Match #8: $500 Battle Royal (3/30/78)

On every fifth Wednesday of the month, the MVW had a cash battle royal with many of the stars on the roster participating. This is the first of those battle royals.

March 30, 1978
National Guard Armory
Tupelo, MS

$500 Battle Royal (12 participants)

Littleton climbs into the ring. He puts the microphone to his face and begins the main event’s introduction. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s now time for the main event of the evening!! This match is a battle royal with twelve men participating. A wrestler is eliminated when he is thrown over the top rope and both feet land on the arena floor. The winner of the match will be the last man standing in the ring. That man will receive $500 in cash.” The crowd cheers.

“Let’s bring the wrestlers down to the ring. First, from Jackson, MS, Mr. Mississippi! From Holly Springs, MS, Troy Canby! From Mount Olympus, Argonaut #1! From Nashville, TN, Mr. Tennessee! From Starkville, MS, ‘Sensational’ Seth Greeley! From Mount Olympus, Argonaut #2! From Oxford, MS, ‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross! From Tunica, MS, ‘Double A’ Arnold Adams! From Starkville, MS, the Grappler! From Holly Springs, MS, Travis Canby! From Vicksburg, MS, Jason James! From San Bernandino, CA, Al Madril!”

All twelve men come to the ring and are greeted with the appropriate crowd reaction. When all twelve men are in the ring, Littleton says, “Wrestlers, are you ready?!” The wrestlers nod. Littleton says, “Fans, are you ready?!” The fans cheer greatly. “Let the battle royal begin!!!”

The bell rings and Littleton gets out of the ring. All twelve men lock up. Mississippi with Argonaut #1. Travis with Seth. Troy with Grappler. Xavier with Tennessee. Arnold with Jason. Al with Argonaut #2. Argonaut #2 backs Al into a corner. Tennessee tries to put Xavier over the top rope, but Xavier elbows him in the ribs. Troy backs Grappler into a corner. Seth whips Travis into the ropes. Travis slams into Arnold’s back. Arnold’s and Jason’s heads collide. Travis slams Arnold’s head into the turnbuckle. Seth comes up behind Travis, but Jason tosses him out of the ring between the ropes. Jason clotheslines Travis over the top rope. Travis tries to hang onto the top rope, but he loses his grip and falls to the floor.

Littleton announces, “Travis Canby has been eliminated!!”

Seth climbs back into the ring. Arnold kicks Jason in the stomach. Argonaut #2 pins Al into the corner with a vicious kneelift to the chest. Troy shouts to #2. #2 whips Al across the ring as Troy whips Grappler. Al and Grappler arm dance for a second before charging the opposite corners. Al spears Troy into the corner. #2 grabs Grappler’s arm and whips him hard into the turnbuckle.

Xavier takes Tennessee down with a snap mare and applies a reverse chin lock. Mississippi trades punches with #1. Arnold slams Jason shoulderfirst into the turnbuckle. Seth dropkicks Arnold from behind. Arnold rolls under the bottom rope to the outside. Al chops Troy across the chest. Enraged, Troy puts Al in the corner and kicks him three times in the stomach and legs. Troy climbs the turnbuckle and starts planting right hands on the side of Al’s face. Al grabs Troy’s legs and shoves him over the top rope. Troy lands on the ring apron. Al tries to shove him off the apron, but Troy manages to hold his ground. Al takes a step backwards and charges him. Troy pulls the top rope down and Al sails over and lands on the floor. Troy rolls back into the ring under the bottom rope.

Littleton announces, “Al Madril has been eliminated!!”

Troy gets blindsided by a running forearm from Seth. Having cleared a path now, Seth runs into the side ropes and sends Xavier flying out of the ring (over the bottom rope) with a flying headscissors. Tennessee falls over and brings himself back to his feet with help from the ropes.

#1 backs Mississippi into the ropes on the other side of the ring. Troy grabs Seth’s hair. Seth elbows Troy in the ribs. #1 tries to push Mississippi over the top rope, but Mississippi manages to stay on his feet. Tennessee charges #1 from behind and nails him with a double axehandle. Tennessee and Mississippi both try to dump the larger wrestler over the top rope. Xavier climbs back into the ring. Troy headbutts Seth. Xavier kicks Mississippi in the stomach. Mississippi releases #1’s right leg. Xavier whips him across the ring. Tennessee manages to get #1 three-quarters of the way to the floor before Arnold grabs him from behind and starts to shove him over.

Jason gathers his wits about him in the corner after the pummeling he took from Arnold. #2 comes over to help his partner, but he’s stopped by Mississippi and Xavier. Arnold works to get Tennessee over the top rope, but he can’t seem to do it. Mississippi and Xavier take #2 down with a double suplex. Arnold drops a knee across #2’s forehead. Tennessee, after regaining his own balance, finally gets #1 out to the ring apron. #1 punches him in the face and then snaps his neck over the top rope, forgetting that he had just eliminated himself.

Littleton announces, “Argonaut #1 has been eliminated!!”

