Dec 4, 1978
30 Years ago this week, Jerry Lawler defeated Tommy Gilbert to get his AWA Southern heavyweight title back. Tommy Gilbert had defeated Don Fargo for the belt on the Sat morning Memphis show 2 days earlier.
Bill Dundee got the win over Handsome Jimmy Valiant. Jimmy had turned heel a few weeks earlier.
Also, the Bounty Hunters defeated Mike and Pat Kelly in a loser-leave-town match. In a 6-man match, Koko Ware, Robert Gibson and Lou Thesz won by dq over Wayne Farris, Bill Dromo and Terry Sawyer.
Dec 5, 1985
A quarter of a century ago, Memphis had a huge, packed card. In the main event, The southern heavyweight champion, Jerry Lawler won by dq over challenger Randy Savage.
In the Southern tag team title match, Steve Keirn and Stan Lane, the Fabulous Ones and challengers, the Road Warriors fought to a double dq.
In the CWA World tag title match, the champs, Austin Idol and Dutch Mantell successfully defended their belt against the challenge of Dennis Condrey and Norvell Austin.
In other bouts… US Jr champ Bill Dundee defeated Rick Morton in a no dq title match… A young Buddy Landell lost to veteran Angelo Poffo… In the 12-man match, the Moondogs, the Bruise Brothers and the A-team defeated Terry Taylor, Bobby Eaton, Stagger Lee, Art Crews, Robert Gibson and Tom Pritchard.
Tons of Memphis legends on this card. Attendance was over 8,000.
----Mark James 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 – memphiswrestlinghistory.com - Click on his site and order his books!!
