Well, I didn’t learn which (36th? 37th? 38th?) annual reunion this is. Dean left that number off the cover this year, perhaps in order to acquiesce to my theory that, since the 1992 reunion was the 25th annual … and the 1997 reunion was the 30th annual … the 2000 reunion ought to have been the 33rd annual.

Alas, that memorable Top of the Riviera shindig was accompanied by a dandy Silverstone program that announced the fete as the 34^th anniversary banquet. Subsequently, the past two years, in the grand ballroom on the main floor of the Riviera, attendees were handed commemorative programs which branded those affairs as, respectively, the 35^th and 36^th annual. Naturally, I kept squawking. That’s about my main function with the club these days: Chief Squawker. But, just when I was bracing myself to see a banquet program with 37^th (yes, it should be the 36^th – somehow, the numbering system was racing out of control) emblazoned across the cover, Dean slipped me another curve ball. This cover looks pretty much like this:

REUNION BANQUET

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2003

PLAZA HOTEL/CASINO

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

(Speaking of Brian B’s second issue of the all-new Wrestling Revue, I have in hand proof that the work of the indefatigable Dr. Mike Lano appears therein, just as it did in the hardcover version of David Meltzer’s Tributes, and the recently released Greatest 100 by John Molinaro … Mike did all the photos and had his "Ring of Friendship" section in the book, with info on how to join and support CAC … then got stiffed by the publishers, who conveniently declared bankruptcy AFTER issuing the book … and now is the time to tell you, too, that Lano has 27 CAC photos, plus mentions of how to join CAC, in Greg Oliver’s just-out Canada’s Greatest Pro Wrestlers, or whatever it’s called … and, well, the list is endless, cuz it extends to inclusions of Dr. Lano’s vaunted work in the respective books of Messers. Heenan, Piper & Lawler, and Ms. Ellison, nee Slave Girl, aka Fabulous Moolah!)

But back to the project at hand … previewing the CAC reunion program, which will be handed to each and every one of the nearly 700 who cram into the Plaza ballroom for the exciting program emceed by Professor Mike Tenay and Bobby (The Brain) Heenan. There is an interesting development revealed in the column next to President Rolland (Red) Bastien’s annual message to the troops. And that would be the (probably long overdue) shrinking of the CAC board of directors to include only officers Bastien, Lauer, Bockwinkel, Chris & Tom Drake, plus newsletter editor Silverstone.

Four "former" directors have achieved Advisory Committee status: Jeffrey Compton, the aforementioned volunteer Duncan, Scott Hosey and Jason Sanderson.

The rest of the erstwhile directors have joined me in the capacity of associate members: Penny Banner, Dick Beyer, Bill Bowman, Tom Burke, Mike Chapman, Bob Kelly, Walter Kowalski, Al Mandell, James C. Melby, George Napolitano, Pat Patterson, George Schire, Ida Selenkow, Scott Teal and Ella Waldek. Those with additional responsibilities as Benevolent Committee members are Bastien, Lauer, Chris Drake, Silverstone, Duncan, Sanderson, Beyer, Chapman, and Schire.

Banner doubles as Ladies Honoree Chairperson, Bowman and Kelly as Gulf Coast Reunion representatives, Chapman as International Wrestling Institute & Museum Curator, Melby as Photographical Librarian (say that fast five times), Napolitano as Publicity Director (was he the one who told the Las Vegas Sun that Hulk Hogan was coming?), Patterson as Future Legend Coordinator, and Selenkow as Condolence Committee Chairperson. For the record, I am listed as the club Webmaster & Recording Secretary.

Probably should address, here, the prospects of me remaining on as webmaster … faithful readers will recall that I noted in the March 2 edition of Sunday Punches that this edition, that for March 23, would be my final such effort and that I would be relinquishing the web page duties. Well, I forgot to add a codicile … "unless someone comes up with a better idea." As it happened, that was precisely what came to pass, in my opinion, after two weeks of discussions with KayfabeMemories.com major domo Vince Fahey of Arizona. We worked long and hard to craft what we thought was an exciting new direction for the web site, with direct interfaces to the extraordinarily popular Kayfabe Memories wrestling nostalgia/history site, and Yours Truly recanting to stay on as editor (Fahey would handle the onerous, for me, technological chores and computer expertise, plus design a whole set of spiffy new web pages, as well as institute a wonderful new CAC message forum on the KM board, plus take charge of an online CAC "store" to give us hugely improved marketing potential for the various merchandise that helps support our Benevolent and Scholarship Funds).

We even … for a full week, during which time Fahey did a healthy amount of planning, designing and work on new page mock-ups … had the green light go-ahead and approval from the lean, new CAC board of directors. Alas, in the 24-hour period leading up to this writing, that go-ahead was rescinded and the project put on hold, due to concerns that a proposed $15-a-week stipend/honorarium for Mr. Fahey, who generally solicits $60 an HOUR for his services as a web page designer and master, would go against the grain of a long history of CAC "volunteerism." Meetings and high-level confabs have been ordered for reunion weekend in Las Vegas and there is, I would guess, a slim chance that the Kenyon-Fahey idea could get a second green light. Stay tuned for further details, but in the likely event that traditionalism holds sway, this column will be my last as CAC webmaster and/or editor.

At any rate, getting back to the reunion program, there are full pages of photos and celebratory matter concerning this year’s honorees, plus Art Abrams’ Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Angelo Savoldi and a posthumous award for the late Rhonda Sing (aka Monster Ripper). The page layouts for 2003 honorees Verne Bottoms, Tom Andrews, Percy Pringle, Buddy Colt, Don Leo Jonathan, Tito Montez, Moose Morowski, Buddy Roberts and Bruce Swayze are shrewdly designed so as to be receptive to autographs.

Of course, the whole shebang will be capped by the announcement and award of this year’s recipient of the coveted Iron Mike Award. Past recipients, since the award’s institution in 1992 (at the 25^th anniversary reunion) are Woody Strode, HB Haggerty, Vic Christy, Gene LeBell, Fred Blassie, Dick Beyer, Tom Drake, Lou Thesz, Jesse Ventura, Ray (Thunder) Stern, Stu Hart and Walter (Killer) Kowalski. (The extra one, in case you’re counting, is Blassie, who received an Iron Mike Award at an East Coast reunion in 1995.)

