While going through my collection of Body Press magazines from the old Cobo Arena days, I ran across a name that should have been talked about a long time before this.

Flying Fred Curry was the ultimate best in getting in the air and delivering dropkicks and flying head scissors. He also possessed a tremendous right punch that he was taught by his dad, the late Wild Bull Curry. He could also wrestle with the best of them. He had been a football great in college, which gave him the speed and strength needed to do what he had to.

Fred had been taught a lot of the basic wrestling maneuvers by his dad, Bull Curry, and made his debut in Texas while Bull was a headliner for Paul Boesch in Houston. Bull and Fred had a big feud with The Dirty Daltons and once ended the match with Bull bringing a horse trough in the ring and giving the Dirty Daltons a bath following their win.

Fred took a back seat to his dad in the ring for a few years before being called to Columbus to wrestle for the Al Haft promotion. About the same time in Michigan, Johnny Doyle and Jim Barnett were selling out arenas with their group of wrestlers and heard about the young sensation that could deliver 25 dropkicks in a row, and they wanted his services for their territory.

They sent a message to Fred to come and see them at his earliest. Fred was very happy with the Columbus territory, as the trips were short, and he was home about every evening. Fred continued to wrestle in the Haft territory until it closed and decided that his next move would be to Detroit, where promoter Francis Fleser had bought out Barnett and Doyle.

On arriving in Detroit, Fred went to the offices of World Wide Sports on Jefferson Avenue and met with Mr. Fleser. The office was huge in size and had the decorative arts of a museum throughout the interior. Behind a huge walnut desk sat Mr. Fleser signing contracts … answering the phones ... and getting the opponents ready for an upcoming card at Cobo Arena.

After a brief meeting, a handshake was given, and a new star was coming to the Great Lakes territory … FLYING FRED CURRY. Mr. Fleser asked if Fred was busy that evening, as Flint was running, and he had received a call that Dennis Pella would not be able to make the booking. Since Fred always carried a wrestling bag with him, he said that he would be very happy to go to the IMA Auditorium and wrestle.

Arriving in Flint a few hours later, Fred faced a different challenge than he had in many years. He was put against a huge masked man by the name of Mr. X. This guy stood nearly 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 280 pounds. He had been undefeated in all the matches he had been in and kept his identity a secret to everyone … even the boys in the dressing room.

Their match was fourth on the card, and the people of Flint didn't know how to react to the newcomer, as he had not been exposed to them on local television, either from Detroit WXYZ-TV or Bay City WNEM-TV that carried the matches. Fred wore a simple jacket to the ring that had been given to him by his fan club in Ohio.

On entering the ropes Fred glanced across the ring at this huge man that had a smile on his face under the mask and wondered if he could measure up to this giant that had run rampant in all the rings he entered. Fred began to sign autograph books handed to him by fans, and the introductions began. Coming to the center of the ring to get the instructions from referee Bill Lois from Jackson, Michigan, the huge masked man suddenly lunged forward on top of Fred and began to beat the living daylights out of him. He tore the jacket from his body and began to tear it apart.

Fred had been knocked to the mat and was tossing around when he caught his second breath and came up from the mat and began dropkicking the daylights out of the masked man. After 10 dropkicks, the masked man rolled out of the ring and sought refuge in the ringside front row. Fred was not at all happy with what the guy had done with his jacket and jumped outside the ring and began to fight into the crowds with the masked giant.

Fans had tried to help Fred out by standing in the aisleway and preventing Mr. X from escaping the onslaught of Fred. They finally got back to the ring and were fighting on the outside more then in the ring. They rolled into the ring at the 18 count and broke the count six times before the referee stopped the match and declared it a no contest. Fred was fighting mad and continued his barrage on the masked man.

From out of the dressing room area came the United States Champion … The Sheik. He was surrounded by Flint's finest in blue and proceeded to the ring for his match with The Mighty Igor. Suddenly, as quick as a flash, The Sheik attacked Fred at ringside along with the big masked man, and they left him a bloodied mess to be carried out the rear of the building to Hurley Hospital, where he was stitched up and released.

Fred went back to the IMA and demanded to see promoter Fleser about the attack and pleaded for the opportunity to get a title match against the mad man from Syria. Of course, there were many boundaries to cross and men that he would have to defeat to get a title shot. Fred didn't care ... he just wanted to get even for the attack from behind that The Sheik and his manager had given him.

The following night was the big card at the Cobo Arena ... Fred was not scheduled to appear but went and bought a ticket to get into the building. He was seated at ringside when the main event came to the ring. Fred shook hands with Bobo Brazil, as they had been friends from the Columbus area. Fred had taken his seat again when The Sheik came walking out from under the reserved seating where the dressing room area was.

