Wrestling writer, referee, podcaster, on-screen manager and above all fan, Travis Scott Bowden has passed away at 48 leaving his wife Hayley. In his passing, Travis has left a legacy of writing about the subject of Memphis wrestling, his true passion, that will give wrestling historians plenty to chew on for years to come. The childhood friend of Kevin and Brian Lawler, the sons of Jerry “The King” Lawler, developed an obsession with pro wrestling in the late seventies and early nineteen eighties. Brian would, of course, go on to be part of the WWF Tag Team Champions Too Cool with Scotty 2 Hotty in the mid-nineties.

You have to understand what Memphis was like for a wrestling fan in that time period. The Memphis Coliseum was jammed to the rafters with 5000m screaming fans every Monday night. Lance Russell, the best play by play announcer possibly ever was on commentary. It had the hottest babyface in the country in Lawler, his high-end number two Bill Dundee and an array of talent coming in and out of the promotion. Jim Cornette, Jimmy Hart, Randy Savage, Austin Idol, Billy Robinson, a young Bobby Eaton. He was there for it all. Booked by Lawler and the incredibly talented Jerry Jarrett (Jeff’s Dad). It ran on the principle Jarrett had taped above his desk which read “Personal Issues Make Money”. That is how Travis learned his trade.

Kevin would not have a well-known career but he would be one of Eddie Gilbert’s key assistants in his booking run of ECW. Travis stayed in Memphis. He would become a referee and then eventually an onscreen talent, portrayed as Bobby Bowden the legendary Florida State Seminoles football coach. Showing up in suits, ties and lettered sweaters his natural talent for aggravation did him wonders with the Memphis audience. They hated him.

He would bow out of Managerial duties aside for some guest shots, to attend Memphis State where he graduated with a degree in Journalism.

That is when the second phase of his wrestling career kicked in. I first got to know him through Quick Stop Entertainment which was part of the wider Kevin Smith Media Empire that was growing out of the View Askew films like Clerks, Mallrats and Chasing Amy. I was a huge fan of Smith and devoured everything that was in the Smith universe. Travis wrote a column about Memphis wrestling and wrestling reviews in general called Kentucky Fried Rasslin’. I found it and devoured every episode. It got me through my university career as I would sit in the Collegiate Crescent Learning Centre at Sheffield Hallam waiting for another blog post. I then picked the courage up to email when he asked for fan questions and not only did he respond, he published it and followed up with a thank-you email. We corresponded from then on. Once I had finished University, his work inspired me to write about my true wrestling passion and fill the academic void that not being at Hallam had left. I wrote about British Wrestling on my own blog Second Away, Round One. I shared it with Travis and he encouraged me to do more. Not long after that, I was writing longer pieces, then I was picked up by Wrestle Talk for their website, and then Total Wrestling, FSM, and now Steel Chair Magazine. None of this would have happened without the right words at the right time by Travis Scott Bowden.

With the end of Quick Stop Entertainment Travis moved on to host his own site and eventually his podcast which was a beloved show with a dedicated following. His writing style was tactile, you read his words and you were transported to a place and time. He was collegiate about his approach without being overbearing, and the jokes came thick and fast like a heel commentator, which of course he was. However, the two things that scored into your brain were the love for Memphis as a town, a concept and a wrestling territory and the way he wanted to be evangelical about this time period and what it was like to be there. He wrote his childhood into legend and though you were looking through a child’s eyes he filtered the rose tint with just enough reality to appreciate the very best of times.

Rest easy my friend and my inspiration.

Feature image courtesy of msn.com