Evan McClosky's Blog, page 3
October 26, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #24 – MINNESOTA WRECKING CREW
This Sunday, Halloween, marks the 30th anniversary of the passing of Gene Anderson. Anderson wrestled from 1958 to 1985, and is probably best remembered as being a founding member of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team with his storyline brother, Lars Anderson. Lars was later replaced by another Anderson “brother”, Ole. Following Gene’s retirement in 1985, Ole Anderson kept the Minnesota Wrecking Crew alive with his new partner, Arn Anderson. Of the four members of Wrecking Crew, Gene Anderson was the only actual “Anderson” in the group.
At the time of his death, Gene Anderson was working as a deputy sheriff for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department in Charlotte, North Carolina. On October 31, 1991, he was attending a law enforcement training seminar at the north campus of Central Piedmont Community College in Huntersville, North Carolina when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Gene Anderson was just 52 years old.
In memory of Gene Anderson, this week’s selection for the Literary Squared Circle blog is the book Minnesota Wrecking Crew: A Brief History of the Anderson Family in Professional Wrestling by Dick Bourne (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2011). Minnesota Wrecking Crew is presented in timeline format. Spanning from September 1961 to January 2009, Bourne presents important matches, angles, and events in the history of the Anderson wrestling family in chronological order.
In addition to the Anderson story, there are many great photos scattered throughout the book which show the evolution of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team. The Wrecking Crew was one of the most dominant tag teams of their era. In their various incarnations, they captured dozens of tag team championships in numerous NWA-affiliated promotions. Gene and Ole Anderson were twice (1975 & 1977) named Tag Team of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.
Despite the fact that Minnesota Wrecking Crew does not feature a traditional narrative, the timeline makes for a great reference book. It is obvious that the exhaustive research of Dick Bourne has resulted in the definitive book written about the Anderson wrestling family to date. The book concludes with a brief epilogue that tells what became of each member of the Andersons.
Being a fan of wrestling history, I enjoyed reading Minnesota Wrecking Crew: A Brief History of the Anderson Family in Professional Wrestling. It is a quick read, clocking in at just 120 pages, but the amount of information presented in those pages is astonishing. I highly recommend the book. You will learn all there is to know, and more, about the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team and the Anderson wrestling family.
5 Stars out of 5
At the time of his death, Gene Anderson was working as a deputy sheriff for the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Department in Charlotte, North Carolina. On October 31, 1991, he was attending a law enforcement training seminar at the north campus of Central Piedmont Community College in Huntersville, North Carolina when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Gene Anderson was just 52 years old.
In memory of Gene Anderson, this week’s selection for the Literary Squared Circle blog is the book Minnesota Wrecking Crew: A Brief History of the Anderson Family in Professional Wrestling by Dick Bourne (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2011). Minnesota Wrecking Crew is presented in timeline format. Spanning from September 1961 to January 2009, Bourne presents important matches, angles, and events in the history of the Anderson wrestling family in chronological order.
In addition to the Anderson story, there are many great photos scattered throughout the book which show the evolution of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team. The Wrecking Crew was one of the most dominant tag teams of their era. In their various incarnations, they captured dozens of tag team championships in numerous NWA-affiliated promotions. Gene and Ole Anderson were twice (1975 & 1977) named Tag Team of the Year by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.
Despite the fact that Minnesota Wrecking Crew does not feature a traditional narrative, the timeline makes for a great reference book. It is obvious that the exhaustive research of Dick Bourne has resulted in the definitive book written about the Anderson wrestling family to date. The book concludes with a brief epilogue that tells what became of each member of the Andersons.
Being a fan of wrestling history, I enjoyed reading Minnesota Wrecking Crew: A Brief History of the Anderson Family in Professional Wrestling. It is a quick read, clocking in at just 120 pages, but the amount of information presented in those pages is astonishing. I highly recommend the book. You will learn all there is to know, and more, about the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team and the Anderson wrestling family.
5 Stars out of 5
October 19, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #23 – TORTURED AMBITION
Over the past three and a half decades, I have attended dozens of live wrestling events. This includes five WrestleManias. If you were to ask me what the most fun I’ve ever had a live event was, my answer is one that you would probably not expect. That distinction goes to the four monthly television tapings Herb Abrams put on in Reseda, California during fall 1990.
The UWF Fury Hour tapings were a chance to see familiar faces (“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, etc.), talented newcomers (Cactus Jack, Louie Spicolli, etc.), and wrestling legends (Bruno Sammartino, Captain Lou Albano, etc.). All were there at the Reseda Country Club, in front of a crowd of just a few hundred people. I don’t think I was ever more than three rows from the ring, and I was front row the night André the Giant showed up. Now that’s something I’ll never forget!
Despite the fact that every non-squash match ended with a disqualification or a countout, just seeing that roster in such an intimate setting was unforgettable. The faces high fived you, the heels got right in your face. Herb Abrams was the man responsible for these shows. I learned so much about Abrams and his Universal Wrestling Federation while reading the new book Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF by Jonathan Plombon (Independently published, 2021) that it was chosen to be this week’s selection for the Literary Squared Circle blog.
Herb Abrams burst onto the wrestling scene in mid-1990. Four short years later, the UWF was finished. Less than two years after that, Abrams was dead. His death has become part of wrestling lore… naked, covered in Vaseline and cocaine chasing two prostitutes around with a baseball bat. For nearly a quarter century after his death, Abrams was largely forgotten until he was profiled on an episode of Dark Side of the Ring in May 2020. The show introduced Abrams to a new generation of wrestling fans, and perpetuated the more sensationalistic aspects of his short, but wild life.
In his new book, Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF, Jonathan Plombon separates fact from fiction with regards to Abrams. For the first time, Abrams is humanized and his entire story is finally told. I learned more from reading Tortured Ambition than I learned reading the last five wrestling books I’ve read combined. Plombon’s research is both exhaustive and enlightening.
Tortured Ambition tells the life story of Herb Abrams from his childhood in New York to his early business ventures to his personal life away from his wrestling persona. His ongoing battle with substance abuse is also detailed, which makes the circumstances surrounding his ultimate demise much less funny and exponentially more tragic.
When it comes to wrestling, no stone is left unturned when it comes to the UWF. Plombon interviewed dozens of individuals who were involved with the company, and he presents the definitive look at Abrams’ short-lived, but legendary wrestling promotion. The Fury Hour shows are presented almost as an episode guide, but with informative tidbits about what was going on behind-the-scenes during each match. I was there live for many of the matches and I had no idea about the drama, politics, and physical altercations occurring backstage. I often found myself putting the book down and going on YouTube to watch certain incidents featured in Tortured Ambition. Particularly, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams shooting on a referee who no-sold a chairshot, the controversial match between Williams and “Wild Thing” Steve Ray, and the cringeworthiest of moments of Colonel DeBeers racially tinged feud with referee Larry Sampson.
Personally, after the Abrams moved the TV tapings to the East Coast (skipping out while owing the Reseda Country Club money), I began to follow the UWF less and less. This book filled in the blanks for me regarding the final years of the promotion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF. In my opinion, it is the best wrestling book released this year. Having read so many books on the subject of professional wrestling, it is rare for me to actually learn something new regarding wrestling. I learned so much about Herb Abrams and the UWF, I really enjoyed it.
I felt that Jonathan Plombon did an excellent job of presenting Herb Abrams in an unbiased manner. Was Abrams a con man and a mark? Yes, and that it is proven so in this book. But, Abrams was also a wrestling fan. He grew up idolizing Bruno Sammartino, and shared Sammartino’s disappointment with McMahon and the WWF. Though he had no real idea of how to do so, Abrams wanted to create an alternative for wrestling fans. He felt he could challenge and potentially dethrone Vince McMahon as top dog in the wrestling business. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Going into Tortured Ambition, I viewed Herb Abrams as a somewhat comical character. But Plombom’s comprehensive look at Abrams’ life presented him as a flawed and tragic human being. I can’t recommend this book enough. If you are unfamiliar with Abrams, buckle up and prepare for a wild ride. If you remember the UWF, get ready for a trip down memory lane.
