The Royal Stud

This past week, the world lost a great lady. My Aunt Velma's mom, Alfrieda V. Dunn, who was 96, passed away at the Friend Estate in Silver Springs, Florida. Please remember her in your prayers--Percival

Recently, while on a road trip to Indiana, my train of thought was jarred by my cell phone ringing. The cars going alongside of me on the turnpike suddenly became second nature, as I had to devote all my attention to the party on my private cell phone.

It was Adam Windsor, the kid that made a very good name for himself at the Funking Conservatory in Ocala, Florida. He outdid every opponent he faced and did so with an expertise that only a former NWA World's Heavyweight Champion could give.

He started at the conservatory as a 118-pound bundle of energy, excitement and enthusiasm. His training sessions included weight lifting, as well as on the mat contact with men sometimes twice his size. He was handed his head, so to speak, more than once. He never looked back at the losses in the ring as negative training. He looked at them as building blocks for a very successful career.

Some six years later, he was at nearly 235 pounds of natural strength. He was a triple belt champion that weekly defended his passion on the mats with a velocity that has been unmatched by any another student of Dory Funk Jr.

There was a time that he was a fan favorite and had a following like a pied piper. He had the attention and RESPECT of everyone on the Conservatory roster. He traveled to Japan and went against the best their dojos could offer. He captured the attention of Vince McMahon the times he went to some of their events with Dory Funk Jr.

I listened to him spout off about how great he was now as I continued my way westward. He began by telling me that he had broken away from the grip of Funkism. He no longer had to answer to their every whim and command. He told me he was a MAN'S MAN now, and, for once in his life, he asked for someone else's help in making a decision that would better him in the wrestling world.

After listening to him for nearly 10 minutes, I cut him off and asked him why he picked me to call instead of the many super people of the modern world of professional wrestling. Without even coming up for a breath and without any hesitation, he told me that experience is the world's best teacher.

Then, he went on to tell me that he had contacted some of the people that I ran against some 30-years-plus ago. He said that he spoke to Les Thornton, and he talked to Black Jack Black, and he also spoke to Bob Geigel. They all told him that I had forgotten more about wrestling than they ever learned. Thornton even went to the extreme in saying that I was the only guy he ever met that could control a crowd by doing NOTHING.

Bob Geigel, on the other hand, called me a bunch of real rotten names and stole a cliché from The Viking, who said that making friends with me was like a bunch of young chickens gathering near Colonel Sanders.

Earl Black, better know as Black Jack Black, had nothing but the best to say about me, and rightfully so … I managed him for nearly two years. I made a lot of decisions for him that caused him to be very wealthy. Enough so, that he retired back to England as a monarch of the mats. He took my skills and managed many young athletes and took them to greatness as well.

I asked Adam how I could be of help to him and told him what my services would cost him. He asked when we could meet and begin to talk about his future. I told him about my scheduled trips in the coming months that included Newton, Iowa in July to be part of honoring Harley Race being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There’s also the golf outing in Illinois for Alicia's House on September 17th to help with the food bank that feeds many of the hungry of south suburban Chicago. Appearing also, among many other legends, will be The Boogie Man, Jimmy Valiant, Harley Race and Meadowlark Lemon, formerly of the Harlem Globetrotters.

He then said that I have an Uncle Basil that lives not far from his home in Ocala and asked if he could perhaps get the three of us together maybe in the not too far distant future. It almost sounded like he was pleading with me. I LOVE being in charge...

To be continued..…

Percival A. Friend, Retired
The Epitome of Wrestling Managers
2004 CAC Honoree