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Missy's Manor: Gary Hart As Booker

Posted: Sep 22nd 2008 By: CMBurnham

Recently the great people at www.kayfabecommentaries.com sent me a bunch of DVD's. The first DVD that I was anticipating to watch was the Guest Booker: Gary Hart DVD. I'm a big fan when it comes to soaking up knowledge and behind the scenes politics when it comes to World Class Wrestling. This is due to World Class being my favorite promotion that I ever worked for. The drives to the towns were easy, especially when you compare it against UWF. Their were no politics that interfered with your performance or making your dread coming to work. I wish every territory was like World Class in its hey day. You will never catch me bad mouthing Fritz, Ken Mantell, Freebirds, Von Erich's, etc. Everybody worked together in creating one of the hottest territory shows during the 80's.

We use to have barbeques and parties at each others apartments. I remember Sunshine would sneak in to the parties at my apartment . She would climb in to the window and a bunch of us would hang out with her in the bedroom. I bet all you youngsters are wondering why Sunshine had to sneak in to my parties? Very simple reason, KAY FABE! We were feuding on television at the time and we didn't want to expose the biz. We even kept the biz a secret from our social friends. Unfortunately I was not around for the downfall of World Class. I cried my eyes out when I saw Heroes Of World Class DVD two years ago.

I left in April, 1986. Ken Mantell came up with many of the ideas that used John Tatum and myself. I felt it was best to leave with a booker that knew how to utilize my talent. I also got a increase in pay and a guaranteed contract to jump to UWF. I feel bad when I look back that I was part of a talent raid by UWF to try to expand in to the World Class territory.

The talent raid and the Von Erich tragedies sped up the death of World Class. The talent raid consisted of John Tatum, Jack Victory, Missing Link, Freebirds, One Man Gang, Skandar Akbar, Fantastics, and many other wrestlers. This stripped World Class of some of their hottest wrestlers that were not the Von Erich's. Kerry than got in to the big motor cycle accident about a month later and was on the shelf for months. Kevin was already drifting out of the biz.

I was never around Gary Hart as a booker. I enjoyed listening to his booking philosophy and match making style on the DVD. He used three months of match making to culminate for the big Star Wars show. Gary had the top matches played out three months in advance. The talent traded wins and indecisive finishes to be blown off with a clear cut winner and loser at the big show. Gary showed how to rebuild talent with wins to keep them credible after doing jobs to further the story lines. Gary kept my attention captivated for the entire DVD.

I was very impressed with Gary's ideas on how to keep top talent motivated and agreeable in doing jobs and furthering angles. Hey, Gary was a great politician in knowing how to stroke egos. People forget that it is a important tool in booking. Bruiser Brody and Abdullah the Butcher are not going to job to anybody. Especially if they don't trust the booker and see the long term picture. I find satisfying egos a variable that makes Guest Booking difficult.

I was very intrigued on Gary Hart explaining the art of subtleties. This allowed the fans to come up with their own logic on why stipulations are very important. This is such a tricky art form that is lost in current wrestling. It beats the announcer screaming to the fan about the obvious importance of whatever new whacky stipulations they come up with this month.

I found Gary's dealings and heat with Ken Mantell very interesting. i personally have a ton of respect for Ken Mantell as a person and as a booker. Gary discussed his beliefs on why Ken Mantell and Bill Watts were trying to obtain the talent from the World Class office. Gary also describes several instances where Ken allegedly tried to have wrestlers attack Gary Hart. I'm totally oblivious to these stories, especially his near altercation with John Tatum. John is a very mellow and a lay back guy, so I'm kind of sceptical about that particular story.

I enjoy Gary's booking style in laying out twelve weeks of story lines and match making. Gary showed the true art of booking. I find it difficult when you crash and burn thru several months of angles in the span of four weeks or less to get to the next pay per view. You never get to maximize the effectiveness for angles and the quest for the title. Gary showed how a title change and the quest to regain the title can be a great story line.

Gary even discussed his beliefs on why he was against Kerry Von Erich's two week NWA title reign. Gary even discussed a touchy topic that Kerry should have admitted his personal demons for a angle. I disagreed with his beliefs on those topics.

My last memory of Gary Hart was at a independent show a few years back. I remember a young wrestler being upset with the quality of his match. The wrestler was worried about Gary's critique of the match. I told the wrestler that his match was fine and not to worry about Gary. The wrestler replied that Gary was his father and he wanted his respect as a worker. That wrestler was Chad Hart. Gary loved his kids, so I'm sure he loved Chad's match regardless of the quality.

I'm glad Gary Hart was able to demonstrate his booking style on this DVD, especially since Gary passed away several days later. I know I gained even more respect for Gary after watching this DVD. This DVD was a great tribute to Gary Hart's booking mind and legacy.

The bottom line is long drawn out stories can be the best feuds in wrestling. I'm glad the Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho feud has been so excellent. It is a total throw back to a old school wrestling feud. Since PERSONAL ISSUES DRAW $$$$$. Hopefully Jeff Hardy can have have the long drawn out quest to get the WWE title at Wrestle Mania. The fans are totally behind him and you can have serveral feuds that can temporaily detour him until Wrestle Mania.

My suggestion for the next World Class themed Guest Booker would be how to save the territory after the UWF talent raid. I couldn't come up with any ideas. Maybe a heel Kevin VS. Kerry feud could have worked? I heard Fritz was adamant on ever having his kids work as heels and against each other.

I also watched the Jamie Dundee: You Shoot DVD. Words can't describe this DVD. Lets take a wrestler and fill him up with alcohol, weed, and additional chemicals. Than let him ramble for two hours and you got this DVD. I got the utmost respect for Jamie & Bill as wrestlers, but what a piece of work.

Jamie did tackle the hard questions that most wrestlers will never answer. Jamie discusess taking on 700 pounds of combined rats in the grossest double team story ever! Jamie discusess which wrestlers wives that his father had and than he had. Jamie discusses his weird careers from Jerry Springer to running a daycare for the children of strippers. Keep in mind that Jamie is drinking throughout this entire DVD and got a blunt behind his ear. So this entire DVD was not part of the "straight edge" DVD movement about wrestling. Did I mention that Jamie dropped the "N' Bomb" about a million times to the delight of nobody.

Jamie discusses smuggling marijauna on the USWA bus from Texas to Memphis. Jamie even had Bill Dundee smuggle marijuana for him in jail. OMG WTF!

Don't forget that I'm booked on 10/10 for NWS. This will be my second NWS show that I'm working on. I kept my unreasonable demands to a limit. I'm not asking for a limousine, green M & M's in a champagne glass, or a Prada pocket book. My only demand is that I manage The Zombie. Zombie's, Mummies, Wrestling Bears, etc. rule. Maybe some day I can manage a Zombie against a Mummy in a death match. Than on 10/11 I'm back with WSU. Unfortunately WSU is Zombie free. I guess I'm stuck working with Ref Hanson on the announcing. I rather do the anouncing with The Zombie in character than Ref Hansen on any day. Just kidding!

Tags: Gary Hart, WCCW, UWF, Fritz Von Erich, Ken Mantell, Fabulous Freebirds, Von Erichs, Sunshine, John Tatum, Jack Victory, Missing Link, One Man Gang, Skandar Akbar, Bruiser Brody, Abdullah the Butcher, WWE, Bill Dundee, Bill Watts, Fantastics