Memphis Wrestling: Jimmy Hart's farewell

It was never the same after this..... :(

[@Votedjt2024]

I really love Jimmy hart and the frist family

[@daviddavidson8050]

The Mouth of The South Jimmy Hart and Lance Russell ladies and gentlemen! Classic.

[@beltonmike4310]

You are correct. It was never the same after this. The Memphis promotion really went down after Hart left..

[@Kelski1998]

The time frame would fit for him to go to the WWF! Because he was at the first Wrestle Mania on March 31st, 1985!

[@ronaldshank7589]

He did that, so he would be suspended, and, I guess, eventually fired. That way, he could have time off to prepare for going to the Then-WWF. What a way to go! Poor Lance Russell, though...man ends up getting floured like that. Jimmy Hart couldn't just come out, be a man, and say his goodbyes that way... like a true gentleman. I guess that he did what he did, though, as a way of not breaking Kayfabe. If that's the case, then I'd have to say that Jimmy Hart handled the situation the only way that he could, in order to protect Kayfabe. I think that, somewhere inside himself, even Lance Russell had to know that that was all Jimmy Hart was doing, and, afterwards, actually respected Jimmy Hart for not breaking Kayfabe, even if it did mean a confrontation such as this.

[@arkansoul]

After Hart left for the WWF, Memphis survived but it was never the same afterwards. If you ever watch the documentary Memphis Heat, notice it ends when Hart left for the WWF. To me, this is when Memphis Rasslin' died.

[@kingsports1113]

Jimmy Hart was the soul to Jerry Lawler

[@arkansoul]

When Lawler and Eddie Gilbert wrestled in that Loser leaves town match, Hart had already left Memphis. In fact, it was a double Jimmy Hart at ringside during the match. Hart, indeed, was at WrestleMania.

[@stevengreen4620]

They should call The Memphis Police Department at Jimmy Hart for doing that he should be charged for felony assault.

[@GregoryWeagle]

Well, why not? Billy Travis got shoot arrested on television so hard that Lawler had to make it look like a work.

[@HyperRoboTenguris1984]

In 2001, when they had the TV shoe "Opening the Vault: Memphis Classic Wrestling", which took a look at the history of Memphis Wrestling, Lance Russell, who made a guest appearance on one episode, managed to get revenge on Jimmy Hart for the flour incident by doing the same to Hart. Livid, Hart swore to get even on Jerry Lawler, Corey Maclin (sic), Lance, and Dave Brown for that (it was before the Clash at the Legends 2001 event, I believe, where Lawler fought a Hart-managed Lord Humongous).

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

Look at the MSC clip. For years and years, they left the house lights on during matches so people watching on television could see the big crowds for themselves. This not being the case here meant the bottom was already falling out.

[@PsychoGolazo]

Yes, Memphis wasn't the same, but he went to bigger and better things for the next 16 years with WWF and WCW and everyone should be proud with him.

[@buckshady75]

Thank you for this. You are my hero

[@BigOrangePred]

Lance's Lansky suit was ruined. Seriously this was a job. Hart had graduated to the WWF. He wanted his departure from Memphis to be a memorable one. Lancer was always a consumate pro and went along with this. GEEZ how I miss those days...

[@zt1053]

And as soon as Jimmy got to the wwf he convinced vince to make an offer to randy savage

[@tronjames6341]

Just to see Jimmy Hart getting kicked out back then may thought it was over for him. But little did we all know he was about to become apart of the Machine that took wrestling to the top.

[@4thandinches]

4:43 " I am acting pissed off , now do you have anything else to say, Jimmy?"

[@WOOTRIGG]

This was when he went to New York?

[@whitemoses]

Man that is classic. Thanks for posting!

[@Darrencardinal]

Everybody saying it was never the same after this.... damn right. This was in the wake of Eddie Gilbert losing a loser-leave-town match with Jerry Lawler. Gilbert lost, so Jimmy had to leave, and went to WWF. Broke my heart.

[@spencergreen4570]

+Darren McIntyre me to but he would never be known less he went to a big company like WWF which i hate them

[@BanditJustice]

I thought the loser leave town match was setup after Jimmy Hart signed with WWF/WWE

[@arkansoul]

Scott Bowden was indeed good, but he followed Hart. Kinda like singing on stage after Elvis. Bowden looked like he tried too hard whereas Jimmy Hart was a natural thorn in the side. I don't know this for sure, but I think Bowden stayed in Memphis and not go to the WWF because he could be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Plus, being in Memphis was a dream come true.

[@dagdogg]

I heard Marlin gave Lance full authority that day so the suspension on Hart stuck.

[@johnnieneal6077]

When Jimmy Hart left for wwf Memphis wrestling was never the same wrestling was better back in day

[@TheDavidJasonReed]

If you're in the Nashville area, be sure to tune into 104.5 The Zone's Inside Pro Wrestling with Jerry Jarrett this Saturday, June 5. Jimmy Hart will be our guest, and we'll recount the Memphis days. Visit our Facebook page, Inside Pro Wrestling.

