Bert Prentice was inducted into the Tennessee Wrestling Hall of Fame June 23rd 2019 by Jerry The King Lawler.
Bert Prentice, who was born March 26, 1958, began his career in the Memphis territory as a manager, working under the name Christopher “Honey” Love, but later transitioned to using his real name. Prentice managed the likes of Tully Blanchard and Vampire Warrior aka Gangrel in the WWE.
Prentice’s work as a manager also took him to the Tennessee circuit, where he later became a promoter for USA Championship Wrestling among other promotions, working again with the likes of Jerry “The King” Lawler and Jim Cornette from his past. In 2003, Prentice became a regular on then-upstart company TNA programming, appearing as a host alongside Jeremy Borash on the Xplosion show.
In a 2011 interview, Scott Hudson noted that Prentice could be frustrating, but “When he’s motivated, he’s as good as any promoter in the nation.” Former NWA promoter David Marquez noted that he had his issues with Prentice through the years, “but I’ve always respected his hustle. A Carney to the truest definition.” Prentice hosted the 52nd NWA convention in Nashville.
The late Brickhouse Brown once said, “If you can deal with Bert Prentice, you can deal with anybody. I made money with Bert Prentice.”
Prentice gave breaks to unknown wrestlers, like Chris Jericho, who tweeted out, “One of my first out of Canada trips was to go work for him in Kansas City. What a story I have about him…” He was also always appreciative of the oldtimers, and Corsica Joe and Sara Lee were regulars at his shows in Nashville as ticketsellers.
“Jerry Jarrett brought me to the Memphis territory in late ’89,” explained Prentice to SlamWrestling.net in Sara Lee’s obituary. “I met Sara Lee then, and she was selling tickets at the Fairgrounds. I knew her just fleetingly. After Jarrett sold to [Jerry] Lawler, and then the whole Lawler, [Larry] Burton, USWA collapse; I took over the Fairgrounds. Her and Christine Jarrett were the first two people I hired.
“I was the last match Sara Lee ever had,” continued Prentice. “Back when it was Music City Wrestling, we did an angle where Sara Lee felt I needed some time off for vacation so she voted me off the board of directors — she was the deciding vote. So, I turned heel and we wrestled probably ten or twelve matches. The last time we wrestled was in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Of course, I put her over in every match. It was fun and absolutely hilarious.”
Despite Prentice’s public battle with colon cancer, he stayed true and loyal to the wrestling business, continuing to appear on USA Championship Wrestling as an on-screen interviewer and host. He had shows booked as well.
On June 23rd 2019 Jerry The King Lawler inducted Bert Prentice into the Tennessee Wrestling Hall of Fame at Money Mark Production’s Summer Heat event.
