Dangerous Conversations Episode #2: "That Was Fake, Man!"

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Sam. [00:00:25] Speaker B: All right, everybody, welcome back. We are once again here with Dangerous Doug Gilbert. And we are here for more dangerous conversations with Doug Gilbert. I'm your host, Gene Jackson. And Doug, what have you been hearing about episode one? [00:00:39] Speaker C: Man, man, what's going on? Gino I've had a lot of people get with me on social media and ask me a bunch of questions and a lot of people said they like it, which I hope everybody likes it. And I'd like for everyone to listen to it and just say, same as the USWA podcast that now, now, now what? What is actually the USWA what, What is that one called, Gene? That, that. [00:01:00] Speaker B: It's the Retro Wrestling Review. USWA podcast. Me, Josh Briley and Richard Mullikin go back and, and review week by week episodes of USWA wrestling. [00:01:11] Speaker C: Well, that is cool because that is my wrestling right there and I get a lot of people shooting in a lot of different things from that. That's really cool too. And I like to look at it. It's really cool stuff. And I am just happy to be back. And this is episode two, right? We made it through one. And, and like I said, I've got good feedback. So maybe everybody likes us talking. And like, some of the stories that you're asking me about, they are, and. [00:01:34] Speaker B: I, you know, I'm happy, I knew they would, but, you know, there's always that apprehension. You're like, ah, you know, are they gonna like it or are they gonna be, what do you talk about this? And it's like, there's a lot to talk about, guys. We're not going to be able to hit it all in the first week or two, so. [00:01:48] Speaker C: Well, no, and here's the thing, Gene. There's a, like me and you've talked about just when we was talking with one another, I mean, there's a million different things to talk about and you're not going to talk about all of them in one week or two weeks or three weeks and everything. But we hope we talk about what everybody wants, but it might not be this week, might be next week, or it might be the following week, but we're going to talk, I think, as long as people want to listen. [00:02:11] Speaker B: That's right. And you know, I know folks, you know, they, they've heard you on things before. They've heard you on, you know, these virtual signings and stuff where you guys are kind of hitting the high spots. You know, you guys are kind of talking in, in generalizations about a lot of things. But here on the Dangerous Conversations Like I said last week, this isn't, you know, dangerous, you know, interviews. This is conversation. So we're going to dig deep. We're going to get into more detail about things than there's time to do in these shoot interviews and, and signings where you got to cover a lot of ground at once. We got all the time in the world. I. Me and Doug's going to be doing this for a while, I hope. And so we're going to. When we get done with these episodes, we don't want you to be like, oh, man, I was hoping they would, you know, talk a little more about that or they would dig a little deeper. [00:02:57] Speaker C: No, and, and here's the thing. If, if we don't hit what, what you're wanting to know, I mean, they can always shoot you the questions, right? And we will. I will answer what they want, and we'll get it all figured out for everybody. But like I said, there's a million things. Like you said, you go from, you know, from somebody asking you about point a to. To 15 seconds later is to point Z. So you learn, leave a lot out in between. But, I mean, we're. We'll. We'll do the best and go through the years. And like I said, I think you said we might jump from one year to the next or from this year to four years, but we're going to go back and we're going to get everything that the people want, I think. [00:03:33] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely. And I think that helps to build, to be free, to jump around, because, you know, it's not like, you know, somebody brings something up. We're like, nope, we've moved past that. No, we can jump back to 1988. We can jump ahead to, you know, 10, 2000 and all points in between. It's. It's whatever we want this to be. [00:03:49] Speaker C: Exactly. Exactly. We want to answer the questions and tell the stories. [00:03:54] Speaker B: So today we're going to start out. I posted this in the. In the USWA group that we've got on Facebook. And thank you to everybody that's joined the Facebook group. Thank you to everybody that's following the Dangerous Conversation. We're up to 700 people following the Dangerous Conversations Facebook, and we try to post a lot of cool stuff there from Doug's career and eddie's career and Mr. Tommy Gilbert's career. And you guys seem to be enjoying that. You're sharing it around, and we appreciate that. And I post on there that one of my favorite episodes of USWA Wrestling was an episode from January of 1996. And we're going to be talking about that show quite a bit here today. We're even gonna be watching a little piece of it. But on that show. The show kicks off with a promo from PG13 and they let us know that they're going to be challenging you and Tommy Rich for the US UA tag team titles that day. And strangely enough, you and Tommy were good guys at the time. You were the tag team champions, but you were beloved at the time. [00:04:56] Speaker C: How did that ever happen? [00:04:58] Speaker B: Well, if you don't believe us folks, that is on the YouTube channel. Go check it out. That show is there. And you will see Doug and Tommy as good guys. It's pretty fun. [00:05:07] Speaker C: And I guess I'm talking about how was we beloved and. Or either. How was we the tag team champions? Either one might have been a question in those days. [00:05:17] Speaker B: Take your pick. But the funny thing is, even though you guys were good guys, PG 13 were good guys, you guys were still cross. You know, you guys have been feuding for a couple of years at that point and things still weren't smooth. Y' all had had a little bump in the road. They come out to save you guys from an attack and there was a couple of of miscues there as far as punches being thrown and the wrong people got hit. And here we are, we're wrestling for the titles today. And you seem to be a little distracted in that match. Something was going on with you. You accidentally hit poor Tommy a couple of different times in that match, which eventually calls PG13 to get the win. And you guys were now former tag team champions. [00:06:02] Speaker C: Oh me sound like I was having a bad day that day, didn't it? [00:06:05] Speaker B: You were. It turns out something was on your mind, but we won't find out about that for a little while longer. But again, this was a big episode of the show because you started the show out hot. USWA Tag Team title match. Then the second match on the show is a big battle royal where the winner is going to immediately get a shot at Jerry the King Lawler's USWA Heavyweight Championship. So. And it was quite a star studded battle royal. Like this wasn't just a bunch of like a few of you guys and some enhancement guys. It's you and Tommy and Brian Christopher at the Rock and Roll Express were there. [00:06:41] Speaker C: It's every bit of the, the talent that would have been on the loop and I mean plus more like would have been in Memphis, would have been in Louisville, would have been in Evansville. Usually like when they Brought when, When the rock and roll wasn't there, when they brought them in, you know, they'd bring them in for a week. Like the week would be Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. And they usually every Thursday and Friday be spot shows. But those four nights would be those four towns and. But I mean, I remember what you're talking about. Yeah, it was a big deal and big battle roll and all the talent was in there and it was a good deal. [00:07:14] Speaker B: So like we said, we've got all these big stars in this battle royal fighting to get a shot at the title here on television. And wouldn't you know it, the man who comes out on top, the winner of the Battle Royal, Tommy Wildfire Rich. So then we go right into the title match after a break and at one point in the match, I don't know if this was accidentally or on purpose, but Tommy has the referee distracted. And all of a sudden here comes Dangerous Doug coming out of the back, runs over, has a chain wrapped around his fist, knocks out the king. Tommy Rich gets the COVID One, two, three. And Tommy Rich is the brand new USWA Heavyweight champ. And again, what a TV show. What a what? So much is happening right here. You guys start out the beginning of the show. Tommy Rich is one half of the beloved USWA tag team champions. 