Most Wrestlers were Happy to Chat with Fans at Shows and especially after Retirement at
REUNIONS where many make an effort to attend and mingle!
At the last KENT REUNION I was really pleased that CHIC CULLEN came over to our
HERITAGE Table to spend time with HACK and Myself!
Some go even further-like KENDO with Special 'Retreat' Days' and more recently Evenings
for Specially Invited Long-Time Followers where he has Q/A Get-Togethers!
But what about an Evening with a Top Wrestler at an Outside Venue?-a Club for example?
Who would be your Choice for 'An Audience with'....
It can be ANY Wrestler-Alive or no longer with Us??.....
Think we know ANGLO'S Pick?!.....
BERNARD'S Too?......
Mine would have to be COUNT BARTELLI!!
Here's FRANK'S below!-Would he camp out the Nite before in the Wind and the Rain to make sure he Secured his Ticket?......
MAIN MASK
Would of liked to have talked with the great Barry Douglas about his in ring career, and his famous wrestling family.
So meaningful how they made use of the imposing word "eliminator." Completely abandoned by the sixties...when they started not to be bothered.
I love seeing a Flemish champion. Reminds me of the Flemish tag partners, Gob & Spit.
Can't beat that one Adrian , I have that one as Brighton Sports Stadium
Judo Al Hayes would be a good one.
Mick McManus would have been great, a wrestler who was at the heart of everything for a time.
Martin Conroy is a good choice. I have many questions for him as well.
But I think I would go for Judo Al Hayes. I believe he enjoyed a beverage too. Bill Verna would also be on my shortlist.
I think Martin Conroy would have seen it all , would have lots of questions for him about the real old days. Pretty sure he liked a pint as well.
Ha. Ha. Good old Johnny. Not a fan but he was a great wrestler no doubt about it. I think you know who my real fav is Adrian. 2ed choice would be Adrian Street and Bobby Barnes.
Thanks Main Mask. I am fortunate to have already spent the evening with several wrestlers and I must say they have all been great fun. Johnny Kincaid provides a rat-a-tat-tat series of reminiscences and my brain does overtime trying to remember all the fascinating detail, but fails. Bob Kirkwood provides quite a different challenge. He is rather unaware of our angle as "punters" and needs his memory to be focused skilfully with questions. He explains how he was also unaware of a lot of the business during his career, certainly the early part, and is enjoying finding out so much more this century, especially through this site.
Having said that, they all just hold that little something back. It's in their blood. This was also highlighted in some time Hack and I spent with Butts Giraud.
But the very nature of wrestling, all that travelling and a very non-repetitive job, means that they all have so many fabulous memories from the ring, the dressing rooms and on the road - and, now, nostalgia galore.
Certainly Alan Garfield's name comes up all the time in the discussion, and he was undoubtedly great fun and had all those stories as well as so many from the USA and South Africa. (Not Australia, haha)
But really, from the bits I have heard of unmasked Kendo on the youtube this year, memories of dear old Count Bartelli, Dale Storm....all of them really, all great. Not a bore amongst them!
When all is said and done: Paul Lincoln.