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AMESSAGEFROMOURNEWREUNIONCOORDINATOR byMorganDollar
Helloeveryone,andwelcometothefalleditionof TheEar.WithNovemberbeingthebeginningofthe Holidayseason,I’dliketowisheveryonesafetravelsaswewrapupanotheryearofgreatfriendship.
BeforeIgetintonewsaboutthe2013reunion,I’dliketosayabigNorthCarolinaTHANKYOUtoEric Chmiel.EricsteppeduptotheplateandtookoveraseditorofthispublicationfromDeanSilverstone. IknewwhoeverfollowedDeanwouldhaveagreatchallengeincontinuingthesuccessof TheEar,and Erichasdoneanexcellentjob.It’stoughtofindsomeonewhowillvolunteertimeawayfromfamily andotherobligationstoassisttheCAC.AsthereisnopayrollintheCAC,sacrificehasbeenthekeyto thesuccessofthisorganizationsincethebeginning.ThankyouonceagainEric,forafinejob!
The2013reunionhasbeenintheworksformonths.Mostpeopledon’trealizetheeffortthatgoesinto this3-dayevent.InMay,InegotiatedwiththeGoldCoastHotelinLasVegastogetourmembersthe bestroomrates.InJuly,Ibargainedwithcateringtoworkoutthefoodcostsfortheevent.InAugust, IcontactedBudgetRentalCarandwegotanoutstandingdealonrentalsforthereunion.Forthepast coupleyears,I’veworkedcloselywithourExecutiveV.P. KarlLauer,soIknewwhatIwasgettingintowhenKarl askedmetotakethisbullbythehorns.Oratleast,I thoughtIdid.IamforeveraskingKarl,“Howdidyoudo allthis?”Karltoldme,“Iworkedtwentythree-and-a-half hoursaday.Theother30minutesIwassleeping!”Karl trulywas,isandwillforeverbetheCAC.
RegardingtheHonoreesfor2013,theBoardofDirectors hasconsideredsomeofthebestnamesinthebusiness forthiscomingyear.Asyoucantelljustbylookingatthe coverofthisnewsletter,theboardhasdoneanexcellent jobputtingtogetheramixofoldschoolandnewschool. IvanKoloffhascommunicatedtomehowtrulyhonored heistobegettingtheprestigiousIronMikeAward.He’s lookingforwardtocatchingupwitholdfriendsnextyear inVegasandmeetingwithhisfans.Abigthankyougoes outtoJimmyValiantforbeinginstrumentalinbringing thisawardtoIvan.Anditgoeswithoutsayingthatthe CACisecstatictobepresentingtheLouTheszAwardto thegreatBillMoody!
BobLeonardhasbeenahugeassetinworkingtolineup thisyear’sseminars.We’vediscussedthenameswhowill CACbanquetorganizerMorganDollar appear,andI’mreallyexcitedaboutthedifferentviews (photobyScottRomer) andideologiesthatwillberepresented.Whetheryou’rea youngfanoranoldworker—orviceversa—Icanstrongly recommendtheseseminarstoyou.Thebestpartis,ataCACreunionyourpurchaseofabanquetticket (namebadge)getsyouintoalltheseminarsatnoadditionalcost.We’llhavemoreontheseminarsin thecomingmonths.Asoftenaspossible,theCACRadioshow—hostedbyCACmemberDavidBuckler andmyself—willbefeaturinginterviewswiththe2013honoreesandseminarspeakers.Youcanlisten totheshowbygoingto www.caulifloweralleyclub.org forthelatestedition.
Everyyearatthereunion,Ihavethehonorofmeetingmanyofthebest“indy”workers.Ifyouknow an“indy”workerthatyouthinkwouldbeanassettoourorganization,pleasefeelfreetocontactme withtheperson’sinformationatmorgan@caulifloweralleyclub.org.Iwillsendacomplimentary newsletteralongwithapersonal,openinvitationtojointhisprestigiousorganization.
BeforeIwrapup,IstronglyurgeyoutobookyourroomandgetyourbanquetticketreservedASAP.It isveryimportantthatyoudothistotakeadvantageofthegreatratesanddealsthattheGoldCoast Hotelhasprovidedforus.Thesooneryoupurchaseyourbanquetticket,thesoonerwecangivethe GoldCoastatotalnumberofattendees,sothattheycanhelpusmakethiseventourmostmemorable yet.Don’tforget:We’vegotCribbageatthereunion!We’vegotBowlingatthereunion!We’vegotthe rafflebelttogiveawayatthereunion!Mostimportantly,we’vegottheRingOfFriendship!
Iwishyouallhappinessastheyearends,andI’mlookingforwardtoseeingyouinVegasin2013.
Morgan
byEricChmiel
Aswegotopresswiththisissueof TheEar,theCauliflowerAlleyClubBoardofDirectorshas announcedthefirsthonoreesforthe2013reunion.TheCACisproudtorecognizethefollowingmen andwomenfortheiroutstandingcontributionstoprowrestling.Withoutadoubt,weareofftoaflying startonthisyear’sbanquet.Morehonoreeswillbeannouncedinthecomingweeks.
TheLouTheszLifetimeAward– BILLMOODY TheLouTheszLifetimeAchievementAward—namedforoneofthe all-timeringgreatsandaformerPresidentoftheCAC—goestoa manwhoboasts40yearsoftremendoussuccessinprowrestling. Thereisnodoubtthatthe2013recipientoftheTheszaward,Bill Moody,richlydeservesthishonorforhisbodyofworkinour industry.Therearefewwhohavehadsuchaspectacularcareer.
GrowingupinAlabama,Moodywasahugewrestlingfanand oftenattendedlivematchesinMobile.Helatergotintothe businessasawrestlerworkingunderamaskas“Dr.X.”Attimes, heusedthename“TheEmbalmer,”whichisfittingsinceMoody reallydoeshaveacollegedegreeinmortuaryscienceandis licensedasanembalmer!Asamanager,helaterwentonto stardominthesouthasPercivalPringleIII,orforshortjustPercy Pringle.WhileworkingintheoldFlorida(EddieGraham)and WorldClass(FritzVonErich)territories,hemanagedsomeofthe biggeststarsofthe1980’s, likeRickRude,SugarBearHarris (priortobecomingKamala)andGreatKabuki.
Butitwashis1990’sWWEtenureasPaulBearerthatcemented Moody’splaceasoneoftheall-timegreatsofthebusiness.Fora
BillMoody,akaPaulBearer,akaPercy decade,hewasamongthemostvisibleon-airpersonalitiesin Pringle(photobyScottRomer) wrestling.Whenthenewmillenniumbegan,MoodycutbackhisWWE appearancesbutsoonfoundthathischaracterhadbecomebelovedbyfanstheworldover.Asaresult, thecompanystillbringshimbacktoTVonoccasion,eventoday.
ThereisnoonebettersuitedfortheLouTheszAwardthantheCAC’slongtimefriend,BillMoody!
TheIronMikeMazurkiAward—IVANKOLOFF JamesParrashasloggedfivedecadesinwrestling, mostofitasIvanKoloff,anamewhichhasgone downasoneofthemostfamousandcelebratedin thehistoryofthebusiness.Helaterwentonto authoranacclaimedbookabouthiscareer.Because ofthesethingsandmore,IvanKoloffisagreat choicetoreceivetheIronMikeAward,givenbythe CauliflowerAlleyClubtoanambassadorofthe wrestlingbusinesswhohasenjoyedthekindoffame thatmakeshimorherimmediatelyrecognizableto peoplebothinsidethebusinessandout.
Despiteplayingthehatedcoldwar-eravillain“The RussianBear”formuchofhiscareer,Koloffis actuallyofFrench-Canadiandescent.Infact,hegot hisfirstbigbreakintheoldMontrealterritoryrunby
ThegreatIvanKoloff(photocourtesyofMikeLano) theRougeaufamily.ItwasinMontrealwherethe manwhoformerlyworkedas“RedMcNulty”was re-christenedwiththeKoloffname.In1968-69,hehadanincredibleruninCanadathatsawhim defeatthelegendaryJohnnyRougeaufortheMontrealterritory’stopchampionship,theInternational title,notoncebuttwice.Hisabilitytohavegoodmatcheswithjustaboutanyoneandtoconsistently drawstrongcrowdsandwhipupheelheatturnedheadsthroughoutthebusiness.
