Match: Mississippi State Heavyweight Title (3/16/78)

March 16, 1978
National Guard Armory
Tupelo, MS

Mississippi State Heavyweight Title
‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross (C) vs ‘Sensational’ Seth Greeley

Littleton climbs into the ring. Jackson takes Gentz’s place in the ring as Gentz helps the Canby Twins back to the dressing room. Littleton grabs the microphone and begins the introductions.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the main event of the evening!!” The crowd cheers wildly.

Littleton continues, “Tonight’s main event is set for one fall with a one hour time limit. It is for the Mississippi State Heavyweight Title. The referee for this match is Tom Jackson.”

Seth walks down the aisle and climbs into the ring.

Littleton continues, “The challenger, from Starkville, weighing 236 pounds, is ‘Sensational’ Seth Greeley!!” The crowd cheers greatly.

Xavier walks down the aisle behind him.

Littleton continues, “His opponent, from Oxford, MS, weighing 257 pounds, is the Mississippi Heavyweight champion … ‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross!!” The crowd gives him a huge pop also.

Seth and Xavier circle each other in the ring. Jackson holds up the Mississippi State Heavyweight Title belt and shows it to the crowd on all sides. He hands the belt to Littleton as he steps out of the ring. Jackson calls for the bell. Seth and Xavier lock up. Xavier gains the advantage with a side headlock. Seth shoves Xavier into the ropes. Seth goes for a backdrop, but Xavier nails him with an elbow to the back of the head. Xavier hooks Seth up for a suplex, but Seth counters it with an inside cradle. Xavier kicks out before Jackson can get into position.

Seth rolls to his feet first. He charges Xavier with a running lariat, but Xavier ducks it. Seth bounces off the ropes. Xavier takes him down with a hip toss. Seth holds onto Xavier’s arm and arm drags him onto the mat. Xavier rolls to the ropes. Seth gets back to his feet, ready to fight again. Xavier looks at the challenger with a bit of frustration in his face. Xavier takes his time getting to his feet. They circle the ring again. Seth goes to lock up, but Xavier grabs his arm and applies an arm wringer. Seth howls in pain. Xavier wrings the arm again. Seth struggles to find the ropes, but Xavier keeps pulling him away just before he reaches them. Xavier ducks down to pick Seth up in a fireman’s carry. Xavier spins Seth around in an airplane spin. Xavier drops Seth after six rotations. Xavier himself lunges to the ropes to keep his balance.

Xavier steps away from the ropes and goes for an elbowdrop, but Seth rolls out of the way. Seth gets up to his feet just before Xavier, but Xavier strikes first with a kneelift to the head. Seth lands against the ropes. Xavier whips him across the ring. Seth comes off with a cross body block, but Xavier catches him and drops him across his knee with a backbreaker. Xavier drops a quick elbow across Seth’s chest and covers him. Jackson counts … one … Seth kicks out!

Xavier pulls Seth up by the arm and whips him into the turnbuckle. Xavier charges in, but Seth moves out of the way. Xavier crashes into the corner. Seth tries to take him over with a school boy rollup, but Xavier rolls right through it. Xavier drives a knee into the side of Seth’s head. Xavier grabs Seth’s right leg and drives the knee into the mat. Xavier scissors Seth’s right leg with his legs. Jackson asks Seth if he wants to submit. Seth refuses. Xavier twists Seth’s foot. Seth screams in pain. Jackson asks again if he wants to submit, but Seth refuses. Xavier wrenches back on Seth’s leg. Seth screams again. Jackson asks again if he wants to submit, but Seth refuses again.

Xavier releases the leg scissors and drags Seth to the ropes. He drapes Seth’s right leg over the middle rope. Xavier reaches under the middle rope and pulls back on Seth’s leg. Jackson counts … one … two … three … four! Xavier releases Seth’s leg. Seth scoots to the middle of the ring. Xavier grabs Seth’s right leg again. He goes for a spinning toe hold, but Seth kicks him off. Xavier bounces off the far ropes. Seth trips him, and Xavier falls out of the ring. Seth scoots to the opposite ropes and gets to his feet. Xavier climbs onto the ring apron. Seth charges him with a forearm smash, but Xavier blocks it. Xavier staggers him backwards with a headbutt.

