Attention all CAC members!  Please help the club update our member records by sending us your email address.  This will allow us to quickly contact members with club news and announcements, and it will help us manage the members roster more efficiently.

Please email your actual real name and email address to:

cacdean@hotmail.com

Also, if you are considering joining the Cauliflower Alley Club, email us with any questions or concerns.  New members are always welcome into the “Ring of Friendship”!

Thank you!

CAC Board of Directors

Writing about his dear friends, Red Bastien, John Tolos, Ernie Ladd, George Cannon and Road Warrior Hawk were very tough. However, Big Bill wanted everyone to remember these ring giants both from a professional career and a personal one as well.

To learn more about Wrestling Cares Association visit www.wrestlingcares.com

It was announced at the 2013 Cauliflower Alley Club reunion that Bobby Sharp was selected as this year’s 2013 Future Legend award winner.

Here is some more infromation about Bobby.  Congratulations from the entire Cauliflower Alley Club!

Bobby Sharp is a 24-year old professional wrestler from Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada, who has had 500 documented bouts in the course of nine years of experience.

Captivated by wrestling in his pre-teen years, Bobby determined to find the quickest route to realizing his dream. At 14, he signed on for training by Edmonton wrestler/promoter Massive Damage (Sean Dunster) of Monster Pro Wrestling. Dunster was beginning a teenage training program, with a view to ultimately developing pro candidates. Dunster saw in the youngster desire and drive beyond his years, and given his rapid development was able to use him in his Edmonton and area professional cards by the time he was 15. From the outset, Bobby showed the ring skills of someone several years older, and built on that foundation with strenuous conditioning, hours of practice bouts, frequent attendance at selected seminars, and an ever-increasing dedication to his art.

Check out the other finalists here:

http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/02/07/2013-future-legend-finalist/

Paul Bearer, handler of the mysterious Undertaker; Percival Pringle III, loquacious spokesman for the latest villains in the South; Bill Moody, the soft-spoken funeral director, passed away on the evening of March 5, 2013 in a Mobile hospital.  He had faithfully attended the annual Gulf Coast Wrestlersâ?? Reunion just three days earlier and was clearly suffering medical problems there, which led to his hospitalization on March 3.  His death has been attributed to a blood clot.

William Alvin Moody was born on April 10, 1954 in Mobile.  Wrestling seized his attention when he was barely school-age, and never loosened its grip.  By his mid-teens he was photographing the ring action in Alabama arenas for the Gulf Coast promotion and the mat magazines.  On graduation from high school he joined the U.S. Air Force for a four-year tour of duty, but that wasnâ??t all that occupied him.  Though he wasnâ??t physically gifted, he nevertheless learned wrestlingâ??s rudiments and in 1974 Gulf Coast booker Cowboy Bob Kelly gave him his chance in the ring.  He wrestled intermittently through the rest of his military enlistment, and following that his early employment and education as a mortician.

Life for Bill Moody changed forever in 1978: in April, he signed on for a stint in Mississippi where the booker was Frankie â??The Great Mephistoâ? Cain; and on December 22 he married the love of his life, Dianna Lynn McDole.  Just one match into his Mississippi run, Cain suggested that Billâ??s true forte was managing, and the next night he became Percival Pringle, again Cainâ??s idea, and marshalled The Mongolians, Tio and Tapu Taylor, into the ring.  Shortly after he added the â??IIIâ? to his name, and for the next dozen years grew his reputation as the boisterous, bragging handler of such talent as Rick Rude, Blackjack Mulligan, Buzz Sawyer, The Great Kabuki and many more.

In the midst of this career growth, Bill took time out to further his education as a mortician, as insurance against the day the wrestling road ended.  He graduated on the Deanâ??s List at San Antonio College in Texas in 1985, with a degree in mortuary science and certification as a funeral director.  With that in hand, it was back on the circuit as â??PP3â? for another five yearsâ?¦..and then, WWE came calling.