5 Stars out of 5
The UWF Fury Hour tapings were a chance to see familiar faces (“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, etc.), talented newcomers (Cactus Jack, Louie Spicolli, etc.), and wrestling legends (Bruno Sammartino, Captain Lou Albano, etc.). All were there at the Reseda Country Club, in front of a crowd of just a few hundred people. I don’t think I was ever more than three rows from the ring, and I was front row the night André the Giant showed up. Now that’s something I’ll never forget!
Despite the fact that every non-squash match ended with a disqualification or a countout, just seeing that roster in such an intimate setting was unforgettable. The faces high fived you, the heels got right in your face. Herb Abrams was the man responsible for these shows. I learned so much about Abrams and his Universal Wrestling Federation while reading the new book Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF by Jonathan Plombon (Independently published, 2021) that it was chosen to be this week’s selection for the Literary Squared Circle blog.
Herb Abrams burst onto the wrestling scene in mid-1990. Four short years later, the UWF was finished. Less than two years after that, Abrams was dead. His death has become part of wrestling lore… naked, covered in Vaseline and cocaine chasing two prostitutes around with a baseball bat. For nearly a quarter century after his death, Abrams was largely forgotten until he was profiled on an episode of Dark Side of the Ring in May 2020. The show introduced Abrams to a new generation of wrestling fans, and perpetuated the more sensationalistic aspects of his short, but wild life.
In his new book, Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF, Jonathan Plombon separates fact from fiction with regards to Abrams. For the first time, Abrams is humanized and his entire story is finally told. I learned more from reading Tortured Ambition than I learned reading the last five wrestling books I’ve read combined. Plombon’s research is both exhaustive and enlightening.
Tortured Ambition tells the life story of Herb Abrams from his childhood in New York to his early business ventures to his personal life away from his wrestling persona. His ongoing battle with substance abuse is also detailed, which makes the circumstances surrounding his ultimate demise much less funny and exponentially more tragic.
When it comes to wrestling, no stone is left unturned when it comes to the UWF. Plombon interviewed dozens of individuals who were involved with the company, and he presents the definitive look at Abrams’ short-lived, but legendary wrestling promotion. The Fury Hour shows are presented almost as an episode guide, but with informative tidbits about what was going on behind-the-scenes during each match. I was there live for many of the matches and I had no idea about the drama, politics, and physical altercations occurring backstage. I often found myself putting the book down and going on YouTube to watch certain incidents featured in Tortured Ambition. Particularly, “Dr. Death” Steve Williams shooting on a referee who no-sold a chairshot, the controversial match between Williams and “Wild Thing” Steve Ray, and the cringeworthiest of moments of Colonel DeBeers racially tinged feud with referee Larry Sampson.
Personally, after the Abrams moved the TV tapings to the East Coast (skipping out while owing the Reseda Country Club money), I began to follow the UWF less and less. This book filled in the blanks for me regarding the final years of the promotion.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tortured Ambition: The Story of Herb Abrams and the UWF. In my opinion, it is the best wrestling book released this year. Having read so many books on the subject of professional wrestling, it is rare for me to actually learn something new regarding wrestling. I learned so much about Herb Abrams and the UWF, I really enjoyed it.
I felt that Jonathan Plombon did an excellent job of presenting Herb Abrams in an unbiased manner. Was Abrams a con man and a mark? Yes, and that it is proven so in this book. But, Abrams was also a wrestling fan. He grew up idolizing Bruno Sammartino, and shared Sammartino’s disappointment with McMahon and the WWF. Though he had no real idea of how to do so, Abrams wanted to create an alternative for wrestling fans. He felt he could challenge and potentially dethrone Vince McMahon as top dog in the wrestling business. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Going into Tortured Ambition, I viewed Herb Abrams as a somewhat comical character. But Plombom’s comprehensive look at Abrams’ life presented him as a flawed and tragic human being. I can’t recommend this book enough. If you are unfamiliar with Abrams, buckle up and prepare for a wild ride. If you remember the UWF, get ready for a trip down memory lane.
5 Stars out of 5
October 12, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #22 – KILLER PICS
95 years ago tomorrow (10/13), one of the most legendary villains in professional wrestling history was born: Killer Kowalski. Kowalski’s was a top draw for 30 years. After he retired, he opened a wrestling school and trained the likes of Triple H, Chyna, Perry Saturn, and Tommaso Ciampa. Kowalski continued to be involved in professional wrestling right up to his death at the age of 81, in 2008.
Whereas Killer Kowalski was known as a rough-and-tumble character inside the ring, Walter Kowalski was anything but outside of it. Kowalski was an early proponent of the vegan lifestyle. Unlike many of his fellow wrestlers, he did not drink, smoke, or do drugs. Kowalski also had a love of photography.
Unfortunately, Kowalski never wrote a book about his experiences during his seven decades in professional wrestling. However, in 2001, he did publish a collection of his photography. In honor of the 95th anniversary of Killer Kowalski’s birth, this week the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews the book Killer Pics: A Collection of Images from a Pro-Wrestling Legend by Walter Kowalski (White/Boucke Publishing, 2001).
Killer Pics is a collection of roughly one hundred photographs taken by Walter “Killer” Kowalski. Most, if not all, of the photos were taken during the 1960s and 1970s. Fans of pro wrestling will find the first section of the book to be the most interesting. The section is titled, “The Wrestling World” (“The Grappling World” in the table of contents). It features photographs of Kowalski’s contemporaries in the world of professional wrestling. Among those who posed for Kowalski include: Captain Lou Albano, André the Giant, Mr. Fuji, Superstar Billy Graham, Chief Peter Maivia, George “The Animal” Steele, and Big John Studd.
All of Kowalski’s wrestling photos are black & white, and look to have been taken backstage. The subjects are wearing their wrestling gear, and all strike very similar poses.
The next section is “Images of the Western World”, and features photos both color and in black & white. Subjects include a woman, a boxer (Marvin Hagler), children, and the New York City skyline. “Images of the Eastern World” follows with mainly color photos taken during Kowalski’s travels through Kowloon, Hong Kong, and Japan. Subjects include fishing boats, children, and pearls. The final section, “Other Species”, is the briefest . It features photos of wild animals and insects taken in Rhodesia, South Africa, and Canada.
Killer Pics: A Collection of Images from a Pro-Wrestling Legend is not a wrestling book per se. It’s authored by a legendary wrestler and contains photographs of many of the biggest names of the era, but if you’re expecting stories from the road or a Kowalski memoir, you will be disappointed. If you have an interest in photography from the pre-digital age, Killer Pics might be of interest to you.
The book is a pricey one ($47.50 list price), but the photographs are high quality. My one complaint about the wrestling section of the book is that most of Kowalski’s subjects posed in very similar manners. I personally would have preferred it, it he threw in some action shots to break up the monotony. Overall, I would say that Killer Pics is a fantastic photography book. Unfortunately, it’s just a so-so wrestling book. Regardless, it is an interesting look at Walter Kowalski and his photography hobby.
3 Stars out of 5
Whereas Killer Kowalski was known as a rough-and-tumble character inside the ring, Walter Kowalski was anything but outside of it. Kowalski was an early proponent of the vegan lifestyle. Unlike many of his fellow wrestlers, he did not drink, smoke, or do drugs. Kowalski also had a love of photography.
Unfortunately, Kowalski never wrote a book about his experiences during his seven decades in professional wrestling. However, in 2001, he did publish a collection of his photography. In honor of the 95th anniversary of Killer Kowalski’s birth, this week the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews the book Killer Pics: A Collection of Images from a Pro-Wrestling Legend by Walter Kowalski (White/Boucke Publishing, 2001).
Killer Pics is a collection of roughly one hundred photographs taken by Walter “Killer” Kowalski. Most, if not all, of the photos were taken during the 1960s and 1970s. Fans of pro wrestling will find the first section of the book to be the most interesting. The section is titled, “The Wrestling World” (“The Grappling World” in the table of contents). It features photographs of Kowalski’s contemporaries in the world of professional wrestling. Among those who posed for Kowalski include: Captain Lou Albano, André the Giant, Mr. Fuji, Superstar Billy Graham, Chief Peter Maivia, George “The Animal” Steele, and Big John Studd.
