Tonight’s main event: USWA desk vs. Leatherface’s chainsaw (Who ya got?!)
In spring 1991, the notorious “Texas Bunch”–as USWA announcer Dave Brown disdainfully referred to the stable of Lone Star State grapplers who had invaded Tennessee in 1991–was on the ropes in their feud with Jerry Lawler.
Desperate Longhorn leader Eric Embry called on one of the greatest mass murderers in history to even the odds: Leatherface, whose orgy of violence was well-documented in the film “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” (Embry’s first choice, Chainsaw Charlie, was in jail at the time for shoplifting pantyhose from a Kmart in Amarillo.) Clearly, the masked madman would resort to just about anything, including ruining a valuable piece of sports memorabilia and remodeling the USWA studio. In hindsight, Brown’s lucky he didn’t wind up on a meathook somewhere.
Leatherface was played originally by Mike Samples but was eventually replaced by perennial Memphis jobber Ken Raper, who was cast in the role because he was the only local jabroni who owned a chainsaw.
Seeing this convinces me that if Lawler were a star in Mexico he would had starred in horror films.
Nice clip…
You know, I would love a good article about “Hollywood” Mike Samples. He was super entertaining during that stint, though obviously talking about him from any time would be cool.
Just something to keep in mind when you don’t have anything else planned.
I actually have the USWA sign that Leatherface cut through. I was helping with the ring crew at the time, & was friends with Bruno. I was talking to him after the TV show when Lawler came out for something. They were going to throw it out, so they gave it to me. I hung it up on my wall for a few years after that. It had Eddie Gilbert’s blood droplets on the sign, from he & Jeff Jarrett fighting before the big ESPN World title tournament.I thought what the hell, maybe they can clone him some day.
It’s still in a box in my closet.
God The Mofo misses pro-wrestling.
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But then again, you had the same thing take place just before the USWA took over in Memphis. Curt Hennig, ticked off because Lawler won the AWA title, took it upon himself to redecorate the Memphis studio by trashing all the CWA decorations.