October 13 2022

I was 19 years old. I got picked up in Chicago and in a 15 passenger van filled with like 10 wrestlers and gear we drove out to Fort Wayne, Indiana to the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. When we got there we all grabbed our gear from the van and headed on in. I had no idea what to expect; 1st time there. We went inside and found the Agents. Back then you needed to be wrestling for 5 years or have 300 matches to just be a jobber, i did not have either, but Tom Stone felt I had the talent to be there. We signed in saying we were here. Then we got Paid in Cash and went for the buffet that was set up for all the talent to have. (We liked getting there early just because of the buffet. Food was good and saved you money from eating on the road.)

I lied my ass off to get a shot on TV. Luckily, I had the skills and the ability to listen to the veterans and make them look good in the ring.

After chowing down you would walk around until they brought out the grease board which would soon be full of matches for the night. We would stand by as the agents were filling it out to see who we were wrestling with and when. They would list the matches by hours. So hour 1 may have 6 matches and 2 interview segments Hour 2 may have a dark match 5 tv matches etc. So I was on the 1st hour and the 2nd hour of the taping. 1st hour I had to wrestle Jake the Snake Roberts and in the 2nd hour I had The Berzerker (Nord the Barbarian).

Getting ready for the ring

So I walked around to find Jake. Once I found him I informed him that we would be working together on the 1st hour. He asked me if I had ever taken a DDT before and I said no. He said to keep me safe NOT to roll through the impact as he wouldn't be letting go of my head and I may break my neck. I appreciated that. He also asked me to take a nice bump for his short arm clothesline. Thank you sir and I'll see you out there.

I headed over to Wrestling equivellent to On Deck which, in our business, is called the "Gorilla Position", Named after Gorilla Monsoon former wrestler and commentator for WWF as that's where he was most of the time late in his career. Once the match before us was finished the agent would tell you when to go and then you went.

It's a long walk down that isle especially when the audience is looking at you like you were fresh meat and no one knew your name. Kinda nerve racking to walk out alone, in front of 30,000 people. Once you get into the ring you wait for a good minute or two before they announce you. Getting the cameras up to speed(nowadays no need due to everything is digital). Then the bell rings and and the ring announcer introduces you ...to crickets. Then they announce Jake the Snake, he came down looking evil and mad(was his Job) and proceeded to beat up the 19 year old kid who grew up watching Jake the snake. It was sureal. He beat me good but, I loved every second of it. I bumped really nicely for his short arm like he requested and I took a flat bump onto my beak for the DDT, which he appreciated. The referee pulled me out before Jake could put the snake on me. Then rinse and repeat.

I went and found The Bezerker he asked me wht I could do. I mentioned I could take a nice spill out of the turnbuckle when he threw me into it he said "yeah, I like that". And he used it in our match. I did suffer a dislocated jaw from the Boot to the face I took; It was brutal. After, just like Jake, I thanked him for the match and experience. Also, while in the locker room, you are walking around and it was like "Oh crap that's Hulk Hogan or That's Kerry Von Erich or That's Brett Hart." Total sensory overload! It was an experience I will never forget. They had me back here and there until around 1995 when the TV matches kinda stopped. Fun while it lasted. Memories for a lifetime. #Iwasthere