Best wishes to the friends and family of Jody Hamilton, who passed away today. The Flame was certainly an integral part of the Southeastern (Knoxville and Pensacola) and Continental, in addition to his legendary career in Georgia and other promotions.
Sadly, there is apparently no footage out there of the 07.13.195 TV show. Not even clips. 🙁
Matches from the 07.08.85 TV tapings held at Boutwell Auditorium were:
Nightmare #1 over Scott Armstrong
Steve Armstrong over Bill Ash
The Nightmares No Contest Tommy and Johnny Rich
Loser Leaves Town Texas Tornado Eight Man Tag Team Southern Street Fight: The Stud Stable (Ron Fuller, Jimmy Golden, Mr Class and the Flame) over Austin Idol, Lord Humongous, Bob Armstrong and Porkchop Cash (loser of the fall)
This is the first Continental TV show where the whole program is nor available. We only have one match from the show, but it’s an important one.
Same intro music, same clips.
Gordon welcomes us to the show. He previews the card and a video feature on Adrian Street.
Match #1 - Tommy Rich vs Nightmare #1 - Nightmare #1 is out first. Tommy hits first and goes right at it, attacking the Nightmare from behind. Soon, its a big back body drop and the Nightmare is begging off. Tommy works him over, including grabbing ahold of the mask by the eye holes and punching him with the other. Gordon mentions this would be a fasemask penalty in the NFL. Nightmare #2 has joined Gordon on commentary. In a great bit of foreshdowing, he asks where Johnny Rich is at. In the ring, Nightmare #1 has taken control, moving the action into the second ring. After some back and forth action, Tommy throws Nightmare #1 back into the first ring, as Nightmare #2 leaves the commentary area. After some criss cross action, both men go for a leap frog or Thesz press, and crash into each other, with Nightmare #1 hitting the floor. They pull a switcheroo and #1 rolls under the ring and #2 gets in the ring. But Tommy rolls him up with an inside cradle and gets the win. Both Nightmare double team Tommy, but who’s this running to ringside? It’s Johnny Rich! The Rich cousins run them off to the back and Johnny comes away with the mask of one of the Nightmares.
And thats all we have for this week. For the record, the other matches that night at the TV tapings were as follows:
Austin Idol over Don Sanders
Nightmare #2 drew with Steve Armstrong
Scott Armstrongover Bill Ash
the returning Brad Armstrong over Randy Barber
Tommy & Johhny Rich over Glen Holbrook & Larry Clark
Eight-man tag: Austin Idol, Bob Armstrong, Porkchop Cash & Humongous over Ron Fuller, Jimmy Golden, The Flame & Mr Class
Yes, it’s been a little while. Couple of reasons:
We decided to try and synch up these recaps so they match up, date wise, with the original show.
We’re entering the time of no longer having complete episodes. The plan is to hopefully list the full card the night was show was taped at Boutwell Auditorium and then review what footage still exists.
On the bright side, we hope to have a new podcast with someone very important to Continental up in the near future.
Thanks as always.
A burnt arm is not going to stop The Bullet from getting at The Flame and the Stud Stable.
For the show this week, the introduction has not changed. Same match clips, same intro music.
Gordon Solie welcomes us to the show and runs down the matches. He tells us that Boomer T. Lynch has been injured and has undergone knee surgery, performed by the world renowned Dr. James Andrews.
Gordon is joined by Ron Fuller who tells us that Boomer Lynch was injured by Porkchop Cash and introduces his new man, Mr. Class. Ron says he won’t get injured, but will be doing the injuring
Match 1: Porkchop Cash vs Mr. Class (with Ron Fuller) - During the opening moments of the match, Gordon discusses the Birmingham Stallions of the USFL, who he recently got to see play vs the Tampa Bay Bandits.. Google tells me that Tampa Bay won the contest on June 15,1985, by the score of 17-14, due largely to Stallions QB Cliff Stoudt throwing three interceptions. Porkchop gets an early advantage which sends Mr. Class to the floor for a timeout. Gordon puts over Porkchop’s conditioning as he locks in an armbar on Mr. Class. Mr Class soon takes advantage and begins working on Porkchop’s arm, with some kicks and elbow drops before synching in his own armbar. Porkchop makes a comeback with a series a right hands, a backdrop and then a big dropkick for a two count. He gets a monkey flip and tries for a second, but Fuller holds on to Mr. Class’ trunks in the corner. He drops an an elbow and gets the three count in just over six minutes.
