GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN By Rock Rims

   Growing up in the East Los Angeles and El Monte areas of Southern California 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.  But what I was watching on the television screen on a particular Saturday afternoon in 1978 really blew my mind.  Moondog Mayne, the current America’s Heavyweight Wrestling Champion was being interviewed by Jeff Walton at the Olympic Auditorium about an upcoming match and… and he was eating glass. 

   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 Los Angeles area at the time was “El Halcon” and he was to be Moodog’s next opponent.  One by one, opponents had been falling in defeat to the wild Moondog and not just preliminary guys either.  Established and capable veterans like Black Gordman, Chavo Guerrero, and Hector Guerrero had fallen at the feet of the America’s champion.  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 “Loser Leave Town” matches.  Each time, I hoped Moondog’s opponent would prevail, but it was not to be.

    El Halcon was a former National heavyweight wrestling champion in Mexico and when entered the area I felt he was a great wrestler and would be the one to rid L.A. of the Moondog.  But after watching the glass eating incident I seriously began to question his chances against this crazy man.  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.  And no doubt many people of all ages did the same thing after watching a Moondog Mayne interview.  He was just that fascinating.

   Little did I know that during that same time period, Lonnie Mayne was also taking trips up North to the San Francisco area, only there, he was wrestling as a “good guy”!  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!  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.

   Soon he would up the ante in Southern California as he joined forces with Rowdy Roddy Piper who had been the top heel in the territory for 2 years at that point.  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.  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 Los Angeles, the Moondog and Piper were bitter enemies in San Francisco.

   The Spanish International Network which broadcast the Spanish language editions of the televised wrestling programs from the Olympic Auditorium had a strong satellite feed.  As a result people in other parts of the country, including the Bay area in Northern California,  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.

“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!”

Photo Courtesy of Jim Fitzpatrick

   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.  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. 

   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.  He’s great, and he’s going places in this business!”  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.  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.  That’s a quality not always seen in a competitive business where too many are often concerned that someone else will steal their “spot”.  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.”

   Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Lonnie had lost the America’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.  While I was happy to hear that my hero Mil Mascaras had defeated the Moondog in that July 28^th match at the Olympic, the Moondog was still in Southern California, and 2 weeks later on August 11^th, he regained the America’s title from Hector Guerrero.  And up in San Francisco, he was preparing to meet his next challenge for the U.S. title on August 19, with Buddy Rose as his opponent.  However it wasn’t to be.

Saying Good bye

 

   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.  Most of my relatives weren’t fans of professional wrestling so occasionally I’d miss the televised wrestling programs while socializing.  During the 3^rd week of August, I approached my friend Michael, asking him to update me on Moondog Mayne’s next challenger.  What he said next floored me.

   “He’s dead.”  I couldn’t believe what I had heard.  “What?!” I asked.  “He’s dead” he repeated.  “They said on television that he got hit by a car after a wrestling match.”  That isn’t exactly what happened of course, but the result was unfortunately the same.  Lonnie “Moondog” Mayne was no longer with us.  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.  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.  I was saddened and I greatly missed him.  Such was the man’s appeal, whether he wrestled as a “face” or a “heel.”

   On August 13, 1978, Lonnie had appeared at the San Bernardino Arena for his scheduled match with Chavo Guerrero.  The promoter of that night’s card Jeff Walton recalled seeing Lonnie drinking a little brandy in the locker room before his match.  Lonnie explained that it was to help with his cold, because despite being sick, Lonnie still showed up for his booking.

   After the matches were over Chavo Guerrero recalled seeing Lonnie standing outside of his car, double over.  “He was puking” Chavo would say, and when he asked if he was alright, Lonnie replied that he was.  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.  He was 4 weeks shy of his 34^th birthday.  When the news of the accident and Lonnie’s death was heard, wrestling fans across the country were stunned.

Courtesy of "The Nito Gomez Collection"

   The news was broadcast on the August 19^th airing of the “Big Time Wrestling” television program in Northern California.  That evening, the main event was changed as Buddy Rose and Dean Ho would now compete for the U.S. title that Lonnie held at the time of his death.  Fans at the Cow Palace 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.

   “It shocked the hell out of a lot of us” recalls Nito Gomez, who was at the Cow Palace that night.  “It was dead quiet in the Cow Palace and I had never like that before.  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.”  Wrestling commentator Joe Sousa was also there that night and adds: “The silence was so loud, if that makes any sense.  I cried big time.”  And Ken Faria who grew up as a fan of the Roy Shire promotion remembers: “I was shocked!  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.  Hell, Lonnie ate nails, how could he die?!”