Four Legends Make Up 2003 Class for Pro Hall of Fame in Newton IA
SUNDAY PUNCHES by J Michael Kenyon
(edition of March 9, 2003)

First up, here's the big news from Bev and Mike Chapman:

NEWTON ― Four legends of wrestling will be inducted into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame on August 2, as part of Inductions Weekend at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum.

The Class of 2003 will be the fifth class since the museum opened its doors on Sept. 18, 1998. The four new members will bring the total number of inductees to 22.

Heading up this year’s class are stars known as "The Russian Lion" and "Mad Dog," and two men with tremendous amateur backgrounds.

The living inductees are Maurice "Mad Dog" Vachon (pictured) and Billy Robinson. The deceased champions are George "The Russian Lion" Hackenschmidt and Joe Scarpello.

The official inductions will be held Saturday morning, starting at 10 a.m. at the museum. The inductions banquet will be held at 7 p.m. that night at the Newton Country Club. The public is invited to both events, although seating is limited for the banquet.

"This is one of the most interesting classes yet," said Mike Chapman, executive director of the museum. "Maurice Vachon and Joe Scarpello could have met in the 1948 Olympics, but did not. And Billy Robinson and George Hackenschmidt are two of the most feared wrestlers in professional history."

A native of Montreal, Vachon won three national titles in Canada, and was a member of the Canadian 1948 Olympic team, placing seventh in the 174-pound class as a teenager. Joe Scarpello won two NCAA titles and was a four-time All-American at the University of Iowa. He was an alternate on the 1948 United States Olympic team, also at 174 pounds, but did not compete in the London Games.

Ironically, they both have strong Omaha connections. Scarpello wrestled in high school in Omaha, and returned there to live after graduating from Iowa. He wrestled professionally for nearly three decades.

Vachon passed up his amateur status to turn professional in 1950, and enjoyed a pro career that lasted nearly four decades. He has lived in Omaha for many years.

Both Vachon and Scarpello also have strong connections to Verne Gagne, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and a member of the inaugural class of 1999.

Vachon was world heavyweight champion for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), an organization owned by Gagne for many years. He also was half of the tag-team world champions, pairing with his brother, Paul Vachon.

Scarpello and Gagne were also world tag team champions for a considerable length of time.

"Maurice and Joe are two of the best professional wrestlers ever," said Gagne. "I am delighted they are both going into the hall of fame this year. They deserve it one hundred percent."

Though he began his amateur career in England, Robinson also has strong connections to Gagne and the AWA. He won a number of amateur titles in Great Britain before turning professional. He trained at the legendary Billy Riley School in Wigan, known as "The Snake Pit." It was a school where submission wrestling was taught and only the toughest wrestlers survived. Robinson trained there for nearly eight years, rubbing shoulders with some of the toughest submission wrestlers of all time.

He then came to America in 1970 and began wrestling for Gagne’s AWA. He won nearly every major title available, earning a reputation as one of the most highly-skilled matmen of the 20^th Century.

He also starred with Gagne (and TV star Ed Asner, of "Lou Grant" fame) in the 1973 movie, "The Wrestler."

Today, Robinson is retired from the ring, but still travels to Japan on a regular basis to teach submission wrestling to a new generation of wrestlers. He resides in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Ironically, when Robinson won the Commonwealth Games title in England as an amateur, he was given his award by George Hackenschmidt

"It was a real honor to meet the man," said Robinson. "He is without question one of the greatest legends in wrestling history."

Hackenschmidt was born in Dorpat, Estonia, in 1878 and was known throughout Europe for his tremendous physique and strongman abilities, beginning at the age of twenty. He set several world records in weightlifting, and then turned to professional wrestling. As a classical Greco-Roman wrestler (a style which allows only holds above the waist), he was unbeatable. He won nearly 300 consecutive matches and was regarded as world champion.

He came to America and defeated the U.S. champion, Tom Jenkins, and was declared world heavyweight champion, the first real champion in the sport’s history. He ruled supreme until defeated by Iowan Frank Gotch in Chicago in 1908. They had a rematch in 1911, and Gotch won again. Hackenschmidt retired soon after, with a reputed record of over 400 wins and only three losses! In the popular 1976 Book of Lists, he is rated as the second greatest professional wrestler of all time, behind only Gotch.

"Hackenschmidt was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his era," said Chapman. "He had the best physique anyone had ever seen at that time, and then became the most famous wrestler of the day, until Gotch came along. He died in 1968 at the age of 90, and is still revered in bodybuilding and wrestling circles as an icon."

Hackenschmidt also was a linguist and scholar. He spoke five languages and wrote a number of books. He once challenged Albert Einstein to debate his theory of relativity.

There will be several very special guests, as well. Frank Gotch III, the grandson of Frank Gotch, is expected to attend the banquet, coming from Texas. He will present the annual Frank Gotch Award, which goes each year to a professional wrestler who brings dignity and respect to the sport in the manner that Frank Gotch did back in 1910, when he was considered the No. 1 athlete in America.

"We are very excited about Mr. Gotch coming to the museum to present the award," said Chapman. "Frank Gotch is one of the primary reasons we started this museum, and to have his grandson attend this event for the first time ever will be wonderful for all fans of the sport."

The Frank Gotch Award winner will be announced in April.

Other events during the weekend include the Celebrity Golf Tournament, starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, August 1 ,and the second Annual Frank Gotch Run on Saturday, August 2.

For information on Induction Weekend, call the wrestling museum at 641-791-1517.

SCHEDULE of EVENTS

Friday, August 1, 10 a.m. ― Wrestling museum opens, regular admission price;

Friday, August 1, 1 p.m. ― Celebrity Golf Tournament, Westwood Golf Course, Newton, golf fee is $75, spectators are free. Call Larry Stewart for reservation 641-792-3087. Deadline is July 28.

Saturday, August 2, 8:00 a.m. ― Second Annual Frank Gotch Run at Maytag Park. All runners will receive a Frank Gotch Run tee shirt. $15.00 admission fee. To sign up, call 641-791-1517. Can enter day of race.

Saturday, August 2, 10 a.m. ― Official Inductions into the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame, at museum. Admission $3 for adults, $2 for students and others.

Saturday, August 2, 11 a.m. ― Reception for inductees, public can meet 2003 inductees and former inductees for autographs, free punch and cookies in museum.

