tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2743673428150973902024-02-06T18:52:36.784-08:00THE FLYING BODYPRESSRock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-25152128589640487272016-12-07T08:40:00.001-08:002016-12-07T08:42:12.367-08:00NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PRO WRESTLING BOOK RELEASED!!!NOW AVAILABLE!!! Chronicling one hundred years of Northern California pro wrestling history, and jam-packed with over 200 photos, some never before published, this book is the must-have gift for any fan of classic pro wrestling. especially those who grew up with Roy Shire's Big Time Wrestling brand of excitement.<br />
Set in a deluxe 8x10 format, WHEN IT WAS BIG TIME will take you back to a time and place when wrestling was "real!" Thesz, The Sharpes, Nomellini, Stevens, Patterson, Gomez, Mephisto, Mayne, Piper ... they're all here plus so many more!<br />
The first printing SOLD OUT in only a week and the positive feedback on the book has been tremendous but copies of the second printing are still avaialble. Priced at $26 plus shipping, you can make this one-of-a-kind book yours, or for someone you love, by clicking the link below to order. Chapter summaries are also viewable at the link.<br />
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http://whenitwasbigtime.blogspot.com/<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_1YURow6JeseYk8_7j6pytSIt4ksrz_JMFWUut60IYCPOrGruPNqbyF2gO_89OgL6Y8_hL7wCmMADei-dPYg2xyfge992YuDd5ArCywrHUq0MWLZTRls65pysptbwFmWXTLrQq2iCZsk/s1600/WIWBT+FRONT+COVER+BANNER2NEWVersion..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_1YURow6JeseYk8_7j6pytSIt4ksrz_JMFWUut60IYCPOrGruPNqbyF2gO_89OgL6Y8_hL7wCmMADei-dPYg2xyfge992YuDd5ArCywrHUq0MWLZTRls65pysptbwFmWXTLrQq2iCZsk/s400/WIWBT+FRONT+COVER+BANNER2NEWVersion..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnG7YBRAHXtAtjL5IFeib5TUoPixxuuW_IKZ1XmTbgOahscVU-d2LvKhQB9zpDNHRkPOw21LeRTSEgF0ug4-gChWyJTUesNL13nxZ7ukSjgxcOsXh8klcCpwbKiTJx_OvjWD3AQuMestL/s1600/WIWBTWbackcoveFinal.jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnG7YBRAHXtAtjL5IFeib5TUoPixxuuW_IKZ1XmTbgOahscVU-d2LvKhQB9zpDNHRkPOw21LeRTSEgF0ug4-gChWyJTUesNL13nxZ7ukSjgxcOsXh8klcCpwbKiTJx_OvjWD3AQuMestL/s400/WIWBTWbackcoveFinal.jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-89387343508356730132016-10-07T23:03:00.000-07:002016-10-07T23:03:15.564-07:00MORE CLASSIC PRO WRESTLING IS ONLY A CLICK AWAY!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw996FeEpufaeUmvVgRKh-sMKmQLN7Vywgq2z_IkMC93KNogzLjirCDmaCHVpl-M3dRGw6XW4Yh1aNVQQ6AuraEWJUKhmvBYoFEAr88Zfqmd7hcEq9uWG6kw719w5DylZPz83K78ABw0E/s1600/PepperGomezU.S.ChampWresRevueRockRims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipw996FeEpufaeUmvVgRKh-sMKmQLN7Vywgq2z_IkMC93KNogzLjirCDmaCHVpl-M3dRGw6XW4Yh1aNVQQ6AuraEWJUKhmvBYoFEAr88Zfqmd7hcEq9uWG6kw719w5DylZPz83K78ABw0E/s200/PepperGomezU.S.ChampWresRevueRockRims.jpg" width="133" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> Before the world-wide internet, there were many
who felt that they were alone in their fondness for the days of wrestling’s
past, the days of “kayfabe.” Now technology has brought together groups of
like-minded individuals from around the world, who share memories, discuss and
learn about the wrestling product they grew up with or only read about in the
wrestling magazines! Below are some great old school wrestling facebook group
pages that it’d be worth your while to checkout. Join the groups and join the
fun!</span></span></b></div>
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</w:wrap></v:imagedata></v:shape><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;">When it was
Big Time Wrestling </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;">further discusses the
Northern California wrestling territory with wrestling results, discussions,
pictures, video clips and more! </span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b><i>Olympic
Auditorium & SoCal Wrestling Classics </i>focuses on the Southern </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9yagimNDJMhGxNQlGeUtgrSLOOmiQOVmi6fY7pFNfd2F-mw3SMxb0wbfsc6JoSLaPPency9YwNOzsNVng3C5eYsisYt5Bp7jSSza39VA_ypQsDnzR-gPKwvfDVNSLUL6QHGLjvjL_p9v/s1600/MilMascarasAmericasTitleWrestlngRevueCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9yagimNDJMhGxNQlGeUtgrSLOOmiQOVmi6fY7pFNfd2F-mw3SMxb0wbfsc6JoSLaPPency9YwNOzsNVng3C5eYsisYt5Bp7jSSza39VA_ypQsDnzR-gPKwvfDVNSLUL6QHGLjvjL_p9v/s200/MilMascarasAmericasTitleWrestlngRevueCover.jpg" width="200" /></a><b>California wrestling territory from the late 1800s to the end of
1982. Torres, Thesz, Moto, Blassie, Tolos, Mascaras, Piper, Mayne,</b></div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b>the
Destroyer, the Guerreros and more!</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1QWDycaVNN6Ik5T_BYAYSDGiZK77GLwcz-ugxZIfvZ_ja1yrCmDWHhfSkE7kNhyI6-GkRr_rkhmuDgr0nqlwdnKa8wqCeS-bZeX_z_wNDJu0tIkGQlHyy3zsEMxvoS1P2D9Klb6srE0t/s1600/RayStevensJacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1QWDycaVNN6Ik5T_BYAYSDGiZK77GLwcz-ugxZIfvZ_ja1yrCmDWHhfSkE7kNhyI6-GkRr_rkhmuDgr0nqlwdnKa8wqCeS-bZeX_z_wNDJu0tIkGQlHyy3zsEMxvoS1P2D9Klb6srE0t/s200/RayStevensJacket.jpg" width="200" /></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b>Ray Stevens:
Wrestling Hall of Famer </b></span></i><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b>explores the career of one
of pro wrestling’s greatest performers and most colorful personalities both in
and out of the ring! </b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdmsnh7YCgElOfOanLcOBnNA_U2o6sYDKIowovGi2vNEr13Uenm6ynqvObSNmlj443L8A32tA6SYl4lY2l0yfOr7nY7X2xeo6yaTvEcg_G_-LPjo_dKEFZa4sIR6FWx23JIHYxHt353Ie/s1600/MoondogMayneMSGShawnMayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdmsnh7YCgElOfOanLcOBnNA_U2o6sYDKIowovGi2vNEr13Uenm6ynqvObSNmlj443L8A32tA6SYl4lY2l0yfOr7nY7X2xeo6yaTvEcg_G_-LPjo_dKEFZa4sIR6FWx23JIHYxHt353Ie/s200/MoondogMayneMSGShawnMayne.jpg" width="138" /></a><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;">Lonnie
“Moondog” Mayne: Hall of Famer </span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; margin: 0px;">celebrate
the life and career of one of pro wrestling’s most memorable personalities.
Whether you loved or you hated him, you just had to see what the Moondog would
do next!</span></b></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-27686442784750016082016-10-07T22:09:00.000-07:002016-10-07T22:09:53.182-07:00COVER ART FOR "WHEN IT WAS BIG TIME" IS REVEALED!!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MgKa6eu1M6xq3ctHcTef9fA0GxxTPvm47jCurWzm2CLzy7sitpNgrXZDnWVghsOLJer1Hfo-sixqaFdUy1_TMxU4UHmdha2pFKVxltDWyRiBinu_mpI_IQ7NKsSOh7uO2WBsH6x6Ibht/s1600/BookCover3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MgKa6eu1M6xq3ctHcTef9fA0GxxTPvm47jCurWzm2CLzy7sitpNgrXZDnWVghsOLJer1Hfo-sixqaFdUy1_TMxU4UHmdha2pFKVxltDWyRiBinu_mpI_IQ7NKsSOh7uO2WBsH6x6Ibht/s320/BookCover3d.jpg" width="265" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The cover art for<i> When It Was Big Time: A 100 Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling </i>was recently completed, bringing the highly anticipated 350-page book project one step closer to release. More rare photos have also been recently contributed, bringing the number of photos contained to over 230, some of which have never been published! This includes a newly added 12-page photo gallery, but photos, ads and images of Northern California wrestling arena programs are spread throughout the book, greatly enhancing the epic story of one of pro wrestling's most exciting territories!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia";"> At this point, release of this book is expected within the first half of November 2016, just in time for Christmas. More details on the books contents as well as a specific release date and ordering information will be released in the coming weeks. Please continue to tune if for those updates.</span><br />
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</span>Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-4359873201607516092016-06-23T16:07:00.001-07:002016-06-23T16:19:55.121-07:00MICK FOLEY WRITES THE FOREWORD TO RON STARR'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedi50Szgq4FhWV7uywWsAi6jVLccPG63siiP6Q2Wjqye5xTGAn4l5sQq1ewgYBJNgLpam9WbES8OkjwNL30cPBigHQ_N0xAtQFPRSiwelXBGnEgSfh0UikueyqFOGY-_o6nHDRc8OopL6/s1600/MickFoleyCactusJack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedi50Szgq4FhWV7uywWsAi6jVLccPG63siiP6Q2Wjqye5xTGAn4l5sQq1ewgYBJNgLpam9WbES8OkjwNL30cPBigHQ_N0xAtQFPRSiwelXBGnEgSfh0UikueyqFOGY-_o6nHDRc8OopL6/s320/MickFoleyCactusJack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MIKE TYSON AND MICK "CACTUS JACK" FOLEY</td></tr>
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Stating that he was honored to be asked to write the foreword to 25-year pro wrestling veteran and 2-time NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champ Ron Starr's autobiography, pro wrestling legend Mick Foley lends insight into his great matches with Ron Starr that took place over 25 years ago. The WWE Hall of Famer squared off against Starr in a brief but very memorab<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjedi50Szgq4FhWV7uywWsAi6jVLccPG63siiP6Q2Wjqye5xTGAn4l5sQq1ewgYBJNgLpam9WbES8OkjwNL30cPBigHQ_N0xAtQFPRSiwelXBGnEgSfh0UikueyqFOGY-_o6nHDRc8OopL6/s1600/MickFoleyCactusJack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>le feud back in 1989 when Foley was wrestling as "Cactus Jack" in the Continental Wrestling Federation, which was based out of Pensacola, Florida. Mick's brilliantly written foreword details the lessons learned from working with the veteran Ron Starr, why he has a high level of respect for him, and why his is a story worth reading.<br />
Starr's autobiography, entitled "Bad the Bone: 25 Years of Wrestling and Riots", is expected to be released at the end of 2016. Please stay tuned for further updates.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR9OF5JRZFoDZTR1JQmDf5ui2u_8sF_SrQQkdLlOQZ04cyfK_M7FXqgGkQOsAjMh6FjcBABY__wkjdoufaUt3tXH4VhimeD9aH2GOKPZgiQv2ZdxG4u2wMsOU6ASGMig6hmhDixlUMzlD/s1600/RonStarr8.29.84VancouverProgram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR9OF5JRZFoDZTR1JQmDf5ui2u_8sF_SrQQkdLlOQZ04cyfK_M7FXqgGkQOsAjMh6FjcBABY__wkjdoufaUt3tXH4VhimeD9aH2GOKPZgiQv2ZdxG4u2wMsOU6ASGMig6hmhDixlUMzlD/s320/RonStarr8.29.84VancouverProgram.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RON STARR LEAPS OFF THE TOP ROPE</td></tr>
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(Click the following link to watch a thrilling TV wrestling match between Rotten Ron Starr and Mick "Cactus Jack" Foley!)<br />
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</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-8-oZ3MPU">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe-8-oZ3MPU</a>Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-33886299224944360142016-05-26T20:05:00.000-07:002016-05-26T20:05:59.172-07:00Rotten Ron Starr Autobiography coming soon! - by Rock Rims<span style="background-color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMHUENZmZiPQpRuo16nMaKJAYFOR7h61bmz11A4QdXCJrMlIazZVtkavqH7RyMugZ9NeMHNPBcXidQPq4yKlAKe3ViwvzlyehTD303ULjeyJznVecd_NAgk898JVXYAtYxtu6SNAl8XFH/s1600/RonStarrPiperCowPalaceMalaspinaBetter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMHUENZmZiPQpRuo16nMaKJAYFOR7h61bmz11A4QdXCJrMlIazZVtkavqH7RyMugZ9NeMHNPBcXidQPq4yKlAKe3ViwvzlyehTD303ULjeyJznVecd_NAgk898JVXYAtYxtu6SNAl8XFH/s320/RonStarrPiperCowPalaceMalaspinaBetter.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RON STARR VS. RODDY PIPER</td></tr>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My job
as a pro wrestler was to piss people off and my goal was that no matter what,
when they left the wrestling arena, the fans were going to remember Ron Starr. Between
my work in the ring and the fact that it probably resulted in more than one
hundred riots, I figure I accomplished both.”</span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Rotten” Ron Starr
believes that he was destined to become a professional wrestler and he
fulfilled that dream, enjoying over 40 wrestling title reigns across North
America and in Puerto Rico during his 25-year pro wrestling career. His story
is a fascinating and informative look into the world of professional wrestling
during its territory-system days, before as some feel, pro wrestling became
circus-like, and when it was very <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">real </i>for
pro wrestling fans.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bad
to the Bone: 25 Years of Riots and Wrestling </i>contains Ron’s story of being
a life-long wrestling fan, the drama he was a part of during his two tours of Viet
Nam during the war, and a behind-the-scenes look at his life as a pro wrestler
whose career took him all over the world and led to his becoming a two-time
World Junior Heavyweight Champion. His ups and downs in the business are discussed,
including his battles with wrestling promoters and the truth about their
attempts to blackball him from the business. There will also be some
interesting and often funny stories about his adventures and misadventures in
and out of the ring, and the friendships he formed with other pro wrestling
legends, including Andre the Giant, Roddy Piper, Karl Gotch, Danny Hodge, Dutch
Savage, Adrian Adonis and many more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pictures, stories of practical jokes or “ribs”,
stories of dressing room brawls and road stories are also included in a journey
that takes us across the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, South Africa,
Guatemala, Japan and China. Ron Starr is a natural-born storyteller and reading
his book will make you feel as if you are sitting across the table from him
one-on-one.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopes are that the book will be printed
and released in time for the 2016 Holiday Season. Please stay tuned for further
updates.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-9583348516605603582016-05-26T17:55:00.001-07:002016-05-26T17:57:11.834-07:00Northern California Pro Wrestling History Book Coming Soon! -- by Rock Rims<span style="background-color: black; color: #3d85c6;"></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCIj7VPizDbCJ5MB17IF1eHQobIyUcQ7vhyphenhyphendKzWOulOQOOzsiUW26REi8xSF78xbwgcsmIoi56LRROWZnPEDnk7GB0AR-C0Iptf1Awgho1TqOKSNPfD49izyI9tfo72iWBJqhIySrFZcq/s1600/PattersonCPprogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCIj7VPizDbCJ5MB17IF1eHQobIyUcQ7vhyphenhyphendKzWOulOQOOzsiUW26REi8xSF78xbwgcsmIoi56LRROWZnPEDnk7GB0AR-C0Iptf1Awgho1TqOKSNPfD49izyI9tfo72iWBJqhIySrFZcq/s320/PattersonCPprogram.jpg" width="232" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mozart.
Picasso. Billie Holiday. Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley. John Lennon. </i>These
are just a few of the artists, whether visual or musical, who have passed through
history, though their bodies of work live on, to be acknowledged, enjoyed and discussed
by generations to follow. Unfortunately for fans of the art form of pro
wrestling, the histories of many pro wrestling eras, territories and
personalities have not received the level of documentation and acknowledgement
they so richly deserve, but that will soon change for the Northern California
Pro Wrestling Territory.</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William Muldoon. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ad Santel. Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Ben & Mike Sharpe. Leo Nomellini.
Ray Stevens. Pat Patterson. Rocky Johnson. Peter Maivia. Moondog Mayne. </i>The
list goes on and on for the amazing pro wrestling performers who made an impact
on the Northern California Pro Wrestling scene and the pro wrestling business
in general, performers who contributed to making the Northern California pro
wrestling territory one of the most exciting, memorable and financially
lucrative in the pre-national expansion era of professional wrestling. And now
their story and the story of the territory will be told.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With over 300 pages and nearly two hundred
photographs, some never published, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When
it was Big Time: A 100-Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling, </i>chronicles
the evolution of pro wrestling in Northern California, including the
record-setting events and the wrestlers whose performances and larger-than-life
personalities transported those who watched them into a world; a world where
they bore witness to morality plays consisting of epic battles of good vs. evil
in intriguing storylines involving characters reminiscent of the gods of Greek
& Roman mythology. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With plans to be released in the fall of
2016, the in-depth researched book by pro wrestling research/writer Rock Rims,
includes the major events and storylines of the territory’s history as well as
interviews with some of the wrestlers, ring announcers, and photographers who
worked for San Francisco wrestling promoter Roy Shire. A pro wrestling book
unlike any other, it will also include memories of several of the wrestling
fans who witnessed firsthand many of the incredible storylines produced by
Promoter Shire and both the TV and live arena performances which produced such
fond memories for them. This will take fans back in time to the seats they
occupied when first viewing the product, and for fans who had never been privileged
to witness that product themselves, it will make them understand why it is so
fondly remembered and why people have been demanding for a book of this nature
for decades.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This book will also go behind the scenes
to discuss and reveal the truth of some of the most notorious incidents in the territory’s
history and events that led to its eventual decline. Please stay tuned for
future updates.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-58813866607659383842015-08-05T00:02:00.000-07:002017-05-17T12:18:14.160-07:00Wrestling Legends: Rowdy Roddy Piper -- There will never be another, by Rock Rims<br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">It was billed as
World War III. On June 25, 1976, in what was billed as a bout for the World
Martial Arts Championship, boxer Muhammad Ali was scheduled to square off
against wrestler Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan, in a confrontation the world
would be watching. With a $10 million total purse and with ringside seats going
for a then-unprecedented $1,000 a pop, the event was receiving a mind-blowing
amount of media coverage. And in the final week before the match, Muhammad Ali
was in Los Angeles for his final opportunity to hype the bout with hopes of
increasing closed-circuit TV revenue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A press conference was being held at the
world famous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, a hallowed building for both
boxing and wrestling events, and Ali, ever the promotional master, issued a
challenge to a young wrestler sitting nearby to enter the ring with him. The 22
year-old-Canadian wrestler entered the ring, not knowing what to expect and
when Ali, who had been boasting that no wrestler could defeat him, locked up
with the grappler and whispered to him, “Hip toss,” he was quite surprised. But
he did what he was told and Ali ended up with his back on the mat. While Ali
was obviously trying to increase buzz over his impending bout with Inoki,
hoping that wrestling fans would fork over there cash in hopes of seeing a pro
wrestler defeat a boxer, that young wrestler, Roddy Piper, was also convinced
that Ali was looking to give him a break.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Muhammad Ali was such a great man,” said
Piper many years later. “He saw this skinny kid just sitting there that needed
a break, and right in the middle of everything, he just …<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boom!</i> – gave me a rub. I’m up. He continued on. That’s a great
man.” While he undoubtedly was appreciative of what he felt was the boxing
champ’s effort to ‘give him a rub’ and boost the attention that the young
wrestler would receive, for the wrestling fans of Los Angeles, “Rowdy” Roddy
Piper was most definitely already “up.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only five months before that the
young man who claimed to be from Glasgow, Scotland but was in fact born and
raised in Canada, had arrived in promoter Mike Lebell’s Southern California
wrestling territory. After an inauspicious start, territory booking genius Leo
Garibaldi had the idea to turn the young baby face or “good guy” wrestler into
a “heel”, a wrestling “bad guy.” And the rest as they say, is history.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Less than two months after that fateful
decision to turn Roddy Piper heel, he was the holder of the Jules Strongbow Scientific Trophy, a co-holder of the America’s tag team titles and had
recently defeated his nemesis Chavo Guerrero for the America’s Heavyweight
Wrestling title. While Guerrero was definitely the top baby face of the late
70’s in Southern California and a great draw, a territory is only as good as
its best heel, and Piper was inarguably that top heel. He was the Joker to
Chavo’s Batman, the great antagonist that every would-be hero needs to battle
in hopes of achieving heroic status. For what need would there be for a hero if
there was no villain to overcome?<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pairing of Piper and Guerrero was
magic for the wrestling promotion and gave it the boost it needed after the
previous Freddie Blassie-John Tolos feud had run its course. With his charisma
and gift of gab, Piper was phenomenal at inciting the hatred of his fans and
opponents alike. And the culture of the largely-Latino fan base as well Chavo
Guerrero and his wrestling family members comprised Piper’s favorite targets.
Whether it was by offering to play the “Mexican national anthem” on his
bagpipes, only to follow that offer by playing “La Cucaracha” on the
instrument; or by wearing a t-shirt that said “Conqueror of the Guerreros”; or
by hurling insults at a mile-a-minute during one of his high-energy interviews,
people hated the things they saw and heard from him but loved that they were
there to witness it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roddy Piper may have started his career a
few years before entering California, but California was the first real
platform he was provided to display what he had to offer to the wrestling
world. It was the first place he was given the ball to run and run he did. And
just like Walter Payton in his prime NFL years, they gave Piper the ball over
and over, and he ran and ran and ran. It wasn’t unheard of for him to appear in
or near the wrestling ring for the majority of the night, in a single’s bout, a
tag bout and as a wrestling manager. For the better part of three years, he was
the “go-to” guy of the Southern California promotion.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t long before the wrestling czar
of the northern part of the state, Roy Shire, brought the “Lean, Mean Machine”
as Piper called himself, up to Northern California for occasional appearances
to see how the fans responded to him. Fans in some of the towns up north had
seen his antics via broadcasts of L.A.’s “Lucha Libre” television show,
telecast in Spanish over the Spanish International Network. While Piper’s
charisma and star power were certainly out of this world, at first he didn’t
lend much to the first several live wrestling cards he appeared on for Shire.
But eventually he found himself in another memorable feud, this time with
United States Champion Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s hard to imagine that as memorable as
the Piper-Mayne feud was for Northern California wrestling fans tuning into it
during the summer of 1978, that the “feud” only consisted of a mere three
matches over a five week period. Oh, but what a feud it was! The intensity of
their matches was unbridled, and the fans in attendance at those live events in
San Francisco’s Cow Palace were on the edge of their seats during the entirety
the bouts. Even so, it’s safe to say that their promotional TV interviews
building up to the matches were even more of a highlight.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Los Angeles, the TV show was taped
lived and everything moved just a little faster than they did in San
Francisco’s shows. Both men gave compelling interviews but Piper, having the
edge in his gift of gab and ability to verbally improvise, was truly
remarkable. But with the interviews in Sacramento’s KTXL studios being taped <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">after </i>the matches were taped and with more
time being allotted for the interviews, wrestling fans in Northern California
were able to enjoy more of Piper’s manic and extremely entertaining rants. But
regardless of what part of California he was doing interviews for, he made the
fans alternately yell in anger and laugh out loud over what he said and did.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roddy Piper may have started in Canada,
may have made an impact virtually everywhere he went after that, and was thrust
into the national spotlight in the World Wrestling Federation during the 80’s,
but it was in California during the late 70’s that Roddy Piper first became a wrestling
star. – RR<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Source for Roddy
Piper’s comments:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><strong><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">“Rowdy” Roddy Piper talks about handing his nickname
over to Ronda Rousey, </span></i></strong><strong><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">by
Sarah Kurchak, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fight Land Blog<o:p></o:p></i></span></strong></span></span></div>
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Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-24442507645536236842015-08-04T23:05:00.000-07:002017-05-17T12:14:42.142-07:00Wrestling Legends: Roddy Piper; There Will Never be Another -- by Rock Rims<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5orW79bGbHyRXYx_P8nRMhsiL2qdxVmP7ByPhGKgzDKnqiXMY3i_RbpMasHlHEzjm_ZxG8PcqO8gQYUrEZgIcjMX7i59Wv7TcDLBVEXp9w8NXlA_9QzRUSAVmnmTT0N1jkI_DC5rDJmq3/s1600/6-24-78_Piper_MoondogRodpromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5orW79bGbHyRXYx_P8nRMhsiL2qdxVmP7ByPhGKgzDKnqiXMY3i_RbpMasHlHEzjm_ZxG8PcqO8gQYUrEZgIcjMX7i59Wv7TcDLBVEXp9w8NXlA_9QzRUSAVmnmTT0N1jkI_DC5rDJmq3/s320/6-24-78_Piper_MoondogRodpromo.jpg" width="320" /></a><strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">It was billed as
World War III. On June 25, 1976, in what was billed as a bout for the World
Martial Arts Championship, boxer Muhammad Ali was scheduled to square off
against wrestler Antonio Inoki in Tokyo, Japan, in a confrontation the world
would be watching. With a $10 million total purse and with ringside seats going
for a then-unprecedented $1,000 a pop, the event was receiving a mind-blowing
amount of media coverage. And in the final week before the match, Muhammad Ali
was in Los Angeles for his final opportunity to hype the bout with hopes of
increasing closed-circuit TV revenue.</span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">A press conference was being held at the
world famous Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, a hallowed building for both
boxing and wrestling events, and Ali, ever the promotional master, issued a
challenge to a young wrestler sitting nearby to enter the ring with him. The 22
year-old-Canadian wrestler entered the ring, not knowing what to expect and
when Ali, who had been boasting that no wrestler could defeat him, locked up
with the grappler and whispered to him, “Hip toss,” he was quite surprised. But
he did what he was told and Ali ended up with his back on the mat. While Ali
was obviously trying to increase buzz over his impending bout with Inoki,
hoping that wrestling fans would fork over there cash in hopes of seeing a pro
wrestler defeat a boxer, that young wrestler, Roddy Piper, was also convinced
that Ali was looking to give him a break.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">“Muhammad Ali was such a great man,” said
Piper many years later. “He saw this skinny kid just sitting there that needed
a break, and right in the middle of everything, he just …</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">boom!</span></i><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> – gave me a rub. I’m up. He continued on. That’s a great
man.” While he undoubtedly was appreciative of what he felt was the boxing
champ’s effort to ‘give him a rub’ and boost the attention that the young
wrestler would receive, for the wrestling fans of Los Angeles, “Rowdy” Roddy
Piper was most definitely already “up.”</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">It was only five months before that the
young man who claimed to be from Glasgow, Scotland but was in fact born and
raised in Canada, had arrived in promoter Mike Lebell’s Southern California
wrestling territory. After an inauspicious start, territory booking genius Leo
Garibaldi had the idea to turn the young baby face or “good guy” wrestler into
a “heel”, a wrestling “bad guy.” And the rest as they say, is history.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Less than two months after that fateful
decision to turn Roddy Piper heel, he was the holder of the Jules Strongbow Scientific Trophy, a co-holder of the America’s tag team titles and had
recently defeated his nemesis Chavo Guerrero for the America’s Heavyweight
Wrestling title. While Guerrero was definitely the top baby face of the late
70’s in Southern California and a great draw, a territory is only as good as
its best heel, and Piper was inarguably that top heel. He was the Joker to
Chavo’s Batman, the great antagonist that every would-be hero needs to battle
in hopes of achieving heroic status. For what need would there be for a hero if
there was no villain to overcome?</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">The pairing of Piper and Guerrero was
magic for the wrestling promotion and gave it the boost it needed after the
previous Freddie Blassie-John Tolos feud had run its course. With his charisma
and gift of gab, Piper was phenomenal at inciting the hatred of his fans and
opponents alike. And the culture of the largely-Latino fan base as well Chavo
Guerrero and his wrestling family members comprised Piper’s favorite targets.
Whether it was by offering to play the “Mexican national anthem” on his
bagpipes, only to follow that offer by playing “La Cucaracha” on the
instrument; or by wearing a t-shirt that said “Conqueror of the Guerreros”; or
by hurling insults at a mile-a-minute during one of his high-energy interviews,
people hated the things they saw and heard from him but loved that they were
there to witness it.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Roddy Piper may have started his career a
few years before entering California, but California was the first real
platform he was provided to display what he had to offer to the wrestling
world. It was the first place he was given the ball to run and run he did. And
just like Walter Payton in his prime NFL years, they gave Piper the ball over
and over, and he ran and ran and ran. It wasn’t unheard of for him to appear in
or near the wrestling ring for the majority of the night, in a single’s bout, a
tag bout and as a wrestling manager. For the better part of three years, he was
the “go-to” guy of the Southern California promotion.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">It wasn’t long before the wrestling czar
of the northern part of the state, Roy Shire, brought the “Lean, Mean Machine”
as Piper called himself, up to Northern California for occasional appearances
to see how the fans responded to him. Fans in some of the towns up north had
seen his antics via broadcasts of L.A.’s “Lucha Libre” television show,
telecast in Spanish over the Spanish International Network. While Piper’s
charisma and star power were certainly out of this world, at first he didn’t
lend much to the first several live wrestling cards he appeared on for Shire.
But eventually he found himself in another memorable feud, this time with
United States Champion Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">It’s hard to imagine that as memorable as
the Piper-Mayne feud was for Northern California wrestling fans tuning into it
during the summer of 1978, that the “feud” only consisted of a mere three
matches over a five week period. Oh, but what a feud it was! The intensity of
their matches was unbridled, and the fans in attendance at those live events in
San Francisco’s Cow Palace were on the edge of their seats during the entirety
the bouts. Even so, it’s safe to say that their promotional TV interviews
building up to the matches were even more of a highlight.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">In Los Angeles, the TV show was taped
lived and everything moved just a little faster than they did in San
Francisco’s shows. Both men gave compelling interviews but Piper, having the
edge in his gift of gab and ability to verbally improvise, was truly
remarkable. But with the interviews in Sacramento’s KTXL studios being taped </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">after </span></i><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">the matches were taped and with more
time being allotted for the interviews, wrestling fans in Northern California
were able to enjoy more of Piper’s manic and extremely entertaining rants. But
regardless of what part of California he was doing interviews for, he made the
fans alternately yell in anger and laugh out loud over what he said and did.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Roddy Piper may have started in Canada,
may have made an impact virtually everywhere he went after that, and was thrust
into the national spotlight in the World Wrestling Federation during the 80’s,
but it was in California during the late 70’s that Roddy Piper first became a wrestling
star. – RR</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
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<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Source for Roddy
Piper’s comments:</span></span></span></strong></div>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><strong><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: rgb(0 , 0 , 0); color: #eeeeee; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">“Rowdy” Roddy Piper talks about handing his nickname
over to Ronda Rousey, </span></i></strong><strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">by
Sarah Kurchak, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Fight Land Blog</span></i></span></strong></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #eeeeee;"></span><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
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Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-68134353954030776802014-08-01T08:32:00.000-07:002014-08-01T08:32:52.501-07:00Wrestling Legends: Dick Steinborn: Always Moving, and Moving Forward - By Rock Rims<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXFLBFgo18ZWG6u929UOwi0hS2xC_j657kgjOkY6PcfuzFvcr8Incs0HvKfGF7hzOJc59V-hJIilBAYBkaDAO3QAhB-EjFbZETwk0T2iJrGrn_kIWR0A7ZlMDPFABou3oSzk2sgUSNORG/s1600/DickSteinbornWrestlingYoung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXFLBFgo18ZWG6u929UOwi0hS2xC_j657kgjOkY6PcfuzFvcr8Incs0HvKfGF7hzOJc59V-hJIilBAYBkaDAO3QAhB-EjFbZETwk0T2iJrGrn_kIWR0A7ZlMDPFABou3oSzk2sgUSNORG/s1600/DickSteinbornWrestlingYoung.jpg" height="320" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick Steinborn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="color: white;">“You killed him! You murderer!”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br /></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These chilling words echoed in the mind of
the young man as tears rolled down his face. Just a few hours earlier he had
felt the tremendous excitement and satisfaction that one feels when realizing
the fulfillment of a lifelong dream, one that was made all the more important
by the fact that he was following in his beloved father’s footsteps. In no time
at all it seemed as if the dream had become a nightmare, one he was sure to re-live
over and over in his mind, perhaps for the rest of his life. Being only 17
years of age, it was understandably not something that young Dick Steinborn was
looking forward to.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">The Strength of My Father<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born the son of legendary strongman, professional
wrestler and promoter Henry “Milo” Steinborn, Dick had loved wrestling ever
since he could remember and became quite adept at it, receiving instruction
from his father and also many of the professional wrestlers who frequented the
basement gym of his family’s home during their time living in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My dad had a stake in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> wrestling
office along with Toots Mondt and Rudy Miller, and when I was 14 years of age,”
says Dick. “He’d always invite the boys to his gymnasium in the basement of our
apartment building in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Queens</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place>. I remember that Stu
Hart was beginning to make a name for himself in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state> and he’d come down to the gym on
Sundays and work out on the mat with my brother and me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dick took to wrestling like a fish to
water, just as he did to almost everything he ever tried, including the 17
different sports he would involve himself with at one time or another during
his life. “My dad always said, ‘Dickie can never keep still, he’s always moving.’”