All of Kowalski’s wrestling photos are black & white, and look to have been taken backstage. The subjects are wearing their wrestling gear, and all strike very similar poses.
The next section is “Images of the Western World”, and features photos both color and in black & white. Subjects include a woman, a boxer (Marvin Hagler), children, and the New York City skyline. “Images of the Eastern World” follows with mainly color photos taken during Kowalski’s travels through Kowloon, Hong Kong, and Japan. Subjects include fishing boats, children, and pearls. The final section, “Other Species”, is the briefest . It features photos of wild animals and insects taken in Rhodesia, South Africa, and Canada.
Killer Pics: A Collection of Images from a Pro-Wrestling Legend is not a wrestling book per se. It’s authored by a legendary wrestler and contains photographs of many of the biggest names of the era, but if you’re expecting stories from the road or a Kowalski memoir, you will be disappointed. If you have an interest in photography from the pre-digital age, Killer Pics might be of interest to you.
The book is a pricey one ($47.50 list price), but the photographs are high quality. My one complaint about the wrestling section of the book is that most of Kowalski’s subjects posed in very similar manners. I personally would have preferred it, it he threw in some action shots to break up the monotony. Overall, I would say that Killer Pics is a fantastic photography book. Unfortunately, it’s just a so-so wrestling book. Regardless, it is an interesting look at Walter Kowalski and his photography hobby.
3 Stars out of 5
October 5, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #21 – THE ULTIMATE WORLD WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT TRIVIA BOOK
The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book was selected for this week’s Literary Squared Circle book review due to the current happenings on the quiz show Jeopardy! No, not the controversial, never-ending search for a permanent host to replace the late, great Alex Trebek. This book was chosen as a celebration of trivia, in honor of contestant Matt Amodio’s current 34-game win streak, during which time he has won over $1.3 million dollars. I do not know if Amodio is a wrestling fan, as is his fellow Jeopardy! champion James Holzhauer (the man Amodio recently passed for second place on the all-time Jeopardy! wins list), but his on-going, amazing win streak inspired this week’s selection.
The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book by Aaron Feigenbaum, Kevin Kelly, Seth Mates, Brian Solomon, and Phil Speer (Gallery Books, 2002), is a fun collection of WWE-related trivia spanning from the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1963 to the “Attitude Era” and the transition from WWF to WWE in 2002. The first 40 years of the company are featured with chapters that include: WrestleMania, Raw, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, SmackDown!, Survivor Series, Pay-Per-View, Old School, Titles, and Outside The Ring.
There are thousands of questions in a variety of formats including: traditional response, true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and identifying Superstars by their photos. Answers to all the questions are provided in the back of the book.
Sample questions include (these are the samples given on the back cover of the book):
1. Vince McMahon’s first role in the WWE was as a TV announcer. What Hall of Famer was his first broadcast partner?
a. Pat Patterson
b. Jesse “The Body” Ventura
c. Antonino Rocca
2. What was the outcome of the André the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan match at WrestleMania IV?
a. André won by pinfall
b. Double disqualification
c. Time-limit draw
d. Hogan won by pinfall
3. After losing the Hardcore Championship – on February 7, 2002 – Undertaker took out his frustration on The Rock, giving him a Tombstone on top of what vehicle?
a. Corvette
b. Truck
c. Zamboni
d. Limousine
Cue the Jeopardy! “think” music: da-dah-du-da da dah da…
Times up! The correct answers are: c. Antonino Rocca, b. Double disqualification, and d. Limousine. How’d you do?
Being a trivia buff and a wrestling fan, I loved The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book. My favorite sections were the Old School questions and the chapter regarding Titles. The only issue I had with the book was that it was written nearly 20 years ago, and I had a much easier time remembering who wrestled on the November 22, 2001 episode of SmackDown! back in 2002 when the book was published. In 2021, I have no chance of remembering the details of that show unless I go back and watch it again on Peacock.
Still I would recommend the book to any wrestling fan who enjoys trivia. It’s a lot of fun and a great resource to stump your fellow wrestling fans. I hope the WWE is considering putting out a revised version covering all that has occurred over the past 19 years.
5 Stars out of 5
The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book by Aaron Feigenbaum, Kevin Kelly, Seth Mates, Brian Solomon, and Phil Speer (Gallery Books, 2002), is a fun collection of WWE-related trivia spanning from the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1963 to the “Attitude Era” and the transition from WWF to WWE in 2002. The first 40 years of the company are featured with chapters that include: WrestleMania, Raw, SummerSlam, Royal Rumble, SmackDown!, Survivor Series, Pay-Per-View, Old School, Titles, and Outside The Ring.
There are thousands of questions in a variety of formats including: traditional response, true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, matching, and identifying Superstars by their photos. Answers to all the questions are provided in the back of the book.
Sample questions include (these are the samples given on the back cover of the book):
1. Vince McMahon’s first role in the WWE was as a TV announcer. What Hall of Famer was his first broadcast partner?
a. Pat Patterson
b. Jesse “The Body” Ventura
c. Antonino Rocca
2. What was the outcome of the André the Giant vs. Hulk Hogan match at WrestleMania IV?
a. André won by pinfall
b. Double disqualification
c. Time-limit draw
d. Hogan won by pinfall
3. After losing the Hardcore Championship – on February 7, 2002 – Undertaker took out his frustration on The Rock, giving him a Tombstone on top of what vehicle?
a. Corvette
b. Truck
c. Zamboni
d. Limousine
Cue the Jeopardy! “think” music: da-dah-du-da da dah da…
Times up! The correct answers are: c. Antonino Rocca, b. Double disqualification, and d. Limousine. How’d you do?
Being a trivia buff and a wrestling fan, I loved The Ultimate World Wrestling Entertainment Trivia Book. My favorite sections were the Old School questions and the chapter regarding Titles. The only issue I had with the book was that it was written nearly 20 years ago, and I had a much easier time remembering who wrestled on the November 22, 2001 episode of SmackDown! back in 2002 when the book was published. In 2021, I have no chance of remembering the details of that show unless I go back and watch it again on Peacock.
Still I would recommend the book to any wrestling fan who enjoys trivia. It’s a lot of fun and a great resource to stump your fellow wrestling fans. I hope the WWE is considering putting out a revised version covering all that has occurred over the past 19 years.
5 Stars out of 5
September 28, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #20 – SHRAPNEL OF THE SOUL AND REDEMPTION
Before I knew that Pepper Martin had been a professional wrestler, I was familiar with him as an actor. The role with which I most identify him with is that of Rocky, the bully truck driver who beats up Clark Kent in the 1981 film, Superman II. Pepper Martin celebrated his 85th Birthday on September 20th. This week the Literary Squared Circle reviews his 2016 memoir Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption by Pepper Martin and Penny Lane (Page Publishing, Inc., 2016).
Pepper Martin grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. At the age of 7, his mother was killed in a fire. The tragedy strained Martin’s relationship with his father. At 16, Martin lied about his age and joined the Navy. After the Navy, he played football for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. While playing in the CFL, Martin injured his knee and was rehabbing it at a local gym when he met some local professional wrestlers. Due his size and athleticism, the wrestlers encouraged him to give pro wrestling a shot.
Martin began his wrestling career locally in Canada before moving to the Detroit territory. After spending time in a variety of territories, notably St. Louis, Pepper Martin settled down in the Pacific Northwest wrestling for Don Owen in Portland. After a successful run in Portland, Martin found success with Roy Shire in San Francisco.
After his run in San Francisco came to an end, Pepper Martin moved to the Los Angeles territory where he met actor, and former wrestler, Woody Strode who introduced him to the film industry. Martin quickly became friends with the likes of John Ford and Lee Marvin. He began finding work in films, mainly small roles as a tough guy or a villain. After recovering from a serious, wrestling-related back injury, Martin retired from the ring and became a full-time actor.
Pepper Martin quickly became a familiar face and an in-demand actor in Hollywood. He appeared in such films as: Walking Tall (1973), Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), and Superman II (1981). He also guest starred on many popular television shows of that era including: Mannix, Police Story, Police Woman, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, and Quincy M.E.
