"Flashback" July 4th Week

----Mark James is taking a break this week and has ask me to come up with something for July 4th week. I always say that I have been “in” the business since 1986, but it actually is that I was smarten up a bit that year and started taking photos ringside at local events. My first time that I was let in the dressing room was the summer of 1987 when Jerry Lawler invited me back stage at a spot show in Caruthersville, MO. That show featured Rocky Johnson, Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee and Paul Heyman among others. Lawler broke Heyman’s jaw that night during a 6-man tag and I can’t remember who was tagging with Heyman. Lawler let me walk out with him, Dundee and Johnson and I went to ringside to take photos. This was after the big hair match where Lawler lost his hair to Idol and I am not sure why Heyman was still in the area?? I tell all of this, because the show below was just 10 days after that show.


----One year later Jerry Lawler was AWA Champion and tagging with Jeff Jarrett in the main event. Robert Fuller & Jimmy Golden were joined by Syliva [Robert’s wife] and Downtown Bruno. Who was the Great Senshi?? Shawn Baxter?? I think I remember him?? “River City Bombers” worked Scott Steiner/Billy Travis – was one of those guys Motley Cruz?? I took some dressing room photos of Max Pain during this time and he was super nice guy. Jarrett and Travis were also nice guys.


----Finally, one year later Jerry Lawler was recognized as Unified World Champion after beating Kerry Von Erich in December, 1988. He was stripped of the AWA Title earlier in the year, but still went under the guise of Unified World Champion. This card featured a young Dustin Rhodes and a great worker in Dirty White Boy. Who was DI?? Master of Pain aka The Undertaker got beat by Freddie [Tommy Gilbert doing the Kruger gimmick]. “Wild Side” – I believe this was Chris Champion and Mark Starr – they were a good team. Action Jackson was a nice guy – him along with UT/Mantell spent Saturday afternoons “shooting the shiznit” at my apartment on Saturday afternoons when they had Jonesboro spot shows. The influence of the World Class/USWA area with Black Bart on the show. I don’t remember Chilly B Cool, but I always remember Frankie Lancaster as a real good worker; was I right??


----Mark James, who is the regular culprit of "Flashback", is the author of “Memphis Wrestling History – Cards, Matches, Results, Newspaper Clippings” Vol 1 and "Vol 2: The Programs 1972 - 1976" James also is the webmaster to the BEST Memphis Wrestling site in the area – www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com - Click on his site and order his books!!