A Preview of my 2nd Book

Here is a few teasers for my new book. Please over look any typos or grammar errors these come from my rough drafts before I sent them to my editor. In my new book "It Takes All Kinds, The People Places and Events of Pro Wrestling" I take a look at just that with many short stories from my year in wrestling. I'm now taking preorders of the book. Each preorder comes with a special DVD Documentary that follows Misty and I on the road for a month as we travel to WV,KY,GA,PA, and Middle Tennessee. The DVD will not be part of the book sales once the book goes to press in just days. So order your copy now!

The forward was wrote by Dr. Tom Prichard and the back cover by WWE's Paul Bearer.   

From The Chapter "Magical Places"

Memorial Hall in Kansas City
Over the next hour plus. We went through Memorial Hall. From dressing room to dressing room, the stage, the box office, the stands, and any where else we could go. It was something being in those dressing rooms. I have experienced the feeling in there in a few places. It was stepping back in time. You could feel the presents of the wrestlers of yesteryear. The ghost in the walls were talking to you. Our friend who gave us the tour had his own stories as he worked security at the wrestling matches. He was very knowledgeable about the history of the wrestling in Memorial Hall as he had been there to see it happen.

 The weirdest  feeling was when we made our way up stairs to the offices. We walked in and it was like an episode of the Twilight Zone. The offices look in 2005 as they did in 1987 when All Star Wrestling shut down. The old phones on the desks, tickets on the table, the line up for that weeks card was wrote on a piece of paper and was by a phone on the desk so when people called for info the secretary could give it to them. The man leading this trip through time. Said they came in one day and told us that the wrestling was done. The promotion would be closing and some people at Memorial Hall would be laid off. I’m so glad he was not one or I would have never had this opportunity.

Memorial Coliseum in Evansville,IN
 I had everyone write the number down on a note pad I passed around. A few minutes later I said if your name is not on this sheet of paper you are not booked here next week. If I need you I will call you. I hung a blank sheet of paper on the wall. I ran the entire crew off except for a few young look guys. I needed a street team. It was a building with long history. It was ran by the Tennessee office for decades yet there was no Tennessee wrestling in there.

From The Chapter "Just Another Day"

 When we came out of the building is was as quite as a church mouse. The wind hand picked up some and we could tell a storm was coming. We stopped at a gas station at the interstate and fueled up. As Krunch was pumping gas I was standing there talking to him a gust of wind came through and about took us down. Krunch said lets get out of here. He finished the fuel and we took off.

 No sooner than we pulled back on I 75 the sky opened and the rain came. I mean a rain like I had never seen before and only have seen a couple times since. As we rolled up the road I was looking along side the road for animals lining up two by two. I was wishing we were in an Ark rather than my ‘84 Topez.

 I had a C.B. in my car we had it and the radio on. It was only a few minutes before we started hearing emergency interruptions on a Knoxville radio station. They were telling people in Rhea, Meigs, Roan, Loudon, Knox, Blount, and surrounding areas to take cover that radar was showing several funnel clouds. As Krunch and I were listening Alex Shane started talking about the matches. Alex being from Virginia and new to traveling was not sure how serious this was. Krunch asked him if he knew where these places are? Alex said no. And Krunch said well buddy let me tell you, you are right dead in the cross hairs.

 As Alex sat back and started listening we started hearing truck drivers yelling tornado on the ground at this mile marker and that one. It was so black you could not see but a few feet in a front of you. Krunch was driving and was having trouble holding the car on the road from the wind. The rain was coming down in sheets.

 The only breaks we had was when we would go under an over pass. Each over pass had cars stopped and people got out and were up under the bridges. Not us we just kept on. The next hour we went through one of the worst storms Tennessee had ever had.