   On Kayfabememories.com, Buddy Rose would later write, “I was supposed to be his next title match in the Cow Palace for the United States title.  I was looking forward to working with a man who helped me early in my career in Texas.  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.  He was a great worker, and a master of psychology, when it came to working the fans.  I have nothing but kind things to say about the man, and his career.  He is, and will always be missed.”

   In Portland they held a Memorial service honoring his memory during the wrestling card that was held on August 24^th at the Lane County Fairgrounds Auditorium in Eugene, Oregon.  Fans said a tearful good bye not to “Moondog” but to their “Pied Piper”, the man they simply knew as Lonnie.

   And in Los Angeles they held a tournament for the America’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.  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.”  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.

   Immediately there was speculation as to what caused the accident.  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.  Admittedly when I became older I too wondered if alcohol was to blame.  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.

   Chavo Guerrero, who had wrestled Lonnie that night, stated that Lonnie wasn’t inebriated.  “He wasn’t drunk”, he would say, “I saw it.”

   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.  Lonnie hadn’t been drinking for weeks.’”.  If anyone would know, it would be Hector as he had been working a program with Lonnie in Los Angeles and had the opportunity to see Lonnie on a regular basis.

   Some may ask, “what about the fact that Jeff Walton witnessed Lonnie drinking in the locker room that night?”  Anyone who knew Lonnie knew that when he was drinking liquor he was drinking Southern Comfort.  What Lonnie had been drinking that night was brandy, which some people do feel helps with a cold.  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.  However if Lonnie had stopped drinking in the weeks before that night, it would’ve been unusual for him to be seen drinking and that may be why he felt the need to explain his drinking brandy that night.  Why would Lonnie feel a need to explain why he was drinking, unless people had recently become accustomed to seeing him not drinking?  As Shawn Mayne says, “Lonnie never felt a reason to explain anything he did.”

   Some have felt that Lonnie’s vomiting and disorientation that night may have been due to a previously sustained undiagnosed concussion.  Those symptoms would certainly be consistent with that.  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.”  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. 

   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.  And for another, Lonnie had too much to live for.  Many people aren’t aware that Lonnie was in the process of making huge changes in his life.

   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.  Shawn Mayne told me: “About a week before he passed away, Lonnie was back home and I can remember it like it was yesterday.  We were sitting on the front porch with my Mom and Dad and Lonnie said that he was going to quit the business.  He was going to finish up in California, do one more tour of Japan, and that he was going to finish up by Christmas and come home.  He also said that he was going to go to rehab. ”

   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.  “She said that she loved him but she couldn’t handle the drinking.”  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.  “We’re the best of friends” he told Fujiwara, “Let’s keep in touch.”  Those are not the words and not the plans of a man who was looking to exit the world any time soon.

   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.  The only thing that can be said with certainty is that on that August 13^th night, people tragically lost their lives and an empty space was left in the lives of those who knew and loved them.  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.  Yet, even the ones he had already had at that point have given us much we fondly remember and discuss so many years later. 

   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.  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.

   Someone once said, “That as long as a person is remembered, they are never truly dead.”  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.  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      

 

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.

 

I’d also like to than Jim Fitzpatrick of “Fine Art America”, 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”.

 

 

Sources:

Conversation with Shawn K. Mayne

Wrestlingdata.com

Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Heels – By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson

Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Tag Teams – By Greg Oliver and Steven Johnson

Mr. Fuji Shoot Interview – RF Video

“Wrestling fans in mourning” By Rich Romine; Press-Courier, August 19, 1978

Eugene Register-Guard, August 24, 1978

"EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR" (PT.1) By Rock Rims

 

 

  He was quite a large man.  And like many large men, he had a strong air of confidence.  In fact, he seemed to exude such a high level of confidence that he appeared to think he was invulnerable.  And it was all those traits that made the words he would speak seem all the more ominous.  “…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?!  What am I going to have to go out in the ring against?!  What could I possibly do against a man like that?!”

     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.  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.  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. 

     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 Pacific Northwest territory.  Soon, the feud would end and Lonnie would be headed back to California and I would catch my first glimpse of the Moondog.  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.

 

Where It All Started

 

     Ronald “Lonnie” Doyle Mayne was born on September 12, 1944 in the small town of Fairfax in Northern California.  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.  Kenny would also venture into professional wrestling, first as an in-ring performer before also adding to his resume the  promoting of wrestling in Utah starting in the 1950’s. 