Despite his success in Hollywood, Pepper Martin struggled with a bad temper, alcohol abuse, and infidelity. This is the shrapnel of the soul of which the title of the book refers to. The second part of the book’s title, redemption, was achieved though Pepper Martin’s faith, which not only saved his marriage, but may have also saved his life.
Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption is an interesting read. Although the book is long, checking in at just under 600 pages, I found Martin’s story to be engrossing and I actually finished the book rather quickly. Wrestling fans will enjoy his stories about some of the biggest stars of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Some stories fans have heard before, such as Johnny Valentine putting lighter fluid in Jay York’s asthma inhaler. Others I had not heard before, including Pepper Martin’s experiences with the culture shock of wrestling in Japan.
My only complaint about the book was that perhaps it could have been a little shorter. Towards the end, I thought a too much time was spent detailing Martin’s time on a film set or preparing for a role in a play. While interesting, it tended to be repetitive, and could have been slightly edited to make it more palatable. Other than that, I thought Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption was an engaging read. In addition to his wrestling stories, I enjoyed reading about Pepper Martin’s experiences on the Superman II set in London.
Whether you’re a wrestling fan, movie buff, or both, I recommend Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption. Pepper Martin has lived a long and wild life, and he tells all in his memoir. Through his book, I enjoyed getting to know the man behind the familiar, tough guy façade.
4 Stars out of 5
Pepper Martin grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. At the age of 7, his mother was killed in a fire. The tragedy strained Martin’s relationship with his father. At 16, Martin lied about his age and joined the Navy. After the Navy, he played football for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League. While playing in the CFL, Martin injured his knee and was rehabbing it at a local gym when he met some local professional wrestlers. Due his size and athleticism, the wrestlers encouraged him to give pro wrestling a shot.
Martin began his wrestling career locally in Canada before moving to the Detroit territory. After spending time in a variety of territories, notably St. Louis, Pepper Martin settled down in the Pacific Northwest wrestling for Don Owen in Portland. After a successful run in Portland, Martin found success with Roy Shire in San Francisco.
After his run in San Francisco came to an end, Pepper Martin moved to the Los Angeles territory where he met actor, and former wrestler, Woody Strode who introduced him to the film industry. Martin quickly became friends with the likes of John Ford and Lee Marvin. He began finding work in films, mainly small roles as a tough guy or a villain. After recovering from a serious, wrestling-related back injury, Martin retired from the ring and became a full-time actor.
Pepper Martin quickly became a familiar face and an in-demand actor in Hollywood. He appeared in such films as: Walking Tall (1973), Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973), The Longest Yard (1974), and Superman II (1981). He also guest starred on many popular television shows of that era including: Mannix, Police Story, Police Woman, Hawaii Five-O, The Rockford Files, CHiPs, and Quincy M.E.
Despite his success in Hollywood, Pepper Martin struggled with a bad temper, alcohol abuse, and infidelity. This is the shrapnel of the soul of which the title of the book refers to. The second part of the book’s title, redemption, was achieved though Pepper Martin’s faith, which not only saved his marriage, but may have also saved his life.
Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption is an interesting read. Although the book is long, checking in at just under 600 pages, I found Martin’s story to be engrossing and I actually finished the book rather quickly. Wrestling fans will enjoy his stories about some of the biggest stars of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Some stories fans have heard before, such as Johnny Valentine putting lighter fluid in Jay York’s asthma inhaler. Others I had not heard before, including Pepper Martin’s experiences with the culture shock of wrestling in Japan.
My only complaint about the book was that perhaps it could have been a little shorter. Towards the end, I thought a too much time was spent detailing Martin’s time on a film set or preparing for a role in a play. While interesting, it tended to be repetitive, and could have been slightly edited to make it more palatable. Other than that, I thought Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption was an engaging read. In addition to his wrestling stories, I enjoyed reading about Pepper Martin’s experiences on the Superman II set in London.
Whether you’re a wrestling fan, movie buff, or both, I recommend Shrapnel of the Soul and Redemption. Pepper Martin has lived a long and wild life, and he tells all in his memoir. Through his book, I enjoyed getting to know the man behind the familiar, tough guy façade.
4 Stars out of 5
September 21, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #19 – THE ROAD WARRIORS
Tomorrow marks one year since Road Warrior Animal, Joe Laurinaitis, unexpectedly passed away at the age of 60. Animal and his tag team partner, Hawk, teamed together for the better part of two decades, and are widely regarded as one of, if not THE Greatest Tag Teams of All Time. To honor the memory of Joe Laurinaitis, the Literary Squared Circle reviews his 2011 book The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and the Rush of Wrestling by Joe “Animal” Laurinaitis and Andrew William Wright (Medallion Press, 2011).
The Road Warriors covers Laurinaitis’ life both inside and outside of the ring. He details his friendship with fellow Road Warrior, Hawk (Mike Hegstrand) whom he met in a Minnesota gym in the early 1980s. Both worked as bouncers at clubs, and both began training to become professional wrestlers together. Laurinaitis began wrestling for Ole Anderson in Georgia Championship Wrestling. He was given a biker gimmick, and named The Road Warrior after the Mad Max film of the same name.
Hegstrand had left wrestling and returned to bouncing, when Laurinaitis showed Anderson his photo and suggested that Hegstrand be brought in as his tag team partner. Anderson agreed. Laurinaitis was renamed “Animal”. Hegstrand became “Hawk”. They were paired up with manager “Precious” Paul Ellering, and The Road Warriors were born. The duo made an immediate impression with their unique look and powerhouse moves.
The Road Warriors quickly became tag team champions, and were soon joined by Jake “The Snake” Roberts and The Spoiler in Ellering’s stable, The Legion of Doom. Hawk and Animal were unlike anything professional wrestling had seen before. Soon, they moved to, and headlined for the American Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling, as well as in Japan before finally joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1990.
In 1991, The Legion of Doom (as they were known in the WWF) captured the WWF World Tag Team Championship becoming the only team to have won the tag team titles in the top three promotions of the 1980s: the AWA, NWA, and WWF. It was during their time in the WWF that things began to unravel. Hawk struggled with substance abuse and was suspended multiple times, which caused Animal not to be booked as well.
Years later, when Animal was recovering from back surgery, Hawk traveled to Japan and formed a new tag team (very reminiscent of The Road Warriors) with Kensuke Sasaki, known as The Hell Raisers. After two years in Japan, Hawk returned to the United States, and The Road Warriors reunited. Hawk and Animal continued to team together until Hawk’s hard-living lifestyle caught up with him in 2003. He died from heart failure at the age of 46.
After Hawk’s death, Animal briefly returned to the now WWE in 2005. He was given a new tag team partner, Heidenreich, and together they were given the LOD moniker. However, Heidenreich proved to be an unreliable partner and they soon disbanded. Though The Road Warriors were no more, there were countless imitations throughout professional wrestling who were obviously influenced by Hawk and Animal.
The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and The Rush of Wrestling covered the career of The Road Warriors in depth. Though not in great detail, even the darker elements such as substance abuse and steroids were addressed. Though Laurinaitis’ personal life was discussed, I didn’t feel that I got to know him any better by reading the book. He discussed his wife, his kids, his Christian faith, but most of the book was about his in-ring accomplishments… and that’s fine.
One thing did not like stylistically about the book was how whenever Animal would discuss one of The Road Warriors’ classic matches, his description had to include “sound effects” straight out of the 1960s Batman television series. For example, when describe an AWA match between The Road Warriors and The Fabulous Freebirds it reads, “Hayes caught Hawk with a flurry of punches, then got him up for a piledriver. Bam!... Hawk picked him right back up by his long and flowing golden mop of hair and pressed him high above his head before slamming him hard. Boom!” Crack! Boom! Boom! Bam! Once or twice for emphasis, okay. This was multiple times in seemingly every chapter.
Overall, the book is just alright. If you were a fan of The Road Warriors or 1980s wrestling in general, you will probably enjoy looking back at Animal’s career. It’s not a bad autobiography, it’s not a great autobiography. If you don’t expect too much from it going, you will probably enjoy the book.