KoloffdidsowellinMontrealthatin1970hewasbroughtintoWWE(thenknownastheWWWF)asa topheelmanagedbyLouAlbano.AtMadisonSquareGardeninJanuaryof1971,Koloffforever enshrinedhimselfinwrestlinglorebyscoringacleanpinfalloverBrunoSammartinotowintheWWWF championship.Heisoneofonlyavery,verysmallhandfulofmenevertobeatBrunocleaninthe middleofthering.Fromthatpointforward,Koloffwasamajorforceinwrestling,headliningvirtually everybigterritorythroughoutthe1970’s.Inthe1980’s,heforgedalastingrelationshipwithJim CrockettPromotionsintheCarolinas,wherehebecameastapleatthetopofthecard.During Crockett’sdaysasanationalpromotiononsuperstationWTBSoutofAtlanta,Koloffledabandof Russiansthatincludedhis“nephew”NikitaKoloffandAmericanturncoatKhrusherKhruschev,among others.ThisgroupanchoredtheheelsideofCrockett’scompanyforseveralyears.Koloffhascontinued tomakewrestlingappearancesthroughoutthe1990’s,the2000’sandbeyond.Today,heismostly retiredandlivesinNorthCarolina.
Congratulationsfrom TheEar toIvanKoloff,the2013IronMikeAwardrecipient!
TheWomen’sWrestlingHonoree– MOLLYHOLLY YoumightlookatNoraBenshoffandseeasweet,pretty“girlnextdoor.”Butwhenshegetsinthe ring,thewomanisallbusiness!Benshoff,knowntomillionsofwrestlingfansasMollyHolly,isthe CAC’spicktoreceivethe2013Women’sWrestlingAward.
Women’shonoreeMollyHolly
Trainedasapowerlifter(shesetstaterecordsinMinnesotaasa teen),Benshoffquicklymadeitcleartoherin-ringtrainerDean Malenkothatshe’dexcelinprowrestling.Afterherringdebutin 1997,itdidn’ttakelongforhertomakeittothebigleagues.She wasrapidlysignedbyWCWandstarredonthatcompany’s“Monday Nitro”showasamemberofRandySavage’sentourage.Shewasso goodintheringdespitehavingrelativelylittleexperiencethatWCW tappedhertotrainitsyoungfemalewrestlers.Eventually,shetook onanewpersonacalled“Mona”andbecameababyfacesensation.
WhensheswitchedtoWWEin2001,Benshoffhadamemorablestint asMollyHolly,the“cousin”ofBob“Hardcore”HollyandCrashHolly. Itwasinthisrolethatshewonlastingfame.Sheshowednotonly thatshewasoneofthebestin-ringperformersinthecompany’s ladiesdivision,butalsothatshehadabigtalentforpromos.Shewas equallycomfortableasababyfaceoravillain,andtwicewonthe WWEladieschampionship.
BenshoffhascontinuedtomakeoccasionalappearancesonWWETV, buttodayshespendsmostofhertimeworkinginrealestateanddoingcharityandmissionarywork.
Nora,theCACisdelightedtohonoryouwiththismuch-deservedaward,andeveryonelooksforwardto seeingyouinLasVegasthiscomingspring!
TheJamesMelbyHistorianAward– GEORGESCHIRE GeorgeSchirewasinterestedinwrestlinghistoryfromchildhood.Asateenager,hebrazenly approachedourCACPresidentNickBockwinkel,whobythattimewasahugewrestlingstar,andasked ifhecouldstartafanclubinhisname.Bockwinkelgrudginglysaidyes,and asitturnedout,thetwohavebeenfriendseversince.
Butit’smorethanafanclubthatmakesGeorgeSchireafantasticchoicefor thisyear’sJamesMelbyHistorianAward.Schirehasdocumentedthecareers ofmanyofthebiggestnamesinthehistoryofthebusiness,includingCAC memberslikeBockwinkelandtheDestroyer.In2010,heauthoredthe definitivebookonMinnesotawrestlinghistory,“Minnesota’sGoldenAgeof Wrestling.”Arespectedjournalistwhohasworkedtirelesslytopreservethe legacyofourindustry,Schireisalongtimefriendofthisaward’snamesake JamesMelby,andwasactuallyinstrumentalinestablishingthisveryaward whichhewillnowreceive.
GeorgeSchire
TheEarsendsoutaheartyslaponthebacktoGeorgeSchire,oneofthetrue treasuresofthewrestlingbusiness,uponhisselectionforthisyear’sCACHistorianAward!
ALLTHEYNEEDTOKNOW by EricChmiel
JimRaschkehasbeenastarinwrestlingfordecades,andnotjustintheproring.Sure,weallknowhe wasamajorforceasaprofromthelatterpartofthe1960’sallthewaythroughthe1980’sasthe notoriousGermanheel—andlaterbelovedbabyface—BaronVonRaschke.Butwhatmanypeoplemay notrealizeiswhatatrulygreatamateurwrestlerhewas.Infact,RaschkemadetheU.S.Olympic wrestlingteamin1964,butunfortunatelyhecouldn’t competeintheOlympicgamesinTokyothatyeardueto sufferingaseriouselbowinjuryjustbeforetheteamwas scheduledtoleaveforJapan.
BaronVonRaschke,theClawmaster
BesideshisOlympicteammembership,Raschkealso rackedupnumeroustitlesasanamateuratOmaha, Nebraska’sNorthHighSchoolandlaterattheUniversity ofNebraskaatLincoln.Hewasthestatehighschool wrestlingchampionasaheavyweightin1958,andalso threwinahighschoolstatefootballchampionship.In college,hewontheBig8conferencewrestling championshipin1962,andwonabronzemedalatthe 1963WorldgamesinGreco-Roman,becomingonlythe secondAmericanevertomedalatWorlds.Despitebeing draftedintotheservicein1964,hecontinuedtothrive asawrestler,winningtheAAUNationalChampionships inbothGreco-Romanandfreestylein1964,andwinnin theArmyWrestlingChampionshipandtheInterservice WrestlingChampionshipinboth1964and1965.
Withthatkindofarésumé,itshouldn’tsurpriseanyone thatwhentheBaronsethissightsonbecominga professional,thefloodofaccoladescontinuedunabated.HeheldtheAWAWorldtagteamtitle,the WWAWorldtagteamtitle,theWWAWorldheavyweighttitle,theNWAWorldtagteamtitle,the Georgiaheavyweighttitleandsomanymore.Inaddition,hecoinedanunforgettablecatchphrasethat hisfanswillneverforget,endinghispromoswiththeline,“Andthatisallthepeopleneedtoknow!” Toboot,RaschkehasbeenalongtimememberofourbelovedCAC.
Intheinterviewbelowwith Ear editorEricChmiel,thisringlegenddiscusseshowhegotinvolvedin theprowrestlingbusinessandothersundrytopics.
TheEar:Ithinkit’sfairtosayyouwereapretty goodwrestlerasanamateur.
JimRaschke:Well,somepeoplethinkso,I guess(laughs).
Ear:YouwenttotheUniversityofNebraska.
Raschke:Yes.Iwasahighschoolstate champion,andIwenttotheUniversityof Nebraska.Iplayedfootballthereandwrestled atNebraska.IwasaBig8championin wrestlingincollege,andin1963Imadethe worldteamandplacedthirdinGreco-Romanin Hallsberg,Sweden,wheretheWorld tournamentwasheldthatyear.Thenextyear wasanOlympicyear,in’64.Iwonfreestyleat nationals,andalsoGreco-Roman,andImade theOlympicteam.ButIgothurtafewdays beforeweweresupposedtoleaveforTokyo.I hadabadlyhyper-extendedelbow.
Ear:Whenyouwrestledincollegeandyou
werecompetingatthelevelofanOlympian,did youeverwrestleagainstanyonewhowenton tobecomeapro?
Raschke:Yeah,actually:DaleLewis,from Oklahoma.HeturnedprobeforeIdid.Later, whenIwrestledfortheArmyteamafterIgot drafted,IusedtoworkoutwithBobRoop.He wasanOlympianlateron,andheeventually turnedpro,muchlaterthanIdid.
Ear:Wereyouaprowrestlingfanwhenyou wereanamateur,ordidyoujustnotpaymuch attentiontoit?
