September 2016 The Ear

RUTH SILVERSTONE

by Alfred Ticineto Jr.

BIO: In the late 90s I started writing for "Wrestling Then and Now," which led to my joining the CAC. I was greatly inspired by the late Bobby Shane, which led me to many great friendships in wrestling, especially in the CAC, and has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. I also wrote a song about Bobby Shane titled "Bobby's Song", although it was never released there was a demo CD created with a session singer. It did get air play in the St. Louis market. Dean requested Alfred to write this piece.

In Memory of Ruth Silverstone

In April, our wrestling family suffered a great loss with the passing of Ruth Silverstone, beloved wife for 36 years of Dean Silverstone. Ruth was an integral part of the CAC, and handled various duties.

"Ruth was THE behind the scenes backbone of the EAR newsletter and records keeper of members.” Karl Lauer stated. “Always gave 110% but never asked for or wanted any of the credit, shy but so brilliant, she was one of a kind. Always put Dean over and gave him the credit for her work. Sometimes I would call Dean early before he got home and enjoyed our talks; a lovely lady and great host when we would visit,“ he continued.

“Ruth was perhaps the hardest working person in the CAC,” Brian Blair related. “Her dedication to the CAC was paramount... we all miss her!”

Ruth was born in Renton, WA, on May 10, 1946. Her family were all nature lovers, and that instilled a love for nature in Ruth. She attended the University of Seattle, where she majored in marine biology. After college, she moved to San Francisco where she worked for the FBI, and then returned to Seattle where she was a system analyst at Boeing. After retiring from Boeing, she became the webmaster for Dean’s Golden Oldies Records store and then became the Cauliflower Alley Club records keeper from 1995 until this year.

Ruth and Dean met at Golden Oldies in 1979 when she went into his shop looking for the Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace.” They started dating shortly thereafter, and they were married the next year. Though not a wrestling fan, Ruth was very entertained by stories of Dean’s wrestling days that he started telling her while on an Alaskan

cruise shortly after they were married. Dean took her to see her first live wrestling show (put on by Verne Gagne) at the Showboat Casino in Las Vegas in 1985, where they sat with Herb Mills, the last surviving member of the Mill Brothers singing group.

A pivotal event occurred in 1990 while they were vacationing in Hawaii. Dean learned that Ripper Collins was also there, and he introduced them. Ruth was so fascinated as she listened to Ripper’s great stories (“I don't know when I've laughed so much, or been so entertained,” she once told me), that she asked Dean what other wrestlers they could meet. That led to their annual reunions at their home in Issaquah. A virtual Who’s Who of wrestling attended those reunions over the next 21 years, among them were Ray Stevens, Lou Thesz, Nick Bockwinkel, Dick Beyer, Johnny Valentine, Fabulous Moolah, and countless others.

Ruth grew to deeply love the wrestling family, very much taken with their down to earth manner and their intelligence as well. She spoke very highly of so many of them, and among her favorites were Ray Steven, Ella Waldek, Johnny Dupree, Eddie Sullivan, and Bob Kelly, who, along with his wife Chris, became very close friends of both her and Dean. Also, as Ruth was fluent in French, she and Mad Dog Maurice Vachon would talk to each other speaking French Carney and no one in the room could understand what they were saying. The fun times she had with the wrestling family held a very special place in her heart.

Among Ruth’s other various interests were studying French, music (50s and 60s oldies, and French music as well), reading (biographies and non-fiction), sewing (she was quite adept at replicating designer clothes), and, above all, her and Dean’s dogs (two black Labs – Hector Dos and Sis) and cats (two Tonkinese – Pesante and Topaz). She took the dogs on 2-3 daily walks, and loved taking them to obedience class, as well as play days (“Yappy Hour” at a local dog school). Aside from the wrestling reunions, Dean and Ruth enjoyed traveling, and Tahiti became their favorite destination, as they visited the island several times over the years. They were totally devoted to each other, as was very evident to everyone who saw them together, and very evident to me in my e-mail correspondence with both of them over the years. Ruth truly was loved by all, and will be greatly missed.

BIO: I’ve been a newsstand magazine photographer/writer since the sixties and covered every CAC event since the late eighties as secondary to club co-founder Art Abrams(our head-photographer and first newsletter editor). When Art passed in 1999, Lou Thesz and Red Bastien promoted me to full CAC-Photographer. My bucket list as a kid traveling the world was to try to photograph everyone in the biz. Every territory in nearly every country allowing wrestling. I still cover all our great indies. Best times(and best road stories) were during extended photographic tours of Japan, Canada, Europe and Mexico. Legendary Theo Ehret was another Sensai-photog right in my home-base Los Angeles Lebell territory. Favorite arenas to shoot at included Korakuen, Arena Mexico, both Sportatoriums, Kiel plus course MSG whenever Bruno had a title defense. So proud to witness CAC’s growth, strength and inclusion.

Want to welcome everyone's friend and our longtime CAC publisher, Royal Duncan, as new Ear editor. I've known Royal since the 80's when CAC was still basically informal luncheons at the Old Spaghetti Factory, etc. before our spectacular annual award dinners at the Sportsman's Lodge near Universal Studio's in SoCal. Back then, our annual events really were just the get-together meals. Later, those turned into the one-night awards banquets and like the lunches, it was divided fairly evenly amongst Mike Mazurki's loves of pro-wrestling, boxing and TV/film entertainers until we moved to Las Vegas in 2000. Our meetings then became a three plus day mega-convention-event with dedicated wrestling shows(promoted so well each year by Billy Blade), our large meeting and convention/ booth room, the Baloney(now Bockwinkel) Blowout, the great seminars and much more.

Seiji Sakaguchi, George "Crybaby" Cannon, Luke, Billy and Jerry Graham, Danny Miller, the Lewins, Ray Stevens, Pat Patterson, Vader, Bret and the Stu Hart Family, Al Hayes, Pat Barrett. From the female athletic legends Burke and Byers to Moolah, Cora and Debi Combs, the great Penny Banner, Ida Mae Martinez, Betty Nicolli, Akira Hokuto, Gene Kiniski, Chigusa Nagoya, Devil Masami, Sheri Martel and so many other greats. The finest announcers, refs, managers, valets, trainers have graced our events including Gordon Solie, Jim Ross who's turned out to be a 5-star ambassador for CAC, Jimmy Lennon Sr, Allan Bolte, Johnny "Red Shoes" Duggan, out of L.A. who was so popular as a regular guest referee for Inoki's New Japan that NJPW has one of their refs named "Red Shoes" who was a mark for the highflying Duggan. Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund, Jerry Lawler, Jim Cornette, Jimmy Hart, Dr. Ken Ramey, and Howard Finkel at his first CAC this April! CAC's boxing greats have been many like former CAC prez Archie Moore, Carmen Basilio and the great Oscar de la Hoya, whose first CAC was 1992. Countless entertainers like Elliot Gould, Cesar Romero, Terry Moore, Arnold, Sylvester Stallone, Our Gang and Bowery Boys stars and rock god Billy Corgan who's now a top TNA exec. You name 'em. CAC has had 'em including MMA king Judo Gene Lebell who holds several records for being in the most movies and TV shows as a stunt man. CAC's Hank Garrett played a cop in each "Car 54 Where Are You" TV show episode.

