Kamala was also at the centerpiece of one of Akbar’s greatest accomplishments, driving Cowboy Bill Watts out of Mid-South Wrestling. It started with a confrontation with Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan had long been a thorn in the side of Akbar. They first locked horns in 1983 when the patriotic Hacksaw objected to Ted DiBiase’s decision to join Devastation Incorporated. The two strong willed Mid-South mainstays had battled on and off ever since. When Akbar threatened Duggan’s career with a massive fireball, Watts stood up for his fallen friend. On August 10, 1985 Cowboy Bill Watts and a recovered Hacksaw Jim Duggan faced off against General Skandor Akbar, Kamala, and Kareem Muhammad in a handicap, loser leaves town match. Cheating tactics on the part of the heels led to an unthinkable result. Watts was pinned and had to leave Mid-South for 90 days. Akbar smugly believed that he had finished off his rival. Then Watts’ “good friend” The Midnight Rider announced his impending arrival to Mid-South. Perhaps the good General knew what was good for him after all. Akbar departed Mid-South wrestling one step ahead of the Midnight Rider’s arrival and did not return until the dawn of the UWF era. 

Jim Cornette:

Jim Cornette hit Mid-South Wrestling in 1984 with all the force and impact of a hurricane. Between his hyperactive antics at ringside and his nonstop, motor mouth interview style, Jim Cornette was unlike anything the fans of Mid-South had ever seen before. As always the tag team scene gained Cornette’s primary attention. As The Midnight Express, Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton had a fluid style and scientific talent that has rarely been equaled let alone surpassed. They made the Mid-South Tag Team Championship, held by Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum TA, their main goal. If you’re Jim Cornette and The Midnight Express, the best way to get at Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum TA was to repeatedly interfere in the champions’ matches. They even resorted to the tasteless insult of tarring and feathering Magnum on TV. During one Midnight Express TV match Jim Cornette repeatedly insulted the champions as they provided television commentary. This led to the rather humorous sight of Mr. Wrestling II and Magnum TA stewing on the broadcast set, desperately trying to avoid the fine they would incur by attacking Cornette and the Express.  

Ultimately The Midnight Express won the Mid-South Tag Team Titles in the Spring of 1984 as the Mr. Wrestling II – Magnum TA team disintegrated in the midst of their historic angle.  Jim Cornette and his team celebrated the win with a party on Mid-South TV. The Rock n Roll Express spoiled the fun by smashing the cake in Cornette’s face. Fury and humiliation consumed Jim Cornette. He was particularly outraged that Cowboy Bill Watts insisted on rerunning the incident over and over. When Cornette’s tirade went too far, Watts slugged him. Cornette and the Midnight’s gained revenge by attacking Watts the following week, busting open a huge cut on the Cowboy’s forehead. It led to a number of matches pitting Watts and Junkyard Dog against Cornette and The Midnights. After losing Cornette was diapered each time as a punishment. 

When the Rock n Roll Express impersonated Mr. Wrestling II and III to win the Mid-South Tag Team Title from the Midnight Express it set off one professional wrestling’s all time greatest feuds. The two great duos traded the belts back and forth and eventually engaged in a series of scaffold matches. Jim Cornette hired Hercules Hernandez as his bodyguard. Jim wanted protection from Hacksaw Jim Duggan. In October of 1984 Hercules and Duggan faced off at the Superdome in New Orleans in a hair vs. hair match. Duggan lost, but Cornette was the one who wound up bald after all the babyfaces in the arena shaved his head. Cornette was wearing a mask to hide his bald head when the Midnight Express absolutely demolished The Fantastics with steel chairs during a contract signing in another famous Mid-South angle. Hurricane Jim did not pass until he and the Midnight Express moved to World Class Championship Wrestling in December of 1984. Jim Cornette may have left Mid-South Wrestling but he left behind a lot of memories. 

