Match: Mississippi Heavyweight Title (3/23/78)

March 23, 1978
National Guard Armory
Tupelo, MS

Mississippi State Heavyweight Title
‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross (champion) vs Grappler

Littleton climbs back into the ring. Andrew Adams walks down the aisle and slides into the ring. Littleton begins the announcement, “The following contest is the main event of the evening!!!” The crowd cheers excitedly. “It is set for one fall with a one-hour time limit. The man in charge of the action once the bell rings is Referee Andrew Adams.”

The masked Grappler makes his way to the ring. The fans give him a good reaction. A couple of fans ask for autographs along the way.

Littleton continues, “Introducing first, the challenger, from Starkville, weighing 233 pounds, here is the Grappler!!!” The crowd continues to cheer a bit.

The cheers increase as Xavier and a young brunette in an emerald green t-shirt and black jeans make their way to the ring.

Littleton continues, “His opponent, accompanied to the ring by Amy Andrews, from Oxford, weighing 257 pounds, is the Mississippi State Heavyweight champion. Here is ‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross!!!” The crowd cheers extremely well. There are also a few catcalls for Amy.

Xavier climbs into the ring. Amy goes to take a seat at ringside. Xavier climbs the turnbuckle to show the fans the title belt. The fans cheer greatly. The reaction changes slightly as ‘Sensational’ Seth and Jessica Greeley run down to the ring. Seth slides into the ring and takes the microphone away from Littleton.

Seth turns to Xavier, who has stepped off the turnbuckle, and says, “Cross, I need to speak with you!” Xavier looks at him and shrugs his shoulders.

Seth continues, “I deserve to be in this match. Everyone here knows that I nearly had you beat last week.” The crowd starts to get a bit restless. Seth turns to Grappler, “No offense, Grappler, you’re a good wrestler and undefeated if I remember right. But you’re not quite championship material. After all, you’re not ‘Sensational’ or even ‘Excellent’. But you do have skills. I’m a better match for the championship than you are.” The crowd continues to become restless. Some even tell Seth to stop his whining.

Seth is undeterred. “Grappler, I want you to step aside and allow me to have this match for you. I can beat him and my first title defense will be against you. Scout’s honor.”

Grappler steps closer to Seth. He grabs the microphone. “Let me get this straight. You want me to give you MY title match?” Seth nods and says, “Yes.” Grappler continues, “I am the Grappler. I am one of two UNDEFEATED singles wrestlers here in the MVW. You’ve NEVER won a match. I’m not quite sure MVW management placed you in the title matches these last two weeks, but you’ve screwed them up each time! To top that off, you’re not only NOT an undefeated wrestler, you’re a WINLESS wrestler!! You’ve never won a match in your career!” The crowd gives a big reaction to that.

Xavier steps up to the both of them and takes the microphone from Grappler. “Seth,” he says, “you’ve had your turn. You’ve had two turns. And you haven’t beaten me. You don’t deserve to be in this match. You’ve dropped from having great potential to being the bottom of the barrel. When you earn another title shot, it’s there for you. Tonight’s Grappler’s turn. Now, if you’ll kindly leave the ring. We may continue this match and not hold things up for the fans who came to see Grappler challenge me for this title.”

Arnold Adams makes his way down to the ring with A.J. Adams, Marty Gentz and Thomas Jackson. They climb into the ring and separate the three men. Arnold grabs the microphone. “Seth,” he says, “not everything is going to be handed to you in this life. I know you’ve had most everything handed to you throughout your life. Title shots aren’t going to be one of them. You’ll have to earn your next title shot. And this little stunt of yours tonight has earned you the indignity of facing Mr. Tennessee in the OPENING match of next week’s card. I’ve told you once already. You’re not getting a title shot any time soon. First, you’ll have to live up to your nickname. Be ‘Sensational’ and I’ll let you have another title shot. Right now, though, you’re simply mediocre at best.” He turns to the referee crew. “Take him out of here.”

The referee crew force Seth out of the ring and up the aisle. The fans start chanting “Crybaby” after him. Arnold steps back to take both Xavier and Grappler into his sights. “I am the one who determines who gets the title shots around here. Don’t forget that!”

Arnold walks out of the ring. Andrew reminds them of the match rules and then calls for the bell. Xavier and Grappler circle each other. They lock up. Cross backs Grappler into the ropes. Andrew calls for the break. Xavier gives a clean break.