*Watched an old Dick Cavett show where Ernest Borgnine and William Holden discussed CAC legend Woody Strode(wrestler, actor) at length "that we just did a western picture with." Well before Duane Johnson became a movie megastar was Woody.

*In the 90's, we had ancillary-to-L.A. CACs: in Springfield, MA, Tampa(that CAC board member and female legend Ella Waldeck ran), three NY/NJ events plus my San Muchnick Tribute Weekend for three days in St. Louis in 1992 that CAC backed me on. Many who don't travel to California or Nevada made these events memorable like Abdullah The Butcher, Johnny "Ace" Laurinaitis, Carlos Colon, Miguel Perez and more. And Duane Johnson, fresh from developmental, attended our Tampa event with dad Rocky, mom Ata with our Pat Patterson predicting he'd not only succeed in wrestling, but in Hollywood too. Pat's great new autobiography is out with other predictions, plus hopefully some of my photos of him in it over his championship career. One of his best matches, not talked about as much as his other classics, was one I photographed ringside at the Olympic Auditorium with Pat challenging America's champ Ed Carpentier in January of 1973 besides a thriller with Cyclone Negro the same year. Pat remains Vince's go-to creative genius in WWE.

Literally, everyone who's ever been anyone has been a CAC member and at our meetings. From the entire McMahon family to Lord Alfred Hayes, the Funks, Briscos, Billy Robinson, Verne Gagne, Dick Hutton, Buddy Rogers, Johnny Valentine, The Crusher, Destroyer, Don Curtis, Mil Mascaras, Ernie Ladd, Lord Blears, Pampero Firpo, Shohei Baba, Antonio Inoki, Nobuhiko Takada, Ultimo Dragon, Yoji Anjyo, Steve Williams, Gary Albright, Sicodelico Jr.,

*Many credit Lillian/Moolah with breaking the women's NY State ban in 1972 but actually CAC's Titi Paris and Betty Nicolli spent years before 1972, when Moolah worked with Vicki Williams at Madison Square Garden. Most credit Lil with the legwork, but Betty did the majority of it and deserves the credit for spending countless hours with the athletic commission, etc. Few know that CAC's Betty has been married for decades to talented wrestler Akio Sato who was #2 to Baba in All Japan besides being a top wrestler plus WWF front officer. He was back in Vegas with us as always this year.

CONTRIBUTORS

Royal Duncan

- editor, writer, photos

Chris Jones

- asst. editor

Mike Rice

- graphic artist

Dean Silverstone

- writer

Dan Westbrook

- writer, photos

Ron Hutchison

- writer

Dr. Mike Lano

- writer, photos

Karl Lauer

- writer, photos

Jeff Leen

- writer

Ruth

Table

Brad McFarlin

- photos

Vance Nevada

- writer, photos

Greg Oliver

- writer, photos

Joyce Paustion

- photos

Jeff Sharkey

- writer, photos

Alfred Ticineto, Jr.

- writer, photos

Kari Williams - writer

HelloCAC Members, It is with great pleasure that we-the writer's, photographers, columnists, graphic artists and staff bring you this edition of the "Ear". We've under gone some changes since the last issue and we hope you enjoy them.

As the new editor I would like to tell you what my goals are. 1. Special 4-color sections (like our Photographer's Special Feature). 2. The best writers we can't afford (everyone makes the same $0.00 we do it out of love)

3. History - ok, stop the whining. We have a wonderful history and are going to highlight it. We will also have stories on past members, boxers (who were a big part of the club's beginings-we had 51 world champions) and others in Club history. Karl will be writing a steady column with his memories.

4. Fun - crosswords, cryptograms, word searches, reviews on music and movies. All this to try to get our members to know more about each other and to make our newsletter more interesting.

One more thing - please do not compare the new "Ear" to the old ones. Eric did not have the resources to call upon as I do. He did a fantastic job under the limits and constraints set forth and will be superior in some areas than we are.

So, as Emerson, Lake and Palmer sang "Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends". Pro wrestling.

GOODBYE TO ABEL FERNANDEz

Thefirst CAC Reunion that I attended was the 25th, in Studio City. And the first person that I met that was involved with the club was Abel Fernandez and his wife Josie. They were seated at the small bar by the check-in desk.

I knew of Abel from his boxing days in the light heavyweight division. In 1950, he won the L.A. Times Golden Glove light heavyweight title (amateur) and turned pro in April, 1950. He fought pro for three years until March of 1953. His record was not spectacular (12-11-1) fighting men like Eddie Cotton, Watson Jones, Tommy Harrison, Baby Edwards, and Fred Bashore.

What I didn't know at that time was what an accomplished actor he was. From a co-starring role on the TV series "The Untouchables", to appearances on TV shows "Gun Smoke", "Wagon Train", "Have Gun-Will Travel", and "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin" Abel kept busy.

Born 7/14/30 in Los Angeles, his mother died at birth. Abel entered the Army and became a paratrooper.

Abel acted in movies with other stars like Robert Taylor, James Darren, Gregory Peck and Rory Calhoun.

Later Abel produced theatrical shows for disadvantaged children.

Abel died May 3 at the age of 85. I never saw him and Josie after that reunion. But Abel was the kind of CAC member who was among the building blocks of our club. Humble, friendly, down to earth.

We salute you Abel for being a stand-up member in our fine organization.

MARK NULTY

And as an aside, I was saddened to hear of the death of Mark Nulty. Although it was 10+ years since I had talked to Mark, I still would consider him a buddy. Mark was friendly, affable, and unflappable. He was always willing to help someone out. Mark emceed one of the CAC banquets when we were at The Riviera. Mark, I feel, was under appreciated doing the emceeing. He knew dates, territories, belt changes, and other interesting facts and he spoke with no notes, so you know he had put in his homework. Mark was not a big name and the club opted for another emcee the following year. But I still remember Mark was one of the most knowledgeable, enthusiastic and fervent emcees that we had to that point. Adieu my friend, Royal

HANDSOME JOHNNY BRADFORD

by Greg Oliver

BIO: A writer, editor, producer, and stay-at-home dad, GREG OLIVER has had six books about professional wrestling published. His latest books though are all hockey-related: "Don't Call Me Goon", "The Goaltenders' Union", "Written in Blue & White", and "Duck With The Puck". Producer at SLAM! Wrestling. CAC member since 2001, though did attend the CAC dinner in Cherry Hill, NJ, in 1998 www.oliverbooks.ca

Whileyou might not have heard of Michigan manager Handsome Johnny Bradford, it’s a guarantee that he’s never heard you. He’s deaf.

