Discuss here.

Too short a career to really consider, although I love him every time he shows up. If we had a bunch of footage of the Hickerson/Condrey tag team he might be a maybe, but he was rarely a full time wrestler even when he was active, he would do a three month program and take a year off

Phil's post makes me sad. But, like I said in the nomination thread, I will watch and review literally everything I can find online and on the 80s Memphis and MegaLawler sets before this project ends.

Hickerson seems to have been a damned fine tag team worker and a good big man brawler type...

 

But do you remember when Jerry Jarrett’s CWA (based in Tennessee) and Fritz Von Erich’s WCCW (based in Texas, of course) merged to form the USWA in an attempt to combat the expanding WWF and WCW behemoths? Remeber when, in an attempt to create a heel out of one of the Memphis-based wrestlers, Hickerson was given the PY Chu Hi gimmick?

 

The idea was to make this obviously-in-no-way Japanese, big, pasty Southern-fried veteran into a sinister backstabbing oriental heel. It flopped miserably.

 

The lesson here? It is folly for someone who is OBVIOUSLY not actually Japanese to pretend to be Japanese in an attempt to get over. You will not fool anyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention and it will just make you look like a fool and end up embarrassing everyone else.

 

Feels like that is worth pointing out.

I thought the whole point of the gimmick was that it was such a foolish disguise that the fans and other wrestlers could easily see through.

 

"I can be PY Chu Hi as much as you can be a king!"

PY Chu Hi was Tojo's ring name in Texas. Tojo worked Texas in the 1950's before settling in Tennessee . The whole Phil Hickerson/ PY Chi Hi gimmick was a inside joke.

 

Also , I think the Eric Embry / PY Chi Hi program sold out in Dallas. So I think PY Chi Hi could be called a success .

 

As for Big Phil's career , it was pretty solid. Phil started in the early 1970 's.. He worked full time for at least a decade. After his jobber stint , Phil took Don Greene 's spot . Phil and Al Greene became the Sherman tanks. They were tag champs in Memphis for quite some time. Phil , Al and Lawler were all managed by the late Sam Bass.. A great heel faction.

 

 

Of course the others became jealous of Lawler . That went Lawler turned babyface for the first time.Later Al retired and Phi and Dennis Condry began their famous run. I think it lasted about 4 years . Hickerson and Condry are considered by many to be the greatest tag team in Memphis history. That is says it all about Phil . He had a great career. Phil and Dennis did work a stint for Ron Fuller in Knoxville as well.

 

In 79 , Lance told us that Phil retired to health reasons. I don't know the real story. I do know that Phil lives in Jackson , TN . He owned a nightclub and worked as a DJ.

 

Phil resurfaced around 85. teamed with Frank Morrell for a while. Then Phil got his single push as the International champ. He worked with talent like Terry Taylor , Harley Race, Michael Hayes and Terry Gordy Later he joined Robert Fuller ' s Stud Stable . Then the Texas run.

 

Great wrestler , great career. I think he would be in the Memphis Hall of fame.

Hickerson seems to have been a damned fine tag team worker and a good big man brawler type...

 

But do you remember when Jerry Jarretts CWA (based in Tennessee) and Fritz Von Erichs WCCW (based in Texas, of course) merged to form the USWA in an attempt to combat the expanding WWF and WCW behemoths? Remeber when, in an attempt to create a heel out of one of the Memphis-based wrestlers, Hickerson was given the PY Chu Hi gimmick?

 

The idea was to make this obviously-in-no-way Japanese, big, pasty Southern-fried veteran into a sinister backstabbing oriental heel. It flopped miserably.

 

The lesson here? It is folly for someone who is OBVIOUSLY not actually Japanese to pretend to be Japanese in an attempt to get over. You will not fool anyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention and it will just make you look like a fool and end up embarrassing everyone else.

 

Feels like that is worth pointing out.

😀

 

I recall that in Memphis Lance Russell would say, Thats obviously Phil Hickerson. but in Texas they just went with it.

I just watched Hickerson/Spoiler-Gilbert/Rich from 84 and God is that just my favorite style of wrestling ever from my favorite promotion ever, could not have loved it more. I love everything about Phil Hickerson.

I've been watching Memphis lately from 1980 on and I'm at the end of 1985 right now. I have not watched some of this stuff since my childhood, so guys like Austin Idol, Dutch Mantel, etc. remained a distant memory until I rediscovered them recently. But, I didn't remember much about Phil Hickerson at all, to be honest, but he has been a huge revelation for me and I feel like he was probably one of the most unappreciated talents of that era. So entertaining.