Xavier and Grappler circle each other again. They lock up. Grappler arm drags Xavier across the ring. Xavier rolls back to his feet. Grappler charges him, but Xavier catches him with a drop toe hold. Grappler’s head hits the middle turnbuckle pad. Xavier grabs Grappler’s right arm and applies an arm wringer. Grappler grabs the top rope and springboards off the middle turnbuckle pad with a backflip. Grappler arm drags Xavier through the ropes. Xavier lands on his feet on the concrete floor.

Grappler runs into the opposite ropes. He goes to jump through the ropes, but Xavier moves out of the way. Grappler stops himself at the ropes. Xavier grabs Grappler’s feet and drags him out of the ring. Xavier goes for a suplex on the floor, but Grappler blocks it. Andrew climbs out of the ring. He tells Xavier to get back into the ring. Grappler takes Xavier down with an inside cradle. Xavier kicks out. Grappler slides back into the ring.

As Xavier gets back to his feet, Grappler nails him with a baseball slide dropkick. Grappler rolls Xavier back into the ring. Grappler climbs onto the ring apron and then ascends the turnbuckle. He flies off the turnbuckle with a flying legdrop. Grappler covers Xavier. Andrew slides back into the ring and counts … one … two … Xavier gets his foot on the bottom rope!

Grappler argues about a slow count. Andrew tells him to deal with it. Grappler picks Xavier back up and whips him across the ring. Xavier ducks a clothesline. He bumps into Andrew, who falls out of the ring. Grappler catches Xavier with a belly-to-belly suplex. Grappler covers, but there’s no referee. He looks around and can’t find Andrew. Grappler gets up and sees Andrew getting to his feet on the floor. Grappler tells him to get back into the ring.

Xavier gets back to his feet. Grappler turns around. Xavier kicks him in the stomach. Xavier picks him up and drills him into the mat with the Excellent Execution. Andrew crawls into the ring as Xavier hooks the leg. Andrew counts … one … two … th … Grappler kicks out!

Xavier grabs Grappler’s legs and drags him into the middle of the ring. He backs into a corner and drops a knee across Grappler’s forehead. He rolls into the opposite corner and bounces off the ropes with an elbowdrop. Grappler rolls out of the way. Grappler grabs Xavier’s feet and crawls to the ropes. He rolls under the bottom rope and slams Xavier’s leg over the edge of the ring apron. Grappler drags Xavier completely out of the ring. Grappler drives a knee into his solar plexus and drops him onto the concrete floor with a gutwrench suplex. Andrew climbs out of the ring. He tells Grappler to get inside the ring.

Grappler rolls back into the ring. Andrew climbs back into the ring. He begins to count Xavier out … one … two … three … Xavier gets to his feet … four … Grappler charges the ropes. Xavier grabs Grappler’s feet and pulls him out of the ring. Xavier slams Grappler’s head into the guardrail. Xavier rolls Grappler back into the ring. Xavier climbs onto the ring apron. Grappler gets up to his feet. Xavier climbs the turnbuckle and comes off with a flying elbow smash to Grappler’s forehead. Xavier crawls over into a pin attempt. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Grappler kicks out!

Xavier pulls Grappler back into the corner. He whips him across the ring. Xavier charges the corner and levels Grappler with a clothesline. Grappler slumps in the corner. Xavier drags him into the middle of the ring by his legs. Xavier applies a spinning toehold. Grappler screams in pain. Xavier releases the hold after twenty-five seconds. Xavier keeps hold of the leg and drops an elbow across the knee. Xavier gets back to his feet and grabs both of Grappler’s legs. He catapults Grappler into the turnbuckle.

Xavier crouches and rolls into a lariat in the corner. Xavier brings Grappler out of the corner and whips him across the ring. Grappler ducks a clothesline. Xavier telegraphs a backdrop. Grappler leapfrogs over it. Xavier catches him off the ropes with a hip toss, but Grappler blocks it. Grappler goes for his own hip toss, but Xavier blocks it. Xavier goes for an abdominal stretch. Grappler quickly grabs the ropes. Grappler steps outside the ring. He walks around the far corner and climbs onto the ring apron as Andrew’s count gets to six. Xavier charges the ropes and slingshots Grappler in. Grappler tucks into a sommersault and lands on his feet on the opposite end of the ring.

Xavier and Grappler stare each other down. They circle each other and lock up again. Xavier gains the advantage with a side headlock. Grappler shoves him into the ropes. Andrew just barely moves out of the way. Xavier takes Grappler down with a shoulderblock. Xavier hits the side ropes. Grappler lays flat on the ground as Xavier skips over him. As Grappler gets to his feet, Xavier takes him down with a flying headscissors. Grappler lands hard against the ropes. Xavier encourages him to get back up. Grappler gets to his feet. Xavier challenges him to a test of strength. Grappler accepts and Xavier quickly grabs the upper hand. Grappler drops to one knee. Xavier tries to pour more strength into the test, but Grappler’s able to tuck and toss him across the ring in a modified arm drag.

