Why the April 27 wrestling event at the FedExForum is a big deal, even if you’re not a wrestling fan

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!

Thick as pea soup

I looked out the window this morning and saw the thickest fog I’ve seen since I moved downtown 5 years ago. I ran up to my rooftop and snapped a few pics. (Click the images for a larger size)

This is the Madison Hotel, a mere quarter block from my building.


Here you can barely see the tops of the Exchange Building and the Goodwyn Building, both a half block away.


Here you can see the Porter Building (1 block away) and you can barely make out the Lincoln-American Tower (2 blocks away). The 100 N. Main building (3 blocks away) is completely obscured.

King Willie to appear at wrestling event

Mayor Herenton is scheduled to appear at what is being billed as “the biggest wrestling event ever in Memphis” at the FedExForum on April 27.

The main event for the evening was scheduled to be Jerry Lawler (age 57) vs. Hulk Hogan (age 53). It’s since been changed (we’ll get to that in a moment).

Also scheduled to appear on the card will be “Boogie Woogie Man” Handsome Jimmy Valiant (age 64), Brutus Beefcake (age 50), Koko B. Ware (age 49), “Superstar” Bill Dundee (age 63), and The Barbarian (age 48). With a star-studded line-up like that, I’m sure you can understand why this is being promoted as the biggest wrestling event ever in the city.

(Edited to add: Forgot one – Abdullah the Butcher, age 71. My apologies to Abby for leaving him off the list)

However, the main event had to be changed. Lawler is a WWE announcer, and they refused to let him appear on a show with Hogan, because footage will be filmed for Hulk’s reality show “Hogan Knows Best.” That show airs on a network that competes with WWE’s TV announcer. So the main event has been changed to Hogan vs. “The Giant” Paul Wight (known as The Big Show when he was in WWE). At 35, Wight is a mere baby compared to the rest of the stars on this card.

Too bad Lawler can’t appear… I was hoping this would be the start of a storyline with Mayor Herenton, setting up a Lawler vs. Herenton showdown at a future date to determine who is the real king of Memphis. They could add a stipulation – if Lawler loses he has to leave Memphis forever, if Willie loses he has to step down as mayor. Not only would I go to such a match, but I’d be cheering my lungs out for Jerry Lawler.

Thaddeus Matthews is back online, with new URL

A few days ago I reported that Thaddeus Matthews’ blog was down. Last night I discovered that while the old address still doesn’t work, he’s moved the blog to the front page of his site and continues to post away.

Looks like Thad’s been busy. He had a near physical confrontation with two members of the Ford family this week – Jake and Sir Isaac, who are Harold Jr.’s brothers. He also posted a video of “the Willie Wiggle” – Mayor Herenton dancing in church – if you haven’t seen it you need to. Glad to have Thad back, my mornings weren’t the same without his blog to read.

Driving to the Overton Square crawfish fest tomorrow? Be careful

The Overton Square crawfish fest, put on by Bayou Bar and Grill, is tomorrow (Saturday, April 14) from noon to 6. It’s held in the parking lot between Trimble and Monroe, just west of Cooper.

For those of you driving there – BE CAREFUL. Last year the Metro DUI cops were stalking the area, just waiting to pounce on people who got in their cars after a few beers and drove. I recommend parking on side streets a couple of blocks removed from the festival – either north of Madison or south of Union. Then, when you leave, take back roads until you hit a major north-south road (McLean or East Parkway), blend into traffic and you should be okay.

With the weather forecast looking pretty lousy tomorrow (high of 60 and rainy last I checked), I’m probably going to skip Overton Square this year and wait for Downtown’s Rajun Cajun fest a week from Sunday. If you go to tomorrow’s crawfish fest, have fun and stay safe.

Oh did I forget to mention who won trivia Tuesday night? Let me take care of that

I’ve had so much to say this week that I forgot to mention which team won Trivia Bowl Tuesday night. That team would be the dominant team at the Saucer over the past two years, often imitated, never duplicated, feared by the competition and loved by the waitresses, the one and only RAPSCALLIONS.