Saturday, August 2, 7 p.m. ― Inductions banquet at Newton Country Club, $50 per person, seating is limited; reservations must be made by July 28 at 5 p.m. Call 641-791-1517 for reservations. Social hour at 6 p.m.

Sunday, August 3, 10 a.m. to noon ― Museum open to inductees and public, regular admission.

The world of old wrestling show tapes just got bigger ... maybe ... a LOT bigger. This just in from some enterprising types in Tampa FL:

The World Wrestling Network (WWN) and D3 Entertainment are excited to announce that they have entered into a world-wide DVD/VHS distribution agreement through Navarre Distribution. This agreement will allow WWN to offer a spectrum of professional wrestling and shoot fighting titles in over 16,000 retail locations world-wide. WWN has contracted with various WWN content providers, such as Mike Graham's Championship Wrestling from Florida and Ring of Honor, to offer their programming through this agreement. The first releases offered through this agreement will be ROH's Era of Honor Begins, Mike Graham Presents the Best of Classic Championship Wrestling Vol. 1 and FOW's King of Carnage. WWN hopes to ultimately include more of its content provider's in this agreement. For more information please visit www.wwn.tv and www.d3entertainment.com

Ric Drasin and Bruce Pobanz, a couple of faithful readers and stalwart CAC boosters, pass along the following, the first from Ric: 

My new Stunt Resume site is up along with the New Vintage Wrestling site. http://www.americanwrestlingfederation.com/stunt.htm http://www.americanwrestlingfederation.com/vintagewrestling.htm Ric Ric 'The Equalizer'Drasin emails - ricdrasin@adelphia.net or ric@ricdrasin.com

And Bruce, aka The Hangman, checks in with the following, which he posted to his CAC Reunion mailing list: 

In less than one month, many of us will be heading up and moving out to Las Vegas. Members like Morgan Dollar cannot wait!!!!!!! Hope he has power back on in his place. The news this morning said tens of thousands in NC still have no power. Been there, done that, and it is NOT fun.

The Mardi Gras festivities continue, about a ten-hour drive from me, in New Orleans. Last night the two-day Mardi Gras festival, in a sleepy historic and tourist type town near me, came to an end.The filming that was taking place for the Super Bowl is being planned to be used with the 2005 Super Bowl which is a few miles out my back door, Jacksonville, Florida. I'm have been on the Super Bowl committee for over one year now and things look good. Another mention I made a couple days ago was about "PEACOCKS". I took some peacocks to the Mardi Gras here and they were a hit!

Outside my place, we have squirrels, turtles, bunny rabbits, opossum, raccoons, deer (Yes deer), frogs, many types of birds and even a wild hog. Stepping outside our front door, one never knows what type of animal might be saying hello. Living here with nature is just so peaceful.

Some concern was raised about live peacocks at the convention. Let me set the record straight. At this CAC convention, I have offered and it has been accepted to bring over five hundred "peacocks" to the Las Vegas Events. Let me tell you that no one will get "the bird". Yesterday I was asked about these peacocks and after talking about them was told by many that no convention should be without them.

For those that think there will be five hundred live birds, feathers abounding, don't fret. These ARE NOT live birds!!! I will explain a little later what exactly a "Peacock" is. So if you want one, it will be there, if not, then do not take one.

J Michael Kenyon is the "Official" Webmaster for the Cauliflower Alley Club. He is the one who does all that hard, tireless, time consuming and often thankless work to continue to spread the word about CAC and Pro-Wrestling in general. I am a webmaster myself. I have a few sites I work on and a local church and local store has come to me asking for my help on their sites. So I personally know how hard of a job it is and I say THANK YOU to J Michael Kenyon for all he does and wish him the best on his book and his other projects!!!

According to the CAC website which can be found at www.caulifloweralleyclub.org on the recent March 2, 2003 edition of "Sunday Punches", one can find the following snippet "I am resigning as CAC webmaster, effective with the Sunday Punches column of March 23 - if I am not removed from the post prior to that date."

Please take a moment and visit this site and read all about it. J Michael Kenyon will be the main speaker at the Friday night "Baloney Blowout" at this year's CAC Convention.

My personal opinion is that whoever takes over the job as CAC webmaster will have a VERY HARD job. Remember, the site is about the CAC and it's members. If word about events does not get sent into the CAC webmaster, than that person must take upon themselves the astronomical job and search the world wide net to find current stories. In my opinion, no webmaster should need to do this. The site is about and for the CAC. The members who take the time to send the webmaster information are those that care about the future of the CAC. Those members show respect to the webmaster and thank him or her for their hard working volunteer effort. In my opinion, those that sit back and complain without offering to help, have no right to speak. When we vote in a political race, one thing we hear is rarely do we get more than fifteen percent average of voters who take the time to vote. We are reminded on commercials and publications that if you do not exercise your right to vote, you do not have the right to complain about how this country is run. I feel strongly that those that continue to dizz the job being done on the CAC website, need to either offer to help or keep quiet. We are all in the CAC together. We are all one family. And in any family and/or business, one can hear at one time or another, either you are part of the problem or part of the solution. You decide what you are.

It's time to get my coffee this morning and get ready for church. Yesterday I heard that I may have a few upcoming TV shots. One is happening later this month. If it happens, I'll be sure to post when and where it can be seen. Next month I have been asked by Pastor Walden to attend his church in the Atlanta area. He wants me to share in his fellowship dinner, give his congregation the Sunday evening sermon and to share a testimony about my experiences as a Pro-Wrestler, movie & TV actor and my historic role in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

This week's Pages of History stem from a Reno newspaper article from a few years back. Of course, the subject is Reno's most famous erstwhile grappler, Don Manoukian: 

MANOUKIANISMS: A Few Don Manoukian Quotes Worth Repeating
(By Rollan Melton, Reno Gazette-Journal, August 23, 1999)

For years, I've collected the one-liners of Don Manoukian, the incomparable Reno developer, Realtor, jolly good fellow, former pro football star and wrestler - and much more. The late San Francisco columnist, Herb Cain, once wrote that "Don Manoukian makes Don Rickles sound like Oral Roberts." 

With that, here are Manoukianisms:

* "My brother-in law Roy Powers says when I drop in for dinner he has to get an emergency loan for food."

