Lawler’s 1984 had seen him battle Jos LeDuc, Randy Savage, Rick Rude and King Kong Bundy, among others. As had been the custom in previous years, Jimmy Hart had his fingerprints all over Lawler’s feuds. Lawler turned some heads near the end of the year when he announced he would retire if he didn’t win the world title during 1985.

As 1985 started the Lawler-Gilbert feud was raging. The feud had a very homegrown feel. Lawler, obviously, had been the area’s top singles star for a decade. Gilbert, who was a native of Lexington, Tennessee, about one hundred miles east of Memphis, was the son of area legend Tommy Gilbert. (A very extensive Eddie Gilbert biography is available on this site.) In interviews promoting the feud, Gilbert often alluded to the fact that he remembered Lawler beating Jackie Fargo to become king of Memphis wrestling and that now it was Lawler’s turn to pass that honor onto him.

As the new year got off the ground, Gilbert tried to get under Lawler’s skin in a most unique manner. Gilbert hosted a segment on the TV show entitled, "Jerry Lawler, This Is Your Life," a takeoff on a 1950s-60s TV show where someone’s life would be recalled by hearing mysterious voices from their past retelling various moments they had shared. Gilbert then spent a few minutes torturing Lawler. Voices, mostly dubious, appeared from Lawler’s past including Lawler’s tag partner from the early 70s, Jim White. Gilbert’s "White" though was hardly sober enough to recall great details about Lawler. The scenario set off a new set of battles between Gilbert and Lawler. As the feud neared the end of January, Lawler made a rare trip to Japan.

In Lawler’s absence, Gilbert and Hart had a field day on the TV show. A snowstorm had hit the area so after Gilbert pounded his TV opponent, David Haskins, he and Hart marched him outside and dumped him into the snow. Meantime, Hart was also managing a team called The Terminators. This team was feuding against Hart’s former combination of The Dirty White Boys: Len Denton & Tony Anthony. In a previous match Hart had tossed flour into Denton and Anthony’s eyes. This led to an upcoming match between the two teams where a bag of flour was placed on a pole. The team that reached the flour first could use it on the other team.

Hart, holding a five-pound bag of flour, approached Lance Russell to plug the upcoming match between the two teams. As the interview unfolded, Hart dumped the bag of flour on Russell’s head. Russell, furious that Hart had done such a thing, suspended Hart on the spot.

Hart wouldn’t leave the studio right away which meant Russell only became angrier. Russell, who as announcer had feuded verbally with Hart longer than Lawler, continued to reiterate that he had the authority to discipline Hart. Finally, Russell did get across to Hart and the fans that Eddie Marlin, absent due to the poor weather, would back him on the suspension. Russell, longtime straight man to Hart’s weekly TV antics, suspended Hart for thirty days for his actions.

Lawler returned the following week from Japan to find his major foe for the previous five years suspended from action. Wheels though had been set in motion by Gilbert and Hart. Since Hart was suspended, he sent in a taped promo from his home. In it Hart laid out a plan he claimed he had used to hoodwink the promotion into a match he wanted. Hart said he called promoter Eddie Marlin and suggested that his man, Eddie Gilbert, the Southern champion, would be willing to put up the title against any one Marlin could line up. Marlin took the bait, according to Hart, and signed Lawler to be Gilbert’s opponent. Hart also suggested the match be a loser leaves town match. If Lawler lost, he would leave the area for a year. Since he had vowed to retire if he didn’t win the world title by the end of 1985, his leaving the territory he ruled for a decade would mean he would have to make a name for himself somewhere all over again. This implied that since that would take time, the odds were that Lawler would not work his way into title contention before year’s end, thus he would retire without ever winning a world title. If Gilbert won, Hart’s thirty-day suspension for embarrassing Russell would also be immediately lifted. Meantime, if Gilbert lost, he would lose the Southern title and Jimmy Hart would leave the territory for at least a year. Since he was suspended, Hart would be barred from ringside for the match although he promised a surprise at ringside for all who would show up for the match. Meanwhile, in typical Memphis fashion, the promotion put together a video highlighting the highs and lows of the Lawler-Hart feud set to Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band’s "The Famous Final Scene".

The Mid-South Coliseum played to a big crowd the night the Lawler-Hart feud was set to play out. The crowd was lower than expected though due to more inclement weather. Jimmy Hart did not appear for the match. The storyline reason was because he was suspended. He had though promised a surprise. The fans did a double take when Eddie Gilbert was led to ringside for the big match by someone most fans could swear was Jimmy Hart. In actuality, the man accompanying Gilbert was a Hart lookalike who would be called Tommy H, who was actually a longtime fan who often imitated Hart. The match itself see-sawed between Lawler and Gilbert. Ultimately though, Lawler would get the pin and win the Southern title again which would sent Hart packing out of the area.

In reality, Hart couldn’t appear for his own farewell show since he was the first major area casualty for Jarrett and Lawler in the promotional war the WWF was waging against established promoters. Vince McMahon had offered Hart a ringside managerial slot with the WWF. Hart accepted the job and was leaving immediately for the WWF.

The area had hosted numerous lengthy feuds that fans recall years later. Sputnik Monroe and Billy Wicks battled each other for weeks decades earlier. The 1960s saw the Von Brauners and Saul Weingeroff battle Jackie Fargo, Len Rossi and others. The 1970s is remembered for the legendary Jackie Fargo-Jerry Lawler feud, as well as the Lawler-Dundee series. Lawler-Hart would be added to that list.

Now the long running feud was over. Hart would leap onto a national stage with his role in the WWF. Although his antics were still magical, his role in the WWF wasn’t nearly as prominent as when he worked the Memphis territory. The WWF also rarely acknowledged a performer’s past so all those years of hard work in Memphis meant nothing to the WWF fans since Hart’s past wasn’t mentioned. Meantime Hart would slip comfortably into his new role in the WWF where he would play second-string to another managerial legend, Bobby the Brain Heenan, lead manager of the WWF.

Lawler would remain the focal point in the area. Initially after Hart’s departure, the feud with Eddie Gilbert continued with Gilbert ripping a page out of Lawler’s past by forming his own army as Lawler had in the seventies. Gilbert would take to wearing army fatigues and playing out some of the same scenarios Lawler had played out years earlier. The whole thing seemed ripe with possibilities as the promotion could again tap into their rich history to develop another feud. The Lawler-Gilbert feud though wouldn’t last very long. Gilbert would leave shortly after Hart left to begin working for Bill Watts’ Mid-South promotion. Others would work against Lawler during the year such as Bruiser Brody, Randy Savage and the Freebirds. While Hart’s exit left a giant vacuum some recalled that the promotion took off in 1977 when Lawler and Bill Dundee feuded against each other. Surely, if it worked before, it would work again. The last few months of the year would test that theory.

Bill Dundee had lost a loser leaves match to Steve Keirn at the end of 1983. He then went to the Mid-South promotion where he worked mostly as a booker for promoter Bill Watts, although Dundee did wrestle some. Under Dundee’s creative Memphis-style booking, the Mid-South area caught on fire again. By the fall of 1985, Dundee was ready to return to Memphis.

Upon his return, Dundee paired with Jimmy Valiant and Jerry Lawler in tag matches against The Sheepherders: Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan. With Dundee back in his old stomping grounds and often teaming with Lawler, he went on TV one week and began talking real big. Dundee said he and Lawler were a great tag team, so great they could win the Southern tag titles which were held by The Fabulous Ones: Steve Keirn and Stan Lane. The Fabs took notice of Dundee’s comment and let it be known they understood Dundee and Lawler were a good team but since the two teams had never met the outcome was unclear. Dundee continued to say otherwise.