After losing his hearing at age four due to childhood meningitis, John Bradford McFarlin found enjoyment in professional wrestling and its larger-than-life characters who could tell stories that even he could understand. An early treat was being in Comiskey Park in 1961 when “Nature Boy”

Buddy Rogers won the NWA World championship from Pat O’Connor. “I got goose bumps when Rogers won the World title. The four-hour ride back home seemed like four minutes. I couldn’t sleep I was so hyper,” said McFarlin. “Kids my age at that time wanted to grow up to be Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, or Gordie Howe. Not me. I vowed I was going to grow up to be exactly like Buddy ‘Nature Boy’ Rogers.”

His entry into the wrestling business came through photographs, another medium where sound was not paramount. After the family moved to Dearborn, Michigan, the teenage McFarlin began attending The Sheik’s Detroit shows, and a feature story on Lou Klein’s gym got him into the magazines. Better cameras led to better shots which led to more attention. The Sheik brought McFarlin into his inner sanctum.

p

“Lou Klein set it up and I was able to get backstage at Cobo, into the private office where Joyce Farhat wrote out the checks from a big ledger. Then The Sheik came in. To say I was scared sh--less would be an understatement. But The

Meet the GLOW Girls in Vegas BE THERE!

Sheik looked at me, looked at Joyce, and then looked at Klein, and they all burst out laughing. And then The Sheik said, ‘boo!’ I almost jumped.”

Before heading off to the Rochester Institute of Technology, McFarlin had photos printed in all the wrestling mags, as well as music publications like "CREEM"(The music mag in the Counter Culture '60's)and "16 Magazine". While he worked as a photo lab technician for an auto company, McFarlin continued to shoot wrestling … and dream of the next step.

In 1986, Al Costello of the Kangaroos opened a wrestling school just a mile down the road from his house. Costello agreed to train McFarlin to wrestle. “For ‘fun’ Al enjoyed shooting with me for cardiovascular purposes. He was in his seventies but tough as nails and he was always in great shape.”

Eight years later, the manager Handsome Johnny Bradford was born in Midwest Territorial Wrestling, and he’s managed a plethora of talent through the years, including Sex & Violence (the future WWE star Edge Adam Copeland and international star Joe E. Legend), Bruiser Bedlam, and the Thug Life faction, while working for a number of promotions.

“As for my being deaf, we just decided to use that as a prop,” said McFarlin. “Something to set me apart from every other manager. We would educate the audience that I really was deaf, and not just pretending.”

McFarlin has attended the last two Cauliflower Alley Club reunions after being badgered about attending for years. He continues to photograph the matches, mainly for SLAM! Wrestling, and has found a new pal to enjoy the wrestling excitement in his 11-year-old son, Matthew.

Editor's note: Johnny works as a photographer for www.SlamWrestling. com and TOTAL WRESTLING out of England. Involved in wrestling since he wrote an article for Lew Eskin at Wrestling Revue. Worked for The Sheik and Bill Apter at PWI. Bradford did more wrestling working for Ed Farhat, Jr. (AWWL) out of Michigan.

MTV - "My name is Melody Trouble Vixen, a rock and roll match is what I'm fixin', I'm ready to rock it, ready to roll, wrestling is in my blood and Elvis is my soul"

FIFTH POLE OF THE MAT

by Dean Silverstone

LOVE IS IN THE AIR:

CACBIO: Dean is the former Pacific Northwest wrestling promoter and currently holds two positions within the Cauliflower Alley Club –Secretary and Treasurer. Dean began working in the Northwest area in 1958 and left the business in 1976 after promoting in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and Alaska. Dean became a CAC Director in 1995 and was named to the Executive Committee in 1999. Dean and his late wife, Ruth, were the coeditors of “The Ear,” the official newsletter of the Cauliflower Alley Club, from 1995 until 2012.

member Art Crews and his wife Judy travelled to Yakima, WA to attend their daughter Ashlee's wedding. Art was delighted to dance with his daughter at her wedding and has come a long way since writing his wrestling book "We Made Them Look Good."

Two CAC members recently announced their plans to wed. Tanya Kirsch and Ken Hamblin, both residents of Tacoma, WA and who both attended the April 2016 CAC reunion were recently engaged with plans to marry soon.

Earlier, long time CAC member Scott Walton of El Segundo, CA was married to Heather. We hope she attends next May's banquet with you Scott. August 23rd marks the anniversary of CAC member Joyce Paustian and her husband Woody. Joyce has been an ace photographer and friend of wrestling for decades.

DEAN "HO" HIGUCHI: We recently heard from two iconic Canadians: Don Leo Jonathan and Dean "Ho" Higuchi. Don Leo is now 85 and gets

around okay with a walker. He and his wife live in British Columbia as does Dean "Ho" Higuchi and his wife Rose. Dean announced he will soon be moving back to Hawaii where he will retire. Way back in 1960, Dean Higuchi and Mr. Fuji trained a young guy named Larry Pitchford. Larry started wrestling in Hawaii and was given the ring name Beauregarde. Hawaiian champ Ripper Collins was the person who came up with the name and it caught on with all the fans. Beauregarde is a Life member of the CAC, but has not yet attended a reunion. We hope he'll consider joining us for out 52nd in May of 2017

PAT PATTERSON:

Canadian CAC member Greg Oliver and his SLAM wrestling website offered an in-depth review of the newly released Pat Patterson book coauthored by Bertrand Hebert. The review was written by CAC Life member Kurt Nielsen who has just returned to his home in Montrose, CA after spending a month in Switzerland. The Pat Patterson book is a quality wrestling read as are the 570-page book by CAC member Pepper Martin titled "Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption", and the best-selling George Schire historical classic "Minnesota: Golden Age of Wrestling". Crowbar Press always has a new book available, the most current being "Bruiser, the World's Most Dangerous Wrestler," written by Richard Vicek and edited by CAC member Scott Teal.

THREE LIFE MEMBERS:

Great to have David Manning as a CAC Life Member. David was a top referee for Fritz von Erich's Texas wrestling organization and we hope he participates in some of the programs scheduled for the May 2017 reunion.

Every year you buy the CAC reunion T-shirts from two Life Members. Charlie Smith, former NWA referee and Bobby Simmons who was a referee and wrestler getting his start in the business during Ann Gunkel's ASWA promotion during the Georgia wrestling wars.

You think Lou Thesz had a long career in wrestling, what about CAC Life Member Greg Lake from Lafayette, IN who for the past 43 years has been active either as a wrestler or referee. Greg got his start in wrestling from the late Bobby Shane and has been a credit to our profession since 1973.