In December 1990, Vince McMahon made an offer Bill couldnâ??t refuse: art would imitate life as he became Paul Bearer, manager and â??funeral directorâ? for the newly-signed Mark Calaway, introduced at Survivor Series 1990 as The Undertaker.  The pairing was deja-vu; Percival Pringle III had managed the nearly seven-foot giant as the masked Texas Red in his very first pro match in Texas in 1984, against  Bruiser Brody.

As 1991 dawned, the pair began to click immediately.  WWE went into high gear, producing one dark vignette after another, showcasing the Undertaker in top matches on its TV shows, spotlighting the strange behavior of Paul Bearer with his ever-present urn that Bill pulled off to perfection.  Taker and Bearer complemented each other completely, year in and year out through every variation on their theme.  When Glen Jacobs entered the picture in 1997 as Kane, in storyline Takerâ??s half-brother and Paul Bearerâ??s son, Bill folded neatly into the altered situation and brought a new dimension to his character.

Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Bill Moodyâ??s work in WWE came from Jim Ross in his daily internet blog.  The worldâ??s foremost wrestling commentator wrote â??â?¦.as great as Taker’s run has been in WWE, arguably the most marvelous, long term run in WWE history, it would have not been the same without Paul Bearer being added to the presentation in the Phenom’s formative years.â?

Though Paul Bearer hadnâ??t been seen on WWE television since April 2012, he was still under a long-term Legends contract that would have given him periodic TV exposure and greater longevity than almost anyone in the company.  WWEâ??s esteem for him came across vividly in a video retrospective of his career that opened the RAW telecast of March 11, 2013, and touchingly when both Undertaker and Kane saluted him on bended knee to close the show.

Bill was a lifetime member of CAC, and enjoyed our reunions as often as his schedule would allow.  He was honored at the 2003 reunion with the Menâ??s Wrestling Award, and was scheduled to receive the Lou Thesz Lifetime Achievement Award at this yearâ??s reunion.  It will be presented posthumously at the closing banquet on April 17.  Just three days before his passing, Bill had asked a CAC board member if Cowboy Bob Kelly â?? the man who set him on the wrestling road â?? could be his presenter, and itâ??s a wish weâ??re pleased to fulfill.

Bill was predeceased by his beloved Dianna on January 31, 2009, and one grandchild.   He is survived by his parents, Harry and Clarice Moody, sons Michael (Beth) and Daniel (Jami), three grandchildren, and a sister. Joan, as well as extended family.

The Cauliflower Alley Club extends its condolences to the family and friends of this fine gentleman, and thanks him for his presence in the Ring of Friendship.

Photos courtesy Scott Romer, Slam!Wrestling, Mike Lano, and www.percypringle.com

To book your room at the Gold Coast for the reunion April 15 – 17, 2013:

Book your room by calling Central Reservations Department toll free at 888-402-6278. To receive your special, discounted rate you should ask for Group Reservation ID or Group Code: ACACLUB. You may also book your reservations on-line at http://www.goldcoastcasino.com/groups by referencing this same code. Cut-off date for reservations is March 13, 2013.

Room rates are $36.00 (standard room) & $46.00 (premium room) Sunday – Thursday.

If you have a players club card or discounts from other means, please advise when you book your room that you are with the Cauliflower Alley Club.

To Reserve Your Banquet Ticket Through PayPal:
PayPal Banquet Ticket Purchase

To Reserve your Banquet Ticket by Postal Mail or Fax:

2013 Banquet Ticket  For Postal Or Fax Form

As many reunion attendees are familiar with Bill from previous reunions, him and Blair are always the center of attention.

The CAC wishes Bill, Blair, and his new helper, all the best.

If you would like to reserve your ad now, feel free to contact the Banquet Coordinator, Morgan Dollar at morgan@caulifloweralleyclub.org  with your art work by Feb 15th. Payment will be due by March 1st.

Below are the quotes that is sure to meet your budget.

