Memphis Heat Is Entertaining!!

Everybody who enjoys wrestling need to go see “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’,” the first feature documentary about the heyday of local professional wrestling. Produced by Sherman Willmott and Ron Hall and directed by Chad Schaffler, the two-years-in-the-making “Memphis Heat” It was a time when Sputnik Monroe, Jackie Fargo, Tojo Yamamoto, Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Jimmy Valiant, Jimmy Hart, had one of the largest audiences every Saturday morning on Memphis television. “Memphis Heat” features new interviews with many of the key participants in the wrestling scene, Buddy Wayne, Jimmy Valiant, Bill Dundee, Jerry Lawler, Jerry Jarrett, Billy Wicks, Jimmy Hart, Guy Coffey, Jackie Fargo, Jerry Calhoun, Len Rossi, & Jim Blake. whose stories is augmented with vintage photographs and film clips. The movie starts with the introduction of Sputnik Monroe, he was the first of the “heels”, bad-guy, fans loved to hate.


Memphis Heat had interviews talking about Jerry Lawler’s manager from the past, Sam Bass ( age 41) Who died July 27, 1976 in a car crash along with Frank Hester and Pepe Lopez near Dickson, Tennessee. The film also spotlighted on the Andy Kaufman angle with Jerry Lawler, the footage of Joe LeDuc, who carried an ax into the WMC-TV Channel 5 studio and carved cuts into his forearm while reciting a “blood oath” of vengeance. That haunted me as a kid watching him do that to his arm on live TV,lol. The famous “Tupelo Concession Stand Brawl” was also talked about in the film. Stories from the Ellis Auditorium to the Mid-South Coliseum, from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s, this was wrestling stories you will never forget.


If you have a chance make sure you have plans to go see this exciting documentary about Memphis Wrestling. I had so much fun; I think if it had lasted five hours I wouldn’t be bored. It was exciting to see my heroes from the past on the big screen talking about the days when wrestling was at its best. I’m going to talk to Sherman Willmott and hoping he brings “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’”, to the Tupelo area and If it’s already showing in your area, support this film, it’s a must-see. I’m hoping with the success of this film there will be “Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’ Part II”….that would be GREAT!!