[1991-02-16-USWA-Memphis TV] Jerry Lawler vs Eddie Gilbert / Interview: Eddie Gilbert & Eric Embry

[Loss]

Talk about it here.

[Loss]

The finish of Lawler vs Gilbert from Mid South Coliseum. Lawler has Eddie pinned when Tommy Gilbert comes out of the crowd and attacks Lawler. They are about to post Lawler when Eddie Marlin makes the save. The Gilberts work over Eddie Marlin until Lawler recovers enough to help even the odds. The old men brawl away from the ring when Tom Pritchard and Eric Embry hit the ring and lay out Lawler. Tennessee vs Texas begins!

 

Back at the studio, Gilbert and Embry are interviewed, which is a pretty effective heel pairing. Embry immediately criticizes every Tennessee sports team, and says a guy from Texas can beat a guy from Tennessee any day of the week. Pritchard celebrates this declaration in the background while Gilbert seems a little uncomfortable. Embry tells Gilbert to stand in the corner and listen to him and he'll be just fine. I like where this is going.

[shoe]

I also like the nice touch of Gilbert wearing a Tennessee Vols shirt. Again Memphis is the master of a strong step one that sets up the story they are going to tell. They are also good at step 2 , 3 etc. Again anyone could do a step one, heck Russo was the master at it . Yet he had no follow through, unlike the bookers in Memphis who weave crafted stories.

[PeteF3]

I do wonder how much of Memphis was booked in advance or how much was winged. Probably a combination of the two considering the roster turnover was so great and oftentimes sudden. What is known is that before Gilbert's walkout he was supposed to double-turn along with the Fabs.

 

It's great that we have the crotch-posting as this sort of reoccurring, lurking nightmare for Lawler. Eddie Marlin makes the save for him and gets into maybe the greatest senior-citizen fight in history with his old partner and '80s Memphis set opponent Tommy Gilbert. Tommy and Eddie choke out Marlin by his own tie--fire those men right now! Lawler takes over on Eddie, but is soon laid out by Eric Embry and Dr. Tom Prichard. This sets up Gilbert & Embry challenging for the USWA Tag Titles on Monday night.

 

I LOVE that Embry could have cut literally cut this exact same promo in the Sportatorium and still been a total babyface. The only Tennesseean that Embry might have any respect for is Eddie Gilbert, and he can be a Tag Champion if he just stands in the corner and does what Embry says. Uh-oh! Gilbert's reaction to this is pretty great--he gets across that he doesn't take kindly to Embry's comments but he doesn't overdo it. Subtle and subdued is sometimes the right way to go.

[Kevin Ridge]

Lawler in control until Doug Gilbert interferes. Eddie Marlin with the save! Don’t last long though but he was putting up a fight. Lawler then saves Marlin. And now Embry and Tom Pritchard attack Lawler! Embry back as heel where he belongs.

 

Gilbert is focusing on the tag titles and will be teaming with Embry. Eric pushes Texas as the best at the expense of the south and specifically Tennessee.

[soup23]

So much to digest here. Action with Lawler and Gilbert looked hot and what I hoped the Texas match would be. No matter how many times I see old man Eddie Marlin get into it, I can't get enough and his brawl with Tommy Gilbert was great.

 

Then once everything seems to be fizzled we get Embry and Dr. Tom attacking Lawler starting a brand spanking new hot feud.

 

The promo Embry gave in studio was great and I can't wait to see what develops between him and Gilbert in the weeks to come.

[garretta]

Whatever babyface there might have been left in Embry's gone now, as his every word and action here oozes sleaze. Or, to put it another way, when you have Eddie Gilbert, of all people, taking exception to your comments, you're one dirty bastard. Dr. Tom's along as wingman, and Eddie's left to wonder just what he's gotten himself into. This has the potential to be another classic angle from the place where a majority of them have come from in the Yearbook series so far.

 

The Lawler/Eddie brawl we saw was good, but the senior citizens stole the show here. How they could keep up a pace like that for even a few minutes is a testament to both their toughness and conditioning. I don't see any Marlin/Tommy matches on the horizon, and oddly enough, that's a shame. I love how everyone assumed that Embry and Prichard were Eddie's friends when they attacked Lawler; I have a feeling that we'll find out differently very soon.

[dawho5]

Team Texas makes Eddie regret his decision to partner up with Embry. Good groundwork here and I'm curious how this turns out.