I'm hosting a weekly podcast with Jerry Jarrett - help me out!

[Sean Liska]

So somehow I've pulled off the task of getting to pick Jerry Jarrett's mind once a week for an hour for a podcast. To me, outside of Vince McMahon, I don't know who alive has more interesting stories to tell than Jerry. This board is the smartest one on the internet - please, feel free, just start firing questions or topics at me here. Everything is on the table. I'm as fascinated by wrestling history as everyone else here. I've watched almost the whole year of 1979 WWF TV from the Network by god.

 

We plan on picking a general topic from Memphis ever week and going into depth on it.

 

https://twitter.com/JerryJarrett/status/995766600149200898

 

https://twitter.com/JerryJarrett/status/995766880957759488

 

https://twitter.com/JerryJarrett/status/995767053117198336

[Ricky Jackson]

That's awesome man. Can't wait to hear it

[Migs]

Congrats!

 

So, not sure how general you'd like the topics to be, but here's a few off the top of my head:

 

- ANDY KAUFMAN

- Memphis booking philosophy, specifically the Lawler slays the giant years

- The haircut angle with Idol/Rich

- The origin of the concession stand brawls

- Lawler winning the AWA title in '88 (and that period working with the AWA and World Class in general)

- The WWF invasion angle in '93

[Al]

The origins of the scaffold match

[Beast]

Why Bruce Prichard is full of it.

[conker8]

I do have a question for Mr. Jarrett :

 

Why does he give the book to Jerry Lawler in late 77 (we saw the appearances of a Spiderman and Dr. Frank) and what does he think of Lawler as a booker.

[Matt D]

Working with Lawler as booker vs Dundee as booker would be great.

 

And negotiating with Verne for years about potentially getting the AWA belt.

[Johnny Sorrow]

Congratulations, man. That's awesome. Have fun, and I can't wait to listen.

[Sean Liska]

Ugh the Bruce Prichard fans are coming after Jerry already. Well, the Bruce stuff has been a positive and a negative for the show I guess.

[C.S.]

Ugh the Bruce Prichard fans are coming after Jerry already. Well, the Bruce stuff has been a positive and a negative for the show I guess.

 

I'm enjoying the Prichard show, but the fact that *cue Conrad's voice* Brother-fucking-Love has rabid fans is a bit scary to me.

[shoe]

Difficulties in booking the champ, and how difficult was it to come up with finishes the NWA or AWA champ were okay with.

[Matt D]

I'd be curious about the advertising. They had the TV but I'm not sure about other things they did.

Or maybe about running the same stuff in different towns over different weeks. There had to be people who talked to one another, just over the phone, even in a pre-internet age.

[Sean Liska]

Thanks for the responses! Lets keep this going! I love the intelligence of this forum. I can ask him anything. He worked with Lou Thesz, Harley Race, Terry Funk, Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, Bruiser Brody, The Rock, Sting, Jack Brisco, Undertaker, Billy Robinson, Warrior, he booked Georgia, we can ask him about other territory promoters, Vince Sr, Sam Muschnick, Eddie Graham, NWA conventions, I mean, this is our chance everyone, I'm the PWO rep getting history out of a guy who has more to share than almost anyone alive, there's no limit here.

[C.S.]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned TNA. Is that off limits?

 

If not, I'd ask:

 

1. What was the long-term plan for TNA?

 

2. Who was underrated/underused in TNA?

 

3. Who did you want for TNA that you weren't able to get?

 

Edit: Never mind - the OP says Memphis.

[Victator]

I would like to hear about the declining years of Memphis. From the merger with WCCW to when he decided to sell his portion to Lawler. I don't think that area has been explored much.

If you ever feel comfortable with him. Ask about Gary Hart, if you can be discreet doing it.

[Sean Liska]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned TNA. Is that off limits?

 

If not, I'd ask:

 

1. What was the long-term plan for TNA?

 

2. Who was underrated/underused in TNA?

 

3. Who did you want for TNA that you weren't able to get?

 

Edit: Never mind - the OP says Memphis.

No that's not off limits. It probably wouldn't be in the first month or two of shows as his passion is Memphis but I can see us getting there, sure.

[peachchaos]

I really have nothing to add other than this is gonna be extremely cool for fans of Memphis wrestling and I can't wait to listen!

[SomethingSavage]

Agreed. There's a lot of fascinating ground that could be covered.

 

- a comparison/contrast of the Fabs/Rock-n-Rolls.

 

- a deep dive look into some of the memorable Memphis vignettes.

 

- the Texas/Tennessee feud.

 

- his thoughts on Lawler's stints as booker and how they impacted his own booking strategies upon returning for the next season.

 

- the process of introducing Jimmy Valiant to the scene, and the eventual decision to run with him as a top guy in Lawler's absence.

 

- his time in New York, if it can be approached respectfully enough at this point.

 

- his favorite Lawler rival: Dundee, Dutch, Idol, etc.

 

- the talent exchange with Mid-South, his thoughts on the trades that were made, and how he felt about what Dundee did for Watts' business.

 

- how would he specifically describe hot shotting, and how did Memphis get away with doing so much (on TV and weekly at the Coliseum) for so long without burning out or killing the territory? I'm sure there's a better way to frame or phrase the topic, but hopefully you get the idea.

 

That's all I've got for now, although I can't promise I won't have more in the future. Here's hoping all goes well with it, man.

[Log]

I would like to hear about the declining years of Memphis. From the merger with WCCW to when he decided to sell his portion to Lawler. I don't think that area has been explored much.

 

If you ever feel comfortable with him. Ask about Gary Hart, if you can be discreet doing it.

What's his history with Hart? Why would Sean need to be discreet asking about him?

[Matt D]

We know the least about the 60s and 70s, so that's what I hear the most about, working in the Gulas/Welch office as an assistant in the 60s for instance.

[...TG]

 

I would like to hear about the declining years of Memphis. From the merger with WCCW to when he decided to sell his portion to Lawler. I don't think that area has been explored much.

 

If you ever feel comfortable with him. Ask about Gary Hart, if you can be discreet doing it.

What's his history with Hart? Why would Sean need to be discreet asking about him?

 

Gary trashed Jarrett in his book, including printing the (almost certainly false) rumor that Roy Welch is Jarrett's father.

[Sean Liska]

Love it all! Feel free to keep adding here until the show is done, as far as I'm concerned (which hopefully will be a few years). I will try to get to all of these, I love the community here.

[Ricky Jackson]

So when is this bad boy set to start?

[Sean Liska]

Next week. Cool announcement on social media coming today.

[Cox]

I'll follow what's going on with this podcast here. Jerry Jarrett has become unfollowable on Twitter very quickly since he spends all of his time basically quote tweeting Bruce Prichard trolls. If I wanted to follow a Twitter account that quote tweeted Bruce Prichard trolls all day, I wouldn't have unfollowed Dave Meltzer.