Mid-South #35 Page #2
“But Jason, what about the other territories?” Granted….I didn’t grow up during the heyday of the Florida territory when Dusty Rhodes was one of the top 5 draws around. Granted….I didn’t have the privilege of growing up in the Carolinas/Virginia as Ric Flair and Rick Steamboat raised “working” to heights never before seen. Granted…I didn’t grow up in the Northeast in the “land of the giants” to see Bruno vanquish another vaunted foe. Granted, I didn’t grow up in Memphis to see the King mow down challengers to his crown.
But, I saw another top five draw in the Junkyard Dog, and why at one time he was one of the biggest drawing wrestlers in the world. But, I did see such mat technicians as Ted DiBiase grace the Mid-South rings. But, I did see men rise to stardom…that would later also be stars in that “giant land.” But, I did see two other Memphis products become the kings of Mid-South for over a year.
Trust me when I say this, but I truly feel that I didn’t miss out on much at all, by primarily focusing on Mid-South in my early years. While I have had the privilege to expose myself to other territories through the magic of tapes, I still feel over 20 years later, that Mid-South could stand up to them all. The atmosphere. The feuds. The outlandish ring jackets worn by Boyd Pierce. The rabidity of the fans. The timing of my first viewing. Nothing or no one can take that away. As I stated earlier, there are so many roads to travel on now. The “highway” is wide open for you and I to travel together and take some rest stops at some very interesting and now sweet memories of Mid-South.
And you have my word that I will do my best to accurately portray those memories, so you can either relive them again with me, or discover them for the very first time. I am already working on the next three months’ worth of stories, all from 1983. But in future editions, I would covet your input. What would you like discussed, shared, or re-visited? If you have questions, or suggestions, compliments or critiques, please feel free to share them with me via email at jhess@fellowshipbible.org.
Well, this brings our introduction to a close. I am happy and honored to have a chance to bring you some of my favorite Mid-South memories. I hope you enjoy them as much as I am going to enjoy bringing them to you. I can’t wait!!!
NEXT MONTH:
A start down memory lane with a look at the hot and heavy angles of 1983.