Rasslin' in Tennessee and Alabama

This video is a little overview of the notable personalities, places and events in the Tennessee and Alabama (as well as parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana and Florida) region of the United States. It mainly focuses on the 1950s through the 1990s. Promotions included: the Welch/Gulas promotion that owned the region, the GCCW run by the Fields brothers, the CWA out of Memphis run by Jerry Jarrett, Ron Fuller's Southeastern, Continental and USA Wrestling promotions, the Poffos' ICW, Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain and the USWA.

This area was so rich with pro-wrestling tradition that it remained one of the last territorial areas to die out. From wild gimmicks and bloody brawls to hot promos and fan-pleasing booking, there ain't nothin' like that Southern Rasslin' ,pally!

Opening Reel - Jackie Fargo vs. Jerry Lawler

Part 1 - "Father to Son" - Ellis Auditorium poster; Roy Welch (a - Robert Fuller); Lester Welch; Herb Welch; Lee Fields; Don & Luke/Bobby Fields; Buddy Fuller; Buddy w/ Ron & Rob; Jimmy Golden; Roy Lee Welch; Roy, Nick Gulas (a) and Fargo; Gorgeous George; JC Dykes & The Infernos, Tojo Yamamoto (a), Joe Louis and Gulas; Tojo & his shoe; Tojo & Gypsy Joe with Las Vegas Louie, Tojo & Tommy Rich; Frenchy Robert; Jet Set (Bobby Eaton & George Gulas); Fargo; Luke Graham; Tarzan Baxter; Wrestling Pro; Bass Family (Ma, Ron & Don); Interns & Dr. Ken Ramey (a); George Barnes & Bill Dundee; Von Brauners; Sherman Tanks (Phil Hickerson & Al Greene); Hickerson & Dennis Condrey; Al & Don Greene with Sir Clements; Rube Wright; Mike "Hippie" Boyette; Mysterious Medics (a - Gordon Solie); Bearcat Brown, Fargo & Jerry Jarrett; Rowdy Red Roberts; Dr. Jerry Graham; Don Carson; Terry & Ronnie Garvin; Don Carson & Red Shadow; The Bountyhunters; Big Bad John; Eddie Sullivan; Eduardo Perez & Rip Tyler; Len Rossi & Tex Riley; "Strangler" Lewis headlocks Billy Wicks; Wicks, Sputnik Monroe; Monroe (a) newspaper spots; Wicks-Monroe in Memphis; Cowboy Bob Kelly; Hines Brothers; Gorgeous George Jr.; Ken Lucas; Tojo & Jarrett battle Donovan & Lopez

Part 2 - "Godwinns" - Ron Wright (a) vs. Whitey Caldwell clip, Wright-Caldwell chain match; Wright with Mongolian Stomper; Fargos (Donny & Jackie); Jerry Lawler (a) & Sam Bass; Plowboy Frasier; Monday night at the Mid-South Coliseum; Mario Galento; Cornette Dynasty (Adrian Street, Lynda, Jesse Barr and Apocalypse); Scufflin' Hillbillies on a poster; Don Fargo & Bobby Shane; Bob Armstrong (a); Armstrong Family (Brian, Scott, Bob, Steve, Brad); Bob heeling on Charlie Platt

