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Post: #859517
PT: #1/13
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I seen some old TV studio videos of the Knoxville promotion, and enjoyed the folksy announcing of Big Jim Hess. Does anyone know about his career as an announcer after Ron Fuller bought out John Cazana?
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Post: #859539
PT: #2/13
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Hess --a big guy--as country as east Tenn. grits--was a very popular tv announcer for promoter John Cazana from 1969 through 1974. He was loud, opinionated, & loved to argue on air with the heels. He called a tv match in his own, odd--but, entertaining country style. He would call a punch a "warp your head off HOLD"--hilarious. He came back on Knoxville tv ---for All-Star (competition to Fuller's Southeastern)in 1979--for a few months. Hadn't changed much, maybe a little calmer.
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Post: #859553
PT: #3/13
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Jim Hess actually worked for Fuller a few weeks as an announcer with Les Thatcher calling Southeastern Championship Wrestling.
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Post: #861920
PT: #4/13
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This message was edited by SteelCityFan on February 11th, 2016 02:24 GMT
"Jim Hess actually worked for Fuller a few weeks as an announcer with Les Thatcher calling Southeastern Championship Wrestling."
Thanks, southeasternfan. Did Fuller keep Hess on as announcer when he took over Cazana's promotion? And what did Hess do when he left wrestling?
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Post: #863899
PT: #5/13
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I never got to see Hess teaming with Thatcher in the early days of Fuller's Southeastern promotion. Wish that I had. Hess was way more Southern "country", while Thatcher, a former pro wrestler from Ohio, was much more polished & smooth in his announcing style.To me, Les one one of the best I ever heard on the mic, when it came to announcing pro wrestling on tv.
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Post: #977701
PT: #6/13
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on one of fuller's stud cast. fuller states that ron and hess hated each other.
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Post: #977752
PT: #7/13
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Hess' stuff with Ron Wright is amazing. There is one clip on Youtube of the two that always cracks me up.
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Post: #977869
PT: #8/13
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This message was edited by old school dude on July 16th, 2019 20:17 GMT
Ron hated Hess' announcing and when Fuller moved to WBIR he didn't take Hess with him. Jim worked for the station, and when Fuller was kicked off the station prior to moving to WBIR. He felt like Jim had something to do with that. Take a listen to Ron's podcast, it's a great show and he goes into great detail on his purchase of Knoxville and the beginning of Southeastern Wrestling. Here's the link http://fullerpod.com/ sorry I have a hard time hyperlinking on this site.
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April 29th, 2021 19:16 GMT |
 
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Post: #1011188
PT: #9/13
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I just stumbled upon this guy by chance a few weeks ago on you tube and Big Jim's banter with Ron Wright was absolutely hilarious! I was impressed that an announcer would yell at the top of his lungs at one of the heels. These two had a great chemistry with each other. I hope to see more videos of these two together on you tube or anywhere else in the near future! Is Jim still with us and what did he do after leaving wrestling?
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Post: #1013425
PT: #10/13
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I was too young to remember him as a wrestling announcer. I remember Big Jim Hess from doing local commercials and if memory serves, he had some role in getting what would eventually become Fox 43 in Knoxville off the ground. It started as a UHF station 43 WKCH, Phil Rainey was their local news anchor, I believe he had some role in local wrestling previously as well.
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Post: #1013951
PT: #12/13
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Quoted from: Ron Wright’s Chisel, June 04th, 2021 08:26 GMTI was too young to remember him as a wrestling announcer. I remember Big Jim Hess from doing local commercials and if memory serves, he had some role in getting what would eventually become Fox 43 in Knoxville off the ground. It started as a UHF station 43 WKCH, Phil Rainey was their local news anchor, I believe he had some role in local wrestling previously as well.
Phil Rainey co-hosted Southeastern Wrestling with Les Thatcher when they ran on WBIR. There's an episode SE Wrestling on YouTube hosted by Les & Phil, from '78 I believe, they sound very professional much like you would see on a network sports broadcast. I guess Jim Hess was a local fixture on Knoxville television before and after his time in wrestling. I've never heard anyone a say anything bad about Jim, other than he wasn't a good fit as a pro wrestling announcer. Which isn't a bad thing, not everyone can call wrestling, and Jim did spend more time getting himself over than the talent. I've seen some of his work and I don't think he did it intentionally, I just don't think he fully understood pro wrestling.
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Post: #1013970
PT: #13/13
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We may not know who is in charge of chairs, but it wasn't Jim Hess.
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