[1990-12-29-USWA-Memphis TV] Interview: Eddie Gilbert

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

"Wanted" posters with Eddie Gilbert's name has been plastered everywhere. A $50,000 bounty has now been put on Gilbert! Gilbert blames Lawler. He insists it's not him that put the bounty on Lawler's head. He is very unhappy about this, and says he knows that Lawler will deny that he had anything to do with it when everyone knows the truth. Eddie Gilbert is my favorite interview at this point, and I am really intrigued by where this angle is going.

[PeteF3]

I don't know if that's where it'll go but I love the idea of a new third threat putting bounties on both the top babyfaces and heels.

[Kevin Ridge]

There are now wanted posters for Eddie Gilbert. He says he not responsible for the bounty after Lawler. Big bounty for Gilbert as $50K. Gilbert ain’t wrestling on TV. The people will need to pay to see him wrestle. Big money being offered up on all thse bounties.

[soup23]

The best promo man of the year closes out 1990 with a great one. The bounty concept is really interesting. Favorite moment is when Gilbert runs down the fans and they cut to a crowd shot and someone gives Gilbert the bird.

[ajtroma]

If you look closely at the poster, it clearly has Lawler's handwriting on it.

[garretta]

Bountymania is running wild in Memphis, as now it's Eddie's turn to feel the heat. He's so crazy over this that he dares Dave Brown, of all people, to try and claim the fifty grand on his head. I'd have laughed my head off if he'd agreed (by proxy, of course).

 

Seriously, this is paranoid Eddie at his best. He naturally blames Lawler for the bounty despite the King's earlier denials, and he has a point about Lawler being one of the dirtiest wrestlers in Memphis despite being the top babyface. I only hope that this angle doesn't peter out in the new year, because it seems like the type of angle that Memphis has always done so well. Even if the payoff is a bit mundane (Lawler and Gilbert each putting a bounty on the other, for example), the twists and turns that we'll undoubtedly take to get there will make the ride so much fun.

 

Eddie has another point: he knows that he's made the fans mad enough at him that one of them could try and attack him right there on TV in an attempt to get the bounty, so he justifiably refuses to wrestle in the studio. We've seen heels refuse to wrestle on TV many times, of course, but seldom have they actually had a reason beyond inflated ego. Another great booking twist by Jarrett.

[dawho5]

Eddie refusing to wrestle on TV because of the bounty is incredible. He looks so hurt and upset by it. The bounty on Lawler, whether it was Eddie's doing or not, definitely got a different reaction.