Episode 35: Close-Up on Union Avenue

KFR Pod #35 has dropped like Ricky Morton’s head through a table after a Macho Piledriver! Host Scott Bowden goes behind the camera to chat with longtime (and now retired) WMC-TV 5 engineer Ken Parnell, who reveals the crazy energy and the wild-and-wooly inner workings of the Memphis TV show in its heyday.

Ken recalls his rookie year of 1981, which resulted in some of the most entertaining Memphis TVs in history thanks to the red-hot feud between Jerry Lawler and the All the King’s Men vs. Jimmy Hart’s nefarious First Family.

Ken will also explain the details behind his ill-advised detour down Badstreet USA where he lost the Freebird version of Rock, Paper, Scissors in August 1985 as part of a bloody-good angle at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Plus, Ken breaks down what made Memphis wrestling so special and his thoughts on the show’s TV format that was as loose and flexible as any arena rat back in the day and just as action-packed.

Not only does Ken provide a unique perspective of the show working for both the station and the promotion, but he also shares inside stories such as a Macho Man promo that nearly made Ken quit the business and how that led to he and Randy Savage eventually becoming good friends. All this and more on an extra-crispy, not-so-late KFR Episode 35!

Visit the Kentucky Fried Rasslin’ online store at http://kentuckyfriedrasslin.bigcartel.com/

Follow Scott Bowden on Twitter @TravScottBowden and on Facebook @KentuckyFriedRasslin.

Follow Brian on Twitter at @GreatBrianLast.

Kentucky Fried Rasslin’ is a production of the Arcadian Vanguard Podcast Network