Gordon throws to a personality profile of the Tennessee Stud, Ron Fuller. We see a bunch of still, starting in childhood, of Ron, set to the Chariots of Fire theme. Lots of different cowboy hats and mustaches on display. We eventually see some footage, including the Fuller Leg Lock, a piledriver, his double team piledriver with Robert and him fighting folks like Don Carson and the Mongolian Stomper. It ends with a still shot of Robert, Ron and Buddy Fuller.
We come back to a Stud Stable interview segment, with Ron, Jimmy Golden, the Flame and Mr. Class, promoting their 8-man tag next week in Birmingham.
Match 2: US Junior Heavyweight Title Match - Bill Ash vs Jason Walker. A few minutes into the match, Gordon is joined by The Nightmares on commentary. They are continuing the “Where’s Johnny?” angle by carrying flowers for the injured Johnny Rich. Ash wins with a flying lariat in five minutes.
Gordon does a local promo for next Monday’s show and Scott Armstrong says that Brad will be back next week. Gordon throws to himself with a pre-recorded interview with Bill Ash and the Nightmares.
Match 3: Jimmy Golden vs Paul Barnett. Gordon talks about what a great young competitor Golden was years ago and doesn’t understand how he got corrupted by the Tennessee Stud. During the match, Gordon puts over the production crew of the TV show by name. Golden wins with a corkscrew neckbreaker and then his patented top rope missile dropkick in four minutes.
Gordon does a local promo with Steve Armstrong, who is fighting one of the Nightmares on Monday night. They again say Brad is coming back. And we cut to a locker room promo with Tommy Rich. He says he will have a surprise for the Nightmares. We cut to another promo with the Nightmares.
Gordon is back at the desk with Ron and the Flame, showing highlights of a match between the Flame and Bob Armstrong, where Bob won the Continental tile in Dothan, Alabama. We cut to more footage from that show, which begins with Ron and Golden piledriving Bob. Ron ties Bob to the ropes and then they hold him while The Flame throws two fireballs at Bob’s left arm. Ron says that Bob will have to forfeit the belt now and give it back to the Flame. Bob comes out with his arm wrapped up and says he will not be giving up his title.
Match 4: Continental Title: Bob Armstrong vs The Flame - The early part of the match is brawling on the floor, with the Flame trying to attack Bob’s injured arm. While Bob was busy with the referee back in the ring. the Flame loads up his mask. The two butt heads in the ring and the Flame falls on top of Bob to win the belt. The Flame lords the belt over Bob, who grabs it and starts attacking the Flame with it. Bob again goes for the mask, but the Stud Stable to make the save.. As they try and remove Bob’s bandage, the babyfaces hit the ring and clear out the heels.
We come back with the faces cutting promos. Austin Idol says this will be “War Games.”
Match 5: Alabama Title: Ron Fuller vs Lord Humongous. Ron works him over with the Stud Stable at ringside. Ron makes the mistake of ramming Humongous’ head into the turnbuckle, which turns the tide. But we’re out of time as we cut back to Gordon who promotes next week’s show and plugs his new book.
The Flame takes aim at Bullet Bob Armstrong.
The show starts its second week with new intro music again. Gone is Axel F, replaced by Situation by Yazoo (aka Yaz). There is also a new intro package, showing match highlights of people like The RAT Patrol, Lord Humongous, the Nightmares and Austin Idol.
Gordon Solie introduces the show and gives us a rundown on what will be on today’s show, including two championship matches.
Match 1: United States Junior Title Match - Scott Armstrong (Champion) vs Bill Ash (Challenger) - The match has a special TV limit match of 20 minutes. After some feeling out, Scott takes control early on with a series of headlocks. Ash follows with his own headlocks, aided by some hair pulling. Gordon describes Ash’s offense as “frugal,” after a series of forearms to the kidneys. An Armstrong dropkick sends Ash to the floor and then we get some brawling on the floor. Ash gives Armstrong an atomic drop on the floor and gets back in the ring. A few moments later, Armstrong is on the apron and does a sunset flip back into the ring. However, Ash sits down on him and grabs the ropes, getting a three count and a win, with the referee missing the cheating. Ash is the new champion in a little over 10 minutes.
