Earlier today, we reported that legendary wrestling broadcaster, Lance Russell passed away at the age of 91.
The news put a damper on the wrestling world as many of Russell’s friends and family tweeted out their thoughts and condolences for the Voice of Memphis Wrestling.
Videos by PopCulture.com
WWE.com released their own obituary for Russell this afternoon.
“…A fixture of the Memphis circuit, Russell’s career as an announcer began in the late 1950s and spanned nearly 40 years until his semi-retirement in 1997. His avuncular charm and steady hand guided fans who tuned in to watch the region’s larger-than-life personalities and notoriously wild ring action.
As the unflappable host of the Continental Wrestling Association’s weekly Saturday morning show held at WMC’s TV studios, as well as the Mid-South Coliseum cards each Monday night, Russell provided commentary for all of Memphis’ most famous matches.
His relaxed drawl was the soundtrack for Jerry “The King” Lawler’s rivalry with absurdist comedian Andy Kaufman in the early 1980s, a groundbreaking event that made national headlines. When an impromptu tag team fight broke out in the concession stand of the Tupelo Sports Arena in Mississippi years earlier, after that night’s taping had ended, it was Russell who alerted the cameraman to begin filming and who literally shined a light on the brawl, which many consider a milestone moment in wrestling.
Over the years, Russell developed a level of credibility and trust with TV audiences that rivaled Walter Cronkite’s, and as Superstars like Lawler and Bill Dundee switched allegiances, Russell remained a consummate moral compass. His interaction with rule-breakers like Austin Idol and “Mouth of the South” Jimmy Hart — which often featured Russell voicing his disappointment over their dirty deeds — became as much an attraction to fans as the matches themselves.”
The loss of Russell is hard to explain in a tidy manner. Considering we lost Bobby Heenan all too recently, the wrestling community is down some of the best commentators the industry has ever seen.
For those unfamiliar, take a trip down YouTube and listen to Russell’s unflappable command of his matches. Without question, he set the standard for broadcasters in wrestling.