[@BigOrangePred]

Seeing a lot of comments here. What I have heard in interviews with Hart, Lawler, Dundee & Jarrett was that about 18 months prior to this Hart was offered a deal to head to Mid South (Bill Watts), that likely would have lead Jimmy to WCW rather than the WWF/E. Jarrett got pissed and basically told Hart to go to hell and felt it was disloyalty. Hart was offended and told Jarrett to go screw himself. Lawler & Dundee went to Jarrett and basically begged for Hart to get a new, more lucrative contract. Hart held out and got a clause in the contract that would allow him to leave at will after 12 months. Vince came calling. Hart had been on the road and was told by his wife that "some guy named Vince McMahon" had called several times. Jimmy thought it was a rib and blew it off. A couple of weeks later Vince's office called and left messages again, still Jimmy wasn't buying it. Can't remember who it was, but someone from Vince's staff eventually actually happened to catch Jimmy at home. He flew to CT the very next day and worked out a contract. Lawler got wind of the deal and called to ask Jimmy if it was real. The deal hadn't been finalized yet and Hart, fearing a reprisal of what he'd already been through as well as worried that Jarrett might kill the deal somehow, lied and denied it. For the record, Jimmy fully admitted this part. The WWF/E travel office called and told Jimmy he was needed in Pittsburgh. Hart figured, if you're gonna go, go out BIG! Russell actually DID think he was suspending Hart here (trust me, he had far more pull than Marlin). Hart literally left the studio, stopping long enough to tell some of the wrestlers he was particularly close to (Lawler, Dundee & Mantell) good bye, drove his rental car to the airport and flew to Pittsburgh, for all intents and purposes to never return.

[@steeltownbrown52]

Who is Marlin?

[@timparkin8859]

Eddie Marlin. He was the "matchmaker" or General Manager, as we call them today for Memphis. This is a great story though. I had heard Jarrett was sometimes an ass to work with back then.

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

If this was a shoot, why didn't Lance Russell beat Jimmy Hart up if he was legitimately that badly pissed off?

[@kacebox174]

@@kurtvanderbogarde8402 WMC-TV likely didn't want their talents getting in actual fights which both Lance Russell and Dave Brown were.

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

@@kacebox174 if this was a shoot, then Lance Russell would have a reasonable case for self defence. Russell was assaulted.

[@zzremington]

Jimmy Hart was great in the Memphis Days. Then he took the big bucks and became lame as hell (I understand the payday though, that's why you come up through the Memphis-type deals). Jimmy was great in those days.

[@frankcabanski9409]

In WWF, he was a pale imitation of his own character.

[@larrystarstruck]

This reminds of an angle used about 2 years later where Hector Guerrero had flour in a pinata and Lance Russell handed flour to Jeff Jarett later in a match for revenge.

[@cfx5000]

The two idiots with the gold capes, laughing at Lance. LOL

[@BigOrangePred]

Hart got hired by the WWF/WWE. His exit brought HUGE heat. It was never the same afterward. Coronet, Dangerously (Heyman), and a seemingly endless parade of fat slob managers - none could fill Hart's shoes. Coronet & Dangerously did their own thing and they were great at it, but there was only 1 mouth of the South.

[@manuelper]

Cornette was gone by this time too.

[@leegraves8878]

@@manuelper Had been gone a couple years he was in Charlotte by 85.

[@MisterBeauJanGels]

@@leegraves8878 He was in Dallas at this time. Charlotte came later.

[@Michael1966W]

Memphis was never the same Why did he leave?

[@dansaint2249]

WWE offered him a job.

[@OaktownABQ]

Since when does a TV announcer have the authority to suspend someone? LOL

[@wickedmountain]

love it! remember when brandon baxter tried to recreate this in the 90s! so great!

[@PsychoGolazo]

@MemphoWrasslin1 I don't see him complaining anytime soon. Of course he enjoyed the Memphis days. The Lawler-Kaufman feud in Memphis, put him into the national spotlight. However following the money, lots of national TV time, booking WCW Saturday Night, creating entrance music to numerous superstars and a member of WWE Hall of Fame, he pretty much enjoyed his life.

[@joeyphillips67]

Lance Russell covered in flour! Is that funny or what?

[@joescout]

@midmoshooter i believe it was eddie gilbert

[@DoubleAgents]

YOU CAN'T DUMP FLOUR ON LANCE!!!!!

[@Fruth37]

I'm laughing like a fool right now. Lance getting flour poured on him is the best!

[@BigOrangePred]

Lance had to head to Lansky's for another suit.

[@kingsports1113]

Damn Lance Russell wasn't the same without Jimmy Hart bring the heat

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

3:58 Lance Russell needs a sense of humour implant if he thinks a bag of flour over him was the worst thing Jimmy Hart had ever pulled. Russell would never have coped with being a clown in the circus in the days before pies were invented!