At one point Dick Steinborn was diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder,
and while it was difficult at times to focus his attention, whatever did catch
his attention was something he typically excelled at. It was no different with
wrestling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He and his brother Henry excelled in
amateur wrestling while attending <st1:placename w:st="on">Trinity</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">High School</st1:placetype> in <st1:state w:st="on">New
York</st1:state>, enough so that the coach from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Columbia</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">University</st1:placetype></st1:place>
placed them both on the school’s Junior Varsity team while the teens were still
enrolled in High School. While that was some achievement in itself, Dick, who
was easily the better athlete of the two brothers, had greater aspirations. Like
his father, he wanted to enter the ranks of professional wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Milo Steinborn, whom Lou Thesz called “The
strongest man I ever wrestled,” was admired greatly by Dick for both his
accomplishments in the ring and his character as a man. “Dad was the Babe Ruth
of the sports world for a few years,” Dick would say. The training <st1:place w:st="on">Milo</st1:place> provided his son in the weight room and on the mat
made Dick’s body strong and well prepared for the physical rigors of life in
the ring, but the mental preparation would prove to have even greater value to
Dick both in the ring and out of it. “I owe him everything I have,” his son
said with appreciation. “Not just in a physical sense but also my training of
mind.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still a few months shy of his 18<sup>th</sup>
birthday, Dick was unable to obtain a license to wrestle as a professional in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>, but to his delight, he was able to receive both
a professional wrestler’s license and a booking in the state of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Maryland</st1:state></st1:place>. So it was with
great excitement and anticipation that Dick would board the train from <st1:city w:st="on">Astoria</st1:city>, Queens to make the 175 mile trek to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:city></st1:place>. He would be
appearing in a “dark match” to precede the matches that were to be televised
from the Baltimore Coliseum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that special night on July 24, 1951,
for Dick, the noise of the crowd was near-deafening and the atmosphere was electric,
and despite it being his very first pro match, the match went smoothly. Approaching
the finish of the match, Dick escaped from a headlock that was applied by his
opponent Les Ruffin, by whipping him into the ropes. When Ruffin rebounded off
the ropes, Dick, who had greatly strengthened his legs with specialized
training, leapfrogged over the man (“few people were doing the leapfrog in
those days”) and as Dick reached the peak of his leap, he saw a most curious
thing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A shoe flew into the ring, which must’ve
been meant to strike Ruffin, who was the heel, and I watched it as it arched
like a rainbow and sailed over the both of us almost as if in slow-motion.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shoe may have missed its mark, but Dickie
hadn’t as he had managed to secure the victory over his veteran opponent. His
first in-ring experience was a thrilling one and he enjoyed the hearty
congratulations he was receiving in the dressing room after the match. This was
something he could certainly get used to. But the mood was about to quickly
change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several men had suddenly burst into the
room carrying the body of a man that they then laid out on a nearby table. That
alone was an expected occurrence but there was something else that Dick found
odd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I noticed that the guy only had one shoe
on. And so I said to the boys, ‘Look, fellas, he must be the guy who threw the
shoe in the ring!’” The man on the table was dead, and while it was certainly
an unfortunate occurrence, like sharks smelling blood, the veteran wrestlers in
the dressing room also saw it as an opportunity for a rib and to break in the
rookie.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“’You killed him!’ says one of the boys,
and another one added, ‘you murderer!’” recalls Steinborn. “I began to think
that something I had done in the ring really did kill the guy. What those guys
didn’t realize was that I had the strength of my father, but the emotions of my
mother.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Devastated, the 17 year-old-rookie
wrestler quickly grabbed his bag and headed for the train station. The train
ride home to <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state> felt much longer than
the ride into <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:city></st1:place>
as his emotional anguish caused tears to stream down his face during the entire
trip back home. He had determined in his mind that his first match would be his
last.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <st1:place w:st="on">Milo</st1:place>
offered words of comfort to his son and Dick was further consoled by the fact
that no one really held him responsible for the death of the one-shoed man, and
that in fact it was the combination of the man’s pre-existing ill health and
his drunkenness that night which had caused his fatal heart attack. The
following week Dick would return to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place></st1:city>
for yet another wrestling match and victory, and the rest as they say, is
history.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve wrestled in 44 states and 14
different countries,” says Steinborn of the career that spanned 33 years and
included over three dozen wrestling title reigns. “Wrestling’s been my
life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s been a love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can’t destroy the love of a passion that
you have.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;">Genius</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-hPiP5OJmycygoR_QXtzFiaHGMJNyKdLgwLKIpXu6ehVjFjOvlqE2Qet_JQR7Hr1BNHpL66R6-Gckz_XIywT0uy9EM-QeFHzyNancl224sur4UbcJidf3wI7QoZ1P81CyMWoO9vuq4fw/s1600/SteinbornInoki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-hPiP5OJmycygoR_QXtzFiaHGMJNyKdLgwLKIpXu6ehVjFjOvlqE2Qet_JQR7Hr1BNHpL66R6-Gckz_XIywT0uy9EM-QeFHzyNancl224sur4UbcJidf3wI7QoZ1P81CyMWoO9vuq4fw/s1600/SteinbornInoki.jpg" height="206" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">VS. Antonio Inoki in Japan</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Through the years his love and passion for
professional wrestling would grow as well as his ability in the ring and his
ability to grasp the finer points of the game. While he speaks of such
wrestling bookers and promoters he worked with along the way, like Roy Shire,
Leo Garibaldi, and Tom Renesto as “geniuses”, he learned from such men and some
of the ring performers he worked with, borrowing some ideas and creating
original ones of his own, to become a master storyteller in his own right.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“One of the greatest workers I ever saw
was Dickie Steinborn in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>,”
recalled former wrestler Dutch Mantell. “He was the smoothest, greatest
wrestler I’ve ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember some
of the greatest matches I ever saw were between Jody Hamilton, “the Assassin”,
and Dick Steinborn…this is when they used all the psychology, when they had the
fans standing and crying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean if you
watched it, you actually believed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was that good.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jody Hamilton also fondly remembers those
matches as well, citing Steinborn as his all-time favorite opponent. “We once
did a 2 hour 45 minute match with no falls and we kept the crowd!” said <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Hamilton</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine the ability to tell a story in the
ring that would keep a crowd engrossed for nearly three hours and that ended in
a draw without a single fall being scored!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During his extensive travels as a
professional wrestler, Steinborn always remained a student of the game, despite
how much he had already come to grasp about the business. He incorporated
various styles into his ring work, adding dimension and versatility to his ring
repertoire, and he could often emulate the best moves of some of the performers
he came across.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such was the case when he was asked in
1968 to substitute for Tim Woods as the masked <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mr. Wrestling </i>after Woods left the <st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region>
territory in a dispute with the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:city></st1:place>
office. As Mr. Wrestling, Steinborn worked a match against “The Professional”
Doug Gilbert, the outcome of which saw Mr. Wrestling unmasked.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It turned out that Mr. Wrestling had lost
the match,” recalls Ron Starr, who at 18 years of age at the time, was still a
fan, but would later go on to win more than 30 titles of his own as a
professional wrestler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But when Mr.
Wrestling unmasked, it wasn’t Tim Woods, but Dickie Steinborn! I could’ve sworn
that it was the original Mr. Wrestling in the ring because Dickie worked the
match with the same exact style as Doug Gilbert, and I could not tell the
difference whatsoever. It was one of the greatest matches that I ever saw.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Be careful what you decide to do in life,
for you will succeed,” is one of Dick’s observations on life and a motto he
lives by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no doubting his
success in the ring and his ability to comprehend and use what it took to
emotionally suck the fans into what transpired in the “squared circle” was
recognized by his peers. This would lead to him booking angles in Puerto Rico
and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region>, as well as
promoting several towns in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>
for Gunkel Enterprises. Oil painting is one of Dick’s hobbies outside of
wrestling, but in the wrestling arena, the wrestling ring was his canvas and
his creativity and ability to think outside of the box, led to incredible
masterpieces being produced in the performance art he loved so much.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But all work and no play make for a dull
boy, and when it came to pulling ribs or practical jokes, Dick Steinborn’s
creativity excelled in that arena as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">“I’m Thinking of a Number…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the summer of 1958 in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Houston</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>
wrestling territory run by promoter Morris Siegel, and Dick Steinborn had just
arrived, where he would a strong impression by winning the Texas Heavyweight
wrestling title within three weeks of his arrival. But it was on a road trip he
was on from Houston to Fort Worth, along with Larry Chene, Bull Curry, and
“Big” John Tolos where he would make another great impression.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I get in the car with Larry Chene,”
recalls Steinborn, “and I’m sitting in the front passenger seat and sitting
behind me is John Tolos who’d just come up from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>\He was 25 years old but in some ways he acted
like he was 17. It was so obvious that he was just a big kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>\And about 75 miles out of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place></st1:city> we stopped for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So I’m sitting in the restaurant with
Larry Chene and Tolos and Curry are on the other side of the restaurant and
Larry said, ‘How are you at ribbing?’ I said, ‘I love to rib.’ Larry then says,
‘Let’s tell Tolos that you’re coming in as a mentalist.’ ‘Well how the hell am
I’m going to do that?’ I asked.” Chene and Steinborn would then work out a
scheme involving the use of codes in order to successfully pull of the rib.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So we get into the car and Larry Chene
asks me in front of the other guys, ‘So, what’s Morris bringing you in
as?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I said ‘as a mentalist.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“From the back seat Tolos blurts out ‘Oh,
Bullshit!’And Larry says, ‘What are you talking about?’”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I turned around and said to Tolos who’s
in the backseat, ‘Think of a number and write it down and pass it to Bull, and
then Bull you whisper it to Larry.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Larry is driving with his left arm out the
open driver’s side window with his left hand gripping the bottom of the window
frame. He then starts tapping his left thumb on the door 7 times. I tell Tolos,
‘your number was 7.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tolos is astounded
and blurts out ‘Tre-men-dous!’So we go through the numbers thing 3 or 4 times,
and with each success Tolos would exclaim, ‘Tre-men-dous!’ says Steinborn with
a hearty laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So now I thought that I’d make it more
interesting”, continues Steinborn. “So then we did names and then I asked for
everybody’s wallets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them I’d be
able to tell them how much money they had in their wallets. Larry looked at me
like, ‘How the hell is he going to that???’”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Knowing how much Chene and Tolos received
for working in the semi-main event the previous night and how much Curry got
for working in the main, Steinborn used some brilliant deduction to figure how
much each had spent on food and how much was contributed to gas and was right
on the mark in guessing what each man had in his wallet. “Tre-men-dous!”
proclaimed Tolos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years later Tolos and Steinborn
would catch up with each other when they’re working a card in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Detroit</st1:city></st1:place>. Steinborn was showering after
finishing his match and the rest of the wrestlers were out watching the other
matches. So when he came out of the shower Steinborn found the locker room
empty…save for John Tolos sitting alone on a bench.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tolos then looked up at Steinborn and
after several years of not seeing him, the first words to come out of John’s
mouth were “I’m thinking of a number.” Years later Tolos was still spellbound
by the “mystical” powers of Dick Steinborn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">At the End of the Tunnel<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Life is not always fun and however and
Dick Steinborn would see what some might think were more than his fair share of
trials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has been married four times
during the course of his life, the first time being when at the age of 20, he
married Carol Kerce, a beautiful young woman he had met at a roller rink in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Orlando</st1:place>, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state></st1:city>,
when he was working in his father’s promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They had wed on Carole’s 17<sup>th</sup> birthday on August 2, 1954. Life
was wonderful for the young couple and a few years later they produced a
daughter, Candi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Several years before this beautiful union,
Steinborn’s mother had given him his first camera as a present on his
fourteenth birthday, saying, “As we get older, we forget about certain things
and sometimes even what people looked like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when you click that shutter, you will capture and have those
memories forever.” The pictures from the time period in which Dick and Carole
got married shows two young people in the prime of their lives, deeply in love
and seemingly without a care in the world. Tragically, that would come to an
end.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the age of 28, Dick Steinborn would become a widower, as his beloved wife Carole
passed away from cancer. Overcome with grief, Dick Steinborn took to the bottle
in an effort to escape from his grief, taking on <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state> wrestling promoter Eddie Graham as a
drinking partner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the inner strength he possessed
allowed him to eventually overcome if not forget his grief and Dick Steinborn
persevered, and would continue on in life, ready to meet any challenges it
might bring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it wasn’t always easy.
His second and third marriages would end in divorce, the third marriage ending
during a time that was already particularly difficult for Steinborn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1984 Dick was involved in an auto
accident that left his spine twisted even two years after the crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His wrestling career, which he had aspired to
ever since he could remember and had participated in for 33 years, was suddenly
over. Steinborn was devastated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
wasn’t just a matter of a loss of his livelihood, which was bad enough, but it
was the loss of something he loved, something he excelled at. He had derived a
certain amount of self-worth from his ability to perform, create, and express
himself in the art form known as professional wrestling.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I went into a two year depression,” he
says. “I lost my family, lost money, lost everything.” It was then that the
divorce between him and his third wife Sheila took place. “She told me that I had
nothing left,” he recalls. While Dick had felt that way at times during his
depression, he knew that we can’t believe every thought that we have, and that hope
is the last thing to die. While he had the emotions of his mother, he still had
the strength of his father. He refused to accept Sheila’s pronouncement. “I
said, ‘I still got me.’”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nhLbG3wCU1Jp4bKaOj5mnwL5OxOtMvIqt59ihofERShnPeBdozz-iV7ELZ2iSPp27sy5BTDw-Vy6I0tqia0LgvXWsa5bFDXyZegNeJ0YPfKOD4aw-MOp-gplY0X_-pJ7om5EOGh1DAUI/s1600/DickSteinborneAge70.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nhLbG3wCU1Jp4bKaOj5mnwL5OxOtMvIqt59ihofERShnPeBdozz-iV7ELZ2iSPp27sy5BTDw-Vy6I0tqia0LgvXWsa5bFDXyZegNeJ0YPfKOD4aw-MOp-gplY0X_-pJ7om5EOGh1DAUI/s1600/DickSteinborneAge70.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;">Steinborn in 2004 at the age of 70</span><br />
<span style="color: white;">(Photo courtesy of Dick Steinborn)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And so after two years, Dick Steinborn
would once again resume the exercise workouts that he had been neglecting and
received counseling to deal with his depression. Life is a story, and Steinborn
realized that no matter how bad a particular chapter might be for the main
character in the story, and as long as we keep turning the pages, there is the
opportunity for the story to change for the better.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dick Steinborn would not only resume those
exercise workouts but go on to open his own business as a personal training
consultant, training several business professionals in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Richmond</st1:state>, <st1:state w:st="on">Virginia</st1:state></st1:state>
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Putting them through the paces in
the gymnasium which occupies the first floor of his home, the walls of which
are decorated with tons of amazing photos of him and other former wrestlers,
Dick has been gratified to have been able to help others in the area of self-improvement.
“All of my clients showed significant increases in strength and fitness,” he
says proudly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he would find love again as well,
marrying for a fourth time and enjoying the companionship of his wife Hazel,
until she passed away in December of 2012. Again, it would be another trying
time for Steinborn, as it has only been a year and a half at the time of this
writing, since he has lost his wife. But he continues to keep active and
continues to keep positive. He continues to engage in the art of photography, a
passion that he cultivated since he received that first camera on his
fourteenth birthday from his beloved mother; he also continues to oil paint; he
works out three days a week in his home gym and boasts a trim 30 inch waist;
and he is working on his autobiography with his co-writer Scott Teal, owner of
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crowbar Press </i>publishing company.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if the stories that Dick Steinborn has
shared with me are any indication of what we can expect from that book, it’ll
be a must have. Not just for the great, entertaining stories of which Dick has
a multitude, or for the wrestling history such a book would contain, but for
the inspiration one receives when he gets to know Dick Steinborn the man, not
just Dick Steinborn the wrestler. For Dick Steinborn is not just a man who has
survived, but a man who has thrived, and who even at the age of 80, still makes
a meaningful contribution to this world. His father said that he was always moving
and couldn’t keep still. And thankfully, despite whatever life threw at him,
Dick Steinborn always managed to eventually move forward.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a great example of the fact that we
are not just products of what we experience in life, but in how we ultimately
choose to respond to those experiences. As Ralph Waldo Emerson so aptly stated
many years ago, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What lies behind us and
what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”</i> – RR<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Sources:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: white;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Author’s</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">conversations</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dick</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Steinborn</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ron</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Starr<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">“Interview with Dutch Mantell”, by Wade
Keller, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PW Torch Newsletter #216, </i>March
1, 1993<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">“The Assassin Interview”, by Bill Kociaba,
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kayfabe-wrestling.com<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">“Florida’s Great Wrestling Cities:
Orlando, and promoter Milo Steinborn, by Barry Rose, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kayfabememories.com<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: white;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">“Lord of the Ring”, by Karen Shugart, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">INSTYLE WEEKLY, </i>Ju</span>ne 28, 2011<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-4762402741037857132014-03-24T18:31:00.000-07:002014-03-24T18:31:58.767-07:00EYE OF THE BEHOLDER By Rock Rims<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNhEi7-pt9kGCO5-bKRU29Ulw7Rv6RmJx4jtwoWTUS05Ym_9IRpwKOjzpxlqmEZMhDDdAc5Rjyse39LTpMjldFhI-Xi75rkRydkE6_MPbcw_RBhsFSbSIqTHDUpvWo57IwM7sJJ59WDh3/s1600/EnriqueTorresShirleyMontgomery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNhEi7-pt9kGCO5-bKRU29Ulw7Rv6RmJx4jtwoWTUS05Ym_9IRpwKOjzpxlqmEZMhDDdAc5Rjyse39LTpMjldFhI-Xi75rkRydkE6_MPbcw_RBhsFSbSIqTHDUpvWo57IwM7sJJ59WDh3/s1600/EnriqueTorresShirleyMontgomery.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enrique Torres by S. Montgomery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, yet some
seem to be worth much more than that, not only in terms of words, but in terms
of emotions stirred and memories reawakened. They have the power to capture a
moment, a place in time, whether those moments are a part of history at large,
or in our own personal histories. They can bring back not just the sights, but
the sounds, the scents, and the atmosphere of the event they capture. The have
the power to remind us, and they have the power to move us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great photography
is an art, and the ability to take a great picture is a skill which not all
possess, just as not all can skillfully wield an artist's brush. While I wish I
could capture through a camera's lens what great photographers are able to, I
don't have that gift, yet it is not jealousy I feel for their talents, but
admiration. Their work need not be displayed in a museum to be appreciated, for
it's not the venue or medium in which they appear that make them art. It's
their ability to stir the imagination and inspire us that does.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the world of
professional wrestling there have been photographers whose work has stood out,
work which has proven to be timeless, work which in a mere moment brings
flooding back to our minds all the reasons why we became fans of pro wrestling,
and why for some of us, we have remained fans for many years.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their have been
many great wrestling photographers over the years, with Tony Lanza, Theo Ehret,
George Napolitano, Bill Apter, Gene Gordon, Dan Westbrook, Koichi Yoshizawa,
Mike Lano, Viktor Berry and Jim Fitzpatrick being some of the individuals whose
work graced the wrestling magazines and wrestling arena programs during
professional wrestling’s territory days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the first time I laid eyes on the work of photographer Shirlie Montgomery,
it was as if I had discovered the time machine I had always longed for since I
was a child. For <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:place></st1:city>,
her camera was her paint brush and the world was her landscape. And in the
beginning, her world was <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Jose</st1:place>,
<st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:city>. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Girl Photographer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Can’t”</i> was very likely a word that
Shirlie Montgomery never learned the meaning of during her 94 years on planet
earth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Born in 1918 in <st1:city w:st="on">San
Jose</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>, located 45 miles
from <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>, she would eventually travel
to various parts of the world, but for her, the center of her world would
always be <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Jose</st1:place></st1:city>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was an only
child and although it might be accurate to call her a “Daddy’s Girl”, she was
anything but sheltered as she gladly trudged along with him on hunting and
fishing trips and to sporting events such as boxing and wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She would never fit within the confines of
what a girl “was supposed to be like and enjoy” and nothing she took interest
in or captured her imagination was considered to be off-limits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her longtime friend Kirk McCelland hit the
nail on the head when he described her as “fiercely independent.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up during
the great depression and World War II, Shirlie would witness the transformation
of <st1:city w:st="on">San Jose</st1:city> from an agricultural town to being
an integral part of the “<st1:placename w:st="on">Silicone</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype>” and an urbanized metropolitan city which is
the third largest in the state of <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>
and the tenth largest in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United
States</st1:place></st1:country-region>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And fortunately, Shirlie was able to capture
much of the treasured history of the city through the lens of her camera.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one part of the city’s history included
the professional wrestling events that were staged at the San Jose Civic
Auditorium.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years after
graduating from <st1:placename w:st="on">San Jose</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">High School</st1:placetype> in 1934, a series of jobs led her to
becoming the photographer at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">De Anza</i>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hotel </i>in downtown <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Jose</st1:place></st1:city> where she would take pictures of
visitors to the hotel or its bar, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Danzabar</i>
which would be offered for purchase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
hotel was located next to the offices of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Jose Mercury News</i>, one of the newspapers she would begin to
work for as a freelance photographer and one of the sportswriters suggested she
combine her love of professional wrestling with her love of photography.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was now with camera in hand that she’d be
ringside at the wrestling events presented in the Civic Auditorium, which was
built on land donated years before by her great uncle T.S. Montgomery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR-Bv0nxKEsRAJ5_mK-K2luTRiwo-xk0EklgVCExEW37hm3fu6viCS8RVDS4IQsHHOw7dvEqb8Qbu5b7xUu9vP4k7thZKMizTmSofukvuvJZavAFzeqQpTMmZRGRMZ8_nfpiB5cAfwDA8/s1600/SharpeBrosattackingSandorSzaboSanJoseShirleyMontgomery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR-Bv0nxKEsRAJ5_mK-K2luTRiwo-xk0EklgVCExEW37hm3fu6viCS8RVDS4IQsHHOw7dvEqb8Qbu5b7xUu9vP4k7thZKMizTmSofukvuvJZavAFzeqQpTMmZRGRMZ8_nfpiB5cAfwDA8/s1600/SharpeBrosattackingSandorSzaboSanJoseShirleyMontgomery.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sharpe Bros. Mob Szabo - Photo by S. Montgomery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“The promoters thought that was better than
sliced bread because sometimes the pictures would get into the paper,” <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:place></st1:city> later
recalled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They actually ran wrestling
photos in those days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was wonderful
for me.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also
wonderful for the subjects which she shot as well as the many fans who would
view those wonderful photos over the years, which were featured not only in
newspapers like the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Jose Mercury News
</i>and the<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> San Francisco Examiner</i>,
but in national wrestling magazines which eagerly and proudly displayed her
photos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the wrestling luminaries
she photographed in either posed shots, candid shots, or action shots included
Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Gorgeous George, Lou Thesz, Enrique Torres, Lord James
Blears, Ben and Mike Sharpe, Leo Nomellini, and Ray “The Crippler” Stevens.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was a
wonderful way to make a name for yourself because it was such an unusual thing
for a woman to do,” said <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Montgomery</st1:place></st1:city>
in a 2003 interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t a bad way
to make a living, combining her hobbies and passions, and besides, as she often
said, “I always liked the ‘Big Boys.’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She would add, “I’ve never seen so many good-looking, heavily muscled,
bronzed bodies as I saw at a wrestling.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Obviously the
lady knew what she liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting the
close-up action-type shots which she was partially renowned for weren’t without
their hazards however, as she recounted in a 1953 article she wrote for the San
Francisco Examiner.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Most </span>of the pictures are taken at a distance of ten to fifteen
feet. I usually sit in the corner of the steps, right up against the ring. The
occasionally leads to complications, as in a tag match when the outside partner
is standing about six inches in front of me. In leaning over to “tag”, one of
those big feet usually whistles back right alongside my ear.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">A wrestling photographer has to
learn to dodge flying feet and bodies while still sitting down, because the
ringside customers frown on any attempt to stand up and block their view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGARZqZDZBke37dOrGwlkBbXk_R6Jvgg_-j4PiD5umZPSlfwj64I3CNb2Bidi0xyhxe78o-p4-sW_oXi2FATccp8SLCtOVgyqDnzcZuBpVfbD_Xjrd15orqwvzvL-KLPCXFOMuVtTjQxbM/s1600/ShirlieLordJamesBlearsSanJoseCivic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGARZqZDZBke37dOrGwlkBbXk_R6Jvgg_-j4PiD5umZPSlfwj64I3CNb2Bidi0xyhxe78o-p4-sW_oXi2FATccp8SLCtOVgyqDnzcZuBpVfbD_Xjrd15orqwvzvL-KLPCXFOMuVtTjQxbM/s1600/ShirlieLordJamesBlearsSanJoseCivic.jpg" height="253" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lord Blears joins Shirlie at Ringside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“Once while I was shooting a picture of
action taking place in the center of the ring, Sandor Szabo, who was in my
corner, felt that the other team was taking an unfair advantage. He jumped in
to help his partner without being tagged, but in going over the ropes, his foot
‘tagged’ ME, and I had a black eye for the rest of that week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The next biggest problem is the
spectators. They take sides and they threw things, so that you not only have to
watch the inside of the ring, but the outside as well.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the Wednesday night matches at the
Civic Auditorium Shirlie could often be found at Gleen Neece’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ringside Bar</i> nearby on First Street
along with friends and some of the wrestlers, where many of Shirlie’s photos
would grace the walls, for the enjoyment and pleasure of the wrestlers, Glenn
Neece and his workers, and any patrons who might have been fortunate enough to
have viewed them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shirlie’s amazing work would eventually
lead to her being inducted into the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slammers
Wrestling Hall of Fame</i> and her original photographs are much sought after
by collectors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of her work as
professional wrestling’s “girl photographer”, Shirlie would say,” It gave me a
great experience, and if I may say so, I was quite good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An understatement if there ever was one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">More Than a Thousand Words<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of
months before this writing, I had been spending about an hour or so on a
somewhat leisurely Sunday afternoon leafing through some old wrestling
magazines from the 70s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What had been an
hour could’ve easily become several hours as I fondly recalled the first time I
had seen the common advertisements in these magazines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How many times as a kid had I considered
sending away for “Sea Monkeys” or the correspondence course which could make me
a “Master of Kung-Fu”, or wondered if learning how to customize a van with shag
carpet might be a useful skill to have, or wondered what were “the secrets for
picking up 1000’s of Women?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I would
outgrow the desire to send away for such things or the wonder that a “Love
Doll” could really look so life-like, I still got a kick out of looking at the
ads and what I had clearly not outgrown was the child-like wonder I felt while
looking at the pictures in the wrestling magazines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They, along with the ads in the magazine and
the fictitious stories which accompanied the wrestling pictures, took me back
to an amazing, much simpler time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A time
when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kayfabe</i> along with the
performance of the wrestlers and the promotion and production of the live
wrestling events and television wrestling shows made possible the suspension of
disbelief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was those things that made
professional wrestling so amazingly great during the territory days and with so
much of the videotape from such days being lost to us forever, the wrestling
magazines from that time are for many people an important way to recapture
those great times.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx6oPban-wOdpl6P_ELG2b0slN8OrTtjhGXbMH5mww7sU2ZLQ3IWKTIyb8yS-mejz6iEF4bwBizEqpXbpYp5tKG7rigpzLLZ2A_XHwHmrwtSdD2k81qZsUkmxOPfn1boBYGMiDRhCyhqX/s1600/ModestoMoodogMuracoPromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx6oPban-wOdpl6P_ELG2b0slN8OrTtjhGXbMH5mww7sU2ZLQ3IWKTIyb8yS-mejz6iEF4bwBizEqpXbpYp5tKG7rigpzLLZ2A_XHwHmrwtSdD2k81qZsUkmxOPfn1boBYGMiDRhCyhqX/s1600/ModestoMoodogMuracoPromo.jpg" height="222" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">For they bring
back not only memories of what wrestling was like, but what life was like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They help bring back a flood of memories of
the wrestlers we watched, the angles we enjoyed, and the people we enjoyed such
spectacles with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They brought back
memories of the music we enjoyed, the clothes we wore, the other television
shows we watched, who our best friends were, what our preoccupations were, what
we dreamed, who and what we loved, who we were, and who we aspired to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s not so much a longing to live in the
past as it is to relive the things that made us smile, that perhaps provided a
bit of escapism for us at one time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
I challenge anyone to relive in their minds something that once made us smile
and see if we don’t find ourselves smiling in the present moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And who could ever get enough of that?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And some of the
photos which entranced me the most as I was leafing through those magazines a
couple of months back, were the ones taken by Larry Barnhizer of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Uptown Arena in <st1:city w:st="on">Modesto</st1:city>
was an iconic venue for many years in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place></st1:city>, with the city itself hosting wrestling
since at least the early 1900s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with
the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place></st1:city>
wrestling territory, particularly the Northern section, never getting the type
of coverage in the East Coast based wrestling magazines; it was most definitely
a treat to view and get lost in Larry’s distinct photos along with the
accompanying correspondence report. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I began to
notice that in the early-mid 70s, whenever there was coverage provided of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place></st1:city> in
the wrestling mags, it was usually provided by Larry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I just had to get a hold of Mr.
Barnhizer to tell him how much I appreciated his work and if it was possible to
use some of his amazing photos in my book on Professional Wrestling in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I found Larry to be a very enjoyable person
in addition to being an amazing photographer.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spending most of
his life growing up in Riverbank, California and Modesto, ironically enough,
Larry’s first live pro wrestling event in the Northern part of the state may
have been one being photographed by Shirlie Montgomery.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The first live
match I saw in Northern California was in <st1:city w:st="on">San Jose</st1:city>,
at a card that featured the Sharpe Brothers, Leo Nomellini, and Bobo <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve always had an innate love of the sport I
guess.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His family had
moved around a bit while growing up (“We were almost like gypsies,” Larry said
with a laugh) and it was in the late 60s when he met Modesto wrestling promoter
and policeman Johnny Miller when Miller was visiting some friends who lived in
the same apartment complex in Modesto where Larry was staying.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</span>We got to talking and he invited me to see the matches he
was promoting at the Uptown Arena in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place></st1:city>,”
remembers Larry.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>“I went
and I really enjoyed myself but I didn’t go too often for the first couple of
years, but Johnny and I became friends and he told me I should come to the
matches more often. And it was in around 1970 that I started going more often
and I also began sending in match results and articles from the local events to
some of the wrestling magazines back east.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a while Larry would buy his first
camera and took it with him to the Uptown Arena on particular Friday
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The move didn’t escape the notice
of promoter Miller.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwb889j8UCYt89kAAxhadQENVg5xvve_DNbrNha0bEItxxLy09b96sKjKHT2tar1XGsm2Axzl_celnUSJ8l8k9CuEVt5ZEzYHxE0_IOl9l-2kVS_RYRCKrWimWPP-adrzhKKF9FbEA2Nl/s1600/ModestoMadrilSmirnoff77promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTwb889j8UCYt89kAAxhadQENVg5xvve_DNbrNha0bEItxxLy09b96sKjKHT2tar1XGsm2Axzl_celnUSJ8l8k9CuEVt5ZEzYHxE0_IOl9l-2kVS_RYRCKrWimWPP-adrzhKKF9FbEA2Nl/s1600/ModestoMadrilSmirnoff77promo.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“I would get my first camera in 1973 and I
took it with me to the Uptown Arena with me and when Johnny saw it, he asked,
‘What are you going to do with it?’ ‘Well’, I said, ‘I thought I’d take some
pictures and send them in to the wrestling magazines and see if maybe they’ll publish
them.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span>“Johnny
looked at me and said, ‘Why not? It couldn’t hurt. Do it and we’ll see what
happens.’”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first, not much happened as the editors
of the wrestling magazines wanted something different than what Larry was
turning in, and they asked him for more action shots rather than wrestlers
standing near the corner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was very, very hard,” remembers Larry.
