The area’s most popular tag team of the decade, and possibly all time, The Fabulous Ones ended in early April. The Jim Crockett promotion had been home to the tag team known as The Midnight Express for a few years. The Express consisted of veterans Dennis Condrey & Bobby Eaton and manager Jim Cornette, all three Memphis vets as well. Condrey left the promotion during the early part of the year. In early April, Stan Lane joined Eaton and Cornette in Crockett’s promotion breathing new life into the Midnight Express. Although the Fabs had been in and out of the territory a great deal since 1984 the move only further chronicled how the expansionist tendencies by the stronger promotions were using up the talent pool the weaker promotions also used. Ironically, the last feud the Fabs worked in the territory was against the team of the Sheepherders, a team the Fabs had worked against numerous times in the area and perhaps the team that helped get the Fabs over more early on in their run than any other team. Of course, the Fabs would reunite in the area years later but in 1987 it was an end to an era.

Meantime, Soul Train Jones who had worked the area for several months left the territory around June. He would join the WWF a few weeks later in the role of Virgil, the second to Ted DiBiase’s mega-heel character The Million Dollar Man.

AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel lost the title to Curt Hennig in May in San Francisco. It would be Bockwinkel’s last title run. Hennig would make his debut on Jarrett cards as champion in August.

Down Under and Upside Down

In 1975 Bill Dundee made his debut in the area as part of a tag team with George Barnes. The cocky Australian team (Dundee is actually originally from Scotland) quickly captured the Southern tag titles and worked their way into feuds against a number of the top stars in the area. The duo also partnered some with fellow Australian Johnny Grey from time to time. After their Southern tag title loss to Tojo Yamamoto & Jimmy Golden, Barnes left the area and returned home where he continued his wrestling career, even working as Mr. Wrestling there for a time. Dundee stayed in the territory and became an area wrestling legend.

Dundee’s career had mostly been centered with Nick Gulas and then Jerry Jarrett while in the United States. During that time Dundee’s popularity in the area was only eclipsed by Jerry Lawler, and at times by Jimmy Valiant, Austin Idol and Dutch Mantel. Dundee also began to wield some behind the scenes influence. Booking the territory fell largely to a number of people over the years including Jerry Jarrett, Jerry Lawler, Randy Hales and Tom Renesto. Dundee was also a part of the creative process much of the time. His booking was given a chance to shine on it’s own (with help from Jim Cornette) in 1983 during the short-lived Georgia Championship Wrestling Superstars experiment Jerry Jarrett had with Ole Anderson. Later that year, Cowboy Bill Watts hired Dundee to book the stagnant Mid-South promotion. Within months, Mid-South was red-hot due in great part to Dundee’s booking. Although a competent in-ring performer Dundee generally worked low on Mid-South cards during his stay there concentrating on his booking duties.

After the Mid-South run Dundee returned for his infamous 1985-86 heel run highlighted by his winning a loser leaves town match over Jerry Lawler. Dundee would eventually leave Memphis again. This time he worked for the Jim Crockett promotion which held a national TV slot on cable. While Dundee did get some national exposure he often worked Crockett’s satellite Kansas City office. In 1987, Dundee returned to Memphis and stepped into the blazing feud Jerry Lawler was having against Austin Idol, Tommy Rich and Paul E. Dangerously.

Dundee formed a team with Rocky Johnson upon his return. The team often found themselves battling the team of Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka. Early in their wars Dundee hinted at calling up his old pal Barnes to help out in the feud as an equalizer to Diamond & Tanaka’s manager, Downtown Bruno. After Tanaka & Diamond roughed up Dundee on TV one week, Dundee called Barnes, who agreed to help his old friend out.

George Barnes returned to Memphis TV in July. He came out for an interview with Dundee & Johnson. Acting aloof, Barnes strutted around ringside while Dundee & Johnson cut their interview. Barnes finally made his way to the interview area where he promptly insulted announcer Lance Russell and put himself and one-time partner Dundee over as the greatest team ever to appear in the area, despite their time in the area being removed by twelve years. Johnson stood silently unimpressed as Barnes all but ignored him. The body language between the two was a sure subtle sign of trouble.

The Memphis match against Diamond & Tanaka saw Dundee & Johnson capture the International tag titles. It was Barnes though who was the key force in the match as he used a chair on Tanaka. After the match Dundee & Johnson celebrated while Barnes glared at the pair. Barnes then began an argument with Dundee then shoved Johnson. Dundee separated the two acting as peacemaker. Johnson offered his hand to shake but Barnes walked away.

Barnes was an odd lot for many fans. He ripped on Australian actor Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee) and knocked Johnson in interviews. He though lavished old partner Dundee with nothing but praise. After a TV loss, Barnes  turned on partner Randy Bryant. The move sent Dundee to the ring to determine the motives of his friend.

In an interview Barnes made it simple, he was ready to reform his team with Dundee. Dundee though saw a problem. Dundee & Johnson were International tag champions which meant they had obligations as a team. Barnes told Dundee he didn’t like Johnson and that Dundee could do better. Johnson would have no more of Barnes’ insults and came to ringside to read out Barnes. It was becoming clear Bill Dundee had found himself in another fine mess. His longtime partner and friend, Barnes, could not stand his current tag partner and friend, Johnson. Johnson wasn’t thrilled with Barnes either.

The boiling point came when Tanaka & Diamond downed Dundee & Johnson in a tag match. Johnson had Tanaka pinned when Barnes entered the ring and clobbered Johnson. The following week on TV Johnson gave Dundee an ultimatum: he would not defend the International tag titles with Dundee until Dundee dealt with Barnes. Johnson though was ready to battle Barnes.

