November 2014 The Ear

CAC 2015 BANQUET / BALONEY BLOWOUT ORDER FORM

Gold Coast Hotel / Las Vegas, Nevada

Baloney Blowout: April 14, 2015 Banquet: April 15, 2015

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BIG NAMES LINING UP FOR CAC’s 50th ANNIVERSARY REUNION

Everyone knew that the Cauliflower Alley Club’s 50th Anniversary Banquet and Reunion in Las Vegas would see the stars coming out in force. And even though the big event is still a few months away, it’s clear that the line-up will live up to—if not exceed—all expectations.

The Cauliflower Alley Club is proud to announce that longtime WCW and WWE superstar Dallas Page will become the club’s first-ever double honoree, receiving two prestigious CAC awards at the same banquet! Because of his incredible work rehabilitating fellow wrestling stars who have struggled through difficult addictions, Page will receive the Jason Sanderson Humanitarian Award. We all know Page has had a major positive impact on the lives of Jake “The Snake” Roberts and Scott Hall, but there are other major names he’s helped in recent years who you don’t know about. If the CAC is about giving back—especially through the largely unheralded CAC Benevolent Fund (see article later in this issue)—then Page fits our club like a glove due to his tireless efforts at helping his brothers and sisters in the wrestling fraternity. But you don’t have to be a wrestling star to benefit from his “DDP Yoga” program, which has been a tremendous success for grapplers and non-grapplers alike.

Page also will receive the Men’s Wrestling Award at the banquet. Dallas Page, 2015 double honoree We don’t need to tell you why, but we will anyway. Page is a (photo by Scott Romer) three-time WCW World heavyweight champion, and he held many other major titles during his incredible career including the WCW World tag team title, the United States title, the WCW World television title, the WWE European title, the WWF World tag team title and even the Swiss heavyweight title in Europe. For two decades, he has unquestionably been one of the biggest names in the pro wrestling business, and he continues to be so today.

As if having Diamond Dallas Page isn’t enough, just check out who will be presenting him with his dual awards: “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes and Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Dusty will be making his CAC debut at the 50th year reunion, and it’s long overdue. What a tremendous event it will be for the club to welcome a man who has been such an outstanding asset to the wrestling game for so many years, and who has been one of the biggest drawing cards the ring world has ever known, regardless of the era he was appearing. He held the NWA World title three times, back when that belt was the biggest prize in the wrestling world. We can’t wait to see Dusty get “funky like a monkey” and honor DDP in a way that only The Dream can.

Jake Roberts, also presenting for DDP, will be making his third CAC reunion appearance, and everyone is delighted to welcome him back again. His many jaw-dropping accomplishments in the squared circle have been covered in The Ear in the past, but they’re no less impressive upon further review. Jake became a household name while working for the then-WWF in the 1980’s and 1990’s, and

The glory days: Dusty Rhodes with the “ten later went on to star in WCW. He was such a big draw pounds of gold” (the NWA World belt) in 1981 that his pet snake Damien, which he carried with him to the ring, became a bigger star to many fans than some of Jake’s actual opponents! Jake is himself a past honoree of the club, having snared the 2013 Men’s Wrestling Award. After having come back from the brink, overcoming his addiction demons with the help of DDP, his acceptance speech that year was one of the most emotional the CAC has ever seen. Since DDP presented Jake with his award, it’s fitting that Jake will return the favor for DDP this coming April at the 50th. (article continues on next page)

And folks, please don’t forget that Dallas Page and Jake Roberts will be playing an even bigger role in the 50th Anniversary reunion than just receiving and presenting awards. They will also be putting on what promises to be one of the biggest wrestling seminars ever in CAC history. With the vast experience these two possess—not to mention the things they’ve seen and done outside the confines of a wrestling ring—this is one session you do not want to miss. It wouldn’t shock anyone if this seminar not only shares unrivaled ring knowledge and great stories, but also makes news outside of the immediate CAC family.

But that’s not all! The 50th Anniversary also will see another giant CAC debut, that of Ax and Smash, better known by their collective name of Demolition. Bill Eadie (aka Ax) and Barry Darsow (aka Smash), the club’s two newest life members. will be receiving a special tag team award in 2015. It is the first time in its history that the CAC will have bestowed such an honor, and we can’t think of another team more fitting to receive this inaugural team accolade!

Although both Darsow and Eadie had major success earlier (and later) in their careers under several different personas, the Demolition team is probably what they are best known for. The pair entered the then-WWF in 1987 and promptly turned the tag team ranks of that company on fire. They instantly

Warning! There will be a Snake loose at the stood out from the WWF pack due to their distinctive Gold Coast next April……and he’s doing a black-strapped ring gear and their intimidating red and seminar with DDP (photo by Scott Romer) silver face paint. But their excellence as a team was due to far more than just their appearance. With their high-energy, bullying ring style and bombastic, in-your-face promos, they became known for being able to put a hurting on anyone they faced between then ropes, from the lowliest enhancement talent to the biggest names the industry had to offer.

With their ever-present manager Mr. Fuji at their side, Demolition steadily stormed their way to the WWF’s World tag team championship in March of 1988. In an incredible record that still stands today, the duo held the belts for longer than any other team, reigning as champions for 698 days, easily eclipsing the previous mark of 569 days which had been held, interestingly, by the legendary tandem of the late Professor Toru Tanaka and Demolition’s own manager Fuji.

Under the Demolition persona, Eadie and Darsow went on to regain the WWF belts twice more, in 1989 and 1990. In becoming three-time champions, the pair tied another WWF record as they joined what was only a small group of teams who (up to that point) had held the belts on three different occasions, including Fuji & Tanaka and the Samoans. It took a decade for someone to break the record and become four-time champions (the New Age Outlaws in 1999).

Would you invite these men to dinner?

Demolition Smash (Barry Darsow, left) and Demolition Ax We’ll have more on both members of Demolition (Bill Eadie, right), as WWF tag team champions in 1988 in future issues of The Ear, as the CAC prepares to host the team’s first trip to a reunion next April. The Cauliflower Alley Club welcomes Barry Darsow and Bill Eadie, receiving the first-ever CAC tag team award at the 50th Anniversary reunion in Las Vegas!