30 minutes into this show, he's. You and him are former tag team champions. And now Tommy is the brand new USWA Heavyweight champion, but he's certainly not beloved anymore. I would dare say you guys are quite disliked at this point in the program. A lot is going on. What a turn of events here on this show so far. [00:08:33] Speaker C: I think you could say it's action packed all the way through, Gene. And it was cool, but I mean, it was good. It wasn't. It's one of those deals where I told you, I mean, you can sit here and talk about it, but it wasn't rolled out, you know, a week before or took six hours to write it out. But man, what a super exciting show it was. And I mean, you was talking a little bit before that, you know, I mean, you was talking about the segments in the show. And like you said, as far as the battle roll, the deal with us with the tactiles and not being the champions, and then the deal where I come back out when Tommy's wrestling the king and everything. I mean, there's something, there's something in every segment that's that the people, you know, would buy it on. [00:09:16] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, this was so far. I mean, we've had every part of the show is something that people would have paid money to buy a ticket to at the Mid South Coliseum or any of the towns. [00:09:25] Speaker C: And what have me and you talked about, I mean off there, what have I told you? I mean if he was a bad guy, if you was a heel, you wanted the people to not like you. I mean it, it wasn't. I mean things have changed and they always are and they're going to evolve and everything. But in them days, the bad guys didn't want the people to like them. It wasn't, it wasn't like these days, which I'm, I'm not saying that's wrong, it's just a different time in the world. But you know, you didn't want to be, I guess you wanted to be a cool dude, but you want to be a bad guy. You didn't want to be a cool dude that they liked and everything. You want to be a bad guy that, that the people didn't like that they would pay money to see you come and for you to get beat. I mean, you know, if you could do that, you was doing it, doing your job and doing what you want. [00:10:13] Speaker B: Absolutely. Heels, Heels now are worried that they're not going to be able to sell T shirts in intermission if they get some real heat. You guys weren't selling T shirts with your heels. [00:10:22] Speaker C: No, no. And, and you've got a great point. And see, I guess what, no, I would say I, maybe I look at it wrong now, but I mean the, the, the merchandising effect is so much different now than it was then and everything. But still you want to be still as far as a Southern drawing heel, you had to have heat and the people had to not like you. I mean, if you wanted to actually be a real heel, you had to be. [00:10:53] Speaker B: So on this show as all this is transpiring, Tex Lazinger who's been managed by Scott Bowden, who had managed you guys in the past, Tex turns baby face, he had stole Jerry Lawler's title belts at both his USWA title as well as his. They had brought in his old Southern heavyweight title belt from back in the day. Same Southern heavyweight title belt that Mr. Tommy Gilbert had lost to Jerry Lawler at one point. [00:11:23] Speaker C: That's exactly right. And that's. Yeah, I remember him doing that. And that's always been a, to me a cool belt. And you know, it's always meant something I thought was just really cool. Like, you know, as far as, if you look back at the Older belts and stuff. It was one of the first, just I thought was really cool how it looked and everything. [00:11:42] Speaker B: Yeah, to me, when they brought that belt into that match the week before, it really raised the stakes. I was like, oh, if he can win that belt, that's. That's whole nother layer to this. But, you know, they had screwed Jerry the week before and I guess Tech suddenly grew a conscience. I don't know that suddenly he's out there, he's apologizing. He hands the belts over to Lawler. He and Bowden have words. He ends up. Maybe you have some insight on whether or not this was a rib or just an accident. But they have a spot, the old classic spot where the heel manager gets his pants pulled down. But Tex manages to yank down both Scott's pants and his boxer shorts as well. And Scott immediately drops to the floor in a panic. [00:12:26] Speaker C: Well, I'm sure the boxer shorts was exactly not supposed to come down, but. But I mean, stuff does happen at times and different things and things go awry and, and that was probably one of them. I'm sure the pants was supposed to come down, but. But most definitely everything was not supposed to come down. [00:12:46] Speaker B: For. [00:12:48] Speaker C: The, the cool deal with that though, Gene, with a good thing with that is that was Memphis wrestling. It wasn't, you know, I mean, it, you couldn't have at some of the greatest stuff that you had. I mean, and everybody else would say it'd be a takeaway to be harder because it was live. But I think a lot of that stuff was great because it was live. You know what I'm saying? I mean, it was just, I mean, it was, you know, I mean, I don't say it wasn't thought out. A lot of it was thought out, but I mean a lot of it was ad lib. Just like me and you were sitting there talking. We ain't scripted what I'm going to say or what you're going to say, but we're going to talk. So you can never tell what I might say. Maybe before I say something too bad, you'll cut me off, but you know what I'm saying? I mean, it's not right. Right. [00:13:36] Speaker B: And I mean, you have to know this, I'm sure from all the tape shows that you did over the years, if, if you, if you do something and something doesn't go well, and they go, hey, hey, let's, let's reshoot that. Let's, let's reshoot that. We kind of talked about this in the first episode. A little bit too. But something's lost that second time around when it doesn't have, when it's not off the cuff and you, and you're going, trying to capture something again. It's never quite the same that second time. [00:14:03] Speaker C: No, you're, you're exactly right. I mean, and see, that was, that was the point of doing things and with us doing it live for all the years that, you know, we was just used to it, it being live. I mean, you, you know, it's a one take thing. You got one shot go out there, whether you've got a segment, say six minutes or seven minutes of promo that's that long or a short promo that a match or something. But what we're going for is we won't draw money Monday night at the Mid South Coliseum and then, you know, the following week we want to draw money with that on in Louisville on Tuesday, Evansville on Wednesday, the spot shows on Thursday and Friday, Nashville on Saturday. And then the next week, you know, whatever that tape is you want to draw in Louisville, Evansville, Nashville with that tape and everything, I mean, it's all about, you know, and I'd say 90% of the time, 80% of the time after the TV, you would have a feeling what, you know, we'd kind of watch the show. You know, we think about our own stuff, but we'd watch the show, everybody else's stuff too, a little bit, and we'd leave and head towards Nashville. You know, me and Eddie, we would talk about it, or me and Tommy, we would talk about it, or whoever was with me at the time, you know, when we left. You know, I always say what, what you think about the show. Or somebody asked me, what do you think about the show? And, and pretty much most of the time we'd be pretty own on what we thought it would do and if we didn't think it was the greatest, not that it was all for bad, but you know, when there's a great show, like you said so much stuff was going on during the show we're talking about right now. You know, when there's that and when you think there's not too much going on and everything, you think, so maybe it wouldn't draw as much and every once in a while it would fool you. But you know what I'm saying, as far as having a gut about it, what you thought, think it's going to draw on it. [00:15:52] Speaker D: Hey guys, Ray Russell here, curator of the Wrestlecopia Podcast Network, inviting you guys to listen to many of the programs here as part of the Wrestlecopia brand, including but not limited to the Wrestling Memory Grenade, currently covering the 1988 in the WWF project. You can also listen to the Regional Wrestling podcast where we talk the territories, whether it's Jamie Ward with Georgia 81, Roman Gomez with the UWF in 1986 or Jean Jackson covering Memphis in 85. Three projects going on right now over there at Regional Wrestling. You can also listen to the Wrestling Stoop with the legend himself, Bob Roop. Bob goes back in time each and every week, covering not just his career, but countless stories and interactions with hundreds of wrestling names spanning his two decades in the business. But that's not all. You can also check out the Puro Wrestling Academy with the professor of Puroresu, the Mr. Dan Guine. Dan and I go back in time and cover the history of Japanese professional wrestling in the English language and you can listen to all of those shows and more. All part of the WrestleCopia podcast network located over at wrestlecopia.com that's wrestlecopia.com and anywhere your podcast streaming needs are met from Apple to Spotify, Pocket Cast and beyond. And while you're at it, why not subscribe to our social media guys for all the latest goings on here at the WrestleCopia Podcast Network. Plus I'm constantly adding old school video clips and pictures from throughout wrestling history. You can follow us over on X formerly Twitter @WrestlingGrenade. That's at R A S S L I N Grenade. Also follow and like me facebook.comwrestlinggrenade and why not subscribe to YouTube.comwrestlinggrenade so if you're looking to support that next up and coming podcast brand, please consider making it wrestlecopia. [00:17:45] Speaker B: We're going to get back to. We're going to talk about where this all goes here in a minute. But while we're here, I don't know how often