Raschke:Ididn’treallypaymuchattentionto it.TheyhadaliveTVshowinOmahaand occasionallyIwouldseesomeofit.Butmybest friendinHighSchool,TerryTurner,hewasa bigfan,soIwasexposedtoitabitthrough him.Heplayedalotofsoftballduringthe summer.Hegotanewgloveonetime,itwas madeinJapan.Backthen,thingsthatwere
madeinJapanwereconsideredtobenotthe bestquality.Whenyouboughtabaseballglove inthosedays,itwouldalwaysbecalled“The MickeyMantleModel”or“TheTedWilliams Model”orsomethinglikethat.Heusedtojoke thathisglovewasa“MitsuArakawaModel” becauseitwasmadeinJapan.Ithoughtitwas funny,becauseMitsuArakawawasanamethat Iknew.Ithoughtitwasagoodjoke.
JimRaschke,WorldInterserviceWrestlingchamp, in1965(photocourtesyofJimRaschke)
Ear:Howdidyouactuallygetintothepro wrestlingbusiness?
Raschke:IwasworkingoutwhenIwasinthe Army,Iwasrollingaroundonthematatthe NewYorkACwithaguywhowasabouta 147-pounder.Iweighedabout240.Wewere justfoolingaroundandIgotmyfootstuckin thematthewrongway.Ibustedthecartilage inmykneeandhadtohavethekneeoperated on.TheArmysentmetotheQueensNavy hospitalfortheoperation.Iwokeup afterwardsandasailor,anatomicsubmariner namedJohnCunningham,waslyinginthebed nexttomine.Hehadthesameoperationonthe samekneeatthesametime.Wegottotalking andbecameprettygoodfriends.Helovedpro wrestling.EverySaturdayitwasoninNewYork. HeconnedmeintogoingdowntotheTVroom inthehospitalandwewatchedit.Ithoughtin thebackofmymind,“Wellgee,that’sathingI
mightbeabletodo.”Iknewthenameofthe promoterinOmaha,hisnamewasJoeDusek.
Ear:Sure,hewasawell-knownnameinthe businessforalongtime.
Raschke:Yes.IwroteJoeDusekaletterandI listedallmyqualifications,allmyamateur thingsinhighschool,incollege,intheArmy. Hewasniceenoughtowritemealetterback. Hedidn’thavethefacilitiestotrainmeatthe time,buthesaidwhenIgotoutoftheArmy,I shouldlookhimupandhe’dintroducemeto VerneGagne,whodidhavethefacilitiestotrain me.Meanwhile,IgotateachingjobwhenIgot outoftheArmyatOmahaHoraceMannJunior High.Itaughtschoolforaboutayear.Butthen IgotthebugagainandIwentbackto competing,eventhoughIhadn’tkeptmyselfin thebestshape.ButImadeanotherWorldteam. Afterthat,Iwasworkingconstructioninthe summer,andIstartedtothink,“Well,maybeI shouldgetincontactwithJoeDusek.”SoI calledhimupandsureenough,hehadmecome totheTVstationinOmaha,channel9Ithinkit was.HeintroducedmetoVerneGagneona weekthathewasintownfortheTVshow. VernesaidIfcameuptoMinnesota,hewould workoutwithmeandseewhatIhad.Ifhe thoughtIwasokay,he’dbreakmein.
Ear:Vernemusthavelovedyou,becausehe alwayslovedagoodamateur,sincehewas suchastandoutamateurhimself.Hemusthave jumpedatthechancetoworkwithyou.
Raschke:Hedid.Heworkedoutwithmealot. Hegotmestartedinthebusiness.Iowehima lotforthat.Hewasverygoodaboutthat.SoI borrowedmylittlebrother’scar,becauseIwas drivinga$75carwithfourdifferentcolored fenders,andburningoilandallthat.Idroveup toMinnesota.ImetWallyKarbo.Vernewasout withpneumoniaatthetimeIarrived,soIhad totwiddlemythumbsforawhile.
Ear:SoyoucameallthewaytoMinnesotaand noonewastrainingyou?
Raschke:Yeah,Iwasspinningmywheelsup thereforabouttwoweeks.Theysentmetoa gyminMinneapoliswhereIcouldworkout,so Ididthat.Meanwhile,Vernewasrecovering. Whenhefinallyrecoveredfrompneumonia,he hadmecomeouttohisbarn.Hehadalittle farmwhereoneofhisbrotherslived,orrented fromhimorwhatever.Athisbarntherewasa ringsetupoutdoors.Hestartedworkingout withme.Westartedwithsomeamateurstuff. Hehadmetrainingandrunningandchopping woodandworkingoutatagymindowntown Minneapolis.Meanwhile,Imetupwithanold Armybuddy,heandIandanotherguywere sharinganapartment.Eventually,aftermany weeks,Vernestartedshowingmesomepro
moves,andhegraduallyeasedmeintothe business.Andthat’showIgotstarted.
Ear:Youstartedworkingmatchesatthatpoint?
Raschke: Well,theystartedmeoffrightatthe verytop,theygavemeajobsettingupthering (laughs).Iwastheringguy,plusIdidsome refereeing,andIdidstufffortheoffice.
Ear:Youknow,Ihavetoaskyousomething. Nomatterhowfarbackthepicturesofyougo, wheneverIseeyouinanoldphoto,youalready haveyourheadshavedcompletelybald.Was thatalwaysyourlook,evenasanamateur?
TheBaronwithhismentorandtagteampartner, MadDogVachon(photocourtesyofJimRaschke)
Raschke:No.WhenIfirststartedoutasapro, littleJimmyRaschkehadbigsidewalls.Butmy hairstartedgoingwhenIwasaboutmaybe18. Itstartedgettingthinnerandthinner.You couldparkahelicopteruptherebythetimeI was23or24(laughs).ButIhadsidewalls whenIfirststartedasaproasJimRaschke.
Ear:Anyway,youweresettinguptheringand refereeing.Whathappenednext?
Raschke:Well,oneofmydutiesworkingfor theofficewas,theydidaTVtapingevery SaturdayattheCalhounBeachHotelin Minneapolis.TherewasalittleTVstudiothey hadononeofthefloors.Myjobwastosetup theringandthenjustobserve.Ididn’treferee onTVbecausetheywouldusetheirolderand moretrustedrefereesonTV.SoIwouldjusttry
toobserveandlearnbywatching,because whenyoustartout,thebestthingyoucandois watchallthematchesyoucan,andlearn.Iwas alwaysinthisdarkcontrolboothwithAl DeRusha.Theonlylightwasfromthecontrols. I’dbewatchingthroughawindowlookingout intothelittlearenatheyhadthere.Therewasa doorwaywhereyou’denterthebooth.Theguys wouldgetdressedinthebasementofthehotel andthey’dtakeanelevatoruptowherethe ringwas.They’dwalkrightpastthiswindow, thisdoorway,whereI’dwatchthematches.
WecanbarelyimaginewhatsongTheBaronandAl DeRushaarebeltingouthere(photobyDickBeyer)
Ear:Didyouinteractwiththeboysatthatpoint?
Raschke:Well,Ididn’treallyhavemuchchance totalktothem,becauseIwasalwaysinthis roomwithDeRusha,wheretheytoldmetosit andwatch.ButI’dseetheboyswalkbywhen theyweregoingouttowrestle.Well,onetimeI wassittingthereinthedarkwithjustthelights fromthecontrolsonme,andthisbald-headed guywithabeardwasonhiswaytothering. Hecamebyandstoppedrightinfrontofthe windownearthelittledoorway.Hepointedat mewithhisfingerandsaid(imitatingMad Dog Vachon),“You!You’dmakeagoodGerman!”I didn’tknowwhohewas,buthewenttothe ringandtheyintroducedhimasMadDog Vachon.Thathappenedthefirstweek.The secondweek,thesamethinghappened.Then thethirdweek,andthefourthweek.
Ear:Howdidyourespondtothis?
Raschke:Well,Iwasveryshy.Infact,I couldn’tdoaninterview,Iwassoshy.Itwas terrible.MartyO’Neill,theinterviewer,would tellVerne,“Youhavetotellthatkidtolearn howtotalk.”Iwasveryshy.Ifinallygotupthe
couragetoanswerhim.Hesaid(imitatingMad DogVachonagain),“Kid,you’dmakeagood German!”AndIsaid(inameekvoice),“ButI am aGerman!”Helaughed.