* "When I'm ravenously hungry before dinner, I warm up with Granola bars. Sort of anorexia in reverse."

* "Once I was invited to pose nude for a Playgirl Magazine centerfold. But I had to decline. My hands were too small."

* "The fans really create a pro wrestler's image. If you're short, stocky and a little hairy - well, I'm no matinee idol, you know."

* "The smoke is so thick in Los Angeles, it looks like the card room at the Reno Elks Lodge."

* "Los Angeles is the only area I know of that the Indians don't want back."

* "It's well known in pro wrestling that the promoters always split it down the middle. They take 70 percent, and give the rest to the gladiators."

* "The power company will continue the longest running comedy in Nevada, called 'One guy in the hole digging, while four guys look down and watch, as their five pickups block traffic."

* "The gals with the tight sweaters and short skirts will not let up. They already have 90 percent of the world's wealth and 100 percent of what man has pursued since Adam and Eve. That's why they have 90 percent of the wealth."

* "Conservationists are consulting engineers in drag, creating business for themselves."

* "What will the future bring? We will still be electing 'C' students who are guided and advised by 'D' students."

* "Business is fantastic! It's exciting! Something to rave about! Just terrific! If things get much better, pretty soon I'll be breaking even."

* "Sure I graduated from Stanford. If you ever get into that university, you graduate. The people there are so vain they won't admit they've made a mistake."

* "I was on Stanford's All Armenian team for three straight years. I always thought America was discovered by Christopher Columbosian."

* "Back in my professional athlete days, I used to travel with Leo Nomellini, the 49er tackle. Leo had a habit of pounding on the dashboard. In six months, he wore out three cars and 50 radios."

* "Fellow athletes sometimes poked fun. Like Ron Mix of the San Diego Chargers who said I could do everything with a football except sign it."

* "I need to make one thing perfectly clear. Everything I say is completely unrehearsed."

* "My Stanford teammate and friend, Jim Plunkett got so rich he took to serving top sirloin in his tacos instead of hamburger."

* "Years ago when I was on a long wrestling tour in Japan, I learned they are the world's greatest copiers. I ordered three dozen shirts, and gave them one of mine to get the size right. I was going to throw it away anyway because it had a cigarette burn on one sleeve. When I got the shirts back, they were all perfect - 36 shirts, 36 burns in the sleeves."
* * * * *
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Announces 2003 Inductees (It Says Here)
SUNDAY PUNCHES by J Michael Kenyon
(edition of March 2, 2003)

SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK -- The Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame (PWHF), a state chartered not-for-profit institution located at 123 Broadway in Schenectady, is pleased to announce the 2003 Class of Inductees.

Lillian Ellison, known in wrestling circles as "The Fabulous Moolah", will be inducted into the Women's division. Ms. Ellison has recently penned her autobiography entitled, "The Fabulous Moolah-The First Goddess of the Squared Circle". She claimed the Women's Championship for thirty straight years and has trained many other female wrestling performers. She states that she has a match booked on July 22, 2003, which is the same date as her eightieth birthday!

In the Midget division, the late Lionel Giroux, who wrestled as "Little Beaver", will be inducted. His ring antics entertained crowds for four decades. Giroux was a native of Quebec, Canada.

In the Non participant category, legendary St. Louis promoter Sam Muchnick will receive the 2003 honors. Muchnick ran a successful promotion from 1945 until his retirement in 1982. He was actively involved in the National Wrestling Alliance, which was the main governing body for professional wrestling during his period of promotion. Muchnick passed away in 1998 at the age of ninety-three.

The Televsion-era division, which extends from 1942 until 1984, will have Walter "Killer" Kowalski and Antonino "Argentina" Rocca being inducted. Kowalski, who was at the PWHF's Inaugural Induction in May of 2002, had a mat career that extended thirty years. At 6' 7" tall and 260 pounds, Kowalski held versions of the World title. Many fans remember his famous "Claw" hold, which was even mentioned on a Seinfeld episode. He is an accomplished photographer and currently has a book of his photography published. Rocca, born Antonino Biasetton, was a soccer player in Argentina before being discovered by a wrestling promoter. Rocca is credited with introducing the high-flying aerial tactics in the U. S. professional wrestling rings. He passed away in 1977 but his ring techniques are still enjoyed via video releases of his matches.

The Mania-era category, which is from 1985 onward, has two former world champions being elected. Nick Bockwinkel is a second generation wrestler who held the American Wrestling Association's (AWA) title on four separate occasions. His twenty-five year long ring career saw him hold other prestigious titles and sell out many arenas throughout the world. Bockwinkel resides in Las Vegas and we hope that he will be present to accept professional wrestling's highest award. Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, also was elected to the hall in this category, but will be enshrined after his official retirement.

Two new award divisions will be added to the 2003 Induction Weekend lineup. The Tag-Team division makes its debut with the induction of The Fabulous Kangaroos. This team consisted of Australians Al Costello and Roy Heffernan. The Fabulous Kangaroos dominated much of tag team wrestling in the 1950s and 1960's and they headlined shows at the famed Madison Square Garden. The team held both World and United States titles under the direction of their manager, "Wild" Red Berry. The pair used to throw cardboard boomerangs, bearing their images, out to the fans. Both wrestlers are now deceased.

The other new category will be the PWHF New York State Award, which will be given to wrestlers who have brought honor and dignity to both the State of New York and to the profession of wrestling. There will be one living and one posthumous award. Dick "The Destroyer" Beyer of Akron, New York will receive the living award for his contributions to his community and to the field of wrestling. Dick holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University and co-captained their football team in the early 1950's. He gained immense fame in the United States, Japan, Australia and Europe wrestling under a mask as "The Destroyer". Dick states that he plans to be present in Schenectady to accept his award.

The posthumous award will be given to the late Ilio DiPaolo, a wrestling legend from Italy who settled in Blasdell, New York. DiPaolo held many titles including the Canadian Tag-Team Championship with Whipper Watson and the All-Asian Championship in Japan. He retired in 1965 due to an ankle injury and then opened a restaurant in Blasdell, New York. The restaurant, which bears his name and is managed by his family, has established itself as one of the finest dining facilities in the region. The Buffalo Bills football team frequent the restaurant on a regular basis. A line of food products bearing Ilio's name has proven to be successful. Like Beyer, DiPaolo has been the recipient of many community involvement awards. A tragic motor vehicle accident ended his life prematurely in 1965.