Promoter Charles Anschutz of Southern Fried Championship Wrestling held a Charlie Smith Appreciation show in Monroe, Georgia on March 12, 2016, with all proceeds going to the CAC Benevolent Fund. WWE caught wind of this event and donated several items to be auctioned off as well. CAC President Brian Blair, along with CAC’s EVP Morgan Dollar were in attendance as representatives of the CAC. This was a record turnout as Charlie is loved all up and down the East Coast. After all was said and done, Southern Fried Championship Wrestling donated $3,528.00 to the CAC Benevolent fund in honor of Charlie Smith. The CAC would like to thank Charles and everyone that donated their time contributing to this event. It is through donations like this that allows the CAC to assist those in need. The majority of this donation has all ready assisted people that need just a little help to get back on their feet. If you would like to make a donation to the CAC contact Karl Lauer, Chairman of the Benevolent Fund for further assistance.

It was an organization that started in 1985 and made disorganization a mainstay. It was a wrestling program and not a wrestling program. It was ground breaking and breathtaking. It was ambience waiting next to an ambulance. It was underrated and yet it was overdue that women be the main attraction in the squared circle, it was the beginning of “Wrestling Variety” at its best, it was the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

GLOW was not well-liked or recognized by the major wrestling promotions & territories in its day, but that didn’t stop its brain trust from putting together the stand out mix of elaborate costumes, character driven personalities, and creative combat that led to over six million viewers per week anticipating entertainment that combined the thrill of the Friday Night Fights, the humor of school-yard insults, and the diversity of ring combatants from many races, sizes, and shapes.

GLOW’s forgotten milestone in the sometimes brutal wrestling world is its unique “reach-out ability” especially by its so-called bad side to recognize (via high fives or pointing to) their audience that led to said fan base expanding at a fever pitch, breaking from tradition where “bad” wrestlers went to ringside with an air of superiority that included the frequent snubbing of even the few supporters they

MEET THE GLOW GIRLS AT THE 2017 CAC REUNION!

« Eileen MTV O' Hara

« Patricia Summerland (Sunny the California Girl)

« Annette Marroquin (Jungle Woman)

« Debi (Dallas) Pelletier

« Cheryl (Lighting) Rusa

« Jayne Adams (California Doll)

« Trudy Adams (Amy the Farmers daughter)

« Roxy Astor

« Dawn (Godiva) Maestas

had in attendance.

It may have started with a majority of grapplers with little experience & understanding of what was traditionally referred to as “the male soap opera”, but in a sense those rookie performers’ “new-ness” combined with their more experienced counterparts created a “pre-reality program” where even if a mistake was made in the ring, your viewing pleasure was not diminished because as a fan you took pride in the atmosphere being generated by the new wave of brawling beauties that became the forerunner to the Divas and the Knockouts.

The characters were borderline believable & unbelievably bigger than life, it didn’t matter how favored you thought one side was over the other going into a contest because in GLOW any kind of victory was possible, even if it meant going after the ring announcer for trying to short change your prize money.

It was elaborate & electric, comical & competitive, insults & independence. GLOW was the unsung pioneer of Wrestling Variety for when you can give your audience a good fight & a good laugh all at the same time then you keep many a spectator’s competitive inner drive going until the next show & smiling long after the final bell.

It’s four-year first-run duration wasn’t near as long as it should have been, but said shortness left long lasting memories to those who couldn’t get enough and became the foundation that future women’s wrestling divisions were built upon.

A country song once mentioned, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.” Even with those original lights now turned off, for some time afterwards the room will have its remaining GLOW. With that, the party continues on.

« Andrea (Angel) Micheil

« Lily Crabtree (Corporal Kelly #2)

« Kell'e Favara AKA Beastie the Road Warrior

« Jeanne (Hollywood) Basone

« Christy (Evangelina) Smith

« Dana Felton Howard (Thunderbolt)

« Jody (Tulsa) Haselbarth

« Michelle Jean Javas (Stinkey)

« April Hom Enriques as Royal Hawaiian

« Sandy Manly (Gremlina)

« Angelina Altishin (Little Egypt)

« Matt Cimber - Glow Creator and Director

« Johnny Cafarella - Live Event/TV Host Glow

Just call him "The Greatest"

The Champ has passed, yet leaving his mark on our old venerable club. He attended one CAC Luncheon back in the early 80's when he and Howard Cosell came to honor boxing great Gorilla Jones when Mike Mazurki had a luncheon in his honor. Jones was a CAC member and former Middleweight Champion of the world from January 25, 1932 when he beat Oddone Piazza, losing the belt June 11, 1932 in Paris, France to Marcel Thil. Ali never became a member to my knowledge, but made boxing, once again, a household word.

Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) 1/17/42 - 6/3/16

DAN WESTBROOK

DanWestbrook, longtime journalist and photographer based in Los Angeles, began his journalist wrestling career in 1970. He wrote columns, articles and photographed for Wrestling World, Ring Wrestling and Wrestling Revue. In early 1972, he joined the staff of the Tokyo Sports Press Newspaper and Gong Magazine (Japan) as one their earliest foreign correspondents. He continued the latter work for over 25+ years. His work appeared on numerous covers, pinups and in special features. His primary venue of coverage was the famed Olympic Auditorium in L.A.. Others venues included San Francisco's Cow Palace, Chicago's International Amphitheatre, St. Louis's Kiel Auditorium and various major arenas throughout Japan.

Highlights of my news coverage were trips to Japan, the first of which I was asked to present Shohei (Giant) Baba with an Outstanding Wrestler trophy, travels to 3 major wrestling hotspots of the 70’s (San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis) and meeting Muhammad Ali in L.A. on his way to challenge Antonio Inoki in a Mixed Martial Arts bout Japan in 1976.

My current project, a book, which I have been working on for the last several years, is an Illustrated Archive of Southern California and Japanese Wrestling in the 1960’s. It will document the legacy of the L.A. territory and it’s interrelationship with the J.W.A. in Japan during the second generation of modern pro wrestling era of Rikidozan and beyond.

What follows is a sampling of my photographic coverage at the various locales between the early 1970’s through the 1980’s.

All of the photos in this section are copyright Dan Westbrook (M) - Cauliflower Alley Club Past/Current Member

1. Harley Race(M) 1977 - Japan

2. CAC reunion 2016 Trish Stratus(M)

3. Buddy Moreno(M) and Killer Karl Kox(M) 1973 - Japan

4. Ripper Roy Collins(M) 1970 - L.A.

5. Don Leo Jonathan(M), Dutch Savage(M), Pepper Martin(M) - August 2011

6. Oki Kintaro vs Killer Karl Kox(M) 1977 - Japan

7. The Alaskan(M) vs Sal Lothario

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8. The Destroyer(M) vs Juan Rivas - L.A.

