Wrestling MarketWatch: Goin’ South!

We’re goin’ south! A little trip back to the southern wrestling territories and promotions, that is. It’s truly fascinating how something like professional wrestling could have different flavors wherever you went in the country or even the world. The presentation, the in-ring style and even the fans themselves could be as different as night and day from region to region. Even more interesting, and perhaps worthy of some sort of study, is how many wrestlers were able to adapt going from area to area. Even still, why did some flounder upon moving? Regardless, in this latest edition of MarketWatch we’re going to look at a few items from the southern wrestling territories. Grab your Diet Cheerwine and a drumstick from Bojangles, we’re headed for Dixie!

*While traces of the territorial system still exist and certainly independent promotions in some areas will differ from others, the wrestling landscape is largely a different animal nowadays. The last true territory in the eyes of many people was Jim Cornette’s Smoky Mountain Wrestling. From 1991 to 1995 the promotion used a mix of established stars and up-and-comers to reflect Cornette’s vision of what wrestling should be. To this day the shows and matches from SMW thrill fans, but there just wasn’t enough support at the time to keep it afloat. Not only does Corny need to make a return to public appearances, but why not give SMW another shot? I think we need another dose of quality southern wrestling. The very first SMW Ringside Report recently sold for $38.

*Another man who had his hand in not only the on-air portion of the product but also the behind-the-scenes aspect of southern wrestling was “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. You know that Dusty is one of the G.O.A.T.’s around this blog, so I won’t go into all of his accomplishments yet again. You also know of the beloved Mello Yello ad-campaign that Dusty helmed in a deal with Jim Crockett Promotions thanks to several blog entries and the great commercials on YouTube. The Mello Yello cans featuring the mugs of various NWA stars are highly collected to this day and not always the easiest to find. The aluminum masterpiece featuring The Dream himself recently sold for $60. I really miss Mello Yello Zero. Just sayin’.

*It’s sort of a trend that we’re featuring stars who were as prominent behind the scenes as they were on camera. Ole Anderson is another that fits the bill. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times more: for as much as it’s written that Ole is grumpy this and opinionated that, he was always great to me. Always willing to sign autographs, take photos and, especially, talk. The word is that his health has plummeted in recent years and I wish nothing but the best for him. Talk about real promos and a real wrestling style. Ole wrote the book on both. He also had the book for Georgia Championship Wrestling. The July 1980 Georgia Ringsider program, featuring a shot of an irate Ole being interviewed by Gordon Solie, recently sold for $27.

*If you’re talking the south, southern wrestling and southern boys you have to be talking Michael P.S. Hayes. Wrestling’s original bad boy and the leader of The Fabulous Freebirds. (What’s your excuse?) He was wrestling’s equivalent to a southern rocker, lived the life and even lived to tell about it. He also cut a record that has been prominently featured here on the blog many times over the years. When I see a photo that appeared here in the blog show up elsewhere, it’s usually because no one else has ever written much about a particular item. Well, my original shot of the “Off The Streets” album has appeared everywhere around the globe. Accompanying this paragraph is a new one, now complete with signatures, just ready to be shared and shared and shared. A sealed copy of this infamous album recently sold for $450.

*No discussion that includes southern wrestling and music is complete without “The Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart. The former member of The Gentry’s broke into wrestling largely because of his musical fame and found a way to bring all of his talents together. It’s hard to believe that in just a few months we’ll be celebrating the 80^th birthday of The Mouth! Even more amazing is that he’s still the hardest working man in wrestling. If you’re a fan of meeting wrestling legends and you still haven’t met Jimmy Hart, you just aren’t trying. This time we’re not looking at any of his records but rather a classic Memphis “Action Ringside” program featuring The Mouth looking very much in pain…in his Superman attire. A copy of this program recently sold for $40.

As always with our MarketWatch blog entries the prices shown are for unsigned examples despite the photos displaying otherwise. The old southern territories had a certain energy that lives on through great memorabilia like this. Like many of you in just a few days I plan on going south for the love of classic professional wrestling. It’s simply a different world and I love every second. A great southern wrestling fan, the late Peggy Lathan, once said to me, “Josh, you’re southern at heart.” I treasure those words even more than the items that you see here.