     Though he was born in California Lonnie was raised in Utah 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.  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.  Lonnie’s younger brother Shawn told a story regarding a young Lonnie expressing extreme disappointment when Santa hadn’t delivered a much desired motorcycle.  “That dirty old son of a bitch didn’t bring me a motorcycle!’ Lonnie exclaimed before heading back to his room.  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.

      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.  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”.  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 Pacific Northwest territory and would become instrumental in Lonnie’s early success in pro wrestling.  Borne later fondly recalled his first impressions of a then-12 year old Lonnie Mayne.  While he referred to him as a “snot nosed kid”, he also said,  “…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)

     Lonnie would also display an aptitude for football and was an All-American while playing at the College of Southern Utah.  After college Lonnie weighed his options between pursuing a possible career in professional football and pursuing one in professional wrestling.  Fortunately for many fans of the mat game, he chose the ring.

     He began wrestling at age 20, and after wrestling for a few months in Utah, where he held the North American tag team titles with Bobby Mayne, he then headed to Southern California. Promoter Jules Strongbow who along with the Cal and Eileen Eaton, were the promoters of the WWA in Southern California and despite not being affiliated with the NWA, ran an extremely strong promotion.  At the time Los Angeles 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 Japan.

 

   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 Los Angeles on October 5, 1965, less than 2 weeks before Morales would win the WWA Heavyweight title.  That great showing would earn him a rematch with Morales 3 weeks later, this time for his newly won title.  Each combatant would win a fall only for the match to end in a draw as neither was able to secure the decisive fall. 

     Lonnie would continue to make a showing for himself as a singles wrestler, also wrestling to draws with such Los Angeles wrestling stars as Nick Bockwinkel, Enrique Torres, and Mr. Moto.  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.   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 Japan that same year.

     Feeling that his promoter father may have had something to do with that, no doubt Lonnie’s being booked in Japan 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 Japan’s JWA.  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.”  Shawn Mayne also feels that Lonnie’s strong amateur wrestling background played a part.

     “Truth be known Lonnie had a great scientific talent!  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.  He became a true hooker in the pro ranks.  Lonnie took after our Father to an extent and learned a lot from him!  He was a State Champion in High School in Wrestling.  Lonnie was the youngest wrestler to go to Japan in the late 1960’s where as you know, scientific skills were and still a must, even being ‘green’”!

     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.  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.

     It must’ve been quite an experience for the young man from Utah to be on a professional wrestling tour in the exotic country of Japan at such an early age.  Even at that time a tour of Japan 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.  The tour lasted a little under 2 months and Lonnie would find himself on opposite sides of the ring with some of Japan’s top stars including Shohei “Giant” Baba, Antonio Inoki, and Kintaro Oki.  Tours of Japan can also make strange bedfellows as Pedro Morales, his main singles opponent in Los Angeles, sometimes found himself as Lonnie’s partner during the tour.  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.

     But for now it was back to Los Angeles 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.

 

Next time:  What else would a dog eat?

 

Sources:

Legacyofwrestling.com

Wrestlingdata.com

THE SUPERMAN OF WRESTLING - By Rock Rims

      It was hot and it was itchy and there was no way I was getting rid of it.  Thankfully, it didn’t require a trip to the free clinic. 

America's Heavyweight Champ

     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.  And it wasn’t just any wrestling mask; it was a replica of the kind that Mil Mascaras wore.  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.

    Halloween has always been a favorite holiday for me and this time was no exception.  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.

     It probably wasn’t surprising that I’d feel that way, for the Luchadores of Mexico seemed to be more than just wrestlers.  They did in fact project the image of being true to life superheroes.  For along with the masks they would often wear colorful robes or ring jackets and often capes as well.  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.

     I wonder if he felt the same way when he’d don one of his many colorful masks?  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.  And while on that Halloween he had only been wrestling in the U.S. for 3 1/2 years, he had certainly already become a hero of mine.

      Initially wrestling under the name Ricardo Duran, Rodriguez would soon adopt the identity of “Mil Mascaras” the Man of a Thousand Masks, debuting in Guadalajara, Mexico in July of 1965.  Larger than many of  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.  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 United States.

    And I was only one of many who would be grateful that Mascaras always had great ambition.  For when Mil Mascaras arrived in Mike LeBelle’s Southern California territory in the Spring of 1968, he brought with him an exciting repertoire of high flying lucha moves and wrestling holds and counters.  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. 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.