TravelingwithDickMurdoch,DustyRhodesand Bruiserinthe70’s(photocourtesyofJimRaschke)
Ear:Hewoundupplayingabigroleinyour career,didhenot?
Raschke:Hedid.PriortothatweekwhenI finallyspoketohim,MadDogwasjustflyingin fortelevision.He’dworktheTVanddosome interviewsandthenflybackout.SoIdidn’t haveanycontactwithhim,exceptforwhenhe stoppedatthedoorandtoldmeI’dmakea goodGerman.Thatweek,hewasstartinginthe territory,sohewasmakingallthetowns.Iwas ontheroadsettinguptheringandwegotto talking.Helikedmebecausehewasonthe CanadianOlympicteamin1948,thesameteam Vernehadbeenon,exceptMadDogwasonthe Canadianteam.Weeventuallygottobegood friends,butatthetimeIonlysawhimatthe arenas.Finally,onetimeweweretalkingand hesaid,“I’mgoingtoCanadainthespringand Ineedapartner.Youwannabemypartner?”I said,“Sure,I’dlovetobeyourpartner.”
Ear:Hewastalkingabouttakingyouto Montreal?
Raschke:Yes.Meanwhile,Ihadthisproblem.I wasabouttomarrymylovelybrideBonnie. Notlongafter,wedidgetmarried.
Ear:Shedidn’twanttoletyougotoMontreal?
Raschke:Well,itturnedoutshewasokaywith it,sowebothwent.BonnieandIpackedour belongingsintoourlittleredmustang.Wetook ourtworubberplantsandallourclothesand weheadedtoMontreal,Quebec,Canada.That’s whereIbecameBaronFritzVonRaschke.
Ear:Youhadn’tworkedasBaronVonRaschke beforethispoint.
Raschke:No,Ihadn’t.MadDogsaidtome,“So, you’reaGerman?”Isaid,“Well,Ihavea Germanbackground.”Hesaid(imitatingMad
Dog’svoice),“Okaythen,we’llcallyouBaron Von Pumpkin!”Isaid,“You’llcallme what?”I thought,“Uh,Idon’tthinkso.”
Ear:(laughs)Washejoking?
Raschke:No,Idon’tthinkhewas.Youknow hisbrotherButcherVachon?Well,insteadof beingtheButcher,theDogwantedButcherto callhimself“ThePig.”See,inFrench,pigis “cochon.”ItrhymeswithVachon.Sohe would’vebeen“CochonVachon.”Itprobably madesomesenseinthatway,butIdidn’tgetit. HewasTheButcher.“Butcher”wasaway betternameforButcher,anyway.
Ear:It’sprobablyagoodthingyoudidn’tgo withBaronVonPumpkin.Youwould’vehada muchdifferentcareer.
Raschke:Yeah,that’strue.Itwould’vebeena lotshorter(laughs).
WorkingforJimCrockettinthe‘80’s,
Ear:Itmusthavebeenstrangecomingoutof theamateurworld,thengoingintothisnew worldwhereyouwereplayingacharacter wherepeopleliterallyhatedyou.
Raschke:TheyespeciallyhatedmebecauseI wasassociatedwiththeMadDog.Istillhadthe backgroundofanamateur,Iwasthisshy Midwesternguy,Icouldn’tevenbringmyselfto talkonthemicrophone.Iwasn’tcomfortablein frontoftheTVcameras.Iwasjustaveryshy person.Ialwayshadbeen.ButwhenIbecame TheBaron,bythetimeIgottoMontreal,the firstnighttheyhadmedoinganinterviewby thesideoftheringonTV.Well,Ihadtodoit. SoIpulledoutmybestbrokenGermanaccent. IwasgladItookGermanincollege.
Ear:Wow,thatreallycameinhandy!
Raschke:Yeah,becauseotherwiseIthinkI would’vebeenlost.IknewIwasinamostly
TheBaronposeswithIvanandNikitaKoloff
French-speakingcommunity,soIfiguredifI screwedupalittlebit,sinceIwasspeakingin EnglishwithaGermanaccent,itstillwouldn’t besobad.SoIwentoutthere,andIwas talking,andIstartedhavingagreatinterview. Ididn’tevenknowwhatIwassaying,butI wasrippingandroaring!WhenIgottotheback, theMadDogkindoflaughed.Helikedit,soI figuredImusthavedoneokay.
Ear:NotbadforashykidfromtheMidwest.
Raschke:Notbadatall,Iguess.See,Icould talkwhenIbecameTheBaron.SoIthinkThe Baronwaslikeanalter-egoIhadthatwas alwayskindofhidingoutsomewhereinsideof me.Suddenly,Icouldmake interviewsandIcouldtalk, youknow?Ontheotherhand, Ihadjustgottenmarried, andIneededtomakemoney. SoIhadtodowhateverit took,evenifIhadtospeakon TV.Thatprobablymotivated metoo.
Ear:Youmusthavedone reallywellinMontreal, becauseyourcareerjusttook offafterthat.
Raschke:Yeah.LikeIsaid, beingMadDog’spartnerreally helpedtoo.Wewereatag team,andthereweretwo Frenchmen,JohnnyRougeau andEdouardCarpentier,they werethemaintoptalentsin Montrealatthetime.The peoplereallylovedthem. Wewentagainstthemalot. See,MadDogwasalso French-Canadian,butthe peoplehatedhim.ForMadDogandmyself,it wasarealhotsummerforusbusiness-wise. Wewereluckytohaveopponentsofthat caliber.JohnnyRougeauwasthemainownerof theterritory,alongwithJohnnyBritton.But JohnnyRougeauwastheboss,Ithink.
splithispelvis.Sohewasinthehospitalfor severalweeks.
Ear:Thatwasterribleforhimobviously,butI guessitalsowasn’tagoodthingforyou.
Raschke:Especiallybecausetheterritoryhad beengoingreallywell,andheandIwerereally hotasateam.ButHansSchmidthappenedto beintheterritoryatthetime.Soitwasa naturalthattheyhookedmeupwithHans.Well, theheatjustcontinuedandHansandIhada realgoodrunteamingwithhim.
Ear:Howdidyougethookedupwiththe WWWFinthemid-70’s?
Raschke:Iwasworkingfor VerneandKarboandI’dbeen thereforabouttwo-and-a-half years.Mypartneratthetime wasHorstHoffman,andhe hadleft.Theyweren’thappy withhimwhenheleft,Idon’t knowwhathappened,buthe lefttheterritory.Ididn’tcare whathedid,whatever,itwas hisbusiness.Buttheyreally didn’tknowwhattodowith meonmyown.Ihadmet Bruno(Sammartino)whenhe camethroughworkingfor DicktheBruiser,soIcalled himandaskedhimifthere wasanopeninginNewYor andwoulditbepossiblefor metogothere.SoBruno McMahonaboutit,and McMahoncalledKarbo.Next thingIknewIwasinNew York.FabulousFreddieBlassie wasmymanager. k, told
(photocourtesy Ear:Youdidn’tstaytherelong, ofJimRaschke) comparedtootherterritories.
Ear:Now,MadDogwasn’ttheonlyguyyou teamedwithandhadsuccesswithinMontreal.
Raschke:Well,whathappenedwas,MadDog andIweretagteampartnersupthereformany months.Allthroughoutthespringandsummer, wehadagreatdealofsuccesstogether.Butit wasgettingintothewinterseason,andit startedtosnow.Onesnowynight,MadDogwas drivingbyhimself,becauseIwasn’tworkingin thesametownhewasthatnight.Thesnowwas comingdownanditwasalittlebiticy,andhe missedaturnonacurveandhiscarwentoff theroad.Heflippedoverseveraltimes.He woundupoutsidethecar,hehadhitarockand
Raschke:No,Ididn’t.Foraheel,thatwasn’ta territorywhereyoustayedverylonganyway. Butunbeknownsttome,theyhadsomeoneelse inmindforabigrun,whotheyhadalllinedup towinthebeltfromBruno.Iwasbasicallya fill-intokilltimeuntilthathappened.Ihada shortrun,andthenBillyGrahamcameinand gotthebelt.SowhenIfinishedupwithVince,I wentandcalledJimmyCrockettPromotions downintheCarolinas.Iwenttoworkforhim.I stayedquiteawhileandhadarealnicerun downthere.Sothewholethingworkedoutreal wellformeanyway.ButIworkedallover.I wasinEasternTexasforFritzVonErich,andall overTexas,inSanAntonio,theHouston territory.IworkedforBruiserandWilbur SnyderinIndianapolis,whereIstayedabout fiveyears.IworkedforVerne,IdidGeorgia.I reallycan’tcomplain.