“It took me about six months of shooting before they liked my pictures. Editors
wanted different types of moves, the choke hold, body slams, and flying-ariel
attacks. I would look at the various pictures and say, ‘how can I improve them
next time?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But improve on them he did, and the
Northern California wrestling fans that saw his work in popular magazines like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrestling Revue, Inside Wrestling, The
Wrestler, the Big Book of Wrestling, </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrestling Monthly</i> were soon coming up to Larry and telling him how
much they enjoyed his wrestling articles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 1974 issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wrestling Round
Up</i> had a feature presentation of about a dozen of Larry’s pictures in what
they dubbed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Larry Barnhizer’s
Scrapbook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Larry’s name was placed
on the cover of the issue which is a virtually unheard of experience for a pro
wrestling photographer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“One year, Bill Apter ran my photo of Kurt
Von Brauner choking Moon Dog Mayne in a 1975 issue of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wrestler</i> and picked it as one of the 8 best photos of the
year.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Johnny Miller, who was sometimes
featured in some of the articles was enjoying the increased recognition as
well, beaming when fans came up to him and recognized him from the pictures and
articles Larry got published in the wrestling magazines. Larry remembers with a
laugh that one particular profile he did on Miller got the promoter so excited,
“that he had someone drive him around all over Modesto so he pick up all the
copies he could find!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to shooting photos at <st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place>, he’d also capture the fast and furious action
taking place at other venues, such as <st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place>
and <st1:place w:st="on">Stockton</st1:place>. But it was the Uptown Arena, the
converted 2<sup>nd</sup> floor warehouse with it’s distinctive exposed overhead
rafters and wooden beams that would be his main stomping grounds and it was the
photos that he took and the articles he wrote covering the wrestling action
there that gained him the most recognition. At times, his coverage of the
wrestling cards he shot photos at and did write-ups on might be the only ones
representing the <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> wrestling
circuit in a given month. And without the TV publicity that larger cities like <st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place> and <st1:place w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:place>
would get, the added publicity that Johnny Miller’s cards received due to
Larry’s work was a blessing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually Johnny Miller would discontinue
promoting wrestling in <st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place> in 1979, and
although it was the end of an era, Larry’s career as a wrestling photographer
would continue, as he would later photograph events for promoters Red Bastien,
Antone Leone, Leo Nomellini, and Roland Alexander.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of his most cherished photos is one he
took of Hulk Hogan and Nick Bockwinkel at the Oakland Coliseum in 1982 at an
AWA event promoted by Leo Nomellini.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
shot would be featured in an article in the September 1982 edition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Wrestler</i> entitled “Bedlam in the
Bay”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The picture was blown up to a two
page spread, and one would be hard pressed to remember many occasions where
that occurred in a wrestling magazine.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK7eKkcYxxrPWeA6aTlaWbuajLiEZW6FESKo0BrKOVSc8WIl56_CaWEE3iZtx3lb88omCTteO7nB-_BpTKxzPj5JIl8dd28ZRuZMGbox9UhxuMZAZGDwo1QU0FxtUc6r8O_SzhKM4gTBg/s1600/ModestoSmirnoffLarryBarnhizer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK7eKkcYxxrPWeA6aTlaWbuajLiEZW6FESKo0BrKOVSc8WIl56_CaWEE3iZtx3lb88omCTteO7nB-_BpTKxzPj5JIl8dd28ZRuZMGbox9UhxuMZAZGDwo1QU0FxtUc6r8O_SzhKM4gTBg/s1600/ModestoSmirnoffLarryBarnhizer.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Larry Barnhizer presents Smirnoff with an Award<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“I had to run
around the ring to catch that photo and snapped the shot as soon as I came to a
stop,” says Larry. “I wasn’t sure if it’d come out right, but it did. Later
when the magazine came out, I was standing with Leo Nomellini when Hulk Hogan
walked by and Leo shouted out, ‘Hey, Hulk, this is the guy that took that
picture of you!’ Hogan gave me a smile and a ‘thumbs up’ and said, ‘Thanks
man.’” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes like Shirlie Montgomery
he got a little too close to the action, such as when his camera got kicked
into his face while shooting a six-man tag match involving the Von Steigers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“A foot caught my
camera and smashed it against my face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It hurt and cut me up pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was so mad.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But in all, Larry
had no regrets about the time and effort his put in as a professional wrestling
photographer for over 30 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I came along and
wrestling started to really grow in <st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place>
and <st1:place w:st="on">Stockton</st1:place>, and I owe a lot to Johnnie Miller,
who really encouraged me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before, <st1:place w:st="on">Modesto</st1:place> was just a forgotten town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It’s been an exciting and terrific saga
and I admit to still being thrilled when people like editor Reg Noble say, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Larry Barnhizer’s photos are worth more than
a thousand words!”</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But mostly I want
to be remembered for giving Professional wrestling in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place> an extra boost by the thousands of pictures I’ve
taken.” – RR<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;">In addition to my personal
conversations with Larry Barnhizer, the following sources were used for this
article:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“San Jose native, Shirlie Montgomery dies at 94”, by Mary
Gottschalk, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San Jose Mercury News,</i>
November 11, 2012<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">“Photography: <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Subjects</st1:place>
<st1:place w:st="on">Land</st1:place></st1:place> Atop the Camera, by Shirley
Montgomery, August 2, 1953, “Shirlie Montgomery: Girl Photographer”, by Bob
Bortfeld, August 11, 2013 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Shirley Montgomery Obituary by Joe Holt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mantecan boosts pro
wrestling with photos, articles”, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Manteca Bulletin,</i> by Matt Miller, January 21, 1990 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><st1:place w:st="on"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Manteca</span></st1:place><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">
resident focuses on wrestling”, by Paul Burgarino, Staff Writer, The Oakland
Tribune, November 25, 2007 <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">“Molding His Image With a Camera”, by Ucilia Wang, August 3,
1996, Recordnet.com </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Photographer captures wrestling at its toughest, </i>by John Branch, Editor, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Riverbank News, </i>August 15, 2001<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"></span><br />Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-25208696099083206902014-02-23T14:43:00.000-08:002014-02-24T10:08:19.976-08:00THE COLOR OF MONEY - by Rock Rims<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b> </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJDNWTAlgX4IZW6HLKRLsgorxi1nr35r37q5IlVxnZTx9kmfdUkb8eyq8Kp8f2Qf2RVdjZ_C364bUiIqs73L4RTspV75lTAy5rORC8NkvdLIRmvthxONqna4F6uZPc3T2SRWhfWdLyQB_/s1600/ErnieladdCollage.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJDNWTAlgX4IZW6HLKRLsgorxi1nr35r37q5IlVxnZTx9kmfdUkb8eyq8Kp8f2Qf2RVdjZ_C364bUiIqs73L4RTspV75lTAy5rORC8NkvdLIRmvthxONqna4F6uZPc3T2SRWhfWdLyQB_/s1600/ErnieladdCollage.png" /></a></div>
“The color of
this business is green, not black, brown, or white.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were the words of wisdom that a young wrestler
named Chavo Guerrero heard from a man he considered to be one of his mentors,
“The Big Cat”, Ernie Ladd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Ernie Ladd,
he understood that the world he lived in, as well as the world of wrestling in
which he worked, had many who were not color blind; but he also understood that
it was an issue for those particular individuals, and he would not let their
personal issues obscure his focus and vision as a professional wrestler, and
that was to entertain the wrestling fans and make as much money as possible
while doing it.</div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were times
when he was certainly confronted with racism, whether it was from fans, a
promoter, or in a few cases, a fellow wrestler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That was nothing new in pro wrestling when Ladd entered the game in the
early 60s during the off-season while signed to the San Diego Chargers.</div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great black
wrestlers who had started out before him, like “The Black Panther” Jim
Mitchell, Seelie Samara, Woody Strode, Bearcat Wright, and Luther Lindsay, had
known what it was like to being limited at times to only working with other
black wrestlers, or ethnic wrestlers of color, as they were not allowed to
wrestle white men in some regions of the country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There had even been separate “Negro” regional
and World wrestling titles.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while some of
the opportunities for black wrestlers to work in some areas or work against or
team with their white counterparts, or challenge for some titles were limited,
it did not limit the ability with those who had the talent, to shine and
entertain while in the ring.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Uo4uapUXUUU-sbr3zoJhU6wyRe1IkeYVPMAt7MPXJvbm3r8o3eFGXVwFG904Rv3pvPJepMg2SXs6SF68-rE2330rUBDuA6Mfx2W87GqujoCDOVTgStOFzigCTxdE7Scmtnn-3mjiPb6/s1600/NegroChampDetroitMI62-11-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Uo4uapUXUUU-sbr3zoJhU6wyRe1IkeYVPMAt7MPXJvbm3r8o3eFGXVwFG904Rv3pvPJepMg2SXs6SF68-rE2330rUBDuA6Mfx2W87GqujoCDOVTgStOFzigCTxdE7Scmtnn-3mjiPb6/s1600/NegroChampDetroitMI62-11-24.jpg" height="320" width="56" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For instance,
George Hardison, who was most often billed as “Seelie Samara”, had a great ring
career, and was often billed in main events not only in the U.S., but overseas
as well, such as when he challenged the legendary Jim Londos for a version of
the World Heavyweight Wrestling title in Sydney, Australia during the summer of
1946.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:city> during the late 30s, he was the top
man in Charley Gordon’s promotional war against legendary promoter Paul
Bowser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Gordon’s mind, the color of
Samara’s skin was irrelevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What was
relevant was that he had the look of a champion and was popular with local
fans.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose for
those of us who grew up in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">California</st1:place></st1:state>,
we weren’t always aware of the overt racism that existed in other parts of the
country, not that racism didn’t exist here or doesn’t still, but fortunately,
it wasn’t as prevalent a problem as it was in some regions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was most beneficial on a social level of
course, but it had its benefits in the world of wrestling as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the performers, it allowed them more
opportunities for them to be utilized in a way that acknowledged their athletic
gifts and performance skills, thus also increasing their earning
potential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for the fans, it allowed
us to witness some great wrestling talents who would entertain us and provide
us with moments that we would re-live in our minds for years to come.</div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things weren’t
perfect in even California, as wrestling promoters and sportswriters still felt
the need to identify Samara as “the Sepia Wrestler”, the “Joe Louis of
Wrestling”, the “Dusky Samson”, or the “Negro Sensation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there was the unfortunate incident where
the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Jose</st1:place></st1:city>
wrestling promoter had to rearrange the lineup for his May 24, 1944 wrestling
card because Jim Henry, who was white, refused to wrestler Samara due to his
color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spite of those less than idyllic
conditions, there was no denying Samara’s popularity and he was a top contender
for the Pacific Coast Heavyweight title in the Northern California Wrestling
territory during the 40s.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXRJy4LFUup83kwVp9bdnd0OTgb7QNbG4gOMiAd3ekX8ven3fSE-8H_cTrA-1sZ8iyoDWQ72HdLmIRG5qQpDCnS296_5ddvxvhfQivr1EYtrWbE8abZjDuZjmtftg1r0gvasOBKq0_Swm/s1600/SeelieSamara2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXRJy4LFUup83kwVp9bdnd0OTgb7QNbG4gOMiAd3ekX8ven3fSE-8H_cTrA-1sZ8iyoDWQ72HdLmIRG5qQpDCnS296_5ddvxvhfQivr1EYtrWbE8abZjDuZjmtftg1r0gvasOBKq0_Swm/s1600/SeelieSamara2.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SEELIE SAMARA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Woody Strode, the
great athlete from UCLA, who would along with former UCLA footballer players
Kenny Washington and Jackie Robinson break color barriers professional football
and Major League Baseball, would make his debut in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>’s pro wrestling circuit during the 40s, and proved to
be very popular as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his
fascinating autobiography, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Goal Dust</i>,
it become evident that Woody never saw his color as a limitation and growing up
in <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>, he was surprised that the color
of one’s skin was such an issue for many people in other regions of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as his close friend Kenny Washington had
done, Woody had married outside his race, and while that may have been an issue
for some, it wasn’t for Woody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
others may not have been receptive to other cultures, this was a limitation
Strode did not have, and he warmly embraced the culture of his Hawaiian
wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He did admit
however, that as a black wrestler, he was limited to being a “babyface”, as
most wrestling fans and the public in general were not willing to accept a
black “heel.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fighting cleanly against a
white heel was one thing, but for a black wrestler to cheat, to fight dirty
against a white babyface would’ve been a cause for riots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrestling as babyfaces, the wrestling ring
was one of the few places, if not the only place, that in that time a black man
could be cheered for beating up a white one.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over a decade
later, when Ernie Ladd was in the beginning of his career, he was in that same
position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was popular with the fans,
wrestling cleanly, and teaming with Ed Carpentier to win the WWA International
television tag team titles in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> in 1967.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Still, Ladd wasn’t making the kind of money he was hoping to, and years
later would say he “practically starved while I took my lumps for three years
and had my nose rubbed on the mat.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The solution in
Ernie’s mind was simple:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn heel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a decision that many felt would only
invite trouble, but for Ernie, turning heel was the only logical step for him
to take, because as he said, “That’s where the money was.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And keeping his eye on the money is what led
Ernie to make virtually every decision he would make for the rest of his pro
wrestling career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon he would leave
pro football and within a few years of doing so and turning heel, he would be
earning twice as much annually from pro wrestling as he did as a four-time AFL
All-Star.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heat, Heat, and
more Heat, was the key to Ernie Ladd’s success in pro wrestling, and as the demand
for someone, somewhere to give him his come-uppings increased, so did the size
of his payoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ladd parlayed his
natural charisma, confidence, and amazing verbal articulation into a villainous
wrestling character that the fans loved to hate, and more importantly, paid to
see.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ladd would become
a true mercenary, always on the move from one territory to the next, never
staying in one place too long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long before
Bruiser Brody was doing it, Ladd maximized his payoffs from promoters by giving
them only a limited number of dates in which to use him, making him a very
special attraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, limiting
one’s dates of availability to any given promoter is meaningless if one can’t
draw a crowd, but for Ernie that was never an issue.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Billing himself
as the “King of Wrestling”, his apparent arrogance riled the wrestling fans, as
he spoke boastfully during interviews, insulting his opponents and referring to
the interviewer as “Mister Announcer.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Upon entering the ring for a match, he would then take his sweet time in
removing the crown he had worn to the ring, knowing that the longer he took the
more upset the fans would get.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People do
not get upset about situations they don’t care about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People do not get upset with people that don’t
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether the person or the
situation should or shouldn’t matter isn’t the issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that a person gets upset over it,
whether or not it’s rational to do so, means that they have made an emotional
investment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether they cared for Ernie
or only cared to see him get his ass kicked, the bottom line was: What happened
next mattered.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs. Ladd didn’t
raise no dummy, and Ernie was such an astute business man both in the ring and
at the negotiating table, that he never let pride or ego get in the way of making
a dollar. Whereas many big men at that time and much more thereafter would use
their physical size to simply roll over their opponents, Ernie used his to put
his over.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T2_SKITFTFVbhVfWA4Jdhg7TImICG7Yik3kBn5hllMTv2V2EKsbpVWDgrll6x_xKRC4lJKBpYL6erh_6uvzPj_qnXBXPt8cwI4MlpgYazQE-XFk0xq7i_BmSxWc6maeWjOqoQb37orIz/s1600/ErnieLaddprogramHoed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T2_SKITFTFVbhVfWA4Jdhg7TImICG7Yik3kBn5hllMTv2V2EKsbpVWDgrll6x_xKRC4lJKBpYL6erh_6uvzPj_qnXBXPt8cwI4MlpgYazQE-XFk0xq7i_BmSxWc6maeWjOqoQb37orIz/s1600/ErnieLaddprogramHoed.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such was the case
when in 1972, Ladd devised an angle in which he allowed the comparatively diminutive
Ruben Juarez, all 5 “7” of him, to rip the street clothes off of him and unload
an offensive barrage on Ladd that had “the Big Cat” reeling during a TV taping
in Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fans went wild, not
believing what they were seeing!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While fans and those
in the know were not surprised that Ernie Ladd could draw a “standing room only”
crowd headlining with someone like John Tolos, no one else would’ve predicted
that the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
Champion Ernie Ladd could do that with Ruben Juarez!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that was exactly what he did, as nearly
11,600 fans, nearly 1200 more than what was considered a sellout for the
Olympic Auditorium, gladly paid to see Ernie defend the title against <st1:place w:st="on">Juarez</st1:place>, a title Ladd was able to retain.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The Cat, he was
too much, man,” marveled Jake Roberts, himself a master of ring psychology, who worked with Ladd in the Mid-South Wrestling promotion during the late 70s
and early 80s.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I got him at the
end of his career,” he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But still,
he had that sneaky…I mean it’s hard not to hate a big man that begs off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘You big, sorry, @&%*, how dare you beg
off, after you just kicked the @&%* out this guy for 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now the tables are turned, you beg and ask
for mercy?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God, you’ve got to hate that
guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could you not?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone in the building wanted to kill that
bastard.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who’ve
seen his work, whether it was live or on television, or via videotape, no one
can deny that Ernie Ladd was an incredibly talented and compelling performer,
who had the honed gift of causing the view to become completely engrossed in
what he said and did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For most of those
who’ve had this experience, the color of his skin was never a factor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For many of them, Ernie wasn’t the King of
black wrestlers; he was simply the King of wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Tony Atlas would put it, “He was not seen
as black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was seen as Ernie Ladd.” –
RR</div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources: </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Sportslights: Big
Ernie’s Sharp”</i>, by Harold Scherwitz, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">San
Antonio Light,</i> October 3, 1967</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doubling His Salary as
a Wrestler; Ernie Ladd Holds No Regrets Since Quitting Football</i>, Associated
Press, <st1:city w:st="on"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Great Bend</i></st1:city><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Daily Tribune,</i> <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Great Bend</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state></st1:place>,
June 22, 1972</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The Big Cat” was
seldom tamed</i>, by Steven Johnson, Greg Oliver, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slam! Wrestling</i>, March 11, 2007</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Thanks to Pat Hoed for use of his photo of the 1975 Olympic Auditorium program</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-17494696305521705722013-09-23T20:07:00.004-07:002013-09-23T20:20:09.115-07:00MY FIRST TIME By Rock Rims<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBcVajTx-qibMJcYSGQtZ82niUlZvTZ6Gg5PcZWEazFkreas4eWMO_51sfO7SStEAeEyLxWzHcX9JOhBat07fIIyvWa7rkHkVyLMuMbQff1LiNJUIBiqXxqLMsksHIVA1fPXl2OzLfR8p/s1600/blassietolos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBcVajTx-qibMJcYSGQtZ82niUlZvTZ6Gg5PcZWEazFkreas4eWMO_51sfO7SStEAeEyLxWzHcX9JOhBat07fIIyvWa7rkHkVyLMuMbQff1LiNJUIBiqXxqLMsksHIVA1fPXl2OzLfR8p/s320/blassietolos.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Do you remember your first time?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was
it in an intimate setting with just you and a single partner, or did a whole group
get involved?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was there lots of
sweating, lots of grunting and groaning?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Was it everything you expected?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Did it leave you wanting to come back for more?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can distinctly remember my first time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was just 3 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah,
that’s right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got started early in my
family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 3 years old the first time
I attended a live wrestling event and it definitely left me wanting to go back
for more.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was living in <st1:place w:st="on">East Los Angeles</st1:place> and I
remember how excited I was that night in 1971, and my adrenaline was flowing
not just from the anticipation of the upcoming live wrestling event, but
because it seemed like my Stepfather and I were in danger of being late for the
start of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can remember my
Stepfather hopping our back fence so that we could take a shortcut to the bus
stop and my Mother trying her best to help me up the side of the chain link fence
so that my Stepfather could pull me over the other side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We then crossed the huge dirt lot that was
part of our neighbor’s property, a lot that would become bigger still in about
a year when their house burned down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
must have been a little bit of a sadist as a kid because I remember as the
whole neighbor watched that family’s house burn to the ground; my very young
uncle and I were munching on popcorn as we watched the blaze.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My Stepfather and I had managed to catch the bus that would take us to
the wrestling venue, and I would stare out the window of the bus at the lights
of the city, with wonder as they contrasted with the darkness of the night
while also trying to imagine what it might be like when we arrived at our
destination.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally we had arrived at the
historic Olympic Auditorium on 18<sup>th</sup> and Grand in Downtown Los
Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We finally took our seats which
between the fact that they were probably fairly high up in what was a packed
house, and the fact that I was only a little kid, made the ring seem as if it
were a world away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could see cigarette
hovering above the ring and I stared in wonder at the men with funny little red
and white striped paper hats who with unerring and amazing accuracy, could toss
a bag of peanuts to the waiting hands of anyone, regardless of how far away
they were.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I slowly ate my bag of roasted peanuts while watching the wrestling
matches, and I wish I could tell you who wrestled in those matches prior to the
main event or even on what exact date the event took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But those facts escape me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What doesn’t escape me was the fact that the
main event was something I knew was of great importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t remember what events, what angles had
led up to this particular event, but I knew that it meant something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For in the main event, the bitterest of
enemies in Southern California wrestling, not only at that time, but perhaps in
all of Southern California wrestling, were about to engage in a war.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And “Maniac” John Tolos and Freddie Blassie
didn’t disappoint.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What I can also tell you is that I was in the minority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t in the minority because I was a
Mexican-American, hell, in the Olympic Auditorium you were probably in the
minority if you weren’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in the
minority because I was there to root for John Tolos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blame it on my upbringing if you will, but
this 3 year old would be cheering for a man nicknamed “Maniac.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Tolos was the most hated wrestler in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> at this time
and was the definite “heel” or “bad guy” in this feud that had stretched back
to the summer of the previous year. By contrast, Freddie Blassie with his
sequined and colorful outfits, sometimes accessorized with a sombrero, had
definitely endeared himself to the hearts of the fans, many of whom were
Latinos.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally the main event began and a chill ran down my spine as the
combatants were introduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the
match did not disappoint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
melodrama, and being seated so far from the ring, the epic battle was almost a pantomime
of sorts, with the only audible sounds or soundtrack being the screaming of the
fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The match consisted of peaks and
valleys and I sat with my eyes and attention riveted to the moral play
unfolding in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was blood…lots
of blood…and I remember having to fight off breaking into tears as I saw
Freddie Blassie bite into the head of my then-hero John Tolos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If I remember correctly, Blassie won that match, much to my disappointment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However to my delight, Tolos would return to
fight another day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their feud would become
the stuff of legend, and all throughout their 4 four years of battling off and
on, they’d participate in every conceivable type of match against each other,
including stretcher matches, cage matches, matches involving brass knuckles,
chain matches, and “Gladiator Death matches.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They would even return many years later in 1980 to square off in a tag
team cage match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Blassie would be in his
early 60’s in this one and while the match was hardly a classic and the arena
was less than half full, the “pop” they got from the crowd made it seem as if
there were many more in the crowd than there actually was.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first wrestling “maneuver” that I ever learned was the “corkscrew”
that John Tolos used on the temples of his opponents head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My stepfather was gracious enough to
demonstrate it’s effectiveness on me and I in turn couldn’t wait to show my
brother how effective it was in producing a headache.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But why did a 3 year cheer for such a hated guy like John Tolos?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I didn’t know any better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand, I think I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tolos was compelling, magnetic, and both his presence
in the ring as well as his unique and intense interviews made you want to watch
his every move, hang on his every word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the goal of Tolos and the storylines may have been to make the
fans hate him, more importantly, the goal was to get us to watch him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And watch him we did, he and Blassie
both.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That year in 1971, the two would
meet at the Los Angeles Coliseum in August and set what was then a record gate
for a wrestling event as 25,847 fans paid $142,158.50 to watch Blassie defeat
Tolos 2 falls to one in their “battle of the century”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as a whole, pro wrestling itself was still very compelling at that
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we had the technology
available back then, I guarantee you that no one would have been sending or
checking their text messages or updating their facebook status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the only status they were concerned about
was what was going on in a 20 x 20 foot ring and the only world they knew for 2
hours or so was the world within that arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And just as the world outside the wrestling arenas have changed so have
the worlds inside them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- RR </div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-77887196900778363332013-09-07T22:45:00.000-07:002013-09-08T12:15:17.123-07:00THE GENIUS GETS A PARTNER- By Rock Rims<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzHm4v3Lav5xGGm1anP7rV1pyvVuR6UR28ObafXiNNgn9uh9mjua6gnUW6b7sdBaMXY0lcsijR3miNNoBdk5jzOq8x9yulmkBsg43sCc2HAGzwF0Xpswy75JhaIJfXqg3m5jTb-yj11BV/s1600/stevenspatterson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzHm4v3Lav5xGGm1anP7rV1pyvVuR6UR28ObafXiNNgn9uh9mjua6gnUW6b7sdBaMXY0lcsijR3miNNoBdk5jzOq8x9yulmkBsg43sCc2HAGzwF0Xpswy75JhaIJfXqg3m5jTb-yj11BV/s1600/stevenspatterson.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“You look like shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you ever
work out?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not exactly the kind of
greeting an incoming wrestler hopes to hear from his new boss but it was
exactly what Pat Patterson got from Roy Shire when he arrived in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place> in 1965.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this
time Ray Stevens had already established himself as the “Golden Goose”, the top
heel of the “Big Time Wrestling” promotion in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could always
provide a reason for the fans to lay down their hard earned money in hopes of
finally seeing him go down in defeat. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And now a 24 year old Patterson who had been wrestling for about 7
years including the last few years in Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest territory,
and had in the span of 2 months had lost a hair match, his Pacific Northwest
heavyweight title, and a “Loser Leave Town” match, had<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>come to town looking to gain something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only at first, he didn’t get what he was
looking for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before working his first show Patterson had written Shire, requesting to
be paired up with Ray Stevens, saying that many in-the-know in Portland felt
that with their similar styles, they’d make a great pairing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patterson would later say that Shire didn’t
give him the response that he’d been hoping for, and besides the critique
regarding physique Patterson would also recall:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He said, ‘The boys don’t make the decisions here, I make the
decisions.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roy Shire was very hard to
work for.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As it turned out, Stevens had just left to work an extended tour of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region> just
before Pat had arrived, so initially Pat was working in some singles as well as
being paired with Dan Manoukian in a tag team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Manoukian had previously been ½ of the World tag team champions with
Stevens before losing it in a “Phantom change” to Billy Red Lyons and the Destroyer
on March 1985.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 months after Pat’s
arrival, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city>
relented, telling Patterson to dye his hair as the new tag team of Patterson
and Stevens was to be known as “The Blond Bombers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Longtime wrestling fan Robert Counts lived
near the <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Cow</st1:place> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:placename> and remembers “In a promo
Patterson had dark hair and was bragging about what he was going to do to
Stevens and the next week his hair was blond and he was teaming up with
Stevens.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The team didn’t waste any time
in making an impact as they quickly won the A.W.A. (not Verne Gagne’s group)
World Tag Team titles on April 17, 1965 from Billy Red Lyons and The Destroyer
and would hold the titles for an astounding 623 straight days.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a dynamite combination and a match made in heaven as the “Blonde
Bombers” were exciting to watch, whether you were rooting for them or against
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were masters of their craft
who were willing to sell for their opponents and take big bumps, and they
combined these assets with great ring psychology and promos that would both
insult and incite the local fans, putting butts in seats time and time
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The compelling, logical, and
realistic storylines that promoter Roy Shire devised in combination with the
realism with which Patterson and Stevens performed in the ring just sucked the
fans in and still brings smiles to their faces decades later. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“They got heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They got natural
heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could work with anybody,”
said Red Bastien.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they worked with
quite a few tag teams during that first run as the tag champs including Kinji
Shibuya and Mitsu Arakawa, as well as against old Stevens’s foe Pepper Gomez
and numerous different partners he would pair with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their ability to draw didn’t confine them to
Northern California either as they would occasionally go on the road to defend their
tag titles in such places as <st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state>, <st1:city w:st="on">Phoenix</st1:city>, and the <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The working arrangement between Pacific Northwest promoter Don Owen and
Northern California promoter Roy Shire not only allowed for Patterson and
Stevens to defend their World tag team titles but also allowed Pat to challenge
Gene Kiniski for the NWA World Heavyweight title in Portland, Oregon on
December 2, 1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, it was a safe
bet that Shire no loner felt that Pat looked like “shit”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also during that December tour of the Pacific
Northwest Pat would regain the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title by beating
Tony Borne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the belt he had lost
shortly before leaving <st1:country-region w:st="on">Portland</st1:country-region>
2 years before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t last long of
course as Pat would drop the belt back to Borne 9 days later on December 18<sup>th</sup>,
and the Blonde Bombers were soon back in San Francisco.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not long after the arrived back in Northern California Ray and Pat would
lose their belts to two very tough customers in the team of Cyclone Negro and
the Mongolian Stomper at the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:country-region> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Cow</st1:country-region>
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Palace</st1:country-region></st1:country-region>
on New Year Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Negro and the Stomper
were merely keeping the belts warm for them however as they made short work of
them in the rematch 3 weeks later at the Cow Palace’s first show of the New
Year on January 21, 1967, winning 2 out of the 3 falls in less than 16 minutes.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Their second reign as champs didn’t last nearly as long as the first one
however as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the all time best draw in San
Francisco, Ray Stevens was needed back in singles. He would recapture the U.S.
