Let’s go back.
Let’s go back to the days of territories.
Let’s go back to the days of fat, sleazy promoters that wear Stetsons.
Let’s go back to the days of performing in small arenas and having to beg for air time from TV execs who look at you like something from a two bit side show carnival.
Let’s go back to when it was real.
Real in Memphis.
Real in Memphis is written by Steve Pearson. It’s the story of a wrestling promoter named Harvey Wallbanger.
Wallbanger’s job is a tumultuous one as he has the distinction of keeping control of some of the most problematic wrestlers of the 1970s. The thing I like about this book is the structure of the story. Obviously it is set in Memphis, but the locations in this story are broken down by providing you with the names and addresses of where a part of the story takes place. It helps give it that real life feel. Another bit about this story that helps accentuate the difficulty of Harvey’s job is the looming threat of the New York and California territories taking over. This is a fact that we all know is inevitable, which adds to the landscape of the time period the author has created.
The other thing I like about this book is the absurdity of it. I know that sounds like a bad thing but let me explain.
The absurdity that I am talking about is the absurdity of the wrestling business that we have all come to know and love. The cast of characters each bring a different aspect to that absurdity. They also bring a familiarity to the world of wrestling that we have grown with. They each fit a mold, whether it be a tag team dynamic, an acrobatic youth, a legacy, a British wrestler, a Samoan tag team, a cop gimmick, black exploitation gimmick and a racist biker. And of course you have your other supporting members from the business such as ring announcers, managers and femme fatales. Their individual absurdities are their truths.
All of the characters have their own story. Each one has their own agenda, whether it be championship gold or a big payday. Some are fighting for less materialistic goals, be it stepping out from a father’s shadow, proving not to be washed up or just not wanting to be viewed as a pussy. It’s these individual story arcs that keep you engaged, much like storylines that keep us tuning in to RAW every week. The culmination of all these stories make for an ending that will keep you guessing.
There are so many twists and turns in this book. A lot of these plot twists are predicated on that mysterious specter that looms over the industry. It’s something that is not as powerful as it once was with the advent of social media, but it’s known as Kayfabe.
Kayfabe is a concept that is a catalyst for events that take place in this story. It’s a rule that drives these wrestlers from something as trivial as don’t lose a bar fight to if you’re going to pretend to be a cop you better have the uniform and motorcycle to go along with it. Whatever your character is, that’s who you have to be. It’s a lost art and it was interesting to see its affect on events.
I recommend this book to anyone that has a thirst for the good old days. It’s also a good read for anyone who is unfamiliar with how the business used to be before WWE became what it is today.
