel d. Jim Duggan. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts) d. Larry Brock & Rick Stevens. Harley Race d. Jerry Oates. Steve O d. Bruce Foster. Bobby Eaton vs. Ricky Gibson ended without a winner as a time limit draw
Sun. May 31 at The Omni
Ricky Gibson & Robert Gibson d. French Angel & Bobby Eaton
Steve O d. Bryan St. John
Mike Sharpe d. Ken Patera by disqualification
Ted DiBiase d. Nikolai Volkoff
Cage Match for NWA World Tag Team Titles (Mid-Atlantic-Version) Match: The Andersons (Ole & Gene) (c) d. Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy & Buddy Roberts)
Dog Collar Match: Junkyard Dog d. Michael Hayes
Abdullah the Butcher vs. Bruiser Brody ended without a winner as a no contest
NWA World Heavyweight Title Match Tommy Rich d. Harley Race (c) by disqualification
Lights Out Match Bruce Reed d. Bruiser Brody by disqualification
If anything is missing or incorrect, please let me know.
Credits: WrestlingData, Retro Wrestling Archive, Kris Zellner, Cagematch.
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