9. Kenji Shibuya(M) vs Fred Blassie(M) - L.A.

10. Wildman Jack Armstrong(M) vs Billy Anderson(M) 1970s - L.A.

11. Don "The Spoiler" Jardine and Johnny The Hood Mantell(M) - L.A.

12. HB Haggerty(M) 1969 - L.A.

13. John Tolos(M) posing with NWA sign - L.A.

14. CAC reunion 2016

Pat Patterson(M)

15. L-R, Jay York(M),

Debbi Pelletier(M), Maria Bernardi(M) and Art Abrams(M)

16. Pampero Firpo(M) vs. Chavo Guerrero(M) 1970s - L.A.

17. CAC reunion 2016

Gene Okerlund(M)

18. Texas Red Bastien(M) with America's belt 1970s L.A.

19. Butcher Vachon(M) vs Don Fargo

20. CAC reunion 2016

Terry(M) and Vicky Funk (M) - Cauliflower

CAC 2017 BANQUET/BOCKWINKEL BLOWOUT

Gold Coast Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, NV

Blowout: MAY 2, 2017

Banquet: MAY 3, 2017

Total number of Tickets You Wish to Order __________

PRINT & MAIL FORM TO:

CAULIFLOWER ALLEY CLUB 201 NE 45th STREET SEATTLE, WA 98105 or Call in your Credit Card Saturday or Sunday from 11am to 5pm PST 1-206-547-2704

NO BANQUET TICKETS SOLD AT DOOR!

ALL ORDERS BY CHECK MUST BE IN U.S. FUNDS, INCLUDING CANADIAN and OVERSEAS ORDERS

TICKET OPTIONS

MEMBERS:

$125 per person by check for BOTH NIGHTS

- Blowout & Banquet

MEMBERS:

$130 per person by credit card for BOTH NIGHTS - Blowout & Banquet

NON-MEMBERS:

$150 by check

$170 Canadian orders, $185 overseas orders

NON-MEMBERS:

$155 by credit card

$173 Canadian orders, $185 overseas orders

(only one non-member charge per immediate family is necessary)

(List the RING NAME of each person who will be using the tickets) PRINT NAME CLEARLY

Enclosed is a check in the amount of __________________ or charge my credit card in the amount of ____________________ for _____ tickets.

If paying by credit card:

Credit Card #____________________ Amt. Charge______ Exp. Date___________________ Security Code__________ Signature _________________________________________

FOR NEW MEMBERS ONLY:

PLEASE MAKE SURE TO FILL OUT AND SUBMIT THE MEMBERSHIP FORM ON THE BACK COVER

YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE EAR IF YOU DO NOT FILL OUT THAT FORM AS WELL!

MILDRED BURKE: FINALLY

GETTING HER DUE

by Jeff Leen

BIO: Jeff Leen is the author of a biography of Mildred Burke, “The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles, Diamonds and the Making of an American Legend,” and the co-author of “Kings of Cocaine: Inside the Medellin Cartel--An Astonishing True Story of Murder, Money and International Corruption.” He is a long-time newspaper journalist who has worked at the Miami Herald and the Washington Post. As a youngster, Leen and his family moved around a bit, but he was always a wrestling fan. In the 1960s, growing up in Minneapolis, he was exposed to Verne Gagne's AWA, but in 1965, their family moved to St. Louis and he was fascinated by Wrestling at the Chase. Jeff Leen today is the Asst. Managing Editor in charge of the Post's investigation unit where his work has helped win six Pulitzer prizes.

Whenthe WWE recently announced its new hall of famers, it included a list of the most illustrious figures in pro wrestling history as recipients of a new WWE Legacy Award. There were the titans of the sport: Hackenschmidt, Gotch, Strangler Lewis, Thesz. And among them was one woman: Mildred Burke.

I’m sure the reaction was, even among some wrestling fans, who the heck is Mildred Burke?

She was an 18-year-old single mother working as a waitress in a dingy diner in 1934. It was Kansas City, during the depths of the Depression and the Dust Bowl, and times could not have been harder. Gritty wind-blown sand covered everything. But the real grit was inside the little lady.

Mildred stood 5-feet, 2-inches and she weighed 120 pounds when she started out. She went to a wrestling match that year and was transfixed by what she saw, what she thought she could become. Never mind that it was men in the ring and mostly men in the audience. Never mind that she had never wrestled before. She just knew she could do that, and she set out, like so many wrestlers, to pursue an impossible dream.

She sought out Billy Wolfe, an old grappler managing female wrestlers, and for the next quarter of a century he became her blessing and her curse. Billy brushed her off at first because she was too small. Soon he was her promoter and then her husband. She started out wrestling men before small crowds in carnivals and tank towns in the Midwest, and she learned to beat all comers. He worked tirelessly and imaginatively to put her over, with promoters and bookers, with newspaper reporters and editors, with a growing public. She, meanwhile, became a revelation in the wrestling ring, working in a tight, proficient style of scientific

wrestling that won over the doubters and brought in streams of new fans. Then she added the glamour and sex appeal. Sex, muscles and diamonds was her formula, and that meant mink coats, silk dresses, full makeup, marcelled hair and diamond rings, bracelets and pins draped over a muscular physique, replete with six-pack abs. The sight of her in the ring in her gleaming white one-piece suit and white leather boots, with bulging biceps and calves, became an iconic image. She made it into the pages of the biggest and most prestigious publications of the day, Time, Life, the American Mercury.

It is hard to imagine now the impact she had in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when she established female wrestlers as a main-event attraction and frequently outdrew or outshined the biggest male stars at their own game, doing what no female athlete has done before or since. Seasoned observers noted that the women wrestled in a faster, more aggressive, more entertaining style and demonstrated a startling technical ability. She influenced Gorgeous George, who went on to influence all of America, including Bob Dylan and Muhammad Ali, who influenced the world.

But that was just the outer glory. The inner grit is her true source of lasting greatness.

She let nothing stop her from her dream. Not injuries, not a cheating and abusive husband, not duplicitous business partners, not the unfriendly illegal monopoly of the National Wrestling Alliance, which refused to recognize her belt and sided with her ex-husband when they fought over the business. When she was at her most desperate, she fought the toughest female wrestler in the business, June Byers, in a shooting match for the title. In the span of a few years, Millie lost her husband, her money, her championship, her business and her fame. She declared bankruptcy. She worked as a door-to-door saleswoman and cooked chili in a diner to make ends meet.

21-year-old Mildred Burke at her physical peak wearing her belt for the Mid-West Wrestling Association Welter Weight Championship, which Burke won in January 1937 from Clara Mortensen before a crowd of 6,500 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Burke, who was 5'2 tall, weighed about 128 pounds at the time.

photo courtesy of The Wolfe Family

She seemed to end up as she started out, with nothing. Again, it was the wrestling ring that was her salvation. In the 1960s, she started training other women to wrestle, and promoted them. Soon she was matching them in her private ring against male wrestlers, and the trained females’ obvious ability to thwart male muscle with speed and technical skill harkened back to the days when Millie made her breakthrough three decades earlier. She sold films of the matches involving “Millie’s Girls” all over the world and restored her fortunes, working for Hollywood in film and on TV. When she died in 1989, her obituary appeared in the Los Angeles Times and in newspapers across the country.

