----The flashback today is just something I thought about after watching the Eddie Gilbert clips. Gilbert was one of my favorite workers of all time. I remember hearing stories of him booking matches as a kid by writing stuff down in the notebook. I did similar things as a kid and stuff like along with him having so much passion for the business made me a mark for him. I never really “knew” Eddie Gilbert. I only met him twice. Once at a convention and a time before in the dressing room after a match in Jonesboro, AR. For some strange reason are paths never crossed that much. It seems like at times when I was allowed in the Memphis dressing rooms, then Eddie was gone and at times that the promotion was pissed at me, Eddie was working it.
----The first time I met him was after a match in Jonesboro, AR and to this day that was one of the best times I can say I ever had at a show. The building was packed!! I am guessing this was 1988, which would have made it around the time that Missy and Eddie had got married. Eddie had showed up on TV that day and then they worked Jonesboro that night. I learned a very valued lesson that night from Eddie Marlin. Marlin said, “If you give wrestling fans what they want, they will come out.” There was a truck pull, a carnival and some kind of concert in Jonesboro that night – wrestling drew 1,200 screaming crazy fans into that building. The monthly average had been from 100-200 and this was a big house. It was probably close to a $6,000 house. I can remember seeing Eddie Marlin and Randy Hales running around as they say, “like chickens with their heads cut off..”
----Eddie Gilbert started the night coming out with Missy. They interfered in a couple of matches during the show and when the main event of him vs Jerry Lawler started, the crowd was hot!! Gilbert even had a good section of fans cheering for him, which was surprising. Nothing much else I can remember about that match other than every time either Lawler or Gilbert would do a move – the whole place would pop. Gilbert bladed and I assume Lawler probably won.
----After the match, I made my way to meet Gilbert. I ran into Missy first and told her who I was and that we both had some mutual friends in the business. She was holding medical tape and she was a nervous wreck. She told me that Eddie was still bleeding real badly and it was hard to stop it because of his blood pressure. I waited for a few more minutes and just made my way in. I told him thanks for the match and shook his hand. I stood around more minutes and Missy returned. Eddie told Missy that Lawler had got a little stiff on him, because he had a cheering section. I then left him be. I have a photo somewhere I took that night with Missy holding that white tape.
----When Eddie died, I got a call from a friend that was close in wrestling and she called by others. Doug Gilbert had not been told yet and they had decided to let him wrestle [wherever he was] first and tell him after the match. I was sad and pissed at the same time. In my mind, Eddie Gilbert would be the next “King of Memphis” and forever be part of Memphis Wrestling. At that moment I knew, there would NEVER be anyone to take Lawler’s place.
----Below is my favorite Eddie Gilbert angle of all time. The Watts flag angle is probably my second favorite one that Gene posted yesterday. I also posted a photo of the “New Fabs” [Tommy Rich/Eddie Gilbert].