this name is going to come up. Kind of curious to ask you about a couple people we just mentioned. Tell me a little bit about Tex Lassinger. Dennis Knight, you worked with him some here and there and tell me a little bit about him. I've heard some, I've heard some good things about it, man. [00:18:04] Speaker C: Tex was always, he was a cool, I mean good dude. Me, I liked him and everything. And if I'm not mistaken, which you might be able to tell me more than I know about this topic, but I think his, his stepdad was Ron Slinker, right? Have you ever heard that? [00:18:21] Speaker B: I've heard that. [00:18:22] Speaker C: I Have seen now, my dad and Ron Slinker was really good friends. Did. Did you know that Ron Slicker come through this territory? He was like a karate like, dude that, you know, he wore like a Ghee type deal here and everything. He worked here in this territory some. He worked in Florida territory. But him and my dad was, when I was a young kid, was really good friends. And when Tex got here, it seemed like I talked to him a little bit about that and everything, but for some reason I think Ron was his stepdad maybe and everything. But. But, but Tex was cool. He was always nice to me. Me and him really got along and everything. And he was just. Man, he paid his dues here and was breaking in the business and, and everything. But he was a nice, Always a really nice, pleasant guy. [00:19:06] Speaker B: Yeah, he's one of those guys I've never heard a bad thing about. Like, I've never heard him be like, man, that guy was a prick. Like, everybody's like, oh, yeah, Tech Slasher was just a good dude, you know, so it's good to hear that that's the same experience you had. [00:19:17] Speaker C: Yeah. And on text one time, me and he was talking about different characters. I think Lawler put him in a leather face. Did. Yes, yes. [00:19:28] Speaker B: We just covered that on another show. [00:19:29] Speaker C: Wasn't he the one that caught on fire or something? Or did Lawler throw fire on him in his thing, that apron? [00:19:35] Speaker B: He had caught on. Yeah. [00:19:37] Speaker C: And he was doing like. Like this right here to himself. And. And I thought that was. I thought that was him, which, bless his heart, here we are talking, laughing about it. At the time he was thinking, he's gonna burn up. But. But now he was. Like I said, I mean, he was a game player and everything. I mean, but he was a good guy. I'm glad he'd done good. You know, he wound up going from here to wcw, then wwf and he done real well and everybody up there liked him and everything. So, I mean, like I said, he was a good, you know, he's a good dude. [00:20:04] Speaker B: So I know we'll talk about it more in the future, but is why we just mentioned him. Like I said, you guys were managed by Scott Bowden off and on. I always, I always thought that Scott Bowden was one of the, you know, everybody talks about. Jimmy Hart was like the best manager in Memphis history and he probably was. But I feel like Scott doesn't get enough credit for what a good manager he was in the 90s. How did you feel about Scott? [00:20:27] Speaker C: That Scott was me and Scott Was friends. But now that Scott was something else. You talking about a guy that would. Could get himself some heat with everybody. I mean, I, I laugh and everything, but he would get himself in trouble in so many ways. But now you know who his. His idol was really, right? No, his idol was kind of my brother. And he always, he. He always. Anytime he could get near my brother and talk to my brother, he would, he would go. Listen, if Eddie would ever stop anywhere to eat in Memphis or whatever, he would go. Because at the. For the longest, all Scott did was work Memphis. You know, I mean, he'd work the spot shows around, but he worked Memphis. He went to college in Memphis and everything and everything. But Scott was funny. He was a magnet for heat. And he would, He. He was trying to get heat on tv like I was talking about. The draw money is healed. But a lot of times he would say some of the. And I. And it wasn't so bad back in those days about being politically correct, but, but still, Scott would go out of his way to be so un. And I don't. It's not even political, just things that you should know not to say on tv. He would say them sometimes. One day I thought I was going to see Dave Brown. Killing Dave Brown. I can't remember what he said now, but, you know, Dave was. I mean, you know, you could, you could be a hill and get heat, but you didn't want the wrong, the wrong kind of. [00:21:54] Speaker B: I know, I know one word that he said that you could. I mean, just me as a fan watching the show, you could tell set Dave Brown off and you could tell their relationship was never quite the same. I interviewed Scott when he used the. [00:22:06] Speaker C: R. The R word. The slow. The slow. Yes. Yeah, that was. [00:22:10] Speaker B: Oh, boy. [00:22:11] Speaker C: Oh, And, And Scott knew better, but, but the only thing he was, in his mind, he wasn't thinking that it was going to come across to people the way it did. But now. And Scott was a super smart dude. That's why, that's why. I mean, a lot of people don't know this about Scott, but I mean, he's really is well educated, really smart, but I mean, he would try to go out of his way to be a heel and be cocky and he would say, I, I'd laugh at him. I mean, he'd say some stuff. He'd look at me, he said, can you believe they got on me for this? I said, well, yeah, absolutely, Scott. I can believe they got on. Look, you can say this, but you, you can say, hey, but you can't say B or you can't say A and B together. But I said, there's a fine line. And you don't say some things. I said, and if you do, Sam, here's the things you. Yeah, you can say it and, and, and it be bad, but that don't draw money. I mean, when you say certain things like that, that's, that's just. I mean, it turns people off, you know, I mean, people said sometimes, oh, wrestling is this and that and you gotta, you know, I mean, there's psychology and all different. I mean, in your promos, in your working and your angles and everything. But you can't say. I mean, it just, you know, it degrades and lowers what we're trying to do if you start. But, but I mean. And like I said, Scott was a super intelligent dude. A lot of people don't know that about him. I mean, well educated, good guy. You know, he wound up moving to California. Lived out there for years and everything. But I mean, he would, you know, he'd put his own foot in his mouth every once in a while, you. [00:23:46] Speaker B: Know, because there's a fine line between that. Oh my God, he. We got to go buy tickets to see this guy get his butt kicked. And the. We're not watching this crap. [00:23:56] Speaker C: And you know, and you know, I'm thinking here, I'm sitting here saying this about him, and then some people's watching this thing. Well, you're a good one. Be talking. Look what you said before. And you know what, y' all are right. But that's why you can never tell what we might get to on here. I mean, there's gonna be. Everything will be talking talked about at some point. But yes, Scott. The one good thing though, I was out there with these guys and like I said, I can tell you and, but, but Scott was. My brother was a big idol to Scott, just like my brother in law both was. And you know, Scott would. Which Eddie would tell a lot of times, look, don't. He'd say some stuff to anything. No, don't dare do that. Which Eddie tried to keep my trip. But then he'd try to go off cuff and say a few things and sometimes they turn out good and every once in a while they blast them. I mean, like I said, Dave Brown would blast him, Lawler would blast him, everybody. He would get on blast from everybody. You might not see him for a week or two, but he'd always be back out of laughter. You know, he, he was a referee before he was a Heel manager. You know, I think it was during. [00:24:54] Speaker B: Right. [00:24:54] Speaker C: My brother in Lawler's match. I think, I think that's right, Auntie. [00:24:57] Speaker B: That's what I was going to ask because I knew he'd been a referee and wasn't it Eddie's idea or at least Eddie pushed to get that done to turn it heel and maker. [00:25:06] Speaker C: Yeah, that's it. [00:25:08] Speaker B: Which had to mean a lot to Scott or if, you know, if Eddie's his idol, then Eddie's the one that gets his career kicked off as a heel manager. I mean, that had to be like. [00:25:15] Speaker C: Yeah, it did. And like I said about the, about the second or third week after that, those. When he went on TV and I can't even. We'd have to pull up say. But he said something godly that, that, you know, we would know not to say that he should have, but he just thought it was going to get him so much heat. And I remember he come TV that next week he wasn't on the TV shooter. And he said, you think I did something wrong? I said, you think? I said, yeah, yeah, frame a little bit. But I laughed at him because, you know, they kept him off TV for a couple weeks and they put him right back with us. And Scott was cool. And the cool thing, Scott could talk. And like I said, I mean, he carried himself well. He's intelligent, he knew what he was talking about. Just he would try to push the limits a little bit and every once in a while it would, it would go a little far and everything. Then they grill him back in. [00:26:05] Speaker B: I found him