Gordon promotes the new ongoing video features on the Stars of the NWA and pimps the Wrestling Ringside program. Then we get an Austin Idol music video, set to Joan Jett’s Do You Wanna Touch Me. This is a Memphis video, with footage featuring Idol teaming with Lawler against folks like David Schulz, the Bruise Brothers, the Assassins, intercut with footage of the Strip in Los Vegas and Idol in a hot tub.
Interview in the ring with Bill Ash and Jimmy Golden. Ash says the title is back where it belongs. Golden says they will separate the boys from the men Monday night when he takes on Austin Idol.
Gordon interviews Idol. Idol says Golden has gone from the Golden Boy to the Wonder Boy, wondering what happened to the title.
Match 2: Tag Title Match - The Nightmares (Champions) vs Steve Armstrong and Tommy Rich. The Nightmares come to the ring with flowers, that they want to give to the injured Johnny Rich. The faces go to the floor and start brawling with the champions. Soon the faces are back in the ring and in control. The Nightmares take a powder and Tommy Rich grabs the mic and tells them to get back in the ring. Tommy whips one of the Nightmares into the turnbuckles and he takes a somersault bump out of the ring, hitting his head on the apron on the way down (Ken Wayne).. Tommy runs one into the other and both Nightmares are left laying on the concrete. With everyone back in the ring, Steve hits a big dropkick for a pinfall attempt, broken up by the other Nightmare. The Nightmares end up back on the floor, one trying to massage the lower back of the other. Gordon thinks they switches places after getting back in the ring. After the faces get in some more offense, we go to a commercial break.
Interview with Bob Armstrong, Humongous and Porkchop Cash for Monday’s matches. Bob is going after the Flame’s belt and Humongous is against Ron Fuller. Porkchop has a challenge match vs Boomer Lynch.
Pre-recorded interview with Gordon talking to Boomer Lynch and the Great Kaiser and Dr. Johnny Peebles.
Back to the match and the faces are in control. After a mid-ring collision, Rich is on the mat and a Nightmare ends up on the floor. The other Nightmare takes his place, but Tommy quickly rolls him up for a small package, but only gets a two count. The Nightmares take control, switching in and out behind the referee’s back. Gordon refers to the chair wielded by one of the Nightmares as a “Texas toothpick.” Back in the ring, Tommy gets a sunset flip for a pinfall attempt, but the referee s occupied by the other Nightmare. Armstrong gets the hot tag and soon all four men are in the ring. Armstrong puts a Nightmare in a sleeper. With the referee trying to put Tommy back in his corner, the other Nightmare comes off the top ring, hitting Armstrong and breaking the sleeper. And that’s the champions retaining the titles in almost 19 minutes.
interview with Scott and Steve Armstrong, Monday night going after the tag titles against the Nightmares. Steve says they might have cheat and stoop to their level.
Pre-recorded interview with the Nightmares. They are still offering flowers for Johnny Rich.
Interview with Bob Armstrong, discussing his tag match last week with Humongous vs Ron Fuller and Ric Flair. Footage from the match, where Bob ended up getting 22 stitches in his head. Flair goes for a figure four but Bob turns it into a small package and gets the three count. They also talk about Bob’s feud with the Flame. Bob says he will get down and dirty if he needs to do so.
Video with the Flame. It starts out in the woods with a flaming poster of Bob Armstrong. We see the Flame shooting pictures of Bob Armstong with a rifle and a throwing knife. He is still upset that Bob took off his mask and tried to expose his identity. He then pulls out a handgun and shoots another picture of Bob.
Match 3: Lord Humongous vs Paul Brown. Humongous again comes out to War Machine by Kiss. Brown to bob and weave to stay away from Humongsous. Gordon keeps calling Brown “Pratt.” Some brutality and after 5 minutes, Humongous wins with the Shinanmachi slam.
Interview with Ron Fuller and the Flame. The Flame says they made history by winning two titles in one match.
Interview in the ring with Bob Armstrong and Humongous. Bob says he has never seen garbage stacked so high. And says Humongous will send the Tennessee Jackass packing.
Back to Gordon and Ron Fuller. Ron says they are the two best champions in all of wrestling.
Gordon wraps up the show and plugs his new book.
