His name is Eugene Edmaiston, You may, if you are old enough, remember him as Eugene Hall. He has wrestled since the 70's and has faced many of the Legends that have traveled through Memphis and beyond. Eugene is an honorable man, and I have had the pleasure to speak with him several times. I love to hear stories of yester year, As I grew up during that time and was not involved in the inner workings of the Sport. Anyone who was around back "in the day" is a wealth of information and area dying breed to state a sad fact. These men want to pass on what they know, but a lot of people are just not willing to listen. Take it from me, if you get the chance and sit down and talk with a veteran of this Sport, do so. You will learn a lot and come out the better for it.
Take some time and get to know Eugene Hall in the following 10 Questions.
Height 5' 7"
Weight 220
Years wrestling - I started in the early 70s working in this business. Later on I started tagging with my sons as the enforcers.
# 1 why did you want to become a pro wrestler? - Derrick thank you for this opportunity, and first I would like to thank my mentor Doug Mitchell for training me the "old way" in how to wrestle. To me first of all, you really have to love wrestling and be a wrestling fan to want to become a wrestler. In the old days wrestlers would come to town early to drum up business. As a kids we would follow these guys around. As a kid I could not afford to get in the match so I would watch the matches through the window of building they were wrestling in. I thought it was fascinating how these guys could work a crowd up and let them back down and to me wrestling is an art.
# 2 Who is your favorite wrestler and why ?- It's really hard to say who is my favorite. I love watching all the old guys like Herb Welch, Rowdy Red Roberts, Lumberjack Dupree , Haystack Calhoun. And as a teenager watching Levon Stone,Tommie Gilbert, Eddie Marlin, Jackie Fargo, Rocket Monroe, Sputnik Monroe, and the list goes on. I guess my favorite bad boys of all would be Rocket and Sputnik Monroe. As a teenager after the matches I would sit and talk to Rocket about wrestling. In those days it was strictly Kayfabe.
# 3 What is the best experience in or out of the ring you have had in pro wrestling and why ?- Man I had a lot of great experiences with every guy that I ever wrestled. Yes I'm talking about the little guy in wrestling. Doug always told me to wrestle everyone you can, because every wrestler is different. Off and on the last 39 years I worked little Independents and that was my choice. I love little Independents because every time you get in the ring it's a new experience. Working for the Indy's I got the pleasure to be in the dressing room with Jerry Barber, Jimmy valiant, Tommy Rich, Jimmy Hart, and beautiful Bobby Eaton. The first time I met this guy he was cool to all of the guys in the dressing room. I was an old man at the time, when Bobby walked in our dressing room . And yes, you guessed it, I marked out along with all the other guys. Bobby is one super guy.
# 4 What was the coolest Venue/location you have wrestled in and why ? - I would have to say the old Barry Brothers building, in Union City, Tn. This is where it all started for me back in those days. We put a lot of butts in the seats every week . It was also cool working for First Class Wrestling where "Big Jim Business" was the booker/promoter. He did it all. We had a long run, and it was a really great group of guys that cared for one another. I also worked for V.C.W.A., T I W F, I.C.W.A, W.T.C.W, and I could go on and on....I had good times everywhere I went.
# 5 Who is the most experience or well known person you have wrestled ?- I'm going to name serval guys. The "Legend" Levon Stone, Lumberjack Dupree , Jimmy Valiant, "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, and this guy, in the early 70's who was called "Coco Kid" I wrestled him again in 2012. His name now is KoKo B Ware.
# 6 Is there a story behind your wrestling name? - Yes I was going to break into the business as the "Young Assassin". One Sunday while working out at old Barry Brothers building two guys came into the building. After working out, we set around and talked. They were wrestling as the Assassins. So I changed my name to Gene Hall.
# 7 Who over the years has been your biggest rival and why? - in the early years while working for Plowboy Frazier it would be Bobo Kelly out of Paducah Ky. Levon and William Stone out of Jackson Tn., Rick and Ron Petty out of Dyersburg Tn. And at First Class Wrestling there will the "Mexican Sensation" and his dad. They were a hell of a team.
# 8 What is your entrance theme music ?- When I made my comeback, I started tagging with my son's . I came back as one of "The Enforcers" We wore camo. My son came up with our music it was something he mixed himself.
# 9 What made you stand out in the wrestling business ?- I do love the business and I give it everything I have 100% even today. I still believe in kayfabe and always will. Always remember your only as good as your opponent, and the level you two can achieve together . I was and still am the bad guy. This old saying was my motto "Win if you can. Lose if you must, but always, always cheat."
# 10 What has been your Proudest Moment in the sport of wrestling? - In 77 or 78 my mom and dad came to a wrestling event for the first time. They got to see me in Dyersburg Tn. I had a broken collarbone so I was managing a team against Levon stone and his partner. The heat was on Levon. He climbed out of the ring and started smacking me around. I looked up in the crowd, and my mom was going crazy. Needless to say she called Levon a few choice words. (Lol) I've had good times and bad times over the years. From getting my car messed up, to a guy who tried to knife me. I had rocks thrown at me, and we had to fight our way back to dressing room because of the fans standing in our way. I would not trade it for anything. The old saying is "I've worked constuction with a crowbar, and I ate with kayfabe" Thanks Derrick
Thank you Eugene for your insightful answers to the yester year of this Sport. I wish you continued happiness.