entertaining. Is the week after this, this angle we just talked about where, where Tex pulled his pants down. The following week, Scott comes out on TV with this big duffel bag full of mail. And he's like, lance, last week was the highest rated episode of USWA wrestling that ever happened. He said, and all these, all these folks from the WWF are writing in after seeing my pants pulled. I was like, look at this. We got a letter from Sable. We got a letter from Sunny. We got a letter from Gold. Goldust. He looked all confused and Lance like, ah, come on. [00:26:41] Speaker C: But, but I mean, stuff like that, like, I mean, just off the cuff, I mean. And the cool thing is, as you know, I mean, Lance know he's interviewing us, but I mean, Lance didn't have to know anything. And most of the stuff, Lance, I mean, Lance was just. That's why he was so great. It was off. I mean, I could not seen him in the studio that morning and just, you know, when they called me out, I mean with Lance, you know, had chemistry with everybody and Scott, like I said, Scott was. Scott was really good, like you said. Maybe a lot of people don't know probably how good he was. He was really good. And as far as he never, like I said, really went on the road with us, you know, he was just for, for there in Memphis because he went to school there and everything, but man, he was cool. He was good to have with us like a tv and like when we did spot shows around Memphis, he was. And you know, he'd watched hard all the years and everything and, and, and, and did a lot of stuff. I don't say like Jimmy, but he knew as far as a Southern Hill manager what. How he was supposed to as far as get heat and the people not like him and how they didn't. You know, I mean, the people hated Hark when he was here. You know, you saw the tapes of all that and I mean, it was just. That was just really cool and good stuff. [00:27:53] Speaker B: So after, after all this transpires, the king comes out and, you know, he's upset he's lost his title and he's, he's blaming Tommy, but number. But namely he's. He's blaming. [00:28:05] Speaker C: You seem like I got a lot of blame for most of the stuff, even if I wasn't even there. [00:28:10] Speaker B: Yeah, he was, he was pretty upset with you. And he actually makes a statement. He's like, well, Doug's not going to come out here right now now. And then Lance goes, oh, here he is. Here he is. [00:28:18] Speaker C: He's coming. [00:28:19] Speaker B: So let's, let's take a listen right now to this promo. And this is something. There was a couple of things going into this that I really didn't have any explanations for. The King of Rock and Roll, which we talked about last week. So folks, you can kind of see who's, who's driving the bus as far as these interviews because now we're on the Gene's next big question, this promo. So folks, I want you to check this out. Listen to this. We're gonna, we're gonna watch it along with Doug, and then afterwards we're gonna, we're gonna talk all about it. So let's check this out. This promo from uswa in 1996. [00:28:53] Speaker E: Well, here's a gentleman that can't be too happy about losing the belt. But even more so than that was the way I think the fans told you what happened, Jerry. Well, you're exactly right. Not only did the fans tell me I Went in the back, watched the little replay, and it's as obvious as the nose on your face. Lance, exactly what happened. Doug Gilbert. What's the deal, huh? What's the deal with Doug Gilbert coming out and I got a title match with Tommy Rich? Doug Gilbert comes out with a chain and wins it for Tommy Rich. I want to know, Doug, if you got. Are you man enough to come out here and try to explain your actions? You come out here in front of everybody, you want to be Mr. Big Fan Favorite, you want to shake hands, you want to high five everybody, Then you want to hit somebody with a chain when the backs turn. Why don't you come out here, Doug Gilbert, explain just exactly what's going on the. Yeah, here he comes. Now, let's. Let's keep it down to just conversation here today. I know you want to know what he had on his mind. Why? [00:29:54] Speaker A: I've got a lot on my mind. And for the last four days, I'm sure you know what I've had on my mind. It's all been you. It's all been you. Because of you, I lost my USWA tag team belts today. [00:30:07] Speaker E: Because of me. [00:30:08] Speaker A: What are you talking about? You know what I'm talking about. Jerry Llamar, don't sit out here. You might be in front of all these fans and you won't think you're such a good guy. You're not. You know what you did. And it's better that me and you talk about this back here and we don't talk about it out here. [00:30:24] Speaker C: Yeah, I told you, Gene. [00:30:25] Speaker B: Yep, there it is. [00:30:27] Speaker E: Let me just say this. I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know what you've been doing last night, but maybe your brain ain't exactly right. I. I think you're talking out of your rear end because your head would know better. [00:30:39] Speaker A: What are you talking about? [00:30:40] Speaker E: I got no clue. How did I cause you to lose your tank? [00:30:43] Speaker A: Let me tell how you caused me. I'm sick. I'm fed up to here with you, Lawler, and what that is about. A guy called you. They're having a first anniversary show memorial for my brother in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jerry Lawler. And he called you and he asked you, said, king, could you come on up here and be on this show? What did you tell him, Jay Lawler? See, it ain't what you did, it's what you won't do. See, you try to tell all these people you're the big king, which I give you respect and I give you credit. And I told you about two months ago, I would stand in line and I would wait till you was through and see Gene. [00:31:25] Speaker C: I was supposed to be getting a title shot around that time. [00:31:27] Speaker A: Jerry Lawler. [00:31:28] Speaker B: Okay? [00:31:28] Speaker A: You're not half of the man I thought you was. You won't do nothing that you say you, me and my brother did so much for you, Jerry Lawler. And I guess you just seem to forget get what me and my brother did for you, I guess, huh, King? [00:31:48] Speaker E: So that's what this is all about. [00:31:49] Speaker A: That's what it's all about, and I'm telling you right now. [00:31:53] Speaker E: Wait, wait. [00:31:54] Speaker A: Hold. [00:31:54] Speaker E: Stop right there. Let me tell you something, okay? Let me do a little telling around here. Yeah, a promoter did call me from Philadelphia, and he tells me they're having a big extravaganza. It's a memorial for Eddie Gilbert. But why don't you tell everybody who that promoter is? Well, maybe. Maybe everybody won't know who he is, but I sure as hell know who he is. His name is Dennis Carlooza. Do you remember that name? [00:32:17] Speaker A: Or do you. [00:32:18] Speaker E: You remember everything you and your brother did for me? Do you remember who Dennis Carlooza is? He's a shyster from Philadelphia who, a few years ago, came down here and made my life miserable by trying to claim to everybody that I had a couple of illegitimate kids running around Philadelphia. That's the same Dennis Carlo that is promoting this big show. [00:32:35] Speaker C: Dennis was great for Eddie Gilbert. [00:32:37] Speaker E: So, no, I don't care about being on that. But let me tell you this, Doc. [00:32:40] Speaker A: No, no, you let me tell you something. Like I said, you must not remember nothing. You must not. You're talking about. I must be stupid. Are my memories bad? No, your memory's bad. You think back about. About 13 years ago, everything my brother did for you, everything I did for you. And then what are you gonna do in return? What are you gonna do? You gonna run the wwf? Are you gonna go home? [00:33:09] Speaker E: Let's say this right now, Doug Gilbert. You want to talk about everything you brother. You and your brother did for me? Why don't we talk about everything you and your brother did to me? You want to talk about that? Let's talk about somebody's memory being good. My memory's real good, Doug Gilbert. I remember everything that you and your brother ever did to me. I remember right out here in the parking lot of this television station one day when your brother Eddie slammed me through the windshield of a car. I remember another time when I won a car and your brother Eddie came Out with a baseball bat and busted the windshield out while I was sitting in it and glass went in my eyes. But let's top it all off. I'll tell you something. I remember. You ought to remember this. You were sitting right beside him, right out here in the parking lot when you and your brother were in a car. And he ran right down the parking lot and ran over me and could have killed me. And you think he cared? [00:33:55] Speaker A: Do you? [00:33:56] Speaker E: Did you care? Let's talk about the stuff that you did to me. No, I'm not gonna be on no memorial show for Eddie Gilbert, and I ain't making no apologies about it. Do you understand that? [00:34:06] Speaker A: Will you let me tell you one thing? Wait a minute. You know, Jerry Lawler, I'll probably. Stinking people's always been behind you, y'. All. Yeah, yeah, y'. All. Stinking people. He wouldn't be here. It wouldn't be for, you know, guys like Doug Gilbert, myself and Eddie Gilbert. You wouldn't be here. It's guys that's helped you out, that's