Totally '80s! Wrestling Merchandise Magazine Ads

It was the golden age of merchandising in professional wrestling! Gone were the days where you had to attend an actual wrestling event to snap up whatever items you could get your hands on. Photos, programs, and the occasional bumper sticker or pennant were great, but now the world had action figures, watches, videotapes, and even record albums! Best of all, you could order them straight from the pages of your favorite wrestling magazine. A decade earlier, kids were sneaking peeks of stuff that "older brother" or "creepy, lonely neighbor" were ordering from these same publications. By 1989, the younger market was being completely taken care of with (usually) age-appropriate items from various wrestling companies.

The ads that you're about to see all emanate from the pages of the February 1989 issue of Inside Wrestling, featuring a great cover shot of the newly-christened Brainbusters--Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson. I'm not including this as an edition of our "From The Musty Yellowed Pages" series, as we aren't really looking into the magazine but rather just the ads. Most of these ads can be found in multiple magazines of the time, but this seemed like a good issue to look at with a wide variety of merchandise spanning several promotions.

Right inside of the front cover are two fantastic ads. The first is one of two ads in the issue from "The Wrestling Ring" company which was based out of Baltimore, MD. A search on any Internet wrestling forum will likely yield at least a couple of nostalgic stories from fans who ordered from "The Wrestling Ring." No longer in business, the mail-order company seemed to have capitalized on the time of the "Rock N Wrestling" era. This ad focuses on WWF digital watches. You can choose from Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Koko B. Ware, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, who was already gone from the WWF. Also in this ad are two early NWA foam belts which are relatively in demand these days. Note the wrestling ring that the fist is "bursting" through is fashioned using posts and turnbuckles from the LJN WWF ring.

 On the first actual page of the issue is an ad for "A Von Erich Extravaganza!" This ad is direct from the publishing company itself which must have had an overstock of the Von Erich's "Front Row Ringside" VHS video and "A Family Album" book. The album itself has been featured before on this very blog, and the "Front Row Ringside" video can be viewed as of press time on a very popular online video site. The original video as well as the book both prove to still be popular whenever the show up on the market today.

Later in the issue we get an ad from the other side of the World Class Championship Wrestling saga, that being Michael Hayes and the Fabulous Freebirds. Although the glory days of the promotion and its stars had passed by 1989, the merchandise was still there. The full page ad straight from "Badstreet" features a plethora of items celebrating "The Baddest of the Bad and The Meanest of the Mean." The legendary "Off The Streets" album by Hayes himself has been featured here many times and was available in this ad for just $9.95, including the infamous "Michael Hayes Exposed" poster. You could also join the fan club, hang Hayes on your wall, or wear a Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy "Bad To The Bone" t-shirt!

The Weston or Apter Mags were never shy about ads for back issues of their various publications. Here we see that for a time the company was even bundling back issues together focusing on one particular superstar. This time we get "A Special Offer For All 'Hulkamaniacs'" featuring ten different cover stories of Hulk Hogan. Pictured is a somewhat husky young Hulkamaniac, decked out in a 1985ish "Hulkster" headband, Pro Wrestling Illustrated t-shirt, and one of the aforementioned foam NWA Championship belts. He's representing '80s rasslin' to the max. Just $19.95 got you all ten issues. In 2016, the smart wrestling collector could obtain those same ten issues for just about the same price with enough searching.

The full-color back page features one of the best remembered ads of the era, again from "The Wrestling Ring" company. This ad features many of the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars figures that had been released up to that point. Also shown are the large figure of Rowdy Roddy Piper and the wrestling ring and cage also all from LJN. We even get yet another cameo by one of those foam NWA Championship belts. It's great to see the LJNs in all of their glory. The colors of the figures look particularly rich in the main photo, too. As 1989 progressed an even more famous ad was run in these magazines by "The Wrestling Ring." That ad featured mentions (but NOT pictures) of some of the unreleased figures such as The Barbarian, Demolition Smash, and Bad News Brown.

What a collection of '80s gems! It all goes back to the old saying "If I only knew then what I know now..." That, of course, gives way to another phrase, "Hindsight is 20/20." Nevertheless, even if we don't own all of these great items, we still have these great advertisements to look back on. Perhaps one day we'll take a look at some wrestling magazine ads from even earlier decades. Then again, maybe not. After all, I prefer to keep this blog "family friendly."

