On Friday, March 20th, 2026, our Pro Wrestling Community lost one of the all time greats, Dennis Condrey of The Midnight Express, passed away at his home in Nirth Alabama at the age of 75.
I don’t have to introduce this episode by telling you all about the attributes and wonderful talents of Dennis, by now you have undoubtedly heard and seen many wonderful tributes and salutes to his storied career, including the emotional delived by his partner\manager Jim Cornette and my own feature article on his life and career here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel. If you haven’t had a chance to read and review that piece, you can access it here.
This show will be a retrospective of sorts with four different friends stopping by The Ranch today to talk about Dennis and what he meant to them. First of all, there’s Greg Anthony from Dyersburg, Tennessee, who runs wrestling shows each week in Dyersburg and Ripley at the building known as the Herb Welch Wrestleplex. Greg shares his connection to Dennis and how Dennis shaped his own life and career in the businsss.
Then. there is my longtime frined, Michael St. John of Talking Memphis Wrestling, who also was a television announcer for Nick Gulas both in Nashville and Chattanooga, and Jerry Jarrett in Memphis. Michael was a co-worker with Dennis and also the recipient of one of Dennis’ famous ribs.
Next, our Tennessee Historian and Analyst, Tim Dills will be here to document muct of Dennis’ career with Phil Hickerson as the Bicentennial Kings from 1975 to 1979 and we will also talk about his tag team with David Schultz and the infamous angle that was first done in Tennessee that later became famous in Mid-South Wrestling and Jim Crockett Promotions.
Last, Ron Fuller the owner, promoter and booker of Southeastern Championship Wrestling will be here to visit about Dennis and Phil Hickerson in the Knoxville end of his promotion and the inception of The Original Midnight Express in the Pensacola Territory, the famous angle with Norvell Austin and the armstrong Family that made The Original Midnight Express a 3-Man team using the “Freebird” Rule.
We are all set to pay our respects to Dennis Condrey today in a little longer show than usual, but Dennis deserves it! I think one of things that is special about our show giving respect to Dennis is that he was one of our own here in the Tennessee Territory.. He started here, became a star here and went out to achieve fame and fortune from here along with other hometown guys, Bobby Eaton and Jim Cornette as the greatest tag team of all time, The Midnight Express.
I hope you enjoy today’s show in honor of Dennis Condrey.
This week’s episode of Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel Episode 55 should be in your inbox this morning if you are a subscriber here at the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel! You can also see the video version here on Substack and at our YouTube Channel plus download the audio version of our show on your favorite podcast provider platform.
Here’s the archive of our podcast episodes for 2026:
Episode 52: Brian R. Solomon 2025 Book of the Year Surprise Party Celebration
Episode 53: 2026 Mailbag Episode 1
The 1985 Territory Review Series:
Episode 40: Steve Gennerelli and the 1985 Territory Review of The World Wrestling Federation (WWF)
Episode 43: Lance Peterson and the 1985 Territory Review of World Class Championship Wrestling
Episode 44: Tim Dills and the 1985 Territory Review of Memphis Wrestling
Episode 45: George Schire and the 1985 Territory Review of The AWA
Episode 48: Jammie Ward and the 1985 Territory Review of Jim Crockett Promotions
Episode 50: Greg Klein and the 1985 Territory Review of Mid-South Wrestling
Episode 51: Mike Rodgers & Frank Culbertson and the 1985 Territory Review of Portland Wrestling
Episode 54: The Pro Wrestling World of Ian Douglass
Special Bonus Episodes In 2026:
Special Bonus Episode 47: Lizzy Flanagan and the 40th Annniversary of the Passing of Gino Hernandez
Thank You for Watching and Listening
I’m Tony Richards, Pro Wrestling Historian, Author and Storyteller. I share pro wrestling historical items in each issue of the Time Tunnel Pro Wrestling History Newsletter and each episode of our podcast show. Thanks for your support! If you enjoy my information on select events, matches and insights, please share with folks you think might like to be a subscriber!
Remember, Premium subscribers get access to exclusive and special content such as some special issues including a multi-part deep dives on wrestling territories, wrestler bios and championship title histories, special audio and video interviews on territory pro wrestling and more available in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel for Premium Subscribers. Being a Premium Subscriber also means you support me in my efforts to document Pro Wrestling History through my research, writing, books, vidoes and podcasts. And…I have something very special planned for our Premium Subscribers on the Podcast side of things in 2026! Details soon here in the Pro Wrestling Time Tunnel.