The inductees were voted upon by twenty-two members of the PWHF Board of Selection. A Screening Committee consisting of wrestling writer/photographer Don Laible, Chairperson of the Board of Selection, Dr. Robert Bryla, longtime wrestling collector, and Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer editor and well known wrestling expert, chose the wrestlers upon which the full Board of Selection voted. The PWHF Board of Directors' Chairperson Tony Vellano of Schenectady stated that these Inductions will take place on May 17, 2003. For further information, please call Tony Vellano at 518-356-3473 or Mike Capano at 518-725-5272. The PWHF maintains a website at www.pwhf.org for more details.

Okay. That’s, finally, "official" (please note all the Cauliflower Alley Club luminaries on the induction or honors list; you’d have thought they would have wanted us to know about it). And now for the rest of this week’s "press" releases:

Hi everyone, I did this way back in November, and I still do want to invite all the people on this great list to my book launch. I know it's not possible for almost all of you, but I promise to tell you about it afterwards! ... After delay after delay, my book is finally out. The Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame: The Canadians, from ECW Press. It's not in all stores yet, but it is published which means it is time for a launch party. (It is available in pre-order via Amazon & Chapters-Indigo. It'll be in stores by mid-March.) The launch party will be Thursday, March 6, 2003 at Big Anthony's Restaurant, 5677 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, Ontario, 905-354-9844 It's the restaurant that was started by the late Canadian wrestling great Tony Parisi, and it has tons of wrestling memorabilia on the walls. When you get there, you'll know it's the proper place for a party for a book like this. The launch party will run from 7 to 9 pm, and is open to the public as well. Hopefully my autographing hand will hold out! It has been a real wild ride over the past year while working on it. This launch party is the chance for me to honour some of the greats in my book, many of whom will be in attendance. It should also garner some media attention. (There will be munchies for my media friends who only come to things when there is free food.) Many of you will have been mailed invitations, but this email is both an early warning and a chance to catch a few people who I may not have had old-fashioned mailing addresses for. Hope to see you there! Yours in wrestling, Greg Oliver 416-769-5509 gregmep@sympatico.ca

The following comes from the Wrestling Observer web site, where they are trying to push books from Stewart House Publishing, which has gone into bankruptcy (much to the consternation of tireless CAC booster and longtime member Dr. Mike Lano, who figures he's being stiffed for all his many, many contributions, pictorial and otherwise, to The Top 100 (et al) -- well, he and the eminent Mr. Meltzer have, on occasion, been "don't invitems"):  

Oh, for the benefit of Dr. Lano, here's news of another creditor stiffed by Stewart House's big dump: 

February 21, 2003
Toronto-area printer declares bankruptcy
PICKERING, Ont.—PrintCan has learned that Champlain Graphics has filed for bankruptcy. According to industry sources, Champlain ran into trouble when one of its largest accounts, Stewart House, went under owing the shop about $1 million ... 

In a more heartening note, Lano visited Pepper and Bonnie Gomez last week -- he just got out of the hospital. Bonnie said that the Kaiser docs gave Pepper the wrong antibiotics, which had the consequence of keeping him 4 1/2 days in the hospital. "He's a little weak right now," adds Mike, "but thankfully home." ... Another news flash has finally reached this desk: "The reunion awards dinner is the prime rib or vegetarian. Friday is still the Baloney Blowout, with all the trimmings. This is the one that's $10,00 at the door for the buffet and the (live wrestling) matches." This confirms what was circulated by Bruce (The Hangman) Pobanz, who told his CAC reunion mailing list: "According to an E-mail I received from Dean Silverstone, who not only is a member of this group, he is also an Official on the CAC Board. He says 'Officially, the Cornish Game Hen meal at the CAC banquet has been 86ed and replaced by steak.' ... It has not been published as to the official reason why the menu was changed from meat to cornish game hens and back to meat, but whatever the reason, it sounds like each and everyone of your opinions DO COUNT!" ... And, talking about the "old school," get a load of this release: 

Jersey All Pro Wrestling is very happy to announce a match between Terry Funk & Jerry The King Lawler. This match will take place on Saturday, April 12, 2003, at The Hungarian Club 95 Port Reading Ave in Woodbridge, NJ at 8pm. Tickets: Golden Ringside $25.00 SOLD OUT Ringside $20.00 General Admission $15.00 Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased or reserved via email at JAPBOXOFFICE@AOL.COM or by calling toll free 1-888-478-0667. All credit cards are excepted. More matches TBA....... Keep up to date on this event by visiting the JAPW website at www.japw.net 

Ric Drasin is making some changes in his web host for
americanwrestlingfederation ... which soon will be .net instead of .com ... and he advises that future emails, as of now, should be directed to ric@ricdrasin.com or
ricdrasin@adelphia.net ... The gang at WrestlingClassics.com (one of the top nostalgia web sites) put out this word last week: 

We are proud to announce that WAWLI (Wrestling As We Liked It), the internet's premier archive of wrestling articles dating back to the days of Gotch and Hackenschmidt as compiled by J Michael Kenyon, is now being hosted right here at WC! We are clearing up some minor tech glitches and will add the link to the main page and tell the rest of the world very soon, but for now and exclusively here on the WCMB, for all you current and future (meaning those of you who haven't been there yet) WAWLI junkies...

MAJOR "ROWDY" RODDY PIPER NEWS INCLUDING INFORMATION ON HIS JUST ANNOUNCED FILM PROJECT, NEWLY DESIGNED WEBSITE, AND THE RETURN OF FREE PIPERVISION

February 26, 2003—

As the second leg of the "In The Pit With Piper" Media and Book tour continues, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper makes his return to the Big Screen in what looks to be his biggest film project since his starring role in the science-fiction classic They Live. Hollywood sources confirm that the "Hot Rod" has signed to be featured in New Line Cinema's Knight Fever, written and produced by Ethan Dettenmeier, scheduled to start principal photography in late March. The $40 million budget motion picture will feature "Hot Rod" in an ensemble cast which also includes Janet Jackson, Christopher Walken, and Angela Bassett, who also has a book out, a self-titled book called Angela Bassett. The "Rowdy" one, in addition to this new and exciting project, which shoots on location in Southern California, will fulfill all of his scheduled media and tour appearances as the "IN THE PIT WITH PIPER TOUR" is extended into the fall.