Enter Jerry Lawler. Lawler tried calming Dundee. Lawler then told Dundee he really wasn’t interested in wrestling the Fabs since wrestlers like The Mongolian Stomper, The Sheepherders, Bota and others were running wild in the area that his plate was full. Besides, Lawler reasoned that since the Fabs were Southern tag champs and he was Southern champ that seemed fine with him and the fans. This angered Dundee who felt as if Lawler was making fun of him for not holding an area title. Dundee would then lunge at Lawler and smack him then hit the Fabs and run out of the studio.

Later, Dundee would goad Lawler into a TV match. Some bartering took place as Dundee offered his car in a match against Lawler. Lawler wouldn’t bite though. Finally, Dundee vowed to shave his head in the middle of the ring against Lawler’s Southern title. Lawler agreed. Dundee would use an object to smash Lawler and get the win and title.

The title switch posed a major problem for Lawler. He had vowed to retire by year’s end if he didn’t win a world title. NWA champion Nature Boy Ric Flair would defend the title in the area in November but only against the area’s top star, who would be the reigning Southern champion. Lawler had dodged a similar bullet earlier when then-promoter Tom Renesto tried to get Lawler defend the Southern title against The Mongolian Stomper (detailed later in this article). Now the shoe was on the other foot.

Lawler wanted a rematch but Dundee refused. Lawler took matters into his own hands by bringing out a baseball bat and threatening Dundee’s car with damage, which reprised an angle Rick Rude had used against Lawler in 1984. Dundee’s wife, Beverly, rushed out to the parking lot to plead with Lawler as Dundee finally agreed to give Lawler a rematch. Dundee would retain the title in the match depriving Lawler of a world title match.

Dundee began to roll in his new heel persona. He cost Koko Ware a TV match against The Masked Superstar (Jerry Stubbs). Ware would then also set his sights on getting at Dundee. Meantime, Lawler plotted to get back at Dundee.

TV announcer Lance Russell arrived at Lawler’s house to conduct an interview with Lawler. Upon arrival, Russell discovered Lawler lying on his lawn sprawled out and mostly incoherent. Lawler was blitzed. Failure to get revenge against Dundee had seemingly driven Lawler over the edge and to the bottle. (Lawler would later apologize to fans for the angle, urging young viewers not to drink.)

Back in the studio, The Hawaiian Flash appeared. The masked man wanted revenge for Lawler against Dundee. It became clear as the man talked that the Flash was Jerry Jarrett underneath a mask. Jarrett claimed to have lost a hair match in Kansas City. Dundee, aware that under the mask was Jarrett whom he connected with Lawler and feeling he could easily handle Jarrett, agreed to a title match. Later in the show though, the Flash reappeared and this time, it was obvious that the man behind the mask wasn’t Jarrett but was Lawler, which let everyone in on the idea that the Lawler clip and the Hawaiian Flash scenario were all part of a plan to help Lawler. Nonetheless, Dundee had agreed to a match with Lawler. Lawler, as the Flash, would be disqualified in the match meaning Dundee’s title shot against the NWA champion was still intact.

Dundee next struck by attacking Jerry Jarrett for his involvement in the Flash incident. As the Sheepherders held Jarrett and other heels held the dressing room door shut, Dundee clipped Jarrett’s hair on TV. Dundee added Dutch Mantel as a partner in crime as well as adding Mega Mahirishi, the Guru (Jerry Grey). With Lawler getting sidetracked against Mid-America champion Tom Branch, Dundee’s path to an NWA title shot seemed clear. Mantel then downed Phil Hickerson to win the International title. Then Mantel and Dundee whipped the Fabs to take the Southern tag titles. Dundee was red-hot as his shot at Flair was looming.

The Saturday TV show prior to the Memphis NWA title match, Koko Ware downed Branch to capture the Mid-America belt. Promoter Eddie Marlin kept Branch’s manager, Tom Renesto, from interfering in the match, leading to Ware’s win. Moments later, Dundee called out Ware. Dundee was looking for more gold by challenging Ware to a TV match. Dundee said if Ware beat him then Ware could have his car. Ware said there was only one thing Dundee had that had value to him, and that was the NWA title shot. Dundee agreed to Ware’s demands, confident that Mantel and the Guru would be on hand to help him out. Eddie Marlin though put a stop to that idea when he said he would personally referee the match and his first order of business was to send Mantel and the Guru away from ringside. Despite Marlin’s decree, Mantel tried interfering anyway. Phil Hickerson would come out to level Mantel (comeuppance for Mantel winning the International title from Hickerson) while Jerry Jarrett snuck out and tossed Dundee off the top rope which led to Ware’s pinfall win over Dundee. With the win, Ware also had taken Dundee’s shot at Ric Flair.

Ware’s shot at the title was ruined, naturally, by Dundee. During the match, Dundee attacked Dusty Rhodes, on hand acting as Ware’s second. This allowed Flair to attack Ware and pin him. This set up Dundee and Ware against each other. The highlight of their battles is likely when Ware appeared on TV dressed as Santa Claus handing out gifts to the TV audience. Dundee then came out and not wanting to be outdone by Ware, began rolling pennies to the audience then when Ware wasn’t looking attacked him with the bag holding the pennies.

As for Lawler, while Dundee and Ware were going at it, Lawler ended up battling the Guru and Tony Falk in separate matches. Falk claimed he had grown up watching Lawler on TV years before. Lawler downed both men. He humiliated Falk when the stipulations of their match allowed the winner of the match to place a diaper on the loser. Ultimately though things boiled down to Lawler and Dundee, especially after Lawler and Austin Idol downed Dundee and Mantel to win the Southern tag titles.

With shades of the 1977 version of their feud Lawler agreed to put up his wife’s hair against Dundee’s Southern title. In 1977, Dundee had put up his hair then his wife’s hair against Lawler’s Southern title. Lawler retained the belt then and the Dundees ended up bald. This time Lawler would regain the belt. Dundee though had a rematch coming and this time he covered all the bases.

On the last Memphis card of the year, Lawler battled Dundee with the Southern title at stake while Dundee put his hair and his wife’s hair at stake. The loser of the match would also leave the area. In a previous match, Dundee co-hort Dutch Mantel had battled Rick Casey. The match turned into a brawl with wrestlers filling the ring to try to pull apart the two competitors. Lawler made his way to the ring. As Lawler captured Mantel, Tony Falk, who Lawler had embarrassed a few weeks earlier in a diaper match tossed a liquid into Lawler’s right eye.

When it came to the main event, wrestlers poured out of the dressing room and sat around ringside anxious to watch the match, adding importance to the outcome. Bill’s wife, Beverly, even sat at ringside for the match. Lawler entered at a disadvantage wearing a makeshift patch over his injured eye. The match was a typical wild event that even saw the two brawl into the crowd. Finally, Tony Falk, sitting at ringside, handed Dundee more liquid which Dundee tossed into Lawler’s other eye. Falk’s involvement not only avenged his humiliating diaper match loss to Lawler but hinted that Dundee and Falk were in cahoots and showed the levels Dundee would reach to achieve his purpose. Dundee had regained the Southern title and after a decade run as king of Memphis wrestling, Jerry Lawler had lost and would have to pack his bags. The unbelievable had happened. For the fans the final scene of the year saw Lawler leaving town and leaving them with Dundee, the hottest heel the area had seen since Lawler’s glory years as a heel in the mid-70s, to rule the roost. With Lawler gone, there seemed to be no one in sight who could stop Dundee.

January, February and March 1985

Jerry Lawler held the Southern belt at year’s beginning. He would soon lose the championship though to Eddie Gilbert. Lawler would regain the belt and in the process send his longtime rival Jimmy Hart packing. By March, Lawler lost the title to Randy Savage who was managed by Tux Newman. Newman was actually former Los Angeles announcer Jeff Walton. To gain some immediate heat Newman would claim he was friends with the late Andy Kaufman, one of the most disliked performers ever in Memphis.

