When Wrestling Was Rasslin'

by Birkholz, Wrestling Promoter Peter

  Mexico’s Ricky Romero also made his debut that year. So did stars like Rick Martel, the heartthrob from Quebec, Stan Hansen, the rugged Texan out of West Texas, and Powerful Tony Atlas, who arrived from Atlanta. The Mongolian Stomper, managed by James J. Dillon, also climbed to main event status. Additonally, there was the debut of High Samoan Chief Peter Maivia, who some of you may be surprised to discover was grandfather to WWE superstar The Rock.

  World Heavyweight Champion Jack Brisco made several successful World Title defenses throughout the year against top contenders in the Houston Wrestling area. So did World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Hiro Matsuda from Japan. Other stars who saw action in Houston that year included Japan’s Kim Duk, Gordon Nelson, El Gordo, Houstonian J.C. Wingo Jr., Skip Young, Billy Howard, Geoff Portz, Abe Jacobs, Germany’s Hans Schroeder, Bruiser Blackwell, Oki Shikina, Scotty Campbell, Paul Pershman, Buddy Wolfe, Gypsy Joe, El Gaucho, Johnny Heidman, and Samoan Tapu, the protégé of Samoan Chief Peter Maivia.

  Outside the squared circle, Jack Adkisson, better known as Fritz Von Erich, was elected President of the National Wrestling Alliance when Sam Muchnik stepped down. But there was also tragic news in 1975 as Hall of Famer Jim Londos passed away. A fatal airplane crash on February 28, 1975, killed Bobby Shane and critically injured wrestling manager Gary Hart. Another airplane crash in the Carolinas broke the backs of wrestlers Bobby Bruggers and Johnny Valentine. Both men would recover, but neither would wrestle again. News of Valentine hit Houston Wrestling fans extremely hard, since they had been watching him in action for nearly twenty-five years. They could not believe they would never see him compete inside the ring again. Valentine returned years later as a manager, but it was still a great loss to Houston Wrestling.

  The year finished with a stunning upset when Texan Terry Funk defeated Jack Brisco for the National Wrestling Alliance World Champion Title in Miami, Florida, on December 12, 1975. The belt returned to the Lone Star State. This also marked the first time in professional wrestling history that the belt had been won by two brothers. The famous Funk Family from the Texas panhandle was back on top of the professional wrestling world!

  The now-traditional Twenty-Two-Man Two-Ring Battle Royal started the next new year, and fans flocked to the Sam Houston Coliseum to watch Andre the Giant and twenty-one other stars battle for the $22,000 prize. Andre the Giant won the pot. Fans also wanted to see who would establish himself as the new number one contender for the World Championship belt

  Rocky Johnson made his Houston Wrestling debut on Friday, January 23rd,, quickly beating his opponent, then volunteering to substitute for an injured wrestler who was signed to battle the Mongolian Stomper. Despite protests from the Stomper’s manager, James J. Dillon, Rocky Johnson defeated the Stomper, shocking fans. Rocky Johnson is also the father of Duane Johnson, who would later break into professional wrestling and become the WWE superstar The Rock.

  Johnson went on to win the Texas Heavyweight Championship and became the number one contender for Terry Funk’s World Championship belt, which he almost won on several occasions during that year. He also battled members of the Wild Bunch, a group of wrestlers formed to protect World Champion Terry Funk from challengers. The Wild Bunch included Badman Stan Hansen and his brother, former World Champion Dory Funk Jr.

  Greg Valentine, no longer known as John Fargo, reentered the Houston ring proudly determined to pick up where his injured father had left off. Greg became a superstar in his own right. Houston fans also saw action from top names like Bob Sweetan, England’s Lord Alfred Hayes, the British tag team of Tony Charles and Les Thornton, Charlie Cook (who starred in football with Grambling and later the Pittsburgh Steelers), German grappler Ziegfried Stanke, and Wildman Moon Dog Mayne, managed by James J. Dillon.

  There was also the interesting debut of Chris Taylor, an Olympic medal winner in the wrestling super heavyweight division. Taylor tipped the scales at approximately five hundred pounds and was trained by Verne Gagne, another Olympic wrestler who made it big in professional wrestling. Taylor made an impression on Houston Wrestling fans, but they did not see him again, as he passed away years later because of health problems related to his uncontrollable weight. It was a shame because he was a very nice guy and had tremendous potential.