helped you make a name. Hey, if it wasn't for us and all these people, you wouldn't even be here, Jerry Lawler. Hey, the bottom line is whether you or these people, either one, think this man's right. I think he's 100% right. Loner. [00:34:49] Speaker E: That's fine, Tommy Rich, Because I know the way both of you think. I don't forget stuff. And I don't forget what Eddie Gilbert did. I don't forget what you did, Tommy Rich. I don't forget when I had a match against Austin Idol with my hair at stake. It was a lowlife named Tommy Rich who hid under the ring. Hid under the ring for you hid. [00:35:08] Speaker B: Under the ring for six hours. [00:35:10] Speaker E: And when they put up the cage and the match started, who came crawling out like a snake? Tommy Ritz. And I got my head shaved. I thought about you every day for about six months. Hey. And it was you and Austin Idol who took my legs and pulled me into that ring post. Tommy Rich. And I had to have surgery. And I think about you and you and your brother every single day. [00:35:29] Speaker A: And you ought to think about us because it's your guilty conscience of what? [00:35:33] Speaker C: You. [00:35:33] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. [00:35:35] Speaker E: See, you remember everything. [00:35:36] Speaker A: That's because you're a dinosaur and times are changing. [00:35:40] Speaker E: I remember everything. And I'm gonna remember today, too. I'm gonna remember the little trick you pulled today. And don't think you've heard the last of the king on it. [00:35:47] Speaker B: Okay, talk. [00:35:49] Speaker E: The fact that it was from behind Doug Gilbert rattles Lawler as rich. [00:35:56] Speaker C: And there's a pile draft coming up here, aren't there? [00:35:59] Speaker B: Believe so. Oh, boy. [00:36:02] Speaker E: Nail all. Yeah, that's the kind of attitude that tells everybody that you hadn't changed a bit. Oh, now, don't do it. Kyle Driver right here on the studio floor. [00:36:16] Speaker A: I bet you remember that king, don't you? Hey, you remember that? Come on. [00:36:23] Speaker E: Waller knocked out. We're gonna take a break and see if we can get somebody. Get in, Ariel. God. Get these guys out of here and let's help Jerry. [00:36:32] Speaker C: But that's what she was talking about G about when I talk about segments and exciting. And if you go back, the old entertaining and heat part of wrestling, to me, that right there is it. And. And in those days, that. That was 96, right? [00:36:52] Speaker B: Yes, 96. [00:36:54] Speaker C: In 96, how many. Do you. Do you remember any promos? I mean, just. Just straight promos like that? Like I said, there was no. Oh, that was six or seven, eight minutes or so, wasn't it? [00:37:10] Speaker B: Something like that, right at 8. [00:37:12] Speaker C: And. And there was nothing. I mean, you know, none of that. That was just us. That. That was us going out there and Lawler talking and. And me talking and. I mean. But it was about a real thing that happened, and it was a real show in New Jersey that Dennis Cor. Losing. Which. That's what I was just saying. I don't know. I don't think you probably didn't ever get the pleasure to meet Dennis. Dennis was a great guy, and he come down here and he brought. With one of the, like, fan conventions one time he come down here, then he come down two or three other times and done the deal which Lawler was talking about, the illegitimate kid deal. He done that. And I thought that was cool. But Dennis was a great guy. He was one of my friends. I'd go up north, like, for a year to a year and a half every weekend, and I worked for him. And my brother went up there a bunch too, and worked for him. That's where my brother worked with cactus a lot and for Dennis and everything. But Dennis was a great guy. Just so many different things. Just in that interview, but not everything in it. We didn't talk about it, but. But I mean, everything in it was. Was. Was real. I mean, it was. It was personal. I mean, it was personal. It was a. A show for my brother. I mean, if people can't see that, you know what I'm saying? I mean, you're telling a story, but. But everything Involved in the deal was. Was straight up, and it was happening at the time. So, you know, I mean, there's just that interview. I think there's a lot of stuff like that that we did. And I mean, it's. It's personal. I mean, and people can see that it's personal. And I think used to we'd say, you know, with personal angles is funny. We didn't think funny was no money. And we thought being personal and serious that. That you would draw money and people would look at you as being serious. And, you know, that's what we want. So how was you looking at it in those days? [00:39:11] Speaker B: So in 1996, I'm in college. I'm just starting to, you know, figure some things out about wrestling, starting to learn some things, you know, and so I realized that, okay, wrestling's a work, but I don't know exactly how all this works. I don't know what's, you know, known beforehand or whatever. And I'm kind of trying to pick these things out. So I'm watching this. Watching this interview unfold, and like, I say, I'm pretty blown away by this show so far because I was fan. I was a fan of you guys. I was a fan of PG13, and Lawler, of course, was one of my favorite wrestlers growing up. And so I was pretty invested in this whole show because, like, say it's a freaking roller coaster up to now, right? It's like we're all over the place. And so, you know, you guys are out there and you start saying some things, and I'm like, that sounds. That sounds pretty legit. Like, I don't think this is wrestling stuff right here. Like, I think this is getting a little, you know, and I'm sure that's the desired effect. And so, you know, I'm like, all right, this isn't. There's some reality to this, but it's still wrestling. But when it went off the rails for me, when I'm like, what is happening right now is when Tommy comes out and Tommy goes, that was fake, man. That was fake. I'm like, holy. What do we. Whoa now. Well, that's what I'm curious about is. I mean, I know you said y' all didn't setting this up so to pull the curtain back. This may be further than you're comfortable with, but what was like, all right, we're gonna go out here and set this match up for Monday night. So what had been said, like, how shocked is Lawler that you guys are saying some of this stuff. [00:40:42] Speaker C: Well, what. What was said and, and this shows how much. I mean, I say what was said, but this is as little that was said was the thing I'd said before Lawler went out. He said something. He would. He would call me out. And I said, okay. And, and he said, if you want sometime, you tell Tommy when to come out. So my thing with Tommy was, I said, look, we're going. I said, as long as he wants to talk, we'll. We'll probably go back and forth. I said, in some time. I said, give me a couple minutes to get my stuff in. I said, and when you see a good point, you come out. Well, then when everything's flowing good, you know, it seems fast. I mean, when you're on live TV or when you're not aiming tape and when it's flowing good, it seems fast. Seems like everything goes fast. Well, that whole deal to me didn't seem like two or three minutes, like you said. It was eight minutes and eight minutes or something. But it was. But like I said, everything we was. We was talking about and the people could follow was. It was a. It was a real show in New Jersey that he wasn't on and, and Dennis had asked him to, and he had to do something else and, and everything, which, I mean, you know, if you followed that personally and you thought about it, you could see how maybe I wouldn't appreciate that. And then I said, I've been waiting in line. And what some people, if they're just now watching this or whatever, I. He had told me when I had come back after my brother passed away, he'd asked me something on tv and I said, well, I'll tell you what, I said. I want world title shot. I said, but I'll wait. I said, I'll wait in line. I'm not putting pressure on you, but I'll wait. That's why on the promo, there's a lot of different things that said where I said, I've. I've waited for what you said. And what I was talking about was him telling me that when he got everybody out of the way, then he would give me a title shot. So, see, everything kind of, if you look back at it and you followed the TVs and everything, it all kind of makes sense and fade together. Like I said, the whole thing was. It was personal. Look, look, when Tommy come out and said he agreed with me, everybody knew that me and Tommy's been tight since I was a kid. Everybody's new. That the, the history between Tommy And Law or the, the head shave and the, the, all the history of the different matches with Tommy and Lawler. All the different matches that me and Tommy had with Lawler and Idor, Lawler and Brian or Lawler and B and or, you know, you had, Lawler had a. Never ending the Ra, Lawer and Dundee, you know, you can name the names. And me and Tommy worked with, with all them during this time and everything. So it's kind of a cool, it's a cool interview. And like I said, it all kind of if what we was talking about kind of made sense because it was all, it wasn't just something we was making up. It was stuff for all of it that was going on during that time. [00:43:39] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. And that's why as you're going down