Memphis Wrestling: Jerry Lawler vs. Ric Flair - Part 1

[SeanMBryans]

There will only be one King in the wrestling business. That's Lawler. Regardless of VKM's meaningless KOR mayches and PPVs . . . Jerry was king first - and will be in the hearts of true wrestling fans - Ktng forever. Thanks Jerry for years of great matches, when wrestling was rasslin' and not this nonsense they put out today. You told the sotry quickly and in the ring. Now we have Soaps on Steroids thanx to VKM. Damn shame. He ruined a great Saturday morning . . . Makes you wanna cry.

[mdhotstuff]

Get ready Flair.. The King is coming

[danesesse]

This angle shot ina studio with a small audience, is more fun more enteraining than any and all angles shot today.

[kawadamark]

probably my favorite angle of all time. God Flair, Russell and Lawler are just so great in this. And the match holds on his own as well. I love how Ric keeps saying "i thought memphis is full of rednecks, no really, I thought it was full of them, really". just perfect.

[pbrick6301]

"a person like my self , who is obviously a top shelf individual..."

[mkl62]

A unique moment in wrestling, IMO. Ric Flair appearing in Memphis. He had just wrestled Bob Backlund (then WWE Champion) on July 4 at the Omni in Atlanta. Flair and Lawler would face each other again in 1985, with Lawler storyline drinking heavily after being depressed over not winning the belt.

[trashjunkie2000]

most title reigns ever? that's easy when you own the company you won most of your championships in

[schooldaze21]

Jerry Lawler is the underrated legend.. he has the most titles regins ever.... respect you pro wrestling roots people.. not with sport entertainment.. its a sport.. thos dudes are athletes. even though the winner is script but the what actually happens is made on the fly

[diesel021234]

john cena would be carrying ric's luggage to the airport if he didn't let pat patterson sodimize him 9 years ago. cena likes it in the butt. oh yeah. nexux did a train on him in the shower in memphis after they beat the hell out of him.

[arkansoul]

What alot of people don't know is that Ric Flair was born in Memphis. Later adopted by a Dr. in Minnesota and grew up there.

[kevinhardy]

great stuff

[tatto1100]

old date

[86lenny]

This was why the regional territories were so much better than that shit Sports Entertainment that we have today ! You had guys like Flair wrestling all over the country in every territory against the best wrestlers around !

Today it's 2 groups, one major(WWE) with the same guys going against each other.

[TheRagev3]

What right does Flair have to say he has held the most titles in the business lawler has held way more titles.

[bladestormviking]

@TheRagev3 because lawler held over 90% of those titles in one promotion that was never recognized as a world title, and most importantly lawler booked all those title runs himself.

[playboydig12]

@bladestormviking Not true, sir. There were SEVERAL bookers in Memphis. Tom Renesto, Eddie Gilbert, Bill Dundee, Dutch Mantell and Jerry Jarrett immediately come to mind. Besides that, Lawler PERSONALLY sold out the Mid-South Coliseum (11,500) more consecutive times than ELVIS. He's known as The King for a reason. Fans did and still do love him.

[bladestormviking]

@playboydig12 i never said he wasn't a draw, not any good, or that fans don't like him. i said he held over 90% of his titles in 1 promotion and booked most of them himself.

[thedude19766]

lawler whould been the NWA worlds champ

[okrabay]

They had some matches down in Florida and the match they had at the mid south Colosseum was never filmed.

[AndrewsOpinion15]

lawler is good but flair is better !!!

[Srd1126]

Wooooo!

[CraigJericho]

Flair was born in Memphis,Tn

[VolumedMusicMan]

Ric Flair is the master tweener wrestler.

[pbrick6301]

Flair saw people in Memphis reading books? I was there once and I never saw that.

[RSXemperor]

I doubt people in Memphis can read or know what a book is.

[MemphisWrestlingMark]

@pbrick6301 It's hard to notice anything else when you're sucking on that crack pipe, eh?

[Dave82481]

good ole banana nose

[Mp25DIII]

Funny stuff--Flair with a straight face acts arrogant and calmly puts down Memphis and Lance Russell for 4 minutes; then cut to the studio audience who are all applause and smiles like Ric just bought them all ice cream!

[magnumshifter]

Funnier than hell.

