David Penzer: Jimmy Hart's Value In Pro Wrestling Is Underestimated, He Pitched Filming WCW At Disney

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David Penzer is thankful that Jimmy Hart always saw his value in the wrestling business.

Penzer spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard to promote his new book, Sitting Ringside Volume 2. The book details Penzer’s time working for the XWF and TNA, along with some stories from his days in WCW. Penzer said the idea for a second book came from co-author Guy Evans, who believed Penzer’s stories were too big for just one book.

The project was initially conceived as a scrapbook, including show formats and documents that Penzer held onto over the years. This includes the business plan for the XWF, an item Penzer is still unsure of how he came into possession of it.

"It just showed up as I was cleaning up some stuff one day. And I'm like, 'Wow, I have the original business plan for the XWF.' That's pretty cool. So, it turned into an autobiography and it turned into two parts," Penzer explained. "And that was Guy, feeling that one book wasn't enough to tell the story and to include all the extras, the formats, and the business plans, and the internal memos and stuff. So, when the boss says, 'I'm interested in telling your story. And we are going to do it in two parts,' we don't question him.

"I think he's the best at what he's doing right now, as far as writing about professional wrestling. And it's an honor [for me to have] him even to be interested quite frankly," he noted. "I'm just honored to have been able to work with Guy and let him tell my story."    

Penzer said they are working on recording the audiobook version of his story now, but he has no plans for a third book. The longtime ring announcer noted that his IMPACT Wrestling sendoff in December 2023 was the end of his story, joking that TNA "ain't calling back" for another run.  

David Penzer on Jimmy Hart

Several of Penzer’s stories focus on "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, who has played a large role in his career. Hart made many notable contributions that some fans might not be aware of, like creating the 3 Count gimmick in WCW.

"Jimmy is doing great. But Jimmy, the layers of things that he’s added, the careers that he’s helped — just off the top of my head, look at Three Count. There's these three guys that sent in tapes separately, for the most part. And Jimmy came up with a gimmick, he wrote a song, made these green circles, that was all Jimmy," Penzer explained. "There's so many times he has done that for people, whether it was in the XWF or with Kid Kash and Emory Hale or in Memphis even.

"He did the DJ challenge [events]. When we couldn't draw a house in WCW, he would call in every morning and morning drive for three weeks and do an angle with the DJ. The DJ would pick a wrestler and he would pick his guy and it ended up with the DJ getting his hand raised. You can't imagine how many tickets that actually drew. There were people that were coming just to see the DJ try to get his one up on Jimmy Hart and the wrestler. That was just an idea. Over the course of WCW and independent shows, and XWF — he probably did it 100, if not 250 times. And he got up 5 o’clock in the morning, every morning. It's just incredible."

Jimmy Hart also wrote entrance themes and helped book shows in WCW

Jimmy Hart took on more responsibilities as WCW grew, including joining the booking committee for WCW Saturday Night. Hart included Penzer in that, which he still appreciates today.

"The big guys didn't want to do it anymore. They had their hands full with five hours of Nitro and Thunder. We just did simple booking, but he included me in all that," Penzer explained. "I was a part of the team as much as — I wasn't a junior member of the team like I was in other places. I was an equal part of the team and he's just always been there for me. And I said to him today, 'Hey, you know I have this book out and I thank you in the acknowledgments. I [wrote] that there was never a project since we met that you never included me on.'

"And he said, 'I did that because I was smart and I know your value.' What do you say to something like that? [laughs] So I told him I loved him, he said love you back and we laughed a little bit about the thing last night in LA and it is what it is," he continued. "But you are right on the money. I can't tell you how underestimated he is as far as everything he has done."

Jimmy Hart also had a hand in TNA getting in at Universal Studios

David Penzer also credited Hart for composing "so many songs that people don't even realize that he wrote." Hart also pitched the idea for WCW to film at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

"It was his idea to go to Disney and do it in a sound stage, and then we went to Universal. Then the whole reason why [TNA starting filming at Universal]… I remember because I was the middle guy. Jeff Jarrett would call me and say, 'We are thinking about moving down to Universal. You think Jimmy still has the contact?' And I call Jimmy and Jimmy calls the contact. And Jimmy calls me. Eventually, Jeff and Jimmy connected, ’cause they grew up together when Jeff was a kid. But it was a process and that's how they got in there. So many things, I could write a whole book about Jimmy. Maybe I will write a Volume 3."     

Watch our full interview with David Penzer below. His book, Sitting Ringside Volume 2, is available now on Amazon or through DavidPenzerBook.com / GuyEvansBooks.com.

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