This is the first time I have seen this, Tom Renesto is a fantastic talker and a great character. This is a great angle. He even buried Johnny Paycheck on the way out! 😂
In storyline Tom is 100% right ! Lawler can’t sit on the Southern title to protect his world title match ! This is one the greatest and most believable angles I’ve ever seen !!
Seems to me that I've heard that, if any Title isn't defended within a 30 day period, then the person holding said Title is to be stripped of the Title. Typical Lawler Politics going on here, with Lance Russell and Eddie Marlin as Lawler's yes-men. Totally pathetic!!!
Tom Renesto and Joe Hamilton was literally the best tag team ever bar none. They had it all they could wrestle they could brawl they were good on the mic they could get the crowd stirred up. They were both good “worker’s”. It’s ashamed that the original two Assassins never will get the recognition they deserve because there’s no video footage of them.
Loved this. Thanks for posting. i saw some of this years ago on a really poor quality tape so thanks for uploading in good quality. Renesto was great here... very subtle, soft spoken (at first), and making a lot of sense!
Such an effective and simple story. No cartoon characters, just good booking. And as a perfect example of long term storytelling, it's a progression of what Terry Funk said in '81 about Lawler having everyone on his side...
He should have reached right across and slapped his face!... But it would be like hitting a little child haha, wrestling was so good then. We are all fans, and we should just show love even if we disagree or feel someone is doing too much... RU-vid is for people to put they're perspective on things that you'd never get to hear if not for these videos, we're all watching for the love of guys that did it for us, NOT money
He wasn't right because the Stomper wasn't putting anything on the line to hasten a title match. Lawler had no obligation to put his title on the line until after he wrestled Flair.
@@jonrife8226 No. Tom Renesto and Jody Hamilton were the original Assassins since the 60s. Renesto retired when he chose to work with Ann Gunkel's "All South Championship Wrestling" promotions in the early 70s. In fact Renesto was "Assassin #1" and for many years afterwards Hamilton still called himself "Assassin #2" even without a partner.
@@jonrife8226Tom and Jody started teaming as the Assassins on December 1 1961 in Atlanta. Joe had been wrestling as the Assassin for a few weeks before but Tom had been working in Mid Atlantic as the the great Bolo but Tom was the captain of the Assassins and taught Jody how to do interviews and later Tom became the Assassin No. 1 and Joe as Assassin No. 2.
I grew up watching the Assassin's and never saw Tom Renesto without a mask except for a brief period at the end of his tenure in Atlanta (1973-1974 era)- this clip is like all his other promo's: spoken softly at first but would increase in intensity as he went along; that style was picked up by his partner Assassin #2 (Jody Hamilton). Great back and forth with no script! Classic line delivered classically: "I didn't get fired- I Quit!"
You've got them switched. Hamilton was ALWAYS Assassin #1. When they wrestled as the Bolos, Renesto was #1 (The Great Bolo) and Hamilton #2 (The Mighty Bolo) according to Jody's book. As the Bolos, Renesto mentored Jody to develop his mic skills and made Jody the mouthpiece while he just stood next to him looking menacing.
@@yardlet6 Then the Flame got suspended, then came back as El Fuego (the "Fire " or "Flame" in Spanish). Armstrong himself lost a Loser Leaves Town match, then came back as the Bullet, Armstrong's nickname. RIP to both.
@@mbp7060 When the Assassins wrestled in Atlanta Tom and Joe spent equal time on the mic and you’re right originally Joe was Assassin # 1 but from 1968-1972. in the Georgia territory Tom was Assassin # 1 and Joe was Assassin # 2. Whatever the case Tom was always the captain of the team. I think you may have Tom mixed up with h the later versions of the Assassins Jody Hamilton and Roger Colley or Hercules Hernandez and one or two other guys.
Tom would have made for a good semi-heel commissioner to foil the local babyface. I think his position here was a good way to use him. I could see three commissioners with Tom as the heel, a face, and a face who often has to reluctantly agree with Tom because he's a subtle heel.
