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YouTube Finds: The night Jimmy Hart’s Monk flunked

January 26th, 2011 Leave a comment Go to comments
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Jimmy Hart was known not only for his hilarious Memphis wrestling promos but also for his pre-match preparations and strategies for his First Family members in big championship matches. A shrewd negotiator, Hart also knew how to get the better of promoter Eddie Marlin-never was this more evident than when the Mouth of the South secured an AWA Southern title bout for the unheralded Monk vs. Jerry Lawler. Even more impressive was that the Monk’s shot at championship glory occurred on the same Monday night as the infamous initial bout between Lawler and performance-artist Andy Kaufman on April 5, 1982, in front of nearly 9,000 fans.

Although fairly common in mixed-martial arts preparation today, Hart’s training methods at the time were considered unorthodox. Judging from the clip promoting the title bout, the Monk, despite appearing to become increasingly constipated, certainly appeared ready to solidify Hart’s reputation as a manager of champions.

But despite Hart’s confidence, Lawler knocked out his challenger with one punch, pinning him in under 30 seconds-the angle being that despite his intimidating physical presence, the Monk had one weakness: a glass jaw. The humiliated Monk disappeared from the Memphis rasslin’ scene shortly thereafter. As you might imagine, a tryout with the Harlem Globetrotters proved disastrous at the end of 1982, leaving the Monk  to live out his remaining days in a monastery.

  1. Cousar
    January 27th, 2011 at 07:30 | #1

    Was the JR Hart on that card Jim Cornette. I do not recall Eric Embry working in Memphis at that time. The original Original Midnight Express, Bobby Eaton, and Stan Lane are all on one card!

  2. Cousar
    January 27th, 2011 at 16:32 | #2

    I meant “Was the JR Hart on that card Jim Cornette?”

  3. David
    January 27th, 2011 at 19:09 | #3

    No, not Jim Cornette… I think it might have been perennial jobber Kenny Shane, whom Hart took under his wing and called Jimmy Hart Jr… however, he’s going against Bobby Eaton, who was with the First Family, so I’m not sure… Scott?

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