But that’s still not all! The memory of Bruiser Brody will be honored at the 50th year reunion in the form of a special award to be given on his behalf. The “Posthumous Award” has not been presented by the CAC since 2011, when it was given to Michel Martel (aka Frenchy Martin). As is customary, that year a family member, former AWA World champion Rick Martel, was on hand to accept the award in his late brother’s name. For the 50th year reunion, the CAC is thrilled that Brody’s widow Barbara Goodish will be attending the event to accept this honor on behalf of her late husband. The memory of Bruiser Brody remains a strong and cherished part of the wrestling business even today, over 25 years after his death. He is still regarded as one of the best brawlers in the history of pro wrestling.

Cauliflower Alley’s Executive Vice President-elect Morgan Dollar, the driving force behind honoring Brody, made the official announcement of this award during a September wrestling show in Fort Worth, Texas called “Old School Hustle,” which was promoted by the standout independent league IWHE. It was the biggest show ever held by IWHE, and it was highlighted by Dollar’s announcement of the Brody award, made as several great stars and CAC members stood in the ring looking on, including Stan Hansen, James Beard, Len “The Grappler” Denton, Jim Cornette (the latter two were inducted into the IWHE Hall of Fame) and Barbara Goodish herself, who was quite surprised by the news. Later in the night, Dollar officiated a match that saw another CAC Bruiser Brody’s widow Barbara Goodish will member and 2013 honoree Matt Riviera lose the IWHE accept the Posthumous Award on Brody’s heavyweight title to Thomas Shire in a contest where behalf at the 50th Anniversary reunion Cornette got involved.

How about one more? Another award recipient for the 50th Anniversary event this coming April is Dennis Brent. Brent will be receiving the James C. Melby Historian Award. In Brent’s case, this is an honor that is well-deserved.

You may not readily recognize the name Dennis Brent. However, if you’ve ever worked for WCW or WWE, no doubt you know exactly who he is and what his contributions have been to the business. Brent has probably done as much to document and archive the in-ring goings-on of WCW and WWE than anyone else over the last 20+ years. Since 1986, he has been in the employ of numerous wrestling companies, including World Class Championship Wrestling, Smoky Mountain Wrestling, World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment. He is a New York Times bestselling author, having worked with the CAC’s “Stone Cold” Steve Austin on Austin’s best-selling autobiography The Stone Cold Truth, and he has worked on countless other book projects for WWE, including Jim Ross’ cookbooks. Brent also recorded the history of both WCW and later WWE, working from 1989 to 2004 as the manager of those companies’ printed publications, of which there have been a great many over the years.

Eventually, Brent took over as manager of talent relations for WWE, a position which saw him revered by the workers of that promotion. In this capacity, he worked with the entire WWE roster to handle whatever personal situations may have arisen that the company was able to assist with. He also booked personal appearances for WWE’s stars above and beyond their company-related exploits.

Brent, who attended his first CAC reunion this past June, will be back again this year to receive his award as a historian. Word has it that there may be some major WWE names on hand to make the presentation to Dennis, which we are all looking

forward to. Congratulations, Dennis!

THE DESTROYER, AGE 84, RAPPELS FROM A 26-STORY

HOTEL & CASINO IN UPSTATE NEW YORK

By Dan Murphy

Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer didn’t earn the title “World’s Greatest Mask Man” by backing down from challenges, even when he was outsized by his opponent.

But, this past summer, his “opponent” wasn’t a wrestling giant like Andre the Giant or Giant Baba. This giant was a 400-foot tower that he had agreed to rappel down to raise money for “Special Olympics New York.” The 84-year-old Beyer became the oldest person ever to rappel over the side of the 26-story Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel in Niagara Falls, New York, as part of Special Olympics New York’s “Over the Edge” fundraising event.

Beyer, along with his son Kurt and daughter Kris Beyer Jones (both CAC members), joined over 100 volunteers who conquered their acrophobia to help raise funds for the 64,659 athletes who participate in Special Olympics New York.

Beyer descended from the top of the casino Folks, that’s the CAC’s own Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, tower wearing his signature white mask and all, rappelling from the 26-story Seneca Niagara Destroyer mask. A Go-Pro camera was Casino in Niagara Falls, NY (photo by Dan Murphy) mounted on his head to capture his descent. His wife Wilma kept an eye on him from below, watching through binoculars. He could see Niagara Falls over his left shoulder.

As he was getting strapped into his harness, Beyer peered over the roof down to the crowd that had gathered below.

“I looked down on the left side of the building, and I could see my family down there,” Beyer said. “I waved down to them. They were happy and cheering. Nieces, nephews, cousins….they were all there to cheer me on.”

Beyer’s descent took about 20 minutes. Other than a few uneasy moments when the wind turned him around a bit, Beyer said it was “smooth sailing.”

“I wasn’t afraid at all,” he said.

Beyer said he plans to do the event again next year if he has the opportunity.

Beyer and his family also work to raise funds and On the descent: Dick Beyer, with the ground a awareness for a variety of charitable organizations long way off below (photo by Dan Murphy) through the ongoing “Pay It Forward” campaign, sponsored by Destroyer Park Golf, the Japanese-style park golf course owned and operated by the Beyer family. The campaign accepts donations to various charities and helps publicize events through social media and at their website, www.destroyerparkgolf.com/pay_it forward.html. And if you feel moved, why not make a donation yourself?

Dan Murphy has been a CAC member since 2010 and is a Senior Writer for Pro Wrestling Illustrated He shares his home with his wife, two rescued cats, two rescued ferrets and a golden retriever

BOCKWINKEL

STEPS

DOWN, BLAIR TAKES OVER AS PRESIDENT OF CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CLUB

In an unexpected move, Nick Bockwinkel has stepped down as the President of the Cauliflower Alley Club. As a result, Brian Blair has become the President of the club, effective immediately.

It had previously been expected that Bockwinkel would serve until the 50th Anniversary reunion, and at that point Blair was to take over the reins. But Bockwinkel, citing a need to immediately begin developing new ideas and new concepts for the postBockwinkel, post-50th Anniversary era, so that the club may move forward into the future as rapidly as possible, decided it was appropriate to hand control of the club over the Blair now.

In addition to having the title of President, Blair will also hold the titles of Chairman of the Board and CEO for Cauliflower Alley, as he assumes the role of club leader. Blair’s vast experience as an entrepreneur, running businesses in both a corporate and not-for-profit capacity, makes him uniquely qualified to hold all three titles. Now that Blair’s contributions to the club are already being felt as we move forward toward our golden anniversary, there would seem to be little question that Brian is 100% ready for the job. Everyone on the Board of Directors is very excited about the start of the Blair era, which promises to be among the We agree Nick, you ARE number one! best times ever for the CAC.