     Mascaras would hold the title for 3 months before losing it to El Mongol and leaving the area before returning to L.A. in the early part of 1969.  He quickly resumed his winning ways and regained the title by defeating the Sheik on April 25,1969.  By this time the WWA World Title had been retired for 5 months and the America’s title was now the most prestigious title in the area which was now affiliated with the NWA.  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.  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.

     Also during that same 2 years Mil Mascaras would be a co-holder of the America’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.  He also rounded out his collection of titles in the area by being a part of the America’s 6 man tag team champions on 3 occasions. 

      Dubbed “The Superman of Wrestling” by LeBelle territory publicist Jeff Walton, Mascaras would capture the hearts and minds of the Los Angeles wrestling fans and would soon capture the attention of wrestling promoters and fans worldwide.  Mascaras continued his International exposure by wrestling and winning his first match in Japan against Kantaro Hoshino on February 19, 1971.  He immediately established himself as an attraction in Japan and went on to tour the country numerous times over the next few decades. 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. 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 Japan were the ones he had against fellow masked legend “The Destroyer.”

    Picking up right where they left on in L.A., their encounters never failed to captivate the Japanese audience or those who still discover those classic matches on video nearly 40 years later.  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. 
 

     “He was the best competitor that I ever wrestled,” Beyer said when the Cauliflower Alley Club honored Mascaras in 2006.  “He never gave you anything ‘it’s true’, but I didn’t give him anything either.  You talk about a shoot or half-shoot, and that’s the kind of match that it was.” (1)

      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.  While he ventured there less frequently, he never neglected his home country of Mexico 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.

     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 U.S. 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 U.S. clamored to see the masked star as well. 

    On December 18, 1972, New York’s Madison Square Garden 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. 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.

    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 Southern California.  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.

     He was the Latino that I could look up to at the time.  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.  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.  He was muscular and strong and was a good street fighter.  As young kids, we found that appealing and admirable.  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. 

     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!  And I didn’t recall ever seeing him being led away in handcuffs.

   So in between his visits to L.A.  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.  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.  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.

    With such titles as “Mil Mascaras: ‘The Time had come to tell all’ ; What he looks like without his mask”  and "What I look for in a Woman: By Mil Mascaras",  I would be captivated by the words of fiction that were written as well as the pictures of my masked hero.

      And as could be expected, when Mascaras did visit Southern California, the box office ticket sales would dramatically increase wherever he appeared.  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.

     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.

     I saw less and less of Mascaras over the years, although he appeared on occasion on the undercards of the occasional U.S. promotion televised program.  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.  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.  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.  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!

     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.  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. 

     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.  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.  I would also witness him wrestle in a match a couple of months later, and being just shy of his 62^nd birthday, he looked incredibly fit!

     While famed Southern California 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.  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^th anniversary of his debut in Japan.  The following year he would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in April of 2013.  2 months later, just 1 month shy of his 70^th birthday, Mil Mascaras would defeat rising star Samuray Del Sol.  And just one month before the time of this writing, Mil Mascaras won a match in Japan on April 11, 2013.

     Mil Mascaras… The Man of a Thousand Masks, a Thousand holds, and countless more memorable wrestling moments. - RR

You can view a 1973 match between Mil Mascaras and the Destroyer on my Youtube channel by clicking this link: http://youtu.be/W5pN1r7DxaQ

Mil Mascaras in 6 man tag action at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium: http://youtu.be/-Uodva7IuS0

(1) Race & Hennig go over at Cauliflower Alley Club Banquet- By Greg Oliver - Slam! Wrestling - June 11, 2006  http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2006/06/11/1625969.html

From WHICH Mexico??!! by Rock Rims

     It was in Los Angeles during the 70’s, and the proud young Mexican Man had had enough of his rival, his adversary, and was letting him know in no uncertain terms that there was soon going to be a day of reckoning. 

     However his adversary seemed un-phased by the young man’s words, and stood with a look of both defiance and smugness, then in response said, “You will not do anything!  You’re just a wetback!"

 

     Now I don’t know who was more startled by the comments, the young Mexican man or me.  But the young Mexican was so shocked and angry by the derogatory and inflammatory words that he stumbled over the first couple of words in his response.

     “What?! What?! What do you mean calling me a wetback?!!” With disdain and that same smugness his adversary explained in a matter of fact way, “Because that’s how you got here…by swimming!” And he then proceeded to mimic doing the backstroke.