The Southern tag belts began the year with The Masked Interns. Following a match against The Dirty White Boys: Len Denton and Tony Anthony the titles were held up. A subsequent tournament saw The Fabulous Ones: Steve Keirn and Stan Lane win the belts again. The Fabs feuded against the Interns much of the early part of the year. Their feud was advanced when the Interns and their wheelchair-bound manager, Troy Graham (The Dream Machine), attacked Dick Keirn and Wally Lane, the fathers of the Fabs. Eventually, the Fabs would unmask the team revealing Don Bass and Dirty Rhodes (Roger Smith).

Mike Sharpe began the year as Mid-America champion. He lost the title in March to Jimmy Valiant. Valiant was hopping back and forth with the Crockett promotion at this time. The title was vacant not long after Valiant’s win. Terry Taylor won the International title at the end of 1984 but did not defend the title for months leaving the title inactive the first half of 1985.

Working the area at this time were such stars as Dutch Mantel, Mark and Brad Batten, The Rock n Roll Express: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson, The Exotic Adrian Street and Miss Linda, Stan Frazier (who worked first as Playboy Frazier then Lt. Frazier as part of Eddie Gilbert’s short-lived Army), Joe Lightfoot, The Nightmares (who were unmasked and worked as Ken Wayne and Danny Davis), Tim Ashley and Steve Constant (who lost a match to Wayne & Davis and returned as The Masked Daydreamers), Johnny Wilhoit, Lanny Poffo, Buck Zumhofe, Kevin Kelly, The Terminators, Paul Christy, Strong Machine (not the original), Abdullah the Butcher, Nick Bockwinkel (who worked one Memphis show billed as AWA champion although Rick Martel was actually the titleholder apparently because the promotion was afraid Martel would not draw a crowd in Memphis), The Phantom of the Opera, Tojo Yamamoto, J.R. Hogg and Harley Hogg, Jerry Bryant, Angelo Poffo, Billy Travis, Jerry Oske, Steve Kyle, Debbie Combs, Dutch Mantel, David Haskins (later to wrestle in other areas as Davey Rich), The Masked Mr. Wrestling (Tommy Gilbert), Diane Von Hoffman, Candi Devine, AWA champion Rick Martel, Tracy Smothers, Tom Branch, Speedy Tall Tree, Sweet Daddy Siki and more.

The mainstream media which fell all over itself in 1984 covering Vince McMahon’s WWF began shedding other light on the business. ABC’s John Stossel put together a piece for the TV show 20/20 which aired in February. Stossel made the amazing conclusion that what went on in the ring was predetermined. Disgruntled ex-wrestlers Jim Wilson and Eddie Mansfield exposed some secrets on the show including the art of blading to draw blood. Stossel also encountered David Shultz who slapped the reporter to the ground when Stossel questioned the real/fake issue. Shultz was let go by the WWF around the time the 20/20 segment aired although it had nothing to do with his altercation with Stossel which actually took place in late December 1984. WWF head Vince McMahon was planning a major event in March and was set to use TV star Mr. T in a prominent role. As the event neared, Shultz, apparently upset at how a celebrity could waltz into a business many had worked hard at for years and make more money in one night than many of them had made in an entire year, went after T. With McMahon also negotiating to bring the WWF to network television via NBC, home to T’s show The A Team, Shultz was let go in order to keep the lines of business open.

Meantime, at the end of March, McMahon’s big event, WrestleMania, debuted. The show, broadcast on closed circuit, was a risky and expensive venture. The publicity and momentum picked up from the event though kept the WWF alive and rolling toward their goal of dominating the U.S. wrestling scene. McMahon was having problems though with WTBS, the Atlanta superstation which aired some of his shows. Owner Ted Turner worked out a deal with Mid-South promoter Bill Watts and Watts’ promotion ended up briefly on WTBS.

Goodish Gracious!

Since wrestling territories seemed to thrive when they had a strong good guy to appeal to the fans, logic would find that favorite would have to be constantly facing challenges from different foes. The foe could be an old tag partner or a brash newcomer. It could be a mysterious masked man or even someone tinkering on the brink of losing what little sanity they seemingly possessed. Professional wrestling walks a fine line. It isn’t real although it claims to have reality wrapped all around it. In the same vein, a wrestler who has to portray a certain type of wrestler walks a line attempting to make fans believe he is what he claims to be especially when he isn’t what he is portraying. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

In 1985, there were a number of wrestlers who came across to fans that they were a special breed of wrestler. Macho Man Randy Savage was intense during interviews. He was a whirlwind in the ring appearing totally fearless as he often hopped to the top rope and came crashing down on an opponent on the arena floor. Some fans were aware of out-of-the-ring skirmishes Savage had been involved in as well. It would be easy for fans to believe that Savage was not to be messed with and that would likely be true.

Similarly, many had seen Dr. D David Shultz slap ABC reporter John Stossel on a February episode of 20/20. Shultz was let go from the WWF in the spring (for trying to fight with TV star Mr. T, not the Stossel incident, which served as publicity for the WWF). Shultz then went to Japan where he slapped a Japanese wrestling announcer. Again, it would be fair to believe, and probably rightly so, that Shultz was someone who blurred the invisible lines that served as boundaries for professional wrestling.

No one though in the wrestling business projected the image of a no-nonsense, out-of-control madman than Frank Goodish, better known to wrestling fans as Bruiser Brody. Standing at 6’5" and weighing two hundred seventy five pounds, Brody, with a wild mane of black hair, was a walking, talking instrument of destruction. Ironically, Savage, Shultz and Brody would all cross paths briefly in the spring in Jerry Jarrett’s territory in 1985.

Debuting in 1973, Goodish had worked a number of territories especially Fritz Von Erich’s (Jack Adkisson) Dallas-based promotion as well as Leroy McGuirk’s promotion. As 1975 ended and 1976 started, Goodish rolled into Florida and took the state title from Rocky Johnson. To date, it was his biggest break. A bigger door of opportunity though was opening.

Veteran Killer Kowalski was working Florida under a mask as the Destroyer. Kowalski reported to WWWF promoters that Goodish was someone to watch. Soon thereafter, Goodish debuted in the WWWF billed as Bruiser Brody.

With WWWF champion Bruno Sammartino needing a constant stream of opponents Brody was brought in to challenge the popular champion. Brody’s run in the northeast ended though when Brody got into an argument with WWWF officials. After this, Brody had difficulty finding work in the U.S. due to an apparent blacklisting.

Finally, Fritz Von Erich brought Brody back to Texas. Placed in headline feuds against Von Erich brought big crowds out to see the Texas legend battle the mammoth wildman. Von Erich, wielding some power inside the NWA then got Brody booked onto the prestigious St. Louis cards and into the Kansas City territory. Despite his troubles stemming from his WWWF run, it was still the 1970s and the NWA still held a great amount of power, so Brody became a major attraction.

While the wrestling business in the U.S. was vibrant with plenty of territories, many U.S. based wrestlers supplemented their income with trips to Japan. Von Erich was legendary in Japan after a series of battles years before against Shohei Baba. The feud with Baba placed Von Erich into legendary status in Japan and through his suggestion Brody then was booked into Japan where he became an instant success.

Brody continued to work a number of U.S. territories and became a top attraction virtually everywhere he appeared. Brody blew into a territory and usually made an immediate impression. With his size, his wildman appearance and ferocious in-ring action, most fans could quickly sense Brody was a different breed from most other wrestlers. Top this off with his creative and intelligent interviews and Brody was unlike any other heel any other territory could serve up to its fans. This lead to Brody becoming one of the business’s original antiheroes, the bad guy people find difficulty disliking.