Xavier gets to his feet, but Grappler backs him into the ropes and whips him across the ring. Grappler catches him in a huge powerslam. Grappler hooks the leg. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Xavier manages to get his shoulder up! Grappler lifts Xavier back to his feet. He backs him into the ropes. He goes to whip him across the ring again, but stops. He applies an arm wringer and hoists Xavier up on his shoulders. Grappler spins around counter-clockwise for thirteen seconds. Grappler drops Xavier. Grappler staggers to the turnbuckle and climbs to the middle turnbuckle pad. Xavier gets to all-fours. Grappler drops down with falling double axehandle to the back of Xavier’s skull. Grappler rolls him up in a three-quarter nelson. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Xavier kicks out to roll into a pin attempt of his own … one … two … Grappler kicks out! He tries to roll Xavier up into a pin attempt, but both wrestlers are tied up in the ropes.

Andrew separates the two wrestlers. Xavier pulls himself up with the ropes. Grappler charges him. Xavier backdrops him over the top rope. Grappler lands on the ring apron. Xavier turns around. Grappler drives his shoulder into Xavier’s solar plexus. Grappler slingshots over the top rope into a sunset flip. Xavier holds onto the middle rope. Andrew kicks Xavier’s arms. Xavier falls backwards. He rolls through and folds Grappler in half. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Grappler kicks out! Xavier runs into the opposite ropes. Grappler backdrops Xavier. Xavier grabs hold of the top rope. Grappler grabs hold of Xavier. He yanks Xavier free of the ropes. Grappler loses his balance. Xavier falls on top of him. Andrew gets down to count, but Grappler shoves Xavier off of him.

Grappler rolls out of the ring. Xavier crawls out after him. Grappler buries a knee into Xavier’s solar plexus and slams his head into the ring apron. Grappler whirls him around the corner and slams Xavier’s head into the timekeeper’s table. Andrew climbs out of the ring and tells Grappler to get back in the ring. Grappler tosses Xavier over the guardrail into the fans. Grappler climbs back onto the ring apron. Xavier crawls over the guardrail. Grappler comes off the ring apron with a double axehandle. Xavier catches him and tosses him into the guardrail with a belly-to-belly suplex. Andrew tells Xavier to get back into the ring.

Xavier grabs Grappler by the mask and rolls him back into the ring. Xavier crawls into the ring after him. Xavier signals to the crowd for the Excellent Execution. Xavier picks Grappler up into a slingshot suplex and drills him into the ground with a powerslam. Xavier hooks Grappler’s leg. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … thr … Grappler kicks out! Xavier slams his hands on the mat. He grabs Grappler’s legs and drags him over to the ropes. He places Grappler’s right leg on the bottom rope and stands on it. Andrew counts … one … two … three … four … Xavier steps off.

Xavier drags Grappler into the middle of the ring by his right leg. Xavier applies a spinning toe hold. Grappler screams in pain. Xavier releases the hold after forty-five seconds. Xavier pins Grappler’s right leg to the mat and drives a knee into his calf. Grappler screams in pain again. Xavier hooks both legs and turns Grappler over in a Boston crab. Grappler struggles to get to the ropes. As he gets within inches, Xavier drags him back into the middle of the ring. Andrew gets down again to ask if he wants to submit, but Grappler refuses. After almost two minutes, Grappler reaches the bottom rope. Xavier releases the hold. Grappler rolls out of the ring, holding his back.

Grappler walks along the side of the ring, trying to stretch out his back. Xavier climbs out of the ring behind him. Xavier charges him with a shoulder block, but Grappler whirls around and slams Xavier’s head into the ringpost. Grappler rolls Xavier back into the ring. He walks around the rest of the ring to get to the ring steps. He steps onto the ring apron as Andrew’s count reaches eight. Xavier gets back to his feet. He goes for a running lariat along the ropes, but Grappler ducks it. Grappler nails him with four successive forearm shots to the side of the head. Xavier staggers backward. Grappler steps through the ropes.

Xavier charges him, but Grappler takes him down with a double leg hook. Grappler tries to turn Xavier over in a Boston crab, but Xavier fights out of it. Xavier manages to wiggle his legs so that Grappler gets tossed to the side. Xavier gets to his feet first. He backs Grappler into the corner and whips him across the ring. He charges the corner with a shoulder tackle, but Grappler jumps out of the way. Xavier’s shoulder slams into the ringpost. Grappler comes off the middle rope with a flying sunset flip. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Xavier kicks out!