 

     The young Mexican certainly didn’t seem prepared for what he was hearing, and neither was I.  And in spite of the young Mexican man being one of my heroes at the time, and in spite of my being Mexican-American myself, Chicano, and knowing that if anyone had ever said those words to me, they had better be fast runners…  I had to laugh…

     I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed and I immediately went to tell my mom who was in the next room.  She just shook her head and said, “He just never changes…”  It was the late 70’s, I was in elementary school, and I had just seen of my wrestling heroes, Chavo Guerrero, in a verbal confrontation with wrestler Black Gordman on local TV channel 52.  And as much as that confrontational promo made me want to see Chavo thrash Black Gordman (which of course was the desired result of the promo) at the next live event, I somehow couldn’t bring myself to hate Gordman.  Maybe part of that had to do with me always having a dark sense of humor, even at an early age, but there was still something oddly appealing about the wrestling heel.  And what made the whole scene all the more memorable, more intriguing, and somewhat ludicrous was, that Gordman seemed more Mexican to me than Chavo Guerrero was!  And what I mean by that is, that while both Gordman and Chavo were Mexican, Gordman spoke with a heavy accent, while Chavo didn’t.

     Long before JBL was doing the “anti-immigrant” angle in his feud with the late, great Eddie Guerrero, and long before Eddie and his tag partner Art Barr were inciting riots among wrestling’s Mexican fans in the early 90’s, Black Gordman had become a genius in generating heat from Mexican wrestling fans in the Southwest and in Southern California.  And he wasn’t alone.  Along with long time partner the Great Goliath, who would both make a point to claim to be from “New Mexico” rather than Mexico, he became a part of the 70’s tag team that was greatly successful in both raising the ire of the fans, and in winning multiple tag team titles in various promotions. 

    But even before they hit this side of the border, Black Gordman and the Great Goliath had already experienced a taste of success in the wrestling business.  In spite of Goliath being paid with a 6 pack of Coca-Cola for his first wrestling match, as singles wrestlers in Mexico, both Gordman and Goliath had their share of success and individual reigns as holders of the Mexican National Heavyweight wrestling title.  And Gordman had gained enough attention for his success in the ring to have been giving an acting part opposite Lucha Libre legend El Santo in the movie “El Tesoro de Dracula.”

   And they would quickly gain success in the U.S. as well.  Each of them would have reigns as the “Beat the Champ” TV champions in the LaBelle wrestling territory during the 70’s.  And Gordman would also go on to win the America’s Heavyweight title as well, engaging in notable feuds over the belt with such wrestling greats as John Tolos, Mil Mascaras, Porkchop Cash, and Victor Rivera.  But it was as tag team partners that Black Gordman and the Great Goliath would see the most success and their greatest impact on the wrestling scene.  And while it was Aristotle who made the observation that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”, it didn’t take a genius to see that the pairing of Gordman and Goliath was pure wrestling gold.

     Black Gordman and the Great Goliath displayed a good working ability in the ring, displaying great timing and wrestling with bursts of quickness and great tenacity. And while their out of the ring chemistry has been in dispute, there is no doubt about their in-ring chemistry.  And sadly, it’s that kind of great in-ring chemistry that is rarely seen these days, as tag teams are often haphazardly thrown together, with the participants looking to function as individuals rather than a cohesive unit.

     Tag team championships would soon follow for Gordman and Goliath, with the pair winning the NWA Western States Tag Team titles, The Georgia Tag Team titles, The Texas Tag Team titles, the Central States tag team titles, as well as the San Francisco version of the NWA World Tag Team titles.  And their abilities were not only recognized stateside, as they would also be invited to tour Japan as well.  Unfortunately, very little video footage of this great tag team exists these days, but footage of a couple of their matches from Japan is among the footage that does.  In viewing the footage while beginning to make a DVD compilation, I was once again reminded of some of the things that made them so great.

    Besides their ability to execute moves (with Gordman performing the “DDT” years before Jake “The Snake” claimed to have invented it), their ability to get the crowd involved was also apparent.  They had a great way of balancing the way they executed their offense as well as “selling” for their opponents.  It wasn’t unusual to see them flying out of the ring, really selling their opponents prowess.  Although according to Jeff Walton, the publicist and one of the key figure in the NWA Hollywood promotion of the 70’s and early 80’s, selling their opponent’s offense wasn’t always the motivation for their sailing into the front row of seats. “I'll never forget the Great Goliath… with his partner, Black Gordman, they would often fly out of the ring to check out a pretty girl or to land on someone's foot. Then they would get back into the ring look at you square in the face and laugh their heads off. “(1)

  They always had a unique way of being tenacious while on offense, yet often comical in the way they’d scream in agony while their opponents cranked up the pressure while performing a wrestling hold.  Gordman in particular, who would blurt out expletives and verbal expressions of pain, many of which were in Spanish, and were particularly comical to those who understand it.  Yet, the often stoic Japanese fans could be heard laughing and reacting to the antics of the great Mexican tag team.  And that’s just one example at how skilled they were in being able to communicate with the audience and get them involved with the match.

