Mid-South Coliseum

June 12, 1989 - Monday night wrestling at the Mid-South Coliseum.

June 12, 1989 - Monday night wrestling at the Mid-South Coliseum featuring a clash of titans, Bam Bam Bigalow & The Undertaker, in the main event of the year. Jackie Fargo had to be there in Lawler's corner for this one!

Official results:
- Tracy Smothers drew Frankie Lancaster.
- Freddy beat Deuce Mason.
- Bill Dundee beat Mr. Devastation.
- CWA Champ Jeff Jarrett beat Mark Starr.
- CWA Tag Champs Action Jackson & Billy Joe Travis beat Robert Fuller & Brian Lee w/ Miss Sylvia.
- Jerry Lawler & Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Jackie Fargo beat Dutch Mantell & The Master of Pain w/ Ronnie P. Gossett.

June 7, 1971 - The first wrestling show at the Mid-South Coliseum.

June 7, 1971 - Wrestling at the Mid-South Coliseum premiered on this day after many years at Ellis Auditorium, and 9,253 fans came out to cut the ribbon. Sputnik Monroe, Mario Galentó, the Von Brauners, Saul Weingeroff and Len Rossi--all who had made Memphis Wrestling legendary--came back to help issue in a new era.

The change in locations didn't bother Sputnik Monroe, for one. "I'm not going to miss the old place. Why, I probably am responsible for building this coliseum. They didn't have enough room anywhere else for me to wrestle. And, they didn't give me any credit for putting this place up. That's gratitude."

Meanwhile, fans had mixed responses. One fan said, "I like this better for wrestling. There's more parking, and it is much nicer. We've been going to matches for a long time, and I think this will be a real improvement."

Another fan, Mrs. Lillie Butler, though, complained. "I don't like it - not one bit. I enjoy all the wrestlers, but I don't like this place. They won't let me stand up. I pay $3.50 to sit down here, and I can't see a thing. The seats at the Auditorium were much better. You could see everything there."

April-June 1971: The hottest feud in the area at this time revolved around The Greene Brothers versus Tojo Yamamoto & Jerry Jarrett over the NWA Southern Tag Title.

Official results:
- Oni Wiki Wiki beat Gary Martin.
- Tinker Todd beat Mario Galento via DQ.
- Darling Dagmar & Cora Combs beat Diamond Lil & Ann Casey.
- The Alaskans (Mike York & Frank Monte) beat Bearcat Brown & Frank Hester.
- NWA Women's Champ The Fabulous Moolah beat Vicki Williams.
- Southern Junior Heavyweight Champ Len Rossi beat Sputnik Monroe.
- NWA Tag Champs Kurt & Karl Von Brauner beat Jackie & Roughhouse Fargo.
- Al & Don Greene beat Southern Tag Champs Jerry Jarrett & Tojo Yamamoto via DQ in a "hair vs. title" match. Steve Clements' hair was on the line if the Greenes lost.

Note: This was the first ever wrestling show at the coliseum.

Legends of the ring, on this day, 47 years ago.

December 12, 1976 - Young photographer Eddie Gilbert took this photo as Lance Russell introduces a 6-man tag team match at the Mid-South Coliseum featuring (left to right) Bill Dundee, Tommy Gilbert, Tommy Rich, Lance, referee Jerry Calhoun, Gorgeous George Jr., Bill Ash, David Schultz and "General" Jerry Lawler. Presented by Gulas-Welch Wrestling. 8,816 fans attended.

Official results:
David Schultz, Bill Ash, & Gorgeous George Jr. beat Bill Dundee, Tommy Gilbert, & Tommy Rich (20:13) when Ash pinned Dundee.

Photo by: Eddie Gilbert

On this day... August 26, 1967, a Country Music Show was held at the Mid-South Coliseum featuring Waylon Jennings, Webb Pierce, Sonny James and Warner Mack.

ON THIS DAY in Mid-South Coliseum History

On August 26, 1967, a Country Music Show was held at the Mid-South Coliseum featuring Waylon Jennings, Webb Pierce, Sonny James and Warner Mack.

Waylon Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was a country music singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. In 1967, Jennings released a hit single, "Just to Satisfy You". During an interview, Jennings remarked that the song was a "pretty good example" of the influence of his work with Buddy Holly and rockabilly music. "The Chokin' Kind" peaked at number eight on Billboard's Hot Country Singles in 1967, while "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line" hit number two the following year. In 1969, his collaboration with The Kimberlys on the single "MacArthur Park" earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group. His single "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" reached number three at the Hot Country Singles chart by the end of the year. On February 13, 2002, Jennings died from complications of diabetes.

Webb Pierce (August 8, 1921 – February 24, 1991) was one of the most popular h***y tonk, rockabilly vocalists, guitarists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. Pierce continued charting until 1982 with a total of 96 hits; and he toured extensively and appeared in the movies Buffalo Guns, Music City USA, Second Fiddle To A Steel Guitar, and Road To Nashville. Pierce waged a long battle with pancreatic cancer, which he lost on February 24, 1991.

Sonny James, is a country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983. Beginning in 1967 with "Need You" and ending with "Here Comes Honey Again" in 1971, James recorded 16 straight #1 country singles. His #1 consecutive streak for a solo artist has never been surpassed. Twenty-one of his albums reached the country top ten from 1964 to 1976. In May 2007 Sonny, accompanied by his Southern Gentlemen, walked the red carpet and were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. James is currently retired and lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Warner Mack is a country music singer-songwriter. Mack had 19 number 1 hits on the country charts from the late 1950s to the early 1980s.