901 Wrestling Brings Live Saturday Morning Bouts Back to Midtown

Hometown hero Jerry Lawler drew the lion’s share of the spotlight from the 1970s-1990s, playing foil to now familiar household names like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ric Flair, and Randy “Macho Man” Savage. And while a sold out, raucous Mid-South Coliseum lives on in the history books as the crown of Memphis Monday nights; it was Saturday morning’s weekly live shows at WMC-TV that primed the pump. Fueled by interviews with hosts Dave Brown and Lance Russell that often ran off the rails, the personalities portrayed in studio seemed to burst through the screen onto a larger-than-life stage of good versus evil. 

For devoted fans in the Mid-South, watching the sagas unfold became a weekly tradition. 

WMC-TV’s program peaked in the 1980s when Lawler famously feuded with comedy star Andy Kauffman, drawing national attention after a brawl on “The Late Show” with David Letterman. By 2001, its Saturday Morning spotlight was snuffed out amidst the national dominance of the WWE and alongside ownership and program changes.
 

Now, 901 Wrestling wants to give Memphians a new reason to roll out of bed and head ringside with the return of regular live, Saturday morning wrestling shows at Black Lodge. Starting July 15, fans can once again travel to Midtown Memphis for a dose of live, in-ring action on Saturday morning. 

901 Wrestling has been hosting regular live events since 2019; but July 15 marks the first time they have taken the show to the Bluff City’s iconic, Saturday morning time slot. 

“A regular, live wrestling show in Memphis on Saturday mornings hasn’t happened in around 25 years,” says 901 Wrestling emcee Kevin Cerrito. “There have been some attempts to pre-record shows and air them on Saturday mornings; but part of the great stuff in the old days was that it was a live show. You could wake up, go down to channel five and be there live.”

Most of the aforementioned legends—along with famous Lawler rivals like Jackie Fargo and Koko B. Ware—have either retired, passed away or moved on from wrestling’s limelight. However, current AEW stars Sting, Jeff Jarrett and Bryan Danielson remain as active national headliners that paid their early dues in Memphis. 

While Cerrito says 901 Wrestling’s live morning events will not be televised, they will pay homage to the rich history of weekend grappling in Memphis. “Everybody came through Memphis back in the day,” adds Cerrito. “If you were anybody, you came through Memphis. People were seeing everyone from Steve Austin to the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan. That history goes all the way up to as recently as Kurt Angle and Bryan Danielson.”

Current 901 Wrestling Champion Hunter Havoc says he remembers growing up with weekly pilgrimages to the studio with his father. He remembers waiting in line on Union Avenue for a chance to grab a coveted first or second row seat. And he remembers seeing wrestlers like Lawler, the late Brian Christopher, Spellbinder and Derrick King.

 

 

 

 

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Billed as 6’5” 425-pounds, Havoc is an in-ring monster with a reputation for bruising challengers into the mat. In the black and white world of professional wrestling, Havoc undeniably wears the black stetson. The man who bills himself as "the greatest professional wrestler to ever live” says the setup at Black Lodge is the perfect venue to forge his wicked craft. 

“Black Lodge is sweet. It’s the best venue to have a wrestling show at. We’ve got plenty of room. The lighting is good. There’s a great bar, good food and the local people really come out to get behind it. Our last show was standing room only for an unbelievable eight-man tag match.”

Havoc is right. On a recent visit to 901 Wrestling’s monthly Saturday evening show, I walked through the video rental store’s doors on Cleveland Avenue to find a cacophony of flashing lights and a throng of Memphians of all ages and backgrounds gathered in a swarm of stadium chairs and dining booths. Cold, local craft beers glided over the bar while fans huddled over food that seemed far removed from barebones concession stands I remember at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Forget cold popcorn and stale pretzels. At Black Lodge, ringside eats are dished out in spicy tuna or Thai pork rice bowls, waffle grilled cheese sandwiches or pineapple and teriyaki-lathered burgers. While Havoc and Cerrito engaged in a terrifying promo on stage (Havoc swearing to destroy any and all competition), the crowd buzzed in anticipation of appearances from 901 Wrestling stars like Andy Mack, Bobby Ford and Don Montana. 

“The second I step out of that curtain, I feel it,” says Havoc. “I feels the boos. I hear the cheers. The emotion pumps you up. There’s no way to come out flat. When you come out at Black Lodge, you know you’re about to give your best.”

901 Wrestling is one of several prominent local wrestling companies, including Memphis Championship Wrestling, which hosts its own live events throughout the region, holds t.v. tapings at its WrestleCenter on Winbrook Drive and carries affiliations with Brown and King. Havoc says 901 Wrestling’s roster is the best of the best in the area. “We are a Memphis wrestling show, and we are all about Memphis. We do things for the community and we’re about giving wrestlers in Memphis a platform to come perform and get their name out there to be seen by a great crowd.” 

“Growing up in Memphis, I watched Saturday morning wrestling, too,” adds Cerrito. “It was Lawler, it was Lance Russell and Dave Brown. It was live wrestling happening in Midtown Memphis. Now, we’re at Black Lodge and we are going to be giving a new generation the chance to experience a taste of what that was like.”

901 Wrestling’s Saturday Morning Live begins July 15 and is scheduled to take place the third Saturday of every month going forward. Episodes are available on YouTube at YouTube.com/901Wrestling the following week. Tickets for all shows are available at the door and in advance at 901Wrestling.com.

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Third Saturday of every month at Black Lodge
405 N Cleveland St.

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TICKETS:

Tickets begin as low as $7 + service fees for standing room and increase based on general seating or ringside. Going with a group? Opt for VIP dining or party booths for up to four people. VIP Ringside Couch seating up to 3 is also available. Purchase your tickets at 901wrestling.com.