Category: Memphis Wrestling

Jeff Jarrett Documentary “Heart of a Promoter” Now Streaming Free on YouTube

Wrestling fans can now take a deep dive into the life and legacy of one of the industry’s most polarizing and influential figures — for free.

The Jeff Jarrett Story: Heart of a Promoter is officially available to stream on YouTube, giving viewers an in-depth look at Jarrett’s Hall of Fame career both inside the ring and behind the scenes as a wrestling executive.

The special chronicles far more than just Jarrett’s time as a multi-time world champion. Alongside longtime collaborator Conrad Thompson, the self-proclaimed “King of the Mountain” reflects on his family’s deep-rooted history in the wrestling business — a lineage that dates back to 1946. From Memphis territory days to the national expansion era, the Jarrett name has been intertwined with the evolution of sports entertainment for decades.

Of course, a major focus of the documentary centers on Jarrett’s bold moves as a promoter. That includes the founding of NWA Total Nonstop Action (TNA) as well as his later venture, Global Force Wrestling. The project explores the risks, setbacks, and perseverance required to launch and sustain wrestling promotions in an industry dominated by larger corporate entities.

In addition to revisiting his past, Jarrett remains active in today’s wrestling landscape. He hosts the popular My World with Jeff Jarrett podcast alongside Thompson, where he regularly shares behind-the-scenes stories from throughout his career. Jarrett also currently serves as AEW’s Director of Business Development, playing a key role in expanding the company’s partnerships and strategic opportunities.

For fans interested in wrestling history — especially the business side of the industry — Heart of a Promoter offers a comprehensive look at one of the most resilient figures the business has produced.

And now, it’s just a click away.

Also available to watch: the making of the documentary.

‘Hot Stuff’ Eddie Gilbert Joins Indie Hall Of Fame Class Of 2024 – Jay Briscoe, Sabu, Steve Corino, Mercedes Martinez, Trent Acid, Kevin Hogan

“Hot Stuff” Eddie Gilbert will be inducted into Game Changer Wrestling & Orange Crush magazine’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame this Sunday (April 7). The induction ceremony is streaming live for free on YouTube starting at noon Eastern time.

Trent Acid, The Briscoes, indie superfan Kevin “Whack Packer” Hogan, Steve Corino, Sabu, and Mercedes Martinez are also part of the Hall of Fame class. Acid, Jay Briscoe, Hogan, and Gilbert are being inducted posthumously.

https://twitter.com/GCWrestling_/status/1775729895513219426

The son of Tommy Gilbert, Eddie began his in-ring career as a teenager. He worked as both a wrestler and a booker before passing away at 33 years old in February of 1995.

Gilbert is best known for his time wrestling in Memphis. He also has a connection to Philadelphia through the work he did for ECW.

Gilbert spent time in the NWA, USWA, AWA, ECW, and more. Along with being an in-ring performer, Gilbert was a booker for Global Wrestling Federation and Eastern Championship Wrestling.

The Sheraton hotel in downtown Philly is hosting Sunday’s Indie Wrestling Hall of Fame ceremony. The ceremony is held annually during WrestleMania weekend.

The Indie Hall of Fame ceremony takes place on April 7.

Gilbert will be inducted by Missy Hyatt.

https://twitter.com/missyhyatt/status/1775803547314970844

USWA & Portland Wrestling Star Bart Sawyer Passes Away

The family of “Rowdy” Roddy Piper has announced that Bart Sawyer (Steve Stewart), a staple of the Portland Wrestling scene, passed away on Thursday at the age of 57 years old.

Sawyer was a mainstay for Portland Wrestling during the early 1990s before joining the USWA. He got his start in the wrestling business training under Bob Giegel in the Kansas City area and wrestled his first match as a student against Curtis Hughes. He worked for the World Wrestling Alliance in Kansas City and then made some appearances for the USWA and WCCW before beginning to work for Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

Sawyer was forced to retire in November 2004 following a stroke that left him in a coma for several days and partially paralyzed his left side.

Although Sawyer eventually recovered, he never stepped in between the ropes again.

Source: eWn

The Original Concession Stand Brawl

It was announced that this Wednesday June 21, 2023 on AEW Dynamite “The Last Outlaw” Jeff Jarrett will Face Mark Briscoe in a Concession Stand Brawl.

