Booking Memphis Wrestling with Jerry Jarrett

This week we return to straight wrestling talk with Jerry Jarrett giving us a master's course in pro wrestling booking. He talks all about the fundamentals that built Memphis wrestling. What did someone like Jerry Lawler know about wrestling that other didn't that has allowed him to be so successful for so long. The things needed out of great faces, heels, promos, and feuds. The psychology of a tag team match vs a singles one. And so much more! If you have any interest in the behind the scenes part of wrestling, this is for you.

We have had a lot of feedback from listeners on how they enjoy hearing Jerry Jarrett talk life philosophy based on his incredible life. We thought we would devote one episode to that, as we talk the state of America, how bipartisan politics are tearing us apart, the effects of technology on us and our youth, where our country is heading, and much more! Listen if you enjoy Jerry's philosophies. We will be back to wrestling next week!

In this episode we welcome back our friend Kris Zeller to the show. Kris is an expert on old-school wrestling and his favorite territory was Memphis - you can hear him every week on the renowned Between the Sheets podcast. He, Sean, and Jerry Jarrett have a great chat about all things Memphis. Hear some fascinating details on the fall of the AWA and Jerry's attempts to purchase it, the philosophies of Memphis wrestling that had success in other areas, the final days of the territory, and much more!

In this episode, Jerry Jarrett pays an emotional tribute to his father-in-law, business associate, and friend, the legendary Eddie Marlin.

This week we do a grab bag Q&A with Jerry Jarrett and cover a wide variety of topics. Including - why Jerry Lawler never got an NWA title run and the politics involved, the behind the scenes dealings involved with the 1984 talent trade with Mid-South Wrestling, JYD being tarred and feathered on Memphis TV, tensions with Harley Race and Ric Flair, and much more from Memphis history.

This week we welcome our friend Scott Bowden of the Kentucky Fried Rasslin podcast at KFRPod.com. Scott grew up on Memphis wrestling and was so passionate about it that he talked his way into eventually managing Jerry "The King" Lawler! Since the Memphis territory closed, Scott has done a fantastic job documenting the promotion's history. He and Jerry Jarrett have a great discussion on Scott's time working the territory, the things he learned about the business, taking us back in time to hear what it was like to grow up on Memphis wrestling, and what made the promotion so special to be talked about so much to this day.

Relax and listen to two absolute wrestling geniuses, Jerry Jarrett and "Superstar" Bill Dundee, as they tell stories from their 40 year relationship and the glory days of Memphis wrestling. Hear about how Bill adapted to life in the Tennessee territory coming from Australia, how he got over so quickly, him and Jerry discussing the crazy art of the scaffold match, of course the Lawler feud that saw Bill's wife get her head shaved, the two as a booking team together,, the Tupelo Concession Stand brawl, the art of the promo, and much more!

This week we give a long overdue tribute to the one and only "Superstar" Bill Dundee. Bill was such an integral part of what made Memphis successful, and Jerry Jarrett tells you exactly why. From his ability to wrestle technically with Tony Charles or have wild brawls like the Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl, to be an underdog babyface or hated monster heel, or to help book the territory behind the scenes, he was so important to Memphis's greatness. Hear Jerry Jarrett tell you exactly what Bill Dundee meant to him.

This week we have a long overdue tribute to the career of Jerry "The King" Lawler, with an in-depth look from Jerry Jarrett at the decades they spent together. From his first big push feuding with Jackie Fargo, to the Letterman show with Kaufman, his feuds against so many including Bockwinkel, Dundee, Hart, Terry Funk, and so many more, it's all covered here by the man who orchestrated so much of it.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are not going to be able to upload a regular episode today, but we have a bonus episode instead. We have Randy Hales in the co-host chair ready to answer a series of questions from rabid Memphis fans. Hear about his push of PG-13 and why they drew so well, the USWA vs SMW angle, Gordon Solie sitting in Dave's chair for several weeks in 1984, Jackie Fargo vs Al Greene, and much more!

We celebrate episode #50 in grand style by welcoming on a man who did so much to shape the state of modern pro wrestling - Cary Silkin. Cary owned ROH for 7 years and has been an ambassador for the last 8, and gave a platform to young talent like CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Cesaro, and so many others. He and Jerry have a great chat about their careers promoting wrestling, why its such a hard business to succeed in, what makes Vince McMahon tick, AEW's chances, and much more!