3 Stars out of 5
The Road Warriors covers Laurinaitis’ life both inside and outside of the ring. He details his friendship with fellow Road Warrior, Hawk (Mike Hegstrand) whom he met in a Minnesota gym in the early 1980s. Both worked as bouncers at clubs, and both began training to become professional wrestlers together. Laurinaitis began wrestling for Ole Anderson in Georgia Championship Wrestling. He was given a biker gimmick, and named The Road Warrior after the Mad Max film of the same name.
Hegstrand had left wrestling and returned to bouncing, when Laurinaitis showed Anderson his photo and suggested that Hegstrand be brought in as his tag team partner. Anderson agreed. Laurinaitis was renamed “Animal”. Hegstrand became “Hawk”. They were paired up with manager “Precious” Paul Ellering, and The Road Warriors were born. The duo made an immediate impression with their unique look and powerhouse moves.
The Road Warriors quickly became tag team champions, and were soon joined by Jake “The Snake” Roberts and The Spoiler in Ellering’s stable, The Legion of Doom. Hawk and Animal were unlike anything professional wrestling had seen before. Soon, they moved to, and headlined for the American Wrestling Association, Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling, as well as in Japan before finally joining the World Wrestling Federation in 1990.
In 1991, The Legion of Doom (as they were known in the WWF) captured the WWF World Tag Team Championship becoming the only team to have won the tag team titles in the top three promotions of the 1980s: the AWA, NWA, and WWF. It was during their time in the WWF that things began to unravel. Hawk struggled with substance abuse and was suspended multiple times, which caused Animal not to be booked as well.
Years later, when Animal was recovering from back surgery, Hawk traveled to Japan and formed a new tag team (very reminiscent of The Road Warriors) with Kensuke Sasaki, known as The Hell Raisers. After two years in Japan, Hawk returned to the United States, and The Road Warriors reunited. Hawk and Animal continued to team together until Hawk’s hard-living lifestyle caught up with him in 2003. He died from heart failure at the age of 46.
After Hawk’s death, Animal briefly returned to the now WWE in 2005. He was given a new tag team partner, Heidenreich, and together they were given the LOD moniker. However, Heidenreich proved to be an unreliable partner and they soon disbanded. Though The Road Warriors were no more, there were countless imitations throughout professional wrestling who were obviously influenced by Hawk and Animal.
The Road Warriors: Danger, Death, and The Rush of Wrestling covered the career of The Road Warriors in depth. Though not in great detail, even the darker elements such as substance abuse and steroids were addressed. Though Laurinaitis’ personal life was discussed, I didn’t feel that I got to know him any better by reading the book. He discussed his wife, his kids, his Christian faith, but most of the book was about his in-ring accomplishments… and that’s fine.
One thing did not like stylistically about the book was how whenever Animal would discuss one of The Road Warriors’ classic matches, his description had to include “sound effects” straight out of the 1960s Batman television series. For example, when describe an AWA match between The Road Warriors and The Fabulous Freebirds it reads, “Hayes caught Hawk with a flurry of punches, then got him up for a piledriver. Bam!... Hawk picked him right back up by his long and flowing golden mop of hair and pressed him high above his head before slamming him hard. Boom!” Crack! Boom! Boom! Bam! Once or twice for emphasis, okay. This was multiple times in seemingly every chapter.
Overall, the book is just alright. If you were a fan of The Road Warriors or 1980s wrestling in general, you will probably enjoy looking back at Animal’s career. It’s not a bad autobiography, it’s not a great autobiography. If you don’t expect too much from it going, you will probably enjoy the book.
3 Stars out of 5
September 14, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #18 – BEHIND THE CURTAIN
Jim Cornette turns 60 on Friday. Cornette is widely regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time. He has been involved in professional wrestling since the age of 14. In addition to his managerial career, Cornette has worked as a promoter, booker, agent, color commentator, and trainer. He currently hosts two wildly successful wrestling podcasts, The Jim Cornette Experience and Jim Cornette’s Drive-Thru. Cornette has also authored several books on the subject. In honor of Corny’s upcoming milestone birthday, the Literary Squared Circle reviews his latest book, the 2019 graphic novel Jim Cornette Presents: Behind the Curtain – Real Pro Wrestling Stories by Jim Cornette and Brandon Easton. Illustrated by Denis Medri (IDW Publishing, 2019).
In Behind the Curtain, Cornette acts as host in a Rod Serling Twilight Zone kind of way. Cornette introduces readers to behind-the-scenes stories from the world of professional wrestling. My personal favorite is the story of Sputnik Monroe, who desegregated Memphis wrestling in the late 1950s. I am amazed that there has not been a big screen adaption of Monroe’s story as of yet. It has “Hollywood” written all over it. Other stories featured in Behind the Curtain include tales about The Sheik, Andy Kaufman & Jerry Lawler, Junkyard Dog & The Fabulous Freebirds, and the disturbing story of Dr. Jerry Graham and the death of his mother.
Every story is an engrossing one, including a story I had not heard before. The story is about Tim Woods (aka Mr. Wrestling), and the incredible lengths he went to to protect kayfabe after being involved in a plane crash in which he was the only babyface. All of the other passengers were heels, including Ric Flair and Johnny Valentine.
In addition to Cornette’s “Real Pro Wrestling Stories”, he also shares three dream cards featuring wrestlers from various generations (i.e. Jim Londos vs. John Cena and Dynamite Kid vs. AJ Styles). Cornette also provides readers with the definitive glossary of pro wrestling terms (i.e. gimmick, kayfabe, and mark). To say there is a lot of information jammed into 80 pages would be an understatement.
Admittedly, I have not read many graphic novels. I am not a “comic book guy”. However, I found Behind the Curtain to be not only an entertaining read, but an informative one as well. I thought the illustrations were well done and the content was fantastic. At 80 illustrated pages, Behind the Curtain is also a quick read. Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel, and I highly recommend it to any fan of professional wrestling.
5 Stars out of 5
In Behind the Curtain, Cornette acts as host in a Rod Serling Twilight Zone kind of way. Cornette introduces readers to behind-the-scenes stories from the world of professional wrestling. My personal favorite is the story of Sputnik Monroe, who desegregated Memphis wrestling in the late 1950s. I am amazed that there has not been a big screen adaption of Monroe’s story as of yet. It has “Hollywood” written all over it. Other stories featured in Behind the Curtain include tales about The Sheik, Andy Kaufman & Jerry Lawler, Junkyard Dog & The Fabulous Freebirds, and the disturbing story of Dr. Jerry Graham and the death of his mother.
Every story is an engrossing one, including a story I had not heard before. The story is about Tim Woods (aka Mr. Wrestling), and the incredible lengths he went to to protect kayfabe after being involved in a plane crash in which he was the only babyface. All of the other passengers were heels, including Ric Flair and Johnny Valentine.
In addition to Cornette’s “Real Pro Wrestling Stories”, he also shares three dream cards featuring wrestlers from various generations (i.e. Jim Londos vs. John Cena and Dynamite Kid vs. AJ Styles). Cornette also provides readers with the definitive glossary of pro wrestling terms (i.e. gimmick, kayfabe, and mark). To say there is a lot of information jammed into 80 pages would be an understatement.
Admittedly, I have not read many graphic novels. I am not a “comic book guy”. However, I found Behind the Curtain to be not only an entertaining read, but an informative one as well. I thought the illustrations were well done and the content was fantastic. At 80 illustrated pages, Behind the Curtain is also a quick read. Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel, and I highly recommend it to any fan of professional wrestling.
5 Stars out of 5
September 7, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #17 – TO BE THE MAN
30 years ago this week, on September 9, 1991, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair jumped ship from World Championship Wrestling to its main competitor, the World Wrestling Federation. On WWF TV, Flair was referred to simply as “the real world champion”. It was jarring for fans to see the man who for so long was considered the face of WCW suddenly appearing on WWF programming… with the NWA/WCW championship belt! The Literary Squared Circle blog pays tribute to Flair by reviewing his 2004 book To Be The Man by Ric Flair with Keith Elliot Greenberg (World Wrestling Entertainment, 2004).