The champ is here. Ric Flair greets new TV host Gordon Solie.
A new era begins with the debut of the first Continental Championship Wrestling show. First off, the show’s new theme (although for this week only) was Axel F by Harold Faltermeyer (better known as the theme from Beverly Hills Cop). The opening montage (again for this week only) features the inside of Boutwall Auditorium in Birmingham, Alabama, the Flame and Boomer T. Lynch arriving outside the arena, Steve Armstrong mingling with fans, Bullet Bob Armstrong doing push-ups, Ric Flair and Ron Fuller getting ready in the dressing room and inside the arena.
New host Gordon Solie introduces the new show. He runs down some of the competitors on today’s show and then introduces the NWA Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair. Flair puts over Gordon (and himself) as the number one men in their chosen professions. Flair is cocky, but not really as a heel. He shakes Gordon’s hands and walks off stage. Gordon throws it to Mike Jackson, doing the ring announcing.
Match 1: Ric Flair vs Josh Stroud. No 2001 theme for Flair. A smattering of boos for the champ. Gordon puts over Stroud as a former USFL draft pick (1985, remember). Flair wastes no time throwing him to the floor for some punishment. Gordon seemingly flip-flops Flair’s history, saying he was born in the Carolinas and moved to Minneapolis. Flair goes to work on the mat, working on Stroud’s arm. It appeared Flair gave Stroud a couple extra kicks after Stroud did not go over very well for Flair’s butterfly suplex. After an abdominal stretch, Stroud gets a brief bit of offense, before getting chopped in the corner. From there, Flair starts on the usual series of set-ups and then puts on the figure four to Stroud. The submission comes in just under nine minutes.
Gordon introduces a music video on Bullet Bob Armstrong, set to his entrance music, George Thorogood’s Bad to the Bone.
Gordon introduces Bob Armstrong and Lord Humongous. They preview their tag match against Ron Fuller and the Flame, where the singles titles of Armstrong (Continental) and Humongous (Alabama) are on the line.
In the ring, Mike Jackson interviews Ron Fuller and the Flame. Ron says he will be a triple champion after the match.
Match 2: The Flame vs. Jason Walker. No music for the Flame (aka the Assassin). Gordon tries to put over Walker’s intestinal fortitude to start the match and that he needs to use to speed and agility, since he has a 100 pound weight disadvantage. The Flame makes short work on the match, winning with a flying clothesline in just under five minutes.
Gordon interviews Porkchop Cash and Scott Armstrong. Porkchop (with tiny American flag) previews his Texas Death match with Boomer H. Lynch. Scott tells Bill Ash he is now in the driver’s seat and shows off the US Junior Heavyweight title.
Mike Jackson is in the ring with Boomer Lynch and Bill Ash. Ash says that Armstrong stole his title and “the Professor” will put his brain to work to find a way to get his title back.
Match 3: Ron Fuller vs Larry Clark. No music for the Stud. Gordon runs down all of Ron’s basketball and wrestling credentials. Ron starts working on the leg, possible setting up for the Fuller Leg Lock. Instead, he wins with the piledriver in just over four minutes.
Gordon interviews the Nightmares, sporting bouquets of flowers. Gordon says he will begrudingly give back their Southeastern tag titles. We see video of a Nightmare cage match between them and Steve Armstrong and Johnny Rich. Steve Armstrong was the first person to escape the cage. But that left it as a two on one advantage on Johnny Rich. They brutalize Rich, while Steve tries to get back in the ring. They say instead of “here’s Johnny,'“ they ask “where’s Johnny?” Gordon says that Tommy Rich will be coming into the promotion. They say their flowers will going to Johnny RIch in the hospital. And they leave having been given back their tag belts.
Gordon interviews Steve Armstrong, who says that Tommy RIch is coming in. They throw to an interview from Georgia, with Freddy Miller interviewing Tommy Rich. Tommy says he brought Johnny into the business and he is fired up to come in and get revenge.
Gordon interviews the Nightmares, who continue the “where’s Johnny?” bit.