Dundee was torn as he recounted the history between his two partners. He had known Barnes since his younger days and the two had fought and scrapped their way to where they were at the moment. Dundee had come to understand Johnson was one of the most dependable partners he could ever hope to know. Even though he wasn’t pleased with it, his two friends were ready to battle each other. All Dundee knew to do was to let the two battle each other while he volunteered to referee the match.

The match between Barnes and Johnson was a turning point in the brewing scenario. Barnes grabbed referee Dundee and slammed him into Johnson hoping that would lead to a win. Dundee stopped the match and disqualified Barnes who then went after Dundee after the decision.

The next week on TV Lance Russell interviewed Johnson early in the show as he was set to make a special appearance in Nashville later that day. Moments later, Dundee wrestled one of the Clones. Barnes came to the interview area irate at the split between he and Dundee and aware that Johnson had already left for Nashville. Suddenly a mystery man, later identified as Cousin Blooey (Barnes’ supposed cousin), hit the ring and along with Barnes the two hung Dundee with a rope over the top rope.

Later, Dundee cut a promo wondering what he would tell his family about what had gone down. He wondered what Barnes would tell his family. Dundee was unhappy that a twenty five year friendship had to end but was he finally ready to get his hands on Barnes.

A series of wild matches then followed first between the two teams, Dundee & Johnson and Barnes & Blooey, then between the two former partners, Dundee and Barnes. In time Barnes downed Dundee for the International title. Dundee naturally wanted a rematch but Barnes was a bit more demanding than Dundee was willing to accept. Barnes agreed to put the title up against Dundee but only if Dundee would put up his hair and all his jumpsuits in the match. Barnes had vowed to burn all the jumpsuits Dundee wore to the ring feeling the jumpsuits demeaned Dundee. Dundee was unwilling to face Barnes in such a match citing the fact that he had never won a hair match.

The match went unsigned for a week. That week Barnes defended the title against Billy Travis while Dundee battled Big Bubba, who stole Dundee’s nickname and began billing himself as Superstar Bubba. The match between the former partners though would not wait long as on TV the following week Barnes goaded Dundee into a studio match that saw Bubba distract Dundee leading to Barnes using an object to level Dundee for the win. The events were enough to force Dundee to put up his hair and jumpsuits against Barnes’ title. Dundee though requested one last thing. If Barnes lost, he would leave town. The promotion also promoting a Jerry Lawler-Don Bass cage match on that card was more than willing to put Dundee and Barnes in the cage as well to settle their differences.

Dundee would come out victorious. Barnes would leave the territory and return to Australia. A feud that was twelve years in the making for longtime fans came to a close and helped solidify Dundee’s status as fan favorite after his 1986 heel run. The feud that slowly built over several weeks during the hottest part of the summer was over as August ended. Dundee would remain in the area and have a big end of the year run. For a time though his world was turned upside down by his old friend from down under.

July, August and September 1987

Jerry Lawler held the Southern title during this stretch of time. He briefly lost the title to Brickhouse Brown. Brown only held the title a week before dropping it back to Lawler. Lawler then dropped the belt to Don Bass in a most unusual way. Lawler’s title loss to Bass occurred in a “Price is Right” match. Lawler & Rocky Johnson agreed to wrestle Bass & Brown in a cage. On the TV show prior to the match, the four unveiled various stipulations they would adhere to if pinned. Lawler would put up the Southern title, Johnson would put up his hair, as would Bass. Brown would ante up $5000 which would be tossed to the crowd if he lost. The four then answered trivia questions to determine who would choose a special referee. Lawler & Johnson won the round. Big Bubba and Moondog Spot were revealed as the choices. Lawler & Johnson chose Bubba. In the match, Bubba legdropped Lawler then Bass pinned him. Brown then handed his $5000 to Bubba. Bass held the title briefly while the AWA reviewed what had happened. They would hold the belt up although Lawler would eventually get the title back and in the process shave Bass’s head and force Downtown Bruno from the area.

Billy Travis & Mark Starr dropped the Southern tag titles to The Clones, #327 & #328.  One of the Clones became injured which saw the titles go up for grabs in a tournament.  The Jackson, Tennessee tournament saw Jeff Jarrett & Billy Travis win the finals over Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond.  Tanaka & Diamond would get revenge by then winning the belts.  They though lost them to The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobs & Jerry Sags, who then lost them to the Rock n Roll RPMs: Mike Davis & Tommy Lane.  Summer’s end saw the Nasties regain the belts.

Jeff Jarrett held the Mid-America title most of the summer. In September though he did drop the belt to King Carl Fergie. One week later, Jarrett regained the strap. Bill Dundee held the International title during this time frame. He did drop it for a time to one time tag partner George Barnes. Barnes then lost it back to Dundee. Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka held the International tag championship. They lost the titles to Bill Dundee & Rocky Johnson. Dundee & Johnson defended the titles for a time before the promotion ceased to recognize the title.

Working in the area at this time were such stars as Jon Paul, Tony Burton, Alan West, Jack Hart, Rooster Cogburn, Phil Hickerson, Moondog Spot, Moondog Spike (Bill Smithson), Nick Bockwinkel, Cousin Blooey, AWA champion Curt Hennig, AWA tag champions Boris Zhukov & Soldat Ustinov, D.J. Peterson, Chief Wahoo McDaniel, Kevin Kelly, Mitch Snow, a three man masked team called The Knights of Darkness, Jerry Bryant, Keith Roberson, Buddy Wayne, Scott Hall, Steve Keirn, Goliath, Bobby Jaggers and more. Promotional figures Eddie Marlin and Randy Hales also wrestled some in this time frame, generally in tag matches against The Nasty Boys.