For official "Knight Fever" and "In The Pit With Piper" Media and Tour Information, visit the new and improved RowdyRoddyPiper.com. Camp Piper has completely overhauled www.rowdyroddypiper.com with a fresh new look, which makes for easier navigation and enhances the PiperVision viewing experience.

The Pages of History entry this week is remarkable, not only because it contains an interesting story, but because that story was just printed, for the first time, yesterday (March 1) in The Times of London:

MASKED WARRIOR HAPPY TO REMAIN INCOGNITO
(By Rick Broadbent, The Times of London, March 1, 2003)

The taxi driver who brings Kendo Nagasaki to the office block opposite Harrods is brimming with frustration. He has received strict instructions not to look at the man in the back seat and definitely not to speak to him. "But I’ve been a fan all my life," he says. It cuts no ice.

The man on reception is just as incredulous. He tells the story of how Nagasaki went to see his bank manager one day and refused to go in unless he was allowed to wear his mask. "He’s bloody paranoid," he spits.

In a smart boardroom on a crisp winter’s day, the most loved and loathed figure in British wrestling sits in a crimson cape and mask. He has removed his breastplates and visor. The tip of his left index finger is missing. Some say it was removed in Japan as an initiation into a cult, others that he lost it when working as an apprentice at a horse-box makers in Crewe. He lays his sword on the table but keeps his cards close to his chest. It has ever been thus.

It is a quarter of a century since wrestling used to pull in millions of viewers on ITV’s World Of Sport on Saturday afternoons. Nagasaki was the biggest draw. His ceremonial unmasking in December, 1977, was a sensation. He made the front of TV Times and sold out the Albert Hall. People tried to discover the man behind the mask but nobody succeeded. Last week, Nagasaki came out of retirement to make a public appearance at the Victoria Hall in Stoke, where his career began. It was sold out.

It is easy to dismiss wrestling as tacky, where blue-rinsed pensioners would wave their false teeth at Mick McManus in Batley British Legion. But The Queen liked it and so did Terence Donovan and Sir Peter Blake. Greg Dyke did not and pulled the plug on wrestling in 1988 because "we were stuck in about 1955 and wrestling clearly wasn’t a proper sport."

He had a point. Wrestling may have had a sporting element but it was vaudeville entertainment. It was The Good Old Days with Boston crabs, panto with teeth. When Dyke sent it packing to the small, crumbling halls around the country, the "sport" effectively died. In a rare interview, where he provided his answers by fax, Nagasaki wrote: "UK wrestling no longer exists. It’s an abortion of Americanised entertainment."

But what happened to these people when it was cast out of the sporting fold? And why is a fiftysomething man still wearing a mask and refusing to utter a word during interviews? "The persona can’t be shrugged off because it is not a cheap, showbiz trick," Paul Yates, who answers for Nagasaki, said. "If it was then it would have died by now. He has endured because he has not allowed the persona to be diluted in any way, by speaking to fans or journalists or accepting big money from the tabloids. People who pick it apart have no imagination."

Yates is a long-term friend who produced an acclaimed documentary for BBC Two in which Blake captured Nagasaki on canvas. One of these portraits is now in the private collection of Lord Kirkham, the other has been bequeathed to the National Portrait Gallery. Yates says Nagasaki appeals to artists because there is a rage going on inside. "When you saw other wrestlers trying to pull away the mask it was like seeing a living Francis Bacon portrait. You were seeing a man having his soul stripped bare. These were some of the most dramatic moments in British television."

Considering Nagasaki has been a cultural phenomenon since he arrived on the scene in 1964, precious little is known about him. When he was unmasked on television people gawped at the star tattoo on his head and the ponytail. But the mask went back soon afterwards and the mystery endured. At the height of his fame a plumber arrived at the home of his manager. The man recognised "Gorgeous" George Gillette and deduced that the figure lounging on the sofa must be Nagasaki.

He later printed hundreds of leaflets saying "the wrestler Kendo Nagasaki is Peter Thornley and he lives at this address."

In Simon Garfield’s book The Wrestling, Max Crabtree, a promoter, recalled: "Kendo would have murdered the bastard — but he can’t go running down the street with his samurai sword." The plumber ended up in court and the legend survived. In Yates’s documentary, Nagasaki admitted, via subtitles, that he had experienced an unhappy childhood. "In my early life there was a need for fulfilment. There was a need for this superhuman character to come into my life. There are two sides to me — two sides to everybody," he said.

The flip side to the cartoon figure was a talented sportsman who excelled at judo and martial arts. Donovan recalled how he once saw a judo contest in Japan where a young Englishman with the tip of his left index finger missing defeated the then world champion. He later realised it must have been Nagasaki. The spiritual side is also genuine and Nagasaki has worked as a healer.

His longevity is proved by the video game, Legends Of Wrestling 2, that he was promoting in London. There is also talk of a feature film of his life. He has business interests in the United States and Europe and regularly visits Japan "on other matters". Wrestling may be on its last legs, the protagonists who once emptied the streets of "grapple fans" now a mess of hip replacements and memories, but Kendo Nagasaki remains. I bid him farewell and he nods, almost imperceptibly.

They call him "The Beltster." We here at the CAC call him our fellow member, friend and benefactor. His name is Joe Marshall and his J-MAR Championship Belts operation is synonymous with the highest craftsmanship. Just like it says on his web site (www.beltster.com): "Starting at the age of 14 and with 20 years experience, Joe does nearly every aspect of the creation of custom, handmade championship belts. From the beginning, which is the artwork stage, to the end, which is final assembling of the parts and leather tooling, there are many steps in between -- most of which are also done by Joe’s hand. There is engraving, cutting, shaping and filing of the metal plates or ornaments and fasteners that are or could be attached to plates. The belts are generally out of Joe’s hands only to be plated with triple chrome or 24k gold plating … Many man-hours are devoted to each belt in every stage of its creation.