the line, I'm thinking, well, yeah, that's true. Well, that's true. [00:43:44] Speaker C: And I mean, and I mean, everything Lawler was saying, you know, edited slamming through the windshield. Me and Eddie run over him in the car. You know, we'd done all this stuff. So everything he was saying, I mean, Tommy did hide under the ring for six, eight hours and they shaved this, you know what I'm saying? Everything that I was saying was true, but everything he was saying was true. So it's, it's whatever opinion you want, you know, whatever side. And you know, we was doing our best to make him take his side, but it's whatever side the people want to be on. But it was, you know, both sides kind of telling their side. But like you said, when Tommy come out and said what he did and when I said at the starting of it, like I, I, I told you when we started talking about this a little bit, when I said, do you think me and you need to talk about this on the air? [00:44:31] Speaker B: Right? [00:44:31] Speaker C: And, and Lawless sat there a second, he shook his head and said, yeah, so that's when. And I mean, but just stuff like that back then in 96, you didn't see that, you know, a whole lot, I don't think. I mean, and you still. Which, no, we was the, the last territory left as far as other than the big too. But I mean, I don't ever remember when the territories was, was still around, kind of cutting it that close, you know, and everything. [00:44:59] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, that's what really made it stand out to me because there was two sides of that promo where you and Tommy are clearly. And I, and I'm, I'm curious. Like, I would love to talk to somebody who was just completely just not I don't mean this in a derogatory way, but, like, completely a mark as far as not smart to business at all. If you're listening to that promo and you're saying, look at all the stuff we did for you, and somebody who knows, knows, like, what we're referring to putting you over and, you know, working for you and. [00:45:32] Speaker C: Yeah, getting. [00:45:33] Speaker B: Building you up, right? [00:45:34] Speaker C: Getting you over, like, yeah, yeah, drawing money, you know. [00:45:39] Speaker B: And Lawler's referring back in kayfabe to here's all the angles we did here. You guys are coming back. And then finally, Tommy with the coup de gr, goes, yeah, but that was all fake. My only fear then is I'm like, all right, that's cool, because now I'm. I'm invested. Because, like, I want to come. I want to drive to Memphis, since I'm in Boonville, Mississippi, in college. Like, I want to drive to Memphis, see how this plays out, or these guys gonna fight for real or what, right? But at the same time, I'm like, okay, but are you in that moment? Are you going like, this is real? And everything else on this show you saw was. And everything else you're gonna see after, it's not. This is the one thing that's real. That's the only thing that's ever bugged me about those types of promos or interviews. [00:46:21] Speaker C: Well, what. What gets me, like. Like, I mean, you can be so serious and so personal, but, you know, I mean, if. If the segment that was right on before you is just God awful. I mean, I don't even say awful. If it just wasn't good or something, then you go out there and you. You've got to hope the people hadn't turned the channel before you get there. And then you better hope, like, you could be as serious and get the people to believe in it like I think we did, to get them to stay. And then through your stuff and through your promo, through your match, and then you better hope or what we'd all better hope that was working there was that the next thing was really good also so that those people would not turn the channel. And the knock on wood during those days, I think we had a good enough crew. Now, every once in a while, something might not have been the best, but like you said, it seemed like on this one show here, you said, it seemed like there was a. Just a. A whole lot going on. And on a lot of the shows, every segment would have good talent in it, but it. It might not be a angle that you would be invested in. Or. Or, you know, that the people would necessarily get into. But you got to have from, you know, on a card for something, a little bit of something for everybody. It's not everybody for me, which, I mean, I guess you could say that. Everybody for the King or whatever. But what I'm saying is, is, you know, you want everybody to mean something, and there'll be a spot for everybody and everybody to like or hate who they want to, you know, dislike your heels and. And love your baby face. That. That. That's the point. What we're trying. What we was trying to do anyway. [00:48:03] Speaker B: And, you know, I've seen picture. I've heard it said for years, then finally, there's been pictures of it that have been put out that, you know, Jerry Jarrett had that sign in his office that personal issues draw money. And that always. I mean, you just mentioned that a minute ago. And that always seemed to be the key for Memphis. Like, you would have. You'd have some silly stuff. You'd have some comedy. You'd have your movie monsters, you know, and things like that. But at the root of it, the thing that was going to make you come down there every Monday night was somewhere on that show, and it usually involved guys like you or the King or Tommy. Somewhere on that show, something really personal was going to click, and you're gonna be like, all right, well, this other stuff's fun and games, but these guys are really mad. These guys are really gonna hurt each other. We got to go see that. And I think that's what you guys did better than anybody. And your brother was great at that. You know, I think he would have been right in the middle of this. You know what I'm saying? Like, when as I was watching this back, I thought, oh, my God, you know, like, Eddie Gilbert would have been all over this, because we're going to talk about this at length later. But, you know, I posted something on the Facebook of a promo from Continental where, you know, Paulie Dangerously says, you know, I'm not talking Paulie Dangerously to hot stuff Eddie Gilbert. I'm talking Paul Heyman to Thomas Edward Gilbert Jr. And that's in 1988 at 11 years old. That's the first time I'd ever heard Paulie's real name. And it was certainly the first time I had heard Eddie's full, proper name. And I was like, whoa. You know, and then, of course, the other little subtle thing that I didn't get for a few years is he says that, and suddenly Nightmare Freddy is out. He he leaves. And like a few years later, when I realized who Nightmare Freddy was, like, oh my God, that's layered. Like, that's pretty deep. Like he, he makes this thing personal with him and Eddie, his brother walks out and there's this whole other layer that if you know, you know, and if you don't, you're intrigued at least. [00:49:57] Speaker C: And right. And it's right along those, those lines that that's it. And, and like I said, and I think you just said it like you said, if it was, you know, some of us doing it or pretty much and you know, if, if I wasn't here, if Tommy wasn't here and 90% the king was here. But the people you saw doing the personal stuff, I'd say 95 to 100% of the time the people bought it and believed in what they was saying. And, and that's what it took to draw money. I mean it, it took your personal issues. I mean, but you know, like I said, you got to have a little something for everybody. Maybe some folks want something a little funny or whatever, but as far as your money, money people wanted something personal. I mean people wanted to be able to, to interact with and, and be able to see and believe what they, they wanted to. And during those days, I mean you had your people that, that you know, would say, oh we will, you know, whether we watch wwf, wcw, whatever it was, you still had your die hard USWA fans and they watched on Saturday morning and they wanted to believe, if you would give them a reason to believe, they would. And I mean it was just there were certain ones of us that I guess could do it a little better. My brother was like I said, my brother has super mind and I mean working wise, he could work as good as anybody. I mean he was really good at what me and you're talking about here. As far as like promos. I saw him do like one of the promos I think you showed last week that he come out and did, you know, to me all the, this kind of goes back to the same thing which me and Tommy was, was doing it for, you know, for, for Monday night and like I said, for the loop and for the TV and everything and you know, Eddie cut a few promos and it was personal and it was what he was thinking that maybe some of them, that some people didn't agree with. But, but what I'm saying it was still, it would still draw money if, you know, you was there to work and carry out. [00:52:04] Speaker B: And that's the thing. No matter who on the other side of that curtain may not have been happy with what exactly was said. They couldn't deny that this is going to draw money. We got to go with this, right? [00:52:13] Speaker C: Right. It's hard to go against if the people are. Are with it and everything. You know, I mean, you might get. And I might a few times got said. Why? What are you thinking? What? Doug, you. You're businessman, right? Yeah. It's business. I think it's a draw. But I mean, it's like I said, you