Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin'
Director: Chad Schaffler
Released: 2011



Featured Talent 
Jim Blake, Jerry Calhoun, Guy Coffey, Bill Dundee, Jack Eaton, Jackie Fargo, Ron Hall, Jimmy Hart, Jerry Jarrett, Rocky Johnson, Jerry Lawler, Herman Mitchell (fan), Sputnik Monroe, Len Rossi, Jimmy Valiant, Buddy Wayne, Billy Wicks

The Good 
I first became of the ¨Memphis Heat¨ project in 2009 when one of the producers e-mailed me trying to track down footage. It sounded like a great project with excellent potential as it was such a colorful territory and so many of the key players were still alive (the inclusion of the now-deceased Sputnik Monroe really brings up the quality). While I was not able to help provide footage, I offered some names and some opinions. I was actually slow to buy this one, but did get it eventually. Amazingly only a couple week after buying it, the director and his wife met my own wife in an unlikely story of happenstance. Aside from enjoying "Lipstick & Dynamite," my wife has never had any interest or enjoyment in pro-wrestling. She brought that up and Chad Schaffler (who does documentaries and is not just some crazed pro-wrestling fan) expressed liking it and I can definitely see some of the same aesthetic elements here with the retro visual effects, rockabilly music and quick-cut editing. It is really a great approach that fits beautifully and is a great change of pace from the formulaic WWE documentaries. I've heard comparisons to "Heroes of World Class," which is fitting. While this has more appeal for its look and feel, "Heroes" has this beat in sheer length and depth (and has the nice WWE complimentary documentary). Neither is one I'd highly recommend to a non-fan (like my wife), although of the two, "Memphis Heat" has more mainstream appeal and parts of it (the Sputnik Monroe segment especially) could get over with anyone (and has as NPR did a story on him in 2001). "Heroes" also had the disadvantage of so many of the key players being dead (which fit into the story), "Memphis Heat" though had most of the key players, including Sputnik, Billy Wicks and Jackie Fargo. Just as Memphis was the last territory, this may be the last independent pro-wrestling documentary of this nature as WWE recently bought up the Mid-South library. Portland seems to have the same potential and could be a lot of fun with a similar approach.

The Bad 
By my estimation, there are three key strikes against this documentary that probably most "overview of a pro-wrestling company" would have. First and foremost is the absence of certain talent and inclusion of other talent. The most notable is Lance Russell, who was unavailable because of living in Florida, but would have added a whole other layer of insight. If you have ever heard an interview with him, you can imagine how much he could've added. Other stars like Dutch Mantell, Honky Tonk Man, Lanny Poffo, Jim Cornette, Robert Fuller, Bill Bowman and Joe Turner are names that come to mind as tremendous interviews who all had varying degrees of success and experience in Memphis (and/or Nashville). They certainly had budget limitations, so it seems they mainly focused on the biggest names or locals. Second is the choice of angles and stories, which is largely a matter of preference. Jerry Jarrett has always mildly resented the attention that the Lawler-Kaufmann angle is given in Memphis's overall history and here it is played up again and sort of plays into swansong of the territory along with the departure of Jimmy Hart (the third man in the storyline). I was not brought up on Memphis wrestling, so I cannot speak to the best angles through a young fan's eyes, only through looking back. The angles chosen seem to logically coincide with a narrative and with the personalities interviewed. Third is the 1985 cut-off, which is approximately a decade before Memphis went down. I can appreciate wanting to avoid that whole USWA era (1989-1997), but obviously some fans would feel that period was important. Overall, the knocks against "Memphis Heat" are few and the same types that any documentary of this nature have.

The Rating: *****

WWE 24/7 - Legends of Wrestling - "Heatseekers"

The Good
An early "Legends of Wrestling" sees Jim Ross hosting and panel of Michael Hayes, Mick Foley, Eric Bischoff and Jerry Lawler. The topic is "heatseekers" - folks who stir sh*t in the lockerroom, have heat with almost everyone and yet find success. The discussion is decidedly limited to WWF and Crockett/WCW with the time period being about the mid-80s through the mid-00s. Most of the names are understandable and most of them are people that panelist legitimately had heat with for one reason or another. Mick Foley loves to play good guy here as he likes or sees redeeming qualities in most people mentioned. They talk about people who got big heads due to quick success despite not really liking or being particularly good at pro-wrestling (Lex Luger and Goldberg). They talk about people who rub people the wrong way (Scott Hall & "Buff" Bagwell). As well as people who are obnoxious and slimy (Vince Russo, Ed Ferrera and Paul Heyman). I think most of the names raised were fair and most of the complaints were understandable.