CANVASCAVITY byDr.MikeLano
---ManyofthegreatestannouncersinourindustryhavebeenCACmembersandattendedourevents. SomehaveevenservedontheCACboard.Besidesgoinguponourstagetohonorhispeers—andbe honoredinhisownrightin2010—we'reblessedthatthe legendaryJimRosshasbeenattendingourreunionseachyear, oftenbringinghisfriendSteveAustinwithhim.Everyonewould lovetohearandseeJRonweeklyTVforever,wherehebelongs. Hispredecessorasthegreatestannouncer,GordonSolie,served forseveralyearsontheCACboardinthe‘90’salongwithhis bestfriendsDonCurtisandLouThesz.TheszlaterbecameCAC President,succeedingboxinggreatArchieMoore.Solie,much belovedas“TheWalterCronkiteofProfessionalWrestling,” additionallytalkedupCACduringhisyearsonWTBStohis broadcastpartnerRoddyPiper,whohimselfhasattendedmany CACeventsovertheyears.Otherswho'vesteppedoutfrom behindthemictobewithusatourCACreunionsincludeVince McMahon,JudoGeneLeBell,JeffWalton,thelateMiguelAlonso, JimmyLennonSr.,RoyShire,LesThatcher,JimCornette,Paul Heyman,Taz,AllanBolte,BobbyHeenan,MikeTenay,Verneand GregGagne,BillHarris,MikeGraham,JohnLaurenaitis,Lord AlfredHayes,BillCardillandofcourseKansasstarBillKersten, whogaveamemorablepodiumspeechthispastyearinaccepting
ThegreatBillKerstenatthe2012 aspecialannouncer’saward.OverBill'slengthycareerintheold CACreunion(photobyScottRomer) CentralStatesterritory,hecalledmanyNWAtitlematches involvinggreatsliketheFunks,theBriscos,Thesz,GeneKiniski,SuperstarBillyGraham,BruiserBrody, HarleyRace,BobGeigel,RufusRJones,BulldogBobBrownandsomanymore.BillandCACstalwart Percival(Al)Friendgobackdecadesascolleagues.
---Earlierthisyear,CACFounderIronMikeMazurkiwasthesubjectofafeatureontheTurnerClassic MoviesnetworkchroniclinghislongmovieandTVcareerbeyondwrestling.Hewasthepremierelead villain("Splitface")intheveryfirstDickTracymovieandisrecognizedbymanyasthebestofDick Tracy’sscreenfoes.IronMikelovedhavingHollywoodfriendsbreakbreadwithwrestlersandboxers duringtheCAC'sformativeyears,asmega-celebslikeJackBenny,BobHope,BingCrosby,Frank Sinatra,AnthonyQuinnandmanymorewouldattendthe matcheswheneverGorgeousGeorgewasappearing.Mike evenhadarecurringroleonthe Colgate-PalmoliveTV Hour whenDeanMartinandJerryLewishostedthatshow, helpingtocatapultthecomedy/musicduoto superstardom.Plus,MikewasononeofLucilleBall's post-“ILoveLucy”CBSshows.Hecertainlyleftour industryfarbetterthanhefoundit,makingitmore mainstreamandlendinghiscredibilitytoitoncehe'd conqueredacting,justlikeSteveAustin,RoddyPiper,The Rockandthatother"Rock"—Riddle—woulddoyearslater.
---GorgeousGeorgewasamongwrestling'smanytouring attractions,muchlikethewomenandmidgets(oraswe callthemtoday,“littlepeople”)werealsobigtouring nameslongbeforeHappyHumphrey(whosedriver CACfounderIronMikeMazurkias wasateenageHarleyRace),HaystackCalhounandAndre “Splitface”inthe1948film“DickTracy” theGiantdrewbighousesacrossthecontinent.When anyofthemcametotown,attendancewouldusuallygo up,justasitdidforthetouringNWA,AWAandWWWFchampionsofold.Wesalutewrestling’swomen andlittlepeoplefromthegoldenera,fromJuneByers,BettyNiccoliandDarlingDagmartoSkyLow Low,LittleBeaverandLordLittlebrook.NiccoliandAkioSatohaveoneofwrestling'slongest"power couple"marriagesandhavepositivelyimpactedthebizglobally.TheseformerTV"heels"couldshow TomCruiseandKatieHolmesathingortwoaboutgettingalong.Bettyworkedtirelesslyforyearsto breakNewYork’sstatewidebanonwomen'swrestling.I'llneverforgetseeingheronanamazing 1971L.A.ColiseumcardastheCaliforniachamptakingonthewomen'schampFabulousMoolah.
MikeLanoco-hosts“Legends”,aweeklynationally-syndicatedsportsandentertainmentradioshowwherehe interviewswrestlers,MMAstars,boxers,musicians,actorsandpoliticiansincludingnotableslikeLouFerrigno, SarahJessicaParker,RudyGiuliani,JoanRivers,HowieMandel,DrewCareyandmanymore.
CHECKINGINWITHCHARLIEFULTON byGregOliver CharlieFultonwasaroleplayerinprowrestling,makinghiswayupanddowncardsonafull-time basisfrom1968to1985,andstilloccasionallydonningthe tightsuntil1992.Whileheisproudofhislongevity,thereis a“WhatIf?”factorforFultontoo.
“ThewayIworked,ifIhadbeenbornabout10years earlier—Iwasbornin1949—andifIwasbornin’39,this mightsoundsillytoyou,butrightaround1959,1960,ifI hadgottenintothebusiness,Iwouldhavebeenworking, andthat’swhenguyslikeBuddyRogersandBuddyAustin andMagnificentMaurice,JohnnyBarend,andalltheseguys were.I’dhavelovedtohavebeeninthattime,”he confessed.
TheOhionativegraduatedfromhighschoolin1967and wentontolearnthewrestlingbusinessunderLouKlein’s watchoutsideDetroit.“Therewasnorealringinside.It waslikea2x4platform,plywoodontopofit,withpadding ontopofthat,”herecalled.“Youlearnedhowtotake bumps.Thatwashardasarock.Heputropesupononee buttheyreallyweren’t.Itwasmorelikesteelcablewith hoseonit,likeyouwouldseeinaring.Therewasno turnbuckles,sotherewasno,whatyoucall,give.Itwas justalit
tleloose.”
ThoughhedebutedinMarch1968,workingaroundtwo dozenshowsforTheSheik,UncleSamcalled,andFulton wasdraftedintotheArmy,andservedtwoyears,including timeinVietnam.
Uponhisreleasefromtheservice,Fultonstartedthe wrestlingpartofhisworldjourney,startinginAmarillofor theFunks(wherehebrokehisankle)andthentoMontreal.
Thingswerediscouragingin LaBelleProvince,wherehe CharlieFulton,readytorumble workedasGaryFulton.“Iwentupthere,andIdidn’thave (photocourtesyofMikeLano) enoughexperienceiswhatitwas.IwentupthereandI didn’tbringmycarwithme.Idependedonotherpeople,” hesaid.“Atthattime,Iwasmoresuitedforasmallerterritory.”
OffhewenttoNorthBay,Ontario,forLarryKasaboski’ssummercircuit.Afterthat,hequit,andgota regularjobbuildingframesfornewhouses.Butthewrestlingbugwasstillthere,andhalfayearlater, hewasbackworkinginDetroit,asawholedifferentkindofcarpenter—onethatbuildsupotherstars. Helearnedashewent,andsharedwhatknowledgehecould.“YoujustwatchedyourP’sandQ’s, becausemostoftheold-timers,maybetheyweren’tthetoughestguysaround,buttheyknewhowto takecareofthemselves,”hesaid.“Don’tbeawiseguywiththem.Youalwaysthankeverybody. ‘Thanksforyourhelp,Iappreciateitifyoucoulddothisforme,orhelpmelikethis.’It’snotlike you’vegottobrown-noseallthetime,butifthat’sthejobyouwant,you’dbetterdoit.”