" … Joe has made the belts of the World Wrestling Federation (as written about in the June 1999 "Get It?" issue of RAW magazine), World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling and many other wrestling, fighting and martial arts as well as other sporting and entertainment events. J-MAR belts have been seen on the big screen in movies such as Ready to Rumble. Joe proudly dedicates a few custom one-of-a-kind creations each year to a number of charities and foundations." The Brian Pillman benefit  
shows and Sgt. Slaughter fundraisers are among these, as well as the Cauliflower Alley Club. As you might expect, CAC vice president Karl Lauer is ready with high praise:

"Joe Marshall has really been great to our club. Four of the past seven years he has donated the belts that we raffle off, in their entirety, even though the deal was we would pay the material costs (about $450). To date, the belts have made over $16,000 for our scholarship and benevolent funds. We are deeply  indebted to Joe Marshall for his aid and assistance to our club. These same style belts sell for an average of $1,250, or more, to fans and federations. Gold plating, alone, on these belts runs up in the $300 range. In short, they are among the most fantastic belts I’ve ever seen. And there are plenty of people who agree with me."

Joe Marshall is a no-nonsense guy. In one of the FAQs on his web site, he answers the often-asked question, "When is my belt going to be finished?" in no uncertain terms.

When it is done. After it has been designed & cut & polished & plated and many other steps as well as at the same time as many other belts. They do not come from a magic belt tree. This ain't K-MART or McDonalds. If you are getting a pre-made belt, it should get shipped to you fairly soon. You will be notified when it is shipped so that you know and are not wondering. If you ordered a hand made belt, you must realize certain things. These are not like anything else you can get anywhere. They are hand-made and therefore it takes time to make these things and I will not purposely send out a crappy belt. In addition to this, I MUST be able to get promotions’ belts out in certain amounts of time. This means THEY COME FIRST. I don't like to do it this way but I am on top of this game and I intend to stay here. I worked hard for it. Therefore, all orders from collectors, fans, etc., may take a while. This also means DO NOT call me weekly, asking, "When is my belt going to be done?" or "Just thought I'd check to see how it is coming along." … There are some people who think they are the only one in the world that is getting a belt. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people in this world are getting them. You are in a line with a bunch of other people. And to be frank, sometimes Mr. McMahon or Mr. Bischoff or even Mr. Schwarzenegger are gonna cut in front of the line. That is life and that’s the way it is. So have RESPECT for the time I need to do a good job. Things get behind when all I ever do is answer the phone!

A couple of notes before we let Joe get back to work: J-MAR is developing a line of lower-cost belts which will be of interest to e-feds, byf's and anyone who wants a really low cost but realistic belt. Included in this line are the new MAKE-a-BELT kits which are fun and popular for yourself or for a gift item. Now there is a "blank" version for customizing and at even lower price. It’s a smaller design with an empty circle in the middle as well as on the side plates. You can make your own insert or even go to a trophy shop and get a custom-engraved insert or a medallion. Look for more info on these at www.championshipbelts.com ...

Speaking of Dallas, there follow a couple of articles that should leave a tear in the eye of anyone who ever loved professional wrestling and, especially, for those who had a chance to see it presented in one of the most marvelous venues of all time:

GOING DOWN FOR THE COUNT
(By Michael E. Young, Dallas Morning News, Feb. 22, 2003)

Beat up and stripped down, the dilapidated old Sportatorium offers nary a hint of its storied past – where a young Elvis Presley could sing his songs, then gawk at his own heroes, the wrestlers who brought the place worldwide fame.

The onetime home of the Big D Jamboree and a palace of professional wrestling for more than 40 years, the Sportatorium soon will be bulldozed into history. Its owners, Sportatorium Associates Inc., obtained a demolition permit from the city of Dallas last week.

Still, echoes of the glory days linger, from the torch and twang of Patsy Cline to Hank Williams' honky-tonk blues. And always, wrestling looms large, built around the tragic Von Erich clan.

"It was a great big old barn," said Kevin Adkisson, the youngest of the Von Erichs and the only surviving son of patriarch Fritz Von Erich. "But it was such a great old building. It had this feel to it, that it was much more than a barn. It was, 'This is the Sportatorium!' "

Mr. Adkisson's time at the Sportatorium came after Mr. Presley's, but he heard all the stories, he said.

"Elvis played there at the jamboree, and he loved wrestling. Dad said he was just a kid, just a skinny kid back then. And he loved to go into the back to see the wrestlers, and they'd give him a Coke," Mr. Adkisson said.

The Big D Jamboree brought some of the greatest stars of country music to Dallas during its heyday, beginning in the late '40s in the first Sportatorium and running through the early '60s at the second arena, rebuilt at Industrial Boulevard and Cadiz Street after a 1953 fire.

Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins played the jamboree. So did Buddy Holly. And the young Willie Nelson so enjoyed the place that for years, it was his favorite venue in town, Mr. Adkisson said.

Even later, during its waning days, the Sportatorium became a concert venue again, most notably for a 1992 show starring post-punk rappers the Beastie Boys. The crowd packing the old hall pushed relentlessly to the stage, overwhelming security teams. The harried promoter threatened to cancel the show unless the crowd backed off before relenting.

Gray Pierson, an Arlington lawyer who ran a wrestling operation at the Sportatorium from 1992 to 1994, said the show almost demolished the building 10 years before its time.

"The Beastie Boys packed the place. And because the electrical system there was kind of dicey, they brought in separate generators," Mr. Pierson said. "Well, they generated so much power and so much volume that the galvanized sheeting that covered the building began resonating. The walls were moving."

The Sportatorium's real fame came with wrestling, though, and it spread around the world.

"It's interesting that that building was more famous in other countries than it was in this area," Mr. Pierson said. "And wrestling was very popular in the Middle East."

In 1992, when the Republicans gathered in Houston to nominate President George Bush for a second term, Mr. Bush invited a delegation from Saudi Arabia to attend, Mr. Pierson remembered.

"They came via Dallas," he said, "because they wanted to go to the Sportatorium. They had all these Secret Service men with them, and they came just to see the Sportatorium."

The Saudis left impressed, Mr. Pierson said, although he can't say he felt the same on his first visit.

"That was back in the early '70s. I was going to college in Waco and came up with some friends to see the wrestling for laughs," he said. "We got up here, and it looked so dangerous to me that I wouldn't get out of the car.

"Twenty years later, I ended up running the place."

Bill Mercer arrived long before then, four decades before, arriving in 1953 to broadcast wrestling on TV from the Sportatorium.