At the same time, it’s fitting to congratulate Nick Bockwinkel on the fantastic job he’s done since taking the Presidency of the club in 2007. It’s been a hell of a successful time for the CAC, with a new generation of grapplers and fans joining the already large collection of Cauliflower Alley stalwarts that were already in place when Nick took the job. When you see him at the 50th Anniversary, walk right up to Nick and congratulate him on the job he’s done for us!

CAC 50th ANNIVERSARY SHOES TO BENEFIT THE BENEVOLENT FUND

Here’s an absolutely unique item that would make an awesome Christmas gift for any CAC member. And it’s all about helping our brothers and sisters through the CAC Benevolent Fund. We’re talking about the brand-new souvenir tennis shoe commemorating the Cauliflower Alley Club’s 50th Anniversary in 2015! This pair of top-quality Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star High Tops comes in stunning 50th Anniversary gold color, covered with wrestler photos, arena marquees and the familiar ‘ear’ logo of the club.

What’s more, you can even choose the option to put a photo of yourself right on the shoe, alongside past CAC Presidents like Nick Bockwinkel, Red Bastien, Lou Thesz and more! Proceeds from all sales of this awesome new piece of CAC merchandise go straight to the Benevolent Fund.

This one-of-a-kind CAC memorabilia item is available now. Just go to www.bagginsshoes.com, and type “Cauliflower Alley” in the search box. You’ll be blown away! Don’t wait, order your pair today!

UNKNOWN TO MANY, THE CAC BENEVOLENT FUND LENDS HELP TO DOZENS OF WRESTLERS IN NEED

By Karl Lauer and Eric Chmiel

The Cauliflower Alley Club is known for its annual reunions in Las Vegas, where hundreds of our members gather to visit with old fr iends and relive past memories. But there’s another side to the CAC that’s rarely spoken of and unknown to many, even though it might be the most important thing of all about the club: the CAC Benevolent Fund.

The Benevolent Fund is a CAC-operated sum of money used exclusively to assist veterans of the wrestling business who have fallen on hard times and need financial help to deal with anything from making their rent payments to living after an amputation to, most commonly, covering medical bills caused by a serious illness. It is our way to give back to those who have given so much to all of us in the ring.

This is not a minor undertaking, by any stretch. As of this writing, the Benevolent Fund has granted some $102,000 to over 80 different wrestlers and others in the business over the past two decades. As a mechanism designed exclusively to give financial aid to our brothers and sisters in the wrestling fraternity, the Fund is the only one if it’s kind in the world. Yes, there are other promoters and organizations holding wrestling conventions and “reunions” Sputnik Monroe clowning around at the 1991 around North America. But these are all done for the profit reunion in L.A.; Sputnik is one of many who of the organizers. The CAC is the lone entity in the wrestling have been helped by the CAC Benevolent world that operates as a not-for-profit company in order to Fund (photo by wrealano@aol.com) give assistance to grapplers past and present who are down on their luck, or wilting under crippling medical bills. In this regard, the CAC stands head and shoulders above any other group in the business.

The majority of those who have benefited from the Benevolent Fund in the last 23 years often do not want to publicize the help they’ve received, for reasons having to do with pride or privacy. In fact, under no circumstances will the club reveal the identities of those it helps, because the bylaws of the club (by which the CAC operates as a non-profit organization for tax purposes) strictly forbid it. As the bylaws themselves state, there is no desire on the CAC’s part to cause feelings of embarrassment or indebtedness in those it helps.

Nonetheless, there have been numerous major names to whom the CAC has lent a helping hand over the years who have chosen voluntarily to go public about it. For example, some years ago, the legendary Johnny Valentine, who was wheelchair-bound due to the horrible plane crash that ended his wrestling career, was aging and having trouble getting around in his home. He did not have the money to put ramps into his house to make it easier for him to move about in his wheelchair, so the CAC Benevolent Fund stepped in and paid to have the ramps put in. Valentine was always happy to openly acknowledge what the club had A recipient of CAC aid, the done for him, and his family publicly thanked the CAC for its graciousness. great star Ricky Romero

Similarly, there are others who went public. The incomparable Sputnik Monroe openly praised the club after receiving money from the Benevolent Fund at a time when he’d become destitute toward the end his life. Ring great Don Fargo once stood up at a CAC reunion to tell of how he was about to be evicted from his home when a check arrived from the Fund, allowing him to avoid being thrown out in the street. And then there was Ricky Romero, father of the Youngblood family and ring royalty in his own right, who was helped by the CAC to buy a specially-equipped van when he lost both legs to diabetes. Ricky wrote a letter of thanks to the CAC which was published in his local newspaper.

There are many others who have been helped by the CAC, some very recently, who you would all know, but whose names will not be divulged for reasons of privacy. The Cauliflower Alley Club Board of Directors is rightfully very proud of the important work the organization has done to aid its fellow club members (and in some cases, non-members) who have found themselves in desperate situations, no matter their identity.

The Benevolent Fund was started in 1991. It was the brainchild of one of the greatest wrestlers who ever lived, Mr. Lou Thesz. Iron Mike Mazurki, the driving force behind the creation of the CAC in the 1960’s, had passed away in late 1990 and the club was in need of a new President. The noted boxer Archie Moore had taken over for a time, but he was more of an interim choice while the club looked for a permanent replacement for Iron Mike. Thesz was eventually tapped for the spot, but as a condition of taking the job, he wanted the CAC to become more of a benevolent organization dedicated to helping wrestlers in need. The club agreed, and Thesz took over the Presidency.

But where would the seed money for the new Fund come from?

Two very active members of the club in the early days were Tom Rice and Al Lovelock. Lovelock, who garnered fame under the Johnny Valentine, U.S. champ; Johnny ring name “The Great Bolo,” and Rice were a top team in the Los was another worker the CAC assisted Angeles territory in the 1950’s. When Rice eventually retired from wrestling, he became the executor of the will of one of the great promoters of his era, Joe Malcewicz. In his will, Malcewicz left $10,000—an enormous sum at the time—to be used to help wrestlers who’d fallen on hard times, as even then the business lacked a system for taking care of its former stars as they aged. Thesz was able to convince Rice to donate Malcewicz’s money to the CAC so that it might be used to help start the Benvolent Fund. Another $2,000 was added to the mix, left to the club by Mazurki upon his death, with a similar goal in mind.