Therearefewnamesthe6-foot-2,240-poundFultondidn’tgetintotheringwith,fromanolderLou Theszin1973toup-and-comerslikeRickySteamboatin1977.Histravelstookhimtotraditional territorieslikeCharlotte(wherehestayedthelongest)andFlorida,toJapanthreetimes(onceas Mr.USSR),andseventripstotheMiddleEast.Asatagteam,hismostsuccessfultimecameinthe early’70swhenhewasteamingwithBobbyMayne(laterknownasBobbyJaggers)inTennessee. Careerhighlight?“ThefirsttimeIworkedMadisonSquareGarden,”hesaid,recallinghewas33years oldwhenhefinallygottothefamedarena.“IlovedNewYork,Ilovedit.Youknow,whenyou’redoing thisstuff,youthinkit’snevergoingtoend,andyoutakealotofthingsforgranted.I’veprobablybeen in32,33states.I’vebeenaroundalotofstuff.Youjustdon’ttakethetimetogooutandlookaround, becauseyou’reinandout,andyouthink,‘Well,I’llbebackheresometime.’Allofasudden,time catchesuptoyouandit’sgone.”
Heartproblemsin1983slowedhiscareerconsiderably,thoughhedidhelptrainwrestlers,initially withLarrySharpeandlateronhisown.Fulton’sbest-knownstudentsareRavenand“Wildcat”Chris Harris.FultonbecameacorrectionsofficerinOhio,andheretiredin2006facingmoreheartissues. AroundMarion,hehaskeptbusy,includingworkingwithindependentwrestlingpromotions,spending timewithhiswifeIreneandtheirfamily.
GregOliverjustreleased“TheProWrestlingHallofFame:Heroes&Icons,”writtenwithStevenJohnsonwitha run-inbyMikeMooneyham.J.J.Dillonisthemanager/forewordwriter.
DALEPIERCEONCHARLIEFULTON byDalePierce Backin2006orso,currentindependentworkerMr.Insanitywasecstaticasherantedinthelocker roomaboutanencounterhehadinhisdaytimejobwithUPS.
“GuesswhoIdeliveredapackageto!”hekeptsaying,provingthedurabilityoftherecipient.
“GaryFulton.”
Thus,youcanseethatFultonisrememberedandrespectedbyawholenewgenerationofwrestlers whomheneverfacedoffwith.
CharlieFulton—orGaryFulton,ashewasknown whenhewrestledunderhisownname—alsoused aliasesundermasksduringalongcareerthat startedin1968.Inthetimethatfollowedhe becameknownasanoutstandingworker.Though hiswon/lossrecordmighthaveleftabittobe desiredintheeyesofthefans,hewasrespectedas oneofthemostcapablewrestlersandatrueteam player.Overtheyears,heworkedforDetroit,the MidAtlanticregion,theWWF,inCanadaandfor variousIndependents.Hewentallover.
Duringhiscareerhislistofopponentsreadslikea Who’sWho,touseacliché:RicFlair,JoeTurco,Ray Candy,OleAnderson.KlondikeBill,RonBass,Jim Powers,IvanPutski,ReneGoulet,SteveTravis,Jay Strongbow,RockyJohnson,LorenzoParente,Pete Sanchez,HiroMatsuda,BretHart,S.D.Jones,Don Kernodle,BaronVonRaschke,BearcatBrown,Jose LuisRivera,Mr.Wrestling&Mr.WrestlingII, SergeantSlaughter,BobBacklund,AbeJacobs,Bob Roop,EddieGilbert…..thelistjustgoeson.
AfewofhisnotablerunswerewithSalBellomoin theWWFandwithRonnieLeeoutofAkronforthe Detroitoffice.Infact,whileitmaydatebothme andhimage-wise,IsawFultoninoneofhis matcheswithRonnieLeeattheCantonWarMemorial Afinephysicalspecimen,Fulton Auditorium(nowtheCantonCivicCenter),thoughI duringtheheightofhiscareer donotremembertheexactyear.Iwanttosay1974, giveortake.Theyweretheopener,followedbythelikesofBulldogBrower,ChrisMarkoff,Killer Brooks,TonyMarinoandallofSheik’sbigguns.LeeandFultonopenedtheshow,buthadafarbetter matchthanmanyofthosehigheruponthecard.Fultonalsoreceivedabigpushandwasallowedto showwhathecouldtrulydoinmaineventsdownsouthwhen heandFrankMorrellteamedasbrothers. Duringandafterretirement,Fultontrainedotherwrestlers.HealsotookajobwiththeDepartmentof Corrections.HeislivingdowninMarion,OHnow.
DalePierceisalongtimeveteranofthewrestlingbusinessandalongtimememberoftheCauliflowerAlleyClub. Heisaprolificauthoronnumeroussubjects,includingwrestling,andhehasawholehostofbooksavailableonthe websiteLulu.com(justsearchfor“DalePierce”).
THEEAR PRESENTS: THETERRITORYDAYS–ABRIEFHISTORYOFMONTREAL byPatLaprade
Ifyou’re30orless,theBretHartvs.ShawnMichaels’matchin1997,kindlydubbed“TheMontreal ScrewJob”,isamatchyouallremember.It’sprobablythemostwell-knownmatchevertobeheldin Montrealandoneofthemostimportantmatchesinrecentprowrestlinghistory.
Ifyou’reolderthanthat,youmightinsteadrememberthe“BattleoftheGiants,”orasitwasproudly calledatthetime“TheMatchoftheCentury,”betweenDonLeoJonathanandJeanFerré(Andrethe Giantifyouprefer)heldattheMontrealForumin 1972.
Butaswecelebraterespectivelythe15th and30th anniversariesofthesesignificantmatches,it’s importanttounderstandthattheMontreal territorysawitsshareofgreatmatches,great wrestlersandgreatdefiningmoments.
Historically,Montrealisonethebestwrestling territoriesofall-time,rankingwithsuchcitiesas NewYork,MexicoCity,TokyoandChicago.Inthe 40’sandthe50’s,YvonRobertwasasbigofastar intownasMontrealCanadiens’legendMaurice “Rocket”Richard.Togiveyouabetteridea,when youthinkofRobertinMontreal,thinkElSantoin MexicoorRikidozaninJapan.
TheRoyalFamilyofMontrealwrestling:theRougeaus ButwhendidtheMontrealterritorybeginits (photocourtesyoftheRaymondRougeaucollection) journeytobecomeoneofthemostimportant territoriesinthehistoryofprowrestling?Many peoplethinkthatwrestlingreallystartedtopickupinthe40swhenthecombinationofRobertand promoterEddieQuinnwasdoinghugebusiness.Infact,wrestlingwaspopularinMontreal40years beforethat,attheveryturnofthe20th Century.
Inthefirstdecadeofthe1900s,wrestling—oritsthen-versionofcatch-as-catchcan—wasoneofthe mostpopularsportsinMontreal.SomeFrenchnewspaperswerewritingaboutwrestlingalmostevery day.IfFrench-speakingwrestlerswereusuallythemostpopularguys,it’simportanttopointoutthat theveryfirststarinMontrealwasnoneotherthanIowa’sFrankGotch.Hewasthefirstonetosteadily drawcrowdsbetween4,000and6,000fans.
WithGeorgeKennedyasthepromoter,MontrealhadaverygoodreputationinNorthAmericaaswell asinEurope.ManystarsofthateraliketheZbyszkobrothers,TomJenkinsandGeorgeHackenschmidt wrestledtheterritorymanytimes.
ThenextbigdrawinMontrealwouldcomefromFrancein1928.BeforeÉdouardCarpentierandAndre theGiant,Montrealwelcomedthe1924OlympicGoldmedalist,HenriDeglane.AfterKennedydiedin 1921,theterritoryfellaparttothepointwherenowrestlingshowswereheldin1927.UponDeglane’s arrival,businessstartedtopickupagain.Inamatterofafewweeks,wrestlingwasbacktotaking placeonceaweekattheoldMount-Royalarena.
