Promoting the Promoters
Originally published in August 2004
Written by Darby Gatorade

Vince McMahon Sr. & Jr.: The McMahons are undoubtedly the “cream of the crop” as far as Wrestling Promoters go. Vince Sr. got started in the Northeast with his partner Toots Mondt with a promotion called Capitol Wrestling. Vince Sr. eventually broke off from the NWA in 1963 and formed the World Wide Wrestling Federation; following in the footsteps of the AWA, which broke off in 1960. The New York territory was known as the place to be for American wrestlers, and it was the place to make the most money. Booking Madison Square Garden in a city like New York was beneficial to everyone involved! Of course Vince Sr. sold the WWF to his son, Vince Jr, who took the company to new heights and eventually put just about everyone else out of business. Despite that, Vince Jr. has done a lot for wrestling and single handedly brought it into the homes of a huge percentage of fans around the world. After many accusations of steroid abuses and exposes’, the Mcmahons renamed their organization – from WWF, World Wrestling Federation to WWE – World Wide Entertainment, (WWE).

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Originally published on December 3, 2003
Written by OWW columnist Kenneth Coker

Editor’s note: This column is being republished in tribute to the 8th anniversary of the death of Larry Booker (aka Larry Latham or Moondog Spot in the world of professional wrestling) .

Larry passed from this life, on Novemeber 27th, 2003 at a building where he had performed probably thousands of times, The Mid-South Coliseum.  He was only 51 years old.

It is certainly a sad day for not only Memphis Wrestling, but wrestling in itself, as one of the greats has left us.  There are some things I’d like to point out about Spot, and his impact on my youth, and some accomplishments of his, as well.

Larry never really left his home base of West Tennessee. Despite all the success, he still called the Dyerburg community home, a place which my father and my family is from.

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AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

James Haase, better known as J.T. Lightning, who was an independent wrestler and promoter of Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling for several years, died on August 4 at age 41 after a long battle with cancer. Hasse ran Cleveland All-Pro Wrestling shows for some 17 years.

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Manager’s Corner: “Classy” Freddie Blassie
Originally published on September 16, 2003
Written by Kenneth Coker

He was a man who kept giving. He was a man despised by many fans in the United States and overseas for his “Classy” Freddie Blassie character. Yet, when the curtain went down, Freddie Blassie, real name, Fred Blassman, was one of the most charitable men to ever step into a wrestling arena.

Freddie Blassie began his wrestling career at the ripe age of 17. Blassie, the son of blue collar working class parents, worked two jobs at this point in his life, serving as a butcher, while feeding his wrestling obsession during the evening.

During World War II, Blassie made the ultimate sacrifice, and gave of himself. Putting his life on the line, as part of what Tom Brokaw has called “The Greatest Generation” during that conflict.

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AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

Today makes 12 years since one of the darkest days on wrestling history, as Owen Hart died as the result of a botched spot from the ceiling at the Over the Edge PPV on May 23 at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MS. Oddly enough, last night was the airing of the slightly re-named Over The Limit PPV
Here’s the column that followed that tragic day:

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A Tribute to the King of Harts
Originally published in 2004
Written by Kirsty Quested

“Do nothing wrong, play by the rules, be a good person… do everything right… it doesn’t guarantee you anything.” – Owen Hart, 1997

When Owen Hart spoke these words in reference to the tragic death of his young nephew, Matthew, he could never have known how horribly prophetic they would be of himself. His life, so tragically cut short, epitomised that of a “good person,” the kind the world unquestionably needs more of. There’s another old saying that fits Owen Hart – only the good die young. Many know of the tragedy of his untimely death. With the exception of his profile in the (then) WWF, what is less known is how he lived.

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AS I SEE IT
Bob Magee
Pro Wrestling: Between the Sheets
PWBTS.com

In an period where racism has again reared its ugly head in Georgia as the State Legislature passed yet another attempt (echoing Arizona and Utah) to pre-empt ffederal immigration law….its worth remembering what one wrestler did to fight racism many years ago in the American South.

For those of you who haven’t ever heard of him, Rocco Monroe Brumbaugh, better known as Sputnik Monroe was a legendary character in the true oldtime Southern wrestling manner. If that was all Sputnik Monroe was…that would have been more than enough for a few good stories among old friends and students of wrestling.

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My Tribute to Miss Elizabeth
Originally published in 2003
Written by Brad Dykens

I don’t make it a habit to pay tribute to fallen wrestling personalities with a big article or column. That would be a full time job. But when I heard about the shocking news of Elizabeth’s passing, I felt compelled to say a few words in her honor.

Liz had more class than all the divas in the WWE combined, and then some. Elizabeth broke into the wrestling business as a shy, soft-spoken, stand-by-your-man valet. Even Randy Savage, who treated her like crap, always came back for more of Elizabeth’s sweet southern nature.

I’m not afraid to admit it, I had Elizabeth’s poster on my wall growing up. You know, that head shot with a ton of cleavage that made any man (or adolescent boy) drool with excitement. I even did my best to hand draw my version of the photograph (bare in mind I am not an artist).

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The King Has Passed
(RIP King Curtis Iaukea)
By Mike Lano

The incredibly amazing Curtis Iaukea, known first in our industry as Prince and later as King(not sure how he made that jump quicker than England’s Prince Charles who’s still waiting to become a “king”) was a total, well-known Hawaiin sports legend. He was first a name high school football and wrestling athlete and later
revolutionized the way 5 star promos were done. He sadly died this past Saturday, Dec. 04 after a long illness at age 73.

“He died peacefully, with family around him,” his former wrestling son, Rocky, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “At his home in Papakolea.”

Iaukea starred in amateur sports at Punahou, and then at the University of California, where he received an award for football excellance on offense and defense.

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This year’s version of the annual event will be the 8th installment of the Tournament to honor late Florida Independent wrestler, “The All American” Jeff Peterson. In November, 2002 IPW Hardcore wrestler Jeff Peterson lost his battle with cancer. May 16-17, 2003 saw the beginning of the Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup, a sixteen competitor cruiserweight in honor of the fallen star. Each year since the event has grown to international levels. Previous winners include, “Reckless Youth” Tom Carter, Justice, Chris Sabin, Milano Collection AT, Chris Hero, and Erick Stevens.

The 2010 Jeff Peterson Memorial Cup will take place over the course of 2 evenings, Friday December 3rd, 2010 and Saturday December 4th, 2010 at the Brooksville, Florida and Crystal River, Florida National Guard Armories respectively.

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