Dark Side Of The Ring: In The Shadow Of Grizzly Smith

Because I’ve never heard the story. I’m interested...

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Because I’ve never heard the story. I’m interested...

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you never watched Beyond the Mat??

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For those here from Louisiana, expect a whole lotta local flavor in this episode. I'll be watching. I recall Grizzly making a number of appearances on Mid-South Wrestling as its match-maker during its heyday.

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I think Bill Dundee and Bill Watts were the two main bookers during Mid-South's hey day... Buck Robley used to claim he came up with a ton of the angles, but he sounded more like a crazy man than anything.. but yes, Grizzly did work at one point for Mid-South

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I think Bill Dundee and Bill Watts were the two main bookers during Mid-South's hey day...

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Indeed, this is true. I'm not sure what Grizzly's actual role with the territory was, but he was presented on-screen as "match-maker."

I saw him at ringside during house shows in Baton Rouge, a time or two. He was a giant of a man.

I enjoyed the episode, but it felt like something was missing. Surprised they didn't mention the story of Jake's stepfather - the man who became the main adult male role model in his life - getting electrocuted in the attic.

The episode next week is the one I suggested to Jason Eisener when I met him a couple years back... apparently I wasn't the only one. Really looking forward to it. I also highly recommend DK's book Pure Dynamite which is my favorite wrestling book of them all.

Holy. shite.


I knew Jake was fricked up and had a bad childhood. But that was fricking crazy.

The thing about Jake is that I never know if he's telling the truth, since he has a tendency to exaggerate. Robin didn't seem to believe that her mother molested and abused Jake, yet I don't want to doubt him. However, there are times when I watch and listen to him and I can tell that he's not being completely honest, and is telling his versions like more of a fantasy in his own mind.

Just an example, Jake said he was told by Vince that they were going to put the belt on him after SummerSlam 91, and that Warrior ruined it. The problem with his story is that Warrior wasn't the champion at SummerSlam 91; he had lost the title several months earlier to Sgt. Slaughter at the Royal Rumble, and Slaughter had dropped the belt to Hogan. So that means that Hogan would have to drop the title to Warrior, and then Warrior would drop it to Jake. Makes zero sense and I think that entire story is total bullshite. I've never heard of any plans, ever, to put the World belt on Jake, especially with white-hot Sid in the mix and Vince in negotiations with Flair. The only thing that happened as a result of Warrior being fired was that Jake's planned feud with him was scrapped, and he was put into a feud with Savage instead. There was never any title involved in the scenario.

He also blames HTM for his substance abuse, but by that point he had already been abusing drugs for years. It might have got him hooked on painkillers, but he was already drinking and doing coke and pills long before those guitar shots.

I was really impressed with Robin; she really seemed to have her shite together, which I wasn't expecting.

Robin said if her mother did that it was probably bc Grizzly made her do it bc he was doing the same thing to the female kids.

What a great episode a couple of take aways. The wrestlers didn’t bat an eye to grizz for having kids ride with him because he was uncle grizz to the kids very manipulative. I hope the siblings can reconnect they been through hell because of grizz. Jakes mom was the daughter of grizzleys fiancé at the time. One more thing and I can’t stress this enough frick Grizzly smith I hope he is rotting in hell.