When Rock N Roll Was King

 So, unintentionally I watched a couple of moments of Rock N' Roll Express' career back to back and it made me think how quick things change in this wrestling business.

It's January 1984 and Bill Watt's, on the advice of the two Memphis Jerry's (Lawler & Jarrett) has got a little something for the ladies in the form of Ricky and Robert. They air a promo video two weeks in a row, the lads driving a sports car, playing a jukebox and winking at the camera.Watts is foaming at the mouth on behalf of Mid South's soon to be large female fanbase. The world's their oyster and The Rock N' Roll are ready to throw it down the neck in one big gulp.....

it's June 1996 and we're midway into WCW's Monday Nitro. The two original horsemen still in the promotion, Ric Flair and And Anderson, are together in tag team action. Out of the blue, as their opponents, getting a brief run on the big show are the Rock N ' Roll Express. Looking like a pair of washed up 80's lead singers fronting their solo project, time and wrestling seem to have passed them by. 

The 4 of them work a long for mid 90's tv match that wouldn't look out of place on a mid 80's big show. It's not their best by any stretch of the imagination and you're waiting for it to really kick off but it never quite does. The crowds not really with them anymore, and spots that would've popped them 10 years earlier are barely acknowledged. They've still got the same hair, same gear but the fans have moved on. And in all honesty the moves aren't as slick, but after 15 plus years of doing them you can't blame them.

You know full well if this was in an armory somewhere in the South this would be incredible, the crowd so loud you couldn't think. And the 4 of them will build on that, feel the buzz and noise of the fans. But WCW mid 90's fans don't clap and holler for the babyface to make a comeback, don't yell at the referee when nefarious heels get sneaky punches in behind his back. 

Only a year or so before this in Smoky Mountain they had the old school fans eating out the palm of their hands. And maybe that's it, the moment wrestling changed pretty much for good, the death of the territories and the beginning of the Monday night wars, where Nielsen ratings are God and building a feud, heartfelt promos and selling tickets for the town's weekly show don't quite matter as much.

Restless In Wrestleland

Just watching random wrestling on YouTube and wwe network.
Highlights include a Gordy v Dr Death match from 86. Just non-stop 100 miles an hour, balls to the wall. Great stuff, double count out finish.

Also watched some Stampede, which is a promotion I barely watch. Enjoyed a bit of Gama Singh heeling it up. But the guy could work too, great matches v Benoit and Viet Cong Express. Then a Gama Singh music video, beautiful stuff.

Also a WWF match with a Just For Men Dino Bravo throwing around Madonna's future boyfriend, Louie Spicoli.
Louie seemed to work everywhere but never really got a big break, just crap like Rad Radford. Just an early to mid 90's guy who you hoped would be a somebody but was always in the right place but at the wrong time.
Sure I remember reading that at one time the When Worlds Collide match was going to be Art Barr (viva!), Eddie Guerrero and Spicoli vs Blue Panther, Santo and Octagon but they changed it to a normal tag match.
Watching 91 WWF 29 years on is crazy. This is the stuff I was loving as a kid, proper glued to it.

Jake's messing with Warrior's head, locking him in a casket and then burying him. But weirdly Warrior's getting over his fear of the Undertaker but also teaming with Hogan vs Sarge and his Iraqi sympathisers. Mad looking back now, thinking what the fans who saw Slaughter and The Sheik in the 80's WWF would make of all this. Some great promos but not a great Summerslam main event. As a kid I really didn't get Sargeant Slaughter and why he turned up and was a main eventer straight away. I didn't know anything about his earlier career, was proper pissed off when he beat the Warrior for the belt.
Without the Iraqi war you wonder what would've happened in 91 WWF. Big Sid got totally wasted, being a guest referee. Maybe he would've been used better, a proper singles feud with Hogan or Warrior. Maybe they were scared he'd be cheered against Hogan if their feud went longer.
And Flair's coming in too. Seriously how easy should it have been to make this great with Hogan, Warrior, Macho Man, Sid, Flair, Undertaker, Perfect and Jake around?
Haha got to say still love all this Jake/Warrior stuff.

Downtown Born and Downtown Bred

Ok, it's all happening in Mempho 87. Things move fast in this place, a week on from my last post and now Tanaka and Diamond are teaming together! They agreed not to fight each other and split the 5 grand they got for taking off The BT Express' mask. Obviously take Bruno's commission off the top of that.
Jeff Jarrett's got a neck brace on but has still gone to the gym or at least the basement gym in his dad's big mansion on the hill. Actually I've just noticed the curtains he's sat in front of are the studio ones. Unless Jerry Jarret had material left over after decorating his basement gym and used it for the studio. Very possible. He says he's been a pro for a while now and has saved 5 grand up in his little gold encrusted piggy bank and wants to go against Diamond AND Tanaka!! He misses his shadow Billy, he's up in Lexington Kentucky, getting high in the southern air and according to Jeff he's depressed. Lost his daddy last year and has now lost his job cos of Bruno and his dastardly army. So a handicap match, they've got 10 minutes to pin Jeff.
Bruno's ringside with Lance and Dave discussing the monetary side of this proposal and who should turn up but the King of Memphis himself! He cries it home a bit more on Billy's behalf, he has to stay in Lexington Kentucky to look after his mother, so that's why he's not wrestling anywhere else and wants to stay in Memphis. Bruno starts playing an imaginary violin (don't blame him) and wants more money so Jerry offers up another 5 grand, man I need a calculator!
Out comes Eddie Marlin, who as Jeff's grandfather is unsure about booking this match but as the matchmaker can smell dem dead presidents.
Lawler signs the contract then asks someone to read it to Bruno, which pops the studio crowd. So Jerry's contract says he'll pay Downtown Bruno 5 grand if Jeff loses the handicap match. Tatanka tells Bruno he can still refuse to sign it, slightly worried that the King is now involved in this transaction. Then Lawler says he'll be in Jeff's corner and as long as Bruno's men play by the rules he won't interfere but if they don't he'll beat all 3 of them up! Tatanka was right to be worried.
And if all this wasn't enough for us wrasslin fans to rush out and buy a ticket, Lawler's on double duty wrestling Austion Idol in the main event. It's a baseball bat on a pole match!
Bruno is now running the show like he always thought he was, he's got that fast patter going now coming out with some great lines. I feel a bit sorry for him that Memphis 87 is now only remembered for the Lawler vs Idol hair match and another heel manager, Paul Heyman. Watching this now Memphis 1987 is Bruno's year and should always be remembered as that. Heyman's done some taped promo's and one after the matches with Randy Hales but he hasn't been in the studio yet. Not sure if Bruno gets ran out of town, hopefully he doesn't have to play second fiddle to Heyman.

