Newton 2005

The journey to Newton and the Hall of Fame started on Thursday of last week. I began the day as usual by getting up at 5 a.m. Then, after a half day at work, I returned home to pack to the 530-mile trip. Hurriedly, I tried to run down the many things I would need.

At 12:30, I was on the Ohio Turnpike and headed westbound. Indiana came and went by this time with just one stop to top off the fuel tank. I came into Illinois, and the road construction began. The lanes that I was in were not moving, and, as I glanced over to the left, it seemed like it was not having any delays at all.

Quickly, I changed lanes and was progressing very well until I saw the sign across the barrier from me that said I-80. I had been on an express lane to O'Hare airport and I-294 north. By the time I got turned around and back to I-80 by way of I-288, then I-355 and I-55, I had gone 91 miles round trip out of my way for a two-mile backup.

Arriving in Newton at 11:30 Central time, I hit the bed with a huge thud. I had been up for 20 1/2 hours and driven 619 miles. I slept very soundly until 6 a.m. the next morning. Chief Paul Farber had joined me in my suite on the hill overlooking the beautiful Wrestling Institute and Museum. We had a wonderful breakfast at a pancake house and then proceeded to the museum.

Since it was not open until 10 a.m., we decided to venture over to the Holiday Inn Express and see who might be there. A lot of the fans and legends stay there, but it is a little too noisy for me because of the I-80 traffic.

Charlie Thesz, widow of the late Lou Thesz, was the first to cross my path, and we exchanged hellos and hugs. I told her that I had something for her and that I would bring it to the museum later. B.J. Race, Harley's wife, caught my eye next, and we also exchanged hugs. Harley was still in his room and would be at the museum a little later. Tom Drake, legal council for the CAC and past speaker of the house for Alabama, was the next to arrive as he was awaiting his luggage to arrive from Delta airlines. I guess I am not the only one to have experienced that fun part of traveling on that line. A few fans joined us as Tom and I talked about our past visits in Las Vegas and Newton. We also shared some question and answer sessions with each other over health problems in the senior years. As it was 10 a.m., Chief and I decided to go to the museum and take in the displays on exhibit. Charlie Thesz was behind the counter, and Bev Chapman was at her computer in the side office doing the many things she does at the museum. I opened my briefcase and took out a large manila envelope and handed it to Charlie. She opened it, and there was a 1951 program from Houston, Texas, with Lou on the cover, encased in plastic. I didn't know how she would react, as she and Lou were closer than most couples in marriage, and his loss was very hard for her to get over.

She had a smile on her face and said to me that this was one of the few times that Lou had smiled for a picture. She gave me a huge hug for the gift and said that she would treasure this for the rest of her life and make sure that future generations would be able to see it.

As I glanced into the Professional Hall of the building, I noticed a new look to the room. They had changed the showcases and reset the displays to reflect the years past and present of the honorees displayed on the wall facing the ring. I felt a huge hand on my shoulder and turned to see my friend from New England, Fr. Jason Sanderson.

I had been in contact with him a lot since the Cauliflower Alley Club reunion and banquet in Las Vegas. He had a marvelous career as a wrestler and turned a lottery winning into a lifelong dream of becoming a priest and helping the less fortunate. It is really amazing the amount of things he does in a daily routine. His cell phone rang almost constantly the entire morning as he tried to view the museum. He is on the board of directors and serves on the committee that selects the new classes of legends that cover the wall.

As usual, I wanted to do a little shopping and broke away from the museum for a couple of hours. I went first to the downtown area, where there is a huge antique mall and flea market. I spent the next hour walking around the three floors of displays. Next, I made my first visit to the Maytag Farms, where the world famous Maytag Blue Cheese is manufactured.

It sits on a wooded acreage a little out of town and in view of the many farms that dot the valley of Newton. Their corporate building has a gift shop area that lets you purchase cheese and other products that are made there. It has a beautiful view of one of the white barns where the cattle are milked to produce the many different products.

I made my purchase and then returned to the museum. Many of the wrestlers were out on the golf course and were just starting to return when I got there. Larry "the Ax" Hennig and Harley were having a good time remembering the many years they were together on the road. They both stopped when they saw me, and we began what turned out to be a family reunion.

One by one, the golfers started to crowd the lower area of the museum where the Dean Rockwell library is and the other rooms that adjoin them. Danny Hodge and his wife Delores joined us; Baron Von Raschke and his wife came in. Joyce Paustian was next, and she shared some pictures with me from the CAC last April. Brad Rheingans and Paul Orndorff joined us, along with Bob Geigel and Tom "The Intern" Andrews.

As it was nearing 5 p.m., we left the arena to go to the Newton High School for the live matches brought in by World League Wrestling. The short drive to the school was done in less than 15 minutes. I was amazed at the amount of fans that remembered Angus and myself.

To be continued...

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