I wrote Tuesday morning that the Rapscallions intended to open a big can of whoop-ass, and that’s exactly what we did. It was one of our best examples of teamwork ever, and with perfect second and third rounds we coasted to victory. Our first-place gift certificate brings our total stash to $135.

I do want to give a tip of the hat to the plucky young upstart team known as the Mormons for Gay Polygamy, who finished second. They put up a valiant effort, losing by only three points. I expect them to remain strong for some time to come, with lots of second-place finishes and occasionally even coming in first. If these guys started going to the Cordova Saucer for trivia night, they could probably build the same kind of dynasty that the Rapscallions have at the Downtown location.

As it stands though, the Mormons will probably remain where they are and cement their reputation as “Downtown’s OTHER trivia team.” And there’s no shame in that, not when your competition is the Rapscallions – just as Kmart should feel no shame to be second behind Macy’s, just as Jack Pirtle’s Fried Chicken should feel no shame in being second to Gus’s, just as Krystal should feel no shame in being second to Huey’s.

Rumor has it that the Mormons, rattled by this week’s loss, will be changing their team name to Imus and the Nappy-Headed Hos.

The Rapscallions plan to make April a clean sweep of first-place finishes, and we’re only two wins away. Can we keep the streak alive? Tune in Tuesday to find out.

Will 2007 be the year I join the "condo club"?

Several of my friends have bought really nice condos the past six months. Lately people have been asking me, “Paul, are YOU going to buy this year? There are some great deals out there. Will this be YOUR year to buy a condo?”

My answer is: Probably not.

Lately I’ve been kicking around this condo-related idea in my head, and I’ve told a few people. Some of them think it’s a really smart idea, and others think I’m crazy.

Here it is: I’m thinking about not buying a condo at all, but rather renting for, say, 10 more years. During that time I’ll pile up money in the bank, and then when I’m ready I’ll skip the mortgage altogether and pay cash for a condo.

It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the people who think that’s a stupid idea are in the real estate and mortgage industries. “Paul, you always want to buy real estate with O.P.M.,” they tell me. “Other People’s Money. That way you can invest your own money in the meantime and make a higher rate of return. Plus, if you wait 10 years you’ll be missing out on appreciation in property value. And, you’ll be missing out on the ability to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes.”

I understand what they’re saying, and there’s a lot of validity to it. And for investment real estate, I agree with them on the “O.P.M.” principle. However, in my mind the rules are different for one’s primary residence – in that case I believe the rule to follow is, “do what feels right.” For me personally, knowing my unique psychological makeup, my likes and dislikes – paying cash for a condo is what feels right.

The thing is, if I were to buy Downtown, by the time you add it all up – principal, interest, property taxes, association fees, and insurance – I’d be looking at a $1500 monthly payment AT LEAST. Now, with my current job and my current income, there’s no question that I could afford that. The problem I have with it is, I’d be committing myself to make that payment every month for the next thirty years.

I’ve heard that employers like employees who are “mortgaged in” because they’re a lot less likely to leave. They can’t – they’re stuck. Even if they consider it, the fear of “OH MY GOD I’LL LOSE MY HOME” will kick in. I don’t like the idea of being “mortgaged in.” I mean, I like my job at the City Schools (obviously, since I just agreed to go permanent) but I don’t like the idea of committing to ANY 40-hour-a-week, 52-weeks-a-year job for the next thirty years.

At some point I’d like to go independent and start my own consulting business. That’ll be a lot harder to do with a big mortgage payment hanging over my head. And what if I decide I want to take a few months off, maybe travel to cities I haven’t seen yet (Manhattan, San Francisco, Seattle), or go overseas and spend some time with the beautiful women of Eastern Europe? What if I want to return to teaching, a more fulfilling but less lucrative career? Not saying I’ll necessarily ever DO those things but I want to at least have them as OPTIONS. I’m too much of a free spirit.