She wrote an autobiography, “Sex, Muscles and Diamonds,” but could not find a publisher. I used her manuscript for my biography of her, “The Queen of the Ring: Sex, Muscles and Diamonds and the Making of an American Legend,” published by Atlantic Monthly Press in 2009.

I think I’ll give her the last word, from the last chapter of her manuscript:

“For the woman who feels herself hemmed in or blocked, perhaps my life can provide an answer. From penniless, pregnant, divorced minor in the depths of the depression, I moved up into the millions and into international fame. This happened because I made up my mind what it was I wanted to do, shut out everything else and thereby focused the power of my subconscious.”

Editor's note: Mildred appeared in "Below the Belt", was a technical advisor on "...All the Marbles", and had footage shown in "Ballerina I'm Not", " Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling" and " Wrestling Women USA!"

BIO: Was with the CAC for 36 yrs 1979 till 2015 including 24 yrs as Executive Vice President, Board Chairman and CEO.

Gori Guerrero and myself, along with four others had been working together for about six months, and getting ready to open our first weekly venue, The Strand Theater in San Pedro, a California refurbished movie house and now called The Strand Arena. It was early September 1979.

MEMORIES OF THE CAC

We were a NWA sanctioned wrestling promotion after our first six shows with talent from Hollywood wrestling including John Tolos, Chris Adams, Tom Prichard, Al Madril, Ox Baker, The Enforcer, Frank Hill, Mando and Hector Guerrero, Jack Armstong, Jay Strongbow, Jr., Pistol Pete, Johnny Eagles, Chick Donovan, Oregon Lumberjack, The Medic, Goliath and Black Gordman.

Gori asked me if I would like to go to a Cauliflower Alley lunch, at this time the club was not a open thing. It took a member in good standing to bring you, and if you were liked enough they would ask you to join, providing you met the requirements and were involved in wrestling, boxing or the movie industry. Fans or even family members were not allowed at the luncheons. “Kaye Fabe” was alive and to see everyone together, babies and heels, was a strict no-no.

My first time there, I guess you could best describe it like a blind cat in a sea food store, I asked myself "who do I want to meet first?" Here is a room of maybe 50 or 60 wrestlers who I grew up watching, there were eight to a table, all well known.

When we walked in, I heard gruff voiced Mike Mazurki yelling across the room to Gori “Is that the kid you called me about? Bring him over here and sit with us". Holy crap-first time there and I'm sitting with Mike Mazurki, Vic Christy, Maria Bernardi, Suni War Cloud, John Tolos, Red Bastien, Gori and myself. Mike said "Leo Garibaldi and Charlie Moto(Mr. Moto)said you were a good guy and smart and Gori brought you so wanna join? Get your $10.00 out that's the dues. Give it to Art Abrams, he runs everything."

I learned real fast that they love to pull swerves and work you every time they can; Vic Christry was the master of it.

Here are the ones there that I can remember that were there that first time, Lord Blears, Capt. Holmes, Don Arnold, Don Duffy, Buddha Kahn, Pistol Pete, Pepper Martin, Don Carson, Freddie Blassie, Mr. Moto, Moolah, Donna Christantello, Therese Theis, Ray Stevens, Gene LeBell, Butcher Brannigan, Jay York, Mike and Ben Sharp, Dr. Jerry Graham, Crusher Verdu, Jerry Monti, Bert Goodrich, Billy Rogers, Don Sebastion, Kinji Shibuya, Johnny Mantell and several more but these I remember.

Now this was a weekly luncheon that was held every Wednesday at that time at The Old Spaghetti Factory, (prior to that it had been held at Mike’s Restaurant, The Baron's Castle, The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and The Queen Mary, but when I joined it was there for the next 10 years and then to a hotel on Sunset Blvd. called The Dunes.

After Mike died in 1991 the lunches faded away, and the reunions became the main focus. Always the 3rd Saturday of March at the famous Sportsmen's Lodge in Studio City, Ca.(the CAC was there from 1970 till 1999), with an occasional change to The Queen Mary ship in Long Beach, and a Hilton hotel, but after those two tries it was the Sportsmen's Lodge

from then on. The year 2000 it all moved to Vegas. I had moved to our ranch in 1995 and Lou Thesz felt a Vegas move would allow more to attend from all over, by a slim margin of directors vote the club started to allow fans to join, but for the first 34 years it was very closed.

Vic Christy use to like to "get" someone on their first visit to the CAC. He would go to a old fashion phone booth, yes this is before cell phones, that was in the lobby. He would unscrew the mouth piece and put very ripe limburger cheese in it, then would call the number from the other phone and call the “victim” to the phone and would keep them on the line as we all watched.

While talking, the smell was “bad”. First they would raise each arm and sniff, then look at their shoes to see if they stepped in something. When they came out some one would say "what did you do in there, we can smell it out here". They would go home never knowing they were subjected to a Vic Christy special until they got to watch the next guy. You need to try to imagine this, but in person it was fantastic.

If there was new waitress working at the place he would ask for his change in dimes and give her $100.00 bill for a $6.00 lunch, someone must have tipped this girl off this time because she was ready and brought his change in a wheel barrel, over $90.00 in dimes, we all said you asked for it and she said sorry "sir can’t take 'um back". First and only time we ever saw Vic Christy beat at his own game. He took the dimes laughing all the way to his car. He could take it, but it was very hard to get him.

John Tolos use to like to bring a few bugs in a little bag and, after eating 2/3rds of the meal, call the manager over and say “what the hell is this, look at this on my plate and it's only a half a bug I think I ate it, oh I’m feeling sick.” He would let the poor guy sweat for 10/15 minutes, if the guy did not offer to comp the table then he would push being sick longer. Once the poor guy did say "sir everything is no charge" then Tolos would say “that’s ok, my friend said in Mexico they eat this kind of pure protein, but thanks for the offer".

If you come to the CAC next year be ready to have a great time, meet many of your hero’s and make a bunch of new friends.

THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAVE SOLD OUT BY MID-FEBRUARY. DON’T WAIT, IF YOU KNOW YOUR COMING, DO IT NOW.

Q & A with Karl Lauer

Q. What were your roles in wrestling (promoter, where and for how long)?

A. A promoter in California from 1979 to 1995. I also did shows in Las Vegas from 1986 to 1995, in 1996 I started doing shows in Missouri as World Legion Wrestling, sold promotion to Harley Race in 1999 for $1.00 as I took position with Missouri State Athletic Commission as an inspector (part-time)

Q. Tell us about your work as a manager "The Bossman"

A. I use this gimmick throughout the years in California after I bought out the other five partners, and in Vegas at The Showboat Casino. In California I managed John Tolos, Professor Toru Tanaka and Jack Armstrong on house shows and just Jack on TV whenever we were doing an angle.