In Japan, Antonio Inoki and Shohei Baba had operated competing wrestling companies for years. Baba’s All Japan group, long associated with the NWA, had secured Brody’s services since his initial appearances there. Brody then was on his way to becoming a legend in Japan as his team with Stan Hansen is regarded by some as the greatest tag team ever in Japan. Some say they are the greatest tag team ever. Brody’s wild physical appearance, coupled with his swinging chain as he entered the ring followed by his wild brawling, sent Japanese fans into a frenzy as Brody became a cult figure to many. The style of wrestling in Japan, one that favored more athleticism and physicality, different than the more showy U.S. style, fit perfectly with Brody’s persona. By 1985, with a war raging between the two groups and Inoki’s New Japan group hurting, they signed away Brody for a three year deal for reportedly over $750,000 including a lucrative signing bonus.

Inoki though discovered what many promoters, all over the world, had discovered about Brody--that he was his own man and he did business the way he wanted to do business or he walked. Since he usually meant increased attendance at shows Brody realized he held power few in the business held since ultimately professional wrestling is ruled by money. Since most promoters didn’t mind the extra attendance Brody provided he would balk at planned finishes for matches, especially if the finish meant he would be pinned leaving the promoter in a dilemma as to what to do, let Brody walk and hurt business or pony up to his demands. Most chose to let Brody have his way. Brody’s rationale for being tough to do business with boiled down to the protection of his in-ring image. Brody understood his win-loss record, even in the worked world of wrestling, could reflect upon how fans perceived him as a wrestler. He further understood that ultimately the fans would pass judgment at the box office. Since his reputation was very valuable in Japan Brody was adamant about losing any match by pinfall or submission, whether it was on a major card in Japan or an independent show in the United States. Of course, often Brody walked out of promotions for another reason. He often walked out when promoters failed to come through financially as they had promised.

As 1985 progressed, trouble began brewing. In Japan, Brody said Inoki hadn’t come through with all the money he had been promised so Brody became difficult to work with in-ring before walking out of the promotion the day of one of the promotion’s biggest shows of the year. He, in turn, walked out on a financial deal few in the wrestling business in 1985 would ever realize.

With his meal ticket of Japan gone as he had left Baba by secretly signing with Inoki then walking out on Inoki, Brody’s career looked certain to pick up in the U.S. Things though had dramatically changed as well as Vince McMahon’s WWF expansion put a number of promotions Brody could work for in the states out of business. Signing with the WWF or the fledgling national promotion Jim Crockett was building would mean Brody would have to work a rigorous schedule, much different than the usual sixteen weeks of the year he would work in Japan, and likely for nowhere near the money he left in Japan. Brody though was content to pick his shots which also allowed him time to spend with his family. Brody then worked several independent promotions before returning to Inoki’s New Japan for some appearances, reportedly for an even fatter contract than before. Eventually, Brody would return to All Japan where his legend grew even more. Brody never would sign with the WWF or Crockett’s NWA. In the U.S., he would continue to work independents. In 1988, Brody’s life was ended after he was stabbed in a Puerto Rico dressing room during a wrestling card. (More details about Bruiser Brody can be found in the Pick A Wrestler section on this site).

After he walked away from Baba’s group in 1985 and debuted for Inoki’s group, Brody returned to the states to work some dates for various promoters. One of those stops was the wildman’s only stopover in the Jarrett territory.

Jerry Lawler found himself in a feud with Randy Savage in the springtime. Manager Tux Newman had hit the area in February and signed Savage on as his charge. Previously, Savage had been the area’s number two babyface behind Lawler. In late April, David Shultz blew back into the area on the winds of his slap attack on ABC reporter John Stossel. Savage and Shultz then formed a combination to rid the area of Lawler. Shultz was no newcomer to the area having worked the area as part of teams with Bill Ash, Dutch Mantel and Dennis Condrey throughout the 1970s. Shultz would only be in the Jarrett promotion a couple of weeks in 1985. Needing a partner to combat Savage and Shultz, Lawler turned to a mystery man to help his cause. That man would be the international star Bruiser Brody.

Things fell apart though for Lawler as Brody turned on Lawler at the request of Savage’s manager Tux Newman. The promotion veered Savage into a feud with Jerry Oski for a few weeks and gave the Lawler-Brody feud some play. The following week Brody was paired with one time Zambui Express member Kareem Muhammad (Ray Candy) to challenge Lawler and his longtime partner Bill Dundee, who returned briefly. Lawler would also turn to Austin Idol to be his partner in the feud against Brody and Muhammad.

Despite the initial tag battles involving Lawler and Brody eventually the feud would revolve around the two principals in singles action. This would turn to be interesting as Lawler had been the area’s top star for over ten years. This meant that at the end of a feud Lawler needed to win to remain strong in the area. Brody’s reputation though saw him taking a pinfall for no one. True to Brody’s reputation, the matches between Lawler and Brody would all end in some form of disqualification or non-finish, which kept both Lawler and Brody strong. Such finishes though when used too much often leave fans unsatisfied as no clear cut winner emerges from the series.

Still, the May and June appearances in Memphis by Brody are memorable. Maybe most memorable is the sight of the riotous looking Brody strutting around wearing Lawler’s crown or the times the two used boards on each other. Brody’s stay in the area was brief in the scheme of things and the feud with Lawler resolved nothing. Brody and Muhammad would also team one week to battle The Fabulous Ones. Ultimately, the promotion used Brody’s appearances to segue-way into another feud for Lawler. During a Lawler-Brody match, referee Tom Branch refused to let Lawler get away with any illegal tactics which made the fans upset. Logically, it lead to Lawler battling Branch as Brody quietly left the area to torment promoters and delight fans elsewhere.

April, May and June 1985

Randy Savage’s Southern title run was stopped by Jerry Oske (who wrestled later as Jerry Allen). Oske’s run was stopped by Savage. Savage then lost the title in a loser leaves match against perennial champion Jerry Lawler. In a unique angle during the Savage-Lawler feud, Savage would bust up Japanese photographer Jimmy Suzuki, an angle the promotion would run again with Suzuki years later. Lawler’s run as Southern champion was stopped by Bota the Witch Doctor with Leslie Floyd Creachman, III as his manager.

The Fabulous Ones: Steve Keirn and Stan Lane held onto the Southern tag titles before dropping them to the PYTs: Norvell Austin and Koko Ware. After a match where the Fabs defeated Austin and substitute Billy Travis, the tag titles were held up. The Fabs won the tournament that followed by downing Travis and Ronnie Sexton in the finals. The Fabs then dropped the titles to the new Sheepherders combo of Jonathan Boyd and Rip Morgan.

Working in the area at this time were such stars as Mike Sharpe, Dutch Mantel, J.R. Hogg, The Angel, Mr. Wrestling, Tracy Smothers, Lanny Poffo, Eddie Gilbert, Randy Rose, Doug Somers, Ted and Jerry Oates, Chick Donovan, Tommy Rich, Moondog Rex, Speedy Tall Tree, Tim Ashley and Steve Constant, Kareem Muhammed, David Shultz, Bruiser Brody, Brad and Mark Batten, Sweet Daddy Siki, Tojo Yamamoto and Jerry Jarrett, Don Bass, The Masked Spoiler (Frank Morrell a/k/a The Angel), Ron Sexton, The Mexican Angel, Les Freeman, The Exotic Adrian Street and Miss Linda, Debbie Combs, Bobby Colt, Nick Bockwinkel, David Haskins, Jerry Bryant, Tommy Gilbert, Jay Youngblood, Johnny Rich, Tux Newman, Terry Adonis, Bill Smithson, Phil Hickerson, Jackie Fargo and others.

