Legendary broadcaster and WMC weatherman Dave Brown spent years at ringside for one of the most popular wrestling shows in history, Memphis Championship Wrestling. With partner Lance Russell, the two have been called the best ever tandem in broadcast history. Brown and Russell were the cornerstone for what, at times, was the craziest, funniest, bloodiest, and most intense wrestling action that the sport will likely never see again. The accolades that can be bestowed upon Dave Brown are many and would take up an entire column and then some just to cover him properly. This interview continues the thoughts and musings of Dave Brown, a commentator that professional wrestling was blessed to have and will never find another like him.
Q. Was it ever difficult to juggle your career with WMC and the USWA?
A. No, because it was set up that way from the time I came to WMC. The only problem was that I could not go to some of the matches and to other cities since I had to be here for my weather forecasts each night.
Q. Who was the best worker you ever saw come through the area?
A. Oh there, were many. I would say that Jackie Fargo and Jerry Lawler could both hold a sold out crowd spellbound. And there were guys like Flex Cavannah (later The Rock) and Kurt Angle who were obviously very talented at a young age. And Sputnik Monroe, whose success helped advance civil rights in the area. He refused to work unless the overflow African American fans were allowed into empty seats in the lower level of the arena. I could probably list 20 who were great in the 35 years I was part of the show.
Q. What was the worst gimmick you ever saw?
A. I despised anything that went potty-mouth. I always felt that was taking a cheap way to go and would hurt the business in the long-term. There was a gimmick I thought was great where Reggie B. Fine kidnapped Koko B. Ware’s bird and came out eating what he said was the bird as we interviewed a shocked Koko. That gimmick did become one of the worst when I saw it done for the fourth or fifth time over the years.
Q. You are the promoter, who are the first five people you hire, past or present?
A. Lance Russell, Jerry Jarrett, Tojo Yamamoto, Hulk Hogan and, of course, Jerry Lawler
Q. Who would you put in your money match?
A. Hulk Hogan and Lawler with a loser leave town stipulation that we could avoid on shady technicalities for two or three weeks before moving on to a new angle.
Q. Do you think Larry Burton helped bring the USWA to an end?
A. Absolutely…he was the worst thing that ever happened to Memphis Wrestling.
Q. How do you think the merger with the GWF went?
A. It did not go well. Another example that you can’t always consolidate and make it work.
Q. What is the best match you have ever seen?
A. Lawler wins the World Championship after years of coming close. The place went nuts. I knew where things were going, yet I was excited to be calling that match with Lance and an electric atmosphere in the Mid-South Coliseum.
Q. Could a group like the USWA survive today with the right talent?
A. Yes…but it would be very difficult. Television viewing is much more fragmented and local television stations have FCC commitments to use much of Saturday and Sunday mornings for children’s programming. And few television stations would give you the time slot and make their money on commercials alone today. They would expect to be paid for the time and share in the commercial profits.
Q. What was the atmosphere like at the studio tapings?
A. It was like a small arena. We would have about 150 people in the audience around two sides of the ring. Tickets were free, but folks had to write in for them. At the height, it was a very hot ticket. We had a waiting list several weeks long.
Q. We you ever nervous when you had to be involved in the angles during interviews?
A. Not really. Because of my position at WMC, the guys were not to mess with me other than verbally. If they crossed that line, they knew they could be banned from the building. My role was to gently nudge the interview in the right direction and be sure the angle was highlighted during the commentary.
Q. How big was Jimmy Valiant to the territory?
A. Huge because Jerry Lawler, our main draw, had broken his leg. We needed someone who could draw for a couple of months while Jerry was out. Jimmy and Mouth of the South Jimmy Hart filled the bill and paid the bills. And later Jerry and Valiant had a very successful run as opponents.
Q. The same with Austin Idol?
A. Austin was one of those guys the promoters would bring in when things were getting a little stale and the program needed some extra pop. I always liked Austin.
Q. The USWA was very creative and ahead of its time with some of the angles, like Jerry Lawler being hit by the car, whose ideas were those and why do you think they were so over?
