What's Here

01 Sep 2010
The materials in this area were copied either directly from the original photographs or from the original newspapers. All of the other areas on this website, images came from microfilm. The materials here cover the people involved in Memphis wrestling, from 1940's through the 1980's.

A very big thank you, goes to the "Special Collections" Department at the Universiy of Memphis. There is no way this new area would exist without their amazing inventory.

 

Jerry Lawler

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The King took it where it had never been taken before. He made Memphis Wrestling a household word in the city. No one was better.

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Jackie Fargo

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In the 1960s and early 1970s, Memphis Wrestling was Jackie Fargo. The fans loved him with a passion that conrinues till this day.

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Sputnik Monroe

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Arguably the most popular "bad guy" to ever wrestle in the city. Also a early pioneer for civil rights. Truly an innovator.

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Billy Wicks

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IN the late 1950s, Billy's popularity rivaled that of Evlis Presley. His 1959 match with Sputnik still holds the attendance record for the city.

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Tojo Yamamoto

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One of the promotions most loved wrestlers. Tojo threw chop across chests decades before Ric Flair would think of it.

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Lou Thesz

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Possibly the greatest wrestler professional wrestling has ever seen. Truly a legend and a champion for all time.

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Roy Welch

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Owner of the Gulas-Welch Wrestling Company. In front of the wrestlers he took a quiet role and acted like Nick Gulas was running things. The truth was...

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Les Wolfe

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Les was the owner and promoter of Memphis Wrestling right after World War II until Roy Welch and Nick Gulas took over the territory in the late 1950s.

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