The Fund continues to do vast amounts of good in the wrestling community. Nowadays, it’s financed by independent donations and especially by club activities that are held at the annual reunions. Whenever a CAC member like yourself enters the cribbage tournament at the reunion, or joins the bowling competition, or buys a raffle ticket for the championship belt giveaway, you are contributing to help members of the wrestling fraternity who are in need. This is why, even if you don’t bowl or play cribbage, it’s still a wonderful gesture to purchase a spot in those tournaments, or buy a ticket for the belt raffle, because 100% of the money goes to this great cause. Also, see the piece in this issue about the 50th Anniversary CAC shoes, which also benefit the Benevolent Fund. He started it all; Lou Thesz (right), at a 1990’s CAC event with the late Pepper Anyone who has been in the wrestling business is eligible to Gomez (photo by wrealano@aol.com) get help from the CAC through the Benevolent Fund, but the Fund can only be used in dire, life-changing circumstances such as those described earlier in this article. The CAC bylaws forbid Fund money from being used for substance abuse rehabilitation. It is not mandatory for someone to be a member of the CAC to benefit from the Fund, but current membership is strongly considered when the Board of Directors determines eligibility. It must be verifiable that the person being helped has been employed in the pro wrestling business in some capacity.

If you believe you or someone you know is in need and may be eligible for help from the CAC Benevolent Fund, you can get an assistance application at the CAC website at www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/about/benevolent-fund/.

CAC President Brian Blair points out, “The CAC uses 100% of its funds to help our wrestling colleagues who have fallen on difficult times, as well as giving out youth scholarships. CAC board members are not compensated, with the exception of the enjoyment we get in lending a helping hand.”

COWBOY BOB KELLY: SAYING GOODBYE TO A CAC TREASURE

By Eric Chmiel

The Cauliflower Alley Club is blessed to have a multitude of outstanding individuals in its ranks, about whom almost nobody seems to have a bad thing to say. But even in that context, Cowboy Bob Kelly stood out. Not only did no one every speak ill of him, but those who knew him were happy to tell you they loved him.

“My wife and I were blessed to know him,” said Bobby Simmons, who’s been a staple at his familiar table in the hospitality room at the CAC reunions for years, sitting with Bob and longtime refereeing standout Charlie Smith. “He’s back with his beloved Chris now.” Chris is Bob’s late wife.

That kind of sentiment is not limited to the CAC. Robert Gibson, former member of the all-time great team The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express, told the local newspaper in Mobile, Alabama, “I first met Bob when I was 8 years old. I watched him growing up. He was a big star. I remember the great matches he had. He was a good guy and an honest guy. We lost a good friend."

Kelly passed away in October, at the age of 78, due to lung cancer, a condition he learned of after returning from the CAC reunion earlier this year. The condition turned out to be fatal.

If you were a wrestling fan in Alabama, parts of Tennessee or the Florida panhandle in the 1970’s, then Cowboy Bob Kelly was probably your favorite wrestler. In the old Gulf Coast Wrestling territory, Kelly was a superstar, headlining as the top babyface and perennial holder of the territory’s major belt, the Gulf Coast championship. Kelly won that belt on at least 10 occasions. For years, his exploits trading the title with the local heels, especially The Masked Wrestling Pro and Donnie Fargo, served as the engine of the Gulf Coast’s boom years in the 70’s.

As big of a star as Kelly was in the ring, he was equally impressive as a standout in other areas. Before getting involved in wrestling, he did very well for himself taking part in rodeos across the south and was known as quite the bull rider. Later on, as his wrestling career was in full bloom, he was an excellent stock car racer back in the days before that sort of racing became known simply as “NASCAR.” He had a series of racing wins at Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, AL, and also captured the checkered flag more than once at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL and Pelican Motor Speedway in Baton Rouge, LA.

So great were Kelly’s exploits in wrestling, racing and rodeo, he was inducted into the Mobile, AL Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. He is enshrined in the hall alongside a Bob battles Greg Valentine in Pensacola, FL a who’s who of Mobile sports luminaries like baseball greats Hank Aaron and Satchel Paige, legendary college football coach Vince Dooley and NFL Super Bowl winning quarterback Ken Stabler.

In the ring, Kelly was a natural. He had good matches against almost everyone he faced, especially since his opponents were often the best heels of the day in the south. There was “The Hippie” Mike Boyette, with whom he traded the Gulf Coast title, and Don Carson, who was also well-known as a manager. He had great battles against the likes of Gorgeous George Jr. and The Masked Wrestling Pro that fans in the area still remember today. Perhaps his best-remembered match was a hair vs. hair bout that sold out the Mobile Civic Center in 1971. He beat Boyette, who had his head shaved, with the hair being stuffed into bags which were then sold to Gulf Coast wrestling fans. But for all the great things Bob Kelly did professionally, he will forever be known to those in the Cauliflower Alley Club for his big heart and endless generosity. Everyone who knew him thought the world of him. He was also

beloved in the CAC’s sister organization, the Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion, which Bob started. The Gulf Coast organization has been running its own reunions for the past two decades plus. Bob was honored with a surprise award at the Gulf Coast reunion this past year, an honor that takes on all the more significance now that the Cowboy is no longer with us.

This story from Simmons says it all: “Last year, Bob's wife passed and I spoke at her service. Little did I know, 5 weeks later my own wife would pass away. At her wake in Atlanta, Bob walked through the door. It was the first time he’d been away from home in weeks, and the first trip he’d made alone in many years. I asked him, ’What are you doing here?’ His reply was, ‘I would have walked here to get to you’. That’s the kind of friend Bob Kelly was. He spent the next two days by my side to support me. I am truly going to miss him.”

When Bob lost Chris, his beloved wife of 55 years, he may have never gotten over it. At his final CAC banquet this Bob in his racing car, being congratulated for past June, he burst into tears when Morgan Dollar winning a race at Mobile International Speedway announced during the Baloney Blowout that Bishop Jason Sanderson had named an orphanage in Africa after Chris, who’d always wanted to travel to Africa but never got the chance.

There will be an empty space at Bobby Simmons’ and Charlie Smith’s table in the hospitality room this coming year in Las Vegas. It’s a space that we’ll never quite be able to fill, as we all mourn Bob Kelly.

KEN RAMEY, NAMESAKE OF CAC BOWLING EVENT, DEAD AT 84

By Eric Chmiel

Dr. Ken Ramey, a longtime CAC member for whom the annual club bowling tournament is named, passed away due to throat cancer in October. He was 84.