[ddrock23]

This should've been bigger than what it actually was. You talk about 2 of the all time greats in the ring AND on the mic, along with the great Lance Russell on commentary??!! Man this would've been the mother of all rivalries. I really honestly think Jerry Jarrett should've been bending over backwards to keep Flair in Memphis to feud with Lawler for that title. What a shame but this footage is a blessing. WWE should've showed this during Flair's tribute weekend.

[pbrskater26]

good god, i was 2 mounths old, look at flair god

[jsaff35]

I have to agree with a previous poster. Many stars cut their teeth in Memphis. Tuesday night at the Louisville Gardens was as special as the Monday nights at the Mid South Col. Lawler has wrestled them all and doesn't get his due. The Rock, Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, The Undertaker, Randy Savage, you name em Lawler danced in the squared circle with em.

[stubby42642]

ehhhh.... dont get his due? he's in the hall of fame isnt he, thats a pretty big deal to wrestlers

[psikadelic3]

I miss the old USWA. I remember my 1st time going to the Mid-South Coliseum to see it. The main event was Jerry Lawler vs. Mean Mark Callous aka The Undertaker.

[bmurray01]

Contrary to my beliefs and what I heard you are a real, literate T.V. announcer.

[nwajoe]

It's funny how when heel Flair pays you a compliment you still feel like he's cutting you down.

[jayknowitall1212]

U name a big wrestler, they came thru Memphis. From Flair, Hogan, Savage, Rude, you name it

[kirkwanglers32]

Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooo.

Rick Flair.

[sknyrd77]

Jack Brisco defended the N.W.A. World Title against Jerry Lawler in 1975. A classic match(maybe the biggest to ever hit Memphis up to that time). I think Lawler was DQ'd for using a pile driver on Jack...

[robcas123]

he used a forign object causing his d.q.

[AlfonzoTwizzles]

Flair and Nick Bockwinkle were the best at promos. Bockwinkle never screamed at the microphone and spoke like an Oxford scholar. Flair was better though because he could make the crowd hate him.

[DomenicDee]

The AWA was affiliated with the Tennessee promotion back in the late 1970's right up until their demise in the early 1990's. It had to definitely be rare for the then NWA to make an appearance over there.

[bigpoppanard]

CWA-Memphis was a member of the NWA since it first split from the Welch Family owned NWA Mid-America in the mid-70s until 1986. Ric Flair and Harley Race both defended the title there from time to time BUT didnt appear as much as AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkle

[TrueTalkTV]

Damn. I LIKE reading the comments here from true wrestling fans who have so much knowledge on the history of the business.

[bigpoppanard]

Im not only a fan, I work with NWA Virginia.

[TrueTalkTV]

Oh wow. I didn't know that. You've probably got TONS of information on it then. THat's why u know so much.

[SandyKrebs]

Somebody who knows--the NWA World Title was hardly ever defended in Memphis right? This was a very rare occasion?

[arkansoul]

Memphis was where it all went down. You had to come thru Memphis Wrestling in order to be legitimate. Even the great Ric Flair made a pit stop here.

[kdogg7399]

Bottom line, Flair meant MONEY!! Whooooooo!!

[drleeland]

I wish they could have wrestled one final time before Flair retired.

[BUDDYWATSON]

They did.

They did it a year or two ago on Raw

[nochu2]

Lawler shouldve had a bigger run with Flair, sometime Lawler dont get the credit he deserves, he made a lot people and was the vingette KING!!!!!!

[VolumedMusicMan]

Everywhere "The Man" went he put butts in the seats. God I miss the touring world champ!

[nweinkauf]

Thanks GShea, good stuff

[willnchicago]

Ahh, what great memories! Ric Flair stylin' and profilin' in his custom made suit and Lance in his shiny Baxter suit! LOL

[MrPascow]

well yeah he was born there but he wasnt there long enofe to remeber much from there if any thing

[jsnt]

Funny thing being, of course, that Flair was born in Memphis.

[lawlersarmy]

I would still LOVE to see a Lawler/Flair remach - even a series of maches. This was a real missed opportunity at the time, by both, if their egos didn't get in the way. Lawler/Bockwinkle was always great, normally 1HR matches and Lawler/Flair would be no less. I think a stint of Flair with Hart managing VS. Lawler could bring Memphis back as a teritory, even today.