Troy takes Seth down with a swinging neckbreaker. Mississippi grabs Arnold in a waistlock. Arnold elbows him in the side of the head. Xavier drops an elbow on #2. Jason comes out of the corner and nearly clotheslines Tennessee out of his boots. Grappler dropkicks Jason on the side of the head. Mississippi cinches the waistlock better and takes Arnold over with a belly-to-back suplex. Xavier straddles #2 and starts throwing punches at him. Troy drapes Seth’s foot over the bottom rope and stomps on it. Mississippi picks Arnold up and dumps him over the top rope.

Littleton announces, “’Double A’ Arnold Adams has been eliminated!!”

Grappler whips Jason into Troy. Tennessee gets back to his feet. Xavier gets to his feet and picks #2 up. #2 grabs Xavier by the throat with both hands and choke slams him in the middle of the ring. Grappler charges the corner with Jason, Troy and Seth. Grappler leaps and catches Jason and Troy with a flying splash. Seth crawls out of the way, but he crawls right into a piledriver from Mississippi. Tennessee runs into the ropes behind him and clotheslines #2, but #2 doesn’t fall down. Grappler brings Troy out of the corner. Mississippi lifts Seth up in a fireman’s carry and dumps him out over the top rope onto the ring apron. When Seth instinctively tries to roll back in, Mississippi shoves him to the floor with his feet.

Littleton announces, “’Sensational’ Seth Greeley has been eliminated!!”

#2 whips Tennessee into the corner where Jason had just gotten to his feet. Jason ducks and backdrops Tennessee over the top rope. Tennessee dangles almost helplessly as he hangs onto the top rope. He manages to get both feet on the apron as Jason turns around. Tennessee hip tosses him to the floor.

Littleton announces, “Jason James has been eliminated!! Six wrestlers have been eliminated. Six wrestlers remain!!” The crowd cheers.

Grappler whips Troy across the ring. Troy ducks a clothesline. Grappler runs into the opposite ropes. Troy leapfrogs over him, but Grappler catches him. Grappler’s momentum takes both men over the top rope, but Troy manages to hook his arms around the middle rope as he went over, leaving Grappler the only one to hit the floor.

Littleton announces, “The Grappler has been eliminated!!”

Tennessee climbs back into the ring. #2 has Xavier high over his head in a military press. Tennessee runs into #2 and rushes him into the ropes. Xavier drops across the top rope on his stomach and falls back inside the ring. Tennessee rolls #2 up for a pinfall. #2 kicks out and sends Tennessee into Xavier with a clothesline that takes him over the top rope and out to the floor.

Littleton announces, “’Excellent’ Xavier Cross has been eliminated!! Four wrestlers remain for the $500 prize money!!”

Tennessee turns around to receive a stiff upper cut from #2. Troy sends Mississippi to the mat with a double leg takedown. Troy signals #2 to a corner. #2 backs Tennessee into a corner. Troy catapults Mississippi into the opposite corner. #2 whips Tennessee across the ring. Tennessee crashes into Mississippi. Troy runs towards #2, who whips him across the ring. Troy sails into the corner with a spinning heel kick that sends himself and Tennessee over the top rope. Tennessee falls to the floor, but Troy keeps hold of the top rope.

Littleton announces, “Mr. Tennessee has been eliminated!!”

Troy slides back into the ring. #2 charges Mississippi in the corner. Mississippi moves out of the way. Troy goes for a clothesline, but Mississippi ducks it. Mississippi nails Troy with a right cross to the face. #2 kicks Mississippi in the face as he turns to challenge him. #2 grabs Mississippi’s mask and Troy’s hair and slams their heads together. #2 sends Mississippi into one corner and Troy into an adjacent corner. #2 slams into Mississippi with a vicious back elbow that causes Mississippi to slump to the floor. #2 walks back into the corner opposite Troy. #2 charges across the ring. Troy backdrops him over the top rope. #2 hits the floor hard.

Littleton announces, “Argonaut #2 has been eliminated!! Only Mr. Mississippi and Troy Canby remain for the $500 grand prize!!”

Mississippi gets back to his feet with the help of the ropes. Troy slides along the ropes, seeming to need them to keep himself upright. Mississippi and Troy trade punches with each other. Both hold onto the top rope. Troy ducks a left cross and grabs Mississippi in a waistlock. Troy goes for a belly-to-belly suplex, but Mississippi blocks it. Mississippi headbutts Troy to break the waistlock. Mississippi takes him down with a drop toe hold. Mississippi slides across Troy’s body and applies a side headlock. Troy scrambles to his feet and backs the duo into the ropes. He shoves him off, but Mississippi grinds in on the headlock. Troy goes for a back suplex, but Mississippi blocks it. Mississippi backs them into the ropes and comes off with a bulldog. Mississippi applies a front face lock as Troy lays motionless on his stomach. After twenty seconds, Mississippi releases the hold, steps behind Troy’s head and applies a camel clutch. After thirty seconds (and three tap outs by Troy), Mississippi releases the hold. Troy lays flat on his face on the mat. Mississippi steps in front of him and sets Troy up for the Mississippi Mud Pie. Troy tries to fight, but the fatigue from the submission holds prevents him. Mississippi plants Troy into the mat with the Mississippi Mud Pie. Mississippi drags Troy to the ropes and dumps him over the top rope. Troy hits the ring apron and falls flat on the concrete floor.

Littleton announces, “Troy Canby has been eliminated!! The last man standing, and the winner of the $500 grand prize is Mr. Mississippi!!!” The crowd cheers wildly.