It will commemorate the original Concession Stand Brawl that took place June 15, 19, 1979 in Tupelo, Mississippi at the Tupelo Sports Arena.

Jerry Lawler and Bill Dundee versus The Blond Bombers, Wayne Farris (Honky Tonk Man) and Larry Latham (Moondog Spot), spills out of the ring at the Tupelo Sports Arena to become the first legendary concession stand brawl to enter wrestling lore.

Commentary: Lance Russell – Referee: Jerry Calhoun

Wrestling Legend Stan Lane Proves He’s Not Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s Father

The worlds of politics and professional wrestling continue to be linked in the most bizarre ways, with the most recent being the paternity of Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. In the past, both Boebert and her mother have accused retired pro wrestler “Sweet” Stan Lane of being the congresswoman’s estranged father. These accusations have now been disproven, with a press release given to PWInsider on behalf of Stane Lane saying that a DNA test has shown that he is not the father of the politician.

This conclusion comes after years of turmoil between both parties, one that Lane elaborated on in his press release. “We went through the legal system and completed a court-ordered paternity test. I was declared not to be the father and the case was dismissed,” The former NWA star explained, “In spite of the court verdict, the mother of [Lauren Boebert] has continued to stick to her original claim.”

Eventually, Lane allowed the congresswoman to oversee another DNA test herself, confirming, once again, that the former pro wrestler was not her father. “Once we both reviewed the results Lauren and I agreed that this matter is settled, and I accepted Lauren’s apology on behalf of herself and her mother,” Lane concluded.

Lane expressed his desire to return to his quiet life as a retired performer coming out of this situation. As a pro wrestler, “Sweet” Stan Lane was best known for his proficiency as a tag team competitor, with many wrestling fans knowing him for his time as a part of The Fabulous Ones with Steve Keirn and The Midnight Express with Bobby Eaton. However, Lane’s tag team success wasn’t confined to just two partners. Throughout his career, the wrestling legend celebrated 35 tag team championship reigns with six different partners across the United States.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bushwhacker Butch (Robert Miller) Dead, WWE Hall Of Famer’s Passing Announced By Tag Team Partner

WWE Hall of Famer Robert Miller, best known for his wild in-ring persona as Butch – one-half of the legendary Bushwhackers tag team – has died at the age of 78. The news was confirmed by his longtime partner Luke’s daughter Jackie on Monday afternoon across social media.

“Our dear Bob has passed away,” Luke’s daughter wrote. “Those we love never truly leave us. There are things that death cannot touch. We will always love u uncle Bob Miller until we meet again.”

After breaking into the business in the mid-1970s as the Sheepherders, the duo would grow to become beloved fan favorites after signing with the World Wrestling Federation in 1988, with Butch often serving as the mouthpiece of the partnership when they weren’t busy licking the faces of each other and those at ringside.

Before arriving in the WWF, the Sheepherders were renowned for violent bloodbaths in the territory days, most notably winning the Florida version of the NWA United States Tag Team Championship during a bitter rivalry with The Fabulous Ones, Steve Keirn and Stane Lane. It made their transition into loveable kid favorites in the WWF all the more unique. The Bushwhackers quickly became stalwart attractions on WrestleMania and pay-per-view undercards during the company’s “Golden Era.” Butch last wrestled for WWE at WrestleMania X-7, taking part in the Gimmick Battle Royal. Luke and Butch were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2015. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Wrestling News Blog extends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Robert Miller.

Andy Kaufman To Be Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame

Variety reported today that WWE will be inducting Andy Kaufman into this year’s Hall of Fame class. It’s unclear who will induct him into the honorary class. 

Kaufman was a comedian in the 70s and 80s, most notably known for his part in the “Taxi” series from 1978 until 1983.

Wrestling fans know him for his feud with  Jerry “The King” Lawler in Memphis. He would sometimes wrestle women who he picked out of the crowd, causing him to get heat. He took a piledriver from Lawler, leading to them doing a segment on  David Letterman’s NBC Late Night show where Lawler slapped Kaufman. 

It was covered in the “Man on the Moon” movie with Jim Carrey portraying the role of Kaufman.

Source: eWrestlingNews

UPDATE:

WWE Officially announced Andy Kaufman for the 2023 WWE Hall of Fame.