The Bad
I felt okay with panelist, until they went into McMahon defense mode at the end. Yes, many people are bitter about the success of Vince McMahon and the WWF. Yes, many people blew opportunities with the company. Yes, many of those people have drug and alcohol problems. But, Vince McMahon surely made some poor decisions, mistreated some people and did some things that rightly gained him some heat with a great many people. I wished that they had reflected on some of the people of the past who were heatseekers, perhaps in introducing the topic. Buddy Rogers and his clique (Johnny Valentine, Johnny Barend, Magnificent Maurice, etc.) spring to my mind. I think you could come up with a variety of people that all those people worked with whether it's Austin Idol (who Jerry Lawler actually liked…), Mr. Fuji (whose over-the-top ribs were dubbed as cancerous by some) or any number of promoters who were crooked carnival folk (Toots Mondt, Jack Pfefer and other mid-century promoters), bad on pay-offs (Gulas and Jarrett) or nasty in demeanor (Watts, Shire or Ole Anderson). Certainly the scope of this was grossly limited.

The Rating: ***

Ronnie P. Gossett [Highspots Shoot Interview]

The Good
If you don't know who Ronnie P. Gossett is, he is a heel manager of the Percy Pringle, Jim Cornette or Kenny Bolin grain. A slick talker who plays an arrogant, yet blubbery Southern jerk, Gossett never really traveled much outside of Tennessee where he was staple for a long time. Sometimes listening to that guy who worked a territory for many years is more fascinating because there is more depth. Listening to his thoughts on Nick Gulas, Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler was insightful. I've always been under the impression that Jarrett's booking was superior to Lawler's (they switched off every six months), but Gossett refutes that. He has choice comments for all kinds of stars who came through the Tennessee region. Certainly there were many and he had anecdotes about many and opinions on people whether they came through or not. There is all kind of great tales here, whether it is Ronnie selling Nick Gulas's promotion to some "marks" (a lawyer, a doctor, etc.) or him talking about Brian Pillman being a gigolo. Gossett is a fantastic talker (he was a great Southern manager after all), so he is able to really bury some people. The Jarretts, Hulk Hogan, Bill Dundee, Missy Hyatt, Bert Prentice and on and on, no one is immune to the wrath of Ronnie P. Gossett.

The Bad
If you don't have any interest in Southern wrestling, specifically Tennessee rasslin', then you probably will not care for this. Honestly, Gossett does not seem bitter, but he certainly has some grudges. He has a lot of negative things to say and rips on a lot of people, if that seems bitter or angry to you, then avoid this shoot interview. The one thing I felt was missing was that it was pretty widely known that Gossett was gay. Although not part of his persona, it just seems that his life in pro-wrestling as a gay man has some intrigue that was never touched upon here. Sadly, Gossett died shortly after this interview.

The Rating: ***3/4

Memphis Roundtable with Jerry Jarrett, Lance Russell and Dave Brown

The Good
Three of the most significant figures in Memphis pro-wrestling history are given an opportunity to share their experiences with fans in a discussion directed by former manager Scott Bowden.  Bowden grew up on this stuff, so he knows how to pull out the best of these three.  Jerry Jarrett is a great storyteller and can explain things well, so most anything he does is excellent.  Lance Russell is a tremendous talker and someone who infuses humor well, so those qualities that made him a great straight-man for Memphis wrestling, makes him entertaining in this atmosphere.  Dave Brown has never done a detailed shoot interview (that I know of, probably radio interviews), so it was great to catch his perspective, stories and details on some of Memphis's greatest angles and personalities.

The Bad

This was relatively short and having multiple people always cuts down on time even more, but Scott Bowden kept this flowing and so it did not seem as rambling as it could have.  A couple repeat stories out of Jerry Jarrett and Lance Russell, but you have to expect that to an extent.  Obviously there were dozens of great names and angles that went unmentioned, which could disappoint that person who really wanted to hear about the Dream Machine, Plowboy Frazier or some other character.  You hear about Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Valiant and the other iconic figures of Memphis wrestling, but many are left out.

The Rating: ***3/4

Lance Russell Shoot (Highspots)

Lance Russell, the classic voice of Memphis wrestling, seems like a can't-miss for a shoot interview.  Here, he was what you'd expect, a great storyteller whose regional dialect and verbiage made for intriguing material.  While his memory seemed sharp and he was honest, this interview lacked the depth I really wanted.  Highspots' interviews tend to be good and this was, but I wished that it'd run a little longer and dig more than briefly go over Lance's highlights and most famous peers in the business.  His role in the Gulas-Jarrett split seemed like the most notable omission, but it was hardly the only one.  Let's hope this has a follow up because Lance Russell is a fantastic interview.