Ramey, one of the greatest wrestling managers, began as a ref for Eddie Graham in Florida and for the Funks in Amarillo in the 1960’s. He went on to fame for managing the Masked Interns, one of the greatest heel teams of the modern era. The Interns had more than one incarnation, but the best of them featured Jim Starr and CAC’s own Tom Andrews under the hoods. That pair headlined in the Central States area, San Francisco and throughout the south. Starr and Andrews were superior workers who delivered quality matches night after night. Still, as good as they were Ken Ramey (middle) at the 2004 CAC reunion, with in the ring, a lot of their heat came from the presence the best Interns team, Jim Starr and Tom Andrews of the motor-mouthed Ramey, who could deliver a red-hot promo to fill an arena, but also incense fans like no other once his team was in action. Later, Ramey had another successful run as a manager in San Francisco. There are those who believe Ramey is among the four or five best managers the business has ever seen.

Ramey, a bowling enthusiast with an average of more than 200, was the catalyst for the CAC to create a bowling tournament once the annual reunions moved to the Gold Coast, which boasts a full-scale bowling alley on its upper level. The initial tournament, organized by Ramey, was nearly flushed when Ramey was not well enough to make it to Las Vegas, until Joe Mauriello agreed to take over running the event. Since then, Mauriello has continued to organize the bowling tournament (except for this past year, when he couldn’t attend the reunion and the duo of Emily Miller and Patsy Hughes stepped in). Sadly, Ramey was never able to make it to Vegas for a bowling event, although the CAC went on to name the tournament in his honor. The Cauliflower Alley Club salutes a great manager and a great guy, the late Dr. Ken Ramey.

CANVAS CAVITY: FAREWELL TO MANOUKIAN AND OX

By Mike Lano

Frequent CAC attendee Don Manoukian passed away in September. He was a CAC banquet regular since our days in Los Angeles at the Sportsmans Lodge.

Manoukian was half of a great championship tag team, partnered with Destroyer Dick Beyer, and was also best friends and tag partners with Ray Stevens. He even drove Ray to his only CAC function back in 1996. Don was an original member of the Oakland Raiders, playing gentle wrestling-like ribs on teammates like Tom Flores (later the Raiders coach), Jim Otto and Tom Lauderback. And before that, he was a decorated Reno High School and Stanford University football and track/field star as well as a great shot putter and discus thrower. All of this in a 5'5" sparkplug package which was small even for his initial athletic heyday in the 1960’s.

Beyer and Stevens always affectionately called Dan “Manouk.” Don Manoukian at his last CAC reunion in Don roomed and rode with both men for years. Ray said in in 2012 (photo by wrealano@aol.com) 1993, "Don's always been an excellent cook and really looked out for my well-being because my diet usually was beer, cigarettes and mostly stuff I shouldn't be eating. Don got me eating healthier and taking care of myself and I'm sure it extended my life several years." With Ray’s and Roy Shire's help, 1960 saw Don wrestle heel in the football off-season. Wrestling paid him more than he made with the Raiders, so he turned to the business full-time, wrestling up and down the West Coast, in Texas and in Japan for a career spanning about nine years. On my radio show in 1990, Manoukian said that in wrestling he’d had “the time of my life with my best friends for life, Ray and Dick," adding that after his career ended, “Red Bastien, Tony Borne, Ricky Romero and John Tolos often visited me."

Don worked hard and became one of the most successful real estate agents in Nevada, and was a partner in some area restaurants and businesses. On his 70th birthday, he benchpressed 300 lbs to celebrate. "I've never stopped lifting or staying in shape. You stop, you die."

We also lost Ox Baker recently. We all have our Ox memories. He was at many of our Vegas reunions. Ox loved seeing many of his old and beloved 70's family members from the Sheik NWA & Bruiser WWA/Detroit promotions as well as Pedro Martinez' Ohio and Buffalo NWF. He was reunited with Killer Tim Brooks, Pampero Firpo, Bobby Heenan, Verne Gagne, Greg Gagne and others through the CAC.

1975: Ox Baker backstage at the Chase Hotel

One of wrestling's great booming promos and scary looking in St. Louis (photo by wrealano@aol.com) characters, Ox was in fact a sweet if loud soul who kept the boys fed on the road with his culinary skills. Firpo once told me that Ox could cook any food from Indian naan and curry to Mexican chimichangas and various Italian and Spanish dishes. Ox loved cooking and watching the Food Network so much that he put out several cookbooks of his own, which he sold at his own hospitality room table at several CAC reunions. He was the oldest brother of five and excelled in amateur wrestling, football and boxing before getting into pro wrestling.

Ox Baker was an important figure in our industry. He was noisy, scary, wild and colorful. He'd been ailing for some time and had been on a downward health spiral since his most recent wife passed away in 2010. Before we lost him, Ox had recently just wrapped up filming a role in a new low-budget horror film called “Pinwheel,” which I believe was financed by some longtime fans of his. He will definitely be missed by us all.

Mike Lano co-hosts “Legends”, a weekly nationally-syndicated sports and entertainment radio show where he interviews wrestlers, MMA stars, boxers, musicians, actors and politicians including notables like Lou Ferrigno, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rudy Giuliani, Joan Rivers, Howie Mandel, Drew Carey and many more

PASSAGES

Compiled by Bob Leonard

In this issue, sadly, we say goodbye to 46 of the boys and girls who traveled the roads with us and made their mark, however big or small, on the business. For more (including bios of all names who have passed from the wrestling fraternity going back to 2005), you can find detailed obituaries on the CAC website, www.caulifloweralleyclub.org, under 2013 Finishes (RIP) on the home page. Also, some of the people listed below were proud CAC staples, and there are articles about them earlier in this issue of The Ear.