And I want to always have the option of moving into a $400-a-month apartment out by the U of M and living dirt cheap. Again, not saying I’ll ever DO it, but I want the OPTION of it. Can’t do that if I’m mortgaged in. (Well, I could, but I’d have to go through the whole rigamarole of selling… whereas, as a renter I could just move.)

So, for the forseeable future I’ll remain a renter. I’m not going to stick to my no-mortgage concept to the point of stubbornness though – if the right property came along, and I fell in love with it as a living space AND it was an incredible deal, then I’d bite the bullet and borrow money to pay for it. But it would have to be an AWESOME opportunity that’s just too good to pass up.

Heh… I bet a lot of mortgage lenders are HATING me as they read this, worried that I’m going to start an idea virus among my readers.

Whoa! What happened to Thaddeus?

I went to check Thaddeus Matthews this morning to get the latest political gossip, and his blog wasn’t there! It was a generic landing page for a new GoDaddy domain registration. What’s going on?

Wonder if he forgot to renew the domain name on time, and one of his political enemies (of which he has plenty) bought it out from under him.

Peabody rooftop: Value drinking recommendation

If you plan to attend tonight’s Peabody rooftop party and you want to get the most bang out of your drinking dollars, your best bet is NOT to drink at the Peabody itself. Five bucks for a 16-ounce bottle of Bud Light? Hell no.

Here’s what I’d recommend instead. Get downtown about 6. That’s when the party starts, but don’t go there yet. Instead, go across the street to Big Foot Lodge and drink a couple of 34 oz. Big Foot Beers. You can get a Coors Light or Bud Select for $4, or a Blue Moon for a dollar more.

Drink as many of those as you can put down in an hour and a half, then head to the rooftop (you want to be sure to get there by 8, so the ladies in your group can get in for free). By now you should be sufficiently buzzed to make it through the rest of the party.

Here’s a bonus fashion recommendation for tonight’s party too: Dr. Zarr, a disco cover band, is playing. Now, of course, disco was big in the late 1970s. Around the same time, TUBE TOPS were the thing in the world of fashion. So, ladies, why not put on a tube top and be prepared to party in style! Don’t worry about going to some trendy boutique and spending $100 on a tube top; the $12 ones at Target work just as well.

It’s cold outside (52 according to my WeatherBug); wondering if they’re going to move the party indoors. If I hear that they will, it will reduce my probability of going from 100% to 60% (it would drop to zero if it was anyone other than Dr. Zarr). We’ll see.

Another post to come in the lunch hour, so check back.

Contem-plate-ing

I’m contemplating getting a second plate at the Flying Saucer.

You get your plate on the wall by drinking 200 different beers, using computer-scanned receipts to record which ones you’ve already had. When you finish the 200 you get a plate party and a $100 bar tab. As you can see in the image, I completed my first plate on November 29, 2005, after two and a half years of work. Since then I haven’t bothered to start on a second one, even though I’m at the Saucer almost every day.

(Actually, it’s not a second plate, but they change your first plate to a different color. It’s yellow for the second time, green for the third and I don’t remember what comes after that.)

Up until now, I’ve thought, “My name’s on the wall, my work is done, now I can drink what I want.” But as long as I’m drinking what I want I might as well get credit for it on the second go-round. And, if I get to 200 that’ll be an extra $100 gift certificate to throw in for our next Rapscallion party.

If I do it I’m going to try to get a little something extra whenever possible: I’ll drink the $2.50 Pint Nite drafts, the $2.50 Fire Sales, the “Buy the Beer, Keep the Glass” beer when I want the glass, the Happy Hour drafts where you get an extra 7 ounces at regular price, the bonus-points beer during trivia matches. And I’m going to skip the beers which, from the first time through, I know to be disgusting. That means it’ll take me longer to finish, because I’ll have to wait for the Saucer to get new beers in and add them to the list, which they do at the rate of several a month, so it shouldn’t be a big problem.

My UFO Club card isn’t scanning any more though. I’ll have to talk to one of the managers about getting another one. Guess I’ll do that tonight, since I’m heading up there in a few minutes.