Part 3 - "Stud Stable" - Lawler-Kerry Von Erich unification match hype; Kevin Sullivan, Jimmy Hart and Wayne Ferris; Lance Russell (a) & Dave Brown; Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl; Lawler cartoon of Russell & Brown; Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden; Golden, Ron Fuller (a), Arn Anderson; Wendell Cooley, Saul Weingeroff (a) & the Von Brauners; Saul, Tojo and Sugi Sito; Rip Rogers & Izzy Slapowitz; Fabulous Ones (Stan Lane & Steve Keirn) (a - Jackie Fargo); Keirn punching Road Warrior Hawk; Thrillseekers (Chris Jericho & Lance Storm); Jacques Rougeau vs. Jimmy Hart (a), Sweet Brown Sugar (Koko Ware) and Bobby Eaton; First Family (The Grapplers, Buddy Landell, The Assassins, Frazier, Condrey, Frank Morrell, Porkchop Cash, Troy Graham, Cornette, Duke Myers, Hart, Ken Patera); Dutch Savage x3 (a), last one is him with Mark "The Undertaker" Calloway; Ron Garvin attacked by Randy Savage (a), Lawler & Savage; Savage piledriving Ricky Morton through a table; Ox Baker; Jerry Stubbs (a); Mr. Olympia; The Dream Machine; Solie with Downtown Bruno & Lord Humongous (Sid Eudy); The Bullet "unmasking"; The Flame (a); Jos LeDuc & the Blood Oath; LeDuc; Jean-Louis tosses Lawler over-the-top (a - LeDuc); Lawler tosses Dundee over; Lawler-Dundee; "The Bill & Buddy Show" (a - Dundee); Landell; Jimmy Valiant; Valiant with Austin Idol & Lawler; Lawler vs. Eddie Gilbert; "King" Gilbert; Gilbert hits Lawler with a car; Ric Flair (a); Flair-Lawler; Vince McMahon punches Lawler; Austin Idol x2; The Nightmares x2 (a), Ken Wayne posts Danny Davis; Tommy Rich (a) & Lawler; New Fabs (Rich & Gilbert); Rocky Johnson; Tom Pritchard (a), Dirty White Boy & Dirty White Girl; Infamous "Hanging" Angle of `88; Original Midnight Express (Condrey & Randy Rose); Tommy Dreamer goes after Lawler in the USWA; Paul E. Dangerously with soap stars (one is Kelly Ripa!); Tupelo Concesssion Stand Brawl #3 - Jeff Jarrett attacks the Moondogs; Gangstas (a) vs. Rock-N-Roll Express; Terry Funk vs. Lawler; Tracy Smothers (a); Smoky Mountain THUGS jump USWA's PG-13; Eric Embry & Lawler go strap for strap; Andy Kaufman (a) & Jimmy Hart; Lawler back suplexes Kaufman; Hart (a) & Kaufman stomp the King; Lawler piledrives Kaufman and slaps him on the David Letterman Show; final comments by Lance Russell

Tech Used: iPhoto, iDVD, iMovie HD, iTunes, GarageBand, Youtube, Zamzar, MPEG Streamclip

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Pro-Wrestling
• Rasslin
• Memphis
• Tennessee
• Alabama
• CWA
• GCCW
• Continental
• SECW
• USWA
• Smoky Mountain
• SMW
• Nashville
• Lawler
• Armstrong
• Fuller
• Welch
• Jarrett
• Tojo Yamamoto
• Sputnik

[matthewmayhem]

Does anybody out there know what the "Mario Galento Incident" is all about? It concerns a wrestler named Mario Galento interfering in a match between Jerry Lawler and Jerry Jarrett and what happened to Galento. I've searched and can't find any details but it seems to be a legendary Tennessee wrestling story. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[wrestlingscout]

@matthewmayhem I believe Billy Wicks recounted this story on Peach State Pandemonium show a while back or at least his version of it.

[Poffomaniac]

Southern Legend Randy Savage

Google ICW Poffo Universe the ICW Poffo website  compiled to chronicle The Poffo's independent wrestling promotion which ran from 1979- 1985 .

Tons of ads for house shows ( over 700 on the site) . Pictures of the Macho Man from high school; match listings for early Lanny and Randy bouts from Phil Goldens All Star Wrestling from 1973.Pictures of Randy's great wardrobe .This is the most comprehensive site dedicated to the Poffo's.

[wrestlingscout]

@Poffomaniac, your website is an excellent resource. I should contact you about some of your photographs. I wish each territory had a comparable site. Check this out folks!

[bubbholt]

@Poffomaniac may be you can help me. im looking to find some old stuff with my and uncle. They wrestled in the 70`s & 80`s. Aaron & Sammy Holt.

[charwelch18]

This means a lot to me. Gotta show dad tonight :) thanks for posting it.

[LaJoyT]

This is so cool - Bobby Fields is my sister in laws Grandfather. I would love to get a copy of this for her for Christmas. She would love it. She has all of his old photos and he passed away this year.  Contact me if I could get a copy through my you tube account.

[johnwoa]

Great video!!! At 1:01 is J.C. Dykes and The Infernos. I saw them wrestle way back in 1969 at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida when they went up against a "bogus" masked tag team that were calling themselves "The Infernos". J.C. Dykes' team won the match. That was the only time I ever saw J.C. Dykes in person and it was on the same night and the same card where Dory Funk, Jr. defeated Gene Kiniski for the N.W.A. World Heavyweight Championship. Great Memories!

[ole1rebel]

this is great, reminds me of simple fun...great work,,,

[suthnbikerman47]

So good to see me dear friend and trainer once again in video. RIP Mario.

[excelsior544]

Lester Welch, Don Green, Len Rossi, Ron Fuller, Ron Wright, Corsica Joe, Sam Steamboat, the Medics and the Von Stroheims: Knoxville wrestling was fun too.

[shoprite118]

...great video..so well done...in few min.to get all this classic wrestling history is amazing...thanks..