Dick Angelo, 4/11/14, 85

Rash Renegade (Timothy Champion), 4/19/14, 30

Sylvain Richard, 4/24/14, 83

Lee Marshall (announcer), 4/27/14, 67

Andy ‘Sinner’ Darnell, 5/2014, 26

Joe Turner, 5/1/14, brain cancer, 74

Johnny Rotten (Byron Greene), 5/9/14, 48

AC Golden/Homeboy (Mark Frear), 4/11/14, 44

Koa Tiki/Tiki Kamaka/Ray Kamaka, 5/2014, 74

Colossus (Christopher Nunn), 5/16/14, 32

Pietro Roncadin, 5/25/14

Freddie Gomez (Elisio Lerma), 11/29/14, 79

Tony Sugar (Antonio Moreno), 6/2014

Incredible Bulk (James Hamilton), 6/9/14, 55

Edward Gersh, 6/15/14, 94

Nino Sparkz (Nathaniel Westfield), 6/16/14, 26

Tim Hunt, 6/18/14, 48

T.J. Weatherby (Ed Weatherby), 6/18/14, 44

Don Greene, 6/21/14, 83

Brian Overbay, 6/22/14, 41

Larry Nelson (announcer), 6/23/14, cancer

Shuhei Aoki, 6/23/14, 39

‘Country Boy’ John Fluder, 6/24/14, 84

Rocky Ford (Samuel Ford Jr), 6/25/14, 86

Arizona Kid (Jimmy Garcia Jr), 7/1/14, 59

Danny Valentine (Dannie Taylor), 7/3/14, 51

El Suavecito (Andrew Yanez), 7/5/14, 64

Shane Rhodes, 7/12/14, auto accident, 35

Big Red (Shadrick Madison), 7/2014, 55

Johnny Canuck (John Collins), 7/17/14, 56

Flex Armstrong (Peter Sobieski), 7/18/14, 48

Ken Lucas, 8/1/14, 73

Troy Endres, 8/3/14, 46

Prince Poole (Harold Poole), 8/4/14, 70

Ted Heath, 8/7/14, 80

Bonnie Watson, 8/21/14, 82

King Kahuna (Scottie Ray Bundy), 8/21/14, 47

Maximum Capacity (Mike Stanco), 8/21/14, 46

Sean O’Haire (Sean Haire), 9/8/14, 43

Cuddles Anderson (Marilu Walker), 9/12/14, 68

Jim Zordani (historian), 9/13/14, 50

Ricky Starr (Bernard Herman), 9/20/14, 83

Don Manoukian, 9/23/14, 80

Cowboy Bob Kelly, 10/12/14, 78

Dr. Ken Ramey, 10/16/14, 83

Ox Baker (Douglas Baker), 10/20/14, 80

REMEMBRANCES OF REUNIONS PAST

As we march toward reunion number 50, it’s a great chance to take a look at some awesome moments from past CAC reunions.

On the left is the AWA crew with (from left) historian George Shire, CAC President and AWA World champ Nick Bockwinkel, master belt maker Reggie Parks, mat legend Larry “The Ax” Hennig and the “Hackensack Hammer” Buddy Wolfe. Not sure of the year. On the right is Ray “Thunder” Stern in the dark suit, and another AWA World champion, Curt Hennig, in the lighter suit. This is from the 1993 Cauliflower Alley reunion.

Both of these great photos are from the massive collection of our own Dr. Mike Lano.

MEET KEVIN JEFFERIES

By Jeff Sharkey

Each year at the CAC reunion, there is a request made for all Canadian members of the club to congregate for a group photo. Since Bob Leonard’s appointment on the CAC Board to the position of Canadian Director, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of both the general membership and annual reunion attendees from Canada. Bob’s influence and networking ability reaches across all provinces. He has recruited both his longtime associates and the new blood within the professional wrestling ranks in particular; look closely at some of those Team Canada photos, and you will see a decidedly-younger presence than one might expect.

Athletes in their early to late 20s, with a stride in their step and a confidence in their voice, are grounded with a respect for those who blazed a trail in front of them. Amidst the twenty-somethings is one such trailblazer, a man who looks to be in his mid-40s who also deserves accolades for his willingness to bridge the generation gap. CAC member Kevin Jefferies cannot hide the pride he takes in being a mentor to these up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. Jefferies is able to mask his level of life experience outwardly; the earliermentioned mid-40s estimate of Jefferies at first glance will shock those who learn he is actually 56 this year.

Kevin Jefferies, refereeing veteran (photo courtesy of Kevin Jefferies) “I had my dream, and my dream came true,” Jefferies said during an in terview in Las Vegas. “Now it’s time for these young kids to live their dream, and I’m there for them. Anything they want to know, I tell ‘em don’t be afraid to ask questions!”

Jefferies’ veteran leadership serves as a rudder for young talent to help navigate their career in today’s wrestling world. His memory is razor-sharp in flashing back to the days where he was a wide-eyed newcomer. The native of Kelowna, British Columbia started watching wrestling around age six, and later started attending shows and doing small tasks like taking the wrestlers’ jackets at ringside.

“I thought, ‘wow’, it’s amazing to be around all these stars in professional wrestling! At that time, the All-Star Wrestling promotion in Vancouver was owned by Sandor Kovacs and Gene Kiniski, and Roy McClarty was the referee,” Jefferies said. “I used to get in the ring after it was set up. I’d be bouncing around and doing flips off the ropes. Roy McClarty asked me if I wanted to wrestle. He said I had the biggest smile on my face when he said that, and I said I’d love to be a big part of it. I learned so much from him. I thank guys like Eric Froelich, Moose Morowski and Dean Higuchi for helping me out.”

But Jefferies’ start as a wrestler only served to interest him in other areas, and never limited his desire to tour the world. “I also learned to referee, and started with All-Star Wrestling. Jefferies tells Big Bossman what’s what in Then a fellow named David Gould, who was running Idaho, in a 1989 match involving Hulk Hogan picked me up there thanks to Moondog Ed Moretti, who I met (photo courtesy of Kevin Jefferies) in Vancouver. I worked with Paddy Ryan and the late, great Lumberjack Luke, who was also a Kelowna boy. I enjoyed both refereeing and wrestling. A lot of the matches I refereed out there were the midget bouts with Cowboy Lang, Billy the Kid and Little Tokyo.”

The real-time career experience of Kevin Jefferies expanded even farther. “I also worked in Stampede Wrestling in Calgary, refereed a lot and helped Keith Hart promote all throughout the B.C. interior and Vancouver Island,” Jefferies said. “Then I was up in the WWF, and some of the best matches of my career were the Hart Foundation against the British Bulldogs, and also Demolition. I got to work with greats like Jimmy Korderas, Earl and Dave Hebner, and Jack Kruger. One of the agents who mentored

and taught me so much was the late Chief Jay Strongbow. The pay was great. I got to work with guys like Terry Taylor, who I saw again at the CAC reunion. It’s nice to reunite with gentlemen like him.”

Just as Jefferies was mentored by legendary names in the wrestling industry, he knows that to perpetuate the business, he needs to impart the nuances of the action in the ring to improve the fans’ viewing experience. “I’m a big one to help these young kids today,” Jefferies said. “Unfortunately, they will never have that chance to experience the territory days, where you traveled 6 and 7 days a week and go from town to town, entertaining the fans. We just enjoyed our time together on the road. The kids today need to understand the psychology as they’re learning the business.”

