Message-ID:  

http://kayfabememories.com/Stories/mickkarch/mk24.htm

So much has changed in the wrestling business. The sport today bears
little resemblance to the 'kayfabe' era except for the fact that the
matches are held in a ring (for the most part) and the wrestlers wear
trunks (again, for the most part.) But the psychology is certainly
missing. A couple of 'high spots' per match has now become a couple of
legit holds per match sandwiched between 15 minutes of high spots.

As for me, even though I continue to do television play-by-play and
booking for the 'modern era,' I'm still 'old school' through and
through. And it is also why my fondest memories of my 42 years of
following this sport center around the AWA legends of the past.

This takes me back to the spring of 1990. I was hosting a wrestling
block on Minneapolis television called "Saturday Night at Ringside."
We had been on the air for two years, and the second anniversary show
was coming up. I wanted to do something really special, not only for
the Twin Cities viewers but also for myself. I decided to try and line
up some of the more famous names in AWA history to make guest
appearances on the show.

I was thrilled at the success. Imagine, in one studio for one program,
longtime Minneapolis promoter Wally Karbo and matchmaker Al DeRusha,
the one and only Mad Dog Vachon, Baron Von Raschke, Larry "The Axe"
Hennig, 1940's and 50's Minnesota wrestling legend Butch Levy, and
Stan "Krusher" Kowalski. I was in absolute 'heaven,' as if this was
the Minneapolis version of the "Cauliflower Alley Club." I conducted
interview segments with each of these AWA heroes of days past.

The anniversary show itself went extremely well, but what happened
afterward was magic. All of us went out to dinner at a nearby
restaurant. As soon as we were seated, it was like time warp, back to
the golden era. Over and over again, people in the restaurant came
over to our table, wanting to meet and greet these larger-than-life
stars.

They wanted to shake hands, to get autographs, to take pictures, to
share memories of days gone by.

I was absolutely enthralled with what I was witnessing, and I could
tell that the wrestlers were having a blast.

I will never forget that night. Listening to my favorites from my
youth share stories about their careers, their days on the road, the
matches, the characters, the ribbing...I felt like I was in my
element...reliving the days of what professional wrestling was really
all about.


--- Internet Rex 2.29