    However, it would be in California, especially Los Angeles, where they would experience their most success and make their greatest impression with the fans.  Beginning with their victory over Los Medicos on November 26, 1970 in Bakersfield, Calfornia, Gordman and Goliath would go on to hold the America’s tag team titles a record 18 times as a team, from that first title in 1970 until 1982, which was the final year of the NWA Hollywood territory.  And their longevity as a successful tag team is a testament to their ability to perform at high level of quality for an extended period of time, as well continuing to provide a product that continued to maintain an appeal with the fans.  Whether they were battling the Hollywood Blondes, the Guerrero Brothers, the Twin Devils, or anyone else, they made us alternately boo them, cheer for them, hate them, love them, but most importantly of all…want to watch them.  And while I am more “sophisticated” now in my understanding of Pro Wrestling and how it works, of what the tactics were that Gordman and Goliath employed to generate heat, how they used ring psychology, and how they manipulated the emotions of the fans, it doesn’t lessen my enjoyment of watching them.  It doesn’t diminish the fondness of the memories I hold of watching them perform.  On the contrary, I appreciate their artistry all the more so.  They caused me to “mark out” then, and they cause me to “mark out” now when I watch that classic footage of them and relive those days in my mind.  And in that respect, there is no shame in being a “mark”, it’s not a derogatory name or a badge of shame.  For in order to truly enjoy and fully appreciate the true art of Pro Wrestling, one has to “mark out” to a degree, to suspend disbelief.  Because when I stop doing that, then it’ll stop being fun, and it’ll be time to find a new hobby.

 

    And while very little video footage of them still exists, what continues to remain, what has never been lost or destroyed are the impressions they made on us, and the fond memories that they helped to create.  It is the reason that they, and many others of that Golden age of Wrestling in California, are still the subject of discussion among long time fans, the subject of conversation on Podcasts like California Classic Wrestling.  They were also an inspiration to the next generation of wrestlers, like Jesse Hernandez, who is a former wrestler and the promoter of the Empire Wrestling Federation in San Bernardino.  After the closing of the L.A. promotion, the Great Goliath would continue to wrestle in California, as well as go on to form his own wrestling promotion and wrestling school in the San Bernardino area.  Hernandez was one of his students, who would later train future wrestlers as well when he opened up his own Wrestling School, “The School of Hard Knocks” also in San Bernardino. 

And there’s no doubt about it, Jesse learned much from Goliath and he shared some of that with me recently. “Great Goliath inspired me with great stories that he shared with me about himself as a wrestler and his early struggles.  He taught us Pride, Honor, and Respect for the business.  Great Goliath always talked about never shutting a door behind us, how to dress properly in and out of the ring, and how to learn from our mistakes.  What he taught back then is exactly what I teach now to my students.  Goliath’s legacy and teachings are what we are passing on to our students here at School of Hard knocks.”

    And Jesse also continues to honor the memory of his former mentor, friend and trainer by holding the Annual Great Goliath Battle Royal.  “Those who have won those Battle Royals will remember many matches throughout their career…but I truly believe that winning that Battle Royal is something special that they will never forget, making it a part of their history in this business.”  While regrettably, the Great Goliath is no longer with us, thankfully his legacy continues to live on.

 

    Gordman who currently in retired in Guadalajara, Mexico,  would also continue to wrestle as well after the closing of the L.A. promotion, particularly in Texas, where he would wrestle for Joe Blanchard’s Southwest Championship wrestling promotion as well as a few shots in Fritz Von Erich’s World Class Championship wrestling.  But for those of us in Southern California during the 70’s and early 80’s, it was here that we considered the rightful place of Black Gordman and the Great Goliath, and in our hearts and minds, they will always have a home.

 

 

I’d like to thank Jesse Hernandez for both sharing his thoughts regarding the Great Goliath, as well as his efforts to continue to pass on the traditions and teachings of his mentor.  For more info regarding the “School of Hard Knocks” and Jesse’s Empire Wrestling Federation, as well as his Annual X-mas toy drive Wrestling card being held this Friday in Covina, you can click this link:  http://empirewrestlingfederation.com/  

     And by the way, the main event features former ROH and current TNA star (and former Hernandez student) Joey Ryan defending his EWF championship belt!

