191 - The Master Of Pain In Memphis!

Before he was The Undertaker, he was The Master Of Pain! Join wrestling superfans Alex Doriot and Travis White as they take their time-traveling hearse the furthest into the past it's ever gone to explore the origins of the man who would become The Phenom as he cuts his teeth in 1989 Memphis Wrestling! Mark Calaway is known here as the Master Of Pain in this footage so rare it's not even owned by the WWE. He's also greener than grass as he learns the ropes inside the squared circle, but it's fascinating to see him develop some of the moves, mannerisms, and intensity that he would go down in history for. It's also absolutely hilarious as we laugh harder than we ever have on the show diving into this old school, non-PC, southern-fried wrasslin' footage! We'll cover the ridiculous misspelling in the opening credits of this special, Master Of Pain's shaky promo delivery and confusing backstory, the ridiculous evolution of his look, his first ever title win, some of the most unfortunately named jobbers you'll ever see, some casual racism and promos that wouldn't fly in 2021, upcoming events at the local "high skoo", garbage bag ring canvasses, tar-and-feather match stipulations, and so much more. Plus we'll discuss the likes of Jerry The King Lawler, Dutch Mantell, Sid Vicious a.k.a. Lord Humongous, Downtown Bruno, Bam Bam Bigelow, P.Y. Chu-Hi, "The Japanese Team", Detroit Demolition, and our new favorite character, the incredible Ronnie P. Gossett! Do yourself a favor and watch the entire hourlong special streaming on the Wrestling TV app or on the website. Then download, enjoy, and Taker Easy! 

 

Stay connected with our Creature Community by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!

 

Pick up a new "Grateful Dead Man" Talking Taker shirt & more merch at TeePublic to help support the show!

 

Subscribe to Travis's YouTube channel to stay connected and hear his latest release, "Windrush Sessions: Volume 2"! 

Check out our Spotify Playlist highlighting all the music featured across our episodes throughout the years and see if you can remember which songs went with each match - updated every week!