No matter how you analyze it, Memphis Wrestling grabbed national pro wrestling headlines all week long due to the upcoming "Clash of the Legends" event that will now feature a main event of Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Wight (the former WWE "Big Show"). While making the one-hour drive to my place of work, I have a lot of time to think about a lot of things. This situation has really grabbed my attention.
I won't rehash the story about the removal of Jerry "The King" Lawler from the event or the WWE's request to Corey Maclin that the show be cancelled completely. You can read that (cheap plug) right here at http://www.rasslinriotonline.com/. What I will do, however, is take a look back and a look ahead. I love the history of the wrestling business and this is just another piece of the Memphis Wrestling history puzzle. Here's a look back and a look ahead at the rocky relationship of Memphis promotions with the WWE during the last 10 years and some other ironic happenings.
- Feb. 14, 1999: Paul Wight makes his World Wrestling Federation debuting, interfering in the "Stone Cold" Steve Austin/Vince McMahon match at the St. Valentine's Day Massacre pay-per-view. This event was held at the Pyramid in Memphis with, I believe, a sold out crowd. Yours truly was in attendance and actually missed the final moments of the main event to wait outside the arena to get good seats for the next WWF Memphis event - a June 1999 Raw.
- Late 1999: Others who were more on the "inside" of this will have more details, but anyway here goes. Apparently Jerry Lawler and Randy Hales, promoter of Power Pro Wrestling have a falling out. Lawler ends up working with Terry Golden, promoter of Kick Ass Wrestling, to form Memphis Championship Wrestling. MCW has a developmental deal with the WWF, while PPW does not. PPW has a Saturday morning broadcast on WMC TV-5, while MCW airs on UPN-30.
- 2000: Sometime during the first year of the new millenium, MCW and PPW end up working together - although not merging under one universal banner. PPW regains its status as a WWE developmental territory. Future WWE stars work for PPW on TV again. PPW and MCW also retain their seperate TV shows, using the same talent.
- March 2001: Jerry Lawler leaves the WWE after his wife, Stacy "The Kat" Carter is released. Lawler is scheduled to appear on PPW TV following his WWE departure on a live Saturday morning telecast. Due to Lawler's planned appearance, WWE pulls its developmental deal from PPW - again. MCW remains a developmental territory. Talent on an MCW card in Corning, AR, are informed that if they appear on PPW's TV show the next morning, they will also no longer have a job. Yours truly is at the Corning show, working for MCW. Some of the developmental talent on the show included today's WWE stars Victoria, Umaga, Lance Cade, Brian Kendrick, among others who have either went on to WWE and have been released or were released later that year. Only a few weeks after losing its WWE developmental deal, PPW shuts down.
- July 2001: MCW loses its developmental deal and several talents are released. Those not released are moved to either Ohio Valley Wrestling or Heartland Wrestling Association.
- Spring 2002: Memphis Wrestling debuts on UPN-30. During much of the company's run, it has experienced good relations with the WWE.
As you can see, it has been a rocky road for Memphis in its relationship with WWE. However, I should note that this only shows how important the Mid-South has been and even continues to be for wrestling. This show, not counting his XWF show in 2001, will be Hogan's first non-WWE/WCW show in the United States.
So many questions will need to be answered. Here's a few.- Where does this leave Lawler and his status with Memphis Wrestling?- Will Hogan and Maclin begin working together on the rumored Hogan "legends wrestling promotion" project? - Will WWE attempt to put a developmental territory back in the Mid-South? Maybe using some other promotion or by starting a promotion? It happened before.- Will Maclin begin working with TNA?- Could VH1 be interested in doing something along the lines of wrestling? What about MTV after its failed project with WSX? Hogan could be the catalyst. So crazy!
Just some food for thought. Hope everyone enjoyed. One last thing to ponder . . . the Memphis-Hogan-Lawler-WWE chaos grabbed the wrestling world's attention during a week that should have been a TNA celebration week. Tomorrow night the company holds its second PPV outside Orlando since going to three hours in November 2004. It is in St. Louis, MO, a true wrestling capitol where "Wrestling at the Chase," dominated the airwaves. It is taking place in the home of the Major League Baseball World Champion St. Louis Cardinals. Should have been a lot of hype for that one, but not if Hogan, Memphis, WWE and company have anything to say about it.