Typical Jerry Lawler... putting himself ahead of the company! He was this company's "Crown Jewel", and, since he owned part of the company, he could do whatever he wanted to do. I side with Mr. Renesto on this one! Jerry truly was afraid of losing the Southern Heavyweight Championship, because, without it, he couldn't face Ric Flair, and that apparently ate at him so fiercely, that I wonder if it was always that way with him? He always seemed to play by his own rules...which is apparently why he flip-flopped so much between being a face and a heel. I've said it before, and I'll say it again:The Powers-that-be were always playing up to Jerry Lawler, and giving him whatever he wanted, because they knew that if they didn't, he'd jump ship on them, just like he did in the early 1990s, by going to the WWF, & becoming one of Vince's boys! He was only loyal as long as he got what he wanted, and as long as the money was good! I have respect for his wrestling abilities, but, in cases such as these, I have no respect for his way of doing things!
This is a interesting angle but not well executed in hindsight. Tom is supposed to come off as a heel promoter but comes off as well spoken and reasonable and Lawler, the babyface, comes off as dodging the Stomper by not wanting to put the title on the line. It kinda made Lawler look bad as you can hear the fans actually grumbling at the announcement of a non-title match and I can see why they dropped it not too long after.
If you treat it as real, and you believe it is real, then you will convince the fans it is real. This totally adlibbed argument seems like a completely believable argument. And it draws fans into it better than any scripted WWE crap.
William Yount well said. That’s exactly how I try to explain the difference in these guys working angles and today’s cookie cut workers. This is how it’s done.
This is how you sold wrestling, no merchandise, not even necessarily PPV's, wrestling was sold with wrestlers, not actors, musicians, or any other people outside of the industry. And all you got was a printed program, and concessions.
Lawler was Memphis wrestling, plain and simple. I lived in memphis at that time and he kept the mid south coliseum packed every monday night. Lawler was more than a wrestler in memphis, he was one of the big deals behind the scenes as well. when he left, memphis wrestling died
Yeah!! You're right, it's the way they do it, just pay attention to the dialogue. They are sticking to the storyline, yes, but the ad-lib makes it seem so real! That's what's missing today!
I'm on Tom Renesto's side here. Why is a legend such as Jerry "The King" Lawler afraid of The Mongolian Stomper? Give the fans what they want, King. I see nothing heelish about Renesto's business sense. This isn't Bob Geigel or Mr. McMahon trying to anger his top baby face. Renesto does look like a thin Gorilla Monsoon. Sounds like him, too.
The company built Jerry up. Artistry, ability and part owner. It's all made up. Lawler was always pretty much going to be the title holder. Villains brought in from all over to build him. But Renesto is classic. I wish there was more footage of him. Former Assassin. You r trying to intimidate me. You r trying to intimidate this audience. Very eloquent. Then they pull every dirty trick in the book. Hilarious
Wasn't Tom Renesto's suit brown at the beginning of this segment? Then when Jerry Lawler starts to have his say during the argument, Renesto's suit turned navy blue. Bad colorization from the camera?
Well, in my notes Tom Renesto was originally the Assassin 2 when he debuted with the gimmick in Georgia along Hamilton being the #1 and THE Assassin, in 1961. If i'm right, Renesto didn't become #1 until 1965 while in Japan.
@@PsychomachineryEBM Renesto was never #1. The promoter who designated Hamilton #1 and Renesto #2 would sometimes switch their designations around on the programs (supposedly to confuse the fans) but they never switched. In the Carolinas Tom was a superstar wrestling as the masked Bolo before being teamed with Hamilton in Atlanta as an Assassin. When they went to the Carolinas as a team they wrestled as the Bolos. Since Renesto was the original Bolo, he essentially became Bolo #1 and Hamilton Bolo #2. I say essentially because Renesto went by the Great Bolo and Hamilton as the Mighty Bolo so technically they were both originals.
"The King of Wrestling" always working his story line. Arguably the best ever at promotion; certainly more World Titles reigns, in different promotions than any other wrestler in history. Not the longest title reigns; but met all comers around the globe. Go King!!!!!
