Saturday Morning Ringside: Just a typical day in Memphis? (1984)

Ah, the territory era in professional wrestling. Every town, just about, would have wrestling on Saturday mornings, afternoons, or evenings, even into the wee small ones, as was the case part of the time in New York on channel 9.

In Memphis, Saturday morning for wrestling fans meant a live broadcast from WMC, Channel 5, usually around 10 am (ET). I don't know when this tradition began, and the reason for the date in the subject header will be made clear shortly. Anyway, station weatherman Dave Brown usually was at the desk, paired with Lance Russell. Sometimes, Brown would step away from the desk to act as ring announcer, as you'll see in the following episode.

This was where musician-turned-manager Jimmy Hart got his start in wrestling. The Memphis native, formerly with the 60's pop group, the Gentrys, was one of the top heel (rulebreaker) managers in the territory until he signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation in 1985. Hart was the cornerman for actor-comedian Andy Kaufman (Taxi) in the latter's famous feud with local icon Jerry Lawler. It can be said that Kaufman was the one who made Lawler into a national star with their feud, landing them an appearance on Late Night With David Letterman. This was the territory where another manager, Jim Cornette, also began his career, starting as a photographer.

What we have today is a full episode, complete with commercials, from December 1984. Hart's "First Family" stable dominated the entire card, and, as with the then-WWWF of the 70's, Hart couldn't help himself, getting additional heat by getting involved even in jobber matches. Speaking of jobbers, who'd ever believe that Iron Mike Sharpe, the Canadian powerhouse, actually was a champ in Memphis under Hart's tutelage, but was never considered to be in Hart's WWF stables?



Gordon Solie would team with Lance Russell on TBS' NWA programming near the end of the decade.

This is posted in memory of Russell, who passed away today at 91 after complications due to a spill where he broke his hip on September 29.