From The Chapter "Quotes and Conversations"

Ricky Morton - Who trained you?
Young Wrestler - A Name we have never heard
Ricky Morton- What did he get for breaking you in?
Young Wrestler - $500
Ricky Morton - He should have gotten 3 to 5 for stealing your money

Scotty McKeever - Do you realize almost everyone in this dressing room hates you?
Me - Yeah and They don’t pay me. You do. So who cares
Scotty McKeever - Well as long as you know
Oak Hill WV 2003

K.C Thunder - So the guy started crying and said please don’t shoot me please I have a family
Me - so what did you do?
KC - I shot him
The two of us standing at urinals in a Pennsylvania Truck Stop about 4am. You have never seen a public bathroom clear out so fast

From The Chapter "The Good Guys"

Another trip down the Country Music Highway Brad Thomas was driving and Bobby and I were riding with him. As we got close to Duffield, VA it was time to check the tires (wrestlers talk for pee on the side of the road). I told Brad don’t stop on this road State Troopers in Virginia is not people you want to deal with. I told him where to turn off a short side road that myself and others wrestlers had been pulling off on for years.

 The road dips down of 23 and is out of sight. You go about the length of two football fields and there are two house. What we did not know as that someone had built a house in the woods and as we were checking the tires we noticed it. Brad said hey we are in someone’s front yard. About that time the outside lights came on. The next thing I know Bobby is done and jumping back in the car. The garage door comes up and Brad and I hear get’em boy!!! Something you do not want o hear at 2am in the dark cold Virginia night with your privates hanging out. Brad runs around and jumps in. I’m still checking the tires as this dog comes at me in a dead run. I finished and got in the car and closed the door just as the dog got to me. I have not made that stop since then and don’t think I will be again.

From The Chapter "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash"

As soon as the matches were over and people filed out Barry went to the office and I was in hot pursuit. I was wrong about a few things first I was third in line behind Wahoo and Chris.

 Wahoo came out and looked at us and said good luck boys. Not something you want to hear. Chris went in and after a few minutes I peaked in and he gave me what I thought was the OK sign with his hand. He got up and came to me and said “zero, the guy says Charlie left at intermission with the box office money.” He then tells me “don’t let anyone in here”. Chris Walker is a huge man hence the name Conan. He was in the middle of a separation from his wife. He was not one to mess with.

 He started yelling at this guy and people could hear it all over the building. I saw him grab Barry with one hand and throw him against the wall. He then slapped him so hard Barry did a cartwheel with out hands. Barry started yelling for help. People came when others got to me I told them the deal. Barry’s now had zero friends in the building. It became a mess. The boys were ready to kill him. Me included.

 Barry was trying to talk and no one  was listening. I figured the guy blow his money day one and be gone. Truth was he had no money to begin with. When the boys knew they were not getting paid they started going threw his stuff taking anything of value.

Jake Booth and myself on WCYB TV 5 News with Tara Taylor

SSW Power Half Hour 12.23.12

All the last minute news and info about Christmas Night Star Wars

watch other Power Half Hours at youtube.com/kingofkingsport

"It Takes All Kinds" My 2nd Book now taking pre orders

 For over the past year I have been working on my second book. I hoped to have it out just in time for the Holidays but it did not work out that way. The book will be going to print just days into the New Year. I'm now taking preorders. Make your preorder now with paypal top right hand side of this page only $25

 Each pre order will come with a special DVD Documentary named "The Road Hits Back" its a special look at my wife Misty and I on the road. The cameras were rolling for four weeks as Jake Booth traveled with us to Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and through out our home state of TN.  The DVD also features Jerry Lawler, Tracy Smothers, Jimmy Valiant, Traci Taylor, Mad Man Pondo, Jerry Lynn, U-Gene, and many more wrestling greats. You will seen never before seen matches, a look inside the dressing rooms, the life on the road. Once the book goes to print and the DVD will not be offered with my book.

No shipping cost in the U.S.A. international orders email kingofkingsport@gmail.com for shipping cost.

Here is a what WWE Legendary Manager Paul Bearer had to say about my book and the work of misty and me.