Heavyweight title from Bill Watts in March and at the next <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Cow</st1:country-region> <st1:country-region w:st="on">Palace</st1:country-region></st1:country-region> show on April the 8<sup>th</sup>,
The Bombers dropped the tag belts to the popular team of Pedro Morales and
Pepper Gomez.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray and Pat would still
team together on occasion but Roy Shire may also have felt that the team was
getting a bit stale in the eyes of the fans and Pat was wrestling more singles
as well.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For most of 1968 Pat Patterson was doing tours in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Australia</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>
as well as having a run for several months in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Amarillo</st1:country-region>
where he suddenly had become a "Lord".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
would return to <st1:country-region w:st="on">Northern California</st1:country-region>
in 1969 only to find that his old partner Stevens had a change of heart and was
now wrestling as a “good guy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
quite the shock for Patterson as wrestling fan and announcer Joe Sousa recalls:
“When Pat came back he wanted to resume teaming with Stevens but he couldn’t
believe what he was hearing about Ray and said, ‘I don’t know what’s got into
the guy and why he’s acting like a sissy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m going to have to knock some sense into the guy!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Patterson didn’t have to wait long as the two would begin facing each
other in the ring at the end of February in a heated feud that would continue
for over 2 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether it was in
singles matches or tag matches, matches for the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
title or for the World Tag Team titles, non-title matches or Death matches, it
was a rivalry that kept fans gravitated throughout Northern California, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Reno</st1:country-region>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Nevada</st1:country-region>,
and even <st1:country-region w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It involved two master psychologists and
workers in the ring, and it captivated the imaginations of those who witnessed
their battles.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I was extremely lucky to have seen both of their careers in the Bay area
from start to finish and it would do extreme injustice to pick one over the
other” say Les Puskas, a lifelong wrestling fan who deals in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Northern California</st1:country-region> wrestling memorabilia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They were both naturals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Together they had chemistry like no
other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were simply artists in
action and against each other it was like 2 dancers at the top of their routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patterson was lucky enough to be able to
learn things from Stevens <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></i>Stevens was also lucky enough to
learn from Patterson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I do not
know if I would have been so obsessed with the sport had it not been for both
of them.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Whether they worked as partners or as opponents, the two had a great
mutual respect for each other and as Pat would later say regarding working with
Stevens, “In the ring, he was a master, no question about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a lot from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I learned a lot from Roy Shire.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Superstar Billy Graham had come in from <st1:country-region w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:country-region> in October of 1970 and had been paired with
Patterson so that he could learn from a master worker and psychologist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also took part in the Patterson/Stevens
feud and learned from them both, referring to his time in <st1:country-region w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:country-region> as earning his degree in “mark
psychology.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had the utmost respect
for the work of his tag partner Patterson and expressed some of those
sentiments in his autobiography “Tangled Ropes”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He was a flawless heel, vicious, and aggressive, and did everything
with precise timing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To this day,
there’s never been anybody who can throw better mounted punches from the
ropes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his head ran into the ring post,
it recoiled, with hair flying backward, like it was about to pop off.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually the feud would come to an end as Ray would head to the <st1:place w:st="on">Midwest</st1:place> to work for Verne Gagne’s AWA, although he’d return
a few times to resume the feud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
end he and Pat would kiss and make up before Pat would eventually join him in
the AWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But before that happened,
Patterson would enjoy the “single life” as he held the U.S. Heavyweight title a
half dozen times in Roy Shire’s territory, and was involved in memorable feuds
with Rocky Johnson, “Moondog” Lonnie Mayne, Mr. Fuji, and “The Great Mephisto”
Frankie Caine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was that feud with
Caine that made Rod Higashino a lifelong fan of both Pat Patterson and classic
pro wrestling.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“(Patterson) was part of the defining moment for me becoming a full
blown wrestling fan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a little kid I
remember being at my neighbor’s house while they were watching 'Big Time
Wrestling' and they explained to me who were the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rod became frustrated as he saw top heel and
current <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
champ “The Great Mephisto” win week after week with his “loaded” boot.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He never did lose, but one week on TV Patterson attacked him, body
slammed him on the ‘hard, concrete floor’, as announcer Hank Renner would always
call it, and jumped off the ring apron with a ‘Bombs Away’ to Mephisto’s
throat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I sat there mesmerized,
Patterson began unlacing Mephisto’s ‘loaded’ boot and eventually took off with
it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mephisto came out complaining that
one of his legs was shorter than the other and without his special boot he
would lose his equilibrium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patterson
came out saying that his leg had been a little sore lately and if his leg hurt
before a match with Mephisto, he would wear the boot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was it- I was hooked!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the angle that got me watching each
and every week and made Patterson my 'all time favorite'”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While they made a great team and Patterson had learned much from Ray
Stevens, he would continue to develop and perfect his craft and identity on his
own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1977 he would be involved in the
“Masked Fuji” fiasco before having his final run in the early part of the years
as the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
champ, after winning a tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
would defend that belt in Northern California, wrestle a couple of shots in
both <st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city> and <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>,
and then finish out the year in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Florida</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After over a dozen years working for Roy
Shire, much longer than he expected, Pat Patterson would find himself in Verne
Gagne’s AWA.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His appeal was so vast, his talent so immensely appreciated by fans and
promoters alike, that after a year and a half, he would find himself splitting
time between Gagne’s AWA and Vince McMahon Sr.’s WWF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On June 19, 1979 he would beat Ted DiBiase
for the WWF North American Heavyweight title, which would soon morph into the
WWF Intercontinental title, while simultaneously holding the AWA World tag team
titles with Ray Stevens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While they
would lose the belts 9 days after Patterson’s North American title win, he
would continue as a singles champion in the WWF and was a top challenger for
Bob Backlund’s WWF Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was even awarded the NWA America’s title after a fictitious match in <st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state> before defending and losing the title against Chavo
Guerrero in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>
on November 16<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such was
his credibility as a champion.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the next few years he would split time between the WWF and the
AWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pat Patterson was such a hot
commodity that the promoters were willing to share, and to an extent that was
very rare, especially considering that the WWF was on the cusp of it’s nationwide
expansion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before their expansion
however, the AWA was doing some expanding itself and would begin running shows
in Patterson’s old stomping grounds, as Roy Shire’s <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place> promotion was getting ready to fold.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On January 15, 1981, Pat would team up with old partner Stevens to beat
Adrian Adonis and Jesse Ventura on a wrestling card that Verne Gagne held at
the Oakland Coliseum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The man who had
settled down in San Francisco would return one more time for Roy Shire however,
as he would participate in and win the 1981 San Francisco Battle Royal on
January 24, 1981.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would also beat NWA
World Champion Harley Race by count out on what was to be Roy Shire’s last
wrestling card.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patterson, who at one time helped Shire with
booking his territory, had developed into one of the greatest minds in
wrestling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would not only benefit
his career, but would contribute greatly to Pro Wrestling entertainment as he
would go on to be a key figure behind the scenes in the WWE for many years,
helping greatly to develop compelling angles and finishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On May 27, 2013 The WWE was in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Calgary</st1:country-region></st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Alberta</st1:country-region></st1:state>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:country-region></st1:place>
for a taping of their flagship television show “RAW” and what was to be “The
Bret Hart Appreciation Night”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
current and former prominent Canadian wrestlers were on hand to pay tribute to
the worthy 5 time former WWE Champion and pro wrestling legend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Foremost among them was Pat Patterson, who
referred to Bret as “The greatest Canadian of all time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While perhaps no one would argue that Hart
was deserving of the tribute and recognition, some might contend that Pat
himself was in fact the greatest Canadian, or at the very least, “The Greatest
Canadian Wrestler of all time.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Nearly 50 years before (I bet that just made some people feel old) “The
Genius” Ray Stevens, received a new partner, a man who would become a genius in
his own right, to the delight of all who would watch him. - RR </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
</div>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-pZZ_3gbFQgjVVzpLneooUTLKKgMBA4uo8HbP_BjFWaw7FZDVhu6aI5_-2Az7fa4SgnFX0MUtSK7L0WOsYkYewhryxqDTo47G_yB9FfLxYwmUmROnnXgCg_rbLACrTn7uieBEG6ESupG/s1600/Pattersondorothy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp-pZZ_3gbFQgjVVzpLneooUTLKKgMBA4uo8HbP_BjFWaw7FZDVhu6aI5_-2Az7fa4SgnFX0MUtSK7L0WOsYkYewhryxqDTo47G_yB9FfLxYwmUmROnnXgCg_rbLACrTn7uieBEG6ESupG/s320/Pattersondorothy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Special thanks to Rod Higashino, Robert Counts, Joe Sousa, and Les Puskas for sharing their memories of Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Les Puskas deals in Classic California Wrestling pictures, programs, and magazines which you can view at Wrestlederbysport.com/ or on Ebay under his seller i.d. of "LPBingo".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wrestlingtitles.com</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams" by Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-20055502761382743082013-08-13T09:11:00.000-07:002013-08-13T15:38:14.979-07:00GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN By Rock Rims<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvJbRhyphenhyphen7C_0hrnbN1ugh3AcBvIh2FA05k6FusvzJwjpmWPzh7NVDYaYbGNMCqEbuRx1zqksKr83rTip0SEYSgHbwLfYCxIj-v4RW4ICrPoheeeQ5IgrHQ9tt9ndw6j3G-F7JxjVXHf7fC/s1600/moondogmayneprogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfvJbRhyphenhyphen7C_0hrnbN1ugh3AcBvIh2FA05k6FusvzJwjpmWPzh7NVDYaYbGNMCqEbuRx1zqksKr83rTip0SEYSgHbwLfYCxIj-v4RW4ICrPoheeeQ5IgrHQ9tt9ndw6j3G-F7JxjVXHf7fC/s320/moondogmayneprogram.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Growing up in the East Los Angeles and <st1:city w:st="on">El Monte</st1:city>
areas of <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> with
approximately 50% of my family members being gang affiliated, I had already
seen some pretty crazy stuff by the time I was 10 years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what I was watching on the television
screen on a particular Saturday afternoon in 1978 really blew my mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moondog Mayne, the current <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
Heavyweight Wrestling Champion was being interviewed by Jeff Walton at the
Olympic Auditorium about an upcoming match and… and he was eating glass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This went far beyond the things I saw some of my less developed
schoolmates ingest and I was really concerned because one of my favorite
wrestlers in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>
area at the time was “El Halcon” and he was to be Moodog’s next opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One by one, opponents had been falling in
defeat to the wild Moondog and not just preliminary guys either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Established and capable veterans like Black
Gordman, Chavo Guerrero, and Hector Guerrero had fallen at the feet of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as time went on, the
urgency of getting rid of this madman increased, and his opponents began to
challenge him in “Mexican Death matches” and “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Loser</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Leave</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Town</st1:placetype></st1:place>” matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time, I hoped Moondog’s opponent would
prevail, but it was not to be.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>El Halcon was a former National
heavyweight wrestling champion in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region>
and when entered the area I felt he was a great wrestler and would be the one
to rid <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city> of
the Moondog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But after watching the
glass eating incident I seriously began to question his chances against this
crazy man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As soon as that episode of
wrestling ended I ran out to find my friend Michael, my partner in crime, who
at that moment was also looking to find me, so we could both talk about what we
had seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And no doubt many people of
all ages did the same thing after watching a Moondog Mayne interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was just that fascinating.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Little did I know that during that same time period, Lonnie Mayne was
also taking trips up North to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> area, only there, he was wrestling as a
“good guy”!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before the days of the
internet and the widespread availability of cable, Lonnie was able to wear “two
hats” so to speak, and with his tremendous talent was able to work as both a
villain and a hero in 2 different territories within the same state!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only that, but he simultaneously held 2
major title belts, the America’s title in Southern California and the United
States title belt in San Francisco, a belt which he captured by defeating Don
Muraco.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Soon he would up the ante in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>
as he joined forces with Rowdy Roddy Piper who had been the top heel in the
territory for 2 years at that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
when it came to stirring up trouble, causing headaches for the wrestlers who
were fan favorites, and increasing ticket sales for the arena events, the two
proved to be a formidable pair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
would’ve probably left me in a near catatonic state however if I was aware at
the time, that while they were partners in crime in <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>,
the Moondog and Piper were bitter enemies in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Spanish International Network which broadcast the Spanish language
editions of the televised wrestling programs from the Olympic Auditorium had a
strong satellite feed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result
people in other parts of the country, including the Bay area in Northern
California,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>were able to watch Moondog
and Piper team up to wreak havoc in L.A. while at the same time they were
engaged in a an intense feud in San Francisco.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“I was a little confused at the
time when I saw that” says San Francisco resident and wrestling fan Fred
Lazarus, “because the matches they had at the Cow Palace were great, and come
next Wednesday, they’d be teaming together in Los Angeles!”</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTttDhvusUNiWnHCbT0LftatxQh9rr4vLBaHJgqCRfz2_CTzD2JnVcwNuG48c2RfsCAc2-zQto-ZKYVNm5K8cbt25UGIWv8wPYhQuBICvATnK-kw-ZSjaVE5_pElqehXxlBfJjMin0CDgI/s1600/MOONDOGMAYNECOWPALACE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTttDhvusUNiWnHCbT0LftatxQh9rr4vLBaHJgqCRfz2_CTzD2JnVcwNuG48c2RfsCAc2-zQto-ZKYVNm5K8cbt25UGIWv8wPYhQuBICvATnK-kw-ZSjaVE5_pElqehXxlBfJjMin0CDgI/s320/MOONDOGMAYNECOWPALACE.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Jim Fitzpatrick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the program between Lonnie and Piper would only span 3 matches
from late June to late July of 1978, it was a very memorable one, for both its
intensity and for the attention grabbing interviews that were part of the
promotion for those matches in which they traded the U.S. Heavyweight
title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each week, they would try to one
up one another, and those promos were so captivating and entertaining that they
almost overshadowed the great matches that they had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie was tremendously impressed with Piper and Lonnie’s younger
brother Shawn recalls Lonnie try to arrange for Shawn to meet him at one of the
wrestling cards, saying, “I want you to meet this guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s great, and he’s going places in this
business!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie had an eye for talent
and his statement was an understatement if there ever was one, and it was also
an example of how Lonnie really rooted for the success of his peers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he saw someone had talent and was a hard
worker, Lonnie would encourage that person and hope that they’d make their mark
in the wrestling business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a
quality not always seen in a competitive business where too many are often
concerned that someone else will steal their “spot”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Shawn Mayne told me, “I’ve never come
across anyone in the business or ever heard of anyone who had a bad thing to
say about Lonnie.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meanwhile, back in <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>, Lonnie
had lost the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
Heavyweight title but was seeking to gain it back from Hector Guerrero and Mil
Mascaras had come to town to face Lonnie in a Mexican Death match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I was happy to hear that my hero Mil
Mascaras had defeated the Moondog in that July 28<sup>th</sup> match at the
Olympic, the Moondog was still in Southern California, and 2 weeks later on
August 11<sup>th</sup>, he regained the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s title from Hector
Guerrero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And up in <st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city>, he was preparing to meet his next challenge for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
title on August 19, with Buddy Rose as his opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However it wasn’t to be.</div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Saying Good bye<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>As a 10 year old during
that summer of ’78, I often found myself occupied with distractions, trying to
make the most of my time off from school, plus spending some of my weekends at
the homes of relatives for family get-togethers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my relatives weren’t fans of
professional wrestling so occasionally I’d miss the televised wrestling
programs while socializing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the 3<sup>rd</sup>
week of August, I approached my friend Michael, asking him to update me on
Moondog Mayne’s next challenger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What he
said next floored me.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He’s dead.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t believe
what I had heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What?!” I asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He’s dead” he repeated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They said on television that he got hit by a
car after a wrestling match.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That isn’t
exactly what happened of course, but the result was unfortunately the
same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne was no
longer with us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very odd
feeling for me, for as much as I had wanted to see him defeated in a “loser
leaves town” match, I felt a little empty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was hard for me to reconcile those feelings, as I saw him as a
despised heel, someone whom I wanted one of my heroes to rid the area of, but
nonetheless, the feelings were real.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
was saddened and I greatly missed him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Such was the man’s appeal, whether he wrestled as a “face” or a “heel.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On August 13, 1978, Lonnie had appeared at the San Bernardino Arena for
his scheduled match with Chavo Guerrero.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The promoter of that night’s card Jeff Walton recalled seeing Lonnie
drinking a little brandy in the locker room before his match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie explained that it was to help with his
cold, because despite being sick, Lonnie still showed up for his booking.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After the matches were over Chavo Guerrero recalled seeing Lonnie
standing outside of his car, double over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He was puking” Chavo would say, and when he asked if he was alright,
Lonnie replied that he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A short time
later, while driving on the Riverside Freeway, Lonnie Mayne’s car crossed the
meridian and since the freeway was still undergoing construction, there were no
concrete barriers and his car collided with an oncoming car, killing both
himself and the other driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was 4
weeks shy of his 34<sup>th</sup> birthday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When the news of the accident and Lonnie’s death was heard, wrestling
fans across the country were stunned.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBmIyP-bZTAWxasXsQJKFU4EKOTX__MeO_eVN4SA1MUJDeoWZWsgF9rImYF5SHdDIf9El7qFHyJOIYppzueY-6eJnHbPG-hP2wMSJ9r3COIO0_TMZeucPIv_uLj9uvymXr4G01VVNTC5h/s1600/lonnie%2527slastcardsanfran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVBmIyP-bZTAWxasXsQJKFU4EKOTX__MeO_eVN4SA1MUJDeoWZWsgF9rImYF5SHdDIf9El7qFHyJOIYppzueY-6eJnHbPG-hP2wMSJ9r3COIO0_TMZeucPIv_uLj9uvymXr4G01VVNTC5h/s320/lonnie%2527slastcardsanfran.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtesy of "The Nito Gomez Collection"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The news was broadcast on the August 19<sup>th</sup> airing of the “Big
Time Wrestling” television program in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That evening, the main event was changed as
Buddy Rose and Dean Ho would now compete for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> title that Lonnie held at the
time of his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
who had not heard the news yet were shocked upon hearing of Lonnie’s death, and
some even cried as they rang a 10 bell salute in honor of his memory.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“It shocked the hell out of a lot of us” recalls Nito Gomez, who was at
the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was dead quiet in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
and I had never like that before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To
this day it is hard for me to believe, as it was the first death that I had to
deal with as a wrestling fan.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrestling
commentator Joe Sousa was also there that night and adds: “The silence was so
loud, if that makes any sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I cried
big time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Ken Faria who grew up as
a fan of the Roy Shire promotion remembers: “I was shocked!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess I was 14 or 15 at the time and in a
way it was a lot like when Brody died, the two of them both being as tough as
nails, but in the end, just as frail as the rest of us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hell, Lonnie ate nails, how could he die?!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On Kayfabememories.com, Buddy Rose would later write, “I was supposed to
be his next title match in the <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype> for the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was looking forward to working with a man
who helped me early in my career in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also told me just before I left for
Portland, to stay at the Bomber Motel when I get there, because that’s where
all the ‘boys’ stay until they find a house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a great worker, and a master of psychology, when it came to
working the fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have nothing but
kind things to say about the man, and his career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is, and will always be missed.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city> they held a Memorial service
honoring his memory during the wrestling card that was held on August 24<sup>th</sup>
at the Lane County Fairgrounds Auditorium in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Eugene</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fans said a tearful good bye not to “Moondog”
but to their “Pied Piper”, the man they simply knew as Lonnie.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And in <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city> they held a tournament
for the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s
title that was now vacant, and they would soon have a new title belt, as the
one that Lonnie wore would pass to his young son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an article in the Press-Courier, Bob Kubik
who was referred to as the assistant promotions man for the Olympic Auditorium
was quoted as saying in regards to Lonnie, “It will take an awful lot to
replace him.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In truth, while they may
have been able to find a substitute for his matches, there would never be
anyone who could replace Lonnie Mayne.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Immediately there was speculation as to what caused the accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie was known to have a problem with
alcohol abuse and some people felt that may have been the cause, while a
smaller minority actually proposed that it might’ve been a suicide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Admittedly when I became older I too wondered
if alcohol was to blame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While many may
overlook the faults of celebrities or those they admire, I was never prone to
being influenced by someone’s fame or how I personally felt about them.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chavo Guerrero, who had wrestled Lonnie that night, stated that Lonnie
wasn’t inebriated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He wasn’t drunk”, he
would say, “I saw it.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shawn Mayne recalled, “I talked with both Chavo and Hector Guerrero
afterwards and Hector told me, ‘Shawn, I’m going to tell you the truth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie hadn’t been drinking for
weeks.’”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone would know, it would
be Hector as he had been working a program with Lonnie in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> and had the opportunity to see
Lonnie on a regular basis.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some may ask, “what about the fact that Jeff Walton witnessed Lonnie
drinking in the locker room that night?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Anyone who knew Lonnie knew that when he was drinking liquor he was
drinking <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Southern Comfort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>What Lonnie had been drinking that night
was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">brandy, </i>which some people do feel
helps with a cold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With Lonnie’s
reputation as a drinker it wouldn’t have been unusual for Lonnie to be seen
drinking before a match as people like the late Matt Borne often said that was
his habit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However if Lonnie had stopped
drinking in the weeks before that night, it <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would’ve</i>
been unusual for him to be seen drinking and that may be why he felt the need
to explain his drinking brandy that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why would Lonnie feel a need to explain why he was drinking, unless
people had recently become accustomed to seeing him <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>drinking?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Shawn Mayne
says, “Lonnie never felt a reason to explain anything he did.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some have felt that Lonnie’s vomiting and disorientation that night may
have been due to a previously sustained undiagnosed concussion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those symptoms would certainly be consistent
with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the doctor who performed
the autopsy spoke with Shawn Mayne, he said that Lonnie had low levels of
alcohol in his system which I feel could be explained by the brandy earlier in
the evening and as Shawn says, “From his years of drinking.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Doctor also said that Lonnie had sustained
some type of head injury (likely ring related) prior to the accident and may
have in fact slipped into a coma before the crash.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And in regard to the speculation that it was suicide, for one thing, the
taking of another person’s life in an auto accident wouldn’t have been in
Lonnie’s character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for another,
Lonnie had too much to live for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
people aren’t aware that Lonnie was in the process of making huge changes in
his life.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had understood that his years of drinking and his life on the road as
a professional wrestler had affected his personal life and he was looking to
turn things around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shawn Mayne told me:
“About a week before he passed away, Lonnie was back home and I can remember it
like it was yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were sitting
on the front porch with my Mom and Dad and Lonnie said that he was going to
quit the business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was going to
finish up in <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>, do one more tour of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
and that he was going to finish up by Christmas and come home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also said that he was going to go to rehab.
”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie had been separated from his wife, and his good friend Harry
Fujiwara AKA “Mr. Fuji” would later recall talking to Lonnie’s widow Diana
after his death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She said that she
loved him but she couldn’t handle the drinking.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fujiwara had also talked to Lonnie the day of
Lonnie’s death, a conversation that included Lonnie’s revealing that he planned
to go to rehab for his alcohol abuse and he was going to try and reconcile with
his wife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’re the best of friends” he
told Fujiwara, “Let’s keep in touch.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those are not the words and not the plans of a man who was looking to
exit the world any time soon.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Regardless of what’s been shared here, there will always be those who
will speculate or have their own ideas of what happened that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing that can be said with
certainty is that on that August 13<sup>th</sup> night, people tragically lost
their lives and an empty space was left in the lives of those who knew and
loved them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While for years many
wrestling fans have probably wondered what other exploits Lonnie may have had
in the wrestling ring, it’s obvious now that Lonnie hadn’t planned for many
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, even the ones he had already
had at that point have given us much we fondly remember and discuss so many
years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The true potential that had yet to be realized was his future
development as a person and his potential future with his friends and loved
ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For while the fans lost a
performer they admired greatly, his family lost a father, a husband, a son, a
sibling, a part of them. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Someone once said, “That as long as a person is remembered, they are
never truly dead.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of our
personal beliefs regarding the possibilities of an afterlife, the spirit of
Lonnie Mayne lives on in his son Lonnie Nathan, whom Shawn says is like his
father in so many ways, and it lives on as long as we remember and discuss
him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even 35 years later, whenever we
watch video of Lonnie’s matches and interviews or replay our memories of him or
share them with others, it quickly becomes evident that there is still and
“excitement in the air.” -RR<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
My very special thanks to Shawn
Mayne for sharing some of his thoughts regarding his late brother, and thanks
also to Nito Gomez, Fred Lazarus, Ken Faria, and Joe Sousa for sharing their memories
of Lonnie.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’d also like to than Jim
Fitzpatrick of “Fine Art <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>”, a very talented photographer and artist
for sharing his great photo of Lonnie. I'd also like to thank Nito Gomez, another talented artist, for sharing his Cow Palace wrestling
program from the “Nito Gomez Collection”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources: </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Conversation with Shawn K. Mayne</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wrestlingdata.com</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The
Heels – By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag
Teams – By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Mr. Fuji Shoot Interview – RF Video</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Wrestling fans in mourning” By
Rich Romine; Press-Courier, August 19, 1978</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Eugene Register-Guard, August 24,
1978</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-27204469565220442382013-08-12T18:47:00.000-07:002013-08-12T18:47:01.308-07:00SPREADING THE EXCITEMENT - By Rock Rims
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixskp0-vj6AMj6QUDJJKyn-vNtBCjT_7Aaqk40DPad-AEeHE4Fml5rK7knshsYV5QfooQfTNd4TNz-Vndjqq9oJYeCrTouuh1SMS01jXCrJ2a8MZIQEmQuvcqyeMNvvIcTMx4JXAT6iKAb/s1600/moondogmayne4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixskp0-vj6AMj6QUDJJKyn-vNtBCjT_7Aaqk40DPad-AEeHE4Fml5rK7knshsYV5QfooQfTNd4TNz-Vndjqq9oJYeCrTouuh1SMS01jXCrJ2a8MZIQEmQuvcqyeMNvvIcTMx4JXAT6iKAb/s1600/moondogmayne4.jpg" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Just a few years earlier
the two men had paired up a few times, partners against common enemies; now
they were on opposite sides, both seeking vengeance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was November 10, 1973 at the <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype>
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>,
and Pat Patterson and “Moondog” Lonnie Mayne were set to clash in the main
event for Patterson’s United States Heavyweight Wrestling Title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>4 weeks earlier, Mayne had bloodied Pepper
Martin for the second time in a matter of weeks and Patterson saved Martin from
a more serious beating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now he was
looking to avenge that beating and Mayne was looking to avenge the
interference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if he won the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
title in the process that would just be the icing on the cake.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With fans rooting for their hero Patterson to tame the wild Moondog, the
two battled fiercely in a match that resulted in a draw, and even when they met
again on December 1<sup>st</sup>, with legendary tough guy Peter Maivia as the
special referee, nothing was settled as Moondog Mayne lost the 3<sup>rd</sup>
fall of the rematch on a count out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
only things that were decided was that Patterson and Mayne wanted another shot
at each other and that Maivia had made a new enemy as he and Lonnie had gotten
physical during the match up.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>10,000 fans had been treated to an intense back and forth battle and
promoter Roy Shire knew he had gold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3
weeks later the two were matched up yet again, and 12, 517 screaming fans
packed the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>
and ponied up $52,006 to watch Moondog Mayne once again challenge the champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was almost twice the audience and gate
that had witnessed Dutch Savage do the same thing less than 3 months earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As was expected, the two fought tooth and
nail, and to the shock and dismay of those in attendance, Moondog Mayne
defeated Patterson in the 2 out of 3 fall event and was the new U.S.
Heavyweight champion!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There would be rematches with Patterson as well as challenges from other
formidable foes such as Don Muraco, Rocky Johnson, and Peter Maivia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the summer of ’74 Moondog would find
himself in the position of challenger once again.</div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Champ comes to town<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>NWA World Heavyweight
Champion Jack Brisco was coming to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> for a rare visit and as the U.S. Heavyweight
Champion, Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne was the number one contender in the
territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The two seemed like complete
polar opposites in the ring as former NCAA National wrestling champion Brisco
relied on his technical wrestling whereas the “Moondog” character that Lonnie
Mayne had developed was a fierce brawler, prone to baying like a wild dog and
biting into the flesh of his opponents every chance he got.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would not be the first time or the last
that Lonnie Mayne would fight for a World title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as he always did, he gave the champ all
that he could handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could you imagine
the reaction the <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype> fans would have, if this dog food eating,
glass chewing animal who held the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place> title would become the World
champion as well?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their hearts must’ve
momentarily stopped because it nearly happened!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Each man had won a fall in the July 27, 1974 title match when Mayne
cracked the champion with a devastating punch while wearing brass
knuckles!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It went unseen by referee
Larry Williams who then delivered the 3 count as Mayne covered Brisco for the
pin and it seemed that there was a new champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However the Moondog’s victory was short lived
as another referee, Frank Nocetti, entered the ring and informed Williams that
Mayne had used brass knuckles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
decision was reversed with Moondog Mayne now being disqualified and Brisco
escaping with his title!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well easy come,
easy go.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course this called for a rematch and Shire was willing to give the
NWA Champion his typical healthy slice of the gate for their return match 3
weeks later which also saw Brisco leave with his title claim intact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well at least Moondog still had his <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
title belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least for a couple of
months anyway as Peter Maivia would win the belt on October 12<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rematches in <st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Las Vegas</st1:city></st1:place> would ensue,
along with a rekindled feud with Pat Patterson which was more hot and heavy
than their first time around.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7_HwnFlvDm4hT5EGpGjybpXqGtFpcxhqnUzjKPGT7ry6Lojvj2botgv3dK6nhnousXVc_2Li0C2-s_XWlC3FBzptHRErQEdkpFiR-CigdCsLuIFKy86je_8Y4esLUfsslrd1r5pqk-_9/s1600/moondogbrisco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC7_HwnFlvDm4hT5EGpGjybpXqGtFpcxhqnUzjKPGT7ry6Lojvj2botgv3dK6nhnousXVc_2Li0C2-s_XWlC3FBzptHRErQEdkpFiR-CigdCsLuIFKy86je_8Y4esLUfsslrd1r5pqk-_9/s320/moondogbrisco.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And in the sometimes strange world of professional wrestling, Lonnie
Mayne again displayed some of his versatility as a performer in the summer of
’75 when he not only became a “good guy” but he also began teaming with
ex-bitter enemy Pat Patterson and even Pepper Martin himself!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fans were now rooting enthusiastically
for the “Moondog” but this run in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> was quickly coming to its end.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">On The Road Again<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a stopover in Portland it was on to Georgia for Lonnie Mayne where
he again “flipped the script” becoming a hated heel, teaming with the likes of
“Crazy” Luke Graham and Abdullah the Butcher, and opposing such “fan favorites”
as Mr. Wrestling II, Dick Slater, Bob Backlund, Bobo Brazil, and Thunderbolt
Patterson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After 6 months of that it was
on to the <st1:placename w:st="on">Lone</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Star</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">State</st1:placetype>, where he feuded for several
months with Jose Lothario, challenged the <st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region>’s
Heavyweight Champion Chavo Guerrero in a rare title defense outside of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>, and won a
battle royal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And as if things weren’t interesting enough, as 1976 was drawing to a
close, the vicious Moondog again became a fan favorite, just in time to engage
in a series of matches against the Sheik in what must’ve been like watching two
pit bulls going at it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie found a place
in the hearts of the Texas Wrestling fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It inspired Ricky Ringside to produce a 45 single entitled “The Ballad
of Moondog Mayne” which was played during Moondog’s walk to the ring and sold
at the arena concession stands, and it caused fans to delight as Mayne stormed
the ring dressed as Santa Claus and swung a bag of toys at the heels who made a
quick exit.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before he left the area in the spring of ’77, Lonnie would wrestle NWA
World Champion Terry Funk to a draw and also challenge new champion Harley Race
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he didn’t walk away with
the title, he gained many new fans who remember the man for whom “every day is
like Christmas” and who seemed at times to be a mischievous butt-kicking
version of old St. Nick himself.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Did He Really Call You Crazy?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAhAx3vb7ThK5DJ-Q3FXhMfq3MINx0JHyR5BktjLjl6-oOM1QfwRb6nv8r32v28xOnv2gkzd0Sab73rirLuwyRoEoKwokYeWHruYVQOj1wj3gRwH8f2SVua2rJN6E1Z_WAK3I-clKsV2-/s1600/latestwrespics+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAhAx3vb7ThK5DJ-Q3FXhMfq3MINx0JHyR5BktjLjl6-oOM1QfwRb6nv8r32v28xOnv2gkzd0Sab73rirLuwyRoEoKwokYeWHruYVQOj1wj3gRwH8f2SVua2rJN6E1Z_WAK3I-clKsV2-/s320/latestwrespics+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In February of 1967, almost right from the start of Lonnie Mayne’s
career in the <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:place>, Ringside
commentator Frank Bonnema was right by his side along for the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bonnema was always the epitome of composure
which was in stark contrast to the sometimes chaotic atmosphere which was part
of the Portland Wrestling television program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shown live beginning at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday nights, Bonnema was a
cherished fixture, as much as the salesmen hawking used cars with vinyl seats,
mobile homes and recreational vehicles, and appliances from Tom Peterson’s
where you could pick up anything from washers and dryers to cb radios and faux
wood console stereos complete with AM/FM radio, an 8 track cassette player and
flashing disco lights. And Frank and Lonnie seemed to complement each other
perfectly.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, it was the spring of 1977, 10 years since they first worked
together, and Lonnie Mayne was back in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>.