Jerry Lawler would have to earn his shot at new AWA champion Curt Hennig in the ring in late July. Former champion Nick Bockwinkel was Lawler’s opponent, setting up Lawler’s shot at revenge against Bockwinkel, who had turned on Lawler in Lawler’s feud against Austin Idol & Tommy Rich. To complicate matters Don Bass was appointed special referee for the match. Lawler would win anyway and get his shot at Hennig.  Brickhouse Brown, often referred to as The Black Prince, would cost Lawler a win then.

The promotion also went through a few weeks of odd gimmick ideas. In August the promotion featured wrestling’s “Price is Right” on TV. In September they tried the “Wheel of Torture” complete with wheel-spinner Vanna Black. Black would spin a wheel which would land on various match stipulations such as “Loser must eat a can of dog food” or “Loser will receive ten jolts from a cattle prod”. The idea, while fairly original, was quickly run into the ground since every match on the upcoming Memphis card had such stipulations while the matches often pitted two wrestlers in such a match without them having a real issue to settle in such a manner. This didn’t stop the promotion from trying a follow-up on the idea the following week.

Variety Adds Spice

With professional wrestling rushing toward becoming a totally national business the remaining territories held on to what they had. Since many of the polished wrestling stars were snapped up by the promotions with the most money and most exposure, the territories were left to sort through what was often already picked over like a latecomer to an about-to-close all-you-can-eat buffet. The territories also though had the advantage of breaking in the future superstars of the business. The downside to this though was that most of the crop of future superstars lacked experience and would have to learn the hard way by being thrown into an impatient and often unforgiving fire of fans who expected a style of action dictated by the WWF without realizing the blood, sweat, tears and years the WWF stars had put into the business, most in the territorial system, to get to that level.

While the Memphis promotion had held on against the various expansions by other promotions it was becoming very difficult to compete in the professional wrestling business. The casual wrestling fan of 1987 overwhelmingly outnumbered longtime hardcore fans so the majority of wrestling action was catered to their whims. A TV show with slick graphics and bright lights hosted by over-the-top tuxedo-clad announcers was much more appealing to the eye than the weekly live WMC-TV show with average graphics, studio lighting and regular-guy announcers decked out in Baxter suits. The WWF reeducation process was paying off.

Since the interest of casual fans was shallow it took superficial things to attract them. A wrestler’s history meant nothing to someone who was only into wrestling because pop culture told them it was the thing to enjoy at that moment. Other facets of wrestling such as the use of blood, rendered practically useless when the WWF’s product become so cartoon-like, were phased down (also phased down within the industry because of health concerns). The new wrestling world, designed mostly for the fickle masses, turned to demographic studies which began telling promoters what colors and personalities appealed to a specific target audience. This target audience would then be bombarded with merchandising trinkets they were told they just had to have. The wrestling product overall grew very bland and predictable. With the WWF successfully creating “characters” so they could mass produce action figures much of the rest of the wrestling world tried to follow suit. In 1987 what was left was the WWF with a safe cookie-cutter formula geared to children and casual fans and, for the most part, a bunch of other promotions trying to emulate that success.

Then there was the Jarrett promotion. The Jarrett promotion mostly still did things the old fashioned way, they tried to create their own “new” stars and tried to keep their established stars strong through creativity, common sense, use of territorial history and a weekly TV show that had to be seen to be believed. While entrance music and other WWF-style antics had slipped into some aspects of the promotion the CWA was still very true to it’s territorial roots. The TV show, anchored by Lance Russell and Dave Brown, served as the launching pad for most of what went on in the territory. Serving up subtle doses of humor along with issues that seemed to call for matters to be resolved before they went too far, and sometimes involving blood, the TV show and the promotion seemed to always include everyone in the promotion in some meaningful and sometimes unpredictable way. Some of those given pushes hit while others missed. Nonetheless, in the volatile world of wrestling in 1987 a great number of people were given their chance to hit and miss for the CWA.

Brickhouse Brown had debuted in the area around 1984. He had also bounced around the territories since that debut generally working no higher than mid-card or in tag matches. Memphis 1987 though would provide Brown with a much greater opportunity.

Brown served as a special referee for an Austin Idol-Jerry Lawler match but Brown showed his true feelings by going after Lawler in the match. As the Lawler-Idol feud wound down with Idol’s departure, Lawler’s next feud was against Brown. For much of the summer Lawler and Brown feuded with each other and often over the Southern title. Brown would take Lawler’s crown and prance around with it for a time. Eventually, Brown demanded he be called The Black Prince. He would also introduce his group of followers called The Commission. The Commission would over time include Don Bass (who had become The Singin’ Cowboy, a lip-synching guitar-toting wrestler whose video to “Dropkick Me Jesus Through The Goalpost of Life” was one of the year’s funniest moments), Paul Diamond & Pat Tanaka, Goliath, Big Bubba, King Carl Fergie and Downtown Bruno, who was relegated to wearing a court jester’s outfit.