Deglanewasahugestarrightfromtheget-go,buthismostmemorablematchhappenedinMayof 1931againstthen-championEd“Strangler”Lewis.PaulBowser,thelong-timeBostonpromoterwho alsocontrolledMontrealatthetime,wantedthetitlebackinhiscontrolanddecideditwasgoingto happeninthatmatch.Theplotwassimple,maybetoosimple,asafterDeglanewonthefirstfall,he supposedlybithimself(oroneofhiscornermendid)andwithinafewminutesofthesecondfall,after Lewisscoredapinonhim,heheldhisarmupandsignifiedtotherefereehewasbleeding.Thereferee reversedthedecisionandawardedthefallandthetitletoDeglane.Althoughsomehistoriansthinkit wasallawork,thestoryasweknowitalwaysexposedthematchasascrewjob,66yearsbeforeHart andMichaels,becomingthefirst“MontrealScrewJob.”
The1940sandthe1950sarealwaysrememberedasthefirstgoldenageofwrestlinginMontreal, especiallyaftertelevisionarrivedinCanadain1952.YvonRobertwasclearlythebiggeststar,butso manyothergreatwrestlershadsuccessinthecityduringthatera.Amongthem,WladekKowalski,
whowouldbecomeKillerKowalskiafterhisfamousmatchwithYukonEricwhereheaccidentally rippedoffEric’searwithakneedrop.In1956,Montrealfanswerethefirsttowitnesstheacrobatic styleofÉdouardCarpentier.TheFrenchman,whowassupposedtostayinMontrealforjustafew months,neverleftMontrealuntilhisdeathin2010.
The50salsobroughtmidgetwrestlingtotheworld.Montreal’sJackBrittonpromotedthemthroughout alloftheterritoriesandmidgetwrestlingbecameoneofthebestattractionsworldwide.Although Brittondidn’tpromotethefirstmidgetwrestlingmatch,itisbelievedthatsuchamatchhappenedin MontrealafewyearsbeforeBrittontookover.SkyLowLow,LittleBeaver,LittleBrutus,PeeWee JamesandDink(TigerJackson)wereallmidgetwrestlerswhocamefromtheMontrealterritory.
WhenRobertretiredin1956,hepassedthe torchtoanotheryoungFrench-Canadianbythe nameofJohnnyRougeau.ButtheRougeau nameismuchmoreassociatedwiththenext goldeneraofwrestlinginMontreal,between theyears1965and1975.
Afterhavingwrestledforalmost10yearsand beinggroomasthenextbigstarinthe territory,Rougeauopenedhisownpromotion in1965,bringingbackwrestlingtomainstream forthefirsttimesinceEddieQuinnhadstopped afewyearsearlier.
WithanewsetofwrestlersliketheVachon brothers,theLeducbrothers,GinoBrito,the HollywoodBlonds,AbdullahtheButcher,Ivan KoloffandhisownbrotherJacques,Johnny wasreigningovertheterritory.Butin1971,for variousreasons,agroupofwrestlers composedofYvonRobert(laterreplacedbyhis sonYvonJr.),theVachonbrothersandÉdouard Carpentierstartedanotherwrestling DuringtheMontrealwar,JosandPaulLeDucsignwith officeinMontreal,namelyGrandPrixWrestling. GrandPrix,leavingtheRougeaus.PromoterPaulVachon Thewarwasdeclaredasbothpromotionswere lookson.(photocourtesyofPaulLeDuccollection) fightingoverthesametalentandvenues.It becameoneofthemostsuccessfultimesinMontrealwrestlinghistory.Thetwobiggestattendance markseverinMontrealbothhappenedatJarryParkStadiuminthisera.In1972,theRougeausdrew 26,237fansandayearlater,Grand Prixdrew29,127.ThewaralsobroughttoMontrealoneof wrestling’sbiggestattractionsever,JeanFerré,whowouldbecomeamassivestarasAndretheGiant.
AfterGrandPrixfoldedin1974andtheRougeauscloseddownin1976,Montrealhadtowaitfouryears beforegettinganother–thelast–goldenera.In1980,GinoBrito,FrankValoisandJeanFerréopened Varoussacpromotions,betterknownlaterasInternationalWrestling.Again,newstarsweremadeas DinoBravo,RickMartelandasecondgenerationofRougeaus(Raymond&Jacques)becamethenew sheriffsintown.Initsearlydays,VaroussacevenpromotedtheSheaStadiumrematchbetweenHulk HoganandAndretheGiant,thefirstsellouttheywouldhave.Bravoespeciallybecamethehottest thingsinceJohnnyRougeauandisultimatelyregardedasoneofthebestdrawsMontrealeverhad. Likesomanyterritories,MontrealeventuallygaveintoVinceMcMahonandtheWWF.Anewerahad begun,andjustlikeintheearly1900sanAmericanbecamethemajordrawinMontreal—asamatterof fact,alloverNorthAmerica—HulkHogan.MontrealalwayshadasoftspotforHoganashebecame historicallythethirdbestdraw,behindRobertandKowalski,butinfrontofCarpentier,Johnnyand Bravo.Eversince,WWEhasreignedasthekingofthemountaininMontreal.
Whetherit’sbecauseofHenriDeglanein1928,ÉdouardCarpentierin1956orJeanFerréin1971; whetherit’smidgetwrestling,thepromotionalwarinthe1970sorthebloodfeudsbetweenthe VachonsandtheLeducs;whetherit’stwoofthebiggestscrewjobseverorsometragicmomentslike DinoBravo’smurder,ormorerecently,Jerry“TheKing”Lawler’sheartattack,wrestlinghistoryalways seemstofinditswaytoMontreal.
PatLapradecreatedthefirstQuebecWrestlingHOF.HecontributestoSLAM!Wrestlingaswellashavingacolumn onRDS.ca.NextFebruary,hewillbepublishinghisfirstbook,“MadDogs,MidgetsandScrewJobs,”acomplete historyoftheMontrealwrestlingterritory,withco-authorBertrandHébert.
PASSAGES CompiledbyBobLeonard Thismonth,wesaygoodbyeto13ofourcolleagues,whotraveledtheroadswithusandmadetheir mark,howeverbigorsmall,onthebusiness.
BuddyBison(RogerKowarko)
JohnRinger August14,2012,heartattack August22,2012,cancer
PorterTindale(IraTindale)
‘Superstar’RichardByrne September4,2012,79 September4,2012,62
BillMills AceAllcard(RonaldAllcard) September13,2012,cancer,49 September15,2012
DonFields(DonaldWayneHatfield)
'Mr.Exclusive'DannyB September18,2012,80 (DanielBilski) September22,2012,32
StanPulaski(EricR.Pomeroy)
BobbyJaggers September29,2012,79 (RobertF.Jeaudoin), Sept30,2012,kidneyfailure,64
AlexKarras BrainDamage (AlexanderGeorgeKarras) (MarvinLambert) 012,kidneyfailure,77 October18,2012,34 October10,2
MikeGraham(MichaelGossett) October18,2012,suicide,61
StanPulaskinotonlyworkedunderhisreal nameofEricPomeroybutalsounderthenames StanPulaski,StanVachonandIgorKalmikoff,as wellasunderahoodasTheMadRussian.Hewas honoredbytheCauliflowerAlleyClubin2000,a wasagreatfriendoftheCAC.DonFieldswasalsoaCAChonoreeaspartofthefamedFieldsBrothers in2002,andwasastapleofeventsheldbytheCAC’ssisterorganizationTheGulfCoastWrestlers Reunion.AlexKarraswasnotonlyanNFLfootballstandoutandaTVstar,healsohadawrestling rivalrywithDicktheBruiserthatledtoafamousbarroombrawlbetweenthetwoin1963.Mike Graham,whosesuicidebroughtbackpainfulmemoriesofhisfamedfatherEddie’ssuicide27yearsag wasastarinhisdad’sFloridaChampionshipWrestlingpromotioninthe‘70’sand‘80’s.BobbyJag who
nd o, gers, as obb alsostarredinFloridaringsduringhiscareer,amongmanyotherterritories,startedhiscareer yMaynein1972andcontinuedasabignameuntilretiringin1991.
CauliflowerAlleyClub MEMBERSHIP2012-2013 tionofpast,presentandfuturechampions,contestantsandalliedpersonagesjoininginrecog
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INFOREGARDINGTHE2013CACREUNION The2013CauliflowerAlleyClubreunionissetforApril15-17inLasVegas.Sincethey’vebeensogreat tousinrecentyears,andwe’vebeensosuccessfulthere,we’llbebackattheGoldCoastHoteland Casinoforthe2013event.
