With the weather outside being so lousy this weekend, I decided to hibernate – I didn’t go out either Friday or Saturday night. Mostly I just lay around in bed, giving my back/leg injury time to heal.
At 10 PM last night I turned on Memphis Wrestling, to get the latest details of the upcoming event at the FedExForum… and after hearing what was said, I’m wondering if this is going to turn into something bigger than a one-time show.
Hulk Hogan was interviewed “live,” and he was PISSED at the WWE for pulling their employee Jerry Lawler out of the main event, and for calling the FedExForum and trying to get them to cancel the event altogether (which they wouldn’t do). The WWE and Memphis Wrestling have always had a good relationship, allowing Lawler to work both places and the WWE loaning Memphis Wrestling talent for their shows. However, WWE chairman Vince McMahon had a falling out with Hogan this year. McMahon wanted Hogan to work WrestleMania, but wasn’t willing to pay the Hulkster as much money as Hulk thought he deserved. So Hogan pulled out, and McMahon began berating Hogan, his daughter Brooke, and his reality TV show in the press. (By the way – all this stuff is real, not a scripted wrestling storyline like the McMahon/Donald Trump hair match at WrestleMania.)
Now here’s why this might get big, and why we as Memphians should consider supporting it. Hogan has been talking about starting his own national wrestling promotion, to compete with the WWE, for about two years. He’s now angry enough at McMahon to do it, and he’s the one name in the business big enough to get national cable TV deals, and he and Paul “The Giant/The Big Show” Wight could carry the company’s main event scene. If the event in Memphis goes well, it’s possible Hogan could bring Memphis promoter Corey Maclin in to help start the new company, and Memphis could end up as the center of a new national wrestling promotion. Maclin has been promoting wrestling here for close to 20 years, and it would be awesome to see a local Memphian make the big time.
So, I’d kinda like to see this event at the Forum become a HUGE deal that gets national exposure.
But then, as I watched the show, I also saw plenty of reasons why this might NOT work. Hogan/Wight will be good but it’s one of nine matches on the card, and I posted yesterday about some of the oldsters filling the other eight matches. Last night they announced that Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (age 55) will appear, and they showed him in a match against Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka (age 63). “Dirty” Dutch Mantel (age 57) will appear as well, and they showed a match in which he was choked out by Adbullah the Butcher (age 71). The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Robert Gibson, age 48, and Ricky Morton, age 50) were also announced.
They’re promoting it as a “legends” show, and as they were going through the list they said, “Also appearing will be one of the younger legends in wrestling, Buff ‘The Stuff’ Bagwell.” BUFF BAGWELL? LEGEND? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? Maybe he’s legendary for putting on bad matches and having a bad attitude backstage, but that’s about it. He almost single-handedly killed the 2001 “WCW Invasion” angle in the WWE by putting on one of the worst matches ever on TV against Booker T.
So I have mixed feelings about this event. Except for Bagwell, the other names on this card ARE legends (by the way, you can buy a ringside ticket for $60 and get to go to a meet-and-greet with them prior to the show). But, except for Paul Wight, they’re years past their prime. Could they really carry a new promotion, or even one show? Remains to be seen. I remember a few years ago when Moondog Spot (out of shape and in his 50s) died in the ring at a Memphis Wrestling show and wonder if we could see a repeat of that on the 27th. I hope not.
Mayor Herenton, by the way, was on last night’s show as well. Looks like he pulled some major strings to get the event in the FedExForum after the Mid-South Coliseum closed for good. That will no doubt earn him some votes among his main support base. The mayor will not participate in the in-ring action, but he’ll be at ringside and will ring the bell for the main event.
Oh, one more thing… legendary wrestling announcer Lance Russell will be there too. Quick story about him: Jerry “The King” Lawler was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year, and requested that Lance Russell do the induction. However, WWE chairman Vince McMahon was concerned that mainstream wrestling fans wouldn’t know who Russell was, so McMahon nixed the idea and got William Shatner to induct Lawler instead.
When did my blog turn into a wrestling news column? Hmmm, after sleeping in all weekend though, I don’t really know what happened downtown, so no news to report there. Heading out for my usual Sunday in a little while – brunch at the Majestic followed by a trip to the Saucer to see my waitresses. Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!