Episode #10 of the Retro Wrestling Re-View Power Pro Wrestling Podcast takes Gene Jackson, Robb Helt, and Brian Tramel back to the June 20, 1998 episode of Memphis Power Pro Wrestling, the official go-home show for Blast Off at the Dome.
With Dave Brown out this week, Corey Maclin is left steering the ship, and Power Pro loads the show up with every last piece of hype they can squeeze in before Tuesday night at the Mid-South Coliseum. The crew breaks down a busy hour featuring big-name debuts, returning Memphis chaos, fireballs, guitar shots, proposal drama, and enough commercials for Blast Off at the Dome to make sure nobody in Memphis could claim they didn’t know the show was happening.
The episode kicks off with Koko B. Ware making his Power Pro debut against Blade, only for things to quickly turn into a Dundee-related brawl. Bill Dundee and Samantha are on commentary, Koko wants a piece of Superstar, and before things get too out of hand, Moondog Spot makes his return to even the odds and set the tone for the big 10-man anything-goes street fight at the Coliseum.
This is one of the busiest Power Pro episodes so far. The show is still rough around the edges, but the pieces are moving. Lawler vs. Kane feels like a real main event attraction, Derrick King and Miss Jackie have become one of the most interesting stories on the show, Brandon Baxter is turning into one of Power Pro’s top heat generators, and Randy Hales is clearly trying to make ‘Blast Off at the Dome’ feel like the moment Power Pro officially arrives. Plus, the Power Pro debut of WMC TV-5 Production Manager, “Stone Cold” Creighton Armour! (OH HELL YEAHHHH!!!)
Gene, Robb, and BT also dig into the results from the Coliseum show, including ticket sales, the walk up crowd, the reported gate, and how the show actually played out once Power Pro finally made it’s debut at the Mid South Coliseum.
If you’re following the 1998 Power Pro journey, Episode #10 is a major checkpoint. It’s the last hard sell before Blast Off at the Dome, and it has everything: The Moondog, Lawler, Kane, Dundee, Derrick King, Miss Jackie, Brandon Baxter, the debut of Koko, Mabel and Creighton Armour, PLUS: guitars, fireballs, and even a little bit of Kid Wikkid at the end!
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