2015 was the 45th anniversary of Jerry Lawler wrestling professionally. In the Memphis area, there were several celebrations of this anniversary at various events. I had been on a business trip but was returning home in time to see the event in Jackson, Tennessee, where I currently live. It had been many years since I… Continue reading Jerry Lawler Wrestling Anniversary
Author: elvisgumby
St. Patrick’s Day Party
In college, I was in a fraternity. Each year, my fraternity would have a St. Patrick’s Day party. One year this party was on a Saturday night. The guys arranged to have the party at the local Fraternal Order of Police lodge that year. Their building was on a road just outside of town. I… Continue reading St. Patrick’s Day Party
Cheering for the Bad Guy
In the 1970’s, Jerry Lawler became the biggest name in Memphis professional wrestling. His impact was big enough on the weekly Monday night live events at the Mid-South Coliseum in Memphis, that having him on the card could double the attendance and guarantee a sellout crowd. This was a time when professional wrestling was made… Continue reading Cheering for the Bad Guy
Wrestling with Dr. Frank
At some point in the 1970’s, the Memphis wrestling promotion introduced a character named Dr. Frank. Dr. Frank was a wrestler in Frankenstein monster makeup. When they introduced his character on the television program, Jerry Lawler brought him out in an upright wooden box with padlocks on it. They referred to this box as a… Continue reading Wrestling with Dr. Frank
Tojo in Jackson
I have talked about watching professional wrestling from Memphis in previous blog posts. The Memphis wrestling programs were always on at 11 AM on Saturday mornings. While I watched these shows practically every Saturday, I never went to a live taping or the Monday night shows they were promoting. I occasionally went to the Thursday… Continue reading Tojo in Jackson
Blowing the Roof Off the Wrestling Arena
I live in Jackson, Tennessee. There is an arena in Jackson known as Oman Arena that seats about 5,600 people. It has been used for a variety events over the years including basketball games, rodeos, concerts and professional wrestling. In the 1970’s it was known as the Jackson Coliseum and they held professional wrestling matches… Continue reading Blowing the Roof Off the Wrestling Arena
Remembering George Klein
George Klein is the first radio DJ whose name I remember knowing. He was a DJ on WHBQ, the most popular AM radio station in the part of the country where I grew up. This was at a time when people listened primarily to AM radios because that was about the only thing around. WHBQ… Continue reading Remembering George Klein
The McGuire Twins
The McGuire Twins were in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s largest twins. Most of the pictures of them in the record book showed them riding motorcycles. When I was growing up, we thought they were riding minibikes, but I think they were just that much bigger than the bikes they… Continue reading The McGuire Twins
Jackie Fargo Vs. Al Greene
When I was growing up, I was a big fan of professional wrestling. I watched the wrestling program from Memphis every Saturday morning. At that time, professional wrestling was divided into territories and Memphis was one of the most successful areas. The star of Memphis wrestling was Fabulous Jackie Fargo. He was known for his… Continue reading Jackie Fargo Vs. Al Greene
Haunted Cemetery
When I was a senior in high school, a story started about a local cemetery. The story was that there was a chair out next to one of the tombstones and an old man would come out at sit next to his wife’s grave. The cemetery was out in the middle of nowhere, located next… Continue reading Haunted Cemetery