The WWE Hall Of Fame Adds A Wing On Badstreet

 Wrestling's rebels. Wrestling's rock band. Wrestling's Southern brotherhood. However you view The Fabulous Freebirds, the boys are finally back in town, Dallas to be exact, and taking their rightful place in the WWE Hall of Fame. The wait for it to happen almost became a rib on Freebird front man Michael P.S. Hayes. When was one of the most successful teams in history going to be formally recognized by the company that has become the proprietor of wrestling? 2016 is the long-awaited year.

To be honest, the Freebirds have a place in any wresting Hall of Fame. They were revolutionary. They drew money wherever they went. They turned the Dallas territory completely around and made World Class Championship Wrestling the titan that it was in the 1980's. While Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, and Cyndi Lauper were the mainstream-covered "Rock n Wrestling Connection," the Freebirds made up its Southern rock cousin.

Hayes will enter the WWE Hall of Fame along with Terry "Bam Bam" Gordy, Buddy Jack Roberts, and Jimmy "Jam" Garvin. Some are already decrying the fact that Garvin is involved, citing the fact that he wasn't part of the original trio. He was, however, part of the second Freebird ride on the national stage while in WCW. Not to mention that "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin always seemed to be an unofficial Freebird as part of the Von Erich-hating heels of WCCW. If Michael Hayes considers Garvin to be a Freebird brother, that's good enough for me.

The Fabulous Freebirds had an element of realism that's missing today. As is frequently pointed out with Stone Cold Steve Austin and other personalities that made it big, what you saw in the ring was just an extension of the real persona. Hayes, Gordy, and Roberts really were a rough and tough group of rebels. There was no suspension of disbelief necessary when the 'Birds talked of clearing barrooms and downing more than their share of Jack Daniels. Hayes was the brash leader. Gordy the enforcing muscle. Roberts the grizzled older brother. It worked.

The 'Birds made their name all over including in WCCW, UWF, AWA, WCW, and even briefly in the WWF. Some look at it as a shame that the latter run was ill-fated, but I believe that it was for the better. The group would eventually have been watered down and/or broken up. Rumor has it that Vince McMahon may even have planned to run with Hayes on his own. The possibilities are endless. It's that AWA stint that provided many fans of the generation, especially youngsters, with their favorite pieces of Freebirds memorabilia. Though a run in Verne Gagne's promotion may seem ill-fitting for the wild Freebirds, it was there that the trio saw their first action figures. Still one of the most popular sets in the lineup, the Remco-produced Freebirds come complete with their signature entrance gear. Garvin was also part of the line, to add to the chaos.

But while on the subject of merchandise from 'down Badstreet, you can't leave out the infamous Michael P.S. Hayes "Off The Streets" album. The record has starred on this blog several times before and the "glamour shot" of the album and its components seems to be one of the most frequently "borrowed" pictures. It just seems to turn up everywhere! Whether or not it's the "centerfold" of Hayes that's included with the album that causes all the excitement is anyone's guess, but it's an awesome item regardless. Wrestling's original rockers with an album and their own anthem. It doesn't get much better than that.

Thanks to the WWE Hall of Fame we'll soon be walking down Badstreet one more time. Hayes is a longtime WWE producer while Garvin largely (but not completely) distances himself from the business. Gordy and Roberts passed away in 2001 and 2012, respectively. They were a unique group that, like most good things, were often imitated but never duplicated. They left their mark both with the fans and on the business itself. Had they not been assembled as a group, aspects of the history of the industry would be completely different. That is what makes Hall of Famers.

And what about that WWE Hall of Fame? It ain't no "Home Sweet Home," it's a "Home Sweet Misery!"

Badstreet USA & The Magic Of Freebird Fantasia

I'm absolutely sick of the "Shield-Freebirds" comparison.  I hate to break it to the world, but aside from being a trio of wrestlers, the two groups having nothing in common.  Dean Ambrose does not perform their theme song, they don't wear the stars-and-bars, and so far they haven't been revolutionary.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy The Shield and feel that the sky is the limit for them, especially Ambrose.  When it comes down to it, however, they nor anybody else can recreate the magic of the Fabulous Freebirds. 