The art of officiating is perhaps Jefferies’ true niche. He has a few key points that resonate in conversation, always reinforcing the basic premise that a referee’s role is the basis for the entire contest. “I’ve always said that referees are the most important person in that ring, and it takes a good referee to make a good match. Referees are underpaid for what they do. We’re in the ring more than once a night, sometimes three or four times a night, controlling and helping make a match.”

Jefferies has high standards for officiating, and holds a promotion to those standards in their selection of referees. “One of my pet peeves in refereeing is the way some referees dress. Shorts, sweat pants and ripped up sneakers….you need to look like a professional. It doesn’t take much to pick up a black pair of sneakers, a black pair of pants and a proper referee shirt.”

“A lot of the young wrestlers today don’t know how to use a referee. They think a referee’s a nobody. But the referee is the authority, and you’ve got to look like you have that authority. Don’t get heat on the referee and make him look like the idiot. It’s the worst thing you can do. It’s a lost art. It’s tough today.”

Jefferies referees a bout involving the CAC’s Raven Lake, Tough love training may deter some thin-skinned who he now mentors (photo courtesy of Kevin Jefferies) wrestlers, but others have thrived from the lessons.

“I have a few I mentor now, and I enjoy doing it,” Jefferies said. “Two young guys I am doing a lot with and have become very good friends with are Kyle Sebastian and Collin Cutler. About 6 years ago, Vance Nevada was doing a book and wanted to meet with me to get some information. When I was talking to Vance, I saw this young fella smiling and walking toward me. He shook my hand and said, ‘Hi, I’m Kyle Sebastian.’ It was one of the greatest things, with a young man coming over. Vance told me about him and he was pretty high on this guy. I hung around and watched his match, and fell in love with the way this young man wrestled in the ring. At the same time I met young Collin Cutler, and the same thing goes. He came from Lance Storm’s school. He has a heart of gold, and listens.”

Just as Jefferies transitioned to refereeing from active wrestling, he has a blueprint that others are starting to follow. “Each wrestler who comes into this business should learn to referee,” Jefferies said. “Some promotions will pull someone out of the crowd. But you can create value for yourself and the promotion by learning how to referee, because a good referee will make your match and other matches 100 percent better than having some untrained idiot in there.”

One of Kevin’s success stories is Raven Lake, who in recent months has retired from in-ring work and switched to refereeing. Check the recent archives of stories posted to www.caulifloweralleyclub.org to read more about Raven’s transition and the lessons she has learned from Jefferies’ training sessions.

Kevin Jefferies has made an effort to contribute to the success of pro wrestling by being an official the pros can take delight in working with, but he’s largely underappreciated by the audience as the participants attract the spotlight. Still, the elements of what make wrestling tick are honed under the watchful eye of veterans like him. Seek him out at the next reunion and learn from him. “A lot of the young wrestlers are terrified to come up and ask questions. They shouldn’t be. The CAC is just a great environment to learn,” Jefferies said.

A longtime refereeing and promoting veteran of the business and a CAC member since 2003, Jeff Sharkey has studied from wrestling's legendary learning trees, and hope s to pass that knowledge along to the next generation.

REMEMBERING THE ENIGMATIC CHRIS COLT

By Dale Pierce

Like Elvis, years after his actual death there were rumors circulating that the late Chuck Harris, aka the great Chris Colt, aka Chris Von Colt, aka one of the Hell's Angels Paul Dupree, aka American Nightmare and a number of other aliases, was still alive. People wanted him to be alive. I wanted him to be alive. But such was not the case.

A lot of CAC members probably remember, or even worked with, Chuck Harris during his Chris Colt days. Though Harris wrestled on the undercard for varied promotions, including for Tony Santos in the east, it was when he first started teaming with Russ Grobes, aka Ron Dupree, that he really caught on. First as The Hell's Angels and later as The Comancheros, they held two different versions of the World Tag Team title. They also each held the Arizona Championship singles title at different times during their long Arizona stays.

For a time, Grobes had to lay off of wrestling The enigma himself: Chris Colt during his heyday in the ring due to heart trouble, which was when he started going under the name Ron Dupree in a managerial role and Harris went on as a single, under the Chris Colt name. That name was reportedly something of an inside joke derived from the title of a 1970’s gay magazine.

Whether it was a wise thing to do or not, Grobes re-entered the ring despite his heart issues and teamed with his old partner again as the Comancheros. But when the promotion ran out of fresh ideas, they split and began to fight each other.

Things wrapped up for good in Tacoma, Washington when Grobes had a fatal heart attack while working as an announcer. His health had already deteriorated, but he was still at least remotely doing what he loved. Rumor has it he died with an eerie grin on his face.

"Chris lost it after Ronnie died," commented Maniac Mike Gordon, who knew the pair in Arizona. "He always lived this Bohemian lifestyle, if you get my drift. But he just went nuts after Ronnie passed away right in front of him and the whole locker room. He worked in Ohio. He worked in Oregon. He worked in England. He worked for Gulas. The problem was, his behavior became so bizarre he couldn't or wouldn't stay in one area for too long. I heard before he died he was doing such things a driving a cab, working in a dirty book store and even making a couple stag films. He was one of the best ever in the ring, but his lifestyle was his undoing. That was him, however. He couldn't be anyone or anything but himself, and who he really was. He was like the original party animal. But being “The Comancheros” Ron and Paul Dupree puzzling, unpredictable and uncanny, that was him, in and out (aka Russ Grobes and Chris Colt) of the ring. To make matte rs even stranger, I’ve heard that he when they were on top in Arizona he became a born again Christian right before he died.” Such (photo courtesy of Dale Pierce) a conversion seemed out of character for such a wildman.

Longtime wrestler/referee Greg Lake also tells of a time when The Comancheros evidently "borrowed" a trained tiger from a circus which was going to take place the night after a wrestling show. They

decided to take the tiger for a walk, right to a stunned Lake’s hotel room. They knocked on the door, came in with the tiger while saying nothing, walked the animal silently around the room and left as quietly as they came in.

Harris was also considered a liability for getting "too much" heat with the fans. He caused multiple riots over the years, both with Grobes and on his own. The worst one of all was probably in Phoenix in 1971 when The Comancheros took on Pancho Pico and Ben Justice, with all four men bleeding profusely. The match resulted in a massive fight between the wrestlers and the fans, as well as the fans fighting amongst themselves.

