MEMPHIS, TN – Memphis is known for many things: barbecue, the blues, Elvis and wrestling.
From the 1950’s to the 1980’s Memphis was a hotbed of wrestling, with a television show that pulled higher ratings than the World Series.
Now, a new movie documenting the golden era of Memphis wrestling is ready to make its world premiere.
‘Memphis Heat: The True Story of Memphis Wrasslin’, will open at the Malco Paradiso Theater in Memphis on March 24, 2011.
Sherman Willmott is the co-Executive Producer of Memphis Heat; he has many fond memories of that time.
“They were the hottest show in the territory,” said Willmott, “possibly the nation.”
Just how hot was Memphis wrestling back in its hay day?
“They outranked the World Series, Little House on the Prairie, Sanford and Son,” said Willmott, “it was the number one television show with approximately an 80 share, which is unheard of today.”
Wrestling stars from that era feel the new movie is appropriately titled.
“We did have a lot of heat,” Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart told abc24.com, “Memphis Heat is the right word for it, because back then we did have a lot of heat.”
Former Mid-South wrestler/promoter Buddy Wayne has a featured role in the movie, and his theory of wrestling’s popularity.
“Wrestling has always appealed to people I think,” said Wayne, “because you have your good against your evil.”
Wayne had another theory on wrestling’s popularity.
“A lot of guys couldn’t wrestle that good,” Wayne told abc24.com, “but they had a lot of charisma and they could draw in the people.”
“People will love this film,” said Willmott, “it is 90 minutes of unadulterated entertainment and it’s going to show the world what Memphis really was in the world of wrestling.”
Tickets are now on sale at malco.com or check out the Memphis Heat Facebook page.
Here's a link to the video
http://www.abc24.com/news/state/story/Memphis-Heat-The-True-Story-Of-Memphis-Wrasslin/5DLgr6mdR0W8G76LWYJILA.cspx?rss=60
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