Show: Wrestling Epicenter
Guest: Jim Lord
Date: 12/02/2025
Your Host: James Walsh
Jimmy Phillips Jr is a high school baseball coach today. But, once upon a time, he was a minor league baseball player and, oh yeah, a pretty successful professional wrestler. Perhaps best known for his time in Dalas, Texas at the legendary Sportatorium during the later days of the Global Wrestling Federation, Jimmy, known in wrestling circles as Jim Lord, enjoyed success in front of some of the final sold out crowds in the legendary building the Von Erichs built.
In this exclusive interview, learn about Jimmy Phillips Jr’s days in baseball, his turn to pro wrestling, and his life after the squared circle.
Jimmy is a great guy and I genuinely enjoyed his interview.
Check out www.WrestlingEpicenter.com for more interviews just like this one!
JIM LORD:
On getting into pro wrestling:
“I was always a fan of it from as far back as I can remember. My granny used to take me Abolene, Texas… We would go and see the Funk’s, Dory and Terry Funk. We would go see Ricky Romero, Harley Race… I will tell you a funny story. I don’t have the picture anymore. But, Harley Race was sitting there watching the matches and I was just staring at him. I was like, poking my granny, “Look, there he is!” He looked at me, pointed, and signaled for me to come over. I was like, “No!” I was scared. But, my granny told me to go see what he wanted. So, I go over and he says, “Would you go buy me a hot dog?” So, I did. When I came back, he had the big gold belt with him… The original! The original original! The gold dome. The original one had a dent in it. And, that is the one he had. Well, when he took the hot dog, he said, “Here, hold this!” And, he handed me the NWA belt. I had a picture. I really wish I still had it. but, that was really cool.”
On if Harley was his favorite:
“I hated him! But, after the hot dog, I became an instant fan right there. The Funk’s were everything in Abolene. But, I was a Harley Race guy after that.”
On who he got trained by:
“I was grained by Iceman King Parsons, “Gentleman” Chris Adams, and James Beard was nice enough to help me out along the way as well. It was right there in the Sportatorium. That was Chris Adams’ deal. I trained for about 7 months before I had my first match. Right after that, I went back into training for another 3 months before they turned me loose, I guess you could say.”
On the Sportatorium and its history:
“A lot of people say bad stuff about the Sportatorium but I love that place. They say stuff about, you know, the condition that it was in. All of that is true. The big rats? All that is true. But, the building just had that spirit, that aura around it. Every time I got to walk down that aisle, I felt privileged!”
On why the GWF doesn’t get the credit it should:
“I don’t know why. If you look at a lot of the guys after they left Global and where they went? Man, guys went to WWF, WCW, Japan, and even some in Mexico and they did good. I don’t know why it doesn’t get the credit it deserves.”
On some of the bad business decisions in Global:
“Could decisions have been made that would have worked out differently? Sure. I say this all the time. Yes, wrestling is a business. But, it is a different kind of business. A lot of people don’t grasp that. That is unfortunate.”
On Kerry Von Erich’s death impacting Global:
“Plus, Kerry Von Erich and Rod Price and their feud… They were getting ready to push that angle to the moon. They were going to start that thing and I rally believe it was going to start a fire and get Dallas hot again.”
On the mood when Kerry came home to the Sportatorium:
“I’ll tell you, we were all excited. That first night back, Kerry did nto wrestle. He was brought in just to do TV commentary. And, the place was sold out! He did do some stuff with Angel of Death, who sadly passed away too. And, Black Bart… But, when he started doing stuff with Rod, that was going to be good!”
On Rod Prie’s impact on him:
“Rod Price is the ultimate pro’s pro in my book. I learned so much from him. I didn’t talk to him all that much. But, I sat back and I watched him. I learned how to conduct myself. I learned how to handle certain situations. He probably doesn’t remember this. But, there was an incident up in Oklahoma. I got shorted on some pay. I saw Rod and I asked him what I should do, “I’m young int his business.” He said, “Jimmy, if they told you that is what you were going to get paid, that is what you should get. He owes you that. That is just business.” Luckily, everything did end up working out. But, I’ll tell you how good Rod was. A lot of guys people say could work with a broom and it would work. Rod could put the broom over and it would be good!”
On his name being changed to Jim Lord:
“I never liked the name. I was talking to Gray Pearson. I was like, “Is there anything we can do with the name?” He said, “Jimmy, I think it fits you. I like it. And, just remember, son. Don’t cross the boss!” (laughs) So, I said that was fine. Jim Lord I was! I kind of wish I had embraced it more. I wouldn’t use it when I’d work outside of Global. I guess that was a rookie mistake.”