Rating: ****

It's Good to Be the King...Sometimes
**With the recent passing of Jerry Lawler's original partner, Jim White, here's a little flash from the past.**

Author, Ghost Writer, Editor: Jerry Lawler, Doug Asheville
Publisher: Pocket Books
Released: 12/02

The Good
Jerry Lawler has had one of the fullest careers in pro-wrestling and it's no surprise his autobiography is as interesting as it is. He is a lifelong fan and rised through the ranks quickly due to working a faster, big bumping style and being a charismatic son of a gun. He was a top regional star from the early 70s on, split from Nick Gulas with Jerry Jarrett and completely changed Memphis wrestling and took part in all sorts of crazy angles. All that and more is included with an honesty and humor that makes this one of the WWF's better books. He also has funny road stories and sexual escapades that can keep modern fans interested.

The Bad
I'm sure Lawler's childhood was edited down, but it still seemed pretty rambling aside from the strange coincidences that got him into pro-wrestling and that's the better part of the first hundred pages. Spending the better part of his career in Memphis and a scattered memory makes a lot of this seem random and there are large chunks that are just omitted it seems. He gets to the beginning of his WWF career at around page 300 and things get really scrambled and the last 1/3 of this is pretty 'bleh.' His break-up with Stacy and how he coped with that came across as sad, in more ways than one. It prevents a strong finish, but hopefully readers can ignore that and appreciate the bulk of the book.

The Rating: ****

The Tupelo Concession Stand Brawls

Memphis Rasslin' has often been linked to the emergence of "hardcore wrestling" with all the two-fisted bloody brawls that it became famous (or infamous) for in the 1970s and 1980s.  Perhaps none was more notable than the Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl, the first of which took place in 1979.

The first came after the Blonde Bombers (Larry Latham and Wayne Ferris) were awarded the Southern Tag belts and Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee take exception to the decision.  After battling in the ring post-match with the belts as prominent weapons, they go to the floor as the TV show ends.

In the unedited version, Lance Russell urges the production crew to find this fight, which was now wild and woolly in the concession stand.  The idea of flung mustard and popcorn in a legendary match seems wacky, but those elements are secondary to the bloodbath going on.  Lawler and Dundee are two of the best punchers in pro-wrestling history and that really takes this fight to a level of greatness that a modern streetfight-type match simply lacks.



The actual sequel came the following year with the Bombers (now with Sgt. Danny Davis) taking on the Gibson brothers.  Rick, who has been lost in history, was a tremendous talent as a babyface.  While he might not have been Ricky Morton, one can see that Robert learned his role early on by teaming with his brother.  This is not so much a TCSB as a three-man ass-whippin' on Rick Gibson.



The following years involved great but all new talents.  Eddie Gilbert and Ricky Morton are the babyface here, they're great brawlers and would go on to legendary careers.  Their opponents are Tojo Yamamoto's charges Onita and Fuchi.  Onita would go on to bring aspects of this style to Japan years later and innovate pro-wrestling with his brand of garbage/hardcore/extreme wrestling.  Fuchi would return to All Japan and be a stalwart for years to come and gained perhaps his biggest fame when he and Toshiaki Kawada were the only Japanese workers who stayed with All Japan after a mass exodus in 2000.  Despite the great talent here, this is just not what the first one was.  However, this one introduced mustard as a central prop, which became the hallmark of this style of match.



Two of the original players returned for the fourth and final (well-known) version of this match, which actually took place in Kennet, Missouri (3.5 hours Northwest of Tupelo).  Jerry Lawler interjected himself in a 2-on-1 butt-whoopin' by the Moondogs on Jeff Jarrett.  The Moondogs, Rex and Spot, were prominent heels in the region and became a fixture for the region for years to come.  Spot, although he looked remarkably different, was actually Latham.  The brawl quickly spills out of the ring as trash cans, broom sticks, steel chairs and all manner of garbage are used.  This is decidedly safe, but Jarrett's back gets torn up by something (broken glass?).




This legendary gimmick "match" was actually revisited at WCW first Uncensored show (held in Tupelo in `95) by the Nasty Boys and Harlem Heat.  The match was full of mustard and wackiness, but it was not so much a heated brawl as it was a silly gimmick match.