Brown was a spoiler in Jerry Lawler’s plans in August again. As Lawler battled new AWA champion Curt Hennig, Brown, dressed in a dress and high heels, stormed the ring and piledrove Lawler leading to Hennig’s win. Brown was suspended from ring action for about a month because of the action although that allowed the promotion to focus on The Commission. The Commission then battled a loosely organized Lawler’s army in various matches. Perhaps the wildest scenario involving The Commission saw Bill Dundee win a September battle royal. Don Bass though wound up with the $10,000 prize. Bass was ordered to turn the money over. He came out on TV with an older woman in a wheelchair and explained his poor mother needed the money for medical bills. “Mom” then popped up out of the wheelchair revealing Carl Fergie who then helped Bass pound Lawler & Dundee. This event lead to a wild brawl all over the Coliseum involving the two teams. Not long after this The Commission began losing steam. Toward the end of the year, Diamond & Tanaka along with Bubba broke from the Commission and feuded against their former stable mates. Brown remained for a time briefly working a feud with female wrestler Emily Arthur, whom he slapped on TV. He would return at different times over the upcoming years. 1987 though was likely his best run ever in the business.

Before his Commission days, Downtown Bruno had actually debuted in the area in late 1986 as the scrawny manager to the giant Big Bubba. In time, Goliath, another massive monster, would team with Bubba. The Memphis territory had been a haven for tremendous wrestling managers for decades with Saul Weingeroff, Dr. Ken Ramey, Sir Clements, Sam Bass, Tojo Yamamoto and Jimmy Hart all having success in that role. Since Hart’s departure in 1985 the promotion had seen many try to fit into a manger’s role with the company but usually those who tried didn’t have a great deal of staying power.

Bruno Lauer, would be a different story. Downtown Bruno loudly bragged about being from the North, specifically Pittsburgh, and even more specifically, Fort Duquense Boulevard. The skinny bearded Bruno, who made Jimmy Hart look like a junior heavyweight, wore wrinkled mismatched clothes with a hair-do that had rarely seen a comb. Generally, Bruno came across as an obnoxious pest. His long rambling rapid-fire interviews were almost always punctuated with his catch phrase, “Momma sez it beez that way sometimes”.

Bruno’s initial Memphis run saw him also run afoul of a team called The Memphis Vice: Jerry Bryant & Lou Winston. Vice had run afoul of Bubba & Goliath and Bruno constantly had a hand in interfering in their matches. Vice then “picked” someone out of the TV audience one week they felt could defeat Bruno. That someone was female wrestler Emily Arthur. Bruno was also instrumental in the Paul Diamond-Pat Tanaka-Jeff Jarrett-Billy Travis quadrangle which also at times involved Boy Tony (Tony Falk) during the early part of 1987. With Brickhouse Brown’s push as The Black Prince about mid-year Bruno hung around but in a more reduced role. Bruno’s initial Memphis run ended in late August when Jerry Lawler downed Don Bass in a cage match. One of the stipulations for the match saw Bruno forced to leave the area. Bruno would wind up working for the Continental promotion in Alabama.

Manny Fernandez began in the business in 1979 and was trained by the Funks in Texas. Fernandez gained a great deal of exposure early in his career when he became a headliner in Florida, at that time one of the business’s top territories. There he held the Florida title.

After his Florida run, Fernandez worked in Texas and in the Mid-West the next few years often headlining the bloody Southwest circuit. With the expansion plans of the Crockett promotion Fernandez was tapped to work there. In 1985 he teamed with Dusty Rhodes for a run with the World tag titles. After this Fernandez often worked mid-card feuds sometimes teaming with Jimmy Valiant. Eventually though Fernandez would turn heel and be paired with up and coming star Ravishing Rick Rude. The two would be managed by Paul Jones and would cop the World tag titles. Rude would leave Crockett for the WWF. Fernandez, by November, showed up for Jarrett’s promotion.

Initially as a heel, Fernandez feuded with Billy Travis and Bill Dundee and formed a team with Hector Guerrero. Fernandez would also cop the International title. The promotion though combined that title, the Southern title and the Mid-America title to form the CWA title. Southern champion Jerry Lawler would down Mid-America champion Jeff Jarrett and then would down Fernandez to claim that title. Fernandez would turn face and often team with Jeff Jarrett in early 1988 before leaving the area and becoming a staple on wrestling’s independent circuit.

The Midnight Rockers consisted of Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels. Almost from their debut as a team many fans considered them to be a knockoff of other babyface rock n roll teams of the 1980s such as The Rock n Roll Express. By the time of their debut as a team in 1986 such rock n roll tag teams, designed to appeal to young teenage female fans, had burned out a number of longtime fans. While there were similarities, the Midnight Rockers were different also. They were faster and had some moves some of the other rock n roll tag teams did not have.

Jannetty had been trained by Ted & Jerry Oates, and wrestled some as Marty Oates. Prior to his first AWA stint Jannetty had a successful run with the Central States promotion. Michaels had been trained by Jose Lothario, a major star in Texas, Florida and California. Michaels had worked for the Bill Watts’ promotion and then in Texas before coming to the AWA. The combo was one of the few bright spots of the AWA while they were there. The WWF then scooped them up but quickly let them go when the WWF deemed them not seriously ready for the slot they were expected to fill. Initially, the AWA did not take them back. Among the places they worked before returning to the AWA was the Memphis territory. A stay late in the year saw Jannetty & Michaels feud with The Rock n Roll RPMs: Mike Davis & Tommy Lane over the Southern titles in stipulation matches that included cash, rings and a car. They would work the area a good deal into 1988 when they often worked as a heel team.