A. I think Lawler and Eddie Gilbert came up with that one. It was tricky because a police precinct was right across the street from the parking lot and we didn’t want to trigger an uncontrolled police and ambulance response. Lawler was usually involved in his angles. Jerry Jarrett and Randy Hales came up with a bunch of them too.
Q. What do you feel was the best building to run?
A. I love the Louisville Gardens…Well; naturally, I am partial to the Mid-South Coliseum. I was never in the Gardens, but I was very impressed with the way they set up Rupp Arena for a wrestling show. My wife and I rode with Lance and his wife to Lexington on one of the few road trips I got to take.
Q. How close did you and Lance Russell get calling wrestling every weekend?
A. We were…and are…great friends. See, Lance gave me my first job in television on Studio Wrestling when he was Program Director at WHBQ-TV. He later gave me my first regular TV job and my first weather job. By the time we moved to WMC, we had known each other for 13 years.
Q. What was the atmosphere like in the locker room back in those days?
A. In those days of kayfabe there were two locker rooms…one for the heels and one for the baby faces. That changed later. The atmosphere was fun, but business-like. The guys were guests in WMC’s building and the promoter had to pay for any damage, so there was not a lot of horsing around. Also, many of the guys had driven half the night to get here by 9:30 or 10:00 Saturday morning.
Q. If you could change one thing about your career what would it be?
A. Nothing.
Q. Do you miss sitting behind the mic calling the action?
A. Yes, but I don’t miss working on most Saturdays.
Q. If you could see one match again, what would it be?
A. Lawler vs. Andy Kauffman. Arguably the biggest non-New York match ever.
Q. Just how over were Jerry Lawler, Austin Idol and Bill Dundee?
A. They were all completely over. I think we have to give Lance a huge amount of the credit for that. He is the best ever…no contest.
Q. Did the atmosphere of the crowds give you chills much the way the wrestlers claim to get?
A. Yes, you can’t help get a boost of adrenaline no matter how many times you climb into the ring with 11,000 screaming fans in the house. And you realize that you had a part of the responsibility for putting them in those seats.
Q. When you see a botched spot, how difficult is it to cover on the commentary?
A. Most times, not too hard. Sometimes it was impossible and we had to either ignore it or say something like, “Wow he just tried to finish him off, but just couldn’t quite do it yet.” There were a few times when a wrestler missed a high spot and I just hoped he had not injured himself.
Q. Do you consider yourself and Lance Russell the best duo to call matches or who would you say is?
A. Maybe…people have told us that for years, so I gratefully accept the compliment.
Q. In your career was there ever anything you were asked to do that you were reluctant to do?
A. Not that I recall. There were some things that made me cringe, but if I really objected to something, I didn’t do it. Again, my real job at WMC made that mandatory.
Q. If Lance Russell was not your partner, who would you pick?
A. I have no second choice. Lance is the absolute pinnacle.
Q. To what do you contribute your longevity not only in wrestling but also in weather forecasting?
A. Good fortune breaks from great mentors like Lance along the way, and I try to do my job the best I can and not just “phone it in”.
Q. Were you sad to see the USWA come to an end?
A. Yes. I knew it did not have to happen that way. But I also knew Larry Burton SHOULD have had zero input into the whole situation. Once he became entrenched, some could not see him for what he was, and I knew the end was near.
Q. If you were elected to the hall of fame, what would your speech say?
A. Thank you to all the fans who made our show the top-rating television program in Memphis and other markets for so many years. We got ratings that are unheard of today. Thank you WHBQ and WMC for allowing me to be a part of the legend. Thanks to all the wrestlers who travelled the circuit and gave us great Saturday morning television. Thank you Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler for a great promotion. Thanks to my family who put up with my doing the show. And special thanks to my partner and friend Lance Russell without whom I would likely not have had such a long and successful career.
Q. You are considered one of the best broadcasters and best teams in wrestling with Lance, how does that make you feel?
A. It makes me feel humble, but proud. The chemistry was right and we had a great team. I have known Lance Russell for 46 years. In all that time, there has never been a cross word between us. That is pretty darn special!