Match 4: Southeastern Title: Jimmy Golden vs Austin Idol. Idol comes to the ring to The Kid is Hot Today by Loverboy. Golden comes out to no music. The belt gets shown off before the match starts. Idol starts out hot and Golden takes a powder. No Tennessee Stud at ringside. Idol spends the early part of the match working a headlock. Gordon name drops having lunch with Larry Little, the former Miami Dolphin. Golden takes a bump over the top rope and the ref refuses to let Idol follow him to the floor. Golden claims Idol threw him over the top rope and wants a DQ. Golden back in the ring finally takes control after a high knee. Golden throws Idol to the floor and follows him outside and drops him throat first on the ringside barricade. Idol sells the throat and tried to get back in the ring, but is thwarted by Golden. Idol finally gets back in the ring by dropping Golden’s throat on the top rope. Idol puts Golden in the figure four, but Golden makes it to the ropes for the break. Idol tries a boston crab, but Golden reverses into a sit out. Idol reverses that. Golden is under the ropes and even Gordon points that out, but the referee still counts three and Idol is the new champion in almost nine minutes.
Gordon interviews an out of breath Idol and congratulates him on his victory.
in the ring, Mike Jackson is not happy about losing his belt. Golden says there’s a return clause in the contract and he will get his belt back.
Idol now with his breath back says Golden is a crybaby.
We cut to a match in-progress for the tag titles in a cage between the Nightmares and the Armstrongs (Steve and Scott) . We get maybe two minutes of action before the show goes off the air. Gordon invites everyone to write their station to let them what they thought of the program.
The show ends with credits rolling over the action still in the ring and Axel F playing again. For the record, the executive producer is Cheri Jo Welch, the then Mrs. Ron Fuller. No other names hidden in the credits at this time.
On June 8, 1985, the last episode of Southeastern Championship Wrestling aired. Here’s the show review.
Charlie Platt introduces show
Interview: Ron Fuller and the Flame. Ron Fuller is trying to blackmail his former underling in the Stud Stable, Lord Humongous. The Flame is upset that Bob Armstrong purchased a video that the Flame tried to buy and for more money.
Match 1: Rat Patrol Incorporated (Steve Armstrong and Johnny Rich) vs Steve Struggs and Chris Jarvis - 1 fall, 10 minute time limit. The Rat Patrol’s music is Let’s Go Crazy by Prince & the Revolution. During the match, Charlie promotes the upcoming tag title cage matches between the Rat Patrol and the Nightmares. Rich actually pulls up his opponent after a double drop kick. Midway through the match, Bill Ash comes out to join Charlie to do commentary. Ash is a heel and a compadre of the Nightmares. The finish comes when Rich has Jarvis in a bear hug and Armstrong hits him with a clothesline (but not a Hart Attack).
The Nightmares come out for an interview. They are watching video of a match between them and the Rat Patrol. The footage picks up after a ref bump. They are on the verge of unmasking one of the Nightmares when Ash runs out to break it up. Soon after, Scott Armstrong comes out to even the odds and the six all brawl to the back. Back in the studios, the Nightmares explain their upcoming matches will be Nightmare Cage matches. To win, you have to pin your opponent and then climb out of the ring. They claim to have been in 25 or 30 of these matches in their careers and never lost one.
Charlie plugs the card for monday night in Boutwell Auditorium, the first night of Continental Wrestling, with NWA camera crews on hand and hosted by Gordon Solie.
Interview with the Nightmares and Bill Ash previewing the match Monday night.
Intervirew with the Rat Patrol. Scott mistakingly says monday’s night card is in Montfomery, not Birmingham.
Match 2: Boomer H. Lynch vs Al Scott. Bill Ash is still doing commentary. Boomer wins with a bearhug turned into a belly to belly suplex.
Charlie details the changes next week for Continental Championship Wrestling next week. Charlie mentions NWA Champion Ric Flair will be on the show next week.
Interview with Boomer Lynch. As a South African, he wonders why the promoters are putting him in the ring with a black man like Porkchop Cash. They show video where Boomer claims Porkchop is using an illegal head butt. Boomer wins the match after the referee is distracted by the Flame and he hits Porkchop with a foreign object to win the match.
(Kayfabe Korner: Boomer was better known under his real name Tom Lintz, who was for most of his career an AWA prelim wrestler. And he is from South Dakota, not South Africa.)
Interview with Bob Armstrong with Lord Humongous, previewing their match next Monday versus Ric Flair and Ron Fuller.
Taped interview from Ric Flair, from JCP studios, done by Tony Schiavone behind the cage and the tradiational JCP blue backdrop.
