Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Jim Lord
Date: 12/02/2025
Your Host: James Walsh”I was always a fan of it from as far back as I can remember. My granny used to take me Abolene, Texas… We would go and see the Funk’s, Dory and Terry Funk. We would go see Ricky Romero, Harley Race… I will tell you a funny story. I don’t have the picture anymore. But, Harley Race was sitting there watching the matches and I was just staring at him. I was like, poking my granny, “Look, there he is!” He looked at me, pointed, and signaled for me to come over. I was like, “No!” I was scared. But, my granny told me to go see what he wanted. So, I go over and he says, “Would you go buy me a hot dog?” So, I did. When I came back, he had the big gold belt with him… The original! The original original! The gold dome. The original one had a dent in it. And, that is the one he had. Well, when he took the hot dog, he said, “Here, hold this!” And, he handed me the NWA belt. I had a picture. I really wish I still had it. but, that was really cool.””I hated him! But, after the hot dog, I became an instant fan right there. The Funk’s were everything in Abolene. But, I was a Harley Race guy after that.””I was grained by Iceman King Parsons, “Gentleman” Chris Adams, and James Beard was nice enough to help me out along the way as well. It was right there in the Sportatorium. That was Chris Adams’ deal. I trained for about 7 months before I had my first match. Right after that, I went back into training for another 3 months before they turned me loose, I guess you could say.””A lot of people say bad stuff about the Sportatorium but I love that place. They say stuff about, you know, the condition that it was in. All of that is true. The big rats? All that is true. But, the building just had that spirit, that aura around it. Every time I got to walk down that aisle, I felt privileged!””I don’t know why. If you look at a lot of the guys after they left Global and where they went? Man, guys went to WWF, WCW, Japan, and even some in Mexico and they did good. I don’t know why it doesn’t get the credit it deserves.””Could decisions have been made that would have worked out differently? Sure. I say this all the time. Yes, wrestling is a business. But, it is a different kind of business. A lot of people don’t grasp that. That is unfortunate.””Plus, Kerry Von Erich and Rod Price and their feud… They were getting ready to push that angle to the moon. They wer going to start that thing and I rally believe it was going to start a fire and get Dallas hot again.””I’ll tell you, we were all excited. That first night back, Kerry did nto wrestle. He was brought in just to do TV commentary. And, the place was sold out! He did do some stuff with Angel of Death, who sadly passed away too. And, Black Bart… But, when he started doing stuff with Rod, that was going to be good!””Rod Price is the ultimate pro’s pro in my book. I learned so much from him. I didn’t talk to him all that much. But, I sat back and I watched him. I learned how to conduct myself. I learned how to handle certain situations. He probably doesn’t remember this. But, there was an incident up in Oklahoma. I got shorted on some pay. I saw Rod and I asked him what I should do, “I’m young int his business.” He said, “Jimmy, if they told you that is what you were going to get paid, that is what you should get. He owes you that. That is just business.” Luckly, everything did end up working out. But, I’ll tell you how good Rod was. A lot of guys people say could work with a broom and it would work. Rod could put the broom over and it would be good!””I never liked the mname. I was talking to Gray Pearson. I was like, “Is there anything we can do with the name?” He said, “Jimmy, I think it fits you. I like it. And, just remember, son. Don’t cross the boss!” (laughs) So, I said that was fine. Jim Lord I was! I kind of wish I had embraced it more. I wouldn’t use it when I’d work outside of Global. I guess that was a rookie mistake.””I love him. He’s my best friend. I love Baboose… I call him Boosky! He’s another guy who, for one reason or another, never got his opportunity. He is such a good guy. If he’s your friend, he’s your friend. I’ve argued up and down with him on things. We argued because he wasn’t going to just tell me what I wanted to hear. He was going to tell me the truth! But, he’s absolutely one of my best friends. With coaching, and it being the season, I dont’ talk to him every day. But, we do talk at least once a week.””Huge talent. He managed me a few times. For him to have been as young as he was and to have been as good as he was, he was a huge talent. And, he’s done so well for himself in radio.””KTVT was good for us because we could lay it in. Heels could get heat! We could do things that you couldn’t do on ESPN. And, it was syndicated. Do you know how I know? I was in management with Walmart at the time. I flew in to North Carolina for a meeting and the door greeter, who I had never met before, said, “Jim Lord!” I turned around and was like, “What?’ He said, “You’re Jim Lord!” He recognized me from the TV. So, yeah, we (GWF) were a big deal! I just don’t think we get the respect we deserve.””He was a good guy. And, he was a business guy. I think he could have made some better decisions. He knew how wrestlers were. And, he didn’t want the wrestlers running the show. He wanted to run his show. To a certain degree, I don’t blame him. I don’t get to talk to him much anymore. He’s an attorney, he’s always working. But, every year, I still get a Christmas card from him! I just wish, in Global, he had listened to some other people.””Chris Adams was a friend of mine. He was good to me. He taught me Judo. He took a special interest in training me. Thank Goodness he did. He taught me a different style, a little more snug. He didn’t have to take an interest in training me. But, he did. I’m not saying the things people say about him aren’t true. They probably are. But, he didn’t do any of those things around me. I’m glad you asked about him. A lot of people say things about Chris, not the boys but the people who really only stuck their finger into pro wrestling a little bit. They say things… Those people never would have said anything to Chris’ face.””I wasn’t there that night. But, Chris Adams was not Chris Adams that night. Or, I should say, he was not the “Gentleman” that night. Lets just say I think there is a chance he might have been a little bit inebriated. I can’t believe that the Chris Adams I know would have hurt Rod like that. But, he did.””In the beginning, it was great. He is a legend. He taught me a lot. But, as time went on, it got less great. Some things happened and, well, it was not as great.””I always liked Chaz. When I was starting, I put him over a few times. He was great to work with. But, when I got my little bit of a break there, well, he didn’t like that too much. Lets just be honest. I’m not sure it had anything really to do with me. But, in the wrestling business, you have to protect yourself because nobody else is going to protect you. But, like I said, I always liked Chaz. You know who was a super good man? His daddy! Tugboat Taylor. He was a super man. He would watch my matches and pull me aside and tell me what I did that was good, what I could do to be better, and what I shouldn’t do anymore. He didn’t have to do that. But, he took his time to help others get better.””We all thought things were going good just like you did. But, I remember it like it was yesterday. I found out from a phone call. Baboose called me. He said, “There is no wrestling on Friday night. The GWF is no more.” It was a sad day for sure.””The thing about Dallas, I still think it is a hot bed. It would take a little bit of money. But, if you started running regularly in Dallas, got on some TV, I think it is still a hot market. Did you know Dixie Carter met Jeff Jarrett when the USWA was working Dallas? I still think if TNA had moved their show to Dallas, it would still be going strong. They didn’t need to go to Universal Studios in Orlando. Dallas would have been the perfect place.””Yeah, it is still sad. There is nothing there. Nothing. Me and Baboose drove by there just a couple of weeks ago. I looked and saw him looking over at where it used to be. I was like, “Yeah, that was the place.” It is sad.””The guy who owned it, he said he would have to put over a million dollars in renovations into it for it to be up to code. I tried. But, it just never did happen.””Yeah, but that was going on while GWF was running. Somehow they’d clear out by Friday night for the matches. But, that is absolutely true.””James Beard was a great worker! I know everyone knows him as a referee. But, he was in great shape! And, he could work! He taught me a lot!”