On being managed by “The Witch Doctor” Baboose:
“I love him. He’s my best friend. I love Baboose… I call him Boosky! He’s another guy who, for one reason or another, never got his opportunity. He is such a good guy. If he’s your friend, he’s your friend. I’ve argued up and down with him on things. We argued because he wasn’t going to just tell me what I wanted to hear. He was going to tell me the truth! But, he’s absolutely one of my best friends. With coaching, and it being the season, I dont’ talk to him every day. But, we do talk at least once a week.”
On Brandon Baxter:
“Huge talent. He managed me a few times. For him to have been as young as he was and to have been as good as he was, he was a huge talent. And, he’s done so well for himself in radio.”
On the KTVT and syndicated show being better than the ESPN show:
“KTVT was good for us because we could lay it in. Heels could get heat! We could do things that you couldn’t do on ESPN. And, it was syndicated. Do you know how I know? I was in management with Walmart at the time. I flew in to North Carolina for a meeting and the door greeter, who I had never met before, said, “Jim Lord!” I turned around and was like, “What?’ He said, “You’re Jim Lord!” He recognized me from the TV. So, yeah, we (GWF) were a big deal! I just don’t think we get the respect we deserve.”
On Gray Pearson’s operation of the GWF:
“He was a good guy. And, he was a business guy. I think he could have made some better decisions. He knew how wrestlers were. And, he didn’t want the wrestlers running the show. He wanted to run his show. To a certain degree, I don’t blame him. I don’t get to talk to him much anymore. He’s an attorney, he’s always working. But, every year, I still get a Christmas card from him! I just wish, in Global, he had listened to some other people.”
On the complicated Chris Adams:
“Chris Adams was a friend of mine. He was good to me. He taught me Judo. He took a special interest in training me. Thank Goodness he did. He taught me a different style, a little more snug. He didn’t have to take an interest in training me. But, he did. I’m not saying the things people say about him aren’t true. They probably are. But, he didn’t do any of those things around me. I’m glad you asked about him. A lot of people say things about Chris, not the boys but the people who really only stuck their finger into pro wrestling a little bit. They say things… Those people never would have said anything to Chris’ face.”
On the night Chris Adams tore the pair piece, with a lot of skin, off Rod Price:
“I wasn’t there that night. But, Chris Adams was not Chris Adams that night. Or, I should say, he was not the “Gentleman” that night. Lets just say I think there is a chance he might have been a little bit inebriated. I can’t believe that the Chris Adams I know would have hurt Rod like that. But, he did.”
On his relationship with Iceman King Parsons:
“In the beginning, it was great. He is a legend. He taught me a lot. But, as time went on, it got less great. Some things happened and, well, it was not as great.”
On working with Chaz, one of GWF’s top babyfaces:
“I always liked Chaz. When I was starting, I put him over a few times. He was great to work with. But, when I got my little bit of a break there, well, he didn’t like that too much. Lets just be honest. I’m not sure it had anything really to do with me. But, in the wrestling business, you have to protect yourself because nobody else is going to protect you. But, like I said, I always liked Chaz. You know who was a super good man? His daddy! Tugboat Taylor. He was a super man. He would watch my matches and pull me aside and tell me what I did that was good, what I could do to be better, and what I shouldn’t do anymore. He didn’t have to do that. But, he took his time to help others get better.”
On Global closing suddenly in spite of larger than usual crowds and the Freebirds being back in Dallas:
“We all thought things were going good just like you did. But, I remember it like it was yesterday. I found out from a phone call. Baboose called me. He said, “There is no wrestling on Friday night. The GWF is no more.” It was a sad day for sure.”
On Dallas being an untapped market:
“The thing about Dallas, I still think it is a hot bed. It would take a little bit of money. But, if you started running regularly in Dallas, got on some TV, I think it is still a hot market. Did you know Dixie Carter met Jeff Jarrett when the USWA was working Dallas? I still think if TNA had moved their show to Dallas, it would still be going strong. They didn’t need to go to Universal Studios in Orlando. Dallas would have been the perfect place.”
On if he ever goes by where the Sportatorium stood:
“Yeah, it is still sad. There is nothing there. Nothing. Me and Baboose drove by there just a couple of weeks ago. I looked and saw him looking over at where it used to be. I was like, “Yeah, that was the place.” It is sad.”
On trying to rent the Sportatorium after GWF closed:
“The guy who owned it, he said he would have to put over a million dollars in renovations into it for it to be up to code. I tried. But, it just never did happen.”
On squatters destroying the building from within:
“Yeah, but that was going on while GWF was running. Somehow they’d clear out by Friday night for the matches. But, that is absolutely true.”
On James Beard:
“James Beard was a great worker! I know everyone knows him as a referee. But, he was in great shape! And, he could work! He taught me a lot!”
