Secrets of the City

The Intercontinental Champion, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, off the top rope!

I have countless AWA memories and am also a big fan of the song. The interviews were always the best, both Roger Kent and Gene Okerlund were phenomenal. The Bobby “The Brain” Heenan interviews were always the best

Typical interview snippet

Okerlund: “We’re out of time..”
Heenan: (pointing finger) … “No, I’m not out of time – YOU’RE OUTTA TIME!!!!”

Also when Ray “The Crippler” Stevens and Nick Bockwinkel were Tag Team champions, then they had a falling out and on their way to a match Stevens just started attacking Bockwinkel, hitting him over the head with the belt.

The Heenan Family in general was the best entertainment around. Big Bad Bobby Duncum and Blackjack Lanza with the Texas Brainbuster… Bockwinkel addressing the TV audience as “humanoids.”

The interviews with East-West Connection, Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis, were also classic. Other greats: Pampero Firpo, Bruiser Brody, Kenny “Sodbuster” Jay (the studio wrestler who always got thrashed. What was his lifetime record, 1-212?).

My favorite? Dick the Bruiser

He was a fan favorite in Indianapolis.

More on D the B.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Buck Zumhoff in my town’s high school gym.

Getting to hang out with Bob Geigel, Rufus R Jones, Bulldog Bob Brown, and Ted DiBiase at the Town Topic diner in KC. (Yeah, they were NWA not AWA, but still…oldschool rasslers are damned cool).

Too many. Hulk and Andre. Redneck Dave Schultz. King Kong Brody. Nick Bockwinkle and the Weasel. Sheik Adnon Al Kasey, complete with sword dancer and arm in the cast. Jerry? Blackwell, the Mountain from Stone Mountain, GA. The Highflyers (High Flyer Greg Gagne and Jumpin Jim Brunzel) and the East-West Connection (Jesse Ventura and Adrian Adonis). Mean Gene. The Destruction Crew.

And of course, Jake “The Milkman” Milliman. Turkey on a Pole=finest moment.

Since the WWE now owns the video archives of just about every pro wrestling organization that ever existed, they’ve recently released a DVD, “WWE Presents: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA”.

They need to release a DVD with just the interviews, although this is a good start.

Pampero Firpo. The Wild Bull of the Pampas.

Had long frizzy hair. Crusher used to say there were bugs in it. Came after him with a big plungered bug sprayer one Sunday morning.

Someone on MNspeak — I think it was Max — turned me on to this movie, “The Wrestler,” which was produced by Verne Gagne, and features Verne and such AWA stars as The Bruiser, The Crusher, Wahoo McDaniels, Superstar Billy Graham, Ray Stevens, Ric Flair, Nick Bockwinkel, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell, Ken Patera, and — oddly enough — Dan Gable, who was never a “pro” but who was one of the best amateur wrestlers of all time, and who later coached the University of Iowa to several national championships.

Love that movie. It’s nothing but burly men taking their shirts off at any possible opportunity.

Was Harley Race AWA or NWA? Harley Race, Dusty Rhodes, and the Great Kabuki….good times.

Jake “The Milkman” Milliman.

Madusa Micelli.

She’s now a superstar on the Monster Truck circuit.

I also loved when The Crusher went into the interview area carrying a keg on his shoulder, and he also had about 100 little kids traveling with him. What a great role model he was.

Long ago in jr. high, I put motorcycles together out of crates at Crystal Marine. Nick Bockwinkel was a friend of the owner, and showed up walking around the shop one day. We were all “oooo, man, Nick Bockwinkel!” (you had to have been a kid in the 70’s to understand), and then he walked up and said hi to me in this ridiculously high, squeaky, effeminate voice, which turned out to be his real voice.

Man, did that kill the buzz.

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Speaking of the AWA, have any of you tried (or heard of) a “Mr. Saito”? It’s a shot of Bailey’s and Rumplemintz, supposedly named after a concoction that two AWA wrestlers — Mr. Saito and Ken Patera — were drinking before they busted up a McDonald’s in suburban Milwaukee.

Not a bad drink, although I have to admit that it’s never helped my judgment.

I used to bartend at Saji-Ya, and I served Mr. Saito a couple of times. He ordered sake on those occasions and was actually pretty mellow. Thankfully he didn’t order the Mr. Saito. It was after that incident when I served him, maybe that’s why he was so mellow, he had gotten it out of his system.

Still I knew I’d better give him good service ’cause that is one dude who you don’t want to get upset. Good thing you can’t screw up a sake.

My Mr. Saito story involves meeting him one time at a Japanese restaurant that was once located near 50th & France. He was sitting at the sushi bar with (as it turned out, his fiancee) Mesa Kincaid. I practiced my very rudimentary nihongo on him. I heard later that when Mr. Saito returned to Japan, with Mesa in tow, he introduced her to Mrs. Saito. I suspect she got on the first plane back to the Cities asap.

Hilarious.

Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell!

Bobby “The Brain” Heanan (”Weasel! Weasal! Weasal!)

Super Destroyer Mach I, II, and III

George “Scrap Iron” Kadasky

Jesse “the Body” and the East/Wet Connection

Favorite sign I remember seeing at a match as a youth:

“John Studd Sucks Pudd”

Check out Bobby Heenan’s site. It is a RIOT.

Do it…

or I will give the the SLEEPER!

Raindog, now you’ve got me reminiscing:

Gordon Solie — easily the best announcer in the history of the biz –announcing on the original WCW down in Atlanta before Turner bought them.
Mr Wrestling II
The Fabulous Freebirds (RIP, Terry Bam Bam Gordy)
WCCW out of the Sportatorium in Dallas, TX
Gentleman Chris Adams
The Von Erichs (may those of them who have not offed themselves please not do so)

Mention of the Freebirds reminds me of the debut of the Hawk and Animal — the Road Warriors — in the AWA ca. 1983. Easily the wildest and roughest duo to have ever, up until then, graced the squared circle. Part KISS; part Mad Max.

Speaking of Animal, did you see his son won some huge award at Ohio State? Always nice to see the homeboys rockin’ hard, even if it’s not in the backyard.

There’s also a pretty good DVD set on the Road Warriors. It has quite a lot of reminiscing by Animal about the old days in Minneapolis – working out at “The Gym”; bouncing at Grandma B’s…

“Turkey On a Pole” match. Nuff said.

My favorite Bobby Heenan moment came late one night/early one morning about 20 years ago. I was flipping channels and saw a WWF show on the Spanish-language station in Chicago. Heenan was doing an interview with the Mexican version of Mean Gene and he let loose with this line — “I’ll decide what to do about that as soon as I finish negotiating the new contract of Fernando Valenzuela!”

Priceless.

A good Nick Bockwinkle moment was the time he put Brent Musberger in a sleeper hold on live TV. Brent passed out. Or was it an act? I’d love for someone to put that up on Youtube.