  There was also an intriguing story that year regarding the National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight Title. Gino Hernandez wanted that title, and had been selected the NWA Rookie of the Year for 1975. Boesch started negotiations with current World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiro Matsuda from Japan. During those talks, Matsuda lost his title to Oklahoma legend Danny Hodge. Unfortunately for Hodge, he was then involved in an auto accident and broke his neck. The National Wrestling Alliance ordered a tournament to fulfill the vacant title. Gino Hernandez defeated former champion Hiro Matsuda, and a couple of months later, beat another former World Junior Heavyweight Champion, Ken Mantell. Hernandez awaited his chance at the National Wrestling Alliance World Junior Heavyweight title.

  Dirty Dusty Rhodes also returned to Houston that year as box office sensation “The American Dream.” Though Dusty had wrestled in Houston before, he came back as a changed man as “The American Dream” was unveiled. Houston was also invaded by one of wrestling's most unpredictable stars, The Sheik. He was billed as the most dangerous man in professional wrestling, and had terrorized wrestling fans all around Detroit and the northeast. The Houston Wrestling program of November 19, 1976, called it the wildest debut in recent Houston Wrestling history. The Sheik attacked Rocky Johnson before the opening bell, and split his head open. Johnson could not wrestle and was rushed to a doctor, who used several stitches to stop the bleeding. Johnson won the match on a disqualification. Irate Houston Wrestling fans screamed for justice. The Sheik left little doubt that he was a force to be reckoned with!

  In 1976, fans witnessed a “bathtub” match between Boesch and bad guy manager, James J. Dillon. Dillon was the unfortunate one who ended up in the bathtub. They also saw the unique combination of Mexican star Jose Lothario and controversial manager Gary Hart. The alliance was successful in the beginning; however there was the inevitable break up with the usual sequence of feud-settlers afterward. On a sad note, Mrs. Lee Woods passed away in 1976. She had been a secretary to both Morris Sigel and Paul Boesch for many years.

  Rounding out the new talent of 1976 were wrestlers like Don Wade, Jerry Stubbs, masked Number One, Francisco Flores, Jan Nelson, Johnny Eagles, Larry Sharpe, El Tornado, El Bracero, Randy Collins, Rasputin, Dan Vurdick, Ted Melbourne, Don Lambert, and the masked “Big O.”

  Boesch also purchased his own building that year, and moved the Houston Wrestling ticket office from 2022 San Jacinto a few blocks east, to 1919 Caroline at the corner of Pierce. That was the famous address of the Houston Wrestling ticket office for the next twelve years! Boesch wanted a more flexible work schedule for professional and personal reasons. He wanted me to seriously consider taking over more of the promotion on a full-time basis.

  My uncle had hired me as his television assistant when I was eleven, and as I grew older and more mature, he spent time teaching me the professional wrestling business and handing over more responsibilities. He made it clear that there was only three ways to become a professional wrestling promoter. One was to become a professional wrestler, and though I was a champion amateur wrestler, I did not come close to the size requirement to have a career in the ring. A second way was to have a pair of cauliflower ears. I could ask a wrestler to jump off the top turnbuckle, driving his knee full force into my ear, breaking my ear membrane. I could also have someone slam a door on my ear with the same result: a ruptured ear membrane that would fill with blood and puss. The third option was to get a college degree. Thus, I graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1975, and a Masters of Business Administration in 1976.

  My uncle explained that his doctor had informed him that he had a bad heart and would need open heart surgery. He asked me to please take
over the business for a year while he had surgery and recuperated. If I covered for him for that long, he would pay for my PhD program, because he knew I wanted to be a college professor and I had no money. I accepted not because of the financial offer but because I loved and idolized my uncle. After earning the MBA degree, I moved into the Houston Wrestling promotion full time. As it turned out, the doctors treated my uncle with a medication that was able to temporarily solve the heart condition. After one year I approached him with a reminder of his promise to pay for my PHD program. I still aspired to be a college professor.