The controversial wrestler often found himself at odds with certain promoters and had ways of getting revenge when he didn’t see eye to eye with them. On one Michigan show, he was ticked off at the Sheik and told Whipper Watson Jr. before their match, "Don't touch me at all." He then spent the entire bout ducking in and out of the ring until the bout ended in a time limit draw. The two men never touched. The fans, and of course the Sheik, were livid.

Aside from Dupree, other people Colt teamed with over the years include Al Tomko, Count Drummer, Don Fargo, Bobby Mayne (Jaggers), Freddie Gomez and Bill Dundee. Other managers for him included Johnny Mann, Billy Colt (Anderson) and Sam Bass. Some of his many opponents included the Colt with Bobby Mayne, aka Bobby Jaggers Fargos, Tito Montez, Cowboy Bob Ellis, Luis Martinez, Pancho Pico, Pampero Firpo, Larry Zbyszko, Arman Hussein, Rocky Johnson, Chief White Owl and Flying Fred Curry.

Some of his matches are seen on You Tube, and while great in their own right, they were mainly taken at the end of his career, when he was declining. Even then, he could still work circles around many.

One day, we may get a true look into this underrated star's mind, for as he was dying he was evidently working on an autobiography. His nephew found many notes Harris has written, and one day hopes to turn them into a book. Other books that deal with Harris/Colt include Riot At The Garden (1979), Theatre In A Squared Circle (1998), The Heels (2008), The Garden Will Not Die (2008), This Saturday Night At the Akron Armory (2009), The Last Bell Call (2009), I Ain't No Pig Farmer (2013), Wrestling In Akron (2014) and The Hard Way (2014).

Dale Pierce is a longtime veteran of the wrestling busi ness and a longtime member of the Cauliflower Alley Club. He is a prolific author on numerous subjects, including wrestling, and he has a whole host of books available on the website Lulu.com (just search for “Dale Pierce”). Some of the titles mentioned above are his own works, and they are all excellent.

THE SCOWL: BILL WHITE

by

Just look at this scowling face!

During Bill White’s wrestling career, many an opponent absolutely hated to see this scowl, because it meant you were about to be run ragged from pillar to post. White worked nearly everywhere during his career, and wherever he went he gained the respect of his peers. Just ask anyone he ever stepped into the ring with, they’ll all tell you the same thing: this guy was one of the better workers of his era. He remains underrated to this day, but there’s no question he was one of the toughest. No less an authority than Lou Thesz once remarked to longtime CAC member Bruce Swayze that White was “the type of guy I like to work with, tough and schooled in wrestling.”

Not to mention, he ranks as one of the all-time greats of CAC cribbage lore. Along with the Destroyer, for whom the annual cribbage tournament is named, he is one of the only two people ever to win the

prestigious competition twice. The CAC salutes the scowling Bill White!

BILLY SILVERMAN: WRESTLING REFEREE

By Billy Silverman

I was a wrestling fan growing up. My father was friends with Sam Michaels, who was a promoter for Vince McMahon Sr. around Maine and New Hampshire. So I was always around it. I went to the shows and got the wrestlers’ autographs, and just loved the business. So I realized when I was very young that I wanted to be involved in the wrestling business. I knew it wouldn’t be as a wrestler, because I just wasn’t big enough. When I was a kid, it was all big guys like Gorilla Monsoon, Bruno Sammartino and Superstar Billy Graham. Those guys were all huge, and it was a big man’s sport. But I knew I wanted to be involved in some way.

When I got older, I met some of Sam’s friends, the Savoldis, who ran a promotion called IWCCW in the Northeast. I started working for them putting up posters and stuff like that. Tommy Fernini, Mario Savoldi’s cousin, was a referee, and he was getting older. He asked me if I wanted to be trained as a Billy Silverman at a CAC reunion referee, and of course I said yes. It was great for me, because (photo by Jared Hawkins) not only did it get me into the business, but I got to meet so many amazing wrestlers and referee their matches for them. Carlos Colon used to come in with a lot of the Puerto Rican guys. I met Tyree Pride, who I later refereed for in the Caribbean. I refereed matches for legends like Eduard Carpentier, Mad Dog and Paul Vachon, Dino Bravo, Fabulous Moolah and King Tonga (Haku aka Meng).

These men and women taught me a lot about the timing and the mechanics of being a referee. Oftentimes, a referee is a very big part of the match. I wish I could remember who it was who first told me, “A good match takes three people: the babyface, the heel and the referee.” But that’s a piece of advice I’ve lived by. I was lucky because all these amazing people took a liking to me. Back then, I worked all up and down the east coast, and Chicago. I worked for WWE when it was the WWWF, back when Vince Sr. had it. I worked with the AWA too.

Eventually, I became one of the main referees in WCW and the modern WWE, all during the glory days of the Monday Night wars. I was the head referee for the UWF league that Herb Abrams ran, and was on the cover of the video box for their only pay-per-view, “Beach Brawl.” I worked in Egypt, across Europe and even at Madison Square Garden. I’ve been so fortunate.

I have also gotten to referee matches for some of the greatest wrestlers ever. I’ve worked with Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Vader, Sid Vicious, Steve Austin, Mick Foley and Dory Funk Jr. I refereed a bout with Terry Funk and Flair. I had to marvel at them, they put on a clinic. It was so fast-paced. They were at the top of their game and giving it their all. It was amazing to see guys of that caliber going at it full-steam. I’ve worked with Sgt. Slaughter, who was such a great Silverman tells Norman Smiley to knock worker. He was big, but he could bump his rear end off. it off during a Monday Nitro match I worked with Kerry Von Erich and so many others.

(photo courtesy of Billy Silverman)

One of the big thrills I’ve had was being able to do the movie “Ready to Rumble” with stars like David Arquette, Martin Landau, Oliver Platt and Joe Pantaleone, all real cool guys. It was instructive to see the mechanics of how a movie gets made, and to see the stunts and how everything is filmed. The whole thing was set up by WCW, and I got my Screen Actors Guild card. This paved the way for me to appear in “Mystic River” with Sean Penn a couple years later, which was directed by Clint Eastwood.

Billy Silverman is one of the premier wrestling referees of the past two decades. You’ve probably seen him on TV as he’s refereed countless matches on “WCW Nitro” and “WWE Monday Night Raw.” He is a longtime CAC member.

Cauliflower Alley Club

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