by Bill Gutman
The other return was an unexpected one. It occurred during the Wrestlemania spectacular at Madison Square Garden in March of 1985. One of the preliminary bouts featured David Sammartino, son of the legendary champion Bruno Sammartino. David was wrestling Brutus Beefcake, who was accompanied by his manager, "Luscious" Johnny Valiant.
Though Beefcake attempted to take charge early, young David turned the tables, using the great strength inherited from his father. But then Beefcake got lucky. He managed to get David out of the ring and there he got help from Valiant, who bodyslammed young Sammartino on the hard cement.
But Valiant didn't count on one thing. Bruno Sammartino was at ringside and he wasn't about to watch this happen. As the crowd roared itself into a frenzy, the great champion charged at Valiant and began slugging it out with him. Valiant tried to escape into the ring, but Bruno chased after him and began punching and kicking him. The referee tried to restore order, but Valiant and Beefcake wanted no part of this great, great wrestler. Instead of resuming the match, they beat a hasty retreat and the bout was declared a draw.
But it was worth it to the fans, the chance to see a living legend back in action. It was also good to see that some old-fashioned values are still with us. Both Verne Gagne and Bruno Sammartino risked their own safety and possible injury to come to the aid of their sons. It's the kind of thing that could only happen in the unpredictable sport of professional wrestling.
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Perhaps more than any other sport, wrestling has the strangest names, nicknames, and identities. How some of these wrestlers got their names is a story in itself. One of the oddest was a wrestler known as the Zebra Kid.
His real name was George Bollas, and that was no secret. Yet he wrestled with a mask, a mask that had the stripes of a zebra embroidered into it. Wrestling ail over the world from 1947 to 1968, the Zebra Kid was one of the best known of the topflight grapplers. He didn't wear the mask when he first turned pro, after an incredibly successful amateur career which saw him win the National Intercollegiate, National AAU, and Big Ten heavyweight titles. As a collegian at Ohio State, he never lost a fall.
But shortly after he turned pro he came to New York to make a name for himself. Then in a match with Mattie Mario, a brawl broke out, followed by a riot. Bollas was subsequently barred from wrestling in the New York Area. To conceal his identity at that time, he donned a mask and headed south, wrestling as the Intercollegiate Dark Secret. But that just didn't seem to fit. It was when he finally wound up in Hollywood that the Zebra Kid emerged. But people would never guess how he got the name.
It was because George Bollas was a big man, nearly a 300-pounder, and he had gained the weight very quickly when he was at Ohio State.
"From gaining all that weight so fast I had stretch marks all over my body. The marks looked like stripes and even in those days the guys would call me 'Zeeb'! So it seemed like a natural thing to call myself the Zebra Kid."
That's how the Zebra Kid was born. And by the time he was forced out of wrestling by an eye injury, fans the world over knew and feared this powerful man with the zebra-striped mask. But how many ever knew that he got his name because he gained a lot of weight in a short amount of time? It was a strange way to find a nickname and a professional identity.
WRESTLING ROCKS INTO THE EIGHTIES
The 1980s have presented professional wrestling in a whole new light. The sport has come full circle and has even returned to prime-time television, a spot it once held back in the 1950s. Wrestling stars have become media personalities, though not without controversy, and a strange alliance has been forged between the world of the squared circle and rock and roll music.
Leading the way to this alliance is Cyndi Lauper, who became a music superstar with her big hits "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun," "All Through the Night," and "Time After Time." Besides attending many matches and managing women's champ Wendi Richter, Cyndi Lauper has given her wrestling friends and enemies major roles in her rock videos.
In fact, when she produced a video for the song, "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough," she had the following cast of characters included: Captain Lou Albano, Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Iron Sheik, Freddie Blassie, Nikolai Volkoff, Wendi Richter, and the Fabulous Moolah. Imagine putting all those people into the ring at the same time!
The growing popularity of pro wrestling has also brought much more attention from the news media. Several reporters have been injured by mat stars demonstrating holds such as the sleeper, or by wrestlers angered by accusations that their sport is rigged. These incidents have served to show the power of these men and the seriousness with which they view their chosen profession.
Then there is the Hulk, perhaps the most popular man wrestling today. How many fans know, for instance, that this mountain of a man began wrestling under the name of Sterling Golden? Not too many, because today Hulk Hogan is a media personality all his own. He had a role in Rocky III, with Sylvester Stallone, and appeared with who else but Cyndi Lauper as a presenter on the nationally televised Academy Awards broadcast.
There are also videos on the market containing some of the Hulk's toughest matches, and also a new cartoon show depicting the Hulk as America's newest hero. The Hulk's picture has appeared on the cover of many national magazines. All this has served to make wrestling more popular than ever.
The sport has certainly come a long way from the days of crackling paper in front of the microphone to simulate the breaking of bones. Now, simulation isn't necessary. Fans can see for themselves in person, on television, and on videos. The performers are great athletes, huge men, and the action is fast and furious. Fan reaction is more intense than anywhere else. Pro wrestling has come of age in what may be the most amazing phenomenon of our time.
So stay tuned. It's coming at you. And there's a lot more of it just around the corner. Don't be surprised in upcoming years if there is a man larger than Andre the Giant, more hated than Roddy Piper, and tougher than Hulk Hogan. For the incredible world of professional wrestling never runs out of surprises.
About the Author
BILL GUTMAN has been an avid sports fan ever since he can remember. A free-lance writer for fourteen years, he has done profiles and bios of many of today's sports heroes. Although Mr. Gutman likes all sports, he has written mostly about baseball and football. Currently, he lives in Poughquag, New York, with his wife, two stepchildren, seven dogs, and five birds.
