One of the shows I really enjoyed from the good old days of The Wrestling Channel were the ones that looked back at the glory days of the Memphis wrestling scene. We got to see footage from Lawler versus Hogan, Lawler versus Kaufman, the likes of the Road Warriors, Austin Idol and many more.
So when the DVD release of Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’ came through my letterbox the other day I knew I was going to be in for a treat.
Produced by Off The Top Rope Productions and directed by Chad Schaffler, this release tells the story of one of the greatest territories in the history of American professional wrestling and how they thrived.
With some of the greatest names in the business, the likes of Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Hart, Johnny Valiant, Jackie Fargo, Rocky Johnson and promoter Jerry Jarrett take us on a journey beginning with the carnival days of Sputnik Monroe right up to the mid-80’s when Hart left the territory for the green pastures of New York.
It really is a remarkable story, of how Jarrett took over the territory from Nick Gulas by fair means or foul and built it to the point where their live Saturday morning television show would get ratings that Vince McMahon would sell his soul to the devil for as well as continually selling out the Mid-South Coliseum every Monday night, and this was long before cable television and the world wide web.
But as good as the main feature is, it’s the extras that make this the gem that it is. Although there’s no full matches there’s tons of highlights from the Saturday morning and Coliseum shows and even more interviews.
In conclusion – if you’re a lifelong wrestling fan, or even if you’re new to wrestling and you want to explore it’s rich history then you need to get this DVD. It’s extremely well made, and all of those concerned should be proud of their efforts, which is why Memphis Heat gets the big thumbs up.
With thanks to the powers that be for supplying a copy of this release. For more information on Memphis Heat, visit the official site at www.memphis-heat.com or the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/memphisheat.
And don’t forget to check out my website at twoshedsreview.blogspot.com.