Sir Oliver Humperdink:

Sir Oliver Humperdink is best known for his long run in the Florida territory. Humperdink also made a major impact on the Mid-Atlantic promotion in 1982 and 1983. Less remembered, and unfairly so, is his stint in Mid-South Wrestling in 1985. Humperdink stood out in a crowd wearing wild clothes and sporting a fiery red mane of hair and beard. He also definitely possessed the gift of gab. Getting Humperdink to stop talking was a chore. When his mouth opened out came the usual litany of threats against the heroes of Mid-South Wrestling. One of the main residents of the House of Humperdink was Lord Humongous. The huge competitor dished out punishment in large doses. His defining moment in Mid-South Wrestling came when he felt a DDT at the hands of Jake the Snake Roberts. The force of impact cracked the mask of Lord Humongous, yet the big man stood up like nothing had happened at all. Beneath his mask he even seemed amused. Jake just stood in awe, not a frequent occurrence.   

It is interesting that Humperdink’s most memorable angles came against other heels. The masked Nightmare was a phenomenon in Mid-South in 1985. Randy Colley, a veteran of the ring wars with many gimmicks in many different promotions, wore the hood. With his size and power he was for a time unstoppable. He even scored an upset pin of Magnum TA when the former North American Champ made a special one match return to Mid-South. Eddie Gilbert brought the Nightmare into the promotion. Gilbert knew that he had a real find on his hands. So did Humperdink. When Gilbert lowered his guard, Humperdink struck. His money induced The Nightmare to brutalize Eddie Gilbert and join the House of Humperdink. The Nightmare enjoyed a three-month reign as North American Champion from May to August of 1985, defeating no less than Terry Taylor before losing to Dick Murdoch. Eddie Gilbert eventually brought in Taras Bulba in the fall of 1985 to Mid-South Wrestling. Gilbert surprisingly offered Humperdink the opportunity to co-manage the new star. Humperdink accepted only to have Gilbert and Bulba turn against him almost immediately. It had all been an elaborate revenge plot orchestrated by Eddie Gilbert. Hot Stuff’s plan worked. Humperdink departed Mid-South not long afterwards.   

Ernie Ladd:

The Big Cat Ernie Ladd cut a unique figure. At 6’9” and 320 lbs., he was big man and had a voice to match. He would tower over Reeser Bowden, Boyd Pierce, and later Jim Ross bellowing “Mr. TV announcer! You’d better call someone!” He was one of professional wrestling’s biggest stars of the 1960s and 1970s. By the early 1980s age and injury started taking its toll. Ladd needed a new avenue to pursue his ambitions and goals. The avenue was management and the vehicle was the Wild Samoans, Afa and Sika. The Wild Samoans were coming off a monster run in the WWF. They were one of the most feared tag teams in wrestling. Under Ladd’s guidance The Samoans ran roughshod over Mid-South Wrestling in 1981 and 1982 en route to several championship reigns. The Junkyard Dog and Dick Murdoch proved to be their biggest rivals. Afa and Sika were huge men, yet Ladd dwarfed them. Ladd also managed to combine a leisure suit with a sarong, proving that while he knew wrestling, he didn’t know fashion.  

Rain fell on Ernie Ladd’s parade in the form of General Skandor Akbar. Using his ill-gotten money to steal the Wild Samoans away from Ernie Ladd and into the ranks of Devastation Incorporated. To right this wrong Ladd recruited a tag team partner to help him fight the Wild Samoans. His partner was none other than the legendary Assassin. Unfortunately for the Big Cat, General Skandor Akbar’s evil money once again reared its ugly head. The Assassin turned against Ladd at the first opportunity. Akbar had paid him to turn against Ernie Ladd. Ladd recruited Iron Mike Sharpe as his new partner. Although Sharpe is best remembered from his days as a comedy jobber in the WWF. However in 1982 Iron Mike Sharpe was a very capable wrestler who earned honors in many promotions. Together Sharpe and Ladd ran the Samoans out of Mid-South Wrestling. Ladd dispatched The Assassin in singles encounters. Ernie Ladd’s managerial career met a bitter end, but there is no doubt that while it lasted his career as a manager brought him great success. 

NEXT MONTH: 

There may not have been a bigger, brighter star in the rings of Mid-South Wrestling than Ted DiBiase. Next time we’ll take an in depth look at the many matches, feuds, angles, and championships of Ted DiBiase’s storied career in Mid-South Wrestling.