Jerry Lawler downed Randy Savage in June in a loser leaves town match. Savage had accepted a deal to begin working with the WWF. He would debut in the summer, and with Miss Elizabeth at his side, would become one of the legends of modern professional wrestling. Savage’s brother, Lanny Poffo, would follow his brother’s lead and join the WWF as well. Another area mainstay, Stan Frazier, who pretty much had used the Memphis promotion as his base for years, also left to work in the WWF. Frazier would become Uncle Elmer, part of the hillbilly family Vince McMahon created for one time Memphis star Jim Morris (Harley Davidson), who was now known as Hillbilly Jim.

Professional wrestling returned to network television in May when NBC debuted WWF’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in a late night time slot. The show would prove to be a hit as it generally aired every three months or so. Ironically in Memphis the show would air on WMC-TV, the home of Jarrett’s live Saturday morning TV show and ratings success Championship Wrestling. Meantime, Vince McMahon’s run on WTBS ended in April after a major falling out with station owner Ted Turner. McMahon sold the time slots for his WTBS TV shows to North Carolina-based promoter Jim Crockett. While McMahon made money on the deal he did lose valuable national TV time. Crockett, with booker Dusty Rhodes at the helm and with the hardest working man in the business, Nature Boy Ric Flair as champion, wrestling fans had a reason to hope Crockett’s company would provide adequate national competition against the WWF. Most fans though did not understand that with Crockett attempting to compete at a national level it would continue to drain the remaining territories of the talent they had left.

Badstreet Comes to Beale Street

In 1979, Terry Gordy and Michael Hayes stopped over in the Memphis circuit on their way to becoming major stars in the wrestling business. Their stay then lasted just a few months and was hardly a smash success although they picked up the Fabulous Freebirds name here. Leaving the Jarrett territory the two moved on to Bill Watts’ Mid-South territory. Once there they fit in with such stars as Ted DiBiase, Mike George, Bruiser Bob Sweetan, Junkyard Dog and others, including Watts himself.

The team had success early in their stay for Watts by capturing the Mid-South tag titles. With Gordy’s size and athletic ability and Hayes’ snarling heel charisma, the team was well on their way to becoming a team to watch. Along the way, Watts added a third member to their team, Buddy Roberts.

Roberts was a ring veteran most likely remembered for his long partnership with Jerry Brown as The Hollywood Blondes. The Blondes had successful runs in Montreal, Los Angeles, Florida and the Carolinas. Before they split for good, Roberts and Brown worked the Nick Gulas end of the territory in 1977 as well as working some for Jarrett.

Roberts then made a persona change when he settled in Texas. There he became Dale Valentine and was billed as the brother of wrestling legend Johnny Valentine. Johnny, whose career had ended in a 1975 North Carolina airplane crash, was a star everywhere he appeared including Texas. Johnny Valentine was also one of the most believable no-nonsense wrestlers ever to hit the mat. Johnny threw a long shadow in the business. His son, Greg, was becoming a major star in the late 1970s with appearances in the Mid-Atlantic and WWWF territories. Promoters hoped Johnny’s name still meant something in Texas when Roberts, as Dale Valentine, was introduced. While Dale Valentine did achieve some success Johnny’s long shadow was too large to fill. Something else would come along though that would define Buddy Roberts’ career.

Roberts pulled into the Mid-South in 1980. Not long after his arrival, he was placed in the tag team which also consisted of Hayes and Gordy. Hayes was "injured" so Gordy had to find a partner to team with him. The veteran Roberts was then added to the mix. Gordy and Roberts clicked together as Roberts had spent most of his career as a tag wrestler. Hayes, meantime, was still around serving as a manager and mouthpiece for the two other Freebirds. When it became apparent to fans that Hayes wasn’t quite as injured as he claimed since he openly interfered in matches, the team began drawing incredible heat. Eventually, the Freebird concept had the three men forming the team and not letting their opponents know which two would wrestle in a match until the match began.

The Fabulous Freebirds became a hit. They were placed at the top of cards in the Mid-South circuit. Eventually, their feud against Colonel Buck Robley and Junkyard Dog drew an enormous crowd and gate to the New Orleans Superdome. The feud which saw the trio toss a mysterious creme into JYD’s eyes (detailed in the Mid-South section on this site) was made all the more realistic as JYD played the angle out in real life as if it were real. The Mid-South promotion was on fire and much of the credit was due to the three man destruction crew of The Fabulous Freebirds.

While the Superdome crowd and their Mid-South antics were impressive, many fans outside the area had little knowledge of the Fabulous Freebirds. That began to change in October 1980 when the trio debuted on cable’s Georgia Championship Wrestling. From their debut until their split the following June the trio of Gordy, Hayes and Roberts enraged fans weekly with their exploits.

One week they were playing mind games with Austin Idol, then they were humiliating Stan Frazier, then they were taking Robert Fuller’s car away from him, then they were piledriving Ted DiBiase on the TV studio floor as Gordon Solie gasped in disbelief, then they were threatening to blind JYD with that creme again, then they were trying to injure the returning Tommy Rich. With the constant mayhem they created receiving national exposure, the Fabulous Freebirds had arrived as a force in the business.

It wasn’t just the havoc the Freebirds created that drew attention to them. Hayes, the preening spokeman of the team, had long blonde hair and a scratchy voice that spewed forth chilling threats. Gordy, the babyfaced monster, was a mountain of a man who left nothing standing in his wake and moved like few others in the business his size. Roberts, the smallest member of the team, held the experience and other intangibles only a veteran can add to the mix. Put the three together in matching outfits with the strains of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern rock anthem "Freebird" as intro music and wrestling fans had a new spectacle to behold.

The Freebirds split in June 1981. Roberts took time off from the business. Initially, Gordy would stay in Georgia and form a team with Superfly Jimmy Snuka. Hayes would return to Georgia later in the summer where he teamed with Kevin Von Erich to battle Gordy & Snuka. Eventually, Hayes would also use Big Red and former NFL star Otis Sistrunk as tag partners while Gordy would turn to Austin Idol. The feud between Gordy and Hayes even spilled over onto some shows in other areas especially the Mid-Atlantic circuit.

Gordy and Hayes would both wind up in the Alabama territory and on opposite sides. They would though reunite, as the Fabulous Freebirds, in the spring of 1982 and return to Georgia. As is the case, the most disliked bad guys generally make the most well liked good guys. During this run in Georgia, Hayes and Gordy were fan favorites and battled Afa and Sika: The Samoans with manager Sonny King as well as Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen.

Texas was calling next and there the Freebirds eventually reunited with old partner Buddy Roberts. In Texas, the fans adored the Von Erich family. Father Fritz and sons Kevin, David and Kerry had been given the star treatment. Fans had been educated that the Von Erichs were the future of the business. While the family had had scores of worthy opponents during their careers, it wasn’t until the Freebirds arrived that the territory exploded. For nearly two straight years various combinations of the Freebirds and Von Erichs, a fearsome trio of rebellious, dangerous heels contrasted against the trio of handsome fan-friendly brothers, feuded all over the World Class territory. It was the ideal feud at the ideal time.

By 1984, the box office appeal of the Freebirds was apparent as they had helped pop three territories. With Vince McMahon’s WWF expanding then the Freebirds signed on with the promise of a major run which would likely include a shot for Hayes to become a singer, as Hayes, during the Texas run, had released some songs, notably "Badstreet USA". Within a few months though the relationship soured. Gordy left, able to make a living by working some in Japan, then Roberts left and finally Hayes followed as well.

By the summer of 1985 the Freebirds still teamed some. Gordy though was becoming a major star in Japan. Collectively and separately, all three still meant something to the remaining territories as fans recalled the Mid-South, Georgia and Texas runs. Hayes returned to the Memphis territory in June.