With his strong drawing power at the box office and the working relationship
between Roy Shire and Don Owen it wasn’t unusual for Lonnie to make an
occasional trip to San Francisco while simultaneously working for Don Owen in
Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with Frank Bonnema holding
the microphone, Lonnie was discussing his upcoming match with U.S. Champion
Alexis Smirnoff at the <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Because all I heard”, Lonnie was saying during his promo, “He said I
was crazy and let me you one thing Smirnoff…tonight in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
I got a United States Championship match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I had that before Frank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
that belt and tonight I got it again and you know what’s goin?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m going to beat him like raw
hamburger!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie then began eating raw
hamburger on camera and then threw some down on the studio floor where he began
to stomp it, as if to demonstrate what he would be doing to his opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In mock surprise Bonnema then asked Lonnie,
“Did he really say you were crazy?”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
he never liked to be called “crazy” Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne seemed to do all he
could to convince the fans that he was and there was a method to his “madness”,
as he could alternately cause his audience to fear and despise him, or embrace
him warmly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific
Northwest</st1:place> it was with open arms that he was welcomed back.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>Don Owen’s <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:place> territory was promoted in a way that
would appeal to its audience who were mostly comprised of simple,
unpretentious, blue collar workers and their families, who had a strong sense
of community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t unheard of for
Don Owen to offer “specials” where for each paid adult admission a child would
get in free or to offer free coloring books to the children for showed up to
the arena events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were wrestling fans that no
doubt agreed with the policy of “speak softly and carry a big stick” although
those fans could get quite loud and vocal in the Portland Sports Arena and
little old ladies were known to substitute a swing of a cane for a big
stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They boisterously booed the
villains and wholeheartedly cheered and embraced their heroes and Lonnie was
one of the most popular wrestlers ever in the area.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
wild looking man who wasn’t always articulate in his interviews but would still
leave no doubt as to the point he was making, was a genius at cultivating the
love the fans had for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He would
dedicate his victories to his fans and promise to “do it for the people” and
was known to sometimes where t-shirts to the ring that read “Love <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place> or bite me!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although his character was simple and
sometimes even crude, that wasn’t something that worked against him but rather
in his favor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He spoke much like many in
the audience probably did and with the type of dastardly opponents he faced,
the fans no doubt felt that someone who was a bit of a roughneck is just who
was needed to put the heels in their place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ed Wiskowski referred to him as a “blue collar Robin Hood” and that’s
exactly how the fans saw him, as there to right the wrongs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was also a “Pied Piper” as this man who had in years past struck fear
in the hearts of ringside fans and had even been billed alternately as “MadDog Mayne”,
“Moondog Mayne” and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mauler Mayne” in
some instances, now had children running up to him to touch him and shake his
hand on his way to the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the
Northwest, he was simply known as “Lonnie”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I can still recall the image of him soundly thrashing Buddy Rose and
tenaciously chasing him around the ring, only to soon after have a girl around
the age of 5 run up and give him a hug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would then lift the child in his arms and walk with her up the aisle
to the applause and smiles of those in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was that crazy but loveable uncle, Santa
Claus with a couple of shots of Southern comfort in him to keep himself warm on
a cold Christmas Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a testament
not only to his appeal with the fans but to his tremendous versatility as a
performer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– RR</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xdah82ZrO-c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Next:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saying Good bye to Lonnie </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Special thanks to Doug McCleer for sharing some of his photos for this article. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Top photo by Viktor Berry </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources:</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wrestlingdata.com</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-18088221804033844862013-08-08T13:13:00.000-07:002013-08-08T13:13:42.923-07:00THE EXCITEMENT CONTINUES... By Rock Rims
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUOHQBMiDmk-nSRnNFwrpVtBQacno5o_yRfRrvCTnwoQOjHIla4ETO6VWVMYVJCgsc-ucEJuWBZLtL7xTffdmHI208qn8GxyxA2n10sjVBsO_CLUGq2F5a5UG8uVBcqU6SfFZA-nO3yy/s1600/latestwrespics+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofUOHQBMiDmk-nSRnNFwrpVtBQacno5o_yRfRrvCTnwoQOjHIla4ETO6VWVMYVJCgsc-ucEJuWBZLtL7xTffdmHI208qn8GxyxA2n10sjVBsO_CLUGq2F5a5UG8uVBcqU6SfFZA-nO3yy/s320/latestwrespics+004.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</b>If I could make it
there I can make it anywhere” might’ve been song lyrics written about <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>, but in the
1960’s world of professional wrestling, the same thing could probably have been
said about any territory with a strong television presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> certainly had that and Lonnie Mayne had
certainly made a good impression there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But as would be his habit, he would soon get the itch to move on. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In October of 1966 Lonnie had a match against the original Paul Diamond
at the Lane County Fairgrounds in <st1:city w:st="on">Eugene</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state>, and apparently he hadn’t gotten enough of either
Diamond or <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state> because he returned on
November 4, to defeat Diamond, this time in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the rest of the month Lonnie occupied himself with wrestling
Diamond, participating in an 8 man battle royal, tagging up with a visiting Pat
Patterson, and giving Diamond the occasional breather by taking on a different
opponent.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was in December that business would really begin to pick up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Tough” Tony Borne had recently beaten Shag
Thomas for the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title and as if didn’t already
have enough on his plate defending that belt, he would have his hands full with
a new responsibility. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Lonnie came to the area and Ken Mayne, his father, phoned me and said
‘Kind of look after him’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I
know what a job this would be”, Borne recalled years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I did know that Lonnie possessed much
talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also he had strength that was
second to none.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything he did was
different and this included his lifestyle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>To Lonnie every day was like Christmas and mornings when he awoke his
eyes would sparkle like a little boy arising on Christmas morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a guy with a big heart and couldn’t
say no to anybody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times I would get
so angry with him I wouldn’t speak to him for days, but he would always win a
person back with his unselfish ways.” </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Tony Borne was really the strength behind Lonnie’s start in his whole
career,” reflects Lonnie’s younger brother, Shawn Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Tony just really brought him along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie had been around the business all his
life, so he had that natural feel for it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Pacific Northwest promoter Don Owen wasn’t terribly impressed with
Lonnie his first few weeks in the territory but Tony Borne went to bat for
Lonnie, suggesting that the two become a tag team and in no time at all the
pair began the first of what would be 11 Pacific Northwest tag team title
reigns for them as partners, unseating Pepper Martin and Shag Thomas on
December 14, 1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would also be the
beginning of a very heated feud between Mayne and Pepper Martin, the
professional wrestler and sometimes ringside commentator.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“When he came to the Northwest, the wrestling fans in the Northwest had
never seen anything like Lonnie Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would do crazy stuff, and he just got over,” Martin would later
say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He just got over like a million
dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mad a lot of money with him
in the Northwest.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The feud, consisting of both tag team matches as well as singles
matches, was intense, with many of the matches ending in disqualification,
enough times that sometimes they’d have matches with a “no disqualification”
stipulation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On June 26, 1967, Lonnie
Mayne would defeat Pepper Martin in a Texas Death match in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city></st1:place>, and their feud was pretty much at
an end…for now.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Other feuds would commence, including those with Paul Jones, Johnny
Kostas, and Stan Stasiak, Luther Lindsay, Dean Ho, and after a falling out
between the pair, Tony Borne as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tony Borne proved to be right when he had told Don Owen early on that
Lonnie “has got more color than any man you’ve ever had here.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie had established himself as both a top
heel and a big draw, enough so that he was tabbed to square off against Gene
Kiniski on November 28, 1967 in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city></st1:place>,
for Kiniski’s NWA World Heavyweight tile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Kiniski would win the first fall and in the second, Lonnie Mayne would
prove that he was more than just a brawler, as he pinned Kiniski after a leap
off the top rope.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Don Muraco witnessed Lonnie’s high flying on numerous occasions,
including his first night working in Portland: “”Lonnie Mayne was standing on
the top turnbuckle and somebody drop kicked him from the back and he went right
from the top turnbuckle right onto the cement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is 1970.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You talk about
“Cactus Jack” Mick Foley…Lonnie was taking insane bumps!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Muraco would also add: “I could have seen him
taking a bump off a cage, given the opportunity and the venue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was like that.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron Bass, who worked with Lonnie in <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> echoed those sentiments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He was one of the first ones of the high flyers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period. He’d be soused to the gills, but you’d
never know it in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a top
flyer, man.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However in the match with Kiniski, Lonnie’s aggressive manner got the
better of him and he continued to beat on the defending champion who was still
prone on the mat after having been pinned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie was disqualified and would lose the match before the third fall
even got started, but there would be more opportunities, both for title shots
and mayhem.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Time For A Change<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Along with reigns as the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Champion and
another tour of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>
near the end of 1968, Lonnie and Tony Borne would patch things up and reunite
as a tag team to battle with Kurt and Karl Von Steiger over the tag
titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That reunion would eventually
break up again and Lonnie would change his ways, becoming a “good guy” and
forming an alliance with Dutch Savage against the new villainous duo of the
Skull and Bull Ramos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The late great Dutch Savage said on his website regarding Lonnie Mayne: “Lonnie
was one of the better workers to ever come out of the Northwest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was my partner for a couple of years after
I turned face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made an awful lot of
money working against one another before he left for <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:place></st1:state>.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Lonnie Mayne made Bull Ramos in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:city></st1:place>”
Ramos would later say.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contrary to what
people believe, Bull Ramos didn’t actually break Lonnie’s arm in a match but
rather it was a way of explaining Lonnie’s absence while shuttling back and
forth between the Northwest and <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:place></st1:state>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, it was a great way to “put over”
Bull Ramos as a heel, as Lonnie never hesitated to do what was good for the
business and to help those he worked with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Working in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Hawaii</st1:state></st1:place>,
Lonnie continued to distinguish himself as an impact player in pro wrestling,
wrestling to time limit draws with the likes of Sam Steamboat, Mil Mascaras,
promoter Ed Francis, and winning the NWA Hawaiian Heavyweight title from
Bearcat Wright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately for
Superstar Billy Graham, who was also working in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Honolulu</st1:city></st1:place> at the time, Lonnie didn’t take it
easy on inanimate objects either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always
curious as well as mischievous, Lonnie wondered what it’d be like to body slam
a friend off of the first floor balcony of the hotel they were staying at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not wanting to injure his friend on the
concrete, he figured the roof of Graham’s car would make a much better landing
spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was right, as his friend walked
away without injury, but the roof of Graham’s car was caved in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was never a dull moment in the life of
Lonnie Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enter The “Moondog”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>1973 rolled in, and so did Lonnie Mayne, or rather “Moondog” Mayne, into
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state></st1:place> and
Vince McMahon Sr.’s World Wide Wrestling Federation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Lonnie had nice exposure in <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city> and <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>,
and had wrestled in the historic Olympic Auditorium, <st1:state w:st="on">New
York</st1:state>’s <st1:placename w:st="on">Madison</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Square</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype>
was still considered to be the “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Mecca</st1:city></st1:place>”
of pro wrestling venues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Lonnie
Mayne who hit the East Coast wrestling rings was indeed a Wildman and every night
he lived up to the reputation he quickly established for himself there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After defeating a succession of preliminary
wrestlers he beat ring veteran Chief Jay Strongbow on January 13<sup>th</sup>
in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Boston</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>, a site where the wrestling fans
were almost as rabid in the stands as he was in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then 2 days later, after being in the
area only two weeks, he was in the main event in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Madison</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Square</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As always, his path to the main event was the
same as his path in life: In the fast lane. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>On January 15<sup>th</sup> “Moondog” Mayne attempted to take the WWWF
World Heavyweight title from Pedro Morales, and while he was unsuccessful in
the attempt, it wouldn’t be his last opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mayne would take enlist “Captain” Lou Albano
as his manager and continue to challenge the champion up and down the East
coast, including a title shot he earned after winning a battle royal in the
Boston Garden in front of 15,600 screaming fans. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His character, charisma, and ring psychology captured the imaginations
of East Coast fans as well as the wrestling magazines, in which articles
appeared describing their shocked responses to his baying like a wild dog in
the middle of the ring, his brutal assaults on his opponents and his eating
glass during interviews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though his
time in the WWWF would be brief, his impact on the East Coast scene was memorable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 40 years later while being inducted into
the 2012 WWE Hall of fame, “Iron” Mike Tyson cited Moondog Mayne as one of his
favorite and most memorable wrestlers from his childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In between title shots Mayne also battled
Tony Garea, Gorilla Monsoon, and even the “Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino, and
occasionally paired up with another ring legend, “Classy” Freddie Blassie.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However on June 29, 1973, Lonnie’s time in the WWWF would come to an end
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Madison</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Square</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Ever the professional, Lonnie did what was good for the business, putting over
Haystacks Calhoun and getting pinned cleanly in the middle of the ring in a
little over 6 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His time there was memorable not only for the fans but also memorable
for him as well<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shawn Mayne remembers: “He had come home for a
visit and he told my Dad, ‘You know this guy, Vince Jr., he’s really
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s going to go places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He doesn’t think like the other promoters’
meaning that he really thought out of the box.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was one creative mind and innovative mind showing appreciation for
another.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However on June 29, 1973, Lonnie’s time in the WWWF would come to an end
in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Madison</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Square</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Ever the professional, Lonnie did what was good for the business, putting over
Haystacks Calhoun and getting pinned cleanly in the middle of the ring in a
little over 6 minutes.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q5IOGfptx9Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b> </div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Going Back To <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Cali</st1:city></st1:place><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the fall, Lonnie would begin an extended run in <st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city> working for promoter Roy Shire, and this time, the <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> fans would get the “Moondog Mayne”
treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrestling announcer and
commentator Joe Sousa remembers first seeing Lonnie Mayne on <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>
television in 1972 while he was living in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Medford</st1:city>,
<st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I was nine years old and he was wrestling as
a ‘good guy’ when I first saw him and I thought ‘This guy is awesome!’”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However Lonnie soon went to <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>
and then <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>,
where Joe could resume following Lonnie’s exploits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Living in <st1:city w:st="on">Medford</st1:city>,
not only could I watch <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city> wrestling on
television, but on cable we could also see wrestling from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Referee turned Wrestler Ed Moretti would
later give me heat for that because I had the best of both worlds” Joe recalls
with a laugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The ‘Moondog’ character
was quite different from the Lonnie Mayne I saw in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would also be a reunion of sorts for Moondog Mayne and Pepper Martin,
although not nearly as pleasant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Martin
had retired from the ring after an injury sustained in a match with Lonnie
several years earlier in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place>,
and had turned to acting part time and doing ringside commentary during Roy
Shire’s “Big Time Wrestling” television shows, with the occasional wrestling
match thrown in for good measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His
commentating style was one that sometimes led to verbal confrontations between him
and some of the heel wrestlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one
occasion he made the critical mistake of calling Lonnie “crazy”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Long time <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>
wrestling fan Fred Lazarus remembered that incident vividly: “Mayne busted open
Pepper Martin and commentator Hank Renner went nuts, yelling over and over
again, ‘My friend! My friend!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What have
you done to him?!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
when Pepper got his chance at Moondog, you know the outcome…Moondog busted him
open again big time and Pat came to the rescue and that started their feud!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The match that Fred Lazarus spoke of between Lonnie and Pepper took
place at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> was on October 13, 1973, and the “Pat”
that he referred to was Pat Patterson, former “bad guy” but current “good guy,”
as well as the current United States Heavyweight Champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had just successfully defended his title
against Dutch Savage that night and now he had his sights set on Lonnie
Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that suited the Moondog just
fine. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– RR</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I’d like to thank Shawn K. Mayne,
Joe Sousa, and Fred Lazarus for sharing their fond memories of Lonnie Mayne. -
RR</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sources:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wrestlingdata.com</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels”
By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The
Tag Team” By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Don Muraco Shoot interview – RF Video</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“<st1:placename w:st="on">Regional</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Territories</st1:placetype>: <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific
Northwest</st1:place>” by Mike Rodgers – Kayfabememories.com</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
DutchSavage.com</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“’Apache Bull Ramos Still Battling”
By Greg Oliver- Slam! Wrestling, October 13, 2014</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Thehistoryofwwe.com</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-31421824732273796902013-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:002013-08-06T14:14:54.936-07:00"EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR" (PT.1) By Rock Rims<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8btt5m_LOIs2tT5Hqe308XoVetkqjooJohesTxIE9RAsDPQ1u9IdLny_uSnev1V-U1JEV-EsIYMqv6G0K9j8C2JolVeOUZcprCtNnzF9KUjLTEe2P7UcK_Ih1WQpoaf3PJYhi0DBywqKC/s1600/latestwrespics+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8btt5m_LOIs2tT5Hqe308XoVetkqjooJohesTxIE9RAsDPQ1u9IdLny_uSnev1V-U1JEV-EsIYMqv6G0K9j8C2JolVeOUZcprCtNnzF9KUjLTEe2P7UcK_Ih1WQpoaf3PJYhi0DBywqKC/s320/latestwrespics+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
He was quite a large man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
like many large men, he had a strong air of confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, he seemed to exude such a high level
of confidence that he appeared to think he was invulnerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was all those traits that made the
words he would speak seem all the more ominous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“…Whenever I saw that, I’d sit in the dressing room watching the monitor
and I’d say ‘what am I going to be facing?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What am I going to have to go out in the ring against?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What could I possibly do against a man like
that?!”<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Large Man who was speaking was Professional Wrestler Sam Oliver
Bass, who would go on to be better known as “The Outlaw” Ron Bass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the man he was referring to, the man who
seemed to disrupt his air of confidence and give him pause for thought, was the
Professional Wrestler named Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the “thing” that he was witnessing, the
thing that he would describe as “inhuman” , the thing that made he and others
wonder what they were dealing with, was a bloody “Moondog” Mayne biting into a
broken bottle and chewing the glass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was in December of 1977 when Bass recounted his early impressions of
Lonnie Mayne and I’m sure much to his relief, Lonnie was now his partner rather
than his opponent, and they were engaged in a very heated feud with Buddy Rose
and Ed Wiskowski in Don Owen’s <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:place>
territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon, the feud would end and
Lonnie would be headed back to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:place>
and I would catch my first glimpse of the Moondog.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while this would be my first opportunity
to witness what Lonnie Mayne had to offer in the world of professional
wrestling I would later find that others had been captivated by him for years
and that he was no stranger to California.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Where It All Started<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ronald “Lonnie” Doyle Mayne was born on September 12, 1944 in the small
town of <st1:city w:st="on">Fairfax</st1:city> in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie came
from a wrestling family, as his uncle Ronald was active as a pro during the
30’s and 40’s, and his father Kenny was in 1934 an Intermountain AAU wrestling
champion at 145 lbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kenny would also
venture into professional wrestling, first as an in-ring performer before also
adding to his resume the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>promoting of
wrestling in Utah starting in the 1950’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Though he was born in California Lonnie was raised in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Utah</st1:state></st1:place> and was active as a youth,
participating in many activities, including sports and motorcycle riding, and
the latter would remain a favorite pastime for him throughout his life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like wrestling, motorcycle riding was a bit
of a tradition in the Mayne family as Lonnie’s uncle Pete Cazier, who in
addition to having been an amateur boxer and race car driver also raced bikes
for the Harley Davidson Motorcycle team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie’s younger brother Shawn told a story regarding a young Lonnie
expressing extreme disappointment when Santa hadn’t delivered a much desired
motorcycle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That dirty old son of a
bitch didn’t bring me a motorcycle!’ Lonnie exclaimed before heading back to
his room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always a fun loving character,
“Dirty old son of a bitch” may also have been the same words uttered by angry
patrons of a particular Holiday Inn as Lonnie rode his motorcycle down the
hallways in the early morning hours many years later.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It became evident early on that the sport
of wrestling was also in his blood as Lonnie would tag along with his father to
some of his matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The elder Mayne had
wrestled in various territories including Utah (where he was once the State
Middleweight Champion), Ohio, Texas, and Idaho, and had wrestled such notables
as Antone Leone and Bill Curry, as well as the occasional not so-notable such
as “Young Hitler”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another territory
Kenny would work is the Pacific Northwest which was also a main stomping ground
for Tony Borne who would become a legend in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:city></st1:place> territory and would become
instrumental in Lonnie’s early success in pro wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Borne later fondly recalled his first
impressions of a then-12 year old Lonnie Mayne.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While he referred to him as a “snot nosed kid”, he also said,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“…Even at this early age, I knew he had a
little something extra going for him.” (Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels-
Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson)</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie would also display an aptitude for football and was an
All-American while playing at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">College</st1:city></st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Southern Utah</st1:city></st1:placename></st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After college Lonnie weighed his options
between pursuing a possible career in professional football and pursuing one in
professional wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fortunately for
many fans of the mat game, he chose the ring.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He began wrestling at age 20, and after wrestling for a few months in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Utah</st1:city></st1:state>, where he held the
North American tag team titles with Bobby Mayne, he then headed to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Southern California</st1:city></st1:place>.
Promoter Jules Strongbow who along with the Cal and Eileen Eaton, were the
promoters of the WWA in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:city></st1:place> and despite not being affiliated with the
NWA, ran an extremely strong promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the time <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>
was a hotbed for wrestling and the roster was stacked very deep. And with its
strong television programming it also attracted visiting wrestling luminaries
who were looking for increased exposure as well as a quick payday on the way to
or on the way back from a tour in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:country-region></st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIm2p3797lAydFCYGgxRG54AAo5CVasJGpDiGnCVAXnDV5Gj8-GS01wVriQJ8hf6B0x-9K4oPaIm2txX_C7mxekVwSTyAz4CvacKQ9v1Qh_iAgMwo8SHqfUX1OonSjJQGL2clWdund8Bm/s1600/maulermayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIm2p3797lAydFCYGgxRG54AAo5CVasJGpDiGnCVAXnDV5Gj8-GS01wVriQJ8hf6B0x-9K4oPaIm2txX_C7mxekVwSTyAz4CvacKQ9v1Qh_iAgMwo8SHqfUX1OonSjJQGL2clWdund8Bm/s320/maulermayne.jpg" width="190" /></a></div>
Even so, the promotion saw value in the strong young man and he saw
success from the get-go, and within days of his arrival, he wrestled Pedro
Morales to a draw during a TV taping in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> on October 5, 1965, less than 2 weeks before
Morales would win the WWA Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That great showing would earn him a rematch with Morales 3 weeks later,
this time for his newly won title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
combatant would win a fall only for the match to end in a draw as neither was
able to secure the decisive fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lonnie would continue to make a showing for himself as a singles
wrestler, also wrestling to draws with such <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> wrestling stars as Nick
Bockwinkel, Enrique Torres, and Mr. Moto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In addition he would also form a solid tag team with “Crazy” Luke
Graham, and the two unpredictable brawlers quickly became top contenders for
the WWA World tag team titles during the first few months of 1966, even
wrestling champions Thunderbolt Patterson and Alberto Torres to a draw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His aggressive and relentless style of
wrestling led to him being billed as “Mauler Mayne” on at least one promotional
poster at the time and was a contributing factor to his being booked in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:place></st1:country-region>
that same year.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Feeling that his promoter father may have had something to do with that,
no doubt Lonnie’s being booked in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:country-region> so early in his career and at
the tender age of 21 also could be attributed in part to the strong
relationship that the Los Angeles WWA had with <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
JWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JWA star and promoter Rikidozan had
learned long before that importing American wrestlers as opponents for the
Japanese professional wrestlers added to the prestige of the events he
promoted, and the fans were always eager to cheer for their hometown boy
against the “foreign invaders.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shawn
Mayne also feels that Lonnie’s strong amateur wrestling background played a
part.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Truth be known Lonnie had a great scientific talent!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our Father had a great Amateur career and in
fact was going to the Olympic trials when he broke his leg in a motorcycle
accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He became a true hooker in the
pro ranks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie took after our Father
to an extent and learned a lot from him!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was a State Champion in High School in Wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lonnie was the youngest wrestler to go to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> in the
late 1960’s where as you know, scientific skills were and still a must, even
being ‘green’”!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before that first overseas tour however, Lonnie would spend a month in
Northern California wrestling for promoter Roy Shire, including a match with
the then U.S. Heavyweight Champion Bill Watts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the stay would be brief Lonnie gave the local fans a taste of the
performer that several years later they would alternately love and also love to
hate.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It must’ve been quite an experience for the young man from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Utah</st1:city></st1:state> to be on a
professional wrestling tour in the exotic country of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:place></st1:country-region>
at such an early age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at that time
a tour of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:place></st1:country-region>
was considered quite a coup not only for the increased exposure and the great
paydays, but because pro wrestling was held in such high regard by the local
fans and they had come to expect nothing but the best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour lasted a little under 2 months and
Lonnie would find himself on opposite sides of the ring with some of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Japan</st1:city></st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
top stars including Shohei “Giant” Baba, Antonio Inoki, and Kintaro Oki.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tours of Japan can also make strange
bedfellows as Pedro Morales, his main singles opponent in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>, sometimes found himself as
Lonnie’s partner during the tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Evidently Lonnie made a good impression during his stay in the “Land of
the Rising Sun” as he would be invited on another tour two years later.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But for now it was back to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> where he would wrestle for a few more months
before heading to the area where he would make his biggest mark and perhaps
even have his strongest legacy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>Next time: What else would a dog eat?</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sources:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Legacyofwrestling.com</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Wrestlingdata.com</div>
</div>
</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-75543265890788085412013-07-18T21:07:00.001-07:002013-07-18T21:07:45.469-07:00THE BEST SEATS IN THE HOUSE - By Rock Rims<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDzX4p-RqKjmJNyR0E6WVatp5ME4pYYYHReps-sVP_GWL6IXyzGZu18x76EsvJRsPcFwV43fVfWdv5BrCk5Qga0oFjguAo4Mc-u9Ug4pighQcV6S8-P6N1rHvYoUAKAgr0IJc8y6w5bBg/s1600/L.A.PROGRAM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkDzX4p-RqKjmJNyR0E6WVatp5ME4pYYYHReps-sVP_GWL6IXyzGZu18x76EsvJRsPcFwV43fVfWdv5BrCk5Qga0oFjguAo4Mc-u9Ug4pighQcV6S8-P6N1rHvYoUAKAgr0IJc8y6w5bBg/s320/L.A.PROGRAM.jpg" width="303" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While growing up in the 70’s and 80’s in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>, even if you had never met me before, you’d still be
able to pick me out of the very few group photos our family took.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was the one who always had that look on his
face as if he’d rather be somewhere else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>ANYWHERE else would do, whether it was the principal’s office, standing
in a busload of people for whom deodorant was an afterthought, in a steam room
with the Village People… Okay, scratch that last one. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The one exception to that rule however, the one situation that without
fail always yielded a fun family experience, where we would not only tolerate
each other but bond over the spectacle that we would see (and in some ways be a
part of) and talk about for weeks afterward, was when we attended the live
wrestling events at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We weren’t a family that had much money and there were time periods that
were tougher than others, when I’m sure that my parent’s biggest concern was
finding a way to put food on the table for the day. Paying the phone bill would’ve
been a little further down the list, and the suggestion of paid entertainment
would’ve gotten me five across the eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yet there were times when our financial situation not only allowed us to
buy name brand soda but also move my stepfather to stand magnanimously as if he
was a Roman Emperor about to grant freedom to a slave and announce: “Friday we’re
going to go see wrestling.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These announcements would always take place on the weekend
prior to the coming week’s live event, at some point while we were watching “Wrestling
from the Olympic Auditorium” on UHF channel 52.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The announcement always seemed to come out of the blue and looking back
on it I guess he would be simultaneously analyzing the upcoming card that Jeff
Walton was excitedly talking about and figuring out how much money he had left
over from his paycheck after bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
announcement always came during a commercial and I would immediately drop the
pliers that we used to change the channel on our television set, and I’d run to
the phone to dial the most sacred series of numbers known to man:
RI9-5171.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the phone number to
the Olympic Auditorium ticket line and as Los Angeles Wrestling announcer Jeff
Walton would always say, “The number to call.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The ensuing week would never pass soon enough and the one leading up to the evening of
February 22, 1980 was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
years the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>
wrestling promotion run by the Eaton/LeBelle family had been a hotbed for
professional wrestling, and while it had been in a gradual decline from the
mid-70’s onward, they still had some talents on the roster and would
occasionally host big name visitors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
the main event of this particular evening would include two such visitors, men who were
already being referred to as two of the greatest performers in the history of
professional wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were both
former NWA World Heavyweight Champions as well as the current NWA World Tag
Team champions, and they just happened to be brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s right, straight from the Double Cross
Ranch in <st1:city w:st="on">Amarillo</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>,
the Funk brothers, Dory Jr. and Terry, had invaded <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bad Forecast for the Local Talent<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Funks were certainly no strangers to the Southern Californian
wrestling territory as they had been stopping in for years, defending their
Championship titles against local heroes like Chavo Guerrero or on their way to
or from tours of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In January and February of 1980 the brothers
were on a whirlwind tour, having recently finished a tour of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> and now hitting territories like <st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region>, <st1:state w:st="on">Kansas</st1:state>,
and <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>, and like a tornado from their
home state, they also touched down in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los
Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>, looking to wreak havoc on the local
scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They started off by showing up on
the biggest card of the year on January 11<sup>th</sup>, the night of the
annual Los Angeles Battle Royal, and promptly defeated the Twin Devils for the
NWA World tag team titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn’t
make many appearances in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>
over the next several weeks as they were still bouncing all over the country,
but when they did appear, they made an indelible impression.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two things about them that were immediately
apparent were that they were a force to be reckoned with and if they slapped
their patented spinning toe hold on their opponents, they were going to get
their hands raised in victory.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After their initial title victory on Battle Royal night, they stormed
back into town 3 weeks later and successfully defended their belts against
Chavo Guerrero and a newcomer to the territory, Chief Running Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On that same night Chavo’s brother Mando
along with his tag partner Al Madril would lose their America’s tag team titles
to another “brother” team, newcomers “Bomber” Ray Evans and his kayfabe sibling
“Dynamite” Jack Evans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And now I was
excited as I would get to see both championship tag teams defend their belts on
the same night against some of my favorite wrestlers.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The night felt electric as we piled into the family car and headed to
the world famous Olympic Auditorium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the night lights of the downtown area and the traffic noise of the
street and nearby freeway, to the painting of the boxer on the front of the building, to the pictures of some of wrestling’s and boxing’s
luminaries on the inside walls, to the cigarette smoke suspended above the ring,
to the smell of dank urine emanating from the men’s room, these were all
familiar and essential elements of that unique building located on 1801 S.