*HOTELROOM:TheGoldCoastonceagainhasguaranteedusthesameoutstandingroomratesaslast year,withroomsavailablefor$36(standardroom)or$46(premiumroom)pernight.Bookyourroom bycallingGoldCoast’sCentralReservationsDepartmentat1-888-402-6278(thecallistoll-free).To receiveyourspecialdiscountedrate,youshouldaskforGroupReservationIDorGroupCode ACACLUB.Theseratesaregoodfromthedaybeforethereunionbegins(Sunday,April14)totheday afteritends(Thursday,April18).Youmayalsobookyourreservationsonlineatthewebsite http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/groups byreferencingthecodeabove.
Thecut-offdateforreservationsisMarch13,2013,butwearelimitedtoacertainnumberofrooms underthespecialrate,sodon’twaittoolongtobook.IfyouhaveaPlayersClubcardorareeligible fordiscountsbyanyothermeans,pleaseadvisewhenyoubookyourroomthatyouarewiththe CauliflowerAlleyClub.
*BALONEYBLOWOUTandBANQUET:TogetyourticketsfortheTuesdaynightBaloneyBlowoutand theWednesdaynightBanquet,pleasecutorphotocopytheorderformfoundontheinsidecoverofthis issueandmailorFAXitintotheCAC(seeformfordetails).YoucanalsopayforyourBlowoutand BanquetticketsthroughPaypal.Seeourwebsiteatwww.caulifloweralleyclub.org fordetailsonusing Paypaltobuyyourtickets.
*MERCHANDISETABLES:Ifyou’reinterestedinrentingatabletosellmerchandiseinthenostalgia room,pleasecontactScottHoseyatshosey@powerplaysportscards.com.
*RENTALCARS:BudgetCarRentalofLasVegashasprovidedasweetheartdealoncarrentalsforCAC memberstheweekofour2013reunion.Forrates,andtomakeareservation,calltheBudget reservationhotlineat1-800-922-2899,orcallBudget’sLasVegasOfficeat1-702-730-0156.Youcan alsobookonlinethroughwww.budgetvegas.com.Whenmakingreservations,youMUSTusepromotion codeR318400inordertoguaranteethelowratesBudgetisprovidingforCACmembers.
TAKEALISTENTOTHECACRADIOPROGRAM CACRadiohasnowbeenontheairforoneyear!CACRadioistheofficialradioprogramofthe CauliflowerAlleyClub,andliketheCACitself,theradioshowpayshomagetothepeopleinvolvedwith professionalwrestling,boxingandthesilverscreen.EachepisodeofCACRadiohighlightsimportant informationabouttheclub,includingmembershipupdates,reuniondetailsandawardnominees. EachepisodeofCACRadioalsofeaturesaspecialguestinterview.Duringthepastyear,CACRadiohas welcomedmanywrestlinglegendssuchasJ.J.Dillon,“Handsome”JimmyValiant,WendiRichter,Rock Riddle,JudyMartinandmanymore.FilmstarssuchasDanHaggartyhavealsoappeared.Eachguest hassharedunique,interestingandoftentimeshumorousstoriesabouttheircareers.
CACRadioishostedbyDavidBucklerandCACExecutiveDirectorMorganDollar.Davidisanaccredited actorandproduceractivelyinvolvedintheWashington,DCfilm industry.Davidalsohasovertenyearsofcommunicationstraining andmediaexperience.He’shostedwrestlingradioshowsforthe pastthreeyears,andhasbeeninvolvedwiththeCACsince2010. MorganDollarisanaward-winningrefereewhohasbeeninthering withsomeofthelegendsofthesport,includingJimmyValiant,the BarbarianandBuddyLandel.Recently,Morganwashonoredatthe GulfCoastWrestlersReunion,beingpresentedwiththeSpeedy HatfieldRefereeoftheYearaward.Morganhasbeenassociated withtheCACsince2003,becomingaboardmemberin2006.Two yearslaterhewasnamedCACExecutiveDirector,apositionhe’s heldeversince.MorganisalsothebanquetcoordinatorfortheCAC ReunionheldinLasVegaseachApril.
GototheCACwebsiteformoreinformationaboutCACRadio,and heartheshowsat www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/category/radio. Thewebsitecontainsallpastepisodes,soyoucancatchuponany youmayhavemissed.Toheartheinsidestoriesfromsomeofthe greateststarsinwrestlinghistory,listentoCACRadio!
Ifyou’reafanofLuchaLibrefromMexicoandotherLatincountries,youshouldcheckout CACmemberKurtBrown’sinternetpodcastonthewebsitewww.luchaworld.com.Kurtand hisbroadcastpartnerFredowillcatchyouuponallthe latestnewsfromtheworldofLuchaLibre.Justgothe luchaworldwebsite,typeinthesearchbox“luchaworld podcast”,andyou’llseealistingofallrecentpodcastsby theKurt/Fredoduo.It’swellworthyourtimetocheckout.
Inthelastissue,weranaMikeLanophotoofthe1996 reunion,showingRedBastien,BobbyHeenanandKarl Lauerstandingwithamanwholookedawholelotlik Stevens,butweweren’tactuallysureoftheStevens eRay look-alike’sidentity.Asitturnsout,asfaraswecantell afteraskingaround,themaninthephotoisinfact….Ray Stevens!Apparently,‘96wastheonlyCACreunionStevens everattended,ashebecamesomewhatreclusiveafter retiringfromtheringandonlystartedsocializingwithhis oldringbuddiestowardtheveryendofhislife,which unfortunatelycamejustmonthsafterthephotoinquestion wassnapped. Thatreallyis
Andanothertidbitaboutasecondphotothatraninour lastissue:TherewasapictureaspartoftheKamala interviewshowingKamalawhenhewasSugarBearHarris, standingwithsoon-to-beIronMikeAwardhonoreePercy PringleandtheMongol.ThisphotowascreditedtoMike Lano,butactuallyshouldhavebeencreditedtoBillMoody, PercyPringlehimself!Bytheway,theMongolinthat pictureisprobablybetterknownbyacoupleofhismore well-wornaliases,PedroZapataandOkiShikina.
ABillMoodypic
NumerousCACmembershavebeenmakingnewsinthering andelsewhereoflate:CACmemberRavenLakewonthefirst-everCNWAWomen'stitlein Kelowna,Canada,outlastingfellowCACmembersSammy“Bambi”HallandSexySamantha. //CACmembersSebastianIce&SilentWarriorworkedthe2ndInternationalMATA WrestlingEntertainmenteventinOntario,California.//2011CACFutureLegendhonoree KyleSebastianmadehiswayintoPWI’slistoftheTop500wrestlingstarsat#350.//CAC memberAdamPearceheldontohisNWAtitledefeatinganotherCACmemberin“Mr. Intensity“MarkPosey.//CACmemberBruiserBennettisnowappearinginaPrairieWind Casinocommercial.//CACmemberSteveOgilvieaka“Mr100%"GaryO.Davisjust wrappedupanindytouroftheU.S.HeresidesinAustralia.//CACLifetimemember Steve“Wolfman”Banfordisplanninghisretirementmatchafter15yearsinthebusiness. You’llbemissed,Steve!//Ifyouhavenewsonwhat’sgoingonwithyourcareerorwant topassotherpiecesofinfoontousforconsiderationfor TheEar,contactMorganDollarat morgan@caulifloweralleyclub.org.
REMEMBRANCESOFREUNIONSPAST Itwasbackin2008whentheCACreunionspentitsfinal yearattheRivieraHotelinLasVegas,beforethemovewas madetoourcurrenthome,theGoldCoastHotelandCasino. Thatyear,atrioofCACawardrecipientsgatheredtosharea fewlaughsonbanquetnight,asseenintheMikeLanophoto ontheright.Inthepicture,2004honoreeCharlieSmith,the greatrefereefromGeorgia,joined2007honoree“Cowboy” BobKelly,oneofthelegendsofSouthernwrestling,to congratulateRonGarvin,whowasbeinghonoredbytheCAC forthefirsttimeever.Welikethisphotoalot,becauseit reallycapturesthefeelingofcamaraderiebetweenthree verydistinguishedgentlemenofthering.Thatsame camaraderiewillbeondisplayonceagainthiscomingApril atourreunioninVegas.
RayStevens!
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