On Episode #119 of the RWR USWA Podcast, The Gang is back inside the Retro Wrestling Archive to review the January 25, 1992 episode of USWA Championship Wrestling and this one is another wild chapter in early ’92 Memphis, where the Moondogs vs. Jerry Lawler & Jeff Jarrett war is getting nastier by the week, Richard Lee may have just delivered the promo of the year, and the undercard suddenly comes alive with women’s chaos, strap match fallout, and a big Saturday night card at the Mid South Coliseum.
The centerpiece of this episode is absolutely Richard Lee. After having his entire head set on fire during last week’s Coliseum chaos, Richard comes out bandaged, shaken, and speaking like a man who has been through something horrible. He says he was permanently disfigured, claims he cannot even control the Moondogs anymore, and then proves it as the Moondogs destroy Freezer Thompson and poor Dazzler Hayes (for the third week in a row).
Look, this is exactly the kind of selling Gene, Josh, and Brian want from Memphis Wrestling. They point out that, too often, somebody takes a piledriver on the floor or gets fire thrown at them and shows up the next week with a towel around their neck acting mostly normal. Richard Lee goes the other way. He commits to the bit, sells the injury, changes his voice, brings the bandages, and turns a fireball spot into a full character moment.
The other big surprise is how much life the undercard women’s angle brings to the episode. What starts with Tony Falk and Miss Jennifer turns into C.J., Miss Texas, Dirty White Girl, Dirty White Boy, Bull Pain, and Samantha all getting pulled into the mix. Dirty White Girl’s return gives Tony Anthony an equalizer against C.J., and suddenly the upcoming all-girl battle royal feels like something the guys actually want to see.
By the end, the show sets up a loaded Saturday night card at the Mid-South Coliseum: a tournament for a shot at Kamala, the women’s battle royal, Embry vs. Dirty White Boy for the Southern Title, and another no DQ war between Lawler/Jarrett and the Moondogs. That’s a lot of moving parts for one week of Memphis television and somehow Richard Lee walking out wrapped up like he survived a horror movie still steals the whole thing. The Moondogs are out of control, Dazzler Hayes is catching another beating, and Richard Lee just might be the best thing in Memphis Wrestling right now.
