When Wrestling Was Rasslin'
Page 9
Chinese star Ham Lee was another newcomer that year, along with Treacherous Phillips, Jolly Charley the wrestling hobo, Tony Martin, Bobby Nichols, Ricky Cortez, Prince Meretana from New Zealand, Gene Murphy, Thor Hagen, Manuel Rocca, George Scott, Kojima Saito of Japan, 475-pound Haystacks Muldoon, Karl Von Schober, Johnny Kostas, The Russian Angel, and La Pantera.
Since 1961 had been a fantastic year, Sigel had plenty of talent to start the 1962 wrestling season.
Ramon and Alberto Torres arrived to join the brother tag team combinations like the Kozaks and Daltons.
The Houston Wrestling promotion also staged the first ten-man posse of wrestlers surrounding the ring while Wild Bull Curry and Jack Dalton battled for the Brass Knucks Trophy. The posse was allegedly supposed to keep both men in the ring so fans would be protected, but its real purpose was to sell more tickets.
Sailor Art Thomas was quite literally one of the biggest stories that year. He was a huge wrestler who had set box office records throughout the north and quickly won the Texas Heavyweight Championship. His impressive record of wins propelled him to the number one challenger position for the World Heavyweight Title. When Sigel signed the showdown between Sailor Art Thomas and Buddy Rogers, Houston Wrestling fans were ecstatic. While the two wrestlers had some classic showdowns during 1962, when the year ended Buddy Rogers was still the World Heavyweight Champion.
The Houston Wrestling program also informed fans that station KTRH would no longer be broadcasting wrestling action that happened after the Houston Wrestling television show went off the air for the evening. However, radio stations KCOH and KIKK continued to feature interviews and updates on what was happening at Houston Wrestling. These broadcasts were crucial to the Houston Wrestling promotion since they kept fans informed and were great media tools to create interest and sell tickets.
The “Miss Texas Wrestling” contest was also featured during 1962, and was a big favorite with fans. What made this beauty contest special was that a sixteen-year-old girl from Houston’s Reagan High School won it. Miss Sammi Williamson was not only a beautiful young lady, she also was a principal dancer with the Great Houston Civic Ballet Company, and loved professional wrestling. Her favorite wrestler was Wild Bull Curry!
Noted wrestling debuts of 1962 included John Paul Henning, Tarzan Tyler, Portuguese champion Carlos Rocha, the Big Alaskan, the Mummy, and El Medico II who not only wore the same kind of mask and wrestling tights as El Medico, but had the same “brain buster” finishing move. Sigel was still determined to recapture the magic of the first El Medico.
On November 30th the wrestling program announced that Killer Kowalski was the new World Heavyweight Champion, since he had broken Buddy Rogers’ ankle and upset the colorful and controversial champion in Montreal. Remember that Kowalski had been a star at Houston Wrestling, and had come close to winning the World Championship. He had established a reputation of being one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the business after he tore off Yukon Eric's ear during a match. He also broke Eduard Carpentier's leg during a fierce struggle.
Other wrestlers who made their Houston Wrestling debut in 1962 included George McArthur, Mario Moreno, Nick Kilonis, Chico Casasola, Tony Angelo, The Mighty Bolo, Chief Kit Fox, Tony Napolitano, Lorenzo Parente, Taro Myaki of Japan, Gentleman Joe Tangaro, Irish Mike Clancy, Red McKim, Bengy Ramirez, Kenny Ackles, Pepper Martin, Oscar Salazar, Tuffy Truesdale, Ivan Zukoff, and the masked villain “The Bat.”
1963 opened with a raging debate on who exactly was the World Champion. Killer Kowalski claimed the World Championship, but Rogers had been trying to wrestle on a broken ankle. Rogers felt that the match should have been stopped, since Kowalski couldn't have beaten him without the broken ankle. Former World Champion Lou Thesz also claimed the World Title, arguing that Rogers was avoiding him and he should have been in the ring with Rogers on that historic night in Montreal.
Sigel sprung into action, signing Killer Kowalski to defend his title against Thesz in Houston on February 1, 1963. Thesz defeated Kowalski and walked out of the Houston Wrestling ring as World Champion, which satisfied most critics but not Buddy Rogers. Thesz called himself the undisputed World Champion, which became the basis for one of the most personal feuds in the history of the business.