Xavier steps through the ropes. Seth charges him and rolls him over with an inside cradle. Jackson gets down to count, but Xavier kicks out before one. Seth gets back to his feet, but Xavier knocks him down with a clothesline. Xavier grabs his legs and tries to turn him over into a Boston crab. Seth fights with all the he has, but Xavier is finally able to turn him over. Seth scrambles to reach the bottom rope. Jackson orders Xavier to release the hold. Xavier gives a clean break and moves to the opposite side of the ring.

Jackson checks on Seth. Seth gets back to his feet with the help of the ropes. Jackson asks him if he can continue. Seth nods his head. Seth circles the ring, keeping a hand on the top rope. Xavier goes for a leg sweep, but Seth manages to move out of the way. Xavier slides under the bottom rope. Xavier grabs Seth’s feet and trips him. Seth hits facefirst on the mat. Xavier drags him out to the floor. The crowd gets into the action as Seth turns around and nails Xavier with a forearm smash. Seth slams Xavier’s head into the ring apron. Xavier punches Seth in the stomach and whips him into the guardrail, but Seth reverses it. Xavier crashes into the guardrail.

Seth charges him, but Xavier backdrops him over the guardrail. The crowd scatters and starts to cheer. Xavier steps over the guardrail. Jackson tries to stop him. Seth gets to his feet. He nails Xavier with a back brain kick. Xavier’s head hits the side of the guardrail. Jackson orders Seth to get back into the ring. Seth climbs over the guardrail. Xavier gets back to his feet. Seth grabs a chair. Jackson goes to take it away from him. Xavier climbs onto the ring apron and comes off with a spinning heel kick. Seth moves out of the way and Xavier nails Jackson through the chair. The back of Jackson’s head hits the ringpost.

Xavier checks on Jackson. Seth nails him with a running kneelift to the face. Seth turns around and shoves Xavier’s shoulder into the ringpost. Seth rolls him into the ring. Seth climbs the turnbuckle and waits. Xavier gets to his feet. Seth comes off with the Sensational Sunset. Seth looks around, but Jackson is still on the floor. Seth rolls out of the pinning position and crawls towards Jackson. Jackson gets to his feet against the ring apron. Xavier gets back to his feet. He charges Seth in the corner, but Seth backdrops him over the top rope. Xavier lands on his feet on the ring apron opposite Jackson.

Xavier punches Seth, but Seth blocks it. Seth goes for a forearm smash, but Xavier ducks it. Jackson slides into the ring behind Seth. Xavier shoves Seth. Seth trips over Jackson. Xavier drops off the ring apron and runs around the corner. Xavier drags Seth by the arm to the edge of the ring apron. Xavier climbs onto the ring apron and leg drops Seth across the throat. Seth drops to the floor. Jackson tells Xavier to get into the ring. Xavier rolls Seth back into the ring. Xavier slides into the ring. He waits for Seth to get to his feet. Xavier picks him up in a suplex, bounces him off the top rope and drills him into the mat with a powerslam. Xavier hooks Seth’s right leg. Jackson slides down to count … one … two … three!!

Littleton grabs the microphone. “The winner of the match, in a time of 18:36, and STILL Mississippi State Heavyweight champion … ‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross!!!”

The crowd gives a huge pop. Jackson receives the title belt from Littleton. Xavier takes the title belt from Jackson. He climbs the turnbuckle and displays the belt to the fans. The fans pop in reaction. Seth gets back to his feet. Xavier steps off the turnbuckle. Seth charges the corner. Xavier turns around. Seth dropkicks him in the face. Seth grabs the title belt and displays it to the crowd. The crowd has a mixed reaction.

Seth motions to Littleton for the microphone. Littleton hands it over. Seth says, “Cross, I’ve had you beat for two weeks now! Somehow you continue to get the best of me. Not again, I’m challenging you to another match. Next week, put the title up again. You won’t get lucky again.”

Xavier gets back to his feet. He rips the title belt from Seth’s hands. He begins to walk out of the ring, but Seth grabs him by the arm. Seth says, “Don’t walk out on me! You’ve got to give me another title shot!”

Xavier wrenches his hand free. He grabs the microphone from Seth. “I’ve beaten you twice now. There are other more worthy competitors. Much more worthy than you.”

Xavier backflips over the top rope onto the concrete floor. Seth continues to spout demands for a rematch, but Xavier ignores him.