Grappler picks Xavier up and slams his head repeatedly into the turnbuckle pads. Xavier’s head slams into the top turnbuckle three times, the middle turnbuckle three times, the bottom turnbuckle three times and then finally the mat. Grappler grabs Xavier in a front face lock and climbs onto the middle turnbuckle. He comes out of the corner with a spinning DDT. Both men lie face up on the mat, completely spent. Andrew starts to count both wrestlers out. Grappler manages to roll over and drape his arm over Xavier after eight. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … thr … Xavier gets his shoulder up!

Grappler crawls to the ropes. Xavier rolls over and finds himself at the bottom rope. Both men struggle to get to their feet with the help of the ropes. Both men nail each other with a right hand. Both men fall back to the mat. Xavier rolls out of the ring. Andrew begins to count both wrestlers out … one … two … three … four … five … six … Xavier gets back to his feet on the floor … seven … Grappler gets up to his feet … eight … Xavier climbs onto the ring apron … nine … Grappler charges Xavier with a running forearm smash. Xavier falls off the ring apron. Grappler steps through the ropes, but Andrew stops him. Grappler argues, but Andrew pulls him back into the ring. Andrew instructs him to stay on the other side of the ring. Andrew begins to count, but Xavier is on the ring apron by two.

Xavier steps through the ropes. Grappler charges him, but Xavier grabs him and backs him into the ropes. Xavier whips him across the ring, but Grappler reverses it. Grappler takes him down with a vicious powerslam. Grappler signals for the Hangman. Grappler picks Xavier up and backs him into a corner. He whips him across the ring and follows him closely with a vicious lariat. Xavier slumps in the corner. Grappler picks him up and places backwards him on the turnbuckle. Grappler hooks Xavier’s neck and drives him into the mat with a neckbreaker. Xavier’s foot gets stuck under the top turnbuckle connector and dangles upside down in the corner. Grappler frees him and drags him away from the corner before covering him. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … thre … Xavier barely gets his shoulder up in time!

Frustrated, Grappler backs into the corner and comes out with an elbowdrop, but Xavier rolls out of the way. Xavier crawls over and applies a front face lock on Grappler. Grappler struggles against it, but after a few seconds his shoulders slump. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … thre … Grappler gets his shoulder up! Grappler keeps his arm straight up in the air. After forty-five seconds, Grappler’s arm slumps to the mat. Andrew checks his arm. It falls to the mat. Andrew counts, “One!” Andrew picks Grappler’s arm up again. It drops to the mat again. Andrew counts, “Two!” Andrew picks up Grappler’s arm again. It drops almost to the mat, but Grappler manages to keep it off the mat. Andrew signals that Grappler’s still conscious.

Grappler grabs Xavier by the back of the head and drives a knee into the top of his head. Xavier rolls off of him. Xavier gets to his feet first. When Grappler gets to his feet, Xavier charges with a short clothesline. Grappler counters it with a backslide. Xavier fights against it, but Grappler manages to pull him over. Andrew slides into position to count … one … two … Xavier kicks out! Xavier gets to his feet and applies a front face lock. Grappler backs him into the corner. Andrew calls for a break. Xavier releases Grappler. Grappler backs up a couple of steps. Xavier jumps onto the middle turnbuckle and leaps off with a flying sunset flip. Xavier takes Grappler over, but Grappler’s momentum continues to carry both of them over. Andrew slides into position, but Xavier kicks out.

Grappler rolls to his feet. Xavier crawls into the corner. Grappler charges the corner. Xavier steps out of the way. Grappler stops just short of the corner. Xavier nails Grappler in the back of the head with a spinning heel kick. Grappler’s head bounces off the top turnbuckle pad. Xavier rolls Grappler up in a rolling reverse cradle. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Grappler pulls the tights to roll Xavier over … one … two … Xavier kicks out!

Grappler runs into the ropes. Xavier lays flat on the mat and Grappler skips over him. Xavier gets back to his feet and hip tosses Grappler across the ring. Grappler finds himself against the ropes once again. Xavier stalks over and whips him into the ropes. Xavier telegraphs a backdrop, and Grappler kicks him in the chest. Grappler picks him up for a scoop slam, but his knee buckles. Xavier lands on top of him. Andrew gets down to count … one … two … Grappler gets his foot on the bottom rope!