Hector Guerrero is the son of the legendary Gory Guerrero. In the 1970s, Hector’s brothers, Chavo then Mando, became wrestling superstars in the Los Angeles promotion. Hector would follow suit. A younger brother, Eddie, would join the ranks a few years later as well as Chavo’s son Chavito (Chavo Guerrero, Jr.). With the eventual demise of the Los Angeles office the Guerreros, the highest flying family in the business at the time, would work Texas, Florida, Mid-South and Japan.

Hector though followed a different path than his brothers. Hector worked more territories than they did and worked for both Jerry Jarrett and Nick Gulas in 1979 and into 1980 as a babyface then. In the early 1980s, Hector would work a good deal of the Southern territories and often as a heel unlike his brothers at that time who usually were babyfaces. By the mid 1980s Hector worked for the Crockett promotion and even had worked under a mask there as LazorTron and held the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title.

Hector popped into the area in October as part of a team with the masked Dr. Diablo to challenge newly crowned AWA tag champions Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee. Hector and Diablo won that match although they dropped the straps back the following week. The whole title switch would actually revolve around Steve Keirn’s heel turn against Jerry Lawler. From there Hector worked into a stereotypical Hispanic heel role and into a tag team with Manny Fernandez. Hector would mainly work against Dundee as he tried to injure Dundee with a mysterious hair creme and later with hot peppers. The hair creme would eventually end up in the eyes of Dr. Diablo which ended his partnership with Guerrero. The feud with Dundee would see him turn to Austin Idol to return to the area in November to battle Guerrero & Fernandez, a move that displeased Jerry Lawler. Hector would work the area into 1988.

Bobby Jaggers rolled into the area around September. Although many area fans likely thought Jaggers was new to their area he was someone whose early career was spent in the old Nick Gulas territory. In 1974, Jaggers, as Bobby Mayne, teamed with Charlie Fulton to capture the Southern tag titles for a time. They were managed in the area by Sir Clements. From there Jaggers would drop the ‘Mayne’ name (adopted because west coast legend Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne was his trainer) and begin working the busy territory system.

Jaggers would make a name for himself in virtually every territory over the next decade. He is likely most remembered for his wild bloody matches in the Southwest promotion, for his mid 1980s Kansas Jayhawks team with Dutch Mantel in the Crockett promotion and for participating in some wild action in Puerto Rico as well.

Jaggers’ stay in the Jarrett territory lasted several months. After Jerry Lawler & Bill Dundee captured the AWA tag titles, Lawler vacated the Southern title. Jaggers would win the subsequent tournament and hold the title for a time before dropping the title back to Lawler in November. Jaggers lost a loser-leaves-town match to Billy Travis in late December and left the area.

Jimmy Jack Funk was a supposed member of the famed Amarillo, Texas Funk family that had produced the legendary Dory, Sr. and his two sons, Dory, Jr. and Terry, the only brother combination to have separate world title reigns. Jimmy Jack was actually a creation of the WWF. After Terry left the WWF, the promotion needed a replacement to team with Dory, who was billed as Hoss Funk. Jimmy Jack, a cowboy hat and chaps wearing whirlwind who donned a Lone Ranger-like mask and who did resemble Terry some, was then introduced.

Although Jimmy Jack wasn’t a Funk, his portrayer was from a wrestling family. Jimmy Jack was Jesse Barr, son of Northwest star Sandy Barr and brother to future star Art Barr. Jesse had an excellent amateur wrestling background. In the pro ranks he had worked several territories including Memphis in 1982-83, in Georgia in 1983 under a mask as a heel Mr. Wrestling and prior to his WWF run in Florida in 1984-85.

Barr, as Funk, hit the area in November as part of a Memphis card billed as having stars from all over the world participating. Funk was billed as a WWF star. On that night he won the Mid-America title from Jeff Jarrett which set up an ongoing feud with Jarrett that would continue over the next few months. For a few weeks Funk paired with Steve Keirn to battle Jarrett & Jerry Lawler in main events in the area. Barr remained in the area in the Funk gimmick, which he would use elsewhere for years to follow, until March 1988. 

Scott Hall would make a few appearances during the year in the area. In December he came to the area to stay for a few months. Hall had debuted in 1984 as part of a tag team for the Crockett promotion called The American Starship. Hall was called Coyote and his partner, Dan Spivey was billed as Eagle. The tag team was considered a bust since the two lacked ring experience yet both seemed destined for great things in the business due to their size and looks. Spivey stood around 6’6’’ (legit, was often billed as 6’9”) and with his slender frame and blonde hair had the look of a future star. He would get that chance in the WWF when Barry Windham left the company. Windham’s tag partner, Mike Rotondo then teamed with Spivey. Hall, standing about 6’5” (often billed as 6’7”) on the other hand worked a few territories before showing up in the AWA. There the dark haired muscular wrestler, often billed as Magnum Scott Hall to play off his then-likeness to Magnum, P.I. star Tom Selleck, was paired with Curt Hennig and they were given a run with the AWA tag titles.

While size was a major factor in the business in 1987 other factors were important as well. Some ability to put together watchable matches was still important. Hall, despite three plus years in the business, still looked lost in the ring at times. Personality was also a factor that hid some weaknesses as well. Hall, who at times did well in this regard, was still searching for a comfortable persona to call his own.

Hall’s Memphis stay was fairly brief lasting about two months. He hit the area in December but was gone by February 1988. In this time he teamed with Ken Wayne to battle The Midnight Rockers, who by this time had regained the AWA tag titles. Hall and Rocker Michaels would go on to become two of the biggest stars in the business in the 1990s.