  My uncle told me that he appreciated the way I took over the business and made changes so the promotion was more effective and profitable. He said I was like a son to him, and he was hoping to turn the entire business over to me in the future. Then he asked why I was so determined to get my PhD. I told him that I always wanted to be called Dr. Birkholz. My uncle looked me squarely in the eyes and said, “This is professional wrestling. POOF! You are Dr. Birkholz. Now get your butt back to work!”

  I decided to postpone my professorial dreams and make professional wrestling my full-time career for two reasons. First, I had a hard time telling my uncle “No.” Second, I had done serious research and discovered that professional wrestling was ready to explode and become a national phenomenon with the spread of cable television. This was the same conclusion drawn by WWE promoter, Vince McMahon. He planned to take over professional wrestling and develop the business into a worldwide enterprise. I was only interested in riding the upcoming wave of popularity with my uncle, and making serious money so I could fund my PhD.

  To start 1977 with the traditional fanfare, Boesch staged the Twenty-Two-Man Two-Ring Battle Royal, and added a main event featuring Andre the Giant against the dangerous Sheik. Fans were screaming for someone to stop The Sheik, so Boesch put Andre to the test. He won the match on a disqualification, which left fans hungry for someone to send The Sheik packing.

  The Sheik and his huge python packed the Coliseum. Fans were as afraid of the snake as they were of The Sheik. When The Sheik had sent his television promotional tapes a few months earlier, all his interviews involved his pet boa constrictor wrapped around his body. He seemed to be engulfed in fire, so these tapes were extremely effective in igniting fans’ imaginations.

  When I met with The Sheik in the dressing room on his first appearance, I asked where his snake was and he explained the airlines would not let him fly with a live snake. I knew the fans would be disappointed, so I told The Sheik I would do everything I could to make sure there would be a snake for his next appearance. The Sheik thought it was a good idea, but warned me to make sure the snake had been fed. That sounded strange to me, but I quickly discovered that it was easier said than done. I spent several days contacting zoos, pet shops, snake owners and even talent agencies. It is not easy to find someone who is willing to “rent” a fourteen-foot-long (or longer) boa constrictor.

  Persistence paid off, and I found a small pet shop whose owners were also wrestling fans. I gave them “an offer they could not refuse”: cash, wrestling tickets, and free advertising, in exchange for the use of their snake. They showed up with the boa constrictor that Friday night, and I took them back to the dressing room to introduce them to The Sheik. Before The Sheik touched the boa constrictor, he asked when the snake was last fed. The owners assured him just a day ago, then went back to their seats. My curiosity got the best of me, so I asked The Sheik why the timing was so important. He informed me that if a boa constrictor was hungry, they were more likely to wrap around a human and squeeze him to death. I figured that was something good to know, just like the secret of the wrestling bear. You never know what life has in store for you.

  Fans now had the huge boa constrictor to fear along with The Sheik, so every time he approached a section of seats with the snake wrapped around him, fans screamed and ran for safety. Another personal injury attorney’s dream come true. Despite the warnings we gave The Sheik, he did it every time. Maybe renting the snake for the Sheik was not such a good idea, especially since its owners raised their “rental” fee every time The Sheik came to town. Boesch and I put the blame on the Texas Wrestling commission, and informed Houston Wrestling fans that they had banned the snake from the arena. Never under estimate the creativity of professional wrestling promoters.

  Yet the snakeless Sheik continued to pack the arena, taking on stars like “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, former World Champion Dory Funk Jr., and Jose Lothario. Boesch continued to bring in new stars such as Bruiser Brody, who made his Houston Wrestling debut with the newly won U.S.-American championship belt wrapped around his waist. Bruiser had stunned Texas wrestling fans with his shocking upset of Fritz Von Erich for the belt, but he also impressed them with his toughness He later became a big star at Houston Wrestling and a close friend of mine. Unfortunately, the powerful athlete had a quick temper, which would lead to one of the most tragic professional wrestling stories of the eighties.

  The Houston Wrestling program of Friday, February 18, 1977, announced that World Heavyweight Champion Terry Funk had lost his title to Harley Race in Toronto, Canada. This marked the first time in professional wrestling history that a wrestler had won the World Title by defeating two different brothers. Race had defeated Dory Funk Jr. back in 1973, and now defeated his younger brother, Terry. This set up yet another feud. Boesch started booking the new World Champion, knowing Houston Wrestling fans wanted to see someone beat Harley Race and make professional wrestling history in their backyards.