The territory had just felt the wrath of Bruiser Brody and was under siege by Bota the Witch Doctor, who carried a burning torch. Hayes lined up to battle the man who had become Bota’s manager, Tom Branch. After whipping Branch, Hayes was attacked by Bota. Jerry Lawler rescued Hayes. Later on the card, Lawler downed Bota to claim the Southern title. After the decision, Branch and Bota attacked Lawler and doubleteamed him until Hayes hit the ring to even the odds and repay the favor to Lawler. As Hayes held Bota, Lawler tossed a fireball but Bota moved and the fire hit Hayes. Eventually, Hayes would recover and turn on Lawler.

Hayes would call on his Freebird brother, Terry Gordy to exact revenge on Lawler. Lawler would turn to Austin Idol to reform their team to battle the Freebirds. Together Gordy and Hayes were madmen in the ring as they attacked referees and even announcer Randy Hales. A later Badstreet match between the two teams saw Idol bring scissors to the ring to cut Hayes’ flowing hair but Hayes would end up with the weapon and use them on referee Jerry Calhoun and cameraman Ken Parnell.

Lawler found himself in a pickle next though as Idol and others such as Idol, Bill Dundee and Jimmy Valiant couldn’t team with him for various reasons. He had no partner. He did though have someone who wanted to be his partner and that was longtime area heel Phil Hickerson. Hickerson had just captured the International title and felt as if he wasn’t receiving the respect he should. He offered his services to Lawler who wanted nothing to do with the burly bad guy. Hickerson though proved his worth by rescuing Lawler from an attack at the hands of the Sheepherders. In real life, Lawler and Hickerson were business partners owning a nightclub in Jackson, Tennessee.

For their match against the Freebirds, Lawler and Hickerson entered the ring wearing crowns. Hickerson and Gordy would brawl all over the arena floor while Lawler and Hayes brawled all around ringside. The wild melee resolved nothing between the two teams. Later, Hayes would attack Lawler on TV with a metal trash can to keep the feud warm.

Gordy would then hook up with Buddy Roberts for some matches against Lawler and Hickerson. Lawler took out some vengeance on the Birds by tossing fire and burning Roberts. Finally, it was set, the three Freebirds would be coming to town to face Lawler, Hickerson and a third partner.

That third partner would turn out to be The Mongolian Stomper. The partnership would fall apart as The Stomper would turn on his partners and with the Freebirds attack them setting up Lawler-Stomper matches and leaving an escape hatch for the Freebirds.

Hayes, Gordy and Roberts would move on out of the territory after their brief stopover. The Freebirds would remain a force in the U.S. for several more years in this three man combination. While their feud with Lawler didn’t have a definite conclusion the Freebirds were used well by the promotion. As a proven box office draw they were used to set things up after their departure by helping turn Phil Hickerson into a fan favorite and also to set up Lawler with another feud.

July, August and September 1985

Jerry Lawler regained the Southern title from Bota the Witch Doctor. He then lost it to Tarras Bulba but regained it shortly thereafter.

The Southern tag titles bounced back and forth all summer long in a series of wild exchanges between The Fabulous Ones: Steve Keirn & Stan Lane and The Sheepherders: Jonathan Boyd & new partner Rip Morgan. The promotion also recognized a CWA International tag championship for a few weeks. Kenya and Kenyata Condorie were billed as champions but their stay was brief and the titles were forgotten.

The Mid-America title popped back up in July with Man Mountain Link returning to the area billed as champion. Jerry Lawler relieved him of the title. While champion, Lawler regained the Southern title and vacated the Mid-America belt. Koko Ware won a subsequent tournament to win the Mid-America belt. Bota the Witch Doctor then took the Mid-America title before dropping it back to Ware.

Terry Taylor, the last recognized International champion, returned to defend the title in July. Phil Hickerson downed him for the championship. Taylor then regained the belt before losing it again to Hickerson. Hickerson then held the title for several months before losing it to The Mongolian Stomper.

Working in the area at this time were such stars as Tom Brandi, Bill Dundee, Tojo Yamamoto, Jerry Jarrett, Terry Adonis, Bill Smithson, Ronnie Sexton and Billy Travis with their coach Buddy Wayne, Big John Harris (known also in other areas as Silo Sam), Michael Hayes, Jerry Bryant, The Master Blaster, Jackie Fargo, Tracy Smothers, Tom Branch, The Masked Spoiler, Tommy Wright, David Haskins, Austin Idol, Terry Gordy, Buddy Roberts, Candi Devine, Sherri Martel, Tom Prichard, Ron Bass, Mr. Class (Ken Timbs), Sean and Brian O’Reilley, Paul Jones, Cowboy Lang, Little Tokyo, Tommy Montana, Les Freeman, Harley Race, Buddy Landell, The Rock n Roll Express: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson, The Midnight Express: Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton with manager Jim Cornette, Manny Fernandez, Tully Blanchard, Magnum T.A., Ole and Arn Anderson, NWA champion Nature Boy Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Chicky Starr, Pez Whatley and more.

In late 1984 Jerry Lawler announced that he would retire from professional wrestling if he didn’t win the world title during 1985. This announcement was played up at various times after Lawler made it. Reportedly, a deal was struck in late 1984 which would have seen NWA champion Ric Flair drop the title to Lawler for a time before regaining it. Although, the Jim Crockett promotion, the group that by this point in time controlled the NWA title, worked some with the CWA during the year, the deal which would have had Lawler capture the title fell through. Near the end of the year, Lawler told fans he would not retire but continue his quest for the world title.

As television played an integral part of the success of a wrestling promotion, stations and networks warmed to the idea of having a wrestling show. In late August, ESPN opened up a slot on their schedule that was taken by Verne Gagne’s AWA promotion. With McMahon’s WWF on the USA Network, Crockett’s promotion on WTBS and Gagne’s AWA on ESPN, as well as the World Class show, the Mid-South show and Jarrett’s show on strong syndicated networks, professional wrestling was a hot TV programming vehicle. While most wrestling fans loved the variety of televised wrestling they could watch it would lead to an overexposure of the business. Overexposure tends to drive away the fringe fans especially those new to watching wrestling as all the hype and attention eventually becomes a turn-off. Despite this, the WWF debuted a cartoon on Saturday morning TV on CBS which lead directly to marketing to a whole new and much younger audience.

The Renestos Ride In

In the springtime, Jerry Jarrett brought in veteran Tom Renesto to book the territory. Renesto had made a name for himself teaming with Jody Hamilton mostly as The Masked Assassins all over the world until the early 1970s. When Ann Gunkel began the All-South promotion in Atlanta to run opposite the established NWA office, Renesto retired, for the most part, from active ring competition to help Gunkel get the new promotion off the ground.

A number of territories would see Renesto’s booking touch after All-South folded to the NWA Georgia office including the NWA Atlanta office, Nick Gulas’ Nashville office, Ed Farhat’s Detroit office as well as offices in Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. In Memphis, Renesto would make quite an impression before he left although it wasn’t all due to his booking.

Renesto was married to former female wrestler Kathy Branch. The couple had two sons, Tom and Tim. Tom would work in the business as Tom Renesto, Jr. and Tom Branch while Tim would work as Tim Renesto and Tim Speedy Talltree.

Tim Renesto worked the territory some during 1985 but not in a very prominent role. As Speedy Talltree, Tim worked mostly low on area cards and in some TV matches. Notably, Talltree and Debbie Combs worked a brief feud against The Exotic Adrian Street and Miss Linda. Street downed Talltree on TV one week thanks to Linda’s help. Combs, sitting in the audience, hit the ring to go after Linda. Combs would claim she and Talltree were dating to set up the short-lived feud.

Tom Renesto, III as Tom Branch made a bigger impact on area fans. Branch was first seen as a referee to area fans. He insisted the rules be followed to the letter of the law. As Branch did his job though it became apparent that he had a vendetta against wrestlers that the fans liked, wrestlers who often bent the rules to keep matches on a more level playing field. In particular, Branch seemed to have a grudge against Jerry Lawler.