Xavier pulls Grappler up by his mask. Andrew warns him about the mask. Xavier whips Grappler across the ring, but Grappler reverses it. Grappler goes for an inverted atomic drop, but Xavier blocks it. Xavier buries his knee in Grappler’s stomach and then drops him in a chinbreaker. Xavier grabs Grappler’s legs, steps through and wraps them up in a scorpion death lock. Grappler fights as Xavier turns him over, but Xavier successfully turns him. Grappler howls in pain. Andrew gets down to ask him if he wants to submit. Grappler refuses. Grappler pushes up to try to get towards the ropes. Xavier tries to keep him in the middle of the ring. Grappler crashes to the mat.

Amy climbs onto the ring apron, pointing towards the aisle. Andrew goes over and tells her to get off the ring apron. Seth Greeley rushes down the aisle. Xavier’s back is to him. Grappler taps out, but Andrew’s too busy with Amy. Seth jumps onto the ring apron and then to the top rope. Xavier releases the hold to get Andrew’s attention. He sees Amy pointing. He turns around to be taken over by the Sensational Sunset. Xavier’s head hits the mat hard. Seth tumbles to the corner and crawls out of the ring as Andrew turns around. Grappler gets back to his feet in the corner. Seth climbs over the guardrail and gets lost in the fans.

Grappler waits for Xavier to stand up. As Xavier is bent halfway over, Grappler charges out of the corner with a swinging neckbreaker. Grappler signals for the Hangman. He drags Xavier into the corner and places him on the turnbuckle. Grappler wraps his arm around Xavier’s neck and stretches him out. Xavier pries his fingers underneath Grappler’s mask. Grappler releases him. Xavier does a back handstand out of the corner to his feet. Grappler nails him with a short lariat. Grappler grabs his legs and turns him around. Grappler catapults Xavier into the corner. Xavier’s head hits the ringpost. As Xavier bounces out of the corner, his head collides with Grappler. Grappler falls backwards toward the middle of the ring. Xavier slumps against the turnbuckle.

Andrew starts to count both wrestlers out … one … two … Grappler rolls over onto his stomach … three … four … Xavier gets up on one knee … five … six … Grappler pushes up to all fours … seven … Xavier pulls himself up to his feet. Xavier turns around and charges Grappler. Grappler takes him down with a drop toehold. Grappler floats over into a side headlock. Xavier rolls Grappler over into a pinning predicament. Andrew counts … one … two … thr … Grappler kicks out! Grappler rolls back into the side headlock. Xavier struggles to get to his feet. Grappler continues to apply pressure on the headlock, but Xavier manages to get to his feet and backs Grappler into the ropes. Xavier shoots him off into the ropes. Grappler bounces off the far ropes with a flying forearm, but Xavier ducks out of the way. Grappler nails Andrew instead. Andrew rolls out of the ring.

Xavier grabs Grappler in a front face lock. He lifts him up and drives him into the mat with the Excellent Execution. Xavier falls on top of Grappler. After about ten seconds, Xavier realizes there’s no referee. Xavier motions for Amy to get Andrew back into the ring. Xavier picks Grappler up and puts him into the corner. Xavier chops him across the chest. Amy tries to get Andrew up. Xavier whips Grappler across the ring, but Grappler reverses it. Grappler slides out of the ring. He grabs a chair. Xavier comes over to the ropes and reaches through to grab Grappler. Grappler nails him over the head with the chair. Xavier falls through the ropes and lands on the floor. Grappler slides the chair into the ring. Grappler picks Xavier up and slams his head into the ring apron. He rolls him into the ring. Andrew finally gets to his feet outside the ring. Grappler slides into the ring and wedges the chair between the turnbuckle pads in the corner.

Xavier gets to his feet. Grappler whips him across the ring. He takes Xavier over with a hip toss, but Xavier hangs onto Grappler’s arm and drives him into the chair with an arm drag. The chair crashes to the floor. Xavier gets to his feet and drags Grappler into the middle of the ring. Xavier drops a knee into Grappler’s right shoulder. Xavier rolls Grappler on his stomach and wraps his right arm back into a hammerlock. Xavier does a handstand on Grappler’s shoulder and wrist and drives his knee into Grappler’s shoulder. Grappler screams in pain. Xavier floats over and rolls Grappler over with a three-quarter nelson. Andrew crawls into the ring and counts … one … two … three!! Andrew signals for the bell.

Littleton picks up the microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the match, in a time of 43:27, and STILL Mississippi State Heavyweight champion … ‘Excellent’ Xavier Cross!!!” The fans cheer loudly.