When Vince McMahon "invaded" Memphis Wrestling

For years, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon was merely a mild-mannered announcer while running his company behind the scenes. He was known for his bombastic deliveries on play-by-play and his wild, widely cut suits.

Of course, that all changed when he transitioned away from the broadcast table and unleashed the character of 'Mr. McMahon' to kickstart the fabled Attitude Era. Not only did his new persona change the course of wrestling history, it's considered by many to be the greatest heel act of all-time.

But McMahon had already gotten a chance to rehearse for that role a few years earlier. And it happened in Memphis, Tennessee.

In the 90's, WWE had a working relationship with Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Association. The USWA was an extension of Jerry Jarrett's CWA, and with Lawler working for McMahon, it was easy for the pair to create an 'invasion angle'.

WWE began sending wrestlers to Memphis, where they acted as the antagonists to local stars.

In an era that many refer to as 'McMemphis', WWE Superstars not only invaded the studios where the territory's television show was filmed, they also won championships and engaged in feuds within the promotion.

McMahon himself would send videotapes mocking Jerry Lawler and the Memphis fans.

Over time, WWE Superstars like Tatanka, Papa Shango, Owen Hart and even Randy Savage would go on to capture the USWA title. The WWE Chairman even personally appeared on the studio show.

It was an unprecedented time for McMahon, as he'd never branched out beyond WWE nor even acknowledged that other promotions existed. It was also an unusual dynamic in that Lawler would be the heel on (then) WWF programming while Vince remained the babyface announcer. However, when they were in the Birthplace of Rock 'n' Roll their roles were reversed, with The King playing the hero to his promotion's fans.

Lawler would face Bret Hart - who he was already feuding with in WWE - in a steel cage at the Mid-South Coliseum in August 1993. It was an epic contest that saw The King defeat Hart after The Hitman accidentally took a shot from the interfering Giant Gonzalez.

At the time, very few fans outside of the Memphis market took notice of this angle, as the USWA was only broadcast regionally. However, the storyline was red hot in the area and had local fans hopping mad.

Unfortunately, the feud ended due to outside circumstances. Lawler would be indicted on charges of statutory rape and forced to take a leave of absence from the company. McMahon would distance himself from The King, and thus the storyline as well.

Of course, Mr. McMahon would become a full-time heel and onscreen character about four years later. But you have to wonder: would it have been nearly as effective if Vince hadn't gone walkin' in Memphis?

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