• Look Back In History
• Pmessages
• Quiz
• Stump The Staff
• Top Fifty
• Close

Author seeks help to publish Memphis book

Posted: Jul 13th 2012 By: mikeiles

Author Mark James, who has written a couple of books about Memphis wrestling history is asking fans for help in publishing his latest offering ?Memphis Wrestling History Presents 1977.? The book will be in a similar format to other James? books and the shill is outlined below.

James is hoping to raise the money (he is not far from his goal) in order to have the book out no later than October of 2013 and has an established Kickstarter account if you wish to contribute. You can get more information as well as donate by going here.

Follow me on Twitter @jlwiseman13

What This Project Is About

This kickstarter project is to fund my 9th book about Memphis Wrestlng. This edition will cover the entire year of 1977, which happened to be the most pivotal year in Memphis Wrestling history. One thing I do in my books is talk to the people that were involved in the wrestling promotion, inside the ring and out. I?ve added their comments in earlier books and the fans feedback was very positive. That?s were this project comes in? Specifically, this funding will allow me travel to the Memphis Wrestling legends and interview them, face to face. Instead of a quick phone call, etc. Some of the Memphis legends I intend to interview are Jerry Lawler, Bill Dundee, Rocky Johnson, Jerry Jarrett, George Gulas, Dutch Mantell, Jimmy Valiant, Jim Cornette, Jimmy Hart, Lance Russell, Jackie Fargo, David Schultz, Tommy Rich, Robert Gibson, Paul Orndorff, Jerry Calhoun and many more. The $1500 goal of this project will help me interview several people on this list. If we surpass the goal, even more will be interviewed.

Why 1977?

The first half of 1977 saw Memphis matchmaker Jerry Jarrett go to war with his former boss, Nick Gulas. For over twenty years Gulas had owned the entire Tennessee territory that included Memphis. Nick?s former partner, Roy Welch, had appointed Jerry Jarrett the Memphis matchmaker a decade earlier. 1977 saw the old guard and the young upstart go to war. While the action in the ring was predecided, the war going on between Nick Gulas and Jerry Jarrett was entirely real.

After the Gulas-Jarrett War was over, the summer feud of Jerry Lawler vs. Bill Dundee set attendance records in Memphis that will never be broken. Their battles saw 2 men and 1 woman get their heads shaved in match stipulations. With summer over, the promotion played off of the death of Elvis Presley and turned it?s most hated villain, Jerry Lawler into the promotion?s greatest hero. The hero Lawler then came out of retirement to face the invading onslaught of Handsome Jimmy Valiant in a bloody feud. Some of the people involved with this story are Jerry Jarrett, Nick Gulas, Jerry Lawler, Lance Russell, Bill Dundee, Jackie Fargo, Tojo Yamamoto, Jimmy Valiant, Rocky Johnson, Dave Brown, and George Gulas.

What To Expect

This book will be formatted the same as my earlier book, Memphis Wrestling History Presents 1982.(example: http://www.memphiswrestlingbook.com).

Each month will be a chapter and give the reader a historical account of what happened at the matches every week. This is the same way the fans saw the action. What?s new is I then flip it on its head and let you know what was really going on behind the scenes during these times, matches, etc. At the end of each chapter, the weekly programs will be included. These programs were 4-12 pages and had some amazing photos as well as the card and results listed. Memphis Wrestling didn?t have an off season so there were over 52 cards that year. The book is project to be around 440 pages and measure 8"x10"

That?s what this kickstarter project is all about. I want to be able to travel around and spend more than a few minutes with the wrestlers on the phone. On the phone, my time with them is limited and short, usually only time for a question or two. If I can travel to them and have a meeting set up, I?ll be able to ask more in depth questions and have more input from the men who were actually there. If the goal of this kickstarter project is met, I will immediately start setting up meetings in KY, AL, GA, NC, SC and FL with Memphis Wrestling legends.

To The Memphis Wrestling Fans

The people that have bought my books in the past have been wonderfully supportive of them. This project gives you guys the chance to help on the front end of the product. It also allows you a way to be involved with the process as well. I?ve tried to put some rare and amazing rewards on this kickstarter project. Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. To see a picture of the actual belt that will be given as a reward, go to http://www.memphiswrestlinghistory.com/jl0001.jpg