Recollections....

With just a week before I head out to CAC, I've continued to get some more classic tales of our treasured sport, as evidenced below. As mentioned in a previous post, you can see many more of these kind of stories in a book that will be on display, much like those wonderful photo books you can see each year. Right now I understand that Scott Hosey has dutifully accepted the package containing the book, so it's already there in Vegas. I'm not sure how the artifacts get stored, but the book is hereby donated to CAC so every member who wishes to see it can have their chance this year and in the future. Enjoy this little story and see you next week!

Jeff Sharkey


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Dear Mr. Sharkey,I hope you and your former professional wrestling performers get some enjoyment from my wrestling memory. Am now seventy myself so I’m sure even some of your associates are even younger than that!

I had to struggle to come up with a correct date. I’m only a few months out, if that:Gorgeous George came to the Memorial Auditorium in downtown Sacramento, California in approximately September 1953. My friend Jimmy Richardson and I were sixteen. We were not wrestling fans but we knew of Gorgeous George and went to see him personally.

The ring was on the lower floor, with good attendance around the ringside. We sat in the first area balcony (not many souls seated there). Before “GG” came out, lots of hoopla. His handlers went around spraying/disinfecting the ring. Then lots of cologne sprayed from the ring onto all the fans in the first few rows. “GG” came out wearing his hi-top lace-up Boots, flowing robe, long blonde/white curled flowing hair. His handlers wanted to wipe down/clean his opponent. Much argument and hurly-burly between his team, their team, the other wrestler and the referee. “Georgeous” was gorgeous. (Haha)

Now even I know a wrestling event is noisy and even moreso as seen on TV today. Well, Jimmy and I were screaming and having a really good time I can remember we were on the south side of the auditorium and people on the lower floor were turning to look at us. So an usher came to us and said, “Boys, boys. You’ve got to stop this screaming!!” So we screamed longer and louder!! (Haha)

We were having one swell time so eventually they came (more than several ushers) and escorted us to the north end of the auditorium. As they left us out on the street, we said, “Hey, this is America, you can’t throw us out.” You bet they did! (Haha) Jimmy and I said, “If you throw us out, you’ve got to give us our money back.” --They didn’t. (Haha)

I have told this true story a few times through the years. I’ve been excited to probably have been one of the very few to get tossed--no profanity --no lewd conduct or gestures. Just pure happy noise!! Imagine getting thrown out of a wrestling match today!!

Good health and happy memories to you and your friends.
Ken FryCorvallis, OR