Ric Flair goes into great detail concerning his jump from WCW to WWF in To Be The Man. Flair was embroiled in a bitter contract dispute with WCW management, and it was taking a toll on him. He began doubting himself, his self-confidence was at an all-time low, and he was suffering from bouts of anxiety. Before he could drop the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Flair was fired by Jim Herd. WCW wanted the belt back, but Flair was due a $25,000 deposit he had put down when he won it. WCW did not give him back his deposit in timely manner, so Flair signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation and took the NWA Championship with him.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan began teasing Flair’s arrival on WWF television immediately. Heenan would show the NWA Championship, but refer to it only as “the real championship belt”. After Flair debuted on WWF Prime Time Wrestling (the precursor to Monday Night Raw) in September 1991, it became obvious that Flair would eventually have to return the belt to WCW. He instead began carrying a WWF Tag Team Championship belt, which was then digitized to so viewers at home would think it was the NWA title. “The Real World Champion” Ric Flair immediately began feuding with WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, in what was seen by fans as a dream match.
Aside from his shocking WWF debut, Flair’s life and career are covered extensively in To Be The Man. Flair’s life began as the son of a single mother. The hospital told her did her baby not survive. Then through the black market, he was adopted out to the parents who would raise him. His mother was a theater writer and his father a doctor. Flair grew up in Minnesota, and trained under Verne Gagne when he began his wrestling career.
Flair describes his early career in wrestling which has been well-documented elsewhere, and gives a vivid account of the October 1975 plane crash in which he broke his back. His incredible return to wrestling and his subsequent three decades in the ring are discussed, right up to his time with the Evolution faction (Flair, Triple H, Randy Orton, & Batista). The book concludes with Flair and Batista winning the first of their two the WWE World Tag Team Championships in 2003.
With his record 16 World Championship reigns, Ric Flair is considered by many to be the Greatest Of All Time. His book, To Be The Man, may not be THE greatest wrestling book, but it is a great book nonetheless. It is filled with fantastic photos from throughout Flair’s long and illustrious career. Comments by his contemporaries are interspersed amongst the narrative. Contributors include: Ken Patera, Harley Race, David Crockett, Ricky Steamboat, Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, and others.
To Be The Man is also interesting in that Flair responds to things Mick Foley wrote in his first book, Have a Nice Day. Foley was critical of Flair’s time as booker in WCW, to which Flair offered his “receipt” calling Foley a “glorified stuntman.” Foley wrote his comments in 1999. Flair responded in 2004. Their real life feud continued for years, until as legend has it, they were seated next to each other on a plane ride and talked out their differences. Flair and Foley are now on friendly terms.
Overall, To Be The Man is a terrific read that has stood the test of time. Hearing what one of the greatest wrestlers of all time has to say about his long and eventful career is beyond fascinating. His family life is also discussed, but is explored more the follow-up memoir (Second Nature) that Flair co-authored with his daughter, Charlotte Flair, in 2017. That book is nowhere near as good as To Be The Man. I highly recommend reading this book before reading its sequel to get the complete story of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Wooooooooo!!!
5 Stars out of 5
Ric Flair goes into great detail concerning his jump from WCW to WWF in To Be The Man. Flair was embroiled in a bitter contract dispute with WCW management, and it was taking a toll on him. He began doubting himself, his self-confidence was at an all-time low, and he was suffering from bouts of anxiety. Before he could drop the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Flair was fired by Jim Herd. WCW wanted the belt back, but Flair was due a $25,000 deposit he had put down when he won it. WCW did not give him back his deposit in timely manner, so Flair signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation and took the NWA Championship with him.
Bobby “The Brain” Heenan began teasing Flair’s arrival on WWF television immediately. Heenan would show the NWA Championship, but refer to it only as “the real championship belt”. After Flair debuted on WWF Prime Time Wrestling (the precursor to Monday Night Raw) in September 1991, it became obvious that Flair would eventually have to return the belt to WCW. He instead began carrying a WWF Tag Team Championship belt, which was then digitized to so viewers at home would think it was the NWA title. “The Real World Champion” Ric Flair immediately began feuding with WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan, in what was seen by fans as a dream match.
Aside from his shocking WWF debut, Flair’s life and career are covered extensively in To Be The Man. Flair’s life began as the son of a single mother. The hospital told her did her baby not survive. Then through the black market, he was adopted out to the parents who would raise him. His mother was a theater writer and his father a doctor. Flair grew up in Minnesota, and trained under Verne Gagne when he began his wrestling career.
Flair describes his early career in wrestling which has been well-documented elsewhere, and gives a vivid account of the October 1975 plane crash in which he broke his back. His incredible return to wrestling and his subsequent three decades in the ring are discussed, right up to his time with the Evolution faction (Flair, Triple H, Randy Orton, & Batista). The book concludes with Flair and Batista winning the first of their two the WWE World Tag Team Championships in 2003.
With his record 16 World Championship reigns, Ric Flair is considered by many to be the Greatest Of All Time. His book, To Be The Man, may not be THE greatest wrestling book, but it is a great book nonetheless. It is filled with fantastic photos from throughout Flair’s long and illustrious career. Comments by his contemporaries are interspersed amongst the narrative. Contributors include: Ken Patera, Harley Race, David Crockett, Ricky Steamboat, Arn Anderson, Jim Ross, Shawn Michaels, and others.
To Be The Man is also interesting in that Flair responds to things Mick Foley wrote in his first book, Have a Nice Day. Foley was critical of Flair’s time as booker in WCW, to which Flair offered his “receipt” calling Foley a “glorified stuntman.” Foley wrote his comments in 1999. Flair responded in 2004. Their real life feud continued for years, until as legend has it, they were seated next to each other on a plane ride and talked out their differences. Flair and Foley are now on friendly terms.
Overall, To Be The Man is a terrific read that has stood the test of time. Hearing what one of the greatest wrestlers of all time has to say about his long and eventful career is beyond fascinating. His family life is also discussed, but is explored more the follow-up memoir (Second Nature) that Flair co-authored with his daughter, Charlotte Flair, in 2017. That book is nowhere near as good as To Be The Man. I highly recommend reading this book before reading its sequel to get the complete story of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Wooooooooo!!!
5 Stars out of 5
August 31, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #16 – ACCEPTED
Tomorrow, September 1st, marks the 42nd Anniversary of the introduction of the Intercontinental Championship. Pat Patterson is recognized as the first-ever Intercontinental Champion. Patterson was the reigning WWF North American Heavyweight Champion when, as the backstory goes, he won a (fictitious) tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that unified his North American title and the (fictitious) South American title. Patterson is alleged to have defeated Johnny Rodz in the (fictitious) tournament final, and was crowned the inagural Intercontinental Champion.
Pat Patterson held the Intercontinental Championship from its inception on September 1, 1979 to April 21, 1980, when he was dethroned by Ken Patera at Madison Square Garden. Since its debut, 87 different wrestlers have held the championship. Chris Jericho holds the record for most reigns with nine. The Honky Tonk Man holds the record for the longest reign at 454 days. The current Intercontinental Champion is King Nakamura.
In honor of the occasion of the 42nd Anniversary of Pat Patterson becoming the first Intercontinental Champion, the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews his 2016 book Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE by Pat Patterson with Bertrand Hébert (ECW Press, 2016).
Patterson’s story begins with his life growing up in Montreal sharing a small, two-bedroom apartment with his parents, four brothers, and four sisters. In addition to being poor, his family were also strict Catholics. When he was 17 years old and came out to his parents, his father asked him to leave. Though he did not speak English, Patterson moved to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. He settled in Boston where he began his wrestling career and met his longtime partner, Louie Dondero, with whom he would spend the next four decades.
At the suggestion of wrester Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon, Patterson moved across the country to Portland, where his gimmick was changed from “Killer” Pat Patterson to “Pretty Boy” Pat Patterson. From there, Patterson moved to San Francisco and began wrestling for Roy Shire’s Big Time Wrestling promotion. He and Ray Stevens formed The Blonde Bombers, one of the top tag teams of the era. After a long and successful run as a tag team, Patterson and Stevens split up and feuded with each other.