This week we present a bonus episode on our feed, as friend of the show Scott Mason conducts an interview with Marc Lowrance about the glory days of Dallas wrestling. -What Marc is up to these days -How his life in wrestling prepare him for his current occupation -The history of the Sportatorium  -Marc's first Sportatorium experience and if he felt any of the famous "magic" of the building -What it was like taping TV at the building -How audiences reacted to larger than life personalities like Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, Bruiser Brody, and Jerry Lawler -The night Iceman King Parsons beat Harley Race for the NWA championship only to have the decision reversed -Michael Hayes comes back to WCCW, puts on a concert, and stunningly winds up aligning with the Von Erichs -The Eric Embry babyface turn that ignited the last great angle in World Class -How the Chris Adams vs Steve Austin feud got red hot with the Sportatorium as part of the backdrop -Marc's favorite personal stories that occurred in the building -How the vibe of the arena changed after Jerry Jarrett began running the show - A hilarious story about a message given to Marc by a four-year old boy to relay to "The General" Skandor Akbar, and much much more! 

We bring back a popular concept this week, as we welcome great fans of the podcast and Memphis wrestling onto the show to ask Jerry Jarrett any questions they can think of. Whether it's going into detail on the infamous Snowman angle, scripted promos in modern wrestling, great stories on Dutch Mantell, the psychology behind optimal timing for babyface and heel turns, how Jerry Jarrett at a young age acquired his ability to run so many profitable businesses, thoughts how AEW is doing so far and what they need to do going forward, a comparison of the strengths of Jackie Fargo and Jerry Lawler and much more!

By popular demand, we follow up our last episode with a second look at Tojo Yamamoto with topics that we did not get to last week. Jerry talks about headlining the first Mid-South Coliseum show, feuds with Don and Al Green and Jerry Lawler and Jim White, watching Tojo as a fan, backstage pranks, going to Hawaii with Tojo to meet Tojo's family, the art of why their tag team worked and drew money, and much more.

This week, we present an emotional tribute from Jerry Jarrett to his old dear friend, Tojo Yamamoto. Tojo was one of the people who helped Jerry most in his career, befriending him while he was still a teenager helping at shows, training him, mentoring him, teaming with him while they did record business, and also just being a close trusted friend. Hear all about Tojo the person, and Tojo as a major star in Tennessee for so many years.

In this episode Jerry Jarrett looks back fondly on the glory days of his time in the NWA, specifically the early 70s. Hear personal stories on such massive figures as Vince McMahon Sr, Sam Muchnick, Eddie Graham, Salvador Lutteroth and more. Also, an interesting look into a time where a code of loyalty existed in the business world that doesn't seem to exist today.

We welcome back Scott Mason from TurnOnTheJets.com, who in addition to football podcasting is a huge fan of the territories and is particularly fascinated with Dallas. He spends an hour asking Jerry Jarrett about all the details from his time running the Dallas territory. Hear the raw good and bad of dealing with the Von Erichs, stories on major players like Skandar Akbar, Chris Adams, Percy Pringle, Eric Embry, Mark Lowrance, Iceman King Parsons, Mick Foley, Gary Young, John Tatum, and many more!

This may be our favorite episode as we welcome the beloved patriarch of the Memphis Wrestling family - Mr. Eddie Marlin! We have him, Jerry Jarrett, and Randy Hales on the line, as they talk about their decades in the territory together. Hear about what Eddie has meant to Jerry as a father-in-law, main event wrestler, and so much more. Hear why he's responsible for Randy having a career in the industry. Also, his team with Tommy Gilbert, working with stars like Jerry Lawler and Jackie Fargo the many beatings he took on Memphis TV, and more, it's a great show.

We welcome Liam Byrne from ProWrestlingOnly.com to talk 1984 Memphis and American wrestling in general that year with Jerry Jarrett! Hear about his thoughts as he heard about Hogan beating the Iron Sheik for the WWE Title, Black Saturday, and also Memphis events like the Lawler-Bockwinkel feud, the return of stars like Joe LeDuc and Norvell Austin, Hillbilly Jim's run, the New Fabs, whether Lawler was ever considered for an AWA title run, and much more!

We welcome Memphis wrestling superfan Pat Trammell onto the show to talk with Jerry on a wide range of topics. In addition to his wrestling fandom, Pat in real life is a major commercial banker who is able to bring a new perspective to the show. Hear why pro wrestling was so important to Southern culture in the 70s and 80s, great Tojo and Terry Funk stories, deep booking philosophy discussion, more on Jerry's time in Dallas, the most natural talents Jerry has ever seen, and what Jerry sees for the future of the industry. Its a deep talk, please join us!