Recap and Preview

1986 saw Bill Dundee and Buddy Landell create havoc all over the territory the first part of the year. They had left a long line of victims strewn behind them. They turned on partner Dutch Mantel. They made life miserable for Lance Russell and Dave Brown. They attacked a young referee named Jeff Jarrett, son of promoter Jerry Jarrett. They then ambushed Jerry and went for his ailing eye. The repercussions of their actions led Eddie Marlin to risk threatened “legal action” by Dundee to reinstate Jerry Lawler, the longtime area star Dundee had defeated in a loser leaves town match in December 1985. Lawler’s return popped the territory and led to Dundee eventually losing a loser leaves town match to Lawler mid-year. With the WWF, the Jim Crockett promotion and Bill Watts’ UWF promotion all running cards outside their original territories the landscape of wrestling had changed dramatically. Talent was signed up and locked away exclusively for a promotion. This meant a promotion still operating like the old territory days, such as the Memphis promotion, relied upon a steady diet of area regulars, hit and miss newcomers and veterans other promotions often no longer wanted or couldn’t make room for at the time. As 1987 began, area fans were cheering on Jeff Jarrett as his career began to take off. Jerry Lawler was still around and still gunning for a world championship. Lawler though had his hands full as Austin Idol and Tommy Rich thought they should be in line for world title matches instead of Lawler. It would be the beginning of a feud that would see some shocking and exciting twists and turns.

Blood Feud