Grand Avenue.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>And adding to the
excitement was the fact that we were seated only 5 or 6 rows from the
ring!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although there really wasn’t a bad
seat in that building we had never sat so close before and I was overwhelmed
that we would have such a great vantage point from which to view all the
exciting action. And my Stepfather never let us forget it.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
while The Olympic Auditorium had Jeff Walton for a publicist, my Stepfather was
his very own. “Man, look at these great seats! We have better seats than almost
everyone! The other kids’ Dads didn’t get them seats like this!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even Superstar Billy Graham would have a hard
time putting himself over more than my stepfather did.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The only thing that night that made him more impressed with himself took
place during the intermission. Sitting in front of us were two other Latinos
who were about 16 years old, and at one point they both turned around, and one
of them asked my Stepfather, “Who are you?” Apparently, they thought he was a
wrestler who had decided to get a closer look at the matches. “Him?!” I thought
incredulously. While my Stepfather was a little bigger than lots of Latinos at
that time, I hardly thought that he looked like a professional wrestler. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that amusing interaction would come a little later, because first,
the house lights would dim, contrasting with the bright lights that illuminated
the ring, and with great anticipation, I awaited the distinct sound of the
Olympic Auditorium’s timekeepers bell, a sound that was unique to one made from
a tire rim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it came, a chill ran up
and down my spine, and then a smile grew across my face as I heard those
cherished words from legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon: “Okay Ladies and
Gentlemen…Here we go!”</div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And So It Begins…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PHBiOxIT9EC7RBHpv3AHuuM2Qgx6zayYQsgCEKDHSSLdHD0SK3unPbBWZTTvPcdXok-Yc8VGVLZTPWvHbeNEJTADCpCo34v6O-F9oejtJ_vFgV_H2jX97vOTa7tXwV9kkaimdyxv7XTQ/s1600/L.A.PROGRAM3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PHBiOxIT9EC7RBHpv3AHuuM2Qgx6zayYQsgCEKDHSSLdHD0SK3unPbBWZTTvPcdXok-Yc8VGVLZTPWvHbeNEJTADCpCo34v6O-F9oejtJ_vFgV_H2jX97vOTa7tXwV9kkaimdyxv7XTQ/s320/L.A.PROGRAM3.jpg" width="192" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was undefeated and would remain so for several months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was smooth in the ring and he was the
possessor of the Jules Strongbow Scientific Wrestling trophy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was relatively new to the territory and everyone
wondered who he might be under his very unique looking mask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was known as “the Hood” and while he was
announced as being from “Parts Unknown”, most area fans seemed to think they
knew his identity under the mask, and my stepfather was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s Roddy Piper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You see that guy? That’s Roddy Piper under
the mask.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thoughts of “I heard you the
first 5 times” briefly entered my mind but I was much more focused on what was
going on in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be a few
months before the Hood would win the America’s Heavyweight title or the World’s
tag team titles with Ron Starr, but I was already impressed with his ring work
and Arias Romero would become one more victim of the dreaded “Hood Driver”,
which was the Hood’s version of the pile driver and the finishing move which
earned him the victory in the opening match.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That opening match accomplished what was the goal of wrestling promoters
in that day, to set the tone for the rest of the wrestling card, providing
excitement and a gradual buildup to the main event of the evening.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Victor Rivera had apparently recovered from the thunderous tomahawk
chops that Chief Wahoo McDaniel had delivered several weeks before at the Olympic
and was able to gain a victory over the always smiling Carlos Mata.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it seemed like there was a game of
musical chairs going on when it came to tag team partners because after Al
Madril and Chavo had failed in their bid to take the World tag titles from the
Funks two weeks earlier, Madril would get a new partner in Chief Running Hill
to challenge the Funks on this night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Chavo would now be teaming up with his brother Mando to challenge the
Evans brothers for the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
tag team titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mando had himself been
part of the team that lost the titles to Dynamite Jack and Bomber Ray, and of
course, his partner had been Al Madril.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But none of that mattered to me as all I was focused on for the moment
was watching my favorite <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>
area wrestler, the great Chavo Guerrero in action with his also talented
younger brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Evans brothers hadn’t
been in the area long but with their bleached blond hair and their smugness and
air of arrogance, they quickly became the team that fans wanted to see have their
asses handed to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Guerreros soon
had the Evans brothers on their heels backing up until they strategically exited
the ring for a breather and a break from the onslaught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they eventually re-entered the ring the
pace momentarily slowed and then gradually built up to some fast and furious
action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the heels found a
way to retain their titles and defeated the Guerreros.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another newcomer, the undefeated Tom Pritchard, was engaging in a
memorable feud with the Hood and would months later challenge Tatsumi Fujinami for the
World Junior Heavyweight title, but for this night he contented himself with a
victory over Professor Hiro Ota.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And now it was time for the main event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a to be a 2 out of 3 fall event for the World Tag Team titles and it had an unheard of 2 hour time limit! The setting of such a long time limit impressed all the more on my mind that I was to witness an epic battle! And
while I was most definitely rooting for the team of Madril and Running Hill, to some extent
they seemed like big underdogs against a formidable team like the Funks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it seemed as if my worst fears would be
realized, as the Funks took the first fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Madril and Running Hill had their backs against the wall but to the
delight of the fans in the arena, they were able to secure a fall to even
things at one fall a piece.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There have been very few times in my life when I have experienced such a
strong case of focused tunnel vision as I would when watching the matches at
the Olympic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the 3<sup>rd</sup> and
final fall of this particular match was one of the more extreme cases for
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While during the live wrestling
events there might be an occasion when my attention would drift to the digital
clock to see how much time was left in the match, or my eyes might wander to
some of the back rows of the first level to see if I could spot Jeff Walton
watching the matches, or towards the snack bars to see if one of the wrestlers
was sneaking a peek, in this case, my eyes were riveted to the ring and there
was no world outside of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The momentum of the match switched back and forth and several times the
audience let out a collective gasp as either Terry or Dory would move in to
apply the dreaded spinning toe hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Because in the days when a finisher was truly a finisher, when a maneuver
like that actually meant something, we all knew it would be curtains for their
opponents if they slapped that hold on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they teased the move several times, heightening the tension for the
fans until it was almost unbearable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
every time that the baby faces were in trouble, the fans would go to work,
clapping and even more importantly stomping our feet on those metal floors of
the Olympic Auditorium, causing a thunderous roar that our heroes would respond
to and cause them to make their comeback.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that was another thing that was special about wrestling in those
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a collaboration that
existed between the in-ring participants and there was also a collaboration
between the fans and the performers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were participants as well, and it was very much an interactive experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike “sports entertainment” of today where
most of what goes on is carefully scripted, much of what wrestlers did in the
past was “done on the fly” and adjustments were made in the performance based
on crowd reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Today, performers won’t
deviate from the script regardless of the responsiveness or unresponsiveness of
the fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past, it was different,
as if how the fans responded actually made a difference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were able to make an impact and we were
more emotionally invested and the wrestlers of the day made it easier for us to
feel that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The victories of our
favorite wrestlers were our victories too just as we shared in their defeats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we did mattered.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And somehow, some way, against all odds, the impossible happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The good guys won and we had new
champions!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The arena erupted and with
fans having the access to the wrestlers that you just don’t see today with all
of the barricades and the security, my siblings and I along with dozens of
other kids swarmed Al Madril and Chief Running Hill to touch them, to touch the
title belts, to get their autographs, to share in the victory.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would be the last live wrestling event that I would attend at the
Olympic Auditorium as the promotion’s best days were behind them, the better
performers would soon leave for other territories, and less than 3 years later the
promotion would close its doors for good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That night was one that I will never forget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw performers and performances that I will
always remember.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I didn’t know the
word for it back then, the Funks had put on a masterful display of “match
psychology”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the ensuing months
whenever my siblings and I took our mattresses of our bed and tossed them on
the floor to make a makeshift wrestling ring, I would eventually attempt to
apply the spinning toe hold.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only I
would always be unsuccessful in my first several attempts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While most kids wrestled with the aim of
always being on the offensive, looking to “put themselves over”, just as many
of today’s professional wrestlers do, somehow I had learned from the Funks that
the true art was to gradually build the tension, delay the gratification, and
that a finisher really only meant something when it actually finished
something.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That night my stepfather would boast that we had some of the best seats
in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I really discovered
that night was that every seat is the best seat in the house when the
performance leaves you sitting on the edge of it. - RR <br />
<br />
<br />
A special "thank you" goes out to "GoPatGo" (you know who you are) for generously providing me with the program from that February 22, 1980 wrestling event that was so memorable for me and the subject of this piece.<br />
<br />
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Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-72492033748741415652013-07-04T22:07:00.001-07:002013-07-05T10:15:35.269-07:00RON STARR: GOOD AT BEING ROTTEN;THE CONCLUSION- By Rock Rims<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgAMZduyHKP5aZqF9UKZQ7SITDz_jBEZREec8br3ISMd9QDYi8u1UOkzYsoIGMk1klaHlNugo_fArMNwQi7g7qhtSGXAugf-xAPgGzZQifS9wWAF2s8nVi8L3maE5d3EQ-W8TymeoydNa/s1600/ronstarrcollagepromo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgAMZduyHKP5aZqF9UKZQ7SITDz_jBEZREec8br3ISMd9QDYi8u1UOkzYsoIGMk1klaHlNugo_fArMNwQi7g7qhtSGXAugf-xAPgGzZQifS9wWAF2s8nVi8L3maE5d3EQ-W8TymeoydNa/s320/ronstarrcollagepromo.jpg" width="247" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>With the sound of angry
voices calling for his blood and the sound of nearby gunfire ringing loudly in
his ears, it seemed like a case of Déjà vu for Ron Starr as he had tried to
make his escape from a precarious situation.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I thought I was in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Viet
Nam</st1:country-region></st1:place> all over again!” Ron Starr
recalled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this situation that Ron
found himself in was long after Viet Nam had ended, it hadn’t seem that long
since Ron had just returned home to Atlanta, Georgia after his second tour of duty in the Viet Nam war.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My father was in the
construction business in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:city></st1:place>
and through him I had met the Torres Brothers who were at the time living in an
apartment building there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They later introduced
me to the business and Ray Gunkel who was still promoting at the time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramon and Alberto Torres had
followed their older brother Enrique into pro wrestling during the 50’s and
were tag team specialists decades before the phrase became popular.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether tagging with each other, their
brother Enrique, or with other partners, the <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state>
natives earned countless tag titles in <st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>, Stampede Wrestling in <st1:city w:st="on">Calgary</st1:city>,
the Midwest, <st1:state w:st="on">Florida</st1:state>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ramon would even distinguish himself as a
singles wrestler, winning the NWA World Junior Heavyweight title from Roger
Kirby on Sept. 10, 1971.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a title
Ron himself would later hold on two occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sadly, Alberto Torres was rushed to the hospital after participating in
a tag match on June 13, 1971.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unbeknownst to the promoters or even his family members, Alberto had
entered the match with a ruptured spleen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was an injury that was further aggravated by participating in a tag
team wrestling match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Ox Baker had Alberto against the ropes and then reached back and
punched him in the chest with an overhand right” Ron recalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Later while sitting in the dressing room
Alberto said ‘it almost feels like I’m having a heart attack’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then collapsed on the floor.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alberto was rushed to the hospital and would
die 3 days later and Ox Baker as well as various wrestling promoters would use
the incident to build a notorious reputation for him and his “heart punch.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The incident not only resulted in the loss of one of Ron’s friends but
also gave him pause for thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I
wondered ‘What am I getting into here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
just came back from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and now I’m going into a business where people are getting hurt or
dying?’”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Ron was undeterred and
would enter pro wrestling in 1972 and it soon became evident that he caught the
Pro Wrestling bug.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“In the beginning I
would still work part of the summers with my Dad in his construction business
but before the summer was over, he always knew I’d be off to another territory.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron started his career wrestling in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Georgia</st1:place></st1:country-region>, but regardless of where he
worked, Ron was always eager to learn from the veterans of the business and was
an avid student of the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his
first year in the business he entered the ring with the likes of The Great
Malenko, Jack Brisco, and Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown of the original “Hollywood
Blondes.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I told the promoters I don’t mind doing the
job for someone; just put me in there with someone that I can learn from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember that I was working in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and had only been in the business about 6 months, and I was green as
grass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I was in a tag match working
against Buddy Roberts and Jerry Brown, the Hollywood Blondes, and Buddy kept
telling me ‘Drop kick me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw the
dropkick!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never done that before
but finally I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was my first drop
kick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He really helped me.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I for one am grateful that he did because
Ron Starr’s dropkick would become a beauty to behold where he utilized great
leg extension, making the move look impressive while still protecting his
opponent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was something that he could
deliver several times in rapid succession, often rotating his body so that when
he landed, he was already in position to immediately deliver the next one.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Ron kept on moving and kept on learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His love for the game and his appreciation
and respect for the veterans he learned from are still evident to this
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Danny Hodge wasn’t the biggest of
guys”, Ron says, “But he was a great wrestler and incredibly strong!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used to tell me ‘Keep your thumbs in, in
case someone tries to grab your hand.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If you look at pictures of Danny Hodge, you’ll often see that in his
wrestling stance he keeps his thumbs tucked in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He had a barn behind his house where he had a 2 inch thick hemp rope
that hung from the ceiling practically down to the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He used to climb that rope hand over hand,
not using his legs at all, and would go all the way to the top and back down
again.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And Danny Hodge wasn’t the only wrestling legend and shooter that Ron
would learn from. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Sometimes in the dressing room while the other matches were on, I’d ask
Karl Gotch to show me something or how to get out of a certain move. He was
impossible to beat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind, he was
the best there ever was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could teach
you something everyday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t matter
how many times you asked him or how many times you were in the ring with him,
you’d always learn something new.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Along the way Ron would learn the importance of psychology and was
considered by some to be a master of it. “Controlling the crowd was something
that I always tried to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would sit
out in the seats watching the guys in the main event so that I could
learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I learned that the first and
the last matches make the show.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
whether it was working with the Von Erichs, the Harts, the Funks, the
Guerreros, the Assassins, or Mr. Wrestling or Mr. Wrestling II, Ron gained a
reputation as a solid worker who could always be counted on to turn in a good
match, whether he was in the middle of the card or on top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike many of today’s workers who focus on
highspot after highspot, trying to turn in what they think is a main event
match regardless of their place on the card; Ron knew what was good for the
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He understood that a wrestling
card is much like an individual wrestling match, in that it should be well
paced, with a gradual build up until it hits a crescendo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every match has its place on the card.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“If a promoter asked me to do something I did my best to do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they wanted me to put someone over I’d do
my best to make my opponent look good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ronnie Garvin was someone I really enjoyed working with in one of my
runs in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Georgia</st1:country-region></st1:place>
and we had a great run, selling out everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had been blackballed because I
had spoken up about wanting to start some kind of union for the wrestlers so I
then approached Ole and Gene Anderson just outside the dressing room at an
event in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told them that I lived there in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Atlanta</st1:city></st1:place> and had a great
respect for the business and I asked them if I could work for them. They walked
me into the dressing room and getting all of the boy’s attention they asked,
‘Hey, does anyone have a problem working with Ron Starr?’ No one had a negative
word to say.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“So Garvin and I were ‘married together’, meaning that we were going to
work almost always against each other.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was a marriage made in heaven as Ron Starr and Ronnie Garvin would engage in a
red hot feud in Georgia Championship Wrestling over the NWA National
Heavyweight title in early 1985, really building heat, and it was a feud that
also included several Texas Death matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Ronnie was a great worker. Jim Crockett then took over the territory
and Dusty Rhodes (who was booking for Crockett at the time) called me over in
the dressing room one day and said he wanted me to put Garvin over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought we still had a great thing going,
but said ‘ok’.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron was able to do what was good for the business while still appearing
strong while doing it, not losing any value in the eyes of the promoters or
fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I always remembered it was a
work” Ron says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This no doubt was one of
the contributing factors to Ron being able to venture from territory to
territory, always being able to find work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He proved to be tremendously versatile, with the ability to work well
either as a face or a heel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you
asked him his preference he’d say “I always liked being a heel better.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He continues “I was working down in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:state></st1:place> as a babyface and before one of my
matches the ring announcer mixed up mine and my opponent’s name, calling us by
the other’s name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I heard the
heated reaction that the heel’s name received, I decided I’d rather be a heel.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the ability to control a crowd, get a
response, and leave them wanting to come back for more which intrigued
Ron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I loved being able to make them
rise out of their seats when I wanted and make them sit down when I
wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I loved watching them think I
was about to get beat only to find a way to win and making them come back to
see the next match.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it’s that
delayed gratification that was such an integral part of match psychology and
what made pro wrestling as great as it was during the territory days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron wholeheartedly agreed with me when I said
“That a territory was only as good as its top heel.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While he had successful runs as a babyface, it’s for his work as a heel
that was great on the mic and exhibited great technical skill in the ring that
he is most remembered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Richard Berger
who has worked as a wrestling columnist and was a ring announcer for Stampede
Wrestling in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Calgary</st1:city></st1:place>
while Ron was working there for the Harts, recalled his memories of Ron on
WrestlingClassics.com, saying he was “… A genuine athlete and someone who knew
how to get serious heat with his wrestling skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll never forget that one time in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Vancouver</st1:city></st1:place> he had the crowd
so worked up that after the bout, quite a few fans actively chased him around
the lower level until he managed to make it back to the dressing room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is really difficult to over praise Ron
Starr during his best years.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Berger
was yet another person who enjoyed Starr’s articulate and understated way of delivering
promos as a heel, a style that led the fans to take Ron more seriously and also
resulted in his filling in as a color commentator on occasion.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“When he did an interview, he would talk intelligently instead of just
bellowing without saying anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
effect was that the fans couldn’t help but take him seriously; he refused to be
a buffoon.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron had a good run in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>
including a brief singles program with a young Owen Hart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He enjoyed working with Owen and was later
saddened to hear of his tragic death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Owen
was a good kid and easy to get along with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In fact, all of the Harts were pretty easy to get along with except
Bruce, who was spoiled by his mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
used to say that Bruce had ‘the tap of death’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The reason was because he’d come behind you and tap you on the back
telling you that you had a good match but would later stab you in the back.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, Ron did well as a heel in Stampede and
besides his singles matches with Owen and others, he had two reigns as one half
of the Stampede International Tag Team Champions along with Wayne Ferris, “The
Honkytonk Man”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Starr and Ferris were no strangers to each other as they had been part
of an earlier incarnation of the “Midnight Express” tag team in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Alabama</st1:state></st1:place>’s “Southeastern
Championship Wrestling” in 1983.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While
in Stampede Starr and Ferris were known as “Devastation Inc.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There first run as the International tag
champions lasted several months while their second reign lasted only a week
before they dropped the belts to the team of Chris Benoit and Hart Family
in-law, Ben Bassarab.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There would be a
few rematches but the Team of Starr and Ferris soon split up and before the
year was out Ron was headed to Carlos Colon’s WWC in <st1:place w:st="on">Puerto
Rico</st1:place> and Ferris was headed to the WWF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ferris wasn’t the only former tag partner of Ron’s that ended up in the
WWF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While on one of his tours of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>,
Ron was tagging frequently with and rooming with a young Hulk Hogan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day on the tour Hogan received a phone
call from Vince McMahon about working in the WWF.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hogan was hesitant at which point Ron punched
him in the arm to get his attention and whispered, “Don’t be stupid!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell him you’ll go, but only if he puts the
title on you!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back it was
damned good advice.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But Ron wasn’t done with <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place>
just yet and would return several times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And when he did he didn’t limit himself to just wrestling in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Calgary</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For of all the places that Ron traveled to during his long wrestling career
one of his favorites had to be the Canadian Maritimes, including <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Nova Scotia</st1:state></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was there that he discovered he had a
brother he never had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I was in a bar in
this hotel when someone said, ‘Hey Ron, your brother is over there waiting for
you!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘My brother?!’ I asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I turned around and it was Ray Evans.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steve Schumann had formed a great friendship
with Ron in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>
when Steve was wrestling as “Bomber Ray Evans” and had looked up to and
respected Ron so much that he had taken to using “Starr” as his last name in
various territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sadly, Steve
Schumann would die prematurely a few years after this reunion at the young age
of 32.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was in the Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling promotion in the
Maritimes that Ron would find one of his most memorable opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They originally started as tag partners, but
it was as feuding opponents that they really tore up the territory.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Leo Burke is a guy that I just immediately ‘clicked’ with in the ring”
Ron fondly recalls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He was one of those
guys that I just had chemistry with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
really complemented each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
gelled so well that some times when we were supposed to go to an hour ‘Broadway’
(draw), the crowd would be so into it and so would we that we’d end up
wrestling 90 minutes instead!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’d suck
people in and work a false finish so well that sometimes the timekeeper would
ring the bell when I had kicked out after the 1 count!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now that is what I call psychology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s no wonder that Ron has fond memories of that rivalry over the Grand
Prix International title, a feud that would not only involve technical mat
wrestling exchanges, but brutal brawls in barbed wire, chain, and strap
matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However not all of his memories
of working with Leo were quite so fond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He was a heavy drinker, so he would often wrestle drunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would cause him to sweat so much that when
he’d have me on the mat and he was standing over me with his foot on my body,
his sweat would just drip right onto me and I could almost taste it!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing for Ron that the Grand Prix
promotion only ran in the Summer time!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Summer Nights would be much hotter for Ron however when he was
working for Carlos Colon in <st1:place w:st="on">Puerto Rico</st1:place>’s
World Wrestling Council which operated under “Capitol Sports.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the tropical heat would prove to be
nothing compared to some of the heat that Ron generated whether he was
wrestling in singles or in a tag team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Working as both a booker and a wrestler for the promotion, he would win
the WWC Junior Heavyweight title, the WWC Caribbean tag team titles, and would
feud with Invader I over the WWC Television title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feud would also at times involve Invader
I enlisting Invader III as his partner to wage war against Ron and Chicky Starr
(his “cousin”) over the WWC World Tag Team titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roddy Piper, Ric Flair and others have
recounted over the years how heated the Puerto Rican wrestling fans could get,
and Ron has his own stories of just how dangerous a situation that could be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Chicky and I were wrestling Invader I and III in a stadium and we were
really getting heat with the crowd and they looked as if they were going to
riot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told Jackie (whom Ron married in
<st1:place w:st="on">Puerto Rico</st1:place> in 1989 and worked as his valet,
“Peaches”) to go to the locker room and get our gear and meet us later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd ended up chasing us out of the
stadium and into the parking lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got
in our car but they caught up to us and began rocking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They ended up flipping it over!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the drama would continue.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Then the police showed up in their riot gear and pointed their machine
guns into the air and began firing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
thought I was in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Viet Nam</st1:country-region></st1:place>
all over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The riot broke up and
the crowd scattered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was wondering if
we’d ever get out alive!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Ron did get out alive and he would have more runs in Puerto Rico as well as
various promotions in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region>
in addition to tours of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Through the years Ron saw ups and downs in the business, worked places
where he felt greatly appreciated and a few where he felt he wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He worked on the bottom, the middle, and the
top of the card, and made friends who would support him and put in a good word
for him, and knew others who considered him a threat to their spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all is said and done he still misses
wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While a lifetime of bumps in
the ring have taken their toll on his body and he would no longer be able to
perform in the ring, he still retains a mind that was a great asset to his
wrestling performances which are still fondly remembered by the fans who
recognized his talent.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“For my wife, my wrestling career didn’t end fast enough, but for me it
ended too quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss wrestling and
all the time, my mind is still coming up with finishes.”- RR</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-72808452728039667822013-06-30T08:16:00.000-07:002013-06-30T08:23:38.982-07:00RON STARR: GOOD AT BEING ROTTEN - PART II - By Rock Rims<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> About Face</o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In 1980 while the <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>
wrestling territory still had some talented workers, the roster wasn’t anywhere
near as deep as it once was and ticket sales and interest were becoming
negatively affected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron Starr along
with John Tolos were the biggest heels at the time but they were sorely in need
of a strong babyface to work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chavo
Guerrero had been the top babyface for years but he was wrestling less
frequently in the territory as he was earning more money on his tours of <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region> and was occasionally doing shows in other <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
territories as well.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Walter Johnson was given a push but both his promo skills and ring work
were solely lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Al Madril,
Tom Pritchard worked well in the ring and Chavo’s brother Mando was even
better, they all lacked the charisma and presence that Chavo had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had left some awfully big shoes to fill.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By this time, Ron Starr had begun teaming with Tolos and the decision
was made to turn Ron into a “babyface”, a “good guy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Ron preferred to wrestle as a heel, the
fans responded well to his face turn and one of the most hated heels in the
territory was then voted “The most popular wrestler” in the area by the fans as
he now had begun to battle Tolos and his cronies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it was late in the year that Al Madril
was receiving a beatdown in the Olympic Auditorium ring as Ron Starr stormed
the ring and delivered standing dropkick after dropkick, including a missile
dropkick off the top rope to even up the odds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The fan response was tremendous as many were jumping up and down and
screaming enthusiastically as their new hero was cleaning house of Tolos, the
Assassin, and Prof. Ito.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But while this type of fan reaction to Ron Starr was something new in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>, it had been going
on for nearly two years up North in Roy Shire’s Big Time Wrestling promotion
and almost nearly as long in Don Owens’s Portland Wrestling territory.</div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></b><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Anything but “Rotten”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b>It was late in 1978 that
Ron Starr entered Roy Shire’s <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place>
territory but as would be his habit, he was quick about making an impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his first few months in the territory he
would have 2 reigns as one half of the San Francisco version of the NWA World
Tag Team champions, first with Dean Ho and then later winning the tag team
titles on November 23, 1978 with partner Enrique Vera, who was a former
National Champion and future UWA Heavyweight Champion in Mexico.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron was soon positioned as one of the top babyfaces in the promotion
engaging in both a singles and tag team feud with Buddy Rose and Ed Wiskowski
who were managed by the hated Dr. Ken Ramey, who was excellent at drawing heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Big Time Wrestling was undoubtedly at
it’s strongest during the 60’s, this feud was definitely a bright spot in the
late 70’s and featured 4 people who were all excellent when it came to cutting
compelling promos.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>
liked the way I did my promos” Ron says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“He said ‘I like that you don’t yell and scream like so many other
guys.’” And the feud was one that Ron enjoyed working and considering that
things were changing for California Wrestling as a whole, it still did well and
was even later extended to the Portland Wrestling territory as well.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I liked Buddy Rose and felt that he was a real good worker and good on
the mic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was this fat, pudgy kid and
sometimes he would ‘blow up’ on me a little bit in the ring but he would always
drag out enough to do what he needed to do in the match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’d get winded but I’d just tell him ‘Just
stay down for a minute and catch your breath’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yeah, he was a good guy to work with.”<br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ron began to be pushed more as a singles wrestler and won the Annual 18
man San Francisco Battle Royal in 1979 which included the likes of Superstar
Billy Graham, Dory Funk Jr., and Harley Race, and was awarded a trophy as well
as a $30,000 dollar check.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later that
night he would face Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, Ron wasn’t the opponent that was
originally slated to face the World Champion that evening in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Jimmy Snuka was originally scheduled to face Harley for the title but
he missed his flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then went up to
Shire and said, ‘Hey Roy, I don’t want you to think I’m an asshole or anything,
but since Snuka couldn’t make it, I’d like to be the one to wrestle Harley for
the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we could have a good
match.’ “</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>
thought about it for a second and said, ‘I think you’re right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alright, you’ll be in the match with Harley
tonight.” Ron then went out and cut a promo to set up the match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I went out and got on the mic and said ‘I
know that Jimmy’s not here and he was supposed to wrestle Harley for the title
tonight, but since he’s not here…I’ll challenge Race for the title…that is if
he’s man enough to accept the challenge!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Snuka had been in the territory for a few months by that time and had
been engaging in a feud with the United States Champion Buddy Rose over the
title belt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although he was popular, the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> fans in attendance cheered
enthusiastically when it was announced that Starr would in fact be substituting
for Snuka and facing Race for the World Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They just ‘popped’ when they heard that.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Robert Counts who grew up within walking distance of the Cow Palace and
was a regular for years at the wrestling events, was there that night at well
and remembers his reaction to the announcement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I was thrilled!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Though Snuka was
popular and impressive, Ron was a step higher in most minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Starr was the technical wrestler that I
always felt could out wrestle most, and out maneuver the rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ‘dumb wrestler’ is the one who interferes
with the twenty count at 18, and instead of attacking, would argue with the
ref.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a fan who wanted the story to
make sense, and Starr was ‘real’, as far as that’s possible to be in wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Snuka could hit Race with a crowbar and get
rolled up in a small package by Race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That wouldn’t happen to Starr.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Starr’s match with Race would be the first 1 hour Broadway (draw) that
he was ever involved with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Always
priding himself on never “blowing up” or running out of gas, the match with the
Wrestling Legend was a new experience for Ron. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I thought I was going to drop dead
before it was over!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You talk about
someone who could run you ragged…Harley Race could do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was really nervous, worried that I might
make a mistake or mess things up because I was in there with Harley Race, even
though I had years of experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
Harley, he just took me by the hand and led me through it.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Roy Shire had definitely taken notice of what Starr could bring to the
table, and as it turned out, he was not alone.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Buddy had gone up to work for Don Owens in <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city>
and Roy Shire then asked me ‘What do you think about working in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city></st1:place>?’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him ‘I’ll go wherever you want me to
go.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My first time wrestling there I
heard that <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>
was talking with Don Owen while watching my match with Buddy Rose and Roy said
‘Now that’s what I call wrestling!’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
liked working there and we taped at the Portland Sports Arena, which was an old
skating rink and Don Owen was always pretty good about the payoffs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first night I was there I heard some of
the other guys griping about the payoffs but I told them ‘I don’t know what you
guys are complaining about, because I’ve been to a lot of different territories
and I’ll tell you, just from tonight, this is the one with the best payoffs
yet.’”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Tagging with Adrian Adonis, Ron continued the feud with Buddy Rose and
Ed Wiskowski as it had worked so well in Shire’s territory and in April of ’79
they defeated Rose and Wiskowski for the Pacific Northwest Tag Team
titles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron was beginning a collection
of titles as the month before, he had defeated Piper at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> for the U.S.
Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That feud was also
extended to Owens’s territory and even featured a memorable angle where Starr
came to the rescue of Women’s wrestling legend Vickie Williams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently Piper felt that all women should
stay in the kitchen and tossed Vickie around before Ron intervened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Like several of the wrestlers in the area, Ron split time during 1979
between <st1:city w:st="on">Portland</st1:city> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>, driving back and forth to
shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Northern California he also
picked up another rival in Bob Sweetan as they competed over the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region></st1:place>
heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another veteran that
Ron would face is Ernie Ladd, whom he wrestled on the annual San Francisco
Battle Royal card on January 26, 1980.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a brief stop in the Leroy McGuirk’s Tri-State area, Ron soon wound
up in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>
where he split time between there and Roy Shire’s territory for much of the
remaining year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGiNPAlh5SXNyIUrGVsAGjav_mNCbbhSRGsL0YJpJlMUsyqOu9dYJnZtjatp6qQmy3ccjCB1Rn25zg8mSpXe526j2dej7Mipri9Q_OMIseJf9nha0WGzxlejpbpJTwMY5N4GCXAjFYfnm/s600/ronstarrbattle79.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGiNPAlh5SXNyIUrGVsAGjav_mNCbbhSRGsL0YJpJlMUsyqOu9dYJnZtjatp6qQmy3ccjCB1Rn25zg8mSpXe526j2dej7Mipri9Q_OMIseJf9nha0WGzxlejpbpJTwMY5N4GCXAjFYfnm/s320/ronstarrbattle79.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Roy Shire had been burnt out on the wrestling business for a few years
by that point and by his own admission was running out of finishes and creative
ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The strongest years for his
promotion had been during his first 24 months of operation and since then there
had been a gradual decline in attendance at the shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when Patterson and Stevens were on top
during the late 60’s and early 70’s there were fewer and fewer sellouts at the
Cow Palace and 8,000-9,000 attendance numbers became more and more the norm, and
by the time the late 70’s rolled around, it was more like 5.000-7.000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there were occasional spikes in
attendance, they were rare and more often than not came on the nights of the
annual battle royals. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shire would close shop in early ’81 and Ron Starr would work then work a
bit for Antone Leone’s Western States Alliance promotion which was running
shows in some of Shire’s former towns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ed
Moretti worked as a referee for Roy Shire and later as a wrestler before
Shire’s promotion closed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Like many, h</span>e had great
respect for Ron Starr and even faced him in the ring and had this to say about
him on WrestlingClassics.com: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Bobby
Eugene Nutt (Rotten Ron Starr) is/was one of the best workers I have ever seen,
a really nice guy, a good booker…”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
a great track record as a worker, Ron would soon be off to new territories,
reprising some old roles and finding himself in new ones. </div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next time: We’ll visit some of the other places Ron’s career takes him,
we’ll also travel back to the beginning, and we’ll hear the good advice Ron
gave Hulk Hogan.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-49043317974215962013-06-29T11:40:00.000-07:002013-06-29T18:31:55.278-07:00RON STARR: GOOD AT BEING ROTTEN - PT. 1 - By Rock Rims<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIi__5_qXLx6wrTvDjCcQAUw_qlEcDNwvKDLWMoZ0BBssKKKuOzjgU5-8Hhjb2wyYjZn_u4gPidgIwrE0NZCPOgp6Kl6FL9H38ku7LEOwCcHl0y9JKv59pZrY5QKpucPJw6D97Z-SCbFC/s480/olympicphone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIi__5_qXLx6wrTvDjCcQAUw_qlEcDNwvKDLWMoZ0BBssKKKuOzjgU5-8Hhjb2wyYjZn_u4gPidgIwrE0NZCPOgp6Kl6FL9H38ku7LEOwCcHl0y9JKv59pZrY5QKpucPJw6D97Z-SCbFC/s320/olympicphone.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was 11 years old and I was pissed. We were so close and yet so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were that close to victory and yet again it was snatched from our grasp at the last second. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet when I say “we” that is not to say that I was an actual combatant in the contest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet like the thousands of others in 1980 <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> who witnessed Ron Starr narrowly escape defeat in the wrestling ring, we felt as if we had lost as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s what a good “heel” does in pro wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He collaborates with his opponent to suck you in, to be emotionally invested in the match and its outcome, to make you feel as if your hero’s defeats and victories are your own.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the heel tactics that he employed were often subtle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t yell or scream as heels so often do, rather he was matter of fact and very articulate in his promos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think what got to me and others as well, was that it often seemed as if he didn’t have to cheat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He just seemed very competent in the ring, with an air of great confidence, and with him being a heel or bad guy, it just made me want to see him lose all the more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I was able to articulate it back then, I’d say his being so damn good is what pissed me off the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got heat from being a heel that could actually wrestle and back up everything that he said. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron Starr began that run in Southern California in the early part of the year after recently working in Leroy McGuirk’s Tri-State area promotion, and shortly before that in Don Owens’s <st1:city w:st="on">Pacific Northwest</st1:city> territory as well Roy Shire’s <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> wrestling territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a matter of fact he would still make trips up to Shire’s neck of the woods to wrestle shows while he was making his mark in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as was typical for Ron Starr when he entered a territory, making his mark didn’t take him long to do.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve wrestled in Africa, <st1:city w:st="on">Puerto Rico</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Guatemala</st1:country-region></st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:city>, and all over the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The West Coast was one of the places that I really loved wrestling in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:city></st1:city>…I had good times there” Ron recently told me.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially he wrestled in promoter Mike LeBelle’s territory under a mask as “Spoiler II,”, and it was under this mask that he would make waves in the area, utilizing his dreaded claw hold that he administered with a gloved hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within a few months even our perennial champion Chavo Guerrero fell victim to his claw hold, losing a televised matched before eventually losing the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:city>’s Heavyweight title as well on April 18, 1980.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Spoiler II would eventually unmask to reveal himself as Starr and would not only draw the ire of wrestling fans by wrestling in single matches, but soon would enlist partners and join the tag team ranks as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only his first tag team partner, the Hood, with whom he won the Los Angles version of the NWA World Tag Team titles, wasn’t exactly a new acquaintance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Johnny Mantell, who wrestled in <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city> under a mask as the Hood, had been a friend and ring opponent of Ron’s in both Northern California and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Oregon</st1:state></st1:place></st1:city>, having spent many miles on the road with Starr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mantell credits Ron with really teaching him much during his formative years in the wrestling business and the chemistry and genuine friendship really became evident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> many people found it difficult to think of one without thinking of the other and for the longest time some even thought Ron Starr (and in some cases Roddy Piper) was the man wrestling as “The Hood”.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact Los Angeles wrestling legend John Tolos considered them so indistinguishable from one another, that was one reason he nicknamed them “Donny and Danny…The Dildo brothers.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course it was also the jokes that they so often played on people that also contributed to that nickname.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We had so much fun, but we really played some terrible jokes at times, although none of it was mean spirited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ring announcer Jimmy Lennon was the sweetest guy and one time Johnny told him ‘Hey, did you hear that Ron’s brother is a talented pianist and recently played his first concert? He’s really proud.’”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lennon then approached Ron with a smile to offer his sincere congratulations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A horrified Ron Starr then responded, “How could you say that?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is this a cruel joke?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t you know that my brother just lost his fingers in a car accident?!”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Lennon had tears in his eyes as he apologized over and over again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kind of felt a little bad about that one as he was such a nice guy.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One rib that Ron definitely doesn’t apologize for and recalls with a very hearty laugh is the one he played on Roddy Piper when he, Piper and Tim Brooks were sharing an apartment when working the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Portland</st1:place></st1:city> territory in 1979.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“This girl showed up at the arena and had given me a Doberman pinscher puppy which I then took home to the apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roddy was a great guy but he had the most sensitive stomach and would easily get nauseated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I went into the kitchen and mixed up some mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish and little strips of meat and placed in on a newspaper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then went and placed the newspaper under my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then at one point when we were all in the living room I gave Brooks the ‘high sign’, as if to say, ‘watch this.’”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron continues “I said ‘Hey Roddy can you do me a favor? ‘<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said ‘sure’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then said ‘Go into my room and reach under my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a .22 gun that I want to clean.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Roddy goes into my bed and reaches under the bed and all of a sudden we hear retching ‘Bleh…Bleh…’ he thought the dog had thrown up and thinking that he had it on his hand, he threw up to!”</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">And in the meantime as we get back to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place>…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…Ron was still enjoying his successful run as a heel in 1980, feuding with mainstay Chavo Guerrero as well as continuing to wrestle in tag matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron had a good amateur background having wrestled in high school and college, and along with his professionalism and lessons learned as a pro, he had developed a great reputation as someone who could have a good match with most opponents.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add to that his great ability to draw heat; it wasn’t much of a surprise that when World Wrestling Federation Champion Bob Backlund came to town, Ron was the man tabbed to face him for the title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also a card that would feature a young Hulk Hogan appearing in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> for the first time, years before Hulkamania was running wild.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while Ron lost his bid to defeat Backlund for the title, things could’ve been worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For while Ron wrestled for the World title that night, his partner the Hood got stuck wrestling “Smokey the wrestling bear.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also asked Ron about his memories of working with another visiting wrestler, someone whom is a legend in the business but about whom opponents have differing view on what it’s like to work with him.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Mil Mascaras was a good wrestler and I liked working with him and I knew how to get heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The very same day our match was announced, the Olympic sold out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later Ron would face Mascaras in the ring again in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Puerto Rico</st1:place></st1:city>, where Mil teamed up with the Invaders in a 6 man tag match against Ron and the Funk brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was after a wrestling card in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Houston</st1:place>, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:city></st1:city> that Ron would have an encounter with Mil that was more impressionable.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I was wrestling on the same card that Mascaras was but earlier in the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later on in a bar a guy came up to me and said ‘You really had a great match tonight Ron.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always enjoy your matches.’”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron was dumbfounded as to whom the man was and the fact that he spoke to Ron as if he knew him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I soon realized that it was Mil Mascaras!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had never seen him without his mask because he even showered with it on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was surprised at what a good looking guy he was!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He liked me and even gave my number to a promoter in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Guatemala</st1:country-region></st1:place> who later gave me some work.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in 1980 Bob Backlund wasn’t the only man to hold a WWF title that Ron would challenge for and Mil Mascaras wasn’t the only international wrestler who would show respect to Ron Starr.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">To some he was known as “Champ”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he never made the big money that today’s WWE wrestling superstars earn, he still got to travel throughout the country during his wrestling career as well as to other parts of the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I miss the places I got to go, like Puerto Rico and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place></st1:city>…People save all of their lives hoping to go there.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not only did he get to travel outside of the Continental U.S., he had the respect of the people he wrestled in front of and against in those other lands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron made several trips to wrestle in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region></st1:place>, and it was and still is a place where they have the utmost respect for actual wrestling ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And on several occasions he challenged Tatsumi “Dragon” Fujinami for the WWF Jr. Heavyweight title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While many fans today may not be aware of whom Ron Starr was, there are still plenty who do and respect and admired his work and ability, as did many of his opponents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I did my first tour of Japan in 1976, when I was working out of the Tampa office. They kind of used us as foreigners as jobbers but they always let us get our stuff in. Fujinami was a guy I liked working with and he always called me 'Champ'. The first time I wrestled him I was kind of nervous and I was wary, as I didn't want him to shoot in on my leg. They work tighter over there. He was light as a feather but still a tough son of a bitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew what he was doing in the ring.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And without a doubt, so did Ron Starr.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next time: There’s a change for Ron in Los Angeles, Roy Shire displays his confidence, memories of Buddy Rose, and Harley comes to town!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-27830932199884360652013-05-25T21:27:00.000-07:002013-05-27T21:50:58.614-07:00CHANGING OF THE GUARD: THE RISE OF ROY SHIRE - By Rock Rims<strong></strong><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t any one thing that led to the decline of Joe Malcewicz as a
wrestling promoter in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place>, nor
was it any one thing that led to the rise of Roy Shire as the new kingpin of
that same area.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Malcewicz had seen lots of things change in the wrestling business
during his 30 years as a promoter but not much seemed to change about him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he had once carried the nickname “The
Utica Cat”, Malcewicz was now often referred to as “Waffle Ears” which was an
accurate description of his heavily cauliflowered ears but may have also been
symbolic of the fact that Joe was as old school as it got. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While business wasn’t exactly in the toilet,
it wasn’t what it once was and in Roy Shire’s mind, not what it could
potentially be.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While Malcewicz had run a show at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>
on March 22, 1955 that drew a crowd of 12,253 with Lou Thesz defending his NWA
World title against Leo Nomellini, that was the exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His shows were regularly run at smaller
venues on a weekly basis in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>
with crowds now running anywhere from 1500 to 3,000 each show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he sometimes brought in outside talent,
he typically ran with the same old group of guys, few of which were notable,
and the product had become somewhat stale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seemed that only the diehard fans were sticking around.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In spite of this, Roy Shire was still in need of a crew to run in
opposition to Malcewicz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not long before
he rode into town Roy Shire took part in what is now considered a classic group
photo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a team photo of sorts
which included <st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> and several of his fellow wrestlers
with whom he had worked in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Indianapolis</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taken in 1960, this photo would include
several of the workers that <st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> would recruit to
work in his new <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>
promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would comprise the first
ingredient for what would become <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>’s
recipe for success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the
ingredient of fresh faces that Malcewicz was sorely lacking in his promotion. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Among those pictured in that classic photo and who would later work for
Shire’s promotion were Kinji Shibuya, Pepper Gomez, Wilbur Snyder, Guy
Brunetti, Mitsu Arakawa, Joe Brunetti, Cowboy Bob Ellis, and Ray Stevens.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd2l669kt5SKO94TQvnTnKiUFB0fS_7FFs4iS6jE52MznMt5LnL1ub_6ewfWxpsjVYXd_EGZjey9VhLg1aQzC5nqUsUEZBvqkvO4wib3bvWnFqC6JrdUalGHZo4dMMSRxr62JhkdngsgN/s1600/ray+stevens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd2l669kt5SKO94TQvnTnKiUFB0fS_7FFs4iS6jE52MznMt5LnL1ub_6ewfWxpsjVYXd_EGZjey9VhLg1aQzC5nqUsUEZBvqkvO4wib3bvWnFqC6JrdUalGHZo4dMMSRxr62JhkdngsgN/s320/ray+stevens.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Young Ray Stevens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, this initial use of outside talent would foreshadow the exchange
of talent he would eventually engage in with promoters from other regions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is something that would contribute to
fresh faces for fans in his territory, keeping the product fresh and increasing
ticket sales.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if the wrestler was
someone of note whom some of the fans may have read about in the wrestling
magazines, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>
would often use the incoming talent to get over his regular talent in one
fashion or another.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While he may have not been overly ambitious or forward thinking in the
running of his territory, Malcewicz still wasn’t going to go down without some
kind of fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I suppose it was kind of
like the guy who’s been with the same woman for a while and doesn’t give his
relationship the same type of attention and energy he once did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However when competition surfaces and a new
guy shows interest in his lady, he’s prepared to put up some kind of
fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For while his interest may no
longer be what it once was, it’s still HIS woman.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For assistance in dealing with this new invader, Joe turned to bringing
in visiting wrestlers to boost attendance, some of whom had worked for him
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one of the individuals he
turned to had wrestled some shows for him at the Dreamland Auditorium in 1937.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while he was no longer wrestling, this
person could offer more potential help to Joe now than when he was sporting the
wrestling tights.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While Jules Strongbow enjoyed a successful career in the ring, he made
an even larger impact when he retired and turned to promoting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had been booking matches at the Hollywood
Legion Stadium in Southern California and was one of the faces of “Wrestling
from Hollywood Legion Stadium”, the television show that would broadcast some
of the matches from that venue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1958 he
joined forces with the husband and wife team of Cal and Eileen Eaton who were
promoting boxing and wrestling at the Olympic Auditorium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Strongbow would begin booking the wrestling
shows at the Olympic in addition to the shows he was running out of Hollywood
Legion Stadium.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jules was considered to be a genius promoter, and some of his roster
made up some of the visiting talents on Malcewicz’s wrestling cards in
1961.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the names appearing on
those cards included Lord James Blears, Art Neilson, Vic Christy, Shag Thomas,
Dick Hutton, and household names like Lou Thesz, Mr. Moto, and Freddie Blassie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What would the results be for Joe?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would his attendance increase?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would Shire’s promotion bomb miserably and
quickly fade away?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The show that Joe ran on January 10, 1961 with the in-ring talent that
Strongbow lent had an attendance of 4, 108.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While it was higher than average it was hardly spectacular and
thereafter he would only top that mark on one occasion, with the other shows
running an attendance between 1, 300 and 3, 200.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would only be 10 days after this show that
Shire would fire his first volley and would add the second ingredient to what
would be his recipe for success.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Idiot Box</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On November 11, 1947, in what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Entertainment Weekly </i>magazine would later
name as one of the top 100 “Greatest Moments in Television”, many of the then
1,000,000 households that had television tuned in to watch Gorgeous George on
the first televised wrestling broadcast.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It seemed to be a marriage made in heaven as wrestling was cheap
programming for television stations and in turn, television was a great way to
promote wrestling events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular,
wrestling promotions in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>, <st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Chicago</st1:city></st1:place>
used the medium to make household names out of pro wrestlers like Gorgeous
George, Lou Thesz, Argentina Rocca, Verne Gagne, Buddy Rogers, Freddie Blassie,
Mr. Moto, and others.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Jules Strongbow was certainly aware of this, as in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> market, not only was he the host
of his own televised wrestling show, but the Olympic Auditorium was
broadcasting a weekly show too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also at
one time other Southern California venues in <st1:city w:st="on">Long Beach</st1:city>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Ocean</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Park</st1:placetype></st1:place> had their own televised broadcasts
as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roy Shire was also well aware
of the power of television.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
Roy Shire was wrestling he was called “The Professor” and his character was
presented as an individual of superior intelligence. And in real life Shire was
both intelligent and astute enough to recognize the value of television in
promoting a wrestling product and live events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While I once knew an older gentleman whose wife referred to their television
set as “that idiot box”, Shire knew different.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shire acquired television time and on January 20<sup>th</sup>, 1961, his
“National All-Star Wrestling” television show debuted on the Bay area KTVU
Television channel 2 on a Friday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> acquired tapes from the “Big Time Wrestling” promotion
in <st1:city w:st="on">Indianapolis</st1:city> and over the next 6 weeks <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> would expose fans to
his wrestling product, familiarizing them with the wrestlers that he would be
bringing in to his promotion.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Finally, on March 4, 1961, the day of reckoning had arrived. Roy Shire’s
“Big Time Wrestling” promotion would be running its first show at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
Malcewicz, who had been promoting wrestling shows in the city without
opposition for the last 30 years had just run a show a few days earlier in the
city on February 28<sup>th</sup>, drawing a crowd of 2,892.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How would Shire fare with his new
venture?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would it end up being a “one
shot” house show for his imported talent?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxwil9kWDWDkO-Jgbu4c0wK1V3t_NkmC9idJ5cmbOSEdkiZG6d-JLD3gC9SLXQxbIU3ZzSvCQEygyVimKtqWe-t4h4NUxwOFfGRdE_2tvHDcHSKwcVnXGJafUAESl2qGZfDLD-DCsLLWU/s1600/Shire's1stcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxwil9kWDWDkO-Jgbu4c0wK1V3t_NkmC9idJ5cmbOSEdkiZG6d-JLD3gC9SLXQxbIU3ZzSvCQEygyVimKtqWe-t4h4NUxwOFfGRdE_2tvHDcHSKwcVnXGJafUAESl2qGZfDLD-DCsLLWU/s1600/Shire's1stcard.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> was taking no chances and stacked his
first wrestling card at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>, bringing in the
up and coming Bruno Sammartino, booking a match between Argentina Rocca and Don
Leo Jonathan, pitting Bill Melby against Mitsu Arakawa, and Verne Gagne vs.
Angelo Savoldi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the main event
featured Cowboy Bob Ellis against the man who would be his headlining heel for
years to come, his former tag partner Ray Stevens.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the results? A wrestling event that has a special place in history
and is still spoken of with reverence to this day; and an attendance of 16,553,
with a standing room only count of 1,500 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>3 days later Joe Malcewicz would run his next
card in the city, drawing a crowd of 2,841 to see Dick Hutton take on Lou
Thesz.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Okay, it could’ve been a fluke right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe some saw <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>’s
inaugural card as something of a novelty, especially since he brought in some
famous names for a “one shot”. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps that’s what Malcewicz was thinking too as <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>’s next show on March 30, 1961 “only”
brought in 7,921 spectators, less than half of his inaugural show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However <st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city>
was still drawing about as many people to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
show that he was running every three weeks as Joe was drawing to the 4 weekly
shows combined that he was running at alternating venues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And while the attendance numbers for <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>’s shows would begin to climb again, the
same couldn’t be said for Joe’s.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Genius<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Once while watching a classic episode of “The Three Stooges”, I laughed
when after finding a “magic” lamp, “Larry” requested a wish from the “genius”
of the lamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the characters never
being known for their intelligence (I mean they’re “Stooges,” right?) I figured
that Larry in his ignorance thought he was correctly referring to the “genie”
as “genius”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for some reason, I was
curious about what he said, wondering if what I initially perceived to be an
error of ignorance on his part wasn’t in fact an error at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew that “genie” was probably an English
corruption of the word “jiin” which in Arabic meant “spirit”, a spirit who
granted wishes, created.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I soon
found that two of the definitions of “genius”, were “creator”, and “someone or
something that has influence over people”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And when it came to creativity in a wrestling performance and exerting
influence over the emotional involvement of the fans, Ray “The Crippler”
Stevens epitomized the word “genius”.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Historically, I think it’s safe to say that almost every wresting
promotion has only been as good as its top heel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roy understood this well as he had previously
formed a successful tag team partnership in the Midwest with his “brother” Ray
Shire, who was in actuality Ray Stevens, who had begun wrestling professionally
at the young age of 15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it would be
Stevens who was to become the headlining heel of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place>’s “Big Time Wrestling” promotion and was
introduced to Northern Californian wrestling fans as the “United States
Heavyweight Wrestling Champion.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Beginning with that first Cow Palace Show that he main evented<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>defending his title against Cowboy Bob Ellis,
Stevens would continue to be “Gold” for Roy Shire, having 11 titles reigns as
the U.S. Champion. In addition he would also be a multiple time holder of the San
Francisco version of the World tag team titles.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Years later in an interview, wrestling’s “Living Legend” Bruno
Sammartino said, “Ray Stevens was a great, great talent…I truly thought that
Ray Stevens was just super, super great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He was tremendous in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will tell you this…everybody has their opinions about who is great and what
have you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t see anybody around
that I have seen that was better than Ray Stevens.” (1) Great praise indeed,
especially when you consider that Sammartino isn’t known to throw praise in
just anybody’s direction.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6FkauTmAHZImEG5AmXYIBejecE_p_-xUTGlF9TZoRarX7IQxQxe4KqvlDVyIgfX1210M-Aqr8TaRlg1xCrJfjNl5bcG5svFMl2Od4869IY2G_RP2UGpwfSbQO2UFUwdMgtEgiK0hfqfl/s1600/bigtimewrestling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6FkauTmAHZImEG5AmXYIBejecE_p_-xUTGlF9TZoRarX7IQxQxe4KqvlDVyIgfX1210M-Aqr8TaRlg1xCrJfjNl5bcG5svFMl2Od4869IY2G_RP2UGpwfSbQO2UFUwdMgtEgiK0hfqfl/s320/bigtimewrestling.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And the praise and respect that Stevens earned from those in the
industry and fans alike was well justified.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Employing great psychology in and out of the ring and drawing tremendous
“heat” on the mic, Stevens drove the fans to clamor for live event tickets in
hopes that a wrestling fan favorite would finally defeat him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with the way that Steven took bumps in
the ring and really put over his opponent (while still managing to hold onto his
title) the fans felt that at any given live event his opponent could wrest the
title from him.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And they all wanted to be there to see that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Stevens and Shire would continue to
dangle that carrot as well as give the fans a great night of entertainment
resulting in Stevens selling out the Cow Palace 10 times that he headlined and
drawing 10,000 plus on more than 50 other occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that was in addition to selling out shows
at the other towns in Shire’s territory which included such places as <st1:city w:st="on">Oakland</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Richmond</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">San Jose</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Fresno</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Watsonville</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Stockton</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Pleasanton</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:city>, and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Modesto</st1:city></st1:place>.
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Knowing that when it came to wrestling angles, that delayed
gratification for the fans equaled greater ticket sales, Roy Shire took his
time in letting the storylines develop and play out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The problem is figuring out what can I do
that the fans will buy…that will get another rematch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Say your heel is the champion, wrestling a
babyface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your champion goes into his finishing hold
and slams the baby face into the ring post.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He blades himself, gets some heat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Take the 20-count then comes back to beat the heel, your champion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thing is, in my territory, the ref is allowed
to stop a fight on cuts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had stopped
the fight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everybody thinks the baby
face has won, but here comes the ref to announce he stopped the bout because
the baby face was cut too badly to continue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Almost have a riot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thing to
do in this case is to bring them back for a rematch, bill it: ‘No stopping for
blood.’” (2)</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city> was
meticulous in his plans and in the details, having a reputation for being controlling,
hard to work for and often very abrasive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However Shire also had a well deserved reputation for being a master at
ring psychology and knowing how to book compelling angles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roy</b></st1:place></st1:city><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Returns The Favor</b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it was those talents along with Ray Stevens, the perfect ring
performer to help execute his plans that played a big part in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> continuing to outdraw Joe Malcewicz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And this occurred even with Southern Californian
promoter Jules Strongbow helping out Joe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city> may
have had this in mind when Johnny Doyle came knocking.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Johnny Doyle was once the NWA representative in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern
California</st1:place>, and until 1954, he was also the premier booking agent
in the area and represented many of the top wrestlers in the territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was also part of a pro wrestling syndicate
which included among others, Cal and Eileen Eaton, who promoted boxing and pro
wrestling out of the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a falling out with the Eatons in 1954, he left the area with the
intentions of heading east, only to return in 1955 in a failed attempt to
compete against the Eatons with his own Southern Californian wrestling
promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1957 he renewed his war with
the Eatons, launching allegations that led to the Eatons being investigated for
being part of a monopoly of the Southern California Wrestling scene.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Years later the bad blood would remain and in late 1961, along with a
couple of partners, he would launch another competing promotion in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of those partners was Bill Welsh, who had formerly been the commentator
for Jules Strongbow’s television program broadcasting from Hollywood Legion
Stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welsh also happened to be the
original commentator for Roy Shire’s “National All-Star Wrestling” television program
in the Bay area.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What does all this have to do with Roy Shire?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as Shire did when first launching his “Big
Time Wrestling” promotion, Doyle needed a crew to work his shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps he wanted to return the favor for Strongbow
aiding Malcewicz with booking, or maybe he was looking to expand his interests
into Southern California; whatever his reasons, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> certainly lent Doyle a helping hand.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doyle was able to acquire television time on KTLA in order to promote his
upcoming Oct. 7<sup>th</sup> show at the new Los Angeles Sports Arena, which
had a larger audience capacity than the Olympic Auditorium where the Eaton/Strongbow
combo ran their shows.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He ran 4 weekly
television shows featuring Shire’s talent, and on the big day, his Sports Arena
card was headlined by Ray Stevens vs. Ray Stern and Dick the Bruiser vs. Cowboy
Bob Ellis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doyle and Shire weren’t taking
any chances however and determined to blow the competition out of the water,
they stacked the card deep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As if those
headliners weren’t enough, how about Killer Kowalski, Red Bastien, Wilbur
Snyder, and Don Leo Jonathan?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How about
Roy Shire himself donning the tights once again to take on Pepper Gomez? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Strongbow booked the Olympic
Auditorium the night before with Freddie Blassie vs. Ricki Starr being on
top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What were the results of this head
to head competition?</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In a card that would’ve easily sold out the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
the Doyle/Shire booked card only attracted 4,000 fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Earlier in the year when Freddie Blassie and
Ricki Starr had been involved in main events for Joe Malcewicz, those cards
only drew around 3,000 fans each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On
October 6, 1961 at the Olympic Auditorium, that main even helped to attract a
standing room only crowd of 12,138 when a sell out for the Olympic was
10,400.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the month Doyle and
Shire would try again, drawing 3,500 fans to the Sports Arena on October 28<sup>th</sup>,
with a main event of Ray Stevens vs. Bobo <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Brazil</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The night before, Freddie Blassie beat
Antonino Rocca by disqualification in front of an Olympic Auditorium crowd of
10,660.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The War was over and <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city> headed back home,
where his War up North would soon come to an end.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">So Long Joe<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There’s something that I have to point out that’s very important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In between those 2 L.A. Sports Arena shows, <st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> had managed to run a show at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
with his crew on October 21, 1961.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
show had an attendance of 12,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When
the brief <st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city> war was over, the first card that
<st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> held at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>
on November 11<sup>th</sup> also drew 12,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So why was <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city>’s
crew only able to draw a total of 7,500 between two shows at the Los Angeles
Sports Arena?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the same reason that
Malcewicz was never able to draw more than those same numbers utilizing
Strongbow’s crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Television.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or to be more precise, the lack of television exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t nearly so much about the talent on
the cards as it was about the familiarity with and exposure to them that was
necessary on the part of the fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Malcewicz didn’t utilize television while <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city> did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Even if Malcewicz had been the master booker that Shire was, it wouldn’t
have mattered because hardly anyone would’ve been aware of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while both Shire and Strongbow were
unbelievably talented at what they did, Jules had the hands down edge in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city> due to
television.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> had at least 2 television
programs running at that time, while the 4 weeks of television that the
Doyle/Shire group had was hardly enough to gain an emotional investment from
the fans for their product. And while the Bay area fans might have been tired of Joe's product and welcoming to "the New Kid in town", The L.A. fans hadn't come close to tiring of what they'd been witnessing at the Olympic Auditorium.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Up North, 1961 drew to a close and “Big Time Wrestling” was continuing
to thrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ray Stevens was still drawing
both the rage and the interest of the fans (not to mention their money), Roy
Shire was increasing his dexterity as a puppeteer, manipulating all the right
strings, and World tag team champions Mitsu Arakawa and Kinji Shibuya were
wreaking havoc in the tag team division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>1962 opened with a bang for “Big Time Wrestling” as their 1<sup>st</sup>
Cow Palace Show on January 13<sup>th</sup> drew an incredible crowd of
17,061.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently the fire <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Marshalls</st1:place></st1:city> had good seats
for the show.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>17 days later, only 2,500 fans showed up to witness Ricki Starr defeat <st1:city w:st="on">Mr.</st1:city> Moto, in what would be the last show that Joe
Malcewicz would every promote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On April
20, 1962, in his early 60’s, Joe Malcewicz would pass away.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Contrary to speculation, Roy Shire did not run Joe Malcewicz out of
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bucking the system, Shire had
ignored Malcewicz’ status as an NWA member and invaded Northern California with
the backing of the AWA (from the <st1:place w:st="on">Midwest</st1:place>, but
not the one Verne Gagne ran), bucket loads of ideas and ambition, and a wrestling
crew that would include one of the greatest workers of all time.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You can’t stop progress, and perhaps realizing this, it may be the
reason why the other promoters of the NWA did not send help to Malcewicz to
fight off Renegade Roy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps they
knew that Joe’s old way of doing things had to move over and perhaps Joe may
have known this too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If he did, he may
have been simply too old to change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
perhaps, he was too tired too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city>
didn’t run Joe out of business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe ran
out of ideas, out of ambition, and perhaps out of energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the end, Joe simply ran out of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– RR</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Next time:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every great villain deserves
a great hero and things heat up as one is produced; and the “genius” gets a
partner!<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p> </o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(1) Bruno Sammartino interview with Bob Ryder – June 1997 <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">(2) Confessions of a Pro Wrestling Booker by Richard Hoffer, Times
Staff Writer 1984<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Doug McLeer provided some great pics of his Roy Shire memorabilia and I
extend my thanks and appreciation for that;<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thanks to Tim Hornbaker of Legacyofwrestling.com for his in-depth
research and match results which were of great help in piecing this puzzle
together; As well as the folks at WrestlingClassics.com and Kayfabe memories, including
“The Claw master” and Steve Yohe, for the hard work they put into coming up
with match results; and the folks at prowrestling-titles.com for their