Another significant event occurred on March 22, 1963,with the appearance of “Big Cat” Ernie Ladd. One of the most impressive athletes to come out of Texas, Ladd stood six foot nine inches tall and weighed over 325 pounds. He was a superb professional football player and professional wrestler, blessed with outstanding athletic ability and agility, earning him the nickname “Big Cat.” Ladd played for the San Diego Chargers but contacted wrestling promoters on the west coast. They convinced him he could earn a bigger paycheck as a wrestler. Ladd started training as a professional wrestler during the off-season, and quickly rose to the top after his debut.
Sigel immediately signed a showdown between Ladd and World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. The wrestling world was abuzz. Would history repeat itself, echoing the time Bronko Nagurski upset Lou Thesz for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1939? Ernie Ladd was ready! Houston Wrestling fans were ready! The whole wrestling world was ready! The question was if World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz was ready!
Thesz barely escaped with his championship belt, but knew that, as Ladd gained experience, he would become a force to be reckoned with. Ladd spent the next few years winding up his football career and focusing more on professional wrestling. Not only did he become a superstar, he was a great friend to the Houston Wrestling promotion and to me as well. I had my first on-camera television opportunity because of Ernie Ladd. Ladd wanted to shoot a promotional tape for a big match in Atlanta, Georgia.
When Ladd asked to produce the promo tape using the Channel 39 remote facilities, Paul Boesch reached for his sports jacket. Ladd surprised everybody when he said he wanted me to be the announcer. Boesch was a big man—he stood over six foot two inches tall and weighed over 225 pounds. I stood only five feet eight inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. Ladd was a showman, and knew he would look much more impressive standing next to me. I was caught by surprise, but knew a good opportunity when I saw it.
Together, Ernie Ladd and I went up on the television stage and I did the standard announcer’s introduction. The great talker Ladd took over, and the promotional tape went very well. Boesch and the television director were so impressed with the contrast of my small body next to Ladd that they gave me new responsibilities with the Houston Wrestling television show. I found myself doing interviews with big stars and wrestlers who did not want to stand next to the larger Paul Boesch. The official Houston Wrestling photographer took a picture of my taping with Ladd, who completely towered over me. Ernie and I became close friends and business partners later in our careers. We co-promoted in Beaumont, Texas, with partners Junkyard Dog and Mid-South Wrestling.
The subject of Mid-South Wrestling brings up Cowboy Bill Watts' debut in the Houston mat wars. The Cowboy starred in football and wrestling at the University of Oklahoma, and was billed as the “Big Red O.” Watts quickly won the Texas Heavyweight Championship, and later took over Mid-South Wrestling and built it into a premier wrestling organization in the eighties. Bill Watts and Mid-South Wrestling were major players in the evolutionary decade of the eighties, and changed professional wrestling forever.
Other important 1963 debuts included Maniac Mark Lewin, Danny McShane’s brother-in-law and a future wrestling superstar, Dr. Bill Miller, Stan Stasiak, Pretty Pat Patterson, Manuel “Bull Ramos” from Jeff Davis High School, Sweet Daddy Siki, Alejandro Cruz from Mexico, Louie Tillet the champion of France, and box office sensation Bobo Brazil from South America.
I also want to make special mention of the debut of Nick “The Greek” Spillios on Friday, August 23, 1963. He was a teacher at Jones High School, but often wrestled at Houston Wrestling. Spillios watched the Houston Wrestling television show and grew up wanting to be a professional wrestler. A great athlete who exce
lled in the shot put and other track events, he never gave up his dream of wrestling. On the Houston Wrestling television show, he used his fame to help his students, and be a positive role model for them as well as other youngsters throughout the Bayou City. Nick was a very special person. Every wrestling town in America should have a Nick Spillios—a guy who never made big money, but was there for the community.
Several top tag teams came to Houston in 1963, including Kurt and Karl Von Brauner from Germany, the Mysterious Medics from Mexico, Rip Hawk and Rock Hunter, and the Stanlee brothers—Bob and “Mr. America” Steve.
Sadly, 1963 was also the year the old City Auditorium was torn down. It had helped put Houston on the national entertainment map, served as the home of Houston Wrestling for over fifty-three years, and was the stage for many rising entertainers outside of professional wrestling. The historic building featured performances by a young Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Babe Ruth and his New York Yankee teammates, and a singer by the name of Elvis Presley. Changing times required a new facility: the Jesse H. Jones Hall.
