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.
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!
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.
The cover art for When It Was Big Time: A 100 Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling 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! 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.
Mozart.
Picasso. Billie Holiday. Jerry Lee Lewis. Elvis Presley. John Lennon. 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.
William Muldoon. Ad Santel. Ed “Strangler” Lewis. Ben & Mike Sharpe. Leo Nomellini.
Ray Stevens. Pat Patterson. Rocky Johnson. Peter Maivia. Moondog Mayne. 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.
With over 300 pages and nearly two hundred
photographs, some never published, When
it was Big Time: A 100-Year History of Northern California Pro Wrestling, 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.
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.
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.
“You look like shit.Do you ever
work out?”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 Northern
California in 1965.By this
time Ray Stevens had already established himself as the “Golden Goose”, the top
heel of the “Big Time Wrestling” promotion in Northern
California.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.
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, hadcome to town looking to gain something.Only at first, he didn’t get what he was
looking for.
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.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:“He said, ‘The boys don’t make the decisions here, I make the
decisions.’Roy Shire was very hard to
work for.”
As it turned out, Stevens had just left to work an extended tour of Australia 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.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 1985.3 months after Pat’s
arrival, Roy
relented, telling Patterson to dye his hair as the new tag team of Patterson
and Stevens was to be known as “The Blond Bombers.”Longtime wrestling fan Robert Counts lived
near the CowPalace 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.”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.
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.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.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.
“They got heat.They got natural
heat.They could work with anybody,”
said Red Bastien.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.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 Hawaii, Phoenix, and the Pacific Northwest.
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.Indeed, it was a safe
bet that Shire no loner felt that Pat looked like “shit”.Also during that December tour of the Pacific
Northwest Pat would regain the Pacific Northwest Heavyweight title by beating
Tony Borne.It was the belt he had lost
shortly before leaving Portland
2 years before.It didn’t last long of
course as Pat would drop the belt back to Borne 9 days later on December 18th,
and the Blonde Bombers were soon back in San Francisco.
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 San FranciscoCowPalace
on New Year Eve.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.
Their second reign as champs didn’t last nearly as long as the first one
however asthe 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 CowPalace show on April the 8th,
The Bombers dropped the tag belts to the popular team of Pedro Morales and
Pepper Gomez.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.
For most of 1968 Pat Patterson was doing tours in Australia and Japan
as well as having a run for several months in Amarillo
where he suddenly had become a "Lord".He
would return to Northern California
in 1969 only to find that his old partner Stevens had a change of heart and was
now wrestling as a “good guy.”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!I’m going to have to knock some sense into the guy!”
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.Whether it was in
singles matches or tag matches, matches for the U.S.
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, Reno, Nevada,
and even Hawaii.It involved two master psychologists and
workers in the ring, and it captivated the imaginations of those who witnessed
their battles.
“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 Northern California wrestling memorabilia.“They were both naturals.Together they had chemistry like no
other.They were simply artists in
action and against each other it was like 2 dancers at the top of their routine.Patterson was lucky enough to be able to
learn things from Stevens butStevens was also lucky enough to
learn from Patterson.Honestly, I do not
know if I would have been so obsessed with the sport had it not been for both
of them.”
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.I learned a lot from him.And I learned a lot from Roy Shire.”
Superstar Billy Graham had come in from Los
Angeles in October of 1970 and had been paired with
Patterson so that he could learn from a master worker and psychologist.He also took part in the Patterson/Stevens
feud and learned from them both, referring to his time in San Francisco as earning his degree in “mark
psychology.”He had the utmost respect
for the work of his tag partner Patterson and expressed some of those
sentiments in his autobiography “Tangled Ropes”.
“He was a flawless heel, vicious, and aggressive, and did everything
with precise timing.To this day,
there’s never been anybody who can throw better mounted punches from the
ropes.When his head ran into the ring post,
it recoiled, with hair flying backward, like it was about to pop off.”
Eventually the feud would come to an end as Ray would head to the Midwest to work for Verne Gagne’s AWA, although he’d return
a few times to resume the feud.In the
end he and Pat would kiss and make up before Pat would eventually join him in
the AWA.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.It was that feud with
Caine that made Rod Higashino a lifelong fan of both Pat Patterson and classic
pro wrestling.
“(Patterson) was part of the defining moment for me becoming a full
blown wrestling fan.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’”.Rod became frustrated as he saw top heel and
current U.S.
champ “The Great Mephisto” win week after week with his “loaded” boot.
“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.As I sat there mesmerized,
Patterson began unlacing Mephisto’s ‘loaded’ boot and eventually took off with
it!Mephisto came out complaining that
one of his legs was shorter than the other and without his special boot he
would lose his equilibrium.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.That was it- I was hooked!That was the angle that got me watching each
and every week and made Patterson my 'all time favorite'”.
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.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 U.S.
champ, after winning a tournament.He
would defend that belt in Northern California, wrestle a couple of shots in
both L.A. and New York,
and then finish out the year in Florida.After over a dozen years working for Roy
Shire, much longer than he expected, Pat Patterson would find himself in Verne
Gagne’s AWA.