In a match Lawler had against Bruiser Brody, referee Branch continually refused to let Lawler use his fist against Brody. Lawler would later have Branch referee a tag match where he teamed with Nick Bockwinkel to square off against Billy Travis and Ron Sexton. The match was part of a Southern tag title tournament. Lawler would shove Branch aside which meant Branch disqualified Lawler and Bockwinkel eliminating them from the tournament. Later, referee Jerry Calhoun went down in a match where Lawler was defending the Southern title against Bota the Witch Doctor. With Lawler down, Bota and manager Leslie Floyd Creachman, III doubleteamed Lawler and Branch ran in and counted a pin on Lawler costing Lawler the Southern title. After the match Branch would take a few shots at Lawler.

Branch would be suspended as a referee which enabled him to work as a wrestler. Lawler reasoned that part of the reason Branch had been so biased as a referee was because he never made it big as a wrestler. Branch would work most of the rest of the year as a manager and low on cards. He would be awarded the Mid-America title after champion Harley Race left the area before dropping the title. He would lose the title to Koko Ware and later his hair to Lawler before he slipped out of the area around the end of the year.

The juicy role though went to the elder Renesto. In an angle years ahead of it’s time in the U.S., Renesto would become the evil promoter long before Eric Bischoff or Vince McMahon would try the role on for size.

Renesto was given enough air time for fans to understand who he was and what role he played in what went on in the promotion in the weeks leading up to his run. The promotion was gearing up for a visit by NWA champion Nature Boy Ric Flair in late September. Flair would defend his title against the area’s top star who would be the reigning Southern champion. As the date approached Jerry Lawler had regained the title. He had also run afoul of The Mongolian Stomper. Renesto, viewed by the fans in the capacity of matchmaker, then tried to sign a match between Lawler and the Stomper prior to Flair’s appearance. Lawler turned the match down infuriating Renesto.

Renesto insisted his job was to deliver to the fans the most appealing match possible and he felt since Lawler had an issue with the Stomper that that should be the match next on Lawler’s schedule with Lawler’s Southern title at stake. Lawler though countered by arguing that as much as he wanted a match against the Stomper he was aware of how dangerous the Stomper was and that jeopardizing the Southern title was something he would wait on, especially since it also meant it jeopardized his shot at NWA champion Ric Flair. Eddie Marlin, recognized as the promotion’s General Manager, then got involved in the argument by stating he understood Lawler’s argument because he and the fans had seen how hard Lawler had worked for years to get his career to this point.

The argument flew all over Renesto. He claimed Lawler was intimidating Marlin into such a statement. Renesto would claim announcers Lance Russell and Dave Brown were also riders on Lawler’s bandwagon. Finally, Jerry Jarrett, recognized as the owner of the company but who had no power since he had returned to active competition, became involved. Jarrett was embarrassed that the fans were witnessing a squabble among the braintrust of the promotion. Jarrett though said the ultimate authority rested with Marlin, the General Manager of the company. Marlin then fired Renesto. Renesto refused the firing by Marlin and quit instead adding he would become the Mongolian Stomper’s manager. Renesto’s calm yet near boiling-over demeanor, spoken articulately, was key into getting over the angle. Renesto came across very believable in his role.

Over the next couple of months Renesto managed The Stomper and insinuated himself into a number of situations involving Jerry Lawler. Lawler, naturally, would get his revenge on both the Stomper and Renesto over time. Even Eddie Marlin would climb back into the ring and face Renesto a few times as well. Renesto would also have a chance to team with his son, Tom, working as Tom Branch before the end of their run in the area.

The core of the CWA promotion, Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Eddie Marlin, Lance Russell, Dave Brown and Randy Hales, among others worked as family during the year. It was an actual family though, the Renestos, that helped pull in business for the promotion during the year in a number of creative and interesting scenarios that would become standard fare in years to come in the business (the heel referee and the heel authority figure) that kept the promotion fascinating in the midst of a changing wrestling business.

October, November and December 1985

The Southern title became the focal point of the area during the last few months of the year as the champion would receive a shot at NWA champion Nature Boy Ric Flair. The title bounced back and forth between Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee. Dundee finally won the war as the year ended by whipping Lawler to win the title and sending the King packing in a loser-leaves match.

The war over the Southern tag titles between The Fabulous Ones and The Sheepherders came to a close in this time frame as well as Keirn and Lane won the belts. Their team was upended by Bill Dundee and Dutch Mantel, who in turn were upended by Jerry Lawler and Austin Idol. With Dundee’s late December win over Lawler for the Southern title and forcing Lawler to leave the area, the Southern tag titles were held up at year’s end due to Lawler being forced to leave.

Koko Ware held the Mid-America title before dropping it to the legendary Harley Race. Race left the promotion before losing the title so the title was awarded to Tom Branch. It was stated that Race had lost the title to Branch in a Kansas City match. Branch’s title reign ended at the hands of Koko Ware.

Phil Hickerson downed The Mongolian Stomper to regain the CWA International title. Hickerson was then defeated by Dutch Mantel for the belt.

Appearing in the area during this time were such stars as The Masked Superstar (Jerry Stubbs), The Heavenly Bodies: Tom Prichard & Pat Rose managed briefly by Sherri Martel (area veterans Don and Al Greene were the original Heavenly Bodies), Tracy Smothers, Buddy Wayne, Billy Travis, Mr. Class (unmasked as Ken Timbs), Ronnie Sexton, Bota the Witch Doctor, Taras Bulba, Rocky Johnson, Superstar Billy Graham, Starship Eagle (Dan Spivey), AWA champion Rick Martel, Black Bart, Manny Fernandez, Ronnie Garvin, The Midnight Express: Dennis Condrey and Bobby Eaton with Jim Cornette, Jackie Fargo, The Rock n Roll Express: Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson, Bob Armstrong, Scott Armstrong, Steve Armstrong, The Masked Spoiler, Tom Renesto, Tojo Yamamoto, Memphis Vice: Jerry Bryant and Lou Winston, Tony Falk, Candi Devine, Jerry Jarrett, Ivan and Nikita Koloff, Ole Anderson, Magnum T.A., Jimmy Valiant, Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, The Freedom Fighters (who were originally billed as Power Team USA and initially used their real names of Jim Hellwig and Steve Borden and who would later be renamed The Blade Runners and who even later would become the Ultimate Warrior and Sting), Mega Maharishi the Guru, Rick Casey (better known later as Wendell Cooley), NWA champion Nature Boy Ric Flair, The Fantastics: Bobby Fulton and Tommy Rogers and more.

Nick Gulas worked briefly running a group in Alabama opposite the established Continental group. Despite the efforts, Gulas’ foray back into the business was short-lived. Meantime, cities such as Louisville and Nashville, regular stops on the Jarrett circuit, often hosted WWF cards which increasingly drew bigger crowds than their initial attempts in 1984.

Jerry Jarrett Returns

Jerry Jarrett had seen the best of times and the worst of times by 1985. As promoter, he had weathered several promotional wars and injuries to his top stars. He had also seen business booming at the box office. With the WWF breathing down the necks of most every territory in the U.S., Jarrett did something unusual to keep things fresh in his area. Jerry Jarrett, who had pretty much retired from active ring action in the late 1970s, climbed back into the ring for one more shot in the limelight.

Before becoming a promoter Jerry Jarrett had a pretty good career as a wrestler in the territory. The fair-haired good looking Jarrett, son of Christine Jarrett who worked for years in the Nick Gulas promotional office, was an immediate hit with fans when he first debuted in 1969. His eventual pairing with Tojo Yamamoto led to them becoming one of the area’s top attractions of all time. Yamamoto, the wily Japanese star, had turned into a fan favorite after years of being one of the area’s top bad guys. Fans were told Yamamoto had taken Jarrett under his wing and the two were training together. The team with Yamamoto elevated Jarrett into main event status in the area. Often when Jarrett wasn’t teaming with Yamamoto, he was teaming with another legendary area star, Jackie Fargo.