"I was familiar with Beau and Misty James' names, long before I met them for the first time at our Annual Gulf Coast. Wrestlers Reunion (GCWR) each year in my hometown of Mobile, AL.. There is no doubt that this professional wrestling couple are some of the most hardest working tandems in our industry. It boggles my mind at times to see how many events they promote each year, notwithstanding the cards they appear on around the Southeast. I think the world of Beau and Misty; I just wished we had 1000 more couples just like them. I'm truly excited about reading Beau's new book. Be Blessed My Friends! ~Percy Pringle III a.k.a. WWE Legend Paul Bearer."

SSW Power Half Hour 11.18.12

Here is all the info you need to know about THIS FRIDAY in Mt. Carmel, TN. Poster and news for this event below.

SSW Power Half Hour and News on Nov. 23

He is more than a King to me

The King with his famous fist drop

For the ones of you who know me you know I am in no way, shape, or form a supporter of fan of the WWE. I have not kept up or watched in long while. The last WWE program I watched was WrestleMania from Atlanta. And that is a whole other story for another day.

Monday night I was home watching Football when I started getting text, calls, and facebook messages about Jerry "The King" Lawler. My first thought was the same as many others. That this was just another tasteless gimmick of WWE. I mean come on they had and elderly lady give birth to a rubber hand and a former police officer steal a casket at a funeral just to name a couple tasteless moments. It was not until a facebook post from a person with WWE connections that made we turn over to see what was going on. As I turned over there was no commentary and nothing seemed right.

I then text a couple of friends of mine who have worked for WWE and still speak to people there. I became very worried. Each text I got back reassured me how serious this was.

Growing up in a hot bed of wrestling here in East Tennessee I was blessed to see the greatest of the greats. I watched Mid Atlantic Wrestling, Southeastern/Continental, and ICW every week but my favorite wrestling hands down came from Memphis.

I lived Memphis Wrestling. I could not wait to see that trophy spinning each week to tell me Lance Russell and Dave Brown were 60 seconds away from telling me the news. Memphis was like none other you truly had no idea what was coming next. No matter who wild and crazy it got , no matter how far they pushed it there was always a voice of reason who in three minutes or less could not only make you understand it but feel it and believe in it. That was Jerry "The King" Lawler.

The King is more than a wrestler here in the Volunteer State. Before the Titans, before the huge boom of NASCAR, before SEC football was seen every week on TV we had our own home grown sports stars and idols Pro Wrestlers. Here in East Tennessee we had the Wrights and Whitey Caldwell, The Gulas Area had Jackie Fargo, but The King covered the state he was a star among stars. He is our Mickey Mantell, Hank Aaron, Troy Aikman, Chipper Jones all rolled into one.

He is one of a kind. He started wrestling in 1970. By 1972 he was a Main Event attraction teaming with my friend the late Jim White and managed by the late Sam Bass. They were in demand wrestling in Memphis on Monday, Lousiville on Tuesday, various cities Wednesday and Thursday, Knoxville on Fridays doing as many as three live TVs on Saturday and various city Saturday Night.

In 1974 Lawler became the break out singles star everyone close to him knew he would be. He had a run in his home city that no other wrestler until then or since then has had. He faced the Top 10 wrestlers in The NWA (the real one that meant something) on his way to historic match with NWA World Champion Jack Brisco.

His box office success in the 70s as a fan favorite and not so fan favorite is still record business in places like Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Louisville, Evansville, Johnson City, Tupelo, and Jackson.

He was able to keep people coming back to there TV sets and local arenas every week. Only he knew what was coming next. And he had you on the hook to see what he was going to do from singing, music videos, Dr. Fank, shaving Bev Dundee's hair, drawing cartoons of his opponents, making fun of Lance's suits or nose. No matter what it was he was able to get the emotional reaction from the fans that he wanted.