There were plenty of others who worked the area in 1987 who deserved some recognition including Carl Fergie, who returned after working for the Bill Watts’ UWF promotion as a referee, Tracy Smothers, who had quietly turned into a consistent performer, Jimmy Snuka, once the hottest star in the business who let it all get away from him, and other often overlooked talent such as Stretcher Jack Hart (Barry Horowitz), Bob Cooke, Mark Starr, Paul Diamond, Pat Tanaka, Billy Travis, The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobs & Jerry Sags, The Rock n Roll RPMs: Mike Davis & Tommy Lane and others. It was a strange mix of veterans and youngsters who worked together to put together one more memorable year in the Jarrett territory.

October, November and December 1987

As the year wound down the Southern title was vacated by Jerry Lawler when he & Bill Dundee won the AWA tag titles from Soldat Ustinov & Doug Somers.  Veteran Bobby Jaggers won the tournament to name a new champion but eventually dropped the belt to Lawler. Jaggers was managed for a time by Nathaniel Whitlock, referred to by the promotion as Nate the Rat.  In December the Southern, Mid-America and International titles were combined to form the CWA title. On that card, Lawler downed Mid-America champion Jeff Jarrett in a tournament and then got past International champion Manny Fernandez to lay claim to the CWA title. With the combining of titles this ended the recognition of the Southern title in the area. The week after the unification of those three titles Lawler wrestled and defeated AWA champion Curt Hennig in a non-title match. It was a sign of things to come for both men in 1988.

Lawler made other title news during this time frame when he & Bill Dundee downed Doug Somers & Soldat Ustinov to win the AWA tag titles. One week later Hector Guerrero & Dr. Diablo (later identified as Carl Anderson, better known as Carl Stiles) won the titles in a title switch not recognized outside the Jarrett promotion thanks in part to Steve Keirn’s help. Keirn had been in a tag match with Lawler & Dundee against The Black Prince, Don Bass & Carl Fergie. Lawler tossed fire and it accidentally burned Keirn. Keirn’s interference in the tag title loss was payback to Lawler. Lawler & Dundee would recapture the titles the following week. A few nights later in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Lawler & Dundee dropped the AWA tag titles to The Original Midnight Express: Dennis Condrey & Randy Rose with their manager Paul E. Dangerously.

The Southern tag belts bounced back and forth between The Nasty Boys: Brian Knobs & Jerry Sags and The Rock n Roll RPMs: Mike Davis & Tommy Lane.  Then the Midnight Rockers: Marty Jannetty & Shawn Michaels won the belts and swapped them once with the RPMs.  At year’s end the Midnight Rockers won the AWA tag titles and left the area, leaving the Southern tag titles vacant. For a brief time before they left the Midnight Rockers were managed by Mark Guleen, who would wrestle in 1988 as part of the team Beauty & the Beast with Terry Garvin.

Jeff Jarrett had his Mid-America title run end at the hands of Jimmy Jack Funk. Funk dropped the title back to Jarrett. In December Jarrett put the belt up in a tournament that combined the area’s three major titles (Southern, Mid-America & International) into one title which formed the CWA title. Jarrett lost to eventual tournament winner Jerry Lawler. This ended the recognition of the Mid-America title in the area.

Bill Dundee released his claim on the International title when he & Jerry Lawler captured the AWA tag titles. Billy Travis won a Louisville tournament naming a new champion. Travis though was eventually upended by Manny Fernandez. The merging of the Southern, Mid-America and International titles into the CWA title meant Fernandez was the last recognized International champion by this promotion.

Working in the area during the last three months of the year were such stars as Don Bass, The Black Prince, Tracy Smothers, Pat Tanaka, Big Bubba, Paul Diamond, Jon Paul, Rocky Johnson, Lord Humongous, Steve Armstrong, Snowman, Giant Hillbilly, Austin Idol, Psycho & Killer: The Masked Hangmen, CWA Women’s champion Debbie Combs, Candi Divine, Memphis Vice: Jerry Bryant and Lou Winston, Tijiho Khan with manager Mark Guleen and more.

Nick Gulas still popped up from time to time trying to run a promotion in the area. Late in the year, Gulas began working some with the WOW (World Organization Wrestling) promotion based out of Mobile, Alabama. The WOW TV show appeared in several markets in the old Gulas territory. Gulas himself, sometimes with son George, would tell fans WOW was coming to their city and he was the promoter bringing them the card. Despite the effort (which was one of Gulas’ better attempts to run in the area after his 1980 retirement) the group folded in 1988.

It should be noted that during the year Jerry Lawler beat the WWF at their game. In the WWF Harley Race was wrestling billed as the King. This did not set well with Lawler who had used the King gimmick since the mid-1970s. Lawler took the matter to court. The WWF generally did not allow former employees to wrestle elsewhere under a WWF trademarked name. The result saw Race unable to use the moniker, ‘The King’ when wrestling for the WWF in Tennessee. Meantime, Lawler grew more vocal about how the WWF had overall hurt the wrestling business with their national expansion.

One of the avenues the WWF had exploited for more revenue following their national expansion was selling merchandise to it’s fans. The Memphis promotion began getting in this in a much smaller way by marketing a Jeff Jarrett poster as well as videos that highlighted the early career of Jerry Lawler as well as the wild action the promotion offered.

At year’s end Jerry Lawler would win a mini-tournament to claim “The Lord of the Ring” ring. It was a small sign of a big year ahead for Lawler.           