Michael Hayes.  Terry Gordy.  Buddy Roberts.  Three wrestlers that came together at the right time to, most memorably, become the arch enemies of the white-bread, squeaky-clean, Von Erich boys.  They were a hard drinking gang of southern boys that dished out some beatings, took many in return, and proved to be exactly what World Class Championship Wrestling needed.  Each member had individual tools that brought something different to the table and therefore the group simply gelled.  From a marketing standpoint, it was the charisma and personality of Hayes that made the team one of the most merchandised of the era.

Everyone has a different opinion on who exactly was the first wrestler to use theme music, but Michael "P.S." Hayes may have been the first to sing his own.  Hayes certainly looked like a rock star, and through his wrestling career was able to become one.  After years of using Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," Hayes and Jimmy Papa composed a brand new entrance for the team in 1983.  Thirty years later, "Badstreet USA" is still one of the most popular and memorable wrestling themes of all-time.  A music video was even produced for the song starring the Freebirds as well as their frequent ally (and later Freebird himself) "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin.

It wasn't until 1987 that a full album starring Michael Hayes came to fruition.  "Off The Streets" was offered through magazine order forms and produced by Jimmy Papa's Grand Theft Records.  The album featured "Badstreet USA" as well as nine other tracks performed by Hayes and the Badstreet Band.  The album includes a separate "centerfold" style photo insert that puts even those classic "Fabulous Ones" music videos to shame as far as classic wrestling camp.  For those who pre-ordered, an authentically autographed Hayes-Grand Theft Records promotional photo was included due to delays in the album's release.   It has often been reported that Hayes had trouble securing a record deal, thus explaining the long gap between the release of the "Badstreet USA" single and the album itself.

With the anti-hero style popularity of Hayes and the gang, it's hard to believe that any record company wouldn't have wanted to capitalize.  WCCW wasn't exactly regional at this point, and with the Von Erich-Freebird wars seen by millions in syndication surely the album would've done well.  Nevertheless, the craze of the time was captured one day at a mall in Irving, Texas, also the home of Grand Theft Records.  Recognizing the hysteria of young Texans revolving around World Class, the wise manager of Irving's Camelot Music store had an idea.

It was the mid-1980's and the "Badstreet USA" single was available at the famous Sportatorium (in downtown Dallas, Texas) as well as through mail order.  The manager of the Camelot location decided to contact Grand Theft Records and order copies of the hot item to sell in the store.  Not only were copies secured, but an appearance by Hayes was set up to promote and autograph the singles.  The 45 was so popular that half of the copies sold before the appearance even took place!

With a turnout of around seven hundred screaming fans, the signing was ultimately a success.  The pictures of this appearance shown here have never before been viewed by the public.  Hayes is shown signing away, but seeing as that this was the golden era of WCCW wrestling, the Freebird probably also kept up an image suitable for a heel at the time.  It looks as if posters advertising the single were signed in addition to the aforementioned 45's.  Are these hundreds of autographed items stashed away in attics across The Lone Star State?  Fortunately, the store manager decided to recently part with her own keepsake of the event (a framed display of the photos shown here and signed 45) which is why I'm able to share these here for all to enjoy.

If there was ever any doubt, I think that these images prove that the Freebirds were just as responsible for the "fandemonium" of the WCCW glory days as the Von Erich's were.  Not all fans were interested in the handsome local athletes.  Many were rooting for the rough-and-tumble rock star and his band of thieves.  It didn't hurt that they had a killer anthem as well.  Freebird Fantasia Forever!

VinylMania!

I admit it.  I love wrestling theme music.  Sure there are those who say that the wrestlers should be introduced, both already in the ring, solely to the tones of boos and cheers.  At times that can still be appropriate to this day, especially in important matches with the in-ring introductions after the music.  But with the pageantry of modern events like WrestleMania and even the weekly televised matches on shows like Raw and Impact, it would seem awfully empty without music.

Wrestling's musical connection didn't really start with theme music.  Like everything else, there was wrestling-related music on vinyl.  I'm not going to go on a diatribe about how "youngsters" today don't know what a vinyl record is.  Many do, but where would we be without the jokes about vinyl being antiquated?  Many music connoisseurs will tell you that a good, clean, unscratched vinyl sounds better than a digital recording any day.  My ears would tend to agree, and thankfully so many great wrestling collectibles are in fact vinyl records!