can't go. I say that. But you. You can't go too far. You don't need to. And. And there's a little bit of a line, but we had a whole lot of lead way during those days. I mean, and. And you can look at a bunch of the different shows and a bunch of the different stuff that we've done and everything. And like I said. But I. I just think. I think that interview there is. Is a really cool way to show what you can do. And I mean, like me and Lawler going back and forth and, and what he was saying to me, I mean, like I said, it was all stuff that had been done when I was saying him was stuff that. What I thought what he was saying to Tommy was, you know, you could follow all of it. [00:53:13] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:53:13] Speaker C: And it all was like a personal. Like if you had a. Like somebody you didn't like or, or if it was a friend that had done bad stuff to you or something, you know, you can. I think everybody could relate to what was being said. And I think that's a, you know, a big thing in the business. [00:53:29] Speaker B: And even the kind of the personal. Even the kind of the line he said where I don't know what you were doing last night, but you're, you know, even that's a personal shot, you know, the implication of that, you know. [00:53:40] Speaker C: Exactly. And that was what I started to say something. I don't want to. I want everybody to hear what he was saying. So I didn't want to talk too much during. Over him or myself while we was talking during that promo. But all the stuff, if people listens to 90 of his stuff, they're during all those lines. It's stuff that means something. It ain't just him talking. And I've always tried to, To. To take that into my stuff too. And because, you know, you've only got a certain amount of time when you're with some guys, you can have a little bit more. But which I always was real fair with myself and with Tommy And I mean usually like you said, as far as we was in angles to draw money for the Coliseum or for the Louisville Gardens or for Evansville or something. So you've got to have time to. You've got to at least have a chance to do it. So they knew if they didn't give you a chance, you know, it was on them. So they, they always despair with us and give us a chance. But I think we put out a lot of good TVs and a lot of good house shows with that. [00:54:40] Speaker B: Well, I think a real testament to what you guys did there is to this day you can be at conventions or things like the fan fest in Jonesboro that we were at and you can talk with fans. And to this day fans still believe because there's an element of truth to it, that Lawler and the Gilberts didn't get along, that Lawler and Dundee really didn't get along. And they, they'll still go like I know wrestling's a work and I know this and I know that but man, those guys, that stuff was pretty personal. Like him and Dundee really don't like each other. And man, Lawler and the Gilberts, you know, they really didn't get along because you know, Eddie wanted Jerry's spot and then Doug followed suit. And so to me the fact that you guys have kept them guessing all the way to now, 20, 24 people are still talking about that and put it. Pick whatever TV you have access to put you and Jerry Lawler on TV and in a another eight minute promo, probably five if that's all you had, you guys can make them believe that you guys hate each other and that tomorrow night or Monday night or whenever it's going to be, you're going to kill each other. [00:55:48] Speaker C: Hey Gene, you, you would laugh now I don't know that, that you send this with something people can go on YouTube and, and look at now I've seen people have sent me different things of it it's show. Do you remember when Jerry had. I think it was called Jerry the King Lawler. It was like his thing. It's called maybe it's called Classics or something. Do you, do you remember when he. [00:56:07] Speaker B: Had Jerry Lawler's classic Memphis wrestling or something? Yeah, yeah. [00:56:11] Speaker C: I was like the second person that they asked me on it and man it was a, it wound up being like you said, it was a. They told me it was a really big watched show out all of it and everything. But like I said, I just said we, we went, we went back and forth for like, 40 minutes. But it's. It's some great stuff to watch. And I mean, I just said what I. He said what he wanted to, and I said what I wanted to. It went this way and it went that way, but I grabbed the. The. The unified belt and I said, this is the belt my brother beat you for, ain't it? And he said, no. And he grabbed it back and he said, that's the AWA world title. It was the belt that he had there. He said, yeah, your brother wanted to Unified. I said, he beat you the unified world title. But we went back and forth, but it. But the people really. That was taped and everything, they really liked, and they said it was one of the most watched ones. But like you said, you give some time and everything, and. And you can. I think a lot of it, too, Gene, is like. I mean, me and you sit here and talk. I think if you had chemistry with, you know, if you've been around somebody and you've spoke with them and talked to them and know kind of how they're going to be and they kind of know how you are, you can. Like. Like, Lance was great with everybody. I mean, I. I don't. I don't even recall a person. I'm sure there's a person or two. Lance might not have liked the interview or whatever, but, like, Lance Russell, he was, you know, he was great with Shane. Just come on. I was on Virtual Signing the other night. Shane, come on there. And I told him, hello. He'll be in Jackson September 21st to show that we're gonna be at. [00:57:41] Speaker B: Yes. I hope everybody comes and checks that out. And we're definitely talking more about that in a coming weeks. This big Memphis hall of Fame show in. [00:57:48] Speaker C: Oh, man. [00:57:49] Speaker B: September 21st. [00:57:50] Speaker C: Hey, Gene, you talking about talent? That day that was on tv, just the talent, which, I mean, our crew and. And like you said rock and roll was there with us that day, so it was our crew, maybe, plus a couple and everything. But when we do start talking about the show in September or something, man. What? What? And I know you've done. Talk to the guys putting it on and something. What, man? There's gonna be a ton of talent. It is, aren't there? [00:58:14] Speaker B: I'm so. I'm so excited to go to this thing, man. We're gonna be there promoting the podcast, this podcast, the USWA podcast. But the fan in me, I'm super excited to get to see a lot of these guys I've never had a chance to meet before, so. To get a chance to shake their hand and. [00:58:30] Speaker C: Well, you'll get to meet them and it's a who's who. I mean, just what I've heard now. Now they're still booking this thing, but just what I've heard now and of what I know it's going to be a who's who of wrestling and everything. And yeah, me and you'll get to sit around and probably. Or sit around, talk with a lot of guys and I want to do a little recording there that night. There's a few guys that, from my past and me getting started in the business that are going to be there and everything. That'd be a cool deal. [00:58:59] Speaker B: It's out there. We're not going to go into it now because this podcast will get real long, real quick, but you are going to actually be inducting someone into the Memphis hall of Fame, a guy that was your tag team partner. Like I said, we're not going to get into who it is right now. But when I found out that he was going in the hall of Fame and when I found out you were inducting him, man, I was super excited. I love this guy. He's such a great guy, such a great wrestler. [00:59:21] Speaker C: Hey. [00:59:21] Speaker B: And it's going to be fun. [00:59:23] Speaker C: Hey, he's great. And it's one of the things. And I mean, I got to say his name or not, but one of the things somebody was asking me the other night because I knew what a lot of people asked me about when I say tag team stuff that they always go back. It's always me and Tommy, which, I mean, Tommy was tag team for years too, but. And I love being partners with Tommy and we had great times, great matches and everything. But this guy, they wanted a, a question that, that people wouldn't. They said, what was there a question I thought maybe people about my career that people might not know the answer to? And I said, well, I'm sure there's three or four. I said I'd have to probably think about it a little bit. Don't think. I said, just right off the top of my head, I said, well, one, I said that that might be a little bit difficult. I said, people probably get. I said, who was the first person that I ever won the USWA tag titles with, which I knew what I would get because me and Tommy won them five or six sometimes, whatever it was. But that guy is who I'm inducting into the, the Memphis Pro Wrestling hall of Fame. So to me, that was real cool. And that was at a young age still for me. So that was a cool deal. And I traveled with this guy a lot and learned a lot from him, and. [01:00:33] Speaker B: And we hope to get him on the show here between now and then. But like you said, even if we don't ask him on the podcast, we'll definitely record with him that night. [01:00:41] Speaker C: Well, we can do that. But I told him, I warned him on here, and he said, no problem, buddy. [01:00:45] Speaker B: So