Coming of Age

Professional wrestling, while a game of smoke and mirrors, is often very much like real life. To get ahead it often isn’t how much a person knows or what that person knows but who they know. With a family member in a position of authority in a business that connection is often used to further a person’s progress. This idea is very prevalent in the business of professional wrestling.

Professional wrestling is a business that thrives on “family”. Feuds were worked between brother tag teams (often even when the brothers were not even really related). Wrestlers called in “cousins” and other relatives to help them out. Behind that veil though the business end of wrestling has often been a family affair.

The McMahons in the Northeast, the Harts, Rougeaus and Vachons in Canada, the Grahams in Florida, the Crocketts in the Carolinas & Virginia, the Welch and Fields families in parts of the South, the Gagnes in Minnesota, and the Adkissons (Von Erichs) in Texas are just a short list of actual families that at one time or another had their hand in the business end of a promotion while by 1987. Closer to the territory, longtime Gulas TV announcer and co-promoter Harry Thornton’s son, Butch, wrestled some in the late 1970s. Also longtime promoter Nick Gulas had his son, George, wrestle. The move solidified the split that lead to Jerry Jarrett forming his own promotion in 1977 since George, given a prominent role as a wrestler, was considered an embarrassment in the ring. This seemed to be a constant complaint about wrestlers whose family had connections to the promotion through ownership. Of course, area promoter Jerry Jarrett was a second generation son in the business. Jarrett’s mother, Christine, had long been a force in the Gulas office and after the split with Gulas worked for her son. Jerry had also married into a wrestler’s family as his father-in-law was Eddie Marlin.

In 1986 the wrestling world was introduced to the latest second generation wrestler Jeff Jarrett (in reality third generation). With white blonde hair and a skinny, trim physique Jarrett paled in size to other newcomers to the wrestling business at the time. Jeff’s dad, Jerry was a legend in the area to longtime fans. In truth, Jerry was only a fair athlete who most often excelled in tag matches where he took a pounding before tagging his partner, usually Tojo Yamamoto or Jackie Fargo into the match. Jerry was much better from the business and creative end of wrestling. When Jerry came along the business was much different than what it had become in 1987 where size and image were more important than ever. It begged the question how would Jeff Jarrett fare in the business?

It seemed obvious to most fans who understood that wrestling was a business and who further understood how Jerry Jarrett was connected to that business that Jeff Jarrett’s road to stardom was paved with gold. His father was the boss of one of wrestling’s last remaining territories that despite the odds continued to survive. The promotion’s star (and the promotion’s co-owner), Jerry Lawler was pushing twenty years in a business that took a lot out of a person through it’s physical nature and constant travel and now through it’s competitive practices. Who knew how much longer Lawler would remain in the area? Maybe, Jeff Jarrett was his heir apparent. It still begged the question of whether or not Jeff Jarrett was just another in a long line of promoter’s sons who could never live up to the hype given to them. It also seemed to ask if Jarrett split from Gulas because Nick was pushing his son how could Jerry justify pushing his son Jeff.

Introduced as part of the infamous 1986 Bill & Buddy Show scenario, Jeff Jarrett’s first few months were spent near the top of area cards. Jarrett though was inserted in tag matches with Jerry Lawler and Jos LeDuc against Bill Dundee, Buddy Landell and Tony Falk (Jarrett wrestled Falk to a draw in his April 7, 1986 Memphis debut). While at the top of the cards the reasoning was logical considering Jeff’s dad had been a target of Dundee & Landell. Jeff’s in-ring shortcomings could be hid as he was surrounded by veterans.

Jeff then moved into a tag team with his father’s longtime tag partner, Tojo Yamamoto. Much of the happenings in this situation are detailed in the 1986 article. In short, Yamamoto turned on Jarrett to manage the newly arrived combo of Tarzan Goto & Akio Sato. Jeff would then begin teaming with Pat Tanaka. With Jeff working constantly with Yamamoto, Sato, Goto and Tanaka he quickly gained invaluable experience. Jeff’s first taste of championship gold was in the feud as he and Tanaka downed Gotoh & Sato for the International tag titles. The feud would last several months and see Jeff team with area legends Jerry Lawler, Jackie Fargo, Austin Idol and his own father, Jerry in matches against Yamamoto and his men.

Jeff next paired with Billy Travis to capture the Southern tag titles from The Sheepherders: Jonathan Boyd & Bigfoot (Rip Morgan). In time Jarrett & Travis ran Bigfoot out of the area. This did not settle well with veteran Jonathan Boyd.

While Jarrett’s first singles feud with Tony Falk was a good starting point, Falk was hardly a world beater. Falk had the gimmick of losing match after match but kept his heat by being involved in various situations that garnered attention. Jonathan Boyd was quite a different story. Boyd originally made his name in the business as part of The Royal Kangaroos tag team with Norman Frederick Charles, III. After their split Boyd would go solo for a time but would eventually pair with a number of partners to form various versions of The Sheepherders. Boyd, a fantastic heel interview, was an out of control brawler. As part of the gory Southwest territory for a time in the early 1980s Boyd had a reputation of being a wildman in the ring.

Boyd blamed the departure of his tag partner on Jeff and eventually challenged Jeff to a match where the loser would be shoved into a box resting in the middle of the ring. Boyd’s eyes lit up though when in a TV interview he opened the box and pulled out a snake and threw it on Jarrett. As Jarrett and announcer Lance Russell ran for cover Boyd laughed with glee. It was apparent that Jeff might be in over his head. Jeff though would win the Snake Box match when he shoved Boyd into the box and closed the lid.