(1) “Remembering the Great Goliath” by Jeff Walton and Scott Walton – Slam! Wrestling April 20, 2004

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2004/04/20/429787.html

Jeff Walton and Scott Walton are the authors of the book “Richmond 9-5171, a Wrestling Story” which covers his experiences as the publicist and a key figure in the old Los Angeles Wrestling Territory.  You can buy the book for only $20 plus $6 for shipping and handling by contacting Scott Walton at:  ScottMWalton@gmail.com

FEEDING MY HABIT by Rock Rims

     I was addicted.  There’s no two ways about it.  While the people who were close to I thought I was doing one thing, I was actually doing another.  I was sneaking around in the middle of the night, always worried about being discovered, paranoid, jumping at every sound… and I was only 7 years old…

    Yeah…that’s right… a 7 year old addict.  Because when I was supposed to be sleeping, I was sneaking out of bed and getting my night time television Wrestling fix.  I was always worried about getting caught, because I knew if I did, I’d probably get as bad a thrashing as any of the wrestlers on the TV show I was watching.  But to me it was worth the risk.  Those are just the kind of risks that an addict is often willing to take.  Not that I didn’t take precautions though.  I’d turn the volume on the television down really low, sit so close to the set that you’d think I was in the ring itself, and I’d shove a blanket under the door to my parent’s bedroom so that they wouldn’t see the flickering light from the TV set.  And of course I’d pray that my Stepdad didn’t have too many beers before he went to bed, and as a result have to make a late night trip to the bathroom.

   But in reality, he was partly to blame for my addiction.  After all, one of my first memories was when I was 3 years old and living in East Los Angeles (Yeah, I’m Latino), and we were both climbing the fence in the backyard, in a hurry to catch the bus in order to make that evening’s wrestling matches.  Even now, I can vividly recall the excitement and anticipation I felt that night, and it truly was a supercharged night, due in large part to the main event that evening.  For the main event was going to be a feud match between “Classy” Freddie Blassie and “Maniac” John Tolos.  The year was 1971, and when I got older I would learn what a special place that feud would hold in Los Angeles Pro Wrestling History.  But in all honesty, even at 3 years of age, a couple of years before I would even learn to read, I knew that the match was something special.  We sat high up in the nose bleed section, but the drama of that intense and bloody match was strong enough to be felt even where I was sitting.

   And I was hooked, hooked for life.  And my first Halloween memory was from the age of 3 as well.  I don’t remember anything about the candy, but I definitely remember that my parent’s had a hell of a time trying to get me out of my wrestling mask at the end of the night.  It was itchy as hell, but there was no way I was going to submit.

   And through the years I would have many more pleasant experiences as a result of my love for wrestling.  And during those critical formative years, before the days of cable TV, before wrestling programs were being broadcast from various territories around the country, and before tape and DVD trading would expose fans to international wrestling, there was only one wrestling world for me.  And that wrestling world was Mike LaBelle’s Southern California Wrestling Territory, particularly wrestling from the famed Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium.  And what a world it was!

    Through the years, I’d watch either on television or at the occasional live event,  local mainstays and future legends such as the Guerreros, Carlos Mata, The Twin Devils, Black Gordman & The Great Goliath, Bad News Allen Coage, Victor Rivera, Maniac John Tolos, Classy Freddie Blassie, The Hollywood Blondes, and many more.  And then there were the visiting greats, people who up until that time I had only read about in the wrestling mags, or heard being hyped about by Jeff Walton either during the television programs or in his souvenir wrestling programs.  People like Harley Race, Superstar Billy Graham, Terry & Dory Funk Jr., Wahoo McDaniel, the Original Sheik, El Halcon, Moondog Lonnie Mayne, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Adrian Street, the Eighth Wonder of the World Andre the Giant, Tatsumi Fujinami, Seiji Sakaguchi, and my absolute favorite visiting wrestler, the legendary Mil Mascaras.

   But as great as it was to have those visiting greats (some of whom I’ll be writing about in the near future), it was always the mainstay local wrestlers who were the foundation that the territories were built upon in those days. These were the talents that the fans would watch week in and week out, and these were the ones that the fans became emotionally invested in.  And of those mainstay wrestlers in L.A. during the 70’s, the one who stood head and shoulders above everyone (in esteem and position if not physical stature) was Chavo Guerrero Sr.  And for the rest of this piece, I’m going to drop the “Sr.”, because no offence to his son, who is talented in his own right, but there really is only one Chavo Guerrero.