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.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.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.He
was even awarded the NWA America’s title after a fictitious match in Hawaii before defending and losing the title against Chavo
Guerrero in Los Angeles
on November 16th.Such was
his credibility as a champion.
For the next few years he would split time between the WWF and the
AWA.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.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 Northern
California promotion was getting ready to fold.
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.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.He would also beat NWA
World Champion Harley Race by count out on what was to be Roy Shire’s last
wrestling card.
Patterson, who at one time helped Shire with
booking his territory, had developed into one of the greatest minds in
wrestling. 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.
On May 27, 2013 The WWE was in Calgary,
Alberta,
Canada
for a taping of their flagship television show “RAW” and what was to be “The
Bret Hart Appreciation Night”.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.Foremost among them was Pat Patterson, who
referred to Bret as “The greatest Canadian of all time.”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.”
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
Special thanks to Rod Higashino, Robert Counts, Joe Sousa, and Les Puskas for sharing their memories of Ray Stevens and Pat Patterson.
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".
Sources:
Wrestlingtitles.com
"Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams" by Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson
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.It was November 10, 1973 at the CowPalace
in San Francisco,
and Pat Patterson and “Moondog” Lonnie Mayne were set to clash in the main
event for Patterson’s United States Heavyweight Wrestling Title.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.Now he was
looking to avenge that beating and Mayne was looking to avenge the
interference.And if he won the U.S.
title in the process that would just be the icing on the cake.
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 1st, with legendary tough guy Peter Maivia as the
special referee, nothing was settled as Moondog Mayne lost the 3rd
fall of the rematch on a count out.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.
10,000 fans had been treated to an intense back and forth battle and
promoter Roy Shire knew he had gold.3
weeks later the two were matched up yet again, and 12, 517 screaming fans
packed the CowPalace
and ponied up $52,006 to watch Moondog Mayne once again challenge the champion.That was almost twice the audience and gate
that had witnessed Dutch Savage do the same thing less than 3 months earlier.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!
There would be rematches with Patterson as well as challenges from other
formidable foes such as Don Muraco, Rocky Johnson, and Peter Maivia.And in the summer of ’74 Moondog would find
himself in the position of challenger once again.
The Champ comes to town
NWA World Heavyweight
Champion Jack Brisco was coming to San
Francisco for a rare visit and as the U.S. Heavyweight
Champion, Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne was the number one contender in the
territory.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.This would not be the first time or the last
that Lonnie Mayne would fight for a World title.And as he always did, he gave the champ all
that he could handle.Could you imagine
the reaction the CowPalace fans would have, if this dog food eating,
glass chewing animal who held the U.S. title would become the World
champion as well?Their hearts must’ve
momentarily stopped because it nearly happened!
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!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.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.The
decision was reversed with Moondog Mayne now being disqualified and Brisco
escaping with his title!Well easy come,
easy go.
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.Well at least Moondog still had his U.S.
title belt.At least for a couple of
months anyway as Peter Maivia would win the belt on October 12th.Rematches in San
Francisco, Sacramento, and Las Vegas would ensue,
along with a rekindled feud with Pat Patterson which was more hot and heavy
than their first time around.
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!The fans were now rooting enthusiastically
for the “Moondog” but this run in San
Francisco was quickly coming to its end.
On The Road Again
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.After 6 months of that it was
on to the LoneStarState, where he feuded for several
months with Jose Lothario, challenged the America’s
Heavyweight Champion Chavo Guerrero in a rare title defense outside of Los Angeles, and won a
battle royal.
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.Lonnie found a place
in the hearts of the Texas Wrestling fans.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.
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.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.
Did He Really Call You Crazy?
In February of 1967, almost right from the start of Lonnie Mayne’s
career in the Pacific Northwest, Ringside
commentator Frank Bonnema was right by his side along for the ride.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.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.
Now, it was the spring of 1977, 10 years since they first worked
together, and Lonnie Mayne was back in Oregon.
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.And with Frank Bonnema holding
the microphone, Lonnie was discussing his upcoming match with U.S. Champion
Alexis Smirnoff at the CowPalace in San
Francisco.
“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 CowPalace
I got a United States Championship match.I had that before Frank.I had
that belt and tonight I got it again and you know what’s goin?I’m going to beat him like raw
hamburger!”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.In mock surprise Bonnema then asked Lonnie,
“Did he really say you were crazy?”
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.And in the Pacific
Northwest it was with open arms that he was welcomed back.
Don Owen’s Pacific Northwest 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.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.
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.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.
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.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 Oregon or bite me!”Although his character was simple and
sometimes even crude, that wasn’t something that worked against him but rather
in his favor.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.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.
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 “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.In the
Northwest, he was simply known as “Lonnie”.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.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.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.It was a testament
not only to his appeal with the fans but to his tremendous versatility as a
performer.– RR
Next:Saying Good bye to Lonnie
Special thanks to Doug McCleer for sharing some of his photos for this article.