Picture provided by Eugene Edmaiston. Eugene with Beautiful Bobby Eaton
Derrick O'Dell
Wrestling News Center
Weight 220
Years wrestling - I started in the early 70s working in this business. Later on I started tagging with my sons as the enforcers.
# 1 why did you want to become a pro wrestler? - Derrick thank you for this opportunity, and first I would like to thank my mentor Doug Mitchell for training me the "old way" in how to wrestle. To me first of all, you really have to love wrestling and be a wrestling fan to want to become a wrestler. In the old days wrestlers would come to town early to drum up business. As a kids we would follow these guys around. As a kid I could not afford to get in the match so I would watch the matches through the window of building they were wrestling in. I thought it was fascinating how these guys could work a crowd up and let them back down and to me wrestling is an art.
# 2 Who is your favorite wrestler and why ?- It's really hard to say who is my favorite. I love watching all the old guys like Herb Welch, Rowdy Red Roberts, Lumberjack Dupree , Haystack Calhoun. And as a teenager watching Levon Stone,Tommie Gilbert, Eddie Marlin, Jackie Fargo, Rocket Monroe, Sputnik Monroe, and the list goes on. I guess my favorite bad boys of all would be Rocket and Sputnik Monroe. As a teenager after the matches I would sit and talk to Rocket about wrestling. In those days it was strictly Kayfabe.
# 3 What is the best experience in or out of the ring you have had in pro wrestling and why ?- Man I had a lot of great experiences with every guy that I ever wrestled. Yes I'm talking about the little guy in wrestling. Doug always told me to wrestle everyone you can, because every wrestler is different. Off and on the last 39 years I worked little Independents and that was my choice. I love little Independents because every time you get in the ring it's a new experience. Working for the Indy's I got the pleasure to be in the dressing room with Jerry Barber, Jimmy valiant, Tommy Rich, Jimmy Hart, and beautiful Bobby Eaton. The first time I met this guy he was cool to all of the guys in the dressing room. I was an old man at the time, when Bobby walked in our dressing room . And yes, you guessed it, I marked out along with all the other guys. Bobby is one super guy.
# 4 What was the coolest Venue/location you have wrestled in and why ? - I would have to say the old Barry Brothers building, in Union City, Tn. This is where it all started for me back in those days. We put a lot of butts in the seats every week . It was also cool working for First Class Wrestling where "Big Jim Business" was the booker/promoter. He did it all. We had a long run, and it was a really great group of guys that cared for one another. I also worked for V.C.W.A., T I W F, I.C.W.A, W.T.C.W, and I could go on and on....I had good times everywhere I went.
# 5 Who is the most experience or well known person you have wrestled ?- I'm going to name serval guys. The "Legend" Levon Stone, Lumberjack Dupree , Jimmy Valiant, "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton, and this guy, in the early 70's who was called "Coco Kid" I wrestled him again in 2012. His name now is KoKo B Ware.
# 6 Is there a story behind your wrestling name? - Yes I was going to break into the business as the "Young Assassin". One Sunday while working out at old Barry Brothers building two guys came into the building. After working out, we set around and talked. They were wrestling as the Assassins. So I changed my name to Gene Hall.
# 7 Who over the years has been your biggest rival and why? - in the early years while working for Plowboy Frazier it would be Bobo Kelly out of Paducah Ky. Levon and William Stone out of Jackson Tn., Rick and Ron Petty out of Dyersburg Tn. And at First Class Wrestling there will the "Mexican Sensation" and his dad. They were a hell of a team.
# 8 What is your entrance theme music ?- When I made my comeback, I started tagging with my son's . I came back as one of "The Enforcers" We wore camo. My son came up with our music it was something he mixed himself.
# 9 What made you stand out in the wrestling business ?- I do love the business and I give it everything I have 100% even today. I still believe in kayfabe and always will. Always remember your only as good as your opponent, and the level you two can achieve together . I was and still am the bad guy. This old saying was my motto "Win if you can. Lose if you must, but always, always cheat."
# 10 What has been your Proudest Moment in the sport of wrestling? - In 77 or 78 my mom and dad came to a wrestling event for the first time. They got to see me in Dyersburg Tn. I had a broken collarbone so I was managing a team against Levon stone and his partner. The heat was on Levon. He climbed out of the ring and started smacking me around. I looked up in the crowd, and my mom was going crazy. Needless to say she called Levon a few choice words. (Lol) I've had good times and bad times over the years. From getting my car messed up, to a guy who tried to knife me. I had rocks thrown at me, and we had to fight our way back to dressing room because of the fans standing in our way. I would not trade it for anything. The old saying is "I've worked constuction with a crowbar, and I ate with kayfabe" Thanks Derrick
Thank you Eugene for your insightful answers to the yester year of this Sport. I wish you continued happiness.
Picture provided by Eugene Edmaiston. Eugene with Beautiful Bobby Eaton
Derrick O'Dell
Wrestling News Center