The Houston Wrestling Program of June 7, 1963, informed Houston Wrestling fans that:
STARTING FRIDAY JUNE 14TH and THEREAFTER HOUSTON WRESTLING WILL BE HELD AT THE SAM HOUSTON COLISEUM
That arena would serve as the home of Houston Wrestling for over twenty-six years.
Sigel started 1964 with the usual fanfare: a twelve-man single-elimination tournament with the winner promised a shot at World Heavyweight Champion Lou Thesz. These tournaments were a great way for a wrestling promoter to start new feuds and angles, and establish momentum for the coming year. Joe Blanchard won the tournament. On the night that Blanchard battled Thesz for the World Title, Sigel launched the next vicious villain from Japan: Tokyo Tom.
Tokyo Tom quickly beat Wild Bull Curry and would later defeat Joe Blanchard for the Texas Heavyweight Title, but he refused to accept the Texas Heavyweight belt--the ultimate insult to Texas wrestling fans. Sigel did not miss a trick! Tokyo Tom, who demanded to be called “Ichiban” (“number one” in Japanese), continued to plow through all competition, including a special tag team battle with Tarzan Tyler against Irish Danny McShane and Wild Bill Curry, who had been bitter rivals in the past. But even they could not stop the Orient Express.
Sigel also brought in favorites from the past, like Torbellino Blanco, as he worked to establish the Sam Houston Coliseum as the new home of Houston Wrestling. It was a gradual process of making Houston Wrestling fans comfortable in their “new home.”
Since the Sam Houston Coliseum hosted other events and shows, it was not always available for Friday night wrestling matches. On those nights when the Coliseum was booked, Sigel had to move the matches to the Fonde Recreation Center. That facility, despite being just a few blocks from the Coliseum, was difficult to get to, and an inferior building overall. That meant fans believed that the wrestling matches at the Recreation Center could not possibly be as good as the matches at the Sam Houston Coliseum. The Recreation Center had a capacity of only eighteen hundred fans, and it lacked adequate parking, restrooms, air conditioning, and dressing rooms. The dressing room only had one stand-up fan, and became incredibly hot and crowded when packed with a dozen professional wrestlers, two referees, two ring assistants, and one frustrated Paul Boesch, who used the dressing room for his makeshift office as he ran the show. When the wrestlers showered in the two stalls adjacent to the dressing room, it quickly became a sauna, especially during the summer months when temperatures outside were in the nineties.
Why did Sigel promote wrestling matches in the Fonde Recreation Center if it was such an inferior building and caused the promoter to lose money? The answer was threefold. First, the Houston Wrestling promotion had a responsibility to televise a “live” weekly show. Houston Wrestling was technically not a “live television show” as it was taped and presented as a “live event.” Second, Sigel believed that if wresting fans had a Friday night without Houston Wrestling, they might find something else to do and get out of the “Friday night habit.” Finally, even though Recreation Center shows lost money, they made a contribution to the overall fixed costs of the Houston Wrestling promotion. The live shows in the Recreation Center were used much like a studio wrestling television show, motivating Houston Wrestling fans to get their tickets early for the big upcoming return to the Sam Houston Coliseum. This strategy was used for nearly twenty years and did not change until the eighties. (Then again, a lot of things changed in the eighties!)
1964 was a challenging year for Sigel as he brought in stars from around the world, including the Japanese star Oki Kantaro, Swede Hansen, The Black Orchid, the world’s biggest rodeo cowboy, Dakota Mack (who would return to Houston as Sky High McKenzie years later), International Tag Team champions Kurt and Skull Von Stroheim, Gorgeous Gi-Gi who billed himself as the “Bird of Paradise,” the “Clawman,” the Wrecker, Big Bill Dromo, and the special debut of Freddie Curry, son of Wild Bull Curry.
Houston Wrestling also featured the debut of Port Arthur’s own Paul Jones. Jones started off as a television cameraman at television station KPAC-Channel 4. While working for the television station, he caught “the professional wrestling bug” and became determined to become a wrestler. Nick Kozak trained Jones, who did well at Houston Wrestling and made a name for himself around the wrestling world. Other events that year included the return of Antonio Rocca for a special one-shot appearance, the return of Luis Hernandez, and the debut of Killer Karl Kox, who took over the main spot with his dangerous “Skull Crusher.”