comprehensive list of title changes.</b></div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-48824158144223063552013-05-23T09:23:00.001-07:002013-05-23T10:35:15.540-07:00THE SUPERMAN OF WRESTLING - By Rock Rims<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong> </strong></span>It was hot and it was itchy and there was no way I was getting rid of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, it didn’t require a trip to the free clinic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHCapI147ENjngaQaxzS6B37LMXQP3AnQJG_-ROw6gzoXjLGw3C_lkmnBn0lFld0D01SU1XYEhFH3yYHDoeFujeCIR8umL1CiBFX_KwIZslwqk5_nVuCFZwjWTMdl5f5uppqaj_GUlM-E/s1600/milamerica's.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHCapI147ENjngaQaxzS6B37LMXQP3AnQJG_-ROw6gzoXjLGw3C_lkmnBn0lFld0D01SU1XYEhFH3yYHDoeFujeCIR8umL1CiBFX_KwIZslwqk5_nVuCFZwjWTMdl5f5uppqaj_GUlM-E/s1600/milamerica's.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">America's Heavyweight Champ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was living in East Los Angeles, it was October 31, 1971, and on this Halloween, the highlight for my 3 year old self wasn’t a big bag of candy, it was the fact that I was wearing a lucha libre wrestling mask for my costume.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it wasn’t just any wrestling mask; it was a replica of the kind that Mil Mascaras wore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unlike the following Halloween, where my parents dressed me up as The Devil (complete with a long pitchfork) and dropped me off at a conservative Church function, this Halloween was memorable in a way that wouldn’t require later therapy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for me and this time was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The mask seemed to transform me in a way that few other costumes have since, and in addition to the fact that it made me feel empowered, almost like a superhero, I loved the positive attention I received from other trick or treaters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It probably wasn’t surprising that I’d feel that way, for the Luchadores of Mexico seemed to be more than just wrestlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They did in fact project the image of being true to life superheroes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For along with the masks they would often wear colorful robes or ring jackets and often capes as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in the case of Mil Mascaras, he was often portrayed as a Superhero type in the movies he starred in, whether he was fighting gangsters, Mummies, or other Supernatural creatures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if he felt the same way when he’d don one of his many colorful masks?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For while Aaron Rodriguez would distinguish himself as an amateur athlete, both as a competitive bodybuilder and as a National level Judo competitor in Mexico, it was as Mil Mascaras that he would reach legendary, perhaps even heroic status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while on that Halloween he had only been wrestling in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> for 3 1/2 years, he had certainly already become a hero of mine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Initially wrestling under the name Ricardo Duran, Rodriguez would soon adopt the identity of “Mil Mascaras” the Man of a Thousand Masks, debuting in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Guadalajara</st1:city>, <st1:country-region w:st="on">Mexico</st1:country-region></st1:place> in July of 1965.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Larger than many of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his fellow Mexican wrestlers, he competed as a Light Heavyweight and won his first EMLL Mexican National Light Heavyweight title in Mexico City on June 12, 1967 from El Espanto, who had in turn won the title from Lucha Legend El Santo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mascaras would win the title yet a second time from El Nazi on October 15, 1967 before eventually vacating the title on March 22, 1968 as he set his sights on wrestling in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States.</st1:place></st1:country-region></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I was only one of many who would be grateful that Mascaras always had great ambition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For when Mil Mascaras arrived in Mike LeBelle’s <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> territory in the Spring of 1968, he brought with him an exciting repertoire of high flying lucha moves and wrestling holds and counters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His charismatic presence and wrestling skills combined with his colorful wrestling attire (which included beautiful capes, ring jackets, and an incredible selection of masks) to help him make an immediate impact and attract a huge following. He was truly a ground breaker, as he would experience success that other masked luchadores, including the Legendary El Santo and Blue Demon, hadn't experienced in the United States.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wrestling in singles matches as well as teaming up with former WWA World Champion Pedro Morales in tag matches, it would only be mere weeks before Mascaras defeated Buddy Austin 2 falls to 1 in a tournament final at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium for the vacant America’s Heavyweight Championship (L.A. area) on June 6, 1968.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mascaras would hold the title for 3 months before losing it to El Mongol and leaving the area before returning to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city> in the early part of 1969.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He quickly resumed his winning ways and regained the title by defeating the Sheik on April 25,1969.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time the WWA World Title had been retired for 5 months and the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s title was now the most prestigious title in the area which was now affiliated with the NWA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next couple of years he would feud with such wrestling greats as Freddie Blassie, John Tolos, The Sheik, and Black Gordman over the America’s title and Mascaras would hold the belt a total of 5 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And in addition to those bouts for the area’s top single’s title, he would also wrestle Dory Funk Jr. to a draw and would also wrestle to a draw with “The Destroyer” Dick Beyer, beginning a friendly yet competitive rivalry.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also during that same 2 years Mil Mascaras would be a co-holder of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">America</st1:country-region></st1:place>’s Tag Team titles, winning it twice with tag partner Alfonso Dantes and a third time with Ray Mendoza from tag team legends Black Gordman and the Great Goliath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also rounded out his collection of titles in the area by being a part of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">America</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s 6 man tag team champions on 3 occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dubbed “The Superman of Wrestling” by LeBelle territory publicist Jeff Walton, Mascaras would capture the hearts and minds of the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:city></st1:place> wrestling fans and would soon capture the attention of wrestling promoters and fans worldwide.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mascaras continued his International exposure by wrestling and winning his first match in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> against Kantaro Hoshino on February 19, 1971.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He immediately established himself as an attraction in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> and went on to tour the country numerous times over the next few decades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> While creating a legacy for himself in the Land of the Rising Sun, he also paved the way for other Mexican wrestling stars to regularly tour the country, something that contributed to an ongoing talent exchange that would help evolve the International wrestling scene. </span>While he faced the top Japanese stars like Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba, Jumbo Tsuruta, and Tiger Mask II in single or tag matches, and even challenged NWA World Champion Harley Race in 1980, his most memorable matches in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> were the ones he had against fellow masked legend “The Destroyer.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Picking up right where they left on in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">L.A.</st1:place></st1:city>, their encounters never failed to captivate the Japanese audience or those who still discover those classic matches on video nearly 40 years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2 top International masked wrestlers in history put on displays of technical mat wrestling that were memorable not only for fans, but to the participants themselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He was the best competitor that I ever wrestled,” Beyer said when the Cauliflower Alley Club honored Mascaras in 2006.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“He never gave you anything ‘it’s true’, but I didn’t give him anything either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You talk about a shoot or half-shoot, and that’s the kind of match that it was.” (1)</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mil Mascaras was in such demand that he would travel constantly around the world to wrestle, commanding top money as he was a great box office draw.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he ventured there less frequently, he never neglected his home country of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region> and one of his returns there included a match with Lou Thesz on July 26, 1975 for the UWA Heavyweight title that resulted in a draw.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1975 would also see Mascaras winning the IWA heavyweight title, a title that he would successfully defend against such standouts as Ernie Ladd and former WWWF Heavyweight Champion Ivan Koloff. While in the <st1:country-region w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country-region> he was most popular on the West Coast and in the Southwest, thanks to the sharing of wrestling film among promoters as well as the extensive coverage that Mascaras received in the wrestling magazines, other parts of the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> clamored to see the masked star as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On December 18, 1972, <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Madison</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Square</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Garden</st1:placetype></st1:place> would lift its ban on masked wrestlers allowing Mil Mascaras to make his MSG debut against the Spoiler, whom he defeated with his signature flying bodypress in a little less than 8 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The WWWF and MSG would both play host to Mascaras on several other occasions, including two occasions where Mascaras challenged Superstar Billy Graham for the WWWF Title in what were exciting matches in December of 1977.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all of his travel, being constantly on the move to fulfill his many wrestling bookings around the world, we saw less and less of Mascaras in <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he would still manage to find his way out to our area a couple of times a year. Those were always highly anticipated events, especially among those fans, who like me, were of Latino Heritage. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was the Latino that I could look up to at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the 70’s most of the Latinos who appeared on television were portrayed as uneducated, often in roles of gardeners and maids and with success just outside of their reach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And up to that point in real life, the only Latino that the young males in our family looked up to was our Uncle Jessie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was muscular and strong and was a good street fighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As young kids, we found that appealing and admirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wouldn’t be long however, that I correctly realized that my Uncle Jessie also happened to be a chronic Dumbass who couldn’t keep himself out of jail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mascaras on the other hand, carried himself with dignity, was almost Regal in his manner (some would say arrogant), was successful at what he did, appeared on television, was strong and muscular, and (in his movies at least) drove kick-ass cars and got hot chicks!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I didn’t recall ever seeing him being led away in handcuffs.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in between his visits to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">L.A.</st1:city></st1:place><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would enjoy the weekly wrestling television broadcasts from the Olympic Auditorium, always enjoying what I witnessed, but always hoping to hear of Mascaras’ next visit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when my Stepfather’s supply of the magazines that he kept under his mattress would run low, I always knew that I could go to the hall closet and pull out his “Ring” Boxing magazines and the few Pro Wrestling magazines that he had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would enjoy reading about the wrestlers that I was both familiar and unfamiliar with, and also hunt for anything that I could find on Mascaras.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With such titles as “Mil Mascaras: ‘The Time had come to tell all’ ; What he looks like without his mask” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> and "What I look for in a Woman: By Mil Mascaras", </span>I would be captivated by the words of fiction that were written as well as the pictures of my masked hero.<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as could be expected, when Mascaras did visit <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place>, the box office ticket sales would dramatically increase wherever he appeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air would be filled with excitement and anticipation, with many fans wearing replica masks as they cheered “The Superman of Wrestling” as he challenged the area’s top heel.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, while I was thrilled to watch his matches on television, sadly, I never got to see Mil Mascaras wrestle in person before the LeBelle Wrestling territory closed at the end of 1982 or before the Olympic Auditorium ceased hosting wrestling matches regardless of which promotion was running them.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw less and less of Mascaras over the years, although he appeared on occasion on the undercards of the occasional <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> promotion televised program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the early 80’s at the age of 16, I purchased tickets for a WWF event at the L.A. Sports Arena, mere months before the angles that led up to the very first Wrestlemania were to begin. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With front row seats, The Sports Arena event would be a spectacular and memorable event for my cousin and I, with “Mr. T” in the audience being taunted by the wrestlers, “Dr. D” David Shultz slapping a fan around not long before he did it to John Stossel, and Hulk Hogan would successful defend his World Title against Big John Studd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the main attraction that lured me there, causing me to take 3 or 4 buses to get to the venue, was Mil Mascaras participating in a 6 man tag match with the Samoans against WWF Tag Champs Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, along with manager Lou Albano.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Mascaras was in a tag match and would probably spend less than 10 minutes in the ring, it was a thrill to see him in person for the first time!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly 20 years later, long after I thought the opportunity had passed me by, I had the opportunity to meet Mil Mascaras in person in the Spring of 2004.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t quite know what to expect, as in the interim, with the advent of the internet, the demise of kayfabe, and my progress from a kid into a mature adult, I had heard different things regarding Mascaras and I wondered if the experience might taint my memories of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In spite of some of the things that I had heard, he was humble, gracious, friendly, and with a perpetual smile, seemed genuinely honored to hear that he had provided so many with such great memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a dream come true to meet him and perhaps more importantly, he allowed my fond memories of him to remain intact, and sealed his legend in my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would also witness him wrestle in a match a couple of months later, and being just shy of his 62<sup>nd</sup> birthday, he looked incredibly fit!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While famed <st1:place w:st="on">Southern California</st1:place> venues like the Olympic Auditorium are no longer playing host to wrestling or to Mil Mascaras, his accomplishments in the wrestling world have not ceased.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2009 he was inducted into the NWA Hall of fame and in July of 2011 he participated in a match to commemorate the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of his debut in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following year he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April of 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2 months later, just 1 month shy of his 70<sup>th</sup> birthday, Mil Mascaras would defeat rising star Samuray Del Sol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And just one month before the time of this writing, Mil Mascaras won a match in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Japan</st1:place></st1:country-region> on April 11, 2013.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mil Mascaras… The Man of a Thousand Masks, a Thousand holds, and countless more memorable wrestling moments. - RR<br />
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You can view a 1973 match between Mil Mascaras and the Destroyer on my Youtube channel by clicking this link: <a href="http://youtu.be/W5pN1r7DxaQ">http://youtu.be/W5pN1r7DxaQ</a><br />
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Mil Mascaras in 6 man tag action at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium: <a href="http://youtu.be/-Uodva7IuS0">http://youtu.be/-Uodva7IuS0</a><br />
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(1) Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet- By Greg Oliver - Slam! Wrestling - June 11, 2006 <a href="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/11/1625969.html">http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/11/1625969.html</a></div>
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Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-30855888906894819332013-05-19T12:32:00.002-07:002013-05-23T19:06:39.824-07:00THE HOOKER, THE PROFESSOR, AND THE GENIUS - By Rock Rims<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Hooker<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t exactly find a bloody Horse’s head next to him in his bed, but
all the same, professional wrestling promoter Jack Ganson knew he had been made an offer he couldn't refuse. <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> could be a
tough town to do business in.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that wasn’t anything new.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the population of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> was only 1,000 in 1848, the Gold Rush of
1849 caused hordes of fortune seekers to flood the city, causing the population
to rise to 25,000 by December of 1849.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And by 1890, that number swelled to 300,000, making San Francisco the 8<sup>th</sup>
largest city in the nation.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And not every one of the newcomers was a refined and highly polished
citizen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside from the criminals and
prostitutes, there were also plenty of hardworking blue collar workers, who were
aiding in the development of the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This collective group of the late 19<sup>th</sup> century and early part
of the 20<sup>th</sup> century <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place> could certainly be a rough and tumble
crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And often they went in for rough
and tumble entertainment.</div>
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</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pro Wrestling could certainly fit
the bill and it did, with professional wrestling events in the city being
documented as early as the 1890’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
sport thrived in the city and by the early 30’s Jack Ganson was the man
promoting shows in the area.</div>
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</span>With wrestlers such as Bill Longson, Ted Christie, Joe Savoldi, Ad
Santel, Man Mountain Dean, and World Champions Ed “Strangler” Lewis and Jim
Londos appearing on the cards, shows were being run at The Exposition
Auditorium, the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Civic</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:placename></st1:place>,
and the Dreamland Auditorium.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Pro wrestling has always had its share of shady “goings on”
behind the scenes and that time period was certainly no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The toughest factions and the biggest heels
often never made it to the ring.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The period of 1935-37 saw the completion of the <st1:placename w:st="on">Golden
Gate</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Bridge</st1:placetype> and also
the beginning of <st1:place w:st="on">Alcatraz</st1:place>’s use as a maximum
security prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But <st1:place w:st="on">Alcatraz</st1:place>
wasn’t the only place in the area where you’d find the tough guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pro Wrestling at that time was still rife
with trusts or syndicates, collections of promoter and/or wrestlers who sought
to monopolize or take over wrestling territories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0aG8BszKMLNYxohmCR3gJ12vzmZE_mR2jQHRk7dAsCbA4x-_f43OJHEva_2vfGZzPHX6StX6r4xkER8Gztfbc_63gUl7eDhuKQ7AMVmy9FkozcJAzW6cshHxGB_WtcqEi9lKad3kYSIo/s1600/joemalcewicz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0aG8BszKMLNYxohmCR3gJ12vzmZE_mR2jQHRk7dAsCbA4x-_f43OJHEva_2vfGZzPHX6StX6r4xkER8Gztfbc_63gUl7eDhuKQ7AMVmy9FkozcJAzW6cshHxGB_WtcqEi9lKad3kYSIo/s1600/joemalcewicz.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JOE MALCEWICZ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wrestler Joe Malcewicz from <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New
York</st1:place></st1:state> was a shooter, a hooker, nicknamed the “Utica
Cat” for his tenacity in the ring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
various times he had challenged various holders of the World title including
Joe Stecher, Ed “Strangler” Lewis, Earl Caddock, and Jim Londos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was so capable that in 1923 in <st1:state w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>, World Champion
Joe Stecher walked away from a match with Malcewicz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shoots and double crosses were not unheard of
by promoter/wrestler combines who decided it’d be much more profitable or them
to hold the belt, with or without the current Champs cooperation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a syndicate wanted something, they often
just took it.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the end of 1935, with the
backing of the syndicate of Lou Daro, Paul Bowser, and Joe “Toots” Mondt, Joe Malcewicz
strong armed his way into taking over the territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the city may have been named after a
Saint, not everyone felt the need to conduct themselves like one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Feeling he really had no choice, Ganson bowed
out for $15,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcewicz would soon
acquire a 20 year lease for the Dreamland auditorium where he would soon begin
running shows.</div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3_8WwvKYWT_mWk1a3D-OkzNWR0OCYzusQShZDzAG7sWGRAPanhsnqY35-yw02tZM0a4IA3bkmPOuZX9igbfmy3LbfdwoIuL3rsVlQNUd4lQ7m5D0V5d_IgRug9mqIBH6KW6_vea-bJMA/s1600/Frank+Sexton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB3_8WwvKYWT_mWk1a3D-OkzNWR0OCYzusQShZDzAG7sWGRAPanhsnqY35-yw02tZM0a4IA3bkmPOuZX9igbfmy3LbfdwoIuL3rsVlQNUd4lQ7m5D0V5d_IgRug9mqIBH6KW6_vea-bJMA/s320/Frank+Sexton.jpg" width="181" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The “Syndicate” would gradually break up, but Malcewicz with the help of
his brother would continue to be the “Czar” of San Francisco for some time to
come, not only running shows at the Dreamland but at the Coliseum Bowl and the
Civic Auditorium as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His territory
extended throughout Northern California and he was running shows in various
cities including but not limited to, <st1:city w:st="on">Oakland</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Richmond</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Fresno</st1:city>, <st1:city w:st="on">Sacramento</st1:city>, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Stockton</st1:city></st1:place>,
and Eureka. In the late 40’s-early 50’s he even managed to bring in such
attractions as Gorgeous George, Primo Carnera, and World Champion Lou Thesz to
headline cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And many of the
mainstays for various lengths of time included notables such as The Sharpe
Brothers, Ben and Mike, as well as Sander Szabo, Bronko Nagurski, Mike Mazurki,
and Pacific Coast Heavyweight Champion Frank Sexton.</div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region>
the first tag team match is said to have taken place in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> in 1901 and tag team wrestling
really didn’t become popular in rest of the country until the 1930’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while Malcewicz saw success with capable
singles wrestlers in his territory, he continued the tradition of keeping <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> as a hot
bed for tag team wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of the
teams that were prominent in the area through the years that Malcewicz was
promoting were Emil and Ernie Dusek, Gene Kiniski and Lord James Blears, and
Sandor Szabo, Enrique Torres, Leo Nomellini, and Ramon Torres also saw success
when teaming with various partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
it was in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city>
on April 4, 1950 that the first “World” Tag Team Champions were crowned when
Ray Eckert and Hardboiled Haggerty defeated Ronnie Etchison and Larry Moquin.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However nothing lasts forever, or in same cases not very long at all,
and such was the case with their title reign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But that was usually the case for any tag team champions when they were
challenged by the brother combination that would dominate and become synonymous
with the tag team division in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>: Ben and Mike Sharpe.</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpyWT1ozFhAf0qYhUrIfU97tQPD8GgRcH-zi1P3SdyLRAnq3DYGSN6C4MPDoivCHQQnhjwg21CZVIRHBqHNS2IzPP8AEAJ4A9lfVoHnbac43gK6NApWt6YfXZeifSLmABUMm4hJT6o9dF/s1600/Sharpe+Brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpyWT1ozFhAf0qYhUrIfU97tQPD8GgRcH-zi1P3SdyLRAnq3DYGSN6C4MPDoivCHQQnhjwg21CZVIRHBqHNS2IzPP8AEAJ4A9lfVoHnbac43gK6NApWt6YfXZeifSLmABUMm4hJT6o9dF/s320/Sharpe+Brothers.jpg" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BEN and MIKE SHARPE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The two hulking brothers from <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Canada</st1:country-region></st1:place> each stood around 6 “4” and
averaged about 270 lbs. in weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
2 man demolition crew possessed tremendous stamina and a relentless brawling
style that caused the Humboldt (CA) Standard newspaper to say that they made “the
so-called Pier 6 brawls look like a quiet meeting at the Monday Night Sewing
club.”</div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eckert and Haggerty held the tag titles for only 5 weeks before losing
them to the Sharpe brothers in what would be the first of 18 NWA World tag team
title reigns for the brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact
even when they would lose the titles, the brothers would often win them back
within 2 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While each saw success
in brief runs in other territories and with other partners, it is in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> where they
made the most impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were so
impressive that Rikidozan imported them to Japan for an angle that eventually
resulted in ad 60 minute draw between the Sharpes and the tag team of Rikidozan
and Mahasiko Kimura. This served to catapult the popularity of Pro Wrestling in Japan and helped greatly in establishing Rikidozan as an Icon in Japan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And too this day,
the Sharpes are revered in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Japan</st1:country-region>
just as much as they are in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San
Francisco</st1:place></st1:city> for their tag team excellence.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While he was extremely tenacious in the ring, Malcewicz, after his
initial take over of the territory, gradually became complacent rather than
tenacious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He made a good living and
business was very good at first, but a gradual decline began as he was not a
man of tremendous vision or ambition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
was content with what he had. <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city> remained
as his “<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Big</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Town</st1:placetype></st1:place>” where althou he ran shows at the
5400 seat Winterland Ballroom (the former “Dreamland arena”) as well as other
venues in the city on alternating weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However neither the Winterland, the Kezar Pavilion, the Coliseum Bowl,
nor the San Francisco Civic Auditorium was being filled to capacity during his
wrestling cards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And while there was
once a time when he’d occasionally book the 15,000 seat <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>,
he was now finding himself in occasional situations where he was holding a show
at the comparatively miniscule California Hall.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But while Malcewicz was comfortable and was experiencing a decline, another
man had an itch he had to scratch and was looking to move upward in both his
life and in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:place></st1:city>.</div>
<br />
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<o:p> </o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Enter The Professor</b></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJYkcBDGp9DmbR0VfMZqWLvlSpICWdK7PVkHkDzOXUMx6JCHwgDzSPU7CnRvAWerkebSjX0LfDVqqYwa28QX1DbL_HAkWZzTQ2VbuLSMVUGMoPUX_UQF7Xr7KgAPeyFc6fWmo-DQD7x6u/s1600/Royshire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJYkcBDGp9DmbR0VfMZqWLvlSpICWdK7PVkHkDzOXUMx6JCHwgDzSPU7CnRvAWerkebSjX0LfDVqqYwa28QX1DbL_HAkWZzTQ2VbuLSMVUGMoPUX_UQF7Xr7KgAPeyFc6fWmo-DQD7x6u/s320/Royshire.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At the end of 1960 “Professor” Roy Shire who’d had a pretty successful
career as a professional wrestler winning several regional singles titles as
well as teaming with Ray Stevens (who had been billed as “Ray Shire” Roy’s
“brother”) to win the NWA World Tag Team titles, was a 38 year old wrestler
seeking to make the transition from wrestler to promoter.</div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In the latter stages of his time in <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state>,
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> was
wrestling hurt after having torn ligaments in his knee from a missed drop
kick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not wanting to lose his spot as
the Texas Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, he did what many wrestlers have done
and continued to do; He wrestled hurt, shooting himself up with Novocain to get
through his matches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, a knife in
the ass from an irate fan (one of the drawbacks of kayfabe and being great at
drawing heat) along with his knee injury went a long way towards convincing
Shire that his future lay in promoting the matches rather than wrestling them.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Shire went to <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city></st1:place>
and approached Joe Malcewicz with an offer to go in as partners or for Shire to
buy him out, but Malcewicz turned down the offer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being single-minded in his desire to promote
in the <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> area, Shire ignored
the “protected” status that Malcewicz enjoyed as an NWA member and began
running shows in competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Malcewicz,
the man once known for his tenaciousness and once caused World Champion Joe
Stecher to walk away from a bout, was no match for Shire’s ambition and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> wasn’t walking
anywhere.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Malcewicz continued running shows and while he may have felt that the
6,000-9,000 people that he was pulling in every month to his various San
Francisco shows was as good as business could get, Roy was a visionary who had
other ideas and bigger plans.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> was still without an actual roster of
wrestling talent when he went to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place> to speak to the
Arena Manager regarding a long term lease for the 15,000 seat arena.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After they came to terms on the lease the building
manager asked <st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city> if he was aware that Joe
Malcewicz was already running shows at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">Civic</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place> and other venues,
and that the shows were only drawing an average of 2,000 people each. At best, Malcewicz might sometimes see an attendance at the Winterland that was north of 3,000 and maybe even 4,000. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city>
acknowledged that he did, and when the arena manager asked Shire why he wanted such a large venue and how how many
wrestling fans he planned on drawing, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city>
responded: “We’ll fill it.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Years later, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Roy</st1:city></st1:place> related the story and his response to
Roland Alexander, who grew up a fan of the Shire territory and now runs the APW
wrestling promotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to
Roland, <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Roy</st1:place></st1:city>
said: “The building manager then laughed, and when the deal was signed and I
was heading to my car, I stopped halfway there and then turned out and went
back inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told him ‘One last thing,
I just want you to know that the next time you laugh at me, I’m going to throw
you out the fucking window.”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the deal was sealed and the arena manager never took an
unscheduled flight, the question still remained:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How in the hell was Renegade Roy going to fill the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cow</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Palace</st1:placetype></st1:place>?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong>...TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR THE CONCLUSION AND FOR "THE GENIUS"!</strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<strong></strong> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Special thanks goes out to Roland Alexander for sharing his memories of the Shire territory, Tim Hornbaker of Legacyofwrestling.com who wrote an excellent profile on the San Francisco territory from which I sourced some of my information; And to the gentlemen at Wrestling-titles.com for keeping a wealth of information on their site of past wrestling title holders.</div>
<br />
<br />Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274367342815097390.post-46737860832294980872013-03-11T19:43:00.000-07:002013-05-18T15:27:32.780-07:00GOING BEYOND THE MAT WITH ROLAND ALEXANDER- By Rock Rims<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-DDAGCsiCisUwRrZABYfs5F8a57geVWGoV0rEhSHt-EURk8WshqyxZ3mvP6xyS9fKLofDCLcOqVUuBAzVH8Rs-4QTachBqeNTsqZyP0mh5RewHVddxvtQyWZeATZzKX_GCCLXdJfGz8c/s1600/sarabryanroland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-DDAGCsiCisUwRrZABYfs5F8a57geVWGoV0rEhSHt-EURk8WshqyxZ3mvP6xyS9fKLofDCLcOqVUuBAzVH8Rs-4QTachBqeNTsqZyP0mh5RewHVddxvtQyWZeATZzKX_GCCLXdJfGz8c/s1600/sarabryanroland.jpg" /></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’ve been a fan of pro wrestling for at least a few years you’ve no doubt heard of if not seen the movie “Beyond the Mat” which was first released in March of 2000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Everybody knows about that movie” Colt Cabana once said on his podcast and Roddy Piper called it “The Best Documentary ever made about Professional Wrestling.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The movie which was produced by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Films and put together and directed by Barry Blaustein, offered a behind the scenes look at professional wrestling and followed the day to day lives of pro wrestlers who were at various stages in their careers. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And profiled in the beginning stages of their careers were professional wrestlers Mike Modest and Tony Jones, who were part of Roland Alexander’s All Pro Wrestling promotion in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Hayward</st1:place>, <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While people came away from the movie with differing views of Roland Alexander, some having a desire to meet and train with him, some feeling he was a “prick”, and others wanting to bear his children, what I’ve found to be indisputable is that Roland Alexander is a fan of pro wrestling and is very passionate about it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I first began communicating with Roland through the California Classic Wrestling Facebook page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up in <st1:city w:st="on">Hayward</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">California</st1:state> (about 45 miles from <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city>) he was a fan of Pro Wrestling and in particular a fan of Roy Shire’s <st1:place w:st="on">Northern California</st1:place> promotion.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“My father had been a prizefighter before meeting my mother and we used to go the store where he would pick up copies of “Ring” magazine because he still followed the sport” Said Roland in our recent interview. “And one day when I was 7 years old, I noticed that there was a small section in the magazine devoted to Pro Wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he took notice that I had begun to watch wrestling on television and so one day when we went to the store he said, ‘It’s only fair that if I get a magazine that we should get one for you.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I looked around and settled on a magazine called ‘Wrestling Revue’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I grew to love that magazine, absolutely loved it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But my mom hated it because it always came with centerfold full-color pinups of the wrestlers that I would tape to my bedroom wall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when I would decide to replace an old pinup poster with a new one, not only would the old poster come off of the wall but some of the paint too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that really pissed her off!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“After my father passed away I had an Uncle who loved Pro wrestling and began taking me to the TV tapings at the Channel 2 Studios of KTVU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What a great scene, as it was near the water and they would have the bleachers there, and they would have the play by play guy who was Walt Harris and the athletic commission Doctor sitting at ringside, which really contributed to making things more believable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a wrestling autograph book which was the greatest thing that you could have as a kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got to meet lots of the wrestlers like Pepper Gomez, Edouard Carpentier and others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I miss that and it’s sad that they don’t have that these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now they have barricades, where before in the 60’s and 70’s they didn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’d see a wrestler standing in one corner of the ring before the match started and he’d be signing autographs for the fans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember Pepper Gomez doing that, and he’d be facing his corner but he’d also have one eye on his opponent on the lookout of a sneak attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Something like that also helped make everything so believable.” </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can certainly identify with those memories that Roland has of being a young wrestling fan, as two of the important aspects of that era were the existence of kayfabe and the intimacy a fan felt with the sport because they had an access to the wrestlers that you often find in the Indies but you just don’t find with the “Big Two” these days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the biggest scores I ever had as a young wrestling fan was just before a lumberjack match at the Olympic Auditorium in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Los Angeles</st1:place></st1:city>, where I just casually walked around the ring and collected all of the wrestler’s autographs!</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland himself would continue to collect not only autographs but great memories of watching such wrestling legends as Ray Stevens, Pepper Gomez, Pat Patterson, Harley Race, and Rocky Johnson, just to name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, Roland would become friends with many of the wrestlers, with wrestler Paul Diamond (the original one) “smartening him up” to the business when still in his teens, and also becoming quite close with Rocky Johnson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I would hang out with and work out with Rocky, play ‘cribbage’ with his beautiful wife Ata, and even babysat a then 2 year old Dewey, not knowing that one day he’d grow up to be known as ‘The Rock.’”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the years went by Roland’s appreciation and passion for Pro Wrestling would continue to grow, as would his understanding of the different aspects that went into making a match one worth watching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually his involvement with Pro Wrestling would encompass much more than watching the Television tapings and Live Events put on by Roy Shire’s promotion or partying with “The Boys”.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was 1991 and I was just too burnt out from my job as an accountant for a corporation and I wanted something else to do,” Roland continued. “Rick Thompson who had been a wrestler and helped the Samoans Afa and Sika break into wrestling, approached me and said, ‘You’ve got to good a head for wrestling, why didn’t you ever get into it, even as a manager?’” And so the idea of opening up a wrestling school was planted in Roland’s mind.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Well when I was growing up watching wrestling, there were only 2 schools that I heard of that were teaching wrestling and that was Verne Gagne’s in <st1:state w:st="on">Minnesota</st1:state> and Stu Hart’s in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Calgary</st1:place></st1:city>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would later learn that the best one was being run by Boris Malenko, Dean’s Dad.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland soon found out that there were now many more wrestling schools in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> than he realized.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“As a result of Pro Wrestling going from regional promotions to National ones like the WCW and WWF, there were lots of wrestlers who were suddenly out of jobs and some were now turning to running schools.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland would also discover a problem in that, while many of the better wrestlers were able to secure jobs with the WWF and WCW, many of the ones who weren’t so good or sound in their craft weren’t able to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland feels that it was some of these who were opening some of the wrestling schools, and thus as a result, it became a case of “the blind leading the blind.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Originally known as “Pacific Coast Sports”, the school which would come to be called “The Boot Camp” was opened up by Roland and a partner in 1991. “The first 5 years we struggled a bit and then we got a break when Spike Dudley (a former student of Roland’s) made it big in ECW, as well as when Vic Grimes and Crash Holly had success.” <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Other graduates of the “Boot Camp” include the Great Khali, Michael Modest, Donovan Morgan, Tony Jones, Brent Albright, and the “Queen of Wrestling” Sara Del Rey.</span> </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland feels that there are several differences that separate his school and most others in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I offer a two year program, although some learn a little quicker and can do it in a year. Because this is a complex sport, a complex performance art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t teach you to be a good cook at McDonald’s in 3 months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want my students to be absolutely ready when they graduate, to look good.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland said that one of the biggest compliments he ever received was when Dave Meltzer stood in disbelief when finding out that one of Alexander’s students, who had just impressed Meltzer with his wrestling performance, was only making his pro debut.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Training in the APW Boot Camp consists of three stages: Beginner, Semi-Pro, and Pro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The student learns the basics and fundamentals of wrestling (</span>“We teach 5 different kinds of arm bars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know any other school that does that”) and progresses into the higher stages where he learns such important facets of the game as detailed selling and advanced ring psychology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland adds, “I’ve surrounded myself with good people over the years and I believe that we have one of the top 2 or 3 schools in the country."</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And one of those good people would undoubtedly have to be Bryan Danielson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the success of the movie “Beyond the Mat” came more awareness of Roland and his school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It was good for APW and I’ll be forever grateful” said Roland. (“Roland is known Worldwide” said “Wrestling’s Last Hope” writer Jose Haze) It also led to an increase in revenue for Roland that resulted in his producing 2 well known events in Independent Pro Wrestling history: The King of the <st1:place w:st="on">Indies</st1:place> tournaments in 2000 and 2001.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The inaugural tournament was considered a success and received acclaim, but it was the 2001 event that proved to be a pivotal point in recent Indy history.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Going from the previous year’s 8 man to a 16 man format in 2001, the tournament featured a who’s who of <st1:placetype w:st="on">North America</st1:placetype>’s Independent Wrestling talent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“American Dragon” Bryan Danielson, Low Ki, Samoa Joe, Brian “Spanky” Kendrick, Tony Jones, AJ Styles, Bison Smith, Frankie Kazarian, Doug Williams, Christopher Daniels and Adam Pearce were just some of the wrestlers who participated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RF video (who distributes the 2 Disc DVD set of the event), whose owner and President Rob Feinstein would go on to found Ring of Honor, has referred to this tournament as the inspiration for the forming of ROH.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ByXFSsOlkso?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the opening round Danielson and Spanky would set the tone for the rest of the weekend tournament with an incredible match.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Danielson has said of this match: :<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I wasn’t supposed to win the match, but we put on such a good match that Nick(Bockwinkel who along with the Destroyer was one of the legends in attendance) went up to Roland and told him that ‘that kid should win this tournament. Roland offered me a job to wrestle and train (at APW), gave me a good salary on top of that and the flexibility to do my Indy bookings.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland paid Danielson $350 a week (Almost 3 times what he normally paid) to be a trainer at the Boot Camp and offered him a room in his house to live in while he was training Roland’s students during an 8 month period in 1992.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland loved Danielson’s work ethic, abilities, and attitude.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Roland says, “I like Brian because Brian was a wrestler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His room was lined with several hundred wrestling tapes and he never came out of his room, he was too busy watching, studying tapes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a student of the game.” And regarding Danielson’s continued success, Roland says “This guy is a wrestler [meaning someone who uses actual wrestling holds and techniques], and at one time <st1:placetype w:st="on">Japan</st1:placetype> and ROH were better for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not surprised that he got over, but I was surprised that WWE allowed him to get over, because Vince McMahon hasn’t catered to wrestlers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now that Vince’s product has gotten stale, it might be different.”</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The school has had its ups and downs over the years as has Roland’s physical health, and the downturn in the economy has affected many businesses, and while Roland’s hasn’t been immune to that, he continues to persevere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The <st1:placetype w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Wrestling</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:placetype> business is a struggle today”, observes Roland. “The California Classics facebook board has rejuvenated me. While I may not like how the wrestling business is today, I still have a large passion for pro wrestling. I started as a fan and I’m still a fan.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my personal communications with Roland it’s very obvious that he’s still a fan and I’m glad that he is, because he has a wealth of knowledge and memories to pass along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first lessons he learned from Paul Diamond that he still continues to pass along is “Keep your mouth shut, your ears open, and absorb like a sponge.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s wise advice to follow, whether on the mat or beyond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>– RR</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the near future I’ll be doing an in-depth retrospective of The King of the Indies 2001 tournament complete with interviews, so stay tuned!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below are links for APW’s website, twitter page and their YouTube channel which has tons of APW matches and a great in-depth panel discussion on the past and present of Pro Wrestling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also keep up to date on my future articles (and take a look at my past ones) via my twitter and blog links which are also below.</div>
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APW Official Website: <span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://www.allprowrestling.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">www.allprowrestling.com/</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Follow APW on twitter: </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><a href="http://twitter.com/allprowrestling"><span style="color: blue;">http://twitter.com/allprowrestling</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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APW Then & Now <a href="http://youtu.be/J-H8cMdOF4I"><span style="color: blue;">http://youtu.be/J-H8cMdOF4I</span></a></div>
Rock Rims: The Flying Body Presshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00162489455035779995noreply@blogger.com0