My first hand memories of The King are his come back from a broken leg.But I do have what The King told me himself may be the biggest Memphis library. At the end of 1979 he suffered a broken leg playing football with his buddies on a Sunday afternoon. During his time away Jimmy Hart his manager had crowned a new King and built his First Family of Wrestling. No matter how mean, tough, or bad The First Family got the people had hope, we knew The King would be back! And come back did he ever!!!

The memories of his battles with Bill Dundee, Randy Savage, Terry Funk, Rick Rude, King Kong Bundy, Tommy Rich, Austin Idol, Dutch Mantell, Joe LeDuc, Eddie Gilbert and others through the 1980s are as fresh in my mind as they were then. Who can forget his quest for a World title chasing Nick Bockwinkle, Ric Flair, and Curt Hennig? I still am half hot at my Dad because he would not take me to Memphis May 9 1988 to see Lawler's career vs World title. We all know how that turned out.

AWA World Champion Jerry "The King" Lawler 1988

As a kid growing up dreaming of becoming a pro wrestler the only places I ever wanted to wrestle were  Continental and Memphis offices.  Most people who get into wrestling want to be world wide super stars. Not me I wanted to wrestle the places I watched every week, the buildings I saw clips from on the TVs, and against my heroes. My most important goal was a Main Event in Memphis against The King. And thanks to Randy Hales that came true in 1998.

me vs Jerry "The King" Lawler WMC TV 5 August 1998

I sat here Monday night and Tuesday and all I could think about was Jerry Lawler. I prayed to the King of Kings who I know has our King in his loving healing hands.I grew up idolizing the man. I have been so blessed to get to work with and know him over the years.

Wrestling, singing, and movies are about the only jobs you can grow up and have a chance to work with your heroes. I have great memories of working with The King in Memphis and out and about in the independents.

In 1998 I was working in Memphis and my sister and her family was living in Memphis. At times she would bring my nephews Dakota and Jacob to TV 5 to watch the matches. Jacob was a huge Lawler fan and at 3 years old was able to meet The King. Halloween that year fell on a Saturday and that morning we were at TV when Lawler's then wife Stacy walk up and said here Jerry wanted your nephews to have these. She handed me two brown bag full of candy and on the side was Halloween cartons drawn by The King.

In 2006 Bill Dundee booked me for his Legends card in Jackson Tennessee. The Main Event was of course THE Memphis Main Event Lawler vs. Dundee. As the matches ended Tracy Smothers and I were trying to get out and beat the crowd. As we started up the steps Lawler was coming down the steps. Knowing of my huge Tennessee Wrestling collection He looked at me and said "hey go hang that on your wall" and tossed me the chain he had used on Dundee.

In 2010 Jeff Tankersley and I brought Lawler to Kingsport for a set of matches over the year. The King as always did above and beyond what we asked. The first night he was in, was shortly after Jim White had passed. I gave The King a 1972 Knoxville Wrestling DVD with him White and Bass. He was amazed anyone had this footage much less on DVD.

In the spring of that year King sent me a email wanting to know where I got the "Bad News" video he had watched on our online TV. I told him I made it. I tried to get as much of his career in 3 minutes as you can. He asked me if I would send it to him on DVD. I more than happily did. When he came in the next time for us he gave Misty several promotional pictures of him from the 80s and told her to give them to me after he flew home. On one of them he wrote me a note. It hangs in my office beside the chain.

In the 19070s Jerry Lawler and Jimmy Hart did a song The Ballot of Jerry Lawler. One of the lines is "He's The King and he can do anything". Well to me he is more than The King. He is a Hero, a friend, and now an inspiration.

Next October will be my 25th year in Wrestling. Just last week Misty asked "what was I going to do for that event". I said "easy Team with Bill Dundee vs. The King and Handsome Jimmy".

The will never be another 40 year Main Event Star. There will never be another man who sells out his home town week after week, year after year, The will never be another Jerry "The King" Lawler.

Get well King. And know that I'm not the only one who feels this way about you.

kingofkingsport@gmail.com