Hi Scott,
Like your stuff and the blog. Here's a possible question for you and the blog: How did Jerry Lawler stay on top of the Memphis Wrestling scene for 20+ years without the fans getting so incredibly sick of him? I know the business wasn't good near the end, but he was doing legit good business for at least 15 of those years main eventing the Mid-South Coliseum in front of 5000-9000 week in and week out. From what I've seen on line, he was a good brawler, but a little guy (in comparison to a typical wrestler), pretty good on the mic and had some charisma, but his talent didn't seem to match the incredible run he had.
And were there other examples of a guy dominating a region for this length of time? Was Harley Race this big in St. Louis or Buddy Rose in Portland or someone I've never heard of in a place I've never been?
Lawler had a specific formula that worked perfectly, and he was a local legend who was beloved by fans. It was a great combination. Plus Memphis would typically cycle guys in as challengers, Lawler would work a month or so with them as the top program, and then they'd lose out and go somewhere else. Things weren't allowed to get stale on top and there was never the feeling that Lawler was an indestructible superman. He almost always got his ass kicked by the incoming monster heel and lost the title, but then figured out their weakness (usually a fireball to the face did the trick) and then rallied back to win. That's called TELLING A STORY, MAGGLE.
Plus Memphis was just balls out awesome for about two decades, so there's that, too.
Pretty much every major icon of the 80s went thru Memphis, so it was a pretty hot territory.
ReplyDeleteI heard somewhere that they would have a queue of heels to build up. Heel 1 faces Lawler while heels 2,3, and 4 faced other baby faces. Once heel 1 lost each one moved up a spot or switched spots if needed and a new monster was brought in to be built up.
ReplyDeleteMy only real exposure to USWA was when I would buy PWI in the early 90s, and I'd see their world title changed hands almost every other week, with the randomest collection of champions ever trading the title with Lawler (Tatanka, Papa Shango, Owen Hart).
ReplyDeleteCouple things ... back in the 80s having a punchy-kicky style plus a dropkick, a suplex, a fist drop, and a pile driver was considered a large moveset. All those guys knew how to work without know 30 different moves.
ReplyDeleteSecond, it probably helped that he was co-owner of the territory.
Re: St. Louis, it wasn't really a traditional territory. Harley was a mainstay (mostly due to being the World Champion) and he was popular, but the St. Louis promotion was Wrestling at the Chase and one, maybe two arena shows a month. St. Louis shows brought in talent from across the country to work the Arena. Harley wrestled a wide variety of guys. These were stacked cards. The previous generation of fans was lucky.
ReplyDeleteAh, the WWF invasion. That was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI just remember Bret complaining in his book about Memphis having the "phoniest" wrestling style in the world.
ReplyDeleteLawler wasn't really always on top. Other guys would have the title, he'd be in a tag feud or another feud or taking dates in other territories. He was their big star, but it's not like he was in the main event every day for twenty years.
ReplyDeleteLawler also booked himself perfectly for that chickenshit operation: the Everyman from Memphis, TN against the evil, usually Northern champion who was just too good to wrestle for those Memphis fans. Get Bockwinkel down there with the suits and big words, shut up and take Memphis' money.
ReplyDeleteAnother factor is that Lawler doesn't drink or do drugs, which meant he was probably the most reliable guy on the roster considering what half the wrestlers were doing inn the 70s and 80s. Sure, he might be in a scandal or two at the local middle school, but he would always be showing up to work on time with a clear head.
ReplyDeleteConsidering he was a 52-time Southern Heavyweight Champion and 28 time USWA Champion, Lawler was like the anti-CENAWINSLOL. He would lose his title constantly in order to build to a big rematch.
Jerry Lawler took over from Jackie Fargo who looked like a cross between an ugly Bobby Eaton and Bullet Bob Armstrong so looks had very little to do with getting over in Memphis.
ReplyDeleteGood booking,tons of varied talent and frankly just a different time all led to both of the Kings of Memphis' long and successful runs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI_1cW-1xZc
ReplyDeleteSo ahead of it's time it's almost scary.
Buddy Rose was fantastic in Portland. In the early 80s, he threw the championship belt off a bridge because he was awesome.
ReplyDeleteBest invasion the WWF ever did.
ReplyDeleteVerne was essentially on top for a minimum of 15 years too, but the AWA had a much bigger footprint than the CWA/USWA.
ReplyDeleteI loved Lawler's pre-Internet face/heel switching: when he was World Class and AWA champ, he was the quintessential chickenshit heel, but when he was in Memphis, he was the textbook (albeit fireball-throwing) underdog babyface.
ReplyDeleteEven the Apter mags ran a story about that.
Chickenshit operation? In its heyday Lawler drew more to the monthly Mid-South Coliseum shows than most WWE house shows draw today.
ReplyDeleteI read the PWI 1988 Awards Issue last week and they were GUSHING over the King.
ReplyDeleteSure Macho Man took home the big awards but Lawler was right behind, they were pushing him hard as the Real World Champ.
he did the same thing in 93 where he was a heel for the Bret Hart feud but a babyface at home during the McMemphis angle.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most legendary Memphis matches: Hogan vs. Lawler from 1981:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF1Q7Q5MWsk
Hogan is really impressive here. We also have to give Jimmy Hart credit for being the perfect cowardly manager foil for Lawler for all those years.
Spaghetti noodles for ropes,trampoline mat, dammit these old school rings rustle my jimmies.
ReplyDeleteComplete with the Mr. McMahon voice, which is different from the babyface announcer voice he was using in the WWF at the time.
ReplyDeleteHe won inspirational wrestler of the year!!
ReplyDelete