The Houston Wrestling promotion tried holding shows on Thursday and Saturday nights when the Sam Houston Coliseum was not available on Friday, but those experiments proved that Houston Wrestling fans wanted their matches on Friday night!
Houston Wrestling was also caught in the middle of a strange political chess game concerning the National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Championship. Lou Thesz was the NWA World Champion. However, he avoided all challenges. Sigel, along with other NWA wrestling promoters, was determined to force Thesz into action. Some states began recognizing Jackie Fargo as their World Champion, in part due to pressure from Fargo’s manager, the controversial Jack Pfefer. Even Sigel, disenchanted with the non-responsive Thesz, decided to book Fargo. The problem was that Thesz had broken several ribs in a match in Detroit, and was stalling to give himself more time to heal before stepping in the ring. However, when word got to Thesz that even Sigel was booking self-proclaimed champion Fargo, he became enraged. Thesz issued the challenge to battle Fargo any time, any place, under any conditions. He was hotly determined to teach Pfefer and Fargo a lesson. When the pair heard Thesz was coming for them, they wisely packed their bags and retreated to New York. Pfefer and Fargo were not the first, nor would they be the last, individuals sent fleeing for safety by an enraged Lou Thesz.
Rounding out the list of 1964 newcomers were Pepe Gonzalez, Mark Starr, Pedro Patino, Oni Wiki Wiki, Indian Joe, Paco Villa, Beatniks Rick and Moe, Russian Nikita Mulkavich, Paul DeGalles, Antonio Posa, Cowboy Ron Reed, Arnold Steele, Frenchman Rocco Lamban, Eyota the Warrior from Livingston, Texas, and Bill Dromo.
As hard as he worked, Sigel had limited success establishing momentum until Friday, November 20, 1964. Fans witnessed the German invasion of Fritz Von Erich, the man with the dangerous “Iron Claw!” No longer was he the handsome young athlete Jack Adkisson from Corpus Christi.
Houston Wrestling fans will remember Von Erich’s explosive debut for many years. I was eleven years old, and that was my first official night as an employee of Houston Wrestling. I was the Assistant Television Director, and my job was to help my uncle, Paul Boesch, keep the live show running smoothly. I had to run and get wrestlers for interviews, signal when to send in the next match, time live commercials with the sponsors, and anything else that allowed my uncle to broadcast without interruption.
The night began innocently enough with Fritz Von Erich, still in his business suit, examining the Houston Wrestling
ring to determine if it met his standards. Sigel had been trying to land Von Erich for several weeks, and he had finally arrived. Since it was time to begin the next match, referee Marvin Jones entered the ring and politely asked Von Erich to leave. The German slapped his dangerous “Iron Claw” on the referee, whose screams of agony echoed throughout the Sam Houston Coliseum. Jones' head started to bleed from the intense pressure of the “Iron Claw,” as fans gasped. Von Erich finally released Jones, who collapsed in a bloody mess in the middle of the ring. Von Erich, still in his street clothes, stormed out of the ring. He'd made his point--no one told him what to do.
Paul Boesch hit my shoulder and shouted, “Go get him for an interview!”
Scared to death, I ran up the steps to the Coliseum dressing room and tapped Fritz Von Erich on his shoulder. He turned and shouted, “What the hell do you want!” My heart stopped. I froze. Somehow I was able to say one word: “Television.” Von Erich shoved me out of the way and stormed toward the television platform. He interrupted Paul Boesch and started a shouting match with my uncle while the live cameras were rolling.
Paul Boesch did not back down, and Von Erich slapped the “Iron Claw” on my uncle. There I was, eleven years old, watching in horror as my uncle screamed in pain. His head started to bleed. I was terrified. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed my Aunt Eleonore crying for someone to help her husband. I couldn’t do anything, just remembered how my uncle told me at the beginning of the night that no matter what happened, I was “to stay out of it!”
Von Erich let go of my uncle, who collapsed on the platform with his head bleeding. The wrestler quickly exited the Coliseum as medics carried my uncle to the dressing room with my crying aunt by his side. The Sam Houston Coliseum was in chaos, and television fans at home were in shock! Houston Wrestling would never be the same, and Fritz Von Erich would become a major force inside and outside the wrestling ring.