Interview with Ron Fuller backstage and then back to Bob and Humongous in the studio.
Match 3: Scott Armstrong vs Tommy Crosby. Bill Ash back to do commentary. Armstrong wins with a superkick.
Bob Armstrong out with the bill of sale for the film. Fuller and the Flame come out, but are run off by Lord Humongous and a chair-wielding Austin Idol. In the video, Humongoius is in the ring, choking Ron Fuller. The Flame shows up and tried to throw fire at Bob Armstrong. The Bullet ducks and then unmasls the Flame but the Stud Stable covers up his face. Bob says he has curly black hair.
Interview with Boomer Lynch and Jimmy Golden. Boomer says Porkchop looks like an ape. Golden runs down his no DW match with Austin Idol.
Interview with Austin Idol. Idol is particularly screamy here.
Match 4: Lord Humongous vs Lynn Burt. Humongous using the tradtional theme, War Machine by Kiss. Burt makes the mistake of attacking Humongous at the bell. Finish comes after the Sinninumake (Cobra Clutch) slam. Ron Fuler comes out with the envelope containing the picture of Humongous. Bob Armstrong steals the envelops and reveals that there is nothing in the envelope and Ron had been bliuffing.
Interview with Ron Fuller. Yes, the envelope was empty. Ron says his has teamed with Ric Flair in Sapporo Japan, Kiel Auditorium and in Madison Square Garden.
Interview with Bob and Humongous. He says Humongous will stretch Ron’s neck and make him 7 feet tall.
Charlie closes the show running down all the changes again.
Happy to say that episode one of the podcast (aka Winter Palace number 94) is now available.
I talk to Karl Stern (@WIWCool) about the creation of Continental Championship Wrestling, just about everyone in the promotion, Ron Fuller’s potential NWA title run that never happened and more.
You can find it elsewhere on the website or here.
Also, I will be on the next episode of Ron Fuller’s Sup Studcast (#35) as one of the fan callers talking to Ron. Conveniently, I asked him about the creation of Continental. Give it a listen when it becomes available.
First TV show reviews coming soon.
Thanks.
Welcome to the latest project from Odessa Steps Magazine and the Winter Palace Podcast: It’s a Family Affair, an examination of Continental Championship Wrestling, from the company’s transition from Southeastern Championship Wrestling in June of 1985 through to its ending. Our initial goal is to look at the company’s evolution, primarily through watching the promotion’s weekly television show. This will be supplimented along with the way with additional material, be they print, broadcast or a combination of the two. The plan is also to do the Family Affair Podcast (@familyaffairpod), a place to discuss the promotion’s place in wrestling history with not only great wrestling researchers and historians, but also the talented men and women who worked for the company, in and also out of the ring. Hopefully, the first episode of the podcast will be going up a few days after this post.
So, why Continental? Its predecessor, Southeastern Wrestling, was once regarded as one of wrestling’s “forgotten territories,” overshadowed by its neighbors in Memphis, Georgia and Mid-South. That seems to have changed in recent years, largely due to the prominence of Ron Fuller’s podcast, the Studcast. Wrestling historians have probably learned more about the Knoxville and Pensacola territories since Ron started the Studcast than in the decades since their operation. While folks like Beau James and Karl Stern were seen as knowledgable experts on the promotions, it’s hard to beat having the promoter himself telling first-hand accounts of what happened on a week-by-week basis.
Of course, as of November 2020, we’ve had the occassional story from the Continental era of his history, mainly on the Super Studcasts, when guests like Kevin Sullivan, Jerry Stubbs and Tom Prichard go over events from their time working the territory. If Ron keeps on this current pace, it will still be years before he even opens the Pensacola branch of Southeastern Wrestling, let alone it becoming Continental.
If you want a sample of what we hope to do on the show, check out our podcast with Ron Fuller himself from a few months ago talking about his novel Brutus as well as his memorites of Bullet Bob Armstrong or our episode from earlier in the year with Beau James talking a wide variety of topics, including some great Buddy Landell stories.
I'd also recommend tracking down the Continental episodes of the Exile on Badstreet podcast hosted by Kris Zellner, where he, Beau and Carl discuss the promotions history.
Thanks for your interest. You can get in touch with us at familyaffairpod at gmail dot com or on Twitter @familyaffairpd.