After leaving San Francisco, Patterson competed for Championship Wrestling from Florida and the American Wrestling Association. In 1979, he arrived in the World Wrestling Federation, where he would remain, in various capacities, for the rest of his life. Shortly after debuting in the WWF, Patterson defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship. As described earlier, the North American Championship was soon replaced by the Intercontinental Championship.
After his run as the inaugural Intercontinental Champion, Pat Patterson had a legendary feud with Sgt. Slaughter. Patterson and Slaughter memorably battled each other in an Alley Fight Match at Madison Square Garden, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches of that era. Around this time, in his personal life, Patterson was able to reconcile with his father shortly before his father passed away.
As Patterson’s in-ring career began to wind down, he began doing color commentary alongside Vince McMahon. Patterson eventually moved behind-the-scenes working as a road agent and Vince McMahon’s “right-hand man”. Over the years, Pat Patterson also worked in the talent-relations department and was occasionally used as a guest referee, notably working the main event at the first WrestleMania. During his time backstage, Patterson is credited with having invented the Royal Rumble match.
During the “Attitude Era”, Patterson returned to an on-screen role alongside Gerald Brisco as Vince McMahon’s “Stooges”. It was during this time, that Patterson lost his life partner, Louie, who died of a heart attack while Patterson was working at the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view. That was the show in which The Undertaker threw Mankind off of the cell in their unforgettable Hell in a Cell Match. When he heard of Louie’s passing, Mick Foley (Mankind) feared that his crazy spot had resulted in Louie’s fatal heart attack, but Patterson reassured Foley that Louie died three hours before his match.
Patterson persevered and continued to work backstage for WWE. He worked as a producer and later as a creative consultant. He also appeared as a cast member on the Legends’ House reality show on the WWE Network. In the final episode of the show, Patterson came out as being gay.
Patterson’s book is full of behind-the-scenes stories that span generations of wrestlers, from Killer Kowalski to Daniel Bryan. There are road stories, drinking stories, backstage fights, and ribbing. Patterson describes celebrity encounters, how he came up with the idea for the Royal Rumble match, how he helped get The Rock into the business, his role in The Montreal Screwjob, and how he helped to mend fences between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon.
Accepted is an interesting book. This is due to the fact that Pat Patterson was an interesting individual. If anything, I think the book dwelled too much upon his sexuality. Though it did affect his relationship with his family, particularly his father, his homosexuality did not seem to have a negative effect on his career. He seemed to be accepted by just about everyone within the business. I always found Patterson to be an entertaining wrestler and one of the business’ great minds. I honestly couldn’t care less that he was gay, or straight for that matter. It is what Pat Patterson did in the ring and behind-the-scenes in the business that I admired and respected.
4 Stars out of 5
Pat Patterson held the Intercontinental Championship from its inception on September 1, 1979 to April 21, 1980, when he was dethroned by Ken Patera at Madison Square Garden. Since its debut, 87 different wrestlers have held the championship. Chris Jericho holds the record for most reigns with nine. The Honky Tonk Man holds the record for the longest reign at 454 days. The current Intercontinental Champion is King Nakamura.
In honor of the occasion of the 42nd Anniversary of Pat Patterson becoming the first Intercontinental Champion, the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews his 2016 book Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE by Pat Patterson with Bertrand Hébert (ECW Press, 2016).
Patterson’s story begins with his life growing up in Montreal sharing a small, two-bedroom apartment with his parents, four brothers, and four sisters. In addition to being poor, his family were also strict Catholics. When he was 17 years old and came out to his parents, his father asked him to leave. Though he did not speak English, Patterson moved to the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. He settled in Boston where he began his wrestling career and met his longtime partner, Louie Dondero, with whom he would spend the next four decades.
At the suggestion of wrester Maurice “Mad Dog” Vachon, Patterson moved across the country to Portland, where his gimmick was changed from “Killer” Pat Patterson to “Pretty Boy” Pat Patterson. From there, Patterson moved to San Francisco and began wrestling for Roy Shire’s Big Time Wrestling promotion. He and Ray Stevens formed The Blonde Bombers, one of the top tag teams of the era. After a long and successful run as a tag team, Patterson and Stevens split up and feuded with each other.
After leaving San Francisco, Patterson competed for Championship Wrestling from Florida and the American Wrestling Association. In 1979, he arrived in the World Wrestling Federation, where he would remain, in various capacities, for the rest of his life. Shortly after debuting in the WWF, Patterson defeated Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship. As described earlier, the North American Championship was soon replaced by the Intercontinental Championship.
After his run as the inaugural Intercontinental Champion, Pat Patterson had a legendary feud with Sgt. Slaughter. Patterson and Slaughter memorably battled each other in an Alley Fight Match at Madison Square Garden, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches of that era. Around this time, in his personal life, Patterson was able to reconcile with his father shortly before his father passed away.
As Patterson’s in-ring career began to wind down, he began doing color commentary alongside Vince McMahon. Patterson eventually moved behind-the-scenes working as a road agent and Vince McMahon’s “right-hand man”. Over the years, Pat Patterson also worked in the talent-relations department and was occasionally used as a guest referee, notably working the main event at the first WrestleMania. During his time backstage, Patterson is credited with having invented the Royal Rumble match.
During the “Attitude Era”, Patterson returned to an on-screen role alongside Gerald Brisco as Vince McMahon’s “Stooges”. It was during this time, that Patterson lost his life partner, Louie, who died of a heart attack while Patterson was working at the 1998 King of the Ring pay-per-view. That was the show in which The Undertaker threw Mankind off of the cell in their unforgettable Hell in a Cell Match. When he heard of Louie’s passing, Mick Foley (Mankind) feared that his crazy spot had resulted in Louie’s fatal heart attack, but Patterson reassured Foley that Louie died three hours before his match.
Patterson persevered and continued to work backstage for WWE. He worked as a producer and later as a creative consultant. He also appeared as a cast member on the Legends’ House reality show on the WWE Network. In the final episode of the show, Patterson came out as being gay.
Patterson’s book is full of behind-the-scenes stories that span generations of wrestlers, from Killer Kowalski to Daniel Bryan. There are road stories, drinking stories, backstage fights, and ribbing. Patterson describes celebrity encounters, how he came up with the idea for the Royal Rumble match, how he helped get The Rock into the business, his role in The Montreal Screwjob, and how he helped to mend fences between Bret Hart and Vince McMahon.
Accepted is an interesting book. This is due to the fact that Pat Patterson was an interesting individual. If anything, I think the book dwelled too much upon his sexuality. Though it did affect his relationship with his family, particularly his father, his homosexuality did not seem to have a negative effect on his career. He seemed to be accepted by just about everyone within the business. I always found Patterson to be an entertaining wrestler and one of the business’ great minds. I honestly couldn’t care less that he was gay, or straight for that matter. It is what Pat Patterson did in the ring and behind-the-scenes in the business that I admired and respected.
4 Stars out of 5
August 24, 2021
Literary Squared Circle #15 – LISTEN, YOU PENCIL NECK GEEKS
50 years ago this week, on August 27, 1971, the legendary feud between Fred Blassie and John Tolos could no longer be contained by Los Angeles’ Grand Olympic Auditorium. When Blassie returned to action, three months after being blinded by Tolos, the demand for tickets was so great that the grudge match headlined a card at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The event was also among the first pro wrestling cards to be shown on closed circuit television. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of their historic encounter, the Literary Squared Circle blog reviews Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks by “Classy” Freddie Blassie with Keith Elliot Greenberg (World Wrestling Entertainment, 2003).
Blassie vs. Tolos drew 25,847 fans to the Coliseum, and the gate that night was $142,158.50. Both the attendance and the gate set records for the state of California. The previous record had been set 19 years earlier, in May 1952, when NWA World Heavyweight Championship Lou Thesz faced the Los Angeles World Heavyweight Champion Baron Michele Leone in a Title Unification Match at Gilmore Field.
To grasp the significance of a pro wrestling card being held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, consider that 20 years later, in 1991, the World Wrestling Federation booked the Coliseum for WrestleMania VII. However, due to sluggish ticket sales (or security concerns, depending on which narrative you choose to believe) the event was scaled down and held next door at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 16,158 fans.