Q. What movies have you been in?

A. "Personal Vendetta", "Atomic Blue" (a pretty good movie made on a small budget, sold on Amazon and eBay) , "Streets of Rage", "Lipstick and Dynamite", "Olympic Project" and 200 other wrestling TV tapes as either the announcer or commentator for both my California and later for WLW and Harley Race.

Q. Tell us about your life outside of wrestling?

A. Wrestling was never my main source of income, I was CEO of Flot-Aire Inc. from 1962 to 1995 (33 yrs.) a mfg. company of commercial refrigerators with distribution in 27 states, Japan, Taiwan & Mexico. The company is still in operation under my son, Wayne Lauer, but downsized to one location with sales in the USA.

RAVEN LAKE: CONCUSSED

by Ron Hutchison

BIO: Ron Hutchison is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, trainer and promoter who competed for Canadian independent promotions such as Grand Prix Wrestling and Maple Leaf Wrestling as well as a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation during the mid-1980s. The owner of the Ron Hutchison Wrestling Academy at Sully’s Gym and co-owner of Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison’s School of Wrestling, he is credited as one of the leading trainers of professional wrestlers in Canada. His students include Christian, Edge, Trish Stratus, Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix, Traci Brooks, Tiger Ali Singh, Johnny Swinger, Mad Dog Rex, David Diamond, Joe E. Legend, The Original Sinn and Asylum. Ron is also the promoter of the Toronto-based Apocalypse Wrestling Federation and the head trainer of Carmen Electra’s Naked Women’s Wrestling League. In 2014, Ron was honored with the first ever CAC Trainers Award.

It's a diagnosis that a lot of Cauliflower Alley Club members fear.

It's a diagnosis that, ultimately, led to the end of an active in-ring wrestling career for CAC member Raven Lake.

Born Thereasa Hall in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada to aboriginal parents, Thereasa started her training in Vancouver with fellow CAC member Mark Vellios (Michelle Starr) in early 1992. She was fortunate enough to train, on occasion, with lady wrestling legend Velvet McIntyre. During one training session McIntyre knocked the rookie cockiness out of the young up-and-comer by knocking the young aboriginal native out with a well placed forearm coming off of the rope. The KO was not enough to deter her. Thereasa says that it taught her a valuable lesson: "Don't be lippy!".

Her training came to an abrupt halt when an x-ray not only revealed that she had cracked ribs as a result of a training injury, but that she was also pregnant with her first child, Samantha (Bambi) Hall.

As her aboriginal heritage is near and dear to her, she was always fixated with the name "Raven" and wanted to use that as her wrestling name. Velvet McIntyre told her that "Raven" alone was too plain, so together, they decided on the name Raven Lake (taken from the name of a beautiful spot in British Columbia, Canada).

As Raven Lake, she had her very first match against Awesome Annie on Vancouver Island in 1993 and continued to work throughout the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta as well as Portland, Oregon for WCCWWest Coast Wrestling Connection until 1997 when Thereasa stepped away from the ring to, single-handedly, raise a growing family consisting of herself and her three young daughters, Samantha, Stacie and Faith. It's a little known fact that all four ladies are champion pow-wow dancers!

It was a 2008 trip to a local wrestling show with Samantha and Stacie that gave Thereasa the itch to get back into the ring again. This mother/ daughter(s) bonding session may well have laid the foundation for both Bambi and Stacie to enter the squared circle as well where they have been following their mother's footsteps. Faith, on the other hand, has her sights set on other, less bodily abusive occupations.

It was also in 2008 that Thereasa attended her first CAC Reunion.

"Mark (Vellois) and Nathan (Burke) were both going down and they wanted to get a West Coast presence at the CAC. It's (the CAC) such a great place to meet people and put your resume out," Thereasa said.

The Canadian native has attended the Reunions every year since her first visit and this past April all three of her girls attended with their mom as well.

The wrestling game is a rough and tumble one and to prove that fact one only has to look at the concussion injuries suffered by the former Canadian National Wrestling Alliance Women's Champion.

Ms. Lake has suffered the pain of 7 minor concussions and 3 major ones. As a matter of fact, when she captured the CNWA Women's title at the CNWA's, one night, "Queen of Pain Tournament" on Oct. 13, 2012 she entered the ring with a minor concussion suffered on a previous wrestling tour yet still managed to capture the championship!

It was in 2014 that Thereasa suffered a blow to the head that would force her to retire from active in-ring competition. It was this concussion that would see her have continuous agonizing headaches and force her to undergo six months of speech therapy.

Not one to take setbacks lightly, Thereasa rehabbed and returned to the ring, not as a wrestler but as an occasional referee! West Coast fans and workers alike couldn't have been happier as Raven Lake brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the West Coast wrestling scene. She also continues to help out All Star Wrestling promoter and trainer Mark Vellois by doing all that she can to promote his shows including hitting the road and postering the town!

It's hard to keep a good woman down and it's not looking like Raven Lake is going anywhere soon.

The Cauliflower Alley Club is proud to have Raven Lake, and her beautiful daughters as a family, members in our ring of friendship!

PROFILE: PRINCE AKEEM

by Vance Nevada

BIO: “Mr. Beefy Goodness” Vance Nevada wrestled across Canada and made select appearances in the United States during a 20 year career from 1993-2003, exiting the sport as a recipient of a Edmonton Combative Sports Commission Lifetime Achievement Award. His work as a trainer and mentor has included training/mentoring the early careers of Kyle O’Reilly (ROH), Kenny Omega (NJPW), the Bollywood Boyz (Global Force), and many others. Beyond the ring, Vance has published two books “The Central Canadian Professional Wrestling Almanac” (1999) and “Wrestling in the Canadian West” (2009 – Crowbar Press), the latter of which earned him the 2010 James C. Melby Historian Award from the Cauliflower Alley Club. His written work has appeared in a number of newspapers, magazines and online outlets. He has been an active contributor to The Ear since 2010.

With a regal, yet condescending wave and a look of disdain etched across his face, Prince Akeem greets his public. Not surprisingly, often showered with a chorus of boos, he has cemented his status as one of the top villains for Midget Wrestling Warriors and on most every card where he appears in North America. In fact, if your only opportunity to know him is through his performances in the ring, you might not realize what a personable guy he is and what an interesting journey he has had in professional wrestling.

Born in Winnipeg, Mike Reid was introduced to the mat scene after attending local cards promoted under the banner of Premier Championship Wrestling. After his very first outing he became a regular at the matches, attending the shows with his college classmates until he worked up the nerve to ask about how he could get involved. Training under

Winnipeg mainstay and Japan’s Smash Wrestling alumnus Mentallo, when the first opportunity arose to do some touring, Reid abandoned his Civil Engineering studies to hit the road. His introduction to road life? A seven week tour of the harshest Canadian winter climate in the arctic in February 2003.