Suddenly, the Sheik spotted Fred in the end seat near the aisleway and started screaming in Arabic at the young superstar. By then, manager Abdullah Farook had gotten into the conversation and was also hurling insults at Fred. A score of policemen had gotten between the two grapplers, preventing them from making contact with each other.

By then, Bobo had come from the ring and was at Fred's side in the shouting match. Fists started flying, and chairs that were bound together by threes at ringside went awry as the three men fought towards the ring. The Sheik had made it into the ring, and his beautiful prayer rug went flying outside, hitting Farook in the chest as the three men battled. Fred was ordered out of the ring, and Bobo started beating the living heck out of his opponent. Detroit had no idea who this new man was … but they loved him.

The following morning during the television taping at Walled Lake, Fred took it upon himself to go in front of the cameras with Lord Athol Layton and plead for a match with The Sheik. Layton had a personal vendetta with The Sheik as well and offered his encouragement to anyone that could stop the maniacal madman and his title reign in the Great Lakes Region.

Fred did not play to deaf ears, as Promoter Fleser was watching from the control area and went to his side and asked in front of a television audience if Fred would be willing to make a trip to Toronto that night and speak with Frank Tunney about a match. The reason he did this was that The Sheik was solidly booked for quite a time in his territory but was not booked as heavily in Canada.

Fred jumped at the chance, shook Fleser's hand, and headed out the door for Toronto … some five hours away by car. He thought of the time that he could get revenge for what The Sheik had done to him but also the huge masked man that had torn his ring jacket and beat him within an inch of his life.

Parking in the garage of the Maple Leaf Gardens, Fred went inside with his gear in hand. He was determined to get on the card that evening and then embarrass The Sheik and his manager into a match with him. Fred was met at the office doors by Jack Tunney and escorted into Frank's office.

Frank extended a hearty strong handshake to Fred and asked him to sit down and talk about what was on his mind. Fred began with the incident in Flint and the end of the match where the two men had left him pretty broken up. Then, he talked about promoter Fleser telling him to come to Toronto and that the chances would be better at getting a match.

Frank turned to Jack, who was sitting at the other end of the desk taking in all the conversation, and said, "Don't we have an opening on tonight's card? Lets give Fred a chance against Mr. X again." It seemed like everyone that the huge masked man was booked against was calling off the match. Fred looked at both Tunneys and said, "If I can beat the big guy tonight … how about a match with The Sheik here in Toronto?"

Frank looked at Fred and said, "If you can beat Mr. X, I will have no alternative but to book the match." To seal the deal, Fred stuck out his arm and grabbed both Tunneys by the shoulders and thanked them for the match. It was nearly 6 p.m., and he had two hours to figure out a way to bring the big masked man down to the mat for a three count.

As the opener on the card and never being in Toronto, Fred did not know what to think of the Canadian crowd or what they would think of him. He went down the ramp, made of tables stuck together side by side, to the ring. They had to elevate the walkway because of the ice arena below the artificial flooring. The huge masked man followed in a hail of catcalls and flying beer cups, some full of Molson ale.

As soon as the introductions were over, Fred charged at the masked man and started hitting him with dropkick after dropkick. He even was able to get in a few flying head scissors, to the delight of the crowd. Not since the high flying antics of Billy "Red" Lyons had they been treated to such a display of movements. Finally, out of the blue, Fred decided to use a hold that he had seen Jim Hady use in Hawaii, called the "Octopus". It was like an abdominal stretch but a little different in the way it was put on. It worked really well on big tall guys, as the more they struggled, the tighter the hold became.

Fred won the match as the masked man gave up his efforts. He didn't even want to claim his prize … the mask that held the identity of the mystery man. Fred grabbed the mike and started calling out to the fans that he wanted The Sheik. They were very happy that somebody had beaten Mr. X and ended his 15-card winning streak ... but they just didn't know about Fred's back ground other then he was the son of Wild Bull Curry.

Two weeks, later Fred met The Sheik, and they wrestled until both were very bloody and physically exhausted. The match ended in a 60-minute draw before a sellout crowd that had everyone on the edge of their seats.

Fred didn't ask for a rematch … nor did Abdullah Farook for the U.S. Champion. Fred is still involved in the business and wrestles on special cards. I ran into the Currys in Las Vegas at the Cauliflower Alley Club Reunion a few years back, and what wonderful memories were brought back seeing Fred after a 30-year lapse.

Fred now has a son wrestling to carry on the family name in the business. Fred Curry III, known as "Rocket", will more than likely continue in the path of greatness of his dad's and granddad's flying shoes and fast fists. Both will be in Las Vegas on April 15-17, 2004 to honor Bull with a posthumous award.

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers