Memories of yesteryear..... how many remember?

[Goldeneagle]

We got to talkin here at the shop about memories of our youth. Well growing up in S.Dallas, not many of my memories are good one's. But, probably my fondest memory was Friday nights. Once a month the neighbor across the street from us would take us boy's down to the Sportatorium for some wrastlin. How many of Ya'll remember these?

[El Coyote]

The Silver Tongued Devil Dusty Rhodes...

[Deb]

I do!

[El Coyote]

That the Great Kabuki? The Freebirds, and of course the stylin, profylin, kiss stealing, limo riding, jet flyin, wheelin dealin son of a #^**% Whoaaaaa Ric Flair

[rtread]

True story:
Lowake Inn out near San Angelo had world class steak.....famous nationally. They came up with a promotion.....a huge platter completely covered with sirloin, plus all the trimmings. If you finish the whole meal, it's on the house. Dory Funk and his wrestling cronies showed up out there and all ate their free meal. Lowake Inn promptly cancelled the deal.

I wasn't a wrestling fan but growing up in San Angelo you couldn't help but know a lot about wrestling. The old Community Gym was the site.....became the YMCA later on.

[Rangefinder]

Ttt and a bump hoss.

[bowhunter45]

how bout king Kong Bundy

[Bayouboy]

Met almost every one of those guys at one time or another except the Von Erichs. Used to be a midsouth wrestling school in Alexandria, La. and a lot of those guys either went there or wrestled at the Alexandria, coliseum. The Freebirds, Rock and Roll Express, and the Rat Pack used to hangout at a night club named The Lighthouse. Bunch of crazy guys no doubt. One of the nicest guys I ever met was Junk Yard Dog.
Front row seats every Tuesday night with my dad at the coliseum. That was until he got angry at Danny Hodge one evening, stood up, and knocked him out with a punch between the eyes when he exited the ring and started running around ringside tormenting fans. We were barred for a short time after that. I must have been all of about ten years old when that happened. Lots of great memories watching those little old ladies scream at ringside.

[Nate Riley]

I remember playing the Von Erichs on the trampoline!

[Snapper]

I remember them.

[BlacktailSlayer]

I remember going to the local high school in Oregon and watching Portland Wrestling. It was great. Remember seeing Billy Jack Hayes - The honky Tonk man - it was awesome!

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by Bayouboy

Met almost every one of those guys at one time or another except the Von Erichs. Used to be a midsouth wrestling school in Alexandria, La. and a lot of those guys either went there or wrestled at the Alexandria, coliseum. The Freebirds, Rock and Roll Express, and the Rat Pack used to hangout at a night club named The Lighthouse. Bunch of crazy guys no doubt. One of the nicest guys I ever met was Junk Yard Dog.
Front row seats every Tuesday night with my dad at the coliseum. That was until he got angry at Danny Hodge one evening, stood up, and knocked him out with a punch between the eyes when he exited the ring and started running around ringside tormenting fans. We were barred for a short time after that. I must have been all of about ten years old when that happened. Lots of great memories watching those little old ladies scream at ringside.

My uncle went to HS with Fritz. They played football together and stayed lifelong friends. I've been out to the Von Erics home in Lake Dallas a few times when my uncle was in town. Very nice people. It's a real shame how the family just self destructed.

[D C]

I still do "the Rick Flair" while shooting dice. WOOOOOOOOOOH

[Goldeneagle]

Here's a couple for Texas Tracker. How bout it Rig, how many days did you spend here?

[Jaspro]

I have a cousin who wrestled with them under the name of Solomon Grundy from Pigsnuckle Kentucky.



My parents took me and a bunch of my friends to Billy Bobs to watch them one night. We were 11 or 12 and they were splitting the show with the GLOW women. We got to go back stage after the event and meet them all. We relive that night ever time me and those buddies get together. Lmao!

[EZ-10RANCH]

Those were the days.... I lived in Cypress (houston) and remember mattress mack in his matress outfit for advertising, look at him now. I still remember him saying, ""6006 I45 north between tidwell and parker"" At least that's what I remember..

[RogueSamurai]

Pardon my ignorance, but are any of the Von Erich's still alive? I remember one or two of them passing away in the late 80's or early 90's but I may be mistaken.

[Jaspro]

Originally Posted by RogueSamurai

Pardon my ignorance, but are any of the Von Erich's still alive? I remember one or two of them passing away in the late 80's or early 90's but I may be mistaken.

I believe Kevin is still alive

[Legdog]

Ah yes... Freebirds and Von Erichs... the ultimate wrestling fued.

Kevin and Kerry used to come in to Champion Fitness Center in Lewisville when I was there.

Kevin was always full of stories and Kerry was always high as a kite.

Five of Fritz's six sons died before him (three by suicide).

Kevin is the sole survivor.

It's a movie that needs to happen.

[Cajun Blake]

I grew up in the Big Easy and remember going to the Municipal Auditorium to watch UWF matches that were run by Leroy McGuirk. He sold out to Cowboy Bill Watts who formed Mid South Wrestling in the late 70's.

My fondest memories are the feuds between JYD and Freebird Michael Hayes, Stagger Lee & Watts vs. the Midnight Express, etc

These guys were always in the mix: Ted DiBiase, Steve "Dr Death" Williams, Skandar Akbar and Devastation Inc, Kamala the Ugandan Giant, Ice Man King Parsons, Ernie "Big Cat" Ladd, Dusty Roads, Magnum TA, the Guerrero brothers, and the Nature Boy Buddy Landel

Those were the days

[mperez76er]

the iron claw once it was on it was over

[quarterback]

Our family was glued to the TV on Saturday nights when wrestling came on. Seems like it was on right after Hee Haw or something like that. We finally wore my dad down and he took us to see some "live rasslin" at the Sportatorium a couple of times.

If you would have told us (a bunch of 10-12 year olds) that wrestling was fake we would never have believed it. Those were the days.

[Shane]

My grandad used to watch all of them on TV, and I'd watch with him at his house sometimes. I remember all those guys. Also Terry and Dory Funk, Jr. Terry used to live on the ranch on the east side of Canyon where the creek runs through and under the highway. I don't know if he stll lives there or not. He had cutting horses, I think.

[rtread]

Originally Posted by Shane

My grandad used to watch all of them on TV, and I'd watch with him at his house sometimes. I remember all those guys. Also Terry and Dory Funk, Jr. Terry used to live on the ranch on the east side of Canyon where the creek runs through and under the highway. I don't know if he stll lives there or not. He had cutting horses, I think.

I remember one of the Funks being interviewed on San Angelo tv.....he said they had these "grudge matches' and acted like they wanted to kill each other then all load up in his broken down Cadillac and head for Abilene, Odessa or wherever.....beer bottles flying out the windows...

[Burnadell]

Never saw a raslin match there, but I did see a Willie Nelson concert there in the 70's.

[huntinag96]

Never missed one on TV on Friday Nights! I used to beat the snot out of the couch pillows in front of the TV. Remember Kamala the Ugundan Giant and The Missing Link?! Lol. Good times.

[Gummi Bear]

I remember watching it on TV when I was a kid. Never did get to go to a match though. We had a lot of fun watching it.


The Sportatorium has an interesting history, for those who aren't old enough to remember:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallas_Sportatorium


Jim Gatewood wrote a book that included it, and some of the stars that boxed and wrestled there during the depression: http://www.dcarb.com/dallas-history/j-frank-norris.htm

[Charlie6Delta]

My great grandma would get mad as a hornet if you tried to tell her wrestling was fake! My grandpa hated it.

[mboltm]

Man there were a bunch of them Hacksaw Jim Dugan was alwasys a favorite along with many of the already mentioned

[Charles]

Used to watch them on TV with a bucket of popcorn.

I remember a wrestler named "Goldeneagle", never would of thought that was you!

[DirtyMullet]

Goldeneagle...where'd you go to school? My whole family is from the sunny south. great uncle owned the million item....remember that?

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by Burnadell

Never saw a raslin match there, but I did see a Willie Nelson concert there in the 70's.

I saw Willie there too. Heck, we might have seen each other.

Originally Posted by Charles

Used to watch them on TV with a bucket of popcorn.

I remember a wrestler named "Goldeneagle", never would of thought that was you!

[ShockValue]

I grew up in Mississippi and watching Georgia Championship Wrestling on TBS out of Atlanta. It was still some of the same guys, but more Freebirds than Von Ericks.

Also, Junkyard Dog, Dusty Roads, Ric Flair, Ted Dibiassi, and Mr. Wresting #2 was my favorite masked wrestler!

[Raypo]

Wow... I haven't seen those faces in a while

[huntmaster]

Originally Posted by Burnadell

Never saw a raslin match there, but I did see a Willie Nelson concert there in the 70's.

me too

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by DirtyMullet

Goldeneagle...where'd you go to school? My whole family is from the sunny south. great uncle owned the million item....remember that?

I was actually raised in SW Dallas. Went to LA Stemmons Elementary, Stockard Jr High and TW Brown before we moved to Plano. The year I went to Brown was the year they started integrading the schools and everyone was bused all over. It was a very bad year. Riots broke out in the schools several times.

[big_smith]

Saw Kerry Von Erich at the youth fair one year. It was towards then end of his career/life. He was HUGE, or at least seemed huge. I was about 12 or 13 at the time. I used to argue with my Dad about wrestling being fake. Turns out Dad was in fact smarter than me....go figure.

[Goldeneagle]

Here's ya'll another. Spent many hours racing slot cars in this place.

[Goldeneagle]

Learned how to open beer cans with a church key when I was 5yrs old while my dad bowled in the ol T.I. leagues at this place.

[HEADHUNTER71]

ahhhh the bronco bowl !!!!

[bowhuntntxn]

Originally Posted by Goldeneagle

Here's ya'll another. Spent many hours racing slot cars in this place.
Attachment 396966

Is that the Bronco Bowl? Used to shoot leagues there, and see concerts there too. My cousins lived about 7 houses away from the Von Erics and we used to hang with them until they decided to play the "my dad is famous" card. Then we showed them where to kick rocks at!

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by HEADHUNTER71

ahhhh the bronco bowl !!!!

They had the coolest archery lanes I've ever seen.

[BO-N-ARO]

Oh ya.... back when wres-lun was real fighting..... now they have that phony MMA!!
The Bronco Bowl was THE place! I bought my first brand new compound there, a Browning Explorer!! I thought it just could not get any better!

[Goldeneagle]

Remember when this was the tallest building in Dallas?

[Goldeneagle]

Originally Posted by BO-N-ARO

Oh ya.... back when wres-lun was real fighting..... now they have that phony MMA!!
The Bronco Bowl was THE place! I bought my first brand new compound there, a Browning Explorer!! I thought it just could not get any better!

Bronco Bowl was about the coolest place in the world. They had everything. Archery, slot cars, indoor golf driving range..... oh yeah and bowling.

[CletusBodeen]

Been to few raslin matches there in my way younger days. Man the good times we had.

[Burnadell]

Originally Posted by Goldeneagle

I saw Willie there too. Heck, we might have seen each other.

Originally Posted by huntmaster

me too

Dang, we could have had a reunion!

If I remember correctly, Kris Kristopherson made a surprise appearance onstage, walking up behind Willie, who also did not expect him to be there...or was it Waylon? Darn memory!!! It must have been the second hand (funny smelling ) smoke that was wafting through the place!

[Goldeneagle]

Here's another one for Rig.

[HOYTPRO2001]

Saturday night Rasslin' matches were always the thing to do at Grandma and Grandpa's house.
OMG Grandma would get soooo mad at some of them, she'd walk over and turn the volume OFF when they were talking. LOL Grandpa would cuss them guys like they were standing in the room. LOL Funny stuf now.

[Monster 7]

My Grandfather would get so mad at Duke keyamuka he would have to go outside and cool off, i remember them, im old fart. Prolly spelled his name wrong