BACK COVER (four color) SOLD OUT
INSIDE FRONT SOLD OUT or INSIDE BACK COVER (one color) $275.00
FULL PAGE (one color) $200.00
HALF PAGE (one color) $125.00
QUARTER PAGE (one color) $75.00

Sponsorship Ad (one color) $50.00

All art work,questions,payment arrangements should be sent to:

morgan@caulifloweralleyclub.org

Thank you for supporting the CAC,
Morgan
Banquet Coordinator

Rolland Bastien to his legion of friends, and the uncounted masses who witnessed his ring exploits over the years  passed away in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the afternoon of August 11, 2012, at the age of 81.

The genial redhead capped a remarkable and lengthy wrestling career, that spanned carnival AT shows, professional rings from Madison Square Garden on down the list, training of young wrestlers and actively promoting his sport in California, with a seven-year stint as President of the Cauliflower Alley Club.  Through it all, he maintained an amazing zest for life, an infinite capacity to relate to people, an endless supply of good humor, and that unforgettable laugh.

Red with the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame award

Born in Bottineau, North Dakota on January 27, 1931, young Rolland developed an interest in wrestling by his mid-teens. Though a promising swimmer, he foresook the pool for the mat, and bypassed the amateur side of the sport for the rigorous challenge of wrestling in the carnival AT shows against all comers.  He was trained well by several old hookers, the masters of submission wrestling, and in his latter teens went through several years on the gruelling carny circuit.  He was undefeated, depending on his deceptively-small size, rawhide toughness and natural competitiveness to carry him through.

Red, as he soon came to be known, had his first pro match in about 1950, by most accounts. His budding career was interrupted by a stint in the U.S.Navy, attached to a ship repair squad stationed near Naples, Italy.  Resuming his mat ventures, he trained further with old pro Joe Pazandak in Minneapolis.  He also worked on his aerial game particularly, becoming one of the highest-flying athletes of the day.Reds spectacular flying head scissors was one of a kind, and is said to have never been duplicated.

The Bastien Brothers – Lou Bastien (standing) & Red

Tag team wrestling became his forte as the 1960′s dawned.  He worked on top at Madison Square Garden with brother Lou (Klein)Bastien, defeating such teams as the Grahams and The FabulousKangaroos. Billy Red Lyons allied with him as The Flying Redheads, and Spanish strongman Hercules Cortez was his regular partner until he died in an auto accident in Minnesota on July 23, 1971 that Red miraculously survived.

Red became an exceptional wrestler early in his career. An average-sized man at 5′ 10″ and just over 200 pounds, he transcended his limitations to become one of the best of his era inside the ring, in the almost universal view of his contemporaries.

Wrestlers trained by Bill Anderson & Red in Northridge, Ca.(circa 1985) In this photo is Sting (Steve Borden), the Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), The Angel of Death (Dave Sheldon), Strangler Steve DiSalvo, Garland Donahoe and Mark Miller

As Reds active career began to taper off, he worked closely with Big Bill Anderson in training promising new talent in California, including Sting (Steve Borden), Angel of Death (Dave Sheldon), Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), Steve di Salvo and others. He began promoting as well, in both northern and southern California, and often used smaller men with different styles, such as luchadores, on his cards.

As well as being President of the Cauliflower Alley Club from 2001 to 2007, Red was installed in the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994, and the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame at the Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa in 2007.

“Flying Red” with a scissors lock on The Destroyer.

CAC introduced the Red Bastien Award at his retirement from the presidency, to recognize those very special fans who have never worked in any major capacity in the pro wrestling industry or been under contract to a major wrestling promotion, but should have demonstrated by deed and word over time a commitment to the people and the welfare of the industry.

Sadly, Red was stricken with Alzheimers Disease, and spent the last several years of his life in an excellent care facility in Minneapolis.  He is survived by the devoted lady in his life for many years, Carol McCutchin, and her daughter Tracy, and by a large extended family in the upper midwest.

The Cauliflower Alley Club extends its condolences to Carol and Tracy, and to Reds family and many friends.

Greg Oliver of Slam!Wrestling has a fine retrospective of Reds life at http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/05/02/13796526.html , along with an interesting photo gallery.