WWE issued the following:

Andy Kaufman will join Rey Mysterio and The Great Muta in the WWE Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.

A gifted comedian who gained fame for his absurdist standup routine and appearance on hit shows like “Taxi” and “Saturday Night Live,” Kaufman’s love of sports-entertainment led him to Memphis where he became a thorn in the side of WWE Hall of Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler.

The rivalry between Lawler and Kaufman became national news leading to a legendary exchange on “Late Night with David Letterman.” The interaction would later be memorialized in the 1999 movie biopic “Man on the Moon,” where Lawler appeared alongside Jim Carey as Kaufman to recreate the iconic moment.

Kaufman’s interactions with Lawler transformed the business and opened up pathways for future cross-over Superstars such as Johnny Knoxville who honored the comedian with his WrestleMania 38 ring gear.

Sadly, Kaufman passed away in 1985 at the age of 35, but his legacy remains an important party of wrestling history.

WWE congratulates Kaufman on his inclusion into the WWE Hall of Fame. Don’t miss the WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Friday, March 31, streaming on Peacock in the United States and WWE Network everywhere else immediately after SmackDown.

The Celebration of Life for Jerry Jarrett Is Being Live Streamed

My World With Jeff Jarrett podcast is live streaming The Celebration of Life for Jerry Jarrett on YouTube.

Jeff Jarrett Pays Tribute To His Late Father

Jeff Jarrett took to Twitter today to pay tribute to his father and the iconic wrestling promoter after his passing yesterday by writing the following:

When Things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and debts are high, And you want to Smile but have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, As everyone of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, When he might have won if he’d stuck it out, Don’t give up though the pace seems slow, You might succeed with another blow.

Often the struggler has given up, When he might captured the victor’s cup. And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems afar, So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit, It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit! ~ #Dad

https://twitter.com/RealJeffJarrett/status/1625897963397558275

Wrestling Legend Jerry Jarrett Passed Away

Pro wrestling lost a true legend of the industry yesterday with the death of Jerry Jarrett.  

Conrad Thompson mentioned Jarrett had been battling esophageal cancer during a recording with Jarrett’s son, AEW star Jeff Jarrett, that was released earlier today.

Along with his mother Christine, Jerry Jarrett put Memphis wrestling on the map as one of the true catalysts for making the territory so hot in the 1970s and 1980s. Along the way, he was responsible for making a number of stars in the business such as Jackie Fargo, Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell, and his own son Jeff. In addition, talent such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin credited Jarrett for helping them build the proper foundation to get their careers off the ground. 

Jarrett’s career spanned decades as both a wrestler and promoter. In 1969, he made his in-ring debut for NWA Mid-America, where he went on to become a 10-time NWA Southern Tag Team Champion. Jarrett initially retired from in-ring competition in 1988 ahead of promoting United States Wrestling Association, but competed in a handful of matches for USWA until his final bout in 1995. 

In 2002, after years of consulting work with both World Championship Wrestling and the World Wrestling Federation, Jerry and son Jeff co-founded the promotion that became Total Non-Stop Action Wrestling, now known as Impact Wrestling. Jarrett parted ways with TNA in 2005 after a dispute over the company’s direction — this led to a falling out between Jerry and Jeff until their reconciliation a decade later, after agreeing to never talk about wrestling.

In 2018, Jarrett was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame.

Jarrett was 80 years old, and his contributions are being remembered by friends and colleagues whose lives he impacted over the years.

“I’m hearing reports of my friend and long-time booker/promoter Jerry Jarrett died this morning in TN,” tweeted Mantell. “I last saw him last year when we did the VICE show THE TERRITORIES in Atlanta. Very creative booker. Condolences to Jeff/Deborah and the Jarrett family.”

“Sad news of a great guy who has passed away. Condolences go out to the Jerry Jarrett Family,” wrote The Honky Tonk Man, adding that Jarrett gave him a break in wrestling that he’ll never forget.

“Godspeed, Jerry Jarrett. My heart goes out to his family and friends. What a legacy,” said former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion Adam Pearce.

“Such sad news on Jerry Jarrett – will always be in my heart – one of the greatest promoters that gave way to some of my most fondest professional moments – he will be missed”

Below are some other reaction from the wrestling world.

https://twitter.com/RealMikeTenay/status/1625632618837602304