It’s hard to track down a lot on the early career of the ring headliner who now sports a crown to the ring, but that’s not because of a lack of appearances. Reid discovered that while he was in demand as an attraction among one of the few active little people in Canadian wrestling, because he hadn’t established his name before he hit the road, every promoter seemed to have a different idea for him. In Winnipeg he was dubbed "Mike Hammer", in Calgary he was adorned in a sweater vest and tagged with the name "Mikey Banks", a play on the popular Alfonso Ribiero character from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

His career was re-ignited when he received a call from Dan DiLucchio about joining the roster for Midget Wrestling Warriors, a touring troupe that allowed him to hone his craft against some of the best active wrestlers in the division, and establish his own identity. In the two years since, Akeem has battled the likes of Short Sleeve Sampson, Robbie Araujo and Shovelhead Chuck in matches across Canada and into the U.S., including his Las Vegas debut in an inter-gender tag team match at this year’s CAC reunion.

“I was aware of the Cauliflower Alley Club for many years, but I never felt that I was worthy to be a part of the club,” says the Prince. “I was glad to have been encouraged by [Short Sleeve] Sampson to make the trip this year and it was an incredible experience. I really enjoyed the camaraderie and respect among everyone and the opportunity to hear the stories from the veterans that were responsible for me becoming a fan of wrestling in the first place. I plan to be back every year from here on out.”

Chris Warren (Sang "The Break It Down" theme song for D-Generation X, also did vocals for Triple H's theme)

June 12, 2016 Age 49

Mark “Domino” Gedge (Wrestler/Radio Personality)

June 14, 2016 Age 44

Gypsy Joe Gilberto Melendez (Worlds Oldest Professional Wrestler)

Emily Miller - June 4, 2016 Age

Danny Miller - June 6, 2016 Age 84

June 15, 2016 Age 82

Bonnie Gomez (Pepper Gomez's wife)

Died June 29, 2016

Joe Jares - July 2, 2016 Age 78

Major Duke George - July 6, 2016 Age 69

The Master Assassin Phil Emerson

July 7, 2016 Age 70

Bill Cardille (Announcer/TV Personality-Chiller Theatre)

July 21, 2016 Age 87

Skinny Kenny Arden - Died July 25, 2016 Age 59

'Little Miss Dynamite' Jean Antone

August 4, 2016 Age 73

HERB SIMMONS

by Kari Williams

OUR CURRENT MEMBERS

BIO: Kari Williams began her journalism career in high school, became editor of her college newspaper and has worked for various publications in the Midwest since 2011. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in Mass Communications from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Kari is currently the editorial associate for VFW magazine and has been freelancing for SLAM! Wrestling since 2014.

HerbSimmons has never laced up a pair of boots, but his passion for the wrestling industry has brought him a 42year career with the squared circle that has no intention of slowing down.

Simmons, the promoter of Southern Illinois Championship Wrestling in East Carondelet, IL, has worked closely with former Wrestling at the Chase commentator Larry Matysik for half a century promoting shows and local television programming.

Simmons has booked notable matches over the years, including Bruiser Brody v. Tim Brooks during the mid-’80s at the Belle-Clair County Fair in Belleville, IL, and multiple matches featuring Abdullah the Butcher, Terry Funk, Spike Huber, Sgt. Slaughter, Jules Strongbow, The Great Wojo, Bob Orton, Bushwhacker Luke and others to SICW.

July 2014, Herb Simmons (R) with Jerry Brisco (L), accepting the Jim Melby Award on behalf of Larry Matysik, who couldn't travel, at the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame photo credit: Joyce Paustian p

But the duo of Matysik and Simmons had a shared connection beyond wrestling for years — Matysik worked in the Belleville Auxiliary Police Department while Simmons was the chief of police in his own community.

“I’ve always been a voter. I’ve always believed if you don’t vote, you shouldn’t complain,” said Simmons, who eventually made his way to a political career.

Aside from wrestling, he has operated an ambulance company and

PWG's All-Star Weekend 12 is now available on DVD and BluRay featuring Matt Sydal, Adam Cole, Chris Hero and others.

Andre the Giant biopic moves ahead, The movie based on Lion Forge Comics release "Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven". Andre's daughter Robin Christensen-Roussimoff will act as a consultant on the movie that is endorsed by the family who has turned over exclusive bio rights to the producers... www.whatculture.com has Issue #1 of their magazine out now with Issue #2 due August 22nd. Prices £10.00 it's an English publication with drawings throughout.

served as chief of police for five years prior to being elected mayor of East Carondelet. His time as mayor has exceeded three decades.

Contrary to preconceived notions, Simmons said he has not had any challenges balancing his mayoral duties — what he terms a part-time job with full-time responsibilities — with promoting wrestling cards, serving as executive director of the emergency telephone system board and the emergency management director for St. Clair County.

“We are responsible for making sure 911 calls (and the) system is in place and functioning properly,” Simmons said. “(We’re also) in charge of the dispatch centers throughout the county.”

Simmons said his role as mayor is important to his community and holding SICW events at the East Carondelet Community Center helps support his community. In the same vein, Simmons said other politicians and public servants attend SICW shows and bring their families. And it brings out the “closet fans,” as Sam Muchnick called them, in the political world.

“It’s a great topic of conversation when I go to political doings,” Simmons said. “I’ve kind of got the name of the wrestling guru.”

Early in his career, Simmons formed a partnership with St. Louis-based wrestler and promoter Tony Casta shortly after breaking into the promoting game. He met Casta at a show in Pontoon Beach, IL, and started doing color commentary for Casta’s promotion at South Broadway Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo, which would eventually be rechristened as MidMissouri Wrestling Alliance.

Though his on-screen role was in commentary, he began promoting right away. He never had any intention of actually getting in the ring to wrestle, but his respect for those who do lace up the boots has never wavered. Together with Casta, Simmons ran shows throughout Missouri, from the bootheel to the Indiana border. Today, Simmons continues his passion for professional wrestling and works to keep the spirit of “Wrestling at the Chase” alive within SICW.

E-MAIL ADDRESSES WANTED

If

Joshua Burgess known as wrestler "Christian Able" has passed. Born 1/11/85, died 4/16/16, actor, pastor, trainer (Thanks to Tom Rude).

4/29/16–The Minnesota Twins hosted a wrestling night at Target Field in Minneapolis. Highlights were free wrestling masks, and a meet and greet with Larry Henning, Jim Brunzell, Baron Raschke and Greg Gagne. BVR threw out the first ball.

More than 50 wrestlers are suing the WWE over brain damage. Included are Road Warrior Animal, Paul Orndorff and Jimmy Snuka.

Count Grog sends these results from Raleigh, N.C. Seymour Scott bt. Chet Sterling (w/Grog) to win the Spaceman Frank Hickey Memorial Trophy, Timmy Lou Retton bt. zane Riley (w/Jimmy Jack Funk Jr.) to retain the title.

Organization U.S. Postage Paid Peoria, IL Permit #376

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