In various combinations with Yamamoto and Fargo, Jarrett feuded with most of the area’s top stars in the early to mid 1970s such as The Masked Interns with manager Dr. Ken Ramey, Don & Al Greene with manager Sir Clements, Kurt & Karl Von Brauner with manager Gentleman Saul Weingeroff, The Fabulous Kangaroos: Al Costello & Don Kent with manager George ‘I Am Right’ Cannon and a tag team that made lots of waves in the area, Jim White & Jerry Lawler with manager Sam Bass.

While Jarrett was making in-roads in the ring he was also making in-roads behind the scenes. Nick Gulas’ promotional partner was Roy Welch. As Welch became older, Jarrett, with Welch’s blessing and the blessing of Welch’s father, Edward "Buddy Fuller" Welch, began taking over some of Welch’s duties. Jarrett was a quick study and booked matches around the territory. For the times Jarrett was a creative booker and turned heads within the business so much so that around 1974 and 1975 he booked much of the Gulas territory as well as the Georgia territory. While this kept Jarrett busy he did continue to wrestle from time to time.

When Gulas and Jarrett had their falling out the promotion split in 1977. Jarrett was then on his own. At this point, Jarrett’s ring appearances dried up. He was now attempting to get his promotion off the ground. Obviously, his attempts succeeded. Using the talent he could afford and understanding their possibilities and limitations and grasping how to effectively use a TV show, Jarrett had built his promotion into one of the most exciting in the whole wide world.

While Jarrett worked as a wrestler on special occasions, his ring career was pretty much over. Over, until 1985 when Jerry Jarrett returned to the ring wars reprising his tag team with Tojo Yamamoto.

Yamamoto and Jarrett then began facing some of the area’s top teams of 1985 such as The PYTs: Norvell Austin & Koko Ware, Billy Travis & Ron Sexton with their ‘coach’ Buddy Wayne, Phil Hickerson & The Masked Spoiler, among others. Music videos were even made to push the return of this tag team as well. Initially, Yamamoto and Jarrett feuded with the PYTs and their manager Tux Newman. Jarrett would even down Newman in a loser leaves town match in June. Although Yamamoto and Jarrett connected with longtime fans and were a hit with newer fans the team usually worked the middle or bottom of house show cards around the circuit.

With Jarrett back in the ring, fans were told Jarrett had signed the company over to Eddie Marlin. In reality, Jarrett, and partner Jerry Lawler, were still in charge of the company. Marlin, who fans recognized as an authority figure for the promotion, was in reality Jarrett’s father-in-law, as Jarrett had married Marlin’s daughter, Deborah. As the year progressed, storylines told viewers that Marlin had brought Tom Renesto into the area to work behind the scenes. Renesto had indeed been brought in to help with the booking of the territory, a chore that over the last few years had mostly fallen to Jerry Lawler, Randy Hales, Bill Dundee and Jarrett. While Renesto helped with the booking for awhile, he was eventually turned into a manager.

As Jarrett had stepped out of the spotlight and back into the ring it allowed Eddie Marlin to become the lead authority figure to viewers. Marlin then was placed in a number of situations that would place him prominently in the thick of things. He sparred with Tom Renesto on the TV show and eventually feuded with Renesto. While the scenarios with Renesto were ahead of their time for the U.S. wrestling scene (i.e. company authority figures settling their differences with talent in the ring), the promotion got the most out of Marlin when he played against Bill Dundee.

When Dundee returned and then shortly after turned heel, he often was at odds with Eddie Marlin. Renesto had made constant claims that Marlin along with Jarrett, Lance Russell, Dave Brown and the referees were all in a conspiracy to push Lawler and hold back anyone else who challenged him. Dundee bought into this. After all when Dundee refused to give Lawler a return Southern title match, it was Jerry Jarrett who helped sucker Dundee into facing Lawler with the Hawaiian Flash scenario. When Dundee had challenged Koko Ware for the Mid-America belt Marlin quickly took control of the situation barring Dundee’s associates, The Guru and Dutch Mantel, from ringside. During the match, which Marlin refereed, Jarrett actually shoved Dundee off the top rope leading to Dundee’s loss to Ware. This was Jarrett’s payback for Dundee’s cutting Jarrett’s hair, logical storyline-wise since Jarrett claimed to be wearing a mask since he had lost a hair match (which he hadn’t), at an earlier time which had been Dundee’s original revenge for the Hawaiian Flash episode. Marlin also had served as a referee in the match that saw Dundee and Mantel lose the Southern tag belts to Lawler and Austin Idol.

Renesto then got into it with Eddie Marlin on the TV show as Marlin had been instrumental in Renesto’s charge (and son), Tom Branch losing the Mid-America title to Koko Ware. As Renesto and Marlin argued, Dundee attacked Marlin. Lawler made the save and later, Marlin asked Lawler to be his tag partner in a match against Renesto and Dundee which briefly merged the off and on feuds involving the four participants. A week later, Dundee and Mantel would laugh about Marlin’s wrestling attempts. They joked how Dundee could beat Marlin with one hand tied behind his back and blindfolded. Marlin though was the one laughing when he used his authority role to put himself into a match against Dundee with those handicaps.

Interestingly enough, as the chaos gripped the last few weeks of the year, Jarrett, who had spent several months during the year wrestling, was mostly out of sight. Of course, he was very much in control of the company behind the scenes. To the fans though things had changed drastically. Their hero, Jerry Lawler had been run out of town by someone who had once been a hero, Bill Dundee. Dundee, along with Dutch Mantel had then gone on a rampage that spared few including the promotion’s authority figure, Eddie Marlin.

For the most part, Jarrett’s ring career was over. There would be exceptions but the modest run in 1985 mostly ended the in-ring career of Jerry Jarrett. While small and rather colorless as a wrestler, which increasingly meant his impact as a wrestler was minimal in this time period, Jarrett knew he could make an impact elsewhere in the business. After all he understood the business better than most. The year was ending with his all time leading attraction gone and Bill Dundee on a roll as a major heel. The promotion was clicking though as most every wrestler who worked the territory was involved in some sort of interesting situation. To the fans though things looked bleaker than at any other time in the area’s history with Lawler’s absence. Jarrett had thrived on dark looking situations before from a business standpoint. More than anything else Jarrett’s last run was important not because it put Jerry Jarrett back in the spotlight for a time but because it was setting the table for some incredible things in 1986 that would involve Bill Dundee and eventually Jarrett’s longtime tag partner Tojo Yamamoto, as well as a lanky young referee named Jeff Jarrett.

Recap

Jerry Lawler had just concluded a red-hot feud with Superstar Bill Dundee. The feud which dug deep into the territory and performer’s histories culminated with Lawler being forced to leave town. Lawler otherwise had a busy year as he feuded with Eddie Gilbert, Randy Savage, Bruiser Brody, The Mongolian Stomper, Tony Falk, Tom Renesto and Tom Branch. Early in the year Lawler’s feud with his one-time manager Jimmy Hart ended when Lawler sent Hart packing. Promoter Jerry Jarrett returned to a fairly full-time ring schedule during the year reprising his legendary tag team with Tojo Yamamoto. In a broader picture, the WWF continued to expand but the Jim Crockett promotion steadied itself and seemed ready to offer a pretty strong national challenge and worked a few cards with Jarrett’s group in the last half of the year.

NEXT MONTH:

What’s Tojo Yamamoto up to?…Here comes a beast from the east…Hillbilly heaven…The Bill and Buddy Show…Two men with multiple identities…

Special Thanks:

Edsel Harrison, Mike Rodgers, Scott Teal, Charles Warburton and David Williamson