[@kingsports1113]

Jimmy Hart did far more worse then this lol Lance Russell c was more made he was leaving

[@johnnieneal6077]

Memphis wrestling was never the same when Jimmy Hart was gone to wwf

[@marinerfan19]

yeah, if you ring the bell enough times, they'll stop. .lol

[@TheSlashTraxNetwork]

Just once i wanna see all the wrestlers doing an attack hear the bell ringing over and over then acf terrified of it and stop the beatdown and run away lol

[@CSAlmanac]

@MemphoWrasslin1 Reminds me of Dave Brown in 1996 finally pulling the trigger on years of threatening to have someone thrown off of WMC-TV. When Randy Hales KOed Cory Maclin Dave finally made good on his word and had Hales barred from the television station. Everyone bought it because Dave had been at WMC for 20 years by then and everyone knew he had some kind of legit power behind the scenes as far as the TV show was concerned anyway.

[@ericthomas7560]

Lance Russell was the boss

[@PeeboTyson]

All the terrible things Jimmy has done and he gets suspended for throwing flour on an announcer. It was "the lowest thing you ever done", according to Russell. I beg to differ. And if Russell has the ability to suspend people why didn't he do it before to Jimmy or to anyone else after when they did similar or worse things.

[@jewggerz]

Tojo Yamamoto hanged and whipped the owner's son and he didn't get fired.

[@Rayla840]

Who's the dope trying to cut a promo while Lance has flour all over him?

[@zt1053]

Kurt Van Der Bogarde they both went to midsouth wrestling after this and feuded with the Rock and Roll Express

[@zt1053]

Kurt Van Der Bogarde They gave him a partner in 1990 or 1991 and were labeled the new dirty white boys But it was nowhere near as good as the version in the early to mid-80s

[@stubby84]

how could an announcer suspend someone?

[@mrcoffey1972]

do you have anything with eric embry & tom prichard w ms texas

[@jarnec9428]

I guess Jimmy wanted to "deflour" Lance.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

Lance should have given him a beating, or they should have booked a loser leave town match between Lance and Jimmy. Would have made an unforgettable TV moment. 😞😦😒

[@JourneyToMars]

Jonathan Turbide About a week later, they did a match between Jerry Lawler and Eddie Gilbert, in which the stipulation was if Lawler won, Jimmy Hart would have to leave Memphis for a year. Well, Lawler won, and the rest is history.

[@reba062002]

that was cool

[@deanw0rmer]

You don't fuck with Lance! Rule number 1! lol

[@crow672008]

This killed Memphis Wrestling. Jimmy Hart was so awesome in Memphis. The promoters ego kill wrestling and let Vince take over.

[@SUPERNUTKING]

+Allen Woodall you are probably from that area because the area I grew up in the promoter was a great guy he made sure the top talent came to this area & the guys who wrestled here would come back even Roddy Piper moved to the area because he fell in love with it all the promoter would do was pick up the phone & call Roddy & he would come help out in anyway. you hear Michael Cole say on monday nights that raw is the longest running episodic show in history well monday night raw still hasn't even come to within 10 years of the local wrestling show which ran on tv for 38 continuous years. What really killed Memphis wrestling & other local promotions was people like Vince McMahon & Ted Turner

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

@@SUPERNUTKING Memphis did alright for a while because of Vince, what with the talent exchanges.

[@madbrowniac7871]

First time I've ever seen Denton without a "Grappler" mask on. Denton and Anthony would go on to participate in two territorial vendettas that were also downright bizarre. Anthony plotted against Tom Prichard in 1988 in Continental and tried to hang him with a leather belt. A few years later as The Grappler in Portland, Oregon, Denton insulted Billy Jack Haynes's dad (who was in a wheelchair) which neither Haynes nor Rowdy Roddy Piper was incredibly amused by.B.W.

[@BanditJustice]

Who is the guy that came out at the 3:17 point in this video?

[@BottomlessJackDaniel]

I'd be interested in doing a trade for a copy of this DVD. I have over 7,000 discs to choose from if you are ever interested!

[@Supadave7]

OMG Dave Brown was at one point NOT GREY! Once again, Lance Russell FTW.

[@MrIndeeply]

HAHAHAHA LANCE RUSSELL GETS FLOWERED

[@kurtvanderbogarde8402]

floured although flowered would have been a fun idea too.

[@jewggerz]

They should have had Lance lay him out. Place would have popped huge and they could have booked a match between the two or between two surrogates at the Memphis arena in a loser leaves town match.

[@OaktownABQ]

An announcer has the authority to suspend someone?

[@PsychoGolazo]

@MemphoWrasslin1 Let me counter with this... he follows the money like everyone else.

[@midmoshooter]

I thought I remembered Jerry Lawler fighting Rick Rude and the loser had to leave Memphis and Lawler won. I remember the rumors that it was set up because Hart was moving to bigger and better things with the WWF. Anyone remember that match?

[@markbowman6655]

That was a waste of a tremendous talent and stupid booked angle of having Lance whom I like "suspend" Hart, someone mentioned a so much better Lose Leave Town type match.

[@arthurprior3494]

What a rip off! What kind of farewell is that? He was supposed to get the snot beat out of him by the big face or get fired by the head of the promotion. What was that he was suspended by an announcer? He's right too what authority does Lance Wright have to suspend people?

[@GShea]

Arthur Prior Yo, Art - if you can't get the name of the ICON Lance RUSSELL correct, your opinion kinda negates itself.......