IN MEMPHIS YOU CAN'T TRUST ANYONE

"Lance, you know friendship is hard to find in this business." So says Jeff Jarrett.
We're still in Memphis 1987 grappling fans and as I type this update Jeff Jarrett is chasing Paul Diamond around the ring, Benny Hill style.
But Diamond's a good guy I hear you cry, well there's a five grand bounty on BT Express' head (well mask). It's Downtown Bruno's hard earned money, he wants to prove that BT is actually Billy Joe Travis and the fact that BT does Billy's exact same moves and follows Jeff everywhere ain't just a coincidence after all!
Diamond was teaming with Jeff and BT but turned rudo on them and pulled BT's mask off. To the surprise of nobody it's Billy Joe and Diamond demands the money off Bruno. But one of Bruno's lieutenants Pat Tanaka claims he did it and also wants the 5 grand. So Jeff and Diamond get into a fight, then Tanaka attacks Jeff but then attacks Diamond! Man alive!!
So all this means it's Jeff vs Pat Tanaka around the loop and the winner gets Paul Diamond. Excellent stuff.
Show finishes with Boy Tony & The Hunter Vs Vic Steamboat and Bucky Seigler. Tony and The Hunter are two of my Mempho 87 faves. Don't know what ever happened to The Hunter, decent worker and bumps around and seems ok on the mic too. Think Tony just never left the area apart from refereeing a bit when Memphis joined up with World Class.
I'm so old and brain addled that I can't remember if Vic is a legit relation of Ricky. The dark recesses of my mind say Ricky's name is Richard Blood so he can't be. Fun match that cuts off before the end. Id guess Boy Tony did the job cos he's a good dude and a loss or a hundred won't hurt him.

MID SOUTH ULTIMATE MASSACRE

A football with a key on it.
2 boxes.
Paul Diamond in one locked box with a baseball bat, Johnathan Boyd in the other with a baseball bat.
Mid South Ultimate Massacre.
Fabs v Sheepherders.
New Zealand national Johnathan Boyd has just explained all this to me, with the help of Lance Russell's studio mic, from way back in 1987. I'm totally sold on it, sounds fantastic. The Fabs now look like washed up teen heartthrobs, Steve refusing to accept the baldness, sporting a buzz cut with rat tail, the Tennesse rats still happy to follow their pied piper. The Florida Everglades Skinner gimmick awaits him in the land of McDisneyland. Stan's still great but has a tache and cap on, just not giving a damn but his luck's in, Cornette's offer of a 2nd chance at tag team superstardom can't be far off.
Boyd's so good here, I'm not really sure where he ended up, a run in the NWA then he disappeared as the McDisneyland came calling. Boyd doesn't do head licking, only head biting and assisting with blade jobs Yo.
There's too much great stuff going on here, Lawler showing great testicular fortitude to come back after bursting a ball at the hands of Austin Idol & Tommy Rich. And who's he called on to assist him in his attempt at sweet revenge? Only one of his biggest arch rivals, AWA World Champion Nick Bockwinckel. Can he trust him? Hmmm not sure.
Add to that a loser eats chocolate cake with ex lax on top and boy is this a doozie of a card. Jarrett & Travis v Big Bubba & Goliath. Bruno's obviously favourite to be on the toilet for the rest of the night. Bruno's stable is awesome, also including Boy Tony, who still loves Boy George, even after the hits have dried up. That's dedication.

Clothesline Of The Week - Jim Jamison

Ah yes, time for a weekly installment of clothesline of the week. I'm sure you all remember it's the taker not the giver who receives this coveted accolade. Today's jobber with a sore neck is Jim Jamison, given to him by the monster that is Big Bubba aka Tugboat/Typhoon. But this is 87 Memphis and the boy hasn't even been a deck hand nevermind a tugboat captain, hasn't even farted in the wind let alone become a natural disaster. Its Bubba & Goliath v Jamison & John Paul (still hanging around for some reason). Downtown Bruno is desk side, spitting out smack on behalf of his Downtown Connection that poor old Lance & Dave have to listen to. Jamison takes it like a pro, almost stands to attention, saluting Bubba's dominance, hit so hard he forgets to bump. Lance to Bruno - "Bruno, you're giving me a headache, why don't you shut up for a while."
"You better go and help them, they may not be able to read the exit sign." Classic

Jim, well done, salutations you beautiful perennial jobber to the Memphis stars, you're a winner today.