DVD REVIEW: GUEST BOOKER WITH GARY HART: BOOKING THE DALLAS TERRITORY
By Steven Wilson on 6/17/2008 9:36 AM
DVD Review : Guest Booker with Gary Hart –
Booking the Dallas Territory.
Every once in a while, a wrestling company has
the honor of hosting a once in a lifetime event. Often this
is the case when it comes to a wrestling legend’s final match, as nowadays,
once their mainstream days are done, the legends of yesteryear are relegated
to touring the country with the independent promotions across the US and
Canada. This allows some fans to relive the experience of those they once
cheered and booed for, and also allows a new generation of fans to meet those
who helped build the business. Recently, Kayfabe Commentaries had the chance
to play host to one of these special events, as on March 7th they
sat down with longtime Dallas area manager and booker, Gary Hart, to film the
latest edition of their Guest Booker series, little did anyone expect that 2
days later, Hart would pass away at the age of 66. The footage they shot that
day would be the company’s chance to document the Dallas legend’s skills
for both those of you who knew of him, and especially for those who didn’t.
In this edition of the Guest Booker series we
see host Sean Oliver and famed booker Gary Hart go back to the days of the
territorial wrestling days, specifically the year 1986, in Dallas, Texas,
where Fritz Von Erich’s World Class Championship Wrestling was enjoying
their glory days, but then from May 1986 to November 1986 a talent raid, a
tragic motorcycle accident, the departure of their head booker and the end of
multiple business relationships sent the Dallas territory free falling into
the pits of wrestling hell, however this edition of Guest Booker goes back to
the month of may, gives the reigns of power back to Gary Hart and embarks on a
6 month booking adventure to see if Hart could save Dallas.
Admittedly, Before his passing, and the release
of this DVD, I was not too aware of Gary Hart’s contributions to the world
of pro wrestling. Shortly after his passing, I read much about the legacy he
had left behind, and the praise those who knew and worked with him had for him
and from what I can tell, this DVD truly captures the brilliant wrestling mind
that Gary Hart had.
It’s absolutely remarkable
how Hart is able to go through 6 months of booking plans in under 2 hours, and
come off like it wasn’t a challenge at all, His explanations are detailed
enough to give you the picture and at the same time not too detailed to where
you’d lose interest or become confused, which is a reason why I say that it
seemingly captures his legacy brilliantly.
In addition to the booking challenge at hand,
this DVD also provides you with a wrestling history lesson on just how the
Dallas wrestling territory worked in the mid 80’s, including how and why
someone would be accepted or rejected entry into wrestling anywhere in Texas,
how being a member of the NWA helped at the time, and just how much you had to
pay the NWA champion at the time to appear at your event.
A very nice touch is the “Guest Booker :
Behind The Scenes†segments as it gives you a chance to hear some of the
funny experiences Hart had in the wrestling world, and his opinions on the
wrestling world today, including why the original ECW was somewhat of a bad
thing for the wrestling world.
In conclusion, if you knew of Gary Hart and his
contributions to the wrestling world, then this DVD will provide you with your
memento to ensure you never forget his legacy, If you didn’t know of Gary
Hart, then this is your chance to learn about a guy who had such a amazing
mind for the wrestling business, whatever side you find yourself on, this DVD
is a much watch.
Guest Booker with Gary Hart – Booking
the Dallas Territory is now available on DVD from Kayfabe Commentaries. For
more information or to order your own copy check out www.highspots.com.,
Also to read my previous wrestling DVD reviews check out www.maineventradio.com/reviews.htm.