Tom had a very valid point and Lawler was an overrated jerk who tried to politick his way around matches. Renesto was doing his job, Lawler was trying to avoid doing the job.
haha, what's with the ethics of the people in Memphis? Renesto is exactly right. Put up the belt or you're a coward, dummy. It's not very complicated. Floyd Mayweather logic from Lawler. They've got these people popping for a non-title stipulation. What is with these people? That's like customers at Chipotle thanking the manager for not honoring their buy one get one burrito coupon that expired on today's date, saying that that meant midnight last night.
You know what I say? Hooray for Tom Renesto!!! He stood his ground, and, in the process, exposed just what a bunch of puppets that Lance Russell and Eddie Marlin were, in this case. I believe in having respect for people...until they show that they're too afraid of losing their top star! Jerry Lawler had Lance Russell and Eddie Marlin wrapped around his little finger. Remember, also, that Lawler was too insecure to put up his Southern Heavyweight Championship Belt against "SuperStar"Bill Dundee, too. That happened back in, I believe, 1985, and it was for the same reason! He needed that Championship Belt, in order to face "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. If he would've lost that Championship Belt, he'd have nothing to fall back on. Tom Renesto and "Superstar" Bill Dundee were both right about Jerry "The King" Lawler-He was too insecure to take a chance! Even if he had lost the Belt to either The Stomper, or to "Superstar" Bill Dundee, he could've won it back in time for his match with "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Here, and in talks with "Superstar" Bill Dundee, Lawler exposed himself as 1: Insecure, & 2:As someone that thought more of himself, than of the Wrestling Organization that he wrestled for. It's as if he thought he owned all of this particular Organization. The more's the pity.
Original heel promoter. We had someone like that on All Star Wrestling in Vancouver, BC, Canada during the early 1980s. His name was Al Tomko or Master Sargent Tomko as he called himself. He did double duty as a promoter and as a wrestler. He was a motor mouth, a coward, an imbecile, he didn't wrestle very well (he relied on kicks, punches, no wrestling holds, someone helping him outside the ring) and would use a hidden object in his tights to win a match. He was often quite tiresome to watch.
Tom Renesto was one of the original Assassins, along with Joe Hamilton. Joe's brother was Larry Hamilton, aka the Missouri Mauler. It was supposed to be Jody, not Joe. My apologies.
Speaking of f Jody Hamilton in his book it says on the cover Assassin man behind the mask by Joe Hamilton and Tom always referred to him as Joe. Also when he wrestled for Ann Gunkel commentator Ed Capral always called him Joe but he was aka has Jody
What is lost in all of this is Lawler was not obligated to put his title on the line at that time and Stomper wasn't putting anything up to get this match made. (Usually challengers had to put up a purse of some kind in angles like this.) Money vs Title. Since Stomper did no such thing, Lawler had no obligation to put his belt on the line until after he wrestled Flair.
Thank you cause honestly, I think Lawler's argument is stronger than Tom's argument. He debunked his points of him being scared as he was the one who asked for the match and even said he would put his title up after he wrestled flair. Also, Tom saying the people wanted to see it was debunked since the fans clearly said they don't want to see Lawler fight the stomper till after he fights flair. He doesn't wanna risk the stomper cheating and doing his heel nonsense which could cause him to lose the match with flair.
I love revisiting these glory days of wrestling. And was lucky enough to live close enuff to get to go on Monday night's. And Saturday's .... Woooooo mercy daddy!! They shut Memphis down to watch wrestling for 90 mins or something like that.
Jerry Jarrett said he had no authority in the company 😂 Hes part owner along with Jerry Lawler. The fans new Jarrett was owner but I don't think it was known at the time that Jerry Lawler was co owner.
leBron james levels of entitlement and protection for jerry "the politician" lawler. Ironically both of those ego maniacs refer to themselves as self appointed kings, yet they carry on like queens. I side with Renesto, he's the only adult in the room.
That is how you do an angle. Pay attention WWE and TNA! Somtimes I believe the acronyms for these companies today are World Women's Entertainment and Total Non Action.