  In 1977, Boesch brought in three top stars who did well in Houston but would become even bigger names with Vince McMahon and the WWE in the early eighties: Muhamed Faruk, better know to WWE fans as the Iron Sheik, Big John Studd, and Jimmy Snuka. Joe Bednarski returned to Houston Wrestling without his Polish gimmick and started to promote himself as the new Ivan Putski. Other main event headliners that made their Houston Wrestling debut included Germany’s Karl Von Krupp, Ox Baker and his dangerous “heart punch,” Japan’s Mr. Sakurada, Mexico’s Luis Martinez, Abdullah the Butcher managed by James J. Dillon, and Tully Blanchard, son of former Texas champion Joe Blanchard.

  One of the premier events of the year was the Houston Wrestling promotion's first show in the beautiful Summit. This was the first professional wrestling show ever promoted on a Sunday in Texas, and the first promoted in the Summit. It was billed as “Super Sunday in the Summit,” with the show starting at 3 p.m. and the card jammed with superstars from around the wrestling world and all three major wrestling associations.

  The only thing that marred the day was an unfortunate no-show from National Wrestling Alliance World Heavyweight Champion Harley Race. He had signed to face Terry Funk, but arrived in a taxi just as the Houston Wrestling fans were filing out of the Summit. Fans were disappointed he had not shown, but they did witness the World Champion jumping out of the taxi and running into the Summit. Harley Race claimed that the National Wrestling Alliance had told him it was a night show and that he spent the afternoon in a local motel waiting to go to the Summit. The National Wrestling Alliance claimed they informed World Champion Harley Race correctly, and he should have been at the Summit on time.

  Race ran into the dressing room to apologize to Boesch and me, but the damage had been done. We were furious, we had just spent weeks advertising to millions of fans that World Champion Harley Race would be there. A substitution severely hurts a promotion and the promoters involved. The NWA ordered Race to return to Houston Wrestling as soon as possible, and both the NWA and Race sent tapes explaining to fans what had happened. While these measures helped, they could not prevent all the damage.

  The rest of the Super Sunday in the Summit Card went off without a problem, and there was a silver lining to the dark cloud produced by the no-show. American Wrestling Alliance champion Nick Bockwinkel did a super job of substituting for Harley Race against Terry Funk. After he successfully defended his title against Jose Lothario, Bockwinkel came back to batt
le Funk to a sensational sixty-minute time-limit draw. The show impressed not only Houston Wrestling fans, but fans around the wrestling world. As a result, the Houston Wrestling promotion started booking Bockwinkel. This was good news for Houston Wrestling fans, for Bockwinkel, and for the Houston Wrestling promotion, as you will find out.

  Lynn Denton also debuted that year. He was a wrestler who had grown up attending Houston Wrestling matches with his father, Ed Denton. Even as a young boy, he was determined to become a professional wrestler. What makes this story so special is not only that Lynn and his father are both good friends of mine, but that his story was played out in wrestling towns all around the country. For decades, young boys and girls attended the local wrestling matches and dreamed that someday they would be one of the stars in the ring. For hundreds who have that vision, only a few make it. Lynn Denton was one of those special few.

  Houston Wrestling also featured newcomers like Skip Young, Hank James, George McCerry, Tank Patton, Randy Brewer, Reno Tuufuli, Carlos Payne, Joe Marin, Randy Colley, Bruce Lankford, Eddy Mansfield, Randy Alls, and Dennis Albert.

  Boesch promoted a huge card with five title showdowns on October 21, 1977, as he marked forty-five years in the wrestling business. He was very proud of the fact, and one he wanted to celebrate with friends and fans. One of the stars who signed to be on the Paul Boesch 45th anniversary show, was former World Champion Terry Funk. A couple of weeks before the event, Terry called and asked me if I would do a special favor for him. He explained that he had just agreed to play a big part in Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming movie about nightclub wresting, Paradise Alley. I had recently read the book Paradise Alley, written by Stallone. I had also heard rumors that there would be a movie, but this was the first time I learned that Terry Funk would have a major part.