"That was the big show in town in those days. We did it live, two hours on Tuesday nights, from 8 to 10," the sports broadcaster said.

"When I got there, all the big people in town – the police chief, the fire chief, the mayor – they were going down there all the time, everybody dressed in suits. It was the place to go."

The Sportatorium was part of the National Wrestling Alliance then, Mr. Mercer said, and the biggest names in the game visited, stars like Gorgeous George.

Later, televised wrestling moved to other venues but returned to the Sportatorium in a big way around 1980, Mr. Mercer said.

"Suddenly, the place was rocking again. It was transformed. The people in suits were back," he said.

After a few years, wrestling faded, and it was never quite the same at the Sportatorium. And soon it, too, will be gone.

Mr. Mercer and Mr. Pierson lament that, but Mr. Adkisson said his feelings are mixed.

"I spent a lot of time with my four brothers there," he said. "The last time I went down there, with them gone, it was kind of hard for me. It was like I didn't want to go."

But he did come away with something to help him remember the good times, he said.

"There's a guy from Chicago doing a documentary on wrestling, and I went down to the Sportatorium with him for my interview," Mr. Adkisson said.

"When I went in, one of the guys there gave me Row 28, seats 1, 2 and 3 as a souvenir.

"I put it on the porch swing at the ranch," he said. "Now I'll always have a little piece of it."
* * * * *

SCRAPHEAP OF MEMORIES
(By Eva-Marie Ayala, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Feb. 21, 2003)

DALLAS - Sounds of rockin' and rasslin' filled the Dallas Sportatorium for more than six decades.

It was a nearly mythical place where stars such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline and Hank Williams, Sr. once played during the Big D Jamboree broadcasts. The thuds and groans of wrestlers resonated off the walls as well. It was home to the Von Erichs and other famous wrestlers of the past.

But after a few reprieves in recent years, the oversized barnlike building made of metal and wood is finally down for the count. Last week, the city of Dallas issued a demolition permit for the building on Industrial Boulevard southwest of downtown. The work has already begun.

Mark Longoria, a wrestling fan who remembers the days when headlocks and body slams filled the building, is overseeing the building's demolition.

"It's ironic that I'm the one tearing it down," said Longoria, who has found old posters in the Sportatorium promoting matches from its golden age. "I have a hard time doing it."

It is not clear what will replace the Sportatorium. Owner Morton Rachofsky did not return several phone calls this week, and Longoria said he doesn't know what will happen to the site.

The Sportatorium opened in the 1930s with boxing and wrestling. It was a popular honky-tonk from the '40s to the '60s, when the Big D Jamboree featured local, regional and national talents on a Metroplex radio station.

In May 1953, the original Sportatorium was destroyed by a fire, and it was rebuilt four months later, according to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame Web site.

Legendary rockabilly star Ronnie Dawson played there every Saturday night for about four years in the late 1950s. It was at the Jamboree that Dawson met and joined the legendary Light Crust Doughboys.

"It's just a big ol' tin building that I can still smell -- a smell of stale beer, the Trinity River, popcorn and grease," he said.

Various country and rock legends, including Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent and Willie Nelson, made appearances there.

When a barely known Presley played the Sportatorium on April 16, 1955, he invited the local musicians to his hotel for a party, said Dawson, who decided not to go.

"Like some idiot, I wasn't interested in Elvis at the time," Dawson said. "I was interested in his guitar player who had done some work on a record I loved."

Nevertheless, the Sportatorium is best known for its wrestling.

In the '70s and '80s, Fritz Adkisson, better known as the patriarch of the Von Erich brothers, would build his dynasty at the Sportatorium.

Muscle-bound men with names such as "Gentleman" Chris Adams, "Playboy" Gary Hart and the Fabulous Freebirds dazzled the crowds with chokeholds and pile drivers.

Longtime referee James Beard said he was thrown about the ring by many wrestlers getting their start at the Sportatorium, including some of today's well-known wrestlers, such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Bradshaw and Booker T.

"Anybody who was anybody worked there at one time," he said.

In the summers, it was hot, and in the winters, it was cold. But the "classic smoky atmosphere" that lingered above the wooden benches made it one of the best arenas in the world, Beard said.

But local wrestling started to fizzle in the 1990s. The Sportatorium quietly was slipping past its heyday, and at least two attempts to revive it failed.

In 1998, Arturo Agis, a former wrestler from Mexico, was the last to try and reclaim the Sportatorium by holding Mexican-style wrestling there.

He fixed dilapidated bathrooms, repainted and revarnished. Attendance fluctuated, and he ended up losing about $35,000 after only five months.

"I lost money, but I'm happy. I cry about this place," Agis said. "I love this place. … I put my dream, myself, into the Sportatorium."

Longoria said the building is too old and too run-down to be renovated to meet today's codes. It will be taken apart in pieces so that much of it can be recycled, he said.

It will soon be another stop on the "what-once-was-here-but-now-is-gone" tour, leaving behind a mixed legacy of sport and song.

"I can't think of any place better," Beard said. "It was really something unique. You can't manufacture it. It just has to be there."
* * * * * 

Fred Blassie’s interview with Jeff Walton revealed this publishing news: Fred’s book, a WWE project with Keith Elliott Greenburg, will be out in April. John Tolos was on the show, too, twice "challenging" Blassie to "one last match." One listener was struck by the fact, of all the former foes brought up to Blassie for his comments, the only one he knocked was Mil Mascaras. Of course, when it comes to wrestlers with something unkind to say about Mascaras’ work in the ring, you have to stand in a pretty long line … Jimmy Hart did a Tampa radio interview a few days after Curt Hennig’s death. He said that Fidel Sierra had picked up Curt at the airport the previous day (Sunday). They called him in his room Monday morning to see if he wanted to go to breakfast, but Hennig said he would stay in his room and take a shower. That was the last they talked with him. Later on, regarding the subject of breaking kayfabe, Hart said he was of the opinion that once people are in on the secret, they tend to lose interest. Hart remarked that Sputnik Monroe always said, "The name on the marquee says wrestling, then you better give it to them. Hart thinks the trend, now, may be to including more actual wrestling in shows. And, he said, HIS book will be out in the fall. (Okay. Who will be the last person in wrestling NOT to have a book out?) …