Dustin Starr once visited the Mid-South Fair as a young wrestling fan. He met Jerry Lawler, saw his crown, and held his championship belt. The belt’s weight surprised him.
At other wrestling events, barricades separated fans from the ring. At the fair, Starr got close enough to touch it and grab the ropes. He never stepped inside, but the experience stayed with him.
Years later, he returned with a different responsibility: putting on the show.
Starr, also familiar to Memphis football fans for getting the crowd involved on the field in his skinny jeans and a suit jacket, now helps run Memphis Wrestling. His work involves arranging appearances, developing television stories, and preparing wrestlers to perform for audiences in person and at home.
Before Memphis had the Grizzlies, wrestling already had its following. Fans watched Saturday morning television and went to the Mid-South Coliseum on Monday nights. They followed the wrestlers and their rivalries, then showed up to see what happened next.
For Starr, keeping people interested today starts with characters, stories, and wrestlers they recognize.
He named Matt Hardy and Joe Hendry among the performers Memphis Wrestling has featured. Those appearances give fans a reason to attend. The stories developing each week give them a reason to keep watching.
Behind the matches are months of planning.
For the fair show, Starr described checking the date, arranging wrestler availability, and deciding which TV stories would reach a turning point at the event. Memphis Wrestling and the fair then worked together to promote last weekend’s show.
Much of his work happens before anyone steps into the ring.
Starr said he began training at 15 and signed with WWE developmental in 2010. His experience there helped him understand the business and television production he would later help build in Memphis.
His television work also took another direction. Starr and his wife, Maria, appeared in short CW30 commercials introducing programs coming up next.
After years of wrestling, he found people recognizing him from their Jerry Springer commercials. He recalled people chanting “Jerry!” when they saw the couple in public.
Those encounters showed him how far television reached.
Then the station’s general manager asked why wrestling was no longer on Memphis television. Starr responded by pointing to the manager’s television experience. The manager pointed back to Starr’s wrestling experience.
Their conversation led to pitches and eventually a syndicated wrestling program hosted by Starr and Maria. The couple added local introductions and endings while working toward producing their own wrestling show.
Starr said COVID interrupted their launch plans after an announcement in February 2020.
Today, Memphis Wrestling reaches audiences through television, Facebook, and YouTube. Short clips introduce viewers to matches and characters. Longer videos let them watch individual matches or full programs.
The company also prepares wrestlers for those cameras.
The WrestleCenter serves as a training space and a place to record television. Starr identified King Cobra as a partner at the training center, connecting an earlier generation of Memphis wrestling with performers learning today. He also described a training ring in Pontotoc, Mississippi, near Tupelo.
Performing for people beside the ring differs from performing for an audience watching at home. Starr said wrestlers need to learn both.
He said some performers have received WWE opportunities. He hopes Memphis Wrestling eventually establishes an official development partnership with a larger company. He compared the idea to the NBA and its G League, where athletes gain experience before moving up.
The company’s future also depends on the people buying tickets now.
Starr credited local fans with keeping the business going. He said customer service and cleanliness matter alongside the wrestling. The experience people have at a show helps determine whether they return.
The fair offers a chance to reach people who never planned to watch wrestling. Visitors passing through might stop for a break, notice the action, and become interested.
Starr said he still meets people who do not know Memphis Wrestling is active, even after years of producing shows. Bringing wrestling to the fair puts it in front of those potential fans.
For Starr, the fair was once a place to meet a wrestler and touch the ropes. Now, he helps give the next person a reason to stop and watch.