I don't. [01:00:46] Speaker C: I don't think it. I don't think it'll be that hard to get him. And he's got. Man, he's. He's got stories and stories. Like I told you. I mean, there's just, as far as, you know, the thing, Gene, that people don't think about, they just look at when we're in the ring. Well, we got to get from home to the arenas to the venues, and then we're at the venues for three hours, two or three, four hours at times, and then we go to the ring and wrestle for 30, 40, 50 minutes of times, and then we come back. Then you got the whole story. And what. Some of the stuff. Some of the stuff that actually happens during these times and when we're cutting promos before the matches and when we're cutting promos, like, you know, a lot of times at the Coliseum after the matches, when we got done, we would cut promos in after we're done. Either. I mean, we could have blood all over us or not, or. But we've, you know, we're still. We've just come out of the ring and with the bag. Lance is done at the ring, and he'd come to the back and we do promos for Louisville and Nashville and Evansville. And, you know, a lot of that, the people never know the stories of. But that's some of the. Yeah, some of the coolest stuff that, you know, that. That I think that people. In which I laugh, like me and Tommy would talk about it a lot, like, a lot of the funny stuff and stuff that people don't know and like you said, as far as what the people think and. And everything. But I mean, like, that. That interview that me and you just listen to, I mean, man, I love that, and I think it's cool when you can get everybody to buy into everything that. That you're doing. And. And to this day, people still watches and still talks about it. [01:02:20] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, I'm glad we got to talk about it because, like I said, it's something that's always fascinated me, and I really wanted to talk to you about it. And before we go, we're kind of against the wall on time here, but I always want to squeeze in at least one fan question because the fans have been great about sending you questions that they want to answer for. So I've got a couple here that I think would probably be lengthy. So this one may be sort of a short answer, but this is from Dakin Duncan from our Facebook page. He would like to know, why were you never in Smoky Mountain Wrestling? [01:02:52] Speaker C: Man, I had the. I was asked a couple times about going, but. But you got to realize every time that I was asked, but. But it was why I was still working in this territory in the usw. That's why it was still going on. But, you know, they would run shows and a couple of our guys, like, I think PG went up there and worked against their tag team champions. Tommy wound up going. Wound up going up there when he left from here and worked for him until they closed down. But I was asked a couple times when we. But there was always shows here. So to me, I. I had told Randy Hills at one time, and I think he'll tell you this will, you know, always keep me. Always keep me here and keep me is. It wasn't so. I think I might have used the words close to home or I said I had rather be, you know, if you got to send two or three guys, because it was doing angles, interpromotional angles. I said, let them go and let me and whoever it is. And the cool thing was you knew Lawler was always going to stay here. So I knew, you know, if they sent a half of the other card, at least you still have Lawler. And I, I could be here to work against him or I'd have somebody else to work against, but I'd always be here. And that was kind of one of the things, which, I mean, that might be silly and maybe I should have went on there or something for night or two or anything, but it just wasn't anything that really, I guess, interested me that much and everything. [01:04:13] Speaker B: Plus, if. If you're not from. If you're not from the area, if you live far off and you just hear Memphis, Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. Well, it's in the same state. Geographically, Tennessee is wide, so Memphis and Knoxville are far apart. You could go states away and be closer than if you were going from Memphis to Knoxville. So that's a big factor. [01:04:36] Speaker C: Well, yeah, I was saying, I mean, men, you can jump from Mississippi to Tennessee to Arkansas in an hour and take Us freaking to. For you to get to my house, it takes two hours for you get from my house to Nashville, it's another two hours for you get from Nashville to Knoxville, you're another two and a half hours. Hours. So not, not saying I hadn't been on a lot longer trips than that, but it's one thing when the territory was like it was and you was kind of used to it here and like I said, but by all means, it wasn't the easiest territory in the world. Like I said. I'd heard Jerry Stubbs and them talk about him, which I told you on last podcast about how great a worker he was. He said he loved the Florida territory because what'd you say the trips wasn't but an hour, hour and a half. You'd be at home every night at Florida and you'd be on the beach every day and which, you know, everybody's got their reasons and everything, but I mean, we just, you know, I guess we thought we was doing everything the, the right way or hope it was anyway. [01:05:30] Speaker B: Well, I'd say it worked out so. Nothing. I, I don't think, I don't think your life would be any more enriched if you'd have had a couple of matches in Smoky Mountain back in. [01:05:40] Speaker C: Well, no, no, I don't think so because unless I'm mistaken, I think, I think like Tommy's last month there, they were supposed to work like 18 days and I can't even remember. And this is not in my forte anyway, but the, the money guy is like a rock and roll guy or something. Was really one. Was that. Was that who it was? [01:05:59] Speaker B: Yeah, that was the main role. [01:06:01] Speaker C: Yeah. And wasn't he a rock and roll guy from California or something? [01:06:05] Speaker B: Yeah, big, big time music producer. [01:06:07] Speaker C: Now what was. So he was a producer. I didn't know I'd heard it one time. It was like one of the bands or something. But see, that shows you know more than I do about all. A lot of this behind the scenes stuff. I can tell you the rest of stuff, business stuff. You probably know more me, but I mean, I just, I never ask. I just. The, the, the word I got was it was a mo. A band, a producer or band guy or something from California. And they was. And they was. He was really rolling some money through there now. They. And I think they was really spending some money by the sounds of it back then. But like last month it was supposed to be open. I think they were supposed to have like 18 shows one month. Maybe they was. Maybe it just Kind of closed or something. I'm not sure. I'm going by, I think what Tommy told me because he was there at that point. [01:06:53] Speaker B: I think Tommy's probably still waiting on a couple of checks from those days. [01:06:57] Speaker C: I think so. And I think if I'm not mistaken, mistaken. I laughed this because somebody was to trying to tell me a story about it and Tommy was with me. I said, and they was telling me a whole different story. I said, well, tell him this story here because if I'm not mistaken, Tommy was the heavyweight champion, wasn't he, when it, when they shut down? Yeah. And that person was telling me some kind of total different story and something about what. Which that's. I wasn't there. So to me it's not my business. But Tommy was there, so I'd say he knows what happened and everything. [01:07:25] Speaker B: That may be a future dangerous conversation when we. I know we got to get Tommy Rich on here at some point. Some point. So. Oh yeah, I'm kind of making some questions for when we have him here. That may be one. [01:07:36] Speaker C: Oh yeah, yeah. You need to make sure and come up with some questions for Tommy because he's around, he's around quite often and we'll sure have him on here and get, get his outlook on a few things. [01:07:47] Speaker B: Oh, I've got plenty. I'm, I'm a huge, a huge Tommy Rich fan. Just like I am a fan of the Gilberts and Lawler and everybody else. So yes, I'm looking forward to when that happens. Happens. [01:07:57] Speaker A: But. [01:07:57] Speaker B: All right, Doug, it's been a great episode too. I think everybody's going to enjoy this show just as much as they enjoyed episode one. And hey, we're rolling on the three. [01:08:08] Speaker C: Hey, I just want to tell you, hey, thanks Gene. And hey, thanks everybody for watching. I'd like for everybody to, to tune in and I appreciate everybody that's watching and, or listening and like I said, we'll see you next week. Peace, everybody. [01:10:04] Speaker A: Foreign. [01:10:15] Speaker F: This is Wrestling Nostalgia, the podcast that dives into wrestling history. Hey wrestling fans, I'm Dave Dynasty and if you enjoy podcasts that are knowledgeable and history driven, then Wrestling Nostalgia is for you. With great guests and fun interviews. There are over 200 episodes in our archives. We chat with several first time guests and often cover topics not discussed on other podcasts. Look up Wrestling Nostalgia on your favorite podcast platform and visit all of our links at linktree wrasslepod. That is L I N K T R E E slash R A S S L E E O D and remember Wherever you go, whatever you do, be good, be safe, and keep on growing.