Jeff and Travis would hold the Southern tag titles numerous times over the months wrapping up 1986 and going into 1987. The Rock n Roll RPMs: Mike Davis & Tommy Lane and Big Bubba & Goliath were constant contenders for the titles then.

One time partner Pat Tanaka then turned on Jarrett jealous of the success Jeff & Travis were having. Tanaka was teaming low on area cards with newcomer Alan West. Tanaka would then team with Boy Tony (Tony Falk’s new gimmick) to battle Jeff & Travis. In time, Travis would lose a loser leaves town match and be forced out of the area. Interestingly enough, Jeff was then soon joined by a new masked partner billed as BT Express who greatly resembled Travis.

While it seemed very likely that Travis was BT Express it would be impossible to know until the mask was removed. In a TV match, Paul Diamond turned on Jarrett & Express to unmask BT revealing Travis. Diamond would then join forces with Tanaka as a team. Jeff, now without a partner, had an idea though. Since his team with Travis was a hit why couldn’t he challenge Diamond & Tanaka to a handicap match. If he lasted at least ten minutes in the match then Travis could return. Jeff lasted the ten minutes and Travis returned.

In May with Jerry Lawler out of action from the late April cage match with Austin Idol, AWA champion Nick Bockwinkel came to the area. His chief opponent during the week was Jarrett. Although Jeff lost the matches he was about to begin an important singles run. (Bockwinkel had actually lost the AWA title to Curt Hennig at the time but the AWA “was reviewing” the tape of the match to determine what really happened in the match. In reality, the AWA was leery of giving the title to Hennig afraid he was set to jump to the rival WWF.)

Moondog Spot was brought back to the area billed as Mid-America champion. Jeff downed Spot to win his first singles championship. Jeff then feuded with Spot the next several months over the title. Spot would eventually be managed by Downtown Bruno. Bruno would introduce a new Moondog, Spike, into the mix in the summer while Jarrett turned to Big Bubba as a tag partner.

Jarrett & Travis would regain the Southern tag titles in a tournament and feud over the belts with the team of Diamond & Tanaka. After the title loss to Diamond & Tanaka, Jeff turned his attention to defending the Mid-America title. In September he dropped the belt to King Carl Fergie but regained it a week later. In November, Jimmy Jack Funk took the belt for a time before Jarrett regained it. At this point Jarrett became involved in the bubbling Jerry Lawler-Steve Keirn feud.

Keirn called out Jarrett on TV one week to ask him how he felt about the trouble between he (Keirn) and Lawler. Jarrett told Keirn he felt the whole situation was a misunderstanding and that Lawler did not mean to toss fire and hit Keirn. Keirn then turned belligerent and began dogging Jarrett. As Jarrett turned to leave Jimmy Jack Funk attacked him. Keirn and Funk then threw Jarrett into the ring and began pounding him. Lawler ran to the rescue and wound up tossing fire onto Funk.

In December, Jarrett lost to Jerry Lawler in a mini-tournament unifying the Mid-America, Southern and International titles into the CWA title. This seemed to signify that while he had come a long way in a year and a half, Jeff Jarrett still had a ways to go before becoming the area’s top attraction.

Along the way Jeff Jarrett was named AWA Rookie of the Year and even worked a couple of AWA TV tapings. He was featured near the top of many area cards. Was he just another promoter’s son cashing in on his father’s ability to build a promotion around him no matter if he was talented or not? Likely at this point it was still too early to tell. There were some interesting signs though.

While Jeff was often near the top of a lot of cards he usually responded with quality performances. The promotion had surrounded him with top notch talent to work with and against which helped hide his weaknesses but also provided him with a true hands-on ring laboratory which no doubt helped him more than anything in his first year in the business. While some male fans thought Jeff was a lightweight compared to such longtime stars as Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee many female fans thought otherwise as they seemed captivated by Jarrett’s good looks and personable charm. Those female fans were very vocal supporting Jeff at the TV show and at arenas possibly skewing Jeff’s real impact in his initial year but nonetheless giving an idea of the potential Jeff had with that audience. The promotion began pushing a Jeff Jarrett poster, designed to target young females, late in 1987.

As the promotion struggled to remain viable in a changing business Jeff Jarrett made an impact during the year as he came of age by stepping into the number three babyface role behind Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee. Although his father was the owner of the promotion, Jeff’s rise would be important for the upcoming year as more changes would see Dundee leave again and Lawler’s life change dramatically on a night in May. It would leave Jeff Jarrett as the area’s top babyface. 

Recap

1987 how been a wild year in the area. Jeff Jarrett won his first singles championship and had a full calendar year under his belt as a professional wrestler. A mix of newcomers and veterans added a great deal of life to the area making the TV show a must-see weekly event. The promotion tapped into it’s own rich history by unfolding a feud between one-time partners Bill Dundee and George Barnes, who first appeared in the area together in 1975. The highlight of the year though was the well-developed Jerry Lawler feud against Austin Idol & Tommy Rich, which unbelievably saw Lawler lose (almost all) his hair in a chaotic Memphis cage match. As the year ended, the promotion had unified the Southern, Mid-America and International titles into the CWA title and Jerry Lawler was reigning champion. With the AWA connection, no doubt necessitated some by the ever-expanding WWF and Crockett promotions, stronger than in previous years the upcoming year held some interesting promise especially for the area’s favorite son, Jerry Lawler.

NEXT MONTH:

Jerry Lawler hits paydirt…T for Texas, T for Tennessee…The Stud Stable rides into town…Hot Stuff & The Walking Riot…Plus, a trip “Right Along Ringside”…

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