To this day, 50 years later, attendance for the Fred Blassie vs. John Tolos match remains the largest pro wrestling crowd in the history of Southern California. That record will likely fall in April 2023 when WrestleMania 39 is scheduled to emanate from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. That event could potentially draw a crowd in excess of 100,000 fans. As for the state of California, the attendance record set in 1971 was obliterated in 2015 when WrestleMania 31 drew 76,976 fans to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
In his book Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks, Blassie recalls his match with Tolos at the Coliseum in the following way, “We split the first two falls, then I basically massacred Tolos. Blood was spilling everywhere, and the fans were shrieking for more. I pulled back Tolos’s head, tucked it into my shoulder, and gnawed on his flesh. Referee Johnny ‘Red Shoes’ Dugan squeezed in between us, and broke it up. I pushed Dugan out of the way, grabbed Tolos, and did it some more. Finally, Dugan ruled that Tolos was bleeding so profusely that the match had to be stopped. But the fans went home exhilarated.”
Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks is easily one of my top ten favorite wrestling books of all-time. It is a comprehensive autobiography covering all aspects of Blassie’s long and eventful life. Blassie grew up in St. Louis and was just learning the craft of professional wrestling when World War II began. Blassie served 42 months in the Navy during the War, 14 of which were spent in the Pacific Theater. Following the War, Blassie began wrestling full-time as a babyface, “Sailor” Fred Blassie.
Despite being a babyface, Blassie found himself being booed in the South simply because he was a northerner. It was then that Blassie decided to turn himself heel. He bleached his hair blonde, became a rulebreaker, and embarked on a long and successfully career as one of the greatest villains of all-time. Blassie competed around the world, most notably in Southern California, New York, and Japan. His home base was Southern California, and he was more often than not treated as a face by the fans there instead of a heel. It was his star power as a babyface that drew the record crowd to the Coliseum on August 27, 1971.
After retiring from the ring in the early 1970s, Blassie began a successful career as a manager in the WWWF. Over the next decade, Blassie would manage the likes of: Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, Blackjack Mulligan, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, Kamala, and Hulk Hogan. Blassie even famously managed Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali during his 1976 boxer vs. wrestler match against Antonio Inoki. (See Literary Squared Circle #6)
Many of Blassie’s friends, family members, and fellow wrestlers contributed to Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks. The book is filled with comments from those who knew Blassie best. Professionally, Killer Kowalski, Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, Arnold Skaaland, John Tolos, George “The Animal” Steele, Hulk Hogan, and others discuss his career and the impact on the business. Personally, his son, Ron Blassie and his wife, Miyako Blassie reveal what he was like outside of the ring. Friends, including Regis Philbin and promoter Mike LeBell share stories about their colleague.
“Classy” Freddie Blassie appeared on Monday Night Raw to promote his book on May 12, 2003, the night before Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks was released. Just three weeks later, on June 2, 2003, Blassie passed away due to heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Doing these book reviews, I often lament the fact that some wrestlers write their books too early in their career (See Rey Mysterio – LSC #10 & Kurt Angle – LSC #14). Often this is done to capitalized on the wrestler’s current popularity, because it may be fleeting. However, oftentimes wrestlers such as Mysterio and Angle go on to compete for decades more. Not Blassie. He included all of his 85 years in Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks and then he was gone. His entire story had been told.
If you are a wrestling fan, and you’ve not read Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks, get a copy immediately. You will enjoy it. I guarantee it. If you’ve already read the book, read it again. You’re sure to discover new things, you might have missed the first time around. I cannot recommend the book more highly. “Classy” Freddie Blassie is one of the all-time greats, and his book is one of the absolute best!
5 Stars out of 5
Blassie vs. Tolos drew 25,847 fans to the Coliseum, and the gate that night was $142,158.50. Both the attendance and the gate set records for the state of California. The previous record had been set 19 years earlier, in May 1952, when NWA World Heavyweight Championship Lou Thesz faced the Los Angeles World Heavyweight Champion Baron Michele Leone in a Title Unification Match at Gilmore Field.
To grasp the significance of a pro wrestling card being held at the Los Angeles Coliseum, consider that 20 years later, in 1991, the World Wrestling Federation booked the Coliseum for WrestleMania VII. However, due to sluggish ticket sales (or security concerns, depending on which narrative you choose to believe) the event was scaled down and held next door at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena in front of a sellout crowd of 16,158 fans.
To this day, 50 years later, attendance for the Fred Blassie vs. John Tolos match remains the largest pro wrestling crowd in the history of Southern California. That record will likely fall in April 2023 when WrestleMania 39 is scheduled to emanate from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. That event could potentially draw a crowd in excess of 100,000 fans. As for the state of California, the attendance record set in 1971 was obliterated in 2015 when WrestleMania 31 drew 76,976 fans to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
In his book Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks, Blassie recalls his match with Tolos at the Coliseum in the following way, “We split the first two falls, then I basically massacred Tolos. Blood was spilling everywhere, and the fans were shrieking for more. I pulled back Tolos’s head, tucked it into my shoulder, and gnawed on his flesh. Referee Johnny ‘Red Shoes’ Dugan squeezed in between us, and broke it up. I pushed Dugan out of the way, grabbed Tolos, and did it some more. Finally, Dugan ruled that Tolos was bleeding so profusely that the match had to be stopped. But the fans went home exhilarated.”
Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks is easily one of my top ten favorite wrestling books of all-time. It is a comprehensive autobiography covering all aspects of Blassie’s long and eventful life. Blassie grew up in St. Louis and was just learning the craft of professional wrestling when World War II began. Blassie served 42 months in the Navy during the War, 14 of which were spent in the Pacific Theater. Following the War, Blassie began wrestling full-time as a babyface, “Sailor” Fred Blassie.
Despite being a babyface, Blassie found himself being booed in the South simply because he was a northerner. It was then that Blassie decided to turn himself heel. He bleached his hair blonde, became a rulebreaker, and embarked on a long and successfully career as one of the greatest villains of all-time. Blassie competed around the world, most notably in Southern California, New York, and Japan. His home base was Southern California, and he was more often than not treated as a face by the fans there instead of a heel. It was his star power as a babyface that drew the record crowd to the Coliseum on August 27, 1971.
After retiring from the ring in the early 1970s, Blassie began a successful career as a manager in the WWWF. Over the next decade, Blassie would manage the likes of: Nikolai Volkoff, The Iron Sheik, Blackjack Mulligan, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, Kamala, and Hulk Hogan. Blassie even famously managed Heavyweight Boxing Champion Muhammad Ali during his 1976 boxer vs. wrestler match against Antonio Inoki. (See Literary Squared Circle #6)
Many of Blassie’s friends, family members, and fellow wrestlers contributed to Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks. The book is filled with comments from those who knew Blassie best. Professionally, Killer Kowalski, Dick “The Destroyer” Beyer, Arnold Skaaland, John Tolos, George “The Animal” Steele, Hulk Hogan, and others discuss his career and the impact on the business. Personally, his son, Ron Blassie and his wife, Miyako Blassie reveal what he was like outside of the ring. Friends, including Regis Philbin and promoter Mike LeBell share stories about their colleague.
“Classy” Freddie Blassie appeared on Monday Night Raw to promote his book on May 12, 2003, the night before Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks was released. Just three weeks later, on June 2, 2003, Blassie passed away due to heart and kidney failure at the age of 85. Doing these book reviews, I often lament the fact that some wrestlers write their books too early in their career (See Rey Mysterio – LSC #10 & Kurt Angle – LSC #14). Often this is done to capitalized on the wrestler’s current popularity, because it may be fleeting. However, oftentimes wrestlers such as Mysterio and Angle go on to compete for decades more. Not Blassie. He included all of his 85 years in Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks and then he was gone. His entire story had been told.
If you are a wrestling fan, and you’ve not read Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks, get a copy immediately. You will enjoy it. I guarantee it. If you’ve already read the book, read it again. You’re sure to discover new things, you might have missed the first time around. I cannot recommend the book more highly. “Classy” Freddie Blassie is one of the all-time greats, and his book is one of the absolute best!
5 Stars out of 5