Arguably the most publicized wrestling musical release is 1985's "The Wrestling Album," a product of the WWF's Rock 'n Wrestling Connection and involving musical talents such as Rick Derringer and Cyndi Lauper.  Airplay on MTV and the aura of the wrestling industry at the time time ensured that the endeavor would be a success.  From the mass-produced main album to many rarer 45 and 12 inch singles, the product reflects wrestling's then-growing trend towards entertainment.  Many of the songs from the album eventually became iconic theme music like JYD's "Grab Them Cakes," Hillbilly Jim's "Don't Go Messin' With A Country Boy," and "Real American" which at the time was intended for Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo's U.S. Express Tag Team.  The song, by Derringer, eventually went to Hulk Hogan.

Even more theme songs and videos came from the WWF's second musical release, "Piledriver."   Almost every song from this album was used as a theme at one point.  Although wrestling's '80s "boom" popularity was beginning to wane, you would be hard pressed to find a fan around the age of 30 that does not remember at least one "Piledriver" track.  The beloved theme songs of Demolition, Slick, The Honky Tonk Man, and Strike Force all came from Piledriver, as did Koko B. Ware reminding us that sometimes love feels just like...a piledriver.

"The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart may have had a song on The Wrestling Album, but that is hardly his greatest contribution to music.  A member of '60s rock group "The Gentry's," it was with the group that Hart became involved in professional wrestling.  Both with The Gentry's and wrestlers themselves, Hart wrote and performed several songs involving the talent of Memphis wrestling.  He later wrote countless pieces of music to be used as themes for many WWF and WCW stars.  One of his most played efforts would undoubtedly be "Sexy Boy," the longtime theme music of Shawn Michaels.

Hart's gimmick largely played into music, but so did that of "Freebird" Michael P.S. Hayes.  Looking like a quintessential '80s rocker, Hayes' album, "Off The Streets," was released in 1987.  This was about a decade after his in-ring debut and just a few years after becoming one of the top heels in the industry.  Hayes and his "Badstreet Band" (the other Freebirds were not musically involved) performed tracks ranging from the Freebirds' "Badstreet U.S.A." anthem to Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back In Town."

Each album included a "special" photo of Hayes draped in the Confederate flag.  Some of those that pre-ordered the album also received a bonus autographed 8x10 photo due to delays in production and release.  It is also interesting to note that the Freebirds started using "Badstreet U.S.A." as their theme nearly four years before the release of this album.  It is said that Hayes had trouble securing a record deal for the release. 

Sometimes even the vinyl itself was visually impressive, as is the case with picture discs.  These releases had photos right on the vinyl.  As visual as pro wrestlers are, it was a perfect marriage.  It seems as if these were more popular outside of the U.S. as many of these releases are foreign.  While picture discs featuring such stars as Hulk Hogan and Stan Hansen were produced in Japan, others originated in the U.K.  A single from the WWF's third full-length album, "WrestleMania: The Album," saw a Hacksaw Jim Duggan 12 inch picture disc release in the United Kingdom.

This brings us to the long-debated question, "Who was the first wrestler to use theme music?"  Everyone thinks that they know the answer yet there are various acceptable "right" answers.  We'll never know the truth, however one of the first wrestling-related musical releases starred '50s and '60s wrestler Antonino Rocca and is appropriately titled "In This Corner...The Musical World of Antonino Rocca."  The album is full of Latin songs of various rhythms with a few, such as "Rocca's Theme," specifically tailored to the high-flyer.  A photo of Rocca conducting is shown on the back cover of the album, but I would be willing to bet that it's nothing more than a publicity photo.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of wrestling's musical connection, but rather a sample of what's out there on highly desirable vinyl.  Themes are still available in digital stores like Google Play and iTunes, but nothing beats holding a bunch of vinyl records in your hands, eagerly anticipating the sounds when you spin the next one.  What I'm really trying to say is...you can have you digital download of "Voices."  Cue up some "Jive Soul Bro" on vinyl?  I'm there.