July 26, 201312 yr Author comment_5553351 I knew Tracy Smothers was renamed Shaquille Ali during this time, but I didn't put two and two together that it was because he joined the NOD. Awesome. Really fun match that I think fans of both guys will really enjoy. Very much worth checking out. Two guys who people love to watch do their doing doing their thing. This is a heated studio crowd. Lots of crowd-pleasing spots and strong heel work from Tracy. Wolfie D runs in after a ref bump to attack Lawler with the belt, but Brian Christopher runs in and attacks Smothers before the ref is revived and can count. A second referee comes out and counts the win for Lawler, but the original referee spotted the Christopher interference and reversed the decision, giving the win to Smothers by DQ. I think the ref was Downtown Bruno.
August 5, 201312 yr comment_5554761 The ref was Bruno for this. Tons of fun and its refreshing to see some time given to studio matches in 1997 as that is something USWA could do to differentiate themselves from the growing competition. I may be drawing a blank on something obvious but it doesnt feel like we have a ton of Smothers vs. Lawler on tape and that feels like a natural pairing. I am still really loving the NOD interaction around this time and the leg drop Christopher delivered looked really good.
August 10, 201312 yr comment_5555687 Tracey Smothers apart of the Nation of Domination!! I figure he will have a cameo later this year in the Truth Commission. Smothers wearing some gloves. Fun match.
October 13, 201311 yr comment_5567161 There is nothing more pro wrestling than Tracy Smothers turning heel and renaming himself Shaquille Ali...in Memphis...to go against Lawler. Thus rules.
June 16, 201510 yr comment_5677270 Smothers wearing black gloves and giving the Black Power salute = only in Memphis, baby. This is sort of USWA-by-numbers, complete with the standard Memphis ref bump, but it's still fun and the boys are still working to build on your cliched Memphis finishes, at least. Downtown Bruno gets bumped and misses interference from Wolfie D, but not Brian Christopher's retaliation, so he overrules Bill Rush and gives the DQ win to Shaquille Ali. I'm fine with a Bruno turn and return to management, if that's where they're headed with this. He's not a great manager but he works well in Memphis and seems like he'd have more impact in that role than as an anonymous referee.
February 16, 20196 yr comment_5879475 Fun studio match between two guys who could work this kind of thing in their sleep without ever coming across as two guys working in their sleep. Smothers in particular was really animated and of course these crowds will eat up any shtick around a Lawler punch. I agree with soup that this feels like a natural pairing. Feels like one that could've produced a Mid-South Coliseum classic had their primes coincided a little more conveniently.
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