Just a short time later, Bill Watts, while talking with commentator Boyd Pierce, mentions that he has heard of the match stipulations that the Rock-n-Roll Express, and as a wrestler, would never have agreed to such terms.  With that one statement, Bill Watts helped to put the match over in the minds of fans as “Dangerous.”   

Watts then proceeds to run down Jim Ross’ accomplishments as a referee in pro sports, as a prelude to setting up a pre-taped video with an “understandably” scared Jim Ross.  The next thing the viewer sees is Ricky and Robert, along with Ross, on top of a 20 foot high scaffold.  Ricky, Robert, and Ross all sell how scary it is to be up so far above the ring.  But as Morton states, the Mid-South area is not big enough for both of the teams.  The scaffold match must be the end, winner take all.  To further drive the point of danger home, Gibson hurls a melon off of the scaffold to the concrete floor.  The visual of the melon crashing down has its desired effect. 

November 23, 1984 

Exactly 10 months to the day after Hulk Hogan won his first WWF title, the Rock-n-Roll Express met the Midnight Express in Houston…on a scaffold.  While most fans widely know now that the matches held at their local arena back then were part of the “circuit,” fans in Houston either didn’t know that fact, or plain didn’t care.  The Sam Houston Coliseum was packed for the day after Thanksgiving card, and the two teams wouldn’t let them down this time. 

Although limited as far as what they could do on the scaffold, the drama that the two teams were able to create was off the charts.  At times, the Coliseum sounded like a victory parade when the heroes had the advantage.  At other times, the screams elicited by the many girls in the audience were near deafening, as if by their volume, they could encourage their favorite out of the jam the heels had put him in.   

Eventually, Rock-n-Roll would prove to be successful, as Morton and Gibson would retain their titles when Bobby Eaton flew off the scaffold.  Even though it had lasted a tad more than seven months, it was the end of an era for tag team wrestling in Mid-South, and in Houston.  The feud was finally over.  What began with a celebration ended (Cornette’s face rammed into a cake after the Midnights won their first tag team titles) ended with a celebration on top of a scaffold. 

Ten days after this historic match, Morton and Gibson’s euphoria would end with a tag team title loss to Ted DiBiase and Hercules Hernandez in New Orleans.  Morton and Gibson would regain the titles on Christmas night 1984, and would lose them for the final time in Houston….on May 3, 1985..a day called….”the day the music died.” 

Fast Forward:

Both teams would meet again….plenty of times.  While Cornette and the Midnights would migrate up to Dallas and feud with the Fantastics and Sunshine, Morton and Gibson would eventually land in the Mid-Atlantic area.  Within weeks of their arrival, Morton and Gibson would win the NWA tag belts from the Russian trio of Krusher Khruschev and Ivan and Nikita Koloff.  The Midnights would follow shortly into the territory, at first feuding with Jimmy Valiant and Ronnie Garvin.  But, by February 1986, the two teams would once again feud, as Condrey and Eaton would capture the NWA belts from Morton and Gibson.  The two teams would feud into the 90’s in WCW, and insure their place in tag team lore. 

Next Month:  

We return to 1984, as we take a look at “The Last Stampede,” in a can’t miss edition of Kayfabe Memories:  Houston. 

Special thanks to wrestling-titles.com and Mid-South columnist Scott Williams for their background help on this edition of Kayfabe Houston.