    From 1975 through 1980, Chavo Guerrero, the eldest of the legendary Guerrero brothers was the main “face” in the L.A. territory.  In addition to having a great wrestling pedigree, being the son of the Mexican Wrestling Legend Gory Guerrero, Chavo had a great wrestling background, having been an accomplished amateur wrestler in addition to having trained in judo.  And more importantly, he was trained from a young age by his father in the fundamentals of professional wrestling, and had great athletic ability.

     But it takes much more than physical attributes and skill sets to become a success in the world of professional wrestling, especially when it comes to the long term, something that many of today’s “stars” fail to recognize.  For one thing, one has to be willing to learn from the veteran’s, and fortunately, Chavo was both willing and able to do that.  When visting veterans and World Champions like Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race, and Superstar Billy Graham would come through the territory, they would talk, and Chavo would listen.  This on the job experience paid off both for Chavo and those of us who would watch him.

   And another thing that Chavo had going for him was that he understood the importance of good ring psychology.  He understood and practiced the art of telling a story in the ring, of building a program, and getting the fans to become emotionally invested in him, the match, and the program.  And it’s that high emotional involvement, and that escapism, that are such critical factors in a wrestling fan’s enjoyment.  And Chavo understood that and delivered.

   These things contributed to his becoming a 15 time America’s Heavyweight Champion, a 10 time America’s tag team Champion, and the NWA World Jr. Heavyweight Champion during his run in the territory.  And several times during his career in L.A., he would be the man to challenge the visting NWA World Heavyweight Champion for title.  And he did a great job of balancing those roles.  For Chavo not only was the perennial Champion, but the perennial challenger as well.  He was both the capable and accomplished Champion, as well sometimes being the underdog, albeit a capable underdog.

    And those qualities contributed to his appeal.  For while we all knew and had faith that going into a match, Chavo could beat his opponent, he did a great job of leaving us hanging, wondering if he would in fact defeat his opponent.  Because another part of ring psychology that Chavo understood was that when you make your opponent look good, you look good.  For another part of good ring psychology is putting over your opponent.  After all, how fun is it to watch a wrestler beat a nobody, someone who appears to be infinitely inferior? And that’s another thing that some wrestlers fail to recognize.  In their fixation to get in their “spots” or as many spots as possible,  in their fear that their opponent getting in any offense will make them look “weak”, they often fail to build a story or put over their opponent.  And yet, if you watch videos of some of the all-time legends in Pro Wrestling, like Harley Race, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, and Superstar Billy Graham just to name a few, you’d see them bumping all over there place for their opponents.  And their place and stature in Wrestling History cannot be disputed.  Fans who truly appreciate the true art of professional wrestling want to eventually find themselves sitting on the edge of their seats with anticipation.  And Chavo was one of the ones who both understood that and delivered.

     Without a doubt, as both a young fan of Pro Wrestling, and a Mexican-American growing up in the L.A. area, Chavo Guerrero was one of my boyhood heroes.   I don’t think that when he started out in the wrestling game that he set out to or even imagined holding such an important place in the hearts and memories of those that watched him perform.  I don’t think that any Pro Wrestler sets out to do that in the beginning.  But some do accomplish that very thing, especially for those of us who grew up during the territory days, and hopefully, just hopefully for some of those who will grow up with the Independent Wrestling promotions.

    I finally had the pleasure of meeting Chavo in person several years ago, and we enjoyed a pleasant conversation together, talking about our memories of the 70’s L.A. promotion.  He said then what he’s also said on many other occasions, that he was just “in the right place at the right time.”  While I agree with that, as that’s really the case with anyone who ever earns a place in history, it really doesn’t tell the whole story.  While he benefited from being Gory Guerrero’s son, while he was in the right place at the right time, Chavo still had to have the ability to carry the ball and run with it.  Even if a football coach can get his son on a team with his connections, and even if the offensive line can create a “hole”, the running back still has to be able to run with the ball.  And Chavo ran, and ran hard.

   And he’s one of the ones that contributed greatly to my being hooked on the true art of Professional Wrestling.  And I don’t think I want to find a cure.

 

 

     This is the first in what will be a series of articles covering the heyday of the Los Angeles Wrestling territory that existed until the end of 1982.  It was a great time for wrestling and it's fan's in the Southern California area, and it holds great memories for those of us who were there, and I hope that you tune it for more.